Visiting of the Graves

إِنَّهُمْ يَأْنَسُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِذَا غِبْتُمْ عَنْهُمُ اسْتَوْحَشُوا.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that they (people of the cemetery) take comfort in you. When you disappear from them they become afraid.”

سَأَلْتُهُ‌[1] عَنْ زِيَارَةِ الْقُبُورِ وَ بِنَاءِ الْمَسَاجِدِ فِيهَا فَقَالَ أَمَّا زِيَارَةُ الْقُبُورِ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهَا وَ لَا تُبْنَى عِنْدَهَا الْمَسَاجِدُ.

"I asked him (Imam al-Sadiq) about visiting graves and building Masjids therein. He said, 'As for the visitation of graves, there is no issue with it, but a masjid should not be built there.'"

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ‌ عَاشَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ع بَعْدَ أَبِيهَا خَمْسَةً وَ سَبْعِينَ يَوْماً لَمْ تُرَ كَاشِرَةً[2] وَ لَا ضَاحِكَةً تَأْتِي قُبُورَ الشُّهَدَاءِ فِي كُلِّ جُمْعَةٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ- الْإِثْنَيْنَ وَ الْخَمِيسَ فَتَقُولُ هَاهُنَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص هَاهُنَا كَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ.

'Fatima (a.s) lived for seventy-five days after her father but she was never seen smiling or laughing. Every Friday she would visit the graves of the martyrs twice, (and once) on Mondays and Thursdays and (she) would say, 'There was the Messenger of Allah (s.w.) and there were the pagans.'"

قُلْتُ لَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُ يَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ يَزُورُ قَبْرَهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ لَا يَزَالُ مُسْتَأْنِساً بِهِ مَا دَامَ عِنْدَ قَبْرِهِ فَإِذَا قَامَ وَ انْصَرَفَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ دَخَلَهُ مِنِ انْصِرَافِهِ عَنْ قَبْرِهِ وَحْشَةٌ.

“I asked the Imam (a.s.), ‘Does a believing deceased notice who has visited his grave?’ He replied, ‘Yes, and he continues to take comfort in his visitor as long as he is near his grave. When the visitor stands up and leaves the gravesite he (the deceased) becomes afraid and lonely.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَيْفَ التَّسْلِيمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقُبُورِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ تَقُولُ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَ نَحْنُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ.

You have departed us and we, by the will of Allah, will join you.’””

مَرَرْتُ مَعَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع بِالْبَقِيعِ فَمَرَرْنَا بِقَبْرِ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ قَالَ فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ ع فَقَالَ- اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْ غُرْبَتَهُ وَ صِلْ وَحْدَتَهُ وَ آنِسْ وَحْشَتَهُ وَ أَسْكِنْ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَحْمَتِكَ مَا يَسْتَغْنِي بِهَا عَنْ رَحْمَةِ مَنْ سِوَاكَ وَ أَلْحِقْهُ بِمَنْ كَانَ يَتَوَلَّاهُ.

“Once abu Ja’far (a.s.), and I passed by al-Baqi’ cemetery. We then passed by the grave of a person from al-Kufah who was a Shi ‘ah Muslim. The narrator has said that the Imam stood on his grave and said, ‘O Lord, grant him mercy and kindness in his loneliness, provide him company in his solitude, comfort him in his di

تَقُولُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِ قَوْمٍ مُؤْمِنِينَ‌[2] وَ إِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ.

“He (the Imam) has said, ‘As a greeting of peace to the people of the graves say, “May Allah grant you peace which was wished for you by the town of a believing people, and we by the will of Allah are about to join you.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَيْفَ التَّسْلِيمُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقُبُورِ قَالَ تَقُولُ السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنَّا وَ الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ وَ إِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ.

‘May Allah grant peace to the Muslims and believing ones of this dwelling place. May Allah grant mercy upon those of us who have preceded us (to the next life) and those who will follow and we, by the will of Allah, are about to join you.’”

كُنْتُ بِفَيْدَ[3] فَمَشَيْتَ مَعَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بِلَالٍ إِلَى قَبْرِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ بَزِيعٍ فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ بِلَالٍ قَالَ لِي صَاحِبُ هَذَا الْقَبْرِ عَنِ الرِّضَا ع قَالَ مَنْ أَتَى قَبْرَ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ وَ قَرَأَ إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ أَمِنَ يَوْمَ الْفَزَعِ الْأَكْبَرِ أَوْ يَوْمَ الْفَزَعِ‌[4].

“If one visits the grave of his brother (in belief), places his hand over the grave and reads Surah 97 of the Holy Quran seven times he, on the distressful Day (of Judgment) will be granted full protection and peace.’””

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ زُورُوا مَوْتَاكُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَفْرَحُونَ بِزِيَارَتِكُمْ وَ لْيَطْلُبْ أَحَدُكُمْ حَاجَتَهُ عِنْدَ قَبْرِ أَبِيهِ وَ عِنْدَ قَبْرِ أُمِّهِ بِمَا يَدْعُو لَهُمَا

"Visit your dead people for they become happy due to your visit. One of you should ask for his wishes near the grave of his father and near the grave of his mother, with supplications for them [that they'll be pleased with]."