Concerning Imam Husain (a.s.)’s (a.s.) Compassion for Those Afflicted by Worry and Grief

رقت قلب حسين بر اهل هموم و غموم

صفت ديگر، رقت آن حضرت بر اهل هموم و غموم، چنانكه وقتي به عيادت اسامة ابن زيد تشريف بردند و او را در حالت احتضار بود پس آهي كشيد و گفت: واغماه، حضرت فرمودند: غم تو از چيست؟ گفت قرض دارم شصت هزار، حضرت فرمودند: دين تو بر ذمه‌ي من است، گفت: مي‌خواهم: مديون نمرده باشم، حضرت امر فرمود تا مال را حاضر نمودند و به طلب كاران او دادند، پيش از آنكه وفات نمايد. [196] .صفت ديگر، صدقه‌ي پنهاني دادن است، چنانكه منقول است كه بعد از شهادت در پشت آنسرور اثر پينه‌ها ديدند، از حضرت سجاد (عليه‌السلام) سؤال نمودند، حضرت فرمود: اين اثر آن باري است كه شبها به دوش مي‌گرفت و از براي ايتام و بيوه‌زنان مي‌برد [197] شاعر گفته:و ان ظهرا غدا للبر ينقله سرا الي اهله ليلا لمكسوريعني: آن پشتي كه شبها صدقات را به جهت فقرا نقل مي‌نمود، چرا بايد كه از سم ستوران شكسته گردد؟ ويلا.صفت ديگر: شدت عزمي كه داشت در خلاص نمودن خلق از عذاب خدا، و به آن سبب اين بار گران شهادت را قبول نمود، تا اينكه به مقامي رسد كه شفاعت نمايد عاصيانرا، و در اين امر چنان اهتمام داشت كه خلاصي دشمنانش را هم مي‌خواست، [ صفحه 104] هنگامي كه آن شخص آمد به قصد قتل آنجناب، حضرت در روي او خنديدند و او را موعظه فرمودند [198] و هر گاه كه مي‌ديد تخليص كلي ممكن نيست، باز سعي مي‌فرمود در تخفيف عذاب ايشان، چنانكه به هرثمة ابن ابي مسلم بعد از آنكه ديد وعظ در او اثر نكرد، فرمود: پس از اين زمين بيرون رو، كه كشتن ما را نبيني و صداي ما را نشنوي [199] ، و همچنين بجعفي فرمود [200] ، چنانكه در محلش بيايد. (انشاءالله).صفت ديگر، شدت خوفش از خداوند، كههر وقت وضو مي‌گرفت رنگش متغير مي‌شد، و بدنش به لرزه مي‌آمد، چون از سبب سؤال مي‌نمودند، مي‌فرمود: شايسته است از براي شخصي كه به حضور پادشاه قهار مي‌رود، اينكه رنگش زرد شود، و بدنش بلرزد [201] و مردم از شدت خوف آنجناب تعجب مي‌كردند، حتي اينكه وقتي عرض كردند: چقدر عظيم است خوف تو از خداوند؟ فرمود: در قيامت ايمن نخواهد بود احدي مگر كساني كه در دنيا از خداوند خائف باشند. [202] .مؤلف گويد: تأمل نما كه حضرت سيدالشهداء در وقت اراده‌ي وضو به جهت عبادت خدا، بدنش از ترس لرزان، و رنگش زرد مي‌شود، و ما به گناهان كبيره مشغول مي‌شويم و اصلا واهمه و اضطراب نداريم، پس چگونه دعوي متابعت آنجناب مي‌كنيم، او در نزد افضل طاعات لرزان، و ما در نزد اشد معاصي خندان، ببين تفاوت ره از كجاست تا به كجا.

Concerning Imam Husain (a.s.)’s (a.s.) Compassion for Those Afflicted by Worry and Grief

Another quality was his compassion and tenderness toward those burdened by sorrow and distress.

It is narrated that he (a.s.) once went to visit Usāmah ibn Zayd when he was in his final illness and near death.

Usāmah sighed deeply and said:

“Woe to my grief!”

The Imam (a.s.) asked:

“What is troubling you?”

He replied:

“I owe sixty thousand.”

The Imam (a.s.) said:

“Your debt is upon me.”

Usāmah said:

“I wish not to die while still indebted.”

The Imam (a.s.) ordered that the money be brought and his creditors be paid before he passed away. [196]

Another quality was his giving charity secretly.

It is narrated that after his martyrdom, marks like calluses were seen upon his back.

People asked Imam al-Sajjad (a.s.) about them.

The Imam (a.s.) replied:

“These are the marks left by the loads he used to carry upon his back at night for orphans and widows.” [197]

A poet has said:

“And that back which by night secretly carried acts of charity to the needy—how could it not be broken beneath the hooves of horses? Alas!”

Another quality was the strength of his resolve in rescuing people from the punishment of Allah.

It was for this reason that he accepted the heavy burden of martyrdom, so that he might attain the station of interceding on behalf of sinners.

His concern in this matter was so great that he even desired the salvation of his enemies.

[ صفحه 104]

When a man came intending to kill him, the Imam (a.s.) smiled at him and admonished him. [198]

Whenever he saw that complete salvation for a person was not possible, he still strove to lessen that person's punishment.

Thus he said to Harthamah ibn Abī Muslim, after realizing that admonition had no effect on him:

“Then leave this land, so that you may neither witness our killing nor hear our cries.” [199]

Likewise, he spoke similarly to al-Juʿfī. [200]

As will be mentioned in its proper place, if Allah wills.

Another quality was the intensity of his fear of Allah.

Whenever he performed wuḍūʾ, his colour would change and his body would tremble.

When he was asked about the reason, he would say:

“It is fitting for one who is about to stand before the Almighty King that his face become pale and his body tremble.” [201]

People were astonished by the intensity of his fear of Allah.

To the extent that on one occasion it was said to him:

“How great is your fear of Allah!”

He replied:

“On the Day of Resurrection, none shall be secure except those who were fearful of Allah in this world.” [202]

The author says:

Reflect upon this: Imam Husain (a.s.), when intending to perform wuḍūʾ for the worship of Allah, would tremble from fear and his face would turn pale; while we engage in major sins and feel no fear or anxiety whatsoever.

How then can we claim to be his followers?

He trembled in the face of the greatest acts of obedience, while we smile in the face of the gravest acts of disobedience.

See how vast is the distance between the two paths.