Post by AbuUmaama77 on Oct 5, 2015 23:25:20 GMT
WHY DO SHIAS NEED TO GO FOR HAJJ?
In the uproar against Saudi Arabia following the tragic stampede in Mina on 10th Dhu’l-Hijjah, which has already claimed the lives of over a thousand pilgrims by the most conservative of estimates, Iran can be seen at the forefront of voicing its disgust and blaming Saudi incompetence as the root cause for this upsetting episode.
Regardless of how the stampede actually occurred, not forgetting that Iranian pilgrims defying the crowd flow has also been identified as the initial spark, it is interesting to note that Shias have an act of worship much greater than Hajj, which would have saved them the unnecessary expense and hassle of travelling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
Bihar al-Anwar of Baqir al-Majlisi (d.1111 AH), one of the canonical works of the Twelver (Ithna ‘Ashariyya) Shias, states many virtues for visiting Karbala (the land where Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) was martyred and where he is supposedly buried) on the Day of Arafah. After reading these narrations, it does not make sense why devout Shias would even contemplate travelling to perform the Hajj pilgrimage and lose out on so much reward. We present to readers narrations from a whole chapter dedicated to the virtue of visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah and the two Eids:
(فضل زيارته صلوات الله عليه في يوم عرفة أو العيدين)
Narrations are from Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 100, Page 214 onwards, published by Ihya’ al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, Qum, Iran.
VISITING THE GRAVE OF SAYYIDUNA HUSAIN IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HAJJ FOR A POOR PERSON AND MUCH MORE VIRTUOUS THAN A THOUSAND HAJJS AND UMRAHS FOR A RICH PERSON
According to some of these narrations, visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah substitutes the obligatory Hajj for a poor person, and it is greater than the voluntary Hajjs and Umrahs by a thousand times, for a rich person who has already fulfilled the obligation of Hajj; in fact its reward is immeasurable.
VIRTUES OF VISITING THE GRAVE OF SAYYIDUNA HUSAIN (RADHIALLAHU ANHU) ON THE DAY OF ARAFAH
Hereunder are some shocking virtues of visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah from Bihar al-Anwar. They are also found in other Shia books:
• Whoever visits the grave of Husain, knowing his rights, on any day besides Eid, will have twenty complete and accepted hajjs and umrahs written for him, and twenty jihad expeditions with a sent prophet or just ruler. Whoever comes to him on the Day of Arafah, knowing his rights, for him will be written one thousand complete and accepted hajjs and umrahs, and one thousand jihad expeditions with a sent prophet or just ruler. He further says: Whoever comes to Husain on the Day of Arafah and bathes in River Euphrates, Allah writes for him a Hajj with all its rites for every step he takes. He also said one jihad expedition [for each step].
• Allah begins by looking at the people who visit the grave of Husain on the night of Arafah. When Abu Abdillah was asked whether they were looked at even before the people in Arafah and why so, he replied, “BECAUSE THERE ARE ILLEGITIMATE PEOPLE AMONG THEM (I.E. THE PEOPLE OF ARAFAH) WHILST THERE ARE NO ILLEGITIMATE PEOPLE AMONG THESE.”
• Allah manifests Himself to the visitors of the grave of Husain before the people of Arafah, fulfils their needs, forgives their sins, and accepts their requests, then he turns to the people of Arafah and does the same with them.
• Bashir al-Dahhan relates that Abu Abdillah (AS) said to him, “O Bashir, did you perform Hajj this year?” Bashir said, “May Allah make me your ransom, no, but I spent Arafah by the grave of Husain (AS).” Abu Abdillah said, “By Allah, you did not miss anything which the people in Makkah gained in Makkah.” Bashir said, “May I be sacrificed for you. It contains Arafah. Please explain this to me.” He said, “O Bashir, when a person among you bathes on the banks of River Euphrates, then comes to the grave of Husain (AS), knowing his rights, Allah grants him for every step he lifts or places one hundred accepted Hajjs, one hundred complete Umrahs, one hundred jihad expeditions with a sent prophet against his greatest enemy. O Bashir, listen and convey to the person whose heart can bear this. Whoever visits the grave of Husain (AS) on the Day of Arafah is like the one who visits Allah on His Throne.”
Besides this, other virtues for visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah, according to Shia narrations, are being summarised below:
• Reward of a million Hajjs with Al-Qaa’im [i.e. the Twelfth Hidden Imam]
• Reward of a million Umrahs with Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)
• Reward of freeing one million slaves
• Reward of the provision of one million horses in Allah’s path
• He is referred to by Allah as “my slave, As-Siddiq, who believed in My promise”
• Allah praises his from above the Throne and He is known as “karoobi” (leaders of the angels) on Earth:
• A person who misses attending Arafah on the actual Day of Arafah, but goes to the grave of Sayyiduna Husain instead, has not really missed it. Allah speaks to the people at the grave of Sayyiduna Husain first:
• Allah tells the visitors to start their lives anew, as all their sins had been forgiven:
• The sins of the visitors of Sayyiduna Hasan’s grave on the Day of Arafah are not written for seventy days:
• All the visitor’s past and present sins are forgiven:
• A thousand of his needs in this life and the Hereafter are fulfilled:
• A thousand angels accompany him on his right side and a thousand on his left side:
• He will be raised on the Day of Judgment with a tranquil heart:
• Allah will protect him for the rest of the year:
• He will not return empty-handed, but with full hands instead:
With so many virtues for visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) at the very time when thousands converge in the plains of Arafah, I leave you with the question we started with: WHY DO SHIAS NEED TO GO FOR HAJJ?
In the uproar against Saudi Arabia following the tragic stampede in Mina on 10th Dhu’l-Hijjah, which has already claimed the lives of over a thousand pilgrims by the most conservative of estimates, Iran can be seen at the forefront of voicing its disgust and blaming Saudi incompetence as the root cause for this upsetting episode.
Regardless of how the stampede actually occurred, not forgetting that Iranian pilgrims defying the crowd flow has also been identified as the initial spark, it is interesting to note that Shias have an act of worship much greater than Hajj, which would have saved them the unnecessary expense and hassle of travelling to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
Bihar al-Anwar of Baqir al-Majlisi (d.1111 AH), one of the canonical works of the Twelver (Ithna ‘Ashariyya) Shias, states many virtues for visiting Karbala (the land where Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) was martyred and where he is supposedly buried) on the Day of Arafah. After reading these narrations, it does not make sense why devout Shias would even contemplate travelling to perform the Hajj pilgrimage and lose out on so much reward. We present to readers narrations from a whole chapter dedicated to the virtue of visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah and the two Eids:
(فضل زيارته صلوات الله عليه في يوم عرفة أو العيدين)
Narrations are from Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 100, Page 214 onwards, published by Ihya’ al-Kutub al-Islamiyya, Qum, Iran.
VISITING THE GRAVE OF SAYYIDUNA HUSAIN IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR HAJJ FOR A POOR PERSON AND MUCH MORE VIRTUOUS THAN A THOUSAND HAJJS AND UMRAHS FOR A RICH PERSON
According to some of these narrations, visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah substitutes the obligatory Hajj for a poor person, and it is greater than the voluntary Hajjs and Umrahs by a thousand times, for a rich person who has already fulfilled the obligation of Hajj; in fact its reward is immeasurable.
عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال من كان معسرا فلم يتهيأ له حجة الإسلام فليأت قبر أبي عبد الله (ع) ليعرف عنده فذلك يجزيه من حجة الإسلام أما إني لا أقول يجزي ذلك من حجة الإسلام إلا لمعسر فأما الموسر إذا كان قد حج حجة الإسلام فأراد أن يتنفل بالحج أو العمرة و منعه من ذلك شغل دنيا أو عائق فأتى الحسين (ع) في يوم عرفة أجزأه ذلك من أداء حجته و عمرته فضاعف الله ذلك أضعافا مضاعفة قال قلت كم تعدل حجة و كم تعدل عمرة قال لا يحصى ذلك قلت مائة قال و من يحصي ذلك قلت ألف قال و أكثر ثم قال وَ إِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لا تُحْصُوها إن الله واسع كريم
VIRTUES OF VISITING THE GRAVE OF SAYYIDUNA HUSAIN (RADHIALLAHU ANHU) ON THE DAY OF ARAFAH
Hereunder are some shocking virtues of visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah from Bihar al-Anwar. They are also found in other Shia books:
• Whoever visits the grave of Husain, knowing his rights, on any day besides Eid, will have twenty complete and accepted hajjs and umrahs written for him, and twenty jihad expeditions with a sent prophet or just ruler. Whoever comes to him on the Day of Arafah, knowing his rights, for him will be written one thousand complete and accepted hajjs and umrahs, and one thousand jihad expeditions with a sent prophet or just ruler. He further says: Whoever comes to Husain on the Day of Arafah and bathes in River Euphrates, Allah writes for him a Hajj with all its rites for every step he takes. He also said one jihad expedition [for each step].
عن بشير الدهان قال قلت لأبي عبد الله (ع) ربما فاتني الحج فأعرف عند قبر الحسين (ع) قال أحسنت يا بشير أيما مؤمن أتى قبر الحسين عارفا بحقه في غير يوم عيد كتبت له عشرون حجة و عشرون عمرة مبرورات متقبلات و عشرون غزوة مع نبي مرسل أو إمام عادل و من أتاه في يوم عرفة عارفا بحقه كتبت له ألف حجة و ألف عمرة مبرورات متقبلات و ألف غزوة مع نبي مرسل أو إمام عادل قال فقلت له و كيف لي بمثل الموقف قال فنظر إلي شبه المغضب ثم قال يا بشير إن المؤمن إذا أتى قبر الحسين (ع) يوم عرفة و اغتسل بالفرات ثم توجه إليه كتب الله عز و جل له بكل خطوة حجة بمناسكها و لا أعلمه إلا قال و غزوة
• Allah begins by looking at the people who visit the grave of Husain on the night of Arafah. When Abu Abdillah was asked whether they were looked at even before the people in Arafah and why so, he replied, “BECAUSE THERE ARE ILLEGITIMATE PEOPLE AMONG THEM (I.E. THE PEOPLE OF ARAFAH) WHILST THERE ARE NO ILLEGITIMATE PEOPLE AMONG THESE.”
عن علي بن أسباط يرفعه إلى أبي عبد الله (ع) قال إن الله تبارك و تعالى يبدأ بالنظر إلى زوار قبر الحسين بن علي ع عشية عرفة قال قلت قبل نظره إلى أهل الموقف قال نعم قلت و كيف ذاك قال لأن في أولئك أولاد زنا و ليس في هؤلاء أولاد زنا
• Allah manifests Himself to the visitors of the grave of Husain before the people of Arafah, fulfils their needs, forgives their sins, and accepts their requests, then he turns to the people of Arafah and does the same with them.
قال أبو عبد الله (ع) إن الله تبارك و تعالى يتجلى لزوار قبر الحسين صلوات الله عليه قبل أهل عرفات و يقضي حوائجهم و يغفر من ذنوبهم و يشفعهم في مسائلهم ثم يثني بأهل عرفات فيفعل ذلك بهم
• Bashir al-Dahhan relates that Abu Abdillah (AS) said to him, “O Bashir, did you perform Hajj this year?” Bashir said, “May Allah make me your ransom, no, but I spent Arafah by the grave of Husain (AS).” Abu Abdillah said, “By Allah, you did not miss anything which the people in Makkah gained in Makkah.” Bashir said, “May I be sacrificed for you. It contains Arafah. Please explain this to me.” He said, “O Bashir, when a person among you bathes on the banks of River Euphrates, then comes to the grave of Husain (AS), knowing his rights, Allah grants him for every step he lifts or places one hundred accepted Hajjs, one hundred complete Umrahs, one hundred jihad expeditions with a sent prophet against his greatest enemy. O Bashir, listen and convey to the person whose heart can bear this. Whoever visits the grave of Husain (AS) on the Day of Arafah is like the one who visits Allah on His Throne.”
عن بشير الدهان قال سمعت أبا عبد الله (ع) و هو نازل بالحيرة و عنده جماعة من الشيعة فأقبل إلي بوجهه فقال يا بشير أ حججت العام قلت جعلت فداك لا و لكني قد عرفت بالقبر قبر الحسين (ع) فقال يا بشير و الله ما فاتك شيء مما كان لأصحاب مكة بمكة قلت جعلت فداك فيه عرفات فسره لي فقال يا بشير إن الرجل منكم ليغتسل على شاطئ الفرات ثم يأتي قبر الحسين (ع) عارفا بحقه فيعطيه الله بكل قدم يرفعها أو يضعها مائة حجة مقبولة و مائة عمرة مبرورة و مائة غزوة مع نبي مرسل إلى أعدى عدو له يا بشير اسمع و أبلغ من احتمل قلبه من زار قبر الحسين (ع) يوم عرفة كان كمن زار الله تبارك و تعالى في عرشه
Besides this, other virtues for visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) on the Day of Arafah, according to Shia narrations, are being summarised below:
• Reward of a million Hajjs with Al-Qaa’im [i.e. the Twelfth Hidden Imam]
• Reward of a million Umrahs with Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)
• Reward of freeing one million slaves
• Reward of the provision of one million horses in Allah’s path
• He is referred to by Allah as “my slave, As-Siddiq, who believed in My promise”
• Allah praises his from above the Throne and He is known as “karoobi” (leaders of the angels) on Earth:
عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال من زار قبر الحسين ع يوم عرفة كتب الله له ألف ألف حجة مع القائم و ألف ألف عمرة مع رسول الله (ص) و عتق ألف ألف نسمة و حملان ألف ألف فرس في سبيل الله و سماه الله عبدي الصديق آمن بوعدي و قالت الملائكة فلان صديق زكاه الله من فوق عرشه و سمي في الأرض كروبيا
• A person who misses attending Arafah on the actual Day of Arafah, but goes to the grave of Sayyiduna Husain instead, has not really missed it. Allah speaks to the people at the grave of Sayyiduna Husain first:
عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال من فاتته عرفة بعرفات فأدركها بقبر الحسين (ع) لم تفته و إن الله تبارك و تعالى ليبدأ بأهل قبر الحسين (ع) قبل أهل العرفات ثم يخاطبهم بنفسه
• Allah tells the visitors to start their lives anew, as all their sins had been forgiven:
عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال إذا كان يوم عرفة أطلع الله تبارك و تعالى على زوار قبر الحسين (ع) فقال لهم استأنفوا قد غفرت لكم ثم يجعل إقامته على أهل عرفات
• The sins of the visitors of Sayyiduna Hasan’s grave on the Day of Arafah are not written for seventy days:
عن أبي عبد الله (ع) قال سمعته يقول إذا كان يوم عرفة نظر الله إلى زوار قبر الحسين بن علي (ع) فيقول ارجعوا مغفورا لكم ما مضى و لا يكتب على أحد منهم ذنب سبعين يوما من يوم ينصرف
• All the visitor’s past and present sins are forgiven:
قال أبو عبد الله (ع) من زار قبر الحسين بن علي (ع) ليلة من ثلاث ليال غفر الله له ما تقدم من ذنبه و ما تأخر قال قلت أي الليالي جعلت فداك قال ليلة الفطر أو ليلة الأضحى أو ليلة النصف من شعبان
• A thousand of his needs in this life and the Hereafter are fulfilled:
قال أبو عبد الله (ع) من زار الحسين بن علي (ع) ليلة النصف من شعبان و ليلة الفطر و ليلة عرفة في سنة واحدة كتب الله له ألف حجة مبرورة و ألف عمرة متقبلة و قضيت له ألف حاجة من حوائج الدنيا و الآخرة
• A thousand angels accompany him on his right side and a thousand on his left side:
أبي قال من خرج إلى قبر الحسين (ع) عارفا بحقه غير مستكبر صحبه ألف ملك عن يمينه و ألف ملك عن شماله و كتب له ألف حجة و ألف عمرة مع نبي أو وصي نبي
• He will be raised on the Day of Judgment with a tranquil heart:
قال سمعت أبا عبد الله (ع) يقول من أتى قبر الحسين (ع) يوم عرفة بعثه الله تعالى يوم القيامة ثلج الفؤاد
• Allah will protect him for the rest of the year:
عن الباقر (ع) قال من بات ليلة عرفة بأرض كربلاء و أقام بها حتى يعيد و ينصرف وقاه الله شر سنته
• He will not return empty-handed, but with full hands instead:
قال سمعت أبا عبد الله ع يقول من عرف صدقه عند قبر الحسين (ع) لم يرجع صفرا لكن يرجع و يداه مملوءتان
With so many virtues for visiting the grave of Sayyiduna Husain (radhiallahu anhu) at the very time when thousands converge in the plains of Arafah, I leave you with the question we started with: WHY DO SHIAS NEED TO GO FOR HAJJ?