On the Reward of Visiting the Shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha عليه السلام

66-2- Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Imran al-Daqqaq, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sinani, Ali ibn Abdullah al-Warraq and Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Husham al-Mokattib -may God be pleased with them - narrated that Muhammad ibn Abi Abdullah al-Kufi al-Asadi quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Saleh al-Razi, on the authority of Hamdan al-Diwani that Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام said, “Whoever visits me despite the far distance to my tomb, I will come to save him on the Resurrection Day on three occasions until I liberate him from his terrors: 1- When the Letters of Deeds are handed to his right and to his left hands, 2- At the moment of crossing the Bridge over Hell, and 3- At the time when the Scale of Deeds (measuring the amount of good vs. bad deeds) is set up.”

66-3 Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdus-Salam ibn Saleh al-Harawi that he had heard Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, “I shall be killed by poison as a victim of injustice and I will be buried next to Harun. God will designate my grave as the place of visiting for my followers and those who love me. On the Resurrection Day, it will be incumbent upon me to visit whoever visits me in my loneliness. By Him, who honored Muhammad عليه السلام with the Prophetic mission and chose him over all His creatures, whichever one of you who says two units of prayer next to my tomb will deserve to be forgiven by God the Honorable, the Exalted on the Day you meet Him. And by Him who honored us (the 12 Imams) with the Divine Leadership mission after Muhammad عليه السلام and made us especial by granting us the Testamentary Trustee mission, whoever visits my shrine will be amongst the noblest ones who reach God on the Resurrection Day. God the Highest will prohibit the Fire from touching the corpse of any believer who visits me, hits himself on the face and sheds a tear.”

66-4- Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taliqani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abdul Aziz ibn Yahya quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Zakariya, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Ammarah, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his forefathers, on the authority of the Commander of the Faithful Ali عليه السلام that God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, “Soon one of my own flesh and blood will be buried in the land of Khorasan. Any believer who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine will be rewarded by God. Heaven will be guaranteed for him and his body will be secure from the Fire of Hell.”

66-5 Ahmad ibn Al-Hassan al-Qattan, Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Laythi, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Mokattib al-Taliqani and Muhammad ibn Bakran al-Naqqash narrated that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’eed al-Hamadani - a chief of the Hashemite tribe - quoted on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Fadhdhal, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abil Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام, “There is a shrine in Khorasan where angels will come and go. All the time, a group of angels will be landing there from the sky, and another group will be departing from there to go to the heavens. This will continue forever until the Trumpet is sounded”.He was asked, “O son of the Prophet of God! Whose shrine is that?” He replied, “It is located in the land of Toos. And, by God, it is a Garden - one of the Gardens of Heaven. Whoever visits me there in that shrine, it is as if he has visited God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. God the Highest will record for him the reward of one thousand accepted obligatory pilgrimages to the Kaaba, and one thousand accepted ‘Umra (a.s.upererogatory) pilgrimages to the Kaaba. Also my forefathers and I will intercede on his behalf on the Resurrection Day.”

66-6 Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abi Hashem Dawood ibn Al-Qasim al-Ja’fari that he had heard Aba Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali (al-Baqir) عليه السلام say, “Indeed there is a piece of land taken from Heaven in between two mountains in Toos. Whoever enters it will be secure from the Fire on the Resurrection Day.”

66-7 Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdullah Al-Hassani, on the authority of Abi Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali Ar-Ridha’ (Imam Jawad) عليه السلام said, “I guarantee Heaven on behalf of God the Highest for anyone who visits the shrine of my father in Toos recognizing his rightfulness.”

66-8 There is another tradition through the same chain of documentation in which Abdul Adheem ibn Abdullah has said that he asked Abi Ja’far (al-Jawad) عليه السلام, “I wonder whether I should go on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Abi Abdullah (Imam Husayn) عليه السلام or go on a pilgrimage to the shrine of your father عليه السلام in Toos. What do you think?” Then Abi Ja’far عليه السلام told him, “Wait a little and stay here until I come back.” Then the Imam عليه السلام went inside the house and came back with eyes filled with tears and said, “There are many people who visit the shrine of Abi Abdullah Imam Al-Husayn عليه السلام. However, there are only a few who visit the shrine of my father عليه السلام in Toos.”

66-9 Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abil Salt al-Harawi that he had heard Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, “By God! All of us will be killed and become a martyr.”He was asked, “O son of the Prophet of God (Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام! Who will murder you?” He replied, “The most wicked creature of God in my time (Al-Ma’mun) will kill me using poison. Then he will bury me in a very tight house in a strange town. Know that whoever visits me in my loneliness, God the Highest will record for him the reward of one-hundred thousand martyrs, one-hundred thousand honest ones, one-hundred thousand obligatory and ‘Umra (a.s.upererogatory) pilgrimages, and one-hundred thousands fighters in the way of God. He will also be resurrected among us (the 12 Imams عليه السلام). He will be established in high ranks in Heaven as our friend.”

66-10 Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr al-Bezanti according to which Abi Nasr narrated that he had read a letter from Imam Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام in which it was written, “Let my followers know that God considers visiting my shrine to be like one thousand pilgrimages (to the Kaaba).” Then Abi Nasr went to Imam Muhammad Taqi عليه السلام and asked the Imam عليه السلام about this issue. The Imam عليه السلام said, “Yes, by God! There is the reward of one million pilgrimages to the Kaaba for anyone who visits his shrine and recognizes his rightfulness.”

66-11 Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taleqani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’eed al-Kufi - a chief of the Hashemite tribe - quoted on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Fadhdhal, on the authority of his father that a man from Khorasan told Abal Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام, “O son of the Prophet of God! I saw the Prophet of God عليه السلام in a dream. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم asked me, ‘How will you be when one of my own flesh and blood is buried in your land, you are asked to protect my trust, and my star (Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام) disappears in your soil?” Then Ar-Ridha’ told him, “I am the one who will be buried in your land. I am a piece of the flesh and blood of your Prophet. I am the trusted one and I am the star. Know that whoever visits me recognizing my rightfulness and obeys me as God the Blessed the Sublime has made it incumbent upon him to do so - my forefathers and I will intercede on his behalf on the Resurrection Day. Whoever on whose behalf we intercede shall be saved, even if there is the heavy burden of sin of the Jinn and the men on him.In fact, my father quoted on the authority of my grandfather, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his forefathers عليه السلام that God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘Whoever visits me in his dream, it is as if he has visited me since Satan cannot appear to be like me, or appear to be like anyone of my Testamentary Trustees (the 12 Imams). Neither can Satan appear to be like any of their followers. Indeed truthful dreams are one of the seventy parts of Prophethood.’”

66-12 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Najran that he asked Aba Ja’far عليه السلام, “Do you know what the reward is for someone who visits your father?” Aba Ja’far عليه السلام replied, “By God! It is Heaven.”

66-13 Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn Abil Khattab, on the authority of Ali ibn Asbat that he asked Aba Ja’far عليه السلام, “What is the reward for someone who visits your father Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام in Khorasan?” Aba Ja’far عليه السلام replied, “By God! It is Heaven. By God! It is Heaven.”

66-14 Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamadani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Obayd, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Soleiman al-Misri, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Abi Hajar al-Aslami, on the authority of Qabeesa, on the authority of Jabir ibn Yazid al-Jo’fi, “I heard the Trustee of the Trustees and the inheritor of the Prophets’ knowledge Aba Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (Imam al-Baqir) عليه السلام say, ‘The Master of the Worshippers, Ali ibn Al-Husayn (as-Sajjad) عليه السلام narrated that the Master of the Martyrs Al-Husayn ibn Ali عليه السلام quoted on the authority of the Master of the Trustees - the Commander of the Faithful - Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام, on the authority of God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, ‘One of my own flesh and blood will be buried in Khorasan. God the Highest will surely remove the sorrows of any sorrowful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. God will surely forgive the sins of any sinful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine.’’”

66-15 Ja’far ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abdullah ibn al-Mogheera al-Kufi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that his grandfather Al-Husayn ibn Ali quoted on the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Yusuf, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Aslam, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Soleiman, “I asked Aba-Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام about a man who has gone on his obligatory pilgrimage and has then gone on his ‘Umra (a.s.upererogatory) pilgrimage, and God the Highest has granted him success in performing both his obligatory and his ‘Umra (a.s.upererogatory) pilgrimages. He has then gone to Medina and has expressed his submission to Islam to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. He has then gone to visit your forefather - the Commander of the Faithful Ali عليه السلام - knowing that he is rightfully the proof of God for His creatures, and the gate from which we must go to Him. Then he has greeted him (Ali عليه السلام). Then he has gone to visit Aba Abdullah Al-Husayn ibn Ali عليه السلام, and has greeted him. Then he has gone to Baghdad and greeted Abil Hassan Musa عليه السلام. Then he has gone back to his hometown. If once again God the Highest has granted him the opportunity to go on pilgrimage, then a pilgrimage to whom is better under these conditions? Should he who has already performed his Hajj pilgrimage go on pilgrimage to the Kaaba, or should he journey towards Khorasan to greet and visit the shrine of your father Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام.” Aba Ja’far عليه السلام replied, “Yes. It is better for him to go towards Khorasan to greet my father عليه السلام. However, this should be done in the (Arabic) month of Rajab. It is not appropriate for him to do this now. Indeed if he does so, both you and us will be blamed by the ruler.”

66-16 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God have mercy upon him - and Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Khalaf quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa and Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn ibn Abi Talib, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr al-Bezanti, “I heard Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, ‘I will intercede on behalf of all of my friends who visit me recognizing my rightfulness on the Resurrection Day.”

66-17 - Ali ibn Abdullah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Khalaf quoted on the authority of Imran ibn Musa, on the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn al-No’man, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Fudhayl, on the authorityof Ghazwan al-Dhabbi, on the authority of Abdul Rahman ibn Ishaq, on the authority of Al-No’aman ibn Sa’d that the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام said, “One of my offspring will be killed by poison in the land of Khorasan. His name will be the same as mine. And his father’s name will be the same as the name of (Prophet) Musa ibn Imran عليه السلام. God will forgive the sins of whoever goes to visit him in his loneliness, even if his sins are as many as there are stars, rain drops and tree leaves.”

66-18 Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Tataneh, Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Hisham al-Mokattib, Ahmad ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem, Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh, Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil and Ali ibn Habatillah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with them all - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, on the authority of Hamza ibn Homran that Abu Abdullah (as-Sadiq) عليه السلام said, “My grandson will be killed in the land of Khorasan in a town called Toos. On the Resurrection Day, I will grab the hands of whoever visits him there recognizing his rightfulness, and I will take him into Heaven even if he has committed major sins.” I asked Abu Abdullah عليه السلام, “May I be your ransom! What does ‘recognizing his rightfulness’ mean?” The Imam عليه السلام said, “It means to know that he is the Divine Leader who must be obeyed and that he was martyred. Whoever visits him recognizing his rightfulness shall be rewarded by God the Highest the reward of seventy-thousand martyrs who were really martyred right in front of God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم.”

66-19 Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar عليه السلام narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah quoted on the authority of Ayyoub ibn Nooh, “I heard Aba Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa (Imam Jawad) عليه السلام say, ‘God will forgive all the sins committed by whoever visits the shrine of my father (Imam Ridha’) عليه السلام in Toos. On the Resurrection Day, a pulpit will be set up for him in front of the pulpit of God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم where he will be seated until God the Highest gets done with the Reckoning of His servants’ deeds.’”

66-20 Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Masroor - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad ibn Aamir quoted on the authority of his uncle Abdullah ibn A’mir, on the authority of Soleimanibn Hafs al-Marwazi who said that he had heard (Ar-Ridha’’s عليه السلام father) Abal Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far (al-Kadhim) عليه السلام say, “God the Highest will grant the reward of seventy accepted pilgrimages to the Kaaba (the House of God) to anyone who goes on pilgrimage to the shrine of my son Ali (Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام).” He عليه السلام was asked, “Do you mean the reward of seventy accepted pilgrimages to the Kaaba?” The Imam عليه السلام replied, “Yes, even more. The reward of seventy-thousand pilgrimages to the Kaaba!” Again he عليه السلام was asked, “Do you mean the reward of seventy-thousand pilgrimages to the Kaaba?” The Imam عليه السلام replied, “Yes. There are many occasions on which one’s pilgrimage to the Kaaba may not be accepted. When someone goes on pilgrimage to him (Imam Ridha’) or spends one night next to him, it is as if he has gone on the pilgrimage to God the Highest at His Throne.” The Imam عليه السلام was asked, “Is the reward similar to going on the pilgrimage to God at His Throne?” The Imam عليه السلام replied, “Yes. When the Resurrection Day comes, there will be four of the previous and four of the latest Divine Leaders present at the Throne of the Sublime God. Those of the previous Divine Leaders will be Noah عليه السلام, Abraham عليه السلام, Moses عليه السلام and Jesus عليه السلام. And those of the latest Divine Leaders will be Muhammad عليه السلام, Ali عليه السلام, Al-Hassan عليه السلام and Al-Husayn عليه السلام. Then a rope will be dropped from the base of the Throne, and those who have gone on pilgrimage to the shrines of the Immaculate Imams will sit there along with us. Indeed those who have gone on pilgrimage to the shrine of my son Ali (Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام) will have the highest rank there and will receive the greatest rewards.”The author of this book (a.s.heikh Sadooq) - may God have mercy upon him - said, “When It is said, ‘The reward is like going on the pilgrimage to God at His Throne?’ is does not mean that this is a physical event. Indeed the angels visit the Throne, take refuge there and circumambulate around it. Then it is said, ‘The reward is like going on the pilgrimage to God at His Throne’ similar to saying that we go on pilgrimage to the House of God (the Kaaba). We know that there is no place for God. He is High and cannot be described by ascribing a place to His Throne. He is indeed the Highest.”

66-21 Tamim ibn Abdullah ibn Tamim al-Qurashi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that his father quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Ali Al-Ansari, on the authority of Abi Salt al-Harawi, “I was with Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام when a group of people from Qum entered and greeted him. The Imamgreeted them back and paid his respects to them. Then Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام told them, ‘You are welcome. You are truly our followers. There will come a time when you will visit my shrine in Toos. Indeed, whoever visits me having already performed the ritual bathing (‘Ghusl) will be purified from all his sins just as the day he was born from his mother.’”

66-22 Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sinani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abul Husayn Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Asadi quoted on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad al-Adami, on the authority of Abdul Adheem ibn Abdullah Al-Hassani that he had heard Ali ibn Muhammad Al-Askari عليه السلام say, “The people of Qum and Abat are forgiven when they go on pilgrimage to visit my grandfather Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام in buried in Toos. Know that whoever visits Ar-Ridha’’s عليه السلام shrine, and it rains on him while he is traveling to get there, God will prohibit the Fire from touching his corpse.”

66-23 Ahmad ibn Harun al-Fami - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Ja’far ibn Batta quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahboob, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashem, on the authority of Soleiman ibn Hafs al-Marvazi that he had heard (Ar-Ridha’’s عليه السلام father) Abal Hassan Musa ibn Ja’far عليه السلام say, “My son Ali (Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام) will be oppressively poisoned and killed. He will be buried in Toos next to (Al-Ma’mun’s father) Harun. Whoever visits Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام, it is as if he has visited God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم."

66-24 Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ that he had heard Abal Hassan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, “There is a covenant binding upon any Divine Leader’s adherents and followers. The completion of the honoring of this covenant and fulfilling their duties well lies in visiting their tombs. On the Resurrection Day, the Divine Leaders would intercede on behalf of whomever visits their shrines and eagerly and willingly accepts what they had accepted.”

66-25 Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh -may God be pleased with him- narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted on the authority of Hamdan ibn Soleiman al-Neishaboori on the authority of Ali ibn Muhammad al-Hossayni on the authority of Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan,on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Uqbah that he had written a letter to (Imam Al-Hadi) Abil Hassan the third عليه السلام in which he had asked the Imam عليه السلام about the pilgrimage to (the shrine of the third Imam) Abi Abdullah Al-Husayn عليه السلام, (the shrine of the seventh Imam) Abal Hassan عليه السلام and (the shrine of the eighth Imam) Abi Ja’far عليه السلام. Then Imam Al-Hadi عليه السلام had written back, “(The pilgrimage to the shrine of Imam Al-Husayn) Abu Abdullah عليه السلام is preferred. This is more complete and has a greater reward.”

66-26 Muhammad ibn Musa al-Mutawakkil narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Al-Abbas ibn Ma’ruf, on the authority of Ali ibn Mahzyar that he said to Abi Ja’far - that is Muhammad ibn Ali Ar-Ridha’ (Imam Jawad) عليه السلام, “May I be your ransom! Is the pilgrimage to Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام superior to the pilgrimage to Abi Abdullah Al-Husayn عليه السلام?” Then Muhammad ibn Ali عليه السلام replied, “The pilgrimage to my father is better since all the people visit (the shrine of Imam Al-Husayn) Aba Abdullah عليه السلام while only a special group of the Shiites visit my father Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام.”

66-27 Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Waleed - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Saffar quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’, “(The 8th Imam) Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام said, ‘Soon I will be oppressively poisoned to death. God will forgive all the sins of whomever visits me recognizing my rightfulness.”

66-28 Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Sinani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Zakariya al-Qattan quoted Abu Muhammad Bakr ibn Ubaydillah ibn Habib, on the authority of Tamim ibn Bohlool, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Isma’il ibn Mehran, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad (as-Sadiq) عليه السلام, “Whenever any of you finish your Hajj pilgrimage to the Kaaba, come to (Khorasan to) complete your Hajj pilgrimage by visiting us (i.e. Ar-Ridha’’s عليه السلام shrine). This indeed will complete the Hajj.”

66-29 Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn ibn Abil Khattab, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sinan, on the authority of Ammar ibn Marwan, on the authority of Jabir, on the authority of Abi Ja’far (al-Baqir) عليه السلام, “The perfection of the Hajj pilgrimage depends on visiting the Divine Leader.”

66-30 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, on the authority of Umar ibn Othaynah, on the authority of Zurara, on the authority of Abi Ja’far (al-Baqir) عليه السلام, “The people are ordered to go to these stones and circumambulate around them. Then they are ordered to come to us (the 12 Imams), declare their friendship with us, and offer us their help.”

66-31(The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar quoted on the authority of Muhammad ibn Al-Husayn ibn Abil Khattab, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Bazee’, on the authority of Salih ibn Uqba, on the authority of Zayd al-Shahham, “I asked Abi Abdullah (as-Sadiq) عليه السلام, ‘What is there for one who visits one of you (the 12 Imams)?’ The UImam عليه السلام replied, ’It is as if he has visited God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم.’”

66-32 Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Hisham al-Mokattib, Muhammad ibn Ali Majilawayh, Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem, Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim Tataneh and Ali ibn Abdullah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with them - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority his father, on the authority of al-Saqr ibn Dolaf, “I heard my master (the 10th Imam) Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, ‘Whenever one needs something from God, he should go on pilgrimage to my grandfather’s shrine (i.e. Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام) in Toos after having taken the ritual bath (Ghusl). He should say two units of prayer at the position of his head, and ask for what he wants in the ‘Qunut (when he raises his hands up to pray to God). If what he is asking for is not a sin or cutting off ties with his relatives, then God will surely fulfill his needs. Indeed the place of the shrine is one of the palaces of Heaven. Whenever a believer visits it, God will free him from the Fire and let him enter the Eternal Abode.”

66-33 Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taleqani - may God be pleased with him -narrated that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’eed al-Hamadani - a chief of the Hashemite tribe narrated that Ali ibn Al-Hassan ibn Fadhdhal quoted on the authority of his father that he had heard (the 8th Imam) Abal Hassan Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام say, “I will be killed by being poisoned and I will be buried in a strange land.This has been promised to me by my father, from his father, from his father, from his forefathers, from Ali ibn Abi Talib عليه السلام, and from God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. Indeed, if anyone visits me in my loneliness, then my forefathers and I will intercede on his behalf on the Resurrection Day. Whoever we intercede for is saved, even if he has the burden of the sins of the jinn and the people.”

66-34 Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Hisham al-Mo’addib and Ali ibn Abdullah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with them - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father Ibrahim ibn Hashem, on the authority of Abdul Salam ibn Saleh al-Harawi, ‘De’bel ibn Ali al-Khoza’ee - may God forgive him - went to see Ali ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام in Marv and said, ‘O son of God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم! I have recited some poems for you and have promised myself not to recite them for anyone, before I recite them for you.’ The Imam عليه السلام said, ‘Then recite them.’ De’bel recited his poems which started with:The schools for the Qur’anic verses are void of reciting nowand the landing site of revelations is left like a barren desert!Then De’bel went on until he got to this couplet:I find others share their share,Their hands of what is theirs are bare...;Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام cried and said, ’O Khoza’ee! You have told the truth.’ Then De’bel continued until he got to this couplet:When they were pulled taut, they did stretchTense hands that couldn’t their muscles touch,Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام kept rubbing the palms of his hands against each other and said, ‘Yes. Tense, indeed; they are tense...’ Then De’bel continued reciting his poems until he got to the following:I have been frightened in the worldand the days of its effort,and I hope to be saved after I dieAr-Ridha’ عليه السلام said, ‘May God save you from the Day of the Great Dread!’De’bel continued on. When De’bel reached the end of his poems and he said,And the tomb in Baghdad is for a purified soulTo whom the Merciful has guaranteed one of the Chambers (in Heaven)Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام told him, ’Do I have the right to add two couplets to your poem at this point?’ De’bel replied, ’O son of God’s Prophet! Of course.’ Then the Imam عليه السلام said,And woe be to the shrine in ToosFrom its calamities the giblets burnUntil Resurrection lest it is the Riser’s turnTo overcome all grief and pain.Then De’bel asked Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام, ’O son of God’s Prophet! Whose shrine is this one in Toos?’ Then Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام replied, ’It is mine. Very soon, however, Toos will become the place where my visitors and followers will travel to go on pilgrimage to my shrine. Indeed, whoever visits me in my loneliness in Toos will be with me in the same rank on the Resurrection Day. He will be forgiven.’ Then Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام stood up after De’bel had finished reciting his poem, and asked him to stay in his place. He عليه السلام went into the house. After an hour, the servant came out with a bag having one hundred Razawi Dinars in it, and said, ‘My master has said, ’Take these for your expenses.’ De’bel said, ‘By God! I have not recited these poems being greedy for anything.’ He refused the bag and asked for one of Ar-Ridha’’s عليه السلام attires to be blessed and honored by him. Then Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام granted him a fur cloak plus the bag, and told his servant, ’Tell De’bel to take this bag, since he will need it. Tell him not to return it.’ Then De’bel accepted the bag and the cloak and left.He left Marv along with a caravan. When they reached ‘Meyan Qawhan’, they were attacked by thieves who took all the travelers as captives and tied up their hands. De’bel was among those whose hands were tied. The thieves took all the caravan’s goods and started to divide them up amongst themselves. Then one of the thieves started striking a similitude using one of De’bel’s poems:I find others share their share,Their hands of what is theirs are bare...;De’bel heard him recite these verses and asked him who had composed it. He replied, ’It was said by a man from the Khoza’ee tribe who is called De’bel ibn Ali.’ Then De’bel said, ’Indeed, I am De’bel who said this poem. You recited only one of its couplets.’ Then the man immediately rushed to their chief - a Shiite who was praying on top of a hill. The man informed the chief of what had happened. Then the chief went to De’bel in person, stopped near De’bel and asked, ’Are you De’bel?’ He said, ’Yes.’ Then the chief said, ’Then recite the entire poem.’ Then he recited the entire poem. The chief untied his hands and ordered that all the travelers from that caravan be freed. Out of respect for De’bel, the chief also ordered that all their belongings be returned to them. Then they continued on until De’bel reached Qum. Then the people of Qum asked him to recite his poems. De’bel asked all of them to come (along with him) to the Jami’a Mosque. When they all got together in the mosque, De’bel climbed up the pulpit and recited his poems for them. The people gave him many gifts.Then they found out about the cloak. They asked him to sell it to them for one-thousand Dinars. De’bel refused to do so. They asked him to sell them just a piece of it for one-thousand Dinars, but he refused. Then he left Qum.When De’bel left the town, a group of young Arab fellows arrived from behind him and took away his cloak. De’bel had to return to Qum and beg them to return the cloak to him. But they refused and even denied their elders’ requests to return the cloak. However, they told De’bel, ’There is no way that you can take back your cloak. Then just take one-thousand Dinars for it.’ De’bel did not accept, and they kept on insisting, but it was no use. So finally he lost hopes of getting it back. He asked them to give him just a piece of it. The young fellows accepted this. They gave him a piece of it plus one-thousand Dinars.De’bel set out towards his hometown. When he arrived home, he realized that the thieves had stolen everything he had there. Thus he exchanged the one-hundred Razavi Dinars that Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام had given to him. He exchanged each Dinar for one hundred Dirhams and obtained ten-thousand Dirhams. Then De’bel remembered that Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام had said, ‘You will need these Dinars.’ De’bel had a maid whom he dearly loved. She got bad pains in her eyes.Then the doctors came, examined her and said, ’Her right eye cannot be treated. It has become blind. However, her left eye can be treated and there is hope that it may be saved.’ Then De’bel got really sorry and upset. He remembered that he had a piece of the cloak. He tied it around her eyes one night. When the morning came, her eyes were treated and were even better than before due to the blessing of Abil Hassan Ar-Ridha’عليه السلام.”The author of this book (a.s.heikh Sadooq) - may God have mercy upon him - said, “I included this tradition in this chapter of the book since it is related to the rewards for going on pilgrimage to Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام. There is also another tradition from De’bel ibn Ali related to Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام that is related to the coming of the Riser عليه السلام that I would like to narrate after this tradition.”

66-35 Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja’far al-Hamazani - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Abdul Salam ibn Saleh al-Harawi, “I heard De’bel ibn Ali al-Khoza’ee say, ‘I recited this poem for my Master Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام which starts with:The schools for the Qur’anic verses are void of reciting nowand the landing site of revelations is left like a barren desert!Then I reached the following verses:A Divine Leader shall rise - surely he is to riseIn God’s name and His Blessing he shall riseHe will distinguish between right and wrong for usHe will reward the good-doers and the bad-doers he shall chastise.Then Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام cried hard. He عليه السلام raised up his head towards me and said, ‘O De’bel Khoza’ee! It was the Holy Spirit who made these verses flow out from your tongue. Do you know who that Divine Leader is? When will he rise?’Then De’bel said, ‘No my Master! I have only heard that a Divine Leader from your progeny shall rise and cleanse the earth of corruption. He shall fill it with justice.’Then the Imam عليه السلام said, ‘O De’bel! The Divine Leader coming after me is my son Muhammad; then after Muhammad his son Ali; then his son Hassan; and then his son al-Hujjat the Riser the Awaited one (Imam al-Mahdi) who will come during his absence (Ghayba). He will be obeyed when he appears. God shall prolong time even if there is only one day left for him to rise and fill the earth with justice, since it has been filled with oppression and injustice. But when will it be? This is like informing the people about the time of the arrival of the Resurrection Day. My father quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of his forefathers, on the authority of Ali عليه السلام who narrated that God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was asked, ’O Prophet of God! When shall the Riser who is from your progeny rise?’ The Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم replied, ‘The similitude of that is like the similitude of the Hour (of Resurrection), ‘None but He can reveal as to when it will occur. Heavy were its burden through the heavens and the earth. Only, all of a sudden will it come to you.’”

66-36 Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Hormozi al-Bayhaqi narrated that he had heard Abal Hassan Dawood al-Bakri say that he had heard (De’bel’s son) Ali ibn De’bel ibn Ali al-Khoza’ee say, “When my father was about to die he changed colors, could not talk and his face turned black. I was about to quit following his religion (Islam), but after three days which passed like this I saw my father in my dreams wearing a white robe with a white cap on his head. I asked him, ‘O father! What has God done to you?’ He replied, ‘O son! When you saw my face turn dark and my tongue stopped from talking, it was because I used to drink wine in this world. I was that way until once I met God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم (here in the Hereafter) wearing a white robe with a white cap on his head. Then he asked me, ‘Are you De’bel?’ I said, ‘Yes, O Prophet of God!’ Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, ‘Recite to me the poem that you recited for my son Ar-Ridha’ عليه السلام.’ Then I recited it:God will not let time laugh, if it were to laughWhile Ahmad’s Household are victims of injustice.Indeed were they subjected to oppressionAnd were ruthlessly thrown out of their homes;As if they had committed what cannot be forgiven.Then God’s Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم told me, ‘Excellent!’ Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم interceded on my behalf and gave me some of his clothes which you can see.’ He pointed to the clothes he was wearing.”

66-37 I heard Aba Nasr Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan al-Karkhi al-Katib say, “These verses are written on the grave of De’bel al-Khoza’ee: Prepared De’bel for the Day on which to meet God‘There is no god but God.’He testified to it with sincerityHoping forgiveness from God in the HereafterGod is his Master and nextComes the Prophet and his Trustees.the Trumpet shall be sounded, and ye shall come forth in crowds” [Qur’an, 78:18]