The Shrine of Imam Hussain ibn Ali is one of the oldest and renowned sites of
pilgrimage which comprises the mosque and burial site of Imam Husayn Ibn Ali
the third Imam of Shia Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. It stands on the site
of the Mausoleum of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad, near
the place where he was martyred during the Battle of Karbala in 680 C.E.. The
tomb of Imam Husayn ibn Ali is one of the holiest places for Shias 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
anniversary of Imam Husayn ibn Ali's death.
The Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs prevented construction of the shrines
and discouraged pilgrimage to the sites. The tomb and its annexes were destroyed
by Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 850-851 and Shi'a pilgrimage was
prohibited, but shrines in Karbala and Najaf were built by the Buwayhid emir
'Adud al-Daula in 979-80. The boundary wall of the shrine
surrounds wooden gates covered with glass decorations. The gates open into a
courtyard separated into smaller rooms or precincts with many "Iwans" along the
walls. The grave of Imam Husayn ibn Ali is enclosed within a metal-mesh like
structure, found directly beneath the golden dome. On March 5, 2013 the
process of replacing the zarih over the tomb of Imam Husayn Ibn Ali was
completed and the new zarih inaugurated. Al Abbas Mosque is located nearby.
History of Karbala Karbala, a city in Iraq is located about
100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32.61°N, 44.08°E. It was at first a desolate
place and did not witness any noteworthy activity, although it was rich in water
and its soil was fertile. When Imam Husayn arrived at Karbala and was
surrounded by the forces of Ubaidullah bin Ziyad, he inquired about the name of
the place. Someone replied it is Aqr - meaning ‘harsh’. Imam Husain then said:
we seek refuge with Allah from Al Aqr. He once again asked the name of the
village. Then one of the attendants replied, its name is Karbala. Imam
Husain spontaneously declared: land of Karb and Bal’a meaning “torture and
trial”. In the time of Imam Husain, the place was also known as al Ghadiriyah,
Nainawa, and Shat ul Furat. Imam Husain bought a piece of land, after his
arrival at Karbala from Bani Asad. He and his Ahl al Bait are buried in that
portion, known by as Hair, where the Shrines are presently located. The
history of destruction and reconstruction of the Shrines of Karbala
is long. Both the Shrines were greatly extended by successive Muslim rulers,
but suffered repeated destruction from attacking armies. Karbala's development
was strongly influenced by the Persians. History has recorded the names of
several rulers who shared the honor of extending, decorating and keeping the
Shrines and its precincts in good condition. Among them is Fateh Ali
Qajar, who in 1250 ordered the construction of two Shrines, one over
Imam Husain’s grave and the other over the grave of his brother, Imam Abul
Fazlil Abbas ibn Ali. The first dome is 27 meters high and completely covered
with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with 12 windows, each of
which is about 1.25 m away from the other, from the inside, and 1.30 m from
the outside. The Shrine has an area of 59 m / 75 m with ten gates, and about 65
rooms, well decorated from the inside and outside, and used as class rooms for
studying. As for the grave itself, which is in the middle of the precinct, it is
called the Rawzah or garden and it has several doors. The most famous one is
called al Qiblah or Bab al Zah’ab. Karbala consists of some places like
Ganj E Shaheedah where all the Followers of Imam Hussain were buried and Qatl
Gaah where Imam Hussain and his followers fought with the Syrian Army
Quran Some Shias consider this verse to refer
to Shia sacred sites of Najaf and Karbala since the Islamic view of Lot
claims Lot lived in Ur which lies in present-day Iraq.
But we delivered him and his nephew Lut and directed them to the land which we
have blessed. Hadith
The mosque stands on the site of the grave of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, where he
was martyred during the Battle of Karbalā in 680. Up to 8 million pilgrims
visit the city to observe ‘Āshūrā, which marks the anniversary of Imam Husayn ibn
‘Alī's death. But the main event is 40th of Arba'een of Imam Husayn ibn Ali where
up to 22 million visit the holy graves and most of the pilgrims travel
barefooted from all around Iraq and more than 56 countries. There are many Shī‘ah
traditions which narrate the status of Karbalā:
“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.” “God chose the land of Karbala as a safe
and blessed sanctuary twenty-four thousand years before He created the
land of the Kaaba 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.” “Not one night passes in which Gabriel
and Michael do not go to visit him [Husayn].”
Also there are many Sunni traditions which narrate the status of Imam Husayn
ibn Ali and Karbalā: Abu Huraira narrated: The Prophet looked
toward Ali, Hasan, Husain, and Fatimah, and then said: "I am in war with those
who will fight you, and in peace with those who are peaceful to you."
Also it is narrated that: "The Messenger of Allah said: "Husain is from me and I
am from Husain." Also: The Messenger of Allah said: "He
who loves al-Hasan and al-Husain, has loved me, and he who makes them angry
has made me angry." Thus the tomb of the martyred Imam has
acquired this great significance in all Muslim tradition because the Imam and
his fellow martyrs are seen as models of jihad in the way of God.
Karbala: origin and meaning There are many opinions among different
investigators, as to the origin of the word "Karbala". Some have pointed out
that "Karbala" has a connection to the "Karbalato" language, while others
attempt to derive the meaning of word "Karbala" by analyzing its spelling and
language. They conclude that it originates from the Arabic word "Kar
Babel" which was a group of ancient Babylonian villages that included
Nainawa, Al-Ghadiriyya, Karbella, Al-Nawaweess, and Al-Heer. This last
name is today known as Al-Hair and is where Imam Imam Hussain ibn Ali’s grave
is located. The investigator Yaqut al-Hamawy had
pointed out that the meaning of "Karbala" could have several
explanations, one of which is that the place where Imam Hussain ibn Ali was
martyred is made of soft earth - "Al-Karbalat".
According to Shia belief, the true meaning of the name Karbalā was narrated
to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel as being, "the land which will cause many
agonies and afflictions." Buried within the Mosque
The grave of Imam Husayn is found in the middle of the precinct, and is called
the "Rawda" or "Garden" and it has several entry gates. The most famous one
is called "Al-Qibla" or "Bāb al-Dhahab". When it is entered, one can see the tomb
of Habīb ibn Madhahir al-Asadī, to the right hand side. Habīb was a friend and
companion of Imam Husayn since their childhood and was honored with martyrdom
at the Battle of Karbala. Within the shrine of Imam Husayn can
also be found a grave of all the 72 martyrs of Karbalā. They were buried in
a mass grave which was then covered with soil to the ground level. This mass
grave is at the foot of Imam Husayn's grave. As well, beside Imam Husayn's
grave are the graves of his two sons: ‘Imam Alī al-Akbar and the 6-month old,
‘Alī al-Asghar. Also buried within the mosque is Imam Ibrāhīm, who spent his
life preaching about Karbalā. Martyrdom and popularity
Karbalā was at first an uninhabited place and did not witness any
constructional activity, although it was rich in water and its soil fertile.
From the time of Imam Husayn ibn ‘Alī's death in 680, pilgrimages to commemorate
the massacre have often been repressed. Despite many attempts by successive
rulers, such as Al-Rashīd and Al-Mutawakkil, to put a restriction on
the development of this area, it has nonetheless spread with time to become a
city. Early development and specifications
The historian Ibn Kuluwayh mentioned that those who buried Imam Husayn ibn
‘Alī, made a special and rigid construction with signs above the grave.
Higher and bigger constructions above the grave started during the ruling of
al-Saffah, but heavy restrictions were put in place to prevent people from
visiting the grave during the rule of Hārūn al-Rashīd.
At the time of al-Mā'mūn, construction around the grave resumed until the year
850, when al-Mutawakkil ordered the destruction and digging of the grave,
and then filling the pit with water. His son who succeeded him al-Muntasir,
allowed people to visit the grave site, and since then building the precinct to
the grave increased and developed step by step.
On the other hand, the historian Ibn al-Athir, stated that in the year 371
AH, ‘Adhud ad-Dawlah became the first to largely lay the foundations for large
scale construction, and generously decorated the place. He also built
houses and markets around the precinct, and surrounded Karbalā with a high
boundary wall turning it into a strong castle.
In the year 407 AH, the precinct caught fire due to the dropping of two large
candles on the wooden decorations. The state minister at the time, Hasan ibn
Fadl, rebuilt the damaged sections. History has recorded the names of
several rulers who shared the honor of widening, decorating or keeping the
precinct in good condition. Amongst them is Fat'h ‘Alī Shāh Qājār, who in 1250 AH
ordered the construction of two domes, one over Imam Husayn ibn ‘Alī's grave
and the other over his brother Imam ‘Abbās ibn ‘Alī.
The first dome is 27 meters high and completely covered with gold. At the
bottom, it is surrounded with 12 windows, each of which is about 1.25 m
away from the outside. The mausoleum has an area of 59 m / 75 m
with ten gates, and about 65 rooms, well decorated from the inside and outside,
used as classrooms for studying. Timeline
The following events are in chronological order, stating instances
that widely involved the shrine, impressing its construction, renovation
and series of extremist activities that reduced its structure and killed
pilgrims from time to time. See also
Arba'een Al-‘Abbās Mosque
Holiest sites in Islam Notes
References Aghaie, Kamran Scot. The Martyrs of
Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. University of Washington
Press. ISBN 0-295-98448-1 Litvak, Meir. Shi'i Scholars of
Nineteenth-Century Iraq: The Ulama of Najaf and Karbala. Cambridge University
Press. ISBN 0-521-89296-1 al Musawi, Muhsin. Reading Iraq: Culture
and Power and Conflict. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-070-6
Shimoni, Yaacov & Levine, Evyatar. Political Dictionary of the Middle East
in the 20th Century. Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co.
External links In pictures: Pilgrims in Karbala - BBC
News Online. Shia Shrines of Karbala - Sacred
Destinations