Miraculous Healing by Imam Reza(A.S.)

Visiting the holy Shrines, an act of "nearness to Allah" Miraculous Healing by Imam Reza(A.S.) Imam Reza's Miracle in Austria The Blind Cured The Barren Woman's Wishes Fulfilled Miraculous Healing account of a mute person Marvelous Healing account of a disabled person Miracolous Healing account of Sayyid Mohammd A boy from Bukhara Regains his Eyesight Wonderful Healing account of a young Christian A Gorgani woman recovers her Health An old blind man recovers his eyesight A blind person Regains his eyesight Imam Reza's(A.S.) assistance to a Pilgrim Amazing Account of a Blind Man from Tabriz A Disabled Woman is Healed An Impresseive Account of a Blind Girl A Blind Girl Recovers Her Eyesight A Disabled Man is Healed A Paralyzed Woman is Healed A Sabzewari Blind Woman Regains her Eyesight A Disabled Child is Healed Splendid Healing Account of a Nine-Year-Old Girl Astonishing Healing Account of Mirza Ahmad Ali Hindi Magnificent Healing Account of a Mute Girl A Kermani Blind Woman Recovers Her Eyesight Miraculous Healing Account of a Mute Man Imam Reza's (A.S.) Assistance to a Woman from Azghadeh Imam Reza's(A.S.) Assistance to the Pilgrims from Bahrain Miraculous Healing Account of Allameh Haj Sheikh Mohammad Baqer Miraculous Healing Account of Sheikh Muhammad Husayn Ghomsheie Glorious Healing Account of Hajj Sayyid Muhammad Ali Jazayeri A Blind Man Recovers his Eyesight Sultan Sanjar's Son's Exciting Healing Account Helping a Pilgrim to Find his Life Partner A Pilgrim Receives Warm Bread Sayyid Sistani's Stimulating Recovery A Blind Person Regains his Eyesight Abdul Rahim's Wife Recovers her Health Visiting the holy Shrines, an act of "nearness to Allah" The following article is a translation of an excerpt from "Ruh-e-Mojarrad", a biographical account of a major Shi'i mystic, Sayyid Hashem Musawi Haddad, as narrated by Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Hussain Hussaini Tehrani - Quddisa Sirrruh (May his tomb be heavenly blessed), translated by Ali-Quli Qarai, the editor of Al-Tawhid theological quarterly, No particular miracle was observed to have been performed by Hadrat Imam Reza( A.S). during the ten days of the Sayyid Haddad's stay in the holy land so that this nondescript may write about it. But the people who had come from distant places seeking relief from their illness sat around in one special area of the shrine's courtyard and many of them had tied themselves to the lattice within the shrine or to the one in the large courtyard. One day the topic of miracles related to the Eighth Holy Imam came up during his conversations. He gave an explanation whose summary is as follows: The Station of Wilayah The very existence of the Imams is a miracle, and all their acts, in life and death, are miraculous. One should not look for their miraculous character in unusual events or view their greatness from a tiny window. One who attains to the station of wilayah-not in theory but in practice- and becomes the Wali of God, and God his Wali, all his actions, character, and attributes become the actions, character, and attributes of God. Not that he becomes God, or that God separates from Himself something to give it to him, or - without separating it from Himself - He bestows upon him something similar to what He has and gives that to him. All such ideas are wrong and incorrect. Rather, due to the intensity of the purity and sincerity attained by the servant, he emerges from his metaphorical and imaginary being to become annihilated in the Divine Essence and God becomes manifest in him. That, his existence, reality and inner being become a clear mirror and a complete reflection of the Perfection, Beauty and Glory of the Essence of the One, becoming Godlike. However high a contingent being should rise it is impossible for it to receive anything from God or to be attributed with it. Basically, the meaning of sublimation and edification is no other than getting rid of the taints of (contingent) being and attaining to "Khulus" and "Ikhlas" in the path of God and traversing the degrees and stations of annihilation in Allah. It means nothing other than realization of pure servanthood and absolute prostration and unlimited humility. Wilayah does not mean obtaining Divine attributes in a station of independence and personal honor. Such an assumption is invalid, in conception and share in His attributes. This is also incorrect, in conception and reality. Wilayah means absolute slavehood vis-a-vis His absolute Lordship. It means absolute himility vis-s-vis His absolute Majesty. Wilayah at the plane of its absolute, perfect and complete degree means realization of all the ranks of servanthood and absolute annihilation and dissolution in His Sacred Essence. The limited and partial Wilayah mean realization of some of the stations of servanthood and annihilation in Divine Act, Name or attribute, or a temporary and partial dissolution in His Essence that has not reached the stage of complete actuality and has not completely traversed the phases of potentiality and receptivity. Hence the Wali of God who has realized complete Wilayah has no desire, will or choice of his own. Whatever desire, will or choice he displays are identical with the Attributes and Names of God, which are manifested in him. They are like the rays and light of the sun reflected in a mirror or clear water. This is the right and correct meaning of Wilayah. Hence the fact that the Imams possess the station of absolute and universal Wilayah does not mean that they can do whatever they like by themselves even if it is different and separated from the will of God. It also does not mean that they have a will similar to the will of God and wishes which they realize in the external world, as a gift from God, separately from the Divine will. Rather it means that there is no will in reality except one, and that is the will of God, that's all. To the majority of people, who, being blind and having diseased eyes, are veiled from the truth, the world appears as a dispersion of separate entities, isolated pieces and parts cut off from one another, to each of which they ascribe an independent being, and attribute an independent will, knowledge, power and life to each and every individual existent. But to individuals who have awakened from the slumber of neglect and emerged from the torpor of nature, concupiscence, anger and imagination, and who have cured their ailing eyes with the kohl of the vision of reality, the fact is revealed to them that: "There is nothing that has any efficiency in the realm of being except God; there is no knower in the realm of existence except God; there is none who is powerful in the realm of existence except God; there is no living being in the realm of existence except God; and there is no independent entity in the realm of existence except God." On this basis, all their will, knowledge and power are identical with the will, knowledge and power of God. All existent, from the lowest to the highest, from the beings of mulk to those of malakut, physical and spiritual, outward and inward, worldly and otherworldly, and, from among the existent of the world of nature, primal matter to the ultimate apex of actuality and perfection - all that exists, existed and will exist, are objects of their own creation (makhluqat), determining (maqdurat), and knowledge (ma'lumat), as all of them are the creatures of God. At this stage of Wilayah there is nothing that is conceivable except God. They do not exist, and God does, and their absolute being amounts to absolute non-being. Accordingly one should not look for mere performance of certain extraordinary feats and stupendous miracles from the station of Wilayah. Open your eyes and look at the sky and the earth, the stars and the heavens, trees, rocks and clay, the worlds of men, animals, plants and minerals, the realms of angels, demons and fairies - whatever you see and hear, all of them derive from Wilayah and are effects and aspects of Wilayah, its growth, its intelligence and excellence, open your eyes to the movements of the sun and the earth, the moon, the planets, and the stars, the Milky Way and all the other galaxies - all of them with their wonderful and splendid order derive from Wilayah and its characteristics. Open your eyes to your self, your beginning and your end, your development, your outward and your inward being, your sleep and awakening, your pauses and movements, your knowledge, power, and life - all of them derive from Wilayah and its properties. Hence should we see Wilayah only in the splitting of the moon, or the tasbih of the pebbles, or the laments of the pillar Hannanah, or in Amir al-Mu'minin Ali's raising of the dead, or the other miracles narrated of the Infallible Holy Imams, may Peace and God's benedictions be upon all of them, how shortsighted, superficial and unworthy a view that would be? It is like the ant in the knig's garden which, not seeing its flowers and basil, nor his vast kingly glory and majesty, nor his extensive sovereignty and authority, sees the king's beneficence in a grain that it draws towards its nest and his wrath in a drop of dew that descends into its nest. "What does the gnat know who is the master of this garden Born in springtime and fated to last till winter? Yes, here becomes manifest the truth of the words of the Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi concerning the vision of the people, who are blind to the cosmic character of the Divine Wilayah: "Truth, that King who created the pure and displayed so many crests in thee, Who hath kept thee so flourishing and lasting that the materialist hath thought thee (existent) from eternity.? Thanks (to God) we have come to know thy beginning: the prophets have told that sectet of thine. A man knows that a house is made (at some time or other); the spider which plays idly in it (knows) not (this). How should the gnat know of what date this garden is? - for "twas born in spring. and is death is in the (following) winter. The worm, that is born miserably in (dry) wood - how should it know the wood at the time when it was a (Sappy) shoot? And if the worm should know (this), it would be intellect in its essence; the worm would be (only) its (outward) form. Intellect shows itself (in many) guises, (but) like the Jinn is leagues removed them (in its real nature). It is above the angels - what occasion is there for (comparing it with) the Jinn? (But) you have the wings of gnat, you are flying downwards. Although your intellect is flying upward, the bird of your conventional notions is feeding below. Conventional knowledge is the bane of our souls; it is a borrowed thing, but we rest (at ease in the belief) that it is ours. It behooves us to become ignorant of this (worldly) wisdom;(rather) must we clutch at madness. Always flee from whatever you deem profitable to your (lower)self: drink poison and spill the water of life. Revile any one that praises you: lend (both) interest and capital to the destitute. Let safety go, and dwell in the place, of fear (danger): leave reputation behind and be disgraced and notorious. I have tried far-thinking (provident) intellect; henceforth I will make myself mad.) Or in the beautiful opening verses of Mathnavi which prefigure the entire diwan: (In every company I uttered my willful notes, I consorted with the unhappy and with them that rejoice. Every one became my friend from his own opinion; none sought out my secrets from within me. My secret is not far from my plaint, but ear and eye lack the light (whereby it should be apprehended). Body is not veiled from soul, nor soul from body, yet none is permitted to see the soul.) The Works of the Awliya of God Accordingly, the works of the Awliya' of God are the work of God and they can do everything, including curing the sick, raising the dead, and performing miraculous and extraordinary feats, dispensing in the materials of nature, as well as such works as can never be apprehended by empirical reason. But the important point is that then do not do anything that is not right and contrary to wisdom and expediency, and they do not take any step that might be harmful and detrimental for man. Because they are the Name of God, and God does not do anything that is futile, useless or frivolous. The acts of the awliya' of God are so subtle and precise and carried out namelessly and without any personal identity or display that, at times, they are themselves unaware of their own actions. They work while their own souls and imaginable bodies are unaware of it. A wali of God will not do anything that is contrary to the will of God and His pleasure even if he were to be cut to pieces and every limb of his body were to be mutilated and he were to be flayed alive. On this basis, when we see that the Infallible Holy Imams, may God's benedictions be upon all of them, with that greatness and their expansive spiritual and existential power, do not fulfill all the requests and desires of the people, that is for several reasons: Firstly, most of the prayers of the people are not serious and do not come from their hearts. Their prayers often arise from habit, imitation, reliance on outward causes and belief in imaginary notions. As a consequence their requests are not true prayers coming from their innermost selves; otherwise those same prayer would be answered were they to arise from a condition of destitution and total submission "Or He who answer the prayer of the destitute when he calls upon Him and removes his affliction?" (27:62) Secondly, their prayers are made mostly for the sake of personal benefits and in ignorance of general interests. That is, the person making the prayer seeks something specially for himself, and the answering of his prayer would imply that he should be divested of it. For example, someone makes recourse to the Holy Imam and appeals to him to be relieved from the oppression of his neighbor, while at home he himself constantly oppresses his own wife in a worse manner and no one knows about his misconduct. In this case, if God were to answer only his appeal concerning the neighbor and take him away, that would be an injustice towards the poor wife of this unjust man, for his oppressive conduct towards her would be left to continue. And were He to answer it in relation to all the oppressors, as required by the encompassment of his Names of Glory (asma' jalaliyyah), He would take away this man in the first place for oppressing his wife in his own house. But as men have always a good opinion of themselves, they do not consider their wrongdoing as evil. Rather, they do not see their own wrongdoing while they pray for relief from the wrondoings of others. This knid of prayer, too, is not answered, for its outcome will be destruction of all oppressors, including one making the prayer. Thirdly, the prayers made by people go mostly against their own interests. That is, they seek something and insist upon their needs on the basis of their own ideas and fancies, which if granted would be detrimental for them. But as they are veiled from reality and unaware of its secrets they imagine them to be to their benefit. People are mostly ignorant of spiritual and real benefits and harms; they conceive their profits and losses on the basis of their indulgent appetites, base worldly pleasures, and their greed for wealth, property and the like, regardless of whether that would bring them any peace of mind, liberate their spirits, or embroil them in further troubles and, on the whole, regardless of whether that would raise their rank and their degree of knowledge and proximity to God, whereas such thinking is contrary to their interests. It might be that a spoonful of sweetmeat would produce poison in one's body, and an excess of property and wealth would make one rebellious and unruly. It might be that a condition of health would lead one onto neglect, frolic and conceit and bodily power and strength might lead one to defeat his rival with consequent self-conceit and pride. Many examples can be given of such things. In such cases a greater and lasting harm would result from a small and passing benefit, and the people are themselves ignorant of it.Poor folk, they are after sport and play and in pursuit of passing pleasures, while they are ignorant of the pain, weariness and suffering of their own souls. Hadrat Haddad, may God sanctify his spirit, use to say: "I observe that in all the noble shrines, the people press themselves against the 'Zari' (the latticed chamber covering the tomb) and plead and pray with laments and tears; "Add one more patch to my patched garments and make them more cumbersome. Nobody says, "Take away these patches so that I become lighter and my dress simpler and finer!" The appeals made by the people mostly pertain to material things, although they are legitimate and lawful, like repayment of loan, need for working capital, purchasing house, marriage of a young daughter, cure of a sick person, giving of feast in the month of Ramadan, and the like. They are all good if they bring one closer to God and contribute to one's spiritual liberation, but not if they augment one's ego and personality and strengthen one's (worldly) being. Because this augmentation of one's being leads to the soul's heaviness and increases its separation from God, instead of bringing one nearer to Him and making the soul lighter and buoyant. An act is good and to a human being's real benefit if it leads to his nearness to God and liberates his soul, whether or not it is accompanied with natural and physical benefits. In other words, the human totality is not a totality like that of animals, plants and inanimate objects, in which all that matters is body and physique. The human being has a rational soul and possesses the capacity to rise to the highest of spiritual stations (a'la illiyyin), and hence were he to put all his concern in his body that would be a great loss, as that would amount to selling off the reality of one's being and the fruit of one's life for a paltry price and to be a loser in the competion of this world. In such cases, should the Holy Imams fulfill everyone's requests and answer the prayers of all, that would amount to working against their very interests. The Holy Imams are the reformers of the world of humankind. They are like physicians who prescribe an unpleasant diet, or hunger and abstinence and occasionally bitter medicines, injections and surgery. The wise do not violate the doctor's prescriptions, but the ignorant slaves of appetites or guardianless children do not follow them and dig their own graves with their own hands. However, as the very act of prayer and supplication is something desirable, those who resort to prayer do partake of spiritual reward and they come to feel relief, joy and vigor at the sublime thresholds of these shrines, receiving the benefit of worldly joy as well as worship. And occasionally we do observe that their appeals are answered if that is in their interest and sick persons at the verge of death recover fully and the blind and the paralyzed get cured and they return to their homes with their needs fulfilled. The Miracles of Hadrat Abd al-Azim The answering of appeals and requests is not confined to the blessed shrine of the Eighth Holy Imam. The same is true of all the blessed shrines. In our own lifetime we have heard so many miracles by each of these holy figures that they cannot be enumerated. Even this nondescript, during the days that he lived in Tehran, where he had very frequent honor of ziyarah of Hadrat Abd al-Azim, does not remember having prayed for anything in that blessed shrine without his prayer being granted. There was a cobbler at the end of the lane of Vizier Bathhouse where we resided. We used to take our shoes to him for repairs. One day he came crying to our house and narrated this episode to my father who was the 'alim' of that locality. I was small at that time but I remember the matter well. He said: "It is a habit with us, cobblers, to hold a handful of nails in our mouth while mending shoes. We take them out one by one and hammer it into the shoe, I had put a handful of the "black nails" (which are well-known, and are long and sharply pointed) in my mouth for this purpose when suddenly someone turned up. I began to talk to him, and forgetting the nails in my mouth I swallowed them. "At that moment I saw death in front of my eyes, seeing that my stomach and entrails will be torn into pieces. Without delay I closed shop and hurried towards Hadrat Abd al-Azim. I pressed my body against the Zari and said to him, "O noble sayyid! You know that I have a large family to support. All that I want from you is to restore my well-being." I was greatly upset. On emerging from the haram I sat down by the pond in the middle of the shrine's courtyard. Suddenly, I had a feeling of nausea and felt like vomiting. When I vomited I saw that all the nails were there." Miraculous Healing by Imam Reza(A.S.) As to the answering of the people's appeals by Hadrat Imam Reza(A.S.) they are beyond any estimation. This nondescript know some Armenians (Christians) in Tehran who would make votive offerings to Imam Reza(A.S.) and they would themselves travel to Mashhad and offer a sheep, carpet, gold or whatever that they had vowed, at the shrine. Marhum Muhaddith Qummi writes: "This author says: A great number of miracles have been mentioned in the books on miracles, especially in the "Uyun Akhbar al-Reza(A.S.), by Sheikh Saduq, may God's mercy be upon him, concerning the sacred tomb of Imam Reza(A.S.),though this place is not appropriate for their mention. So many of them appear in every era that there is no need to mention the occurrences of the past. He further writes: "It should not be a matter of surprise, for the miracles and extraordinary events that have appeared in these nobe shrines are so many as to be mutawatir, and more than what can be encompassed by anyone. During the last month of Shawwal, in the year 1343 (of the lunar Hijri calendar) (1922 AD) three women, each of whom was bedridden on account of colic or similar illness which the physicians and doctors were unable to treat, were cured in the shrine of the Eighth Holy Imam Hadrat Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Musa al-Reza(A.S.).These miracles that appeared at that immaculate grave - similar to the opening of the gates of Najaf Ashraf on the Arab Bedouins - became manifest for all, like the sun in a cloudless sky, and this matter was so obvious that it has been said that the doctors who knew of those women's ailments have testified the matter, although they were very meticulous about this matter and, in fact, some of them have written testimonies certifying to their cure. Were it not for considerations of brevity and inappropriateness of place I woud have recounted their story. And well has our shaykh, Allamah Hurr al-Amili, said in his Urjuza: "1. The blessings that constantly keep on manifesting themselves from the immaculate tomb of Hadrat Imam Reza(A.S.) are so numerous that, with every day that dawns and the tomorrow that follow it, the stream of its blessings and miracles is as perpetual as it was yesterday. "2. And the answering of prayers of the destitute at his blessed threshold is like curing of the blind and the sick in that sacred shrine." The general practice of this nondescript in his writings, mostly, is to write about what I have myself seen, or to narrate what I have heard directly, without any intermediaries, from persons known for their honesty and truthfulness, not things which have been recorded by predecessors in their books and chronicles, may God reward them for their efforts. In other words, my practice is based on observation and study, not narration. Hence here I want to recount two episodes relationg to my very close relatives, in connection with the miracles of Hadrat Imam Reza(A.S.), and in addition, two accounts heard from trustworthy and eminent scholars and major ayatollahs and outstanding men. As to the two episodes relating to my relatives, one of them, thank God, is still alive with His favor, and I so shall refrain from mentioning it, confining myself to recounting the other relationg to someone who has departed towards God's mercy. Imam Reza's Miracle in Austria One of my very close relatives was a young man, strong and handsome and full of life and vigor. He was a tradesman in the bazaar. All of a sudden he got an eye disease as a result of which he lost his eyesight. Several days passed without any recovery. He consulted some of the formerly well-known ophthalmologists of Tehran, such as Dr. Lashgari, Dr. Muhsin-zadeh, Dr. Darrabi and their likes, and all of them told him that at the farthest point under the eye a blood clot in the artery had interrupted vital blood supply to the eye. They told him that it was a case of thrombosis of the eye and was incurable by medical treatment or surgery. They told him that there was no chance of recovery, wherever he might go for treatment, and that what they had told him was a fact. The only chance he had, one which was very slight, was that the clot might move from its place. Accordingly, they forbade him from taking certain foods such as eggs, oil, red meat and so on and they gave him anticoagulant tablets. He regularly kept on using those medicines but without any result. Gradually there appeared in him three other symptoms: First, his eyes began losing their normal shape. They became contracted and the eyelids were covered with a dense scurf, and, as it is said, the eye was dying. The doctors had said that the other eye might also be affected, and the symptoms of the disease gradually became apparent in the other eye. Secondly, his gums began to bleed due to the abnormal anticoagulation tendency in blood due to the medicines. Thirdly, everyday he had convulsions and they became so severe at times that they would coutinue for five or ten minutes or even half an hour. This young man, once hale and hearty, was now confined to his home, having lost his bodily strength. Days and at nights the sounds of weeping of relatives and kinsmen grieved over his condition would rise from his fathers house, where he lived at that time, and could be heard by neighbors. Relations, who continually came to visit him, and the family members within the house, cried at times like people attending a mourning gathering. As a result of this affliction, this young man, who had a wife and children lost his spirits and morale.He had no will power nor the capacity to take any descision. As a result, he had no control over anything that was done for him nor he had any say in the matter. At that time those who were around decided to send him to Spain or Austria where two of the world's most eminent ophthalmologists were. After consultations they preferred Austria. His passport was soon arranged and he was flown from Tehran to London, from where he was to be accompanied to Austria by a young acquaintance, an Iranian student. An appointment had been arranged with the physician. If you can imagine the scene of the day when this young man in this condition was taken to Tehran's Mehrabad Airport - where his old father, relatives, friends and acquaintances had gathered to bid him farewell - and his weakness, which was such that he was unable to climb the stairs to the airplane, you will get some idea of the indescribable miracle worked by Hadrat Imam Reza(A.S.). This young man arrived in London. Within days he reached Austria and was hospitalized at the famous eye hospital there under the care of that ophthalmologist. He also told him that surgery was not possible. However, by the means of a certain apparatus they dislodged the eye and applied medicines at its base. Ultimately, whit a procedure which was more like physiotherapy than medical therapy, they tried to remove that clot but without success. The youth remained there for two full months without making any progress. In fact one more problem was added to the existing ones: the eyeball had changed its position in the cavity with the black side of the pupil having turned inwards and the white side showing out. The physician had said, "All that I can do, and that too by the means of medicines in the long run, is to restore the eye to its previous condition. It is not possible for me to restore your eyesight." These are things that this young man himself told me on his return. Therefore, I will recount what he said so that the matter may be clear He said: "The nurses at that hospital, most of whom were Christian nuns, felt very sorry for me. But what could they do, poor folks? One night when my companion had gone to London on some personal work - and on his return he was to make arrangements for my return home - I got up and prayed for a long time. Then I said, "O 'Ali ibn Musa al-Reza(A.S.)! You are witness that I make recourse to you in all important matters, and I used to perform your ziyarah very often. If it were in my own hands I would not have allowed them to bring me here, in this town of Christians and unbelievers. Definitely, I would have come to your threshold and obtained my request. It were you who did me such and such a favor... It were you who did me such and such a kindness'. And I began recounting each and every one of my pleas that were answered by the Hadrat and which were beyond the power of anyone to carry out. I also wept a lot and I said to him, 'We Shi'is have been taught that for an Infallible Imam life and death do not make any difference and the east and the west are the same to him. Here, now, I see myself in blessed shrine and I want you to cure my eye.' I said these things and went to sleep. The Great Miracle "It seems that I slept comfortably for several hours. It was about daybreak that I saw Hadrat Imam Reza(A.S.) in a dream. It seemed as if the reality and spirit of the Holy Imam was descending gradually from the world of malakut and from behind indescribable veils until he stood by my side with this visible body. He held a tablet in his hand on which there were inscribed certain lines in radiant green. He gave that tablet to me and said, 'Read!'. "I began reading and when I had read some of it I woke up from my dream. I found that my eye had become normal and it could see perfectly. I began to offer the prayer (namaz), and kept on praying in the dark of the night. After offering the dawn prayer I went to bed and slept, saying to myself that I will always keep it a sectet." Apparently, it had been indicated to him in the dream that it was to remain a secret which he must not divulge. That marhum used to say, "I divulged this sectet, even telling it to my colleagues and ordinary friends, which I shouldn't have done." He regretted having revealed it. "In the morning the nurses came to wash my eye and they were all astonished. They informed the doctors and that famous doctor himself came and personally examined my eye. They all said, "This is something extraordinary! This is a miracle of Christ! It is a miracle! A miracle!" I kept silent, and I said to myself, "Yes, it is a miracle, but a miracle of Christ's Teacher and master!(Imam Reza(A.S.)" Cataract Disappearing Automatically Thirty years after this event when this nondescript recounted it for my honored friend Dr. Hajj Sayyid Hamid Sajjadi, an ophthalmologist of world fame, may God Almighty grant his success, he said, "As you say, that is a fact. This kind of eye disease is not curable, and the recovery could not have been anything but a miracle." Then he added, "One of my patients was a man who had developed a cataract, and we had fixed a day for the surgery. Before that time he came to me and said, "I visited Imam Reza(A.S.) and got my cure from him." I re-examined his eye and I saw that there was no sign of any cataract." He said, "Occasionally it is possible for a cataract to disappear by itself, but that happens over a long period of time. Until that time I had not come across any case of a cataract disappearing automatically within a few days. This was nothing but a miracle of the Eighth Imam. The Blind Cured As to the two stories narrated by eminent scholars, the first one is the one recounted for this nondescript by our noble teacher the marhum Hadrath Hajj Shaykh Murtada Hairi, may Allah sanctify his spirit, in the course of a meeting with him in the Holy City of Mashhad during a journey of his which lasted from 12th of the blessed month of Ramadan to 3rd of Shawwal al-Mukarram in the year 1400 AH. (1979 AD). He said: "Ayatollah Hajj Shaykh Aqa Buzurg Araki, is an old man, nearly ninety, and he is still alive. He is one of the outstanding scholars of Arak and elder brother of Ayatollah Hajj Shaykh Mujtaba Araki, who resides at Qum and is one of my intimate friends. There is no doubt about the truthfulness of any of these two brothers. Hajj Shaykh Aqa Buzurg recounted to me this story: "During her youth my wife suffered from an acute eye pain. For a long time she was treated at Arak and Hamadan but without any result. The physicians had lost hopes of her recovery, and they declared that they were incapable of curing her. Day by day she was losing her sight and was on the verge of blindness. "Her worried parents had heard that is someone were to stay in the holy city of Mashhad for the sake of ziyarah and to seek the fulfillment of some need his need would be granted. They took their daughter to the holy city of Mashhad and stayed there with the intent of a forty-day sojourn. In a state of acute helplessness, they pleaded continuously and humbly. "Incidentally, not only there was no observable sign of any improvement in the girl's eyes, there was a gradual deterioration, so much so that they were unable to remain in the shrine and were forced to spend their days, at home. Just a few days remained for their forty-day sojourn to be over, and the parents were very worried and crestfallen. With regret and disappointment they said: "Alas! The forty days are over and without any result!". "In the last one or two days when they were busy packing up and preparting for their departure, suddenly there fell something from the roof resembling a small piece of plaster, or a bird's flopping, or something of the kind. The thought came into their heart that it is the medicine for their child. Immediately they grinded it and mixed it with water and applied it to her eyes which are cured completely as if there had been nothing wrong whith them. Then they stayed on for several more days paying visits to the holy shrine for ziyarah taking along their daughter with them. Then they packed up and returned to Arak". The Barren Woman's Wishes Fulfilled The second episode about the Hadrat's miraculous works is one that was recounted one Sunday, 14th of the month of Safar in the year 1404 AH.(1983), in this nondescript's house at the holy city of Mashhad by Hadrat Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Lawasani, son of the marhum Ayatulah Hajj Sayyid Abu al-Qasim Lawasani, who was the successor (Wasi) of marhum Ayatollah Aqa Sayyid Ahmad Karbalai. The story relates to a daughter of marhum Aqa Sayyid 'Ali Naqi Haydari, author of the book Istinbat al-Usul and son of marhum Ayatullah Aqa Sayyid Mahdi Haydari, author of the book Jang-e-Inglis wa Iraq (The War of Britain and Iraq') who was son of marhum Aqa Sayyid Ahmad Haydari, the founder of the Husayniyyah of Haydaris in Kazimayn. The story is as follows: "The daughter of Marhum Aqa Sayyid 'Ali Naqi Haydari had been married for ten years but had remained childless. Once she, along with a number of her relatives but without her husband, set out for the sacred land of Hadrat Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza' (A.S.). One day they came to visit my wife with whom they had long terms of acquaintance. My wife received them but found them very sad and depressed. "On questioning, they said, 'This girl has been married for many years but is still without a child. Now her husband is thinking of another marriage. Since the time she has come to know about it her life has become bitter. She is depressed all the time, day and night, and is continually worried and anxious.' 'My wife said to them, 'Whoever comes for the ziyarah of Imam Reza(A.S.) and asks three things of him, those requests - or one of them (the uncertainty is from the narrator) - shall be granted. Get up now, make wudu, go to the holy shrine and ask Imam Reza(A.S.) to give you a child. "The girl got up, made wudu and set out for the sacred shrine and there she prayed. After the ziyarah of holy city of Mashhad the family returned to Kazimayn. Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Lawasani said. "It was our custom to go once every year to the sacred shrines for the honor of their ziyarah and stay there through the winter season. On reaching Kazimayn when we went to the house of the family were in a very happy mood. They said, "After our return from the holy city this lady became pregnant the very first time her husband slept with her. Now this baby has been born after nine months and we have received this most sweet and comforting gift from the Eighth Imam!" In the Surroundings of the Threshold of the Friend Magnanimity of Imam Reza (A.S.) The Blow of the Prayer's Rosebud Meeting the Light O Whose Name is Remedy and Whose Remembrance is Healing A Flight over the Land of Love Hope "The Lightening of Light" The Healed In the Surroundings of the Threshold of the Friend The Miraculously Healed Person: Ali Reza Husaini, son of Ja,far, born in 1978. The inhabitant of: Neka (Mazandaran Province) . Type of Illness: (Paralysis). The Date of Being Miraculously Healed: 14.4.74 One summer day, he was determined to come to Mashhad on the 28th of Safar month. But the rough, roaring island of his heart could not stand the difficulties of time. So, at the earliest time, he started his pilgrimage trip to the holy city of Mashhad (the Land of Light), along with his sister's husband. The holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) as usual was full of the crowd. He found himself like a drop among the enthusiasts, the sincere devotees of the angelic court. He sat as a refugee behind the steel-window located in the Inquilab courtyard of the holy shrine. Ali Reza Hussaini stood among the assembly of the incurable patients people who were disappointed at the doctors' treatments. He proceeded to supplicate benedictions to Imam Reza (A.S.) with tearful eyes. Some moment later, he penetrated into profound thought, the memories of the period of his illness appeared before his eyes. He could not forget the day when he called his mother. Mother! Mother! Mother! I cannot bear this terrible pain any longer!" And while his mother was burning like a candle and she spared nothing for herself all time long. He remembered when he was deprived of continuing his studies: he remembered when he was unable to do his daily activities and his daily affairs: He remembered the medications and treatments which had been done for his remedy, which were ineffective all, he remembered the thick, injured hands of his father, who was a worker at Neka wood factory. He remembered the sympathy of his intimate family members including his two brothers and his sister, who were sorrowful and distressed for his pains and sufferings". He remembered the disappointing replies of his attending doctors and his tiredness due to such thoughts. Therefore, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and little by little, he fell asleep. During his sleep, he dreamt that a bright, noble, gentle man, in black beard, appeared over his head while he was biting his walking stick upon his left leg and bidding him, "Get up, Ali Reza! Your legs are safe and sound now! Why are you still sleeping?" All of a sudden, he woke up and unfastened the rope. He got up and stood on his own feet, and began to walk! The joy and happiness of Ali Reza was worthwhile seeing that night. He was miraculously healed by Imam Reza(A.S.) Magnanimity of Imam Reza (A.S.) Mr Sheikh Ali Vaeli is a famous orator, great historian eminent Shi'ite scholar from Iraq who had lived in exile since last twenty years due to the oppression Saddam. In the year 1997, he was inflicted with the cancer in his neck, so he went to London for treatment. The time of his treatment coincided with the month just before Muharram-al-Haram, just before the time when he was always lecturing and preaching in the Masajids and Hussainiyahs in Kuwait. In this condition composed an ode in the praise of Imam Reza (A.S.), beseeching His Holiness to pray to God to heal him. He wanted to send it to Mashhad, Iran by a pilgrim to be sung in the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.).But before sending it, he sang it on the phone to one of his relatives in Mashhad, Iran. Next day he referred to his physician for treatment in London. The doctor gave him glad tidings that the disease has vanished completely and he had recovered perfectly, and that he could make a journey to wherever he wished. Then he returned to Kuwait happily where he was able to continue his lectures and preaching during the months of Muharram and Safar. He owes his health recovery to the favor and magnanimity of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.). The Blow of the Prayer's Rosebud The Miraculously Healed Person: Parastoo Muhammadi Father's Name: Hooshang Muhammadi Date of Birth: 1369 A.H. Father's Job: Baker Inhabitant of Gorgan,Golestan Province. Type of Illlness: Severe Infection in ears and throat. Date of Being Miraculously Healed: 16.8.1369 Fatima, the stricken mother, was whispering with her only daughter, who was everything for her and was shaking her child on her legs, so that she might go to sleep even for a moment, and get rid of the pain that had overwhelmed her whole body. Little Parastoo went sleep by the warm voice of her mother's lullaby, but soon she opened her eyes because of severe pain. Owing to Parastoo's crying, Hooshang, her father woke up and went towards his wife. He pacified her and placed her in a warm chest. Caressing her warmly, he walked around the room. He told his wife "Dear Fatima, take rest for a while, you've got too tired!" But Fatima was not able to endure this condition and gave some medicine to Parastoo and left her alone in his father's warm arms. It was not the first night that had passed in this way. Since last two months this was their daily duty. Parastoo was everything for them who was only seven months old. But it was as if her parents had suffered from a hard time and intolerable problems, for about seventy years that had placed a record on their faces. Each day, the poor mother, with her tearful eyes, was looking hard at the thin body of her daughter. She was neither interested in food nor in rest and nor in sleep, for everything for her had been summed up in her little daughter. Parastoo had also been infected very seriously through ears so much that the pus and blood were excreting out of the two ears of this innocent infant. Treatments were not effective, so Fatima's distress was increasing more and more. She took the baby to Dr Faramarz Deilamiin in Gorgan city, and the doctor, through a recommendation note, dispatched them to Qaem Hospital in Mashhad, so that the baby might be hospitalized in the pediatric ward of that hospital. They hurried to Mashhad. On the first glimpse of the holy dome of Imam Reza (A.S.), Fatima burst into tears and narrated her plight to Imam Reza (A.S.). She went directly to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) and fastened her daughter to the steel-window located in the Inquilab courtyard of the holy shrine. Now little Parastoo was the guest of Imam Reza (A.S.). Two nights passed of this event and no crying and no moaning arose from little Parastoo. Mother's glance fell upon the unfastened rope of Parastoo. Then she witnessed her Parastoo has been completely relieved and set free from pain and agony. In this way the little Parastoo was miraculously healed by Imam Reza(A.S.). Meeting the Light The Miraculously Healed Person: Sayyid Zia Saberi The inhabitant of: Rustam Kula,Mazandaran Province . Type of Illness: Bone Cancer Job: A Worker with the Oil Company in Behshahr One day in autumn, Sayyid's waiting was over, and finally he was discharged from the hospital. While his wife was accompanying him, the Sayyid felt the rustling of the dead leaves under his weakened feet and looked hard at them and then at the leafless trees and said: "I think I have reached the deadline. Do you understand this?" His wife dropped her head down and replied nothing. When they passed by the bend of the lane and got home, they saw their children waiting for them behind the window. When he arrived home, he laid a lot of medicines on the shelf. His eldest daughter asked him, "Dad, why have you brought so many medicines? Why don't you go on a pilgrimage to Imam Reza's Shrine?" Finally, some days later, the Sayyid and his wife were on the way to the holy city of Mashhad. While the bus was moving quickly and passing by the turns and twists of the road, Sayyid was only thinking about Imam Reza (A.S.). Little by little, he fell asleep deeply. In his dream, he found himself sitting by the bus window looking out into beautiful scenery. Suddenly he felt a hand touching his tired shoulders. When he looked back, he saw a tall nobleman wearing a green shawl round his waist and wearing a green turban on his head, he said to Sayyid, "My child, you are recovered! Go back to your home!" The Sayyid felt a cool sweat on his face and suddenly woke up. But he continued his way to Mashhad to give his thanks to the Eighth Imam (A.S.) and have a pilgrimage of his Holy Shrine. O Whose Name is Remedy and Whose Remembrance is Healing I am Muhammad Nabavi Nik, the caretaker of sports Complex of Nur al-Kazmain. My illness occurred in Esfand 1362 during the Holy Month of Fasting. It was in the afternoon when a group of our relatives had come to visit me. Having chatted, I decided to get out for a moment. I was just going to get up while sitting on my knees, but suddenly, I fell down on the floor feeling that I was not able to talk and even unable to swallow my saliva. Immediately I was taken to Qayem Hospital. Over there, the doctors took some blood out of my body to reduce my blood pressure and then I was equipped with the oxygen inhaler. As it was Esfand and near the end of the year, most of the physicians were not at the hospital and some of them were on their Nowruz vacations. I was in coma and my wife had waited by my bed-side. But during the night, my brother, who had come to visit me from a remote town, stayed at the hospital by my bed-side, so that my wife could stay with my children, who were busy preparing themselves for their exams, at home to reduce their agitation and worry. My wife had devoted most of the time coming to the hospital and in this way she had suffered a great deal of trouble. During the night when I got worse and worse, my brother called for the doctor. Having examined me, the doctor told my brother that the patient was in a very serious condition and ordered him: "Get this injection as soon as possible to save your brother's life through this injection. This may remove the danger from him!" Thanks to God! That danger was removed then. I was hospitalized for two days but my health condition was getting worse and worse! So I was transferred to Imam Reza's Hospital in an ambulance while my family and relatives were terribly anxious and hopeless. Over there I was given a serum injection while I was unconscious. Having treated me with endoscope, the doctors announced the result as follows: "The throat passage is obstructed with blood, so nothing can be done!" Then I was transferred back to Qayem Hospital. Of course, the physician's order was to take me to Aria Hospital, but this hospital had refused to admit me. Therefore, I was taken back to Qayem Hospital's emergency ward. Finally I was moved to the Neurology ward. Over there almost all physicians had agreed to stop treatments on me, because nothing was effective to cure me. I was hospitalized in this ward for twenty days, while my throat passage was still obstructed by blood and I was given liquid food through a by-pass tube connected to my esophagus leading to the stomach. My only desire was that God would permit me to drink one glass of water as easily as before. My heart was badly broken and hurt. Being so tired and worried, I was trying to hide my depression from others. Meanwhile, I should add that at the moment of the change of the New Year while I was sitting by the Haft-Sin Table, which had been prepared and brought to me by my son-in-law, my heart broke and went to the shrine of the Imam Reza (A.S.) with great hopes. I sang some verses that I had learned from the mourning processions before. I murmured the verses to myself repeatedly, being quite sad and disappointed. It was twelfth or thirteenth of Farvardin when I asked my family to get a leave for me to go home only for a few days, so that I could see my children and relatives. Of course my voice power was so low, so I could hardly speak to them. The physicians agreed on my request. Therefore, I was taken home for a few days. On the second night, I asked my family to take me to the shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). So one night I was transferred to the shrine with great difficulty. It was a very cold porch while there a long rope that connected my neck to the Holy Mausoleum, and indeed, I had taken a refuge to the Holy Imam! I asked my mother to plead with Imam Musa ibn Ja'far (A.S.) and read for me the Holy Hadith of Kesa. At that moment I fell asleep deeply. I woke up by hearing the murmur of the prayers sung before the call for Morning prayers (Azan) at dawn, being broadcast by the loudspeakers in the shrine. Then I asked others to get themselves ready for the morning prayers. After Azan, I slept again, better to say, I fell asleep again. As the people around me said: "I had sweated too much and the pilgrims had claimed that it was the sweat of healing! Don't wake him up!" It was half past seven A.M. the servants in the shrine had asked the pilgrims to move away, so that they might sweep the area. As I decided to get up suddenly, I felt that my voice was clear and all right, and that from my left tonsil water was dropping down in my stomach while my right tonsil was connected to an artificial pipe as the passage for the liquid food leading to my esophagus then to my stomach. Being so surprised, I was hurriedly rushed to hospital. While my attending doctor was visiting and examining me I asked him, "My throat is open, it is all right, isn't it? But he could not believe me and said, "No it's impossible! Your throat was blocked with blood." But later on when they realized that it was all right and true, they were so surprised that they had to confess that it was only a miraculous act performed by holy Imam Reza (A.S.). A Flight over the Land of Love The Miraculously Healed Person: Reza son of Isfandiari The inhabitant of Amol Type of Illness: Melancholy The Date of Being Miraculously Healed: Month of Tir, 1374 Solar Hijrah Isfandiar was walking up and down in the corridor in the hospital, just outside the waiting room. Time passed very slowly for him. Although he had been used to this waiting and had experienced it twice, waiting for him was fatal and time was also impregnated with evil events. A strange worry overwhelmed his whole existence, He was reckless while frequently sitting down and standing up. Once in a while, he went to a corner casting his tired look upon some direction. Tens of times he walked along the corridor aimlessly. Finally he heard the nurse calling him, "Mr Rahimi! Congratulation! Now you are a father! Your baby is a son! Mother is in a good condition!" Hearing this good news, the light of joy appeared in his look. A cute smile sat on his anxious face, so he went to give this good news to his children looking forward at home, so that he could share this pleasure with them. The following day when he went to the hospital to have his wife discharged from the hospital, the attending doctor called him in to his office and gave him some bad news. This bad news was about the illness of his new born infant who was suffering from the enlargement of his heart and was in a terrible condition. Hearing this terrible news, Isfandiar found looseness in his knees and his eyes got dark and black. The doctor invited him to keep cool and calm. His joy changed into sorrow. Treatments started on the baby immediately. When his wife learned that she was discharged, but the baby must be taken care of in the hospital, she became so shocked as is her heart, too, had swollen and enlarged. She began to weep and tears dropped lap by lap. The mother who should put her baby beside her and caress him with her kind hands and milk him with her life's juice, now she must go home without him, so his loneliness and separation was intolerable and painful for her. That night the husband and the wife went back home. Their children ran forward to them, looking forward to seeing the infant. But there was no baby with them to see, so they went away to a corner and became faded. Their father recounted the story of the baby and his being hospitalized and gave them hope that in no time at the baby would be brought in to home. Nine days passed since the child had been hospitalized. The nine days which seemed to them to be lasting as long as a year? Joy and cheerfulness had gone out of the family "rather crying and sorrow had over cast shadow over their surroundings. The tenth night arrived and Isfandiar had heard a disappointing reply from the physicians. They had confessed obviously that they could do nothing to cure the child. The baby who was weighing 3.4 kilograms at the birth time was weighing only 1.200 kilograms now. He had gotten weaker and weaker, thinner and thinner day after day. Isfandiar, observing that his dear child's candle of existence was extinguishing and he was unable to do any thing for him, came home and went immediately to his room as if the world in his own heart. The sorrowful silence governing his home added some trouble to this discomfort. He drowned himself in a strange privacy. He was heart broken while tears had covered the width of his face, he asked for God's help and assistance with his burning heart. He stretched out the hand of appeal towards God. From the bottom of his heart, he called Holy Imam Reza (A.S.): "My lord! You are aware of my terrible condition. I have named my child after you. This infant is under your vow. God forbid that you are not magnanimous! I no longer have anything with him. His life and death depends on your favor and grace. If it is expedient, he will remain alive, if not he will go! You are his absolute owner!" He eased himself through unknotting his complex. He went to bed to witness the tomorrow's affairs. The next day, he went to the hospital with his wife. As soon as the doctor arrived, he asked about the infant's condition. The doctor said, "Which Reza?" Isfandiar answered, "I mean our child whom I named Reza!" Tears coiled in the eyes of the attending doctor. Taking him to his office, the doctor expressed, "I have been by the bed of your child since last night. A strange event occurred to him. This child has changed completely since then! There is no sign of the enlargement of your son's heart any longer! The new experiments and tests approve of the health of his heart! "Then he continued, "Now there is no room to be worried about. You can take your baby home with you. This event in nothing but a miracle of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.). Weeping did not allow Isfandiar and his wife any moment, to be free. The suffered father described for the doctor the nightly supplications and prayers to God and to Imam Reza (A.S.). The sad mother recounted her previous night's dream as follows: "An old man with white beard gave me good tidings of the healing of my son by Holy Imam Reza (A.S.) saying, "Since your son is under the vow of Imam Reza, his holiness has healed him. You must go to your master!" Everybody over there was impressed by this description. The name of the hospital was also Imam Reza (A.S.) Hospital and how well he had healed and cured his patient. Hearing this news, the cry of the patients, nurses, and doctors over there filled the atmosphere of the hospital and the perfume of "Salawat" had spread all over the hospital. And now Reza, this four-year-old pilgrim, every year at his birthday anniversary continues to come to the holy city of Mashhad to prostrate at the threshold of his real doctor to express his thanks and gratitude to him for granting him his health again. It is interesting to mention the fact that just one week before his birthday anniversary, the small heart of Reza becomes desirous of making a pilgrimage. Each night he dreams a small, white horse spreading its wings carrying Reza on its back through the layers of clouds to the shrine of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.) and turning him around the purified dome and returning him to his home. Hope You turn back your head. Your mother goes out of the room carrying a basket full of apples. You hear the sounds of her steps against the stone-covered yard and the sound of the falling down of apples into the pond. You hear the sound of the wooden door knocker and your mother's steps walking away and the noise of the creaky door and the familiar call of "Ya Allah!" of your uncle. Your heart trembles. Your breaths get faster. You don't want anyone to see your paralyzed arms and legs. You like to get up and welcome your future father-in-law! You hear the sound of your uncle's heavy steps, which is approaching nearer and nearer to the room. The door opens and a narrow ray of light runs into the room and the shadow of your uncle rise up and up. He sits beside you but you don't want to see his sympathetic look... Turning back your look, you say. "Hello Uncle." You stick your eyes on his hands, looking at his fingers turning the big wooden rosary beads. You understand whenever he wants to say something; he turns the beads faster and faster. You remember one year before you went to visit Rana to be your wife, your uncle had stuck his eyes onto the carpet while turning the beads among his fingers. That day you promised to build a chamber and the next year you would take Rana to your own house. Your mother enters the room and places a basket full of red apples on the carpet before you and leaves the room. You steal your look from the rosary beads and look on the red apples. You remember those days when your uncle, your uncle's wife, and Rana were on the other side of the tree yard and your parents and you were living on this side. You were delivering the bowls of soup to the rooms on the other side. Your uncle's wife came and took the ceramic bowl of soup and disappeared through the door frame. You were sticking your eyes on the door. Rana handed the bowl full of the red apples to you. You looked hard at her while her cheeks had blushed like the color of red apples. Your uncle coughs louder... and your heart trembles. You look back sticking your eyes on the skies through the window. His voice vibrates into your ears saying: "... How should I say? Uncle... You are like my son. I don't like to see your pain and sufferings. Now that your disease is incurable, for it has haunted your whole substance and you have been paralyzed for six months, and your body has dried, and you are not better by taking these medicines... what should I say? It is not my idea; don't get angry with me... My wife is against this marriage! She says that she won't give her daughter to a handicapped young man." Your heart drops down. You look down at his hands while taking the rosary beads from one hand to other hand and turning them faster and faster. You are panting while looking at the wooden rosary beads dim and wet from behind the film of tears. Your cheeks get wet. Your voice trembles saying "...Uncle! Why do you behave me so? What should I say to my parents? Didn't you say? Didn't your wife say that our marriage tie had been knotted in the skies? Didn't she say that the heavenly marriage tie should not be broken?" You stick your eyes on his eyes and say "Uncle! Look at me! My body has become dry... It is a dried desert. It requires irrigation. It needs the rain of Hope... Don't cause my hope to turn into despair." Stealing his look from you, he looks hard at the carpet's flowers. He presses the beads in his clenched fist and shakes his head while saying. "I've never rejected her sayings! She's against this marriage! Don't get angry with me!" You lift your head up while saying. "Rana what did she say?" Your uncle, putting his hands onto his knees gets up saying, "My wife has said if she disobeys her, her milk be forbidden to her. "Then he expresses." The poor girl is on the edge of two diverged roads!" Your heart hurts and breaks down! A pigeon through the window frame disappears into the sky. The sound of the fluttering of its wings spreads throughout your existence. You call your mother in. Being terrified she runs into your room. You shake your head shouting, "Call a carriage for me! I want to go! I want to take a wish!" You hear the sound of the carriage wheels against the stone-paved street. A few men come to help you get into the coach. Your mother comes out. You steal your look from her tearful eyes. You like to be alone. Without her help, you want to irrigate your dried body with the purity of Hope. Your mother comes forward while bringing the Holy Qur'an nearer to your face and your lips. Kissing the Holy Qur'an, you place your forehead on it. The carriage sets off and in the bend of the lane; it disappears out of the frame of the worried look of your mother. The wind blows against your face. You remember the months when you were lying in bed in the corner of your attic room. Hearing the noises of the children playing outside in the alley. You remember the memory of running under the tree branches in the yard full of trees. You remember catching the fishes in the stony pool and doing so repeatedly and now after many years, you go towards him by yourself!... The carriage passes through the lanes and by -lanes of the city. The noises of people and the noise of the hoofs of horses mix together. You want to get down of the carriage at the gates of holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). The coachman and a few men help you get down and the place you on the ground. You don't hear any voice. The carriage goes away from you farther and farther. You even don't hear the noises of the hoofs of horses. Your heart trembles, and you don't feel any thing any longer... Everywhere is light. You find yourself in the precinct standing behind the drinking water reservoir with golden dome (Saqqah Khaneh) in the holy shrine. You smell the perfume of roses! Your body has taken life, power, and spirit. You look down upon the legs on which you are standing firmly and strongly. You also look up on the hands that have been raised up into the sky gently. Your eyes is full of tears. You wonder how you have entered the precinct and how you have been standing on your own feet! Kneeling down, you kiss down the stone-covered precinct. The sound of the pigeon's fluttering their wings vibrates into your ears. A hand touches your shoulder! Looking back, you see your uncle smiling. Then he embraces you into his warm arms. "The Lightening of Light" The Miraculously Healed Person: Mahdi Khademloo The inhabitant of Mashhad Date of Birth: 1363 Solar Hijrah Life has many ups and downs upon which man is always exposed to evil events and tribulations which happen unexpectedly and suddenly. Everybody might be put at the crucible of Divine trials sooner of later. This is the Divine Message in which there is no alternative for the Divine Will and Determination. So every human being is predestined to certain fate which is unchangeable as God has said. We created man inflicted with pains, sufferings, and hardship. The climbing up to the peak of problems is predestined for man. Once in a while some evil events might occur to man that cause him to go as far as the edge of the abyss of destruction. The only shield to protect against these hardships is patience and forbearing. Although patience is bitter but it has a sweet fruit and outcome, and its end turns out to be good. The difficulties and discomforts that man's soul experience makes man's soul strengthened. Enduring problems and bitterness's is possible only through holding strong faith and being a pure, true servant of God as well as asking God for help. Those who never forget to remember God will finally be saved and God will grant them a mighty reward for the patience they have borne. The heavy cogs and wheels of the mill of life will cause man to fail and to reach the border of annihilation. Soundness, safety and health is one of the gifts which is called the hidden treasure that is incorporated in the essence of man, but unfortunately, man has neglected it so much. This reality reveals itself when man is encircled by the octopus of illness and when man's substance falls captive in the claws of this dangerous monster and in the abyss of danger and insecurity. I wonder whether you have had any sick person in your family so far who has reached the end-line of his-her life. Have you ever been familiar with the condition of the spirit and substance that has borne many sufferings and pains? How much have you perceived him-her? Have you ever supposed that you were him-her? To be honest what would you do if you were told that you would die soon due to an unknown incurable disease? How much would you think about your illness? How would you like others to help you? One of the most burning and intolerable pain is the illness of children that hurts and makes dim the hearts of the elders, especially if a sweet-tongued child is inflicted with a serious monster of a disease, then how would the other members of the family feel towards the dangerous illness of the child? Here is a memorable story about a small part of discomforts and difficulties of a family whose dearest son and whose part of their body is burning and thawing quickly like a candle in front of their eyes while they are attempting to help him to be cured and to be healed as they go to the threshold of the affectionate and compassionate figure from the Household and from the mine of generosity and magnanimity of the Household of Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) with their broken hearts and with the burned, hurt, and injured chests. And many a hand that has been stretched out towards them for help without being rejected of refused or being remained without favor. As the poet sings: Go not away from this door In hopelessness or in despair, For Hope is here, Above all locks, The key to all locks is here! One day, Mahdi, the third son of the Khadema, feels a sudden sore on the left side of his throat. He tells this fact to his mother, but his mother considers it as a simple cold. He reports it to his father when he is back home from work, and father also thinks of it as a simple cold. Some days pass away in this way, but Mahdi feels worse and worse day after day. But suddenly an outgrowth appears under his throat that causes them to fear and even to be terrified and to see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor prescribes certain tests and X-ray for him, and the results announce that there is something terribly positive in his throat. One month later, the tumor grows so big and so rapidly that through the advice of aunt, they see a surgical specialist at Imam Reza's Hospital. Having given some tests and X-ray, the surgeon comes up with the diagnosis of cancer and decides to perform a quick operation on Mahdi's throat, so he removes the tumor and had it tested at the medical laboratory. The diagnostic result is the malignant cancer of the throat that should be under perpetual treatment and care. Before long the test on the bone marrow is performed and the result reveals that the cancer has involved about 60% of the bone marrow, and it is developing so quickly. So the chemotherapy starts on Mahdi while he is hospitalized at Omid Hospital and stays there for seven weeks under care and chemotherapy. Yes! Everything starts with that mysterious tumor which was going to take Mahdi towards the end-line of his Life that might cause not only the destruction of Mahdi himself but also the annihilation of the family structure. The family having heard this terrible news, the tired hearts of Father and Mother and the other members of the family got sad and sad. O God! The weak substance of Mahdi and the monster of cancer! What a terrible thing they had heard! How could they believe that their dearest son, the part of their body was incurred and inflicted with this terrible illness and what a terrible fate Mahdi had! The cry of Mahdi, while being taken to hospital for certain tests and X-raying was still vibrating into the ears and they could well remember how his delicate, pure, innocent soul was disappointed so much so that they could never forget the time when Mahdi refused going to school because of having lost his hair and when he had secluded in a corner separating himself from his friends, from relatives from the members of the family, and from any crowd of society. A child who should overflow with joy, cheer, and hope and like a candle he was burning and melting while sitting at the corner of seclusion with his broken heart and despaired mind. Crying and moaning, his father goes to the holy shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (A.S.) and gives his Holiness swear on his dearest son, Imam Taqi al-Jawad (A.S.), to intercede for him before God, having a high position and dignity before God, to help him and his child to be healed. Having been hopeless of the recovery of his son through hearing this terrible, bitter announcement from the physicians, his only hope was the patience, faith and hope of his devoted wife, who was a Sayyid ( having the lineage to the Holy Imams ). It was she who invited others to patience and hope for the heal of their diseased child. Mahdi's parents spared nothing for themselves to help their son to cure and to regain his health. During these many hard years and times, the bright light of their life was growing dimmer and weaker and weaker day after day, and it was going to extinguish sooner of later. There were few places concerning the mourning ceremonies of the household of Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) that Mahdi's father attended where he had cried and moaned. He knew well that his son's pains and suffering are not comparable to those of our Infallible Imams (A.S.). Mahdi's illness caused more sadness. Pains and sufferings for the family increased day after day, so they were trying to seek shelter and refuge in God so much so that they never neglected seeking shelter and protection in God. The physicians after consultation announced that Mahdi had to be dispatched to Germany to have a bone grafting as soon as possible as an emergency action. Mahdi's father, with his saving and some loans, made the preparation for the journey to Germany. But before they left Iran, they sent Mahdi's medical records and evidences to hospitals in Germany and England to be studied carefully by the specialists there. Before long, the result was announced as a result of which Mahdi's father had a heart infarction, a terrible heart attack which caused him to be hospitalized for a time. Nobody could help them. All the doors were closed, but the door of the friend which is always open to the needy, the heart-broken. As the poet sings. Here's a physician Who needs no turn Any heart that's more broken His first in turn. So he should take refuge to a beloved figure from the Household of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.). He is the shelter of the shelter less, who is kind compassionate and quite familiar with the pains of the desirous the painful, and the needy. It was past the midnight. It was a strange night. It was a night of "Ayyam-Allah" the night of the twenty-first of Ramazan. Mahdi, along with his father, had placed the Holy Qur'an on the head, and had moaned and wept a lot before the Divine Threshold. Holding tearful and tired eyes, they fell asleep and after a moment, Mahdi opened his eyes while being terrified, and awakens his father in hurry asking him, "let's go home!" His father gets surprised because he has never seen Mahdi being so excited... However, they went towards their home fast. The following day, Mahdi describes his dream to the members of his family as follows: Just at the moment when I fell asleep, I found myself at the shrine of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.). A big bird in the form of a human being with huge wings flew down towards me from the sky and hit himself to me from the back. Due to this heavy, strong stroke, there arose a thunder and lightning from the power of which I woke up immediately. From that time on, Mahdi found a new birth and a new life! A patient who had neither sleep nor food till that night gained good appetite and had a sound, deep sleep! The next morning was a new day for Mahdi when he had forgotten all his pains and sufferings and bitterness's. He joined the other children of his neighborhood again and played with them. He came out of the shelter of seclusion and the smile of joy and cheer appeared on the lips of his friends, relatives, his acquaintances, and members of his family. In Shahrivar1378, Mahdi dreams that he is sweeping in one of the precincts of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). A clergy-man in a green shawl comes to him and takes the broom from him and sweeps for a while. Then he returns the broom to him and caresses him on the head. Then Mahdi wakes up. The new tests acknowledge the perfect condition and health and soundness of Mahdi as if he didn't have any disease at all. Yes! By the blessed favor of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.), he was healed on that night. And now it is Mahdi and the lovely, nice world of his that was returned to him by his kind, great Imam! Since then, he has attended his school being among his fellow students and being in the height of soundness, safety, and perfect health. He has continued his studies while being so grateful to God and to the favor of the kind Imam for the great gift of his health and safety! The Healed The Miraculously Healed Person: Saddiqa Type of Illness: Paralysis The Date of Being Miraculously Healed: Mehr 20, 1376 Length of illness: 12 Years There were few risky, disastrous nights and days that she had experienced a period full of horror and terror, full of anxiety and agitation and full of distress and anguish which is never forgettable. To her, nights were hateful. She was not pleased with nights, for the nightmare of illness like a horrible monster disturbed and hurt her meager soul and substance. She had been suffering from the very bad condition of her body for a long time and while lying in bed she was growing weaker and weaker and was losing her power to move. Her poor mother had been sitting up by her bed until dawn while flying round her dear daughter like a butterfly. Once a robust, active, and energetic girl, now she had changed into a disable girl as if she were going to be forgotten through the passage of time. Many years passed during which she was not able to get rid of this dangerous disease. There were heavy expenses that her family had paid for her treatments with many physicians. She had been inflicted with and incurable disease to which she couldn't help yielding. Her physicians had diagnosed and described her illness as a disease of nervous system and a symptom of paralysis. As time passed, her illness grew worse and worse. Saddiqa had no more energy, no more sleep, and no more feeding. Every now and then, her illness progressed and she grew worse and worse so much so that she lost her power and energy and she was unable to do anything. Her attending physicians had a meeting to discuss her case and to decide to dispatch her to Germany for the continuation of treatments there and this was done soon after. Saddiqa was hospitalized in a hospital in Heidelberg for a time before she was transferred to another hospital in Germany while she was unable to speak and her eyes were growing darker and she had paralysis on her legs as well. The German physician team, having done certain tests on her, and having X-rayed her, found that the Iranian physicians had diagnosed her illness properly and continued the same treatment. But unfortunately, the treatments were not successful and Saddiqa had to leave Germany for Iran. Having learned about the failure of the German physicians, Saddiqa was broken hearted. She felt hopeless as if her life had come to the end. She was fully exhausted and had forgotten the meaning of something called life. She was left lonely with the bitter memories and experiences of her illness period. She was left alone and lonely with the suffering and tolerating it for twelve years. Eighteen days had passed since the beginning of autumn when Saddiqa made up her mind. As a result, with her kind mother as the sole friend of her lonely days and nights and as the sympathizer and helper of her permanent pains, she was on the way to Mashhad. Finally, the waiting time arrived and the dim eyes of Saddiqa received more light through seeing the holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). They went to a hotel in Tehran Avenue and stayed there. The preparation for a pilgrimage is done. It is the first day of her presence in Mashhad when Saddiqa, with her mother goes on the holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). There she sat at a corner in the holy shrine, where she could hear the voice of the pilgrims reading litanies and praying. She calls Imam Reza (A.S.) through her speechless tongue and her burned heart. Then she describes her bad condition in her heart, then agony and sorrow press her throat and she proceeds to sob. She sobs louder and louder. After few moments she becomes unconscious. Her mother hurries to help her and takes her to the hotel to rest. On Sunday, Mehr 20, 1376, they went to the holy shrine again. It is the third day of their being as the guests of Imam Reza (A.S.). Her mother and she went behind the steel window located in the Atiq courtyard of the holy shrine where a crowd of patients who have taken refuge through fastening themselves to the window with bands and rope. Saddiqa, too, joins the group, when the clock strikes 9. She starts crying and seeking Imam's intercession. Her mother beside her has appealed to the Imam while tears were falling down Saddiqa's cheeks. Little by little, she grew tired and restless. Suddenly a voice makes her come to her consciousness calling her: "Get up! Get up, Saddiqa, get up!" Immediately, she got up and ran towards the drinking water reservoir (Saqqa Khaneh) in the precinct while the rush of the crowd follows her. She has been miraculously healed by Imam Reza (A.S.). Everybody present there were overwhelmed. She can't help crying and tearing. The moment was unforgettable. Mother and daughter embrace each other in arms. She unbelievably sees her sick daughter healthy now in her arms. The call of "Peace be upon Muhammad (S.A.W.) and his progeny" was growing louder and louder. The Perfume of Heaven from the Steel Window! The spring of the Favor of the Divine The Perfume of Heaven from the Steel Window! The Miraculously Healed Person: Azimi The inhabitant of Mashhad Type of Illness: paralysis in the leg and blindness The Date of Being Miraculously Healed: 13th day of Khordad, 1372 Solar Hijrah. The physician took off his glasses, got up from his long table and went towards Marzieh's wheelchair. He stood looking amazingly at her lying motionless in her chair and said, "How old is she?" Mrs Sughra, wiping her tears with the corner of her chadur replied, "15 years old, Doctor!" The doctor turned his head to her saying, "only fifteen?" And without waiting for the reply, he looked hard at Marzieh again and saw her swollen legs hanging down the chair unpleasantly. Her big body bending on one side and a lump of fleshy face looking more like an over inflated ball. He asked, "She must weigh 250 kilograms, mustn't she?" Mrs sughra came nearer and said, "300 kilograms, sir!" The doctor asked, "Are you her mother?" She replied, "Yes, Sir." You said, "All doctors have rejected her?" -- "Yes, Doctor!" -- "please, give me her medical records." Mrs Sughra handed the doctor the thick records of Marzieh and went to the corner of the room. Sitting at his desk, the doctor took off his glasses and began to study the records, and then he lifted up his head saying, "She also had a cerebral apoplexy?" Mother replied, "Yes, sir! A cerebral apoplexy and convulsion and she is not able to control her hands. When she holds for instance, a glass of water in her hand, she may let it fall on her legs!" "But what about her weight? How did she gain so much weight?" - : When she caught the nervous disease, we wanted her not to do any housework. Of course, before her illness, she used to work hard doing heavy works! Of course, I was not guilty, because taking care of six children was not an easy job! Just at that time, she lost her mental balance and got ill, and she couldn't work any more. The only thing she did was to sit at a corner without talking to anybody. We didn't notice her gaining weight at all. But at last, this too much weight caused her legs not to function properly. Marzieh's mother became quite, wiping her tears. The doctor took a deep sad sigh, getting up and going towards Marzieh, he stretched out his hand towards her eye and lifted her eyelid and examined her left eye. He asked, "What about her eyes? Did her eyes have any problem before her illness?" "No, Doctor! Her eyes were all right! But I wonder how soon she lost eyesight! And now she is a lump of flesh. She can neither see nor walk!" she continued, "Whatever treatment was done, it was useless! And now we have lost all the hope!" Looking unhappy, the doctor went to the window and had a look at the sun that had lighted everywhere. When he thought how Marzieh's eyes were deprived of the sea of light, his sadness increased, but he could do nothing for her and he knew this fact very well. So he went towards Marzieh, and then to Mrs Sughra, dropping his head down, he said," listen Madam! I think it is in your benefit not to waste your money any more for the treatment! As my colleagues have already told you, there is no hope! Nobody can help her. A miracle! Just a miracle can save her!" The doctor kept silence for a while, took a deep breath and continued: "So I suggest that you take her to the hospital for the handicapped, because they can take good care of her only there!" Without saying anything, Marzieh's mother went towards her daughter and stood behind her and drove the wheelchair towards the exit door. Before leaving, she turned her head and looked at the doctor once more, while the doctor kept his head down! She went out of the office and walked along the long corridors in Qayem Hospital. Before reaching the last corridor, she suddenly realized that hundreds of eyes were gazing at them. There were a lot of men and women standing of both sides of the corridor watching them! They were staring at them as if they had seen something quite odd! When the mother saw her daughter's tears, immediately she embraced her in her arms involuntarily! While Marzieh's tears had increased, she said to her mother, "Mother, I want to live with you! I don't want to go to the hospital for the handicapped! I love you! I don't want to go to the hospital for the handicapped! I love you! Please, don't take me to that hospital!" At this moment, Mrs Sughra pressed her more tightly in her arms, holding her hands, she whispered, "we should look for another doctor!" -- "But you should not waste your money for me!" said Marzieh. And Mother only said, "I know my dear! I know!" Immediately, she moved the wheelchair and opened a way through the crowd and quickly went away! When they arrived home, she got Marzieh off the wheelchair with a lot of difficulty and placed her at a corner in the room. She put a pillow under her head and drew a blanket on her and left the house in a hurry. She had made up her mind. She went shopping as fast as possible, and bought a lot of vegetables to prepare remembering that the next day was Thursday, the first day of Zee al-Qa,dah. She decided to cook some soup and give it out to the poor as well as to the people next doors as a vow for the healing of Marzieh. When Thursday arrived, she distributed soup to the poor and to the neighbors. Mrs Sughra, just at the last moments of that night, and just before finishing the washing of the big pan of soup, lifted up her head and looked deeply at the expansive, boundless sky. There were thousands of stars like thousands of lights smiling at her for one moment! Then, she laughed, too. She forgot her waist ache, and then she took her look off the sky and the stars and went into the room. She spread the prayers-rug and said two Rakah prayers. Later she opened the Holy Qur'an and read a few verses from the Book of God. When her tears were falling down her cheeks she prayed for the healing of her daughter. A moment later, sleep seized her weary eyelids. Before long, she dreamt that two great noble ladies fully dressed appeared brightly as if they had come from the other world! At first, she was frightened, and then she became surprised. But when those two great noble women encouraged her to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy House of God in Makkah, she smiled! Being terrified and excited, she woke up, but nobody was there. She rubbed her eyes, but she could see nobody there! She got up and went towards Marzieh who was asleep and was breathing with difficulty. Later, she went to the window and looked out into the yard. She saw the big pan of soup lying near the wall. She looked up at the sky and wished a pilgrimage. But she knew that she needed a lot of money for the pilgrimage to Makkah. Remembering how Marzieh's illness had swallowed all her money, she was broken-hearted! The sun had just spread her first rays over the large yard of the house when Mrs Sughra ran happily towards her daughter, waking up her, she said: "We must go to the Holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.)! Marzieh, get up! We must go to Imam Reza's shrine! With great difficulty, she placed Marzieh in the wheelchair, and an hour later, she had fastened her to the steel window facing the holy burial chamber in the Atiq courtyard of the holy shrine with a green cloth. Mother was weeping with a broken heart while Marzieh was looking around with her blind eyes. She felt a strange longing for her home and her tears were dropping down faster and faster! The tears of hope and appeal began to fall purely and cleanly to wash out the dust of Marzieh's blindness and to remove it completely. Now in her front, those two great noble ladies were standing while there was the perfume of heaven from the steel window! They pointed to Marzieh ordering her to get up, but she was not able to do so! Suddenly, a noble gentleman with divine visage, who had no sign of belonging to this world, appeared from the steel window and came to her! He was of great nobility, and of great glory whose presence had brought the perfume of hope! His green cover was unable to hide brightness of his face, removing the veil, he was all light and radiance, and he appeared before Marzieh and said to her, "Get up! Get up!" He kindly said to her not to take any medicine any more, and then he disappeared! Marzieh was miraculously healed by Imam Reza (A.S.). The drums and trumpets of the holy shrine began to play and to release their joyful music in the honor of this healed girl. The spring of the Favor of the Divine The Miraculously Healed Person: Behbood The inhabitant of: Siakat Type of Illness: Severely wounded in the war Date of Being Miraculously Healed: The Night of Ashura 1366 Solar Hijrah. In 1365 Solar Hijrah, the war operations of the brave fighters of Islam against the Baathist army of infidel Saddam started with the code of Ya Zahra! (A.S.) to the west of the Arvand River. The cry of "Allah O Akbar (God is the Greatest)!" had overfilled and perfumed the air of the war-front of Truth against falsehood. The sound of the war weapons and the whistles of the bombshells and other war arms deafened ears. Behbood, one of the fighters and participants in these operations, was severely injured by the hot pieces of the burst irons. He was transferred to field hospital and later on, he was moved to the Baqiyatullah Hospital to be hospitalized. The period of hospitalization lasted for six months during which his attending doctors, Dr Tawfigh, and Dr Rad Mehr, spared nothing for them and did their best to cure his deep wounds. On the night of Ashura, he began to whisper and murmur and cries in his bed in the hospital room and went on to pray and supplicates with God with love. Tears covered the expanse of his face. He was sad and broken-hearted but he was overtaken by heavy sleep. In his dream, he found himself at the war front, where he had already been wounded seriously. A very tall date-palm appeared before him. So he went towards the tree. He saw a noble man in Arabic clothes along with his family members in the shade of the tree. Seeing the gentleman, he decided to get back, but that great noble man called him and spoke to him in Persian. Behbood said, "Sir! I'm hungry and thirsty!" The noble men replied, Take this rod and shake the boughs of the date-palm to get some dates for yourself and for us." He went towards the tree and shook the branches hard and gathered the dates fallen on the ground. He took the dates to his master and offered them to him. The gentleman gave three of the dates to him ordering him, "Eat this date when you go away from us and give the other one to the wounded soldier lying over there by the river and keep the third on for your future use, when you are in danger!" Giving his thanks to the noble man, Behbood departed from the gentleman. Then he acted according to his order. He ate the first date himself and after a while he felt completely filled. Then he went towards the wounded soldier lying wounded by the river. He wanted to help him to get up, but because he was too heavy for him to lift him up, he gave it up and continued his way. Suddenly he heard a foot step from behind and he learned that somebody was chasing him. He accelerated his speed and reached the road side where he met the same master who was coming after him. Being terrified, he asked for help shouting, "Help me sir, please an enemy soldier is chasing me!" The great noble man replied, "He is not an enemy soldier. The man who is coming after you is the very man to whom you offered a date." What a great surprise, Behbood said, "When he was badly wounded and ill is it possible for him to follow me!" The noble man replied, "Don't you recognize me?" Behbood said, "No, Sir!" The noble man replied, "I am from Khurasan! I am Imam Reza (A.S.)." Hearing this phrase, Behbood decided to drop himself at the foot of his master, but the Imam prevented to him in his dream. The atmosphere of the hospital was filled with tears, moaning and cries. The call of "Ya Husain! Ya Reza!" of the sick person and of the hospital personnel filled the ears and they recited Salawat (Peace Be upon Muhammad (S.A.W.) and his Pure Progeny). When his attending physicians came to him and examined him again. With great surprise, they found him healthy and safe and sound again! Yes! He was healed through the favor and grace of Holy Imam Reza (A.S.), and was discharged from the hospital the next day. http://shiastudies.com

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