Ziarat Ashura
This is the first Ziarat of Ashura and the better known ziarat which is recited. This ziarat can be recited from any place regardless if it is near or far. Sheikh Abu Jafar Toosi cites its explanation in his book “Misbah al Mutahajjidis”. The following is his explanation:
Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Bazzi narrates from Salih ibn Uqbah who narrates from his father who narrates Imam Muhammad Baqir (asws) said, “He who makes ziarat to the shrine of Imam Hussain (asws) on the 10th of Muharram and becomes tearful beside of His shrine, will meet Allah on the Day of Judgement having the reward of 1000 hajj, 1000 umrah, and 1000 jihads, the reward is like the one who has performed these in the company of RasoolAllah (saw)”.
The narrator said to Imam (asws), “May my life be sacrificed on You! What about he who lives in cities far away from Karbala and as a result he cannot go to the shrine of Imam (asws) on this day?”
The Imam (asws) said, “In this case, he should go to the desert, or go up on the roof of his house. He should turn towards the direction of the shrine of Imam (asws), bid salutation to Him, and insist on calling down curses from Heaven upon the killers of Imam Hussain (asws). After that he should perform 2 rakats of prayer. This should be done from the beginning of the day until noon. After that he should weep and mourn for Imam Hussain (asws) and he should ask those of his house to weep for the Imam (asws) also. He should hold majalis in his house for the Imam (asws) with wailing and weeping. The people should express condolences towards each other for being bereaved of the Imam (asws). If one does so, I will guarantee before Allah all the rewards mentioned to be offered to him.”
The narrator said, “May my life be sacrificed for You! Will You surely guarantee all these rewards?”
Imam Baqir (asws) said, “Yes, I will guarantee them for the one who observes this practice.”
The narrator asked, “How can they console one another?”
Imam (asws) replied, “They should say, “May Allah magnify our rewards because of our bereavement for Hussain (asws) and make you and us of those who will take His revenge in the company of His Wali (Imam Mahdi atfs) who is from the Progeny of RasoolAllah (saw).”
You had better not leave your home for anything on this day if possible because that is an unfavorable day when the believer’s requests will not be fulfilled. If it were fulfilled, it would not be blessed for him and he will gain no benefit by it.
Never buy and store foodstuff for your home on that day. For whoever stores something on that day will not benefit by the stored thing at all. It will not be blessed for his family who are the ones he had stored it for.
Upon performing this practice, Allah will write for them the reward of 1000 hajj, 1000 umrah, and 1000 jihad all of which were like the one who performed them in the company of RasoolAllah (saw). He will also be offered the reward of the bereaved of any prophet, messenger, successor, trustworthy, or martyr.”
Salih ibn Uqbah and Saif ibn Umayrah narrate from Alqamah ibn Muhammad Hadrami who narrates that he (Alqamah) asked Imam Muhammad Baqir (asws), “Teach me a dua to recite on this day when I make ziarat near to the shrine of Imam Hussain (asws) and teach me a dua to recite when I want to make ziarat to Him from faraway cities and from my home.”
The Imam (asws) said, “O Alqamah! Face the direction of the shrine of Imam Hussain (asws), send salam to Him and while still facing the direction of His shrine recite Takbir (Allahu Akbar) and recite this ziarat. Then perform 2 rakats of prayer. Verily, if you recite this ziarat, you will have recited the same dua which the angels who perform His ziarat recite and Allah will elevate you by one million degrees. You will be raised like he who has achieved martyrdom in the company of Imam Hussain (asws) and will be counted amongst those who were martyred along with Imam Hussain (asws). The rewards of ziarat of all of the prophets will be written for you. The rewards of anyone who has performed ziarat to the shrine of Imam Hussain (asws) from the time of His martyrdom will be written for you.”
The following is the ziarat:
Peace be on you, O Aba Abdullah! Peace be on you, O son of RasoolAllah (saw)!
Peace be on you, O the select, surpassing, chosen in preference over all goodness of Allah, and son of Allah’s (such) goodness.
Peace be on you, O Son of Ameerul Momineen (asws), and Son of the Master of the successors!
Peace be on you, O son of Fatima (sa), Syedatul Nisa al Alameen!
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!
Peace be on you and on those souls who accompanied You in Your journey. On You be from me the salam of Allah, for as long as the nights and days follow each other
O Abaa AbduIlah (asws)! unbearable is the sorrow, overwhelming is the agony, You endured for us and for all of Ahlul Islam (people of Islam),
All of the inhabitants of the heavens were shocked and upset over the crimes committed against You,
May Allah curse the people who laid the foundations of the tyrannay and oppression that was committed against You and Ahlul Bayt (asws).
May Allah curse the people who tried to hide and deny Your station and prestige and who deprived You of Your rank which Allah bestowed upon You.
May Allah curse the people who killed You. May Allah curse those who had any part in your murder.
I turn to you and Allah, away from them, their henchmen, their followers and their friends,
O Abaa Abdullah (asws), 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 Judgement.
May Allah curse the family of Ziyaad (la) and the family of Marwaan (la); may Allah curse Bani Ummayyah (la) one and all; may Allah curse ibn Marjanah (la);
may Allah curse Umar (la) bin Saad (la); may Allah curse Shimr (la);
may Allah curse the people who bridled the horses, saddled them and set off to fight You. May my mother and father be sacrificed upon You.
Profound is my sorrow for You. I beg Allah, who honoured You above others, and honored me that he blesses me to avenge Your blood,
and give me the opportunity to be with the victorious Imam (atfs) who is from the descendants of Muhammad (blessings and peace be on Him and on His Progeny from Allah) at the time of the final and decisive war against Allah’s enemies.
O my Allah make me respected before You through Hussain (asws), in this world and the hereafter.
O Abaa Abdullah (asws), I seek nearness of Allah, of His Messenger (saw), of Ameerul Momineen (asws), of Fatimah (sa), of Hasan (asws) and of You (asws) through the help of my love for You and patronage, cutting off every connection with those who took up arms against You and martyred You. I disassociate myself completely from those who took the first steps towards the oppression and injustices that were committed against You,
I take refuge with Allah and His Messenger (saw) free from the guilt of associating with those who laid the foundation for Your suffering, those who devised and carried out their corrupt plan of action,
Who boldly committed injustices and oppressed You and Your Shia; I disassociate myself from them and present myself before Allah and You,
I seek nearness of Allah and then of You to gain Your love and protection, and to make friends with Your friends,
And disassociate completely with Your enemies, and with those who planted the seeds of hostility against You, and I reject and discard their associates, their followers and their friends
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, therefore, I ask Allah to associate me with that which will allow me to gain the marifat of You and Your Auwliya (friends), and to set me free from the corrupting influence of Your enemies, to place me in Your company, in this world and in the Hereafter, and to stand firm beside You and follow Your footsteps closely in this world and in the next world.
I beseech Him to tell me of Your highly praised station, which was given to You by Allah, that He provides me the opportunity to fight for justice alongwith and under the leadership of the rightly guided Imam (atfs )who is from Your Progeny who surely will come and speak the truth. I beseech Allah for the sake 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,
What great sorrows You experienced! How great was Your tragedy for Islam and in all of the heavens and the earths
O my Allah, make me at this moment like one who receives from You blessings, mercy and forgiveness.
O my Allah, make me live my life like Muhammad (saw) wa Aal e Muhammad (asws) and make my departure from this world be like that of Muhammad (saw) wa Aal e Muhammad (asws)
O my Allah this day is a day of rejoicing for the Bani Umayyah (la) and also for the son of the liver eater,
The accursed son of the one who was accursed by You and Your Prophet (saw) at every occasion and in every location which Your Prophet (saw) stood,
O my Allah curse Abu Sufyaan (la), Mu-a’awiyah (la) bin Abu Sufyan (la), Yazid (la) bin Muwa’awiyah (la) with an everlasting curse upon them from Thee.
Today is the day when the family of Ziyaad (la) and Marwan (la) are happy and rejoice because on this day they murdered Hussain (asws) (peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him)
O my Allah, therefore, increase the curse on them from You and also the punishment which You have decreed for them.
O my Allah, I seek nearness to You on this day and in this position, for the rest of my life,
Through my disassociating myself from them (enemies of Hussain asws) because of my love for Your Prophet (saw) and His Progeny, peace be on Him and Them.
Then repeat the following one hundred times:
O my Allah curse the first tyrant who oppressed the right of Muhammad (saw) and the Progeny of Muhammad (asws), and bring curse upon those who came after him in this oppression.
O my Allah curse those who fought Hussain (asws), and those who eagerly followed and showed support to kill Him (Hussain asws). O my Allah bring curse upon all of them.
Then repeat the following one hundred times:
Peace be on you, O Abaa Abdullah (asws), and on those souls who were martyred with You on that day.
On You be the salam of Allah from me for as long as I am alive and as long as the night and day remain and for all of eternity.
May Allah not make this ziarat the last ziarat I perform of You.
Peace be on Hussain (asws), and on Ali (asws) son of Hussain (asws), and on the Offspring (asws) of Hussain (asws) , and on the companions of Hussain (asws)
Then say:
O my Allah, specify the first tyrant with my exclusive curse; and being cursing with it the first, then the second, the third and the fourth.
O my Allah curse be on the fifth, Yazid (la) and bring a curse upon Ubaydullah (la) bin Ziyaad (la), ibn Marjanah (la), And Umar (la )bin Saad (la), and Shimr (la), and on the family of Abu Sufyaan (la), on the family of Ziyaad (la), on the family of Marwaan (la), till the Day of Judgement.
Then observe sajda (prostration) and say:
O my Allah!All praise is for Thee alone; the praise of those who are grateful to You during afflictions. All praise is for Allah for my intense grief.
O my Allah grant me the intercession of Hussain (asws) on the day I present myself before Thee, let me stand firm in safety before Thee on account of my sincere devotion to Hussain (asws) and the companions of Hussain (asws), those who sacrificed their lives without regret in the way of Hussain (asws)
Dua Alqamah to be recited after Ziarat Ashura