This spiritual invitation, religious assistance and encouragement of Quran
and Sunnah, for Jihad through poetry and versified compositions became a
practice during the period of the Holy Imams (a.s.) also in emulating the Prophet;
and hearts of individuals of the society became soft through poetry and poets.
Poets from far off places of the country set out towards the Holy Imams
(a.s.) and those respected ones accorded them a warm welcome. They welcomed
them with great respect and arranged gatherings of poetry recitation for them and
prayed for them.
They bestowed various kinds of presents to them. And if they noticed some
defect in the couplets, they corrected them. From this aspect, during these
periods, literature and poetry reached maturity and became as matured as many of
the social sciences and arts came under its influence.
From this aspect, poetry, in the view of the protectors of religion (Ahle
Bayt) have great importance. So much so that gatherings of poetry recitation and
participation in them and spending to listen to them was regarded as great
worship acts and divine obedience.
In the best of times, and most valuable places, it was preferred to
supplications and worship, as mentioned in the statement of Imam Ja’far Sadiq
(a.s.) and his conduct to the poem of Hashimiyat of Kumayt as seen at the time of
his entry in Mina during the days of Tashreeq (11, 12 and 13 Zilhajj). He
requested the Imam: “May I be sacrificed on you, please allow me to recite a
poem.” His Eminence replied: “These days are great days.”
He said: “It is about you.” When His Eminence heard this, he sent for his
relatives and asked Kumayt: “Recite.”
He recited the panegyric entitled ‘Lamiya Hashimiya’, and the Imam prayed
for Kumayt. His Eminence also gifted him with a thousand gold coins (dinars)
and a cloak.
And with attention to social aims, Imam (a.s.) used to overlook the acts and
personal qualities of the religious poet, and if a negative act was committed by
him, they used to bring them to the right path.1
Statements like: It is not difficult for Almighty Allah to forgive the sins of
our friends and admirers.2 Is it difficult for God to forgive the sins of the followers of Ali (a.s.)?3
Thus, there is no sin, which Allah does not forgive for the progeny of Ali.
Indeed, follower of Ali will not stumble, except that his other foot becomes firm.4 The exigency of the society is based on this step and our life and death is based
on this only.
Imams of religion (a.s.) have positive thinking, which is used in this aspect;
and it is like a program used for training and guiding people to service of society,
enlightening folks of culture and guiding them to the ways of propagation and
publicity, which make bases of the religion strong.
It is the bequest of Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) for his son, Imam Ja’far
Sadiq (a.s.):
“Ja’far, set aside this much from my property for ladies, who recite elegies
to recite elegies for me during the days of Mina5 for ten years,” which shows that elegies should be recited at places, where there is a large gathering.
Imam (a.s.) also fixed the place and time of mourning. Since that time and
place is the only location to which Muslims flock in groups from far and near
points of the earth and such a huge gathering is not there for any other purpose.
It shows that the aim, propagation of excellence and singular precedence of
Ahle Bayt of revelation, Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) and conveying it to
Muslim people, so that they develop attachment to it, become attentive to him,
and Muslims unite on the issue of Mastership (Wilayat), and become proximate
for acceptance of their religion.
And that the repetition of this program every year may urge attachment to
truth and humility, and acceptance of Imamate of His Eminence, and to be
embellished by excellence of his morals and connecting to his teachings, all of
which bestow deliverance.
It is on this basis that gatherings of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam
Husain (a.s.) were held and not for any other objective.
With attention to the lofty meaning of poetry, poets of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) were
targets of the malice of opponents, their existence was very unbearable for
opponents, fire of enmity burnt in them, malice with regard to them was strong,
and the standard bearers of this dimension of poetry were always hopeless from
life.
They were always expecting death and being killed, they lived in fear and
were not able to settle down anywhere and were unable to settle down in a house
and throughout their lives invited different calamities and tortures, like being crucified, killed, being burnt to death, cutting of the tongue, imprisonment,
torture, beatings and abuses, insults, expulsion from hometown, separation from
family and thousands of troubles and painful calamities, which pages of history
are full of and have recorded a large number of them.