Neglecting the Ziyārah of the Grave of Ĥusain (a.s.)

Abū Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) asked, “What is the distance between you and the grave of Ḥusain?” I replied, “Sixteen parasangs.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you not go to him?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) said, “How negligent you people are!!!”

I asked Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)), “What do you say about going to the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.)?” Imam (a.s.) replied: Go to his Ziyārah and do not neglect him, for verily he is the Master of the Martyrs and he is the Master of the Youth of Paradise. Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā (a.s.) is similar to Ḥusain (a.s.) and the heavens and the earth wept (only) over the two of them.

‘Ali, (the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)), said: May I sacrifice my father and mother for Ḥusain who will be killed on the outskirts of Kūfah. I swear to Allāh that it is as if I can see the different kinds of wild animals stretching their necks to his grave, crying and weeping over him throughout the night until dawn. When this happens, beware of neglecting him (his grave).

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) asked me, “O Sadīr! Do you perform the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) everyday?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) said, “How negligent you people are!!! Do you perform his Ziyārah every week?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you perform his Ziyārah every month?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you perform his Ziyārah once a year?” I replied, “Sometimes.” Imam (a.s.) said: O Sadīr! How negligent you people are toward Ḥusain (a.s.)!!! Do you not know that Allāh has one thousand angels who are disheveled and covered with dust, who lament and cry over Ḥusain (a.s.), and who perform the Ziyārah of his grave (at all times) without pause?! Verily the reward of their deeds is registered for those who go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.).

I was with Abī Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) when a man entered, said Salām to the Imam (a.s.), and sat down. “Where are you from?” Imam (a.s.) asked the man. “I am from Kūfah. I believe in your Wilāyah and I am one of your lovers,” the man said. “…Do you go to the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) once a week?” Imam (a.s.) asked. “No,” the man replied. “What about once a month?” Imam (a.s.) asked. “No,” the man replied. “What about once a year?” Imam (a.s.) asked. “No,” the man replied. “Verily you are deprived of the good (blessings),” Imam (a.s.) said.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: O Fuďayl! How negligent you people are!!! You do not go to the Ziyārah of Ḥusain (a.s.)!!! Do you not know that there are four thousand angels who are disheveled and covered with dust who continuously cry over Ḥusain (a.s.) (and will continue to do so) until the Day of Judgment?

Abū Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) asked, “What is the distance between you and the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.)?” I replied, “Sixteen or seventeen parasangs.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you not go to him?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) said, “How negligent you (people) are!!!”

I heard Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) say: It is strange that some people think that they are among our Shia but it is said that some of them do not go to (the Ziyārah of) the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) even once in their lifetime because of their negligence, carelessness, incompetence, or laziness. I swear to Allāh that if they knew its merits they would not have been careless or lazy about it. I asked, “May I sacrifice myself for you! What are the merits of the Ziyārah (of Ḥusain (a.s.))?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “There are many merits and blessings in it. Verily the first (blessing) that one receives is that (all of) his past sins will be forgiven and he will be told, ‘Continue with good deeds.”

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) asked me, “O Sadīr! Do you perform the Ziyārah of the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.) once everyday?” I replied, “May I sacrifice myself for you! No.” Imam (a.s.) said, “How negligent you people are!!! Do you perform his Ziyārah once every week?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you perform his Ziyārah once every month?” I replied, “No.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “What about once every year?” I replied, “Sometimes.” Imam (a.s.) said, “O Sadīr! How negligent you people are toward Ḥusain (a.s.)!!!”

Abū Ja’far (Imam Bāqir (a.s.)) asked me, “What is the distance between you and the grave of Ḥusain (a.s.)?” I replied, “One day of riding or over one day of walking.” Imam (a.s.) asked, “Do you go to him once every week?” I replied, “No. I only go to him once in a while.” Imam (a.s.) said, “How negligent you people are!!! Verily if it was (this) close to us we would have migrated to live next to him.” The above Ḥadīth has also been narrated to me through the following chain: All of my scholars, from Aḥmad ibn Idrīs, from Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad, from Muḥammad ibn Nājiyah, from Muḥammad ibn ‘Ali, from ‘Āmir ibn Kuthayr Al-Nahadi Al-Sarrāj, from Abil Jārūd, from Abī Ja’far (a.s.).