- Merits
Ziyārah of Allāh on His Throne
According to the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt(a), Allāh(s) does not sit on a throne. Narrations mentioning visiting Allāh on his throne are an analogy meaning a servant worships Allāh there, or meets the Prophets and Imāms there since their ziyārah is like that of Allāh(s); it could also mean that the servant attains a closeness to Allāh(s) in a similar way that one visits a king and gets close to his throne.
Zayd al-Shaḥām narrates: I asked Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq(a), “What is the reward for those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a)?”
Imām(a) replied, “They are like those who have performed ziyārah of Allāh on his throne.”
I asked, “What is the reward for those who perform the ziyārah of any of you?”
Imām(a) replied, “They are like those who have performed ziyārah of Rasūl Allāh(s).”
Imām al-Riḍā(a) narrates: “Those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a) by the shores of the Euphrates are like those who have performed the ziyārah of Allāh on his throne.”
Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq(a) narrates: “Allāh will record those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a) while having maʿrifah as amongst those who will be in the highest places of paradise.”
Ḥārūn b. Khārijah narrates: I heard Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq(a) say, “Allāh will record those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a) while having maʿrifah as amongst those who will be in the highest places of paradise.”
Al-Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad al-Qummī narrates: Imām al-Riḍā(a) said to me, “Those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of my father Imām Mūsā al-Kāẓim(a) in Baghdad are like those who have performed the ziyārah of Rasūl Allāh(s) and ʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn(a) except performing the ziyārah of Rasūl Allāh(s) and ʾAmīr al-Muʾminīn(a) has its own unique attributes.”
Then Imām(a) added, “Those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of Abū ʿAbd Allāh Imām al-Ḥusayn( a) by the banks of the Euphrates are like those who have performed the ziyārah of Allāh on his throne”
Bashīr al-Dahān narrates: Every year I used to go for Ḥajj, but one year I did not go. The next year after going for Ḥajj, I went to Imām Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq(a).
Imām(a) asked me, “O’ Bashīr! What prevented you from going to Ḥajj last year?”
I replied, “May I be sacrificed for you! There were some who owed me money. I was worried I would not collect it so I spent the day of ‘Arafa next to the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a) instead.”
Imām(a) said, “Then you did not miss any of the rewards given to those who were in Arafa. O’ Bashīr! Those who perform the ziyārah of the grave of al-Ḥusayn(a) while having maʿrifah are like those who have performed the ziyārah of Allāh on his throne.”