Reward of Ziyarat of Imam Rida (A.S.)

This Imam-e-Gareebul Guraba is our eighth Imam. Accordingly below published are eight ahadis to encourage the faithful to undertake his Ziyarat. These Ahadis have been taken from the Farsi book –Tohfatur Razviyyah:

1. Janaab Shaikh Tusi in "Tehzeeb-ul-Ahkaam" and Janaab Saduq in "Oyun-ul-Akhbaar-e-Rida (A.S.)" have narrated that Imam Moosa Kazim (A.S.) said: Whoever will perform the Ziyarat of my son Ali will get the Sawaab of Seventy Haj from Allah Taala! The narrator inquired: Seventy Haj? He said "Yes" rather Seventy Thousand Haj. There are Haj Pilgrimages that are not accepted by Allah but the Haj mentioned by me are those that are accepted. Thereafter he said: Whomsoever performs the Ziyarat of my son and stays there overnight will be like the one who makes the Ziyarat of Allah on arsh. Becoming more astonished ,the narrator asked: Oh Hadrat: How is it possible to make a Ziyarat of Allah on arsh? He replied "On Qiyaamat Allah Taala will call four great men from the former and four from the latter on his Arsh; The former Four will be:
1. Hadrat Nooh
2. Hadrat Ebrahim
3. Hadrat Moosa and
4. Hadrat Isa,

Whereas the latter four will be:
1. Hadrat Mohammed (peace be upon him and his household)
2. Hadrat Ali (A.S.)
3. Hadrat Hasan (A.S.) and
4. Hadrat Husain (A.S).

May peace and mercy of Allah be upon all of them. A dining cloth will be spread for their feast and eatables will be put thereon. The aimma-e-Tahereen (rest of the Imams) as well as their Zawwars will also be invited there (All of them will have a feast). This is the Ziyarat of Allah. The highest in rank of all the Zawwars will be the Zawwars of Imam Rida (A.S) and they will be deserving the best of rewards.

2. It is proved by these traditions that the sawaab (reward) of Ziyarat of Imam Rida (A.S.) is more than any other Ziyarat. Specially the sawaab of Imam Hussein’s (A.S.) Ziyarat is very great. About it there is a separate book "NAJAATUL KHAFEKAYAN FI ZIYARATIL HUSAIN" which contains about 300 ahaadees regarding the sawaab of Ziyarat. The details regarding the time and date etc. are also mentioned therein to such an extent that some ulemaas consider this Ziyarat Waajib (compulsory).Yet I did not find any tradition that shows any Ziyarat, Sawaab of which is like sawaab of Imam Rida (A.S.)’s. Many wise people wonder how much esteem Hadrat has before God that his zawaar’s sins will be forgiven even if they are more than all men and Jinns.(ALLAHUMMA SALLE ALAA MOHAMMED VA AALE MOHAMMED)

3. Hadrat Rasool-e-Khuda has said: Shortly one of my limbs will be buried in Khorasaan’s soil, so if any grief-stricken performs his Ziyarat Allah will relieve his grief and also forgive all his sins.

4. Hadrat Ameerul Moameneen said: one of my progeny will be martyred through persecution and poisoning on the earth of the Khorasaan. He will have my name. His father’s name will be the same as Imran’s son Moosa. Be it known that those who will go so far and perform his Ziyarat, Allah will forgive his sins gone by and those to come – be they as many in number as the stars and raindrops and the tree leaves.

5. Hadrat Imam-e-Jaafer-e-Saadiq (A.S.) said: A piece of my liver will be killed and buried at "toos" in the district of Khoraasaan. So if anyone becomes aware of his position and performs his Ziyarat will attain salvation even if he had indulged in big sins (Gunaahe Kabeerah), I will on the day of Judgement hold his hand and lead him to the heaven. Some one asked "How to attain the awareness of his position?" He replied: Know with certainty of faith that he is such an Imam whose obedience is Waajib and who was martyred while away from home.

6. The same Hadrat has said: Whoever even realises the maarefat of that Hadrat and Performs his Ziyarat, will earn from Allah Almighty the sawaab that was bestowed upon seventy persons while fighting the holy war along with God’s Prophet (peace be upon him and his household).

7. Hadrat Imam Rida (A.S) said: In my lifetime there will be a man who will kill me with poison and bury me far from my native place. So whoever will come for my Ziyarat from his far off native land, will earn from Allah Almighty the reward equal to the reward of 1,00,000 martyrs and 1,00,000 siddeeqs and 1,00,000 Haj and he will enter our group and will get admission to the high Heavenly status and be our companion in Jannat (Paradise)

8. The same Hadrat said: The area of my grave is one of the Heavenly land, so whosoever will perform my Ziyarat will get the reward of making a Ziyarat of God’s Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) and he will earn the reward of performing 1,00,000 accepted Umrahs and 1,00,000 accepted Haj and my forefathers will make recommendations for his salvation (shafaat) on the day of Judgement (Qiyaamat).