General Forms of Ziyarah of the Holy Imams’ Descendants
In his book of Misbah al-Za'ir, the sublime Sayyid `Ali ibn Tawus has mentioned two forms of ziyarah of the Holy Imams’ descendants to both of which we will refer hereinafter.
First Form of Ziyarah
He says: If you intend to visit one of the Holy Imams’ descendants, such as al-Qasim the son of Imam al-Kazim, al-`Abbas the son of Imam `Ali, or `Ali the son of Imam al-Husayn who was martyred at the Battle of al-Taff, or any other son or descendant of one of the Holy Imams, you should stop at the tomb and say the following words:
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ ايُّهَا ٱلسَّيِّدُ ٱلزَّكِيُّ
alssalamu `alayka ayyuha alssayyidu alzzakiyyu
Peace be upon you, O bright master,
alttahiru alwaliyyu
pure saint,
waldda`i alhafiyyu
and affectionate herald.
اشْهَدُ انَّكَ قُلْتَ حَقّاً
ashhadu annaka qulta haqqan
I bear witness that you said the truth,
وَنَطَقْتَ حَقّاً وَصِدْقاً
wa nataqta haqqan wa sidqan
uttered truly and honestly,
وَدَعَوْتَ إِلَىٰ مَوْلاَيَ وَمَوْلاَكَ عَلاَنِيَةً وَسِرّاً
wa da`awta ila mawlaya wa mawlaka `alaniyatan wa sirran
and called to my and your master openly and secretly.
faza muttabi`uka
Winner is your follower
wa naja musaddiquka
and saved is your believer,
وَخَابَ وَخَسِرَ مُكَذِّبُكَ وَٱلْمُتَخَلِّفُ عَنْكَ
wa khaba wa khasira mukadhdhibuka walmutakhallifu `anka
but disappointing and losing are your deniers and dissenters.
إِشْهَدْ لِي بِهٰذِهِ ٱلشَّهَادَةِ
ishhad li bihadhihi alshshahadati
Bear this testimony for me
لاِكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْفَائِزِينَ بِمَعْرِفَتِكَ وَطَاعَتِكَ
li'akuna min alfa'izina bima`rifatika wa ta`atika
so that I will be of the winners because of recognizing you, obedience to you,
وَتَصْدِيقِكَ وَٱتَّبَاعِكَ
wa tasdiqika wattiba`ika
giving credence to you, and following you.
وَٱلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا سَيِّدِي وَٱبْنَ سَيِّدِي
walssalamu `alayka ya sayyidi wabna sayyidi
Peace be upon you, O my master and son of my master.
انْتَ بَابُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُؤْتَىٰ مِنْهُ
anta babu allahu almu'ta minhu
You are the door to Allah from which He is come
walma'khudhu `anhu
and from which everything is received.
ataytuka za'iran
I have come to you, visiting you
وَحَاجَاتِي لَكَ مُسْتَوْدِعاً
wa hajati laka mustawdi`an
and entrusting with you all my needs.
وَهَا انَا ذَا اسْتَوْدِعُكَ دِينِي وَامَانَتِي
wa ha ana dha astawdi`uka dini wa amanati
Here I am entrusting with you my religion, my trust,
wa khawatima `amali
the sealings of my deed,
wa jawami`a amali
and my entire hope
ila muntaha ajali
up to the end of my lifetime.
وَٱلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
walssalamu `alayka wa rahmatu allahi wa barakatuhu
Peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
Second Form of Ziyarah
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ جَدِّكَ ٱلْمُصْطَفَىٰ
alssalamu `ala jaddika almustafa
Peace be upon your forefather the Chosen Prophet.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ ابِيكَ ٱلرِّضَا ٱلْمُرْتَضَىٰ
alssalamu `ala abika almurtada
Peace be upon your father the well-contented and well-pleased.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ ٱلسَّيِّدَيْنِ ٱلْحَسَنِ وَٱلْحُسَيْنِ
alssalamu `ala alssayyidayni alhasani walhusayni
Peace be upon the two chiefs al-Hasan and al-Husayn.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ خَدِيـجَةَ
alssalamu `ala khadijata
Peace be upon Khadijah
امِّ سَيِّدَةِ نِسَاءِ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ
ummi sayyidati nisa'i al`alamina
the mother of the doyenne of the women of the world.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ فَاطِمَةَ امِّ ٱلائِمَّةِ ٱلطَّاهِرِينَ
alssalamu `ala fatimata ummi al-a'immati alttahirina
Peace be upon Fatimah the mother of the Immaculate Imams.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَىٰ ٱلنُّفُوسِ ٱلْفَاخِرَةِ
alssalamu `ala alnnufusi alfakhirati
Peace be upon the excellent souls,
بُحُورِ ٱلْعُلُومِ ٱلزَّاخِرَةِ
buhuri al`ulumi alzzakhirati
the oceans of the abundant knowledge,
shufa`a'i fi al-akhirati
my interceders in the Hereafter,
وَاوْلِيَائِي عِنْدَ عَوْدِ ٱلرُّوحِ إِلَىٰ ٱلْعِظَامِ ٱلنَّاخِرَةِ
wa awliya'i `inda `awdi alrruhi ila al`izami alnnakhirati
and my masters when the soul shall be returned to the rotten bones;
a'immati alkhalqi
namely, the leaders of the creatures
wa wulati alhaqqi
and the true masters.
اَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ ايُّهَا ٱلشَّخْصُ ٱلشَّرِيفُ
alssalamu `alayka ayyuha alshshakhsu alshsharifu
Peace be upon you, O honorable,
alttahiru alkarimu
immaculate, and noble person.
اشْهَدُ انْ لاَ إِلٰهَ إِلاَّ ٱللَّهُ
ashhadu an la ilaha illa allahu
I bear witness that there is no god save Allah,
وَانَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَمُصْطَفَاهُ
wa anna muhammadan `abduhu wa mustafahu
Muhammad is His servant and chosen prophet,
وَانَّ عَلِيّاً وَلِيُّهُ وَمُجْتَبَاهُ
wa anna `aliyyan waliyyuhu wa mujtabahu
`Ali is His intimate and selected servant,
وَانَّ ٱلإِمَامَةَ فِي وُلْدِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
wa anna al-imamata fi wuldihi ila yawmi alddini
and Imamate is for his descendants up to the Judgment Day.
نَعْلَمُ ذٰلِكَ عِلْمَ ٱلْيَقِينِ
na`lamu dhalika `ilma alyaqini
We recognize so with certain knowledge,
وَنَحْنُ لِذٰلِكَ مُعْتَقِدُونَ
wa nahnu lidhalika mu`taqiduna
we believe in so,
وَفِي نَصْرِهِمْ مُجْتَهِدُونَ
wa fi nasrihim mujtahiduna
and we exert all our efforts in supporting them.