Visitation prayers

Ziyarat

The tradition of ziyarat — sending salutations upon the Imams — is a living connection across time. Whether you stand at their shrines or turn toward them in your home, the heart reaches.

Addressed to

Ziyarat Ashura

زِيَارَةُ عَاشُورَاء

Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (a)

When: Any time — especially on the 10th of Muḥarram (Ashura), Mondays, and Thursdays. It may be recited from afar facing the direction of Karbala.
Source: Narrated by Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir (a) to Alqama ibn Muḥammad al-Ḥaḍramī — Kāmil al-Ziyārāt (Ibn Qūlawayh); Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid (Shaykh al-Ṭūsī); Mafātīḥ al-Jinān (Shaykh ʿAbbās al-Qummī)
Merit: Imam al-Bāqir (a) said: 'Whoever recites this ziyarat and then prays two units of prayer and invokes blessings on the Prophet and his family, Allah will record for him the reward of a thousand accepted pilgrimages (hajj) and a thousand accepted visitations (ziyarat).'

Creates a weekly recurring reminder on Mondays and Thursdays.

Opening Salutation

اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
وَابْنَ سَيِّدِ الْوَصِيِّينَ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ابْنَ فَاطِمَةَ
سَيِّدَةِ نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا ثَارَ اللهِ وَابْنَ ثَارِهِ
وَالْوِتْرَ الْمَوْتُورَ

Peace be upon you, O Aba ʿAbd Allah.

Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful,

and son of the Master of the Legatees.

Peace be upon you, O son of Fatima,

Mistress of the women of the worlds.

Peace be upon you, O blood of Allah and son of His blood,

and the unvanquished, whose blood was taken unjustly.

Continue with the full salutations upon the companions and family of Imam Ḥusayn (a), as given in Mafātīḥ al-Jinān.

Dissociation

فَلَعَنَ اللهُ أُمَّةً أَسَّسَتْ أَسَاسَ الظُّلْمِ وَالْجَوْرِ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ
وَلَعَنَ اللهُ أُمَّةً دَفَعَتْكُمْ عَنْ مَقَامِكُمْ وَأَزَالَتْكُمْ عَنْ مَرَاتِبِكُمُ الَّتِي رَتَّبَكُمُ اللهُ فِيهَا

So may Allah's accountability fall upon the nation that laid the foundation of oppression and injustice against you, O Ahl al-Bayt,

and may Allah's accountability fall upon those who drove you away from your station and removed you from the rank Allah had placed you in.

The full text of the dissociation section is in Mafātīḥ al-Jinān. It expresses rejection of injustice — not personal hatred, but a theological stance on right and wrong.

Invocation of Accountability (×100)

×100

اَللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنْ أَوَّلَ ظَالِمٍ
ظَلَمَ حَقَّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَآخِرَ تَابِعٍ لَهُ عَلَى ذٰلِكَ
اَللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنِ الْعِصَابَةَ الَّتِي
جَاهَدَتِ الْحُسَيْنَ وَشَايَعَتْ
وَبَايَعَتْ وَتَابَعَتْ عَلَى قَتْلِهِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ الْعَنْهُمْ جَمِيعاً

O Allah, hold accountable the first who wronged

the right of Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad,

and the last who followed him in that.

O Allah, hold accountable the faction that

fought al-Ḥusayn and incited, pledged allegiance,

and followed in his killing.

O Allah, hold them all accountable.

Recite this 100 times. The invocation of accountability (laʿn) is a prayer asking Allah to judge the wrongdoers — an affirmation of justice, not personal animosity.

Salawat on the Prophet and His Family (×100)

×100

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

O Allah, send blessings upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad.

Recite this 100 times.

Closing Statement

يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ مَعَكُمْ
فَأَفُوزَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً

Would that I had been with you,

so that I might have attained a great triumph.

Du'a of Alqama (after the Ziyarat)

After completing the ziyarat, pray two units of prayer. Then recite the supplication taught by Imam al-Bāqir (a) to Alqama — it is a personal petition for intercession, the acceptance of the ziyarat, and nearness to Allah and His Messenger. The full text is in Mafātīḥ al-Jinān under Ziyarat Ashura.

This du'a is sometimes called Duʿāʾ ʿAlqama. It is an integral part of the complete practice of Ziyarat Ashura.

Addressed to

Ziyarat Arba'een

زِيَارَةُ الأَرْبَعِين

Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (a)

When: 20th of Ṣafar (Arba'een — the 40th day after Ashura). Also recited at any time.
Source: Narrated from Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (a) — Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid (Shaykh al-Ṭūsī); Mafātīḥ al-Jinān
Merit: Imam al-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī (a) is reported in some narrations to have included visiting the grave of Imam Ḥusayn (a) on Arba'een as one of the signs of the believer.

Ziyarat Arba'een

اَلسَّلامُ عَلَى وَلِيِّ اللهِ وَحَبِيبِهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَى خَلِيلِ اللهِ وَنَجِيبِهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَى صَفِيِّ اللهِ وَابْنِ صَفِيِّهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَى الْحُسَيْنِ الْمَظْلُومِ الشَّهِيدِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَى أَسِيرِ الْكُرُبَاتِ
وَقَتِيلِ الْعَبَرَاتِ
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ وَلِيُّكَ وَابْنُ وَلِيِّكَ
وَصَفِيُّكَ وَابْنُ صَفِيِّكَ
الْفَائِزُ بِكَرَامَتِكَ
أَكْرَمْتَهُ بِالشَّهَادَةِ
وَحَبَوْتَهُ بِالسَّعَادَةِ
وَاجْتَبَيْتَهُ بِطِيبِ الْوِلادَةِ
وَجَعَلْتَهُ سَيِّداً مِنَ السَّادَةِ
وَقَائِداً مِنَ الْقَادَةِ
وَذَائِداً مِنَ الذَّادَةِ
وَأَعْطَيْتَهُ مَوَارِيثَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ
وَجَعَلْتَهُ حُجَّةً عَلَى خَلْقِكَ
مِنَ الأَوْصِيَاءِ
فَأَعْذَرَ فِي الدُّعَاءِ
وَمَنَحَ النُّصْحَ
وَبَذَلَ مُهْجَتَهُ فِيكَ
لِيَسْتَنْقِذَ عِبَادَكَ مِنَ الْجَهَالَةِ
وَحَيْرَةِ الضَّلالَةِ
وَقَدِ اسْتَوْجَبَ مِنْ آمَنَ بِهِ
وَأَعَانَ أَوِ ابْتَهَلَ إِلَيْكَ بِشَفَاعَتِهِ
يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنِّي بِكَ مُؤْمِنٌ وَبِإِيَابِكَ مُوقِنٌ
بِشَرَائِعِ دِينِي وَخَوَاتِيمِ عَمَلِي
وَقَلْبِي لِقَلْبِكَ سِلْمٌ
وَأَمْرِي لأَمْرِكَ مُتَّبِعٌ
وَنُصْرَتِي لَكَ مُعَدَّةٌ
حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ اللهُ لَكُمْ
فَمَعَكُمْ مَعَكُمْ لا مَعَ عَدُوِّكُمْ
صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَلَى أَرْوَاحِكُمْ
وَعَلَى أَجْسَادِكُمْ وَعَلَى شَاهِدِكُمْ
وَعَلَى غَائِبِكُمْ وَعَلَى ظَاهِرِكُمْ
وَعَلَى بَاطِنِكُمْ

Peace be upon the friend of Allah and His beloved.

Peace be upon the intimate of Allah and His elect.

Peace be upon the chosen of Allah and son of His chosen.

Peace be upon al-Ḥusayn — the wronged, the martyr.

Peace be upon the captive of sorrows

and the slain by tears.

O Allah, I bear witness that he is Your friend, son of Your friend,

Your chosen one, son of Your chosen one,

the one who attained Your honour.

You honoured him with martyrdom,

gifted him with felicity,

chose him through the purity of his lineage,

made him a master among masters,

a leader among leaders,

a defender among defenders.

You gave him the inheritances of the prophets

and made him a proof over Your creation

among the legatees.

He fulfilled his duty in calling,

gave sincere counsel,

and poured out his life for You

to rescue Your servants from ignorance

and the confusion of misguidance.

Those who believe in him

and sought Your aid through his intercession

have earned it on the Day of Resurrection.

I bear witness that I believe in you and am certain of your return,

by the laws of my religion and the seal of my deeds.

My heart is at peace with your heart,

my affair follows your affair,

my support for you is ready

until Allah gives you permission.

So I am with you, with you — not with your enemy.

May Allah's blessings be upon you, upon your souls,

upon your bodies, upon those present among you,

upon those absent, upon the manifest,

and upon the hidden.

Addressed to

Ziyarat Waritha

زِيَارَةُ وَارِثٍ

Imam al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (a)

When: Any time — traditionally recited on Mondays and Thursdays, and at the start of visitation to Karbala.
Source: Mafātīḥ al-Jinān (Shaykh ʿAbbās al-Qummī); attributed in the tradition of Ziyarat literature
Merit: One of the Ziyarat of Imam Ḥusayn (a) that traces his spiritual lineage through the prophets — from Adam to Ibrāhīm to Muḥammad (a) — affirming that the path of the Imam is the path of all the prophets.

Opening

اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ آدَمَ صَفِيِّ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ نُوحٍ نَبِيِّ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ مُوسَى كَلِيمِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ عِيسَى رُوحِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ مُحَمَّدٍ حَبِيبِ اللهِ
اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَارِثَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلِيِّ اللهِ

Peace be upon you, O heir of Adam, the chosen of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of Nūḥ, the prophet of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of Ibrāhīm, the intimate of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of Mūsā, the one who spoke with Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of ʿĪsā, the spirit of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of Muḥammad, the beloved of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O heir of the Commander of the Faithful, the friend of Allah.

Continue with the full text in Mafātīḥ al-Jinān — the Ziyarat continues with salutation upon Imam Ḥusayn (a) himself and a testimony of faith.

Sources & inspiration

All Ziyarat texts drawn from the primary Shia devotional tradition.

Ziyarat Ashura — Kāmil al-Ziyārāt (Ibn Qūlawayh, d. 368 AH); Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid (Shaykh al-Ṭūsī); Mafātīḥ al-Jinān (Shaykh al-Qummī).
Ziyarat Arba'een — Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid (Shaykh al-Ṭūsī); Mafātīḥ al-Jinān.
Ziyarat Waritha — Mafātīḥ al-Jinān.
For the complete texts with full Arabic, refer to Mafātīḥ al-Jinān — available at shiaonlinelibrary.com and duas.org.
The laʿn (invocation of accountability) in Ziyarat Ashura is a theological stance — not a curse on individuals but a prayer that Allah judge the perpetrators of injustice justly.