PURPOSE AND INTENTION OF VISITATION

After going through the significance of visitation of the purified and blessed Ahle Bait (a.s.) and a quick glance over few aspects of their recognition, let us acquaint ourselves with the narrations and teachings of the holy Ahle Bait (a.s.), in which they have listed the reasons as to why the followers of Ahle Bait (a.s.) will either come for their visitation or with what intention they should come for their visitations.

We list here few of them.

EXPECTING DIVINE REWARDS

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: On the Day of Judgment, I will intercede for one who comes to Medina for my Ziyarat, expecting Divine rewards.¹

In another tradition Hazrat Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: One who performs the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.) expecting divine rewards, without arrogance and ungratefulness and without seeking fame or to show off, will be purified of his sins just as clothes are purified with water. And no impurity will remain on them. With every foot he places, a Hajj will be written for him and every time he raises his foot, an Umrah will be written for him.²

Similarly, Hazrat Imam Sajjad (a.s.) said: Allah will forgive the sins of one who performs the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.) for the sake of divine pleasure. He will become sinless like a newborn child. Angels will accompany them all way and spread their wings over them till they return home. Angels will seek forgiveness for them and call out to them, “You are blessed and blessed is one whose Ziyarat you performed.” He will be continuously protected along with his kin.³

SEEKING PLEASURE OF HOLY PROPHET (S.A.W.A.)

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) said: My son, when I saw you all today, I felt happy as never before, but Jibraeel came and said that you will all be slain, and your graves will be far from each other. Then, I praised Allah and asked Him to bless you with the best.

Imam Husain (a.s.) asked, “Father, then who will come to the Ziyarat of our graves even though they will be far from each other?”

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) replied, “A group from my nation, that would seek my pleasure by visiting them. On the Day of Judgement, I will also hold their arms and save them from the terror and difficulties of that day.⁴

LOVE OF AHLE BAIT (A.S.)

Hazrat Imam Sadiq (a.s.) quotes a tradition from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) in which he (s.a.w.a.) described the killing of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) to Janabe Zahra (s.a.).

Then the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) while describing the visitors to his grave said,

“And a group of people who love us will go to his Ziyarat. No one on earth knows Allah better than them and no one is more earnest to establish our rights than they are. There is no one on earth other than them who will pay attention to Imam Husain (a.s.). They are lights in the darkness of injustice and oppression. They are the intercessors of each other, and they will come to me at my Pool tomorrow. When they arrive, I will recognize them by their marks and faces. Followers of every religion will seek their leaders and they (visitors of Imam Husain (a.s.)) will look for no one except us. They are the causes of stability of the earth, and their blessings shower down on the earth.⁵

In another tradition, Janabe Mufaddal Ibn Umar said: I went to Imam Sadiq (a.s.) and said, “I yearn to go to Ghari (Najaf)!”

Imam (a.s.) asked, why?

I replied, “because I love Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) and would like to go for his Ziyarat,”

Imam (a.s.) continued, “do you know the excellence of his Ziyarat?.. The tradition continues with Imam (a.s.) narrating some virtues of the visitation of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.).⁶

TO ANTAGONIZE THE ENEMIES OF AHLE BAIT (A.S.)

The narrator says, that when he entered the house of Hazrat Imam Sadiq (a.s.), he saw Imam (a.s.) reciting the below prayer on his prayer mat for the visitors of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.).

He (a.s.) was praying, forgive me and my brothers who perform the Ziyarat of my grandfather, Imam Husain (a.s.) and those who spend their wealth to travel, put their bodies to trouble seeking our pleasure in hope of the reward You have kept for associating with us. They perform the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s.) to make Your Prophet happy, to obey our commands and to antagonize our enemies.

By this, they want to please You, so reward them on our behalf by Rizwan, protect them day and night.⁷

FULFILL THE RIGHT OF AN IMAM

Imam Reza (a.s.) said: There is a binding contract on every Shia and follower towards his Imam and the most perfect and beautiful way to fulfil this contract is to perform the Ziyarat of the grave of that Imam.

On the Day of Judgement, the Imam will intercede for one who performs his Ziyarat with longing and believe in that which he has been ordered to believe.⁸

TO SYMPTHAIZE WITH THE AHLE BAIT (A.S.)

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: On the Day of Judgement, an announcer will call out, “Where are the visitors of Husain bin Ali (a.s.)?”

A large number of people, who cannot be counted by anyone other than the Almighty Allah, will come forward. Then Allah will ask them, “What impelled you to perform the Ziyarat of Husain (a.s.)?

They will reply, “O Lord! We went to him for our love for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and love for Ali (a.s.) and Janabe Fatima (s.a.) and to sympathize with him for all that which was committed against him.”

They will be told, “Here are Mohammad (s.a.w.a.), Ali (a.s.), Janabe Fatima (s.a.), Hasan (a.s.) and Husain (a.s.), join them, for you will be with them at their stage in Paradise.

Follow the standard of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). Them, they will go to the standard of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), which will be held by Ali (a.s.), they will remain under it, before it, to its right, to its left and behind it, until all of them enter Paradise.⁹

Apart from these traditions, there are few Duas related to the journey of visitation of the Ahle Bait (a.s.) which also make us attentive towards some aims and purpose of visitation.

SEEKING FORGIVENESS

We pray in one of the duas recommended after Ziyarat of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.).

إِلَيْكَ يَا رَبِّ صَمَدْتُ مِنْ أَرْضِي وَ إِلَى ابْنِ نَبِيِّكَ قَطَعْتُ الْبِلَادَ رَجَاءً لِلْمَغْفِرَةِ

O Lord, I have left my homeland to come to You and I have travelled across the countries to the son of Your Prophet seeking forgiveness.¹⁰

Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 2, Tradition 14 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 57, Tradition 1 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 62, Tradition 8 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 16, Tradition 7 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 22, Tradition 2 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 10, Tradition 2 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 40, Tradition 2 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp 43, Tradition 2 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp. 55, Tradition 1 ↩
Kamiluz Ziyaraat, Chp 79, Tradition 21 ↩