Holiest sites in Shia Islam
Both
Shia Muslims consider sites associated with Muhammad, his family members (Ahl al-Bayt), Shia imams and their family members to be holy. After the three holy cities of Islam (Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem), some of the most revered sites by Shias include Najaf and Karbala, in Iraq, and Qom and Mashhad, in Iran.[1][2]
Holy sites accepted by all Muslims
Kaaba
Kaaba (Arabic: The Cube) is the most sacred site in Islam. It is surrounded by Masjid-al-Haram. During the Hajj period, the mosque is unable to contain the multitude of pilgrims, who pray on the outlining streets. More than 2 million worshippers gather to pray during Eid prayers.[3]
According to the teachings of Islam, God in the Quran used the word mosque when referring to the sites established by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his progeny as houses of worship to God centuries before the revelation of the Quran. The first of these spots is Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the second is Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem. Before Mecca and Jerusalem came under Muslim control between 630 AD and 638 AD, the site of the Kaaba, which was established by Abraham and Ishmael, was used by non-Muslim Arabs who worshipped multiple gods.
And when We assigned to Ibrahim the place of the House, saying: Do not associate with Me aught, and purify My House for those who make the circuit and stand to pray and bow and prostrate themselves.
And when Ibrahim and
Al-Masjid an-Nabawiin MedinaAl-Masjid an-Nabawi
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi ("Mosque of the Prophet"), located in Medina, Saudi Arabia is the second holiest sitein Islam.The edifice was originally Muhammad's house; he settled there after his Hijra (emigration) to Medina, and later built a mosque on the grounds. He himself shared in the heavy work of construction. The original mosque was an open-air building, with no gender separation. The mosque also served as a community center, a court, and a religious school. There was a raised platform for the people who taught the Quran. The basic plan of the building has been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world.
The original mosque was built by Muhammad and subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated the mosque. The most important feature of the site is the Green Dome over the center of the mosque, where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Constructed in 1817 CE and painted green in 1839, it is known as the Dome of the Prophet.[6]
Al-Aqsa Mosque compound
Old City of Jerusalem, and is the third holiest site in Islam. It includes the Dome of the Rock and a silver domed prayer hall, also referred to in English as Aqsa Mosque.[7] In Judaism, the location is known as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, the place where the Templeis generally accepted to have stood.The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound is sacred because it was the first of the two Qiblas.
emigration, when God directed him to turn towards the Kaaba.Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported by the
Night Journey. The mosque is also believed by many to be the area from where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven.[10] According to some narrations, a single prayer performed at this mosque is the same as having performed 500 prayers elsewhere.[11]Holy sites accepted by Shia Muslims
Imam Ali Shrine
Of the sites accepted by Shia Muslims, the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf is considered the holiest. Shia Muslims believe that it contains the tomb of Ali. He was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. Ali is considered by Shia tradition to be the first legitimate caliph and the first imam due to the proclamation given by Muhammad. The site is visited annually by at least 8 million pilgrims on average, which is estimated to increase to 20 million in years to come.[12] Adam and Noah are also buried within this mosque according to Shia Islam.[13][14]
Many Shia believe that Ali did not want his grave to be desecrated by his enemies and consequently asked his friends and family to bury him secretly. This secret gravesite is supposed to have been revealed later during the Abbasid Caliphate by Ja'far al-Sadiq who is believed by Shia Muslims, the sixth Shia imam.[15] Most Shias accept that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Mosque which is now the city of Najaf.[16]
Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam, said that the Imam Ali Mosque is the third of five holy places: Mecca, Medina, Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, and the shrine of Fatima Masumeh in Qom.[2]
God chose that land [Najaf] as the abode of the Prophets. I swear to God that no one more honourable than the Commander of the Believers [Ali] has ever lived there after (the time of) his purified fathers, Ādam and Nūh.[17]
— Ja'far al-SadiqImam Husayn Shrine
Musa al-Kadhim and the martyrs of Karbala.The mosque stands on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn Ali, where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680.[18][19] Up to a million pilgrims visit the city to observe the anniversary of Husayn ibn Ali's death.[20] There are many Shia traditions which narrate the status of Karbala:
Karbalā, where your grandson and his family will be killed, is the most blessed and the most sacred land on Earth and it is one of the valleys of Paradise.[21]
— The archangel GabrielGod chose the land of Karbalā as a safe and blessed sanctuary twenty-four thousand years before He created the land of the Ka'bah and chose it as a sanctuary. Verily it [Karbalā] will shine among the gardens of Paradise, like a shining star shines among the stars for the people of Earth.
Ali ibn al-Husayn
Not one night passes in which Gabriel and Michael do not go to visit him [Husayn].[23]
Fatima Masumeh Shrine
The
Jamkaran Mosque
The Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran is one of the primary significant mosques in Jamkaran. Hassan ibn Muthlih Jamkarani is reported to have met the Shia's 12th imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi. In the rear of the mosque, there is a "well of requests (of prayers)" to be passed on to God (Allah). Pilgrims tie small strings in a knot around the grids covering the holy well, which they hope will be received by the Imam Mahdi.
Al-Sahlah Mosque
The Al-Sahlah Mosque in Kufa, Iraq is said to be the future home of the Twelfth Shia imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
The Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus, Syria contains the tomb of Zaynab bint Ali, the daughter of Ali and Fatimah, and the granddaughter of Muhammad.
Al-Abbas Shrine
The Al-Abbas Shrine is located directly across from the Imam Husayn Shrine, and contains the tomb of Abbas ibn Ali, son of Ali and brother of Husayn.
Millions of pilgrims visit the shrine and pay homage to it every year. The real grave of Abbas is beneath the masoulem, and is present in the shrine.[26] Emperors and kings of various dynasties have offered valuable gifts and gems to the shrine of Abbas. It was designed by Persian and Central Asian architects. The central pear shaped dome is an ornately decorated structure. On its sides stand two tall minarets. The tomb is covered with pure gold and surrounded by a trellis of silver. Iranian carpets are rolled out on the floors.[27]
Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
The
Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
The
Imam Reza Shrine
Nowadays Imam al-Ridha shrine in
Al-Askari Shrine
The
At the time of the Al-Askari bombing in Samarra, it was reported that the mosque was one of Shia Islam's holiest sites, only exceeded by the shrines of Najaf and Karbala, making it the third holiest Shia site.[32]
Mosques associated with companions of Muhammad and the Shia imams
- Tomb of Salman the Persian, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, Jabir ibn Abd Allah and Tahir ibn Muhammad al-Baqir in Al-Mada'in, Iraq
- Uwais al-Qarni and Ammar ibn Yasir.
- Tomb of Maytham al-Tammar in Kufa, Iraq
- Tomb of Kumayl ibn Ziyad in Kufa, Iraq
- Hujr ibn Adi Mosque in Adra' (north of Damascus), Syria
- Shrine of Malik al-Ashtar in Egypt. He was one of the most loyal companions of Ali.
- Tomb of Al-Hurr ibn Yazid Al-Tamimi companion of Imam Husayn, who was martyred in Battle of Karbala.
- Other several tombs and graves of companions in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt and Yemen
- Al-Hannanah Mosque in Kufa, Iraq - contains some of the skin of Husayn ibn Ali which was ripped off of him post-mortem by the aggressors of Battle of Karbala.
- Tombs of Zayd ibn Harithah after their martyrdom during the battle of Battle of Mu'tah, located in Mu'tahin Jordan.
- Al-Nuqtah Mosque in Aleppo, Syria - this mosque contains a large stone where the head of Husayn ibn Ali was placed, while on a stop-over along the journey from Karbala to Damascus.
- Shrine of Husayn's Head (destroyed in 1950) – this mosque contained the head of Husayn ibn Ali for about two centuries in the middle ages
Tombs of other family members of Muhammad
- Imamzadeh in Ganja, Azerbaijan - bears the grave of one of the sons of Muhammad al-Baqir.[33]
- Shrine of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi in Balad, Iraq - entombs the remains of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi, son of Ali al-Hadi
- Musa al-Kadhim
- Rey, Iran - entombs the remains of Abdul Azim, descendant of Hasan ibn Ali. The mosque also contains the tombs of a son of Ali ibn al-Husayn and a son of Musa al-Kadhim.
- Shah Cheragh in Shiraz, Iran - entombs the remains of Ahmad and Muhammad, sons of Musa al-Kadhim
- Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza in Kashmar, Iran - entombs another son of Musa al-Kadhim
- Imamzadeh Hamzah, Tabriz in Tabriz, Iran - entombs another son of Musa al-Kadhim
- Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar in Kashmar, the tomb of Hamzah al-Hamzah ibn Musa al-Kadhim
- Shrine of Sultan Ali in Mashhad Ardehal, Iran - entombs the remains of Sultan Ali, son of Muhammad al-Baqir
- Shrine of Qutham ibn Abbas in Shah-i-Zinda, Samarkand, Uzbekistan - the cousin of Muhammad
- Various imamzadeh scattered throughout Iran and Iraq
Holy sites specific to other Shia Muslims (non-Twelvers)
- Shrines of the Isma'ili imams, Hujjas and Da'i al-Mutlaqs - imams - see List of Isma'ili imams, Hujjas - Arwa al-Sulayhi, Nasir Khusraw and Da'is - see List of Dai of the Dawoodi Bohra.
- Shrines of the Isma'ili Da'is or Missionary - see List of Isma'ili missionaries.
- Ruins of the Isma'ili castles - see List of Isma'ili castles.
Cemeteries
Al-Baqi'
- Shia imams:
- Hasan ibn Ali (first grandson of Muhammad)
- Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin
- Zaydi)
- Ja'far al-Sadiq (Twelver/Isma'ili)
- Isma'il ibn Ja'far(Isma'ili)
- Relatives of Shia figures:
- Fatimah bint Asad - mother of Ali
- Umm al-Banin - mother of Abbas ibn Ali
- Bibi Shahrbānū - mother of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin
- of Muhammad
Jannat al-Mu'alla Cemetery
The Jannat al-Mu'alla cemetery in Mecca, Saudi Arabia contains the graves of many relatives of Muhammad, held in high esteem by the Shia, including:
- Abd Manaf ibn Qusai - great-great-grandfather of Muhammad
- Hashim ibn Abd Manaf - great-grandfather of Muhammad
- Abd al-Muttalib - grandfather of Muhammad
- Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib - uncle of Muhammad and father of the first Shia imam, Ali
- Fatimah
- Qasim ibn Muhammad - son of Muhammad who died in his infancy
- Possible grave of Aminah bint Wahb - mother of Muhammad[35]
Bab al-Saghir Cemetery
The Bab al-Saghir cemetery in Damascus, Syria contains the graves of many relatives of Muhammad as well as sites related to the Battle of Karbala. Some of the figures laid to rest here include:
- Umm Kulthum bint Ali - daughter of Ali and Fatimah, granddaughter of Muhammad
- Bilal ibn Rabah - the muezzin of Muhammad
- Hamīdah - daughter of Muslim ibn Aqil
- Maymūnah - daughter of Hasan ibn Ali
- Sakinah (Fatimah al-Kubra) bint Husayn- daughter of Husayn ibn Ali (not to be confused with Ruqayyah who was the youngest)
- Asma bint Umais - wife of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and Ali
- Abdullah ibn Ali ibn Husayn - son of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin
Other tombs for the family of imams
There are many tombs of the various descendants of the imams (often called imamzadeh). Some of them include:
- Great Mosque of Kufa in Kufa, Iraq - contains the tombs of Muslim ibn Aqil, Khadijah bint Ali, Hani ibn Urwa, and Mukhtar al-Thaqafi. The mosque also contains many important sites relating to the prophets and Ali, including the place where he was fatally struck on the head while in Sujud
- Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib the uncle of Muhammad, along with the graves of all the other Muslims who fell at the Battle of Uhud.
- The tomb of Zayd ibn Ali in Kufa, Iraq
- Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd - a descendant of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (grandson of Zayd ibn Ali) in Mashhad, Iran.
- Awlād Muslim Mosque in Musayyib, Iraq - entombs the remains of the sons of Muslim ibn Aqil.
Tombs of Biblical prophets
- Arabic: Habeel), son of Adam and Eve as believed by many Muslims
- Tomb of Daniel Daniel (Daniyal) who is considered to have been an Islamic prophet.
- Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, West Bank, Palestinian territories - contains the graves of Abraham and some of his family
- Al-Nabi Yusha' in Upper Galilee, Israel - Tomb of Joshua
- Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.
- Tombs of prophets in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia
Other places associated with Muhammad
- Quba Mosque found just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, was the first mosque ever built by Muhammad.[36][37][38] Its first stones were positioned by Muhammad on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina and was subsequently completed by his companions. Muhammad then waited for Ali to arrive before he entered the city of Medina.
- Masjid al-Qiblatayn in Medina, Saudi Arabia - the mosque where the direction of prayer (qibla) was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca.
- Cave of Hira located on the mountain Jabal al-Nour in Saudi Arabia - the place where the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad
See also
References
- ^ Karbala and Najaf: Shia holy cities April, 2003
- ^ Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on June 3, 2002. Retrieved 2006-11-12.)
our sixth imam, Imam Sadeg, says that we have five definitive holy places... first is Mecca... second is Medina... third belongs to our first imam of Shia, Ali, which is in Najaf. The fourth belongs to our third imam, Hussein, in Kerbala. The last one belongs to the daughter of our seventh imam and sister of our eighth imam, who is called Fatemah, and will be buried in Qom.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link - ^ "Makkah the Blessed".
- ^ Quran 22:26
- ^ Quran 2:127
- ^ Tore Kjeilen. "Madina - LookLex Encyclopaedia".
- ^ Schieck, Robert (2008) in Geographical Dimension of Islamic Jerusalem, Cambridge Scholars Publishing; see also Omar, Abdallah (2009) al-Madkhal li-dirasat al-Masjid al-Aqsa al-Mubarak, Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyaah; also by the same author the Atlas of Al-Aqsa Mosque (2010)
- ISBN 0-313-32270-8.
- ISBN 0-87779-044-2., reviewed on Google books
- ^ "Eyewitness: Inside al-Aqsa". BBC News. 2002-03-20.
- ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:21:288
- ^ "Red tape curbs profits from Iraq religious tourism". Reuters. 2009-02-16. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. pp. 66–67.
- ^ "Iraq".
- ^ Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251
- ISBN 2-7451-2532-X.
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 67.
- ^ Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.
- ^ Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10-11.
- ^ "Interactive Maps: Sunni & Shia: The Worlds of Islam". PBS. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "Addendum before chapter 89". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 545.
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "88". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 534.
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "88". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 536.
- ^ Escobar, Pepe (May 24, 2002). "Knocking on heaven's door". Central Asia/Russia. Asia Times Online. Archived from the original on June 3, 2002. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
our sixth imam, Imam Sadeg, says that we have five definitive holy places that we respect very much... The third belongs to our first imam of Shia, Ali, which is in Najaf.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Today's Top StoriesQom Province". www.indiasnews.com. Archived from the original on 2008-12-20. Retrieved 2006-12-18.
Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza, one of Iran's holiest places, is in Qom.
- ^ KaraÌraviÌ, NajmulhÌ£asan (January 1, 1974). Biography of Hazrat Abbas. Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust. ASIN B0007AIWQW.
- ^ Muhammad, Yousaf (December 2001). Al-Abbas (AS) - Rajul Al-Aqidah Wal Jehad. Islamic Republic of Iran.
- ^ Robertson, Hamish (March 3, 2004). "Iraq suicide bombings: an eyewitness account". The World Today. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
After the bombing of the Al Kadhimiya Mosque, Middle East correspondent of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Nahlah Ayed, reported that '...in front of the Kadhimiya Mosque, the third holiest site for Shia Muslims
- ^ "Iraq blasts kill 143 on Shiite holy day". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. March 2, 2004. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
'After the blast, all you could see was death everywhere you looked,' said Ahmed Kamil Ibrahim, a guard at the Kazimiya shrine in Baghdad, the third-holiest in Shiite Islam.
- ^ Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16
- ^ "Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran". sacredsites.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2006-03-13.
- ^ Gosh, Aparisim (March 6, 2006). "An Eye For an Eye". Time. pp. Cover Story. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
That makes al-Askari one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest sites, exceeded in veneration only by the shrines of Najaf and Karbala. Even Samarra's Sunnis hold al-Askari in high esteem. The expression 'to swear by the shrine' is routinely used by both communities.
Editor's note: Quote is found on third page of article. - ^ "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin Rəsmi internet səhifəsi - XƏBƏRLƏR » Tədbirlər İlham Əliyev Gəncə şəhərindəki "İmamzadə" kompleksində aparılan təmir-bərpa və tikinti işlərinin gedişi ilə tanış olub".
- ^ "Saudi Arabia". al-islam.org. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia".
- ISBN 0918720583.
- ^ Mustafa Abu Sway. "The Holy Land, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Qur'an, Sunnah and other Islamic Literary Source" (PDF). Central Conference of American Rabbis. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-28.
- ISBN 978-1620321362.
Further reading
- Aghaie, Kamran Scot (2004). The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-98448-1
- Majlisi, Mohammad Baqer. Bihar al-AnwarV.97 (in Arabic).
- Zabeth, Hyder Reza (1999). Landmarks of Mashhad. Alhoda UK. ISBN 964-444-221-0.
External links
- Media related to Shia Holy Sites at Wikimedia Commons
- Media related to Twelver-specific Holy Sites at Wikimedia Commons