Ĥā`ir: One of the Places in Which Allāh Loves to be Called Upon

When Abul Ḥasan (Imam Hādi (a.s.)) was ill, he sent for Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah and I. Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah arrived there before I did and told me that the Imam (a.s.) kept saying, “Send someone (on my behalf) to the Ḥā`ir. Send someone (on my behalf) to the Ḥā`ir.” I said to Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah, “Why did you not say that you would go to the Ḥā`ir (on his behalf)?!” Then I went to the Imam (a.s.) and said, “May I sacrifice myself for you! I will go to the Ḥā`ir.” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Plan it carefully, for Muḥammad cannot keep this matter hidden from Zayd ibn ‘Ali and I do not want him to find out about this.” I mentioned this to ‘Ali ibn Bilāl and he asked, “Why does the Imam (a.s.) want to send someone to the Ḥā`ir while he is (as sacred as) the Ḥā`ir?!” I went back to ‘Askar (Sāmarrā) and went to visit the Imam (a.s.). When I was about to leave, the Imam (a.s.) asked me to stay. Once I felt comfortable, I mentioned that which ‘Ali ibn Bilāl had said. Therefore, the Imam (a.s.) said: Why did you not reply to him by saying that the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.) used to circulate the Ka’bah and kiss the Ḥajar (Al-Aswad) even though the sanctity of the Prophet (s.a.a.w.) and even a believer is greater than the sanctity of the House (of Allāh)?! (Moreover), Allāh ordered him (the Prophet (s.a.a.w.)) to go to ‘Arafāt and stay in it (while he is more sacred than ‘Arafāt). (This is because) these are places in which Allāh loves to be called upon. And I love to have someone pray for me in a place where Allāh loves to be called upon, and the Ḥā`ir is one of these places.

Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah and I went to visit him (Imam Hādi (a.s.)) when he was ill. The Imam (a.s.) said to us, “Take some of my money and send some people to the Ḥā`ir on my behalf.” After we left the Imam (a.s.), Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah said, “He (the Imam (a.s.)) wants us to send someone to the Ḥā`ir while he is as sacred as the one in the Ḥā`ir (referring to Ḥusain (a.s.))?!” So I went back to the Imam (a.s.) and mentioned that (which Muḥammad ibn Ḥamzah had said). The Imam (a.s.) replied, “It is not about this. Verily there are places in which Allāh loves to be worshiped and the Ḥā`ir of Ḥusain (a.s.) is one of these places.”

I went to visit Abal Ḥasan, ‘Ali ibn Muḥammad (Imam Hādi (a.s.)), when he was ill and suffering from fever. The Imam (a.s.) said to me, “O Abā Hāshim! Send a man from among our followers to the Ḥā`ir to pray for me (to be cured).” When I left the Imam (a.s.), I met ‘Ali ibn Bilāl and I informed him of the Imam’s order and asked him to be the one to go to the Ḥā`ir. He replied, “I am at his command. However, the Imam (a.s.) is more sacred than the Ḥā`ir because he has the same rank as the one in the Ḥā`ir and it is more effective if he prays for himself than if I pray for him in the Ḥā`ir.” I informed the Imam (a.s.) about that which ‘Ali ibn Bilāl had said. The Imam (a.s.) said to me: Tell him that the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.) is more sacred than the House (of Allāh) and the Ḥajar but he used to circulate the House (of Allāh) and touch the Ḥajar. Verily, there are places in which Allāh, the Exalted, loves to be called upon and He answers the call of those who call upon Him (in those places), and the Ḥā`ir is one of those places.