1. Pay attention to the presence of the Imam (as)
The first condition for a pilgrimage to be accepted is to meet with his Majesty, the Imam; in other words, visiting the shrine is not limited to simply entering and existing in a place. You have to keep in mind the presence that is there, there is a lofty soul present; pay attention to this presence.
2. Talk to the Imam (as)
To meet the Imam you don’t have to see him with your eyes. He is there, he hears your words, observes your attendance, and he watches you. Talk to him. This is a pilgrimage. The pilgrimage is a meeting in this manner.
3. Greet him
When one meets a person, he or she greets them. This is also required when meeting the purified souls of the Imams (pbut) as well as those close to God. One should go to them; greet them and convey his respect and admiration for them.
4. Speak to them in any language
A visit can be done in any language. If we talk in our own simple language, the etiquette observed while meeting and visiting a person have been realized.
5. Recite the Ziarats (pilgrimage supplications) of the Imams.
If we wish to talk to the Imams (pbut) eloquently and with noble intentions, we should recite the available Ziarats: like that of Ziarat of Imam Ridha (as), Ziarat Amin-Allah or Ziarat Jami’ah.
6. Speak from the bottom of your heart
Communicate from within your heart. Try to free your heart from any other concern, even if for two minutes or five minutes. Establish a connection with the spirituality that fills the shrine and then speak to the Imam.
7. Recite the Ziarat Jami’ah Kabira
The Ziarat Jami’ah Kabira is–for instance—six or seven pages, if you have the times read through it and if not, recite only a page or half a page of it.
8. When doing Ziarat, remember the one you’re addressing
When you are reciting the Ziarat, even if you do not know the meaning of it, remember who you are addressing the Ziarat to. If you accomplish that, then this is a true pilgrimage.
9. Establish a connection between your own heart and that of the Imam(as)
Some people think they have to stick to the Zarih! Because they cannot establish a connection within their heart, they want to connect their bodies to the shrine. What's the use? On the contrary, there are people who might be far, but their hearts are connected; this is good.
10. Perform prayer in the shrine; remember God
Pray in the shrine, perform Salat qadha (missed prayers), perform obligatory salat (prayer), perform recommended prayers, and pray for you parents. Say dhikr, "La ilaha illalah"--there is no other god, besides God--the tasbihat arba’a—provided that the heart is connected.
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