I see the head of the grandson of the Prophet, upon a spear, being paraded from alley to alley. I see the women of Karbala, barefoot and chained, entering the courts of Ibn Ziyad and Yazid.
O Husayn, I bear witness that you are the light of the hearts and the life of the soul. If I was not there to help you in Karbala, and my hands were tied by the chains of time, then know that my heart weeps for you, my tongue curses your enemies, and my soul awaits the day of vengeance with your Qa’im (Imam Mahdi). ziyarat nahiya english translation
Peace be upon you, O son of the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon you, O son of the Commander of the Faithful and the son of the Lady of Light (Fatima). I see the head of the grandson of
Attributed to the 12th Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (AS), Ziyarat Nahiya (meaning "The Lamentation of the Afflicted One") is considered one of the most authentic and spiritually potent pilgrimages from a distance. Unlike physical pilgrimages to Karbala, Ziyarat Nahiya was composed during the Minor Occultation of Imam Mahdi (AS). At a time when the tyrants of the Abbasid dynasty forbade visiting the graves of the martyrs, the Imam taught his followers how to perform Ziyarat by reciting a text that transports the soul to the plains of Karbala. If I was not there to help you
I see Ali al-Akbar, who resembled the Prophet Muhammad, charging into the battlefield. The spears pierced his chest, and he cried, ‘O Father! My grandfather’s greetings to you—he says: Come quickly, for the cup of martyrdom is full.’
I see your tents, pitched upon the banks of the Euphrates, yet you are denied a single drop of water. I see the women of prophethood, their veils snatched, their children crying out: ‘O thirst! O Uncle Abbas!’ I see Al-Abbas, the moon of the Hashimites, rushing into the water, only to be struck down while his hands were cut, refusing to drink while his brother Husayn remained thirsty.
I see the cradle of Ali al-Asghar (the infant). You, O enemy of Allah, shot an arrow that lodged in the tiny neck of the six-month-old baby. Husayn caught the blood of his son in his cupped hands and threw it towards the sky—and not a single drop fell back to earth, as a sign of divine acceptance.
