Visiting the Shrine / Ziarat of the Holy Prophet (saws )

The method of visiting the shrine of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hh) 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 Jibrail) preceding the right foot to the left. You may then repeat the following phrase one hundred times:

Allah is the Most Great

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:

Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O Prophet of Allah.

Peace be upon you, O Mohammad the son of `Abdullah.

Peace be upon you, O Seal of the Prophets.

I bear witness that you conveyed the Mission,

performed the prayers,

gave alms,

enjoined the right,

forbade the wrong,

and served Almighty Allah sincerely until death came upon you.

Blessings and mercy of Allah be upon you

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:

I bear witness that there is no god save Allah, One and Only and having no associate,

and I bear witness that Mohammad is His servant and Messenger.

I bear witness that you are the messenger of Allah

and you are Mohammad the son of `Abdullah.

I bear witness that you have conveyed the messages of your Lord,

offered your people good advice,

striven hard in the way of Allah,

worshipped Allah -until death came upon you-

with wisdom and fair exhortation,

fulfilled the duty that was incumbent upon you,

acted compassionately to the believers,

and been firm of heart against the unbelievers.

Therefore, Almighty Allah has exalted you to the most honorable position of the ennobled ones.

All praise be to Allah Who has saved us, through you, from polytheism and error.

O Allah, (please do) pour Your blessings and the blessings of Your Archangels,

Your commissioned Prophets,

Your righteous servants,

the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth,

and all those who glorified You, O Lord of the Worlds,

from the past and the coming generations,

on Mohammad—Your servant, Your Messenger,

Your Prophet, Your Trustee,

Your Confidant, Your Most Beloved,

Your Choice, Your Select,

Your elite, and the best of Your creation.

O Allah, (please do) confer upon him with the Elevated Rank,

grant him the right of intercession for entering Paradise,

and raise him to a Position of Glory that all the past and the coming generations will wish to
have.

O Allah, You have said,

“And had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah

and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them,

they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful.”

Here I am, before you, asking Allah’s forgiveness, repenting from my sins,

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 Mohammad ibn Mas`£d as saying that he, once, saw Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s.) coming near the tomb of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hh), putting his hand on it, and saying these words:

I pray Allah -Who has chosen you, selected you,

guided you, and guided (others) through you- to bless You.

The Imam (a.s.) then recited this holy verse:

“Surely, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet;

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 (pbuh&hh) 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.s.). 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 (pbuh&hh). At this place, you may say the following:

I beseech You, O All-magnanimous,

O All-generous,

O Nigh,

O Remote,

to renew Your boons to me.

1- A minbar (pulpit) is a set of steps found in mosques.