Al-Kāfi - The Book of Haj

Chapter: Excellence and Virtue of Visiting abu al-Hassan, al-Rida, ‘Alayhi al-Salam 1ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ ٠َهْزِيَارَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ زِيَارَةُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠ْ زِيَارَةُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله الْحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) فَقَالَ زِيَارَةُ أَبِي أَفْضَلُ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) يَزُورُهُ كُلُّ النَّاسِ وَأَبِي لا يَزُورُهُ إِلاَّ الْخَوَاصُّ ٠1.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ali ibn Mahziyar who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ’I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, Is visiting al-Rida (a.s.), more virtuous or that of abu ‘ Abd Allah, al-Husayn (a.s.), more virtuous?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Visiting my father is more virtuous; all people visit abu ‘Abd Allah, al-Husayn (a.s.), but only very special people of our followers visit my father.”’ حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (18/311))