In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
- An Interesting Point About the Imamzadehs of Markazi Province
I am very grateful to the dear brothers and different activists in Markazi province who have thought about launching this valuable movement and commemorating and reviving the memory of our dear and esteemed martyrs in that province. The gentlemen in the meeting pointed out that Markazi Province has 6,200 martyrs, but perhaps there were more great martyrs in the past as well.
Most probably, many of the Imamzadehs [the direct progeny of the Imams (pbut)] who have been buried throughout that province were martyred. I have visited the tomb of His Eminence Sultan Sayyid Ahmad in Hazaveh, who is one of our ancestors. The condition of the tomb shows that the great Sayyid [the progeny of the Imams (pbut)] was not buried there in normal circumstances. The condition of the tomb shows that an incident took place, and that there was a confrontation and an issue.
The same is true of others. This is because many Imamzadehs are buried in Arak. I have visited, several times, the tombs of Imamzadehs in that province including the tombs of Imamzadehs in Saruq which have different parts and where many Imamzadehs are buried there. Those tombs show clearly that that place was a center of martyrdom. When those great Sayyids moved towards a safe place – in those days, Iran was a safe area for them – one of the areas close to them and on their way was an area which we refer to as Markazi province today.
Here, either they would be pursued and then martyred or they would start a movement. And most probably, the latter is the case. They would do something against the oppressive system of those days and they would be martyred as a result.
I hope that God will help the people of that area benefit from the blessings of the martyrs there, as the Iranian nation is thankfully benefiting from the blessings of martyrs today.
- The Significance of the Memoirs of Martyrs and of Their Family Members
As for the congress on martyrs that you pointed out, all the tasks that the gentlemen in the meeting pointed to are very good tasks. Some of them are very good and very essential tasks. We become happy when we see that attention has thankfully been focused on these sensitive areas. For example, the plan to narrate the memoirs of martyrs in a mosque is a very important task. The memoirs of the parents of martyrs and of the spouses of the martyrs of the imposed war and the Sacred Defense Era are things which are at our disposal like a precious jewel.
If we ignore them, they will be gone, as many of them are already gone. Many of martyr’s parents have passed away. Many suffer from amnesia. That is while every martyr is a collection of lessons for anyone who wants to contemplate the condition of a martyr. When you read about the condition of each and every martyr, you will find things amidst their lives and their circumstances during the Sacred Defense Era and in the arena of war which are all instructive and valuable.
Generally speaking, we should know that those who engaged in jihad and who were martyred were outstanding individuals. And it does not matter if they were young or old. If they had not been prominent personalities, Allah the Exalted would not have bestowed on them the blessing of martyrdom. The very fact that Allah the Exalted has honored such youth, teenagers, elderly and middle-aged individuals with the honor of martyrdom in the way of God shows that they had a special privilege.
When you read their memoires and biographies – if they are written carefully – you see that signs of this prominence exists in their condition, their moves and their statements. One really becomes astonished at the level of the insight of those who had this high and lofty characteristic. This shows itself when one listens to their statements.
- The Outstanding Characteristic of Disabled War Veterans
Of course, these statements were about martyrs. Disabled war veterans are the same in another way. The same is true of them. The warriors who did not lose the path and who continue to take that path and that orientation are distinct as well. Each and every one of them has a different chapter. We need to highlight and underline their memory in the country on a daily basis because it is really a source of boosting morale, giving hope and guiding one’s path.
One of the points that should definitely be considered when preparing the memoirs of martyrs, their parents, their interviews and the likes is that we should ask and they should answer what motives those youth had for going to the frontlines and what the motive of their spouse and their parents was for letting them go in the way of God after having cultivated that seedling.
Their motive was working for God. They wanted to gain divine satisfaction. They wanted to engage in dhikr and to say the name of the Master of Martyrs [Imam Hussain (pbuh)]. The condition of our battlefields manifests this clearly. You should not allow this to become outdated and to pass to oblivion.
You should not allow others to have the opportunity to deny this role because they will deny it, as some people dare open their mouths to explicitly deny some of the clear realities of the Revolution. They will deny this as well. So, the memoirs of martyrs should be highlighted and underscored. In any case, this is a great blessing for you. You should consider this a blessing for yourselves.
Another point which was also witnessed in the statements of the gentleman is that such congresses and gatherings and the activities that are done therein are only the beginning. This is completely correct. This is a completely correct statement. It is not the case that we say, “we have organized a big congress, we have published some books and the like and therefore, our duties are over.” No, this is not the case. These activities are only the beginning of our work. You should follow up this path.
Our youth should become familiar with revolutionary teachings and the lessons of the Sacred Defense Era. Our teenagers should become familiar with them. Well, this has thankfully been done over the years. Many of these tasks have already been accomplished. Today, we can see youth who have neither seen the war, nor Imam, nor do they have a memory of that era for themselves and for their families. However, they know and they understand divine teachings like the youth of the revolutionary era and sometimes, they even have a deeper understanding. This is a divine blessing. Therefore, we should not forget this path.
I hope that God will help you and will bestow His blessings on you, God willing.
- Who Was Karbalai Kadhim?
As for the late Karbalai Kadhim whom you mentioned, I met him as well. I saw him two times in Mashhad. Once, he came with the late Navvab [Shahid Navvab Safavi] and we saw an old man with a robe around his shoulders and a hat on his head. When they were walking, the late Navvab would push him forward. One of the places that he visited was the Navvab School where we used to study. When he came to see the seminarians of the school, everyone was naturally paying attention to the late Navvab Safavi. He was constantly talking when moving and when standing still and he was busy exciting others, but he also kept pushing the old man forward.
We asked who he was and he answered, “He is Karbalai Kadhim.” Another time – I do not remember if it was on the same trip or on another trip because a long time has passed since then – he was sitting in Goharshad Mosque next to the minaret situated at Maqsurah porch. And some people had gathered around him. One of our friends who was from Qom knew him and said, “It is Karbalai Kadhim. Let us go see and talk to him.” So, we approached him.
He was carrying a Quran. Someone was reading an ayah and Karbalai would open the Quran, turning the pages to find the ayah. That is while he could not read. He was illiterate, but he knew where the ayah was. He would point to it with his fingers. I saw this myself. He himself was carrying the Quran. It was his own Quran. When someone recited an ayah, he would open the Quran and he would point at it.
That friend of ours said, “In some of our scholarly books – for example in our fiqhi and usuli books – there are Quranic ayahs. They sometimes open a page, point to a text, and ask Karbalai if there is the text of the Quran in it. He is illiterate, but he puts his hand on the text and he says that this part of the text is from the Quran, but the rest is not! So, they ask him, ‘How could you tell?’ He answers, ‘The part from the Quran is shining and brilliant. When there is a Quranic ayah, I can clearly see it as it shines brightly and thus, I figure out that it is from the Quran.’”
Yes, the late Karbalai Kadhim was one of the miracles of the Quran and I managed to visit him in the shabestan of that great Imamzadeh – actually, that was the place where he received this gift.
I hope that you will be successful, God willing.
Greetings be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings
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