Holiest sites in Shia Islam

In addition to the three mosques accepted by all Muslims as holy sites, Shi'ite Muslims consider sites associated with Muhammad, his family members (Ahl al-Bayt) and descendants (including the Shia Imams), to be holy. After Mecca and Medina, Najaf, Karbala and Jerusalem are the most revered by Shias.[1]

Not to be confused with Holiest sites in Sunni Islam or Holiest sites in Sufi Islam.
The Sacred Mosque in Mecca

Holy sites accepted by all Muslims

Masjid al-Haram

Masjid al-Haram ("The Sacred Mosque"), is a large mosque in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia and the second largest in Islam. It surrounds the Kaaba, the place which all Muslims turn towards each day in prayer, considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth.

The current structure covers an area of 356,800 m2 (3,841,000 sq ft) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to 820,000 worshippers during the Hajj period. 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.[2]

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 Mosque 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.

— Quran, sura 22 (Al-Hajj), ayah 26[3]

And when Ibrahim and Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing:

— Quran, sura 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 127[4]

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi ("Mosque of the Prophet"), located in Medina, Saudi Arabia is the second holiest site in 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.[5]

Other places associated with Muhammad
Quba Mosque in Medina
  • Quba Mosque found just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, was the first mosque ever built by Muhammad.[6][7][8] 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-Qiblatain in Medina, Saudi Arabia - the mosque where the direction of prayer (qibla) was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca
Cave of Hira, where the first revelation was revealed to Muhammad
  • 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

Al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf

Al-Aqsa Mosque ("the Farthest Mosque") is a mosque which sits on the al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf ("the Noble Sanctuary") in the Old City of Jerusalem, and is a holy site in both Shia and Sunni Islam. The silver domed al Aqsa Mosque sits, along with the Dome of the Rock,[9] on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, the place where the Temple is generally accepted to have stood.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because it was the first of the two Qiblas.[10][11] Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad led prayers towards this site until the seventeenth month after the emigration, when God directed him to turn towards the Kaaba.

Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported by the Buraq from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey. The mosque is also believed by many to be the area from where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven.[12] According to some narrations, a single prayer performed at this mosque is the same as having performed 500 prayers elsewhere.[13]

Tombs of Biblical prophets
The tomb of Prophet Daniel
Ummayad Mosque in Damascus
  • Great Mosque of Aleppo in Aleppo, Syria - entombs the remains of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.
  • Several tombs of prophets all over Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia

Holy sites accepted by all Shia Muslims

Imam Ali Mosque
Exterior view of Imam Ali Mosque

Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq contains the tomb of:

  • First Shia Imam, Ali

Also buried within this mosque according to Shia Islam:

Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad. He 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.[16]

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, the sixth Shia Imam.[17] Most Shias accept that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Mosque, in what is now the city of Najaf (which grew around the shrine).[18]

It has also been narrated from Ja'far al-Sadiq, the 6th Imam, 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.[19]

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.[20]

— Ja'far al-Sadiq

Imam Husayn Shrine
Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala. Two tall minarets of Al Abbas Mosque are also seen in the picture.

Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq contains the tombs of:

The mosque stands on the site of the grave of Hussein ibn Ali, where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680.[21][22] Up to a million pilgrims visit the city to observe the Day of Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Hussein ibn Ali's death.[23] 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.[24]

— The archangel Gabriel

God 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.[25]

— Ali ibn al-Hussain

Not one night passes in which Gabriel and Michael do not go to visit him [Husayn].[26]

— Ja'far al-Sadiq

Al-Baqi'
Al-Baqi' cemetery in Medina

Al-Baqi' (Jannatul Baqee) is a cemetery located across from Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Holy figures of interest to the Shia include:

It is also thought that the real grave of Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, lies here as well.

Jannatul Mualla Cemetery
Jannatul Mualla cemetery in Makkah

The Jannatul Mualla 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
  • Abdul Muttalib - grandfather of Muhammad
  • Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib - uncle of Muhammad and father of the first Shia Imam, Ali
  • Khadija bint Khuwaylid - first wife of Muhammad and mother of Fatimah
  • Qasim ibn Muhammad - son of Muhammad who died in his infancy
  • Possible grave of Aminah bint Wahb - mother of Muhammad[28]

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus

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 Mosque
Al Abbas Mosque in Karbalā

The Al Abbas Mosque is located directly across from the Imam Husayn Shrine, and contains the tomb of:

  • Al-Abbas ibn Ali, son of Ali and brother of Hussein

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.[29] 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.[30]

Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque in Damascus

The Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque in Damascus, Syria contains the tomb of:

  • Sukayna bint Husayn, the youngest daughter of Hussein ibn Ali, often referred to by her title: "Ruqayya".

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 al-Habashi, the muezzin of Muhammad
  • Hamīdah, daughter of Muslim ibn Aqeel
  • Maymūnah, daughter of Hasan ibn Ali
  • Sakinah (Fatima al-Kubra) bint Husayn, daughter of Hussein ibn Ali (not to be confused with Ruqayya who was the youngest)
  • Asma bint Umays, wife of Ja'far ibn Abī Tālib
  • Abdullah ibn Zaynul Abidin, son of Ali ibn al-Hussain

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
  • Great Mosque of Kufa in Kufa, Iraq - contains the tombs of Muslim ibn Aqeel, Khadijah bint Ali, Hani ibn Urwa, and Al-Mukhtar. 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
  • Mount Uhud near Medina, Saudi Arabia - bears the grave of Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-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 al-Hussain (grandson of Zayd ibn Ali) in Mashhad, Iran.
  • Awlād Muslim Mosque in Musayyib, Iraq - entombs the remains of the sons of Muslim ibn Aqeel.

Places associated with imams and Karbala
  • Al-Nuqtah Mosque in Aleppo, Syria - this mosque contains a large stone where the head of Hussein ibn Ali was placed, while on a stop-over along the journey from Karbala to Damascus
    Hananeh Mosque in Iraq
    .
  • Masjid al-Hannaanah in Kufa, Iraq - contains some of the skin of Hussein ibn Ali which was ripped off of him post-mortem by the aggressors of Battle of Karbala.
  • The House of Ali in Kufa, Iraq

Mosques associated with companions of Muhammad and the imams
Shrine of Meesam Tammar in Kufa.
  • Tomb of Meesam Tammar in Kufa, Iraq
Tomb of Kumayl ibn Zyad in Al Hanahneh Mosque
  • 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 bin Abu Talib.
  • Tomb of Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al Tamimi companion of Imam Hussain, who was martyred in Battle of Karbala.
  • Other several tombs and graves of companions in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt and Yemen

Holy sites specific to Twelver Shia Muslims

Imam Reza Mosque
Imam Reza shrine, which is visited by 12 to 15 million pilgrims every year.

Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran contains the tomb of:

  • Ali ar-Ridha, eighth Shia Imam

Ali al-Rida is believed, by members of the Shia, to have been poisoned there upon the orders of Caliph Al-Ma'mun and the place was subsequently called, Mashhad ar-Ridhā (the place of martyrdom of Ali al-Rida). By the end of the 9th century a dome was built on the grave and many buildings and bazaars sprang up around it. For years totalling more than a millennium, the mosque was destroyed and reconstructed several times.[31]

Nowadays Imam al-Rida shrine in Mashhad, Iran, is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Ali al-Rida, the eighth of The Twelve Imams. Also found within the complex is a museum, library, cemetery, mosque and seminaries. Today the holy shrine and its museum hold one of the most extensive cultural and artistic treasuries of Iran, in particular manuscript books and paintings. Several important theological schools are associated with the shrine of the eighth Imam. As a city of great religious significance, it is also a place of pilgrimage. It is said that the rich go to Mecca but the poor journey to Mashhad. Thus, even as those who complete the pilgrimage to Mecca receive the title of Haji, those who make the pilgrimage to Mashhad–and especially to the Imam Rida shrine–are known as Mashtee, a term employed also of its inhabitants. It is thought that over 20 million Muslims a year make the pilgrimage to Mashhad. It is generally considered to be the holiest Shia shrine in Iran, and is sometimes ranked as the third holiest Shia shrine in the world.[32]

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Baghdad

The Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq contains the tombs of:

  • Musa al-Kadhim, seventh Shia Imam
  • Muhammad al-Taqi, ninth Shia Imam

Also buried within this mosque:

Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shia Islam.[33][34]

Al-Askari Mosque Shrine of the 10th and 11th Twelver Shī‘ah Imāms

Al-Askari Mosque

The Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq contains the tombs of:

Also buried within this mosque:

The cellar from which the twelfth or "Hidden" Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, disappeared from view is also found within this mosque.

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.[35]

Jamkaran Mosque in Qom

Mosques associated with the twelfth Shia Imam

The final Imam, considered to be alive and in occultation, has the following two mosques associated with him:

  • Masjid al-Sahlah in Kufa, Iraq

Fatima Masumeh Shrine
Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom

The Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran contains the tomb of:

  • Fātimah bint Mūsā, sister of the eighth Shia Imam, Ali al-Rida

Located in Qom, Iran, some consider the Fatima Masumeh Shrine to be the third holiest shrine in Shia Islam.[19] The shrine has attracted to itself dozens of seminaries and religious schools. Shah Abbas I of Persia built the shrine complex in the early 17th century.[36]

Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey
Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar

Tombs of other family members of Muhammad
  • Imam Zadeh Saleh in Tehran, Iran - bears the grave of one of the sons of Musa al-Kadhim
  • Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, Iran - entombs a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali. The mosque also contains the tombs of a son of Ali ibn al-Hussain and a son of Musa al-Kadhim.

Holy sites specific to other Shia Muslims (non-Twelvers)
Tomb of Hassan Modarres in Kashmar

Holy Modern sites
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See also

References
  1. Karbala and Najaf: Shia holy cities April, 2003
  2. "Makkah the Blessed".
  3. Quran 22:26
  4. Quran 2:127
  5. Tore Kjeilen. "Madina - LookLex Encyclopaedia".
  6. Michigan Consortium for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (1986). Goss, V. P.; Bornstein, C. V. (eds.). The Meeting of Two Worlds: Cultural Exchange Between East and West During the Period of the Crusades. 21. Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University. p. 208. ISBN 0918720583.
  7. 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.
  8. Dyrness, W. A. (2013-05-29). Senses of Devotion: Interfaith Aesthetics in Buddhist and Muslim Communities. 7. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 25. ISBN 162032136X.
  9. 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)
  10. Lindsay, James (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Press. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-313-32270-8.
  11. Wendy Doninger, ed. (1999-09-01). Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster. p. 70. ISBN 0-87779-044-2., reviewed on Google books
  12. "Eyewitness: Inside al-Aqsa". BBC News. 2002-03-20.
  13. Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:21:288
  14. al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. pp. 66–67.
  15. "Iraq".
  16. "Red tape curbs profits from Iraq religious tourism". Reuters. 2009-02-16. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  17. Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251
  18. Redha, Mohammad; Mohammad Agha (1999). Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (Imam Ali the Fourth Caliph, 1/1 Volume). Dar Al Kotob Al ilmiyah. ISBN 2-7451-2532-X.
  19. Escobar, Pepe (May 24, 2002). "Knocking on heaven's door". Central Asia/Russia. Asia Times Online. Retrieved 2006-11-12. To give a measure of its importance, according to a famous hadith (saying) - enunciated with pleasure by the guardians of the shrine - we learn that ‘our sixth imam, Imam Sadeg, says that we have five definitive holy places that we respect very much. The first is Mecca, which belongs to God. The second is Medina, which belongs to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the messenger of God. The 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. Pilgrims and those who visit her holy shrine, I promise to these men and women that God will open all the doors of Heaven to them.’
  20. al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 67.
  21. Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.
  22. Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10-11.
  23. "Interactive Maps: Sunni & Shia: The Worlds of Islam". PBS. Retrieved June 9, 2007.
  24. 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.
  25. al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "88". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 534.
  26. al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "88". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 536.
  27. "Saudi Arabia". al-islam.org. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  28. "Saudi Arabia".
  29. KaraÌraviÌ, NajmulhÌ£asan (January 1, 1974). Biography of Hazrat Abbas. Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust. ASIN B0007AIWQW.
  30. Muhammad, Yousaf (December 2001). Al-Abbas (AS) - Rajul Al-Aqidah Wal Jehad. Islamic Republic of Iran.
  31. Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16
  32. "Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran". sacredsites.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2006-03-13.
  33. 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
  34. "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.
  35. Gosh, Aparisim (March 6, 2006). "An Eye For an Eye". Time Magazine. pp. Cover Story. 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.
  36. "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.
  37. "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin Rəsmi internet səhifəsi - XƏBƏRLƏR » Tədbirlər İlham Əliyev Gəncə şəhərindəki "İmamzadə" kompleksində aparılan təmir-bərpa və tikinti işlərinin gedişi ilə tanış olub".

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-Anwar V.97 (in Arabic).
  • Zabeth, Hyder Reza (1999). Landmarks of Mashhad. Alhoda UK. ISBN 964-444-221-0.
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