The Holy place of Najaf – the sacred shrine of my Mawla Ali
The father of all Imams and the best after the last Prophet
His holy shrine sheds light to all hearts needy of guidance
And his beautiful dome sits in the soul of every devotee
His grave was dug for him long ago by Prophet Nuh
Who is also buried there in close proximity along with Adam
Ibrahim insisted that the time would come when there would be a tomb there with a shrine
Which seventy thousand people would gain absolutely undisputed entrance to Paradise
All the great kings of the world put together could not have a tomb as magnificent as his
This is the tribute which kings have built together to enshrine the mortal remains of the great Ali
Peace and serenity encompasses the heart of the visitor to Imam Ali
And surely dissolves any feeling of worry or stress
It was a dream in itself to be invited to the land of Ghareyy
That which all the prophets visited and thousand of angels descend
The thought of leaving Najaf leaves behind a devastating fire sparked in the mind
While the dream of walking to Karbala throws ice to somewhat appease that fire of love
How can the feet convince itself to walk away from this sacred shrine?
How can the body push itself far from Heaven which it longs for?
With regret and tears I leave the place of comfort and relief
Where my heart resides and my soul yearns
As I stood there pondering over this puzzling moment
Where the mind is perplexed with mixed emotions
Suddenly I hear a voice inspiring me to seek the permission of my Master Ali
Only he can relieve your dilemma and provide you comfort
I run to the shrine looking for my Mawla Abul Hasan
To consult the Great Lion of God
I call out loud ‘Ya Ali’ hoping to hear his voice
But instead a female voice answers me
‘My husband is not here and has already left
Walking barefoot to visit our beloved son Husayn’
With a feeling of awe and excitement I realize the answer to my dilemma
Symbolized in the departure of Imam Ali to Karbala
For if my Imam himself has left heading towards the Land of Paradise
Then surely I am also given the permission to depart and tread the path of Ali
The time has come to proceed to the next sacred destination
How blessed is that place which Imam Ali himself yearns!
Calling out in the name of the Lord of Husayn
Which bears the dot signifying the essence of Abu Turab
With mixed emotions I take the first step from the door of the first wali
Bidding a sad farewell not knowing if this will be the last visit or not
With passion and determination I take the first step forward
Accompanied by the angels of the heavens and earth
Every step seeming like miles away
And every minute feeling like years
Every ache accompanied with the cry of ‘Ya Husayn!’
Hoping that every blister leaves a scar of devotion embedded with pain
The feeling of exhaustion and physical stress diluted with the passion of love
And the fervor to meet the beloved increased with every pain in this unique procession
A million-man march in rally and support of our oppressed Imam
Carrying the Flag of Fidelity and calling out ‘Labbayka Oh Husayn!’
Treading the road between Heaven and Paradise
Limping with love towards my beloved twin guides
Situated at Karbala Al Muqadassa
Its address none other than Baynul Haramain
