NAJMUS SAAQIB Incident Incident Twenty-nine: Amir Ishaq Astarabadi


Story of Amir Ishaq Astarabadi, which Allamah Majlisi has narrated from his father in Behaarul Anwaar.[1]
The humble author has seen in the writing of his father, Mulla Muhammad Taqi Majlisi, on the back of the well known supplication known as Hirze Yamani, longer than what is mentioned there with permission for some persons:
We mention the translation of its chapter:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ وَالصَّلٰوةُ عَلٰى اَشْرَفِ الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عِتْرَتِهِ الطَّاهِرِيْنَ .

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds and Salawat on the best of the prophets, Muhammad and his purified progeny.
So to say: Thus, verily, Amir Muhammad Hashim requested me to permit him to narrate the Hirze Yamani, which is attributed to Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) – so I gave permission to him so that he may narrate this supplication from me through my authorities from Sayyid Amir Ishaq Astarabadi, who is buried in Kerbala from our master, Sahibul Asr (a.s.).
Sayyid said: “The cause of that honor is that one year when I was on my way to the Holy House of Allah, along with other pilgrims, and when we were at a distance of seven or nine stages from Mecca, I was, for some reason, left behind the caravan and soon they went out of my sight. I lost my way and was overcome with thirst, I was about to die when I prayed:
“O the righteous one, O Aba Saaleh guide us to the path, may Allah have mercy on you.”
Suddenly an apparition became visible at the end of the desert, before I could make it out, it had already reached me. I saw a handsome youth wearing clean clothes of green hue and having a noble demeanor riding a camel and carrying water in a container. I saluted him and he replied to my Salaam and asked: Are you thirsty? ‘Yes,’ I replied. He gave me the vessel and I drank the water. Then he asked: Would you like to join your caravan? ‘Yes,’ said I. He made me mount behind him and moved to Mecca. I had the habit of reciting the Hirz-e-Yamaani everyday. At that time also I began to recite it, at some points he used to say: ‘Recite like this.’

Not much time passed that he said: ‘Do you recognize this place?’ I looked and saw that I was at Abtah. He said: ‘Alight.’ I alighted, but when I turned back he had disappeared. At that moment, I realized that he was Qaaem (a.s.). I became regretful at his separation and was sorry that I had not recognized him before. After seven days, my caravan reached Mecca and people found me there – while they had lost hopes of my survival – therefore I became famous for having the land folded for me.”
I concealed myself after completing the rituals of Hajj. And this Sayyid performed the Hajj on foot forty times. And when I met him in Isfahan, when he had returned from Kerbala and was intending to perform the Ziyarat of Imam Ali bin Moosa Reza (a.s.) and he owed the dower of his wife; seven Tumans and only has this much money, which was with a person who resided in Mashad.
He saw in dream that his end was near. He said: I served the shrine of Kerbala for fifty years so that I should die over there and I fear that I will die somewhere else.
When our friends came to know about him they paid the amount and sent some escorts with him. So he said: When the Sayyid reached Kerbala and his debt was paid, he fell ill and passed away on the ninth day and was buried in his house and I has seen the like of this miracle acts from him during his stay in Isfahan. May Allah be pleased with him.
For me there are many permissions for this supplication and I have summarized it and I hope that he would not forget me in the acceptance of prayer.
I request him that he should recite this supplication only for the Almighty Allah and he should not recite it for the destruction of the enemies if he has faith; no matter how corrupt or cruel he may be and that he should recite for all purposes. On the contrary, it may also be recited for seeking proximity to the Almighty Allah and to remove the harm of the Shayateen from the men and jinns from him and from all the believers. If it is possible he should make an intention of near about this meaning and the first thing is to leave everything, which is against proximity to the Almighty Allah – Muhammad Taqi Majlisi.
The seal of the scholars and narration experts, Shaykh Abul Hasan Sharif, student of Allamah Majlisi, has narrated this incident at the end of the first volume of his Ziyaul Aalameen from his teacher from his father till the entry of the Sayyid into Mecca. Then he said: The father of the Shaykh said to me: I took the formula of the supplication from him for correction by Imam (a.s.) and he gave permission to me to narrate it from Imam (a.s.) and also gave permission to his son. It is forty years since I am reciting that supplication and deriving unlimited benefits from it.
At that place he has narrated the incident of the dream of the Sayyid that he said in his dream: Make haste to travel to Kerbala as your end is near. And this Dua is present in this manner only in Behaarul Anwaar, Vol. 92.[2]


[1]   Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 52, p. 175 onwards.
[2]   Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 92, p. 241 onwards.