Visiting the Shrine of the Holy Prophet (saw)
The method of visiting the shrine of the Holy Prophet (s) is as follows:When you arrive in the holy city of al-Madinah, you may bathe yourself, preparing yourself for the ziyarah. When you intend to enter The Holy Prophet’s Mosque, you should stop at the door of the mosque and say the FIRST form of asking permission for entering there (which has been mentioned in the previous chapter). You may enter from the Gate of Archangel Gabriel (Bab Jibra’il) preceding the right foot to the left.
You may then repeat one hundred times:
اَللَّهُ اكْبَر
Allahu Akbar
God is the Greatest
You may then offer the two unit prayer of Greeting the Mosque (tahiyyat al-masjid). After that, you may walk to the holy chamber that includes the tomb of the Holy Prophet. There, you may touch it with your hand, kiss it, and say the following:
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
bismillahir rahmanir raheem.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ
as-salamu `alayka ya rasula allahi
Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا نَبِیَّ اللّٰهِ
as-salamu `alayka ya nabiyya allahi
Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ
as-salamu `alayka ya muhammadu bna `abdillahi
Peace be upon you, O Muhammad the son of `Abdullah.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا خَاتَمَ النَّبِیِّیْنَ
as-salamu `alayka ya khatama alnnabiyyina
Peace be upon you, O Seal of the Prophets.
اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ الرِّسَالَۃَ
ashhadu annaka qad ballaghta alrrisalata
I bear witness that you conveyed the Mission,
وَ اَقَمْتَ الصَّلٰوۃَ
wa aqamta alssalata
performed the prayers,
وَ آتَیْتَ الزَّكٰوۃَ
wa atayta alzzakata
gave alms,
وَ اَمَرْتَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ
wa amarta bilma`rufi
enjoined the right,
وَ نَهَیْتَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ
wa nahayta `an almunkari
forbade the wrong,
وَ عَبَدْتَ اللّٰهَ مُخْلِصًا حَتّٰی اَتٰیكَ الْیَقِیْنُ
wa `abadta allaha mukhlisan hatta ataka alyaqinu
and served Almighty Allah sincerely until death came upon you.
فَصَلَوٰتُ اللّٰهِ عَلَیْكَ وَ رَحْمَتُهٗ
fasalawatu allahi `alayka wa rahmatuhu
Blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you
وَ عَلٰی اَھْلِ بَیْتِكَ الطَّاهِرِیْنَ
wa `ala ahli baytika alttahirina
and upon your Household, the Immaculate.
You may then stand near the fore pillar on the right hand side of the tomb with the minbar to your right, facing the kiblah, and this is where the Holy Prophet’s head rests. You may then say the following:
اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَحْدَهٗ لَا شَرِیْكَ لَهٗ
ashhadu an la ilaha illa allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu
I bear witness that there is no god save Allah, One and Only and having no associate,
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَ رَسُوْلُهٗ
wa ashhadu anna muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ
wa ashhadu annaka rasulu allahi
I bear witness that you are the messenger of Allah
وَ اَنَّكَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ
wa annaka muhammadu bnu `abdillahi
and you are Muhammad the son of `Abdullah.
وَ اَشْهَدُ اَنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّكَ
wa ashhadu annaka qad ballaghta risalati rabbika
I bear witness that you have conveyed the messages of your Lord,
وَ نَصَحْتَ لِاُمَّتِكَ
wa nasahta li'ummatika
offered your people good advice,
وَ جَاهَدْتَ فِیْ سَبِیْلِ اللّٰهِ
wa jahadta fi sabili allahi
striven hard in the way of Allah,
وَ عَبَدْتَ اللّٰهَ حَتّٰی اَتٰیكَ الْیَقِیْنُ
wa `abadta allaha hatta ataka alyaqinu
worshipped Allah -until death came upon you-
بِالْحِكْمَۃِ وَ الْمَوْعِظَۃِ الْحَسَنَۃِ
bilhikmati walmaw`izati alhasanati
with wisdom and fair exhortation,
وَ اَدَّیْتَ الَّذِیْ عَلَیْكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ
wa addayta alladhi `alayka min alhaqqi
fulfilled the duty that was incumbent upon you,
وَ اَنَّكَ قَدْ رَؤُفْتَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ
wa annaka qad ra'ufta bilmu'minina
acted compassionately to the believers,
وَ غَلُظْتَ عَلَی الْكَافِرِیْنَ
wa ghaluzta `ala alkafirina
and been firm of heart against the unbelievers.
فَبَلَّغَ اللّٰهُ بِكَ اَفْضَلَ شَرَفِ مَحَلِّ الْمُكَرَّمِیْنَ
faballgha allahu bika afdala sharafi mahalli almukarramina
Therefore, Almighty Allah has exalted you to the most honorable position of the ennobled ones.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِیْ اسْتَنْقَذَنَا بِكَ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ وَ الضَّلَالَۃِ
alhamdu lillahi alladhi istanqadhana bika min alshshirki walddalalati
All praise be to Allah Who has saved us, through you, from polytheism and error.
اَللّٰهُمَّ فَاجْعَلْ صَلَوَاتِكَ وَ صَلَوَاتِ مَلَآئِكَتِكَ الْمُقَرَّبِیْنَ
allahumma faj`al salawatika wa salawati mala'ikatika almuqarrabina
O Allah, (please do) pour Your blessings and the blessings of Your Archangels,
وَ اَنْبِیَآئِكَ الْمُرْسَلِیْنَ
wa anbiya'ika almursalina
Your commissioned Prophets,
وَ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِیْنَ
wa `ibadika alssalihina
Your righteous servants,
وَ اَھْلِ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَ الْاَرَضِیْنَ
wa ahli alssamawati wal-aradina
the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth,
وَ مَنْ سَبَّحَ لَكَ یَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ
wa man sabbaha laka ya rabba al`alamina
and all those who glorified You, O Lord of the Worlds,
مِنَ الْاَوَّلِیْنَ وَ الْاٰخِرِیْنَ
min al-awwalina wal-akhirina
from the past and the coming generations,
عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رَسُوْلِكَ
`ala muhammadin `abdika wa rasulika
on Muhammad—Your servant, Your Messenger,
عَلٰی مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رَسُوْلِكَ
wa nabiyyika wa aminika
Your Prophet, Your Trustee,
وَ نَجِیِّكَ وَ حَبِیْبِكَ
wa najiyyika wa habibika
Your Confidant, Your Most Beloved,
وَ صَفِیِّكَ وَ خَاصَّتِكَ
wa safiyyika wa khassatika
Your Choice, Your Select,
وَ صَفْوَتِكَ وَ خِیَرَتِكَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ
wa safwatika wa khiyaratika min khalqika
Your elite, and the best of Your creation.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اَعْطِهِ الدَّرَجَۃَ الرَّفِیْعَۃَ
allahumma a`tihi alddarajata alrrafi`ata
O Allah, (please do) confer upon him with the Elevated Rank,
وَ اٰتِهِ الْوَسِیْلَۃَ مِنَ الْجَنَّۃِ
wa atihi alwasilata min aljannati
grant him the right of intercession for entering Paradise,
وَ ابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُوْدًا یَّغْبِطُهٗ بِهِ الْاَوَّلُوْنَ وَ الْاٰخِرُوْنَ
wab`athhu maqaman mahmudan yaghbituhu bihi al-awwaluna wal-akhiruna
and raise him to a Position of Glory that all the past and the coming generations will wish to have.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّكَ قُلْتَ
allahumma innaka qulta
O Allah, You have said,
وَ لَوْ اَنَّهُمْ اِذْ ظَلَمُوْا اَنْفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوْا اللّٰهَ
walaw annahum idh zalamu anfusahum ja'uka fastaghfaru allaha
“And had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah
وَ اسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُوْلُ
wastaghfara lahum alrrasulu
and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them,
لَوَجَدُوْا اللّٰهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِیْمًا
lawajadu allaha tawwaban rahiman
they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.”
وَ اِنِّیْ اَتَیْتُكَ مُسْتَغْفِرًا تَآئِبًا مِنْ ذُنُوْبِیْ
wa inni ataytuka mustaghfiran ta'iban min dhunubi
Here I am, before you, asking Allah’s forgiveness, repenting from my sins,
وَ اِنِّیْ اَتَوَجَّهُ بِكَ اِلَی اللّٰهِ رَبِّیْ وَ رَبِّكَ لِیَغْفِرَ لِیْ ذُنُوْبِیْ۔
wa inni atawajjahu bika ila allahi rabbi wa rabbika liyaghfira li dhunubi
and seeking your intercession for me before Almighty Allah—your and my Lord—that He may forgive my sins.
If you have a certain request to pray Almighty Allah for granting it, you may stand before the holy tomb and make it between your shoulders, face the direction of kiblah, raise your hands, and pray for the settlement of your need, for it is predictable that your need will be settled, Allah willing.Ibn Qawlawayh, through a considerable chain of authority, has reported Muhammad ibn Mas`ud as saying that he, once, saw Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (‘a) coming near the tomb of the Holy Prophet(s), putting his hand on it, and saying these words:
اسْالُ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي ٱجْتَبَاكَ وَٱخْتَارَكَ
as'alu allaha alladhi ijtabaka wakhtaraka
I pray Allah -Who has chosen you, selected you,
وَهَدَاكَ وَهَدَىٰ بِكَ
wa hadaka wa hada bika
guided you, and guided (others) through you-
انْ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْكَ
an yusalliya `alayka
to bless You.The Imam (‘a) then recited this holy verse:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَىٰ ٱلنَّبِيِّ
inna allaha wa mala'ikatahu yusalluna `ala alnnabiyyi
“Surely, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet;
يَا ايُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوٱ صَلُّوٱ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوٱ تَسْلِيماً
ya ayyuha alladhina amanu sallu `alayhi wa sallumu tasliman
O you who believe! Call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation.”
In Misbah al-Mutahajjid, Shaykh al-Tusi says: When you finish praying near the tomb (of the Holy Prophet), you may come to the minbar,([1]) pass your hand over it, hold the two lower pommels, and then rub your face and eyes, for this brings about eye healing. You may then offer prayers there, praise and thank Almighty Allah, and ask for the settlement of your needs. In this respect, the Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said, “The area between my tomb and my minbar is one of the gardens of Paradise. My minbar is situated at one of the gates of Paradise.” You may then come near the standing-place of the Holy Prophet (maqam al-nabi) and offer as many prayers as possible therein. You may also offer as many prayers as possible in the Holy Prophet’s Mosque, for the reward of one prayer herein is equal to the reward of one thousand prayers (offered at other places). Whenever you enter or leave the Mosque, you may invoke Almighty Allah’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet. You may also offer prayers at the House of Lady Fatimah (‘a). You may also visit the standing-place of Archangel Gabriel (maqam jibra’il), which lies under the waterspout. At this very place, Archangel Gabriel used to stay after he would ask permission of the Holy Prophet (s). At this place, you may say the following:
اسْالُكَ ايْ جَوَادُ
as'aluka ay jawadu
I beseech You, O All-magnanimous,
ايْ كَرِيمُ
ay karimu
O All-generous,
ايْ قَرِيبُ
ay qaribu
O Nigh,
ايْ بَعِيدُ
ay ba`idu
O Remote,
انْ تَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ نِعْمَتَكَ
an tarudda `alayya ni`mataka
to renew Your boons to me.