The Location of the Grave of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib {a.s}

I was with him in al-Qadisiyyah until he overlooked the Najaf. Imam (as) said: "This is the mountain to which my grandfather Noah (as) sought refuge when he said, ‘I will take refuge on a mountain that will protect me from the water.’ Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, revealed to him, ‘O mountain, can anyone seek refuge from Me in you?’ So it sank into the earth and broke apart, extending to the Levant." Then Imam (as) said: "Turn us toward the side." I turned with him, and Imam (as) continued traveling until he arrived at al-Ghariyy. Imam (as) stood by the grave and sent peace and blessings, beginning with Adam, and then every prophet (as) one by one. I joined him in sending blessings until he reached the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. Then Imam (as) fell to the ground at the grave, saluted it, and began to weep loudly. Afterward, Imam (as) stood up and prayed four units of prayer (in another narration, six units), and I prayed with him. I then asked: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (swt), whose grave is this?" Imam (as) replied: "This is the grave of my grandfather, Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him."

VISITING THE GRAVE OF THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, PEACE BE UPON HIM Hadith.3196 - When you come to al-Ghariyy, on the outskirts of Kufa, perform ghusl (ritual purification), and walk with calmness and dignity until you reach the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him. Face him with your body and say: "Peace be upon you, O friend of Allah (swt). You are the first who was wronged and the first whose right was usurped. You were patient and sought reward until certainty (death) came to you. I bear witness that you met Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, as a martyr. May Allah (swt) punish your killer with various forms of torment and renew that torment upon him. I have come to you recognizing your right, understanding your station, opposing your enemies and those who wronged you. I place this before my Lord (azj), if Allah (swt) wills. I have many sins, so intercede for me with your Lord (azj), for you have a known station with Allah (swt), Blessed and Exalted, and you hold a position of honor and intercession with Him. Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, has said, ‘They do not intercede except for those with whom He is pleased.’"

إِلَيْهِ خَيْراً لِي مِنْكُمْ أَنْتُمْ أَهْلُ بَيْتِ اَلرَّحْمَةِ وَ دَعَائِمُ اَلدِّينِ وَ أَرْكَانُ اَلْأَرْضِ وَ اَلشَّجَرَةُ اَلطَّيِّبَةُ اَللَّهُمَّ لاَ تُخَيِّبْ تَوَجُّهِي إِلَيْكَ، بِرَسُولِكَ وَ آلِ رَسُولِكَ وَ اِسْتِشْفَاعِي بِهِمْ اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ مَنَنْتَ عَلَيَّ بِزِيَارَةِ مَوْلاَيَ وَ وَلاَيَتِهِ وَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ فَاجْعَلْنِي مِمَّنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَ يَنْتَصِرُ بِهِ وَ مُنَّ عَلَيَّ بِنَصْرِكَ لِدِينِكَ فِي اَلدُّنْيَا وَ اَلْآخِرَةِ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَحْيَا عَلَى مَا حَيِيَ عَلَيْهِ، عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ وَ أَمُوتُ عَلَى مَا مَاتَ عَلَيْهِ، عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ ». Hadith.3197 - When you are at the grave of the Commander of the Faithful (as) also say: "All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who honored me with His recognition, the recognition of His Messenger, and of the one whose obedience He made obligatory as a mercy to me and a grace upon me. He granted me faith and blessed me with it. All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who enabled me to travel through His lands, carried me upon His creatures, shortened the distance for me, and protected me from harm until He brought me to the sanctuary of the brother of His Prophet and showed him to me in well-being. All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who made me among the visitors to the grave of the successor of His Messenger. ‘All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who guided us to this, and we would not have been guided if Allah (swt) had not guided us.’ I bear witness that there is no god but Allah (swt), alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, who came with the truth from Him. I bear witness that Ali is the servant of Allah (swt) and the brother of His Messenger. O Allah (swt), Your servant and visitor is seeking closeness to You by visiting the grave of the brother of Your Messenger. Every visited has a right upon the visitor, and You are the best to be visited and the most generous to be approached. I ask You, O Allah (swt), O Merciful, O Compassionate, O Generous, O One, O Eternal Refuge, O He who ‘neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him,’ to send blessings upon Muhammad and his family and to grant me, as a gift for this visit, the release of my neck from the Fire. Make me among those who hasten to do good, call upon You with hope and fear, and make me among the humble. O Allah (swt), You gave me glad tidings through the tongue of Your Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, when You said: ‘So give good news to My servants, those who listen to the word and follow the best of it.’ And You said: ‘And give good tidings to those who believe that for them is a footing of truth with their Lord (azj).’" "O Allah (swt), I have faith in You and in all of Your Prophets. So do not place me, after recognizing them, in a position where I would be disgraced before all of creation. Instead, place me with them and take my soul in a state of belief in them, for they are Your servants whom You have distinguished with Your honor and commanded me to follow. Then approach the grave and say: 'Peace from Allah (swt) be upon Muhammad, the trustee of Allah (swt), His Messenger, the executor of His commands, the source of revelation and scripture, the seal of what preceded, the opener of what is to come, the guardian over all, the witness upon His creation, and the illuminating lamp. Peace be upon him, and the mercy and blessings of Allah (swt). O Allah (swt), send blessings upon Muhammad and his oppressed family with the best, most perfect, highest, and most honorable blessings that You have sent upon any of Your Prophets, Messengers, and chosen ones. O Allah (swt), send blessings upon Ali, the Commander of the Faithful.'" "O Allah (swt), send blessings upon Your servant and the best of Your creation after Your Prophet, the brother of Your Messenger, the successor of Your Messenger, whom You chose from among Your creation, the guide to the one You sent with Your messages, the arbiter of religion through Your justice, and the one who delivered Your judgments among Your creation. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah (swt) be upon him. O Allah (swt), send blessings upon the Imams from his progeny who upheld Your command after him, the purified ones whom You chose as helpers for Your religion, guardians of Your secret, witnesses over Your creation, and guides for Your servants. Bless them as much as You can. Then say: Peace be upon the entrusted Imams. Peace be upon those chosen by Allah (swt) from among His creation. Peace be upon the marked Imams. Peace be upon the believers who upheld Your command, supported the friends of Allah (swt), and feared for what they feared. Peace be upon the closest angels of Allah (swt). Then say: Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful, and the mercy and blessings of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O beloved of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O chosen of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O friend of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O proof of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O pillar of religion, inheritor of the knowledge of the first and the last, and the one bearing the mark and the straight path. I bear witness that you established prayer, gave zakat, enjoined good, forbade evil, followed the Messenger, and recited the Book ‘as it should be recited, and you strove ‘in the way of Allah (swt) as is His due,’ advised sincerely for Allah (swt) and His Messenger, sacrificed yourself patiently, seeking reward, and struggled for the religion of Allah (swt). You protected His Messenger, sought what is with Allah (swt), and desired what Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, promised. You passed on in the state of a witness, testified to, and bearing testimony. May Allah (swt) reward you on behalf of His Messenger, Islam, and its followers with the best of rewards. May Allah (swt) curse the one who killed you, curse the one who opposed you, curse the one who slandered you, and curse the one who wronged you. May Allah (swt) curse the one who usurped your right and all those who heard of it and were pleased with it. I dissociate myself before Allah (swt) from them. May Allah (swt) curse the nation that opposed you, the nation that denied you and your authority, the nation that conspired against you, the nation that killed you, and the nation that deviated from your path and abandoned you. All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who made the Fire their abode: ‘What an evil destination to arrive at.’ What an evil abode for those who arrive, and what an evil rank for those who descend into it. O Allah (swt), curse the killers of Your Prophets and the killers of the successors to Your Prophets with all Your curses. Inflict upon them the heat of Your Fire. O Allah (swt), curse the oppressors, the tyrants, the pharaohs, and all false deities, as well as those who worship them besides Allah (swt), and every slanderer. O Allah (swt), curse them, their followers, supporters, allies, and those who love them with abundant curses. O Allah (swt), curse the killers of the Commander of the Faithful three times. O Allah (swt), curse the killers of al-Hasan (as) and al-Husayn (as) three times. O Allah (swt), curse the killers of the Imams three times. O Allah (swt), punish them with a torment that You have not inflicted upon ‘anyone among the worlds.’ Double Your punishment upon them for their rebellion against the guardians of Your command, and prepare for them a torment You have not decreed for anyone among Your creation. O Allah (swt), inflict multiplied torment upon the killers of the supporters of Your Messenger, the killers of the supporters of the Commander of the Faithful, the killers of the supporters of al-Hasan (as) and al-Husayn (as), and the killers of all those martyred in the cause of the guardianship of the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Place them in the lowest pit of Hell, where the punishment will never be lightened for them, and they will be despairing and cursed: ‘Their heads bowed low before their Lord (azj), and they have already witnessed regret and prolonged disgrace for killing the family of Your Prophets and Messengers and their followers among Your righteous servants. O Allah (swt), curse them in the hidden and the open, in Your heavens and on Your earth. O Allah (swt), ‘grant me a tongue of truth among Your servants,’ and make dear to me their dwelling places and their sanctuaries, until You unite me with them and make me their follower in this world and the Hereafter, O Most Merciful of the Merciful. Then sit by his head and say: 'Peace from Allah (swt) and peace from His closest angels and those who surrender to you with their hearts and speak of your virtues. They testify to your honesty, trustworthiness, and truthfulness. May Allah’s (swt) blessings be upon your soul and body. I bear witness that you are pure, purified, and descended from purity. I testify, O friend of Allah (swt) and friend of His Messenger, to your communication and fulfillment of the divine trust. I testify that you are the side of Allah (swt), His gateway, His face through which He is approached, His path, and His servant. You are the brother of the Messenger of Allah (swt). I have come to you, seeking proximity to Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, through visiting you, hoping for the salvation of my soul, seeking refuge with you from the Fire which someone like me deserves for what I have committed against myself. I have come, cutting off all ties but to you and to your guardian after you, trusting in the blessings of truth. My heart is submitted to you, my actions are in your obedience, and my support is prepared for you. I am the servant of Allah (swt) and your follower, seeking completion of my rank with Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, through you. You are the one Allah (swt) has commanded me to connect with, encouraged me to honor, guided me to recognize, and inspired me to love. He urged me to come to you, and inspired me to seek my needs through you. You are a family whom one who loves attains happiness, one who comes to finds success, one who follows does not lose, and one who opposes does not prosper. I find no one more worthy of being sought refuge with than you. You are the household of mercy, the pillars of religion, the foundations of the earth, and the blessed tree. O Allah (swt), do not let my turning to You through Your Messenger and his family and my seeking intercession through them go unanswered. O Allah (swt), You have blessed me with the visitation of my master, his guardianship, and recognition of his status. Make me among those who support him and are supported through him. Bless me with Your assistance for Your religion in this world and the Hereafter. O Allah (swt), I live by what Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) lived by, and I die upon what Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) died upon.’"

Hadith.3198 - When you wish to bid farewell to him, say: "Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (swt) and His blessings. I entrust you to Allah (swt) and place you under His care. I send peace upon you. We believe in Allah (swt), in the Messenger, and in what has been brought and indicated by them. ‘So write us down among those who bear witness.’ I bear witness in my death to what I bore witness to in my life. I bear witness that you are the Imams, one after the other. I bear witness that those who killed you and fought against you are polytheists and that those who opposed you are in the lowest depths of Hell. I bear witness that those who fought against you are our enemies, and we are free from them. They are the party of Satan. O Allah (swt), after offering prayer and salutations, I ask You to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and name them individually (as). O Allah (swt), do not make this the last occasion for visiting him, but if it is, then gather me among these named Imams. O Allah (swt), strengthen our hearts in obedience, sincerity, love, excellent support, and complete submission. Then recite the glorification of Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, which is: 'Glory be to the Majestic and Great Lord (azj) of Majesty. Glory be to the Mighty, Lofty, and Exalted Lord (azj) of Might. Glory be to the Eternal, Splendid, and Ancient Sovereign. Glory be to the One of radiance and beauty. Glory be to the One who is clothed in light and dignity. Glory be to the One who sees the trace of an ant on the rock and the flight of a bird in the air.'"

ANOTHER VISITATION FOR THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, PEACE BE UPON HIM Hadith.3199 - You say: "Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Faithful. Peace be upon you, O beloved of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O chosen one of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O friend of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O proof of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O Imam of guidance. Peace be upon you, O banner of piety. Peace be upon you, O virtuous and pious successor. Peace be upon you, O Abu al-Hasan. Peace be upon you, O pillar of religion and inheritor of the knowledge of the first and the last. Peace be upon you, O bearer of the mark and the straight path. I bear witness that you established prayer, gave zakat, enjoined good, forbade evil, followed the Messenger, and recited the Book ‘as it should be recited, and you conveyed on behalf of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, fulfilled the covenant of Allah (swt), and through you, the words of Allah (swt) were completed. You strove ‘in the way of Allah (swt) as is His due,’ sincerely advised for Allah (swt) and His Messenger, and sacrificed yourself patiently, struggling for the religion of Allah (swt) with faith in the Messenger of Allah (swt). You sought what is with Allah (swt), desired what Allah (swt) promised, and remained steadfast in what you upheld, bearing witness, being a witness, and being testified to. May Allah (swt) reward you on behalf of His Messenger, Islam, and its followers with the best of rewards granted to a truthful one. You were the first of the people to embrace Islam, the most sincere in faith, the strongest in conviction, the most fearful of Allah (swt), the greatest in effort, the most protective of the Messenger of Allah (swt), the most virtuous in qualities, the most advanced in precedence, the highest in rank, the noblest in status, and the most honored by him. You stood firm when others faltered, advanced when they hesitated, and rose when they faltered. You adhered to the path of the Messenger of Allah (swt), peace be upon him and his family. You were his rightful successor, uncontested despite the resistance of the hypocrites, the wrath of the disbelievers, the envy of the jealous, and the grudge of the corrupt. You upheld the responsibility when others failed, spoke the truth when others stammered, and moved forward with the light of Allah (swt) when others stood still. Whoever followed you was rightly guided. You spoke the least yet the most accurately, possessed the soundest judgment, the bravest heart, the strongest conviction, the best deeds, and the greatest effort in matters. You were the guardian of the religion, steadfast when people scattered, and finally, when they faltered, you were a compassionate father to the believers as they became dependent upon you. You carried the burdens they could not bear, preserved what they neglected, safeguarded what they overlooked, and strove when they gathered. You were present when they assembled, rose when they hesitated, and remained steadfast when they panicked. You endured patiently when they despaired. You were relentless torment upon the disbelievers and abundant mercy and prosperity for the believers. Your argument was never weakened, your heart never deviated, your insight never faltered, your courage never waned, and your resolve never diminished. You were like a mountain that neither storms could shake nor could tempests move. As the Messenger of Allah (swt), peace be upon him and his family, described you: weak in body, strong in the cause of Allah (swt), humble in yourself, great in the sight of Allah (swt), exalted on earth, revered by the believers. No one found a flaw in you, no one could criticize you, no one dared to hope for favoritism from you, and no one held sway over you. The weak and humble before you were strong and honored until you restored their rights, and the strong and mighty before you were weak and humiliated until you took the rights from them. The near and the distant were equal to you in this regard. Your way was truth, sincerity, and kindness. Your words were judgment and decree. Your commands were wisdom and firmness. Your views were knowledge and determination. Through you, religion was balanced, the difficult was made easy, the fires were extinguished, faith was strengthened, and Islam and the believers were stabilized. You advanced far ahead of others, setting a standard hard for those after you to reach. You surpassed them so greatly that they were exhausted in trying to follow. Your status is beyond reproach, and your calamity is profound in the heavens and devastating to all creation. ‘Indeed, we belong to Allah (swt), and indeed, to Him we shall return.’" "We accept Allah’s (swt) decree and submit to His command. By Allah (swt), the Muslims will never again suffer a calamity like yours. You were a refuge and fortress for the believers, and a source of harshness and rage upon the disbelievers. May Allah (swt) join you with His Prophet and never deprive us of your reward or lead us astray after you. Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of Allah (swt)." At his grave, pray six units of prayer, making salutations after every two units, as within his grave are the bones of Adam, the body of Noah, and the body of the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon them all. Whoever visits his grave has visited Adam, Noah, and the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon them. Thus, for each visitation, perform two units of prayer.

VISITING THE GRAVE OF ABU ABDULLAH IMAM AL-HUSAYN IBN ALI IBN ABI TALIB (as) WHO WAS MARTYRED IN KARBALA Hadith.3199 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) said: "When you go to visit Abu Abdullah al-Husayn (as) perform ghusl (ritual purification) on the bank of the Euphrates River. Then wear pure clothes, and walk barefoot, for you are in a sacred sanctuary of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, and the sanctuary of His Messenger, peace be upon him and his family. Engage in much glorification, praising, and magnification of Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted. Send abundant blessings upon Muhammad and his family, peace be upon him and them, as you proceed until you reach the gate of the shrine. Then say: 'Peace be upon you, O proof of Allah (swt), and son of His proof. Peace be upon you, O angels of Allah (swt) and visitors to the grave of the son of the Prophet of Allah (swt).' Take ten steps forward, then stand and glorify Allah (swt) with thirty takbir (saying "Allahu Akbar"). Continue walking until you reach the grave from the front. Face the grave with your face, keeping the Qibla behind your shoulders, and say: 'Peace be upon you, O proof of Allah (swt), and son of His proof.'" "Peace be upon you, O avenged by Allah (swt) on earth and son of His avenger. Peace be upon you, O solitary one of Allah (swt), avenged in the heavens and the earth. I bear witness that your blood resides in eternity, causing the Throne’s canopy to tremble, and all creation to weep for you. The seven heavens, the seven earths, all within and between them, and all beings in Paradise and Hell, both seen and unseen, wept for you. I bear witness that you are the proof of Allah (swt) and the son of His proof. I bear witness that you are avenged by Allah (swt) and the son of His avenger. I bear witness that you are the solitary one of Allah (swt), avenged in the heavens and the earth. I bear witness that you conveyed the message of Allah (swt), advised sincerely, fulfilled and completed your covenant, struggled in the path of your Lord (azj), and departed as a witness, testified to, a martyr, and testified against. I am the servant of Allah (swt) and your follower, in your obedience, seeking your intercession and closeness. I aim for the highest rank with Allah (swt), the Mighty and Exalted, and for steadfastness in migration to you. You are the path that cannot be replaced, and I enter your protection, as commanded by Allah (swt). Whoever seeks Allah (swt) begins with you. Whoever seeks Allah (swt) begins with you. Whoever seeks Allah (swt) begins with you. Through you, Allah (swt) reveals truth from falsehood. Through you, Allah (swt) distances the age of deceit. Through you, Allah (swt) opens and concludes. Through you, ‘Allah (swt) erases whatever He wills, and through you, Allah (swt) affirms and establishes. Through you, Allah (swt) removes disgrace from our necks. Through you, Allah (swt) avenges every wrong suffered by believing men and women. Through you, the earth grows its trees, the trees bear their fruits, the heavens send down their rain, Allah (swt) lifts anguish, and rain descends. Through you, the earth that carries your bodies glorifies Allah (swt). Cursed is the nation that killed you, the nation that opposed you, the nation that denied your guardianship, the nation that fought against you, and the nation that witnessed and did not support you. All praise belongs to Allah (swt), who made the Fire their abode. ‘What an evil destination to arrive at.’ ‘What an evil place to return to.’ ‘And all praise belongs to Allah (swt), the Lord (azj) of the worlds.’ Peace be upon you, O Aba Abdullah. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from those who opposed you. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from those who opposed you. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from those who opposed you. Then proceed to his son, Ali (Ali ibn al-Husayn (as)) who is at his feet, and say: 'Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah (swt). Peace be upon you, O son of Ali, the Commander of the Faithful. Peace be upon you, O son of Hasan (as) and Husayn (as). Peace be upon you, O son of Khadijah {s.a} and Fatimah {s.a}, peace be upon her. May Allah’s (swt) blessings be upon you. May Allah’s (swt) blessings be upon you. May Allah’s (swt) blessings be upon you. May Allah (swt) curse those who killed you. May Allah (swt) curse those who killed you. May Allah (swt) curse those who killed you. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from them. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from them. I declare my disavowal before Allah (swt) from them.' Then stand and gesture with your hand toward the martyrs and say: 'Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. By Allah (swt), you have succeeded. By Allah (swt), you have succeeded. By Allah (swt), you have succeeded. Would that I were with you, ‘so that I could achieve a great success.’' Then turn and position the grave of Aba Abdullah (as) before you and pray six units of prayer. With that, your visitation is complete. This visitation is narrated by al-Hasan ibn Rashid from al-Husayn ibn Thuwair from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as)."

'Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (swt) and His blessings. We entrust you to Allah (swt), and we send peace upon you. We believe in Allah (swt), in the Messenger, and in what he brought and guided toward. ‘We followed the Messenger.’ O Lord (azj), ‘so write us among the witnesses.’ O Allah (swt), do not make this the last encounter between us and him. O Allah (swt), we ask You to grant us benefit through his love. O Allah (swt), raise him to the praised station through which You support Your religion, destroy Your enemies, and annihilate those who wage war against the family of Muhammad. Indeed, You have promised him that, and You ‘never break Your promise.’ Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (swt) and His blessings. I bear witness that you are noble martyrs who strove in the path of Allah (swt) and were martyred following the path of the Messenger of Allah (swt), peace be upon him and his family. Praise be to Allah (swt), who fulfilled His promise to you and showed you what you love. Blessings of Allah (swt) be upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (as) and His mercy and blessings. O Allah (swt), do not let me become distracted in this world from thanking You for Your blessings. Do not let the allure of its wonders or the temptation of its beauty divert me if I have abundance, nor let its hardship harm my deeds or fill my heart with worry if I face scarcity. Grant me sufficiency away from the evil among Your creation and the means to attain Your pleasure, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'" This farewell prayer was included in the Kitab al-Ziyarat and Kitab Maqtal al-Husayn (as), where various visitation prayers were presented. This specific visitation was chosen for this book due to its authenticity in narration and its sufficiency in meaning.

VISITING THE GRAVES OF THE MARTYRS When you wish to visit the graves of the martyrs, say: "Peace be upon you for your patience; how excellent is the final abode."