ETIQUETTES OF TRAVEL

When you decide to go on a journey, you are advised to observe fasting on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and to begin your journey on Saturday, Tuesday, or Thursday. Avoid traveling on Mondays, Wednesdays, and before noon on Fridays. Also, avoid traveling on the third, fifth, thirteenth, sixteenth,( ) twenty-first, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth of each month. Avoid traveling when the moon wanes and when it is in Scorpion. When one has to travel on such days and conditions, it is necessary to say the supplicatory prayers of travel and to give alms. It is narrated that one of the companions of Imam al-Baqir (‘a) visited him to bid him farewell, for he would go on a journey. Advising him, the Imam (‘a) said, “When he would travel for settling his affairs, my father, ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (‘a), used to buy his safety from Almighty Allah with any possible amount of alms. He used to give alms when he put his leg on the stirrup of his riding animal. When he returned from a journey peacefully, he would praise and thank Almighty Allah by means of giving alms.” Unfortunately, the man violated the advice of Imam al-Baqir (‘a); therefore, he died during the journey. When he was informed about this, Imam al-Baqir (‘a) said, “Had he accepted the advice, he would have been saved.”

Before beginning a journey, you are required to bathe yourself, gather your family members, offer a two unit prayer, pray Almighty Allah for your good, praise and thank Him, invoke His blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household, and say the following:

You may then bid your family members farewell and stand up. At the door of your house, you may say the (famous) Tasbih al-Zahra’ litany and recite Surah al-Fatihah and Ayah al-Kursi in front of you, on your right side, and on your left side. You may then say this supplicatory prayer:

You may then recite Surah al-Tawhid eleven times, Surah al-Qadr, Ayah al-Kursi, Surah al-Falaq, and Surah al-Nas, and then pass your hand over your entire body, give alms as much as possible, and say the following:

You may also take with you an almond stick. The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

Whoever goes on a journey, takes with him an almond stick, and recites the verses of Surah Al-Qasas (28:22-28) Ayat Almighty Allah will secure him from all beasts, all thieves, and all diseases until he returns home. He will be also accompanied by seventy-seven successive angels asking Almighty Allah to forgive him. These verses are as follows:

It is also recommended that you, at journeys, put a turban and roll it to the lower jaw so as to escape stealth, drowning, and burning. You may also take an amount of the soil of Imam al-Husayn’s tomb (turbat al-husayn) with you, saying:

You may also take with you rings whose stones are made of agate and turquoise. It is more preferable to take with you a ring whose stone is made of yellow agate with the following inscription on one side:

And on the other side, the following is inscribed: