ZIYARAT OF IMAM ALI AL NAQI AND IMAM AL HASAN AL ASKARI (A)

METHOD OF ZIYARAH

When you arrive in Samarra’ (also called Surra-man-Ra’a; central Iraq) and intend to visit the two Imams (i.e. al-Hadi and al-’Askari), you may bathe yourself and commit yourself to all the etiquettes of entering the holy shrines. You may then walk with tranquility and gravity. When you are at the gate of the holy shrine, you may ask permission of entrance by saying the aforesaid forms of asking permission of entrance (i.e. Isti’dhan), which have been cited in the first pages of this section of the book. You may then enter the holy shrine and visit the two Imams with the following form of ziyarah, which is considered the most authentic:

You may then pray for yourself and your parents painstakingly. You may choose any supplication to say.

If you can reach their tombs, you may offer a two-unit prayer there. If you can only reach the mosque, you may offer the prayer there and pray Almighty Allah for anything you wish, for He is nigh and responding.

This mosque is adjacent to the house of the two Imams, peace of Allah be upon them, where they used to perform the prayers.

LITTLE DIFFERENCE

The aforesaid form of ziyarah has been cited according to the book of Kamil al-Ziyarah. However, Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Mashhadi, Shaykh al-Mufid, and al-Shahid, in their books on forms of ziyarah, have recorded it with little difference. After the phrase:

They added the following: You may then approach towards the two tombs, throw yourself on them, kiss them, and place your two cheeks on them. When you raise your head, you may say the following words:

Up to the end of the aforesaid form of ziyarah.

They then added: You may now offer four units of prayer next to the side of the Imam’s head. Then, you may offer any other prayers... etc.