By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
Today is the 5th of the blessed month of Sha’ban, the third successive day of joyousness. Yesterday and the day before we celebrated the blessed birthdays respectively of the valiant standard-bearer of Karbala, Hazrat Abbas (AS), and the Immortal Martyr of Karbala, Imam Husain (AS), while today on the 5th of Sha’ban we are basking the blessings of the birthday of the Survivor of the heartrending tragedy of Karbala, Imam Ali ibn al-Husain Zain al-Abedin (AS).
“O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad, the Ark faring through deep oceans: those who embark it obtain safety and those who forsake it are drowned. Those who try to get ahead of them leave the bounds of faith, and those who lag behind them perish, and those who attach themselves to them join their fold.
“O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad, the secure sanctuary, the aid of the distressed and the oppressed, the shelter of the refugees, and the asylum of those seeking haven.
“This is the month of Your Prophet, the chief of Your Prophets – Sha’ban, which You have enveloped in Your mercy and Your approval, the month wherein it was the practice of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Progeny, to observe, until his death, its fast and to perform devotions during its nights and days, in order to do it honour and reverence out of humility before You! O Allah, so help us in following his example with regard to it and to make us deserving of his intercession (in Your Court)!”
The above passages are part of the special supplication the faithful recite daily in the blessed month of Sha’ban. The wordings provide a glimpse of some of the innumerable merits of the Messenger of Mercy and his Infallible Progeny, the Ahl al-Bayt, who are likened to the Ark of Prophet Noah. It means, whoever boards this Ark has attained salvation and whoever lags behind is drowned.
The difference is that Noah’s Ark was for a specific time and a limited period of history for saving monotheists of that particular era from the great deluge, while Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his Ahl al-Bayt represent the Eternal and Universal Ark of Salvation so that the seekers of truth are saved from drowning in the sea of ignorance and the oceans of unbelief in every age, generation and geographical place. In other words this Immortal Ark is made up of Fourteen Flawless Helmsmen, who are none other than the Prophet, his Immaculate Daughter Fatema Zahra (SA), her husband the Impeccable Imam Ali (AS), their two Infallible Sons the Leaders of the Youths of Paradise, Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS), and the Nine Spotless Imams of the lineage of Imam Husain (AS). These peerless personalities steer humanity on the straight and unwavering path towards Allah and His promise of the everlasting bliss of paradise.
This unique supplication was taught to us by one of these 14 helmsmen of the Ark of Salvation. He was the Prophet’s great-grandson, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) who was born in Medina on the 5th of Sha’ban in the year 38 AH (659 AD).
His father, the Martyr of Karbala Imam Husain (AS), named him Ali in honour of his own father, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). The mother of the 4th Imam was the virtuous Iranian lady, Shahrbano the Princess of Iran. He was thus known as “Ibn al-Khiyaratayn”, or the “Son of the Two Best Persons” – that is the Hashemites among the Arabs and the Persians among the non-Arabs. Having lost his mother in childhood, he was brought up by his paternal aunt, the Heroine of Karbala, Hazrat Zainab (SA).
As a 23-year old youth, he was present in Karbala on the tragic 10th of Muharram the Fateful Day of Ashura, but could not take part in the Jihad because of being bedridden with high fever. During the equally tragic aftermath of the Tragedy of Karbala, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), along with the noble ladies and children of the Prophet’s Household, including his own 4-year old son, the future Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (AS), was taken in chains to the courts of the tyrants in Kufa and Damascus. In Syria, in the court of the Godless Yazid, despite suffering the traumas of torture during the long and circuitous journey from southern Iraq, he made the mission of his martyred father triumph in the enemy capital.
His sermons shook the foundations of the Omayyad caliphate, and made Yazid release the noble captives. Here, we relate an incident that is indicative of the magnanimity of the 4th Infallible Heir of the Prophet.
When Yazid, feigning regret at the Tragedy of Karbala, asked whether God would forgive his misdeed in murdering the Prophet’s grandson, the bereaved Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), as the Divinely-Designated Refuge of all those seeking asylum, even if it be an avowed enemy, replied: “Perform the “Salaat al-Ghufayla” between the daily Maghreb and Isha obligatory ritual prayers, perhaps the All-Merciful may have mercy upon you.”
Glory to the Lord Most High for placing His trust in secure places! The All-Wise Creator knew that just as Iblis the damned Satan had deprived himself of Divine mercy by refusing to prostrate to the Father of the human race Adam, without the least regret, the agnostic and libertine Yazid, who was miserably trapped in Lucifer’s snare to the extent of dismissing the concept of the Almighty Creator, the mission of Prophets and the revelation of heavenly scriptures; would never have the time from his debaucheries to ever think of prayer or supplication.
For the next 34 years, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) carried his unique Jihad of grooming the seekers of truth through the medium of prayers and supplications, which survive till this day as eternal bezels of wisdom for the guidance of humanity. He faced a string of tyrants, including the torturous decade-long rule in Hijaz of the crafty criminal Abdullah ibn Zubayr, who had laid claim to the caliphate and subjected the Prophet’s Hashemite clan to acute oppression including a failed plot to burn all male members alive, but never for a moment did the Imam spare any effort to guide Muslims.

Among the immortal legacies of the 4th Imam is the “Risalat al-Hoqouq” or Treatise of Rights that is more perfect than the United Nations Charter of Human Rights, and the “Sahifat as-Sajjadiyya”, which is a manual of highly eloquent supplications to God that contain every topic under the sun, including scientific issues and the weight of light – which modern science is still beginning to discover.
A study of the supplications of Imam Zayn al-Abedin (AS) show that he used them as means to educate people about the Oneness of Allah, the angels and all Islamic concepts pertaining to various fields of life. It is a pity these supplications have not been studied thoroughly even by the followers of Ahl al-Bayt, or in the academic institutions dealing with Islam. We hope that groundbreaking research will take place in this regard, especially in the seminaries and universities.
Here are some excerpts from the “Risalat-al-Hoqouq”:
“The greatest right upon you is from Allah Himself and this is the root of all other rights .... The greatest right of Allah upon you is to worship Him without associating anything with Him. If you do that with purity of heart, He promises to give you sufficiently what you need here and in the next world ...”
“The rights of your teacher upon you are: You should look at him with honour, listen to him with full attention, sit facing him with respect and do not raise your voice in his presence. If someone asks him a question, you should not reply it but let the teacher do it… You should overlook his shortcomings and speak of his good qualities. Keep away from his enemies and do not make enemies of his friends. If you do all these, angels will be your witness that you did what you were required to do and that you obtained knowledge from him for the pleasure of Allah only.”
“The rights of your mother are: she carried you where no one carries anyone else; she fed you the fruit of her heart which no one gives to anyone else; she protected you with all parts of her body. She did not care if she remained hungry as long as you were fed; if she was thirsty as long as you drank; if she had no proper clothes as long you had clothes on, if she was in the sun so long as you were in shade. She lost her sleep for you, she protected you from cold and heat so that you should live. You will never be able to thank her unless if Allah helps you.”
“The right of your neighbour is that you should guard him (his belongings) in his absence, show respect to him in his presence and help him when he is wronged. Do not do any shameful act to him. If you know of any improper things about him keep that secret. If you know he will accept your advice then give it to him. Do not leave him alone when he is in trouble. Help him out of his troubles, forgive him if he has wronged you and treat him generously.”