The Faith of Shia Islam

36. Our Belief in Pilgrimage (ziyarah)to the Holy Shrines =========================================================

One of the practices which distinguish the Shi'a from all other Islamic sects is the attention paid to pilgrimage to the Holy Shrines, such as those of the Prophet (A S) and the Imams (A S) and the building of magnificent domes and buildings over their tombs by good will and faith.

All of these things are done through the recommendations of the Imams. for they were continually persuading and encouraging their followers to make pilgrimages so as to derived great reward from Allah. It is one of the best forms of worship after the obligatory ones, and the shrines are the best places for supplicating and approaching Allah. Furthermore, according the sayings of the Imams, this is a form of fidelity to them. Imam Rida (A.S) said:

For every one of the Shi'a and their followers has an understanding with them (the Imams), and pilgrimage is a way of fulfilling and being faithful to that understanding. Whosoever undertakes a pilgrimage of his own free will, believing in it, for him the Imams will intercede with Allah on the Day of Resurrection.

There are social and religious advantages in making ziyarah. Thus our Imams have stressed its performance, for it fortifies the bond between them and their followers and reminds us of their virtues and their struggle for the truth. Moreover, it gathers Muslims together in one place so that they cam get to know and establish friendships with one another, in order that the condition of obedience to Allah and devotion to his commandments becomes firmly imprinted in their hearts. And it confirms in them the true meaning of pilgrimage: the tawhid, the sanctity of Islam, the prophethood of Muhammad, the various Islamic duties such as the striving for an elevated morality, bowing down and prostrating before the Commander of all creatures, and how to thank Allah for His gifts by means of those prayers which are recited during pilgrimage. And these prayers are among those with the most exalted meanings. For example, the du'a'' 'Amin Allah'' composed by Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (A.S) when he made a pilgrimage to the grave of his grandfather' Ali, Amir al-Mu'minin (A.S).

Also the recitations during the pilgrimage point out the magnificent characters of the Imams, their sacrifices in defending the truth and

elevating the religion, and their perseverance in obedience to Allah. They are written in the most excellent Arabic, full of great eloquence and easily understandable phrases, and they contain the best exposition of tawhid, and supplication and prayer to Allah. Truly, among them is the greatest religious literature after the Qur'an, Nahj al-Balaghah and the other prayers of the Imams, because they have included in them summaries of their teachings on Islamic matters and morality. There are also teachings and guidance in certain pilgrimage ceremonies mentioned below for the spiritual progress of the Muslim, the cultivation of sympathy for the poor, and encouragement for fostering brotherhood, good behaviour and understanding between people.

These rites must be performed before entering the shrine and reciting the special prayer of pligrimage, and some others must be said during or after. Here we shall indicate some of them in order to make clear what we have already said.

Firstly the pilgrim must wash himself (ghusl) as commanded in the books of Islam, and clean his body before beginning. This is so that he may rid himself of dirt, prevent disease and suffering, so that his odour does not offend others,6 and at the same time to cleanse his spirit from moral impurities. Traditions have been narrated instructing that after completing this washing, and in order to fix his attention on these high aims, the pilgrim should say:

O Allah! Give me light and purity, and preserve me from all disease, sickness, calamity or corruption, and also through this washing purify my heart, my body, my bones, flesh and blood, my hair and skin, my brain and nerves and every place I touch the earth, and provide me with a witness on the Day of my poverty, necessity and requirement.

Secondly, the pilgrim should wear the best and cleanest clothes that he has, because in such in such days of gathering it causes people to love and be kind to one another, increases their dignity and thus enables them to understand the importance of pilgrimage. It should be noted that the pilgrim should put on the best clothes that he can afford, not the finest that are obtainable, For not everyone can wear the best, and such a command would cause despair among the poor, and thus it would go against the favour of Allah. So it is said that there is a two-fold meaning, i. e. that people should be well-dressed and that they should pay due regard to the condition of the poor.

Thirdly, the pilgrim should wear perfume where possible, for its

benefit is like that of being well-dressed.

Fourthly, he should give alms to the poor, according as he is able. The purpose of this is, firstly, to help the poor, and then to instill in the pilgrim a sense of generosity.

Fifthly, the pilgrim should proceed towards the shrine slowly and quietly without gazing around. This is clearly in respect for the sacred place (haram), the pilgrimage and those who are buried, there, but also that the pilgrim may give his undivided attention to Allah, and avoid inconveniencing others along his way.

Sixthly, he must say' 'Allahu akbar'' (Allah, the supreme) and repeat it as much as he can. Some traditions instruct the pilgrim to repeat it one hundred times. By this he becomes aware of Allah's Greatness and Magnificence, and realizes that nothing is greater than He. This is for the sake of Allah and His dignity and to revive the sacred of Islam and be strengthen the religion.

Seventhly, after visiting the tomb of the Prophet or an Imam, the pilgrim should pray at least two rak'ah. This is in order to worship Allah and give thanks to Him, and to ask for success in one's pilgrimage ; then he should ask that the spiritual reward for the prayer should go to the soul of he who is buried in that place.

The special du'a' that follows, which the pilgrim must recite after his prayer, serves to show him that prayer and worship during pilgrimage are only for Allah, that no-one deserves to be worshipped save him. It is a means of winning Allah's favour, for the pilgrim says:

O Allah! To Thee alone do I pray, to Thee alone do I bow down and prostrate myself.Thou art One,Thou hast no partner and it is a sin to pray, bow down or prostrate oneself before anyone else but Thee O Allah! Praise be to Muhammad and his Family.

Accept my pilgrimage, and grant my request for the sake of Muhammad and his Immaculate Descendents.

This Du'a explains to those who want to know, the purpose of pilgrimage to the shrines as it was performed by the Imams and their followers, and it answers those who suppose that pilgrimage is a kind of idolatry and polytheism.

No doubt, the purpose of such detractors is to discourage the Shi'a from the benefits of meeting one another, and the solidarity which

increases in the time of pilgrimage, because such brotherhood is like the shafts of arrows in the eyes of the enemies of Muhammad, for they cannot be unaware of the Imam's intention. It is not possible to believe that those whose every saying and doing were for the sake of Allah, and who gave their blood in the cause of the religion of Allah, should call the people to polytheism and idolatry.

Finally, one of the necessities of the pilgrimage is that " the pilgrim should behave towards and treat his fellow pilgrim with politeness, that he should say few words but ones of benefit and purpose, that he should remember Allah.7 be humble, worship often, ask for the Mercy of Allah on Muhammad and his Descendants, lower his eyes and not stare around, assist his brothers when they have nothing and console them, remain far from what is unlawful, avoid quarrelling and arguing about one's beliefs."

The reality behind the pilgrimage is the salutation of Muhammad or the Imam, because, in accordance with the Qur'an: They are alive and are provided with sustenance from their Lord. (3;168)

And they hear the words of the pilgrim and answer his salutations. it is enough to say, for example, before the tomb of the Prophet: "As-salamu alayka ya rasul allah" (peace be upon thee, O Messenger of Allah), but it is much better to say the words prescribed by the Household of the prophet, for they express the highest intentions and the greatest religious significance by their eloquence, and they are the most excellent prayers through which the pilgrimage may be contemplate Allah.

37. The meaning of "Shi'a" in the Opinion of the Household of the Prophet

The Imams of the Household (A.S) did not receive the leadership of Islam,although, however, they never had any designs towards it. So they devoted themselves to educating the Muslims, and to instructing

them as Allah had ordered. They remained with those who were faithful to them, and confided in them their secrets, took great pains to teach them all the religious commandments and instill in them religious knowledge,and showed them what is of advantage to man and what is harmful. They recognized no-one as Shi'i or as one of their followers unless he obeyed the commands of Allah, kept himself apart from his desire and carried out what they taught and guided him towards. Only to love them will not suffice to save someone, if that person also follows his desires, making excuses for his disobedience to Allah, because they have clearly said that love of them will save no-one unless it is accompanied by pure actions, truth, honesty, piety and virtue.

Imam Baqir (A.S) said:

O Khuthayma! Say to our friends that we can be of no help to them before Allah unless their actions are pure, and that they cannot attain our friendship and love except through their virtue. For surly, one who reverse justice, but does not act in accordance with it, will be stricken with grief and remorse more than anyone else.

The Imams desired and expected their followers to guide others and show them the correct path of goodness, and they instructed them to call the people to the truth by good actions, saying that this was more important than calling by word. Call the people unto the truth by your behaviour, so that they can see your obedience and know that you are truthful and obedient.

We shall give some extracts here from conservations between the Imams and their followers, so that the reader may see how they were anxious to educate the people.

1. From Imam Baqir's conversation with Jabir al-Ju'afi:

O Jabir ! How can someone who claims to follow us be content with only loving us? I swear that our followers is one who carries our his duty to Allah an fears HIm. Our followers are known by their humanity, modesty, exceeding remembrance of Allah, fasting, prayer, being sympathetic and helpful towards the poor, their reading of the Qur'an. saying nothing about a person except concerning his good actions, and they are most trustworthy among those close to them.( O ye who follow!) observe your duty to Allah, and perform good

actions for His reward, for there is no preference by Allah towards anyone. The most beloved of His servant in the presence of Allah is the best in conduct and obedience to Him. 8 O Jabir! Nobody can come close to Allah except through obedience. Without this nobody will be saved from Hell,nor can anybody excuse himself before Allah without it. Whosoever obeys Him, he is our friend, but whosoever disobeys Him, he is our enemy. You cannot attain to our friendship except through good actions and virtuousness.

2. From Imam Baqir's conversation with Sa'id ibn al-Hasan:

al-Imam :'Does it happen to you that one of you approaches his brother and puts his hand into his brother's pocket to take some money which he is in need, without his brother preventing him? Sa'id: I do not know of such a thing' 'Then truly,there are no real Shi'ai among you.' 'Shall we all perish, in that case? 'Yes, indeed, for such people do not put into action what they say.'

3. From Imam Ja'far's conversation with Abi as-Sabah al-Kanani:

al-Kanani:' How much harassment we receive from people for your sake!al-Imam:' What harassment do you receive from them?'when there is a dispute between one of us and one of them, they immediately condemn us for following you.''Do they condemn you for my sake?'Yes, indeed!''But there are only a few of my followers among you. Only those who possess great and real virtue, whose acts are only for the sake of the Creator and to obtain his reward, only these are my followers.

4. There are many traditions from Imam Ja'far concerning these matters. Here we have chosen some of them and written them down.-If a man lives a town with a hundred thousand inhabitants or more, and there is someone in that town whose virtue is greater than his, then that man is not one of my followers.

-We do not count among the believers anyone unless he obey all our commandments. Indeed, righteousness is the only sign of one who follows us. Adorn yourselves with it, and may Allah have Mercy on you.

-One whose chasteness and abstinence from unlawful sexuality is not the subject of talk among women is not one of our followers. And one who lives in a town ten thousand inhabitants, and one of them is greater in righteousness than he, then that man is not one of our followers.

-Truly, a follower of Ja'far is one who does not listen to his stomach for to his carnal desires, who endeavors in the path of Islam, who acts fro the sake of Allah, hoping only for His reward and fearing His chastisement, Yes, indeed, such are the followers of Ja'far.

38. The Avoidance of Oppression

In the opinion of the Imams, one of the worst sins among men is enmity and iniquity between themselves. Just as it is said in the Qur'an; Deem not that Allah is heedless of what the iniquitous do; He is only deferring them to a day when eyes shall stare. (14;42)Likewise, 'Ali, Amir al-Mu'minin (A.S) had a strong aversion to iniquity, and he told the truth when he said:

I swear by Allah that if all the continents of the earth and all that is under the sun were offered to me in exchange for sinning towards Allah even by stealing a grain of barely from an ant, truly I should never do such a thing.

And this shows how much a person can be aware of the evil iniquity and hold himself back from doing it. 'Ali would not do wrong even to an ant by staling a grain of barely from it, even though all the lands of the earth were offered to him. How then does one stand who sheds the blood of Muslims, plunders their property, and pours scorn on their reputation and honour? How should he be compared with' Ali? Where does he stand compared to the wisdom of' Ali ?Truly, 'Ali's behaviour is

a shining example of the excellent religious education which Islam seeks to instill in humanity.

Iniquity is, then, one of the greatest of the sins Allah has prohibited, and this is why the Household of the prophet have cautioned their followers against it above all else, through their words and prayers. Thus was their policy and behaviour, and they acted justly not only towards their friends, but also towards those who showed disrespect for them and treated them with rudeness.

The story of the forbearance of Imam Hasan (A.S) with the man of Sham (Damascus) who insulted him 9 is well known. On that occasion, the Imam spoke gently with him and treated him kindly, letting him understand that he had done wrong. Even as the fourth Imam, Sayyid as-Sajadin asked for forgiveness for iniquitous persons in his ad'iyyah. This is the utmost generosity and nobility of mind that a perfect man can reach. Although it is correct from an Islamic point of view to avenge an oppressor in one's own manner, and to curse him before Allah, it is better to forgive than to avenge, for forgiveness is a sign of virtue; indeed, in the opinion of the Imams, to curse him is to be iniquitous oneself.

Imam Sadiq (A.S) said:

Verily, a slave is oppressed so long as he refraining from cursing his oppressive master excessively,but if he should do so, then he becomes an oppressor too.

How sublime this is! But if to curse an oppressor is oppression itself, what is the condition of those who instigate oppression and iniquity, who commit aggression against people, or caste aspersions on their reputations, who plunder their property, denounce them before oppressors, or deceive them so that they fall into danger or are hurt, or who spy on them? How do they stand in the wisdom of the Imams? Truly, such persons are the farthest from the generosity of Allah, their sins and their punishment are the most horrible, just as their actions and morality.

39. Doctrine of Non-Cooperation with Oppressors

Because oppression is very dangerous and has evil consequences,Allah

has forbidden men to cooperate with the iniquitous or to associate with them. He has said:

And do not incline towards those who are injust, lest the fire touch you, and you have no guardians besides Allah, then you shall not be helped. (11,113)

This is exactly what the Descendents of the prophet have taught us, and their teachings are the same as the Qur'an's. It is narrated that they had the greatest aversion to those who form ties with, help or cooperate with oppressor at any price, even to the extent of half a date. Without doubt, the greatest misfortune that has beset Islam and the Muslims is their lack of firmness in dealing with the evils of oppressors, and their connivance with them, not to mention their cooperating with them and protecting the in oppression. There is no greater reason for the weakness and backwardness of the Muslims then their deviation from the straight path of Islam, and, as a result, the religion loses its power and disintegrates day by day, becoming foreign to the people. The Muslims, or rather those who call themselves Muslims, become powerless and far from the protection of Allah, so that they are unable to defend themselves against the most feeble and lowest enemies like the abject Jews let alone their powerful Christian opponents.

As far as they were able, the Imams always endeavored to prevent their companions and relatives from cooperating with oppressors or helping them, and concerning this innumerable traditions have been related by the narrators. One of these traditions is from ibn Muslim az-Zuhari after warning him not to engage in oppression himself.

The reason they ask for you is only to use you as a grinding stone, a bridge whereby they can progress to their evil aims, a ladder to their deviations, so that you may be an agent and a propagandist for their crimes. Through you, they can hide their affairs from wise men, and attract the ignorant to themselves. Neither their own ministers nor their followers can disguise their faults as you can; what little will they give to you compared with what they take away. Take care of yourself, examine yourself and reckon with your actions as a responsible person.

The last sentence is full of meaning. Because, as long as man is conquered by his desires he considers himself worthless, and feels no responsibility for what he does: he cannot feel the evil of his bad deeds

and he supposes that what he does is as nothing and will not be taken account of. Truly this is one of the secrets of man's unruly soul.

Then the Imam wanted to make az-Zuhari aware of this spiritual secret which mysteriously is part of his nature, so that he would not be deluded by his imagination and exceed his responsibility.

One conversation that is more forceful than the above, but which is on the same subject, comes from Imam Musa Kazim. He was speaking to Safwan al-Jammal who was a Shi'i and a faithful narrator of his traditions, according to al-Kishihi, who has give a biography of al-Jammal.

It is narrated that al-Jammal went to see Imam Musa. 'O Safwan all of your actions are good, except one.' 'And what is that!' 'Your hiring of camels to that man Harun.' 'I swear by Allah that I did not do this so that he might live in pleasure, nor that he might turn, or amuse himself, but only that he might make the pilgrimage to Mecca. I have not taken charge of the camels myself,but have entrusted them to a servant.' Does he have to pay for them?' Yes' Whosoever wishes them (i.e. the oppressors) to stay alive is in fact one of them, and he shall enter Hell. Safwan relates that he immediately went and sold all his camels. If such is the future for one who only wishes the iniquitous to live. then how bad it must be for one who help them or joins with them. or does their work or who obeys them.