Rayyaan son of Shabeeb said: I had gone to visit Imam Red(z)a (PBUH) on the first day of Moharram; the Imam (PBUH) asked me:

Are you fasting today?

I replied that I was not; then the Imam (PBUH) said:

Surely this day is the day in which Zakariya -Zechariah- (PBUH) called his Lord -Glorified and Grand be He-, and said: O' my Lord! Grant me from Your Presence, a pure offspring, surely You are the Listener of prayers. So Allah responded to him and He commanded His angels [to execute]; so the angels addressed Zakariya while he was standing in the altar to pray: O' Zakariya! Surely Allah gives you the good news about Yahya -John- [known as the Baptist], a confirmer.

Then the Imam (PBUH) said:

Thus anyone who fasts this day and then calls Allah -Glorified and Grand be He-, He will respond as He responded to Zakariya (PBUH).

The Imam (PBUH) continued:

O' son of Shabeeb! Indeed Moharram is the month which the people of Jaaheliyah of the past, honored it by considering cruelty and war as unlawful in it, and this Ommah [nation] have neither recognized the Hormat [honor and …] of this month, nor the Hormat of their Prophet (PBUH&HP); surely in this month, they killed his children, captured his women, and plundered his possessions;

THUS ALLAH SHALL NEVER EVER FORGIVE THEM.

O' son of Shabeeb! IF YOU EVER CRY FOR ANY THING, SO DO CRY FOR HOSSAIN SON OF ALI SON OF ABITAALEB (PBUT); and indeed he was slaughtered as a sheep is slaughtered! And with him were killed eighteen men from his household whom no one resembles, on earth! And certainly the Heavens and the lands cried in his killing; indeed four thousand angels descended down to earth to assist him, and they surely found him killed, and they have been next to his grave, dusty and with disheveled appearance, until when the Qaa'em (PBUH) shall Rise, so that they will be his helpers; and their slogan has been:

"O' THE SEEKERS OF THE BLOOD OF HOSSAIN!"

O' son of Shabeeb! Surely my father has narrated from his father from his forefather (PBUT), indeed when my forefather Hussain (PBUH) was killed, red dust and blood rained from the sky; O' son of Shabeeb! If you cry for Hossain (PBUH) until your tears flow on your face, Allah shall forgive all your sins, small or big, few or many.

O' son of Shabeeb! If it delights you to meet Allah while you are sin-free,

SO DO GO ON ZIYAARAT OF HUSSAIN (PBUH).

O' son of Shabeeb! If it delights you to abide in a place in Heaven with the Prophet and his Progeny (PBUT),

SO DO LA'N [CURSE, …] THE KILLERS OF HOSSAIN (PBUH).

O' son of Shabeeb! If it delights you to gain rewards like those who were martyred with Hossain (PBUH), so any time you remember Hossain (PBUH), do say:

"I WISH I WAS WITH THEM, SO THAT I MAY HAVE ACHIEVED SALVATION, A GREAT SALVATION"

O' son of Shabeeb! If it delights you to be with us in the most exalted levels of Heavens,

SO BE SAD FOR OUR [THE AHLULBAYT'S] SORROW, AND BE JOYFUL FOR OUR JOY; [I EXHORT EARNESTLY] UPON YOU, OUR WALAAYAT (WILAYAT).

And surely if a man seeks the Wilayat of [any, even] a stone, certainly Allah shall return him with it on the Day of Qiyaamat!

(Eqbaal-Ol-A'maal of Sayyed-Ebne-Taawoos, …)