✅ Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحِمْيَرِيِّ قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الْفَقِيهِ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَزُورُ قُبُورَ الْأَئِمَّةِ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَسْجُدَ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ أَمْ لَا وَ هَلْ يَجُوزُ لِمَنْ صَلَّى عِنْدَ قُبُورِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُومَ وَرَاءَ الْقَبْرِ وَ يَجْعَلَ الْقَبْرَ قِبْلَةً وَ يَقُومَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ وَ رِجْلَيْهِ وَ هَلْ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ الْقَبْرَ وَ يُصَلِّيَ وَ يَجْعَلَهُ خَلْفَهُ أَمْ لَا فَأَجَابَ وَ قَرَأْتُ التَّوْقِيعَ وَ مِنْهُ نَسَخْتُ أَمَّا السُّجُودُ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ فَلَا يَجُوزُ فِي نَافِلَةٍ وَ لَا فَرِيضَةٍ وَ لَا زِيَارَةٍ بَلْ يَضَعُ خَدَّهُ الْأَيْمَنَ عَلَى الْقَبْرِ وَ أَمَّا الصَّلَاةُ فَإِنَّهَا خَلْفَهُ يَجْعَلُهُ الْإِمَامَ وَ لَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُصَلِّيَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ لِأَنَّ الْإِمَامَ لَا يُتَقَدَّمُ وَ يُصَلِّي عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ شِمَالِهِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 2, p. 228

Humairi said: I wrote to the Jurist (peace be upon him) and asked about a person who visits the graves of the Imams (peace be upon them), is it permissible for him to prostrate on the grave or not? And is it permissible for a person who prays near their graves to stand behind the grave and make the grave his qibla and to stand near his head and near his feet? And is it permissible for him to precede the grave (stand in front of the grave) and pray and place the grave behind him or not? So the حضرت (Imam) replied and I read and copied the tawqi' (letter): As for prostrating on the grave, it is not permissible in either the supererogatory or obligatory prayer or the prayer of ziyarah, but he places his right cheek on the grave! And as for the prayer, it is behind him and he places him in front of him, and it is not permissible to pray in front of him because the Imam is not preceded, and one can pray on his right and left side!

📚 'Uyun Akhbar al-Reza (peace be upon him) Vol. 2, p. 17

Ibn Fadhal said: I saw Imam Reza (peace be upon him) who intended to bid farewell to go for Umrah, so after Maghrib, he came to the grave near the head of the Prophet and greeted the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and clung to the grave, and then he returned and came to the grave and stood for prayer and clung his left shoulder to the column near the grave and prayed 6 or 8 rak'ahs!

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat p. 122, Chapter 44

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in the hadith of visiting Imam Husayn (peace be upon him): The one who prays one prayer behind him and his intention is Allah Almighty, will meet Allah Almighty on the Day of their meeting, while a light from him is so great that it encompasses everything he sees!

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat p. 123

2 عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ قَالَ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُوَدِّعَ لِلْخُرُوجِ إِلَى الْعُمْرَةِ فَأَتَى الْقَبْرَ مِنْ مَوْضِعِ رَأْسِ النَّبِيِّ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَ لَزِقَ بِالْقَبْرِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ حَتَّى أَتَى الْقَبْرَ فَقَامَ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ يُصَلِّي فَأَلْزَقَ مَنْكِبَهُ الْأَيْسَرَ بِالْقَبْرِ قَرِيباً مِنَ الْأُسْطُوَانَةِ الْمُخَلَّفَةِ الَّتِي عِنْدَ رَأْسِ النَّبِيِّ فَصَلَّى سِتَّ رَكَعَاتٍ أَوْ ثَمَانَ رَكَعَاتٍ.

A man came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and said: O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Is your father visited? He said: Yes, and one prays near him, and he said: One prays behind him and does not precede him!

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 6, p. 79

3 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه فِي حَدِيثِ زِيَارَةِ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ: مَنْ صَلَّى خَلْفَهُ صَلَاةً وَاحِدَةً يُرِيدُ بِهَا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى لَقِيَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَوْمَ يَلْقَاهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ النُّورِ مَا يَغْشَى لَهُ كُلَّ شَيْ ءٍ يَرَاهُ

Harrani said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What will be for the person who visits the grave of Husayn (peace be upon him)? He said: The one who comes to him and visits him and prays two rak'ahs near him, one accepted Hajj will be written for him. So if he prays four rak'ahs, one Hajj and one Umrah will be written for him! I said: May I be your ransom! Is it also like this for everyone who visits the Imam whose obedience is obligatory? He said: It is like this for everyone who visits the Imam whose obedience is obligatory!

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 4, p. 578

4 عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ طَوِيلٍ قَالَ: أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ هَلْ يُزَارُ وَالِدُكَ- فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَ يُصَلَّى عِنْدَهُ وَ قَالَ يُصَلَّى خَلْفَهُ وَ لَا يُتَقَدَّمُ عَلَيْهِ.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When you finish greeting the martyrs, then go to the grave of Aba Abdillah (peace be upon him) and place it in front of you and pray as much as comes to your mind!

📚 Al-Tahdhib Vol. 6, p. 73

5 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَرَّانِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّه مَا لِمَنْ زَارَ قبر الْحُسَيْنَ قَالَ مَنْ أَتَاهُ وَ زَارَهُ وَ صَلَّى عِنْدَهُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَجَّةٌ مَبْرُورَةٌ فَإِنْ صَلَّى عِنْدَهُ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَجَّةٌ وَ عُمْرَةٌ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ وَ كَذَلِكَ لكُلُّ مَنْ زَارَ إِمَاماً مُفْتَرَضَةً طَاعَتُهُ قَالَ وَ كَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ زَارَ إِمَاماً مُفْتَرَضَةً طَاعَتُهُ.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said to a man: O so-and-so! What prevents you, when a need befalls you, from going to the grave of Husayn (peace be upon him) and praying four rak'ahs and then asking for your need? For indeed, the obligatory prayer near him is equivalent to a Hajj, and the supererogatory prayer near him is equivalent to an Umrah!

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat p. 245

Abu Yasa' said: A man asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and I was listening. He said: When I go to the grave of Husayn (peace be upon him), when I pray, should I make the grave my qibla? The Imam said: Move away and keep a distance to one side (of the grave) like this!

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat p. 245

6 عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّهِ قَالَ: إِذَا فَرَغْتَ مِنَ السَّلَامِ عَلَى الشُّهَدَاءِ فَائْتِ قَبْرَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَاجْعَلْهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ ثُمَّ تُصَلِّي مَا بَدَا لَكَ.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Pray near the head of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him)!

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat p. 223

7 عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ يَا فُلَانُ مَا يَمْنَعُكَ إِذَا عَرَضَتْ لَكَ حَاجَةٌ أَنْ تَأْتِيَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ فَتُصَلِّيَ عِنْدَهُ أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ ثُمَّ تَسْأَلَ حَاجَتَكَ فَإِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ عِنْدَهُ تَعْدِلُ حَجَّةً وَ الصَّلَاةَ النَّافِلَةَ عِنْدَهُ تَعْدِلُ عُمْرَةً.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith after mentioning the etiquette of ziyarah: Then you go to the grave and turn around from behind the grave towards the head of Husayn (peace be upon him) and pray two rak'ahs near the head of the حضرت (Imam) and in the first rak'ah, you recite al-Hamd and Surah Yasin, and in the second rak'ah, you recite al-Hamd and Surah al-Rahman. And if you wish, you can pray behind the grave, but near the head is more virtuous, and when you are finished, you can pray as much as you like, except that those two rak'ahs of the ziyarah prayer are unavoidable near any grave!

The Virtue of Ziyarah

8 عَنْ أَبِي الْيَسَعِ قَالَ: سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَ أَنَا أَسْمَعُ قَالَ إِذَا أَتَيْتُ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ أَجْعَلُهُ قِبْلَةً إِذَا صَلَّيْتُ قَالَ تَنَحَّ هَكَذَا نَاحِيَةً.

The Etiquette of Ziyarah

The Prayer of Ziyarah

9 عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ نَاجِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: صَلِّ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ

📚 Misbah al-Tusi p. 499

Safwan said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) for permission to visit my master Husayn (peace be upon him) and I asked him to tell me what to do... until he said: Then stand and pray two rak'ahs near the head, and in them, recite whatever you wish!

10 عَنِ الثُّمَالِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ : إِذَا أَرَدْتَ الْمَسِيرَ إِلَى قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ وَ سَاقَ الْآدَابَ وَ الزِّيَارَةَ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ تَأْتِي قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ ثُمَّ تَدُورُ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ إِلَى عِنْدِ رَأْسِ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ صَلِّ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ تَقْرَأُ فِي الْأُولَى الْحَمْدَ وَ يس وَ فِي الثَّانِيَةِ الْحَمْدَ وَ الرَّحْمَنَ وَ إِنْ شِئْتَ صَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَ الْقَبْرِ وَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ أَفْضَلُ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَصَلِّ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ إِلَّا أَنَّ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ رَكْعَتَيِ الزِّيَارَةِ لَا بُدَّ مِنْهُمَا عِنْدَ كُلِّ قَبْرٍ الْخَبَرَ

✅ According to many narrations, performing the obligatory prayer, the supererogatory prayer, and the ziyarah prayer near the graves of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) has a great virtue.

According to the above narrations and others, preceding the Imam's grave to pray is prohibited and not permissible.

What is specified in most narrations as the place of prayer near the Imam's grave is near the Imam's head, according to which the worshiper stands beside the head of the Imam (peace be upon him) in such a way that his left shoulder is next to the Imam's head and he performs his prayer.

Although praying behind the Imam's grave in such a way that the Imam's grave is made the qibla has been permitted in various narrations, it has also been prohibited in some narrations, such as narration 8️⃣ and some general narrations.

And in narration 🔟, along with the permission to pray behind the grave, praying near the Imam's head is considered more virtuous, and therefore, it is better to avoid making the grave the qibla and to use the area near the head or the left and right side of the grave for prayer without preceding the Imam. Insha'Allah.

1 1 عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قُضَاعَةَ بْنِ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ الْجَمَّالِ عَنْ أَبِیهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ قَالَ: اسْتَأْذَنْتُ الصَّادِقَ علیه السلام لِزِیَارَةِ مَوْلَایَ الْحُسَیْنِ علیه السلام وَ سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ یُعَرِّفَنِی مَا أَعْمَلُ عَلَیْهِ إلي ٱن قال

ثُمَّ قُمْ فَصَلِّ رَکْعَتَیْنِ عِنْدَ الرَّأْسِ اقْرَأْ فِیهِمَا مَا أَحْبَبْتَ

✅ Narration number 1️⃣, which Humairi narrated from the Jurist (who usually refers to Imam Askari, peace be upon him), Tabarsi narrated from the Imam of the Age (peace be upon him) in the book Al-Ihtijaj, and in it, it is forbidden to be equal to the Imam during prayer. However, although it is possible that these two narrations are multiple, but in any case, if we assume them to be one narration, the version in the book Tahdhib is more reliable. Moreover, the numerous narrations that command praying near the head, and narration 2️⃣ and others, are a type of contradiction to the hadith in the book Al-Ihtijaj, and in the position of preference, its knowledge is referred back to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and the multiple hadiths about praying near the head are acted upon. Insha'Allah.