Question
His holiness Hazrat Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi
With greeting,
You have previously mentioned valuable utterances for introduction of Jamkaran mosque. The lovers of Imam of Time (a.s.) request for a more comprehensive introduction about this great religious centers to remove any ambiguity and temptation raised by the uninformed and ignorant.
A number of your Moqalledin
October 2006
Answer
First of all, it is necessary to mention a brief introduction, that is:
Jamkaran mosque is one of the divine blessings for the Shiite. It is a very blessed center attracting the lovers of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.), particularly virtuous youths f r o m far and near. When they enter this mosque repenting and praising God, they forget everything save God and his Vali, Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.).
Observation of states of the youths sincerely invocating God and his representative in this sacred location reminds the pilgrims of House of God in the territory of Arafat, who come there with a big grief and sorrow, and leave there with purity, sincerity, hope and love in life.
We have suggested the authorities of some universities to build a big pilgrim’s house here and bring university professors and dear universities here. Then, they may be sure that they would be insured against the enemy’s cultural invasion.
However, Jamkaran mosque is capable of changing to an “active cultural center” for neutralization of cultural raid of adversaries of Islam and Prophet’s Household (a.s.), particularly for the youths. Moreover, pilgrims are benefiting its spiritual and material blessings.
The only important problem of this mosque is non-conformity of its facilities with the crowd of lovers of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.), because the pilgrims are much more. People and government of Islamic Republic of Iran shall have an extensive program and contribution to provide facilities for the esteemed pilgrims.
Three points are noteworthy regarding the mosque:
1- Scientific and historical aspect
In contrary to what some of the ignorant assume, construction of this mosque by order of Imam of Time (a.j.) is not related to a “dream”. Rather, it is an explicit instruction in wakeness.
A righteous, virtuous and faithful man called “Hassan Ebne Mathaleh” says:
It was midnight of 17th night of the blessed month of Ramadan of the year 373 A.H. (more than one thousand years ago), some people came to my house, and awakened me and said:
اجب الامام المهدى صاحب الزمان(عليه السلام) فانه يدعوك
Fulfill (accept) invitation of your Imam, Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.); he has called you.
He adds: I went to him, and he referred to a piece of land and said: This belongs to us. Build a mosque there. Then, he said: Tell people to respect this location and care it. Then he instructed to say four Rak’at prayer there; two for paying respect to the mosque (with special rites) and two additional Rak’at (Imam of Time (a.s.) prayer) (with its special order) and ended:
فمن صلاهما فكانما صلى فى البيت العتيق
One who says these two prayers there is like one who has said them in the Ka’aba.
This narration has been narrated f r o m the book, “History of Qom” f r o m the book, مونس الحزين فى معرفة الحق واليقين, compiled by the Late Sadouq, and its Persian or Arabic text has been available to many of the great men.
There is no problem if some say that a book, called, مونس الحزين, is not among the books of the late Sadouq or other great scholar, because none of the historians have told books of the late Sadough are restricted to these books.
Therefore, when a great scholar contemporary to Sadouq (writer of History of Qom) attributes this book to Sadouq, we shall accept it. This narration is one of the reliable narrations, mentioned in the well-known Shiite and Sunnite resources, and the great Faqihs have accepted it.
2- Contextual aspect
Regardless of this bright narration, this mosque is undoubtedly one of the splendid and valuable mosques.
The actions performed there consists of four:
a- Prayer for respect to the mosque mentioned by the late Sahib Javaher in the volume nine and eleven in details. According to this narration, it is said with seven Towhid sura and seven Rokou’ and Sojdeh.
b- The famous prayer of Hazrat Imam of Time (a.s.) with one hundred times repetition of the verse, اياك نعبد و اياك نستعين, leads man to the climax of magnificence of Towhid (monotheism). The same prayer narrated by the great scholars like Allameh Majlesi, Sheikh Horre Ameli, Kafami and Fazl Ebne Hassan Tabarsi in their books.
c- Tasbih Hazrat Zahra (a.s.) which according to narrations it is the proof of the Zikrs invited to by Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللهَ ذِكْراً كَثِيراً (Battlements:41)
The great scholar and famous Faqih, Sahib Javaher, in volume 10 calls it one of the best Zikr and there are many narrations indicating its excellence.
d- One hundred times Salawat on prostration, is the same bounteous Zikr with widely transmitted narrations about its significance. Some great men have written a separate book about the blessings of Salawat, and the prayer without Salawat is not acceptable.
Is there any problem if these actions are performed with the intention of absolute proximity?
3- Cultural aspect
People in the world with any religion and doctrine try to gather a group of people (even one hundred) and propagate their religion.
Jamkaran mosque normally attracts about 14 million people per year, and prepares the way for any cultural activity.
Shouldn’t we thank God for such great blessing? Does any intellect authorize to weaken this sacred center? Is weakening of this center of guidance legal?
The cultural authorities of the mosque report that every year hundreds of books are published by the mosque (totally about one million volumes) and are offered to those interested in Islam and the lovers of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.) particularly the youth.
About 30,000 religious questions are replied by the male seminary guides and 16,000 by the female seminary guides per month and this is the beginning of course!
Taking this opportunity, we are going to establish one of the most important Shiite Centers if God wills and with favors of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.) in this sacred center.
Are these points not in favor of Shiite world?
Challenge with superstitious ideas
It is true that some uninformed people may propagate some superstitious ideas in relation with this sacred center, but surely we shall care. The esteemed Maraj’ and authorities of mosque shall care for such affairs to avoid any pretext for anyone.
At the end, our salutation to the master who initially instructed for construction of this great mosque, which is the proof of:
كَشَجَرَة طَيِّبَة أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى السَّمَاءِ تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِين بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا
Anyone at anytime could benefit its spiritual fruits and salutation to his followers.
