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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Horizons of Thoughts Ziyarah of Believers Islam highly encourages one to visit his/her Muslim brother/sister. However, it does not emphasize on any kind of ziyarah whatsoever. It encourages meaningful ziyarah- ziyarah with a purpose and aim.

Observe the following traditions: Imam al-Sadiq ('a) is reported to have said: قَالَ تَزَاوَرُوا فَإِنَّ فِي زِيَارَتِكُمْ إِحْيَاءً لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَذِكْراً لأحَادِيثِنَا وَأَحَادِيثُنَا تُعَطِّفُ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَإِنْ أَخَذْتُمْ بِهَا رَشَدْتُمْ وَنَجَوْتُمْ وَإِنْ تَرَكْتُمُوهَا ضَلَلْتُمْ وَهَلَكْتُمْ فَخُذُوا بِهَا وَأَنَا بِنَجَاتِكُمْ زَعِيمٌ.

'Visit one another, for verily in your visitation is the revival of your hearts, and a remembrance of our speeches; our speeches make you harbor affection for one another; and if you act according to them, you would be guided and saved, and if you shun them, you would go astray and perish; therefore follow them while I guarantee your salvation.'[^21] And Imam al-Baqir ('a) is reported to have said: تَزَاوَرُوا فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ حَيَاةٌ لاَمْرِنَا رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْداً أَحْيَا أَمْرَنَا.

'Visit one another in your homes for surely in that is the life of our affair; may Allah's Mercy be upon one who revives our affair.'[^22] It should be noted that the revival of the affair discussed in the above traditions is nothing but the revival of Islamic values, for the ('a) are protectors of Islamic values and to remember them and their teachings is to elevate the human spirit in reality.

One should not conjecture that there is any personal again that these infallible leaders of truth derive from such gatherings. Rather it is their followers who benefit. Another important point to bear in mind is that 'the revival of their affair' cannot be mereby achieved by thoughts and words.We must sow the seeds of resolution in our visitations to reap the fruits of applying the teachings of the ('a). So far ziyarah has been reduced to visitation in the earthly abode.

The Islamic worldview, however, due its sharp and accurate cognition of reality as taught by the Holy Qur'an, the Holy Prophet (s) and his infallible successors, does not limit ziyarah to the corporeal reality. It rather believes that human beings can communicate with those who have transcended this limited world of matter and can listen to them as well.

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