Educational Role-Models in Pilgrimage

Infallible Imams (as) have always been great educational role-models in Islam and visiting their shrines is a spiritual connection with such educational role-models which can have a great impact on the visitor. In fact, during pilgrimage, pilgrims attends the shrine of those who he regards as the best examples of faith and piety and are the servants of God and in their stature, the face of a perfect human is manifested and beside comparing themselves with these holy individuals, they attempt to resolve their shortcomings and fill the gap with them in order to take steps on the way to perfection. The purposeful lifestyle and dignified death of the Infallible Imams (AS) is the best model for those who go to visit their shrines and their pilgrimage letters are full of educational tips and moral virtues of Imams (AS). The spiritual atmosphere of the shrines is such visitors’ tawassol to the Imams (AS) and request of intercession from them will result in the forgiveness of sins. In fact, with pilgrim’s repentance and spiritual revolution, the educational aspect of pilgrimage is completed. This article examines the educational models existent in pilgrimages to the Infallible Imams (AS) and along with enumerating its various dimensions, gives some excerpts from a few pilgrimage letters as proof.