Husayn’s (‘a) place of martyrdom has been the visiting place for the lovers of Ahl Al-Bayt (a’) who struggle to reach there enduring all the hardships and barriers placed before them. They come to his shrine to show their love and respect, honour his sacrifice, renew their covenant, pledge themselves to his goals, and follow the Prophet’s (S) advice about him (‘a).

The following is an interesting tradition from the Prophet (S) narrated by Ibn Abbas. He said: “I came to the Messenger of Allah and saw al-Hasan ('a) on his shoulder and al-Husayn ('a) on his thigh; the Prophet (S) was kissing them saying, “O Allah befriend him who befriends them and be hostile to him who is hostile to them” Then he said, “O Ibn Abbas! It is as if I see the beard of my son al-Husayn ('a) dyed with his blood, calling people but is not being answered, asking for help but is not being helped” I asked, “Who will do this?” He replied, “The wicked of my nation. May Allah deny them my intercession!” He then continued, “O Ibn Abbas! He who visits him while recognizing his rights, Allah shall write for him the reward of 1000 Hajj and 1000 Umra. Behold! He who visits him has indeed visited me, and he who visits me, it is as if he has visited Allah. And the right of the visitor of Allah over Him is that He shall not punish him by Fire. Behold! Answering (of supplications) is guaranteed under the dome of his grave, cure is placed in the soil of his place (of martyrdom), and the (succeeding) Imams are from his progeny… O Ibn Abbas! Their Wilaya (divine guardianship) is my Wilaya, which is the Wilaya of Allah. Fighting them is fighting me, which is fighting Allah. Making peace with them is making peace with me, which is making peace with Allah. He then recited:

يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَيُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

“Their intention is to put out the light of Allah with their mouths; but Allah will complete His light, even though the disbelievers may detest” (61:8).

The Ahl Al-Bayt ('a) put great emphasis on Ziyarat of the Chief of the Martyrs (‘a) and urged their followers to it. In this manner, they kept alive the two important principles of faith, which are to love the friends of Allah and to disassociate from their enemies.

What follows is a brief presentation of the importance and benefits of visiting Imam al-Husayn ('a) while recognizing him as an Imam whose obedience is obligatory, as mentioned in the traditions. Visiting Imam al-Husayn ('a) is the sign of love for Ahl Al-Bayt. Whoever loves Ahl Al-Bayt (‘a) should aspire to visit the grave of al-Husayn ('a). One who does not visit Imam al-Husayn ('a), is deficient in faith, and if he ever enters Paradise, his rank will be below the rank of believers in Paradise.

When Allah intends goodness for a servant, He places love of al-Husayn ('a) and love of visiting him in his heart.

3- According to several traditions, Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a) is the best deed.

4- If a wretched person performs the Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a), felicity shall be written for him, and he shall be continuously immersed in the blessings of Allah.

5- He who wishes to look towards Allah on the Day of Judgment, be relieved from the agony of death, and pass the stops of the Day of Judgment with ease should go for visitation of the grave of the Chief of Martyrs frequently.

6- The Messenger of Allah will embrace the visitors of Imam al-Husayn ('a) on the Day of Judgment.

7- By performing the Ziyarat of the Chief of the Martyrs, one has made/observed a relationship with the Messenger of Allah and the guiding Imams. The requests of the pilgrim at his grave are fulfilled, his supplications are answered, sooner or later, and what the pilgrim had left behind is protected.

8- On the Day of Judgment, the visitors of Imam al-Husayn ('a) will be seated on tables of light, because of what Allah will grant them in terms of endless dignity and honour. There will be no one on the Day of Judgment except that he would wish to have been a pilgrim to the grave of Imam al-Husayn ('a). They shall be around heavenly tables with the Prophet (S), Lady Fatimah ('a), and the Imams while people are held in reckoning.

9- On the Day of Judgment, the Leader of the Faithful (‘a) will command the bridge (al-Sirat) over Hell to yield to the visitors of Imam al-Husayn ('a) and will command the fire (surrounding it) to hold back its scorching heat before them until they pass it with an Angel accompanying them.

10- If people know what Allah has placed in the visitation of the grave of Imam al-Husayn ('a) in terms of excellence, they would die out of eagerness, and their breath would stop with a sigh.

11- The Messenger of Allah, Lady Fatimah, and the Imams pray to Allah for forgiveness of the visitors of Imam al-Husayn ('a).

12- The Angels pray to Allah for their forgiveness, welcome their arrival, accompany them in their departure, visit their sick, attend their funeral prayers whenever they die, continue to pray for them after their death, and open for them a gate to Paradise in their graves.

13- Allah has appointed 70,000 Angels around the blessed grave of the Chief of the Martyrs (‘a), who stay there until the Day of Judgment and perform prayers; each of their prayers is equal to 1000 prayers of human beings. The rewards and merits of these prayers are offered to the visitors of Imam al-Husayn ('a).

14- The Angels cover the pilgrims with their wings in such a way that they feel the blessings of their presence.

15- For each day that a pilgrim resides in that sacred place, the reward of 1,000 months (of worship) is written for him.

16- If the pilgrim is killed by a transgressor on his way to Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a), for the first drop of his blood, all his mistakes shall be forgiven. The Angels shall wash his character, cleansing and purifying it of the impurities merged in it from the characteristics of the people of disbelief, until it becomes pure like the purity of the immaculate Prophets, and they shall cleanse his heart and broaden his chest. He shall be rewarded with the right to intercede for his family and 1,000 of his friends. His grave shall be widened and illuminated. The Angels shall bring gifts for him from Paradise. On the Day of Judgment, the first people to embrace him shall be the Messenger of Allah and his successors.

17- If the pilgrim is detained on his way to Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a), for each day of his captivity and distress, he shall have certain happiness (in this world and after his death) until the Day of Judgment. For any pain that his body receives, one million good deeds are written for him and one million evil deeds are removed from his record. On the Day of Judgment, He shall be able to speak with the Messenger of Allah until he is discharged from reckoning. The carriers of the throne shall embrace him and shall tell him, “Ask for what you wish” On the other hand, the person that has harmed him shall be taken to Hell without questioning and reckoning, and Allah’s requital and His punishment for him shall be shown to whom he had harmed.

18- A pilgrim who goes to Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a) in a state of fear and insecurity, he or she shall receive security on the day of great terror and shall be under the shadow of the throne on that day. He shall return from the Ziyarat forgiven and covered with mercy. The Angels shall greet him, and the Messenger of Allah (S) shall receive him and shall pray for him.

19- If a person comes to Ziyarat of the Chief of the Martyrs by ship, and the ship sinks and he is drowned, a caller will call from the heaven, giving him glad tidings of Paradise.

20- For a single penny that the one gives as charity during the Ziyarat journey or pays to accommodate the journey of a visitor of Imam al-Husayn ('a), Allah shall grant him 10,000 bounties. As per another Hadith, Allah shall write for him good deeds to the extent of the mount of Uhud and shall reimburse the money he has spent many fold.

21- For each footstep of one who goes to Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a) on foot, Allah, the mighty and the majestic, writes a good deed for him and removes a sin from his record. When he reaches the sanctified place, Allah will write him amongst the prosperous.

22- He who ritually rinses his body (Ghusl) in the Euphrates (al-Furat) intending the Ziyarat of the Chief of the Martyrs, will be free of sins like the day he was born.

23- He who sets out for the Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a) leaves behind his sins on the door of his house like a person who crosses abridge. He returns to his family while all his burdens and faults have been wiped out from his record. His sustenance increases, and Allah suffices him from what he is concerned about the affairs of his worldly life. No distressed one goes there, except that Allah returns him delighted.

24- When the pilgrim intends to leave the sacred place of Imamal-Husayn ('a), a heavenly caller will call, and were it possible for the pilgrim to hear his voice, he would stay beside the grave of the Imam forever. The caller states, “Blessedness (Tuba) is for you O servant! Indeed, you profited, are saved (from Hell), and are forgiven for the past (sins). Thus, resume (good) deeds”

25- Numerous traditions confirm that he who visits the grave of al-Husayn ('a) believing that he is an Imam assigned by Allah and that his obedience is obligatory, Allah shall forgive his past and future sins. In one of many traditions that convey this, Imam al-Sadiq swore by the name of Allah three times when stating this fact.

26- He who wishes to personally own a palace in Paradise should visit the grave of Imam al-Husayn ('a). He who dies while he has not visited Imam al-Husayn ('a) (due to negligence) is not a true Shi’a, and even if he is admitted to Paradise due to his love for the Ahl ul Bait, he will dwell there as a guest of the people of Paradise.

27- Visiting the grave of the Chief of the Martyrs will increase one’s sustenance, prolongs one’s life, and repels the cannons of evil. On the other hand, avoiding it will decrease one’s natural lifetime and (spiritual) sustenance.

28- On the Day of Judgment, the visitor of Imam al-Husayn ('a) will be allowed to intercede for 100 people of his choice even if for all of whom Hell had been necessitated, except for a Nasibi (one who hates the Ahl Al-Bayt) because no one can intercede for a Nasibi.

29- Any number of pilgrimages to the House of Allah in Mecca, with all its due importance, cannot replace the Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a). One who performs the pilgrimage to Mecca yearly yet does not visit al-Husayn ('a), has indeed neglected one of the rights of Allah and His Messenger, because performing it is a duty for every capable believing man and woman.

The excellence of the reward of the Ziyarat of Imam al-Husayn ('a) is so much so that even some of the lovers of Ahl Al-Bayt ('a) who lived during their lifetime could not digest the traditions in this regard. Dharih al-Muharibi narrated: I said to Imam al-Sadiq ('a), “When I narrate to my folks and family some of the rewards of the pilgrimage to the grave of al-Husayn ('a), they deny my narrations, and say that I am associating lies to Ja’far Ibn Muhammad” The Imam replied, “O Dharih! Let people believe what they want. By Allah! Allah recounts His glory (to the Angels) for having servants who are visitors of al-Husayn ('a). When a new pilgrim arrives, the favored Angels and the carriers of the throne receive him. Allah tells them, ‘Don’t you see the pilgrims of the grave of al-Husayn ('a) who have come to him eagerly, and in love for him and for Fatimah, the daughter of Allah’s Messenger? By My might, majesty, and glory, I shall certainly make incumbent My honour for them, and shall surely enter them to My Paradise that I have prepared for My friends, Prophets, and Messengers. O My Angels! These are the visitors of al-Husayn ('a), the beloved of Muhammad, My Messenger, and Muhammad is My beloved. Whoever loves Me, should love My beloved, and whoever loves My beloved, should love whom he loves. He who hates My beloved, has hated Me, and he who hates Me, it is My right to make him suffer with My severest torment, burn him with the heat of My fire, make Hell his abode, and torment him with a punishment that I have not punished anyone within the worlds.’”

When a faithful individual is reminded of the Prophet (S) and Ahl Al-Bayt ('a) and the troubles, they confronted and endured his heartbreaks and his tears flow.

A tearful eye is a blessing from Allah bestowed upon his servants and draws near even greater blessings. As one avoids sins, clears his heart from the love of worldly pleasures, implores Allah for help, turns to His chosen ones, he will have a more humble, responsive, and pure heart, as well as more tearful eyes. Although emotions such as liking, loving, and shedding tears depend on the state of one’s heart, one should try to increase his love of what Allah loves even if his heart does not initially respond, by avoiding what Allah has prohibited and acting upon what He has ordered. One such order is to remember the tragedies that Ahl Al-Bayt faced until one enters a sorrowful state and is induced to crying. According to the traditions, trying to cry for Imam al-Husayn ('a) is rewarded even if one cannot bring himself to shed a tear. Putting oneself in the state of crying, in the meetings held in memory of the Chief of the Martyrs, may also affect others and make them cry.

The traditions concerning the rewards and benefits of remembering Ahl Al-Bayt and their hardships and the shedding of tears for them, especially concerning Imam al-Husayn ('a), are numerous and enlightening. Here, for the sake of brevity, only a few traditions will be quoted. For more comprehensive presentation, the readers may refer to the excellent book written by a great traditionist of the latter era, Sheikh Abbas al-Qummi, called, “The Breath of the Grieved” (Nafasul Mahmum), which has also been translated into English.

Shedding tears for Imam al-Husayn ('a) is considered a natural outcome of faith.

Ibn Sinan narrated: Imam al-Sadiq ('a) said, “The Prophet looked at al-Husayn ('a) Ibn Ali as he was approaching. He sat him in his lap and said, ‘Verily, for the martyrdom of al-Husayn ('a) there shall be a heat in the hearts of the believers that shall never subside.’” Then, the Imam continued, “He (i.e., al-Husayn) is the martyr of tears” I asked, “What is the meaning of the martyr of tears, O son of the Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “No faithful remembers him except that he weeps”

Rayyan Ibn Shabib narrated: Imam al-Ridha ('a) said, “O Son of Shabib! Muharram is a month in which even the people of the former age of ignorance forbade oppression and bloodshed due to its sanctity. However, this nation did not honour the sanctity of this month nor did they honour the sanctity of their Prophet. In this month, they killed the Prophet’s progeny, menservant his women, and plundered his belongings. May Allah never forgive them for these crimes.

O Son of Shabib! If you wish to cry for anything or anyone, cry for al-Husayn Ibn Ali for he was slaughtered like a sheep. Eighteen members from his family who were unparalleled on earth were also killed along with him. Certainly, the seven heavens and earths cried because of the murder of al-Husayn ('a). Four thousand Angels descended on earth to aid him, but (when they were allowed to reach there) they found him martyred. So, they remained at his grave, disheveled and dusty, and will remain there until the rising of al-Qa’im (Imam al-Mahdi), whereupon they will aid him. Their slogan will be, ‘Vengeance for the blood of al-Husayn.’

O Son of Shabib! My father related to me from his father, who related from his grandfather that when my grandfather Imam al-Husayn was martyred, the sky rained blood and red sands.

O Son of Shabib! When you weep over the afflictions of al-Husayn so that tears flow from your eyes onto your cheeks Allah will forgive all your sins, big or small, few or numerous.

O Son of Shabib! If you wish to meet Allah, the mighty and the majestic, free of sin, then perform the Ziyarat of al-Husayn.

O Son of Shabib! If it pleases you to abide in the palaces of Paradise in company of the Prophet and his family, then invoke Allah’s curse upon the murderers of Imam al-Husayn.

O Son of Shabib! If you wish to earn the reward of those who were martyred with al-Husayn, then whenever you remember him, say, ‘If only I had been with them so that I would have attained the great felicity.’

O Son of Shabib! If you desire to be with us in the highest degree of Paradise, then grieve in our sorrows and rejoice in our happiness. Remain attached to our love, for even if a person loves a stone, Allah shall resurrect him with it on the Day of Judgment”

Masma’ Ibn Abd al-Malik narrated: Imam al-Sadiq asked me, “Do you remind yourself about what happened to al-Husayn?”

I answered, “Yes”

He asked, “Do you become grieved?”

I answered, “Yes, by Allah! And I shed tears so much so that my family members notice its effect on my face and I abstain from food in such situation”

He said, “May Allah have mercy on your tears. Truly, you are counted among the people who are concerned about us, who rejoice in our happiness and grieve in our grief. Indeed, at the time of your death you will see the presence of my ancestors who will give you glad tidings and will give their recommendations to the Angel of death about you. He will thus become more compassionate and merciful towards you than a tender-hearted mother is to her child... None (among the believers) sympathetically weeps for us and for what befell us but that Allah bestows upon him His mercy, even before his tears flow from his eyes. (It is so rewarding that) if a drop from the tears that flows on his cheeks drops over Hell, it will extinguish its heat completely …”

Imam al-Sadiq ('a) said: “Anyone (of the believers) who recites poetry about al-Husayn ('a) and cries and makes another one cry, Paradise will be written for both of them. Anyone (of the believers) in whose presence al-Husayn ('a) is mentioned, and tears come to his eyes even to the extent of a wing of a fly, his reward is with Allah, and Allah will not be pleased with anything less than Paradise for him”

Imam Mahdi (atf) said: “I pray for any believer who remembers the sufferings of my martyred grandfather, al-Husayn ('a), and then prays for my relief (al-Faraj)”1

• 1. Ziyarat Nahiya Muqaddasa by Dr. Vahid Majd.