Moment by Moment: Expectation The advent of Al-Qa’im- Part 2-5

In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Merciful

Part 2: How Can We Become a Person Expecting al-Qa’im (PBUH)?

2-5- Keeping alive the remembrance of the Imam (PBUH)

One of our important duties during the time of occultation is to remember our Imam (PBUH) more often in gatherings and in private, and to make gatherings for his remembrance:

عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع) يَقُولُ: شِيعَتُنَا الرُّحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمُ الَّذِينَ إِذَا خَلَوْا ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ. إِنَّ ذِكْرَنَا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ. إِنَّا إِذَا ذُكِرْنَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ عَدُوُّنَا ذُكِرَ الشَّيْطَانُ.

I heard Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) saying, “Our Shia are compassionate among each other. When they hold a private meeting, they remember Allah. Verily, the remembrance of us is of the remembrance of Allah. When we are remembered, Allah has been remembered, and when our enemy is remembered, Satan has been remembered.”[[1]]

It is also narrated:

عَنْ معتب مَولى أَبي عبدِ الله (ع) قال: سَمِعتُهُ يَقولُ لِداودَ بنِ سَرحان: يا داودُ أَبلِغْ مَوالِيَّ عَنِّي السَّلامَ وَ أَنّي أَقولُ رَحِمَ الله ُ عَبداً اجْتَمعَ مَعَ آخرٍ، فَتذاكرَ أَمرَنا فَإِنَّ ثالِثَهُما مَلَكٌ يَستَغفِرُ لهَما. وَ ما اجتمعَ اْثنانِ عَلى ذِكرِنا إِلّا باهىَ الله ُ تَعالى بِهِمَا الملائكةُ. فَإِذَا اجْتَمَعتُم فَاشتَغلِوا بِالذِّكِر، فَإنَّ فِي اجْتماعِكُم وَ مُذاكرتِكُم إِحياءُنا. وَ خَيرُ النّاسِ مِن بَعدِنا مَن ذاكرَ بِأَمرِنا وَ دَعا إلى ذِكرِنا.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said to Dawud Ibn Sarhan, “O Dawud, offer my greetings to my friends and deliver this message to them that Allah blessed a servant who gathers with another to make remembrance of our matter, and in that case, the third among them is an angel who asks forgiveness for them. When two servants gather for our remembrance, Allah recounts His glory to His angels (for having such servants). Thus, when you gather spend your time in remembrance (of us). Verily, your gathering and your remembrance makes us live. And the best people after us are those who remind one another to our matter and invite to our remembrance.”[[2]]

Ibn Sa’d al-Azdi has narrated:

اِبنُ سَعد عَنِ الأَزديِّ عَن أَبي عَبدِ اللهِ (ع) قال: قال لِفَضَيل: تَجلِسونَ وَ تُحَدِّثونَ؟ قال: نَعَمْ جُعِلتُ فِداكَ. قال: إِنَّ تِلكَ المجالسَ أُحِبُّها فَأَحيَوا أَمرَنا. يا فُضَيلُ! فَرَحِمَ الله ُ مَن أَحيا أَمَرنا. يا فُضَيلُ! مَن ذَكَرَنا أَو ذُكِرْنا عِندَهُ، فَخرجَ مِن عَينهِ مِثلَ جَناحِ الذَّبابِ، غَفرَ الله ُ لَه ذُنوبَهُ وَ لَو كانَت أَكثرَ مِن زَبَدِ البَحرِ.

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) asked Fudhail Ibn Yasar, “Do you assemble with your friends and narrate traditions?” He said, “Yes, may I be sacrificed for you.” He (PBUH) said, “I hold dear such gatherings as it will revive our matter. May Allah have mercy on him who revives our matter. O Fudhail! He who remembers us or is reminded about us, and this brings tears to his eyes even to the extent of a wing of a fly, Allah will forgive his sins even if they are greater than the foam of the sea.”^[[3]^]