By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

“Peace unto the virtuous and obedient slave of Allah the Lord of the universe, of His Messenger (Prophet Muhammad [SAWA]) and of the Commander of the faithful (Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb [AS]);
“Peace unto you O’ Abu’l-Qasim, the offspring of the (Prophet’s) Noble Grandson al-Mujtaba (Imam Hasan [AS]);
“Peace unto you, whose “Ziyarah” (visitation to the shrine) has the reward of the “Ziyarah” (visitation to the shrine) of the Chief of Martyrs (Imam Husain [AS]);”
It is obvious we are not saluting any ordinary person. The above passages indicate that our salutation is to a dignified member of the blessed progeny of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Emissary to mankind with the universal message of Islam.
To be more precise, these are among the passages that tens of thousands of pilgrims are reciting today (in fact since last night) while visiting the shrine of this virtuous person in what was once the historical city of Rayy (now a southern suburb of Tehran).
Born on the 4th of the month of Rabi al-Akher in the Prophet’s city Medina in the year 1173 AH (789 AD), he was fifth in descent from Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) and was named Abdul-Azeem.
He grew up into a scholar of repute and had the honour of companionship of three of the Prophet’s 12 Divinely-designated Infallible Heirs – Imam Ali ar-Reza (AS), Imam Muhammad at-Taqi al-Jawad (AS) and Imam Ali an-Naqi al-Hadi (AS).
He is among the early erudite scholars who collected in book-form several eloquently wise sermons of the Gateway of the City of Knowledge, Imam Ali (AS), and titled it “Khutab Amir al-Momineen” – a hundred-and-a-fifty years before Seyyed Radhi was to compile the famous book “Nahj al-Balagha” (Highway of Eloquence) and include many of them in it.
He was, however, not an armchair scholar but an active missionary for spreading in society the genuine teachings of Islam, especially in Iran, where he settled in those days of severe persecution of the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt by Mutawakkil – that most infidel ruler of the usurper Abbasid dynasty of self-styled caliphs.
No wonder, his services to humanity and the continued homage being paid to him for the past millennium and two centuries by the grateful people of Iran, who reverently address him as “Shah” or king, is testimony to one of the famous sayings of his illustrious ancestor, the Prophet’s Vicegerent Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS):
“Those who amass wealth are actually dead even though they may be living while those endowed with knowledge will remain as long as the world exists.”
It means that the truly knowledgeable scholars are alive in the hearts of the faithful even though they are not physically present in our midst.
According to the famous Iranian scholar Shaikh Sadouq, who lived a thousand years ago, once Abdul-Azeem asked Imam Ali an-Naqi al-Hadi (AS), the Prophet’s 10th Infallible Heir (AS):
“O son of Allah’s Messenger, I wish to present to you my beliefs; if they are correct then I will affirm and adhere to them till I meet Allah the Great and the Exalted. I affirm Allah, Blessed and Exalted is “One”; there is nothing like Him; He is beyond the two limits, that is, the limit of negation and annulment (of attributes) and the limit of anthropomorphism. And He has neither a body nor a form; nor dimension nor a material core. Rather He is the One Who creates bodies and gives forms, the Creator of dimensions and matter; Lord of everything and its Possessor, Creator and Originator. And (I affirm) Muhammad is His servant, His Messenger and the Seal of Prophets. There is no prophet after him till the Day of Judgement. And (I affirm) after him the Imam, the Caliph and the Guardian of the affair (of guidance) is Amir al-Momineen Ali bin Abi Taleb, and then al-Hasan, then al-Husain, then Ali ibn al-Husain (Zain al-Abedin), then Muhammad ibn Ali (al-Baqer), then Ja’far ibn Muhammad (as-Sadeq), then Musa ibn Ja’far (al-Kazem), then Ali ibn Musa (ar-Reza), then Muhammad bin Ali (at-Taqi al-Jawad) and thereafter, you my master.”
Imam Hadi (AS) nodded in the affirmative and elaborated: “And after me will be my son al-Hasan (al-Askari); however, I wonder how the people will react with regards to his successor”.
Abdul-Azeem says, I asked: “Why do you say that, O Master?”
The 10th Imam replied, “Because none will see his person (during the long period of occultation), nor will it be permissible to mention his name till he reappears to fill the earth with justice and equity as it was (previously) filled with oppression and tyranny.”
Abdul-Azeem narrates: “So I responded: I accept (what you have informed me) and I maintain that their friend is the friend of Allah, their enemy is the enemy of Allah. Obedience to them is obedience to Allah; disobedience to them is disobedience to Allah. I maintain that the Prophet’s Me’raj (ascension to the highest point in the Heavens and back to Planet Earth in a fraction of a night) did occur, that questioning in the grave will happen, that heaven and hell exist, that accounting of deeds will occur and that the Hour will undoubtedly arrive when Allah will resurrect those in the graves.
“I further maintain that the (religious) obligations after Wilaya (i.e. love and adherence to the Ahl al-Bayt) are: the ritual prayers, the Zakat levy, fasting (in the month of Ramadhan), Hajj (pilgrimage to the Symbolic House of God, the holy Ka’ba in Mecca), Jihad (striving in the path of Allah), enjoining good (Amr bi’l-Ma’rouf) and discouraging evil (Nahy an’il-Munkar).”
On hearing this, the 10th Imam said: “O Abu’l-Qasim, by Allah, what you have mentioned is the religion which Allah has chosen for His servants and one with which He is satisfied; so adhere to it. May Allah keep you steadfast on the established faith in this world and in the Hereafter!”
Shaikh Sadouq who compiled a book on Seyyed Abdul-Azeem titled “Jame’ Akhbar Abd al-Azeem” has narrated that a man from Rayy came to Hadi (AS) in Samarra in Iraq in those days of severe persecution of the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt, and said, “I have visited Imam Husain’s (AS) holy shrine.”
The Imam replied: “If one visits Abdul-Azeem al-Hasani’s tomb near you, it would be as if he has visited Imam Husain (AS) in Karbala.”
Let us join the multitude of pilgrims streaming to the sprawling golden-domed shrine in Rayy for a worthy salutation to the Prime Saint of Tehran:
“Peace unto you. May Allah grant us your companionship in Paradise, gather us in your company, guide us to your Prophet’s Fountain, and make us drink of your ancestor’s cup, through the hand of (Imam) Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).”