A Question Concerning the Validity of Ziyarat al-Nahiya al- Muqaddasa

What is your opinion concerning the validity of Ziyarat al-Nahiya al- Muqaddasa?

There are several points about Ziyarat al-Nahiya that must be taken into consideration:

1. This Ziyarat has received the attention of many of a number of traditionists and jurisprudents with some of them using it as a reference in juridical demonstrations and issues.

2. Ibn Mash'hadi, one of the great scholars of his time, has reported this Ziyarat in al-Mazar al-Kabir. He writes in the preface to it:

«فانّي قد جمعت في کتابي هذا من فنون الزيارات .... مما اتصلت به من ثقاة الرواة الي السادات»

"I have collected this in my book from fonoon al-ziyarat…and I have found reliable reporters [being in the chain of transmission] connected to the masters [Imams]."

The above statement clearly and explicitly denotes that all those who are in the chain of the transmission of this Ziyarat are reliable and trustworthy. The reason why the names of the reporters have not been mentioned along with the Ziyarat is because of the clarity of the reporters' being reliable not only to Mash'hadi but to all the traditionists. It is very unlikely that the term "reliable reporters" may refer simply to those reporters who are reliable according to him only. Hence, what some scholars have assumed about Ibn Mash'hadi authenticating the immediate masters is not true and it seems to be a distant probability. If he truly meant this, he should have separated the immediate masters from the rest. The narration denotes, therefore, that all the reporters who have passed on these traditions are considered to be reliable according to all or most of the experts in this field. Moreover, no one can and will object that Ibn Mash'hadi is from the recent scholars and that his authentication is not authoritative and valid. I have demonstrated in its appropriate place that the authentication of the recent generations of scholars can be valid insofar as they are not accompanied with reproach of the ancients.

3. Shaykh Mufid says in the beginning of this Ziyarat in al-Mazar al-Qadim:

This phrase clearly indicates that this Ziyarat has been reported according to him from the Infallible Imam (a). In addition, he states in the beginning of the book: "This collection is intended to include authentic supplications and narrated sayings." This saying of Shaykh Mufid also indicates that according to him, Ziyarat al-Nahiya has been reported from the Imam.

4. It should be noted that there can no motivation for forging or fabricating supplications including Ziyarāt particularly this one. If Ibn Mash'hadi claims the reliability of the narrators and those who are in the chain of the transmission of the Ziyarāt, supplications and the likes that deal with secondary issues and rules of the religion, one should not refute him.

5. Ziyarat al-Nahiya al- Muqaddasa has some exclusive features:

A) In this Ziyarat, the incident of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his kith and kin has been mentioned very meticulously and extensively.

B) It is replete with divine recognition, guidance, spirituality, knowledge of religion, lessons for humanity, and burning historical facts. The content of Ziyarat al-Nahiya is very rich and full of knowledge.

Therefore, we conclude that Ziyarat al-Nahiya al- Muqaddasa is an authentic ziyarat and it is highly unlikely that it may have been issued by a normal individual. The content of the Ziyarat well indicates that it should have been issued by someone who must have been well aware of the general and particular features of Ashura and the incidents that took place then and there.

God knows best!
Muhammad Jawad Fazel Lankarani