My Recent Meeting With Ayatullah Sistani (Ha)

[Al-e-Yasin]

Salam Alaykum,

I had the tawfeeq of going to Iraq for ziyarat during Arbaeen and had the chance to meet Ayatullah Sistani (ha) with my group on January 5, 2013. He gave a brief talk to us and advice especially for believers living in the west. Here are some of the points that I remember from his talk that I think everyone can benefit from:

- In the beginning he welcomed us all and prayed for us that our ziyarat be accepted. He then began by giving advice on the importance of purifying ones self. He said it is of utmost importance that we work hard towards purifying our nafs and that success in this life comes from that. He then quoted the verse: "Successful are the ones who purify themselves" (Qur'an 87:14).

- He then spoke about the importance of having good akhlaq. He said the whole purpose of prophethood and all the prophets was towards perfecting our manners and akhlaq with each other. He quoted the hadith of the Prophet (saw): "I have not been sent except to perfect the moral attributes". He said we should give great importance to how we treat our fellow brothers and sisters and should be the best in character with them.

- He tied this into the best way to spread the religion of Ahlulbayt (as) in the west is through our character and morals. He quoted the hadith by Imam Sadiq (as): "Call people towards us with something other than your tongue". He said we should see everyone as being part of us and not being separate from us. We should treat each other the way we want to be treated. He then quoted the hadith by the Prophet (saw): "Want for your fellow brother/sister what you want for yourself. Hate for your fellow brother/sister what you hate for yourself".

- He spoke about the importance of seeking knowledge as it is the foundation and basis of our religion and that knowledge is not confined to only religious knowledge. But the worldly knowledges are also important if we can use them to benefit the Islamic Ummah and that we should excel in all fields of knowledge. Once we have this knowledge we should teach it to our fellow brothers and sisters. He emphasized about how we are all one and that we should see others children as our own. If their parents cannot teach their children something and we have that knowledge, we should teach their children as if they are our own.

- He then spoke about that there is a threat trying to grow within Shias that is trying to separate us from the Maraja. He said to be wary of it and that is trying to break us apart and separate us from Islam. He gave the example that when we get sick we don't write our own prescriptions but we go to a doctor and we follow the prescription that the doctor gives us because he is more knowledgable in medicine than us. He said the maraja are just like doctors of our soul and that it is because they have studied years all the knowledges such as Rijal, Hadith etc that they can tell us what is halal and haram based on the teachings of Ahlulbayt (as).

- He finally said that he prays especially for the believers in the West every morning after Fajr that we remain steadfast and successful in our religion.

Someone asked Ayatullah Sistani (ha) about his health, he replied:

- Being 82 years old, he has no complaints about his health Alhamdulillah he is doing very well right now. He said the only thing that bothers him is that he has not left his home in years to go outside due to the situation and that does take a bit of a toll on him. But besides that he is doing well.

Someone asked about why he doesn't start a Hawza in the west such as in London, he replied:

- He had spoken before to some people who run Shia institutions there but he said there we can only teach the basics and preliminaries. Students from the west who truly want to learn to be scholars should come to Najaf as all the resources and teachers are here and everything is established.

Alhamdulillah Ayatullah Sistani looked very well and good in health and spoke very nicely. If you want to read my whole experience of what it felt like meeting him, you can read it here at my new blog: http://wisdomful.blogspot.com/.

I also had chance to meet Grand Ayatullah Taqi al-Modarresi and Grand Ayatullah Bashir al-Najafi. I have a brief video of Ayatullah Modarresi which I'll upload and share soon and write about what they had to say some other time.

If anyone has any questions about my trip feel free to ask.

Iltimase dua

[Ayuoobi]

Wow i can't believe he prays for us at fajr. May Allah SWT lengthen his life and accept his duas. You're lucky that you got to meet such a man.

[azhar-karbalai72]

Alhamdullillah.

I don't really understand how Zaireen get to meet him. I heard he gives out rings as well? I am clueless.

OKAY moving on, I am really glad that you got to meet such a distinguished person. I wish to go for Ziyarat, but my parents cannot find the time to do so.

[Hot hot]

Thanks for sharing but you should have asked about our massacre in Pakistan.

[Ali-F]

WOW, Allahuma sali ala Mohammad wa Ali Mohammad!

Mas'hallah, but how can you meet him? Do you have any relative connected to his (ha) house, or can everybody just meet him?

Wa'salam

[Ayuoobi]

btw how did u get an audience with the Sayyed? and how long did you guys get to see him for?

[.InshAllah.]

May God give him a long life. Thanks for sharing

[race]

Thanks for sharing. He is indeed a great man

Edited January 13, 2013 by race

[Al-e-Yasin]

WOW, Allahuma sali ala Mohammad wa Ali Mohammad!

Mas'hallah, but how can you meet him? Do you have any relative connected to his (ha) house, or can everybody just meet him?

Wa'salam

Alhamdullillah.

I don't really understand how Zaireen get to meet him. I heard he gives out rings as well? I am clueless.

OKAY moving on, I am really glad that you got to meet such a distinguished person. I wish to go for Ziyarat, but my parents cannot find the time to do so.

Anyone can meet him, you just have to speak to the Sheikhs who are responsible for organizing the meetings, who are usually outside in the front of his alley. Typically it's easier if you go as a big group as he gives more times to groups. The sooner you do this when you arrive in Najaf the easier it will be as its hard to get meeting on same day as you try to book. And yes he gives everyone a special coin and sometimes he gives rings. To our group he didn't because I think there were too many people but I asked Ayatullah Sistani's son for one and he gave it to me.

btw how did u get an audience with the Sayyed? and how long did you guys get to see him for?

We got about I think 20-30 minutes or so with him. My perception of time during that meeting was really off being in his presence :). Before I just followed him because of his knowledge etc but now I follow him because I love him and am truly proud to have him as a leader. Everything about him is a reflection of the akhlaq and character as taught by the Imam (as) and you can feel he really is something special. InshAllah I pray everyone has the opportunity to meet him one day.

Thanks for sharing but you should have asked about our massacre in Pakistan.

Yeah I should have, but honestly all the questions I had in my head I completely forgot when he came into the room..It's a very strange feeling.

[Ali-F]

Brother, how did house look like?

[Replicant]

Thanks for sharing this. Please upload the video you mentioned soon too!

[Al-e-Yasin]

Brother, how did house look like?

You can read about my detailed description of the visit here -> http://wisdomful.blogspot.com/

Thanks for sharing this. Please upload the video you mentioned soon too!

I'm uploading right now video of Ayatullah Taqi al-Modaressi :). Should be done in about 20 minutes and I'll post the link.

[loony toons]

Salam Alaykum,

I had the tawfeeq of going to Iraq for ziyarat during Arbaeen and had the chance to meet Ayatullah Sistani (ha) with my group on January 5, 2013. He gave a brief talk to us and advice especially for believers living in the west. Here are some of the points that I remember from his talk that I think everyone can benefit from:

questions:

1) what does tawfeeq mean?

2) whats ziyarat?

3) whats arbeen?

4)whos ayatullah sistani?

5) what dos ha mean?

Iltimase dua

what does this^ mean...

btw sorry 4 my many questions, im still new to deen and hav a lot 2 learn

Alhamdullillah.

I don't really understand how Zaireen get to meet him. I heard he gives out rings as well? I am clueless.

u mean like marriage rings?

Edited January 13, 2013 by loony toons

[Al-e-Yasin]

questions:

1) what does tawfeeq mean?

2) whats ziyarat?

3) whats arbeen?

4)whos ayatullah sistani?

5) what dos ha mean?

what does this^ mean...

btw sorry 4 my many questions, im still new to deen and hav a lot 2 learn

u mean like marriage rings?

Welcome to the deen brother :) Never need to be sorry for asking questions..

1. Tawfeeq means grace or opportunity given by Allah. We can't do anything unless we get the opportunity and divine grace from Allah.

2. Ziyarat - literally means visitation in Arabic. We use the word to describe when we go visit the graves of the Prophet (saw) or Ahlulbayt (as).

3. Arbaeen means 40th in Arabic. It marks the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as). On this day, it is highly recommended by our Imams to go visit his grave.

4. Ayatullah Sistani is considered to be one of the most knowledgable scholars for Shias and millions of Shia around the world get their guidance from him as to what is permissible (halal) and haram (impermissible) in their daily life. You can see his website here -> http://sistani.org. As a Shia you have to do follow one of the scholars called Maraja who can derive what is halal and haram from the Qur'an and narrations of the Ahlulbayt (as).

5. Ha is my abbreivation for the Arabic word hafidhullah which means "May Allah protect him".

Not marriage rings. The Prophet (saw) and the Imams (as) used to wear certain kinds of rings and recommended their followers to wear ring as well on their right hand as a sign of Faith.

Hope that answers your questions.

[worshiper]

before going there i used to think that there are no great ulemas in shias. but when had been there i realised what they are and what they say.

how down to earth personalities are they(i cannot describe)? honestly speaking my home is far better than where they live. if i m there i will take some time to adjust there.even some of my relatives wd have came out from there at once.

we tried for ayatullah sistani but due to tight security we cdnt, so we met ayatullah najafi may Allah(swt) bless them.

at first he also did almost everything mentioned above. and at last when someone asked him that y shias dont give proper replies to non muslims or people who call them kafir n all. he replied that those people speaks such things from t.v or the places where they live but never do they come here and debate us and even we cannot leave our people and go debating the globe about that. so we generally try to make our people goog enuf that they cannot say anything against us.

and in the end he said very important thing that one of the signs of acceptance of ziyarat is that u will feel change in urself. which i failed.

inshallah god will forgive me and i'll change soon.

iltemase dua.

wasslam

[S Hussain]

Does anyone know how much it would be to go najif and study

Also if one goes there can he get teachers like him.

And we're would you be

What language basic detail. And how long would the course be ?

[Ayuoobi]

iA one day i can visit him.

[King]

From your blog:

"The door opened and from the door emerged the figure whose presence has been in my life from the very day I had began praying as a child; whose name has been on the lips of every person around me all my life; whose book I have opened countless times a day to know what to do in every situation in life; and here he was and here I was in the very same room. I cannot describe the feeling that overwhelmed my heart at my very first glance of his eminence Ayatullah Sistani. It was similar to the feeling I got the very first time I set eyes upon Imam Hussain (as) shrine, but in a different way. It was probably a 3-4 second walk for Ayatullah Sistani from the door until he sat down in the corner, but for me it felt like a lifetime. All the thoughts and questions that had been fluttering in my mind immediately ceased and my whole presence and being was absorbed in this blessed man.

Once he sat down, I had the honor of sitting right across from him so that whenever he would look up he would be looking at me and I at him. For a few moments he sat with his eyes down in silence and my eyes were affixed upon him in such a way that nothing else existed for me at that moment. He looked just the way I had seen in pictures, but even more beautiful and radiant. There didn't seem to be a hint of weakness in him at all and you could feel that here sat probably the most complete and spiritual being living on earth at the moment after our Imam (as). Then when he lifted his eyes and his eyes met mine, I knew that I had gotten what I had came for and he didn't need to say anything else. I felt such energy rush through me that I can't describe. He then began speaking in Farsi. Lucky for me I had spent some time past few years studying farsi for this very reason so that I could understand our great Ulama and it really paid of during this meeting."

Did you get to kiss his hand?

[wayfarer.]

(salam)

Jazakallah for sharing your experience. I also met him last year during my trip to Karbala for 15 shaban. One thing that stood out to me during the interaction with him was that he kept staring down towards the floor and very rarely looked up eye to eye with anyone (probably twice).

I was wondering why that is. Is it because the moment he sees a person in the eye, he sees the reality of that person? May Allah prolong his life.

Did you get to kiss his hand?

During my trip, some people wanted to do that but he withdrew his hand from them immediately

[Ali-F]

Why do he not allow people to kiss his hand? A video in youtube shows that Khomeini [ra], allowed people to kiss his hand?

2. Wayfarer, I think I remembe that a sunnah from RasolAllah saw is to look up in the sky or looking down. Anyone who can agree?

[Ali-F]

Do Sistani ha pray jam3aa in home or?

[Al-e-Yasin]

Did you get to kiss his hand?

Yes he let me kiss his hand and put it to my forehead and then hold it for a bit while I was talking to him.

(salam)

Jazakallah for sharing your experience. I also met him last year during my trip to Karbala for 15 shaban. One thing that stood out to me during the interaction with him was that he kept staring down towards the floor and very rarely looked up eye to eye with anyone (probably twice).

I was wondering why that is. Is it because the moment he sees a person in the eye, he sees the reality of that person? May Allah prolong his life.

During my trip, some people wanted to do that but he withdrew his hand from them immediately

Ya I noticed that as well.. he looked down most of the time as well when he was talking to us, but when he would look up he would fix his gaze for a while. I don't doubt that at all about his ability to see reality of a person.. May Allah grant him long life.

He reminds me of this hadith about the believer who cannot be described..

"O Fatah, as Allah, glory be to Him, the messenger, the guardian (Imam Ali), and the sons of Fatima (the infallible Imams) can not be described, neither can a believer who believes and submits to our matter be." - Imam Hadi (as)

[Replicant]

I was in awe of him too when I met him. Truly great man. He is old and frail, but has a presence about him.

To be fair, most of the marjas I've met/seen in person fill me with awe.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Replicant

[Hot hot]

I was in awe of him too when I met him. Truly great man. He is old and frail, but has a presence about him.

To be fair, most of the marjas I've met/seen in person fill me with awe.

How many marjas have you met with? Can you name them ?

[Replicant]

How many marjas have you met with? Can you name them ?

I met Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Bashir Najafi in 2010.

This summer I met Ayatollah Jafar Subhani.

This summer I also prayed a few rows behind Rahbar (Ayatollah Khamenei) and Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi too.

Alhamdullilah.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Replicant

[Ayuoobi]

Ya I noticed that as well.. he looked down most of the time as well when he was talking to us, but when he would look up he would fix his gaze for a while. I don't doubt that at all about his ability to see reality of a person.. May Allah grant him long life.

bro i don't think we ascribe to him things that he doesn't claim. Ability to see the reality of a person? Next thing you know, he can do the ninja teleport thing that Nabi Sulayman's wasee could do. Just saying there's no benefit to this kind of talk. Allah knows best.

[Replicant]

Ya I noticed that as well.. he looked down most of the time as well when he was talking to us, but when he would look up he would fix his gaze for a while. I don't doubt that at all about his ability to see reality of a person.. May Allah grant him long life.

He can see the reality of people and I witnessed this myself. Anyone reading this can choose not to believe me if they wish, since they don't know me and my credibility.

When we went to meet him, it was time to leave. There was a lady in our group who was pregnant, but very early in her pregnancy, so she did not exactly have a visible bump. As we walked passed Ayatollah Sistani to leave, he looked up at this lady and he told his assistant or whatever to call her. She then went up to him and he said that he wants to pray for her baby. He then did a dua for the unborn baby and she left.

There is no way Ayatollah Sistani could have known she was pregnant because nobody told him and you could not tell from her appearance either.

There you go.

[Amina]

Salam  Al e Yaseen,

 

I had to cry as I read your description od GA Sistani, and it really moved me! I wish so to be able to see him, but due to my circumstances I doubt it will be possible in the near future (but I do not lose hope and Allah twt can make it possible). I used to live in Qom for a short time a few years after the revolution (during the war), and I remember that many, many scholars of the Hawza had the habit of looking down, and it has always been considered as a sign of good akhlaq, humbleness and modesty. What I want to ask is, does he also speaks Arabic with the visitors? Unfortunately I don't speak Farsi... 

 

Kindest regards, Amina

[pyaro]

Alhamdullillah.

I don't really understand how Zaireen get to meet him. I heard he gives out rings as well? I am clueless.

OKAY moving on, I am really glad that you got to meet such a distinguished person. I wish to go for Ziyarat, but my parents cannot find the time to do so.

(Salam)

Yes his office did give our group rings.

[Mohibat_Ahlulbayt]

Thank you for sharing this, I read the article on your blog, it was very good and for a moment I felt as if I was sitting in the room. You are very lucky to have the opportunity to meet one of the most remarkable and knowledgeable character's today. It makes me really happy to know that his personality and way of living reflects the prophets (SAW) and imams (AS), may Allah (SWT) grant him a long healthy life and give us all the opportunity to learn from him further. 

 

I have to ask though, why did he speak in farsi?