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Video of "Shaykh Abd al-Zahra al-Ka‘bi Reciting Ibn Arandas al-Hilli’s Poem while Imam Mahdi listening and weeping"

Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) himself weeps over the account of Imam Hussain’s thirst. A beautiful incident has been narrated in which Shaykh Abdul-Zahra al-Ka‘bi was reciting a poem mourning the thirst of Imam Hussain (p) in the sacred courtyard of his shrine. Upon hearing its verses, an unknown Sayyid began to weep intensely...

Shaykh Abdul-Zahra al-Ka‘bi was a renowned preacher, poet, and man of letters from Karbala. In recent decades, he was known as one of the most celebrated reciters of the tragedy of Karbala among the Shia.

For many years, his warm and sorrowful voice narrated the sufferings of the Ahl al-Bayt (p). Whenever he reached the accounts of their tragedies, his voice carried the hearts of countless listeners toward Karbala.

It is narrated that Shaykh Abdul-Zahra was born on the birthday of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (p). For this reason, his father named him “Abdul-Zahra,” meaning the servant and devotee of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (p).

Remarkably, the end of his life was also connected with the name and remembrance of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (p). It is said that he passed away on the anniversary of her martyrdom.

Shaykh Abdul-Zahra al-Ka‘bi narrated the following extraordinary memory:

“One afternoon, I entered the sacred courtyard of Imam Hussain (p).

The shrine was peaceful, and pilgrims were walking throughout the courtyard. In front of one of the chambers of the sacred courtyard, a man was selling religious books. I had known him from before.

When he saw me, he called out and said:

‘I have a book that may be useful to you. It contains verses worthy of being recited in your voice. However, the price of this book is not money. I only ask you to recite those verses for me once.’

Shaykh Abdul-Zahra continued:

“I took the book. When I opened it, I found the famous poem of Ibn Arandas al-Hilli.

It was the very poem for which I had been searching for a long time.

Holding the book in my hands, I began to recite its verses.

At that moment, I suddenly noticed an Arab Sayyid standing before me. He was listening to the verses in profound silence, while tears flowed from his eyes.

I continued reciting until I reached this verse:

أَيُقْتَلُ ظَمْآنًا حُسَيْنٌ بِكَرْبَلَا

وَفِي كُلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْ أَنَامِلِهِ بَحْرُ؟

How could Hussain be killed thirsty in Karbala,

when within every one of his fingertips lies an ocean of greatness and nobility?

I then recited the next verse:

وَوَالِدُهُ السَّاقِي عَلَى الْحَوْضِ فِي غَدٍ

وَفَاطِمَةٌ مَاءُ الْفُرَاتِ لَهَا مَهْرُ

While his father shall be the one who gives drink at the Pool of Kawthar on the Day of Resurrection,

and the flowing water of the Euphrates was the bridal gift of his mother, Fatimah (p).

When that noble Sayyid heard these verses, his weeping intensified.

He turned toward the sacred shrine of Imam Hussain (p) and repeated the same verse again and again.

He wept as though he were a mother who had lost her young son.

The sound of his crying filled the courtyard, and tears poured uncontrollably from his eyes.

Seeing his condition affected me deeply, and I continued reciting the poem until its end.

But as soon as I finished, I raised my head and could no longer see that noble Sayyid.

I quickly stood up and left the courtyard, looking around in the hope of seeing him again.

I searched everywhere, but there was no sign of him.

I asked everyone, but no one had seen him.

It was as though he had disappeared from before my eyes in a single moment.

At that moment, I became certain that the unknown Sayyid was none other than the Guardian of the Age, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), weeping in that manner over the tragedy of his oppressed grandfather, Imam Hussain (p).”

Allamah Amini narrates a thought-provoking statement concerning the famous poem of Ibn Arandas. He writes:

“It is well known among our companions that whenever this poem is recited in a gathering, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), the Imam whose appearance we await, becomes present in that gathering.”

Today, our Imam, the Greatest Remnant of Allah, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), mourns morning and evening for the tragedy of his forsaken grandfather, Imam Abu Abdullah al-Hussain (p).

Instead of tears, he weeps blood, as he declares in Ziyarat al-Nahiya al-Muqaddasa:

فلاَندُبنّک صباحا و مَساعاً و لاَبکیّنّ لَک بَدل الدّموع دماً

“I shall mourn you every morning and evening, and I shall weep blood for you instead of tears.”