Ba-Hamdillaah and the Waseelah of al-Khamsat ul-Athaar SA and the Ba-Barakat Du’aa and Razaa of Huzoor e ‘Aali Saiyedna Haatim Zakiyuddin Saheb TUS Qaafla of 70 Mumineen went for the Ziyaarat of Muqaddas Maqaamaat of Shaam – Najaf – Karbalaa in the month of Rajab ul Asabb 1444 AH. Huzoor e ‘Aali TUS gave Razaa to NDT Ra’s ul Hudood Dr Zulqarnain Hakimuddin saheb ZI to lead the Qaafla of Mumineen. The tour was organized by Mulla Aliakbarbhai Dhelawala for the first time. Distinction of this Qaafla was that Aqeeelato Saiyedn al-Min’aam along with 14 members of the Royal Family of Huzoor e ‘Aali TUS were a part of it.

“This has not happened in the history of Da’wat before that so many members of my family are going together in one Qaafla” - Huzoor e ‘Aali TUS emphasized this fact in his Bayaan in the Wadaa Majlis of the Zaaereen which was held at Daar us Salaam on 29th Jumaad ul Ukhraa 1444, Saturday when all Zaaereen bid a farewell to Huzoor e ‘Aali TUS before embarking on the Ziyaarat Safar. He also encouraged Mumineen to select the tour operator from our community only because in such tours Saheb e Da’wat leads the Mumineen in all aspects of Ziyaarat, History, Namaaz and Bayaan. Ziyaarat without proper leader and guidance is incomplete.

This tour was divided into two parts. Out of 70 Mumineen, 38 Mumineen went to Shaam 7 days earlier and the remaining Mumineen who only opted for KUN Ziyaarat eventually met them at Najaf, a week later. Ra’s ul Hudood saheb ZI accompanied the Mumineen to Shaam and completed all Ziyaarat with great fervour and dedication. Knowing the historical perspective is of prime importance before doing the actual Ziyaarat. Unless Zaa’ir know whose Ziyaarat is he doing it carry no meaning. Ziyaarat indeed means “meeting”. Would anyone like to meet somebody without knowing?

The Ziyaarat in and around Damascus included following visits to the Rawzah, Masaajid and Quboor. A Bayaan session was kept before each Ziyaarat where Mumineen were free to ask any questions related to Alavi History and Aqeedah.

1. Maulaatona Umm e Kulsoom bint Maulaana ‘Ali SA – Damascus (people there call it as the Ziyaarat of Maulaatona Zainab bint Maulaana ‘Ali SA)
2. Maulaana Haabil bin Maulaana Aadam AS
3. Maulaatona Sakeenah bint Imaam Husain AS – Baab e Sagheer Qabrastaan
4. Well and Maqaam of Ghusl of Head of Imaam Husain SA – Baab e Sagheer Qabrastaan
5. Ziyaarat of Ru’oos ush Shohadaa AS – 16  heads of Shohadaa of Karbala – Baab e Sagheer Qabrastaan
6. Mehraab of Maulaana Imaam Ali Zayn ul Aabedeen AS
7. Maulaana Bilaal AS – first Mo’azzin of Islaam
8. Maulaatona Fizzah AS
9. Maulaana Ubay bin Ka’ab AS
10. Jama’e Umawi – Umayyad Mosque – Maulaana Yahya AS, Well of Maulaana ‘Isaa AS, Maqaam of Ra’s ul Husain AS which was buried here for almost 2 centuries, Maqaam of Maulaana Imaam Ali Zayn ul Aabedeen AS
11. Maulaatona Ruqaiyah bint Imaam Husain AS
12. Maulaana Hujar bin Adee AS on the outskirts of Damascus
13. Quboor of Maulaana Abdullaah al Mastoor AS, Maulaana Ahmad al Mastoor AS and Saiyedna Sa’eed ul Khayr AQ at one place in the Masjid which is popularly called as Maqaam e Ismail in Salamiyah. Well during the time of A’immat Fatemiyeen AS outside the Masjid. Sardaab – Underground tunnel and its remnant besides the above Quboor which reminds us of complex network of tunnels our A’immat Mastoreen AS had in their times so that they can hide from the enemies. Tunnels were so spacious and huge that even Camels could pass through them.
14. Masjid e Nuqtah in Halab, Aleppo where head of Imaam Husain AS was kept on a stone for one night by a Christian monk. A tiny drop of blood made a stain over the stone and since then fresh blood oozes from it till present day. The place of this stone is now a masjid which in those times was a church.

Most of the times the Imaamat Namaaz was offered in a nearby Mosque where there were no restrictions for Mumineen and Mumenaat offering Namaaz together.  Salaat uz Zawaal on 15th Rajab ul Asabb was offered together in Najaf. Mumineen offered Nisfullayl Namaaz together in the Haram of Maulaana ‘Ali Ameeril Mumineen AS. Ziyaaraat of Najaf includes the following;

1. Maulaana ‘Ali Ameer ul Mumineen AS
2. Maulaana Hood and Maulaana Saaleh AS – Waadi us Salaam Qabrastaan – the largest and oldest Qabrastaan in the World
3. Maqaam e Hannaanah – where head of Imaam Husain AS was kept and also a Date tree bowed down and wept on the Janaazah of Maulaana ‘Ali Ameer ul Mumineen AS
4. Maulaana Kumayl bin Ziyaad AS, Maulaana Qais bin Mushhir AS, Maulaana Ahnaf bin Qais AS – at one place
5. Masjid e A’zam in Kufah – Mehraab where Maulaana ‘Ali AS was injured, different Maqaam in the courtyard of Masjid e A’zam, Maulaana Haani bin Urwah AS, Maulaana Muslim bin Aqeel AS. We visited Masjid e A’zam thrice and offered Namaaz of each time on different days. Ra’s ul Hudood Saheb recited the Shahaadat of Maulaana ‘Ali AS in the Sahn of the Masjid.
6. ‘Ain ul Hasan AS – a well during the time of Maulaana Imaam Hasan AS
7. Maulaatona Faatemah bint Imaam Hasan AS
8. Maulaana Mi’sam  at-Tammaar AS
9. House of Maulaana ‘Ali AS

Between Karbalaa and Najaf there is a place called Hilla where there are several Ziyaaraat like,

1. Maulaana Zul Kifl AS – within the complex there are Maqaam e Khizr AS, Maqaam e Maulaana ‘Ali AS, Companions of Zul Kifl, Maqaam e Imaam Ja’far us Saadiq AS
2. Maqaam e Radd us Shams – a place where the Sun returned back after setting for Maulaana ‘Ali AS
3. Maulaana Ayyoob AS – his wife and a well of his time
4. Maulaana Rushayd al Hujri AS – companion of Maulaana ‘Ali AS who was martyred on the orders of Mo’aawiyah

After completing the Ziyaaraat of Najaf and its surroundings; on the last day Wadaa Majlis was kept in the Haram of Maulaana ‘Ali AS after Fajr Namaaz where Ra’s ul Hudood saheb ZI along with the Mumineen took the Waseelah, did Du’aa and took Wadaa from the Rawzah e Murtazawiyah.

Several Ziyaarat on the way to Karbalaa included Maulaana Hur AS and Pisaraan e Muslim bin Aqeel – M. Mohammad and M. Ibrahim AS.
Ziyaaraat of Karbala includes:

1. Maulaana Imaam Husain AS, Maulaana ‘Ali Akbar AS, Maulaana ‘Ali Asghar AS – in the Zareeh of Imaam Husain AS
2. Place of Shahaadat of Imaam Husain AS near the Zareeh
3. Shohadaa e Karbala near the Zareeh of Imaam Husain As
4. Maulaana Habeeb bin Mazahir AS
5. Maulaana ‘Abbsas Alamdaar AS
6. Till e Zainab AS
7. Kheyaam – Khayma gaah of Ahl ul Bayt AS. Mumineen offered Zohr and Asr Imaamat Namaaz here.
8. Maqaam e Za’far Jinn
9. Maqaam where Left hand of Maulaana ‘Abbaas AS was severed
10. Maqaam where right hand of Maulaana ‘Abbaas AS was severed
11. Maqaam of Lion of Fizzah
12. Maqaam of the Shahaadat of ‘Ali Akbar and ‘Ali Asghar AS
13. Nahr e Furaat
14. Waadi of Imaam Ja’far us Saadiq AS
15. Museum in the haram of Imaam Husain AS and Maulaana Abbas AS
16. Maulaana Salmaan ul Faarsi AS in Madaa’in
17. Taaq e Kisraa behind Maulaana Salmaan ul Faarsi AS
18. Masjid e Buraasa – where Maulaana ‘Ali AS stopped over and dug a well which is still present, stone where Maulaana Isaa AS was born. Before this incident this masjid was a church.
19. Maulaana Bahlool Dana AS and Maulaana Yusha’ bin Noon AS

Qaafla got an opportunity to go in the Sardaab of Imaam Husain AS and Maulaana ‘Abbaas AS where the Wadaa Majlis was held on the last day.