This year’s Ramadan is one of its kind in my life so far. I have the honor of living on the land of Lady Masooma a.s since a few days, and this was my first Ramadan here. Haram e Sayyada Masooma a.s is not far from where I am residing in, so, after breaking my fast I usually walk towards my ‘holy comfort zone’. Even though its quite difficult to live away from family & friends, when I enter Haram, it feels like I am under the shadow of a grandmother’s ‘chador’. The feeling is beyond description, and I think its better not to try describing it(I can not risk feeling empty after giving it away :)).
Before arriving in the holy city, I heard people saying that Ramadan in Qom has no match whatsoever. I only realized what they meant as the ‘shabhaa e qadr’ (the odd nights at the end) approached. The first one was the shab of 19th Ramadan. I approached Haram and to my surprise the roads were blocked. Yes, it was not only shab e qadr but shab e Zarbat eImam Ali a.s as well. People were dressed up in black, and organizers were busy in arrangements for the Holy night. My amazement kept increasing as I noticed that the number of zaaireen is a 100 times more than it usually is. I asked one of the ‘khuddaams’ about the program for the night. Quite unusual for me, he had a printed brochure in hand detailing everything that is going to happen until ‘fajr’. I took a look at it, and then I entered Haram.
After doing ziarat, and saying Salam to Shaheed Motahri & Agha Behjat I entered Shabistan e Imam Khumeini rh (the main prayer hall close to Zareeh). Sukhanraani (khutba/speech) was going on. After reciting the importance of the holy month, etc Sheikh reached the ‘masaaib’ part, and every one was in tears as his speech finished. As he left the ‘mimber’ a ‘qaari’ arrived and started ‘qirat’, which was then followed by ‘Dua e Joshan e Kabeer’.(Unfortunately) it was my first experience of that dua. I realized the extent of ‘noor’ left by Ahleybayt a.s is just beyond limits (how ignorant we are!); its certainly upon our capability to utilize it.
Qaari kept reciting one ‘verse’ after another of Dua, reciting ‘masaib e Ahleybayt a.s’, calling Imam e Zamana a.s for help and asking Alllah for forgiveness & blessings. The feeling was again ‘beyond description’. It felt like chests are being ‘opened up’ and the attendees are getting closer…and closer to ALLAH. After each verse, comes the line to repeat ‘Subahanka La Ilaha…..’ that ends on requesting ALLAH for refuge from the (fire of) hell.
For an impatient person like me, it was hard to wait until the end of dua (it has 100 verses), and I decided to leave. As I came out of the hall, I realized all the halls and ‘sahan’ of haram are full. I came outside. I saw that even the parking lots, streets and footpaths are full of people (men & women, old & young..sitting with families) watching and praying with the help of ‘screens & projectors’, all around the haram. I walked backed towards my home, with the echo of ‘ Subahanka La Ilaha….’.
(This was written year ago…)