The Elapse Prayers

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It is written in ‘Darus Salaam’ that Shaikh Haj Mulla Ali relates from his father Haj Mirza Khaleel Malharani, who says that: I was in Karbala while my mother lived in Tehran. One night my mother came to me in a dream and said, “O my son! I have died, and am being brought to you for burial in Karbala, and my nose has been broken.” I awoke frightfully. After some days I received a letter from my brother stating the news of the demise of my mother. It was also written in it that her corpse was being sent to me at Karbala to be buried there. The people from the caravan who brought the corpse told me that the bier was kept in a guesthouse. I accepted the reality of the dream, but was confused regarding the statement my mother made that “my nose has been broken.” I lifted the sheet from her face and saw that her nose was broken. I asked the people of the caravan regarding it. They replied that when they brought my mother’s corpse here, they kept it in a guesthouse alongwith other corpses. Suddenly there ensued a quarrel amongst themselves, and in the collision the corpse fell down. Maybe that would have been the reason for it. I was grieved and took her corpse to the Shrine of Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) and placed it near the grave, and said, “O Abul Fazl! My mother was not serious about Prayers (Namaz) and Fasting (Roza), and sometimes neglected it. Now she lies here near you, so please ward off her difficulty. O my Master! I take responsibility to offer fifty years of the elapsed (Qaza) Namaz and Roza on her behalf.” Then I buried her but later forgot to fulfill my promise.

After some days I dreamt that some people had gathered in front of my house. I came out and saw that my mother was bound to a tree, and was being lashed severely. I screamed and asked them the reason for this punishment. They replied that they had been commanded by Hazrat Abbas (a.s.) to punish her until so and so amount is not paid on her behalf. I entered my house and brought the money and gave it to them. Then I untied my mother, and took her inside my house. I got up from my dream and calculated the sum, and found it to be equal to the amount for the performance of fifty years of elapsed Namaz and Roza. I took the money and went to the great Aalim of our time Sayyed Ali, and requested him to do the necessary arrangement to offer the elapsed Namaz and Roza of fifty years on behalf of my mother. The author of the book Mirza Husain Noori says, that the above incident is stated here to demonstrate the severity of the punishment due to laziness in worship, and sanctity of the places of Pilgrimage (Ziyarat).

Reference:Manazelul Akherah Shk Abbas Qummi (ra)