Ziyad (r.

Ziyad (r.a.) لا تأخذ إلَّا عنَّا تَكُن منِّا. 'Don't acquire (knowledge) but from us, you will be from us.' Submission in the period of occultation can only be realized by referring to the traditions of the Imams (a.s.) and being bound to them concerning all our problems and uncertainties in belief, actions or worldly affairs. In this period, when there is restricted access to Imam (a.t.f.s.), one should take additional precaution in binding oneself to the traditions of the Imams (a.s.).

Separation from Imam (a.t.f.s.) must not make us lax in submitting to his wishes and commands. Crying for Imam (a.t.f.s.) out of intense attachment Love is one of the most powerful emotions that is directly related to the level of recognition and attachment towards the beloved. So, higher the level of recognition, more intense would be the affection and attachment.

Among the most unmistakable symptoms of attachment is constant remembrance of the beloved, mixed with an intense craving for his meeting. Just a mention of the beloved along with a narration of his hardship and difficulties provokes acute restlessness and turmoil within the person, finding expression in his tears. Allah, out of His Grace and Mercy has sowed this attachment in our hearts, thereby purifying our polluted hearts and cleansing it of the filth of sins.

As Imam Sadiq (a.s.) reveals to Fuzail b. Yasir: يا فضيل من ذكرنا أو ذُكرنا عنده فخرج من عينيه مثل جناح ذباب غفر الله ذنوبه ولو كانت أكثر من زبد البحر 'O Fuzail, one who remembers us or our mention is made in his presence and if tears flow from his eyes even to the extent of the wing of a fly, Allah will erase all his sins even if they are to the extent of the foam of the ocean.'[^6] The magnitude of this reward is a direct reflection on the esteemed status of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Certainly your Imam will be in occultation for some years in your time.