The great companion Muhammad Ibn Muslim (r.a.) narrates that I asked Imam Ja’far Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“When we set out to visit your father (viz. Imam Husain (peace be upon him)) are we in a state of Hajj?”
Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes.”
I further asked, “Then does all what applies to a Hajj pilgrim apply to us as well?”
Imam (peace be upon him) asked, “What are you referring to?”
I said, “The good behaviour which is applicable to a Hajj pilgrim.”
Imam (peace be upon him) replied, “It is necessary for you to be a good companion to those who accompany you, speak less and say only that which is good; remember Allah often, wear clean clothes, perform Ghusl before going to the holy shrine, be humble, recite more (Mustahabb) prayers, invoke blessings on Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and his progeny (peace be upon them) excessively, guard your honour by not taking that which does not belong to you, lower your gaze, help your needy brothers, give solace to them and act with Taqayyah, which is from the pillars of your religion. Abstain from that which is forbidden, keep away from fighting, taking false oaths and from quarrelling which leads to taking false oaths. If you follow this, your Hajj and Umrah will be complete. And being away from your family and by your inclination to the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) you will earn forgiveness, mercy and pleasure of Allah, whose blessings you sought by spending money on your journey.”
[Kaamil al-Ziyaaraat, chapter 48, p. 131, H. 1]
It is indeed a great bounty of Allah that He has bestowed us with the Mastership (Wilaayah) of such Imams who, not just guide us to the path of salvation in the hereafter but also show us the way to reach the highest levels of good morals. But alas, people did not value such divine leaders. Rather, they oppressed them and martyred them. Now, it is our responsibility to uphold the highest morals as per the teachings of the Ahlul Bait (peace be upon them) such that the true character of the mourners of Imam Husain (peace be upon him) is manifest for all. May Allah grant us the good fortune to reform our world and hereafter in the light of the teachings of Ahlul Bait (peace be upon them).
Aameen, O Lord of the worlds!