Making pilgrimage to the tomb of Imam Hussain (as) will Help our prayers to be answered

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his pure household, and may God curse all their enemies

Muhammad ibn Muslim says, “I heard that Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (greetings be upon them) used to say, ‘Indeed, Allah the Exalted rewarded Hussein (greetings be upon him), for being martyred, by letting Imamate continue through his progeny, by curing diseases with his soil and by answering prayers at his tomb. Moreover, the days when pilgrims go to visit his tomb are not counted as the days of their lives.’”

Muhammad ibn Muslim then asks Imam Sadiq (greetings be upon him), “People earn so much respect and greatness because of Hussein (greetings be upon him), but what will he himself gain?” Imam Sadiq answered, “God will help him join the Holy Prophet (greetings be upon him and his household) and he will always accompany him in level and status.” And then he recited this ayah: “And those who believe and whose families follow them in faith – to them shall We join their families” [The Holy Quran, 52: 21].

He heard this from both Imams (greetings be upon them).

 “Indeed, Allah the Exalted rewarded Hussein (greetings be upon him), for being martyred, by letting Imamate continue through his progeny.”

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (greetings be upon them) used to say, “Indeed, Allah the Exalted rewarded Hussein (greetings be upon him), for being martyred, by letting Imamate continue through his progeny.”

Of course, these are only some of the rewards that he will receive. Allah the Exalted says about ordinary martyrs – the martyrs who are struck with an arrow or a sword and who are martyred: “Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord” [The Holy Quran, 3: 169].  Allah the Exalted says this about ordinary martyrs. Well, the reward for a martyr like Hussein ibn Ali (greetings be upon him), whose martyrdom is not comparable to any other martyrdom – we do not know of anyone who has endured such hardships and difficulties for a lofty and noble cause – is not comparable to the reward for an ordinary martyr. The narrations in this regard mention some of these rewards.

We should not think that the rewards for Hussein in Ali (greetings be upon him) are only confined to these things. These are merely part of the rewards, which are of course very important. Hazrat Sadiq stated that Allah the Exalted “Rewarded Hussein (greetings be upon him), for being martyred, by letting Imamate continue through his progeny.” Imamate – this hoisted flag and this shining sun throughout history – has been bestowed on the progeny and children of that great Imam.

 “By curing diseases with his soil”

If someone consumes the soil from his tomb, this is a cure and a remedy. Soil is soil, but this one has a recuperative characteristic thanks to its proximity to that blessed body.

 “And by answering prayers at his tomb”

This is another blessing that one receives from him. If you pray at the tomb of Hussein ibn Ali (greetings be upon him), your prayers will be answered.

You should say prayers and you should not just move your tongues. You should say prayers out loud and you should ask God to answer them because Allah the Exalted has promised that He will answer them. Allah the Exalted has really bestowed a great divine blessing on those who walk all that way in order to make it to that place – the Arbaeen march: this astonishing event that has re-emerged in these years.

 “The days when pilgrims go to visit his tomb are not counted as the days of their lives.”

This is another blessing. If Allah the Exalted has ordained that you live, for example 10,000 days, the days during which you visit the tomb of that great Imam are not counted. In other words, those days will be added to the days that Allah the Exalted has ordained as your lifetime. These days will not be counted. They will be added. They will be like an overflow.

Muhammad ibn Muslim then asks Imam Sadiq (greetings be upon him), “People earn so much respect and greatness because of Hussein (greetings be upon him), but what will he himself gain?”

Muhammad ibn Muslim says to Hazrat, this glory, this greatness and this lofty position are given to this and that thanks to Imam Hussein. If you consume his soil, you will be cured. This is a special privilege. Such honor, respect and greatness is given to people thanks to Imam Hussein. When Allah the Exalted bestows such glory, greatness and respect on others, what will He give to Imam Hussein himself?

Imam Sadiq answered, “God will help him join the Holy Prophet (greetings be upon him and his household).”

His reward is that he will join the Holy Prophet. All divine blessings in universe have been summarized in the existence of the Holy Prophet. So, God will make Imam Hussein join him on Judgment Day and in paradise.

 “And he will always accompany him in level and status.”

On Judgment Day, Imam Hussein will be placed at the level and status of the Holy Prophet.

And then he recited this ayah: “And those who believe and whose families follow them in faith – to them shall We join their families.” [The Holy Quran, 52: 21]

This is one of the manifestations of this ayah.