ZIYARAH OF IMAM HUSAYN (A) AT THE QADR NIGHTS

Be it known to you that numerous traditions have stated the merits of visiting Imam al-Husayn (‘a) during the month of Ramazan in general and at the first, fifteenth, and last night of this month in particular and at the Qadr Nights more specifically.

Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (al-Jawad) is reported to have said, “If one visits al-Husayn (‘a) at the twenty-third night of Ramazan, which is hoped to be the Qadr Night at which every affair of wisdom is made clear, he will be shaken hands by the spirits of twenty-four thousand prophets all of whom ask Almighty Allah to permit them to visit al-Husayn (‘a) at that night.”

According to another validly reported tradition, Imam al-Sadiq has said, “At the Qadr Night, a caller from the Seventh Sky will call out from the inside of the Divine Throne: Verily, Almighty Allah has forgiven any one who will come to the tomb of al-Husayn.”

According to another report, every one who presents himself at the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) at the Qadr Night, offers a two-unit prayer therein or any number of prayers possible, beseeches Almighty Allah to grant him Paradise, and seeks Him to protect him against Hellfire, then Almighty Allah shall grant him what he has asked for and shall save him from what he has asked Him to protect from.

Ibn Qawlawayh has reported Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) as saying, “One who is on his way to visit the tomb of al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali (‘a) in the month of Ramazan but he dies there, he shall be neither stopped for interrogation nor called to account. Moreover, he shall be allowed to enter Paradise without being exposed to horror.”

The words by which Imam al-Husayn (‘a) is visited at the Qadr Night is a form of ziyarah mentioned by Shaykh al-Mufid, Muhammad ibn al-Mashhadi, Ibn Tawus, and al-Shahid, Allah’s mercy be upon them all, in their books on forms of ziyarah. They dedicated these forms to the ziyarah at this night and on the two day of ‘Id (i.e. ‘Id al-Fitr and ‘Id al-Azha).

Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Mashhadi has reported, through considerable chains of authority, that Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) said the following:

If you want to visit Imam al-Husayn - at the Qadr Nights - you may come to his holy shrine after you wash yourself and put on the cleanest of your clothes. When you stop at his tomb, you may face it, making the kiblah direction between your shoulders, and say the following words:

You may then throw yourself on the tomb, kiss it, put your cheek on it, move yourself towards the place of the head, and say the following words:

You may again throw yourself on the tomb, kiss it, put your cheek on it, move yourself towards the place of the head, and offer the two-unit prayer of ziyarah after which you may offer any possible amount of prayer units. You may then turn to the side of the feet and visit ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, saying:

You may then pray Almighty Allah for your personal needs.

Then, you may leave your place at the side of the feet towards the kiblah direction in order to visit the martyrs by saying:

You may then walk to the shrine of al-’Abbas the son of the Commander of the Faithful. When you stop at the gate of the shrine, you may say the following words:

You may offer there any amount of prayers voluntarily and then leave.