Holiest sites in Shia Islam

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Not to be confused with Holiest sites in Sunni Islam or Holiest sites in Sufi Islam.

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

Holy sites accepted by all Muslims

Masjid al-Haram

The Sacred Mosque in Mecca

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.

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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]

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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 the 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]

al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf

The mosque along the southern wall of The Noble Sanctuary

The al Aqsa Mosque is a mosque which sits on the al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf ("the Noble Sanctuary,") is the holy site in Shia and Sunni Islam. It located in the Old City of Jerusalem and widely regarded as the Temple Mount. It is the site on which the silver domed al Aqsa Mosque sits, along with the Dome of the Rock[6] is the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, the place where the Temple is generally accepted to have stood. Muslims believe that Muhammad was transported by the Buraq from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to al-Aqsa during the Night Journey. 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.

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.[9]

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.[10] 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).[11]

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.[12]

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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.[13]

— 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.[14][15] Up to a million pilgrims visit the city to observe the Day of Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Hussein ibn Ali's death.[16] There are many Shia traditions which narrate the status of Karbala:

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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.[17]

— The archangel Gabriel

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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.[18]

— Ali ibn al-Hussain

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Not one night passes in which Gabriel and Michael do not go to visit him [Husayn].[19]

— 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.

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus

Jannatul Mualla Cemetery

The Jannatul Mualla cemetery in Mecca, Saudi Arabia contains the graves of many relatives of Muhammad, held in high esteem by the Shia, including:

Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

Al Abbas Mosque in Karbalā

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

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

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.[22] 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.[23]

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:

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:

Blood-stained stone within the Al-Nuqtah Mosque in Aleppo

Other places associated with Muhammad

  • Quba Mosque found just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, was the first Islamic mosque ever built. 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
  • Hira located on the mountain Jabal al-Nour in Saudi Arabia - the place where the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad
  • Haram al Sharif ("The Noble Sanctuary"), is the Islamic name for the compound of Islamic religious buildings in Jerusalem that includes al-Aqsa congregation mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because it was the first of the two Qiblas.[24][25] The mosque is also believed by many to be the area from where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven.[26] According to some narrations, a single prayer performed at this mosque is the same as having performed 500 prayers elsewhere.[27]

Places associated with imams, prophets and Karbala

Inside the tomb of Daniel, Susa, Iran.
Masjid al-Hannana in Kufa, Iraq

Mosques associated with companions of Muhammad and the imams

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 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.[28]

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.[29]

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Baghdad

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

Also buried within this mosque:

Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shia Islam.[30][31]

Al-Askari Mosque

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

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.[32]

Mosques associated with the twelfth Shia Imam

Jamkaran in Qom

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

Fatima Masumeh Shrine

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

Located in Qom, Iran, some consider the Fatima Masumeh Shrine to be the third holiest shrine in Shia Islam.[12] 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.[33]

Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom

Tombs of other family members of Muhammad

Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey

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

See also

Media related to Shia Holy Sites at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Twelver-specific Holy Sites at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ Karbala and Najaf: Shia holy cities April, 2003
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Quran 22:26
  4. ↑ Quran 2:127
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 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)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.
  15. ↑ Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10-11.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., reviewed on Google books
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Sahih al-Bukhari, 2:21:288
  28. ↑ Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Editor's note: Quote is found on third page of article.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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