Miracles of Ziyarat Ashura
The celebrated Muhaddith, Mirza Husayn Noori has chronicled this incident in his Najmus Saqib.
‘A trader by the name of Sayyed Rashti had the good fortune of visiting Najaf. This person was a very sincere Mumin. The noted scholar of that era, Shaykh Ali Rashti came to my house and introduced me to that trader, Sayyed Rashti. He then mentioned about a very strange incident that occurred with the latter. However, I was too occupied at that time to really inquire into that episode. I decided to ask him some other time.
After a few years, I had the opportunity of visiting Najaf. By some strange coincidence I met the same trader, Sayyed Rashti. He was to return home after his visit to Samarrah. I had lost my way when he advised, ‘Pray Salat Shab, you shall soon find your way’. I occupied myself in praying Salat. On its completion I stepped out of the mosque, when I met him again.
He exclaimed, ‘You are still here!’ I said, ‘By Allah, I do not know my way.’ Then he recommended, ‘Recite Ziyarat Jamia.’ Although I had recited the Ziyarat several times in the past, I had not memorized it. But on that day, I could recite the entire Ziyarat very easily. Later, by same strange coincidence I met that person again.
Again he said with amazement, ‘You have not gone as yet! ’ I broke into tears and confessed once again my helplessness in finding the way. This time he suggested recitation of Ziyarat Ashura to relieve me of my helplessness. My problem with Ziyarat Ashura was the same as with Ziarat Jamia. I had not committed the Ziyarat to memory nor its dua. But somehow I recited the complete Ziyarat along with the curses and salam and dua Alqamah.
Later, I chanced upon that person once again and he asked me the same question once more. I replied that I had still not found my way and would be here till the next morning. He volunteered, ‘I will reunite you with your caravan with which you have got separated.’ He went and returned mounted on a steed with his shovel on his left shoulder, He approached me and said, ‘Mount the horse!’ I did likewise. I caught hold of the reins and beckoned the horse to move ahead, but the horse did not budge. He said, ‘Give me the reins.’ I surrendered the reins to him. He shifted the shovel to his left shoulder and took the reins in his right hand.
I witnessed with amazement that the horse began trotting forward calmly and started covering the distance with minimum fuss. After a while he placed his hand on my thigh and remarked, ‘Why don’t you pray the Nafelah?’ Then he reiterated thrice, ‘Pray Nafelah, Nafelah, Nafelah! ’ Then he remarked, ‘Why don’t you recite Ziyarat Ashura?’ Then he again repeated thrice, ‘Recite Ziyarat Ashura, Ashura, Ashura!’ I then asked him to narrate the incident. He then proceeded to recount the incident accurately without any exaggeration.
He narrated, ‘This incident occurred in 1280 A.H. when I had left Rasht for Hajj. I had halted at Haji Safar Ali’s house, the latter being a respected trader from Tabriz. Since I was not affiliated to any caravan, I was a little concerned and was on the lookout for someone. After sometime I saw a caravan led by Haji Jabbar Isfahani headed for the city of Tabruzan. I decided to unite with it. We had only proceeded a little when some 15 more persons attached themselves with the caravan.
Mulla Baqir Tabrizi, Haji Sayyed Husayn Tabrizi, Haji Ali Zami and I kept walking till we arrive at Arzantehur Rum. From there we departed for Tabruzan. Earlier, Haji Jabbar had cautioned us about that the perilous area between Arzantehur Rum and Tabruzan. He warned us never to disengage from the caravan. Daybreak was another 2 hours to 2 and half hours away. We proceeded from that place. We had barely traversed a quarter to a half of a farsakh when we saw dark clouds looming in the horizon. And soon those threatening clouds engulfed us in darkness. Soon there was a hailstorm, and we all were protecting ourselves and moving briskly ahead at the same time.
I made every effort to keep pace with the others in the group. But unable to keep up, ultimately I found myself separated from the group. I felt totally lost in the darkness of that blizzard. I got off my horse to rest awhile on the side of the path. I was wary and a little fearful of being looted for the 600 tuman that I had with me. I decided to discontinue my journey at that place till daybreak.
Then in the morning I would retrace my footsteps back to where I had started. There I would seek some escort who could guide me back to the caravan. I was still deliberating over my next course of action when across the road I happened to notice a garden. Strangely, there was also a gardener, who was removing the snowflakes that had accumulated on the plants.
On seeing me, he advanced towards me. He stopped at a distance and asked, ‘Who are you?’ I replied, ‘I have got separated from my companions’ He replied, ‘Why don’t you recite Ziyarat Jamia? Recite Ziyarat Jamia, Jamia, Jamia!!!’ Then we proceeded on his horse. After while he turned to me and beckoned, ‘See, there are your companions by the riverbank. They are performing wuzu for Salat al Fajr.’ I dismounted from his horse. I tried to mount my own steed, but couldn’t.
He himself came forward and helped me get on my horse, and then directed my horse towards the caravan. It was while moving ahead that I began thinking about that person. Who was this person who conversed with me in my own language (Persian) when that area was only inhabited by Turks who were Christians? How did he manage to unite me with my group so effortlessly?
When I turned back again, there was no on sight, and there was no trace of that person who seemed to have vanished in thin air!!! Anyhow I went towards the caravan, and finally I was united with my companions.
(Najmus Saqib, Chapter 7, Hikayat 344, Mafatihul Jinaan)
Miracles of Ziyarat e Ashura – P.E.T Publications