In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
«لیهلک من هلک عن بينة وَ یَحْیی مَنْ حَیَّ عَنْ بَیِّنَة» (انفال. آيه42)
The Shirt of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) is a heavenly gift and a present from the highest celestial realms[1], a legacy of the great prophets[2], and inherently filled with sorrow, created based on wisdom and a divine roadmap.
The aforementioned shirt, by divine decree, was first sent down upon Adam, the Chosen One of Allah[3]. Then, through meaningful travels, it became the savior of 124,000 divine prophets[4]. Upon reaching the Fourteen Infallibles (peace be upon them), it was sent by Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) to Karbala, where it was worn by Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) on the day of Ashura[5]. Eventually, it will be revealed by Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance) for seeking justice and earthly retribution[6]. Ultimately, on the Day of Judgement, Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) will present it before Allah to plead for retribution[7]. Thus, this shirt is an undeniable and complete proof.
Indeed, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) rose up at a time when deviations from the Book of Allah and distortions in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had reached their peak, and the prophetic mission, amidst a sea of innovations, required a savior ship and a guiding light. He rose up and gave eternal life to the prophetic Sharia. With the sacrifice of his blood, he led the Islamic Ummah from the darkness of ignorance to the light of guidance. In the final moments of Ashura, he unveiled the Shirt of Prophethood, a special gift from Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her); a shirt that had, firstly, taught the divine prophets the lesson of steadfastness; secondly, they had collectively affirmed their covenant with Ashura; and thirdly, its being trampled by the horses of the Umayyad rebels[8] and its looting[9] indicated the intention of these tyrants to annihilate the prophetic mission and the Alawi legitimacy. The insistence of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in Sham to retrieve it demonstrates that this shirt is a beacon of insight for future generations. Just like the blood of Ali Asghar (peace be upon him), this great proof[10] is also considered a beginning for deciphering the power of the oppression of the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him). The uprising of the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), along with the revelation of this shirt, symbolizes healing and mercy for the people of truth and vengeance for the enemies of truth. As per the instruction of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), Shia must derive their life from Karbala before the reappearance.[11], perhaps Karbala, this life-giving geography, can be introduced to the world with that special symbol, similar to Arbaeen of Husayn and the global movement of Husayn’s infants, and provide the platform for the cry against oppression and the plea for justice of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), as well as the groundwork for the appearance and formation of the Mahdavi global community!
Questions Regarding This Esteemed Shirt:
_ What are the name(s) of this shirt and the reason(s) for its naming?
_ Was the mentioned shirt old and worthless, or ancient and precious?
_ Why was this shirt sent to Karbala?
_ Why did Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) wear the shirt in the final moments of Ashura?
_ Why did Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) tear the shirt before his martyrdom?
_ What was the reason for the looting of that shirt and the insistence of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) on retrieving it?
_ Why was the shirt placed on the sacred tomb of Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her) after returning from Sham?
Final Words
At this critical juncture in history, where Satan, with the emblem of Zionism and other symbols, is stirring the world against the greatest Shia revolution in the span of history and its great ideals that pave the way for the emergence, the Shia also need to equip[12] themselves and present authentic strategies. The symbolic raising of the cloak of the Lord of Martyrs – peace be upon him – is the drawing of a map with historical documents that Shia intellectuals and scholars can use to enrich Shia thought and introduce Ashura with this heavenly identity to the world. “Surely, the victory of Allah is near.” [13]
Servant of the International Assembly of Hazrat Ali Asghar (peace be upon him)
Davood Manafi Pour
[1]. “Muhammad narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma’il from Abu Isma’il al-Sarraj from Bishr ibn Ja’far from Mufaddal ibn Umar from Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him), who said, ‘Do you know what the shirt of Yusuf (peace be upon him) was?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘When the fire was set for Ibrahim (peace be upon him), Jibril (peace be upon him) brought him a garment from the garments of Paradise and made him wear it, so it did not harm him with heat or cold. When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was about to die, he placed it in a tamima (amulet)[1] and hung it on Ishaq, and Ishaq hung it on Ya’qub. When Yusuf (peace be upon him) was born, Ya’qub hung it on him, and it was on his arm until what happened to him happened. When Yusuf took it out in Egypt from the amulet, Ya’qub smelled its scent, and he said, ‘Indeed, I smell the scent of Yusuf, if it were not that you think me weakened in mind.’ So, it is that shirt which Allah sent down from Paradise.’ I said, ‘May I be your ransom, to whom did that shirt pass?’ He said, ‘To its people.’ Then he said, ‘Every prophet who inherited knowledge or something else, it has ended up with the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).’” Al-Kafi, Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni, Dar al-Islamiyyah, Tehran, 4th edition, 1407 AH / Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, Shaykh al-Saduq, vol. 1, p. 143 / Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 12, p. 249
[2]. “Then he said, ‘Every prophet who inherited knowledge or something else, it has ended up with Muhammad (peace be upon him), and Ya’qub was in Palestine when the caravan departed from Egypt, and he found the scent of Yusuf – it is from that shirt which was brought out of Paradise, and we have inherited it.’” Tafsir al-Qummi, Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi, Qom, 3rd edition, 1404 AH
[3]. “Allah accepted the repentance of Adam (peace be upon him) with that shirt, restored the ring of Solomon with it, returned Yusuf to Ya’qub with it, and saved Yunus from the belly of the whale with it. Likewise, He saved other prophets from trials with it. That shirt was none other than the shirt of Muhammad (peace be upon him).” Al-Khisal, Shaykh al-Saduq, vol. 2, p. 483 / Ma’ani al-Akhbar, Shaykh al-Saduq, p. 308
[4]. Ibid. (as previously cited).
[5]. “In the events of the tenth day of Jumada al-Awwal, it is narrated that on this day, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) gave the shirt of Ibrahim al-Khalil to Zainab (peace be upon her) and said: ‘If your brother Hussein asks you for it, know that he is a guest with you for a moment; then he will be killed in the worst conditions at the hands of the illegitimate children.’” Waqqai’ al-Shuhur wal-Ayyam al-Birjandi: Bahrani Esfahani, Abdullah ibn Noorullah, Awalim al-Ulum wal-Ma’arif wal-Ahwal min al-Ayat wal-Akhbar wal-Aqwal (Mustadrak Sayyidah al-Nisa ila al-Imam al-Jawad – Iran; Qom, 1st edition, 1413 AH: vol. 11-section 2-Fatima (peace be upon her); p. 905
[6]. “Then the Mahdi, bearing the same name as my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, will rise and upon him will be the shirt of the Messenger of Allah…” Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir ibn Muhammad Taqi, Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut edition) – Beirut, 2nd edition, 1403 AH, vol. 53, p. 32
[6]. “Narrated by Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abdullah from his father, from Ya’qub al-Jarimi, from Abu Hubaysh al-Harawi, from Abu Abdullah ibn Abdul Razzaq, from his father, from his grandfather, from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, from Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, from Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him), who mentioned a very long sermon containing the signs of the end of times, and many prophecies including the state of the Umayyads and the Abbasids, and the conditions of the Dajjal and the Sufyani, until he said: ‘The Mahdi, from my progeny, will appear between the Rukn and the Maqam, and upon him will be the shirt of Ibrahim…’” Shaykh Hurr Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Ithbat al-Hudat bi al-Nusus wa al-Mu’jizat – Beirut, 1st edition, 1425 AH, vol. 5, p. 217
[7]. “Narrated by Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa, who said: My father narrated to me, who said: Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim narrated to me from his father, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Aban ibn Uthman, from Abu Abdullah Ja’far ibn Muhammad (peace be upon him), who said: ‘On the Day of Judgment, Allah will gather the first and the last in a single plain. Then a caller will command: Lower your gazes and bow your heads until Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (peace be upon him), crosses the Sirat.’ The creation will then lower their gazes. Fatimah (peace be upon her) will come riding on one of the noble mounts of Paradise, accompanied by seventy thousand angels. She will stop at an honored position among the positions of the Day of Judgment. Then she will descend from her mount, take the shirt of Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon them), stained with his blood, in her hand and say: ‘O Lord, this is the shirt of my son, and You know what was done to him.’ A voice will call out to her from Allah, the Almighty: ‘O Fatimah, you have My pleasure…’” Al-Amali (for Al-Mufid) – Qom, 1st edition, 1413 AH, p. 130
[8]. “Then Umar ibn Sa’d called out to his companions: ‘Who will volunteer to trample Hussein [peace be upon him] with his horse?’ Ten men volunteered, including Ishaq ibn Haywah al-Hadhrami and Ahbash ibn Marthad al-Hadhrami. They came and trampled Hussein [peace be upon him] with their horses until they crushed his back and chest.” Abu Mikhnaf al-Kufi, Loot ibn Yahya, Waqqat al-Taff – Iran; Qom, 3rd edition, 1417 AH, p. 258
[9]. “Then they approached to loot Hussein (peace be upon him), and Ishaq ibn Haywah al-Hadhrami took his shirt.” Al-Irshad fi Ma’rifat Hujaj Allah ‘ala al-Ibad, Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Mufid – Qom, 1st edition, 1413 AH, vol. 2, p. 112
[10] “Blood flowed from the throat of Ali Asghar (peace be upon him), and Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) began his movement from this very point. Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon him) signed the document of his legitimacy here.”
[11] “And for our Shia, there will be life in it for the appearance of our Qa’im.” – Hasan ibn Sulayman ibn Muhammad al-Hilli, Mukhtasar al-Basa’ir – Iran; Qom, 1st edition, 1421 AH: p. 447 / Husayn ibn Hamdan al-Khasibi, al-Hidayah al-Kubra – Beirut, 1419 AH, p. 400
[12] –Surah Al-Anfal, Ayah 60- “وَأَعِدّوا لَهُم مَا استَطَعتُم مِن قُوَّةٍ”
[13] “Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 214”
