The Angels visit Imām Ḥusayn(a)

Isḥāq b. ʿAmmār recounts: "Imām Ṣādiq^(a) shared with me that there is no angel, in the heavens or on earth, that does not seek Allah's permission to visit the grave of Ḥusayn^(a). There exists a ceaseless cycle of angels descending to perform ziyārah of Ḥusayn^(a), while another group ascends back to the heavens."

Narrated by Dāwūd Raqee: "Imām Ṣādiq^(a) once disclosed to me that Allah created no being greater in number than angels. Each evening, seventy thousand of these celestial beings descend from the heavens. They circle the ka'bah until dawn, then proceed to the grave of Amīr al-Muʼminīn^(a) to offer their salām. They continue their journey to the grave of Ḥusayn^(a), offering him their salām before ascending back to the heavens. In the daytime, another group of seventy thousand angels descends and repeats this sequence, ascending back to the heavens before nightfall."

Imām Ṣādiq^(a) said: "The stretch between the grave of Ḥusayn^(a) and the heavens is continuously occupied by angels who ascend and descend in constant ziyārah to him."

As recalled by Ibn Sinān: "I heard Imām Ṣādiq^(a) describe the sacred grounds of Ḥusayn's^(a) Ḥaram as a twenty-ell square. This divine location is a garden from paradise. From here, the ascension of angels begins. Each high-ranking angel and appointed prophet seeks Allah's permission to pay tribute to Ḥusayn^(a). In an unending cycle, assemblies of angels descend from the heavens for his ziyārah, only to ascend back again."

Isḥāq b. ʿAmmār recounts: "In conversation with Imām Ṣādiq^(a), I shared, 'May I be a sacrifice for you, O' Son of Rasūl Allah! On the night of 'Arafah, I found myself in al-Ḥīr¹. I observed three to four thousand charming and fragrant men dressed in pure white garments, praying through the night. I wished to approach the grave of Ḥusayn^(a), offer my respects, and say my prayers there. However, due to the vast assembly of these men, I couldn't reach it. It wasn't until dawn that I managed to perform a sajda. When I looked up, none of them were in sight."
In response, Imām^(a) inquired, "Do you have any idea who they were?"
To which I replied, "May I be a sacrifice for you! I don't, indeed."
Imām^(a) then conveyed, "My father related to me from his father, 'As Ḥusayn^(a) was being martyred, four thousand angels passed him and ascended to the heavens. Allah revealed to them, "O' assembly of angels! You crossed paths with the son of my beloved and chosen from my creation, Muḥammad^(p). He was being martyred and oppressed, yet you offered no help. Descend to the earth, lament by his grave in disarray while covered in dust until the Day of Judgment.
Continuing, Imām^(a) said, "They now remain by his grave and will continue to do so until the End of Times."

Al-Ḥīr or al-Ḥāʼir is a term often used to refer to the precinct or the surrounding area of Imām Ḥusayn's grave. ↩

Footnotes