Ziyarah of Imam Husayn (a.s.) — Karbala (All 6 General Forms)

Text and Translation

First Ziyarah

In his book of al-Kafi, Shaykh al-Kulayni has reported the following through his chain of authority from al-Husayn ibn Thuwayr: Yunus ibn ²abyan, al-Mufaddal ibn `Umar, Abu-Salamah al-Sarraj, and I were sitting with Abu-`Abdullah Ja`far ibn Muhammad (al-Sadiq) and Yunus, the oldest among us, was our spokesman. “May Allah accept me as ransom for you,” Yunus expressed, “I usually attend the sessions of these people (i.e. the `Abbasid ruling authorities). What should I say then?” The Imam ('a) instructed, “When you attend such sessions and mention us, you should say,

اَللَّهُمَّ أَرِنَا ٱلرَّخَاءَ وَٱلسُّرُورَ

ma irina alrrakha'a wa

‘O Allah, (please) show us luxury and pleasure.

If you say so, you will gain the reward that you wish to gain or you will be allowed to return to this worldly life at the Return.” I then spoke, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! I very frequently mention (Imam) al-Husayn; what should I say then?”

The Imam ('a) instructed, “You should repeat the following statement three times:

صَلَّىٰ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ ٱللَّهِ

salla allahu `alayka ya aba `abdillahi

‘May Allah bless you, O Abu-`Abdullah.’

Actually, greetings that are addressed to him always reach him whether they are said near him or from a remote place.

When Abu-`Abdullah (Imam al-Husayn) passed away, the seven heavens, the seven layers of the earth, whatever within them, whatever between them, all the inhabitants of Paradise and Hell from the various species of the creatures of our Lord, whatever can be seen, and whatever cannot be seen—all these wept for al-Husayn (`a) except for three.” “May Allah accept me as ransom for you!” I asked, “What are these three things?”

The Imam ('a) answered, “The things that did not weep for him are al-Basrah, Damascus, and the family of `Uthman.” I then asked, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! When I intend to visit him, what should I say and what should I do?” The Imam ('a) instructed:

When you come to Abu-`Abdullah (al-Husayn), you should bathe yourself on the bank of the River Euphrates. You should then put on (ceremonially) pure clothes and walk barefooted, because you are in the sanctuary of Almighty Allah and His Messenger, uttering repeatedly statements of professing Almighty Allah being the Greatest (i.e. allahu-akbar), there being no god save Him (i.e. la-ilaha-illa-allahu), all glory being to Him (i.e. subhaha-allahi), and all veneration being to Him, and uttering the statement of invoking His blessings on the Holy Prophet and his Household (i.e. allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin) until you stop at the gate of the shrine. Then, you should say the following:

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حُجَّةَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنَ حُجَّتِهِ

alssalamu `alayka ya hujjata allahi wabna hujjatihi

Peace be upon you, O Argument of Allah and son of His Argument.

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا مَلاَئِكَةَ ٱللَّهِ

alasslamu `alaykum ya mala'ikata allahi

Peace be upon you all, O Allah’s angels

وَزُوَّارَ قَبْرِ ٱبْنِ نَبِيِّ ٱللَّهِ

wa zuwwara qabri ibni nabiyyi allahi

and visitors of the tomb of the son of Allah’s Prophet.

You should then walk for ten steps and stop again to repeat the following statement thirty times:

اَللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

allahu akbar

Allah is the Most Great.

You should then move towards the tomb from the side of the Imam’s face having your face to be to the face of the Imam and the kiblah direction to be between your shoulders. You should then say the following:

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حُجَّةَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنَ حُجَّتِهِ

alssalamu `alayka ya hujjata allahi wabna hujjatihi

Peace be upon you, O Allah’s Argument (on His creatures) and son of His Argument.

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا قَتِيلَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنَ قَتِيلِهِ

alssalamu `alayka ya qatila allahi wabna qatilihi

Peace be upon you, O killed for Allah’s sake and son of the killed for His sake.

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنَ ثَارِهِ

alssalamu `alayka ya thara allahi wabna tharihi

Peace be upon you, O vengeance of Allah and son of His vengeance.

اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وِتْرَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَوْتُورَ فِي ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلأَرْضِ

alssalamu `alayka ya witra allahi almawtura fi alssamawati wal-ardi

Peace be upon you, O he whose blood-claimer is Allah and whose blood is also claimed by the heavens and the earth.

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ دَمَكَ سَكَنَ فِي ٱلْخُلْدِ

ashhadu anna damaka sakana fi alkhuldi

I bear witness that your blood has resided in the Eternity,

وَٱقْشَعَرَّتْ لَهُ أَظِلَّةُ ٱلْعَرْشِ

wa iqsha`arrat lahu azillatu al`arshi

the shades of the Divine Throne have shivered for it,

وَبَكَىٰ لَهُ جَمِيعُ ٱلْخَلاَئِقِ

wa baka lahu jami`u alkhala'iqi

and all creatures have wept for it,

وَبَكَتْ لَهُ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتُ ٱلسَّبْعُ وَٱلأَرَضُونَ ٱلسَّبْعُ

wa bakat lahu alssamawatu alssab`u wal-araduna alssab`u

including the seven heavens, the seven layers of the earth,

وَمَا فِيهِنَّ وَمَا بَيْنَهُنَّ

wa ma fihinna wa ma baynahunna

whatever is within them, whatever is between them,

وَمَنْ يَتَقَلَّبُ فِي ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَٱلنَّارِ مِنْ خَلْقِ رَبِّنَا

wa man yataqallabu fi aljannati walnnari min khalqi rabbina

all the inhabitants of Paradise and Hellfire from the creatures of our Lord,

وَمَا يُرَىٰ وَمَا لاََ يُرَىٰ

wa ma yura wa ma la yura

whatever can be seen, and whatever cannot be seen.

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ حُجَّةُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنُ حُجَّتِهِ

ashhadu annaka hujjatu allahi wabnu hujjatihi

I bear witness that you are Allah’s Argument and son of His Argument.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَتِيلُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبنُ قَتِيلِهِ

wa ashhadu annaka qatilu allahi wabnu qatilihi

I bear witness that you were killed for Allah’s sake and you are the son of him who was killed for the same.

وأَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ ثَارُ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنُ ثَارِهِ

wa ashhadu annaka tharu allahi wabnu tharihi

I bear witness that you are Allah’s vengeance and the son of His vengeance.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّك وِتْرُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَوْتورُ فِي ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلأَرْضِ

wa ashhadu annaka witru allahi almawturu fi alssamawati wal-ardi

I bear witness that Allah is your blood-claimer and your blood is also claimed by the heavens and the earth.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ وَنَصَحْتَ

wa ashhadu annaka qad ballaghta wa nasahta

I bear witness that you conveyed (the message), acted sincerely,

وَوَفَيْتَ وَأَوْفَيْتَ

wa wafayta wa awfayta

carried out (your duties), fulfilled (your pledges),

وَجَاهَدْتَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ