Ziyaarat-e-Ashoora

Text and Translation

(a) Allah will record a million good deeds for you, erase a million sins and add a hundred million ranks to your rank.

(b) You will be included among those people who were martyred along with Imam Husain (a.s.) and you will share their ranks.

(c) On the day of Judgment, you will be included among the martyrs

(d) You will get the reward of all the Prophets, Messengers and all the people who have visited the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) from the day that he (a.s.) was martyred till date.

And the way of reciting the Ziyaarat is like this…’

(Then Imam (a.s.) recited the entire Ziyaarat-e-Ashura for Alqamah (r.a.))

(Kaamil al-Ziyarat, Ibn Qoolwayh, Ch. 71, p.194)

At the end of this tradition, Imam Baqir (a.s.) says:

‘O Alqamah, if you can, then recite this Ziyaarat every day send salutations to Imam Husain (a.s.). You will get all the rewards (of the one who recites it on the day of Ashoora).’

Tradition 2

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) informs,

‘The one who does the Ziyaarat of Imam Husain (a.s.) on the day of Ashoora, then paradise is obligatory upon him.’

(Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 101, p.104)

Ziyarat-e-Ashoora: Hadees-e-Qudsi

The greatest merit for this Ziyaarat is that it is the ‘Word of Allah’ (Hadees-e-Qudsi). Safwan (r.a.) narrates that Hazrat Jibraeel (a.s.) conveyed this Ziyaarat to Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) on divine command and it has reached Imam Baqir (a.s.) through his noble ancestors.

Ziyaarat-e-Ashoora: Emphasis of Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.)

The emperor of the era, the chief of the universe, Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) has stressed the importance of reciting Ziyarat-e-Ashoora.

Shaykh Mohaddis Noori (r.a.) in his book “Najmus Saqib” writes that there was a person called Syed Ahmed Rashty who was on his way to Hajj with his companions.

It was winter and one night there was snow and ice accompanied by strong winds.

Syed Ahmed got separated from his companions.

He says he was trembling with fear and cold as it was a place where people often looted. Suddenly he saw a person with a shovel freeing the tree branches which were burdened with snow. The man greeted Syed Ahmed saying “Assalamu Alaykum Syed Ahmed! Where are you going?” Amazed at the person knowing his name he said he was on his way to Hajj but had lost his way. The man told him “Alayka bin Nafela! Nafela! Nafela!” Syed Ahmed prayed his Maghrib and Isha salaah finishing each with its Nafela. He saw the man again who asked him, “Have you not gone yet?” Syed Ahmed replied “No!” The man said, “Alayka bil Jaameah! Jaameah! Jaameah!”

Syed Ahmed says that I did not know Ziyarat-e-Jameah by heart but that day I could recite it as though I had memorised it. The man told him, “Alayka bil Ashoora! Ashoora! Ashoora!”

Syed Ahmed recited Ziyaarat-e-Ashoora and Dua Alqamah. The man then mounted on his horse and took him to his caravan and the companions he had been separated from.

As he parted Imam (a.t.f.s.) said to Syed Ahmed, “REMEMBER ZIYAARAT-E-ASHOORA, THERE IS NO GREATER GIFT THAN IT.”

We see how Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) helped Syed Ahmed and stressed upon the recitation of Ziyaarat-e-Ashoora. It also points to the fact that Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) desires that his followers should always remember the tribulations of his grandfather Imam Husain (a.s.) and they should always be aggrieved and anguished by the events of Karbala.

Safwan's Discourse on the Merit of Ziyaarat of Ashoora

Sayf ibn Umayrah has reported that he said to Safwan, “Alqamah ibn Muhammad has not reported this supplication to us from Imam al-Baqir (a.s.). He has only reported the ziyarah form.”

Answering him, Safwan said:

I once accompanied my master al-Sadiq, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, to this very place. He did as same as we have just done as regarding the method of ziyarah and then, after offering a prayer similar to the one we have just offered and bidding the visited Imam farewell as same as we have done, he said this very supplication.

Safwan added, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said to me, “Observe this form of ziyarah and this supplication and use them whenever you visit (the Imam). Surely, I guarantee on behalf of Almighty Allah for any one who says this form of ziyarah and this supplication while visiting the holy tomb or being at a distant place that his visit will be accepted, his efforts will be praiseworthy, his greetings will reach the Imams and will never be screened from them, all his requests will be granted by Almighty Allah whatever they will be, and he will never be disappointed. O Safwan, the Imam (a.s.) added, I have received this very guarantee for those who use this form of ziyarah when visiting the holy tombs from my father who received it from his father Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) who received it from his father al-Husayn (a.s.) who received it from his brother al-Hasan (a.s.) who received it from his father the Commander of the Faithful who received it from the Messenger of Allah who received it from Archangel Jibraeel who received it from Almighty Allah, Who undertook for any one who would visit Imam al-Husayn (‘a) with this form of ziyarah and say this very supplication from the holy shrine or from a distant place that He (i.e. Almighty Allah) Himself should accept his visitation, grant him his requests whatever they would be, and respond to his prayers. Moreover, the visitor should never leave with disappointment; rather, Almighty Allah should make him leave with pleasure and delight of his eye due to settling of his needs, winning Paradise, being manumitted from Hellfire, and being granted the right to intercede for whomever he wishes except those who openly incur the animosity of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.). Almighty Allah, as was maintained by Archangel Gabriel, undertook this pledge and called the angels to witness for it after the angels of His Kingdom had witnessed the same. O Allah’s Messenger, Archangel Gabriel added, Almighty Allah has sent me to carry this pleasant and good tidings to you as well as to Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, the Imams from your descendants, and your adherents (i.e. Shi'ah) up to the Resurrection Day. Up to the Resurrection Day, you as well as ‘Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and your adherents shall be pleased.

Safwan added, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) then said to me: O Safwan, whenever you have an impenetrable problem that cannot be solved except by Almighty Allah, you must then visit (Imam al-Husayn) with this form of ziyarah, wherever you would be, and follow it with this supplication. You may then beseech your Lord to grant you your request and the response shall soon come from Almighty Allah Who never fails in His promise to His Messenger; out of His magnanimity and favoring. All praise be then to Allah.

More Confirmations

In the book of al-Najm al-Saaqib (by al-Nuri), the story of the attendance of Hajj Sayyid Ahmad al-Rashti in the presence of the Imam of the Age, may our souls be accepted as ransoms from him, during his journey of the hajj pilgrimage, has been told in details. In one of the details of this story, which will be cited in this book after the Major Comprehensive Form of ziyaarah (al-Ziyaarah al-Jaamea;h al-Kabeerah), the Imam (a.s.) said to al-Rashti with confirmation, “Why do you not (frequently) recite the ziyarah of ‘Ashoora’, ‘Ashoora’, ‘Ashoora’, ‘Ashoora’...?”

Commenting on this, our trustworthy mentor Shaykh al-Nuri said:

One of the unparalleled merits and points of honor of ziyarah of ‘Ashura’ is that its form is not similar to the other ordinary forms of ziyarah, which have been composed and dictated by the Holy Infallibles apparently, although nothing is issued from the immaculate hearts of these Holy Infallibles except statements proving that they have received these words from the Most High Origin. The ziyarah of ‘Ashura’, however, is similar to the Words of Almighty Allah that He revealed to Archangel Jibraeel. This fact can be noticed in the words of this form of ziyarah, including the statements of invoking curses (on the enemies), the statements of invoking blessings (on the Imam and his companions), and the supplicatory statements. Hence, Archangel Jibraeel conveyed these words to the Seal of the Prophets. As maintained by tangible experiences, this form of ziyarah is unique in achieving the requests, gaining the needs, and warding off the enemies if a visitor recites it continuously for forty days or even less. However, the most astonishing effect of preserving in reciting this form of ziyarah can be touched in the following story, mentioned in the book of Dar al-Salam. However, I will mention it in brief:

Hasan al-Yazdi the trustworthy, righteous, and pious Hajj and Mawla who lived in the vicinity of the holy shrine in al-Ghari (i.e. al-Najaf) and who was one of those who acted faithfully as regards neighboring this holy place and practiced acts of worship painstakingly, has reported the following incident from Muhammad ‘Ali al-Yazdi the trustworthy and honest Hajj:

In Yazd, there was a righteous and virtuous man who used to preoccupy himself (with acts of worship) and make preparations for his next life in his grave. He used to spend nights in a graveyard in the skirts of the city of Yazd, known as Mazar, in which a group of righteous people were buried. He had a neighbor who grew up with him since infanthood and both joined the same school and studied under the same mentor. Nevertheless, this neighbor became a tither (i.e. he seizes tenth of the people’s gains by means of power and injustice). He did not quit this process until he died. He was then buried in that graveyard in a grave near the place where the righteous man used to stay overnight.

In less than one month after the death of this tither, his righteous neighbor saw him in sleep in a good-looking costume as if he was enjoying the brightness of bliss. The righteous man approached the dead man and asked him, “I know very well your origin and your end, and your open appearance and your hidden manners. You were not one of those whom are expected to have righteous inner self and your deeds would bring you nothing but torment and chastisement. How could you attain this status?”

The dead replied, “What you have just said is exactly the truth. I had been placed in the most terrible torture since my death up to yesterday when the wife of Ashraf, the blacksmith, died and was buried in this place.” The dead pointed to a definite side, which was about one hundred arms away from his burial place. He then went on, “At the night of her burial, Abu-’Abdullah (Imam al-Husayn) visited her three times. In the third time, he ordered torture to be stopped from all the dead inhabitants of this graveyard. Since then, I was turned into bliss, luxury, comfort, and coziness.”

When the righteous man woke up, he was deeply perplexed. He therefore went to the market of the blacksmiths to ask about the man whose wife had recently died, because he had no familiarity with that man. When he found the blacksmith, he asked him, “Did you have a wife?” The blacksmith answered, “Yes, I had. She died recently and she was buried in such-and-such place.” The man mentioned the very place to which the dead tither pointed in the dream of the righteous man. “Had she ever visited the tomb of Abu-’Abdullah?” the righteous man asked. “No, she had not,” answered her widower. “Did she usually mention the misfortunes that the Imam (a.s.) had to encounter?” asked the righteous man. “No, she did not,” answered her widower. “Was she usually holding consolation ceremonies for Imam al-Husayn (a.s.)?” asked the righteous man. “No, she was not,” answered her widower, who added, “What for are you putting such questions?” Here, the righteous man narrated the whole story of his dream. The widower then said, “Yes, she used to recite ziyarah of ‘Ashura’ very frequently.”

We pray to Allah – the Almighty – that He includes us among the fortunate ones – those who have the taufeeq of reciting Ziyaarat-e-Ashoora regularly.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا اَبَا عَبْدِ اﷲ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA YAA ABAA A’BDIL LAAHE

Peace be on you, O Abu Abdillah.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا ابْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ

ASSALAAMO A’ALAYKA YABNA RASOOLIL LAAHE

Peace be on you, O son of the Messenger of Allah.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَابْنَ اَمِیْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA YABNA AMEERIL MOMENEENA

Peace be on you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful

وَ ابْنَ سَیِّدِ الْوَصِیِّیْنَ

WABNA SAYYEDIL WASIYYEENA

and the son of the chief of the successors.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَابْنَ فَاطِمَۃَ سَیِّدَۃِ نِسَآءِ الْعَالَمِیْنَ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA YABNA FAATEMAATA SAYYEDATE NESAAAIL A’ALAMEENA

Peace be on you, O son of Fatima, the chief of the women of the worlds.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا خِیَرَۃَ اللهِ وَابْنَ خِیَرَتِهٖ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA YAA KHEYARATAL LAAHE WABNA KHEYARATEHI

Salutation on you O the good creation of Allah and the son of His best creation!

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا ثَارَ اللهِ وَابْنَ ثاَرِهٖ وَ الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُوْرَ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA YAA SAARAL LAAHE WABNA SAAREHI WAL WITRAL MAWTOORA

Peace be on you, O fearless warrior of Allah, the son of His fearless warrior, the one who was alone, and wronged by the murder of relatives.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ وَ عَلَی الْأَرْوَاحِ الَّتِیْ حَلَّتْ بِفِنَآئِكَ

ASSALAAMO A’LAYKA WA A’LAL ARWAAHIL LATEE HALLAT BE FENAA-EKA

Peace be on you, and on the souls who died with you.

عَلَیْكُمْ مِنِّی جَمِیْعًا سَلَامُ اللهِ اَبَدًا

A’LAYKUM MINNEE JAMEE-A’N SALAAMUL LAAHE ABADAM

I send peace of AIlah on all of you forever,

مَا بَقِیْتُ وَ بَقِیَ اللَّیْلُ وَ النَّهَارُ

MAA BAQEETO WA BAQEYAL LAYLO WAN NAHAARO

so long as I remain alive, and the night and day remains.

یَا اَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ

YAA ABAA A’BDIL LAAHE

O Abu Abdillah,

لَقَدْ عَظُمَتِ الرَّزِیَّۃُ وَ جَلَّتْ

LAQAD A’ZOMATIR RAZIYYATO WA JALLAT

great is the loss, and unbearable

وَ عَظُمَتِ الْمُصِیْبَۃُ بِكَ عَلَیْنَا

WA A’ZOMATIL MOSEEBATO BEKA A’LAYNAA

and great is your tragedy for us,