In the city of Karbala, Iraq, under the scorching sun, a pious scholar named Sayyid Ibn Tawus (d. 664 AH) spent his life collecting rare prayers and visitation texts. One night, while organizing manuscripts in his library, he came across a dusty, old parchment. As he unrolled it, his hands began to tremble.
In classical Arabic, Nahiya means “side” or “region.” Here, it refers to the sacred side of Karbala — the very spot where Imam al-Husayn’s blessed body lay on the plain of Ashura. Thus, Ziyarat Nahiya means “The Visitation from the Sacred Side.” The Content of Ziyarat Nahiya (with Urdu Translation) The Ziyarat is unique because Imam al-Mahdi (AS) himself laments his great-grandfather’s martyrdom as if he were there. Below are key excerpts with Urdu translation:
فَلَئِنْ أَخَّرَتْنِي الدُّهُورُ وَ عَاقَنِي عَنْ نَصْرِكَ الْمَقْدُورُ... لَأَنْدُبَنَّكَ صَبَاحاً وَ مَسَاءً