According to the traditions, a person who cannot afford visitation of the grave of Imams (PBUT) can still send his salutations to them from afar and can recite the prescribed Ziyarat that are recited near their graves. Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said:
قَالَ أبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع): إذَا بَعُدَتْ بِأحَدِكُمُ الشُّقَّةُ وَ نَأتْ بِهِ الدَّارُ، فَلْيَعْلُ عَلَى مَنْزِلِهِ وَ لْيُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ لْيُومِ بِالسَّلاَمِ إلَى قُبُورِنَا، فَإنَّ ذَلِكَ يَصِلُ إلَيْنَا.
“If any one of you moves far
away and his house becomes distant (from our shrines), he should go above his
house, perform two units of prayer, and offer peace and salutations towards our
graves, and this will reach us.” [1]
About Ziyarat of Imam al-Husain (PBUH), in particular, Sudair
narrated:
قَالَ أبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ (ع): يَا سَدِيرُ تَزُورُ الْحُسَيْنَ (ع) فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ؟ قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ لاَ. قَالَ: فَمَا أجْفَاكُمْ. قَالَ: فَتَزُورُونَهُ فِي كُلِّ جُمْعَةٍ؟ قُلْتُ: لاَ. قَالَ: فَتَزُورُونَهُ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ؟ قُلْتُ: لاَ. قَالَ: فَتَزُورُونَهُ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ؟ قَالَ: قُلْتُ قَدْ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: يَا سَدِيرُ مَا أجْفَاكُمْ لِلْحُسَيْنِ أ مَا عَلِمْتَ أنَّ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ألْفَيْ ألْفِ مَلَكٍ شُعْثاً غُبْراً يَبْكُونَهُ وَ يَزُورُونَهُ لاَ يَفْتُرُونَ وَ مَا عَلَيْكَ يَا سَدِيرُ أنْ تَزُورَ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ (ع) فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ خَمْسَ مَرَّاتٍ أوْ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّةً؟ قُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَهُ فَرَاسِخُ كَثِيرَةٌ. فَقَالَ لِي: اصْعَدْ فَوْقَ سَطْحِكَ ثُمَّ الْتَفِتْ يَمْنَةً وَ يَسْرَةً ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُ رَأْسَكَ إلَى السَّمَاءِ، ثُمَّ تَنْحُو نَحْوَ الْقَبْرِ فَتَقُولُ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ وَ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَ بَرَكَاتُهُ. تُكْتَبُ لَكَ زَوْرَةً وَ الزَّوْرَةُ حَجَّةٌ وَ عُمْرَةٌ.
Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, “O Sudair! Do you perform the
Ziyarat of al-Husain (PBUH)
everyday?” I answered, “No! May I be sacrificed for you.” He
said, “How degrading! Do you visit him every week[2]?”
I answered, “No.” He said, Do you visit him every month?” I
answered, “No.” He said, “Every year?” I replied,
“It is so.” He (PBUH)
then said, “O Sudair! How humiliating this is for al-Husain (PBUH)! Don’t you know
that Allah has one million sorrowful and dusty angels who cry for him (i.e.,
Imam al-Husain (PBUH)),
visit him, and their (sorrow) never subsides? What prevents you, O Sudair, from
visiting al-Husain (PBUH)
five times every Friday or once every day?” I said, “May I be your
sacrifice, there is a long distance between our place and his.” He said,
“Go to the roof of your house, turn your face left and right, then raise
up your head towards the sky and turn to the direction of his grave and say,
‘Salutations to you, O Aba Abdillah! Peace be upon you, His mercy and His
blessings.’ By doing this, a Ziyarat (of Imam al-Husain (PBUH)), a Ziyarat of Hajj and
Umra are written for you.” [3]