Ziyaratnama of Lady Ma'suma (a): Difference between revisions

What is the status of the Ziyaratnama (pilgrimage text) of Hazrat Masuma (SA) among other Ziyaratnamas, and does it have a reliable source?

The Ziyarat of Hazrat Fatima Masuma (SA) holds a high status in the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt, and the Imams have emphasized the reward and virtue of this pilgrimage. Imam Sadiq (AS) referred to Qom as the sanctuary of the Ahl al-Bayt, and Imam Ridha (AS) stated that whoever visits her with recognition of her rights, Paradise becomes obligatory for them. This indicates the elevated status of Hazrat Masuma (SA), which has been confirmed by the Ahl al-Bayt.

The Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA) is one of the few pilgrimage texts attributed to an infallible Imam, a rare feature even among the descendants of the Imams. Allama Majlisi mentioned this Ziyaratnama in his works, citing it from Imam Ridha (AS) through Sa'd al-Ash'ari, and all its narrators are Imami. However, some have questioned the authenticity of this chain of narration, but based on the principle of "Tasamuh in Adillat al-Sunan", acting upon this Ziyaratnama remains valuable and acceptable.

The Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA) contains profound concepts. In this text, her status of intercession is emphasized, aligning with her lofty position. The addressing of the infallible Imams as interlocutors in this Ziyarat has drawn the attention of commentators and scholars.

== The Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma ==

The Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma holds a special place in the words of the Ahl al-Bayt, and narrations have been reported regarding its importance. These narrations mention her passing in Qom and the reward for visiting her.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Daneshvar|first=Hadi|year=1378|title=Recommendations for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=35|pages=28–31}}</ref>

1. Imam Sadiq (AS) in a narration described the city of Qom as the sanctuary of the Ahl al-Bayt and referred to the burial of one of his descendants named Fatima in this city. The Imam said regarding the greatness of visiting her: {{Arabic text|مَنْ زَارَهَا فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ|Whoever visits her, Paradise is guaranteed for them.}}<ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Bihar al-Anwar*, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1403 AH, vol. 99, p. 267.</ref>

2. Imam Ridha (AS) in a narration to Sa'd al-Ash'ari al-Qummi pointed to the grave of Fatima Masuma in Qom and said: {{Arabic text|مَنْ زَارَهَا عَارِفًا بِحَقِّهَا فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ|Whoever visits her while recognizing her rights, Paradise is for them.}}<ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Bihar al-Anwar*, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1403 AH, vol. 48, p. 316.</ref>

3. Imam Jawad (AS) regarding the virtue of visiting the grave of his aunt said: {{Arabic text|مَنْ زَارَ عَمَّتِي فِي قُمَّ فَلَهُ الْجَنَّةُ|Whoever visits my aunt in Qom, Paradise is for them.}}<ref>Ibn Qulawayh, Ja'far ibn Muhammad. 1356. *Kamil al-Ziyarat*, Najaf Ashraf, Al-Matba'ah al-Mubarakah al-Murtadawiyyah, vol. 1, p. 324.</ref>

Allama Majlisi in his book Bihar al-Anwar and some of his other works has mentioned a Ziyaratnama attributed to Imam Ridha (AS) for Fatima Masuma.<ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Zad al-Ma'ad*, Beirut, Mu'assasat al-A'lami lil-Matbu'at, 1423 AH, pp. 547–548.</ref> <ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Bihar al-Anwar*, Beirut, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1403 AH, vol. 99, p. 266–267.</ref> <ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Tuhfat al-Za'ir*, Qom, Mu'assasat Imam Hadi, 1386 AH, p. 4.</ref> This Ziyaratnama, composed by the Imam for Sa'd al-Ash'ari, begins with divine invocations (34 times Allahu Akbar, 33 times Subhanallah, and 33 times Alhamdulillah). When you reach her grave, stand at the head, facing the Qibla, and say 34 times {{Arabic text|الله أَکبر}}, 33 times {{Arabic text|سُبْحانَ اللّٰهِ}}, and 33 times {{Arabic text|الْحَمْدُلِلّٰهِ}}, then continue with the Ziyarat.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Daneshvar|first=Hadi|year=1378|title=Recommendations for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=35|pages=28–31}}</ref>

According to some religious researchers, there are some inconsistencies in the text of this Ziyarat. These researchers have criticized the change in the addressee in the final sections of the Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA); particularly, in some parts of the text, the address shifts from Hazrat Masuma (SA) to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and then to God, and finally returns to Hazrat Masuma (SA). Allama Majlisi, avoiding such a statement, believes that perhaps the initial part of the Ziyarat is attributed to the infallible Imams, while the later sections may have been added by scholars and other thinkers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Moqiseh|first=Hussein|year=1378|title=A Study on the Ziyaratnama of Fatima Masuma (AS)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=25|pages=54–58}}</ref>

|title=Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma

|اللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّی أَسْأَلُکَ أَنْ تَخْتِمَ لِی بِالسَّعادَهِ فَلَا تَسْلُبْ مِنِّی مَا أَنَا فِیهِ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّهَ إِلّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِیِّ الْعَظِیمِ. اللّٰهُمَّ اسْتَجِبْ لَنا وَتَقَبَّلْهُ بِکَرَمِکَ وَعِزَّتِکَ وَبِرَحْمَتِکَ وَعافِیَتِکَ، وَصَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَیٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ أَجْمَعِینَ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِیماً یَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِینَ. <ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Bihar al-Anwar*, Beirut, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1403 AH, vol. 99, p. 266–267.</ref>

The Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA) is, after the Ziyaratnama of Hazrat [[Fatima Zahra (SA)]], the only Ziyaratnama attributed to an infallible Imam for a woman. In this regard, this Ziyaratnama is ascribed to an infallible Imam.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hadi|first=Danishvar|year=1378|title=Recommendations for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=35|pages=28–31}}</ref> Among the descendants of the Imams, only [[Hazrat Abbas (AS)]] and Hazrat [[Ali Akbar (AS)]] possess Ziyaratnamas attributed to an infallible Imam.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hussein|first=Moqiseh|year=1378|title=A Study on the Ziyaratnama of Fatima Masuma (AS)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=25|pages=54–58}}</ref> One of the distinguishing features of the Ziyarat of Fatima Masuma compared to other descendants of the Imams is that this Ziyaratnama is *muthur* (attributed to an infallible source).<ref>Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, *Zad al-Ma'ad*, Beirut, Mu'assasat al-A'lami lil-Matbu'at, 1423 AH, pp. 547–548.</ref>

Allama Majlisi reports the chain of transmission of this narration in his book *Bihar al-Anwar* as follows: "In some books of Ziyarat, I saw that 'Ali ibn Ibrahim' narrated from his father (Ibrahim ibn Hashim) from Sa'd (ibn Sa'd Ahwas) from Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (AS) that…". Allama Majlisi also narrates this tradition with the same chain of transmission in his book *[[Tuhfat al-Za'ir]]*.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hadi|first=Danishvar|year=1378|title=Recommendations for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=35|pages=28–31}}</ref>

Based on an examination of the chain of transmission, all the narrators of this Ziyaratnama are Imami and praiseworthy, and this narration has been reported with a connected chain of transmission to Allama Majlisi and [[Sayyid Haider Kazemi]]. Allama Majlisi himself states in the introduction to his book *Tuhfat al-Za'ir* that he has only narrated reliable traditions in this book.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hadi|first=Danishvar|year=1378|title=Recommendations for the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=35|pages=28–31}}</ref> However, there are doubts regarding one of the narrators of this hadith. According to some research, Sa'd ibn Sa'd Ahwas did not have the opportunity to meet Imam Ridha (AS), and thus it is unclear who this Sa'd is. For this reason, some have considered the chain of transmission of this Ziyarat to be subject to scrutiny.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hussein|first=Moqiseh|year=1378|title=A Study on the Ziyaratnama of Fatima Masuma (AS)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=25|pages=54–58}}</ref>

Many sections of the Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA) have been explained and interpreted. Many parts of this Ziyarat contain profound concepts and have attracted the attention of researchers and scholars.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hussein|first=Moqiseh|year=1378|title=A Study on the Ziyaratnama of Fatima Masuma (AS)|journal=Farhang-e Kowsar|issue=25|pages=54–58}}</ref> In the initial part of this Ziyaratnama, where the fourteen infallibles are addressed and greeted directly, commentators have noted that it is as if the infallible Imams (AS) are present in the shrine of Hazrat Masuma (SA).<ref>{{Cite book|title=Adab va Ahkam-e Ziyarat|year=1389|author=Group of Authors|publisher=Defter-e Nashr-e Ma'arif|page=69|language=Persian|location=Qom}}</ref>

In the Ziyaratnama of Hazrat Masuma (SA), which Allama Majlisi has narrated in *Bihar al-Anwar*, the phrase "يَا فَاطِمَةُ اشْفَعِي لِي فِي الْجَنَّةِ فَإِنَّ لَكِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ شَأْنًا مِنَ الشَّأْنِ؛ O Fatima, intercede for me in Paradise, for indeed you have a high status with Allah" is mentioned. The great scholars of Shiism, in explaining the status of Hazrat Masuma's intercession, believe that the scope of a person's intercession corresponds to their rank and status; the higher the rank of the individual, the broader their intercession. From the narration of Imam Sadiq (AS), who said, "My Shi'a will enter Paradise through her intercession," it can be understood that the status of Hazrat Fatima Masuma (SA) is very lofty and akin to infallibility, a status that is the result of her profound knowledge and piety.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Abbas|first=Azad|year=1397|title=Ziyarat-e Arefaneh; Recommendations of Scholars on the Ziyarat of Hazrat Masuma (SA)|journal=Moballeghan|issue=234}}</ref>