English
ETIQUETTES OF ZIYARAH OF NIYABAT
A visitor of a holy shrine is allowed to dedicate the reward of visiting the Holy Prophet and Imams to their pure souls or to the souls of the faithful believers. It is also allowable for a visitor to do the rites of ziyarah on behalf of another person. This has been reported, through a valid chain of authority, from Dawud alSarami who, once, said to Imam ‘Ali alNaqi (alHadi), “I have visited (the tomb of) your father and dedicated the reward to you.”
The Imam (‘a) commented, “From Allah, you shall be endued great return and reward; and from us, you will be given thanks.”
According to another tradition, Imam ‘Ali alHadi (‘a) deputized an individual to travel to the tomb of Imam alHusayn (‘a) to visit the tomb and pray Almighty Allah there.
Through a valid chain of authority, Imam Musa ibn Ja’far (‘a) is reported to have instructed the following:
If you come to the tomb of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his Household, and carry out what is obligatory upon you to do there, you may then offer a twounit prayer, stop at the side of the Holy Prophet’s head, and say the following words:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللّٰهِ مِنْ اَبِيْ وَ اُمِّيْ وَ زَوْجَتِيْ وَ وَلَدِيْ وَ حَآمَّتِيْ وَ مِنْ جَمِيْعِ اَهْلِ بَلَدِيْ حُرِّهِمْ وَ عَبْدِهِمْ وَ اَبْيَضِهِمْ وَ اَسْوَدِهِمْ۔
Peace be upon you, O Allah’s Prophet on behalf of my father, my mother, my wife, my sons, my dependants, and all of the people of my city; the free and the slaves, the white and the black.
If you do so, then you can honestly tell every one you meet that you have conveyed his greetings to the Holy Prophet (s).
According to some traditions, one of the Holy Imams was asked, “When a person offers a twounit prayer, observes fasting on a day, goes on the ritual hajj or ‘umrah, or visits the tomb of the Holy Prophet or one of the Holy Imams, and then dedicates the reward of that act to his parents or one of his brothersinfaith, will that person be rewarded for that?”
The Imam answered, “The reward of that act will reach the person to whom it has been dedicated without reducing any amount of the reward decided to the person who has performed that act.”
اَللّٰهُمَّ مَاۤ اَصَابَنِيْ مِنْ تَعَبٍ اَوْ نَصَبٍ اَوْ شَعَثٍ اَوْ لُغُوْبٍ فَأْجُرْ فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ فِيْهِ وَ أْجُرْنِيْ فِيْ قَضَاۤئِيْ عَنْهُ۔
In Tahdhib alAhkam, Shaykh alTusi states: He who has traveled for visiting a holy shrine on behalf of a brotherinfaith of him may say the following words upon accomplishing the rites of the ziyarah:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا مَوْلَايَ عَنْ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ اَتَيْتُكَ زَاۤئِرًا عَنْهُ فَاشْفَعْ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ۔
O Allah, as to any fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, or weariness that has afflicted me, (please) reward [.؟o-and-so] for it and reward me for doing that on behalf of him.
When he greets the visited Imam, he may say the following words after that:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّ فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ اَوْفَدَنِيْۤ اِلٰى مَوَالِيْهِ وَ مَوَالِيَّ لِاَزُوْرَ عَنْهُ رَجَاۤءً لِجَزِيْلِ الثَّوَابِ وَ فِرَارًا مِنْ سُوْۤءِ الْحِسَابِ اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّهُ يَتَوَجَّهُ اِلَيْكَ بِاَوْلِيَاۤئِهِ الدَّآلِّيْنَ عَلَيْكَ فِيْ غُفْرَانِكَ ذُنُوْبَهُ وَ حَطِّ سَيِّئَاتِهِ وَ يَتَوَسَّلُ اِلَيْكَ بِهِمْ عِنْدَ مَشْهَدِ اِمَامِهِ صَلَوَاتُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِمْ اَللّٰهُمَّ فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنْهُ وَ اقْبَلْ شَفَاعَةَ اَوْلِيَاۤئِهِ صَلَوَاتُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيْهِ اَللّٰهُمَّ جَازِهِ عَلٰى حُسْنِ نِيَّتِهِ وَ صَحِيْحِ عَقِيْدَتِهِ وَ صِحَّةِ مُوَالَاتِهِ اَحْسَنَ مَا جَازَيْتَ اَحَدًا مِنْ عَبِيْدِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ اَدِمْ لَهُ مَا خَوَّلْتَهُ وَ اسْتَعْمِلْهُ صَالِحًا فِيْمَاۤ اٰتَيْتَهُ وَ لَا تَجْعَلْنِيْ اٰخِرَ وَافِدٍ لَهُ يُوْفِدُهُ اَللّٰهُمَّ اَعْتِقْ رَقَبَتَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ
اَوْسِعْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ رِزْقِكَ الْحَلَالِ الطَّيِّبِ وَ اجْعَلْهُ مِنْ رُفَقَاۤءِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ بَارِكْ لَهُ فِيْ وُلْدِهِ وَ مَالِهِ وَ اَهْلِهِ وَ مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِيْنُهُ، اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ حُلْ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ مَعَاصِيْكَ حَتّٰى لَا يَعْصِيَكَ وَ اَعِنْهُ عَلٰى طَاعَتِكَ وَ طَاعَةِ اَوْلِيَاۤئِكَ حَتّٰى لَا تَفْقِدَهُ حَيْثُ اَمَرْتَهُ وَ لَا تَرَاهُ حَيْثُ نَهَيْتَهُ اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اغْفِرْ لَهُ وَ ارْحَمْهُ وَ اعْفُ عَنْهُ وَ عَنْ جَمِيْعِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اَعِذْهُ مِنْ هَوْلِ الْمُطَّلَعِ وَ مِنْ فَزَعِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَ سُوْۤءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ وَ مِنْ ظُلْمَةِ الْقَبْرِ وَ وَحْشَتِهِ وَ مِنْ مَوَاقِفِ الْخِزْيِ فِيْ الدُّنْيَا وَ
Peace be upon you, O my master on behalf of so-and-so. I have come to you, visiting you on behalf of him; so,(please)intercede for him witli your Lord.
الْاٰخِرَةِ اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اجْعَلْ جَاۤئِزَتَهُ فِيْ مَوْقِفِيْ هٰذَا غُفْرَانَكَ وَ تُحْفَتَهُ فِيْ مَقَامِيْ هٰذَا عِنْدَ اِمَامِيْ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ اَنْ تُقِيْلَ عَثْرَتَهُ وَ تَقْبَلَ مَعْذِرَتَهُ وَ تَتَجَاوَزَ عَنْ خَطِيْۤئَتِهِ وَ تَجْعَلَ التَّقْوٰى زَادَهُ وَ مَا عِنْدَكَ خَيْرًا لَهُ فِيْ مَعَادِهِ وَ تَحْشُرَهُ فِيْ زُمْرَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ اٰلِهِ وَ تَغْفِرَ لَهُ وَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ فَاِنَّكَ خَيْرُ مَرْغُوْبٍ اِلَيْهِ وَ اَكْرَمُ مَسْئُوْلٍ ۟اِعْتَمَدَ الْعِبَادُ عَلَيْهِ اَللّٰهُمَّ وَ لِكُلِّ مُوْفِدٍ جَاۤئِزَةٌ وَ لِكُلِّ زَاۤئِرٍ كَرَامَةٌ فَاجْعَلْ جَاۤئِزَتَهُ فِيْ مَوْقِفِيْ هٰذَا غُفْرَانَكَ وَ الْجَنَّةَ لَهُ وَ لِجَمِيْعِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ اَللّٰهُمَّ وَ اَنَا عَبْدُكَ الْخَاطِئُ الْمُذْنِبُ الْمُقِرُّ بِذُنُوْبِهِ فَاَسْاَلُكَ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ بِحَقِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ اَنْ لَا تَحْرِمَنِيْ بَعْدَ ذٰلِكَ الْاَجْرَ وَ الثَّوَابَ مِنْ فَضْلِ عَطَاۤئِكَ وَ كَرَمِ تَفَضُّلِكَ۔
He may then pray Almighty Allah for whatever he wishes.
A visitor who is deputized by another to perform the rites of ziyarah on behalf of him may say the following words:
يَا مَوْلَايَ يَاۤ اِمَامِيْ عَبْدُكَ فُلَانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ اَوْفَدَنِيْ زَاۤئِرًا لِمَشْهَدِكَ يَتَقَرَّبُ اِلَى اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِذٰلِكَ وَ اِلٰى رَسُوْلِهِ وَ اِلَيْكَ يَرْجُوْ بِذٰلِكَ فَكَاكَ رَقَبَتِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ مِنَ الْعُقُوْبَةِ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَ لِجَمِيْعِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ يَاۤ اَللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ الْحَلِيْمُ الْكَرِيْمُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيْمُ اَسْاَلُكَ اَنْ تُصَلِّيَ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ تَسْتَجِيْبَ لِيْ فِيْهِ وَ فِيْ جَمِيْعِ اِخْوَانِيْ وَ اَخَوَاتِيْ وَ وَلَدِيْ وَ اَهْلِيْ بِجُوْدِكَ وَ كَرَمِكَ يَاۤ اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ۔
O Allah, so-and-so has delegated me to visit his and my masters on behalf of him, hoping for the abundant reward and trying to avoid the terrible reckoning. O Allah, he is turning his face towards You and Your vicegerents who guide to You so that You may forgive his sin and absolve him of his evildoings. He also takes them as his means to You at the shrine of his Imam, Allah’s blessings be upon him. So, O Allah, (please) accept from him and admit the intercession of his leaders to him, Allah’s blessings be upon them. O Allah, (please) reward him for his good intention, sound creed, and accurate loyalty with the best reward that You have ever given to any of Your believing servants, make permanent for him that which You have authorized him to dispose of, make him use that which You have given him in a righteous way, and do not decide me to be the last delegate that he deputizes. O Allah, (please) set him free from Hellfire, expand for him Your legally gotten and pleasant sustenance, make him of the companions of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, and bless for him his sons, wealth, family members, and those possessed by his right hand (i.e. servants). O Allah, (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, prevent him from acting disobediently to You so that he will not disobey You; and help him act obediently to You and to Your vicegerents so that You will not miss him where You have ordered him to be and You will not find him where You have warned him against being there. O Allah, (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, forgive him, have mercy upon him, and pardon him as well as all the believing men and women. O Allah, (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, protect him against the horror of the scene, the panic on the Resurrection Day, the terrible return, the darkness and desolation of the grave, and the situations of disgrace in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah, (please) send blessings upon Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, decide his prize on this situation of mine to be Your forgiveness and his gift on this station of mine with my Imam, may Allah bless him, to be that You excuse his slips, accept his apology, condone his wrongdoing, decide piety to be his provision, and what You have in possession to be the best for him when he shall be returned to You. And (please) resurrect him with the group of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Household, and forgive him and his parents. Verily, You are the most favorable of those who are desired and the noblest besought upon Whom the servants can depend. O Allah, there must be a prize for each delegate and a gift for each visitor; so, (please) decide his prize on this situation of mine to be Your forgiveness and Paradise, for him and for all the believing men and women. O Allah, I am Your servant, the wrongdoer and sinful who confesses of his sins before You; I, therefore, beseech You, O Allah, in the name of Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad, not to deprive me, after granting me this prize and reward, of the favor of Your munificence and the magnanimity of Your favoring.
You may then raise your hands towards the sky, directing your face towards the kiblah direction near the holy shrine, and say the following words:
O my master! O my Imam! Your servant so-and-so has delegated me to visit your shrine, seeking through that nearness to Allah the Almighty and All-majestic, to His Messenger, and to you, and hoping through that for setting him free from Hellfire and from punishment. So, (please) forgive him and all the believing men and women, O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! O Allah! There is no god save Allah, the All-forbearing, the All-generous. There is no god save Allah, the All-high, the All-great. I beseech You to bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad and to respond to me in what I have besought you about him and about all my brothers, sisters, sons, and family members; on account of Your magnanimity and generosity; O most merciful of all those who show mercy.