VISITING THE GRAVES OF THE FAITHFUL BELIEVERS

MERITS OF VISITING THE TOMBS OF FAITHFUL BELIEVERS

The trustworthy and sublime Shaykh Ja’far ibn Qawlawayh al-Qummi reports ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman al-Razi as saying that he heard Imam Abu’l-Hasan Musa ibn Ja’far, peace be upon him, saying, “Whoever is unable to visit us, may visit the righteous adherents of us. If he does so, he will be endued with the reward of visiting us. Likewise, whoever is unable to connect us, may connect the righteous adherents of us. If he does so, he will also be endued with the reward of connecting us.”

Through an authentic chain of authority, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Ash’ari is reported to have said, “I was in Fayd (a station on the way of Makkah) when I accompanied ‘Ali ibn Bilal in visiting the grave of Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Buzaygh. ‘Ali related to me, saying: The one buried in this grave told me that Imam al-Rida (‘a) said, ‘Whoever comes to the graves of his brother-in-faith and puts his hand on the grave and recites Surah al-Qadr (No. 97) seven times, will be secured on the Great Horror Day.”

According to another tradition, the statement, ‘... and directs his face towards the kiblah direction...’ is added.

From the apparent point of this tradition, we may understand that security on the Resurrection Day will be for the one who recites that Surah (i.e. the visitor of the grave) although it is probable that the one intended may be the visited one. This meaning is supported by a coming report of Sayyid Ibn Tawus:

In the book of Kamil al-Ziyarah, it is reported through a valid chain of authority that ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu-’Abdullah asked Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) to teach him how to put his hands of the graves of Muslims. Teaching him, the Imam (‘a) put his hand on the ground while facing the kiblah direction.

Through an authentic chain of authority, ‘Abdullah ibn Sinan has reported that he asked Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) to teach him how to salute the inhabitants in graves. The Imam (‘a) replied that he might say the following words:

السَّلامُ عَلَى اَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَ نَحْنُ اِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ بِكُمْ لاحِقُونَ.

Imam al-Husayn, peace be upon him, is reported to have said that whoever enters a graveyard and says the following words, Almighty Allah will record for him rewards that are as many as the creatures from the time of (Prophet) Adam up to the coming of the Hour (of Resurrection):

اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْاَرْوَاحِ الْفَانِيَةِ وَ الْاَجْسَادِ الْبَالِيَةِ وَ الْعِظَامِ النَّخِرَةِ الَّتِي خَرَجَتْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَ هِيَ بِكَ مُؤْمِنَةٌ اَدْخِلْ عَلَيْهِمْ رَوْحا مِنْكَ وَ سَلاما مِنِّي

Imam ‘Ali, peace be upon him, is reported to have said that whoever enters a graveyard and says the following words, Almighty Allah will grant him the reward of fifty-year worship and erases from him and his parents the punishment of fifty-year wrongdoings:

السَّلامُ عَلَى اَهْلِ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ مِنْ اَهْلِ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ يَا اَهْلَ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ بِحَقِّ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ كَيْفَ وَجَدْتُمْ قَوْلَ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ مِنْ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ يَا لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ بِحَقِّ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ اغْفِرْ لِمَنْ قَالَ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ وَ احْشُرْنَا فِي زُمْرَةِ مَنْ قَالَ لا اِلَهَ اِلا اللّٰهُ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ عَلِيٌّ وَلِيُّ اللّٰهِ.

According to another tradition, the best thing to be said whenever one passes by a graveyard is the following words, after stopping there:

اللّٰهُمَّ وَلِّهِمْ مَا تَوَلَّوْا وَ احْشُرْهُمْ مَعَ مَنْ اَحَبُّوا .

In his book of Misbah al-Za’ir, Sayyid ibn Tawus says: When you intend to visit the graves of the faithful believers, you may choose Thursday; otherwise, you may visit them on any other day. To do so, you may turn your face towards the kiblah direction, put your hand on the grave, and say the following supplicatory words:

اللّٰهُمَّ ارْحَمْ غُرْبَتَهُ وَ صِلْ وَحْدَتَهُ وَ آنِسْ وَحْشَتَهُ وَ آمِنْ رَوْعَتَهُ وَ اَسْكِنْ اِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ رَحْمَةً يَسْتَغْنِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ وَ اَلْحِقْهُ بِمَنْ كَانَ يَتَوَلاهُ

You may then recite Surah al-Qadr seven times.

The method and rewards of visiting the graves of faithful believers have been demonstrated in another tradition reported from Fuzayl who, accordingly, said: As to any one who recites Surah al-Qadr at the grave of a faithful believer seven times, Almighty Allah will send to him an angel who will worship Him (i.e. Almighty Allah) next to that grave and the reward of all the devotional acts that are done by that angel will be recorded for the dead person. When Almighty Allah raises him from the grave, He will make easy for him all the horrors by which he will pass until he is allowed to enter Paradise. Along with Surah al-Qadr, Surah al-Fatihah (No. 1), Surah al-Tawhid (No. 112), Surah al-Falaq (No. 113), Surah al-Nas (No. 114), and Ayah al-Kursi (2:155) may be also recited three times each.

Another tradition on the same subject reads that Muhammad ibn Muslim asked Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, “Should we visit the dead people?”

“Yes, you should,” replied the Imam.

“Will they know about us when we visit them?” asked Muhammad.

“Yes, I swear it by Allah,” said the Imam (‘a), “they do know about you, feel glad with that, and find entertainment with your visits.”

“What should we say when we visit them?” asked Muhammad.

The Imam answered, “You may say the following words:

اللّٰهُمَّ جَافِ الْاَرْضَ عَنْ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَ صَاعِدْ اِلَيْكَ اَرْوَاحَهُمْ وَ لَقِّهِمْ مِنْكَ رِضْوَانا وَ اَسْكِنْ اِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ مَا تَصِلُ بِهِ وَحْدَتَهُمْ وَ تُونِسُ بِهِ وَحْشَتَهُمْ اِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ.