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.
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 Mashhad and Qom, in Iran. [1] [2]
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 Ismail raised the foundations of the House: Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing:
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 / 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]
The Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf is considered the holiest, which 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-Sadiq
Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala is the second holiest site for Shia Muslims. It contains the tomb of Husayn, the third Shia imam. 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. [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 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. [22]
Not one night passes in which Gabriel and Michael do not go to visit him [Husayn]. [23]
Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran is the third holiest site for Shia Muslims, [25] which 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. [26]
Today, 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. 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. Over 25 million Muslims a year make the pilgrimage to Mashhad. It is generally considered to be the holiest Shia shrine in Iran.
Shia sources quote several hadiths from the Shia Imams and Muhammad that highlight the importance of pilgrimage to the shrine. A hadith from Muhammad says:
One of my own flesh and blood will be buried in the land of Khorasan. God the Highest will surely remove the sorrows of any sorrowful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. God will surely forgive the sins of any sinful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. [27]
The Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran contains the tomb of Fatimah bint Musa, sister of the eighth Shia imam, Ali al-Ridha. It is the forth holiest shrine in Shia Islam. [28] The shrine has attracted to itself dozens of seminaries and religious schools. [29]
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.
The Al-Sahlah Mosque in Kufa, Iraq is said to be the future home of the Twelfth Shia imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.
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.
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. [30] 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. [31]
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".
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. [32] [33]
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. [34]
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
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:
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:
There are many tombs of the various descendants of the imams (often called imamzadeh ). Some of them include:
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (khalīfa) and the Imam after him, most notably at the event of Ghadir Khumm, but was prevented from succeeding Muhammad as the leader of the Muslims as a result of the choice made by some of Muhammad's other companions (ṣaḥāba) at Saqifah. This view primarily contrasts with that of Sunnī Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor before his death and consider Abū Bakr, who was appointed caliph by a group of Muhammad's other companions at Saqifah, to be the first rightful (rāshidūn) caliph after Muhammad. Adherents of Shīʿa Islam are called Shia Muslims.
Najaf or An-Najaf or Al-Najaf or An-Najaf al-Ashraf, is the capital city of Najaf Governorate in central Iraq about 160 km south of Baghdad. Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people. It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities of Shia Islam and one of its spiritual capitals, as well as the center of Shia political power in Iraq. It is the burial place of Muhammad's son in law and cousin, ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib. It is also the location of the largest cemetery in the world, (Wadi-us-Salaam), of one of the most important seminaries in the Shi'i Islamic world, and a major pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims.
Karbala or Kerbala is a city in central Iraq, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 711,530 people (2018).
The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī, also known as the Mosque of 'Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mausoleum which Shia and Sunni Muslims believe contains the tomb of 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Shī'as consider 'Alī as their first Imām and the first of the twelve caliphs of Muhammad, and the Sunnis regard him as the fourth Sunni Rashid Caliph. According to Shī'ite belief, buried next to 'Alī within this mosque are the remains of Adam and Nuh (Noah). Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine and pay tribute to Imām 'Alī.
An imamzadeh is a Persian term with two related meanings: a type of holy person in Shia Islam, and the shrine-tomb of such a person.
The Imam Husayn Shrine is the mosque and burial site of Husayn ibn Ali, the third Imam of Shia Islam, in the city of Karbala, Iraq. It stands on the site of the Mausoleum of Husayn, who was a grandson of Muhammad, near the place where he embraced martyrdom during the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE The tomb of Husayn is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, outside of Mecca and Medina, and many make pilgrimages to the site. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the city to observe Ashura, which marks the commemoration of Husayn's death for all Muslims.
Ruqayya bint al-Ḥusayn is said to have been a daughter of Husayn ibn Ali, the third imam in Twelver Shia. Husayn and a small group of his supporters were massacred in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE on the order of the Umayyad caliph Yazid. Their women and children were then taken captive and marched to the capital Damascus, where it is said that Ruqayya died at the age of about three, possibly due to the hostility of her captors. The shrine associated with Ruqayya in Damascus is a popular destination for Shia pilgrimage. The child of Husayn who died shortly after Karbala is sometimes identified as Sakina.
The history of Islam in Iraq goes back almost 1,400 years to the lifetime of Muhammad. Iraq's 98% majority Muslims follow two distinct traditions: Shia Islam (55-60%) and Sunni Islam (35-40%).
The holiest sites in Islam are predominantly located in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. While the significance of most places typically varies depending on the Islamic sect, there is a consensus across all mainstream branches of the religion that affirms three cities as having the highest degree of holiness, in descending order: Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. Mecca's Al-Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem are all revered by Muslims as sites of great importance.
The Al-Abbas Shrine is the mausoleum of Abbas ibn Ali and a mosque, located near the Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala, Iraq. Abbas was son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the half-brother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. He was Husayn's flag-bearer in the Battle of Karbala and chief of his caravans. The shrine is revered by the Shia Muslims who visit it every year, especially in the month of Muharram.
The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam is an ongoing phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history by the Saudi government. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage (hajj).
Both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims agree on the three Holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca; the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Medina; and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem.
Shia Islam in Iraq has a history going back to the times of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first imam of Shia Islam and fourth caliph of Sunni Islam who moved the capital of the early caliphate from Medina to Kufa two decades after the death of Muhammad. Today, Shia Muslims make up around 55% of the Iraqi population. Iraq is the location of the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, pilgrimage sites for millions of Shia Muslims.
Islam is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion teaching that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is His last Messenger.
Lucknow is known as a city of imambaras as it contains a large number of them, among which, some are very well known.
Al-Hannanah Mosque is a Shi'ite mosque in Najaf, Iraq. This mosque is also called Masjid ar-Raʾs, meaning "Mosque of the Head", because Husain's head was kept in its middle, while being taken to his opponent Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, according to a hadith (narration) attributed to his descendant, Ja'far al-Sadiq.
Al-Atabat Al-Aliyat, which is also known as Al-Atabat Al-Muqaddasa are the shrines of six Shia Imams which are in four cities of Iraq, namely Najaf, Karbala, Kadhimiya and Samarra; and actually the whole of these Imams' shrines (graves) are called Atabat Aliyat. The mentioned cities have significance due to shrines of those six Shia Imams who have been buried there.
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.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)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.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza, one of Iran's holiest places, is in Qom.
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
'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.
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.