Al-'Abbas was born in 26. His mother was Fatima, daughter of Hizam ibn Khalid ibn Rabi' (he was the brother of the poet Labid) ibn 'Amir ibn Kilab ibn Rabi'a ibn 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'a, of the tribe of Kilab. She was famous for her kunya 'Umm al-Banin'. ...

Al-'Abbas was born in 26. His mother was Fatima, d...

In the odes of the poets of lament for al-Husayn which they composed in praise of and in lament for the Holy Family, and in lament for al-Husayn, they have given expression to the ritual of the ziyara since the first half of the fourth century. It is...

In the odes of the poets of lament for al-Husayn w...

1. The First Example It is reported from Imam Abu 'Abd Allah Ja' far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq that he said: 'When you enter the Ha'ir,36 say: 1. O God, this is a position by which you have honoured me and distinguished me. O God, through it give me my...

1. The First Example It is reported from Imam Abu...

Hundreds of sound Traditions have been reported from the Imams of the Holy Family, in many of which there is the call to make pilgrimages to al-Husayn and that this should be done at all times, as well as on specific days, and from near and from far....

Hundreds of sound Traditions have been reported fr...

Perhaps, it may be that one of the things which distinguishes the Imamite Shi'a from many other Muslims is their extraordinary concern to make pilgrimages to saintly men and women in the history of Islam, and their intense eagerness to practise this ...

Perhaps, it may be that one of the things which di...

Al-Shaykh Taqi al-Din Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Halim, better known as Ibn Taymiyya (661-728) held the view that pilgrimage (ziyara) to the tomb of the Prophet was forbidden, let alone pilgrimage to other tombs. He considered that travelling to make a pilgrim...

Al-Shaykh Taqi al-Din Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Halim, bett...

In the Most No~ble Qur’an there are verses, which indicate that persons other than the prophets have seen angels, have seen Gabriel even, and they have spoken to them. We will recite some examples here: “Behold, the angels said: Oh Mary! God hath cho...

In the Most No~ble Qur’an there are verses, which ...

Tomorrow is Women’s Day; it is the day when (the birth of) a woman is commemorated of whom the world is proud. It is the day commemorating a woman whose daughter stood against tyrannical rulers, who recited that sermon and uttered those words, words ...

Tomorrow is Women’s Day; it is the day when (the b...

In order to assure the unity of the Islamic umma,31 in order to liberate the Islamic homeland from occupation and penetration by the imperialists and their puppet governments, it is imperative that we establish a government. In order to attain the un...

In order to assure the unity of the Islamic umma,3...

We must take this family as our role model, our women should try to emulate their women, and our men their men. All of us should learn from all of them. They dedicated their lives to the support of the oppressed and to the revival of the divine tradi...

We must take this family as our role model, our wo...

Hazrat Amir (Imam `Ali), upon whom be peace, was the leader of all Muslims with a domain perhaps ten times larger than today’s Iran. It extended from the Hijaz to Egypt and even farther into Africa, reaching parts of Europe. Yet when this divine lead...

Hazrat Amir (Imam `Ali), upon whom be peace, was t...

All dimensions that one can imagine exist for a woman and a human being were personified in Fatima Zahra, upon whom be peace. She was not an ordinary woman; she was a spiritual woman, a heavenly woman, a human being in the true sense of the word. She...

All dimensions that one can imagine exist for a wo...

One of the charismata of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was the swift response of Allah to his supplications because of the high position he and his fathers had near Allah. Historians have mentioned many examples regarding this matter. 1. Al-Mansur narrated ...

One of the charismata of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was t...

“O You, Who have raised high and been great, overcome and been mighty, been mighty and overcome, O You, Who have been mighty and so been great in His might, O You, Who have spread shade over his creation, who have endowed His people with favor, I ...

“O You, Who have raised high and been great, overc...

“O You, the greater than every great one, Who has no partner and no vizier, O You, the Creator of the sun and the lighting moon, the shelter to the resorting fearful, the Liberator of tied captives, the nourisher of young babies, the setter of broken...

“O You, the greater than every great one, Who has ...

Many supplications were transmitted from Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) which he recited in the qunut28 of his prayers, showing the extent of his devotedness and submissiveness to Allah. Here are some of them. 1. “O Allah, the founts of Your gifts are brimfu...

Many supplications were transmitted from Imam al-H...

When you read the lives of the infallible Imams of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), you find that the prominent aspect of their lives was their devotedness to Allah and their spending the night in worshipping, hymning, and recitation of the Qur'an. Abu Fira...

When you read the lives of the infallible Imams of...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) honored people of intellect and knowledge, welcomed and preferred them to the rest of people because they were the source of light in the earth. Once, Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was informed that one of the Shiite ulama’ had argued with ...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) honored people of intellect an...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was free of every material tendency. He was free from any kind of selfishness and he did not submit to any pleasure or fancy. Historians say that he worked in his farm to secure the living of his family. ‘Ali bin Hamza said, “Once...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was free of every material ten...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) turned his back on all pleasures of this worldly life and lived absolutely an ascetic life. He kept to worship, piety, and asceticism. He paid no attention to worldly pleasures and preferred the obedience of Allah to everything el...

Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) turned his back on all pleasur...

One of the prominent qualities of Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) was his generosity. He was the most liberal and generous person of his time. He was like his fathers, who gave food out of love for Him to the poor, the orphan, and the captive. They gave food to ...

One of the prominent qualities of Imam al-Hadi (a....