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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Sacred Effusion Volume 1 Preface By Shaykh Muhammad M Khalfan All praises belong exclusively to Allah, and may His peace and benedictions be on Muhammad, the most perfect epitome of Divine Attributes and his infallible progeny, the , who are rightfully known as the ships of salvation, whosoever boards their ship, earns eternal felicity, and whosoever lags behind and is indifferent drowns and attains eternal damnation.

Al-Qanduzi, the Hanafite narrator of traditions, in his radiant collection Yanabi’ al-Mawadda (lit. Fountains of Constant Love) narrates a tradition from Abu Dharr al-Ghiffari who narrates from the Holy Prophet (S): إِنَّ مَثَل َ 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 it is saved, and whosoever lags behind would perish[^1] The ship of al-Husayn (AS), however, according to another tradition is more rapid: Once a companion of Imam al-Sadiq (AS) asked him about the prophetic tradition “Surely al-Husayn is the lamp of guidance and the ship of salvation” saying: “Aren’t you [the (AS)] ships of salvation [too]?” The Imam (AS) replied: كُلُّنَا سُفُنُ النَّجَاةِ إِلاَّ أَنَّ سَفِيْنَةَ الْحُسَيْنِ أَوَسَعُ وَأَسْرَعُ All of us are ships of salvation, save that the ship of al-Husayn (AS) 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 Ayatullah Mirza Tabrizi in his monumental prayer manual al-Muraqabat says: It should be known that the door of al-Husayn (AS) is the door of comprehensive mercy, rapid response and approval.

And he [the Imam] would say during his life time: ‘The similitude of doing good is rain water which covers both the virtuous as well as the sinful.’[^3] Sayyid Haddad al-Musawi a great Shi’ite saint and a contemporary of ‘Allamah al-Tabataba`i, is reported to have quoted their mentor in practical gnosis, Ayatullah Qadhi al-Tabataba`i as having said: My teacher, Marhum Qadhi (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 ‘Allama al-Tabataba`i is reported to have said: That Hadhrat [i.e.

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