Excellence and Virtue of Visiting abu al-Hassan, al-Rida, ‘Alayhi al-Salam

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ زِيَارَةُ الرِّضَا ع أَفْضَلُ أَمْ زِيَارَةُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحُسَيْنِ ع فَقَالَ زِيَارَةُ أَبِي أَفْضَلُ وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَزُورُهُ كُلُّ النَّاسِ وَ أَبِي لَا يَزُورُهُ إِلَّا الْخَوَاصُّ مِنَ الشِّيعَةِ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, Is visiting al-Rida (a.s.), more virtuous or that of abu ‘ Abd Allah, al-Husayn (a.s.), more virtuous?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Visiting my father is more virtuous; all people visit abu ‘Abd Allah, al-Husayn (a.s.), but

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ حَجَّ حَجَّةَ الْإِسْلَامِ فَدَخَلَ مُتَمَتِّعاً بِالْعُمْرَةِ إِلَى الْحَجِ‌ فَأَعَانَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عُمْرَتِهِ وَ حَجِّهِ ثُمَّ أَتَى الْمَدِينَةَ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ص ثُمَّ أَتَاكَ عَارِفاً بِحَقِّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَ بَابُهُ الَّذِي يُؤْتَى مِنْهُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ ثُمَّ أَتَى أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحُسَيْنَ ص فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ ثُ

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘A man has performed al-Hajjahta al-Islam, he then commences al-Hajj with al-‘Umrah, and Allah grants him the opportunity to complete his al-Hajj and al-‘Umrah. He then comes to al-Madinah and offers his greeting of peace to the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع أَوْ حُكِيَ لِي عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع الشَّكُّ مِنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع‌ مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ أَبِي بِطُوسَ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَ مَا تَأَخَّرَ قَالَ فَحَجَجْتُ بَعْدَ الزِّيَارَةِ فَلَقِيتُ أَيُّوبَ بْنَ نُوحٍ فَقَالَ لِي قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي ع مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ أَبِي بِطُوسَ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ

“that abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever visits my father in Tus (Iran), Allah forgives his sins of the past and those that comes later on.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then performed al-Hajj after Ziyarat (visit). Thereafter, I met Ayyub ibn Nuh who said to me, ‘Abu Ja‘far, the 2nd (a.s.), has said, “Whoever vis

مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ وَلَدِي عَلِيٍّ كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَسَبْعِينَ حَجَّةً مَبْرُورَةً قَالَ قُلْتُ سَبْعِينَ حَجَّةً قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ حَجَّةٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ حَجَّةٍ قَالَ رُبَّ حَجَّةٍ لَا تُقْبَلُ مَنْ زَارَهُ وَ بَاتَ عِنْدَهُ لَيْلَةً كَانَ كَمَنْ زَارَ اللَّهَ فِي عَرْشِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ كَانَ عَلَى عَرْشِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَرْبَعَةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ

“Abu al-Hassan, Musa (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever visits the grave of my son, Ali it is before Allah like performing seventy thousand well-performed accepted Hajjah.’ He (the narrator) said, I asked, ‘Is it seventy well-performed Hajjah?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, and it is seventy thousand Hajjah.’ I then said, ‘Seventy

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا لِمَنْ زَارَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ كَمَنْ زَارَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا لِمَنْ‌ زَارَ أَحَداً مِنْكُمْ قَالَ كَمَنْ زَارَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص‌[1]. بَابٌ‌

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘What is the reward for one who visits the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is like visiting Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, on His Throne.’ He (the narrator) h

مَكَّةُ حَرَمُ اللَّهِ وَ حَرَمُ رَسُولِهِ وَ حَرَمُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع الصَّلَاةُ فِيهَا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ وَ الدِّرْهَمُ فِيهَا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ الْمَدِينَةُ حَرَمُ اللَّهِ وَ حَرَمُ رَسُولِهِ وَ حَرَمُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمَا الصَّلَاةُ فِيهَا بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ صَلَاةٍ وَ الدِّرْهَمُ فِيهَا بِعَشَرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ وَ الْكُوفَةُ حَرَمُ اللَّهِ وَ حَرَمُ رَسُو

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim and others have narrated from his father from Khalfad af-Qalanisiy who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said that Makkah is the sacred place of Allah, His messenger and ’Amir al-Mu’minin. Performing salat (prayer) therein is equal to performing one hundred thousand sala