Ziarat Ashura
Ziarat-Ashura can be recited at the tomb of Imam al-Hussain and also from far distance. The following is the elaborate report of this form of ziarat, as has been narrated by Shaykh Abu-Ja’far al-Tusi in his book of al-Misbah: "Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Buzaygh has reported on the authority of Salih ibn ‘Aqabah on the authority of his father on the authority of Imam Muhammad al-Baqir who said, “Whoever visits al-Hussain ibn Ali on the tenth of Muharram (the Ashura Day) and remains there weeping, will meet Almighty Allah on the day of meeting Him having the reward of two thousand times of going on hajj, two thousand times of going on umra, as well as the reward of one who has participated with the Holy Messenger of Allah and with the Holy Imams in two thousand campaigns.”
Text of Ziarat-Ashura
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا اَباعَبْدِاللَّهِ اَلسَّلامُ
Peace be on you, O Abu Abdullah
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
Peace be on you, O son of the Apostle of Allah
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا خِیَرَةَ اللَّهِ و َابْنَ خِیَرَتِهِ
Peace be upon you, O choicest of Allah and son of His choicest
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَابْنَ اَمیرِالْمُؤْمِنینَ و َابْنَ سَیِّدِ الْوَصِیّینَ
Peace be on you, O son of the commander of the faithfuls, the forebear of the successors
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَابْنَ فاطِمَةَ سَیِّدَةِ نِساَّءِ الْعالَمینَ
Peace be on you, O son of Fatima, the choicest among the women of the worlds
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا ثارَ اللَّهِ وَ ابْنَ ثارِهِ وَ الْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ
Peace be on you, O the select, surpassing, chosen in preference over all good of Allah, and son of Allah's (such) good
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ وَعَلَی الاَْرْواحِ الَّتی حَلَّتْ بِفِناَّئِکَ
Peace be on you, who was martyred while fighting heroically in the cause of Allah, the son of Allah's fearless warrior, you were isolated and had been attacked with a vengeance
عَلَیْکُمْ مِنّی جَمیعاً سَلامُ اللَّهِ اَبَداً ما بَقیتُ وَ بَقِیَ اللَّیْلُ وَالنَّهارُ
Peace be on you and on those souls who had gathered in your camp, and strided along with you, in your journey. I pray and invoke Allah to keep all of you tranquil and restful, for ever; so far I am alive, this is my prayer, and till nights and days follow each other
یا اَباعَبْدِاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَظُمَتِ الرَّزِیَّةُ وَ جَلَّتْ وَ عَظُمَتِ الْمُصیبَةُ بِکَ (بِکُمْ) عَلَیْنا وَ عَلی جَمیعِ اَهْل ِالاِْسْلامِ
O Abu Abdullah! unbearable is the sorrow, nerve-racking is the agony, you put up with, for us and for all the (true) Muslims
و َجَلَّتْ وَ عَظُمَتْ مُصیبَتُکَ فِی السَّمواتِ عَلی جَمیعِ اَهْلِ السَّمواتِ
crimes committed against you also shocked and unnerved the dwellers of the heavens, one and all
فَلَعَنَ اللَّهُ اُمَّةً اَسَّسَتْ اَساسَ الظُّلْمِ وَ الْجَوْرِ عَلَیْکُمْ اَهْلَ الْبَیْتِ
May Allah condemn and damn the people who laid the basis and set up the groundwork, to wander astray and turn aside from not only you and your family but to take liberties and bear hard upon you
وَ لَعَنَاللَّهُ اُمَّةً دَفَعَتْکُمْ عَنْ مَقامِکُمْ و َاَزالَتْکُمْ عَنْ مَراتِبِکُمُ الَّتی رَتَّبَکُمُ اللَّهُ فیها
May Allah condemn and damn the people who tried to obscure and deny your office and status, willfully neglected your rank and class Allah had made know in clear terms
و َلَعَنَ اللَّهُ اُمَّةً قَتَلَتْکُمْ وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ الْمُمَهِّدینَ لَهُمْ بِالتَّمْکینِ مِنْ قِتالِکُمْ
May Allah condemn and damn the people who killed you. May Allah condemn and damn the abettors who instigated and had a part in your murder
بَرِئْتُ اِلَی اللَّهِ وَ اِلَیْکُمْ مِنْهُمْ وَ مِنْ اَشْیاعِهِمْ وَ اَتْباعِهِمْ وَ اَوْلِیاَّئِهِم
I turn to you and Allah, away from them, their henchmen, their followers and their friends
یا اَباعَبْدِاللَّهِ اِنّی سِلْمٌ لِمَنْ سالَمَکُمْ وَ حَرْبٌ لِمَنْ حارَبَکُمْ اِلی یَوْمِ الْقِیامَةِ
O Abu Abdullah, I pray and invoke Allah to send blessings on you. I make peace with those who make their peace with you, I make war on those who go to war against you, till the Day of Judgment
وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ آلَ زِیادٍ وَ آلَ مَرْوانَ
May Allah condemn and damn the family of Ziyaad and the family of Marwaan
وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ بَنی اُمَیَّةَ قاطِبَةً وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ ابْنَ مَرْجانَةَ
May Allah condemn and damn the group and the tribe of Umayyah, one and all, altogether; May Allah condemn and damn the son of Marjaanah
وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ عُمَرَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ شِمْراً
May Allah condemn and damn Umar son of Saad, May Allah condemn and damn Shimr
وَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ اُمَّةً اَسْرَجَتْ وَ اَلْجَمَتْ وَ تَنَقَّبَتْ لِقِتالِکَ
May Allah condemn and damn the people who bridled the horses and saddles for your martyrdom
بِاَبی اَنْتَ وَ اُمّی لَقَدْ عَظُمَ مُصابی بِکَ فَاَسْئَلُ اللَّهَ الَّذی اَکْرَمَ مَقامَکَ وَ اَکْرَمَنی بِکَ
I, my father and mother are at your disposal. Profound is my sorrow for you. I beg Allah, who honored you above others, to be generous towards me on account of you,
اَنْ یَرْزُقَنی طَلَبَ ثارِکَ مَعَ اِمامٍ مَنْصُورٍ مِنْ اَهْلِ بَیْتِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ و َآلِهِ
and give me the opportunity to be with the victorious Imam, the descendants of Mohammad (blessings and peace be on him and on his children from Allah) at the time of the final and decisive war against Allah's enemies.
اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنی عِنْدَکَ وَجیهاً بِالْحُسَیْنِ عَلَیْهِ السَّلامُ فِی الدُّنْیا وَ الاْخِرَةِ
O my Allah make me attend to Your cause, sincerely, in every respect following in Hussain's footsteps, in this world and the hereafter
یا اَباعَبْدِاللَّهِ اِنّی اَتَقَرَّبُ اِلی اللَّهِ وَ اِلی رَسُولِهِ وَ اِلی امیرِالْمُؤْمِنینَ وَ اِلی فاطِمَةَ وَ اِلَی الْحَسَنِ
O Abu Abdullah, I pray and invoke Allah to send blessings on you. I come nearer and seek greater intimacy with Allah, with His Apostle, with Ameerul Moomineen, with Fatima, with Hasan
وَ اِلَیْکَ بِمُوالاتِکَ وَ بِالْبَراَّئَةِ مِمَّنْ قاتَلَکَ وَ نَصَبَ لَکَ الْحَرْبَ وَ بِالْبَرائَةِ مِمَّنْ اَسَّسَ اَساسَ الظُّلْمِ وَ الْجَوْرِعَلَیْکُمْ
and with you, with the help of your love and patronage, cutting off every connection with those who took up arms against you and killed you disconnect all links with those who, in the beginning, took the first steps to take liberties with and bear hard upon you
وَ اَبْرَءُ اِلَی اللّهِ وَ اِلی رَسُولِهِ مِمَّنْ اَسَسَّ اَساسَ ذلِکَ وَ بَنی عَلَیْهِ بُنْیانَهُ وَ جَری فی ظُلْمِهِ وَ جَوْرِهِ عَلَیْکُمْ وَ علی اَشْیاعِکُمْ
I take refuge with Allah and His Apostle (blessings of Allah be on him and on his children), free from the guilt of associating with those who laid the foundation for (your suffering), devised and carried out their corrupt plan of action, boldly gave currency to reign of terror and cruelty to oppress you and your friends and followers
بَرِئْتُ اِلَی اللَّهِ وَ اِلَیْکُمْ مِنْهُمْ وَ اَتَقَرَّبُ اِلَی اللَّهِ ثُمَّ اِلَیْکُمْ بِمُوالاتِکُمْ وَ مُوالاةِ وَلِیِّکُمْ
I detach myself from them and present myself to Allah and to you, I (first) seek greater intimacy with Allah and then with you to win your love and patronage, and to make friends with your friends
وَ بِالْبَرآئَةِ مِنْ اَعْداَّئِکُمْ وَ النّاصِبینَ لَکُمُ الْحَرْبَ وَ بِالْبَرآئَةِ مِنْ اَشْیاعِهِمْ وَ اَتْباعِهِمْ
cut off all links with your enemies, and with those who planted the seeds of hostility against you, and reject and discard their associates, their followers and their friends
اِنّی سِلْمٌ لِمَنْ سالَمَکُمْ وَحَرْبٌ لِمَنْ حارَبَکُمْ وَ وَلِیُّ لِمَنْ والاکُمْ وَ عَدُوُّ لِمَنْ عاداکُمْ
I make peace with those who made their peace with you, I search out and confront those who waged war against you, I make friends with those who stood by you, I strive against those who came in conflict with you
فَاَسْئَلُ اللَّهَ الَّذی اَکْرَمَنی بِمَعْرِفَتِکُمْ وَمَعْرِفَةِ اَوْلِیاَّئِکُمْ وَ رَزَقَنِی الْبَراَّئَةَ مِنْ اَعْداَّئِکُمْ
therefore, I make a request to Allah to acquaint (me) with the awareness that perceives you and your friends, to set me free from the corrupting influence of your enemies
اَنْ یَجْعَلَنی مَعَکُمْ فِی الدُّنْیا وَالاْخِرَةِ وَاَنْ یُثَبِّتَ لی عِنْدَکُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ فِی الدُّنْیا وَ الاْخِرَةِ
to make me keep company with you in this world and in the Hereafter, stand firm beside you and follow your footsteps closely in this world and in the next world
وَ اَسْئَلُهُ اَنْ یُبَلِّغَنِی الْمَقامَ الْمَحْمُودَ لَکُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ
I beseech Him that he helps me to reach your highly praised station, given to you by Allah (to meet you),
وَ اَنْ یَرْزُقَنی طَلَبَ ثاری مَعَ اِمامٍ هُدیً ظاهِرٍ ناطِقٍ (بِالْحَقِّ) مِنْکُمْ
that He provides me the opportunity to fight for justice and fair play along with and under the leadership of the rightly guided guide (in your progeny) who surely will come and speak the truth.
وَ اَسْئَلُ اللَّهَ بِحَقِّکُمْ وَبِالشَّاْنِ الَّذی لَکُمْ عِنْدَهُ اَنْ یُعْطِیَنی بِمُصابی بِکُمْ اَفْضَلَ ما یُعْطی مُصاباً بِمُصیبَتِهِ مُصیبَةً ما اَعْظَمَها
I beseech Allah in the name of your right and the purpose He assigned to you, that He overwhelms me with grief in memory of your sorrows, more than the personal grief that torments any one who is in great agony,
وَ اَعْظَمَ رَزِیَّتَها فِی الاِْسْلامِ وَ فی جَمیعِ السَّمواتِ وَ الاَْرْضِ
sorrows which have no parallel and overshadow all calamities that took place in the history of Islam, for that matter, through out the whole universe.
اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنی فی مَقامی هذا مِمَّنْ تَنالُهُ مِنْکَ صَلَواتٌ وَ رَحْمَةٌ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ
O my Allah, in my on the spot situation, treat me like him (or her) who obtains from You (Your) blessings, mercy and forgiveness
اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَحْیایَ مَحْیا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ مَماتی مَماتَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
O my Allah, bring me to life again, after death, in the place Mohammad and his children are dwelling, and make me depart from this world like Mohammad and his children had left
اَللّهُمَّ اِنَّ هذا یَوْمٌ تَبرَّکَتْ بِهِ بَنُو اُمَیَّةَ وَ ابْنُ آکِلَةِ الَْآکبادِ اللَّعینُ ابْنُ اللَّعینِ عَلی لِسانِکَ وَ لِسانِ نَبِیِّکَ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ وَ آلِهِ
O my Allah this day is a day of rejoicing for the "Bani Umayyah", the herd of hardened criminals, the eternally damned and accursed group, a fact that had been made public by You and by Your Prophet (blessings of Allah be on him and on his children)
فی کُلِّ مَوْطِنٍ وَ مَوْقِفٍ وَقَفَ فیهِ نَبِیُّکَ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ وَ آلِهِ
who, in every place and at all occasions, drew attention of people to this truism
اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنْ اَباسُفْیانَ وَ مُعاوِیَةَ وَ یَزیدَ بْنَ مُعاوِیَةَ عَلَیْهِمْ مِنْکَ اللَّعْنَةُ اَبَدَ الاْبِدینَ
O my Allah condemn and damn Abu Sufyaan, Yazid son of Muwa'awiyah and let it be an everlasting curse upon them from You
(وَ هذا یَوْمٌ فَرِحَتْ بِهِ آلُ زِیادٍ وَ آلُ مَرْوانَ بِقَتْلِهِمُ الْحُسَیْنَ صَلَواتُ اللَّهِ عَلَیْهِ (ع
Today the descendants of Ziyaad and Marwan make merry, laugh and dance because on this day they killed Hussain (blessings of Allah be on him)
اَللّهُمَّ فَضاعِفْ عَلَیْهِمُ اللَّعْنَ مِنْکَ وَ الْعَذابَ الاَْلیمَ
O my Allah, therefore, double up the curse You bring upon them and also the punishment You decree for them
اَللّهُمَّ اِنّی اَتَقَرَّبُ اِلَیْکَ فی هذَا الْیَوْمِ وَ فی مَوْقِفی هذا وَ اَیّامِ حَیاتی بِالْبَراَّئَهِ مِنْهُمْ
O my Allah, I seek nearness to You today in this frame of mind, cutting off all links with them for the rest of my life
وَاللَّعْنَةِ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ بِالْمُوالاتِ لِنَبِیِّکَ وَ آلِ نَبِیِّکَ عَلَیْهِ وَ عَلَیْهِمُ اَلسَّلامُ
denouncing them because of my love for Your Prophet and his children, peace be on him and them
Then again say 100 times:
اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنْ اَوَّلَ ظالِمٍ ظَلَمَ حَقَّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آخِرَ تابِعٍ لَهُ عَلی ذلِکَ
O my Allah condemn and damn the first tyrant who unjustly and wrongfully usurped that which rightly belonged to Mohammad and the children of Mohammad, and bring curse upon those who, after him, followed in his footsteps.
اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْعِصابَةَ الَّتی (الَّذِینَ)جاهَدَتِ الْحُسَیْنَ وَ شایَعَتْ وَ بایَعَتْ وَ تابَعَتْ عَلی قَتْلِهِ اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنْهُمْ جَمیعاً
O my Allah condemn and damn those conspirators who vexed and harassed Hussain, showed eagerness, agreed mutually, and joined hands to kill him. O my Allah bring curse upon all of them
Then again say 100 times:
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یا اَباعَبْدِاللَّهِ وَ عَلَی الاَْرْواحِ الَّتی حَلَّتْ بِفِناَّئِکَ
Peace be on you, O Abu Abdullah, and on those souls who came to your camp to put themselves at your disposal
عَلَیْکَ مِنّی سَلامُ اللَّهِ ما بَقیتُ وَ بَقِیَ اللَّیْلُ وَ النَّهارُ
So far I am alive and the days and nights follow each other I invoke Allah to send blessings on you for ever and ever
وَ لاجَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ آخِرَ الْعَهْدِ مِنّی لِزِیارَتِکُمْ
May Allah not make my this pledge of close association, physical as well as spiritual, with you the last fulfillment
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَی الْحُسَیْنِ وَ عَلی عَلِیِّ بْنِ الْحُسَیْنِ
Peace be on Hussain, and on Ali son of Hussain,
وَ عَلی اَوْلادِ الْحُسَیْنِ وَ عَلی اَصْحابِ الْحُسَیْنِ
and on the children of Hussain, and on the friends of Hussain.
اَللّهُمَّ خُصَّ اَنْتَ اَوَّلَ ظالِمٍ بِاللَّعْنِ مِنّی وَ ابْدَاءْ بِهِ اَوَّلاً ثُمَّ الثَّانِیَ وَالثّالِثَ وَ الرّابِعَ
O my Allah, let the curse I call down on the head of the first tyrant stick like a leech; and stay put for ever on the first, then the second, the third and the fourth
اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنْ یَزیدَ خامِساً وَ الْعَنْ عُبَیْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ زِیادٍ وَ ابْنَ مَرْجانَةَ
O my Allah damn and call down evil on the fifth, Yazid son of Mua'awyah, and bring a curse upon Ubaydullah son of Ziyaad, ibna Marjanah
وَ عُمَرَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ وَ شِمْراً وَ آلَ اَبی سُفْیانَ وَ آلَ زِیادٍ وَ آلَ مَرْوانَ اِلی یَوْمِ الْقِیمَةِ
Umar son of Saad, and Shimr, and on the descendants of Abu Sufyaan, on the descendants of Ziyaad, on the descendants of Marwaan, till the Day of judgement
You may then prostrate yourself and say the following words meanwhile:
اَللّهُمَّ لَکَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدَ الشّاکِرینَ لَکَ عَلی مُصابِهِمْ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلی عَظیمِ رَزِیَّتی
O my Allah! (All) praise is for You (alone); praise of the "Ever-thankful to You", who glorify You whatever come to pass. (All) praise is for Allah for my deep-felt intense grief
اَللّهُمَّ الرْزُقْنی شَفاعَةَ الْحُسَیْنِ یَوْمَ الْوُرُودِ وَ ثَبِّتْ لی قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَکَ مَعَ الْحُسَیْنِ وَ اَصْحابِ الْحُسَیْنِ
O my Allah make available for me the recommendations of Hussain on the day I present myself before You, let me stand firm in safety before You on account of my sincere attachment with Hussain, along with him and his comrades
الَّذینَ بَذَلُوا مُهَجَهُمْ دُونَ الْحُسَیْنِ عَلَیْهِ السَّلامُ
who sacrificed everything they had (heart, mind, soul and life) for Hussain, peace be on him.
Authenticity
The main sources which has narrated Ziarat Ashura are Kamil al-ziarat by Ibn Qulawayh al-Qummi (d 369/980) and Misbah al-mutahajjid by al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460/1067). Misbah al-mutahajjid reposts Ziarat Ashura through this chain of transmission: Muhammad b. Isma'il b. Buzay' from Salih b. 'Aqaba from his father from Imam Baqir.
The contemporary venerated jurisconsult, Ayatullah Sayyid al-Shubayri al-Zanjani was asked about the authenticity of Ziarat Ashura and he responded saying:
بغض النظر عن التأييدات الغيبية الواردة بطرق معتبرة حول زيارة عاشوراء والتي برأسها دليل على اعتبار هذه الزيارة الشريفة، فإنَّ السند المذكور في مصباح المتهجد في ذيل هذه الزيارة سند صحيح.
Disregarding what has been narrated from reliable sources about its endorsement from the unseen realm (al-ta’yidat al-ghaybiyya), which in itself suffices as a proof of the authenticity of this sacred Ziarat, the chain of narration mentioned in Misbah al-Mutahajjid after this Ziarat is veracious.