Written transcript of the lecture
The Meshkat-e Noor teachings series🌼🔆🌼The Secret of Abbas’s Allure🌼🔆🌼
🔹The Eighth Night of Muharram
📅 Date: 1404/04/13 – 08 Muharram 1447
✨ Gathering: Meshkat-e Noor
🎤 Speaker: Master Ali Saei
📝 Some of the topics discussed:
🏴 Abu’l-Fadl: A Mirror Reflecting the Beauty of the Master of Martyrs
O God,
make Your Abu’l-Fadl known to us.
Who is Abu’l-Fadl?
This great man,
this great martyr,
this crimson ruby of martyrdom,
the sovereign of spiritual knowledge,
the mighty tablet of the Master of Martyrs.
Whoever wishes to behold the beauty of the Master of Martyrs,
the most beautiful mirror of that beauty is Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas.
Abu’l-Fadl is Husayn’s treasure-house.
He gathered the secrets of Husayn within his blessed soul.
He is the path to God.
What do we know of him?
Nothing.
Only a few of his mysteries have been revealed to us,
and even now,
we remain at a loss to interpret them.
🕊 Abbas: He gave his whole being for the faith
Imam Zayn al-Abidin, peace be upon him,
praises his uncle Abbas in these words:
May God have mercy on him;
indeed, he gave himself selflessly.
How did Abbas give himself selflessly?
What did he give up?
What did Abbas give up?
His entire being.
His very soul.
His body and the very essence of his being.
He placed everything he had
after the Master of Martyrs and God’s religion.
The full measure of his self-sacrifice
remains hidden from us.
Abbas was put to the test,
and he passed it beautifully.
Everyone is tested,
and Abbas, too, passed with surpassing grace.
He gave his life for his brother.
What an extraordinary description from the sacred lips of Imam Zayn al-Abidin, peace be upon him:
“He gave his life for his brother.”
And his brother, Husayn,
was embodied truth,
faith made manifest,
a perfect mirror of God’s most beautiful names.
💎 To give yourself for Husayn is to become Husayn
Abbas gave himself for his brother.
What a momentous exchange!
Abbas was Abbas; he was beautiful.
But he rose to a higher station
when he gave his entire being.
He transformed himself into “Husayn.”
What does it mean
to give yourself so completely,
to become such a devoted sacrifice?
He gave himself for Husayn;
that is, he gave Husayn his life
so that Husayn might breathe in this world.
And the worth of the breath Husayn drew
because of that self-sacrifice
cannot be measured.
🕯 Abu’l-Fadl’s worth lay in becoming more than Abu’l-Fadl: he attained Husayn
🕰 04.07.25 – 22:06 Continued
The worth of Abu’l-Fadl’s life
was transformed from Abu’l-Fadl’s into Husayn’s.
Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas
was granted a life worthy of God’s proof.
What an exalted station!
Whoever gives themself up,
whoever gives away all they possess,
will attain something greater still.
How beautiful…
if we, too,
gave not merely our lives, but every breath and fragment of our being,
in sacrifice to the Truth.
To a single breath, we say, “You.”
We beseech Him.
That He might make our lives,
our God,
a sacrifice for His Beloved.
🕊 Abu’l-Fadl gave his hands and received wings
He gave his life for his brother,
until… both his hands were severed, cut off.
Abu’l-Fadl gave his two hands.
And God took those hands…
and gave him two wings in their place.
With those wings, Abu’l-Fadl flew,
becoming a butterfly in the heavens of Paradise.
Just as two wings were granted to Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib,
so too was Abu’l-Fadl given two wings.
For Abbas,
in the sight of God, Blessed and Exalted,
holds a rank and station
that all the martyrs, on the Day of Resurrection,
will envy.
Abu’l-Fadl…
Who is Abu’l-Fadl?
Who can truly know him?
We must await the Day of Resurrection
to witness the martyrs’ envy,
and taste the measure of his greatness.
Abu’l-Fadl raised the standard of martyrdom.
He left the martyrs astonished, spellbound by the beauty of his martyrdom.
How did he attain such a station?
He became the master of the world’s Shia.
He became a sheltering canopy over the lives of the Shia.
He was Abbas…
The tablet of his soul proclaimed the oneness of God.
His gaze was rooted in divine oneness.
Abu’l-Fadl must be known through the tablet of divine oneness.
How beautifully he attained this station!
👁🗨 Abu’l-Fadl’s insight: the insight of one who is God’s proof
His insight was the insight of one who is God’s proof.
Through the Proof of God,
he attained that exalted insight.
With “the All-Seeing Eye of God,”
he looked upon this world…
and became Abbas.
The highway of faith holds the secret of “becoming Abbas.”
Abbas means
the monotheistic interpretation of Husayn.
The monotheistic word of Husayn,
he rendered and interpreted with consummate beauty.
The sweetest fruit of faith
is divine oneness.
And Abu’l-Fadl is the very core of faith.
What does that mean?
It means
his divine oneness is perfect, at its summit.
His divine oneness is utterly pure.
His divine oneness is a diamond.
💎 The person of divine oneness is a diamond; Abbas was its mine
Abu’l-Fadl is one who takes each step through divine oneness,
and his footsteps turn to gold.
A person who lives by divine oneness
is pure divine essence.
Divine oneness is a mine that makes essence.
If a person enters the fortress of divine oneness,
they become a diamond.
They become like Abbas.
We must adorn ourselves
with the jewel of divine oneness,
so that our gaze, too, is rooted in it—
and we may see the truths others cannot.
If we hear through the oneness of God,
we will hear those mysteries
that others are deaf to.
A feeling will surge through our souls
that others are deprived of.
The oneness of God works wonders,
just as it did in Abbas.
His love conquered every heart in the world.
When the oneness of God is woven into our intentions and deeds,
all our actions and words of remembrance
become pure gold.
We will attain the highest ranks.
Abu’l-Fadl,
a man of steadfast faith,
reached that exalted station through this very mystery.
There are believers,
and then there are believers.
🏴 Why do we love Abu’l-Fadl?
– Continued
Why do we love Abu’l-Fadl?
We do not know.
How has God planted love for him in people’s hearts?
This love
is faith—
but steadfast faith.
What does faith do to a person’s soul?
One believer finds peace in the company of another.
A believer, in the company of another believer,
finds serenity.
They are granted tranquillity.
Just as a thirsty person
is refreshed by cool, pure water,
and finds relief.
A believer thirsts…
for another believer.
When they meet another believer,
they are drawn together.
It is as though cool, pure water
has been poured into their burning heart.
🍶 Abu’l-Fadl is the pure wine of faith
If I consider myself even a little faithful…
what would my relationship be
to His Eminence Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas,
with his steadfast faith?
It is as though I drink pure wine
whenever I remember him.
It is as though God Himself
has become the cupbearer of the water of Kawthar…
and pours that immense love
into my soul.
Indeed, this faith grounded in the oneness of God,
this steadfast faith,
with its pure devotion to God,
works wonders.
It becomes cool, pure water
for all of creation.
🌄 Where does Abu’l-Fadl stand? What summit are we speaking of?
How can we begin to gauge Abu’l-Fadl’s station?
On what summit does he stand?
Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas,
with his steadfast faith,
stands on a summit reached only by the truly sincere.
All are believers,
but their ranks differ.
Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, says:
There are two kinds of believers…
🧭 The steadfast believer and the wavering believer—which are you?
There is a believer
who has proven his sincerity
in keeping his covenant
with God.
I want to reach the station of Abbas,
to glimpse, if only a little, the height he has attained…
A believer who has affirmed God’s covenant,
acknowledged it,
and honoured the conditions God laid down.
This is what God, Mighty and Majestic, says:
﴿مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ﴾
That is:
“Men who proved their faithfulness to God’s covenant
and fulfilled
the pledge they had undertaken.”
They remained true to it.
The Imam goes on to say:
Such a believer
is untouched by fear and dread in this world or the next.
He is not afraid in this world,
nor in the next.
Such a believer intercedes;
he is not interceded for.
That is, he has no need of intercession;
he himself intercedes.
He is God’s intercessor.
🌱 But then there is the wavering believer…
There is a believer
like the stem of a plant:
now and then he bends,
his faith grows weak,
his devotion falters,
his worship becomes slack.
And then, at times,
he stands firm
and straightens up.
But later,
he bends again.
Such a believer…
is one who is
overcome by fear of this world and the next.
In this world
and in the world to come,
he is seized by dread.
Such a believer
does not intercede;
he needs intercession.
💎
Abu’l-Fadl’s faith: unyielding, diamond-hard, intercessoryLet us consider the believer from another perspective,
so that we may begin to grasp
something of the grandeur of Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas…
Ah, Abu’l-Fadl,
you will intercede!
You were free from the fear and dread
of this world and the next.
Indeed, you rose above even that.
Why?
Because your faith
had reached a state of unyielding firmness.
In its journey towards perfection,
a precious stone
becomes a diamond.
When that happens,
its very essence reaches perfection.
Abbas’s faith is unyielding,
a flawless diamond.
How can we comprehend that exalted station through this hadith?
The splendour of his steadfast stature…
🛡 The faithful believer: companion of the prophets and the truthful
There are two kinds of believers:
- the believer who fulfils God’s conditions,
the obligations he has undertaken…
Such a believer
is in the company of the great prophets,
keeps close to the truthful,
and shares the intimacy and fellowship of the martyrs and the righteous.
How excellent are such companions!
These are the ones who intercede,
not those for whom intercession is made.
They are free
from the concerns of this world and the next.
No fear or dread can touch them.
🌾 But the faltering believer…
- There is a believer who stumbles.
He trembles;
his step falters.
He is like the frail stem of a plant:
when the slightest breeze blows,
he bends.
🤝 In the Master’s view, how many kinds of brothers are there?
Someone asked the Master, the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him:
“Tell us about the different kinds of brothers…”
He replied:
“There are two kinds of brothers:
- brothers you can rely on,
- and brothers you keep company with.”
🔐 A brother you can rely on: rarer than red sulphur
A brother you can rely on
is your hand,
your wings,
your family, your wealth and all you possess.
When you find such a brother,
give your wealth and your life for him.
Be a friend to his friends,
and an enemy to his enemies.
Keep his secrets,
conceal his faults,
and make his good qualities known.
Know this, questioner:
a brother you can truly rely on
is rarer than red sulphur.
Who could ever find red sulphur?!
🌿 Companions: pleasure, not trust
As for brothers you keep company with…
you enjoy their company,
but do not expect too much from them.
When they give you their time,
give them yours.
When they welcome you warmly,
welcome them warmly in return.
When they speak sweetly,
speak sweetly to them too.
🏴 Is Abu’l-Fadl rarer than red sulphur?
Now, let us try to imagine the station of Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas…
Is he rarer than red sulphur?
By God,
he is beyond even red sulphur.
🕊 Abbas gave his life for the living embodiment of God’s remembrance
He gave his life for his brother Husayn.
God made a covenant with him.
He took his hands
and gave him two wings.
Where did He let him fly?
Who, truly, was Abbas?
What exalted station did he attain?
He gave his life for his beloved Husayn.
If we search the depths of ʿAbbās’s soul,
we will find nothing but the beauty of Ḥusayn.
We will find in ʿAbbās
nothing but love for God
and for God’s Proof.
His heart is a vast sanctuary…
He has let go of everything
that is not God.
He has purified it
and attained pure monotheism.
🌿 A Shiʿi must be like ʿAbbās—no less
Can we, too, come to glimpse even a little of ʿAbbās’s state?
If we cannot,
we have failed in our servitude to God.
We must attain that exalted station.
He is the perfect exemplar.
Until a Shiʿi reaches that station,
he is not truly Shiʿi.
A Shiʿi must be like ʿAbbās.
Amid suffering, pain and torment, a Shiʿi must
bring forth the blossoms of servitude to God.
Who has ever attained lofty spiritual perfection
while surrounded by comfort and ease?
💠 Diamond-like worship: forged through hardship, not ease
Worship tempered by hardship and perseverance
becomes diamond-like.
Worship without hardship
is like glass.
We are the artisans of our own lives.
What have we done with this immense endowment from God?
What tower of devotion have we raised?
🛑 A Shiʿi must intercede, not need intercession
Until a Shiʿi attains the station of intercession,
he is not truly Shiʿi.
In a word:
a Shiʿi is one who intercedes for others,
not one who needs intercession.
We imagine that we worship God…
Yet our understanding may be so limited
that, straying from the path of monotheism,
we mistake glass for diamond,
and our worship is turned upside down…
without our even knowing it!
🔥 God’s love dawns in ʿAbbās’s soul
It is God who has planted His love
in ʿAbbās’s soul.
When God’s Proof
dawns in a servant’s soul,
it draws him away from every other preoccupation.
When God’s love dawned in the heart of a believer,
in the heart of ʿAbbās,
it drew him away from everything else.
ʿAbbās never let a moment pass without remembering God.
He never left the embodiment of God’s remembrance—
that is, God’s Proof.
He gave his life for that very living remembrance.
🌌
ʿAbbās: beloved of God, beloved of the angelsEvery remembrance
other than remembrance of God
is a veil of darkness.
A true lover
is one who has made his efforts sincere for God alone.
His words are the truest of words.
His pledges, the most faithful of pledges.
His deeds, the purest of deeds.
His remembrance, the most radiant of remembrances.
Such a believer
becomes beloved of God.
Love for God dawns within his soul.
His whole being is nothing but worship and devotion to God.
👼 The angels take pride in him
When someone like this
is in intimate communion with God…
the angels’ path passes by his place of communion.
The angels are proud.
An angel of God
takes pride before the other angels
in having passed by such a servant,
saying, “I have passed through the quarter of such-and-such a servant, beloved of God.”
And God
through that same beloved believer
brings cities and lands to prosperity.
🍽 A banquet called “Abbasullah”
For the sake of that beloved believer’s noble standing,
God’s blessings
reach others.
What am I trying to do?
To glimpse the rank of Abu’l-Fadl al-Abbas,
so that we may know
what blessings
have come to us through him.
He has laid out
a banquet called “Abbasullah,”
and with this food
he welcomes God’s servants…
When will we
ever repay Abbas what is his due?
🌟 We reach God through the dust beneath Abbas’s feet
Continuation
When someone
calls upon God by the right of that same beloved believer,
God answers.
He grants the prayer,
fulfils the supplicant’s need,
and for that believer’s sake
wards off afflictions through His mercy.
🕊 The secret of the dust beneath a beloved believer’s feet
If God’s creation only knew…
If they knew that believer’s rank and standing before God…
they would seek nearness to God
in no other way
than through the dust beneath that believer’s feet.
Through the dust beneath that believer’s feet,
they would seek nearness to Allah.
🏴 Abbas and us: the dust of his path as a means of drawing near
And now, what of Abbas and us…
How can we draw near to Allah?
How open
, how beautiful
, and how swift
is our path with Abbas
toward nearness to God!Abbas is the way.
The dust beneath his feet
is our ladder of ascent toward Allah.
