2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama‘ah who has said the following: “I asked (the Imam), ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about visiting graves and building Masjids there. He said, ‘There is no offense in visiting graves, but Masjid must not be built there.’”

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ibn abu ‘Umayr from Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “I heard the Imam, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, say, ‘Fatimah, ‘Alayha al-Salam, lived for seventy-five days after her father but she was never seen smiling or laughing. Every week she would visit the graves of the martyrs twice on Mondays and Thursdays and would say, “There was the Prophet and there were the pagans.”’”

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from abu al-Hassan, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, who has said the following: “I asked the Imam, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘Does a believing deceased notice who has visited his grave?’ He replied, ‘Yes, and he continues to take comfort in his visitor as long as he is near his grave. When the visitor stands up and leaves the gravesite he (the deceased) becomes afraid and lonely.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ‘How should one offer greeting of peace to the people of the graves?’ He said, ‘Yes, (it has an answer). Say, “(May Allah grant) peace to the dwellings of the Muslims and believing people. You have departed us and we, by the will of Allah, will join you.’””

6. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from ibn Mahbub from “Amr ibn abu al-Miqdam who has said the following: “Once abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, and I passed by al-Baqi’ cemetery. We then passed by the grave of a person from al-Kufah who was a Shi ‘ah Muslim. The narrator has said that the Imam stood on his grave and said, ‘O Lord, grant him mercy and kindness in his loneliness, provide him company in his solitude, comfort him in his distress and give him such serenity, through Your mercy, that can suffice him in place of the kindness and mercy of everyone beside You. Join him with those whom he loved (accepted as his guardians).”’

7. Abu Ali al-Ash’ariy has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar and Muhammad ibn Isma’il from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan all from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mansur ibn Hazim in a Muzmar manner who has said the following: “He (the Imam) has said, ‘As a greeting of peace to the people of the graves say, “May Allah grant you peace which was wished for you by the town of a believing people, and we by the will of Allah are about to join you.’”

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd from al-Qasim ibn Sulayman from Jarrah al-Mada’iniy who has said the following: “I asked abu ’Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, ’How should one offer greeting of peace to the people of the graves?’ He replied, say, ‘May Allah grant peace to the Muslims and believing ones of this dwelling place. May Allah grant mercy upon those of us who have preceded us (to the next life) and those who will follow and we, by the will of Allah, are about to join you.’”

9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad who has said the following: “I was in Fayd (a place near Makkah). Ali ibn Bilal and I went to visit the grave of Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Bazi‘ and Ali ibn Bilal said, ‘The dweller of this grave narrated to me from al-Rida’, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, the following: “If one visits the grave of his brother (in belief), places his hand over the grave and reads Surah 97 of the Holy Quran seven times he, on the distressful Day (of Judgment) will be granted full protection and peace.’””