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Assalamualaikum. Ya Aba Abdillah! In the last parts of Ziyarat Ashura, we are supposed to say particular words 100 times. Because I’m a [edit] revert living with my parents, it’s hard for me to spend too much time praying. So the question is can I say those words not 100 times, but rather only once? Wassalam.

Salam everyone, Shrines and holy sites in Iraq and Iran have been closed down due to fears surrounding outbreak of corona virus. The previously crowded shrines of Imams(عليه السلام) are now getting very few visitors, and not just the shrines places like Masjid e Sahlah in Kufa which is said to be the future home of twelfth Imam(عليه السلام) is almost deserted these days. The number of visitors to Masjid ul Haram in Makkah has also dropped significantly. Two things come to my mind. 1. We have narrations telling us to never give up visiting the Imams(عليه السلام) even if it means risking one's life. Aba Abdullah (Imam Jafar Sadiq as) said: “ Do not neglect performing the Ziyarat of the grave of Hussain (a) due to fear." "Do not avoid visiting the grave of Imam Husayn ((عليه السلام).) even during the days of prohibition. And one who visits him (his grave) in fear (of the enemies), Allah will give him refuge from the great fear of Qiyamah and he will gain reward proportionate to the fear. And the one who fears due to their fear, Allah will bestow him a refuge under the shade of His empyrean while he shall remain along with Imam Husayn ((عليه السلام).) and shall be protected from the fear of the day of Qiyamah”. We all know in the past people have willingly given up their lives to visit Imam al Hussain(عليه السلام). Corona has a mortality rate of only 2-3%. That's far less than Abbasids Caliphs chopping off one's heads or limbs as a price for visiting Imams(عليه السلام) So, is it okay for us to give visiting the shrines? and for how long? 2. Let's say Imam(عليه السلام) reappears during this virus outbreak and calls his Shias, how many of us would really go and join him? I am not asking in terms of travel restrictions but on a spiritual level. Would we travel to Makkah,Kufa, Iran in the current atmosphere with the risk of being infected and especially when most people in the west don't fell that health services in Iran and Iraq are not upto the mark.

Salaam alaykum everyone! I went to a Shia mosque for the first time recently and I have some questions about something in it. I have no idea what to call it, but there was an area of the mosque with multiple structures. These things each had a green cloth draped over some kind of understructure, and on top was a metal sheet with writing. I can't read Arabic calligraphy well, but I think they may have each had one of the masumeen on them. One woman went by and made some reverential gestures. Another put food in the front of this area and after the service we ate it. So...what is the name of this area with the names of the masumeen? What are the customs in relation to it? During the service I moved to sit with my legs in front of me and I was scolded for it. I didn't want to talk over the service though so I didn't ask. I had been seated facing somewhat towards the area with the names of the masumeen. I heard once for a non-Muslim culture that it was considered rude to point your feet at anyone...is this true for Shia Muslims (i.e., is there a specific rule against it?)? Or is it something that comes from certain cultures? Also when I was there they did a "ziyarah." Now, I've heard of ziyarah before (from many many YouTube lectures....my only window into the Shia community before I was able to visit the mosque), but it was always in relation to physically visiting shrines/graves. And when I try to look it up now I still can't find anything except that ziyarah is physically visiting shrines. What kind of this was this in the mosque? Lastly I'd be happy with any links any of you might have to this kind of general information of customs/practices/culture. Almost all information I find about Shia Islam is either for born-Shias who want advanced information, or young Shias who may not have a strong knowledge basis, but who are expected to at least culturally have absorbed some things. For instance, I only learned after I went to a Shia mosque for the first time on Eid al Adha about Eid al Ghadir. This is apparently one of the most important holidays? But I never once heard mention of it after studying Shia Islam alone since last October, though I had heard huge volumes about the event of Ghadir. I can only assume this lack is because it was thought to be too obvious for mention...that everyone reading would have grown up in an environment where the fact of its existence is unavoidable. So if anyone has any good resources that tells you these kinds of things...culture, practices, etc, I'd be really grateful. The mosque is too far away for me to go regularly to ask these kinds of things. Jazakallah khair in advance.

Salamu alaykum to everyone, I am inshallah going for ziyarah in Iraq later this year, does anyone know of a good comprehensive ziyarah, a'amaals, ettiquette of ziyarah book, I would need it to have the english translation, the arabic in the english alphabet(transliteration), and the arabic in the original script. Usually I use a smaller shortened version of mafatih al jinan and a couple of other books, or I go online to duas.org or al-Islam.org, but clearly this wouldn't be possible whilst actually going to ziyarah in Iraq. Even if it's a big heavy book then I don't mind carrying it around with me. I have been doing some research and brushing up my knowlege of the different religious sites in Iraq, and what the ettiquettes of entering the harams and which ziyarahs to do, but especially because I wont be going with an English speaking expert or sheikh, or a mawkib, and because I don't want to rely on others to recite for me, I would like to have all the relevent information to hand, without having to print a whole load of things from online and carry them around loose with me. So a complete book with everything in(especially important stuff) would be much better. So if anyone can suggest a book and where to get it, that would be much appreciated. Also, does anyone know where I can get a list of all the religious sites in Iraq, the harams of the a'imma, the burial places of the friends and family of the Imams, the burial places of prophets, the important masajid, and any other places of shia Islamic significance?