It is known in the language of traditions as 'yaqin...
It is known in the language of traditions as 'yaqin (conviction)' and 'the vision of the heart' which is knowledge by presence (al-'ilm al-huzuri). The following verse of the Qur'an alludes to the close link between worship and conviction: وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ. And worship your Lord so that conviction comes to you [^34].
In some of the ziyarat taught to us by the infallible Imams ('a) we are taught to address the Imams declaring that they had attained the exalted station of yaqin through sincere worship. Consider the following examples: 1.In one of the ziyarat of the Holy Prophet (s) we are taught by Imam 'Ali ('a) to address his noble being as follows: …وًأشْهَدُ أنَّكَ قَدْ نَصَحْتَ لاُمَّتِكَ، وَجَاهَدْتَ فيِ سَبِيْلِ رَبّكَ، وَعَبَدْتَهُ حَتّى أتاكَ الْيَقٍيْنُ… .
…And I bear witness that you gave counsel to your nation and struggled in the way of your Lord, and worshipped Him until conviction came to you…[^35] 2. In another ziyarah we address Imam al-Hussein ('a) as follows: …يَا أبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ أشْهَدُ أنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ عَنِ اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ مَا اُمِرْتَ بِهِ وَلَمْ تَخْشَ أحَدًا غَيْرَهُ وَجَاهَدْتَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِهِ وَعَبَدْتَهُ صَادِقًا حَتّى أتَاكَ الْيَقِيْنُ… .
…O Aba 'Abdillah, I bear witness that surely you conveyed what you were ordered by Allah (the Invincible and Majestic) and other than Him you never feared anyone, and you struggled in His way, and worshipped Him truthfully until conviction came to you…[^36] 3.
In one of the ziyarat of Imam al-Riza ('a) we are taught to address him as follows: …اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَدْ اَقَمْتَ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَيْتَ الزَّكَاةَ وَاَمَرْتَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَنَهَيْتَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَعَبَدْتَ اللهَ مُخْلِصًا حَتّى اَتَاكَ الْيَقِيْنُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أبَا الْحَسَنِ… .
…I bear witness that you kept prayer upright and gave the poor tax and invited to what was good and forbade the evil and worshipped Allah sincerely until conviction came to you; peace be upon you O Aba al-hasan…[^37] Having realized this, our ziyarah should serve as a catalyst to earn the exalted station of appreciating the truth by the vision of the heart. And the path towards this endeavor is to be a true slave of Almighty Allah.
In other words, the ziyarah should be a means of uniting with Abu 'Abdillah (an appellation depicting the true slave-hood of Imam al-Hussein ('a)). And this can easily be attained after we understand the meaning of the ziyarah and exemplify its teachings in ourselves.