EMAM-e- ZAAMIN(A.S.)

The 8th Shi'ite Imam, Imam Ali ibne Musa ar-Reza (A.S.) is also called as Imam-e-Zaamin(A.S.).When Muslims go on journeys they take with them something called Imam-e-Zaamin (another name for Imam Reza (A.S.)) which is some money tied in a cloth. This tradition probably came from the time of Imam Reza (A.S.) when people used to carry money with them especially because it had Holy Imam's (A.S.) name on it. As Ma'mun,the Abbasid caliph the contemporary of Imam Reza(A.S.), had coins minted with the name of Imam Reza (A.S.) on them, it was very easy for the Muslims to carry the name of Holy Imam (A.S.) with them, especially when they went on journeys.
Imam Reza (A.S.) is also known as Imam-e- Zaamin (A.S.). Zaamin means "The Guarantor". One day when Imam Reza (A.S.) was on his historical journey from Madina to Marw(Khurasan),while in a jungle the Holy Imam(A.S.) came across a hunter who was about to kill a deer. The deer was trying to get away and when she saw Holy Imam (A.S.), she said something to him.Holy Imam(A.S.) asked the hunter to free the deer so that she could go and feed her little baby deer who were very hungry. Imam Reza(A.S.) also told the hunter that once the deer had fed her babies she would come back. The hunter allowed the deer to go becauseHoly Imam (A.S.) had told him to, but he did not think the deer will come back. But Imam Reza (A.S.)) waited with the hunter until the deer returned with her young ones. The hunter was amazed on witnessing this miraculous event and he set the deer free as a mark of respect for Imam Reza(A.S.).After this historical event Imam Reza(A.S.) became famous as Imam Zaamin(A.S.).
The most famous artist of the contemporary world, Ustad Mahmud Farshchiyan has depicted this historical event in this beautiful masterpiece iconograph entitled "Zaamin-e-Aahu"(The Guarantor of the Deer).

Merits of ُSalawat on the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.)

Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) or Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) that he said, "For increasing the measure of good deeds in the scales (meezan), no other deed carries weight than sending ُSalawat on Mohammad (S.A.W.S) and His progeny. A person's deeds will be weighed, and when his good deeds will seem less, ُSalawat will be brought and kept, and the good deeds will increase.
The Holy prophet (S.A.W.S) says, that on the day of Qayamat when the deeds shall be weighed, I will be present there, It a persons bad deeds will be weighing more than his good ones, I will bring along the ُSalawat which he sent upon Me, and add it to the good deeds thereby increasing its weight.
Shaikh Sadooq narrates from Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) that He said, that if a person does not have the means to lessen the stock of his bad deeds, he should send ُSalawat and salaam on Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) and His progeny abundantly, doing so will decrease (the weight of ) his sins.
Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi narrates in "Dawaat" that Hazrat Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) said that if a person in my love and affection sends ُSalawat on me thrice every day and night, it becomes the right on Allah that He should forgive his sins which he committed during the day and night.
The Holy prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, that one night I saw in a dream my uncle ibne Abdul Muttalib and my cousin Ja'far ibne Abi Talib. In front of them was kept a tray full of plums. After sometime as they ate. the plums turned into grapes. Then again as they ate, the grapes turned into fresh dates. They again started eating them. I went towards them and asked, "May my father and mother be your ransom which particular deeds have you performed that has excelled all other deeds, and has mades these blessings to be showered on you ?" They replied, May our parents be your ransom Those deeds are: sending ُSalawat on You, feeding water to the pilgrims (of Haj), and Love (walayah) of Ali ibne Abi Talib (A.S.).
The Holy prophet (S.A.W.S.) says that, if anyone writes my name in a book and sends ُSalawat on me, the Angels will seek forgiveness for him till my name remains in that book.
Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said that whenever you talk about the Holy prophet (S.A.W.S.), send ُSalawat on him.
When a person sends ُSalawat once on Him, Allah orders thousand ranks of His Angels to send a thousand ُSalawat on the person himself. And because of Allah and His Angels sending salawat, the whole creation sends ُSalawat on him. And the person who does not do so, is an arrogant and ignorant person. And Allah, His prophet, and the Holy Ahlulbait (A.S.) leaves such a person to himself.
It is written in "Ma'ani al-Akhbaar" in the context of the meaning of the verse (Ayah) of ُSalawat from Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (A.S.), that the meaning of ُSalawat according to Allah is blessings (Rehmat), while to the Angels it is safety and for the people it is a supplication (du'a). In the same book it is written that a narrator asked Imam (A.S.) as to how should we recite ُSalawat on Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) and His progeny Imam (A.S.) replied,:
صلاة الله وصلاة ملائكته وانبيائه ورسله وجميع خلقه على محمد وال محمد والسلا م عليه وعليهم ورحمة الله وبركاته
The narrator continues, that I then asked Imam (A.S.) as to what was the reward for this Salawat? Imam (A.S) replied, "A person reciting this ُSalawat becomes clean from the sins as if he was just born from his mother's womb".
Shaikh Abul Futuh Razi narrates from the Holy prophet
(S.A.W.S.) that He said, "on the night of me'raj when I ascended to the heavens, I saw an Angel who had a thousand hands. On each of his hands there were a thousand fingers, and he was counting some thing on them. I asked Jibrael as to who that Angel was, and what was he counting? Jibrael replied that the Angel had been appointed by Allah to count the drops of rain, so that it may be known as to how many drops have fallen down to the earth. I turned towards the Angel and asked him, "Do you know the total amount of the rain-drops which have fallen down on the earth from the day Allah created this world till now"? To which he replied. "O prophet of Allah I swear by my Lord who has chosen You (as a blessing) for mankind, verily I know the total amount of rain-drops fallen on the earth till now. Even to the extent that how many drops have fallen in the wilds, in the properous lands, in the gardens and also in the cemetery".
Then I told him that I was wary much surprised by the power of his mind and intellect and the ability to remember, to which he replied, O prophet of Allah verily this ability to count proves futile I try to count only one thing". I asked him as to what calculation was that. He replied, "'when people of Your Ummah gather at one place and send ُSalawat upon You, it is beyond my ability and capacity to count the rewards for it".
Shaikh Kulaini relates, that whoever recites the following ُSalawat seven times during Asr on Fridays, Allah gives him the rewards equal to all His servants, and accepts his deeds and prayers of that day. It is also related that the reward will be equal to the sight in the eyes of all man:
اللهم صل على محمد وال محمد الاوصياء المرضيين بافضل صلواتك وبارك عليهم بافضل بركات والسلام عليه وعليهم ورحمة الله وبركاته.
It is related that whoever recites the following ُSalawat after morning prayers, will not die until he sees his Imame zaman (.A.S).
اللهم صل على محمد وعلى محمد وعجل فرجهم