Ziyarat

People will give different perspectives on this, ranging from what to pack, to books to read, to spiritual advice.

In my view, the most important thing is to set a sincere intention to do it for the sake of Allah, and to meet the luminaries whom Allah has blessed us with. Then, to remain open to the experience.

Remember also that the experience of ziyarat differs from time to time, based on where we are in our lives, and rather than expecting it to always be the same, be open to change. 

Also, ziarat often has a strong social component, insofar as it is an opportunity for believers from around the world to build ties with each other. So it is nice to be open to that and to come with a spirit of acceptance of people, despite their flaws or different cultures and viewpoints. One can sometimes meet lifelong friends at these times. 

At the same time, it is better to try to avoid getting dragged into the trap of focusing on social expectations or interpersonal situations between yourself and whoever you may be travelling with, since this can be a distraction. Rather, keep the focus on Allah and the awliya and simply try to treat others well. 

There is nothing wrong with performing ziarat in the hope that a specific personal prayer will be answered. However, sometimes, focusing only on that can lead a person to miss out on other aspects of the experience, or be focused only on themself. So it is good to pray for what you need, but also be open to what is happening beyond that. 

It is also good to try to find compatible travelling companions, since those who you are travelling with can strongly impact the experience, for better or for worse. Also keep in mind that hajj and ziarat sometimes stress people in different ways (perhaps also due to the strong spiritual energy behind it), and while ideally people should be more patient and forgiving in the holy sites, sometimes it brings out their difficult side. It can also bring out our own weak points. So be prepared to be patient!

In my view, it is not the most important thing to have a strong factual knowledge of everyone and everything about the sites you are visiting, because if you don't have that already, you will pick it up as you go, or be inspired to learn more. However, it doesn't hurt. 

There is a lot of material online available, which you can find if you search; here is a nice short piece: https://www.al-islam.org/articles/how-make-most-ziyarah-ahlul-bayt-salim...

Also, you can read some hadith about ziyarat and the spiritual etiquette of ziyarat, or listen to some lectures online. 

May your ziyarat be accepted!

Yes, this is in the book Kamil al-Ziyarat:

The narration is as follows: I said to Imam Sadiq (A), “May I be sacrificed on you, I cannot afford to go to Hajj every year.” The Imam (A) replied: If you ever wanted to go to the Hajj but could not afford it, go to the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (A), for indeed it will be recorded as a Hajj for you. And if you ever wanted to go for Umrah but could not afford it, go to the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (A), for indeed it will be recorded as an Umrah for you.

As for why? Allah knows best.

However, some thoughts. First, it is not neglecting hajj, only discussing the situation where it is impossible.

Second, it is also said that worshipping at Masjid al-Kufa has a similar reward to hajj, and Masjid al-Kufa is associated with Imam Ali (A) so this general idea is not only said about Karbala (although it is more emphasized for Karbala).

Third, if someone from afar cannot perform hajj, then probably they also cannot go to Medina and visit the Prophet (S), so it is not worth mentioning here.

Fourth, there are many narrations that indicate there is something spiritually unique about Karbala and where Imam Husain (A) was laid to rest, and visiting Imam Husain (A) is emphasized above visiting the resting places of the other Imams. So, it is good to trust in that and assume there is in fact a hidden merit to visiting Karbala which is not found in other places. There are many aspects of the spiritual world that we don't see with our physical eyes and in our everyday reality. Of course, it is also very good to visit Imam Ali (A)!

The best way to answer this question for one's self is to go to all these places (hajj, Najaf, Karbala) and develop a personal view. If you have not, may Allah bless you with the opportunity!

It is an Arabic word for "visiting". In religious terms, it is used for visiting the final resting place of a sacred personality such as one of the prophets or twelve Imams. It can also be used to refer to ritual texts recited at these places to send greetings and blessings upon them, or which are recited at certain times of the year from afar for the same reason. 

I am not personally aware of narrations specifically encouraging the visiting of those sites. (Someone may correct me!) However, there are ziyarat texts narrated for them. 

However, there are narrations encouraging the visiting of all of the Imams, which would include them, and it is good to go and pay respects as a gesture of loyalty and to help maintain a tie with the history and people who once walked there and were laid to rest there. Some people might also want to go as a form of resistance to the oppression that Shi'a face today and to make a stand to show that we will not be afraid to go, and that is also good. 

That being said, there are a lot of narrations emphasizing visiting other places, such as Mecca, Medina, Karbala, Najaf, and Mashhad, so I would personally place the emphasis on visiting those places first.