SAFWAN'S DISCOURSE ON THE MERIT OF ZIYARAH OF ASHURA
Sayf ibn ‘Umayrah has reported that he said to Safwan, “‘Alqamah ibn Muhammad has not reported this supplication to us from Imam al-Baqir (‘a). He has only reported the ziyarah form.”
Answering him, Safwan said:
I once accompanied my master al-Sadiq, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, to this very place. He did as same as we have just done as regarding the method of ziyarah and then, after offering a prayer similar to the one we have just offered and bidding the visited Imam farewell as same as we have done, he said this very supplication.
Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), Safwan added, said to me, “Observe this form of ziyarah and this supplication and use them whenever you visit (the Imam). Surely, I guarantee on behalf of Almighty Allah for any one who says this form of ziyarah and this supplication while visiting the holy tomb or being at a distant place that his visit will be accepted, his efforts will be praiseworthy, his greetings will reach the Imams and will never be screened from them, all his requests will be granted by Almighty Allah whatever they will be, and he will never be disappointed. O Safwan, the Imam (‘a) added, I have received this very guarantee for those who use this form of ziyarah when visiting the holy tombs from my father who received it from his father ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn (‘a) who received it from his father al-Husayn (‘a) who received it from his brother al-Hasan (‘a) who received it from his father the Commander of the Faithful who received it from the Messenger of Allah who received it from Archangel Gabriel who received it from Almighty Allah, Who undertook for any one who would visit Imam al-Husayn (‘a) with this form of ziyarah and say this very supplication from the holy shrine or from a distant place that He (i.e. Almighty Allah) Himself should accept his visitation, grant him his requests whatever they would be, and respond to his prayers. Moreover, the visitor should never leave with disappointment; rather, Almighty Allah should make him leave with pleasure and delight of his eye due to settling of his needs, winning Paradise, being manumitted from Hellfire, and being granted the right to intercede for whomever he wishes except those who openly incur the animosity of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a). Almighty Allah, as was maintained by Archangel Gabriel, undertook this pledge and called the angels to witness for it after the angels of His Kingdom had witnessed the same. O Allah’s Messenger, Archangel Gabriel added, Almighty Allah has sent me to carry this pleasant and good tidings to you as well as to ‘Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, the Imams from your descendants, and your adherents (i.e. Shi’ah) up to the Resurrection Day. Up to the Resurrection Day, you as well as ‘Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, and your adherents shall be pleased.
Imam al-Sadiq, Safwan added, then said to me: O Safwan, whenever you have an impenetrable problem that cannot be solved except by Almighty Allah, you must then visit (Imam al-Husayn) with this form of ziyarah, wherever you would be, and follow it with this supplication. You may then beseech your Lord to grant you your request and the response shall soon come from Almighty Allah Who never fails in His promise to His Messenger; out of His magnanimity and favoring. All praise be then to Allah.