A white bird near the noble body of that Imam (a.s.)

مرغ سفيدي نزد جسد شريف آن حضرت

بلي طيور بر بدن شريفش واقع گرديدند آنهم به جهت شرافتش بود.تفضيلش آن است كه در روايت وارد است كه چون آن جناب را شهيد كردند، و بدنش را بر روي خاك گذاشته رفتند، مرغ سفيدي به نزد آن جسد شريف آمد، و پر و بال خود به خون آن جناب آلود، و پرواز كرد، پس ديد مرغان چندي در سايه‌ي درختان و بستان آسوده‌اند، گفت: اي مرغان، شايسته است كه شما به عيش مشغول باشيد، و حسين (عليه‌السلام) در زمين كربلا بر روي خاكهاي گرم افتاده باشد، و خون از رگهاي او روان باشد، سرش را بر نيزه نموده، عيالش را اسير كرده‌اند، و در شهرها مي‌گردانند؟ آن مرغان پرواز كردند،و به كربلا آمدند، و ديدند آن بدن بي‌سر را كه بي‌غسل و كفن بر خاك افتاده، بادها گرد و خاك بر آن ريخته‌اند، و هيچ كس بزيارتش نمي‌آيد، مگر وحوش صحرا، و نوحه‌گري ندارد، مگر جنيان، و تمام عرصه‌ي صحرا از نور آن بدن روشن است، پس نوحه و ناله آغاز نمودند، و خود را به آن خون مطهر آلودند، وهر يك به طرفي پرواز نمودند، از آن جمله مرغي به سوي مدينه شتافت، و بر قبر حضرت رسول (صلي الله عليه و آله) طواف نمود در حالتي كه خون از پرهاي او مي‌چكيد، و فرياد مي‌كرد: آگاه باشيد حسين (عليه‌السلام) را در كربلا كشتند، و ذبح نمودند، و مرغان به دور او [ صفحه 375] جمع شدند، و دختر يهوديه به بركت آن خون مطهر كه از بالش مي‌چكيد شفا يافت. [1146] .و طيور خاكي كه كنايه از اسبان مخالفين است بر آن بدن شريف تاختند به نحوي كه زبان را ياري تقرير نه.عقرت بنات الأعوجية هل درت ما يستباح بها و ماذا يصنع‌اعوج، اسم اسبي بوده است، و اولاد آنرا بنات الاعوجية مي‌ناميده‌اند، و معني آن بيت است كه: بريده باد پي آن اسبان، آيا دانستند كه چه حرمت بزرگي با ايشان هتك شد؟ و چه عمل شنيعي را با ايشان مرتكب گرديدند؟!سيزدهم: كعبه را مطاف خلايق قرار داده، و ثواب طواف بسيار است نسبت به شوطها و گامها، و فضيلت زيارت حسين (عليه‌السلام) بر آن چندين صنف است چنانكه در عنوان زيارت ذكر شد.

A white bird near the noble body of that Imam (a.s.)

Indeed, birds descended upon his noble body, and that itself was due to its honor and nobility.

The detail of this is that it is narrated that when that noble Imam (a.s.) was martyred and his body was left upon the earth, a white bird came to that noble body.

It stained its wings and feathers with the blood of that noble Imam (a.s.) and then flew away.

It saw a number of birds resting comfortably in the shade of trees and gardens.

It said:

“O birds! Is it fitting that you should be occupied with comfort and ease while al-Imam Husain (a.s.) lies upon the burning sands of Karbala, his blood flowing from his veins, his head raised upon a spear, and his family taken captive and carried through the cities?”

Those birds then took flight and came to Karbala.

They saw that headless body lying upon the earth without ritual washing or shroud.

The winds had covered it with dust and sand.

No one came to visit him except the wild animals of the desert.

No one mourned for him except the jinn.

And the entire plain was illuminated by the light of that body.

Then they began lamenting and crying.

They stained themselves with that pure blood.

Thereafter, each of them flew in a different direction.

Among them was a bird that hastened toward Madinah.

It circled around the grave of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) while blood dripped from its wings, crying out:

“Be informed! Al-Imam Husain (a.s.) has been killed in Karbala and has been slaughtered!”

The birds gathered around it,

[ صفحه 375]

and the daughter of a Jewish man was cured through the blessing of that pure blood which dripped from its wings. [1146]

As for the earthly birds—which is an allusion to the horses of the opponents—they charged against that noble body in a manner that speech is unable to describe.

عَقَرَتْ بَنَاتُ الْأَعْوَجِيَّةِ هَلْ دَرَتْ مَا يُسْتَبَاحُ بِهَا وَمَاذَا يُصْنَعُ

“The daughters of al-Aʿwaj were hamstrung; did they know what sanctity was violated through them, and what deed was committed by means of them?”

Al-Aʿwaj was the name of a horse, and its descendants were called banaat-ul-al-awjeeyah.

The meaning of this verse is:

“May the legs of those horses be cut off! Did they know what immense sanctity was violated through them, and what abominable act they committed?”

Thirteenth: The Kaʿbah has been made the place around which people perform circumambulation, and there is immense reward for circumambulation according to the number of circuits and steps taken.

And the virtue of visiting al-Imam Husain (a.s.) surpasses that in many respects, as has been mentioned in the section concerning visitation.