Tourist guide, part two

Etiquette of Ziarat (Visitation) of the graves of the Holy Personalities

(Notes taken from Sisters' Study Circle and accounts from zawaar who visited Agha Bashir Najafi in Iraq recently)

The word Ziarat comes from the Arabic verb zaar which means to visit, but it also has roots in the verb zawara which means to turn away. Seems a bit odd that we should turn away from someone when we visit them! Actually it means that we should turn away from everything and everyone EXCEPT the person we are visiting. Ziarat is a form of united oneself with the person who we are visiting and that means standing for what they stood for. So, someone visiting the shrine of Sayyidda Zainab in Syria needs to appreciate the things that she stood for in her lifetime (truth, justice, hijab etc) and make sure to apply these principles in their own lives.

There is a saying that 'a believer is a mirror for the beliver' i.e. try and rub of good qualities onto each other. In this case, try and follow the examples laid out for us by the Holy Prophet and His Household.

There is a saying from the 6th Holy Imam about using ziarat as a means for asking for your needs and Allah will not turn you away.

A scholar once visited the shrine of Imam Husayn in Karbala and saw all the people around him asking for their burdens to be increased! In other words, they were asking for material things (the more material things we have, the more we have to account for). So rather than asking for increased burdens, we should try and ask Allah to remove our burdens and our attachment to this temporary life and help in our goal towards perfection.

The first time we visit a shrine, we should just go and pay our respects to the personality and not ask for any of our wishes. The analogy is a bit like getting in touch with your long lost school friend. You don't see each other for years, but as soon as you meet, you tell your friend - nice to see you, but actually I only came to see you because I need x, y and z!

The other etiquette to maintain are the obvious ones - recite the 'idhne dukool' - permission to enter the shrine supplications. You wouldn't barge into someone's house without permission, so it goes without saying that you don't just go into a shrine without seeking permission. Be humble, don't push anyone (just because the Iranians push, it doesn't give us a licence to! LOL) and don't litter the place either (again, just because the locals have no respect for the environment, doesn't mean we shouldn't either!)

Don't put money into the shrines in Syria. Unfortunately the money in the shrines goes to the person who owns the land and not to the upkeep of the shrine. If you want to donate to the servants of the shrine or the maintenance fund, you will see boxes in which to put the money in.

Last but not least, look after your possessions! Taking valuables (or flashing around expensive mp3 players, phones and cameras) is never a good idea in a 3rd world country. There are many stories of people being engrossed in praying or trying to touch the shrine and having bags stolen or pick pocketed.