Aga Shaykh Hasan Farid Gulpaygani, who is among the topmost scholars of Tehran, has narrated from his late teacher, Ayatullah Hajj Shaykh Abd ul-Karim Yazdi Haeri (a.m.) that he said:

When I was studying religion in Samarrah, once the residents of that place became involved in epidemic of plague and every day there were a number of deaths.

Some scholars gathered at the place of my late teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Fisharki (a.m.) to find some solution. Suddenly Mirza Muhammad Taqi Shirazi (a.m.), who was a peer of the late Sayyid Muhammad Fisharki (a.m.) arrived there and discussion ensued about the epidemic: that presently all the people were in perilous circumstances.

The late Mirza asked: If I issue a command, would it be obeyed? All replied that it would be. He said: I order all the Shia of Samarrah, that from today for ten days, they should recite Ziyarat Ashura every day and gift its reward to the purified soul of Narjis Khatun, mother of Hazrat Hujjat (a.t.f.s.) so that they may remain safe from this calamity.

Scholars present there conveyed this to all the Shia and they started reciting Ziyarat Ashura as advised.

From the following day deaths among Shia stopped, but they continued among Ahl ul-Sunna till the matter became clear to all.

Some Sunnis asked their Shia friends: There are no more deaths among you people, what is the reason for that? He replied: Ziyarat Ashura. So, they also started reciting Ziyarat Ashura and were saved from this calamity.

Aga Farid said: Once when I was confronted with a severe problem, I recalled the instructions of that late scholar and began to recite Ziyarat Ashura from the first of Muharram, till I got relief in an unusual manner on the eighth day.

There is no doubt that the position of Mirza Shirazi is much more exalted that he should make a claim from his own side, and since this seeking of mediation through Ziyarat Ashura is not narrated in any traditional report from any Infallible, therefore that gentleman must have been ordered for it by the Imam in a true dream, intuition, or spiritual realization; and its effect also became clear.

Late Hajj Shaykh Muhammad Baqir, Shaykhul Islam, has narrated that in Karbala al-Moalla, gatherings of mourning (Majalis) were held during days of Ashura at the house of late Mirza Shirazi and on Ashura, in company of students and scholars, he went to the tombs of His Eminence, chief of martyrs and His Eminence, Abbas and perform the rituals of Azadari mourning.

It was the practice of Mirza that he recited Ziyarat Ashura in his room on the upper storey. After that he came down and participated in Majlis. One day, when I was also present there, before the usual time, the Mirza came down weeping and wailing and entering the gathering, said:

Today you all narrate the calamity of the thirst of Imam Husayn (‘a) and perform mourning rituals. All those present in the gathering became uncontrollable with grief and some even swooned. Then we came with the Mirza to the holy mausoleum and the blessed courtyard in that same condition.

As if the Mirza was appointed to deliver this reminder that one who recites Ziyarat Ashura of the chief of martyrs, with an intention of seeking his mediation [and not, because it is narrated from an infallible], would definitely find that it is effective in one, ten or forty days; and innumerable persons were successful in their great objectives.

Late Mirza Taqi Muhammad Shirazi passed away in Karbala al-Moalla in 1338 A.H. and was buried in the south-west courtyard.