- Introduction
Seeking Permission to Enter
It is recommended to stop at the outer gate of the holy shrine and seek permission to enter. It is also recommended to do one’s best to be at the utmost degree of deference and submission, to ponder over the greatness and eminence of the holy person buried in the visited shrine, to believe that the holy Imām(a) can see, hear, and respond to the greetings of the visitor, as is confirmed by the forms of asking entrance permission (isti’dhan), to think deeply about his compassion and love for his followers in general and his visitors in particular. If a visitor thinks for a few minutes of these matters and ponders over his behaviour in general, his heart will be fearful, and his eyes will shed tears.
In the word of al-Shaykh al-Kafʿamī, when you intend to enter the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina or any of the holy shrines of the Imāms(a), recite the following:
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي وَقَفْتُ عَلَى بَابٍ مِنْ أبْوَابِ بُيُوتِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَوَاتُكَ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه |
| allāhumma inn¢ waqaftu `alā bābin min abwābi buy£ti nabiyyika ¥alawātuka `alayhi wa ālih¢ |
| O Allāh, I am standing at one of the doors of Your Prophet’s houses, may Your blessings be upon him & his household. |
وَقَدْ مَنَعْتَ النَّاسَ أنْ يَدْخُلُوا إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَقُلْتَ: ”يَا أيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاََ تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلاَّ أنْ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ“ |
| wa qad mana`ta alnnāsa an yadkhul£ illā bi’idhnih¢ faqulta yā ayyuhā alladh¢na āman£ lā tadkhul£ buy£ta alnnabiyyi illā an yu'dhana lakum |
| And You have prevented people to enter before they obtain his permission. You have thus said, “O you who believe! Do not enter the Prophet’s houses until you are granted permission” |
اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أعْتَقِدُ حُرْمَةَ صَاحِبِ هذَا الْمَشْهَدِ الشَّريفِ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ كَمَا أعْتَقِدُهَا فِي حَضْرَتِهِ |
| allāhumma inn¢ a`taqidu ¦urmata ¥ā¦ibi hādhāalmashhadi alshshar¢fi f¢ ghaybatih¢ kamā a`taqiduhā f¢ ¦a¤ratih¢ |
| O Allāh, I believe in the sanctity of the owner of this holy shrine in his absence as same as I believe in it in his presence. |
وَأعْلَمُ أنَّ رَسُولَكَ وَخُلَفَاءَكَ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ أحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَكَ يُرْزَقُونَ |
| wa a`lamu anna ras£laka wa khulafā'aka `alayhimu alssalāmu a¦yā'un `indaka yurzaq£na |
| I also know for sure that Your Messenger and Your Representatives—peace be upon them— are live, finding their sustenance in the presence of You; |
يَرَوْنَ مَقَامِي وَيَسْمَعُوَن كَلاَمِي وَيَرُدُّونَ سَلاَمِي |
| yarawna maqām¢ wa yasma`£na kalām¢ wa yarudd£na salām¢ |
| they can see my place, hear my words, and respond to my greetings, |
وَانِّكَ حَجَبْتَ عَنْ سَمْعِي كَلاَمَهُمْ وَفَتَحْتَ بَابَ فَهْمِي بِلَذِيذِ مُنَاجَاتِهِمْ |
| wa annaka ¦ajabta `an sam`¢ kalāmahum wa fata¦ta bāba fahm¢ biladh¢dhi munājātihim |
| but You have prevented my hearing from receiving their words and You have opened the door of my understanding to taste the fine flavor of my confidential speech with them. |
وَإِنِّي أسْتَأذِنُكَ يَا رَبِّ أوَّلاًَ وَأسْتَأذِنُ رَسُولَكَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ ثَانِياً |
| wa inn¢ asta'dhinuka yā rabbi awwalan wa asta'dhinu ras£laka ¥allā allāhu `alayhi wa ālih¢ thāniyan |
| I thus ask Your permission—O Lord—first of all, the permission of Your Prophet—peace be upon him and his Household—secondly, |
وَأسْتَأذِنُ خَليفَتَكَ الإِمَامَ الْمَفْرُوضَ عَلَيَّ طَاعَتُهُ… |
| wa asta'dhinu khal¢fataka al’imāma almafr£¤a `alayya §ā`atuh£ |
| the permission of Your Representative, the Imām the obedience to whom is incumbent upon me… |
Now mention the name of the Imām that you are visiting and also mention the name of his father. For instance, if you are visiting the holy shrine of Imām al-Ḥusayn(a), you say, "al-Ḥusayn ibn Alī—peace be upon him." And if you are visiting the holy shrine of Imām al-Riḍā(a), you say, "ʿAlī b. Mūsā al-Riḍā—peace be upon him" and so on. Then say:
وَالْمَلاَئِكَةَ الْمُوَكَّلينَ بِهذِهِ الْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ ثَالِثاً |
| walmalā'ikata almuwakkal¢na bihādhih¢ albuq`ati almubārakati thālithan |
| …and the permission of the angels whom are commissioned to supervise this blessed area, thirdly. |
أأدْخُلُ يَا رَسُولَ الله أأدْخُلُ يَا حُجَّةَ الله أأدْخُلُ يَا مَلاَئِكَةَ الله الْمُقَرَّبِينَ الْمُقِيمِينَ فِي هذَا الْمَشْهَدِ |
| a'adkhulu yā ras£la allāhi a'adkhulu yā ¦ujjata allāhi a'adkhulu yā malā'ikata allāhi almuqarrab¢na almuq¢m¢na f¢ hādhā almashhadi |
| May I enter, O Messenger of Allāh? May I enter, O Argument of Allāh? May I enter, O angels of Allāh—the intimate, the residing in this shrine? |
فَأذَنْ لِي يَا مَوْلاَيَ فِي الدُّخُولِ أفْضَلَ مَا أذِنْتَ لأحَدٍ مِنْ أوْلِيَائِكَ فَإِنْ لَمْ أكُنْ أهْلاًَ لِذٰلِكَ فَأنْتَ أهْل ٌ لِذٰلِكَ |
| fa'dhan l¢ yā mawlāya f¢ alddukh£li af¤ala mā adhinta li'a¦adin min awliyā’ika fa'in lam akun ahlan lidhālika fa'anta ahlun lidhālika |
| So, (please do) permit me to enter, O my Master, in the best way of permission that you have ever conferred upon any of your intimate adherents. If I do not deserve such permission, then you are worthy of conferring it upon me. |
You may then kiss the holy doorstep (of the shrine) and enter, saying:
بِسْمِ الله وَبِالله وَفِي سَبِيلِ الله وَعَلَى مِلَّةِ رَسُولِ الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ |
| bismi allāhi wa billāhi wa f¢ sab¢li allāhi wa `alā millati ras£li allāhi ¥allā allāhu `alayhi wa ālih¢ |
| In the Name of Allāh (I begin), in Allāh (I trust), on the way of Allāh (I proceed), and on the norm of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh bless him and his Household. |
اَللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ إِنَّكَ أنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ |
| allāhumma ighfir l¢ war¦amn¢ wa tub `alayya innaka anta alttawwābu alrra¦¢mu |
| O Allāh, (please do) forgive me, have mercy upon me, and accept my repentance, for You are verily the Oft-Returning, the All-Merciful. |