Horizons of Thoughts

Meaning of Ziyarah

The word 'ziyarah' is derived from the word "zawr" which means to deflect or draw away from something. A lie is called zur because it deflects from the path of truth. The za'ir is known to be so, because he deflects from other than "the one he intends to visit". That is why some lexicographers translate "ziyarah" to mean intention (qasd), for the one who deflects from other than a certain entity intends the entity. Al-Fayumi, a well-known lexist in his authoritative lexicon al-Misbah al-Munir says:

و(الزِّيَارَةُ) فِي الْعُرْفِ قَصْدُ الْمَزُوْرِ اِكْرَامًا لَهُ وَاسْتِئْنَاسًا بِهِ.

'The conventional meaning of al-ziyarah is to intend the one to be visited, for his veneration or intimacy.'[^9]

And it is said that the reason why ziyarah is referred to as visiting the saintly human beings, is because it is to deflect from the material routine and draw away from the corporeal world and incline towards the world of spirit, while one is present in the corporeal environment and maintains his/her bodily form [^10].

Sometimes ziyarah is translated as 'ittihad al-za'ir ma'al mazur' (i.e. the unity of the visitor with the visited one). In simpler words: 'to paint oneself with the attributes of the visited one'. This definition does not contradict the former definitions, for 'seeking and uniting with the attributes of the mazur (visited one)' is nothing but 'deflecting and drawing away from attributes contrary to the mazur'. In a subtler expression, we can say 'ziyarah is to flee from imperfection as we struggle for attaining perfection [^11].'

Allusions of this reality can also be gotten from the Qur'anic verse: 'And flee towards Allah' [^12]. Imam al-Sadiq ('a) is reported [^13] to have commented on this verse saying "ay hujju" (the verse means 'perform hajj'). And the literal import of hajj is qasd (intention). Therefore hajj, as it is correctly conveyed is not only 'hajju bayt Allah al-haram' (intending the sacred House of Allah), but hajj Allah (intending Allah) as the verse explicitly conveys: fa firru ila Allah (so escape towards Allah).

And escaping towards Allah is seeking His Noble Attributes and fleeing from the contrary. And hajj if perfomed with its proper etiquette, as the experts of the kernel of Islamic law mention, enables one to attain such noble attributes.

Some narratives explicitly say that doing ziyarah of the Holy Prophet (s) and the infallible Imams('a) [^14] is like doing the ziyarah of Allah. Consider the following traditions:

عَنْ زَيْد الشَّحَّامُ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لاَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (ع): مَا لِمَنْ زَارَ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ (ص)؟ قَالَ: كَمَنْ زَارَ الله َعَزَّوَجَلَّ فَوْقَ عَرْشِهِ... .

Zayd al-Shahham is reported to have said: I asked Abu 'Abdilah (al-Sadiq ('a)): What is the reward for one who visits the Messenger of Allah? The Imam ('a) said: 'It is like one who has visited Allah on His throne ('arsh) [^15]'

عَنْ زَيْد الشَّحَّام، عَنْ اَبِيْ عَبْدِ اللهِ( ع) قَالَ: مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ بنِ عَلِيّ(ع) عَارِفًا بِحَقِّه كَانَ كَمَنْ زَارَ اللهَ فِيْ عَرْشِه... .

Zayd al-Shahham is reported to have said: Abu 'Abdilah (al-Sadiq ('a)) said: Whosoever visits the grave of al-Hussein ('a) with the knowledge of his rights is like one who visits Allah in His Throne.[^16]

عَنْ جَابِر اَلْجُعْفِي، قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلى جَعْفَر بنِ مُحَمّد(ع) فِيْ يَوْمِ عَاشُوْرَآء، فَقَالَ لِيْ: هَؤُلاَءِ زُوَّارُ اللهِ وَحَقُّ عَلى الْمَزُوْرِ اَنْ يُكْرِمَ الزَّائِرَ... .

Jabir al-Ju'fi is reported to have said: I came to Ja'far bin Muhammad (al-Sadiq ('a)) on the day of '`shura', and he said to me: 'These people are the visitors of Allah (zuwwar Allah), and it is the right of the mazur to honor the za'ir…[^17]

The above traditons imply that because the Imams ('a) are manifestations [^18] of Allah's Sublime Names [^19], visiting them and seeking closeness to them is the same as seeking closeness to Almighty Allah. Seeking closeness here, we should understand, does not refer to spatial limitations, but spiritual proximity.

In other words, as the za'ir (one who deflects from other than the attributes of the mazur) comes spiritually closer to the Imam ('a) he is in reality painting himself with the Attributes of Almighty Allah which the Imam enjoys but with limitations..rather, the Imams ('a) are sheer Manifestations (ma³ahir) of Allah's Names and thus in reality no Attribute belongs to other than Allah:

اَللهُ لاَ إلَهَ إلاَّ هُو لَهُ الأسْمآء الحُسْنى

Allah, other than Him there is no God; and to Him Alone belongs the Beautiful Names…[^20] Those who are well versed with the secrets of prayer (Asrar al-Salat) do appreciate this reality in the state of ruku' when they vision that no one other than Almighty Allah has any perfection whatsoever. Imam Khumayni in his Etiquette of Prayer says: