Ali Mahdi

Birth and Childhood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although not an Imam nor regarded as one of the Masoom individuals (he is not within the circle of the 14 Infallibles), Hazrat Abbas ibn Ali (as) possesses a very great. Born in the immaculate family of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), he was the half-brother of two Imams – Hasan (as) and Husayn (as).
Some years after the martyrdom of Hazrat Fatimah az-Zahra (SA), Imam Ali (as) expressed his desire to his brother Aqil ibn Abu Talib (as) to marry a women of a brave and chivalrous tribe. Hazrat Aqeel was very knowledgeable in tribe genealogy and he immediately proposed the name of Hazrat Fatima ibnte Hazam ibn Khalid and the marriage in 24 Hijrah. Hazrat Fatimah gave birth to Hazrat Abbas (as) on the 4th Shabaan, 26th Hijrah.
Imam Husayn (as) was very attached to Hazrat Abbas (as). When Hazrat Abbas (as) was born, Hazrat Ali (as) asked Imam Husayn (as) to recite the adhaan and the iqamah in the ears of the child. When he was in the arms of Imam Husayn (as), the infant smiled and raised his arms. There were tears in Imam Husayn's (as) eyes. Was it because he knew that the child was trying to say: "O Mawla I have come and will happily give these my arms and my life for you and Islam"
In early childhood Hazrat Abbas (as) would follow Imam Husayn (as) like a shadow. When Imam Husayn (as) was thirsty, Abbas (as) would rush to bring him water. When Imam Husayn (as) felt heat, Abbas (as) would fan him with the hem of his cloak.
Hazrat Abbas (as) at Battle of Siffin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the battle of Sifin, Abbas (as) was only very young - hardly eleven years old. Imam Husayn (as) was fighting in the battle field. When Hazrat Abbas (as) saw an enemy soldier approaching Imam Husayn (as) from behind, he took a sword and rushed into the battle field and killed the enemy, at the same time crying out in a loud voice, "How can any one dare attack my Mawla while I am alive." He continued to fight maintaining his position behind Imam Husayn (as).
One day he appeared fully disguised, masked and armored, on the battlefield. When ibnShasa, a brave and famous Syrian fighter saw this masked person, he asked one of his seven sons to slay him. Instead, the son was quickly put down. Similarly, the other six sons tried to fight this masked warrior, but they all met the same fate. Finally lbn-e-Shasa himself came forward and the manner in which he was also beaten, made all the other people stare in disbelief. They then thought this masked fighter to be Hazrat Ali, and no one dared to come forward to fight. But, when Hazrat Abbas removed the mask, people were surprised to note that he was not Hazrat Ali, but instead, Abbas, the inheritor of Hazrat Ali's gallantry.
Muawiya saw this and asked, "Who is that boy?" When he was told he was Abbas ibn Ali, he said, "By God! No one can fight like that at that age except a son of Ali!"
His youth
~~~~~~~~~
Hazrat Abbas (as) grew up to be a tall and handsome man. He was so tall, that when he sat on a horse his feet touched the ground. He was so handsome that he was known as Qamar-e-Bani Hashim, the Moon of the family of Hashim.
Hazrat Abbas (as) was also a valiant warrior. It was said that Muawiya did not dare invade Madina because of five men who were with Imam Husayn (as) and could, together with their Imam, conquer a whole army. These were Mohammad Hanafia, a brother of Imam Husayn (as), Hazrat Muslim ibnAqeel (as), Abdullah ibnJafar (as), Hazrat Abbas (as) and Hazrat Ali ibn-al-Husayn (as), our fourth Imam, Zainul 'Abideen (as).
When Imam Husayn (as) decided to leave Madina in the month of Rajab 60 Hijrah, he did not encourage Mohammad Hanafia and Abdullah ibnJafar to accompany him. He wanted to make sure that no one at the time or in the future would suggest that Husayn (as) wanted to fight for the khilafah.
Just before Imam Husayn (as) left Madina, Ummul Baneen (as) summoned all her four sons and said to them, "My sons you must remember that while I love you, Imam Husayn (as) is your Master. If Imam (as) or his sisters or his children get injured or hurt while you are still alive, I will never forgive you." There were tears in Hazrat Abbas's (as) eyes as he promised his mother that he and his brothers would lay down their lives for Imam Husayn (as) and his children.
Titles of Hazrat Abbas (as)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1-Qamar-e-Bani Hashem (THE MOON OF BANI HASHEM'S PROGENY)
This was his most famous nickname. The reason behind that was his good looking face which was resembled to the moon.
2-Saqqa' (THE ONE WHO PROVIDES WATER)
This is another of his famous nickname. Since he was dealing with bringing water to Imam Husayn (A.S)'s camps and supplying Imam's thirsty children with water, he was given this nickname.
3-Hamel al-Lava' (THE ONE WHO CARRIES THE FLAGS)
This nickname was given to him because he was the one who carried the flag in Imam Husayn (A.S)'s troop.
4-Raees-e-Askar-al-Husayn (THE COMMANDER OF IMAM HUSAYN'S (as) TROOPS)
This nickname was given to him because he was the commander of Imam Husayn's (as) troops.

Birth anniversary of Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).)
AsSalam-o-Alaikum, Members of Imam Mahdi Discussion Gro
4th of Shabaan, 1424 A.H. - the birth anniversary of
Alamdar-e-Lashkar-e-Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) - Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) ibn-e-Imam
Ali((عليه السلام).).
On this occassion of happiness in the house of Prophet Mohammad((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)&hf) and his Ahl-e-Bait((عليه السلام).), I wish to extend my profound felicitations and greetings to the Imam-e-Zamana((عليه السلام).), the Ahl-e-Bait((عليه السلام).) and to all Momineen and Mominaat.
As is customary among the followers of Ahl-e-bait((عليه السلام).), please recite
Ziarat of Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) which are located on the main page on the site. Please also offer special prayers and nazrana to renew your allegiance to Prophet Mohammad((صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)&hf) and his Ahl-e-Bait((عليه السلام).)
=========================================================
Birth and Childhood
===================
Hazrat Ali((عليه السلام).) married Fatimah Bint-e-Huzaam Ibne Khalid((عليه السلام).) in 24 Hijrah. Fatimah gave birth to Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) on the 4th Shabaan, 26th Hijrah.
Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) was very attached to Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).). When Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) was born, Hazrat Ali((عليه السلام).) asked Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) to recite the adhaan and the iqamah in the ears of the child. When he was in the arms of Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).), the infant smiled and raised his arms. There were tears in Imam Hussain's((عليه السلام).) eyes. Was it because he knew that the child was trying to say: "O Mawla I have come and will happily give these my arms and my life for you and Islam"
In early childhood Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) would follow Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) like a shadow. If Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) looked thirsty, Abbas((عليه السلام).) would rush to bring him water. If Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) seemed hot, Abbas((عليه السلام).) would fan him with the hem of his cloak. At the battle of Siffeen in the 34th Hijrah, Abbas((عليه السلام).) was only eight years old. Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) was fighting in the battle field. When Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) saw an enemy soldier approaching Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) from behind, he took a sword and rushed into the battle field and killed the enemy, at the same time crying out in a loud voice, "How can any one dare attack my Mawla while I am alive." He continued to fight maintaining his position behind Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).). Muawiya saw this and asked, "Who is that boy?" When he was told he was Abbas ibne Ali, he said, "By God! No one can fight like that at that age except a son of Ali!"
His youth
=========
Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) grew up to be a tall and handsome man. He was so tall, that when he sat on a horse his feet touched the ground. He was so handsome that he was known as Qamar-e-Bani Hashim, the Moon of the family of Hashim.
Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) was also a valiant warrior. It was said that Muawiya did not dare invade Madina because of five men who were with Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) and could, together with their Imam, conquer a whole army. These were Muhammad Hanafia, a brother of Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).), Hazrat Muslim ibn-e-Aqeel((عليه السلام).), Abdullah Ibn-e-Jaffer((عليه السلام).), Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).) and Hazrat Ali ibn-al-Hussain((عليه السلام).), our fourth Imam, Zainul 'Abideen((عليه السلام).).
When Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) decided to leave Madina in the month of Rajab 60 Hijrah, he did not encourage Muhammad Hanafia and Abdullah Ibn-e-Jaffer to accompany him. He wanted to make sure that no one at the time or in the future would suggest that Hussain((عليه السلام).) wanted to fight for the khilafah.
Just before Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) left Madina, Ummul Baneen((عليه السلام).) summoned all her four sons and said to them, "My sons you must remember that while I love you, Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) is your Master. If Imam((عليه السلام).) or his sisters or his children get injured or hurt while you are still alive, I will never forgive you." There were tears in Hazrat Abbas's((عليه السلام).) eyes as he promised his mother that he and his brothers would lay down their lives for Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).) and his children.
Titles of Hazrat Abbas((عليه السلام).)
============================
1-Qamar-e-Banihashem (THE MOON OF BANIHASHEM'S PROGENY)
This was his most famous nickname. The reason behind that
was his good looking face which was resembled to the moon.
2-Saqqa' (THE ONE WHO BRINGS WATER)
This is his another famous nickname.
Since he was dealing with bringing water to Imam Hussein ((عليه السلام))'s
camps and supplying Imam's thirsty children with water, he was given
this nickname.
3-Hamel-ul-Lava' (THE ONE WHO CARRIES THE FLAGS)
This nickname was given to him because he was the one who carried
the flag in Imam Hussein ((عليه السلام))'s troop.
4-Raees-e-Askar-al-Hussein (THE COMMANDER OF IMAM HUSSAIN((عليه السلام).)'S TROOPS)
This nickname was given to him
because he was the commander of Imam Hussain((عليه السلام).)'s troops.
Note: 4th of Shabaan is the 30th of September in North, Central and South America whereas it is the 1st of October in Pakistan and its neighboring countries.

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

(salam)
(bismillah)
 A NICE HADITH:
Intercession on Day of Judgment
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) (said to Hazrat-e Fatemeh):
On the Day of Judgment, you shall intercede for the ladies and I shall intercede for the men; every person who has wept over the tragedy of Husayn (as), we shall take him by the hand and lead him into Paradise.
Bihar al‑Anwar vol. 94 pg. 192,

Congratulations on the Birth Anniversary of Hadhrat Fatemah (SA)
The Holy Prophet (S) – through a divine command – was ordered to seclude himself from contact with Khadijah (SA) for 40 days. Despite all his love for his dear wife, the Holy Prophet (S) did not go home in compliance with God’s order. During the whole 40-day period of his seclusion, Muhammad (S) was engaged in prayers, fasting, and spiritual connections with his Lord.
The Holy Prophet (S) had sent a courier to Khadijah (SA) to notify her of the matter and assure her that there was nothing wrong with her and that the event had happened as a result of God’s command.
When the seclusion stage came to its end, at the time of iftar (while the Holy Prophet (S) was preparing himself to end his fasting by eating food), he heard the familiar voice of Archangel Gabriel: “God sends His salaams to you! Get ready to receive the celestial gift from your Lord!”
Then angels brought down a tray full of heavenly fruits for Muhammad (S). Gabriel (as) told him: “Eat from this heavenly dish tonight; then go to Khadijah; Almighty God has willed to create a pure child out of this blissful food.”
Nine months passed. During her pregnancy, Khadijah (SA) talked to the baby in her womb; a baby, who turned out to be the most supreme lady among the mankind from the very first to the last.
Finally Archangel Gabriel brought glad tidings to the Holy Prophet (S):
“Oh Messenger of God! This baby is a much dignified daughter. All your offspring and descendants shall be descended from her. She is the mother of Infallible Imams: the religious leaders who shall be your successors when the divine revelation would end (after your demise).”
The Holy Prophet (S) transmitted the good tidings to Khadijah (SA) to make her heart happy with the promising news.
Some years earlier, when Khadijah had married Muhammad (S), the aristocratic ladies of her tribe (entitled Quraysh) left her alone and cut off their relations with her as an objection to her decision in marrying Muhammad (S). When the time for childbirth approached, Khadijah dispatched someone to go to the ladies of Quraysh and ask them to help her in the process of giving birth to her baby, but they refused to help Khadijah even at that difficult time.
At that crucial moment, when Khadijah had lost hope to receive any help from the ladies of Quraysh, she sought assistance from her Lord. By the grace of God, four of the most beautiful women in white dressings came to help her in that time of need.
They had bowls of heavenly water in their hands. Each one began to introduce herself. The first one said, “I am your foremother, Eve.” The second one said, “I am Asiyah daughter of Mazahem, Pharaoh’s wife.” The third one said, “I am Kulthoum, Moses’ sister,” and the fourth one said, “I am Maryam (Saint Mary) daughter of ‘Imran, mother of Jesus Christ; we have come to deliver your child.”
So with the help of these heavenly ladies, Fatemah (SA) was delivered, and the brightness and brilliance of her face illuminated the sky from east to west. The four holy ladies bathed the baby with heavenly water, wrapped her in heavenly clothes, and put her on the lap of Khadijah (SA).
The baby was named Fatemah (SA), because she and her followers shall be protected from the fire of hell. The news of Fatemah’s birth reached the Holy Prophet (S). He was extremely delighted to hear the joyful news. He perceived that the divine promise of giving him the Kawthar (the Abundant Blessing) had been fulfilled.
At the same time that the birth of Holy Fatemah (SA) had made the Holy Prophet (S) and Khadijah (SA) happy, the enemies of Islam became disappointed and upset as they used to call the Holy Prophet as Abtar - i.e. the one who shall be without posterity (as all his children had died due to different reasons) - but now they saw that he was given an abundant blessing through the birth of Holy Fatemah (SA).

(salam)
(bismillah)
 A NICE HADITH:
Intercession on Day of Judgment
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) (said to Hazrat-e Fatemeh):
On the Day of Judgment, you shall intercede for the ladies and I shall intercede for the men; every person who has wept over the tragedy of Husayn (as), we shall take him by the hand and lead him into Paradise.
Bihar al‑Anwar vol. 94 pg. 192,

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

(salam)
(bismillah)
 A NICE HADITH:
Intercession on Day of Judgment
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) (said to Hazrat-e Fatemeh):
On the Day of Judgment, you shall intercede for the ladies and I shall intercede for the men; every person who has wept over the tragedy of Husayn (as), we shall take him by the hand and lead him into Paradise.
Bihar al‑Anwar vol. 94 pg. 192,

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

The grammar of PERSIAN is actually quite easy and mostly straightforward. I did have a difficult time learning it because I had never studied or learned another language before and came from a monolingual English background but compared to Arabic, Persian is very simple and it is indeed a beautiful language. 

I haven't finished listening to the lecture, I am about 1/2 way thru. The term 'British Shiism' is sort of misleading. The implications of that term, at least the way I understand it, is that there is a different form of Shiism that exists in Britain. What he is talking about in the lecture are Shia who happen to live in Britain. 
I enjoy his lectures, and I admire Sayyid Ammar for his efforts in spreading the message of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)). I disagree with him on certain points, though. I think he is being a little naive in thinking that the CIA / MI6 have not infiltrated the Shia community in the UK and they are not recruiting 'assets' within the community to do their bidding. They definitely are doing that and will continue to do that. This is their modus operandi, going back many decades. They are fully supported by the US / UK governments are given huge budgets to do this, and are most effective at doing this within their home countries, because they understand these countries better than anywhere else. So to say they have been 100% ineffective at doing this is a little on the naive side. 
So when Sayyid Hassan or Imam Khameni accuses certain 'ulema' (notice the air quotes) who live in the UK of being agents of CIA / MI6, they have both a logical basis and evidentiary basis to do that. They don't do it just to create fitna. Especially Imam Khameni is very familiar with how they operate and he lived thru a period of history where the CIA basically controlled Iran thru the proxy Reza Pahlavi and SAVAK. So he knows very well how they operate and has much more detailed knowledge of this than probably anyone. He saw all the evidence and documents with his own eyes. So to just dismiss this out of hand is not very logical. Imam Khameni is not accusing the ulema in general in Britain as being CIA/MI6 agents. It is only certain individuals, who everyone probably knows who I am talking about. 
And I never got a 'pay packet' from Iran, I don't expect to, and where I live if I did get one, I would go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (A monopoly reference for those who are not familiar with this). I think most Shia love and respect Imam Khameni and before him Imam Khomeni(رضي الله عنه) because of their adl, taqwa, ilm, tawakul, and their bravery and courage to stand up against the enemies of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and the enemies of Imam Zaman(a.f.s) in all circumstance, even in extremely difficult circumstances. They are examples for us and worthy of respect and emulation. For most of us, this love and respect has nothing to do with money. I would also say the same  for the love of Sayyid Sistani, Sayyid Al Khoei(رضي الله عنه),  and Sayyid Fadlallah(رضي الله عنه)(who the Israelis tried to assassinate at least 5 times, once by blowing up an entire city block just to try to get to him) has a similar basis and also has nothing to do with money. These great ulema have proven their worth and worthiness to be emulated beyond any doubt. We are not divided into 'teams' in the Shia community. The vast majority of Shia in the UK are good and sincere people. There are a few 'bad apples' we need to call out and they deserve to be ostracized. 
 

It's 2022. If any Muslim doesn't know yet that JP is an egotistical, self-deluded, moron by now, this should make it very obvious to them. He is and has always been a loser, producing content for views and clicks, for fame and power.
Even his own fans and supporters are starting to realize that he's a fraud. 
https://rebelwisdom.substack.com/p/what-happened-to-jordan-peterson

Salam Alekum., 
I don't know about a specific hadith, but in general everyone chooses their way and their path in life. Because Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) gave us free will, that means each individual person is free to make form their own opinions, place value on things, etc. Yes, everyone is influenced by the culture and traditions they are brought up in, but these are only an influence, they do not determine what choices someone will make. You have made different choices that your parents made, I believe you made the right choices. 
You should thank your parents for giving you some kind of foundation to build off of. I am a revert to Islam. My parents divorced at an early age, and I grew up between my mother's parents household, who were practicing Christians (Evangelical) and my father's household (this side of the family was secular with a very slight Christian influence from my paternal Grandfather ). Many of my friends I grew up with had similar backgrounds. If you knew of the circumstances in that place and time, and amoung those kids, you would kiss the ground your parents walk on for giving you at least some kind of connection to Islam and teaching of Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)). Many of my friends and acquaintances I grew up with were raped either as tweens or young teens, repeatedly by family members, and this was something common. Many of them were addicted to drugs by the time they were in their early teens, some smoking weed or taking other drugs daily. Many of them dropped out of high school and were in jail, or committed suicide before they were 25. 
So you are saying they break their fast right away and don't focus much on spiritual talk during Ramadan. At least they fast, or attempt to fast and they have passed this tradition on to you. Alhamduillah, you are strengthening your connection to Ahl Al Bayt((عليه السلام)) thru reading. This is a good habit to have, but don't expect that just because you changed that everyone around you will also change. You are still living in the same dunya you were before you changed. It is a common thing at the age you are to choose your own path separate from your parents. You are going to step 5, and you should thank your parents to getting you to step 4. Many people start out on step 1 or step 0 and have to fight their way up every step with no help from parents. Also, because your parents are on step 4 doesn't mean they are bad people.
Also, our perceptions of our parents when we are kids is different from our perception when we are adults. When we are kids, our parents are our whole world, and they are the standard by which we judge the world around us. When we become older, we realize that our parents are not the world and the standard, they are just two people who probably did their best with what they had to try and raise us and we start to look at them and compare them to other parents. That is something natural, but don't let this change in perception lead you to defame or disregard your parents. If you want to influence them, you will probably be more sucessful by being kind to them and appreciating what they did give you. You could be a lot worse off, believe me. They gave you what they had, maybe you will have more than them in the future, InShahAllah. 

Salam alaikum dear brothers and sisters. Alhamdullilah thumma Alhamdulillah , i will be going to Karbala in the next 2-3 weeks in order to study in the Hawza there. This is a dream come true. Very briefly, i am 24, from Serbian descent as my name indicates and i live in Canada , became a Shia Muslim 6 years ago and finally after a lot of prayers , i have the chance to go study in the Hawza.
Now i have a few questions for the brothers and sisters who live in Iraq or are of Iraqi descent. First and foremost , let me say that the kindest and warmest people i have met in my life were Iraqis. Your culture is amazing and it is quite similar to the Balkan mentality as well so i don't think that there will be a such a big culture shock for me. 
I was wondering:
1. Before going there, as someone who grew up in Canada, is there any specific vaccine i should get?
2. Is there a risk of the country's borders closing again because of COVID?
3.I know Karbala, Najaf, Kadhmain and most of the Shi'a cities are quite safe, but which ones should i stay away from?
4. Any other helpful advice you might have for me?
JazakAllah Khayr

aYATIK
Ayatollah Makarem's office has an English-language WhatsApp number: +989373006220.
If you message them, you can be put on a list and they send you messages about ahkam and Islamic occasions. 

Ayatollah Khamenei's office has a group too. You can join by messaging the number I sent a few days ago.

aYATIK
Ayatollah Makarem's office has an English-language WhatsApp number: +989373006220.
If you message them, you can be put on a list and they send you messages about ahkam and Islamic occasions. 

Ayatollah Khamenei's office has a group too. You can join by messaging the number I sent a few days ago.

Thanks a lot, Sheikhna! 
I have one more favour to ask of you, if it's not a problem. If you know or come across someone related to Sheikh Makarem Shirazi (ha) 's office, please do let them know that a lot of sections on his English website, especially the 'Enquiries' section, are not working, and if that can be fixed. That way the English speaking audience will be greatly relieved. 

You're welcome.
I do taqlid of Ayatollah Khamenei. You can message his office on WhatsApp too: +98 939 557 0499. 

You're welcome.
I do taqlid of Ayatollah Khamenei. You can message his office on WhatsApp too: +98 939 557 0499. 

You're welcome.
I do taqlid of Ayatollah Khamenei. You can message his office on WhatsApp too: +98 939 557 0499. 

Salamun Alaykum,
You can email english@sistani.org as well. I usually email my questions in Persian (farsi@alsistani.org) because they reply much faster. 
However, I'm in Qom so I can ask a teacher or call his office. Ayatollah Sistani isn't my marja' so I rarely need to contact his office unless it's for someone else.
 
 

Salamun Alaykum,
You can email english@sistani.org as well. I usually email my questions in Persian (farsi@alsistani.org) because they reply much faster. 
However, I'm in Qom so I can ask a teacher or call his office. Ayatollah Sistani isn't my marja' so I rarely need to contact his office unless it's for someone else.
 
 

Salamun Alaykum,
You can email english@sistani.org as well. I usually email my questions in Persian (farsi@alsistani.org) because they reply much faster. 
However, I'm in Qom so I can ask a teacher or call his office. Ayatollah Sistani isn't my marja' so I rarely need to contact his office unless it's for someone else.