The writer of this letter, wishes to remain anonymous.
When I went for Ziyarah years ago, he wrote this letter for us, which contains practical advice and beneficial guidance of what should a Za’ir (visitor) of Imam al-Husayn (a) do when embarking on a physical and a spiritual journey to visit him.

He writes:
‘I’m out of words or expressions to convey how delighted I am to learn that you will be traveling to the holy lands in Iraq soon InshaAllah! The entire journey can be summed up in 2 words: ‘magical’ and ‘special’ so take it as it comes along.
And just like every encounter with ones loved one demands preparation, this special one with the Beloved’s Hussain does too; so prepare, and prepare well for this immensely GREAT journey; a journey that not many people are blessed to undertake; a journey in which you will be the guests of Abu ‘Abdillah (‘a); a journey where you will be surrounded by angels; a journey where you will become alive (in the true sense); a journey that revitalizes the spiritual energies in us; a journey that simply, simply changes lives!
Following are some words as advice from my inferior self as a little present to your noble souls – the souls of Zawaar – that I have to say to you before you leave and which Insha’Allah you will find beneficial:
- Adorn yourself with purity by performing ghusl, preferably followed by wudhu, from the time you leave home for the airport to when you arrive; and once again when you go to the haram each time; for indeed water is a cleanser not only of the physical impurity but of the spiritual impurity too. And when one goes to meet the Master of Shuhada – al-Husayn (‘a), one must indeed be in utmost purity both inwardly and outwardly.
- When you enter Karbala, bear in mind that you are actually stepping on to a land that belongs uniquely to Imam al-Husayn (‘a), for he purchased that piece of land before he was martyred and no one ever bought it from him or will ever buy it off him. He is the sole Owner! Feel the breeze as it would have saluted the grave of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) before it comes to greet your faces! Allow the wind to extract tears from your eyes! Overwhelm yourselves with the Azaa of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) as you enter that holy land!
- As you walk towards the grave of Imam Husayn (‘a), take small humble steps, recite ample salawat on the Prophet (s) and His Progeny (‘a), be hungry, thirsty, disheveled, anguished and excessively saddened for verily al-Husayn (‘a) was killed while he was saddened, grief-stricken, disheveled, covered with dust, thirsty and hungry [this is paraphrased from a hadith by Imam al-Sadiq (‘a)]. As you walk, remember the unimaginable grief of Hadhrat Zainab (‘a) and the ladies of the Holy Household especially when they returned back from the prison to pay respects to the grave of Abu Abdillah (‘a). Let your weeping be an introspective one and let every single tear – even one that is the size of a wing of a small fly – reform you in the footsteps of al-Husayn (‘a).
- Sincerely seek ‘vast receptivity’ from Almighty Allah and through Imam al-Husayn (‘a). For the oceans of al-Husayn (‘a) are indescribable, his generosity cannot be comprehended by the human mind, and his assistance in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah is of utmost importance. Pray sincerely to Allah to widen your hearts to be able to understand the secrets of religion and follow the footsteps of al-Husayn (‘a) in every aspect.
- Do not be engrossed during your ziyarah in seeking only and only for material (dunyawi) gains, be it wealth, success, fame, exams, sports, social etc – although, do not get me wrong, all this may not be bad; try however to seek and plead from al-Husayn (‘a) for your aakherah; for knowledge; for the ma’rifah of Allah; for the ma’rifah of the Prophet; for the ma’rifah of his family and al-Hujjah (‘aj)! This reminds me of the words of Ayatullah Haddad Musawi who is reported to have said, ‘When most of the people visit the holy shrines, they stand holding fast onto the enclosures of the graves and ask the Imam to mediate on their behalf, so that their material needs are fulfilled. Consequently, they add a burden over their burden. They do not ask the Imam to remove their burden which is ‘attachment to the world’; rather they ask for a house, an offspring, a wife or a car; and never have we heard from anyone who entered in his service, and asked him: ‘Relieve me from such and such a thing.’ Meaning to say relieve from my material or worldly attachments!
- During your journey, avoid wasting time, mocking anyone and gossiping – this can particularly be the case when one gets bored in the hotel or as a result of ones peers. Be focused! Bear in mind whom you have visited! Most importantly, controlling the tongue is vital, and I do not mean just improper or vile language, but also having increased silence and more contemplation. Try not to get angry or abuse anyone even when someone is nasty to you; be kind in return.
- Remember, the Golden dome (Ha’air) of Imam al-Husayn (‘a) is an exalted place on earth! Seek from Allah whatever you desire, for du’as are fulfilled under that dome! Even when Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) and Imam al-Haadi (‘a) once fell ill, in spite of being Imams whose du’as are automatically answered, they ordered for someone to go and pray for them under the Haa’ir of Imam al-Husayn (‘a)! This is because Allah has places, wherein supplications are accepted, where He loves to be called upon, and that spot [i.e. near the grave of al-Husayn (‘a)] is among those places.
- There is nothing more exclusive than seeking tawassul of Imam al-Husayn (‘a). The alleyways in Karbala will transport you to the days of ‘Ashura. Keep your inside ears wide open and reflect deeply, for when standing in the Khaimagaah, voices of little children crying out on a lonely night might reverberate in your heart! Seek tawassul of Hadhrat Zainab (‘a) through those voices, and you will obtain manifold both in this world and in the Hereafter.
- Observe, look out for, and feel the presence of angels that circumambulate the grave of Imam al-Husayn (‘a). For as you will know, 4000 angels descended on earth to help Imam al-Husayn (‘a) but because he was destined to be martyred, those angels with wrinkled hair remain in the grave of this great Imam. Remind yourself of the fact that angels permeate his shrine, and plead to Allah to raise you to a status higher than the angels!
- Always, always pray your 5 daily prayers ON TIME (awwale-waqt) especially during your journey. Let every other work you may be doing wait but do not make Allah wait! If Allah has ordained salat at specific times for you, He prefers them to be offered at THOSE times. So respond with ‘Labbayk!’ to Allah wholeheartedly, and couple it immediately after your salat with ‘Labbayk Ya Husayn!’
- Attempt if you can to learn Surah Fajr from the Holy Qur’an by heart, and if you have memorized it, then increase in its recitation, as this Surah, according to our traditions, is the Surah of al-Husayn (‘a). Aspire to become the tranquil soul (al-nafs al-Mutma’inna) mentioned towards end of this Surah!
- Make sure to bring some Khake-Shifa for yourselves from Karbala, for that little sand that you grab from the purified grave is the best souvenir anybody can ever bring along with them! So powerful and blessed is this Khaak that even the Hoori’s in Jannah, according to our traditions narrated in Bihar, demand a tasbih made of Khake-Shifa whenever an angel would descend on earth.
- Try and remember if you can to please pray for your Marhumeen, especially under the dome (Haa’ir) of Imam al-Husayn (‘a). As explained, the Haa’ir is a special place on Earth and its speciality in its own way is unmatched!
- I have observed during my ziyaaraat trip that there can be a good number of people that are always on the run, constantly wanting to get things done (just for the sake of getting things done), and wanting to achieve this and that and this and that in conceivably small amount of time! They want to complete the Ziyarat, and start Du’a Tawassul, complete this du’a and start Du’a Mashlool, complete this du’a and start Jawshan al-Kabeer. Whilst all this may be absolutely fine, try and keep to mind that it is the QUALITY of your recitation that greatly matters, not the QUANTITY! If all these du’as are helping you establish a connection with Allah through the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), then by all means, recite them even if they are great in number!
- Carrying on from number 12 above, let me ask you:
If a dear friend or family member of yours comes to your house from a faraway land, seeing you after so many years, says Salam at the door, does your Ziyarat, and shoots off right from the door, how would you feel? Our visits to the holy shrines can be somewhat similar! We go the haram, say Salam, recite our du’as, say our prayers and head back to the hotel! Do we take a moment to JUST SIT and feel being in the presence of the Imam? Do we take a moment to JUST BREATHE the air in the haram and fulfil the responsibilities of being the guest of the Imam? Remember Imam can see us just as well! Do we take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves who our host is? Try and do this if you can, my dear brothers and sisters! After you complete your Ziyaaraat, du’as and matam, take some time out for yourself! Grab a spot into isolation near the grave and JUST SIT. BE Imam’s guest. BECOME Imam’s guest. Let the Imam talk to you. Let the Imam feed you with some spiritual food. You can do this even for 5 minutes and you’ll observe how you feel afterwards! - Try and give sadaqa with your own hands to the needy as much as possible. It can be money or even sweets to little children. We do not get this opportunity in this country so make the most! Being openhanded is a huge means to elevate your status.
- I was once advised to offer 2 rakat salah on behalf of the 12th Imam (‘aj) and gift that to his mother Fatima (‘a). This in itself will have endless benefits for your own soul.
- You are embarking on a journey of a lover and a lover must be intoxicated with the wine of Divine love, which does not allow him to sleep or rest. He is always craving to meet the Beloved (Allah) and cut through the veils, even those of the fear of death in itself. And Abu AbdilLah al-Husayn (‘a) is, beyond reasonable doubt, one of the most graciously effective personalities that can assist you in your journey towards Allah and towards perfection!
Lastly, as you will note, I have spoken a great deal about al-Husayn (‘a), but please keep to mind, and this is very important to remember when you go to the other cities in Iraq, that all the other Imams buried in Iraq share a similar Light. All of them are remarkably generous in assisting souls like those of yourselves in their journey towards Allah, as all of them primarily go back to al-Nur al-Muhammadi!
If you can, please remember writer of this letter in your special du’as.
This article was published in the University of Mahdi page on their Instagram page.
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