The people had not seamlessly\nwitnessed such supplications for years. When the crowd found Imam passionate\nand headed to the Lord\u2019s presence in tears in order to perform the\n“Eid” prayers, they chanted with him in cries and in a full state of\nspirituality and humbleness: “Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest\nbecause He has guided us, and (we) gratefully thank Him for the blessings He\nendowed us with\u2026” (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verily, the Caliphs had long been\nperforming Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha prayers. However, their way of praying\nhad changed gradually, and had deviated from the Prophet Muhammad\u2019s\n(PBUH&HP) rules. Little by little, the life and the approach of the Caliphs\nhad become akin to the luxurious and glorious courts of Sassanid Kings and\nRoman Emperors. The Caliph attended the Eid prayer with royal splendor and\npride while carrying a gold sword and riding horses that wore gold or silver\nnecklaces. The army also walked after him; it was as if the soldiers were\nmarching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this time the situation unfolded\ndifferently. Imam Reza (PBUH) was meant to lead the Eid prayer, but with a\npivotal condition though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ma\u2019mun (the caliph) had insisted on\nthe Imam to lead the prayer. Imam stated, “At the outset, I set the\ncondition that my succession to the throne would remain solely nominal and I\nwould not intervene in any affairs.” Ma\u2019mun replied back, “Oh no, I\nam pleading with you. Are you avoiding the prayer? This work has nothing to do\nwith the people, so it should not lead you to believe that it involves tyranny.\nAt least, please only lead this prayer.” Imam said, “Under one\ncondition I will do it: I will perform the prayer using the rules of my\ngrandfather and my father, and not yours”. Ma\u2019mun, who had previously intended\nto delegate it to Imam Reza (PBUH) in order for the people to believe that the\nImam is really implicated in the state affairs, said, “Alright; perform\nthe prayers in whatever way you prefer.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The day of Eid arrived. Addressing his\ncompanions, Imam stated, \u201cWear your ordinary outfits, bare your feet. Roll up\nyour sleeves and lift up your cloak, and recite the supplications that I\u2019m\nuttering. You should be in the state of humbleness. We are headed to the\nAllah\u2019s presence, so direct your attention to Him. In the supplications, bear\nAllah in mind.\u201d Imam then tied his turban just like the Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) did, and wore his cloths in the manner that the Prophet wore his.\nHe carried his cane like the Prophet and stepped out of the house in a modest\nand humble fashion. Upon his exit from the house, he began chanting, \u201cAllah is\nthe Greatest. Allah is the Greatest because He has guided us, and (we)\ngratefully thank Him for the blessings he endowed us with”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam was continuing with this rite,\nand the associates were repeating after him. The chant gradually permeated the\ncity of Marv. Imam was shouting, “Allah is the Greatest” and the city\nwas uniformly shouting “Allah is the Greatest”. Even the army\ncommanders and the heads of tribes – who were sent by Ma\u2019mun to follow Imam Ali\nibn Musa (PBUH) in prayers, and who had equipped themselves, had worn luxurious\ngarments, and had come riding on their excellent horses in line with previous\nyears\u2019 style- unwittingly jumped off their horses and left them alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right before the crowd passed through\nthe city gate, the spies informed Ma\u2019mun that if this trend continued, his\ngovernment would be overthrown. Therefore, the soldiers approached Imam and\ntold him not to bother and requested him to return as the caliph himself would\nbe leading the prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truly, the prayer of Eid al-Fitr had\nbeen a part of Allah’s (SWT) book and the Sunnah of the Prophet and had turned\ninane and futile. Hence, Imam said “I would be ready to perform the prayer\nbut in accordance with the rules of my grandfather and my father, not those of\nyour grandfather and your father.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And all of us hope for the day which\nwe say the prayer of Eid al-Fetr behind our live and occulted Imam, Imam Mahdi\n(PBUH). Is fulfillment of this hope close or we should be still patient and\nawait the reoccurrence of our Imam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(The above is a selection from \u201cThe Truth about Hussain’s (PBUH)\nRevolt\u201dby Late Scholar Murtada Mutahhari, with minor changes) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd website congratulates all\nMuslims and especially you, dear friend, on the arrival of Eid al-Fitr,the\nfeast of servitude and submission to Allah (SWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roshd Islamic Shia Website<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1.\nThis phrase is a part of rituals of the day of Eid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The people had not seamlessly witnessed such supplications for years. When the crowd found Imam passionate and headed to the Lord\u2019s presence in tears in order to perform the “Eid” prayers, they chanted with him in cries and in a full state of spirituality and humbleness: “Allah is the Greatest. Allah is the Greatest because […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28429,28248],"tags":[24809,17778,24715,24810,23423,24808,17978,18418,17955,18207,21841],"class_list":["post-4868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-eid-al-fitr","category-occasional-letters","tag-2009-09-20","tag-allah","tag-eid-al-fitr","tag-eid-prayer","tag-greatest","tag-humbly-headed-to-gods-presence","tag-lord","tag-occasion-letters","tag-people","tag-prayer","tag-presence"],"yoast_head":"\n