I learnt so much during Mashi ...

I learnt so much during Mashi , each moment was an eye-opener, whether I could grasp it or not – it’s beyond description so one really has to experience it. Mashi is a spiritual training for all ages, regardless of their religious knowledge, devoutness and understanding. I hope we could all preserve the spiritual cleansing without losing much of it by indulging into our worldly affairs, Ameen!

Finally, then came the saddest moment – the moment to say goodbye to my beloved Imam -asws , Mola Ghazi Abbas -asws and the martyrs of Karbala -as – I recited, with tearful eyes, the words taught to us in a Hadith by our 6th Imam -asws .

Imam Sadiq -asws says: ‘When you decide to bid farewell after having performed the Ziyarah (of Imam Hussain -asws ), turn your face towards his -asws face, touch the grave, and recite (the following): السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنْتَ لِي جُنَّةٌ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ وَ هَذَا أَوَانُ انْصِرَافِي عَنْكَ غَيْرَ رَاغِبٍ عَنْكَ وَ لَا مُسْتَبْدِلٍ بِكَ سِوَاكَ وَ لَا مُؤْثِرٍ عَلَيْكَ غَيْرَكَ وَ لَا زَاهِدٍ فِي قُرْبِكَ Salaam to you -asws , O Wali of Allah -azwj .

Salaam to you -asws , O Aba ‘Abdillah -asws . You -asws are my protection from the chastisement (of the Hereafter). This is the time for me to leave you -asws although I am not abandoning you -asws , I am not replacing you -asws with anyone other than you -asws , nor am I giving preference to anyone else above you -asws . I have not lost the desire to be near you -asws …..

وَ إِنْ أَبْقَيْتَنِي يَا رَبِّ فَارْزُقْنِي الْعَوْدَ إِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ الْعَوْدَ إِلَيْهِ بَعْدَ الْعَوْدِ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ And if You -azwj keep me alive, then sustain me with coming to his -asws Ziyarah again and again with Your -azwj Mercy, O the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ لَا تَشْغَلْنِي عَنْ ذِكْرِكَ بِإِكْثَارٍ عَلَيَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا تُلْهِينِي عَجَائِبُ بَهْجَتِهَا وَ تَفْتِنُنِي زَهَرَاتُ زِينَتِهَا وَ لَا بِإِقْلَالٍ يَضُرُّ بِعَمَلِي كَدُّهُ وَ يَمْلَأُ صَدْرِي هَمُّهُ وَ أَعْطِنِي ‏بِذَلِكَ غِنًى عَنْ شِرَارِ خَلْقِكَ وَ بَلَاغاً أَنَالُ بِهِ رِضَاكَ يَا رَحْمَانُ O Allah -azwj !

Send Your -azwj blessing on Mohammed -saww and the family of Mohammed -asws and do not make me preoccupied with the blessings of this world such that I neglect Your -azwj remembrance.

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