MERITS AND METHOD OF VISITING IMAM AL HUSAYN’S TOMB

This chapter, which is dedicated to mentioning the merits of visiting the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a), the etiquettes that must be observed by the visitors during their journeys to the holy tomb and in the holy shrine, and the method of visiting the Imam (‘a), is composed of three parts, as follows:

MERITS OF VISITING IMAM AL HUSAYN (A)

Be it known to you that the merits of visiting the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) are too innumerable to be counted. According to many narrations, the reward of such pilgrimage is equal to the reward of ritual hajj, ‘umrah, and striving in Allah’s way (i.e. jihad).

Moreover, such pilgrimage to Imam al-Husayn’s tomb brings about forgiveness, alleviates the settling to account on the Resurrection Day, uplifts ranks, causes the prayers to be answered, prolongs the lifetime, brings about security of selves and properties, provides more sustenance, settles all needs, and relieves from agonies and grievances.

On the other hand, to abandon visiting the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) is regarded as deficiency in one’s duty towards one’s religion, because it is considered abandonment of one of the greatest duties towards the Holy Prophet (s). Therefore, the least reward of such pilgrims is that their sins are forgiven and their souls and properties are guarded by Almighty Allah until they return home. On the Resurrection Day, Almighty Allah shall guard them in a way better than He has done in the worldly life.

According to other narrations, visiting Imam al-Husayn’s tomb removes grievances, alleviates death agonies, and removes horrors in the graves. Besides, the expenditure that is spent for visiting Imam al-Husayn’s tomb shall be multiplied one thousand, or even ten thousand, folds.

When a pilgrim turns his face towards Imam al-Husayn’s tomb, he/she is received by four thousand angels and when he/she returns home, these angels will see him off.

All the Prophets and their successors as well as the Infallible Imams and the angels visit the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) and pray Almighty Allah for the good of those who visit it and carry for them good tidings (for the abundant reward of such pilgrimage).

Almighty Allah looks at the pilgrims to Imam al-Husayn’s tomb before He looks at the pilgrims at ‘Arafat Mount.

On the Resurrection Day, all the creatures shall hope if they were included with the visitors of Imam al-Husayn’s tomb, because Imam al-Husayn (‘a), on that day, shall be the source of inestimable favor and bliss.

As a matter of fact, it is impossible to contain all the narrations about the merits of pilgrimages to Imam al-Husayn’s tomb; yet, I will mention a few of them with each of the timed forms of ziyarah.

However, let us now refer to this narration:

Ibn Qawlawayh, Shaykh al-Kulayni, Sayyid Ibn Tawus, and many others have reported, through authoritative chains of authority, that Mu’awiyah ibn Wahab al-Bujali al-Kufi, the reverent and trustworthy reporter, has reported the following incident:

One day, I visited Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) and found him in his prayer-place. I thus sat down waiting for him to accomplish his prayer. When he did, I could hear him addressing his Lord with the following words:

“O He Who has endued us with special honor, promised of granting us the right of intercession, ordered us to convey His Message, made us the inheritors of the Prophets, sealed the past nations with us, given us exclusively the representation of Prophethood, given us the knowledge of the past and the coming ages, and made hearts of some people yearn towards us, (please) forgive me, my brothers, and the pilgrims to the tomb of my father al-Husayn ibn ‘Ali - peace be upon them - those pilgrims who spent their money and fatigued their bodies for purpose of fulfilling their covenant to us, hoping for the reward that You have in possession for them though observing their ties with us, bringing about happiness to Your Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his Household, responding to our instruction, and enraging our enemies. All that because they have intended for attaining Your pleasure. So, please award them on behalf of us with the reward of Your pleasure, guard them in days and nights, safeguard their family members and sons that they have left behind for the purpose of undertaking this pilgrimage (to Imam al-Husayn’s tomb) in the best way of safeguarding, be always with them, save them from the evils of all insolent oppressors and from the evils of all your created beings, be them strong or weak, and from the evils of all Satanic men and jinn. And please give them the best of what they have hoped for in their estrangement and in their homelands, because they have preferred us to their sons, family members, and relatives. O Allah, our enemies have been criticizing them for they are undertaking such pilgrimage; nevertheless, this has not stopped or disappointed them from undertaking this mission of coming to visit us despite of the criticism of these enemies. So, please have mercy upon these faces that have been tanned by the heat of the sun, have mercy upon these cheeks that have been turned on the tomb of Abu-’Abdullah (i.e. Imam al-Husayn), have mercy upon these eyes that shed tears on account of feeling pity for us, have mercy upon these hearts that have mourned and grieved over our misfortunes, and have mercy upon their screams that they have cried out for us. O Allah, I beseech You to keep under Your custody these souls and these bodies (of the pilgrims of Imam al-Husayn’s tomb) until You water them from the Divine Pond on the day of thirst.”

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) kept on praying Almighty Allah for the pilgrims of Imam al-Husayn’s tomb, while prostrating himself after prayer, for a long time. When he finished, I (i.e. the reporter) said to him, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! Even if this prayer that you have just said were said for one who does not recognize Almighty Allah, he would certainly be saved from Hellfire! By Allah I swear, I wish I had visited Imam al-Husayn’s tomb instead of undertaking on the ritual hajj!”

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) asked, “You are close to the tomb. What then prevents you from visiting it? Mu’awiyah, never desert visiting the tomb.”

The reporter answered, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! I have not known that the matter is of such a high importance that it brings about such rewarding.”

The Imam (‘a) said, “Listen, Mu’awiyah! Those who pray Almighty Allah for the pilgrims to Imam al-Husayn’s tomb in the heavens are more than those who pray Him for those pilgrims in the earth. Do not abandon visiting him for fear of anything. Verily, whoever shuns visiting Imam al-Husayn’s tomb for fear of anything shall feel extreme regret that he shall wish if he were to stay there until he would be buried next to that tomb. Do you not wish that you would present yourself before Almighty Allah among those for whom the Messenger of Allah, ‘Ali, Fatimah, and the Infallible Imams pray Him? Do you not wish that you would be among those with whom the angels shall shake hands? Do you not wish that you would be among those who shall come on the Resurrection Day while they are free from any sin? Do you not wish that you would be among those with whom the Holy Prophet of Allah (‘a) shall shake hands?”