The Late Ayatollah Al Hajj Sheikh ˜Abdul Karim Haeri (ra) - Repelling Calamities
Lessons from the Lives of our Ulema – Part 107
Reference:  Anecdotes for Reflection, Vol 3, Pg 24 (Under Supplication)

The late Ayatullah Al Hajj Sheikh ˜Abdul Karim Haeri (ra), the founder of the hawzah ˜Ilmiyyah of Qum recounts: "During the time when I was engaged in religious studies in the city of Samarra, an epidemic, in the form of plague, spread amongst the inhabitants of the city and everyday several people would die of the disease.

One day, some of the inhabitants of Samarra had gathered in the house of my teacher, the late Sayyid Mu¡ammad Fisharki (ra), when Ayatullah Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi ( ra) (d. 1338 AH), who, in terms of knowledge, was at par with the late Sayyid Fisharki, suddenly arrived. In the course of the conversation, the talk drifted towards the issue of the plague that had threatened the lives of all the people.

The late Mirza said: "If I were to issue a hukm (ruling), would it not be mandatory for it to be executed?" All those present said: "Yes."

He said: "I rule that from today onwards, for a period of ten days, the entire Shi'ite community of Samarra should recite "Ziyarat-e- Ashura" and gift the rewards of this recitation to Hadhrat Narjis Khatoon (sa) - the mother of Imam Mahdi (atfs) - in order that this calamity is repelled from them."

Those present in the gathering informed the other Shi'ites of this ruling and all of them engaged themselves in reciting the "Ziyarat-e- Ashura." The following days onward, it was observed that none of the Shi'ites would die due to the disease whereas the non-Shi'ites continued to suffer deaths - and this became plainly manifest for all the inhabitants of the city, such that some of the non-Shi'ites used to question their Shi'ite friends: "How is it that our people die due to the disease, whereas there are no deaths on your side?"

The Shi'ites would answer: "All of us recite Ziyarat-e- Ashura of Imam Husain (as) in order to remain protected from the epidemic and Allah (swt) wards away the calamity from us!"