(And seek means of nearness to God). According to related traditions, God's prophets especially the Holy Prophet of Islam and the Infallible Imams, who are his true successors, are the best means. They possess extraordinary capacities and can do great favor, with God's permission, to those who invoke and resort to them. Such miraculous deeds of which one is the story of Asef bin Barkhia have been related in the Quran as well. Asef bin Barkhia, who was Hazrat Sulayman's vizier, had little knowledge of the Book but he made the throne of Saba princess available in a wink of an eye whereas according to the Holy Quran and authentic narratives, which have been repeatedly reported by Shia and Sunni resources, all those divine ranks and knowledge are possessed by the Infallible Imams (a.s.). Many miracles have been shown by this family of revelation and dignity throughout the history. What follows is a story of a miracle that appeared this year on the tenth day of Muharram, 1426 (February 2005).
A man with an incurable disease gets cured on Ashura
The miracle has been witnessed by a number of mourners and related by them as under:
The ailing man named Sayyid Abbas Najm, an Iraqi by origin but born and lived as French, is a chemical engineer. Eight years back he started to suffer from a strange disease that began with his right toe. The disease then reaches up to his knee and pelvis and causes his right leg become completely numb and paralyzed. He refers to well-known specialists and modern hospitals in France, Canada, USA and UK and spends huge sums of money but all in vain. The doctors had many a time advised the patient's family not to take any further action and waste not their time because the disease he was suffering from was incurable. Life becomes insufferably hard for Sayyid Najm's family when to their disappointment they come to learn that he would not be cured. His wife and daughter had decided to take and submit him to a special treatment center which even made him further distressed.
His wife, a biologist and follower of Christianity, said that thousands of dollars had been spent for his husband's treatment. She stressed that according to today's medical science her husband's disease was incurable.
Sayyid Abbas Najm Visits Mecca
Sayyid Abbas Najm traveled to Mecca to perform pilgrimage in the hope of recovering from the ailment. But divine wisdom lied in manifesting further the dignity and magnificence of Imam Husain (a.s.). He performed pilgrimage rituals but did not succeed in achieving his wish. God wanted him to be cured in a lamentation gathering of Imam Husain (a.s.).
Having performed Hajj rituals he left Mecca for one of the Persian Gulf countries. Some of his acquaintances asked him to stay there and take part in the ritual mourning programs that are held every year for the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.), the Lord of Martyrs and his companions.
Sayyid Abbas Najm agreed to stay there. He began attending the gathering from the seventh of Muharram. He then started imploring Imam Husain (a.s.) and invoking his favor.
The speaker of the Majlis Shaikh Habibullah Sadeqi, Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani's representative for foreign countries was speaking on the suffering of Imam Husain and his children and Sayyid Abbas Najm was crying and imploring with sincerity. On the seventh day of Muharram he fainted and on the eighth day he again lost consciousness and this happened twice.
On the day of Ashura he cried and implored more vehemently. He asked the speaker of the Majlis to teach him a zikr or dua and the speaker advised him to recite, يَا كَاشِفَ الكَرْبِ عَنْ وَجْهِ الحُسَين (عليه السلام) اِكشِف كَربِى بِحَقِّ أَخِيكَ الحُسَين (عليه السلام) (Ya kashifa al-Karb-e 'an wajhil husain ekshif karbi behaq-e akhikal husain -alaihessalam) for 133 times and eventually by the favor of Imam Husain (a.s.) he gets completely cured on the eleventh night of Muharram.
Sayyid Abbas Najm Himself Relates the Story of His Healing
These mourners who witnessed the incident quote this ailing man as such:
After I recited the Zikr (Ya Kashifal karb…) for 133 times and got into a strange condition as a result of intense weeping and feeling I saw myself in a mourning gathering. Everyone was standing but for me. When everyone was standing and the speaker of the Majlis was reciting dirges to the audience while I was vehemently crying, then in that very moment I saw an impressively glorious man enter the gathering. "Get up!" He ordered me.
I replied: " I cannot move, I am paralyzed".
Then he said: "Grab my shoulder and stand up."
I did what he ordered me to do and all of a sudden I felt myself able to move. Thanks God, my ailment was cured by virtue of mourning for Imam Hussein, the Lord of Martyrs (a.s.).
The Influence of this Miracle on His Wife
Sayyid Abbas Najm's wife was utterly disappointed of her husband's recovery. Being a Christian she did not know much about the truthfulness of Islam and real status of the Ahlalbayt (a.s.). After her husband was cured, she was greatly impressed and influenced by this miracle of Imam Husain (a.s.) and she converted to Islam with an inexplicable and unexplainable enthusiasm in the presence Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani's representative, Shaikh Habibullah Sadeqi.
Embracing Islam Requires Eligibility
Undoubtedly, embracing Islam needs eligibility and merit which becomes available by virtue of good conduct and healthy manner. This lady who accepted Islam said that she had never had alcohol or any illegal relation with a stranger (people outside ones' own family) in her entire life despite the fact that such practices are very common in the West and even considered wrongly as civilized acts. Without any doubt, Sayyid Abbas Najm's healthy behavior paved the way for her wife's conversion to Islam.
Hojjatul Islam Habibullah Sadeqi says: I had talked to Sayyid Abbas Najm and his wife before Najm's recovery. When I first saw him in the mourning gathering I just noticed that he was very distressed. He told me that he would commit suicide, if he did not regain his health. I consoled him and spoke to him about the pains and sufferings that Hazrat Ayyub (Job) and the Imams had tolerated. I also talked to him about Ayyub and Imams' patience and forbearance but he simply told me, 'you do not know what is going on inside me. I have reached the point where I cannot go any further'.
After I stepped out of the Majlis I met Sayyid Najm's wife. I told her not to worry and for the solace of her heart I said to her that her husband would regain his health, if God wished so. Since her husband's disease seemed unbelievably incurable to her she said: I am fully aware of the nature of my husband's problem and I know that according to today's medical science this disease is not curable and he is not going to regain his health because we do not have any thing better than science."
I told her: Science has its own laws but you should not deny the effect of spiritual invocations. I asked her if she was not going to a church. She said that she was.
I also asked her: " If a Christian sees that all other doors are closed to her, doesn't she implore Jesus Christ?" She replied: "She does."
I asked: "What does he implore for?"
She said: "Because Jesus son of Mary has a supernatural power. We resort to him as the last solution."
I said: "We also believe that Imam Husain's power is supernatural and your husband's invocation to Imam Husain (a.s.) is the last solution for him."
I talked to him about Abulfazl, the flag-bearer of Karbalah, and about the Hindu man who was beating his chest in mourning for Imam Husain (a.s.) and whose chest and right hand did not burn in the cremation (funeral service) while the rest of his body burnt to ashes. I also told her about Zoroastrians' invocations to Abulfazl, the "Gate of Wishes".
Hojjatul Islam Sadeqi added: Sayyid Abbas Najm's wife had a very different mood after her husband's ailment got cured. She looked perturbed and restless. I reminded her of Imam Husain's favor to her husband by the grace of Allah. She said that she was then seeing herself between perdition and salvation."
Hojjatul Islam Sadeqi said: "Imam Husain (a.s.) does not belong to Shia only. He is the leader of the entire humanity. I told the woman the story of Zohair bin Qain who was traveling in the company of Imam Husain and his companions; but he used to set up his tent at a distance far from Imam Husain (a.s.). It so happened that one day the tents were erected close to one another. Imam Husain (a.s.) sent out for him. Zohair's wife suggested her husband to accept Imam Husian's invitation. He did so and met the Imam and was guided thereupon.
"I also talked to her about Wahab, his mother and wife who were Christians but joined Imam Husain (a.s.) and his comrades and were martyred in Karbala.
"I also told her the story of Horr who was a commander in the army of Yazid but was bestowed with eternal prosperity at the last moment of his life.
After a little conversation with this woman, she said to me that she would do everything I obliged her. Meanwhile, she told me that the night after the night of her husband's recovery she saw a lady in her dream. She said, "The lady stretched out her hand to me and I asked her if she was Mary."
She added, "I did not see myself worthy of shaking hand with the lady and I asked her 'are you Mary?'" The lady replied, "I am not but my rank is higher than Mary's."
According to witnesses, this Husaini miracle created so deep an unexplainable change in her morale and spirit that she asked the speaker of the Majlis before embracing Islam if she was eligible to accept Islam. Based on the Prophetic tradition which says, "Verily, Husain is torch of guidance and ark of salvation." This lady was blessed with the light of guidance of Imam Husain (a.s.) and she embraced Islam on Monday 12th of Muharram 1426 A.H. in the presence of Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani's representative who suggested "Fatima" as a Muslim name for herself.
Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani's Sayings about this Miracle
In regards to this miracle the supreme religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani said: The tradition which says that " أِجابة الدُّعاء تحت قُبَّتِهِ" (Du'as are answered under his dome) does not point to Imam's dome in Karbala only. Rather, wherever there is a mourning ceremony for Imam (a.s.) and the mourners sincerely mourn for him, they are favored by the Imam and their du'as (supplications) are answered. This is something which is not particular to Shia or even Christians or any denominations. Rather, whoever sincerely invokes for the blessing of Imam Husain (a.s.), his wish will be fulfilled. That is why Christians and Armenians are spending for Imam Husain (a.s.) thereby invoking for his favor.
Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani added: "This incident made weak hearts strong and strong hearts stronger and our eyes and Momeneens' bright."
