RecommendationForVisitationBath

✅Answer: Consider the following narrations:

1 يُوسُف الْكُنَاسِيِّ عن أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: إِذَا أَتَيْتَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ فَأْتِ الْفُرَاتَ وَ اغْتَسِلْ

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p.572

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When you intend to visit the grave of Hussein (peace be upon him), go to the Euphrates River and perform the ritual bath (Ghusl).

2 سُلَیْمَان بْنُ عِیسَی عَنْ أَبِیهِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ علیه السلام کَیْفَ أَزُورُکَ إِذَا لَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَی ذَلِکَ قَالَ قَالَ لِی یَا عِیسَی إِذَا لَمْ تَقْدِرْ عَلَی الْمَجِیءِ فَإِذَا کَانَ یَوْمُ الْجُمُعَةِ فَاغْتَسِلْ أَوْ تَوَضَّأْ وَ اصْعَدْ إِلَی سَطْحِکَ وَ صَلِّ رَکْعَتَیْنِ وَ تَوَجَّهْ نَحْوِی فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ زَارَنِی فِی حَیَاتِی فَقَدْ زَارَنِی فِی مَمَاتِی وَ مَنْ زَارَنِی فِی مَمَاتِی فَقَدْ زَارَنِی فی حَیَاتِی

📚Kamil al-Ziyarat, p.287

Isa said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): When I am unable to visit you, what should I do? The Imam replied: O Isa! If you are unable to come, then on Friday, perform Ghusl or ablution, go up to the rooftop, pray two units, and face me, for whoever visits me during my lifetime has indeed visited me at my death, and whoever visits me at my death has indeed visited me during my lifetime!

3 الْعَلَاء بْنِ سيابة عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ قَالَ الْغُسْلُ عِنْدَ لِقَاءِ كُلِّ إِمَامٍ

📚Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p.110

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), regarding the words of Allah Almighty (in Surah Al-A'raf, Ayah 31) 'Take off your adornments at every mosque', said: (This refers to) performing Ghusl when visiting each Imam!

4 صفوان الْجَمَّال عَنِ الصَّادِقِ فِي حَدِيثٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ كَيْفَ نَزُورُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ يَا صَفْوَانُ إِذَا أَرَدْتَ ذَلِكَ فَاغْتَسِلْ وَ الْبَسْ ثَوْبَيْكَ طَاهِرَيْنِ غَسِيلَيْنِ أَوْ جَدِيدَيْنِ وَ نَلْ شَيْئاً مِنَ الطِّيبِ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَنَلْ أَجْزَأَكَ فَإِذَا خَرَجْتَ مِنْ مَنْزِلِكَ فَقُلْ وَ ذَكَرَ الزِّيَارَةَ بِطُولِهَا

📚Farhat al-Ghurba, p.91

Safwan said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): How should we visit the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him)? He said: O Safwan! When you intend to do so, perform Ghusl, wear two clean or new garments, apply some perfume, and if you do not have perfume, it is sufficient for you… until the end of the narration.

5 يوسف الْكُنَاسِي عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قال: إِذَا أَتَيْتَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ فَأْتِ الْفُرَاتَ وَ اغْتَسِلْ بِحِيَالِ قَبْرِهِ وَ تَوَجَّهْ إِلَيْهِ وَ عَلَيْكَ السَّكِينَةَ وَ الْوَقَارَ حَتَّى تَدْخُلَ الْقَبْرَ مِنَ الْجَانِبِ الشَّرْقِيِّ وَ قُلْ...

📚Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p.572

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When you reach the grave of Hussein (peace be upon him), go to the Euphrates and perform Ghusl facing his grave, and approach with calmness and dignity so that you enter the grave from the eastern side…

6 عن جعفر بن محمد أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ الزَّائِرِ لِقَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ فَقَالَ مَنِ اغْتَسَلَ فِي الْفُرَاتِ ثُمَّ مَشَى إِلَى قَبْرِ الْحُسَيْنِ كَانَ لَهُ بِكُلِّ قَدَمٍ يَرْفَعُهَا وَ يَضَعُهَا حَجَّةٌ مُتَقَبَّلَةٌ بِمَنَاسِكِهَا

📚Tahdhib, Vol. 6, p.53

It was asked of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the visitor of Hussein's grave (peace be upon him); he said: Whoever performs Ghusl in the Euphrates and then walks toward the grave of Hussein, for every step taken, a Hajj accepted with its rituals will be recorded for him!

7 عن أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قال: مَنِ اغْتَسَلَ بمَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ و زَارَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ كَانَ كَيَوْمَ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ صِفْراً مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ و لَوِ اقْتَرَفَهَا كَبَائِرَ وَ كَانُوا يُحِبُّونَ إِذَا زَارَ الرَّجُلُ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ اغْتَسَلَ فَإِذَا وَدَّعَ لَمْ يَغْتَسِلْ و مَسَحَ يَدَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ إِذَا وَدَّعَ

📚Kamil al-Ziyarat, p.184

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whoever performs Ghusl with Euphrates water and visits the grave of Hussein (peace be upon him) will be purified from sins as on the day his mother gave birth to him, even if he committed major sins. The Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) preferred that when a person visits the grave of Hussein (peace be upon him), he performs Ghusl, and when he departs, he does not perform Ghusl but wipes his hands on his face!

8 عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أبِي عَبْداللَّهِ فِي حَدِيثٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لَهُ هَلْ يُزَارُ وَالِدُكَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ فَقَالَ مَا لِمَنِ اغْتَسَلَ فِي الْفُرَاتِ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ قَالَ إِذَا اغْتَسَلَ مِنْ مَاءِ الْفُرَاتِ وَ هُوَ يُرِيدُهُ تَسَاقَطَتْ عَنْهُ خَطَايَاهُ كَيَوْمَ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ

📚Kamil al-Ziyarat, p.185

A man asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): Is your father visitable? He said: Yes. He asked: What about the one who performs Ghusl in the Euphrates and comes to him? He said: When he performs Ghusl with Euphrates water and intends him, his sins will fall away as on the day he was born!

9 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَسْكَرِيِّ قَالَ: مَنْ خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ يُرِيدُ زِيَارَةَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ فَصَارَ إِلَى الْفُرَاتِ فَاغْتَسَلَ مِنْهُ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُفْلِحِينَ فَإِذَا سَلَّمَ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ كُتِبَ مِنَ الْفَائِزِينَ فَإِذَا فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ أَتَاهُ مَلَكٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يُقْرِئُكَ السَّلَامَ وَ يَقُولُ لَكَ أَمَّا ذُنُوبُكَ فَقَدْ غُفِرَتْ لَكَ فَاسْتَأْنِفِ الْعَمَلَ

📚Kamil al-Ziyarat, p.18

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) said: Whoever leaves home intending to visit Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), reaches the Euphrates, and performs Ghusl, Allah will record him among the successful ones. When he greets Aba Abdillah al-Hussein (peace be upon him), he is recorded among the successful, and when he finishes the visitation prayer, an angel comes to him and says: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) greets you and says: Know that your sins have been forgiven; start anew!

10 عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِذَا كُنْتَ مِنْهُ قَرِيباً يَعْنِي الْحُسَيْنَ فَإِنْ أَصَبْتَ غُسْلًا فَاغْتَسِلْ وَ إِلَّا فَتَوَضَّأْ ثُمَّ ائْتِهِ.

📚Kamil al-Ziyarat, p.188

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: If you are near Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), if water for Ghusl is available, perform it; otherwise, perform ablution and then visit him!

1 1 عَنِ الصَّقْرِ بْنِ دُلَفَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ سَيِّدِي عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الرِّضَا يَقُولُ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ حَاجَةٌ فَلْيَزُرْ قَبْرَ جَدِّيَ الرِّضَا بِطُوسَ وَ هُوَ عَلَى غُسْلٍ وَ لْيُصَلِّ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ لْيَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى حَاجَتَهُ فِي قُنُوتِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ مَا لَمْ يَسْأَلْ في مَأْثَم أَوْ قَطِيعَةَ رَحِمٍ إِنَّ مَوْضِعَ قَبْرِهِ لَبُقْعَةٌ مِنْ بِقَاعِ الْجَنَّةِ لَا يَزُورُهَا مُؤْمِنٌ إِلَّا أَعْتَقَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنَ النَّارِ وَ أَحَلَهُ دَارَ الْقَرَار

📚Uyoon Akhbar al-Ridha, Vol. 2, p.262

Saqar said: I heard my master Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) say: Whoever has a need with Allah should visit the grave of my grandfather Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha in Tus while in Ghusl, pray two units near his head, and ask for his need in Qunut; it will be granted as long as he does not request sin or sever ties of kinship. Indeed, his grave is a portion of Paradise; no believer visits it except that Allah frees him from Hell and places him in a home!

✅In dozens of narrations, some of which are cited above, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) recommended performing Ghusl for visiting the Infallible Imams and mentioned various rewards for it. Although permission to omit it is mentioned in some narrations, according to various reports, including narration 7 , the Ahl al-Bayt preferred that a person perform Ghusl for visitation. This is so clear from the narrations that further explanation is unnecessary.

✅However, unfortunately, someone wrote the following in a book intended for their followers:

“Issue 634 – Jurists have narrated many recommended Ghusls, among which are these baths:

“The seventh case is”:

7 – Ghusl for visiting the Infallible Imams, whether from afar or nearby.

✅Then, to complete the astonishment, they say:

“The recommendation for these baths is not established, and whoever wants to perform it must have the intention of hope (Rajaa).”!!!

✅We do not know how many narrations must be cited in various Shi’a sources for the master (Ahl al-Bayt) to at least consider the visitation Ghusl recommended and established! Moreover, performing acts with the intention of Rajaa is a term not used in the jurisprudence of Ahl al-Bayt; it is an innovation introduced by later jurists.