The Radiance of Imam Husayn

Translator’s note

The following is a translation of the complete text of Lamaat Al Husayn, the Radiance of Husayn, quotes and sayings of the Eminent Lord of the Martyrs, Husayn ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon them.

Please note that this is not referred to as a complete translation, for no translation may ever be able to completely convey an original text, with its nuances, metaphors, and special concepts and meanings. This is especially the case when the words are the words of an immaculate being, created by Allah the Almighty, to guide and conduct the human being along the path of righteousness, growth, and perfection. So that when the human being returns to the Creator, as we all will, that return has taken a Straight Path, not a deviant one, allowing the greatest opportunity for returning in a state that is pleasing to the Lord.

This translation would never have been assumed or undertaken were it not for the direct instructions of that blessed soul, the one who is dissolved in the Essence of Truth, Allameh Hajj Sayyid Muhammad-Husain Husain-Tehrani. Never would such a lowly person have attempted to scale such heights or to be so presumptuous as to present such words to others without such a directive.

That warrant guaranties not the flawlessness of the translation, but, if Allah so wills, the power of the blessed words contained in the original, and the strength of the pure intention of those who have followed and lived by these words, to transcend the language of the mind and tongue and to penetrate the heart of each and every human being.

Certain terms used in this text, such as waliy and Imam, have not been translated, as no one word can do them justice. The reader is referred to the series Imam Shinasi, also written by Allameh Husaini-Tehrani to ponder the meanings of those terms. We pray that Allah will grant the acceptance for those volumes to undergo translation and be put in the hands and hearts of English speaking readers.

The term Eminent has been used for the honorific Hazrat used as a term of respect by Farsi speakers. Further, the Farsi poems in the original text, most notably the glorious verses composed by Allah Husaini-Tehrani himself which appear at the end of the text, were far beyond the ability of this translator to approach.

There is no Power and no Strength except in Allah, the Exalted the Mighty. We rely upon Him, and to Him is the return. We beg his forgiveness for the faults and shortcoming in this, and all our endeavors and ask that he deal with us through his Mercy and Beneficence.

Z.D.