Ziyarat of Imam Ali al-Riza in Rajab
O God! Please cleanse me, and cleanse my heart!
(Please) ‘expand my breast’,
and let Thy praise and eulogy flow out from my tongue
since indeed there is no power but in Thee.
O God! Please establish it as a means of cleansing and treatment for me.
Say the following as you leave your house:
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
In the name of God. By God,
I turn to God and towards the son of God’s Prophet.
God suffices me, and I rely on God.
O God! I have set out to Thee. And I have directed toward You,
And I have decided (to get) what is near Thee.
When you go out stop at the door of your house and say:
O God! I have turned my face towards Thee.
And I have left behind my family, wealth and whatever Thee have granted me.
I have trusted Thee. Then (please) do not turn me into a loser, O the One who would not make a loser anyone whom Thee wish,
and will not ruin whatever he possesses.
Blessings be upon Muhammad and Muhammad’s Household.
And (please) guard me under Thy custody
since nothing that Thee guard gets ruined.
Then whenever you want to go to visit, perform the ritual bathing and while you are bathing say:
O God! Please cleanse me,
and cleanse my heart!
(Please) ‘expand my breast’;
and let Thy praise, love and eulogy flow out from my tongue
since indeed there is no power but in Thee.
I have indeed realized that the strength of my religion depends upon my submission to Thy decrees,
and the following of Thy Prophet’s traditions,
and bearing witness (to this) for all Thy creatures.
O God! Please establish it as a means of healing for me, and as a light,
since Thee are capable of all things.
Then put on your cleanest clothes. Walk with bare feet, with calmness, dignity, exaltation, acclamation and glorification of God; that is, you may repeat the following statements:
Allah is the Most Great
There is no god save Allah
All glory be to Allah
All praise be to Allah
Take short steps and while you are entering (the holy shrine) say:
In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
In the name of God and by God
and to the nation of God’s Prophet: God’s blessings be upon him and his Household.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. He is One and He has no partners.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.
And I bear witness that Ali is God’s friend.
Then walk until you stop at his tomb. Then face him by turning your back towards the Qibla (prayer direction) and say:
I bear witness that there is no god but God, the One; and there are no partners for Him.
I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.
Verily, he is the Master of all those of old and those of later times.
Verily, he is the Master of the Prophets and the Messengers.
O God! God’s Blessings be upon Muhammad
Thy Servant; Thy Messenger,
Thy Prophet and the Master of all Thy creatures
blessings that no one but Thee can measure.
O God! God’s blessings be upon the Commander of the Faithful
`Ale ibn Abe-±alib,
Thy servant, the brother of Thy Messenger, whom Thou elected by Thy Knowledge,
whom Thou established as a guide (to show the right path) to those of Thy creatures,
and as evidence for those whom Thou appointed to (deliver) Thy Message.
And he managed the affairs of the religion according to Thy (system of) justice, and applied Thy Judgments (to settle the issues which cropped up)
among the people whom Thee predominated thereon.
And also God’s mercy and blessings be upon him.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon Fatimah, the daughter of Thy Prophet,
the wife of Thy friend,
the mother of the two grandsons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn,
the Masters of Youth in Heaven.
She is clean, immaculate, purified,
pious, pure,
content, sinless
the Doyenne of all the Women of Heaven
blessings which no one but Thee can measure.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon al-Hasan and al-Husayn; the two grandsons of Thy Prophet,
the Masters of Youth in Heaven;
Thy two established authorities among Thy creatures:
And they are established as two proofs for those whom Thou appointed them to (deliver) Thy Message to.
And they are the two who managed the affairs of the religion according to Thy (system of) justice,
and applied Thy Judgments (to settle the issues which cropped up) among Thy creatures.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon `Ale ibn al-Husayn, Thy servant, Thy established authority among Thy creatures
and as proof for those to whom Thee appointed him to (deliver) Thy Message to.
And he managed the affairs of the religion according to Thy (system of) justice,
and applied Thy Judgments (to settle the issues which cropped up) among Thy creatures. He is the Master of the Worshippers.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon Muhammad bin `Ale - Thy servant; Thy representative on Earth;
and the dissector of the Knowledge of the Prophets.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon Ja`far ibn Muhammad as-¯adiq (the veracious) – Thy servant;
the defender of Thy religion;
and Thy proof for all Thy creatures. He is the truthful, and the righteous.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon Musa ibn Ja`far - Thy devoted servant;
Thy spokesman among Thy creatures
speaking by Thy authority, and the proof for all Thy creatures.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon `Ale ibn Musa al-Riza–the absolute model of contentment – Thy devoted servant; the defender of Thy religion;
Thy established authority of Thy justice;
the caller to Thy religion and the religion of his truthful forefathers
blessings that no one but Thee can measure.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon Muhammad ibn `Ale - Thy servant; Thy established defender by Thy decree;
the caller to Thy path.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon `Ale ibn Muhammad - Thy servant; Thy established authority defending Thy decree
and the caller to Thy path.
O God! (Please) send blessings upon al-Hasan ibn `Ale – the agent acting upon Thy decrees;
the established authority over Thy creatures;
Thy proof acting on behalf of Thy Prophet;
Thy witness for Thy creatures;
the exclusive (receiver) of Thy munificence.
He is the caller to Thy obedience and obedience to Thy Prophet. May Thou send blessings upon them all.
O God! (Please) send blessings to Thy proof; Thy friend;
Thy established authority over Thy creatures:
Blessings so perfect, developed and lasting by which Thee may expedite his arrival and make him victorious.
And make us accompany him in this world and the Hereafter.
O God! I seek Thy nearness through my love for them.
I am friends with their friends
and oppose their enemies.
Therefore grant me the good of this world and the Hereafter on their account.
And on their account, fend off the evils of this world and the Hereafter from me, and the dreadful fright on the Judgment Day.
Then you sit near the position of his head and say the following:
Peace be upon you! O the friend of God!
Peace be upon you! O the proof of God!
Peace be upon you! O the light of God in the darkness of the Earth!
Peace be upon you! O the pillar of the religion!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Adam - chosen by God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Noah - the Prophet of God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Abraham - the friend of God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Ishmael - the offering to God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Moses - the interlocutor of God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Jesus - the spirit of God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Muhammad - the Prophet of God!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of the Commander of the Faithful
`Ale the friend of God
and the Testamentary Trustee of the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Fatimah al-Zahra'!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of al-Hasan and al-Husayn
the Masters of Youth in Paradise!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of `Ale ibn al-Husayn; the adornment of the worshippers!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Muhammad ibn `Ale - the dissector versed in the knowledge of those of old and those of later times!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Ja`far ibn Muhammad the veracious, the virtuous!
Peace be upon you! O the inheritor of Musa ibn Ja`far!
Peace be upon you! O the truthful martyr!
Peace be upon you! O the virtuous and pious trustee!
Peace be upon you!
I bear witness that it was indeed you who established prayers,
paid the alms-tax,
commanded to do right,
admonished against doing wrong
and sincerely served God until what is sure to come happened to you.
O Abu’l-Hasan (Imam al-Riza (a.s))! Peace be upon you! And the grace of God and His blessings be upon you,
For He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!
May God’s curse be upon the people who murdered you!
May God’s curse be upon the people who oppressed you!
May God’s curse be upon the people who established the foundations of oppression, tyranny and innovation against you—members of the Household (of the Prophet) (a.s)!
Then you touch the tomb and say:
O God! I set out towards Thee from my homeland,
and passed through many towns with the hope of receiving Thy mercy.
Please do not disappoint me, and do not send me back without having my needs fulfilled.
Have mercy upon my turning towards the tomb of the son of Thy Messenger's brother.
May Thy blessings be upon him and his Household.
O my Master! May my parents be your ransom!
I have come to visit you and I have arrived.
I seek refuge in you from whatever crimes I have committed against myself
the burden of which I carry on my back.
Then (please) intercede with God on my behalf on the Day of my poverty and destitution
as you enjoy an especial praiseworthy position in the presence of God.
He considers you to be an eminent man.
Then you raise your right hand up and extend your left hand towards the tomb and say:
O God! I seek Thy nearness through my love and friendship for them.
I love the last one of them as much as I love the first one,
and avoid any intimate friendship with anyone but them.
My God! (Please) curse those who altered Thy blessings,
accused Thy Prophet,
denied Thy verses,
mocked Thy appointed leader,
and placed the burden of the people upon the shoulders of the members of the Household of Muhammad (a.s).
O God! I seek Thy nearness by cursing them (your enemies), and by staying away from them in this world and in the Hereafter, O the Beneficent!
Then you turn towards the position of his feet and say:
O Abu’l-Hasan! May God’s blessings be upon you!
May God’s blessings be upon your soul and your body!
You persevered. You were truthful and your truthfulness has been confirmed.
May God curse whoever martyred you with his hands and tongue.