Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Taqi Musawi Isfahani Duties of People towards the Imam (a) Extracted from Mikyal al-Makarim fee fawaaid ad-duaa LIL qaaim Criterion of Nobilities on the benefits of praying for al-Qaim

8: Grief of a Believer due to Imam’s Separation

One of the duties of a believer is to be sorrowful in the separation of Imam (a). It is a sign of ones attachment to Imam (a). In the poetic collection of Imam (a) the following couplets are mentioned on the subject of ‘true friendship’:

One of its signs is that it makes one seem like a sick person due to the eagerness to meet his beloved.
One of its signs is that he is so much attached to his beloved that he dreads anything that will make him busy (in other things).
One of its proof is that he laughs among the people in such a way that his heart is full of grief like a mother who has lost her grown up son.
This is one of the signs of the believers. In fact it is one of the most praiseworthy quality and numerous ahadith emphasize its significance.

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   A distinguishing quality of a Shia is that he is aggrieved by the grief of the Imams (a) and there is no doubt that the occultation of the Imam is greatest cause of sorrow for the Holy Imam (a) as will be mentioned in the excellence of weeping in separation of the Imam (a).
   

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   In Kamaluddin, through the author’s own chain of narrators it is narrated from Imam Reza (a) that he said: “How abundant worthy men of faith and how abundant sorrowful men of belief will be perplexed and grievous at the loss of that crystal spring.”¹¹⁹
   

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   In Kafi it is narrated from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) that he said: One who sighs in sorrow regarding us and is aggrieved for oppression on us, this act of his is like glorification of Allah, and to be sad with regard to us is like worship and maintaining our secrets is like Jihad in the way of God.¹²⁰ Kulaini says: Muhammad bin Saeed a narrator of this report says: The Imam said: Write down this tradition in gold, I have not written anything better than this.
   

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   Among the traditions mentioned in Part Four was a report of Ibne Abi Yafur regarding the right of one believer on another. That it is necessary to feel sorrowful on the grief of a believer. This is applicable to the Imam of the Time (aj) more because he is more deserving of it as he has precedence over all in the matter of faith.
   

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   In the third volume of Biharul Anwar, it is narrated from Masmah Kurdeen from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) that he said: Indeed, one whose heart is pained for us, when he sees us at the time of his death, he would become very happy in such a way that, that happiness will continue till he meets us besides the Cistern of Kauthar. Indeed Kauthar will be pleased on seeing our friend so much that it would make him taste different types of foods so that he may not like to leave its side. O Masmah, one who takes a drink from it, will never ever feel thirsty again and he would never feel sorrowful.
   

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   Kamaluddin, Vol. 2, Pg. 371
   
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   Usool Kafi, Vol. 2, Pg. 226, Tr. No. 16
   

The water of Kauthar is laced with camphor and smells of musk and tastes like Zanjabeel. It is sweeter than honey and finer than butter and more flowing than tear and more fragrant than Amber. It has come out from Tasneem (a high spring in Paradise) and passes on the streams of Paradise. Its bottom is strewn with gems and rubies. There are goblets on it that number more than the stars of the heavens. Its fragrance can be discerned from a distance of more than a thousand years’ travel. The cups on it are made of gold, silver and different gems. Its fragrance will glow from those who drink it. Till a person who has drunk from it will say: Alas, if we could stay only here! I would not ask for anything else and not move from here. Indeed You, O Kurdeen, will be of those who will drink from it. And no eye wept for us but that it was rewarded by seeing the Kauthar and did not drink from it with our friends. Indeed the fact is that whosoever will drink from it will get a special taste and joy more than who has less love for us…¹²¹

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   Biharul Anwar, Vol. 8, Pg. 22, Chapter 20, Tr. No. 17
   

1. 9: To be Present in Assemblies where the Fadail and Manaqeb of Imam (a) are Discussed

Another important duty of a believer is to participate in gatherings specially associated with Imam

(a) or where people discuss matters connected to Imam (a). In addition of being a necessary sign of love it is also the implication of Allah’s words:

1. Therefore hasten to (do) good works.¹²²

A tradition of Imam Reza (a) also confirms this in Amali of Shaykh Sadooq,¹²³ “One who sits in an assembly where our affair is being enlivened (our Fadail are discussed), his heart will not die on the day the hearts of people die (Qiyamat).”

In support of this point is the statement of Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) to Fudail in a tradition mentioned in Biharul Anwar¹²⁴ etc. that he asked: Do you gather and narrate traditions? Fudail replied: Yes, may I be sacrificed on you. Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) said: Indeed, I like those gatherings; so revive our Wilayat. O Fudail, may the Almighty Allah have mercy on one who enlivens our matter (revives our Wilayat).¹²⁵
This is also supported by all traditions that emphasize being present in the above gatherings like the statement of the Holy Prophet (s): Enter the gardens of Paradise. He was asked: O Messenger of Allah (s), what are the gardens of Paradise? He replied: Gatherings of Zikr. And then we have the statement of His Eminence: Indeed the Almighty Allah forgives (the sins of) those who participate in the gatherings of Allah’s remembrance and makes him secure from that which he fears. Then angels say: O Lord, though he was present there he didn’t remember You? Allah says: I have forgiven him due to his participation in that gathering because those who remember the truth are such that anyone who sat with them could not be unfortunate.
These two traditions are quoted by Shaykh Fahd in Oddatud Dai.¹²⁶ The reason why these two traditional reports support the above mentioned point is that: Remembrance of His Eminence and his forefathers is remembrance of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime; from the aspect of a tradition that Shaykh Muhammad Yaqoob Kulaini has narrated in Kafi from His Eminence, Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) that he said: No people attend a gathering where there is no remembrance of Allah and no mention about us but that this gathering would cause regret to them on Judgment Day. Then he said: His Eminence, Abu Ja’far Imam Muhammad Baqir (a) said: Our remembrance is the remembrance of Allah and remembrance of our enemies is remembrance of Shaitan.¹²⁷
Also in favor of this point is that which is mentioned in Wasail and other books narrating from Abbad bin Kathir that he said to Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a): I saw in the story of Sarai that he said: This is

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   Surah Baqarah 2:148
   
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   Amali, Majlis 17, Tr. No. 4
   
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   Biharul Anwar, Vol. 44, Pg. 278
   
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   Biharul Anwar, Vol. 44, Pg. 282
   
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   Oddatud Daai, Pg. 238, Tr. No. 17; Mustadrakul Wasail, Vol. 1, Pg. 400, Tr. No. 2
   
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   Usool Kafi, Vol. 2, Pg. 496, Tr. No. 2
   

such a gathering that anyone who participates in it cannot be unfortunate. Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a) said: From all aspects, their storytellers have made a mistake. The Almighty Allah has angels who go around – in addition to the scribe angels who write everything a man does. Thus when they hear anyone remembering Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad they say to each other: Wait a bit. Thus they sit down and benefit from it. When they separate they visit their sick ones and take part in the funerals and search for their lost ones. Thus it is that gathering in which when one sits he will never be unfortunate.¹²⁸

In addition to this, presence in a gathering helps in increase in numbers and according to terminology it is called ‘increasing the blackness of the army’. Such a thing is considered good if the gathering is of righteous people and it is liked by the Almighty Allah and the Holy Imams (a) but if it is to increase the strength of the opponents, it is disliked by the Almighty Allah and Imams (a). This is illustrated by an incident narrated by Qadi Abdur Rahman that he asked a blind old man the cause of his blindness and he said: I was present in the battle of Kerbala but I did not take part in fighting. After some days I saw a terrible looking man who said to me: The Messenger of Allah (s) wants to see you. I said: I can’t dare to see him. He took me by force and we came to where the Messenger of Allah (s) was present. He was very much aggrieved. He was holding a weapon and behind him was a leather sheet on which people are guillotined. An angel stood with a sword of fire and he was executing them and throwing fire on them, burning them. Then they would become alive again and be killed in the same way, over and over again. I pleaded: Peace be on you, O Messenger of Allah (s), by Allah, neither I used a sword, nor threw a spear or shot an arrow. The Holy Prophet (s) said: Did you not increase the blackness of the army? Then he handed me over to a guard and from a bowl he applied blood to my eyes. When I woke up, I had become blind.¹²⁹

1. 
   Wasailush Shia, Vol. 11, Pg. 566, Chapter 23, Tr. No. 2
   
2. 
   Biharul Anwar, Vol. 45, Pg. 303
   

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