Tradition 1: Imam Ar-Ridha’ ('a) was asked about the Ziyarah of Imam Al-Kadhim ('a) and he replied: Pray in the mosques around the grave and recite the following - which can also be recited at all the holy sites:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ وَ أَصْفِيَائِهِ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى أُمَنَاءِ اللَّهِ وَ أَحِبَّائِهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَنْصَارِ اللَّهِ وَ خُلَفَائِهِ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَحَالِّ مَعْرِفَةِ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَسَاكِنِ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَظَاهِرِ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ وَ نَهْيِهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى الدُّعَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى الْمُسْتَقِرِّينَ فِي مَرَضَاةِ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى الْمُخْلَصِينَ [الْمُمَحَّصِينَ‌] فِي طَاعَةِ اللَّهِ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مَنْ وَالاهُمْ فَقَدْ وَالَى اللَّهَ وَ مَنْ عَادَاهُمْ فَقَدْ عَادَى اللَّهَ وَ مَنْ عَرَفَهُمْ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ اللَّهَ وَ مَنْ جَهِلَهُمْ فَقَدْ جَهِلَ اللَّهَ- وَ مَنِ اعْتَصَمَ بِهِمْ فَقَدِ اعْتَصَمَ بِاللَّهِ وَ مَنْ تَخَلَّى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ تَخَلَّى مِنَ اللَّهِ- أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ أَنِّي سِلْمٌ لِمَنْ سَالَمَكُمْ وَ حَرْبٌ لِمَنْ حَارَبَكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌ بِسِرِّكُمْ‌ وَ عَلَانِيَتِكُمْ مُفَوِّضٌ فِي ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ عَدُوَّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَ الْإِنْسِ وَ أَبْرَأُ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ وَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ

Translation: Peace be on Allah's saints and His chosen ones. Peace be on Allah's trustees and His loved ones. Peace be on Allah's supporters and Caliphs. Peace be on the places in which Allah can be known. Peace be on the houses in which Allah is remembered. Peace be on the ones who manifest Allah's orders and His prohibitions. Peace be on the ones who call to Allah. Peace be on the ones who are settled firmly in that which pleases Allah. Peace be on the ones who are loyal in obeying Allah. Peace be on the ones whom those who follow them have followed Allah, those who are inimical to them are inimical to Allah, those who know them have known Allah, those who ignore them have ignored Allah, those who seek refuge with them have sought refuge with Allah, and those who desert them have deserted Allah. I make Allah as a witness that I am at peace with those who are at peace with you. Iam inimical to those who are inimical to you. I believe in that which is secret about you and that which is apparent about you, and I rely on you in all of this. Allah's curse be on the enemies of Aali Muhammad ('a) from the Jinns and men and l seek proximity to Allah by being aloof from them. And Allah's blessings be on Muhammad and his progeny.

Imam ('a) added: It can be recited for any of the Infallibles. And after that invoke further blessings on Muhammad and Aali Muhammad ('a) and name them one by one and dissociate from their enemies. Then choose some supplications and pray for yourself and believing men and women.

Tradition 2: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) said: Recite the following Ziyarah besides the grave of Imam Al-Husayn ('a). You may also recite the same besides the graves of all Imams ('a):

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَمِينِ اللَّهِ عَلَى وَحْيِهِ وَ عَزَائِمِ أَمْرِهِ الْخَاتِمِ لِمَا سَبَقَ وَ الْفَاتِحِ لِمَا اسْتِقْبِلَ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَ رَسُولِكَ الَّذِي انْتَجَبْتَهُ بِعِلْمِكَ وَ جَعَلْتَهُ هَادِياً لِمَنْ شِئْتَ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ وَ الدَّلِيلَ عَلَى مَنْ بَعَثْتَهُ بِرِسَالاتِكَ وَ كُتُبِكَ- وَ دَيَّانَ الدِّينِ بِعَدْلِكَ وَ فَصْلَ قَضَائِكَ بَيْنَ خَلْقِكَ وَ الْمُهَيْمِنَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ وَ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْهِ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ-

Translation: Peace be on you from Allah and peace be on Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, Allah's trustee of His revelation and His firmly determined affairs, the last of that which has passed and the one who began that which is yet to come. O Allah, bless Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger; the one whom You chose with Your knowledge and whom You appointed as a guide for whomsoever You willed from among Your creation, as the guide to those whom You sent with Your messages and Books as the undisputed ruler of religion with Your justice, as the Proof among Your creation and as the absolute master over all of it. Peace to him and may Allah's mercy be on him and His blessings.

In the Ziyarah of Amir Al-Mu’minin ('a) replace the initial words by:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَبْدِكَ وَ أَخِي رَسُولِكَ

Translation: O Allah, bless Amir Al-Mu’minin ('a), Your servant and the brother of Your Messenger ...

In the Ziyarah of Lady Fatimah (‘a) replace with:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى فَاطِمَةَ ع أَمَتِكَ وَ بِنْتِ رَسُولِكَ

Translation: O Allah, bless Fatimah, Your maidservant and the daughter of Your Messenger ...

In the Ziyarah of the rest of the Imams ('a) replace it with:

Translation: O Allah, bless the son of Your Messenger …

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى أَبْنَاءِ رَسُولِكَ

And mention the Imams in the same way that you invoke blessings on the Prophet (‘a) repeating the above statement for each Imam one after another until you reach the Imam whose Ziyarah you are performing.

Then recite the following:

أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكُمْ كَلِمَةُ التَّقْوَى وَ بَابُ الْهُدَى وَ الْعُرْوَةُ الْوُثْقَى وَ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ عَلَى مَنْ فِيهَا وَ مَنْ تَحْتَ الثَّرَى وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ أَرْوَاحَكُمْ وَ طِينَتَكُمْ مِنْ طِينَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ طَابَتْ وَ طَهُرَتْ مِنْ نُورِ اللَّهِ وَ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ- وَ أُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ وَ أُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي لَكُمْ تَبَعٌ بِذَاتِ نَفْسِي وَ شَرَائِعِ دِينِي وَ خَوَاتِيمِ عَمَلِي اللَّهُمَّ فَأَتْمِمْ لِي ذَلِكَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ- السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَدْ بَلَّغْتَ عَنِ اللَّهِ مَا أُمِرْتَ بِهِ وَ قُمْتَ بِحَقِّهِ غَيْرَ وَاهِنٍ وَ لَا مُوهِنٍ فَجَزَاكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ صِدِّيقٍ خَيْراً عَنْ رَعِيَّتِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ الْجِهَادَ مَعَكَ جِهَادٌ وَ أَنَّ الْحَقَّ مَعَكَ وَ لَكَ وَ أَنْتَ مَعْدِنُهُ وَ مِيرَاثَ النُّبُوَّةِ عِنْدَكَ وَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ قَدْ أَقَمْتَ الصَّلَاةَ وَ آتَيْتَ الزَّكَاةَ وَ أَمَرْتَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ نَهَيْتَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ دَعَوْتَ‌ إِلى‌ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ الْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَ عَبَدْتَ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى أَتَاكَ الْيَقِينُ -

Translation: I bear witness that you are the word of piety, the door of guidance, the strongest handhold and the Proof which has been announced to the living and the dead.

I bear witness that your souls and clay are from the same substance which is blessed and purified with the light of Allah and with His mercy. I make Allah and I make you as a witness that I follow you in everything related to my affairs, the rulings of my religion and the end result of my actions. Therefore, O Allah, O most merciful of the merciful ones, fulfil this for me. Peace be on you, O Abu Abdullah. I bear witness that you announced on Allah's behalf what you were commanded and fulfilled your duties to Allah without weakness or sloth. May Allah reward you on behalf of your nation, O most truthful one. I bear witness that Jihad is Jihad only if it is with you, that truth is with you and for you, that you are the source of truth and that the inheritance of prophethood is with you and your family. I bear witness that you established prayer, paid Zakat, enjoined good, forbade evil, called to the path of your Lord with wisdom and good advice and that you worshipped your Lord until death came to you.

Then recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَلَائِكَةِ اللَّهِ الْمُسَوِّمِينَ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَلَائِكَةِ اللَّهِ الْمُنْزَلِينَ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَلَائِكَةِ اللَّهِ الْمُرْدِفِينَ- السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَلَائِكَةِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي هَذَا الْحَرَمِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُقِيمُونَ-

Translation: Peace be on the distinguished angels of Allah. Peace be on the descending angels of Allah. Peace be on angels of Allah who come down continuously. Peace be on the angels of Allah who reside in this sanctuary with the permission of Allah.

After that recite:

اللَّهُمَّ الْعَنِ الَّذَيْنِ بَدَّلَا نِعْمَتَكَ وَ خَالَفَا كِتَابَكَ وَ جَحَدَا آيَاتِكَ وَ اتَّهَمَا رَسُولَكَ احْشُ قُبُورَهُمَا وَ أَجْوَافَهُمَا نَاراً وَ أَعِدَّ لَهُمَا عَذَاباً أَلِيماً وَ احْشُرْهُمَا وَ أَشْيَاعَهُمَا وَ أَتْبَاعَهُمَا إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ زُرْقاً- وَ احْشُرْهُمَا وَ أَشْيَاعَهُمَا وَ أَتْبَاعَهُمَا يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ عَلى‌ وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْياً وَ بُكْماً وَ صُمًّا مَأْواهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ كُلَّما خَبَتْ زِدْناهُمْ سَعِيراً اللَّهُمَّ لَا تَجْعَلْهُ آخِرَ الْعَهْدِ مِنْ زِيَارَةِ قَبْرِ ابْنِ نَبِيِّكَ وَ ابْعَثْهُ مَقَاماً مَحْمُوداً تَنْتَصِرُ بِهِ لِدِينِكَ وَ تَقْتُلُ بِهِ عَدُوَّكَ فَإِنَّكَ وَعَدْتَهُ ذَلِكَ وَ أَنْتَ الرَّبُّ الَّذِي‌ لا تُخْلِفُ الْمِيعادَ

Translation: O Allah, curse the two who changed Your blessings, disobeyed Your Book, denied Your signs and accused Your Messenger. Stuff their graves and stomachs with fire and prepare a painful chastisement for them. O Allah, raise the two of them and their followers blind in Hell. And on Judgment Day raise the two of them and their followers ''on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf; their abode is hell whenever it becomes allayed, We will add to their burning.” O Allah, do not make this the last time I come to the Ziyarah of the grave of the son of Your Prophet. Raise him in the praised status where You support Your religion with him and kill Your enemies through him. Indeed, You promised this to him and You are the Lord who does not fail His promise.

You can recite the same by the graves of all Imams ('a). InshaAllah, when you go to the Ziyarah of any Imam, you should recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا وَلِيَّ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا حُجَّةَ اللَّهِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا نُورَ اللَّهِ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا إِمَامَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ وَارِثَ عِلْمِ النَّبِيِّينَ وَ سُلَالَةَ الْوَصِيِّينَ وَ الشَّهِيدَ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ- أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ وَ آبَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ وَ أَبْنَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ مَوَالِيَّ وَ أَوْلِيَائِي وَ أَئِمَّتِي وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكُمْ أَصْفِيَاءُ اللَّهِ وَ خَزَنَتُهُ وَ حُجَّتُهُ الْبَالِغَةُ انْتَجَبَكُمْ بِعِلْمِهِ أَنْصَاراً لِدِينِهِ وَ قُوَّاماً بِأَمْرِهِ- وَ خُزَّاناً لِعِلْمِهِ وَ حَفَظَةً لِسِرِّهِ وَ تَرَاجِمَةً لِوَحْيِهِ وَ مَعْدِناً لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَ أَرْكَاناً لِتَوْحِيدِهِ وَ شُهُوداً عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَ اسْتَوْدَعَكُمْ خَلْقَهُ وَ أَوْرَثَكُمْ كِتَابَهُ وَ خَصَّكُمْ بِكَرَائِمِ التَّنْزِيلِ وَ أَعْطَاكُمُ التَّأْوِيلَ وَ جَعَلَكُمْ تَابُوتَ حِكْمَتِهِ وَ مَنَاراً فِي بِلَادِهِ وَ ضَرَبَ لَكُمْ مَثَلًا مِنْ نُورِهِ وَ أَجْرَى فِيكُمْ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ وَ عَصَمَكُمْ مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَ طَهَّرَكُمْ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَ أَذْهَبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ وَ بِكُمْ تَمَّتِ النِّعْمَةُ وَ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْفُرْقَةُ وَ ائْتَلَفَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ وَ لَزِمَتِ الطَّاعَةُ الْمُفْتَرَضَةُ وَ الْمَوَدَّةُ الْوَاجِبَةُ فَأَنْتُمْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ النُّجَبَاءُ وَ عِبَادُهُ الْمُكْرَمُونَ أَتَيْتُكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ عَارِفاً بِحَقِّكَ مُسْتَبْصِراً بِشَأْنِكَ مُعَادِياً لِأَعْدَائِكَ مُوَالِياً لِأَوْلِيَائِكَ بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَ أُمِّي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ وَ سَلَّمَ تَسْلِيماً أَتَيْتُكَ‌ وَافِداً زَائِراً عَائِذاً مُسْتَجِيراً مِمَّا جَنَيْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَ احْتَطَبْتُ عَلَى ظَهْرِي فَكُنْ لِي شَفِيعاً فَإِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَقَاماً مَعْلُوماً وَ أَنْتَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهٌ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ وَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ أَتَوَلَّى آخِرَكُمْ بِمَا تَوَلَّيْتُ بِهِ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَ أَبْرَأُ مِنْ كُلِّ وَلِيجَةٍ دُونَكُمْ وَ كَفَرْتُ بِالْجِبْتِ وَ الطَّاغُوتِ وَ اللَّاتِ وَ الْعُزَّى.

Translation: Peace be on you, O Wali of Allah. Peace be on you, O Proof of Allah. Peace be on you, O light of Allah in the darkness of the earth. Peace be on you, O Imam of the believers, heir of the knowledge of the prophets, progeny of the successors and the witness on Judgment Day.

I bear witness that your ancestors before you and your children after you are my masters, leaders and Imams. And I bear witness that you are Allah's chosen ones, His trustees and His Proofs who have been announced. Allah chose you with His knowledge as the supporters of His religion, as the executors of His affairs, as the keepers of His knowledge, as the protectors of His secret as interpreters of His revelation, as the source of His words as the pillars of His oneness and as the witnesses of His creation. He entrusted His creation to you and He made you inherit His Book. He honoured you exclusively with the revelation and He gave You the hidden interpretation of Quran. He made you the containers of His wisdom and the lighthouses in His lands and he made you the examples of His light. He placed His knowledge in you, protected you from error, purified you from impurities and kept off any uncleanliness from you.

The blessings are complete through you, the sects have joined together through you and words are united through you. Obeying you is obligatory and loving you compulsory. You are the noble saints of Allah and you are His honourable slaves. O son of Allah's Messenger. I have come to you while I believe in your rights, have insight regarding your position, inimical to your enemies and I befriend your friends. May my parents be sacrificed on you. Allah's blessings and peace be on you. I have come to your Ziyarah as your guest, seeking refuge from my crimes against myself and the weight, which I am carrying on my back. Therefore, intercede for me with your Lord, for indeed, you have a known status with Allah and you are distinguished with Allah. I believe in Allah and in that which was revealed to you and I follow your last just as I follow your first. I am aloof from any intimate friend other than you and I disbelieve in Jibt, Taghhut, Laat and Uzza.