In the ups and downs of life, we often encounter various topics, and we may pass by many of them without much thought. However, the truth is that treasures are not only buried beneath the earth and in the ruins of buildings. It is very possible that valuable treasures are hidden nearby, which can be uncovered with a little search and attention.
In Shi’a belief, Ziyarat (visitation) is a gem that is accessible but an unknown treasure. In the Shi’a culture, Ziyarat is not just a limited connection between the visitor and the Imam, but it also represents the purest moments of expressing love and devotion. These words are valuable treasures in themselves, and by reflecting upon them, one can unveil profound doctrinal insights, obscure historical details, and beneficial moral teachings.
One of these Ziyarat, narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), which may not have received much attention, is the Ziyarat of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) on the day of Ghadir, taught to us by Imam Hadi (peace be upon him). This detailed Ziyarat, which was transmitted by Sheikh Mufid, depicts the life of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) from his time in Mecca to the important battles in Medina, from the event of Ghadir to the incident of the usurpation of Fadak, from his caliphate to his martyrdom, and so on. Throughout it, the Ziyarat aligns historical events with related Quranic verses and reveals the moral virtues of the Commander of the Faithful.
On the day of Ghadir, in the year when the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu’tasim summoned him, Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) visited Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) with the following words:
“… Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Believers, you believed in God while the people were polytheists, and you affirmed the truth while they denied it. You strived in the way of God while they fled, and with a pure faith, you worshiped God with patience and endurance until your death came.
I bear witness that you were always opposed to your desires, a companion of piety, and able to restrain your anger, forgiving and overlooking the mistakes of others. However, when God’s command was disobeyed, you became angry, and when the commands of God were obeyed, you were pleased and adhered to the covenant that God had made with you.
Peace be upon you, O Commander of the Believers! You were the first to believe in God, to pray for Him, and to strive in His cause. You were the first to rise against polytheism and a land full of misguidance, when Satan was openly obeyed. And you are the one who said, ‘The large number of people around me never adds to my honor, and their dispersion never causes me fear. If all people forsake me, I will never be distressed.’…
How many things did your piety prevent you from doing, while others followed their desires in them? Thus, the ignorant people thought that you were incapable of doing them. By God, anyone who thinks this has lost their way and has not found it.
And when you lay down on the bed (of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)), you resembled Ishmael (peace be upon him), when he replied as he did and showed patience and obedience as he did. When Abraham (peace be upon him) said to him: ‘My son! I saw in a dream that I am sacrificing you, what do you think?’ He replied, ‘O my father, do what you have been commanded; you will find me, God willing, among the patient [1].’ And similarly, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded you to lie on his bed and protect him with your life, you immediately obeyed his command, putting your life in danger. So, God appreciated your obedience and manifested your beautiful action with His words: ‘Some people sacrifice their lives for the pleasure of God…'[2]
I bear witness that God answered the prayer of His Prophet regarding you and then commanded him to announce the position He had granted you, to elevate your status.
Then the Lord of the worlds revealed: ‘O Prophet! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not delivered His message. And God will protect you from the people’ [3]. He bore the difficulty of the journey, and in the scorching midday heat, He rose and loudly spoke, announcing the matter to the people.[3]
Then He asked all the people: ‘Did I convey the message of my Lord?’ They replied: ‘Yes, by God, you have.’ He then said, ‘O God, bear witness.’ He then asked: ‘Am I not more worthy of the believers than they are of themselves?’ The people responded: ‘Yes.’ He raised your hand and said: ‘Whoever I am his master, this Ali is his master. O God, be the protector of whoever takes Ali as their protector, and be the enemy of whoever is an enemy to Ali, and be the supporter of whoever supports him, and leave whoever abandons him.’
Except for a few, the people did not believe in what God had revealed about you to His Prophet, and thus, they gained no benefit from their actions. And despite their displeasure, God revealed the following verse about you: ‘O you who have believed, whoever of you reverts from his religion — Allah will bring forth a people whom He will love and who will love Him; humble toward the believers, mighty toward the disbelievers. They will strive in the way of Allah and will not fear the blame of any blamer. This is the grace of Allah which He gives to whom He wills, and Allah is Munificent, All-Knowing’ [4].
O God, keep away from Your mercy those who usurped the rights of Your friend and denied his covenant, and despite their certainty (in his truth) and acknowledgment of his Wilayah (leadership) on the Day of Completion of the Religion (the Day of Ghadir), they denied him.’
Indeed, this valuable Ziyarat is one of the precious legacies left for us by Imam Hadi (peace be upon him). Let us make this year’s Ghadir an occasion to visit the heart with the beautiful words of Imam al-Tenth, making the heart of our being the shrine of the Commander of the Believers (peace be upon him).
(Excerpted from the book Mafatih al-Jinan, written by Thiqat al-Islam Shaykh Abbas Qummi (may God have mercy on him) [with edits and additions])
Footnotes:
[1] Surah As-Saffat, verse 102
[2] Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 207
[3] Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 67
[4] Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 54
[5] The translation of the Ziyarat in Persian has been made with an effort to retain the original phrasing while maintaining the essence and clarity in the language.