Hasan Ibn Shammoon narrates: I read out this letter for Ali Ibn Mahziyaar from Abu Ja’far al-Saani viz. Imam Muhammad Taqi al-Jawaad (a.s.), in his handwriting:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
يَا عَلِيُّ أَحْسَنَ اللهُ جَزَاكَ وَ أَسْكَنَكَ جَنَّتَهُ وَ مَنَعَكَ مِنَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ حَشَرَكَ اللهُ مَعَنَا
O Ali! May Allah grant you the best reward and settle you in His Paradise and prevent you from disgrace in the world and the Hereafter, and may Allah resurrect you with us.
يَا عَلِيُّ قَدْ بَلَوْتُكَ وَ خَيَّرْتُكَ فِي النَّصِيحَةِ وَ الطَّاعَةِ وَ الْخِدْمَةِ وَ التَّوْقِيْرِ وَ الْقِيَامِ بِمَا يَجِبُ عَلَيْك
O Ali! I have certainly tested you and chosen you regarding advice, obedience, service, dignity, and establishing what was obligatory upon you.
فَلَوْ قُلْتَ إِنِّي لَمْ أَرَ مِثْلَكَ لَرَجَوْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ صَادِقاً فَجَزَاكَ اللهُ جَنَّاتِ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا فَمَا خَفِيَ عَلَيَّ مَقَامُكَ وَ لَا خِدْمَتُكَ فِي الْحَرِّ وَ الْبَرْدِ فِي اللَّيْلِ وَ النَّهَارِ
Thus, if you say that indeed I have not seen anyone like you, I hope that I am right. May Allah grant you the delight of the gardens of Paradise. Your position is not hidden from me nor your service in the heat (summers) and cold (winters) during night and day.
فَأَسْأَلُ اللهَ إِذَا جَمَعَ الْخَلَائِقَ لِلْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يُحِبُّوكَ بِرَحْمَةٍ تَغْتَبِطُ بِهَا إِنَّهُ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ
So, I ask Allah, that when He gathers the creation for the Day of Resurrection, He makes them love you with a mercy by which you will rejoice. Surely, He is All-Hearing of supplications.
References:
- Al-Ghaibah of Shaikh Tusi (a.r.), p. 349
- Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 50, p. 105
- Awaalim al-Uloom, vol. 23, p. 238
Notes:
- Ali Ibn Mahziyaar al-Ahwaazi was among the close companions of Imam Jawaad (a.s.) and Imam Haadi (a.s.) and was their representative in Ahwaaz.
- It is narrated that Ali Ibn Mahziyaar was a Christian, then Allah guided him. He was from among the inhabitants of Hind, a village in Persia and then settled in Ahwaaz and remained there. It is said that when the sun would rise, he would go into prostration, and not raise his head from prostration until he had prayed for a thousand of his brothers similar to what he prayed for himself and there was a mark of prostration on his forehead like the knee of a camel. [Rejaal al-Kashi, vol. 1, p. 548]
- The main reason why he attained this status was his sincere and tireless service of Ahle Bait (a.s.), day and night enduring difficult conditions such as heat and cold, without any complaint or hesitation.
- His devotion did not go unnoticed and Imam (a.s.) acknowledged the same after examining and testing him.
- Similarly, if we work sincerely for the Imam of our time (a.t.f.s.), rest assured that it will definitely be recognised.
- Imam Jawaad (a.s.) praying for Ali Ibn Mahziyaar to be resurrected along with Ahle Bait (a.s.) is a proof of how much Imam (a.s.) also loved him.
- Supplications of an infallible Imam are always accepted by Almighty Allah and there is no doubt in the fact that Ali Ibn Mahziyaar will be in the company of Ahle Bait (a.s.) on the Day of Resurrection.
We pray to Allah, the Almighty, to hasten the reappearance of the Imam of our time, His Eminence Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.). May He grant us the opportunity to sincerely serve the Imam of our time before and after his reappearance and may we be included in the prayers of our Imam (a.t.f.s.) just as Imam Jawaad (a.s.) prayed for Ali Ibn Mahziyaar.