Goals of Supplication in Al Imam Al Sajjad School (pbuh)

Becoming a shiite especially during the period of Al Imam Zain Al ‘Abedeen (pbuh) was accompanied with suffering from harsh difficulties at the time aggression was controlling all of the departments and abilities. It wasn’t able to make any positive resistance or attempt. The last revolution announced by Al Imam Al Hussein (pbuh) against the brutal oppression was damaged with all its factors in a bloody way. One person only stayed alive from them, who is Al Imam Zain Al Abedeen (pbuh). The social situation was moving towards the danger of finishing off the foundation of the Renaissance, and quelling the spirit of the Islamic leap, rather the elimination of all similar thinking, and forgetting them forever. The clearest example of this problem is that the Imamate- which is the only system that stays from the departments of the fair Islamic government- was going to be forgotten because the Umayyad Rule took over all the media from the pulpit, the mihrab, and the mosque, and bought the debts of all the influential people in public opinion from a judge, ruler, and governor, and all capabilities became in the grip of (the caliphate!) and in the service of (the caliph)!

But Al Imam Zain Al ‘Abedeen remained alone facing all of the problems despite that terrorism and fear were controlling necks and personalities. In such a situation, “supplication” was a resort for the Imam and the Imamate. But more, it was such an attitude taken by Al Imam to withstand and attack: withstand what? The withstand of that thought, acclaim, and belief that the Umayyad rule has recruited all of its abilities in the Islamic world against it. And attacking whom?

It’s attacking the authority that was able to control all abilities and stole from the nation’s abilities to resist! Then, supplication was the weapon of fighting. This means if a resistance, or idea, or fighting is besieged and circumstances leads to the same events of (karbala) where all men are subjected to bleeding eradication, only one man remains alive, all of the women and children are arrested under restrictions, there is no more abilities for armed activities and defending the truth by power, then the only man still responsible. He is responsible for persuading the nation that he’s responsible for reviving the ideas, stimulating the feelings, defending that truth even by supplication, maintaining the message even by hope or wish, and delivering it to the coming generations. Al Imam Zain Al ‘Abedeen (pbuh) despite losing all the abilities for scarification and bleeding fighting until achieving martyrdom, same as his father Al Imam Al Hussein did in Karbala, and despite losing the abilities of free social work, same as his son Al Imam Al Baker and his grandson Al Imam Al Sadek (pbuh), he didn’t lose the chance to fight through supplication which plays the role of a weapon that can affect the remainings of this authority, and able to enter the core of the corrupted society. It is able to accompany every wind and is effective in every situation.

If someone says that this is the lowest ranks of fighting and Jihad, we will say yes, but supplication is important even if he’s not in this case. If we are able to fight and resist in other stronger and effective ways, it’s impossible to leave supplication behind. A human being cannot prevent this kind of fighting, even if it’s less effective. He should be able to pray and entertain a connection with his God, and show his thoughts and beliefs through supplication, express his hopes, pain, and hidden feelings, and needs. It is important to ask for his desires, stabilize his beliefs, define his intellectual positions, fortify the foundations of his religion, so that he is aware of his affair, so he reveals to himself the truth, and advises himself to be patient, by praying.

No ruling authority can deprive a human being of this ability, or judge him for this will. In such focus and specificity lies the secret of human immortality, when it is threatened with extermination and praying for God as a mean of declaring beliefs, conveying messages, developing a sense of responsibilities, in the darkest and most critical circumstances, spreading the spirit of struggle and resistance, strengthening the intellectual bond, confirming social commitments, and stabilizing good emotions, out of love for claiming and declaring it, and hating and expressing blasphemy, deepening ideological awareness among the nation, and creating the atmosphere- Spiritually, intellectually and physically- to prepare for major responsibilities, all in circumstances in which the counter forces were mobilized, to eliminate all goals. In such a case, Al Imam has to plan for taking an action, when the believer is unable to perform any action, even an honorable death, with honor and dignity, as there is no way to choose martyrdom as a last weapon, because martyrdom - also - needs grounds, favorable conditions, and a battle, in order to the martyr to have the right to detonate the situation with his blood, and break the silence. Otherwise, it is the silent, ineffective, careless death from which only the enemy benefits. Al Imam Zain al-Abedeen (pbuh) became a role model for the struggle in such circumstances, with all his biography, existence, destiny, silence, pronunciation, and character, thus drawing a platform for action in such crises. It is a fee to answer all the questions that are asked about working against a fierce empire, possessing all facilities, capabilities and the heavy, deadly silence, in which it is impossible to utter a word of truth. How can it be broken? And a personal style of displaying all requests, values, and emotions?

Al Sahifa al-Sajjadiya is the book of Jihad upon Unity, expressing in silence, packing when setback! It’s the book of cheering when despondency, and the book of education with sealed lips! It is the armament book when disarming each weapon! It is before and after this, the book of supplication. The supplication - as the French doctor Alexis Carle says “a manifestation of love and poverty” and Islam added “awarness” to these two. In the school of Imam Zain al-Abedeen (pbuh), supplication takes on a wonderful dimension, which is its special social impact. In a comprehensive word, supplication in the school of Al Imam Zain al-Abedeeen - at a time when it is a treasure for the deepest orientations, the warmest desires, and the highest demands - is a curriculum in which the believer learns an integrated planning for existence, thinking and action, on the approach of the Imamate and with a wise leadership inspired by the teachings from the sources of revelation. Second, regarding content, talking about Al-Sahifa Al-Sajjadiyya, this great book, its scientific and religious impact, creed and civilization, and its social impact requires devotion and specialization, and a broader time and scope than this chapter. If a person considers the circumstances of Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (pbuh), and his social position, and reads about the tyranny and absurdity of the rulers, and compares the meaning of the newspaper with the indications of the behaviors carried out by those rulers, it becomes clear to him that Al Imam has made a blatant challenge to the state and its schemes that targeted the entity of the Islamic community to destabilize it.

Mr. Muhammad Reda Al-Jalali