If we limit the ziyarah for our lower ambitions in life...

If we limit the ziyarah for our lower ambitions in life, there would be no difference between us and the laity who have busied themselves with the world of matter. Therefore, the za'ir should bear an exalted aspiration and aim for a great transformation, in order to unite with the spirit of al-Hussein ('a).

Readers do appreciate that the reason why the allies of the contemporary formalists hamper us from expressing our sorrow near the graves of the infallible leaders, is because they have realized the revolution it can create in the hearts. Imam al-Hussein ('a) is a symbol of uprising against falsehood even at the cost of the sacrifice of every possession. Our ziyarah which is an endeavor of unity in the real sense therefore should be a declaration of readiness and not merely a habitual recitation.

السّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ. Assalamu 'alayka The word al-Salam is commonly translated as "the Peace". Its literal import, however, means: التَّعَرّي مِنَ الآفَاتِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْبَاطِنَةِ. …to be free from calamities, whether apparent or hidden [^38]. Therefore we are seeking the state of freedom from every kind of calamity for Imam al-Hussein ('a), whether that be apparent or hidden.

It should however be understood that the Imam already enjoys the state of salam and is in fact one of the manifestations of Allah's Attribute al-Salam. The Holy Prophet (s) in his nocturnal ascent (al-Mi'raj) came across a group of Angels, Divine Apostles and Prophets, and it was said to him: يَا مُحَمَّدُ سَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّ السَّلامَ وَالتَّحِيَّةَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ وَالْبَرَكَاتِ أَنْتَ وَذُرِّيَّتُكَ.

O Muhammad, send benedictions on them, and he (s) said: al-Salamu 'alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh (May the peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon you). Thereupon Allah Revealed unto him: "the Peace and Benedictions, and Mercy and Blessings, are you and your progeny.[^39] Hence seeking Salam for him would mean seeking higher degrees of the state of Salam because the levels of Salam have no end.

Only Almighty Allah enjoys the Absolute State of Salam: هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لا إِلهَ إِلا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ... . …He is Allah, other than Whom there is no god, He alone is the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Peace [^40] In a tradition lady Fatima Zahra ('a) is reported to have said: إنَّ اللهَ هُوَ السَّلاَمُ، وَمِنْهُ السّلاَمُ، وَإِلَيْهِ السّلاَم .

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