English
ZIYARAH OF IMAM HUSAYN (A)
Because the general forms of Ziyarah of Imam alHusayn (‘a) are numerous, we have to mention some several forms only.
In his book of alKafi, Shaykh alKulayni has reported the following through his chain of authority from alHusayn ibn Thuwayr:
Yunus ibn ²abyan, alMufazzal ibn ‘Umar, AbuSalamah alSarraj, and I were sitting with Abu’Abdullah Ja’far ibn Muhammad (alSadiq) and Yunus, the oldest among us, was our spokesman. “May Allah accept me as ransom for you,” Yunus expressed, “I usually attend the sessions of these people (i.e. the ‘Abbasid ruling authorities). What should I say then?” The Imam (‘a) instructed, “When you attend such sessions and mention us, you should say,
اَللّٰهُمَّ اَرِنَا الرَّخَاۤءَ وَ السُّرُوْرَ
'O Allah, (please) show us luxury and pleasure.'
If you say so, you will gain the reward that you wish to gain or you will be allowed to return to this worldly life at the Return.”
صَلَى اللهُ عَلَيْكَ يَاۤ اَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ
I then spoke, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! I very frequently mention (Imam) alHusayn; what should I say then?” The Imam (‘a) instructed, “You should repeat the following statement three times:
‘May Allah bless you, O Abu-'Abdullah.’
Actually, greetings that are addressed to him always reach him whether they are said near him or from a remote place.
When Abu’Abdullah (Imam alHusayn) passed away, the seven heavens, the seven layers of the earth, whatever within them, whatever between them, all the inhabitants of Paradise and Hell from the various species of the creatures of our Lord, whatever can be seen, and whatever cannot be seen all these wept for alHusayn (‘a) except for three.”
“May Allah accept me as ransom for you!” I asked, “What are these three things?”
The Imam (‘a) answered, “The things that did not weep for him are alBasrah, Damascus, and the family of ‘Uthman.”
I then asked, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! When I intend to visit him, what should I say and what should I do?”
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حُجَّةَ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنَ حُجَّتِهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا مَلَاۤئِكَةَ اللّٰهِ
وَ زُوَّارَ قَبْرِ ابْنِ نَبِيِّ اللّٰهِ
The Imam (‘a) instructed:
When you come to Abu’Abdullah (alHusayn), you should bathe yourself on the bank of the River Euphrates. You should then put on (ceremonially) pure clothes and walk barefooted, because you are in the sanctuary of Almighty Allah and His Messenger, uttering repeatedly statements of professing Almighty Allah being the Greatest (i.e. allahuakbar), there being no god save Him (i.e. lailahaillaallahu), all glory being to Him (i.e. subhahaallahi), and all veneration being to Him, and uttering the statement of invoking His blessings on the Holy Prophet and his Household (i.e. allahumma salli ‘ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin) until you stop at the gate of the shrine. Then, you should say the following:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حُجَّةَ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنَ حُجَّتِهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا قَتِيْلَ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنَ قَتِيْلِهِ
Peace be upon you, O Argument of Allah and son of His Argument. Peace be upon you all, O Allah’s angels and visitors of the tomb of the son of Allah’s Prophet.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنَ ثَارِهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وِتْرَ اللّٰهِ الْمَوْتُوْرَ فِيْ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ دَمَكَ سَكَنَ فِي الْخُلْدِ
وَ اقْشَعَرَّتْ لَهُ اَظِلَّةُ الْعَرْشِ
وَ بَكٰى لَهُ جَمِيْعُ الْخَلَاۤئِقِ
وَ بَكَتْ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَ الْاَرَضُوْنَ السَّبْعُ
وَ مَا فِيْهِنَّ وَ مَا بَيْنَهُنَّ
وَ مَنْ يَتَقَلَّبُ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ النَّارِ مِنْ خَلْقِ رَبِّنَا
وَ مَا يُرٰى وَ مَا لَا يُرٰى
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ حُجَّةُ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنُ حُجَّتِهِ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَتِيْلُ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنُ قَتِيْلِهِ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ ثَارُ اللّٰهِ وَ ابْنُ ثَارِهِ [ثَاۤئِرُ اللّٰهِ فِي الْاَرْضِ وَ ابْنُ ثَاۤئِرِهِ]
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ وِتْرُ الْمَوْتُوْرُ فِيْ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ وَ نَصَحْتَ
وَ وَفَيْتَ وَ اَوْفَيْتَ
وَ جَاهَدْتَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ
وَ مَضَيْتَ لِلَّذِيْ كُنْتَ عَلَيْهِ شَهِيْدًا وَ مُسْتَشْهِدًا
وَ شَاهِدًا وَ مَشْهُوْدًا
اَنَا عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ وَ مَوْلَاكَ
وَ فِيْ طَاعَتِكَ وَ الْوَافِدُ اِلَيْكَ
اَلْتَمِسُ كَمَالَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ
وَ ثَبَاتَ الْقَدَمِ فِي الْهِجْرَةِ اِلَيْكَ
وَ السَّبِيْلَ الَّذِيْ لَا يَخْتَلِجُ دُوْنَكَ
مِنَ الدُّخُوْلِ فِيْ كِفَالَتِكَ الَّتِيۤ اُمِرْتَ [اَمَرْتَ] بِهَا
مَنْ اَرَادَ اللّٰهَ بَدَاَ بِكُمْ
بِكُمْ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ الْكَذِبَ
وَ بِكُمْ يُبَاعِدُ اللّٰهُ الزَّمَانَ الْكَلِبَ
وَ بِكُمْ يَخْتِمُ اللّٰهُ
وَ بِكُمْ يَمْحُوْ مَا يَشَاۤءُ وَ [بِكُمْ] يُثْبِتُ
وَ بِكُمْ يَفُكُّ الذُّلَّ مِنْ رِقَابِنَا
وَ بِكُمْ يُدْرِكُ اللّٰهُ تِرَةَ كُلِّ مُؤْمِنٍ يُطْلَبُ بِهَا
وَ بِكُمْ تُنْبِتُ الْاَرْضُ اَشْجَارَهَا
وَ بِكُمْ تُخْرِجُ الْاَرْضُ ثِمَارَهَا
وَ بِكُمْ تُنْزِلُ السَّمَاۤءُ قَطْرَهَا وَ رِزْقَهَا
وَ بِكُمْ يَكْشِفُ اللّٰهُ الْكَرْبَ
وَ بِكُمْ يُنَزِّلُ اللّٰهُ الْغَيْثَ
وَ بِكُمْ تُسَبِّحُ [تَسِيْخُ] الْاَرْضُ الَّتِيْ تَحْمِلُ اَبْدَانَكُمْ
وَ تَسْتَقِرُّ جِبَالُهَا عَنْ [عَلٰى] مَرَاسِيْهَا
اِرَادَةُ الرَّبِّ فِيْ مَقَادِيْرِ اُمُوْرِهِ تَهْبِطُ اِلَيْكُمْ
وَ تَصْدُرُ مِنْ بُيُوْتِكُمْ
وَ الصَّادِرُ عَمَّا فُصِّلَ مِنْ اَحْكَامِ الْعِبَادِ
لُعِنَتْ اُمَّةٌ قَتَلَتْكُمْ
وَ اُمَّةٌ جَحَدَتْ وِلَايَتَكُمْ
وَ اُمَّةٌ ظَاهَرَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ
وَ اُمَّةٌ شَهِدَتْ وَ لَمْ تُسْتَشْهَدْ
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ جَعَلَ النَّارَ مَأْوَاهُمْ
وَ بِئْسَ وِرْدُ الْوَارِدِيْنَ
وَ بِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُوْدُ
وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ۔
You should then walk for ten steps and stop again to repeat the following statement thirty times:
وَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا اَبَا عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ۔
اَنَا اِلَى اللّٰهِ مِمَّنْ خَالَفَكَ بَرِيۤءٌ۔
You should then move towards the tomb from the side of the Imam’s face having your face to be to the face of the Imam and the kiblah direction to be between your shoulders. You should then say the following:
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ اَمِيْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ خَدِيْجَةَ وَ فَاطِمَةَ
لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ مَنْ قَتَلَكَ۔
لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ مَنْ قَتَلَكَ۔
لَعَنَ اللّٰهُ مَنْ قَتَلَكَ۔
اَنَا اِلَى اللّٰهِ مِنْهُمْ بَرِيۤءٌ
Peace be upon you, O Allah’s Argument (on His creatures) and son of His Argument. Peace be upon you, O killed for Allah’s sake and son of the killed for His sake. Peace be upon you, O vengeance of Allah and son of His vengeance. Peace be upon you, O he whose blood-claimer is Allah and whose blood is also claimed by the heavens and the earth. I bear witness that your blood has resided in the Eternity, the shades of the Divine Throne have shivered for it, and all creatures have wept for it, including the seven heavens, the seven layers of the earth, whatever is within them, whatever is between them, all the inhabitants of Paradise and Hellfire from the creatures of our Lord, whatever can be seen, and whatever cannot be seen. I bear witness that you are Allah’s Argument and son of His Argument. I bear witness that you were killed for Allah’s sake and you are the son of him who was killed for the same. I bear witness that you are Allah’s vengeance and the son of His vengeance. I bear witness that Allah is your blood-claimer and your blood is also claimed by the heavens and the earth. I bear witness that you conveyed (the message), acted sincerely, carried out (your duties), fulfilled (your pledges), strove for Allah’s sake, you advanced to that on which you were witness and that which you were asked to witness, and you were observer and you were watched. I am the slave of Allah, the servant of you, the obedient to you, and the visitor of you. I I seek for a perfect position with Allah, I seek steadfastness through my pilgrimage to you, and I seek the path that cannot be passed without you so that I will be allowed to enter in your guarantee that you have been ordered to give. He who seeks Allah must begin with you, because only through you has Allah disclosed forgery. Through you only does Allah throw away difficult days. For your sake only has Allah started (creation). With you only will Allah seal. Through you only does He erase whatever He wills and establishes (whatever He wills). Through you only does He release us from humility. Through you only will Allah avenge every faithful believer. Through you only does the soil grow its trees. Through you only does the earth produce its fruits. Through you only does the sky pour down its drops and sustenance. Through you only does Allah relieve from agonies. Through you only does Allah cause the rain to come down. Through you only does the earth that carries your bodies glorify (the Lord) and are the mountains made firm. The will of the Lord regarding the estimations of His affairs come down to you and are issued from your houses. So do the details of ، the decrees to the servants. Cursed be the people who killed you. Cursed be the people who dissent from you, the people who deny your (Divinely commissioned) leadership, the people who supported each other against you, and the people who witnessed you but they shunned being martyred for you. All praise be to Allah Who has decided Hellfire to be the dwelling of these peoples. Woeful indeed will be the place to which they shall be led and woeful indeed will be the place to which they shall be brought. All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
فَلَيْتَ اَنِّيْ مَعَكُمْ فَاَفُوْزَ فَوْزًا عَظِيْمًا۔
You should then repeat the following words three times:
And may Allah bless you, O Abu-'Abdullah.
You should then repeat the following words three times, too:
I disavow, in the presence of Allah, all those who dissented you.
You should then stand up and direct towards his son, ‘Ali, who is buried to the side of the Imam’s feet, and say the following words:
Peace be upon you, O son of Allah’s Messenger. Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful. Peace be upon you, O son of al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Peace be upon you, O son of Khadijah and Fatimah. May Allah bless you. May Allah bless you. May Allah bless you. May Allah curse those who killed you. May Allah curse those who killed you. May Allah curse those who killed you. I disavow all of them in the presence of Allah.
You should then stand up and point to the martyrs with your hand, may Allah be pleased with them, and say the following words:
Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. You, by Allah, have achieved success. You, by Allah, have achieved success. You, by Allah, have achieved success. Would that I were with you, then should I achieve a great success.
You should then turn around and make the tomb of Abu’Abdullah in front of you (i.e. stop behind the tomb) and offer a sixunit prayer. Thus, you have accomplished the visitation of Imam alHusayn’s tomb. You may then leave, if you wish. (Here end the instructive words of Imam alSadiq)
This form of Ziyarah has been also reported by Shaykh alTusi, in Tahdhib alAhkam, and Shaykh alSaduq, in manlayahzuruhulfaqih. Commenting on it, Shaykh alSaduq says, “Although I have mentioned other forms of Ziyarah in my two books of alMazar and alMaqtal, I have chosen this very form for this book, because it is the most authentically reported form; therefore, it covers what we need and meets the required terms.”