Humans are inherently social beings who naturally bond with others and form social relationships. Therefore, the act of visiting others with affection and kindness is rooted in human nature, and pilgrimage (ziyarah) actually fulfills one of the inherent needs of humans. This innate need continues even after the death of a beloved person, although it may diminish in intensity. Because of this inherent need, visiting relatives, loved ones, and the graves of friends and family members is common among people of various cultures and nations worldwide.
Since Islam is a natural religion, it places special importance on the matter of pilgrimage. As such, Islamic hadiths provide valuable guidance on the topic of pilgrimage. Accordingly, visiting relatives, believers, scholars, divine saints, and especially the family of the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him), during their lifetimes and after their deaths, is encouraged.
Visiting the believers is so impactful on both personal and social development that in some narrations, it is considered equivalent to visiting God Himself or the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). For instance, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever goes to visit his believing brother not out of a need, but to see him, is counted as visiting God, and it is upon God to honor the visitor”[1].
From the Islamic perspective, even after death, humans have an intermediate (barzakh) life. Therefore, visiting the deceased is not about seeing decayed and lifeless bodies but rather visiting spirits that continue to live in the barzakh realm. These spirits feel joy when visited. The greatest disciple of the Prophet, Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (peace be upon him), said in a narration about the effects and blessings of visiting the deceased: “Visit your dead, for they are happy to see you. A person should ask for his needs near the graves of his parents and after praying for them, ask from God”[2].
Since the connection with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his pure family plays the greatest role in human happiness and success in both this world and the Hereafter, visiting them in both life and death is especially emphasized. It is narrated that Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) asked his grandfather, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “O my father! What reward will a person get for visiting you?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “My son, whoever visits me, or my father, or my brother, or you, living or dead, it is upon me to meet him on the Day of Judgment and to intercede for him to save him from his sins”[3].
It is also narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: “Whoever visits us after our death, it is as though they have visited us while we were alive”[4].
The pilgrimage of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) has many outward and inward etiquettes, one of which is the recitation of ziyarat texts, where the pilgrim recites certain phrases directed to a member of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). These texts primarily contain meanings aimed at deepening the knowledge and recognition of the person being visited and establishing a spiritual connection with them. Thus, the ziyarat texts that have been transmitted from the infallibles truly deepen human understanding of the divine saints.
In this regard, one of Imam Hadi’s (peace be upon him) companions asked him to teach him a ziyarat text. He presented his request to the Imam in this way: “O son of the Prophet of God! Teach me a complete and eloquent expression that I may recite during the ziyarat of each of you.” Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) responded to the request of this person, named Musa ibn Abdullah al-Nakhai, by composing the famous Ziyarat al-Jaami’ah al-Kabeerah.
It seems that the aim of Imam Hadi’s (peace be upon him) cultural efforts was to turn the pilgrimage sites of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) into centers for Muslims to become familiar with pure Islam and the status of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in Islam. This noble effort was made in response to the plots of the enemies of the Alawites, who sought to erase these strongholds among the people, and to counter the deception of those who spread exaggerated views about the Imams, leading to the separation of the Muslim community from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). Thus, a collection of valuable and instructive ziyarat texts from this great Imam has been preserved, the most famous and authoritative of which is the Ziyarat al-Jaami’ah al-Kabeerah.
This ziyarat text is, in fact, one of the most complete sources on the knowledge of the Imams, clearly defining the boundaries of Tawhid, Prophethood, and Imamate, explaining them in a way that is free from any exaggeration, and outlining the true and rightful status of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
(Source: Tafseer al-Qur’an al-Natiq, authored by Hujjat al-Islam Reza Shari, with summarization and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] Al-Rasa’il of Shahid al-Thani, p. 331 – Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 77, p. 192
[2] Al-Khisaal, p. 618, Hadith 10
[3] Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 548, Hadith 4
[4] Al-Mazar by Al-Mufid, p. 201, Hadith 3
[5] Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 2, p. 609 – Tahdhib al-Ahkam, Vol. 6, p. 95, Hadith 1