The Ziyārah of Ĥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) by the Prophets

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: There is no prophet in the heavens or on earth who does not ask Allāh for permission to go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.). (There is always) a crowd (of prophets) descending (to go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.)) and a crowd ascending (back to the heavens).

I went to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.) toward the end of the reign of Banī Marwān and I was trying to hide from the people of Shām. When I arrived in Karbalā, I hid in the suburbs of the village until midnight, after which I started approaching the grave (of Ḥusain (a.s.)). When I arrived near the grave, someone came toward me and said, “Go back! You have been rewarded! You will not be able to go to him now.” I left in fear. I waited until it was close to dawn and then I went back toward the grave. When I arrived near the grave, the same person came toward me again and said, “O man! You still cannot go to him.” So I said, “May Allāh keep you well! Why can I not go to him? I have come from Kūfah for his Ziyārah. Therefore, do not prevent me – may Allāh keep you well! I am afraid that the sun will rise and if the people of Shām find me here, they will kill me.” He replied: Wait for a while because Mūsā ibn ‘Imrān (a.s.) asked Allāh to give him permission to come to the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.), and Allāh has granted him permission. Mūsā (a.s.) has descended from the heavens with seventy thousand angels and they have been here since the beginning of the night and they are waiting for dawn, after which they will ascend to the heavens. I asked, “May Allāh keep you well! Who are you?” He replied, “I am one of the angels who are ordered to protect the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) and to seek forgiveness for those who come to his Ziyārah.” So I left, having almost lost my mind from hearing what I had heard. At dawn, I went back toward the grave. However, this time no one stopped me. I went to the grave and said Salām to Ḥusain (a.s.), cursed his killers, prayed the Fajr Salāt, and returned quickly because of my fear of the people of Shām. The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chains: A) Qāsim ibn Muḥammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Ibrāhīm Al-Hamdāni, from his father, from his grandfather, from ‘Abdillāh ibn Ḥammād Al-Ansāri, from Ḥusain grandson of Abī Ḥamzah Al-Thumāli. B) My father, and all of my scholars, from Aḥmad ibn Idrīs, from ‘Amraki ibn ‘Ali Al-Būfaki, from a group of our companions, from Ḥasan ibn Maḥbūb, from Ḥusain son of Abī Ḥamzah Al-Thumāli’s daughter.

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: The boundaries of the grave (Ḥaram) of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) are twenty ells by twenty ells, and this location is a garden from the gardens of Paradise. The ascent of the angels toward the heavens begins from here. Every high-ranked angel and every prophet, who was chosen as a messenger, asks Allāh (at all times) for permission to go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.). (There is always) a crowd descending (from the heavens to go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.)) and a crowd ascending (back).

When Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) came to Ḥīrah, he asked me, “Do you go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.)?” I replied, “May I sacrifice myself for you! Do you also go to his Ziyārah?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “How can I not go to his Ziyārah when Allāh goes to his Ziyārah?! Every Thursday night, Allāh descends to him with the angels, the prophets, the successors, and with Muḥammad (s.a.a.w.) – the best of the prophets, and with us – the best of the successors.” I asked, “May I sacrifice myself for you! Then should we also perform his Ziyārah on Thursday nights so that we can achieve (the status of) accompanying the Lord in performing his Ziyārah?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes! O Safwān! Stay committed to it (performing the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.) every Thursday night) so that going to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.) is registered for you. Verily this is such a privilege. Verily this is such a privilege.”