English
Be it known to you that there are traditions, supporting each other, stating that the soil (turbah) of Imam alHusayn (i.e. the dust of the land of Karbala’ where Imam alHusayn (‘a) was buried) heals from all diseases and ailments except death. It also immunizes from all infections and fears. Traditions confirming this fact are uninterruptedly reported and the miracles emphasizing it are also too many to be counted.
In my book of alFawa’id alRazawiyyah on the biographies of the Imamiyyah Shi’ite scholars, I have mentioned that Sayyid Ni’matullah alJaza’iri, the wellversed traditionist, was one of those who exerted painstaking efforts in seeking knowledge, enduring hardships and suffering very much for that purpose. He was so poor that he used to benefit from the moonlight in order to study the religious knowledge at night. He kept on so until he became partially sighted. As a treatment of this impairment, he used to use the soil of Imam alHusayn (‘a), as well as the soil of the tombs of the Holy Imams (‘a) buried in Iraq, as eye ointment. Owing to the blessings of that soil, his eyesight was be recovered.
I have already warned the people of the present age against doubting about this tale due to their associations with unbelievers and atheists.
In his famous book of Hayat alHaywan alKubra, alDamiri states that after the serpent lives for one hundred years, it loses eyesight. Hence, Almighty Allah inspires it to anoint its eyes with dry rush( ) so that it recovers its eyesight. So, a serpent comes from the desert towards orchards and gardens, where the dry rush grows, even if it has to cover very long distances until it finds this plant, anoints its eyes with it, and recovers eyesight.
This very fact has been also reported by alZamakhshari and others.
In conclusion, if we believe that Almighty Allah has placed such healing material in this dry plant to which a blind serpent is guided in order to take its share of it, then why do we deem unbelievable and astonishing that Almighty Allah places remedy of all maladies, as well as other utilities and blessings, in the dust of His Prophet’s grandson, Allah’s peace be upon him, who was martyred along with all of his family members so that his adherents and devotees will benefit by it?
Speaking of this topic, let us hereinafter mention several traditions that make us believe this fact:
First Tradition: It has been reported that whenever the Paradisiacal women (alHur al’In) notice that an angel is about to descend to the earth for any matter, they ask him to bring them as presents rosaries and prostrationclays made of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb.
Second Tradition: Through a valid chain of authority, a man related that Imam alRida (‘a) once sent him parcels of clothes among them there were pieces of clay from Khurasan. “What are these pieces of clays?” the man asked the courier. He answered, “This clay is from the tomb of Imam alHusayn (‘a). Whenever Imam alRida (‘a) sent clothes or any thing else to anybody, he would certainly add pieces of this clay to his presents. He used to say: This is security by the permission of Allah.”
Third Tradition: ‘Abdullah ibn Ya’fur has reported that he once said to Imam alSadiq (‘a), “Some persons take a piece of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb and it brings them good benefits; but when others do, they do not find any benefit.”
The Imam (‘a) commented, “This is untrue. I swear it by Allah. Every one who takes from this clay and believes that Almighty Allah will benefit him by it, will certainly find benefit.”
Fourth Tradition: AbuHamzah has reported that he once asked Imam alSadiq (‘a), “I noticed some people of our faith taking with them a piece of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb as means of healing. Does such clay really heal?”
The Imam (‘a) answered, “Healing is sought from the dust that lies between him and his tomb for a distance of four miles.( ) Healing may be also sought from the dust of the tomb of my grandfather the Messenger of Allah as well as the tombs of alHasan, ‘Ali (ibn alHusayn), and Muhammad (ibn ‘Ali). Therefore, you may take from this dust, for it is remedy of all maladies and security from whatever you fear. Nothing that is used in treatment of maladies can ever match this dust in healing except prayer to Almighty Allah. However, the effect of this dust may be spoiled by the matters that are mixed to it from the bowels in which this dust is placed as well as the lack of faith of those who are treated with it. As for those who have full confidence in the facility of this clay to heal when it is used as treatment, it will definitely heal them, by the permission of Almighty Allah, more than other means of treatments do. It may also be spoiled by devils and faithless jinn who rub it over their bodies. All things by which this clay is passed smell it. As for devils and the faithless jinn, they envy the sons of Adam (i.e. human beings) for having this clay. Hence, they try to rub it over their bodies and when they do, its general benefit vanishes. Whenever a piece of clay comes out from the Ha’ir, an innumerable number of devils and faithless jinn ready themselves for it. While this clay is still in the hand of its owner, they rub it, because they cannot enter the Ha’ir since the angels are always there. If any part of that clay is saved from the rubbing of them, it will immediately heal the one for whom it is used as treatment. So, if you take such clay, you should hide it and mention Almighty Allah on it as much as you can. However, I have been informed that some people take such pieces of clay and belittle its worth so much that some of them even throw it in the place where camels, mules, and donkeys excrete, or they put them in vessels from which they eat, vessels from which they wash their hands from the residues of food, packs, or baskets. How can those who belittle these pieces of clay find healing? A faithfree heart of such people who belittle such things in which their prosperity lies will definitely spoil the effects of these things.”
Fifth Tradition: It has been reported that before having from the soil of Imam alHusayn’s tomb, one may take an amount as small as a chickpea grain with the tips of fingers, kiss it, pass it over the two eyes and the other body organs and then say the following supplicatory words:
اَللّٰهُمَّ بِحَقِّ هٰذِهِ التُّرْبَةِ
وَ بِحَقِّ مَنْ حَلَّ بِهَا وَ ثَوٰى فِيْهَا
وَ بِحَقِّ جَدِّهِ وَ اَبِيْهِ
وَ الْاَئِمَّةِ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ
وَ بِحَقِّ الْمَلَاۤئِكَةِ الْحَآفِّيْنَ بِهِ
اِلَّا جَعَلْتَهَا شِفَاۤءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاۤءٍ
وَ بُرْءًا مِنْ كُلِّ مَرَضٍ
وَ نَجَاةً مِنْ كُلِّ اٰفَةٍ
وَ حِرْزًا مِمَّاۤ اَخَافُ وَ اَحْذَرُ۔
O Allah, in the name of this dust, in the name of him who resided in it and occupied it, in the names of his grandfather, his father, his mother, his brother, and the Imams from his descendants, and in the name of the angels who are surrounding him, [I beseech You to] make it remedy from all maladies, cure of all diseases, escape from all epidemics, and haven against whatever I fear and avert.
After that, one may use it.
It has been also reported that to recite Surah alQadr (No. 97) is the seal on the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ وَ بِاللّٰهِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ رِزْقًا وَاسِعًا
وَ شِفَاۤءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاۤءٍ
اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ۔
It has been also reported that when one has a piece of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb or feeds it to someone else, the following supplicatory prayer may be said:
In the Name of Allah (I begin) and in Allah (I trust). O Allah, (please) render this to be liberal sustenance, advantageous knowledge, and curative from all maladies. Verily, You have power over all things.
There are more privileges of the clay taken from Imam alHusayn’s tomb. It is recommended to put a piece of it with the dead bodies in the tombs.
It is recommended to use it in writing on coffins.
It is recommended to use it to prostrate oneself on.
It has been reported that prostration on a clay taken from Imam alHusayn’s tomb penetrates the Seven Screens; that is, it achieves admission of the prayer since it climbs to the heavens.
It is also recommended to have beads made of this clay to use it in supplications and statements of mentioning Almighty Allah. Even if such beads are grasped in hands without uttering any supplication, this deed brings about a great reward.
It is worth mentioning that such utterance of glorification statements is different from the glorification that is uttered by all things to which Almighty Allah has referred, saying:
وَ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ
And there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.
In summary, the glorification mentioned in the previously cited report is restricted to the glorification of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb may Allah accept our souls to be ransoms for him.
Sixth Tradition: Imam alRida (‘a) is reported to have said: Whoever uses the rosary made of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb, repeating the following statements witheach bead, Almighty Allah shall record for him six thousand excellent points, erase six thousand evildoings of him, raise him six thousand ranks, and decide for him six thousand times of intercession:
All glory be to Allah. All praise be to Allah. There is no god save Allah. Allah is the Most Great.
Imam alSadiq (‘a) is reported to have said, “Whoever uses the rosary made of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb imploring for Almighty Allah’s forgiveness one time only, shall be considered to have implored His forgiveness seventy times. Whoever holds in his hand such a rosary without uttering any statement of glorification, shall be considered to have uttered seven statements of glorification for each bead.
اَصْبَحْتُ [اَمْسَيْتُ] اَللّٰهُمَّ مُعْتَصِمًا بِذِمَامِكَ وَ جِوَارِكَ الْمَنِيْعِ
الَّذِيْ لَا يُطَاوَلُ وَ لَا يُحَاوَلُ
مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ غَاشِمٍ وَ طَارِقٍ
مِنْ سَاۤئِرِ مَنْ خَلَقْتَ وَ مَا خَلَقْتَ
مِنْ خَلْقِكَ الصَّامِتِ وَ النَّاطِقِ
فِي جُنَّةٍ مِنْ كُلِّ مَخُوْفٍ
بِلِبَاسٍ سَابِغَةٍ حَصِيْنَةٍ
وَ هِيَ وِلَاۤءُ اَهْلِ بَيْتِ نَبِيِّكَ
عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهِ
مُحْتَجِزًا [مُحْتَجِبًا] مِنْ كُلِّ قَاصِدٍ لِيۤ اِلٰۤى اَذِيَّةٍ
۟اِلْاِخْلَاصِ فِيْ الْاِعْتِرَافِ بِحَقِّهِمْ
وَ التَّمَسُّكِ بِحَبْلِهِمْ جَمِيْعًا
مُوْقِنًا اَنَّ الْحَقَّ لَهُمْ وَ مَعَهُمْ
وَ مِنْهُمْ وَ فِيْهِمْ وَ بِهِمْ
وَ اُعَادِيْ مَنْ عَادَوْا
وَ اُجَانِبُ مَنْ جَانَبُوْا
فَصَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِهِ
وَ اَعِذْنِيْ اَللّٰهُمَّ بِهِمْ
مِنْ شَرِّ كُلِّ مَاۤ اَتَّقِيْهِ يَا عَظِيْمُ
حَجَزْتُ الْاَعَادِيَ عَنِّيْ بِبَدِيْعِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ
اِنَّا جَعَلْنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ اَيْدِيْهِمْ سَدًّا
وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا
فَاَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُوْنَ۔
SUPPLICATORY PRAYER FOR SEEKING REFUGE WITH ALLAH
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيۤ اَسْاَلُكَ بِحَقِّ هٰذِهِ التُّرْبَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ
وَ بِحَقِّ جَدِّهِ وَ بِحَقِّ اَبِيْهِ
وَ بِحَقِّ اُمِّهِ وَ بِحَقِّ اَخِيْهِ
وَ بِحَقِّ وُلْدِهِ الطَّاهِرِيْنَ
اجْعَلْهَا شِفَاۤءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاۤءٍ
وَ اَمَانًا مِنْ كُلِّ خَوْفٍ
وَ حِفْظًا مِنْ كُلِّ سُوۤءٍ۔
Seventh Tradition: According to a validly reported tradition, when Imam alSadiq (‘a) came to Iraq, some people came to him and asked, “We have already known that the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb is remedy for all maladies. Is it also security against all feared matters?”
The Imam (‘a) answered, “Yes, it is. Whoever would like this clay to secure him against all fears, may hold a rosary made of that clay in his hand and repeat the following supplicatory prayer three times:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ رِزْقًا وَاسِعًا
وَ شِفَاۤءً مِنْ كُلِّ دَاۤءٍ وَ سُقْمٍ۔
O Allah, I have begun this morningI؛؛) seeking refuge with Your invulnerable security and vicinity that is neither touched nor caught against the evil of all oppressive and domineering ones among all Your animate and inanimate creatures both the silent and the speaking, being in protection against all terrifying things, being in the complete and immunizing garb, which is my loyalty to the Household of Your Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his Household, veiling myself against all those who intend harm to me behind an impervious wall, which is my sincerity in the profession of their (Divinely commissioned) right (of leadership) and my adherence to the Rope of all of them, and bearing with certainty that the truth is theirs, with them, from them, in them, and amid them. I thus accede to those whom they accept, provoke the animosity of those whom they antagonize, and depart those whom they depart. So, (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and his Household and, O Allah, protect me, in the names of them, against the evil of all that which I fear, O All-great. I am restraining the enemies against me through the Originator of the heavens and the earth: “And We have set a bar before them and a bar behind them, and (thus) have covered them so that they see not.”
He may then kiss the rosary, rub it over his eyes, and say the following supplicatory words:
O Allah, I beseech You in the name of this blessed dust, in the name of its owner, in the name of his grandfather, in the name of his father, in the name of his mother, in the name of his brother, and in the name of his immaculate sons to make it curative of every malady, security against every fear, and safeguard against every evil.
He may then place in on the forehead. If he does so in the morning, he will be under the security of Almighty Allah up to the evening; and if he does so in the evening, he will be under the security of Almighty Allah up to the next morning.”
According to another tradition, it has been reported that one who fears the persecutive power of a ruler or any other tyrannical person, may do the same as the aforementioned instructions when he goes out of his house so that this will be protection for him.
As a familiar ruling decided by master scholars of Muslim jurisprudence, it is impermissible to have any thing of dust or clay except the blessed clay taken from Imam alHusayn’s tomb in purpose of seeking healing and with no intention to have an agreeable taste from it provided that the amount that may be had must be as small as a chickpea grain or, as a precautionary ruling, is not bigger than a seed of lentil. It is also preferred to put that amount of clay in the mouth and have a drink of water, saying the following supplicatory words:
O Allah, (please) render this to be liberal sustenance, advantageous knowledge, and curative from all maladies and diseases.
‘Aliamah alMajlisi says that it is precautious to avoid selling the rosary of prostrationclay that are made of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb; rather, such things must be given as gifts. However, it may be unobjectionable that the two parties of such transaction (of selling or purchasing objects made of this clay) reach an agreement consensually without specifying any article as condition in advance. Supporting this ruling, Imam alSadiq (‘a), in a validly reported tradition, is reported to have said, “Whoever sells the dust of Imam alHusayn’s tomb is considered as having sold his own flesh.”
Our wellversed traditionist and mentor, Shaykh alNuri, has mentioned the following story in his book of Dar alSalam:
When one of my brothers presented himself before my mother, may Allah rest her soul, she noticed that he had put a piece of the clay of Imam alHusayn’s tomb in his pocket, which is under his garment. She thus reproached him, saying, “This is impoliteness! This piece of clay may be under your thigh and then broken.” He answered, “This is true! Two pieces of this clay have been already broken.” He then promised her not to do this ever again.
A few days later, my father the master scholar, may Allah raise his rank, who did not know about this incident, saw in sleep that our master Imam alHusayn, peace be upon him, visited him and sat in the reading room where my father used to sit. The Imam (‘a) treated him with kindness and then asked him to summon his sons so that the Imam (‘a) would honor them. So, my father sent for them, who were five with me, and they stood next to the door before the Imam (‘a), who had some stuff of dresses and other things in his hand. He thus called them one by one and gave them a part of that stuff. When it was the turn of my brother whom had been reproached by my mother, the Imam (‘a) looked at him with some anger, turned his face towards my father, and said, “This son of you has broken two pieces of clay taken from my tomb under his thigh.” Then, the Imam (‘a) threw something towards my brother without asking him to take it. As much as I remember, the Imam (‘a) gave my brother a comblike apparatus that is usually made of clothing and [used in engraving on carpets] called in Persian tirmeh. Hence, when my father woke up, he told my mother of this dream and she told him of her story with her son. So, my father was amazed of this incident.