I begin in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. To Him belongs all the greatest names. To Him belongs the heavens and the earth and what lies in them. He is the Master of universes and the Sustainer for all creation and He alone deserves to be worshipped.

The turquoise dome of the holy mosque stands like a sublime kingdom in the setting rays of the bright sunlight. The feet feel tired from the walk till the gates of this holy mosque. It feels like a desert with hot wind making one bear the hardships and suffering. This makes this visit more rewarding. When one arrives within the courtyards the eyes shine from the majesty of the great mosque, the hardships forgotten, the suffering ended and the heart fills with hope and expectations on this auspicious evening. The cool breezes sweeps through the courtyards of the sacred vicinity making the place feel like a winter’s evening and as one walks towards the sacred mosque and through these winds it feels as if the angels have just descended from the upper heavens to aid the pilgrims at this holy place.

Every night at this place is blessed but tonight holds a special meaning. Every shia on this night longs to be here, to feel the movement of angels, to see the sublime kingdom, to absorb the privilege of this meeting. To say ‘Labayk’ on the call of the Imam of the time Al –Mahdi the one who is the guide, the one who is the master and the one who is the leader in these days of hardship.

The turquoise dome mosque is a refuge for me as it is for hundreds of people within it. The atmosphere inside reflected a sombre mood as the lips were busy in His remembrance, the soul wished for purity while the heart searched contentment in his presence. It searched for the bliss through contentment but how can this contentment be achieved with ziyarat of the Imam when our sins strike him as arrows when he examines the scrolls of our deeds. He weeps at our sins, our transgressions… he weeps to see us being ignorant and in sleep negligence.

He suffers through the pain and the tragedies that had befallen his family… he looks upon us with hope and expectations. He wants us to feel his pain, to share his sorrow and to work harder for his return so the injustice can end, the peace can prevail. Even then we cannot begin to feel his pain… only Allah (s.w.t) knows how he endures the tragedy of Karbala year after year when he remembers the sacrifices of his grandfather on the plains of Karbala… the way Imam Hussain without thought abandoned Medina for the sake of Allah (s.w.t), left Mecca for the sake of Allah (s.w.t). Gave his Asgher to the treacherous arrows, gave the chest of his son Al Akbar to the dagger, the arms of his Abbas to the Euphrates and the veil of his sister Zainab (sa) to Shmir. Even till this day the Imam feels the grief and sorrow of that day in Karbala. Imagine that hour of the day when his grandfather all alone in the battle fields cries out “Hal Min Nasir Yansurna… Hal Min Nasir Mugesoona”. Imagine how this would have pierced the heart of our Imam due to the pain when no one rose from the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah . He wants us to wake up and be the one to answer that call which still sounds on the plain of Karbala till today, where angels still dwell in hope to be in the army of the Imam to avenge the blood of Imam Hussain (as).

O Imam (as) , we your followers are not worthy of standing next to you but for the sake of blooded sand of Karbala accept us as your soldiers…O Imam (as) , enlighten our souls with your purity, enlighten our hearts with your honour and enlighten our eyes with your light… O Imam become our guide on this path of awakening and May we be blessed with your grace and intercession in the world and also in the hereafter.

We long for You, the Awaited One.

Labayk Ya Mahdi (as)