Ziyarat Arba'een
Recited on the fortieth day after Ashura — counted among the signs of a true believer. It retells the very purpose of Husayn’s sacrifice: to rescue people from ignorance and misguidance.
You don’t need to read it — you may simply listen. In the sight of God the two are equal; what matters is that you take part.
Arabic text
السَّلامُ عَلى وَلِيِّ اللهِ وَحَبيبِهِ، السَّلامُ عَلى خَليلِ اللهِ وَنَجيبِهِ، السَّلامُ عَلى صَفِيِّ اللهِ وَابنِ صَفِيِّهِ، السَّلامُ عَلى الحُسَينِ المَظلُومِ الشَّهيدِ، السَّلامُ على أسيرِ الكُرُباتِ وَقَتيلِ العَبَراتِ، اللّـهُمَّ إنّي أشهَدُ أنَّهُ وَلِيُّكَ وَابنُ وَلِيِّكَ وَصَفِيُّكَ وَابنُ صَفِيِّكَ الفائِزُ بِكَرامَتِكَ، أكرَمتَهُ بِالشَّهادَةِ وَحَبَوتَهُ بِالسَّعادَةِ، وَاجتَبَيتَهُ بِطيبِ الوِلادَةِ، وَجَعَلتَهُ سَيِّداً مِنَ السادَةِ، وَقائِداً مِنَ القادَةِ، وَذائِداً مِن الذادَةِ، وَأعطَيتَهُ مَواريثَ الأنبِياءِ، وَجَعَلتَهُ حُجَّةً عَلى خَلقِكَ مِنَ الأوصِياءِ، فَأعذَرَ فِي الدُّعاءِ وَمَنَحَ النُّصحَ، وَبَذَلَ مُهجَتَهُ فيكَ لِيَستَنقِذَ عِبادَكَ مِنَ الجَهالَةِ وَحَيرَةِ الضَّلالَةِ، وَقَد تَوازَرَ عَلَيهِ مَن غَرَّتهُ الدُّنيا، وَباعَ حَظَّهُ بِالأرذَلِ الأدنى، وَشَرى آخِرَتَهُ بِالثَّمَنِ الأوكَسِ، وَتَغَطرَسَ وَتَرَدّى فِي هَواهُ، وَأسخَطَكَ وَأسخَطَ نَبِيَّكَ، وَأطاعَ مِن عِبادِكَ أهلَ الشِّقاقِ وَالنِّفاقِ وَحَمَلَةَ الأوزارِ المُستَوجِبينَ النّارَ، فَجاهَدَهُم فيكَ صابِراً مُحتَسِباً حَتّى سُفِكَ فِي طاعَتِكَ دَمُهُ وَاستُبيحَ حَريمُهُ، اللّـهُمَّ فَالعَنهُم لَعناً وَبيلاً وَعَذِّبهُم عَذاباً أليماً. السَّلامُ عَلَيكَ يَا بنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ، السَّلامُ عَلَيكَ يَا بنَ سَيِّدِ الأوصِياءِ، أشهَدُ أنَّكَ أمينُ اللهِ وَابنُ أمينِهِ، عِشتَ سَعيداً وَمَضَيتَ حَميداً وَمُتَّ فَقيداً مَظلُوماً شَهيداً، وَأشهَدُ أنَّ اللهَ مُنجِزٌ ما وَعَدَكَ، وَمُهلِكٌ مَن خَذَلَكَ، وَمُعَذِّبٌ مَن قَتَلَكَ، وَأشهَدُ أنَّكَ وَفَيتَ بِعَهدِ اللهِ وَجاهَدتَ فِي سَبيلِهِ حَتّى أتاكَ اليَقينُ، فَلَعَنَ اللهُ مَن قَتَلَكَ، وَلَعَنَ اللهُ مَن ظَلَمَكَ، وَلَعَنَ اللهُ أُمَّةً سَمِعَت بِذلِكَ فَرَضِيَت بِهِ، اللّـهُمَّ إنّي أُشهِدُكَ أنّي وَلِيٌّ لِمَن والاهُ وَعَدُوٌّ لِمَن عاداهُ. بِأبي أنتَ وَأُمّي يَا بنَ رَسُولِ اللهِ، أشهَدُ أنَّكَ كُنتَ نُوراً فِي الأصلابِ الشّامِخَةِ وَالأرحامِ المُطَهَّرَةِ، لَم تُنَجِّسكَ الجاهِلِيَّةُ بِأنجاسِها وَلَم تُلبِسكَ المُدلَهِمّاتُ مِن ثِيابِها، وَأشهَدُ أنَّكَ مِن دَعائِمِ الدّينِ وَأركانِ المُسلِمينَ وَمَعقِلِ المُؤمِنينَ، وَأشهَدُ أنَّكَ الإمامُ البَرُّ التَّقِيُّ الرَّضِيُّ الزَّكِيُّ الهادِي المَهدِيُّ، وَأشهَدُ أنَّ الأئِمَّةَ مِن وُلدِكَ كَلِمَةُ التَّقوى وَأعلامُ الهُدى وَالعُروَةُ الوُثقى، وَالحُجَّةُ على أهلِ الدُّنيا، وَأشهَدُ أنّي بِكُم مُؤمِنٌ وَبِإيابِكُم، مُوقِنٌ بِشَرايِعِ ديني وَخَواتيمِ عَمَلي، وَقَلبي لِقَلبِكُم سِلمٌ وَأمري لأمرِكُم مُتَّبِعٌ وَنُصرَتي لَكُم مُعَدَّةٌ حَتّى يَأذَنَ اللهُ لَكُم، فَمَعَكُم مَعَكُم لا مَعَ عَدُوِّكُم، صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَيكُم وَعلى أرواحِكُم وَأجسادِكُم وَشاهِدِكُم وَغائِبِكُم وَظاهِرِكُم وَباطِنِكُم، آمينَ رَبَّ العالَمينَ.
ثُمَّ تُصلّي رَكعَتَينِ وَتَدعو بِما أحبَبتَ وَتَرجِع.
Transliteration
as-salāmu ʿalā waliyyi llāhi wa ḥabībih, as-salāmu ʿalā khalīli llāhi wa najībih, as-salāmu ʿalā ṣafiyyi llāhi wa-bni ṣafiyyih, as-salāmu ʿalā l-Ḥusayni l-maẓlūmi sh-shahīd, as-salāmu ʿalā asīri l-kurubāti wa qatīli l-ʿabarāt, allāhumma innī ashhadu annahu waliyyuka wa-bnu waliyyika wa ṣafiyyuka wa-bnu ṣafiyyika l-fāʾizu bi-karāmatik, akramtahu bi-sh-shahādah wa ḥabawtahu bi-s-saʿādah, wa-jtabaytahu bi-ṭībi l-wilādah, wa jaʿaltahu sayyidan mina s-sādah, wa qāʾidan mina l-qādah, wa dhāʾidan mina dh-dhādah, wa aʿṭaytahu mawārītha l-anbiyāʾ, wa jaʿaltahu ḥujjatan ʿalā khalqika mina l-awṣiyāʾ, fa-aʿdhara fī d-duʿāʾ wa manaḥa n-nuṣḥ, wa badhala muhjatahu fīka li-yastanqidha ʿibādaka mina l-jahālah wa ḥayrati ḍ-ḍalālah, wa qad tawāzara ʿalayhi man gharrahu d-dunyā, wa bāʿa ḥaẓẓahu bi-l-ardhali l-adnā, wa sharā ākhiratahu bi-th-thamani l-awkas, wa taghaṭrasa wa taraddā fī hawāh, wa askhaṭaka wa askhaṭa nabiyyak, wa aṭāʿa min ʿibādika ahla sh-shiqāq wa-n-nifāq wa ḥamalata l-awzāri l-mustawjibīna n-nār, fa-jāhadahum fīka ṣābiran muḥtasiban ḥattā sufika fī ṭāʿatika damuhu wa-stubīḥa ḥarīmuh, allāhumma fa-lʿanhum laʿnan wabīlan wa ʿadhdhibhum ʿadhāban alīmā. as-salāmu ʿalayka yā bna rasūli llāh, as-salāmu ʿalayka yā bna sayyidi l-awṣiyāʾ, ashhadu annaka amīnu llāhi wa-bnu amīnih, ʿishta saʿīdan wa maḍayta ḥamīdan wa mutta faqīdan maẓlūman shahīdā, wa ashhadu anna llāha munjizun mā waʿadak, wa muhlikun man khadhalak, wa muʿadhdhibun man qatalak, wa ashhadu annaka wafayta bi-ʿahdi llāhi wa jāhadta fī sabīlihī ḥattā atāka l-yaqīn, fa-laʿana llāhu man qatalak, wa laʿana llāhu man ẓalamak, wa laʿana llāhu ummatan samiʿat bi-dhālika fa-raḍiyat bih, allāhumma innī ushhiduka annī waliyyun li-man wālāh wa ʿaduwwun li-man ʿādāh. bi-abī anta wa ummī yā bna rasūli llāh, ashhadu annaka kunta nūran fī l-aṣlābi sh-shāmikhah wa-l-arḥāmi l-muṭahharah, lam tunajjiska l-jāhiliyyatu bi-anjāsihā wa lam tulbiska l-mudlahimmātu min thiyābihā, wa ashhadu annaka min daʿāʾimi d-dīn wa arkāni l-muslimīn wa maʿqili l-muʾminīn, wa ashhadu annaka l-imāmu l-barru t-taqiyyu r-raḍiyyu z-zakiyyu l-hādī l-mahdī, wa ashhadu anna l-aʾimmata min wuldika kalimatu t-taqwā wa aʿlāmu l-hudā wa-l-ʿurwatu l-wuthqā, wa-l-ḥujjatu ʿalā ahli d-dunyā, wa ashhadu annī bikum muʾminun wa bi-iyābikum, mūqinun bi-sharāyiʿi dīnī wa khawātīmi ʿamalī, wa qalbī li-qalbikum silmun wa amrī li-amrikum muttabiʿun wa nuṣratī lakum muʿaddatun ḥattā yaʾdhana llāhu lakum, fa-maʿakum maʿakum lā maʿa ʿaduwwikum, ṣalawātu llāhi ʿalaykum wa ʿalā arwāḥikum wa ajsādikum wa shāhidikum wa ghāʾibikum wa ẓāhirikum wa bāṭinikum, āmīna rabba l-ʿālamīn.
Then pray two rakʿahs, supplicate as you wish, and depart.
Translation
Peace be upon the friend of God and His beloved, peace be upon the intimate friend of God and His noble one, peace be upon the chosen one of God and the son of His chosen one, peace be upon al-Husayn, the wronged martyr, peace be upon the captive of sorrows and the one slain with tears. O Allah, I bear witness that he is Your friend and the son of Your friend, Your chosen one and the son of Your chosen one, the triumphant through Your generosity; You honoured him with martyrdom, gifted him with felicity, elected him through purity of birth, made him a lord among lords, a leader among leaders, a defender among defenders, gave him the inheritances of the prophets, and made him a proof over Your creation from among the successors. He excelled in the call, gave sincere counsel, and expended his life-blood for You to rescue Your servants from ignorance and the confusion of error. Yet those whom this world deceived leagued against him, sold their share for the vilest price, bartered their Hereafter for the cheapest bargain, acted arrogantly and plunged into their desires, angered You and angered Your Prophet, and obeyed among Your servants the people of schism and hypocrisy and the bearers of burdens deserving of the Fire. He fought them for Your sake, steadfast and expecting Your reward, until his blood was spilled in Your obedience and his sanctuary was violated. O Allah, curse them with a heavy curse and punish them with a painful punishment. Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of God, peace be upon you, O son of the master of the successors. I bear witness that you are the trustee of God and the son of His trustee; you lived felicitous, passed praiseworthy, and died lost, wronged, a martyr. I bear witness that God will fulfil what He promised you, destroy the one who abandoned you, and punish the one who killed you. I bear witness that you fulfilled your covenant with God and strove in His path until certainty came to you. So may God curse the one who killed you, may God curse the one who wronged you, and may God curse the community that heard of that and was pleased with it. O Allah, I call You to witness that I am a friend to those who befriend him and an enemy to those who are hostile to him. May my father and mother be your ransom, O son of the Messenger of God. I bear witness that you were a light in the lofty loins and purified wombs, the ignorance of the Age of Ignorance did not pollute you with its impurities, nor did its dark garments clothe you. I bear witness that you are among the pillars of the religion, the supports of the Muslims, and the stronghold of the believers. I bear witness that you are the righteous, God-fearing, well-pleasing, pure, guiding, rightly-guided Imam. I bear witness that the Imams from your progeny are the word of piety, the standards of guidance, the firmest handhold, and the proof over the people of the world. I bear witness that I believe in you and in your return, certain of the laws of my religion and the seal of my deeds; my heart is at peace with your hearts, my affair follows your affair, and my support is ready for you until God gives you permission. So I am with you, with you, not with your enemy. May God’s blessings be upon you, upon your spirits, upon your bodies, upon your present ones, upon your absent ones, upon your outward and upon your inward. Amen, Lord of the worlds.
Then pray two rakʿahs, supplicate as you wish, and depart.