The gathering of veteran servants of Ahl ul-Bayt was held on November 11, at Qods Hall.
The event brought together a group of shrine servants, reciters, veteran devotees, and lovers of the Prophet’s family from various provinces.
Organized under the auspices of Astan Qods Razavi (AQR) in collaboration with the National Organization of Religious Reciters, the ceremony honored decades of sincere service in promoting the culture of Ashura and allowed participants to renew their vows of devotion to Imam Hussein (third Shia Imam) and Imam Reza (eighth Shia Imam).
The atmosphere was deeply spiritual, echoing the traditional mourning assemblies of the old. Chants of “Ya Hussein” filled the shrine as tears rolled down the cheeks of the faithful. The weary yet radiant faces of the attendees reflected pure devotion and heartfelt sincerity.
According to Seyyed Hossein Homayouni from Tehran, one of the veteran servants present, “A true servant is one who places Imam Hussein above himself”.
“A servant does not seek fame, but strives to elevate the name of his spiritual mentor,” he added.
He continued: “I have spent my entire life in service to Imam Hussein, and my greatest wish is for him and his mother, Hazrat Fatima, Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, to accept my humble offering”.
He went on to say, “They say servitude is disgraceful, but serving Hussein is an honor and a form of kingship. I thank God for placing me on this path as a servant and reciter of the Ahl ul-Bayt”.
Reflecting on his visit to Mashhad, Homayouni said, “This year, through the prayers of Imam Hussein and the grace of Imam Reza, I was granted the blessing of pilgrimage. I had asked to be their guest during the mourning days of Safar and Fatimiyya, and they answered”.
At the end of the ceremony, several veteran servants were honored with commemorative plaques, and the gathering concluded with prayers for the reappearance of Imam Mahdi, the last of the Twelve Shia Imams.