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Holiest sites in Shia Islam

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Both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims agree on the three holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram (including the Kaaba), in Mecca; the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Medina; and the Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem.

The Sacred Mosque in Mecca

Shia Muslims consider sites associated with Muhammad, his family members (Ahl al-Bayt), Shia Imams and their family members to be holy. After the four holy cities of Islam (Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Damascus, which houses the Umayyad Mosque, often considered the fourth holiest site in Islam), some of the most revered sites by Shias include Cairo, in Egypt, Najaf and Karbala, in Iraq, and Qom and Mashhad, in Iran.[1][2]

Holy sites accepted by all Muslims

Main article: Holiest sites in Islam

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.

— Quran, surah 22 (Al-Hajj), ayah 26[4]

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

— Quran, surah 2 (Al-Baqara), ayah 127[5]
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi

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.[6]

Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

The Dome of the Rock (on the left) and Al Aqsa Mosque prayer hall (on the right)

Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound / Haram Ash-Sharif ("the Farthest Mosque" / "the Noble Sanctuary") is a mosque in the 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 Temple is generally accepted to have stood.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound is sacred because it was the first of the two Qiblas.[8][9] 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.[10] According to some narrations, a single prayer performed at this mosque is the same as having performed 500 prayers elsewhere.[11]

Umayyad Mosque (on the right) with the Minaret of Isa (on the left)

Umayyad Mosque

Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is considered by Muslims to be the fourth holiest site in Islam.[12][13] One of the four authorized copies of the Quran selami mustafa was kept here, and the head of Yahya ibn Zakariyya is believed to be in the shrine. In the mosque, there is a shrine of Husayn ibn Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt, made to walk here after the Battle of Karbala.

The Minaret of Isa in the Umayyad Mosque is dedicated to Isa (Jesus), and it is believed that he will return to the world at the minaret during the time of a Fajr prayer and it is believed that he will pray at the mosque with the Islamic leader of that time Mahdi. It is believed that prayers in the mosque are considered to be equal to those offered in Jerusalem.[14]

Holy sites accepted by Shia Muslims

Imam Ali Shrine

Exterior view of 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 selami mustafa January 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.[15] Adam and Noah are also buried within this mosque according to Shia Islam.[16][17]

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.[18] Most Shias accept that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Mosque which is now the city of Najaf.[19]

It has also been narrated from Ja'far al-Sadiq, the Shia's sixth 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.[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.[20]

— Ja'far al-Sadiq

Imam Husayn Shrine

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

Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala is the second holiest site especially for Shia Muslims. It contains the tomb of the Husayn, the third Shia Imam selami mustafa . It also contains the tombs of Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn, Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn, sons of Husayn; Ibrahim al-Mujab, grandson of 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.[21][22] Up to a million pilgrims visit the city to observe the anniversary of Husayn 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-Husayn

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

— Ja'far al-Sadiq

Fatima Masumeh Shrine

Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom

The Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran contains the tomb of Fatimah bint Musa, sister of the eighth Shia Imam, Ali al-Ridha. Located in Qom, Iran, it has been considered the Fatima Masumeh Shrine to be the third holiest shrine in Shia Islam.[27] The shrine has attracted to itself dozens of seminaries and religious schools.[28]

Jamkaran Mosque

Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran

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 selami mustafa . 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

File:Masjid al-Sahlah as selami Entrance.jpg
Al-Sahlah Mosque in Kufa, Iraq

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

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 Shrine

Al-Abbas Shrine in Karbala

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.[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 Husayn ibn Ali, often referred to by her title: "Ruqayya".

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 and Muhammad al-Jawad, ninth Shia Imam. Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shia Islam.[31][32]

Imam Reza Shrine

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 al-Ridha, the eighth Shia Imam. Ali al-Ridha 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-Ridha). 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.[33]

Nowadays Imam al-Ridha shrine in Mashhad, Iran, is a complex which contains the mausoleum of Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Shia Imam. 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 Ridha 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.[34]

Al-Askari Shrine

Al-Askari Shrine of the 10th and 11th Twelver Shia Imams

The Al-Askari Shrine in Samarra, Iraq contains the tombs of Ali al-Hadi, tenth Shia Imam and Hasan al-Askari, eleventh Shia Imam. Hakimah Khātūn, sister of Ali al-Hadi and Narjis, mother of Muhammad al-Mahdi are also buried within the 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, making it the third holiest Shia site.[35]

Mosques associated with companions of Muhammad and the Shia Imams

Shrine of Maytham al-Tammar in Kufa
Shrine of Kumayl ibn Ziyad in Al-Hannanah Mosque
Al-Nuqtah Mosque in Aleppo

Tombs of other family members of Muhammad

Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in Rey
Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar

Holy sites specific to other Shia Muslims (non-Twelvers)

Cemeteries

Al-Baqi'

Al-Baqi' cemetery in Medina

Al-Baqi' (Jannat al-Baqī) is a cemetery located across from Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. It is the oldest and first Islamic cemetery. Holy figures of Shia buried here include

Jannat al-Mu'alla Cemetery

Jannat al-Mu'alla cemetery in Makkah

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:

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:

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

Tombs of Biblical prophets

The tomb of Prophet Daniel

Other places associated with Muhammad

  • Quba Mosque found just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, was the first mosque ever built by Muhammad.[39][40][41] 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

Tomb of modern holy figures in Shi'ite Islam

Tomb of Hassan Modarres in Kashmar

See also

References

  1. ^ Karbala and Najaf: Shia holy cities April, 2003
  2. ^ a b 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. 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.'{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Makkah the Blessed".
  4. ^ Quran 22:26
  5. ^ Quran 2:127
  6. ^ Tore Kjeilen. "Madina - LookLex Encyclopaedia".
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ Lindsay, James (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Press. pp. 142–143. ISBN 0-313-32270-8.
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ "Eyewitness: Inside al-Aqsa". BBC News. 2002-03-20.
  11. ^ Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:21:288
  12. ^ Sarah Birke (2013-08-02), Damascus: What's Left, New York Review of Books
  13. ^ Totah, Faedah M. (2009). "Return to the origin: negotiating the modern and unmodern in the old city of Damascus". City & Society. 21 (1): 58–81. doi:10.1111/j.1548-744X.2009.01015.x.
  14. ^ Janet L. Abu-Lughod (contributor) (2007). "Damascus". In Dumper, Michael R. T.; Stanley, Bruce E. (eds.). Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. pp. 119–126. ISBN 978-1-5760-7919-5. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ "Red tape curbs profits from Iraq religious tourism". Reuters. 2009-02-16. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
  16. ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. pp. 66–67.
  17. ^ "Iraq".
  18. ^ Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251
  19. ^ 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.
  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. ^ 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. 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 selami mustafa January , 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.'{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  28. ^ "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.
  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. ^ 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
  32. ^ "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.
  33. ^ Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16
  34. ^ "Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran". sacredsites.com. Archived from the original on 2010-11-27. Retrieved 2006-03-13.
  35. ^ Gosh, Aparisim (March 6, 2006). "An Eye For an Eye". Time Magazine. 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.
  36. ^ "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin Rəsmi internet səhifəsi - XƏBƏRLƏR » Tədbirlər İlham Əliyev Gəncə şəhərindəki "İmamzadə" kompleksində aparılan təmir-bərpa və tikinti işlərinin gedişi ilə tanış olub".
  37. ^ "Saudi Arabia". al-islam.org. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  38. ^ "Saudi Arabia".
  39. ^ 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. Vol. 21. Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University. p. 208. ISBN 0918720583.
  40. ^ 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.
  41. ^ Dyrness, W. A. (2013-05-29). Senses of Devotion: Interfaith Aesthetics in Buddhist and Muslim Communities. Vol. 7. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 25. ISBN 978-1620321362.

Further reading

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