Treatment for Dry Tears for Imam Hussein

Question

What is the treatment for the dryness of tears for the suffering of Imam Hussein and his family, as the heart aches for that? One cries, but not always and in small amounts. How can we attain the rank of grief? [AR_ID:1026]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.

The answer varies depending on the state of the individual, and there are two scenarios:

First Scenario: The individual who is living in sin and distance from God.

They should know that tears for the Master of Martyrs (peace be upon him) are connected to tears of fear and reverence for God Almighty. Therefore, if one does not have a close relationship with the Lord of the Worlds, it is expected that they will not experience emotional engagement with the issues of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), as they represent the divine line governing the earth.

It has been narrated from Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): {Tears do not dry except due to the hardness of hearts, and hearts do not harden except due to the abundance of sins.} [Wasail al-Shi'a, Vol. 16, p. 46].

Thus, the solution lies in returning to God Almighty and repenting from the sins and transgressions that weigh down a person and prevent them from moving closer to God.

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Second Scenario: The individual who is close to God yet still experiences this state.

There is a narration that provides a remedy for this condition, which is for a person to feign crying in order to reach the state of genuine tears. In the narration: (Whoever recites poetry for Hussein and feigns crying, for them is Paradise.) [Kamal al-Ziyarat, text, p. 105].

The intention of feigning tears is not to show crying in front of others, but rather for the individual to force themselves to cry over what they believe is worthy of it, even if they face a moment of dryness in their heart and emotions, hoping that their heart will respond and their feelings will flow to the call of their intellect.

May you be successful in all good.