ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Horizons of Thoughts Preface In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful And may Allah's Peace and Benedictions be on Muhammad, the most perfect personification of Almighty Allah's sublime Attributes and on his infallible progeny, the , who are rightfully known as the ships of salvation, whosoever boards in their ship, earns salvation, and whosoever lags behind and is indifferent would drown and perish.

Al-Qanduzi, the Hanafite narrator of traditions in his radiant collection Yanabi' al-Mawaddah (lit. Fountains of Stable Love) narrates that Abu Dharr is reported to have quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as having said: إِنَّ مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فِيكُمْ مَثَلُ سَفِيْنَةِ نُوْح، مَنْ رَكِبَهَا نَجَا وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا هَلَكَ The similitude of my progeny among you is that of the ship of Noah ('a); whosoever boards on it is saved, and whosoever does not would perish[^1] The ship of al-Hussein ('a), however, according to another tradition is swifter.

Observe the following narrative: Once Imam al-Sadiq ('a) was asked about the prophetic tradition "Surely Hussein is the lamp of guidance and the ship of salvation" saying: "aren't you [the ('a)] the ships of salvation [too]? The Imam ('a) replied: "All of us are the ships of salvation, however the ship of al-Hussein ('a) is more spacious and faster.[^2] This tradition is also endorsed by great mystic scholars who can appreciate the sublime secrets of religion.

The late Mystic scholar `yatullah Mirza Tabrizi in his monumental prayer manual al-Muraqibat says: It should be known that the door of al-Hussein ('a) is the door of comprehensive mercy, rapid response and approval.

And he would say during his life time: 'the similitude of doing good is rain water which covers both the virtuous and sinful.[^3] Sayyid haddad al-Musawi a great Shi'ite saint and a contemporary of 'Allamah Tabatana'i, is reported to have quoted their mentor in practical gnosis, `yatullah Qazi Tabataba'i as having said: قَالَ لِيْ أُسْتَاذِيْ الْمَرْحُوْم القاضي قدس سرّه: أنّه محالُ أن يصل إنسانٌ إلى مقام التوحيد بدون طريق سيد الشهدآء عليه السلام.

My teacher, Marhum Qazi (may his spirit be sanctified) said to me that it is impossible for a human being to attain the station of tawhid [proximity to God] without the path of Sayyid al-Shuhada.[^4] And'Allamah Tabataba'i is reported to have said: That hazrat [i.e.

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