ZIYARAH ON THE HOLY PROPHET'S BIRTHDAY

Al-Shahid, Shaykh a-Mufid, and Sayyid Ibn Tawus - all those have reported that Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) visited the holy tomb of Imam ‘Ali Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) on the seventeenth of Rabi’ al-Awwal, which is the birthday of the Holy Prophet (s), with the following form of ziyarah:

Teaching the lofty, trustworthy scholar Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Thaqafi, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) said:

When you approach the holy shrine of Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), you may first wash yourself before visiting, put on the cleanest of your clothes, use a perfume, and walk towards the shrine with gravity and tranquility. When you stop at the door of peace (bab al-salam), which is the gate of the holy shrine, you may face the kiblah direction and repeat the following statement three times:

You may then say the following:

You may then approach the tomb and say the following:

You may then throw yourself on the tomb, kiss it, and say the following words:

You may then throw yourself on the tomb again, kiss it, and say the following words:

You may then offer a six-unit prayer of ziyarah; two for visiting Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), two for visiting Prophet Adam (‘a), and two for visiting Prophet Noah (‘a). You may also supplicate Almighty Allah as earnestly as possible, for your prayers are responded at this place, Allah willing.

The author of al-Mazar al-Kabir says that this form of ziyarah is dedicated to the seventeenth day (of Rabi’ al-Awwal) at sunrise. Commenting on this form of ziyarah, ‘Allamah al-Majlisi says that it is one of the most favorable formulas that has been reported through authoritative chains of authority and has been written down in authentic reference books. According to some narrations that reported this form, it is not dedicated to this day; therefore, it is recommended to visit the holy tomb of Imam ‘Ali (‘a) with this form of ziyarah at any time.