The Place from Which the Clay of the Grave of Ĥusain (a.s.) Should be Collected and How it Should be Collected

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said, “There is some red dust next to the head of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) which is the cure for every disease except death.” After we heard this Ḥadīth, we went to the Grave (of Ḥusain (a.s.)) and started digging (the area) next to the head of the grave. After digging an ell, about one dirham of red dust which looked like sand started to flow down from the direction of the head. We took it to Kūfah, mixed it (with water), and covered it. Then we started distributing it to people to cure their diseases.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) can be collected from up to a distance of seventy fathoms from the grave.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: When one of you holds the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.), you should recite (the following): O Allāh! I ask You through the right of the angel who picked it, and the Messenger who appointed it, and the Successor who is lying within it to make it the cure from every disease (and from this disease) – mention the name of the disease.

Abū Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) said: When you take from the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.), you should say: O Allāh! I ask You through the right of this dust, through the right of the angel who is dedicated to it and the angel who dug it, and through the right of the Successor who is (lying) in it to send Your blessing on Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad and to make this clay the cure from every disease and the protection against any fear. If you do this, then this clay will definitely be a cure for you from every disease and protection against any fear.

I was in Makkah when I said to Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “May I sacrifice myself for you! I have seen some of our companions take some of the clay of the Ḥā`ir and seek cure with it. Does it contain any cure like they say it does?” Imam (a.s.) replied: It can be used as a cure even if it is collected from the distance of four miles away from the Grave (of Ḥusain (a.s.)). The same applies to the grave of my grandfather, the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.), and the same applies to the clay of the graves of Ḥasan (a.s.), ‘Ali (Imam Sajjād (a.s.)), and Muḥammad (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)). Take some of it (the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.)), for verily it is a cure for every disease and a shield against any fearful matter. Nothing else from among that which is used to cure (an ailment) can be compared to it except supplication. However, the containers in which it is (often) kept and the lack of certainty of those who treat themselves with it spoils it. Those who are certain that if they treat themselves with it, they will be cured, (will find that) it will suffice them with the permission of Allāh from having to use any other medicine. The devils and the disbeliever Jinns also spoil it by rubbing themselves against it. Nothing passes by it without smelling it. As for the devils and the disbeliever Jinns, they envy humans because of it so they rub themselves against it and all of its fragrance vanishes. An innumerable number from among them (the devils and the disbeliever Jinns) prepare themselves as soon as the clay leaves the Ḥā`ir – for they cannot enter the Ḥā`ir because of the angels (who guard it) – and they rub themselves against the clay while it is in the hands of the person who is carrying it. If any part of this dust remained intact and was used to treat any patient, he would be cured immediately. So when you take from this clay, keep it hidden and mention Allāh, the Exalted, increasingly on it. I have been informed that some of the people who take from the dust belittle it so much that some of them even place it in the feedbag of their camels, mules and donkeys, or in their own food containers, or in the handkerchiefs which are used to wipe the hands after eating, or in their saddlebags!!! How can a person who dishonours it in this way seek cure with it?!!! (Verily) the uncertain hearts of those who belittle that which leads to their righteousness will ruin its effect.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) can be collected from up to (a radius of) seventy fathoms by seventy fathoms from the grave.

He said: In order to seal the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) one should recite (the chapter of) Innā Anzalnāh on it.

When one takes from the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.), he should recite (the following): O Allāh! I ask You through the right of this purified dust, through the right of the blessed spot, through the right of the Successor who is buried in it, and through the right of his grandfather, his father, his mother, his brother, the angels who surround him, and the angels who have devoted themselves to the grave of Your Walī awaiting (the day of) his support – may Allāh’s blessing be upon all of them – to place my cure against every disease in it, to make it my protection against any fear, to make it my wealth at the time of need, to make it my honour against any disgraceful matter, to increase my sustenance through it, and to keep my body healthy through it.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: The sacred boundaries of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) are one parasang by one parasang by one parasang by one parasang.

I said to Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “I am a man with many illnesses and diseases and there is not any medicine that I have not tried.” Imam (a.s.) said: Why have you not used the dust (from the grave) of Ḥusain (a.s.)?! Verily it contains the cure for every disease and it is protection against any fear. When you take from it you should say: O Allāh! I ask You through the right of this clay, through the right of the angel who took from it, through the right of the Prophet who held it, and through the right of the Successor who is lying in it to send Your blessing on Muḥammad and his family and to make it my cure against every disease and my protection against any fear. Then Imam (a.s.) added: The angel who took from it was Jabra`īl who showed it to the Prophet (s.a.a.w.) and said, “This is the dust of this son of yours. Your nation will kill him after you.” The prophet who held it was Muḥammad (s.a.a.w.) and the successor who is lying in it is Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.), the Master of the Martyrs. I said, “I understand that it is a cure for every disease but how is it a protection against any fear?” Imam (a.s.) replied: If you fear a ruler or anything similar to that, do not leave your house without carrying some of the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.). When you take from it, you should say: O Allāh! This is the clay of the grave of Ḥusain, Your Walī and the son of Your Walī, and I have carried it as protection against that which I fear and that which I do not. Imam (a.s.) added, “Verily it is possible that a tragedy which you do not fear might befall you.” So I took it as he had ordered and I swear to Allāh that I became healthy. It was also my protection against that which I feared and against that which I did not fear, just as the Imam (a.s.) had said. Praise be to Allāh that I have not seen any misfortune ever since.

I took some of the dust which is close to the head of the grave of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.). It was a red-coloured clay. I took it to Imam Riďā (a.s.) to show it to him. He held it in his palm, smelled it, and started to cry, shedding tears. Then he (the Imam (a.s.)) said, “This is the dust of (the grave of) my grandfather.”

Imam Sādiq (a.s.) said: When you want to carry some of the clay of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) with you, recite (the Chapters) Fātiḥah, Mu’awwadhatayn, Qul Huwallāhu Aḥad, Innā Anzalnāh, Yā Sīn, and Āyatul Kursī. Then recite (the following): O Allāh! (I ask You) through the right of Muḥammad, Your slave, Your Messenger, Your love, Your Prophet, and Your guardian! And (I ask You) through the right of the Commander of the Believers, ‘Ali ibn Abī Ťālib, Your slave and the brother of Your Messenger! And (I ask You) through the right of Fāťimah, the daughter of Your Prophet and the wife of Your Walī! And (I ask You) through the right of Ḥasan and Ḥusain and through the right of the Rightly Guided Imams! And (I ask You) through the right of this dust and through the right of the angel who is dedicated to it! And (I ask You) through the right of the Successor who is buried in this dust, through the right of the body which is lying within it, and through the right of the grandson who is held within it! And I ask You through the right of all of Your angels, prophets, and messengers to send Your blessing on Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad and to make this clay my cure from every disease and for anyone who uses it as the cure against every disease, illness, and ailment. (Also) make it my protection against any fear. O Allāh! I ask You through the right of Muḥammad and his family to make it (the cause of) beneficial knowledge and extensive sustenance (for me) and to make it my cure from every disease, illness, sickness, plague, disability, and all pain. Verily You have power over all things. Then recite (the following): O Lord of this blessed and prosperous dust! (O Lord) of the angel who brought it down with him! (O Lord) of the Successor who is (buried) in it! Send Your Salām and blessing on Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad and allow me to benefit from it. Verily You have power over all things.