‘I Hope You Come’; A Spiritual Feast with the Scent of Verses and Hadiths
IBNA Provincial Service – Marjane Hosseinzadeh: Living in the shadow of Imam Reza (AS), the Imam of kindness, is a precious opportunity that residents of Mashhad enjoy. Being a neighbor to the sun is not only a spiritual advantage but also places a cultural responsibility on us, a responsibility that gains meaning through a deeper understanding of this great Imam and the dissemination of Razavi teachings. Knowing the character, conduct, teachings, and virtues of Imam Reza (AS) is not only important for enhancing individual faith and knowledge but also serves as a guiding light for society in achieving ethical and humanistic models. In this path, books play a vital role as the best informative and lasting tools.
Razavi literature, with its treasury of valuable books in the fields of history, conduct, theology, and literature, introduces us to various dimensions of Imam Reza’s (AS) life and his teachings. Introducing these works, especially for us who live near his holy shrine, is a double necessity. These books are an inspiration for today and a guiding light for the future. In the series of articles “Wednesdays with Imam Reza’s Books,” we will strive to introduce prominent books written about Imam Reza (AS) and their authors. From biographies and historical research to literary and fictional works, each of which can open a new window to the horizons of Razavi knowledge.
Seyyed Mehdi Shojaee is a writer and journalist who began his studies in dramatic literature and law but left his education unfinished due to his passion for writing. For years, he wrote for various newspapers and publications and also founded the Neyestan Publications journal.
In addition to his activities in various journals, he has also written several screenplays and collaborated with directors such as Majid Majidi and Behzad Behzadpour. Screenplays such as “Father,” “Bat’s Eye,” “Rainy Yesterday,” etc., are among his cinematic activities. He has also served as a judge at the Fajr Film Festival, Fajr Theater Festival, International Children and Youth Film Festival, and Press Festival. He has been prolific in children’s and young adult books, including “The Champion and the Elephant,” “The Story of the White Leopard,” and so on.
Introduction to the Book “I Hope You Come”
The book “I Hope You Come” is written by Seyyed Mehdi Shojaee. This book is a collection of literary-religious texts written in fluent and engaging prose and published by Neyestan Publications.
In this work, each chapter is dedicated to a specific topic, and various subjects are thoroughly examined using Islamic verses and hadiths.
The titles of the chapters are as follows: “In the Name of Tawhid,” “Prostration of Narcissus,” “Green Grievance,” “Ali Beyond the Needs of All Centuries,” “Fatima (SA) the Secret of Women’s Creation,” “Eternal Protest,” “The Night of Washing the Moon,” “Imam Hassan (AS) the Epic of Forbearance,” “From Ghadir to Ashura,” “Remembrance of the Calamity,” “Birth of Love,” “Oh, Would that We Were With You,” “Hussein’s (AS) Hajj,” “One More Look,” “The Meeting of Brightness,” “Meeting with Zaynab,” “The Proof for All Women,” “Call of Guardianship,” “Old Wound,” and the final chapter, titled “I Hope You Come,” is addressed to Imam Mahdi (AS).
The texts and personal writings in this religious book demonstrate the author’s heartfelt connection with God, the Imams, and the Prophet (PBUH). In each section, he shares his delicate and sincere inner feelings with the reader to recreate the subtle emotion within him.
In a part of this book, we read:
From the unseen depths of our oppression, a voice promised your coming. Justice gave solidity to the voice, and divine mercy gave it warmth. And all our steadfastness we drew from this voice, and all our endurance we received from this melody. Under the most severe claws of torture, we endured, seeing the curls of your locks. Amidst the lashing whips and clashing swords, the spark of your gaze sustained us, and the sound of your approaching steps empowered us. Your fragrance, which carried the tidings of your presence, was a balm for our ever-fresh wounds and a mending for our broken souls. All pains were endurable because you were coming. The endurance of hardships was possible because your advent was possible and destined to come true. It was as if we were seeds of patience, enduring in the soil of expectation, to sprout wings in the heat of your sun. The weight of expectation on our backs is not one or two years; it is not the weight of one or two centuries. It is not even from the time of the departure of the eleventh sun. The history of our waiting and patience goes back to the injustice inflicted upon us in Ashura, to those arrows that rose from the bow of cruelty and struck the throat of oppression, to the hooves of the horses of disbelief that perforated the pure bodies of Tawhid. To that crime that severed the hands and feet of masculinity. From that time until now, we have been alive with the water of life of expectation, waiting for the advent of the avenger of Hussein’s blood. The history of our steadfastness goes back even further, beyond Ashura, reaching the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)….
