The Most Effective Dua and Ziyara
Question :

What is the most effective supplication/Ziyara?

Answer :

There are many Ziyaras taught by the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them), such as al-Ziyarah al-Jami’ah, Ziyarat Warith and Ziyarat-e-Ashura. There are also many supplications, like Du’a Kumayl and the supplications of al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyah.

The Benefits of Ziyara
Question :

What are the benefits of reciting Ziyara?

Answer :

We are unable to determine all the benefits behind such good deeds, but there is no doubt they include the fact that one is acting with obedience, fulfilling the commands of the Prophet and the Ah al-Bayt (peace be upon them all), as they instructed us to perform such deeds.
In addition to that, the Ziyaras consist of renewing one’s loyalty and the love of the Imams, as well as the motivation to follow the Imam that is being visited by the Ziyara, as the Ziyara usually contains praises of the Prophet and the Imams (peace be upon them all) in their being righteous and devoted slaves of the Lord, and undertakers of all their of religious duties.

Ziyarat al-Arba’een
Question :

Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon them) said that a devotee has five identifiable traits, Ziyarat al-Arba’een being one of them. Should this read only 20th Safar or can it be recited on other days?

Answer :

What the narration means is that it is recommended to recite the Ziyara on the 20th of Safar. Yes, it is permissible to do recite it on any other day as well, with the hope that one is rewarded for it.

Khums and Ziyara
Question :

I want to go to Karbala for Ziyara, for which I saved up for, but there is an amount of Khums that I am due to pay. If I pay that, I do not have enough to go for Ziyara. Can I still go for Ziyara without paying the Khums?

Answer :

You should pay the khums first, as paying the khums is an obligatory duty and going for Ziyara is not. You can recite the Ziyara from where you are, and you shall be rewarded for it a great reward. Bear in mind that paying the khums is one of the causes of blessing in one’s income.

Ziyara while Sitting
Question :

Can I recite the Ziyara of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) while sitting down?

Answer :

Yes, it is permissible.

Imitation of Shrines
Question :

Is it forbidden to build a model replica of one of the shrines of our Imams, place them inside our mosques, and perform our Ziyarats to them with the intention of approaching the Imam?

Answer :

No, it is not forbidden. It is permissible to build an imitation of the shrine of our Imams (peace be upon them).
It is also permissible to recite the Ziyarah to that Imam from far away.

Ziyara without Prayer
Question :

Is reciting Ziyara without offering the prayer accepted?

Answer :

The Ziyara can be performed without the prayer of Ziyara, but if it is followed by the prayers, it becomes better.