His Frailty and Weakness
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, became frail because of his many prayers, for worship strained him very much, and he was Hence weak that the wind would bend (his body) to left and right like an ear of corn.
2 This is because he had no power to stand. His son 'Abd Allah reported: "My father used to pray at night. When he had finished (praying), he crept to his bed.
3" This means that he had no power to stand because of tiredness, weakness and faintness.
His family and those who loved him felt pity for him because of the intense weakness resulted from his many prayers. They feared that he would die, Hence they talked with him about that, but he refused to
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1. Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, Supplication no. 32.
2. Al-Mufeed, al-Irshad, p. 272, Roudat al-Wa'izin, no. 1, p. 237.
3. Al-Majjlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46. p. 99.
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answer them, and he went on performing his prayers until he met his fathers. The following is some of those who talked with him:
1. One of his Sons
One of his sons feared for his safety, Hence he asked him with regret and fear: "Father, how long will you continue (praying)?"
The Ima`m answered him with kindness and affection: "Do you make me love my Lord?
1"
Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, loved his Lord and drew near to Him through all ways. There is no one in the world of the pious and the righteous like him in turning to Allah in repentance and intense clinging to Him.
2. Ja`bir al-Ansa`ri
The great companion (of the Prophet), Ja`bir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansa`ri, felt pity for the Ima`m, peace be on him, and asked him to reduce his prayers and not to strain himself. Ima`m al-Ba`qir, peace be on him, reported his tradition, saying: [When Fa`tima, daughter of the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, saw that her nephew, 'Ali b. al-Husayn, strained himself with prayer, she went to Ja`bir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansa`ri and said to him:]
"O Companion of Allah's Apostle, we have rights against you. Among our rights against you is that when you see one of us strain himself (with prayer), you must remind him of Allah and to ask him to spare his life. This is 'Ali b. al-Husayn, the surviving one of his father al-Husayn, has carried out in worship (to the extent that) his nose has been squashed; his forehead has been bruised; his legs and feet have been swollen."
Hence Ja`bir b. 'Abd Allah al-Ansa`ri went to Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, and found him in his mihrab exerted by worship and obedience (to Allah). When the Ima`m saw Ja`bir, he received him and sat him beside him and asked him very much about
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1. Ibid., p. 91.
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his conditions, Hence Ja`bir turned to him and said to him: "O Son of Allah's Apostle, didn't you know that Allah has created Heaven for you and for those who love you, and He has created the Fire for those who hate you and show enmity toward you, Hence why have you strained yourself (in worship)?"
The Ima`m kindly and gently answered him: "O Companion of Allah's Apostle, didn't you know that Allah forgave my grandfather, Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, his previous and next sins? Yet, he did not leave exertion (in worship), may my father and mother be ransom for him, to the extent that his legs and feet were swollen, Hence he was asked: 'Do you do this, while Allah has forgiven you your previous and next sins?' Hence he replied: 'Shall I not be a grateful servant?'"
When Jabir knew that it was difficult for him to convince the Ima`m to leave exertion in worship, he said to him: "O Son of Allah's Apostle, spare your life, for you are from among the family through whom tribulation is driven away, through whom cures are discovered, and through whom the sky is asked to rain."
The Ima`m answered him with a faint voice: "I will continue the method of my fathers until I meet them."
Hence Ja`bir admired the Ima`m, turned to those who around him, and said to them: "None of the sons of the prophets was like 'Ali b. al-Husayn except Yousif b. Ya'qu`b. By Allah, the progeny of al-Husayn is better than the progeny of Yousif b. Ya'qu`b. Surely one of them will fill the earth with justice and fairness as it was filled with oppression and tyranny.
1"
Yes, by Allah, no one of the sons of the prophets was like 'Ali b. al-Husayn in piety, Allah-fearingness, and all other ideals that raised him to the zenith which the great figures from among his fathers reached. Ja`bir declared that the progeny of al-Husayn was better than the progeny of Yousif b. Ya'qu`b, for among them is the great reformer, the Qa'im of the family of Mohammed, may Allah
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1. Ibn Shahrashub, al-Manaqib. Hayat al-Imam Mohammed al-Baqir.
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bless him and his family, of whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, gave good news, and who will fill the earth with justice and fairness as it was filled with oppression and tyranny, that will occur during the days of his government and authority.
'Abd al-Malik
'Abd al-Malik b. Marwa`n was among those who pitied for Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him. That was when the Ima`m went to him to intercede with him for some Muslims whom the authority had arrested. When 'Abd al-Malik saw him, he admired the marks of prostration between his eyes, Hence he said to him: "The exertion (in worship) has appeared on your face, while Allah has already promised you good, you are part of Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, your lineage is close (to him), your relation (with him) is certain, you are the most meritorious of the family of your House and the people of your time, you have been given merits, knowledge, religion, piety of which none before or after you has been given."
'Abd al-Malik flattered the Ima`m, reminded him of his merits and laudable deeds. When he ended his talk, the Ima`m said to him: "All what you have mentioned is attained through the bounty, support, and success of Allah, the Glorified. Hence where is our gratefulness to Him for what He has bestowed (upon us)? Allah's Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, stood in pray to the extent that his feet were swollen and became thirsty during fast to the extent that his mouth became dried, Hence he was asked: 'O Allah's Apostle, didn't Allah forgive you your past and next sins?' Hence he, may Allah bless him and his family, replied: 'Shall I not be a grateful servant?'
"Praise belongs to Allah for what He has rendered and tested, and praise belongs to Him for here and the hereafter. By Allah, even if my limbs are severed, and my tears flow onto my chest, I will be unable to give thanks to Allah, the Great and Almighty, for the tenth of the tenth of one blessing of all His blessings which calculators cannot count, and no one can attain a blessing of them through all the
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praise of the praisers. No, by Allah, doesn't Allah see that nothing distract me from thanking Him and remembering Him by day and night, secretly and openly? Were it not for that my family had right against me, and that people in private and in general had rights against me, I would look at the sky with my eye and at Allah with my heart, and then I would not prevent them (from that), until Allah made me die, and He is the Best of judges."
The Ima`m bitterly wept. His words and his painful sight had a great effect on 'Abd al-Malik, the tyrannical caliph, who said with admiration: "There is a great difference between a servant who seeks the hereafter and a servant who seeks this world."
Then 'Abd al-Malik yielded to the Ima`m and released the persons for whom he interceded.
1
These are some of those who felt pitied for the Ima`m because of his many prayers and abundant worship and asked him frequently to decrease them and to have a rest, but the Ima`m did not respond them for that, for he found in prayers a unique, psychological rest.
His Fast
The Ima`m spent most his lifetime fasting. When his slave-girl was asked about his worship, she said: "I never brought him food by day." He loved fast and urged (people) to fast. Hence he said: "Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, entrusted the fasting to His angels.
2" He, peace be on him, did not break his fast except on the day of the two 'I#ds and other than them when he had an excuse. We will talk briefly about some of his affairs in the blessed month of Ramada`n, which is the month of Allah and of obedience (to Him).
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1. Al-Majjlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46. p. 65.
2. Al-Rawandi, Da'awat, p. 4.
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In the Month of Ramada`n
The Ima`m had special affairs in the blessed month of Ramada`n. In it he did all things that drew him near to Allah. The narrators said: "He did all kinds of charity and good. He never said any word except saying: 'Glory belongs to Allah, I ask Allah's forgiveness, and Allah is Great.' When he broke his fast, he said: 'O Allah, if You will do, You do.'
1"
His Supplication for seeing the Crescent of the
Month Ramadan
He, peace be on him, received the month of Ramada`n with eagerness and desire, for it is the spring of the obedient. When he saw its crescent, he supplicated with this holy supplication, which represents the spirituality of Islam and the guidance of the members of the House (
ahl al-Bayt) , peace be on them. This supplication is as follows:
"Praise belongs to Allah Who guided us to His praise and placed us among the people of his praise, that we might be among the thankful for His beneficence and that He might recompense us for that with the reompense of the good-doers! And praise belongs to Allah Who showed favor to us through His religion, singled us out for His creed, and directed us onto the roads of His beneficence, in order that through His kindness we might travel upon them to His good pleasure, a praise which He will accept from us and through which He will be pleased with us! And praise belongs to Allah Who appointed among those roads His month, the month of Ramada`n, the month of fasting, the month of submission, the month of purity
2, the month of putting to test, the month of standing in prayer,
in which the Qur'an was sent down as guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the
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1. Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 88.
2. By the month of purity he, peace be upon him, meant that the fasting one is pure from sins in this blessed month.
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Guidance and the Separator! He clarified its excellence over other months by the many sacred things and well-known excellencies which He placed therein, for He made unlawful in it what He declared lawful in others to magnify it, He prohibited foods and drinks in it to honor it, and He appointed for it a clear time which He (majestic and mighty is He) allows not to be set forward and accepts not to be placed behind. Then He made one of its nights surpass the nights of a thousand months and named it the Night of Decree;
in it the angels and the Spirit descend by the leave of their Lord upon every command, a peace constant in blessings until the rising of the dawn upon whomever He will of His servants according to the decision He has made firm."`
These brilliant words contain magnifying and honoring the month of Ramada`n and depicting it with the best qualities of which is the following:
1. It is the month of Islam, Hence whoever fasts in it enters the frame of Islam; whoever does not fast in it with knowledge and deliberation does not belong to Islam.
2. It is the month of purity, for therein is the purity of the soul from sins and offenses.
3. It is the month of test; in it the Muslims are tested; in it the obedient are distinguished from the disobedient.
4. It is the month of standing in prayer; this month is the spring of the obedient and the good, for they spend its nights in worship and obedience to Allah.
5. Among the characteristics of this month is that the Holy Qur'a`n was sent down in it, for It was sent down on the Night of Decree, which is the greatest of all its nights,
and in which the angels and the Spirit descend by the leave of their Lord upon every command, a peace until the rising of the dawn.
6. Among the characteristics of this holy month is that Allah, the Most High, makes it prohibited for the fasting to have foods and
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drinks to magnify and honor it. Now, let's listen to another part of this supplication:
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, inspire us with knowledge of its excellence, veneration of its inviolability, and caution against what You have forbidden within it, and help us to fast in it by our restraining our limbs from acts of disobedience toward You and our employing them in that which pleases You, Hence that we lend not our ears to idle talk and hurry not with our eyes to diversion, we stretch not our hands toward the forbidden and stride not with our feet toward the prohibited, our bellies hold only what You have made lawful and our tongues speak only what You have exemplified, we undertake nothing but what brings close to Your reward and pursue nothing but what protects from Your punishment! Then rid all of that from the false show of the false showers and the fame seeking of the fame seekers, lest we associate therein anything with You or seek therein any object of desire but You!"
The Ima`m, peace be on him, presented the precepts which the fasting should follow in this great month. They are as follows: The fasting should restrain their limbs from what Allah has made unlawful, such as holding back their tongues from lying, backbiting, and slander; holding back their ears from idle talk and falsehood; preventing their hands from theft, aggression against people, and the prohibited. He, peace be on him, also mentioned that the fasting should do good to please Allah, and that their acts should be free from hypocrisy and seeking fame among people, for such acts lead to nothing except the punishment of Allah. After this, let's listen to another part of this holy supplication:
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, in it make us attend to the appointed moments of the five prayers within the bounds You have set, the obligations You have decreed, the duties You have assigned, and the times You have specified; and in the prayers make us alight in the station of the keepers of their stations, the guardians of their pillars, their performers in their times, as Your servant and Your messenger set down in his
Sunna (Your blessings be upon him and his
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Household) in their bowings, their prostrations, and all their excellent acts, with the most complete and ample ritual purity and the most evident and intense humility! Give us success in this month to tighten our bonds of kin with devotion and gifts, attend to our neighbors with bestowal and giving, rid our possessions from claims, purify them through paying the alms, go back to him who has gone far from us, treat justly him who has wronged us, make peace with him who shows enmity toward us (except him who is regarded as an enemy in You and for You, for he is the enemy whom we will not befriend, the party whom we will not hold dear), and seek nearness to You through blameless works which will purify us from sins and preserve us from renewing faults, Hence that none of Your angels will bring for You the kinds of obedience and sorts of nearness-seeking unless they be less than what we bring!"
This paragraph presents important affairs which the fasting should follow:
1. They should attend to the appointed moments of the five prayers, which are the pillar of the religion, within the bounds Allah has set, accompanied by what the greatest Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, practiced such as manners, invocations of Allah in their bowing and prostration; rather in all their affairs. In other word they should perform the five prayers in complete manners such as humility and submission to Allah, the Exalted, only.
2. They should tighten their bonds of kin with devotion and gifts, for this is one the best acts of obedience to Allah.
3. They should attend to their neighbors with bestowal and giving.
4. They should purify their possessions through paying Kums (one-fifth) and
Zakat (the alms), which are obligatory.
5. They should go back to him who has gone far from them, from among their friends and brothers.
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6. They should treat justly him who has wronged them and should not aggress against him with word or action, for this is among the noble moral traits.
7. They should make peace with him who shows enmity toward them (except him who is regarded as an enemy in Allah and for Him, for he is the enemy whom they will not befriend, the party whom they will not hold dear.
8. They should seek nearness to Allah through blameless works which are certainly desirable in the blessed month of Ramada`n.
After this, let's listen to the last paragraphs of this holy supplication:
"O Allah, I ask You by the right of this month and by the right of him who worships You within it from its beginning to the time of its passing, whether angel You have brought nigh to You, prophet You have sent, or righteous servant You have singled out, that You bless Mohammed and his Household, make us worthy of the generosity You have promised Your friends, make incumbent for us what You have made incumbent for those who go to great lengths in obeying You, and place us in the ranks of those who deserve through Your mercy the highest elevation!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, turn us aside from deviation in professing Your Unity, falling short in magnifying You, in Your religion, blindness toward Your path, heedlessness of Your inviolability, and being deceived by Your enemy, the accursed Satan!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and when in every night of this month's nights You have necks which Your pardon will release and Your forgiveness disregard, place our necks among those necks and place us among the best folk and companions of this our month!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, efface our sins along with the effacing of its crescent moon, and make us pass forth from the ill effects of our acts with the passing of its days, until it
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leaves us behind, while within it You have purified us of offenses and rid us of evil deeds!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household, and should we go off to one side in this month, set us aright; should we swerve, point us straight; and should Your enemy Satan enwrap us, rescue us from him!
"O Allah, fill this month with our worship of You, adorn its time with our obedience toward You, help us during its daytime with its fast, and in its night with prayer and pleading toward You, humility toward You, and lowliness before You, Hence that its daytime may not bear witness against our heedlessness, nor its night against our neglect!
"O Allah, make us like this in the other months and days as long as You give us life, and place us among Your righteous servants,
those who shall inherit Paradise, therein dwelling forever, those who are given what they give, while their hearts quake, that they are returning to their Lord, those who vie in good works, outracing to them!
"O Allah, bless Mohammed and his Household in every time, in all moments, and in every state, to the number that You have blessed whomever You have blessed and to multiples of all that, through multiples which none can count but You! Surely You are Accomplisher of what You desire.
1"
Indeed, the supplications of the Ima`m are a school for religious awareness, for they are full of faith in Allah and sincerity to Him. These brilliant paragraphs of his supplication contain the following:
He asked Allah by the right of the month of Ramada`n and by the right of him who worshipped within it from among His righteous servants:
1. To place him among those who were worthy of the high position with Him.
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1. Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiya, Supplication no. 44.
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2. To make his good deeds for the pleasure of Him, the Exalted; to make them free from hypocrisy and others which corrupt works.
3. To turn him aside from doubt and corrupt imaginations in the affairs of the religion.
4. To help him not to follow a way other than the way He has made lawful and to help him not to be heedless of the things He has made unlawful.
5. To help him not to follow the way of the accursed Satan.
6. To do him a favor through placing him among those whom He released in this great month.
7. To grant him a success in this month to worship Him and to show obedience, pleading, humility, and lowliness toward Him, the Exalted.
These are some important matters which these words of his supplication contain.
His good Acts in the Month of Ramada`n
He, peace be on him, did many good acts in the Month of Ramada`n. The following is some of them:
A. Giving Food
Islam urges (Muslims) to give food to the fasting and makes it desirable for them. Every day in the Month of Ramada`n, Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin ordered a sheep to be slaughtered and cooked. When the food was ready, he said: "Bring the bowls." He ordered the food to be divided among the poor, the widows, and the orphans to the extent that there was nothing left for him, Hence he broke his fast with bread and dates.
1
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1. Al-Mahasin, p. 396. Al-Majjlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46. p. 72.
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B. His Freeing Salves
Among his good deeds in the blessed month of Ramada`n was that he freed many of his slaves. It is worth mentioning that he respected his slaves, treated them as he treated his children, and forgave them when they misbehaved toward him. The narrators said: "'Ali b. al-Husayn did not punish a female slave nor did he punish a male salve when they committed a sin; rather he recorded the day when they committed sins. When the month of Ramada`n was about to end, he gathered them and brought the book where he had written their sins and said to them: Raise your voices and say: O 'Ali b. al-Husayn, your Lord has counted against you all what you have done, as you have counted against us all what we have done. He has a book which speaks the truth and does not leave a small one nor a great one of what you have done, but numbers them all, and you will find present with Him all what you had done, as we have found present with you all what we had done. Hence pardon and forgive (us), as you want the most powerful King (Allah) to pardon and forgive you. Hence forgive us, and He will forgive you and have mercy on you, and Your Lord never wrongs anyone. As you have a book which speaks the truth against us and does not leave a small one nor a great one, but numbers them all against us, Hence 'Ali b. al-Husayn, remember the abasement of your standing place before your Lord, the Just King, Who does not wrong (anyone) to the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and Allah is sufficient to take account and to be a witness. Hence pardon and forgive (us), and the most Powerful King will pardon and forgive you, for He says:
They should pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? " He (Zayn al-'Abidin) dictated to them these words which represent his absolute devotion and clinging to Allah. He stood, wept and said: "Our Lord, You have commanded us to pardon him who wrongs us. We have pardoned him who has wronged us, as You have commanded, Hence pardon us, for You are worthier of that than us and the commanded ones. You have commanded us not to dismiss any beggar from our
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1. Qur'an, 24, 22.
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doors. Now, we have come to You as beggars and miserable. We have sat at Your courtyard and Your door seeking bounty and favor and giving, Hence do us a favor through it and disappoint us not, for You are more worthier of that than us and the commanded ones.
"My Lord, I have entertained (Your servants), Hence entertain me if I am of Your beggars. I have done (Your servants) a lot of good, Hence place me among the people of Your giving, O Generous!"
Then he turned his holy face, which became wet with the tears of his eyes, to his slaves and said to them with kindness and affection:
"I have forgiven you! Have you forgiven me my evil (acts)? I am full of evil, meanness, and oppression! I am the slave of the One Who is Powerful, Generous, Just, Beneficent, and Good-doer!"
What an angelic this soul is! Indeed, it represented the spirituality, beauties, qualities, and morals of the prophets!
The slaves interrupted him, saying: "We have pardoned you, O Our master!"
Hence he said to them: "Say: O Allah, pardon 'Ali b. al-Husayn as he has pardoned us! Release him from the Fire, as he has released our necks from slavery!"
They said that, and he said after them: "Amen, O Allah, Lord of the world's inhabitants! Go, surely I have pardoned you and released your necks, asking (Allah) to pardon me and release my neck!" When the day of 'I#d al-Fitr came, he gave them excellent gifts to make them in no need of what was in the people's hands.
1
In the world of the pious there is no person like Ima`m Zayn al-'Abidin, peace be on him, in piety, loyalty, and obedience to Allah, for he filled his holy heart with faith and knowledge of Allah.
Any how, in the month of Ramada`n, the Ima`m, peace be on him, did a lot of good to the weak, entertained the miserable refreshed the deprived, freed slaves, and other good deeds that brought him near to Allah.
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1. Al-Majjlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, pp. 103-104.
