2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from al-Husayn ibn al- Mukhtar from Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah , has said that visiting the gravesite of al-Husayn , is equal in rewards to twenty Hajjah. It is even more virtuous than ‘Umrah and Hajjah.”

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Bazi’ from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from Yazid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik who has said the following: “I once was in the company of abu ‘Abd Allah , when people on donkey backs passed by. He (the Imam) asked, ‘Where do they want to go?’ I replied, ‘They want to visit the graves of the martyrs.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘What prevents them from visiting the martyr whom no one helped?’ A man from Iraq then asked, ‘Is visiting him obligatory?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Visiting him is more virtuous than Hajjah and ‘Umrah, ‘Umrah and Hajjah’, until he counted up to twenty Hajjah and ‘Umrah. Then he said, ‘All accepted, well-performed.’ By Allah, I had not stood up that another man came and said to him, ‘I have performed nineteen times al-Hajj. Pray for me so, He grants me the opportunity to perform twenty times al-Hajj.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘Have you visited the gravesite of al-Husayn ?’ The man replied, ‘No, I have not done so.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Visiting al-Husayn , is more virtuous than twenty times performing al-Hajj.’”

4. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn has narrated from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from Salih ibn ‘Uqbah from abu Sa‘id al-Mada’iniy who has said the following: “I once visited abu ‘Abd Allah , and said to him, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, can I visit the grave of al-Husayn ?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, O abu Sa‘id, you should visit the grave of the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. He is the most likeable of all likeable ones, the cleanest of all clean ones, the most virtuous of all virtuous ones. When you visit him Allah writes for you the reward for twenty- five times performing al-Hajj.’”

5. Muhammad ibn al-Husayn has narrated from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Muhammad ibn Sadaqah from Salih al-Niliy who has said the following: “Abu ‘ Abd Allah , has said, Tor one who visits the grave of al-Husayn , with proper understanding of his rights, Allah writes for him the reward for setting free of one thousand persons. It is like readying one thousand horses fully harnessed to join the battle for the cause of Allah.”’

6. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim from Harun ibn Kharijah who has said the following: “I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Allah has assigned four thousand untidy and dusty angels to the grave of al-Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam. They weep for him until the Day of Judgment. They escort one who visits him with proper understanding of his rights, to his secure place. If he becomes ill these angels visit him mornings and evenings; and if he dies, these angels take part in his funeral and ask forgiveness for him until the Day of Judgment.”

7. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Musa ibn Sa‘dan from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Qasim from ‘Umar ibn Aban al-Kalbiy from Aban ibn Taghlib who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Four thousand angels assigned for the grave of al- Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam, are untidy and dusty. They weep for him until the Day of Judgment. Their chief is an angel called Mansur. They welcome everyone who visits him and escort everyone who says farewell to him. They visit everyone of such visitors if he becomes ill, perform funeral salat (prayer) for those of them who die, and ask forgiveness for him after his death.’”

8. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla’ ibn Muhammad from abu Dawud al-Mustariq from certain individuals of our people from Muthanna al-Hannat who has said the following: “I once heard abu al-Hassan, the 1st, Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Whoever visits al-Husayn , with proper understanding of his rights, Allah forgives his sins of the past and those that come later.’”

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from al-Khaybariy from al-Husayn ibn Muhammad who has said the following: “Abu al-Hassan, Musa, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The least of rewards that a visitor of abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, near al-Furat canal, will receive, when he has proper understanding of his rights, sacred status, his possessing authority from Allah, is forgiveness of his past sins and that which come later.’”

10. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from ibn Muskan from Ghassan al- Basriy who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said that if one visits the grave of abu ‘Abd Allah , with proper understanding of his rights, Allah forgives his past sins and whatever sins come later on.”

11. Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn all from Musa ibn ‘Umar from Ghassan al-Basriy from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from certain individuals of our people from Ibrahim ibn ‘Uqbah from Mu‘awiyah ibn Wahab who has said the following: “I once asked permission to see abu ‘ Abd Allah , and permission was granted. I was told to come in. When I went inside, I found him in his place for salat (prayer) in his house. I then sat down until he completed his salat (prayer). I then heard him secretly speaking to his Lord. ‘O the One who has granted us honor in a special way, O the one who has granted us exclusive executorships of the will of the messengers and has promised us intercession, granted us the knowledge of the past and future and has made the hearts of people to incline toward us, forgive me and my brothers (in belief). (O Lord, forgive) the visitors of the grave of abu ‘Abd Allah, al-Husayn , who spend their wealth. Those who ready their bodies due to their interest in doing good to us and because of their hope in what is with You of compensation for keeping good relations with us and because of the happiness they bring to the heart of Your prophet. I appeal before Allah to grant salawat (favors and compensation to Your Holy prophet and his family worthy of his services to Your cause) and forgive them because of their yielding to our commands and because of the anger due to their visit they cause to our enemies. In doing so, they only want to find that You are happy with them. So compensate them on our behalf by being happy with them, and support them in the night and day. Be their deputy in their families and children whom they have left behind, as best deputy. Accompany them and protect them against the evil of every hostile tyrant, weak ones of Your creatures or strong ones, and against the evil of the devils of humankind and al-Jinn. Grant them the best, which they are to receive from You in their condition of being in strange places away from their homes and because of the preference they have given to us over their own children, families and relatives. O Allah, our enemies mock at them for their visiting us, but this does not prevent them from setting on their journey toward us and from opposing those who oppose us. So be kind to the faces, which the heat of sun has changed. Be kind to the side of those faces, which are turned from side to side over the grave of abu ‘Abd Allah . Be kind to those eyes, which have shed tears in sympathy with us. Be kind to the hearts, which mourned and felt pain for us. Be kind to the wailing cries for us. O Allah, I entrust those souls and bodies with You until the time we meet, and compensate them at the pond (in paradise) on the dehydrating day.’ He (the Imam) continued with such prayers in a prostrating position. When he completed, I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, if what I heard from you were for even those who do not know Allah, I think, hellfire would not touch them. I by Allah, wished to have visited the grave of al-Husayn , instead of performing al-Hajj.’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘He is much closer to you. What then prevents you from visiting him?’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘O Mu‘awiyah, why do you neglect such visitations?’ I said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I did not know the matter is of all such great degrees of significance.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘O Mu‘awiyah, the number of those who pray for the visitors of al- Husayn , in the heavens is much greater than those who pray for them on earth.’”