Chapter Four

The Imam of Tears

My Lonely Grandfather

يَا جَدَّاهُ!

فَلَئِنْ أَخَّرَتْنِي الدُّهُورُ،

وَعَاقَنِي عَنْ نَصْرِكَ الْمَقْدُورُ...

فَلَأَنْدُبَنَّكَ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً

My lonely grandfather!

If the passage of time prevented me from being present with you,

and I was unable to come to your aid in Karbala,

then I shall mourn you and weep for you morning and evening.

— A passage from Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah

The entirety of Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah is a lamentation of the Imam of the Time (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) for his revered grandfather, Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p).

Throughout every passage of this ziyārah, the truth of mourning and weeping is expressed, for these words proceed from the tongue of the Imam.

This sacred lament is a noble inheritance passed down from his father, Imam al-Sajjad (p)—the Master of Those Who Weep (Sayyid al-Bakkāein)—to his son, the Avenger of Hussein (p).

Thus, throughout every line of this ziyārah, one can perceive the tradition and example of Imam al-Sajjad (p).

It was through the sanctity and blessings of the Sayyid al-Bakkāein (p) that this timeless tradition became established throughout history:

that the hearts of mankind are revived through shedding tears for Hussein (p).

Imam al-Sajjad (p) Wept for Forty Years

Imam al-Sajjad (p) wept for Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p) for forty years.

A narration from Imam al-Ṣādiq (p) states:

Although Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (p) was renowned for his extraordinary forbearance and patience, the tragedies of Karbala filled him with profound grief and anguish.

For forty years, he wept for his noble father, and his blessed tears flowed unceasingly.

His days were spent in fasting, and his nights in worship.

Whenever food was brought before him to break his fast, he would remember the martyrdom of his father and the martyrs of Karbala, and he would say:

قُتِلَ ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ جَائِعًا،

قُتِلَ ابْنُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَطْشَانًا

“The grandson of the Messenger of Allah (p) was martyred while hungry and thirsty.”

He would repeat these words over and over, weeping continuously, until his tears mingled with the food before him.

“I Only Present My Sorrow and Grief to Allah”

One day, the servant of the Imam said to him:

“May I be your ransom, O son of the Messenger of Allah (p)! I fear that your grief will consume you.”

The Imam replied:

إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ

وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“I only present my sorrow and grief to Allah, and I know from His infinite grace and mercy that which you do not know.”

He then said:

“Whenever I remember the place where the children of Fāṭimah (p) were martyred, grief and sorrow tighten around my throat.”

The narrations also relate that whenever the Imam (p) drank water, he wept so profusely that the vessel would become filled with his tears.

When he was asked the reason for his weeping, he replied:

“How could I not weep, when my father was denied the very water that was freely available to wild beasts and animals?”

The Weeping of Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (p) in Karbala

The Night That Bore Witness...

وَشَاهِدٍ وَمَشْهُودٍ

“By the Witness and the Witnessed!”

That night was the night of the Witness...

The witness who beheld, moment by moment, the most witnessed day in all of history.

“Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāhi al-ʿAliyyi al-ʿAẓīm.”

These blessed words flowed continually from his lips, at the time when no companions remained...

Only the tents of the women were left.

The tent of Imam al-Sajjad (p) caught his father’s gaze.

He saw his son lying upon a bed of illness, with his aunt, who had become his devoted caregiver and constant companion.

When the eyes of father and son met, both found new strength.

Imam al-Sajjad (p), too weak to rise on his own, said:

“Dear Aunt, help me sit up. The son of the Messenger of Allah (p) has come.”

His noble father asked about his condition, and heard words of praise and gratitude to Allah upon his son’s tongue.

Then Imam al-Sajjad (p) asked:

يَا أَبَتَاهُ، مَا صَنَعْتَ الْيَوْمَ مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ؟

“My father, what has happened today between you and these hypocrites?”

Imam Hussein (p) replied:

“My son, Satan has gained mastery over them and has caused them to forget Allah.

The battle between us and them became so fierce that the earth was stained with the blood of both our people and theirs.”

The sight of the blessed blood of ʿAli al-Akbar (p) upon his father’s cloak caused Hussein’s heart to tremble once more.

Then Imam al-Sajjad (p) asked:

يَا أَبَتَاهُ أَيْنَ عَمِّي الْعَبَّاسُ؟

“My dear father, where is my uncle Abbas (p)?”

It was as though the pain of parting once again overwhelmed the father.

Tears welled up in the eyes of his sister, Lady Zaynab (p), as she fixed her gaze upon her Imam.

Until that moment, the aunt had not told her nephew of the martyrdom of the Standard-Bearer, for she feared the effect the news would have upon her ailing Sajjad.

Her voice trembled as she said:

“My son... your uncle has been martyred, and beside the Euphrates, both of his hands were severed from his blessed body.”

Not a moment had passed before the sound of Imam al-Sajjad’s (p) weeping caused even the heavens to weep.

Overcome by the intensity of his grief, he lost consciousness in the lap of his aunt.

When he regained consciousness, he began asking about his other uncles.

The answer shook his heart:

All of them had been martyred.

Blessed tears flowed from his eyes.

Then he asked his father once more:

“And my brother, ʿAli al-Akbar...?”

The voices of the young men of Banu Hashim seemed to echo through the air.

Then came the answer:

“My son, know only this: within these tents, no man remains except you and me.

All of them have fallen upon the earth and attained martyrdom.”

His weeping began anew, and a heart-rending cry rose from the depths of his soul.

He then said:

يَا عَمَّتَاهُ عَلَيَّ بِالسَّيْفِ وَالْعَصَا

“Dear Aunt, bring me my sword and my staff.”

The long-awaited moment of trial had arrived.

“My Son, Why Do You Want Them?”

“My son, why do you want them?”

With unwavering resolve, Imam al-Sajjad (p) replied:

“So that I may lean upon my staff and defend the son of the Messenger of Allah (p) with my sword, for life holds no value after him.”

O Witness!

O Ṣāḥib al-Zamān (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance)!

We must moisten our eyes with tears in remembrance of Hussein (p)—

of the patience of Zaynab (p),

and of the captivity of ʿAli ibn al-Hussein (p),

so that perhaps the darkness of our hearts may be washed away,

and our eyes may become worthy of beholding your blessed countenance.

We follow the example of our Master, Imam al-Sajjad (p),

who was among the great weepers over the tragedies of Karbala,

who witnessed every moment that unfolded upon the battlefield,

the captivity of his aunt, Lady Zaynab (p),

and the martyrdom of his sister, Lady Ruqayyah (p).

Lady Ruqayyah (p) in the Ruins of Syria

After the Household of Allah (p) had taken refuge in the ruins of Syria, yet another tragedy was added to the many calamities they had already endured—

the moment when Lady Ruqayyah al-Murtaqā (p) was reunited with her father.

It has been narrated that when the sister of Imam al-Sajjad (p), Lady Ruqayyah (p), embraced the blessed head of Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p), she wept inconsolably and could not be comforted.

Imam al-Sajjad (p) embraced his sister, hoping to soothe her grief, but Lady Ruqayyah (p) continued to weep.

Suddenly, her breathing ceased.

At that moment, the cries of Imam Zayn al-ʿĀbidīn (p) rose in anguish.

As the sound of his lamentation and weeping echoed through the ruined prison, the entire place was overcome with tears and mourning.

The Weeping of the Inhabitants of Heaven and the Weeping of the Sun

وَبَكَتِ السَّمَاءُ وَسُكَّانُهَا...

“And the heavens and their inhabitants wept...”

— A passage from Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah

The weeping of all creation—humanity and jinn, as well as the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth—is brought to fulfillment through the Imam.

If the Imam does not perform an act, its true reality remains unrealized and exists only in potential.

Imam al-Ṣādiq (p) said to Zurārah:

إِنَّ الشَّمْسَ بَكَتْ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا

بِالْكُسُوفِ وَالْحُمْرَةِ

“Indeed, the sun wept for forty mornings over Hussein ibn ʿAli (p), through eclipses and a crimson glow.”

The sun, the moon, and the stars all wept for him.

For three days, the sun was eclipsed over Bayt al-Maqdis, and even at night the stars could not be seen.

After the third day, the sky cleared.

Then the news arrived, and it became known that Hussein ibn ʿAli (p) had been martyred.

In another narration, Imam al-Ṣādiq (p) said:

The weeping of the heavens after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (p) was manifested in this way:

the sun would rise with a crimson hue, and it would set with that same crimson hue.

For forty days, with every sunrise and every sunset, the sun mourned Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p).

The Mourning of the Highest Heaven for Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p)

My noble grandfather, O beloved Hussein!

For your tragedy, a gathering of mourning was established in Aʿlā ʿIlliyyīn.

From the combined meaning of the noble Qur’anic verses together with the passages of Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah, it is understood that Aʿlā ʿIlliyyīn—the exalted realm where the deeds of the righteous are recorded, a station beyond human comprehension—is also the place where assemblies of mourning are held for the tragedy of Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p).

The Command to Mourn and Weep

فَانْدُبُوهُ، فَابْكُوهُ

The Command to Mourn and Weep

Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p) entrusted his followers with the duty of mourning and weeping.

Imam al-Sajjad (p) conveyed this trust to all people, demonstrating its many forms and teaching them how it should be expressed in every place and at every time.

Whenever he saw a child, he wept.

Whenever he saw water, he wept.

Whenever Karbala was mentioned or brought to mind, he wept.

Ibn Shahr Āshūb relates:

Imam al-Sajjad (p) wept so intensely that there were fears he might lose his eyesight.

As mentioned previously, the clearest exposition of this mourning and lamentation was the life and example of Imam al-Sajjad (p) himself.

From the martyrdom of Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p) until the day of his own martyrdom, his blessed life was characterized by continual mourning and lamentation.

The defining hallmark of Imam was his constant weeping for his noble father.

Weeping Inspired by the Weeping of Imam al-Sajjad (p)

A narration from Imam al-Ṣādiq (p) states:

Whenever my grandfather, Imam al-Sajjad (p), remembered Sayyid al-Shuhadāʾ, Imam Hussein (p), he wept so intensely that his blessed beard became drenched with tears.

Whoever witnessed his condition would be overcome with sorrow and begin to weep as well.

When Imam al-Sajjad (p) returned to Madinah together with the Household of Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p), he did not immediately enter the city.

Instead, upon arriving, they stayed in a tent outside Madinah, where they devoted themselves to mourning and lamentation.

When the people of Madinah learned of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (p) and the arrival of the Household of Allah (p), the men and women of the city hastened to them, weeping, wailing, and mourning.

Imam al-Sajjad (p) wept continuously, and as he wept, the people around him were moved to tears as well.

The sound of grief spread until that place became filled entirely with cries of mourning and weeping.

Is There Anyone Who Will Come to My Aid?

The mourning and lamentation observed after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (p) by Imam al-Sajjad (p) and the other members of the Ahl al-Bayt was carried out in accordance with the instruction and counsel of Imam Hussein (p) himself.

All of it was a response to Imam’s cry:

هَلْ مِنْ مُعِينٍ يُعِينُنِي؟

“Is there anyone who will come to my aid?”

The Aalullah not only answered that call through their own tears and mourning, thereby supporting and assisting Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p),

but through their own example of establishing gatherings of lamentation and weeping over those immense tragedies,

they also guided countless followers of the Ahl al-Bayt to attain this great honor and blessing.

The Weeping of the Shiʿah in the End Times

It is narrated that the Companions saw the Messenger of Allah (p) first weeping and then smiling.

They asked:

“O Messenger of Allah (p), what caused you to weep?”

He replied:

“I was informed of what will befall Imam Hussein (p) in Karbala.”

I said to Jibrāʾīl:

“Will I be alive at that time so that I may mourn for Imam Hussein (p)?”

He replied:

“No.”

I asked:

“Will Fāṭimah (p), ʿAli (p), and Imam Hasan (p) be there?”

He replied:

“No. None of them will be present.”

Then I said:

“My Lord, who then will mourn for my Hussein (p)?”

Jibrāʾīl answered:

“Do not be concerned.

There will be a group among your Shiʿah in the End Times who, following the example of their Master and their living Imam, will mourn for your Hussein (p).”

After hearing these words, the Messenger of Allah (p) was filled with joy and said:

“If this is so, then O Allah, I pray that You forgive all of their sins for the sake of Imam Hussein (p).”

Immediately, a heavenly call proclaimed:

“O Muhammad (p)! For the sake of Imam Hussein (p), I have forgiven all of their sins.”

These are the Shiʿah of the End Times—

those who follow the example of their Master,

Abā Ṣāliḥ al-Mahdī (p),

whose distinguishing characteristic is weeping morning and evening.

Following the words of their Imam, who declares:

فَلَأَنْدُبَنَّكَ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً

“Surely I shall mourn you every morning and every evening.”

They lament and weep for Imam Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p).

Karbala: The Valley of the Lovers

Love is a most sacred word.

Amir al-Mu’minin (p) used this very expression in describing the martyrs of Karbala:

هَاهُنَا مَصَارِعُ عُشَّاقٍ

“Karbala is the battlefield of the lovers.”

Our aspiration is to become lovers of Ḥujjat ibn al-Hasan (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance).

What is the way of Ḥujjat ibn al-Hasan (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance)?

What have we been taught in begging before Ahl al-Bayt (p)?

The Best of Deeds

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

According to the words of Allah in the Noble Qur’an, worship (ʿubūdiyyah) is the very purpose for which mankind and the jinn were created.

The path to attaining the reality of worship is through performing righteous deeds (ʿamal ṣāliḥ).

Yet only the servant who follows and emulates his Imam is capable of performing such righteous deeds, for:

يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ

“All people will be called by their Imam.”

Therefore, in order to attain true righteous deeds, we must follow our Imam—

Baqiyyatallāh al-Aʿẓam (may our souls be sacrificed for him)—

who is known as Abā Ṣāliḥ, the father of righteousness and goodness.

The defining characteristic of Abā Ṣāliḥ (p) is being Husseini and his continual weeping for him, just as the Imam himself declares in Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah.

Thus, attaining the secret of true worship and servitude is achieved only through shedding tears for Imam Hussein (p).

Peace Be Upon Those Buried Without a Shroud

السَّلَامُ عَلَى الْمَدْفُونِينَ بِلَا أَكْفَانٍ

Peace be upon those buried without a shroud.

— A passage from Ziyarat al-Nāḥiyah al-Muqaddasah

Regarding the burial of the sacred body of Imam Hussein (p), it has been narrated that his grief-stricken son, the Proof of Allah, Ali ibn al-Hussein (p), after placing his blessed father’s body into the grave, laid his noble cheek upon his father’s blessed throat and, with tearful eyes, said:

طُوبَى لِأَرْضٍ تَضَمَّنَتْ جَسَدَكَ الشَّرِيفَ

أَمَّا الدُّنْيَا فَبَعْدَكَ مُظْلِمَةٌ

وَالْآخِرَةُ بِنُورِكَ مُشْرِقَةٌ

أَمَّا الْحُزْنُ فَسَرْمَدٌ...

“Blessed is the land that has embraced your noble body.

After you, this world has become dark and desolate, while the Hereafter shines with your light.

As for our sorrow, it shall remain perpetual and unceasing after you...”

After the martyrdom of Hussein (p), the world itself was overcome by an immense grief...

A grief that endures without end—

a sorrow that flows from the blood-like tears shed morning and evening by the Master of this mourning...

until the day when the final relief of all ages arrives...

The very supplication that Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (p) recited in the depths of the killing field, and that ʿAqīlat al-ʿArab, Lady Zaynab (p), cried aloud from the hill overlooking it.