And since the sanctity of Imam al-Husayn (AS) is such that...
And since the sanctity of Imam al-Husayn (AS) is such that its essence is incomprehensible, the gravity of losing his personality is likewise incomprehensible. In addition, the difficult circumstances that Imam al-Husayn (AS) and his noble progeny faced and the manner in which their sanctity was violated leave such wounds in the hearts of his lovers that make them tearful forever.
Ibrahim bin Abi Mahmud narrates from Imam al-Ridha` (AS): اِنَّ يَوْمَ الْحُسَيْنِ اَقْرَحَ جُفُوْنَنَا وَاَسْبَلَ دُمُوْعَنَا وَاَذَلَّ عَزِيْزَنَا، بِاَرْضِ كَرْبٍ وَبَلاَءٍ، وَاَوْرَثَتْنَا الْكَرْبُ وَالْبَلاَءُ اِلى يَوْمِ الانْقِضَاءِ، فَعَلَى مِثْلِ الْحُسَيْنِ فَلْيَبْكِ الْبَاكُوْنَ، فَاِنَّ الْبُكَاءَ عَلَيْهِ يَحُط الذُّنُوْبَ الْعِظَامَ Surely the day of al-Husayn wounded our eyes and made our tears pour down and dishonored our venerated ones in the land of sorrow and tribulation, and thereby it made us inherit sorrow and calamity until the final day , and therefore the mourners must weep for the likes of al-Husayn, for surely weeping over him wipes out major sins ...[^6] Imam al-Mahdi (AS) in his well-known Ziyarat al-Nahiya addressing Imam al-Husayn (AS) cries: فَلَئِنْ اَخَّرَتْنِي الدُّهُوُرُ،وَعَاقَنِيْ عَنْ نَصْرِكَ الْمَقْدُوْرُ،وَلَمْ اَكُنْ لِمَنْ حَارَبَكَ مُحَارِبًا، وَلِمَنْ نَصَبَ لَكَ الْعَدَاوَةَ مُنَاصِبًا، فَلأنْدُبَنَّكَ صَبَاحًا وَمَسَاءً، وَلاَبْكِيَنَّ عَلَيْكَ بَدَلَ الدّمُوْعِ دَمًا، حَسْرَةً عَلَيْكَ وَتَأسُّفًا عَلَى مَا دَهَاكَ وَتَلَهُّفًا، حَتَّى اَمُوْتَ بِلَوْعَةِ الْمُصَابِ وَغُصَّةِ الاكْتِيَابِ But as I have been hindered by the course of time and as (Allah’s) decree has prevented me from helping you, and as I could not fight those who fought you, and was not able to show hostility to those who showed hostility to you, I will, therefore, lament you morning and evening, and will weep blood in place of tears, out of my anguish for you and my sorrow for all that befell you, until I meet death from the pain of the catastrophe and the choking grief.[^7] لَقَدْ عَظُمَتِ الرَّزِيَّةُ By Allah, the loss is great.
Before one tries to swear and say that the loss is great, one must have knowledge about the same. Although we cannot even imagine the magnitude of the loss that the (AS) encountered in the plains of Karbala, it is important for us to search for authentic information about the same, so that we may naturally express our sorrow as we recite this particular phrase.
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