It was the start of the summer holidays and my suitcase was packed for my trip home to India. I had no idea at the time though that the summer of 2007 would be the most exciting, adventurous and memorable summer of my life; that I would gain vast knowledge, visit unforgettable places, make the best of friends, learn valuable lessons and that I would most definitely be going home, only not to India but home to Iran.
Iran to me is like the full moon at night; it stands out amongst the stars and shines in the black sky illuminating the name of the rightful successor Imam Ali (as). It was on such a night, the thirteenth night in the month of Rajab, that whilst the moon proclaimed the birth of the first Ali (as), I stood at the gate of his grandson the third Ali (as) asking for permission to enter his shrine:
“O Allah I stand still at one of the doors of the houses of the Prophet (swa) because people are not allowed to enter without his permission” (Idhn-e-Dhukhool)
I could not have imagined even in my wildest dreams that I would be in Iran in the exalted month of Rajab and on the birthday of Imam Ali (as) standing in the shrine of the eighth Imam. I cannot give words to my feelings on that occasion; I have never felt more close to the Ahlul Bayt than I did on that day. I did not even attempt nor feel the need to touch the zaree of the Imam because I had made a spiritual connection to him that surpassed the mere physical closeness. I felt close to the Imam not only because I was in his presence but also because I had knowledge of his history. He shared the eminent name of the first Imam and his eloquence in speech, he battled enemies not with swords but with the weapons of knowledge, wisdom and speech like the second Imam and he was ‘gharibul watan’, living in exile far from home like the third Imam.
The eight Imam’s title of Al-Reza is explained beautifully in the book Uyun Akhbar Al-Reza by Sheikh Sadooq. A companion of the ninth Imam said to him, “Some of your opponents think that Al-Ma’mun called your father Al-Reza (as), that means ‘acceptable’ or ‘liked’ since he liked your father and chose him to be his crown-prince”. Imam Mohammad Taqi Al-Jawad (as) replied, “No, by God, they are liars. God the Almighty the Sublime named him Al-Reza (as) since he was accepted by God in His heavens and he was accepted by His Prophet (swa) and the Imams (as) that followed the Prophet on His earth…his friends and followers as well as his opponents accepted him, while this was never the case for my forefathers. Therefore he is the only one who is called Al-Reza”.
Performing the Ziarat of any masoomeen is greatly liked by Allah (swt), he wants his worshippers to pay full importance to the sacrifices and sufferings of his last Prophet and his Progeny. In Allah’s (swt) eyes ziarat is a worship and he proclaims this in the Qur’aan:
“In houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and his name to be remembered therein” (chapter 24, verse: 36)
Performing the ziarat of Imam Ali Al-Reza (as) in particular is very rewarding as the Imam himself has said:
“If someone visited me, although my house and shrine is far from him, I will come to visit him on the day of justice three times; when the diaries (of all the doings of man) are given right and left, on the thin bridge of SIRAT and when the good and bad deeds are weighed”
“I will be given poison by a tyrant, if someone will visit me and he has the knowledge of my rights then God will forgive his previous and coming sins”
My journey to Iran not only involved the ziarat of the eighth Imam but also his sister Lady Masooma Qummi. Furthermore, we also visited the shrine of Imam Khomeini and other shrines of the descendants and followers of the Ahlul Bayt as well as other prominent places such as Nishapour. The one month I spent in Iran was a month full of precious memories, it was not only a physical journey across the land of Truth but also a spiritual journey transcending across the heavens and the earth.
There is so much more about my trip to Iran I could write about, I’ve only just skimmed the top, and there’s so many feelings and experiences that I can never translate into words. My trip with the Al-Asr group taught me more in a month than I would have learnt in years, gave me true friends that I will treasure for a lifetime, brought me closer to my religion and set me on the straight path, made me realise that Iran is me and I am Iran but most importantly taught me that the real and tough journey begins on our return home.
