Imam Mahdi and Imam Ḥusayn (for Kids)
- Is there anyone to help Imam Mahdi?
Once upon a time, Imam Hussain, our third Imam, lived in Medina. Imam Hussain always used to invite people to good deeds and advise them to stay away from those who did misdeeds and oppressed others. He could not remain silent about injustice, could not ignore them, and remain indifferent. That was why Yazīd, who was the caliph at that time and used to oppress people and do misdeeds, had a deep hostility towards Imam Hussain.
One day, the Imam, received many letters from the people of Kūfā. In those letters, they invited the Imam to go to their city and they promised the Imam to help him. Therefore, Imam Hussain and his family and some of his companions (who were seventy-two people) moved from Medina to Kūfā. But when they reached the land near Kūfa called Karbalā, they faced the enemy soldiers of Yazīd and they prevented the Imam from moving forward and decided to fight against him. Imam Hussain and his family and companions stayed there for a few days. Yazīd's army cut off the water on them so it made them feel very thirsty. One night, Imam Hussain and his companions came together to discuss this situation.
"They have hostility towards me, you can go, save yourselves, and leave me alone." The Imam said to his companions.
"In any case, we stay with you." His loyal companions answered.
The next day which was the Day of Āshūrā, the war began. The Imam and his companions fought against the enemy until they were all martyred. The ruthless enemy cut off the heads of Imam Hussain and the men of his family and took the rest of his family who were mostly female, as captive.
Since that time, the Imam's lovers speak about Imam Hussain's courage, respect him, and cry for him and try to enliven his divine goal. Because he was martyred without any guilt and his so-called sin was that he did not accept the unholy demands of Yazīd and did not obey bad people. Oppositely, people hate Yazīd; curse him and those who helped him since they acted against the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Now my friends, do you think that Imam Hussain won or lost the war against Yazīd?
The answer is clear! He won. Because the name of Imam Hussain and his way is alive even after one thousand and four hundred years. But we curse Yazīd and hate him and his followers. We are the enemy of the oppressors and invoke blessings for Imam Hussain and his companions. Although the Imam and his companions were all martyred outwardly, in fact, they achieved their purpose which is to manifest the real face of Islam and show the true face of the tradition of the Prophet.
The second question is that if Imam Hussain had seventy-two thousand companions instead of seventy-two, could he have outwardly defeated Yazīd's army or not?
Yes, if the Imam had more companions such as his brother "Abū al-Fazl" or "Hurr" who could defeat many people alone, he would surely defeat Yazīd and his followers. So that, Imam Hussain could become the ruler of the Islamic world. But, because that did not happen the Merciful Allah saved a descendant of Imam Hussain for this purpose. Now tell us who is he?
Excellent. He is Imam Mahdi.
The third question is why does not Imam Mahdi rise up to make the world a better place by his appearance?
There are several answers to this question. One of them is that because the companions of Imam Mahdi have not become sufficient and ready yet. So, if Imam Mahdi rises up like Imam Hussain, who was martyred due to the low number of his companions, Imam Mahdi will also be martyred; and because he is the last Imam, he must wait until his companions become enough in number.
Please note the following story:
At the time of Imam Sādiq, (the Shia's six Imam), Sahl bin Hassan al-Khurāsānī came to Medina to meet the Imam.
"Why do not you rise up against the cruel government when you have about one hundred thousand Shiites who are all ready to help you?" He asked Imam Sādiq.
Strangely enough, the Imam ordered him to sit in the oven that was full of fire. The Imam did that in order to test him and to show him that his real Shias are less than that number.
The man, who was surprised by this command, apologized to the Imam and did not obey the command. At the same time Hārūn al-Makkī, one of the true companions of Imam Sādiq, entered.
"O Hārūn! Go inside the oven." The Imam said to him.
Hārūn entered the oven immediately. After a while, the Imam and the man looked inside the oven. The man saw Hārūn sitting cross-legged in the flames and miraculously the fire was not harming him.
"How many people do you know to be like Hārūn al-Makkī who are obedient to me so much?" The Imam asked the man.
"I do not know even one man like him." Sahl bin Hassan answered.
Then the Imam continued, "We will not rise when we do not have five companions like him. We, ourselves, know the right situation better."
Dear children! An Imam never gives an order that harms others. Here, Imam Sādiq wanted to clarify the fact that if they do not rise it is because they do not have enough loyal companions; and those who claim to be their friends will leave them alone at the critical moment.
This is just like what happened in Karbalā. The people of Kūfa sent eighteen thousand letters to Imam Hussain inviting him to come to Kūfa.
They wrote if the Imam came, they would have helped him. But when Imam Hussain accepted their invitation and moved towards Kūfa, the people of Kūfa left the Imam alone due to the fear being killed since the representative of Yazīd threatened them that if they assisted the Imam, they would have faced a severe reaction.
At that time, Imam Hussain said a beautiful and meaningful sentence, "Is there anyone to help me?" By this sentence, the Imam expressed his dissatisfaction with the people of Kūfa who failed to assist their Imam.
Now in our present time, Imam Mahdi says the same sentence to us. When the Imam's loyal and sincere companions get ready to help him and sacrifice themselves in the way of him, he will appear.
Of course, we can help Imam Mahdi in different ways. Because the establishment of a government at the global level requires an organization. This organization should be set up at different times and situations. One during the time of occultation, another one for the time of the Imam's appearance, and finally an organization for establishing a world government under the supervision of the Imam. It is clear that these organizations cannot be achieved at once, rather the base of these organizations must have been created many years before the appearance of the Imam of the Age among the people who wait for him.
So, we can now prepare ourselves to help him by increasing our love for him and our knowledge about him, performing the obligations of Islam, doing good deeds, avoiding bad deeds, helping other people on this path, and praying for the appearance of Imam Mahdi.
- The secret behind the reward for weeping over Imam Hussain
One day Sayyid Bahr al-'Ulūm walked lonely towards Samara. On his way, he was thinking about a subject that was mentioned in Islamic narrations. It was that man's sins are forgiven by weeping over Imam Hussain. At that moment, he noticed an Arab man approached him while riding a horse, and greeted him. Then the Arab man asked him, “O sayyid! What are you thinking about? If it is a scientific subject, raise it, I might know the answer.”
Sayyid Bahr al-'Ulūm replied, “I am thinking of why Allah gives so much reward to the visitors of the holy shrine of the Master of the Martyrs [Imam Hussain] and to the weepers over him; for example, those who walk towards the shrine of Imam Hussain, are given the reward of a Hajj and an 'Umrah for every step they take. Moreover, all of their little and great sins of them are forgiven by a single drop of their tears?”[1]
The Arab man answered, “Do not be surprised! I give you an example to explain it.”
A king and his courtiers went hunting. The king lost his companions, got lost, fell in a severe difficulty, and became very hungry. Surprisingly, he saw a tent at a distance, went there, and entered. There was an old woman and her son in the tent. There was a goat on the corner of the tent, and they made a living by consuming its milk. When the king entered, they did not know he was a king, but they slaughtered the goat and cooked a part of it to serve their guest; because they did not have anything else.
The king slept there overnight, then on the next day, his companions found him and the king explained the event to them. Finally, the king asked them, “What should I do in response? If I want to give a reward to the old woman and her son for their service what can be appropriate?”
Someone said, "Give them one hundred sheep."
Another one who was his minister offered, "Give them one hundred sheep and one hundred gold coins."
Another man proposed, "Give them some farms."
The king replied, “In compensation, everything is little but only if I give them all my throne; because they gave me everything they had, so I have to give them everything I own, to compensate for it.”
Then the Arab man asked, “Now, o Bahr al- 'Ulūm, the Master of the Martyrs gave all he had for the sake of Allah, his wealth and property; his family and household, his sons, his brothers, and also his soul. So, there is no wonder, if Allah gives the pilgrims and weepers of him so much reward.
In other words, Allah gives some degrees to the pilgrims and weepers of his beloved Imam; although Allah does not regard that reward, comparable to Imam Hussain’s sacrifice."
As the Arab man ended that saying, he disappeared; and it became clear that he was Imam Mahdi or someone on behalf of him.[2]
- Special attention of Imam Mahdi to the mourning ceremonies for Imam Hussain
Since the Imam of the Age (Imam Mahdi) is the real mourner of Imam Hussain, there is no doubt that he pays special attention to the commemorations which are held for his great grandfather - Imam Hussain.
Sheikh Abd al-Zahra Ka῾bī, one of the Shiites’ great preachers, says, “One afternoon I entered the courtyard of Imam Hussain’s holy shrine. Someone who knew me was selling religious books in front of a chamber at the courtyard; he saw me and said, 'I have a small book full of beautiful poetries and I think you may like it. I do not ask you for any price if you read its poems for me.'" I took the book, and it was so useful; because the poems of bin-Arandas Hillī for which I had looked for a long time, were in the book. I sat down on a porch and started reading the poems for him, and we both shed tears. Suddenly, I saw a great man of Arabs was standing in front of me, listened to me, and shed tears. When I read these couplets of the poem,
«أَ يُقتَلُ ظَمآناً حُسينُ بِكَربَلا
وَ في كُلُ عُضوٍ في أَنامِلِه بَحرُ»
He cried more, turned towards the holy shrine, repeated these couplets, and cried like a mother who lost her young boy. When the poem ended, I did not see him anymore. I exited the courtyard to find him but, I did not see him. I looked in all directions, but found no trace of him; as if he disappeared from my sight. I knew surely that he was Imam Mahdi.
Allāmah Amīnī[3] said in his book “Al-Ghadīr”[4] that it is famous that reciting the poems of Bin- Arandas in any mourning commemoration of Imam Hussain makes the Imam of the Age come there.
Below are parts of that poem,
«أَ يُقتَلُ ظَمآناً حُسينٌ بِكَربَلا
وَ في كُلُ عُضوٍ في أنامِلِه بَحرٌ
وَ والِدِهُ السّاقي علي الحَوضِ في غَدٍ
وَ فاطِمَةُ ماءُ الفُراتِ لَها مَهرٌ
فَوا لَهفَ نَفسي لِلحُسَينِ وَ ما جَني
عَلَيهِ غَداةُ الطَّفِّ في حَربِهِ الشِّمرُ»
“Should Hussain be martyred thirsty in Karbalā while the sea is at any of his fingertips[5]; his father gives water to all the people at the Hereafter from the kawthar Pool; and the Furāt River is his mother’s dowry? Alas! What crimes that Shimr[6] has committed against Imam Hussain on the day of Karbalā!"
- A letter to the Imam
O Imam Mahdi! We are in the days of Muharram and the mourning anniversary of your great grandfather, Imam Hussain who was martyred in the land of Karbalā, has begun.
We know you feel extremely sad and grieve for him. When your heart is so much hurt, how we can remain indifferent. We offer you our condolences and ask Allah to grant you a lot of patience.
You are the most important link between us and Allah and if you are sad, everyone who is connected to you is sad.
I heard that you said in narration to Imam Hussain, "O my noble grandfather! I cry for you every morning and night and I shed blood for you instead of tears."
We ask Allah Almighty to hasten your appearance so that you can take revenge on your unjustly shed blood of your grandfather. May Allah grant me the fortune to be with you and assist you on the day you come.
Source: The Final Hope, October 2020, Issue no.3
[1] Of course, this reward and forgiveness are given to those who by this action try to be like the Imam and attempt to be entirely obedient to Allah for the rest of their life. So, it must not be misunderstood that one can commit sins and just by weeping for Imam Hussain simply wipe them up completely.
[2] Al-'Abqarī al-Hissān, vol. 1, p. 119.
[3]Shīftegān-e Hazrat-e Mahdi (The Lovers of Imam Mahdi), vol. 3, p. 172; Molāqāt bā Imam-e Asr (Visiting the Imam of the Age), p. 315; 'Ināyāt-e Hazrat-e Mahdi be 'Ulamā va Tollāb (Especial attention of Imam Mahdi to the Religious Scholars), p. 397; Kalimāt al-Mukhtār, vol. 1, p. 440.
[4] Al-Ghadīr, vol. 7, p. 14.
[5] Here the poet uses a metaphor. In Arabic, hand is the symbol of charity; and water is the sign of blessing and knowledge. So, the poet says how a man whose every fingertip is like a sea of blessing, mercy, and knowledge can be killed. Moreover, the sea denotes an enormous amount of water and a man who owns it should not be thirsty, but Imam Hussain was.
[6] The man who slaughtered the Imam.
