Shaykh Baqir Kazmi narrates that there was a righteous and
pious scholar in Najaf, named Shaykh Husain Rahim. He was in
dire circumstances and involved in poverty. He was so ill that he
expectorated blood. He used to roam the surroundings for more
livelihood, but was unable even to get enough for his needs;
despite such circumstances, he was desirous of marrying into a
family of Najaf. But the bride’s folks did not accept his proposal
due to his meager income. At last in those calamities he became
attentive to the cure, which is well known among the people of
Najaf. That one who spends forty Friday eves in Masjid Kufa, he
will be honored with meeting Hazrat Hujjat and succeed in his
aims.
The late Shaykh Baqir narrates: Shaykh Husain said: I
observed this ritual for forty nights and on the fortieth night,
when it was a cold dark windy night and rain was falling, I
somehow managed to reach the Masjid and sat at the gate. At that
time my illness of expectorating blood was severe. I did not enter as I expected that I would need to spit. I was restless due to the
cold. My chest was bursting of pain, and along with it was the
concern and grief that it was the fortieth night. I had undergone
such hardships for coming there and so far there was no result. I
had brought some black coffee with me. I lit a fire to warm it.
Suddenly I decried a person coming from outside. I thought it
was a nomad from the surrounding areas and he was approaching
me to share the black coffee. I became irritated that if I shared it,
nothing will be left for myself. That person came near and
greeted me by my name. I replied to him, but could not recognize
him. I was baffled that who that acquaintance was. Perhaps he
was a resident of a suburb of Najaf, which I frequented. So I
asked him if he was from such and such tribe? He replied: No. I
asked: Are you from so and so group? He replied: No. I asked
him if he belonged to that congregation? He again replied: no.
After that I uttered some words of meaningless ridicule, at which
he smiled and said: No matter where I belong to. Tell me what is
the purpose of your visit? I said: Since you are not telling me
about yourself I will also not tell you. He said: There is no harm
in telling me about you. This time his sweet words and elegant
manners affected me such that I became inclined to him. I at once
presented the pot of coffee to him. He tasted some and returned it
to me saying: You drink it. I quaffed it unthinkingly and also
said: By the grace of God, you are my companion in this solitude.
Let us go to the shrine of Muslim and we can talk there. He said:
All right, but tell me about yourself. Then I explained my
circumstances to him including my illness and my failure of
getting married in the Najaf family. I also said: The folks of Kufa
have subjected me to further trouble by suggesting that if I spend forty Friday nights in Masjid Kufa, I will be able to meet Imam
Zamana (a.s.) and all my problems will also be solved. So I
performed this ritual undergoing untold hardships. Today is the
fortieth night, but till now, I have not seen any result. He said:
You will be cured of your malady and you will also get married;
but you will remain poor as long as you live. I paid no heed to his
statements and asked: Are you not coming to the shrine of
Muslim? He said: All right, get up. After that both of us started
and when we reached the area of the Masjid, he said: Recite the
prayer of honoring the Masjid. He also recited it and I stood
behind him at some distance and started the prayer. I had recited
the Takbiratul Ahraam and was reciting Surah Fatiha when his
voice of reciting Surah Hamd fell on my ears in such a tone that I
had never heard before. The beauty of his tone made me think
that perhaps he was the Imam of the Time (a.s.). Suddenly in that
condition of prayers an effulgence surrounded him from all sides
dazzling my eyes and my body was trembling, but I was so
terrified that I could not even discontinue the prayer. Somehow I
completed the prayer, but I saw that the effulgence was rising up.
Suddenly I wailed aloud and that light was seen approaching the
tomb of Muslim. I wept in excess and unable to move. I
continued sitting there and regretted my misdemeanors so much
that the morning broke. When I recalled his statements and
contemplated on it, neither was there a pain in my chest nor any
cough. Not even a week passed when the Almighty Allah eased
the matter of my marriage and my Nikah was held with the girl I
was intending. But as per the saying of the Imam, my poverty continued as the Imam had predicted by the praise of Allah
Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 53, pp. 240-243