ZIYARAH OF THE IMAMS OF SAMARRA AND THE RITES OF THE SARDAAB

This chapter is composed of two sections, as follows:

ZIYARAH OF IMAM ‘ALI AL-NAQI
AND IMAM AL-HASAN AL-’ASKARI

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:

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمَا يَا وَلِيَّيِ اللّٰهِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمَا يَا حُجَّتَيِ اللّٰهِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمَا يَا نُورَيِ اللّٰهِ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْاَرْضِ السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمَا يَا مَنْ بَدَا لِلَّهِ فِي شَأْنِكُمَا اَتَيْتُكُمَا زَائِرا عَارِفا بِحَقِّكُمَا مُعَادِيا لِاَعْدَائِكُمَا مُوَالِيا لِاَوْلِيَائِكُمَا مُؤْمِنا بِمَا آمَنْتُمَا بِهِ كَافِرا بِمَا كَفَرْتُمَا بِهِ مُحَقِّقا لِمَا حَقَّقْتُمَا مُبْطِلا لِمَا اَبْطَلْتُمَا اَسْاَلُ اللّٰهَ رَبِّي وَ رَبَّكُمَا اَنْ يَجْعَلَ حَظِّي مِنْ زِيَارَتِكُمَا الصَّلاةَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ اَنْ يَرْزُقَنِي مُرَافَقَتَكُمَا فِي الْجِنَانِ مَعَ آبَائِكُمَا الصَّالِحِينَ وَ اَسْاَلُهُ اَنْ يُعْتِقَ رَقَبَتِي مِنَ النَّارِ وَ يَرْزُقَنِي شَفَاعَتَكُمَا وَ مُصَاحَبَتَكُمَا، وَ يُعَرِّفَ بَيْنِي وَ بَيْنَكُمَا وَ لا يَسْلُبَنِي حُبَّكُمَا وَ حُبَّ آبَائِكُمَا الصَّالِحِينَ وَ اَنْ لا يَجْعَلَهُ آخِرَ الْعَهْدِ مِنْ زِيَارَتِكُمَا وَ يَحْشُرَنِي مَعَكُمَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ بِرَحْمَتِهِ اللّٰهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي حُبَّهُمَا وَ تَوَفَّنِي عَلَى مِلَّتِهِمَا اللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنْ ظَالِمِي آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ حَقَّهُمْ وَ انْتَقِمْ مِنْهُمْ اللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْاَوَّلِينَ مِنْهُمْ وَ الْآخِرِينَ وَ ضَاعِفْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَذَابَ وَ ابْلُغْ بِهِمْ وَ بِاَشْيَاعِهِمْ وَ مُحِبِّيهِمْ وَ مُتَّبِعِيهِمْ اَسْفَلَ دَرْكٍ مِنَ الْجَحِيمِ اِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ اللّٰهُمَّ عَجِّلْ فَرَجَ وَلِيِّكَ وَ ابْنِ وَلِيِّكَ وَ اجْعَلْ فَرَجَنَا مَعَ فَرَجِهِمْ [فَرَجِهِ‏] يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.

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:


وَيَحْشُرَنِيْ مَعَاكُمَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ بِرَحْمَتِةِ

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:

اللّهمّ ارزقنى حبّهم و توفّنى على ملّتهم...

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.

THE HOLY SHRINE OF THE TWO IMAMS

Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi and Imam al-Hasan al-’Askari were buried in their house. The door of this house was sometimes opened before the Shi’ah to enter the house and visit the two Imams near their tombs, but it was sometimes closed before them and they would have to stop for visiting the two Imams in front of the window that is situated in the opposite wall of the tomb.

In the introduction of the report of the aforesaid form of ziyarah, the following statement can be read:

After bathing yourself for ziyarah, you may say the following words if you are able to reach the tombs; otherwise, you may point to them with statements of salutations while you are standing at the window of the door that is on the street.

Hence, a visitor who is unable to approach the tomb may offer the Ziyarah Prayer at the mosque.

When this matter became unbearable for the loyalist Shi’ah, they demolished the house and constructed in its place the current dome, shrine, portico, and hall. The mosque has therefore become inside the holy shrine.

It is known that this mosque is now situated in the rectangular hall that is attached to the hall lying behind the tombs of the two Imams. However, others claim that the portico that is situated behind the two tombs is part of the mosque. So is a one cubit width of the holy shrine. At any rate, the visitors in the present age have been saved of this problem.

OTHER FORMS OF ZIYARAH

The forms of ziyarah of Imam al-Hadi and Imam al-’Askari are of two types; one is particular to each Imam while the other is common between them. These forms of ziyarah are mentioned in the books dedicated to this purpose with many obtainable copies for those who wish to visit the Imams with. If there is enough time and possibility, the dear visitor is advised to say the famous form of ziyarah known as al-Ziyarah al-Jami’ah al-Kabirah, which will be soon cited in this book. This comprehensive form of ziyarah comprises eloquent and well-expressed phrases expressing the highest ranks of obedience and submission to the Holy Imams as well as profession of their great and lofty ranks, as issued by the source of sublimity and superbity; namely, Imam ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hadi, peace be upon him.

FORM OF ZIYARAH OF IMAM AL-HADI

In his book of Misbah al-Za’ir, Sayyid Ibn Tawus has restricted to each of the two Imams (namely, al-Hadi and al-’Askari) a long form of ziyarah, form of invocation of Allah’s blessing on them, and a supplicatory prayer to be said after the Ziyarah Prayer.

Because these forms of ziyarah are full of excellent points, we will mention them hereinafter even if this may lead us to extend the book.

Sayyid Ibn Tawus says:

When you arrive at the holy place of Imam al-Hadi (‘a) in Samarra’, you may immediately perform the ritual bathing of ziyarah, put on the cleanest of your clothes, and walk with tranquility and gravity towards the holy shrine. When you reach the gate, you may ask permission of entrance, by saying the following words:


اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللّٰهِ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا اَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا فَاطِمَةُ الزَّهْرَاءُ سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ يَا اَبَا الْحَسَنِ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَوْلايَ يَا اَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ اَ اَدْخُلُ يَا مَلائِكَةَ اللّٰهِ الْمُوَكَّلِينَ بِهَذَا الْحَرَمِ الشَّرِيفِ.