On the Nobility of the Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Imam Reza
In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful
There are many traditions about the nobility of and the procedures for the pilgrimage to the shrine of our Master - leader of the people and the genies - Abul Hassan Ali ibn Musa al-Reza who is of the flesh and blood of the Master of the Mortals.
He (Reza) is buried in the land of loneliness. May God's blessings be upon him (who is the leader towards guidance), and blessings be upon his forefathers and his progeny. The nobility of pilgrimage to the shrine of that Blessed Leader is beyond measure. It will suffice to mention a few reliable traditions here about this nobility.
1- Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abdul Aziz ibn Yahya quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Zakariya, on the authority of Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Am'mareh, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ja'far ibn Muhammad, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his forefathers, on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) that God's Prophet (MGB) said:
“Soon one of my own flesh and blood will be buried in the land of Khorasan. Any believer who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine will be rewarded by God. Heaven will be guaranteed for him and his body will be secure from the Fire of Hell.”
2 - Ahmad ibn Zyad ibn Ja'far al-Hamezani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubayd, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Soleiman al-Misri, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Abi Hajar al-Aslami, on the authority of Qabisat, on the authority of Jabir ibn Yazid al-Joafi: “I heard the Trustee of the Trustees, the inheritor of the Prophets' knowledge - Aba Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB)
say: The Master of the Worshippers, Ali ibn al-Hussein
narrated that the Master of the Martyrs al-Hussein ibn Ali quoted the Master of the Trustees - the Commander of the Faithful - Ali ibn Abi Talib, on the authority of God's Prophet (MGB):“One of my own flesh and blood will be buried in Khorasan. God the High will surely remove the sorrows of any sorrowful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. God will surely forgive the sins of any sinful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine.
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3- Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Masroor -may God be pleased with him-narrated that al-Hussein ibn Muhammad ibn A'mir quoted on the authority of his uncle Abdullah ibn A'mir, on the authority of Soleiman ibn Hafs al-Marvazi who said that he heard Aba'l-Hasan Musa ibn Ja'far (MGB) say:“God the Most High will grant anyone who goes on pilgrimage to the shrine of my son Ali the reward of seventy accepted pilgrimages to the Ka'ba.”
He was asked:“The reward of seventy accepted pilgrimages to the Ka'ba?”
The Imam (MGB) said:“Yes. The reward of seventy-thousand pilgrimages to the Ka'ba!”
He replied:
“Yes. There are many occasions on which one's pilgrimage to the Ka'ba may not be accepted. When someone goes on pilgrimage to him
or spends one night next to him, it is as if he has gone on the pilgrimage to God the Most High at His Throne.”
He was asked: “The reward is like going on the pilgrimage to God at His Throne?” He replied:“Yes. When the Resurrection Day comes, there will be four of the previous and four of the latest leaders present at the Throne of the High God. Those of the previous leaders will be Noah (MGB), Abraham (MGB), Moses (MGB) and Jesus (MGB). And those of the latest leaders will be Muhammad (MGB), Ali (MGB), Hassan (MGB) and Hussein (MGB). Then a rope will be extended out from the base of the Throne and those who have gone on pilgrimage to the shrines of the Immaculate Imams will sit there along with us.”15 Indeed those who have gone on pilgrimage to the shrine of my son Ali will have the highest rank there and will receive the greatest rewards.”
4- Ahmad ibn al-Hassan al-Qatan, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Laythi, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Mokat'tib al-Taliqani and Muhammad ibn Bikran al-Naq'qash narrated that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa'eed al-Hamedani, the servant of the Hashimites, quoted on the authority of Ali ibn al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Faz'zal, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abil-Hassan Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (MGB):“There is a shrine in Khorasan where angels come and go. All the time, a group of angels will be landing there from the sky, and another group will be departing from there to go to the heavens. This will continue forever until the Trumpet is sounded.”
He was asked: “O son of the Prophet of God! Whose shrine is that?” He replied:
“It is located in the land of Toos. And by God it is a garden - one of the gardens of Heaven. Whoever visits me there in that shrine, it is as if he has visited God's Prophet (MGB). God the Most High will record for him the reward of one thousand accepted obligatory pilgrimages to the Ka'ba, and one thousand accepted 'Umrah (supererogatory) pilgrimages to the Ka'ba. Also my forefathers and I will intercede on his behalf on the Resurrection Day.”
5- Muhammad ibn al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid may God be pleased with him-narrated that Muhammad ibn al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr alBazanti according to which Abi Nasr narrated that he read a letter from Imam Reza (MGB) in which it was written:
“Let my followers know that God considers visiting my shrine to be like one thousand pilgrimages (to the Ka'ba).” Then he went to Imam Muhammad Taqi (MGB) and asked him about this issue. The Imam (MGB) said: “Yes. By God. There is the reward of one million pilgrimages to the Ka'ba for anyone who visits his shrine and recognizes his rightfulness.”
6- Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Imran alDaq'qaq, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sanani, Ali ibn Abdullah al-Var'raq and Hussein ibn Ibrahim ibn Husham al-Mokat'tib-may God be pleased with them-narrated that Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah al-Koofi alAsadi quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saleh al-Razi, on the authority of Himdan al-Divani that al-Reza (MGB) said:
“Whoever visits me in spite of the far distance to my tomb, I will come to save him on the Resurrection Day on three occasions until I liberate him from his terrors: when the Letters of Deeds are handed to his right and left hands, at the moment of his crossing the Bridge, and at the time when the Balance of Deeds is set up.”
7- Muhammad ibn Ali Majiloyeh-may God be pleased with him-narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdis-Salam ibn Saleh al-Heravi that he heard al-Reza (MGB) say:
“I shall be killed by poison as a victim of injustice and I will be buried next to Haroon. God will establish my grave as the place of visiting for my followers and those who love me. It will be incumbent upon me to visit on the Resurrection Day whoever visits me in my loneliness. By Him who honored Muhammad (MGB) with the Prophetic mission and chose him over all His creatures, whichever one of you who says two units of prayer next to my tomb will deserve to be forgiven by God the Honored the Exalted on the Day you meet Him. And by Him who honored us with the leadership mission after Muhammad (MGB) and made us especial by granting us the Testamentary Trustee mission, whoever visits my shrine will be of the noblest ones who reaches God on the Resurrection Day. God the Most High will prohibit the Fire from touching the corpse of any believer who visits me, hits himself on the face and sheds a tear,”
8- Ja'far ibn Ali ibn al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abdullah ibn al-Moqayrat al-Koofi-may God be pleased with him-narrated that his grandfather al-Hussein ibn Ali quoted on the authority of al-Hussein ibn Yusuf, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Aslam, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Soleiman:
“I asked Aba Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Reza (MGB) about a man who has gone to perform his obligatory pilgrimage and has then gone to perform his 'Umrah (supererogatory) pilgrimage, and God the Most High has granted him success in performing both his obligatory and his supererogatory 'Umrah pilgrimages. Then he has gone to Medina and has expressed his submission to Islam to the Prophet (MGB). Then he has gone to visit your forefather - the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) - knowing that he is rightfully the Proof of God for His creatures, and the gate from which we must go to Him”
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Then he has greeted him. Then he has gone to visit Aba Abdullah al-Hussein ibn Ali (MGB), and has greeted him. Then he has gone to Baghdad and greeted Abil Hassan Musa (MGB). Then he has gone back to his hometown. If once again God the Most High has granted him the opportunity to go on pilgrimage, pilgrimage to whom is better under these conditions? Should he who has already performed his Hajj pilgrimage go on pilgrimage to the Ka'ba, or should he turn towards Khorasan to greet and visit the shrine of your father Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (MGB).” He replied:“Yes. It is better for him to go towards Khorasan to greet my father (MGB). However, this should be done in the month of Rajab. It is not appropriate for him to do this now. Indeed if he does so, both you and I will be blamed by the ruler.”
9- Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Reza (MGB) said:“There is a piece of land taken from Heaven in between two mountains at Toos. Whoever enters it will be secure from the Fire on the Resurrection Day.”
10- He also said:“I guarantee Heaven on behalf of God the Honorable the Exalted to anyone who visits the shrine of my father at Toos.”
11- Abu Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Mo'azi al-Neishaboori narrated that Abul Hassan Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Ali al-Basri al-Mo'adil said:“One of the good-doers saw the Prophet of God (MGB) in his dream. He asked the Prophet (MGB): Prophet of God! Which of your offspring should I go to visit?”
The Prophet (MGB) said:“A few of my offspring who have been poisoned have come to me. Also a feel' of my offspring who have been murdered have come to me.”
Then he asked:“O Prophet of God! Given the great distances between their shrines (or locations), which one of them do you recommend me to go and visit?”
The Prophet (MGB) said:“Visit the one who is closest to you - that is whom you are near to - and is buried in the land of loneliness.”
Then he asked: “O Prophet of God! Do you mean al-Reza (MGB)?”
God's Prophet (MGB) said:“Say: 'God's blessings be upon him.' Say: 'God's blessings be upon hint' three times.”
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Author: Dr. Ali Peiravi
