the ones he loves for the last time. Only then he shouted as aloud as possible, 'O brother, reach your brother!'
As soon as the Imam heard that voice, he hurried towards its source. He rode off, put his brother's head in his lap, began to wipe out blood and dust from the face, and asked about his pains. Al-Abbas opened his sights in his brother's face, looked at him for the last time, and bid him farewell with a smile expressing all meanings of sincerity and loyalty.
As an answer, Imam al-Hussein (a) replied his brother's farewell not with words, but with tears that dropped on the face of al-Abbas while he was in his last sparks of life. Thus, al-Abbas emitted his last breaths while he was in the lap of his brother and has become the door to him.
Hence, it is recommended for the pilgrims of the tomb of Imam al-Hussein (a) to begin first with visiting the tomb of al-Abbas. This is one of the confirmations of al-Abbas's being the door to his brother; chief of the martyrs.
The door intended here is the mental and spiritual. Al-Abbas, hence, is the spiritual door to Imam al-Hussein, and this meaning is very far from the familiar meaning of portership or secretariat. Al-Abbas is too far above such meanings and Imam al-Hussein (a) is, too, far above taking doorkeepers or secretaries since he is beyond all material limits.
QAMAR BANI HASHIM
Al-Abbas was so bright-faced and handsome. Hence, he was called 'Qamar Bani Hashim -Moon of the Hashemites.' He was also the moon of his family and the moon of Islam because he paved the path of martyrdom with light and shone upon the lives of Muslims.
He was so bright-faced that the light of his countenance lit every darkness and everybody admired his handsomeness. When it happened that al-Abbas was accompanied by his nephew Ali al-Akbar who is known of his similarity to the Prophet physically and morally, people of Medina used to stop in lines watching their bright-facedness. 57