exploring ziyarat al jamiyah
Zishaan E Fatema Karim is a writer and a poet, passionate about making a difference and believes in beginning at the roots. She has a Montessori Diploma in Early Childhood Education and 4 decades’ experience in teaching as a Madrasah teacher She also writes children’s stories and creates comic strips and video stories for little children. She facilitates Teaching Skills Practice programs under the MCE of WF and Leadership and Mentorship Development Programs under CBG of AFed. “Small changes by many people equals a Big Change,” is her motto. With that, she anticipates the reappearance of Al Hujjah (atfs) and wishes to be a part of his system of governance.
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alamun Alaykum and Happy Ramadhan. Hope you are ready to journey with me, diving deep into the sea, swimming through the ocean of love for Ahlul Bayt (as), The Ziyarah Al – Jami’ah. May Allah (swt) increase in me their recognition and their reverence to allow each and every act of mine be in emulation of theirs. Amen.
Peace be upon you, O Household of Prophethood
– Ziyarah al Jami’ah
“Salaam” is a common greeting offered by Muslims when they meet one another. “Salaam” has several meanings and interpretations but before we come to these, let us see how Salaam came to be a greeting.
Before Islam, people were greeting one another with “Ahlan wa Marhaba” and similar phrases till Islam brought about Salaam as a legislation, with a purpose of respecting one another while bonding their hearts together.
The concept that their greeting is/shall be PEACE, is found in several places like; Surah Yunus: Verse 10, Surah Ahzab: Verse 44, Surah Ibraheem: Verse 23
All of them indicate peace from all calamities and adversities. Allah (swt) has also called Himself “Salaam”.
Now we come to some of the interpretations of Salaam on Ahlubaytin Nubuwwah; Peace be from Allah (swt) on the Messenger, who was the closest to Allah (swt) and his household who inherited this from him
Peace be upon the household of the Apostleship, from the one who offers himself wholly and fully, in their presence. It is an expression of totally submitting my entire wealth, possession, knowledge and self before the Imam whom I am saluting with this lofty Salutation.
This ensures that I am holding on to the Imam (as) without wavering. It is interesting to note that the message of peace is not to the household of the Apostle but to the household of the Apostleship, making it distinct that the PEACE is offered solely to the inheritors of this Divine Message and not to each of his family members.
At this point, I am also awed at how the Prophet (saww) is popularly known to have said, ‘Salman is from us Ahlul Bayt’.
Salaams be on you too, O Salman!
Location of the Divine mission, frequently visited by the angels, destination of the Divine revelation,
– Ziyarah al Jami’ah
Location of Divine Mission is clearly different from the physical place of abode of a Messenger of Allah (swt). This short phrase is indicating a perpetual realm where the Divine mission thrives, as a result of which, it is frequently visited by angels. These celestial beings descend to pay homage, a reality rooted in the past and continuing into the present and future, as indicated by the use of present tense in descriptions.
The following are samples from other invocations suggesting similar sentiments.
Peace be on you, and on the Angels who stand (around you) at your beck and call, and, ever alert, move about near your resting place
– Sunday Ziyarat of Ameerul Mu’mineen (as)
Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (as) said, “Four thousand Angels descended from the heavens and joined Imam Husayn (as) so as to fight alongside him, but he did not permit them to fight. They returned back and took permission (from Allah), but when they returned back, Imam (as) was already martyred. Now they remain at the head of his grave with disheveled (hair) and smeared in dust. They weep upon him until the Qiyamah, while the name of their leader is Mansoor”.
These angelic presences signify the sanctity of the earthly stations they perpetually visit, exalting the greatness of the one who lies within. They thus guard, admire, circumambulate and revere the presence of entities who became receptors for the Message of light!
The final stage of communication of Wahy, whereby the Prophet (saww) was commanded to now reach to the Ummah with specific verses from the Holy Qur’an, got disconnected with the event of the Black Thursday. However, because the existence of the Messenger and The Divine Message is not merely physical, the fragrance of the Divine Message lingers on as long as the universe continues to exist, and as long as this fragrance subsists, the angels will revere these fragrant locations.
At this point, I am deeply shocked to visualize the house that the Prophet (saww) treated with so much reverence and love, being visited and threatened by Muslims holding logs of fire…
Indeed, this is the station of Divine Revelation now under siege.
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