When Entering the Land of Karbala

هنگام ورود به زمين كربلا

سوم آنكه: يافتم خود را مهموم، هنگام مشاهده و ورود به زمين كربلا، و آن سرزمين محنت و بلا. و اين صفت از صفات حضرت اميرالمؤمنين (عليه‌السلام) بوده [131] ، و همچنين حالت حضرت زينب كبري است به مقتضاي روايات وارده. [132] . [ صفحه 80] و ايضا يافتم، خود را دل شكسته در هنگام ملاحظه‌ي قبر آن جناب و قبر فرزند ارجمندش كه در پائين پاي آن سرور است، و آن از علامات ايمان است، چنانكه در بعضي از روايات مأثوره وارد است. [133] .چهارم آنكه: يافتم چشم خود را اشك‌ريز در وقت استشمام تربت طاهر آنحضرت، و اين از صفات خود آن سرور و جد اطهرش بوده، چنانكه بيان بعضي از اين فقرات در طي مقاصد كتاب انشاءالله خواهد آمد.ديگر آنكه، هر چند اعمال صالح را از نماز و روزه و غير از آنهانسبت به خود، به جهت عدم اجتماع شرايط قبول مسلوب يافتم، و ليكن ديدم كه گريه بر آنجناب حقيقت گريه است، و همچنين گريانيدن. و لااقل تباكي كه كرده‌ام يقينا صحت سلب ندارد، پس داخل حديث «من بكي او أبكي أو تباكي وجبت له الجنة»: [هر كس بگريد، و يا بگرياند، و يا خود را به گريه وادارد، بهشت براي او واجب گردد] [134] ، خواهم بود.پس اميدم محكم و قلبم مطمئن گرديد تا به حالت پنجم منتقل شدم! كه گيرم جزئي از ايمان در خود يافتي، و از خلود نيران خلاص شدي، آيا با عذاب برزخ و قبر و صدمات حشر و نشر چه خواهي كرد؟ ترا كه طاقت صدمات ضعيف دنيوي نيست و مكاره آن را تحمل نداري، بلكه از دوام نعمت ملول شوي! چگونه تحمل آن صدمات تواني نمود؟ بلكه شايد اين جزء ضعيف از ايمان با كمي صدمه از عروض بلا و صدمات و وساوس شيطان زايل شود، آنوقت چه خواهي كرد؟پس خوف و اضطراب بر دل غلبه نمود، و به حالت، ششم منتقل گشتم و ملاحظه نمودم، كه درميان وسايل حسينيه چنين چيزي هست كه سبب قوت ايمان و ثبات آن تواند بود، و آن زيارت آن حضرت است كه به مقتضاي اخبار مانند زيارت خداوند است در عرش [135] و آن كنايه است از كمال قرب الهي كه مخصوص مؤمنين كامل است، نه كساني كه ايمانشان ثابت نباشد و بعد از هدايت گمراه شوند، پس معلوم مي‌شود كه [ صفحه 81] زيارت آنسرور از اسباب كمال ايمان است.و همچنين اخبار وارد شده در اين زمينه، كه زائر چون اراده مراجعت نمايد، ملكي نزد او آيد و گويد: پروردگارت سلامت مي‌رساند و مي‌گويد: «عمل را از سر گير كه گناهان گذشته‌ات آمرزيده شد» [136] .پس چون خداوند بر او سلام برساند، لابد اورا از كفر و نفاق حفظ نمايد، پس قلبم مطمئن و دلم ساكن گرديد،باز حالت، هفتم مرا به خوف انداخت كه در نهايت آنچه كه اينها ذكر نمودي اعمال حسنه هستند، شايد گناهان تو سبب حبط حسنات شوند،باز مضطرب شدم و به حالت، هشتم: التجا بردم، كه حبط در عمل، خود عامل است و در وسايل حسينيه عملي است كه براي او نوشته مي‌شود و حال آنكه از اعمال او نيست تا كه حبط شود، چنانكه در فضيلت زيارت آن جناب وارد شده از براي زائر يك حج يا بيشتر، از حجهاي پيغمبر (صلي الله عليه و آله) خدا، و معلوم است كه حج پيغمبر(صلي الله عليه و آله) عمل خود زائر نيست تا حبط شود، و عمل آنسرور البته مقبول خواهد بود.

When Entering the Land of Karbala

Thirdly, I found myself grieved when beholding and entering the land of Karbala, that land of hardship and affliction. This quality was among the qualities of Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) [131], and likewise it was the state of Lady Zaynab al-Kubra (a.s.) according to the transmitted narrations. [132]

[ صفحه 80]

And I also found myself heartbroken whenever I looked upon the grave of that noble one and the grave of his honored son, which is located at the foot of that master. This is among the signs of faith, as has been mentioned in some of the transmitted narrations. [133]

Fourthly, I found my eyes overflowing with tears when smelling the pure turbah (sacred soil) of that noble one (a.s.). This was among the qualities of that master himself and of his pure grandfather (s.a.w.a.), as the explanation of some of these matters will, Allah willing, come in the course of the discussions of this book.

Furthermore, although I found the righteous deeds of prayer, fasting, and other acts, in my own case, deprived of acceptance because the conditions required for acceptance were not fully present, nevertheless I found that weeping for him was true weeping, and likewise causing others to weep.

At the very least, the tabākī (making oneself weep) that I have practiced certainly cannot be denied. Therefore, I shall be included in the tradition:

«من بكى أو أبكى أو تباكى وجبت له الجنة»

“Whoever weeps, causes others to weep, or makes himself weep, Paradise becomes obligatory for him.” [134]

Thus my hope became firm and my heart reassured, until I passed into the fifth state.

Suppose that you have found within yourself some portion of faith and have escaped eternal residence in the Fire; what will you do regarding the punishment of Barzakh, the grave, and the hardships of resurrection and gathering?

You do not have the strength even to bear the slightest worldly afflictions and hardships. Rather, you become weary even from the continuation of blessings. How then will you endure those sufferings?

Indeed, perhaps this weak portion of faith may disappear through a small trial, the occurrence of calamities, hardships, and the whisperings of Shaytan. What will you do then?

Fear and anxiety therefore overcame my heart, and I entered the sixth state.

I reflected and saw that among the Husaini means there exists something capable of strengthening faith and making it steadfast, and that is the visitation (ziyārah) of that noble one (a.s.), which according to the narrations is like visiting Allah upon the Throne. [135]

This is an allusion to the perfection of divine proximity, which is reserved for complete believers, not for those whose faith is unstable and who become misguided after guidance. Therefore, it becomes clear that the visitation of that master (a.s.) is among the causes of the perfection of faith.

[ صفحه 81]

Likewise, there are narrations stating that when the visitor intends to return home, an angel comes to him and says:

“Your Lord sends you greetings and says: Begin your deeds anew, for your past sins have been forgiven.” [136]

Therefore, when Allah sends His greetings to him, He will surely preserve him from disbelief and hypocrisy. Thus my heart became reassured and my soul found tranquility.

Then the seventh state again cast me into fear:

Even if all that you have mentioned is true, these are still good deeds, and perhaps your sins may cause your good deeds to be nullified.

Once again I became distressed and sought refuge in the eighth state.

I reflected that ḥabṭ (the nullification of deeds) applies to a person’s own actions. Yet among the Husaini means there are rewards written for a person that are not his own deeds, and therefore cannot be nullified.

For example, regarding the merit of visiting that noble one (a.s.), it has been narrated that for the visitor there is written the reward of one Hajj, or even more, from among the Hajj pilgrimages of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).

It is evident that the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) is not the visitor’s own deed such that it could be nullified. And the deed of that noble master (a.s.) will certainly be accepted.