Using Imam al-Ḥusayn to get to Imam al-Mahdi
lecture by Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi
Remember one thing: any action, any step, any good word, anything which is done for the sake of Sayyid al-Shuhada', understanding who Sayyid al-Shuhada' is, the reward is more than you can ever imagine.
As these nights have gone by, you would have noticed inside of you that there is a change, that there is a softness and that there is a movement. Your faith would have increased by now, and your heart would have been softened by now. These are just some of the very few miracles which take place because of Sayyid al-Shuhada'.
So therefore, any action, even a step that is taken - Sayyid al-Shuhada' does not hold a debt on his shoulders - for whatever you do, if you truly understand who you are doing it for. In fact, let me take those words back. Even if you have a minor understanding of who this son of Zahra is, it is sufficient for you that this world and the hereafter is yours.
You know they say [in] Kaamil al-Ziyaraat, every step that is taken in the way of Sayyid al-Shuhada', the reward is 1000 Hajj, 1000 Umrah. Now this is not me who is saying it, this is your Prophet who is speaking to Umm Salama. There is another tradition that says he is speaking to A'isha, where he is saying every step that is taken, Hajj which is Maqbul (accepted), which is with me. Umrah 1000. 1000!
Question is asked and you have heard this before, but I want to explain it again now. You know why? Because as these nights go on, your Ma'rifa [deep understanding] potentially increases. The very same hadith which we recite on the first of Muharram, by the 8th or 9th you have a different understanding of it. If only you have worked on your heart.
Think of that. Husayn is saying he did not want to fight. And what is the biggest daleel (proof) that he did not want to fight? He took his children with him. And by taking his children he showed the world- they are oppressors. If someone can turn around today and say that we accidentally killed a child, then tell me you accidentally killed Qasim? You accidentally killed 'Ali Asghar? You accidentally killed Awn and Muhammad? And then you accidentally cut their heads and you accidentally raised them on a spear? And if that is all accidental, then let me ask you a question then. What about those small girls? You accidentally beat them? You accidentally scarred them? They accidentally died?
Tell me for those people who say that it was a war between two princes, tell me where is the truth in that? How can you accidentally exterminate the entire progeny of Fatimah and then say that Yazid is correct? Your Islam and our Islam is completely different. Question is this though, where are they today?
What is the method of Imam Husayn? The method of Imam Husayn is the method of Imam Zayn al-'Abidin, and the method of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, and the method of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, and the method of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, 'alayhim as-salaam; method of each one of them. What is that method?
You begin by purifying people's hearts. You begin by capturing people's hearts. You create a revolution to revolve. Revolve what? Revolve people's heart. Inqilaab- to what? Qalaba what? Where does it go? Back to Qalb (heart). You change the heart of the people, everything else takes form of itself.
What is the method of the twelfth Imam? 'Wa sahibi da'wati an-Nabawiyyah-'he comes forward and he gives da'wah to people, introduces people, brings people in the way that the Prophet did. What is the Prophet's methodology? Through rahma, through mercy. What are the methods of the prophets? What did Nabi Isa do? Washed the feet of people, washed the hands of people, looked after those people who are oppressed. What did the Prophet do? The first thing in Makkah he does, is he takes care of those people who are oppressed.
Today we have it the other way around. We try and attract those people who are rich to come. If you want to make a difference, you want to grab people who are rich. You want to grab somebody who you think is a mover and shaker. That has never been the methodology of prophets. They do it the other way around. They take the most impoverished and nurture them and they bring them to the top.
Look in Karbala and see. Half of those people who are there, they were not well to do people. They were those people who say, Sayyid al-Shuhada' brought forward and said, they may not think you are something, but I think you are something, my Allah thinks you are something and until the Day of Judgment, when people come and do my Ziyarah, they are going to be doing your ziyarah as well.
What is our responsibility? In the name of Husayn, who revived Allah's Deen, remember, Allah is giving you a formula. The one who can revive the Deen of Allah can revive the Deen of Allah now as well.
In the name of Imam Husayn, make a step. Take a step. Go forward. Feed people.
We are not living in worse times than the fifth Imam was. You are not being exterminated. Your children are not being killed. From the blood of Hasani Sayyids, Baghdad was created. The Qudama' said it's makuruh to live in Baghdad. Why? In the time of the Abbasids, the walls, they were plastered Hassani Sayyids were, an extermination process took place. Awlad al-Zahra (offspring of Zahra) were killed wherever you found them. Why do you think Imam al-Ridha in four years says: sisters, the Sa'adah, Leave, go. Go as far as you can. Why do you think they are from the tips of Spain all the way down to Indonesia? Because they ran away from oppression. They went wherever in the world they could do, because they were being killed.
The Ahl ul-Bayt and the noor (light) of the Ahlul Bayt are not restricted to one place. Try, say, Ya 'Abbas now and you see, it is not restricted to one place. When you go and your parents teach you to go under that 'alam (flag), whether you are in Karbala, or you are in Winnipeg, the power of that 'Alam is the power of the 'Alam.
So look. Look at our Imams. In the most-period of time where there was the most oppression, they had a four pronged methodology. I can not speak any more open than this. What I am saying, analyze it, write it down, go home, think on it. Your entire philosophy of survival of the last 1400 years is what I am about to say. And as many things, it will take much longer if we were to expand and talk about it, but within the time frame we have, I am going to mention it to you and I am going to move on. For those who grab it, grab it. For those who do not, you don't.
What did Imam Zayn al-'Abidin do? You know the first thing he did? He developed networks. Networks - private networks all over the Islamic world where he could teach people three things. 'Ilm (knowledge), Ma'rifah. Now, what is 'Ilm? 'Ilm is what you have. I do not need to explain it. 'Ilm of the Din and 'Ilm of the Dunya (world).
Ma'rifah, Marifa has to do with the spiritual travel. Taught you spiritual travel, taught you spiritual practice. But at the same time, pragmatically, he made sure that the community was firm and at the same time as well, he made sure of another thing, and that was that this community was not going to be targeted after Karbala.
Fifth Imam, the same thing. 6th Imam the same thing. On the point of the 9th Imam, Ghaybat al-Sughra (minor occultation) essentially begins where the Imam automatically three of our imams essentially go into occultation and they devolve into their networks. Why do you think that a government or a group like the Fatimids were successful? Because even before secret societies were founded, they had their own secret societies.
The second responsibility of the Imam was this to teach people ma'rifah. In this day and age, how do we do this? This is how we do it. Look, first thing is this- Hadith Kisa'. Why is Hadith Kisa' important?
Hadith al-Kisa in and of itself was bought down and given nisbah (attributed) to Zahra. Anything that is given nisbah to Zahra, it is the fastest methodology of acceptance. As I have said before, when Ayahtullah Tabrazi's 40th came and 'Ulama were discussing whether the sanad (chain of transmission) is weak or not, Ayatullah Bahjat walked in and said, read Hadith al-Kisa. Ayatollah Ba'ahudini has said from the four things Nadhr that you should do when you are falling into a problem, one of them is to recite Hadith al-Kisa.
Second is what? Second is Tawassul (mediation). Take tawassul of Ahl ul-Bayt.
These are the students kamilin (perfect)[of the great 'Urafa], and within this line, kamilin, their job was really to help people on this pathway. Now you can ask me a question. Well, today there is nobody around. What do we do? After Ayatullah Bahjat, all of those students from the line of Qadi have disappeared. Yes. Maybe there was somebody in Najaf, Shaykh 'Abd, he is passed away now, and there is a second as well, which people most probably do not know about, nor am I going to mention his name until they do not declare it themselves.
But the fact of the matter is this people can say, well, people like that are not around anymore. You don't need people like that to come in front of your face. You have to build yourself so that the 12th Imam sends people to you.
If you work on yourself, everything will open up. Remember one thing you are not separated from your Imam. You are not separated from Sayyid al-Shuhada'.
Dhikr Allah - If you were to ask me what the best of Dhikr is, the best Dhikr without any awaarith (after effects) is salawat. And this is the power of salawat. And we have got to continue to do it. Remember, you know what you are doing with salawat? You are removing hurdles. You are removing hurdles in you. What are you doing?
You are saying to Rasul Allah, you are giving him salawat and salam. You pray for Rasul Allah, you think he is not going to come and pray for you? He is not going to come and pray for your family? Focus on what you are saying.
This is why they say people, some people say Bismillah and others say Bismillah and they walk over water, for example. Why? Ma'rifah (cognition) of what you are saying. Bismillah in and of itself contains 'ism al-a'dham.
Second dhikr. Remember this always. Sajdah Yunusiyyah. Sajdah Yunusiyyah is very powerful. Recite Sajdah Yunusiyyah. Why? What is it? "La ilaha illa Ant. Subhanaka inni kuntu min adh-dhalimin"(21:87) ['There is no god (worthy of worship) except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong]. Go into Sajdah, if you ever get an opportunity five times, ten times, 20 times, 50 times, recite it a couple of times. Why is it important?
They say that if you want your hijab to open from your eyes, Dhikr Yunusiyyah for 40 days, recited a particular amount of times, you will see, your hijab opens, hujub begin to open. Haqiqah (realities) begins to reflect inside of you. Akhlaq (morals) begins to become Kamil (complete).
Final thing is this though. There is one more thing the Imam taught us. You know what that is? Service to other people. Today, Shi'ahs must be recognized for their service, for their kindness, for their kindness, for their giving. And we have to give unconditionally without wanting anything back and that is what will make the difference. That when we give unconditionally without wanting anything back.
['Ilm] Study hard, Ma'rifah, Tawassul of the Ahl ul-Bayt. Especially introduce into your house once a month, I am saying, okay? Not even once a week, once a month. Twelve months of the year for every Imam do tawassul of Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. You will see bala' (afflictions) removed from your life. Aafat(tribulations) are removed from your life. Peace comes into your heart. And then Dhikr- recite salawat, recite istighfar.
Do not you remember when?
Source: https://www.al-islam.org/media/using-imam-al-husayn-get-imam-al-mahdi-aj
