The Virtue and Excellence of Visiting abu ‘Abd Allah, al-Husayn, ‘Alayhi al-Salam

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from Bashir al-Dahhan who has said the following: “I once said to abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘I may miss performing al-Hajj, so I spend the day of ‘Arafah near the gravesite of al-Husayn (a.s.) .’ He (the Imam) said, ‘That is very good, O Bashir. If anyone of believing people visits the gravesite of al-Husayn (a.s.), with proper awareness of his rights on a day other than the day of ‘Id, Allah writes for him the reward for twenty Hajjah. (He writes for him) the reward for twenty accepted ‘Umrah, well-performed, twenty Hajjah and al-‘Umrah in the company of a prophet who is sent as a messenger and an Imam of justice. If one visits his gravesite on the day of Td, Allah writes for him the reward for one hundred Hajjah, one hundred ‘Umrah, one hundred times an armed campaign against the enemies of Allah in support of a prophet who is sent as a messenger or an Imam of justice.’ I (the narrator) then asked, ‘How can this be for me like staying in ‘Arafat?’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) looked at me as if with anger then said, ‘O Bashir, take notice of this. When a believing person comes to the gravesite of al-Husayn (a.s.), on the day of ‘Arafah, after taking a bath in al-Furat and comes to him, Allah writes for him for every step, one Hajjah performed with its acts’ - I do not know else, except, until he said, ‘and an armed campaign against the enemies of Allah.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from al-Husayn ibn al- Mukhtar from Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that visiting the gravesite of al-Husayn (a.s.), is equal in rewards to twenty Hajjah. It is even more virtuous than ‘Umrah and Hajjah.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Bazi’ from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from Yazid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “I once was in the company of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when people on donkey backs passed by. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Where do they want to go?’ I replied, ‘They want to visit the graves of the martyrs.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘What prevents them from visiting the martyr whom no one helped?’ A man from Iraq then asked, ‘Is visiting him obligatory?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Visiting him is more virtuous than Hajjah and ‘Umrah, ‘Umrah and Hajjah’, until he counted up to twenty Hajjah and ‘Umrah. Then he said, ‘All accepted, well-performed.’ By Allah, I had not stood up that another man came and said to him, ‘I have performed nineteen times al-Hajj. Pray for me so, He grants me the opportunity to perform twenty times al-Hajj.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Have you visited the gravesite of al-Husayn (a.s.) ?’ The man replied, ‘No, I have not done so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Visiting al-Husayn (a.s.), is more virtuous than twenty times performing al-Hajj.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn has narrated from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from abu Sa‘id al-Mada’iniy who has said the following: “I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), and said to him, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, can I visit the grave of al-Husayn (a.s.) ?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, O abu Sa‘id, you should visit the grave of the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He is the most likeable of all likeable ones, the cleanest of all clean ones, the most virtuous of all virtuous ones. When you visit him Allah writes for you the reward for twenty- five times performing al-Hajj.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn has narrated from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Muhammad ibn Sadaqah from Salih al-Niliy who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, Tor one who visits the grave of al-Husayn (a.s.), with proper understanding of his rights, Allah writes for him the reward for setting free of one thousand persons. It is like readying one thousand horses fully harnessed to join the battle for the cause of Allah.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim from Harun ibn Kharijah who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Allah has assigned four thousand untidy and dusty angels to the grave of al-Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam. They weep for him until the Day of Judgment. They escort one who visits him with proper understanding of his rights, to his secure place. If he becomes ill these angels visit him mornings and evenings; and if he dies, these angels take part in his funeral and ask forgiveness for him until the Day of Judgment.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Musa ibn Sa‘dan from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Umar ibn Aban al-Kalbiy from Aban ibn Taghlib who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Four thousand angels assigned for the grave of al- Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam, are untidy and dusty. They weep for him until the Day of Judgment. Their chief is an angel called Mansur. They welcome everyone who visits him and escort everyone who says farewell to him. They visit everyone of such visitors if he becomes ill, perform funeral salat (prayer) for those of them who die, and ask forgiveness for him after his death.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

8. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from abu Dawud al-Mustariq from certain individuals of our people from Muthanna al-Hannat who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan, the 1st, Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Whoever visits al-Husayn (a.s.), with proper understanding of his rights, Allah forgives his sins of the past and those that come later.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from al-Khaybariy from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The least of rewards that a visitor of abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, near al-Furat canal, will receive, when he has proper understanding of his rights, sacred status, his possessing authority from Allah, is forgiveness of his past sins and that which come later.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

10. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from ibn Muskan from Ghassan al- Basriy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that if one visits the grave of abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), with proper understanding of his rights, Allah forgives his past sins and whatever sins come later on.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.