Ziyarat 

Masjid al-Aqsa, built near the spot from whence legend holds Muhammad is to have ascended to the heavens; Jerusalem

Ziyārah (Arabic: زيارة‎) (Commonly referred to as, "Ziyārat" ; meaning: "Visit") is a pilgrimage to sites associated with Muhammad, his family members and descendants (including the Shī‘ah Imāms), his companions, or other venerated figures in Islām, such as the Prophets, Sufi saints and Islāmic scholars. Sites of pilgrimage include mosques, graves, battlefields, mountains, and caves. Some Muslims believe that if they cannot do the Hajj (the mandatory pilgrimage), a Ziyarat to a celebrated shrine can substitute for the Hajjcitation needed.

Ziyārat can also refer to a form of supplication made by the Shī‘ah, in which they send salutations and greetings to Muhammad and his family1.

Contents

Etymology & Usage

"Ziyarat" comes from the Arabic word "zur" meaning "to visit". The word is actually pronounced "ziyarah" with an 'h' at the end, but as Arabic is not the first language of most Muslims, the word is commonly pronounced "ziyarat" rather than "ziyarah". It can also be transliterated from Arabic as "ziarah".

Iranian and south-Asian Muslims use the word ziyarat for both, the Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah, as well as for pilgrimages to other sites.

Pilgrimage sites

Different Muslim-majority countries, speaking different languages, use different words for these sites.

Sufi places of worship and retreat may be built near the graves of famous Sufi saints; they are often called khanqahs or tekkes.

Sites by country

Afghanistan

The historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif

Algeria

Bangladesh

China (People's Republic of)

India

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The Ziyarat sites in India are owned and maintained by the waqf Boards of the respective states in which they are located.

The dargah of Khwaja Nizamuddin Awliya, Delhi.

The dargah of Salim Chisti, through the Buland Darwaza.

The dargah and mosque of Haji Ali

Indonesia

Iran

Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists several hundred "ziyarat-gah" or places of pilgrimage in which a sage, Sufi, Imamzadeh, or Imam were buried in Iran. Some of the more popular ones include:

Imam Ridha Mosque, the biggest and holiest shrine of Iran which is visited by 12 to 15 million pilgrims every year.

Hazrat Fatimah al-Ma'sūmah Mosque, one of Iran's holiest places. The shrine complex includes dozens of seminaries and religious schools.

The shrine of Shah-Abdol-Azim is in the city of Rayy. The mausoleum of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Imam Reza's brother, and that of Imamzadeh Tahir, son of Imam Sajjad, are adjacent to this holy shrine.

Inside Imamzadeh Saleh in Tehran

Shazdeh Hosein shrine, Qazvin

Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Mahshahr-Hendijan, Khuzestan.

Shrine of Sheikh Shebeli, Damavand.

Sheikh Safi's tomb, Ardabil.

Iraq

Six of twelve, Twelver Shī‘ah Imāms are buried in Iraq:

Imām `Alī Mosque
Tomb of:
*`Alī ibn Abī Tālib
(First Shī‘ah Imām)
*Adam (Shī‘ah belief)
*Noah (Shī‘ah belief)
( Najaf )

Imām Husayn Mosque
Tomb of:
*Husayn ibn ‘Alī
(Third, Twelver Imām)
*‘Ali Akbar ibn Husayn
*‘Ali Asghar ibn Husayn
*Habīb ibn Madhāhir
*All the martyrs of Karbalā
*Ibrāhīm ibn Mūsā al-Kādhim
( Karbalā )

Al ‘Abbās Mosque
Tomb of:
*‘Abbās ibn `Alī
( Karbalā )

Al Kādhimiya Mosque
Tomb of:
*Seventh, Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Mūsā al-Kādhim
*Ninth, Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Muhammad at-Taqī
*Shaykh Mufīd
*Shaykh Tūsī
( Kādhimayn )

Al ‘Askarī Mosque
Tomb of:
*Tenth, Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, ‘Alī an-Naqī
*Eleventh, Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Hasan al-‘Askarī
*Hakimah Khātūn
*Narjis Khātūn
( Sāmarrā' )

Israel and Palestinian territories

Masjid al-Aqsa

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

Mali

Morocco

Pakistan

Data Durbar Complex. Close-up of the grave.

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Syria

Turkey

Rumi's tomb in Konya, Turkey

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

Views on Ziyarat

Wahhabi Views

The majority of the Wahhabi's believe that visiting the graves of saints should be classified as shirk, or idolatry, and bid'ah, or innovation except the visiting of the tomb of Muhammad in Medina which may be done during Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage. However, it is not a requirement of Hajj. Even so, the Wahhabi scholars state that it would be a Shirk act if they communicate directly with the tomb of Muhammad. They point out to the following sayings of Muhammad as an evidence for their belief.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 23, Number 425: Narrated 'Aisha:

When the Prophet became ill, some of his wives talked about a church which they had seen in Ethiopia and it was called Mariya. Um Salma and Um Habiba had been to Ethiopia, and both of them narrated its (the Church's) beauty and the pictures it contained. The Prophet raised his head and said, "Those are the people who, whenever a pious man dies amongst them, make a place of worship at his grave and then they make those pictures in it. Those are the worst creatures in the Sight of Allah."

From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[9:93:470] Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal: The Prophet said, "O Mu'adh! Do you know what Allah's Right upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to join none in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their right upon Him is?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know best." The Prophet said, "Not to punish them (if they do so)." [4:55:654] Narrated `Umar: I heard the Prophet saying, "Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a Slave. So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle."

“Had it not been so, his (i.e. the Prophet’s) grave would have been in an open place, but it could not be due to the fear that it could be taken as a mosque.”5

The qahhabi Scholars declare that the purpose of visiting the graves and cemeteries is only to remind people of death and the transitory nature of life.

In the case of the Wahhabi Saudis, such Muslims who have achieved political power over a country or a region have used that power to prevent ziyarat and even to destroy tombs near which people would pray and make supplications.

In Saudi Arabia, the Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques, attempts to prevent Shi'as and Sufis from performing ziyarat to the graves of nobles (except the tomb of Muhammad) while they are visiting Mecca and Medina during the Hajj. For an example, the Baqi Cemetery, is surrounded by large billboards proclaiming the sinfulness of shirk and grave-worshipping. Visitors are advised to visit the cemetery only to remind themselves of death and the Hereafter.

Sūfī Views

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Shī‘ah Views

There are many reasons for which the Shī‘ah partake in the performance of Ziyarah, none of which include the worship of the people buried within the tombs - Ayatullah Borujerdi and Ayatullah Khomeini have both said:

“ "It is haram (forbidden) to prostrate to anyone except Allah. If the act of prostration in front of the shrines of the Infallible Imams ('a.s.) is a form of thanksgiving to God, there is no objection, otherwise it is haram."6 ”

The Shī‘ah do however perform Ziyarah, believing that the entombed figures bear great status in the eyes of God, and seek to have their prayers answered through these people (a form of Tawassul) - Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi writes:

“ "They (the holy figures) are being requested to supplicate to Allah, to deliver the person in need from his affliction, since the supplication of these saintly figures is accepted by Allah."7 ”

In this regard, Ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani also narrates a hadīth from the tenth Imām of the Twelver Shī‘as:

“ "God has some areas where he likes to be supplicated in, and the prayer of the supplicator is accepted (in those areas); the sanctuary of Husayn (a.s.) is one of these."8 ”

The Ziyarah of the Imāms is also done by the Shī‘ah, not only as a means of greeting and saluting their masters who lived long before they were born, but also as a means of seeking nearness to God and more of His blessings (barakah).

The Shī‘ah do not consider the narrations in Bukhari to be authentic,9 and argue that if things such as Ziyarah and Tawassul were innovations and shirk, Muhammad himself would have prohibited people as a precaution, from visiting graves, or seeking blessings through kissing the sacred black stone at the Ka‘bah.10 Some Sunni scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah,11 have also rejected the notion that such things are innovations (bid'ah).

Note on "the poor man's Hajj"

Apparently there is a folk belief in South Asia that passing through the gate of the Dargah of Khwaja Sahib seven times is equivalent to doing the Hajj. According to the Tribune of India:

"The “zannati darwaja” is opened only four times in a year during Khawaja’s Urs, on Id-ul-Fitar, Sixth of Id and Bakrid. It is considered by faithfuls that one who passes through the “zannati darwaja” gets his seat reserved in “Zannat” (heaven) after death. Moreover seven rounds of the “Darwaja” gives “sawab” equal to Haj pilgrim. Those who cannot afford to go for Haj come here when the “darwaja” traditionally remains open and pass through it seven times. This is called poor men’s Haj." [1]

See also

References

  1. ^ List of Supplication Ziyarats
  2. ^ Sahih Al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans.) vol.1, p.255, no.427 Sahih Muslim (Eng. Trans.) vol.1, p.269, no.1082, Sunan Abu Dawood (Eng. Trans.) vol.2, p.917, no.3221, Sunan an-Nass’ai vol.1, no.115 and others.
  3. ^ Sahih Muslim (Eng. trans.) vol.1, p.269, no.1083
  4. ^ Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal (al-Fitan wal-Ashrat as-Sa’aat – the trials and signs of the Hour). See Ahkaamul-Janaa’iz, p.278
  5. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari (Eng. Trans.) vol.2, p.232, no.414, Sahih Muslim (Eng. Trans.) vol.1, p.268, no.1076 and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal vol.6, no.156-198, vol.8, no.114.
  6. ^ Ayatullah Borujerdi, Tawdih al-Masa'il, p.172 ; Imam Khumayni, Tahrir al-Wasilah, vol.1, p.150 ; Risalah-ye Novin, vol.1, p.148.
  7. ^ Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Musawi, Risalah dar Kitab wa Sunnat, Majmu'ah Maqalat, Kitab Nida'-e Wahdat, Tehran, Chehel-Sutun Publishers, p.259.
  8. ^ Ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani, Tuhaf al-'Uqul, p.510.
  9. ^ Moojan Moman, Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University Press, 1985, p.174 ; Ahmad Abdullah Salamah, Shia & Sunni Perspective on Islam, p.52.
  10. ^ Risalatan Bayn al-Shaykhayn, p.17.
    http://www.imamreza.net/eng/list.php?id=0113
    http://www.al-islam.org/mot/tawassul.htm
  11. ^ Majmu'ah Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah, vol.1, p.106, as cited in al-Mausu'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, vol.14, pp.163-164. Ibn Taymiyya states: "Those who accuse a person of heresy for making tawassul deserve the most severe punishment."

External links