Ayatollah Sayyid Asadollah Madani, a revered scholar of Iran, was martyred in a terrorist bombing while leading Friday prayers in the mihrab in 1981. He is remembered as the second martyr of the mihrab.
He once narrated:
“I had sworn to myself that I would never ask for anything in the shrine of Imam Rida (a), especially worldly things. Once when I went for ziyarat, my abaa was so torn that I pressed it in my hand to cover the rips. I didn’t want to tell the Imam that my abaa was in such a state. I only showed it quietly to the zarih, without saying a word. Suddenly, someone removed it from my shoulders from behind and replaced it with a high-quality abaa. When I turned around to see who it was, no one was there. At that moment I thought to myself:
‘Sayyid Asadollah, if only you had shown him your heart instead of your abaa!’”
Let us recite a Surah al-Fatiha and a salawat for the soul of Ayatollah Sayyid Asadollah Madani, martyred on the 11th of September by the hypocrites.
Reflection:
This story reminds us that when we turn sincerely to the Ahlul Bayt (A), even our unspoken needs are seen. Yet, greater than our worldly needs is the offering of our hearts. Ayatollah Madani’s lesson is timeless: true ziyarat is not about showing our hardships, but opening our hearts so they may be healed, refined, and elevated.