Mother’s compassion is exemplary. She is caring about her child’s health and comfort during the day. when the child is sleeping, the mother is still thinking of her child. God, who is the Most Compassionate of all, has placed an extraordinary love in mother’s heart for her child, to the extent that she goes beyond her comfort and ease and stays awake the night to take care of her child. She endures sufferings and hardships without any wage or expectation, and does not hesitate to give her life and health for well-being, comfort, education and growth of her child. And this shows mother’s compassion and sacrifice towards her child.
The blessed heart of every Imam at any time is the center of all compassion, and mother’s compassion and love in its highest level is a ray of mercy of the Proof of God and a drop of the ocean of compassion of Imam Mahdi (a). (That is, mother’s passion compared to Imam’s is like a drop in the ocean)
Describing Imam and the Proof of God(Allah), Imam Rida (a) said:
“Imam is like a mother toward her little child.”
It is a very beautiful speech, meaning that the Twelfth Imam, who is now the Imam of all people of the world, is more compassionate to people than a mother toward her little child.
In this regard, another hadith has been narrated from Imam Rida (a) who states:
“Imam and the proof of God to the people is more compassionate than their fathers and mothers.”
Now that we have discussed motherly love; let us also talk a little about fathers. A father’s love is a kind of love which is accompanied with worry, compassion and concern. A father is always concerned about his children. He may seem to be (emotionally) distant from his children, but he always has a beating heart for them. If a compassionate father sees that his child is making a mistake and is going astray, he would kindly prevent him and stop his falling by any means.
If a child is doing so much wrong actions that the father runs out of patience and shuns him; if the child acts so impolitely that his father forces him out of home; if the child carelessly stays all the day in the streets; when the night comes, he would remember his father and father’s house, so he would return to the father and it is when he would see that his father has been worried and waiting for him.
That he has been waiting long for him and he may have even left the house’s door half open, so that his child comes back; that, he had gone to the top of the alley waiting for him and he had been worried what would happen to his child in the darkness and insecurity of the streets!
Imam’s (a) passion is like that of that passionate father, who did not spare any guidance. Imam’s (a) passion is even more, as it is mentioned in the above hadith of Imam al-Rida (a) that Imam (a) is kinder than a father; and he (a) truly is; as the Prophet (a) several times introduced himself and Imam Ali (a) the fathers of people.
The honorable Prophet of Islam (s) said,
“I and Ali (a) are fathers of these people.”
And it is also true about all Imams (a) that “all of them are one light”; meaning that all Imams (a) have this quality and in our time, the Twelfth Imam (a) has this quality and kindness. Thus, we are spiritual children of Imams (a).
Under the mentioned hadith, Imam al-Rida (a) said,
“Surly, the Prophet’s (a) passion for his people is like a father’ passion toward his child and…”
And after the Prophet (s), Imam Ali’s (a) passion toward people is like the noble Prophet’s (s) passion toward them.
Then, Imam al-Rida (a) said that it was the reason that the Prophet (a) said,
“I and Ali (a) are fathers of these people…”
In another hadith, Imam Ali (a) mentioned this sentence and said, “I heard from the noble Prophet (s) that he (a) said, ‘and our right upon them is greater than the right of a father upon his children”; meaning that it is far greater than the relationship of a father and a child.
A compassionate father feels responsible toward his child and cares for him.
A father, much more than minding about his own comfort, thinks of his child’s comfort and tries to provide him with the best of facilities. In fact, a father and a mother do good to their children.
We should believe that Imam al-Mahdi’s (a) love for us is greater than that of a compassionate father or mother.
This cannot be found but in the blessed personality of Imam (a); because, in the relationship between parents and their children, sometimes, due to the child’s impoliteness and the bad relationship between him and the parents, they reject the child against their genuine will and do not forgive him or let him into the house, but the mercy of the Proof of God, the compassionate Imam al-Mahdi (a) is always open to us; and with all our negligence, sins and impolite actions, he (a) would accept us with open arms any time we become regretful and turn to him.
We see a beautiful example of returning to Imam’s (a) arms in the event of Karbala, which was the return of Hurr b. Riyahi to Imam al-Husayn’s (a) arms. Not only he (a) accepted Hurr, but also forgave his wrongdoing without mentioning it and Hurr reached the happiness of both worlds. (while, Hurr b. Riyahi was the commander of the enemy’s army some minutes ago; Imam al-Husayn (a) guided him, forgave his error and accepted him. Then, he became martyred at the feet of Imam al-Husayn (a) and went to the eternal Paradise.)
Now, reflecting upon this beautiful and passionate speech of Imam al-Mahdi (a) would make us familiar with manifestations of his mercy to some extent.
He (a) said,
“I am neither unconcerned about caring you, nor am I forgetful about you.”
What a beautiful and invigorating speech! With all our needs to Imam al-Mahdi (a), we are negligent about him, but with all his needlessness toward us, he (a) is always thinking of us and caring for us through his mercy. He (a) does good to us in return for our wrong deeds.
Sayyid b. Tawus, a Shiite scholar narrated, “in a dawn, in the blessed basement (of Imam’s (a) house in Samarra), I heard this supplication from Imam al-Mahdi (a), may our souls be at his ransom,
‘O God, You have created our Shiites from our light and our nature. They have committed many sins relying on our love and wilaya. If their sins are of a type which is in relation with You, forgive them and You make us content; and those sins of them which are in relation with themselves, You correct them and give them from the khums which is our right so that they become content and save them from the fire of the hell and do not gather them in Your wrath together with our enemies.’”
Ibn Tawus also mentioned in his Muhijj al-da‘awat,
“In the eve of Wednesday, Dhu al-Qa‘da al-Haram, 637 AH, I was in Samarra. At the dawn, I heard that Imam (a) was praying this supplication about his Shiites,
‘O God, for the right of the one who supplicated to You and the right of the one who called You in the land and in the sea [meaning himself], provide the poor believers with wealth, and the sick ones among them with health, and their living ones with mercy, and their dead ones with forgiveness and mercy, and their travelling and the homesick ones among them with safe return home.’”
Are these words but a prayer of a passionate and concerned father for his children?
That is why Imam al-Rida (a) said, “Imam (a) is a passionate father.”
Now, let’s talk about brotherhood; and Imam (a) is like that brother who has been born with a person, as if they have been one like a date kernel and later they have been splatted. It is as if he (a) considers that person a part of himself and loves us so. He (a) does not consider his lovers separate from himself and considers them parts of himself.
The word “shaqiq” is derived from “shaqqa” meaning “half of something”. “al-akh al-shaqiq” in the words of Imam al-Rida (a) means a twin brother, as if each of them is one half for the other. Two brothers who have such a relationship will naturally develop a warm emotional brotherly love between themselves.
A loyal brother has some characteristics which makes him irreplaceable even by the father and the mother. Two brothers are usually support, reassurance and solace for each other.
Any time such a bond of brotherhood is mentioned, immediately the martyred commander of Karbala, Abu al-Fadl (a) is remembered. He was such a loyal brother to Imam al-Husayn (a) and each of the two honorable men deeply felt the brotherhood loyalty in the other (study the event of ‘Ashura in Karbala in this regard)
When a passionate father sees that his son is going astray and making mistake, he would kindly prevent his son from error and save him from falling in deviation by any means possible. A true brother would never leave his brother alone in distress and hardships; and the one who has a brother like himself, would never feel alone.
A kind mother would love her child more than herself and is ready to take all problems instead of her child to prevent him from having hardship and afflictions. All these and much more exist in the personality of Imam al-Mahdi (a) and God has assigned such an honorable person as the educator and guardian for His servants.
One who accepts the wilaya of such an Imam (a), has placed himself under the shelter of his support and mercy of such a person and will no longer be worried about any danger. What father can be found any kinder, more aware, more competent, more pious, more knowledgeable about God and more helpful?
When a baby cannot still walk or a child wants to step into darkness for the first time, would take his father’s hand. Then, even if he closes his eyes, he would be sure to reach the destination and would not go astray. Servants of God are like children who should take hold of the hand of their father and educator (i.e. Imam al-Mahdi (a)) and pass the way of God’s servitude to stay safe from the evil of Satan in this path. (Read … in this regard)
However, a person, who does not have an Imam (a) and has not acknowledged the wilaya of such a person, is like an orphan who does not know the way himself, and with playful movements wants to pass the way great people have slipped in. Would it be possible?
Such a person has no support and finds himself without any support in problems, but the people of knowledge consider Imam (a) their support.
For their people, Imams (a) are so: a brother with fatherly responsibility and motherly passion. If we add these three kindnesses together, we find out how Imam’s (a) love is toward his friends. All these three attributes of Imam (a) convey one message which is Imam al-Mahdi’s (a) great love for people.
It is the meaning of hadith from Imam al-Rida (a) who said,
“Imam (a) is an affable friend and kind father and good mother to a small child and refuge of the servants in serious calamity.”
This great divine blessing should be appreciated.
Now, we see an Imam (a), who is the Proof of God for the servants, is this kind; then, see how the Almighty God is Kind who is the Creator of all creations. We mention a hadith in this regard which is very beautiful.
The Prophet (a) said,
“Surly, Allah(God) has a hundred mercies. He sent one mercy in this world among jinns, humans, quadrupeds and reptiles, through which, God shows mercy over their children; and postponed 99 other mercies with which, He will show mercy upon His servants on the Day of Judgement (in the hereafter).”
It means that all the mercy the creations in this world receive is only one part of a hundred mercies of God and He has held 99 parts for His servants on the Day of Judgement.
So, wherever you are in the world, call this clement father, Imam al-Mahdi (a) and say “O Aba Salih al-Mahdi (a), you take our hands and guide us toward One, Merciful God.”
Source :
Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 200.
Tuhaful Ughul , p, 439.
Biharul Anwar , Vol. 25 , p.124 , h 4.
Biharul Anwar , Vol. 16 , p.95.
Biharul Anwar , Vol. 23 , p.259.
Sahih ibn haban, Vol.14, p.160.
