Good Tidings: Imam Mahdi is present in ʿArafāt
A great source of happiness and hope for forgiveness of those staying in Arafat is the presence of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) in the plain of Arafat every Hajj season; hence, Arafat becomes dignified and descending place for the angels and a source of blessings for those staying there.
Ubaid ibn Zurara quotes Imam Sadiq (as) as saying:
يَفقِدُ الناسُ إمامَهُم فَيَشهَدُ المَوسِمَ فَيَراهُم ولا يَرَونَهُ
“People will miss their Imam, but he will witness every season of Hajj. Yet, he can see them but they cannot.”37
واللهِ إنَّ صاحِبَ هذا الأمرِ يحضُرُ المَوسِمَ كُلَّ سَنةٍ فَيَرى الناسَ وَيعرِفُهُم ويَرَونَهُ ولا يَعرِفونهُ.
“By Allah I swear, Imam Mahdi witnesses the season of Hajj every year. He can see and know people and they can see him but cannot know him.”38
O God, we, pilgrims, turn to You and raise our hands in begging through the grace of Imam Mahdi (as) who has blessed this plain and has raised his hands in duaa in front of our gathering. We are sure the Imam’s honor is so great that whoever turns to You under his shelter and raises his hand in supplication under the shelter of his hands will not be deprived of God’s mercy.
The Holy Prophet (saw) is quoted by Salman the Persian as saying:
إنّ اللهَ عزّ وجَلّ يقولُ: يا عِبادِي، أَوَلَيسَ مَن لهُ إلَيكُمْ حَوَائِجُ كِبارٌ ولا تجُودُونَ بِها إِلاّ أنْ يَحْتَمِلَ عَليكُم بِأحَبِّ الخَلقِ إليكُم تَقضُونَها كَرامَةً لِشَفيعِهِم؟ أَلا فَاعلَموا أنَّ اَكرَمَ الخَلقِ عَلَيَّ وأفْضَلَهُم لَدَيَّ محَمّدٌ وأَخوهُ عَلِيٌّ ومِن بَعدِهِمُ الأئِمَّةُ عَليهِم السلامُ الذِينَ همُ الوسائِلُ إِلَيَّ. ألا فَلْيَدْعُني مَن أَهَمَّتْهُ حاجَةٌ يُريدُ نَفعَها أوْ دَهَتْهُ داهِيَةٌ يُريدُ كَفَّ ضَرَرِها بمُحَمَّدٍ وآلِهِ الطّيّبينَ الطّاهِرينَ أَقْضِيها لهُ أَحسَنَ ما يَقضيها مَن تَستَشفِعونَ إليهِ بِأعَزِّ الخَلقِ عَليهِ.
“Allah says: O My servant, has it not happened that someone requests something great from you but you will not fulfill his desire unless he brings an intercessor who is dear to you? Let it be known to you that the most honorable and respectable men to Me are Muhammad (saw), his brother ‘Ali (as), and the Imams (as) who are the media of nearness to Me. Therefore, if you have a desire for a profit or removing of a loss, call Me through Muhammad (saw) and his pure household. Then I will fulfill the desire in the best manner.”39
As requirements for duaa to be answered have been met and thousands of hands have been raised in supplication, the pilgrims in Arafat should speak to God with the supplications reached us from the Imams (as) in this relation, Imam Husayn’s Duaa recited on such a day in Arafat is the most comprehensive. Also, Duaa 47 of al-Sahifat al-Sajjadiyya, containing theme of servitude is extremely useful for those who do not know Arabic can simply talk to God in their own languages and confide their grievances with their Most Kind Creator and know that there is no better confidant for them than God Who has said:
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ، فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ.
“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way. (The Holy Qur’an; 2:186)”
Considering the above-mentioned Qur’anic Verse, is there any fear or concern left in man’s heart? The answer is a definite ‘No,’ for God Himself says:
فَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِرَبِّهِ فَلا يَخَافُ بَخْساً وَلا رَهَقاً
“So whoever believes in his Lord, he should neither fear loss nor being overtaken by disgrace. (The Holy Qur’an; 27:13)”
When there are no ears to listen to our grievances, it is God Who is to listen to our requests.
يا جَارِيَ اللّصِيقُ، يا رُكْنِيَ الوَثيقُ، يا صاحِبَ كلِّ غَريبٍ، يا مُؤْنِسَ كُلِّ وحيدٍ، يا مَلجَأَ كلِّ طَريدٍ، يا مأْوى كُلِّ شَريدٍ
“O my adjacent Neighbor, O my sturdy pillar, O companion of every stranger, o intimate of everyone alone, o refuge of every outcast, o shelter of every wanderer…”40
Du’a For Reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as)
The desire for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (may our souls be ransoms for him) who is a cure of the physical and spiritual diseases of human society must be at the top of the list of our requests today. All social and individual misfortunes, ignorance, poverty, moral corruption, and maladies afflicting human beings will be removed with the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as) and security and justice will prevail in the world in the light of his divine guidance. So, let us supplicate to God in unison and say:
أينَ المُعَدُّ لِقَطعِ دابِرِ الظَّلَمَةِ؟ أينَ المُنْتَظَرُ لإِقامَةِ الأَمْتِ والعِوَجِ؟ أينَ المُرْتَجى لإِزالَةِ الجَوْرِ والعُدْوانِ؟ أينَ المُدَّخَرُ لِتجديدِ الفَرائِضِ والسُّنَنِ؟ أينَ المُتَخَيَّرُ لإِعادَةِ المِلَّةِ والشَّريعَةِ؟ أينَ المُؤَمَّلُ لإِحْياءِ الكِتابِ وحُدودِهِ؟ أينَ محُيِي مَعالِمِ الدِّينِ وأَهلِهِ؟ أينَ قاصِمُ شَوكَةِ المُعتَدينَ؟ أينَ هادِمُ أبنِيَةِ الشِّرْكِ والنِّفاقِ؟ أينَ مُبيدُ أهلِ الفُسوقِ والعِصْيانِ والطُّغْيانِ؟ أينَ حاصِدُ فُروعِ الغَيِّ والشَّقاقِ؟ أينَ طامِسُ آثارِ الزَّيغِ والأهْواءِ؟ أينَ مُعِزُّ الأولِياءِ ومُذِلُّ الأَعْداءِ؟ أينَ الطّالِبُ بِذُحُولِ الأنبِياءِ وأبناءِ الأنبِياءِ؟ أينَ المُطالِبُ بِدَمِ المَذبوحِ بكَربَلاءَ؟ أينَ المَنصورُ عَلى مَنِ اعْتدَى وافْتَرى؟ هَل إلَيكَ يا بْنَ أحمَدَ سَبيلٌ فَتُلقى؟ هَل يَتَّصِلُ يومُنا مِنك بِغدِهِ فَنَحظى؟ مَتى نَرِدُ مَناهِلَكَ الرَّوِيَّةَ فَنُروى؟
“Where is the one prepared to annihilate the oppressors? Where is the one awaited for straightening the crookedness and dishonesty? Where is the one expected (Imam Mahdi) for abolishing oppression and transgression? Where is the one stored for reviving the obligatory command and Sunnah (of the Holy Prophet)? Where is the one selected for resuscitating the reality of the nation and the religion? Where is the one expected for enlivening the Book and the doctrinal provisions? Where is the enlivener of the facts of the religion and its adherents?
Where is the breaker of the might of the transgressors? Where is the demolisher of the edifices of polytheism and hypocrisy? Where is the destroyer of the followers of transgression, disobedience, and rebellion? Where is the eradicator of the branches of errors and dispute? Where is the destroyer of the signs of evil and egoistic tendencies? Where is the severer of the cords of falsehood and calumniation? Where is the destroyer of the vicious and disobedient people?
Where is the eradicator of the followers of obstinacy and misguidance and the renegade? Where is the one who honors the friends and debases the enemy? Where is the gate of Allah through which all should enter? Where is the countenance of Allah through which the friends attend towards him? Where is the means stretching from the earth to the heaven?
Where is the uniter of the companions of virtue and divine pleasure? Where is the avenger of the blood of the prophets and their children? Where is the seeker of revenge for the blood of the martyred ones of Karbala? Where is the triumphant one (who will overcome) over one who transgressed against him and maligned him? O son of Ahmed, is there a way through which you may be met? May our day (of separation) join the day of reappearance by which we enjoy? When shall we arrive at your streams to quench our thirst?”41
When we are said infinite oppression and grave injustice pave the way for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as), despair gives its place to hope in our hearts making waiting for you something pleasant. So, we tolerate all hardship in the hope of your reappearance and keep on supplicating.
فَأَغِثْ يا غِياثَ المُستَغيثِينَ عُبَيدَكَ المُبْتَلى وأَرِهِ سَيِّدَهُ يا شَديدَ القِوى وأَزِلْ عنهُ بهِ الأَسى والجَوى وبَرِّدْ غَليلَهُ يا مَن عَلى العَرشِ استَوى ومَن إلَيهِ الرُّجْعى
“So, help, O’ helper of those who seek help, your poor afflicted servant. And show him his Master: O severer of strength and through him (Imam Mahdi) remove his (Your servant’s) grief and sorrow. And cool the burning of his hurt, O You who are firm in the Heavenly Throne of power and towards Whom is the return and ultimate end.”42
Ask forgiveness for your parents, relatives, and all believers in Arafat
Now that we are blessed with this divine grace and our requests and desires are fulfilled, we should seek forgiveness for our parents, relatives, neighbors, all believers, and the deceased ones. Imam Sadiq (as) says:
دُعاءُ المَرءِ لأخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الغَيبِ يَدُرُّ الرِّزقَ ويدفَعُ المَكروهَ
“A man’s supplication for his absent brother increases the sustenance and saves from evils.”43
Imam Kazim (as) says:
مَن دَعا لأخِيهِ بِظهرِ الغَيبِ نودِيَ مِن العَرشِ: ولَكَ مِائَةُ ألفِ ضَعفٍ. فَكَرِهتُ أنْ أَدَعَ مِائَةَ ألفِ ضَعفٍ مَضْمونَةً لِواحِدةٍ لا أدِري تُستَجابُ أمْ لا.
“Whoever supplicates for his absent brother in faith, a call from the Divine Throne will say: let one hundred thousand times more be for you. So, I thought it was not advisable to leave one hundred thousand supplications certainly answered for one that might or might not be answered.”44
Ibn Abi-Umeir reports the following on the authority of Zeid an-Nersi:
Muawieh ibn Wahab and I were in Arafat. He was reciting duaa while his eyes were full of tears. Listening carefully to him, I found out that he was not reciting a singly duaa for himself, rather he was supplicating for people from here and there mentioning their names and father’s names. When the pilgrims left Arafat, I said to him, ‘O uncle, I saw something strange about you.’ He asked, ‘what was strange?’
I answered, ‘In this holy place, you considered your brethren prior to yourself and recited duaa for them!’ He said, ‘O my nephew, do not be surprised, for I heard my master and master of every believing man and woman and master of the former and the coming generations after his immaculate fathers (as) (if I lie, let my ears become deaf, my eyes blind, and deprived of the Holy Prophet’s intercession) as saying:
“Whoever supplicates Allah for his absent brother in faith, an angel from heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let a hundred thousand times more than it be for you.’ And an angel from the second heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be two hundred thousand times more for you.’ And an angel from the third heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be three hundred thousand times more for you.’
And an angel from the fourth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be four hundred thousand times for you.’ And an angel from the fifth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be five hundred thousand time more for you.’ And an angel from the sixth heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be six hundred thousand times more for you.’ And an angel from the seventh heaven will call: ‘O servant of Allah, let there be seven hundred thousand times more for you.’ Then, Allah will say: ‘I am the Rich Who will never become poor. O servant of Allah, let there be a million times more for you.’”
‘O my nephew, which is better: to supplicate for oneself or for others?’45
O Lord, now that You like to hear Your servant’s duaa for others and fulfill them, we ask You through the affinity and love of Your most beloved creatures; Muhammad and his household (as) to hasten the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (as) and guide the human society on the right path of guidance. Also, make the ummah united to defend itself against atheism. Protect our youths against corruption. Do not separate our children and us from the Holy Qur’an and the household of the Holy Prophet (saw) in this world and the Hereafter. Fill our hearts with Your love and that of the Imams (as). Heal the patients all over the world very soon. Make our women chaste. Give a share of this reward to our parents, relatives, neighbors, friends, and the deceased. Keep us from the fire of Your wrath.
Footnote:
- 37.See Kemal ud-Din; p. 346 hadith 33
- 38.See Mahdi Mau’ood; p. 750
- 39.See Collection of Waram; vol. 2 p. 100 and Oddatol Daee; p. 122
- 40.Du’aa al-Mashloul (Supplication of the Lame Man)
- 41.A part of Du’aa an-Nudba
- 42.A part of Du’aa an-Nudba
- 43.See al-Kafi; Vol. 2 p. 507 hadith 2
- 44.See Usoul al-Kafi; vol. 2 p. 507 hadith 6 and Oddatol Daee; 136
- 45.See Oddatol Daee p.136
Source: https://al-islam.org/hajj-islamic-pilgrimage-sayyid-muhammad-zia-abadi/halting-places
