Holiest sites in Islam
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There are many holy sites in the various Islamic traditions. The Kaaba is considered the holiest shrine, and the mosques of Nabwi (the Prophet) and al-Aqsa (the farthest) are widely regarded as the second and third holiest respectively. Other shrines include the tombs of the twelve imams which are considered holy in Shiite Islam, and shrines revered by locals.

Al-Masjid al-Haram, Mecca

Main article: Masjid al-Haram

Masjid al Haram

Al-Masjid al-Harām (المسجد الحرام IPA: [ælˈmæs.ʤi.dæl.ħɑˈrɑm] "The Sacred Mosque"), is a large mosque in the city of Mecca, and the 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 mosque is also commonly known as the Haram or Haram Sharif^{citation needed}.

The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square meters 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 taraweeh and Eid prayers. [2] [3]

According to the teachings of Islam, God in the Qur'an used the word Mosque when referring to the sites established by Abraham and his progeny as houses of worship to God centuries before the revelation of the Qur'an. 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 CE and 638 CE, the site of the Kaaba, which was supposedly established by Abraham and Ishmael, was used by non-Muslim Arabs who worshipped multiple gods.

Masjid-an-Nabawi, Medina

Main article: Al-Masjid al-Nabawi

Masjid al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet)

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Arabic: المسجد النبوي IPA: [ælˈmæs.ʤi.dæˈnːæ.bæ.wiː]) or the Mosque of the Prophet, located in Medina, is the second holiest site in Islam.

The edifice was originally Muhammad's house; he settled there after his Hijrah (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 Qur'an. 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 Islamic prophet Muhammad. 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 1817C.E. and painted green in 1839C.E., it is known as the Dome of the Prophet.^[1] Early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab are buried beside Muhammad.

Masjid Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem

See also: Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem in Islam

Al-Aqsa Mosque

Al-Aqsa Mosque (English: The Farthest mosque) is the general and oldest name for the compound of Islamic religious buildings in Jerusalem that includes al-Aqsa congregation mosque and the Dome of the Rock. It is almost universally considered the third holiest site in Islam. The term Al-Aqsa Mosque was coined in the Quran:

Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because the first of the two Qiblas (Arabic: اولى القبلتين) was Jerusalem.^[2][3] In Islamic tradition, Al-Aqsa is said to be the second Masjid (Arabic: ثاني المسجدين). The mosque is also the third of the two holy Sanctuaries (Arabic: ثالث الحرمين), under Islamic Law.^[4]

Although there were no mosques in Jerusalem at the time the Qur'an was received, soon after Palestine was conquered by the Arabs under Umar a temporary mosque was built on the Temple Mount area. The current Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque were first built by the famous caliph Abd al-Malik during the later Umayyad period.^[5] This same area was called at later Islamic periods as the Noble Sanctuary.^[6][7][8] It is believed by many to be the area from where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven,^[9] although other theories claim it had been from a mosque in Medina, Jir'ana or Kufa.^[10][11][12] Al-Aqsa's importance in Islam stems from a long history that extends far before the birth of Muhammad.

Although most political references to the Al Aqsa Mosque date from the 12th century or later due to its occupation by the Crusades, others claim that the Mosque's position in Islam is firmly grounded in a number of hadith dating from the birth of Islam.^[13]

In terms of the virtue of a religious site, and the value of prayers performed within it, Muslims believe that the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is the third most virtuous mosque based on the Hadith narrated by the companion Abu al-Dardaa: "the Prophet of Allah Muhammad said a prayer in the Sacred Mosque (in Mecca) is worth 100,000 prayers; a prayer in my mosque (in Medina) is worth 1,000 prayers; and a prayer in al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem) is worth 500 prayers more than in any other mosque. See also Sahih Bukhari 2:21:288.

Tombs of Shi'ite Imams

The tombs of the twelve imams are revered by Shi'a Muslims. Shi'ite Muslims often visit these shrines for a pilgrimage.

Tomb of Imam Ali, Najaf

Main article: Imam Ali Mosque

Exterior view of Imam Ali Shrine

This is where Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the First Imam is buried. Because Muhammad proclaimed so, Imam Ali is considered by Shia tradition to be the first legitimate caliph and the first Imam. It is almost universally considered the holiest uniquely Shiite shrine in Shiite Islam. Both the dome and two of the minarets are covered with golden bricks.

Many Shi'a 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.^[14] Most Shi'as accept that Ali was buried at the Tomb of Imam Ali in the Imam Ali Mosque at what is now the city of Najaf, which grew around the mosque and shrine called Masjid Ali.^[15]

With an estimated 130 to 200 million followers worldwide, this accounts for approximately 15% of all Muslims.^[16] It is estimated that only Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims.

It has also been reported in the name of Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Imam, that the Imam Ali mosque is the third of five holy places: Mecca, Medina, the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, and the shrine for Fatimah daughter of Musa al-Kazim in Qom.^[17]

However another story, usually maintained by Afghanis, notes that his body was taken and buried in the Afghan city of Mazari Sharif at the famous Blue Mosque or Rawze-e-Sharif.^[18]

Tomb of Imam Husayn, Karbala

Main article: Imam Husayn Shrine

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

The Shrine of Husayn ibn Ali (Arabic: مقام الامام الحسين) is a holy site of Shī'a Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. It stands on the site of the grave of Husayn ibn Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad, near the place where he was killed during the Battle of Karbala in 680.^[19][20] The tomb of Husayn ibn Ali is one of the holiest places for Shias outside of Mecca and Medina, and many make pilgrimages to the site. Up to a million pilgrims visit the city to observe Ashura, which marks the anniversary of Husayn ibn Ali's death.^[21]

The shrine of Al-Abbas ibn Ali, Husayn's brother, is near his shrine. 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 brilliant splash of colors on the exterior and interior of the shrine are impressive. 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]

Imam Reza shrine, Mashhad

Main article: Imam Reza shrine

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

Imam Reza was the Eighth Imam of Shi'ite Islam, who is believed by members of the Shi'ia to have been poisoned there upon orders of Caliph Al Ma'mun and was buried beside the grave of al-Harun. After this event this place was called as Mashhad al-Rida(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. During more than a millennium it has been devastated and reconstructed several times.^[24] Then the mausoleum rebuilt by Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi.^[25]

Nowadays Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran, is a complex which contains mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Twelvers. There is also museum, library, cemetery, mosque and some other buildings. 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 Reza 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 Shiite shrine in Iran, and is sometimes ranked as the third holiest Shiite shrine in the world.^[26]

Al Kadhimiya Mosque, Baghdad

Al Khadhimiyah mosque contains the tomb of the seventh Shia Imam, Musa al-Kazim, along with that of his grandson, the ninth Shia Imam, Muhammad al-Taqi. Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shi'ite Islam.^[27][28]

Tomb of Imams al-Hadi and al-Askari, Samarra

Main article: Al Askari Mosque

Here the remains of the tenth and eleventh Shī`a Imāms, `Alī l-Hādī and his son Hassan al-`Askarī, known as "the two `Askarīs", are interred. It stands adjacent to a shrine to the Twelfth or "Hidden" Imām, Muħammad al-Mahdī. The `Askariyya Shrine is also known as the "Tomb or Mausoleum of the Two Imāms". Also buried within the Mosque are the remains of Hakimah Khatun, sister of `Alī l-Hādī, and of Narjis Khatun, mother of Muħammad al-Mahdi.

At the time of the Al Askari bombing in Samarra, it was reported that the mosque was one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites, only exceeded by the shrines of Najaf and Karbala.^[29]

Jannatul Baqee', Medina

Main article: Jannatul Baqi

Found across from Masjid-an-Nabawi, Jannatul Baqi is a cemetery where the graves of the second, fourth, fifth and sixth Shī`a Imāms, Hasan al-Mujtaba, Ali Zaynul 'Aabideen, Muhammad al-Baqir, and Ja'far as-Sadiq are located. It is also thought that the grave of Fatimatuz-Zahra', daughter of Prophet Muhammed, lies here as well.

Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine, Qom

Main article: Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine

The shrine of Fatema Mæ'sume, sister of Imam Reza, is located in Qom. Some consider the Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine to be the third holiest shrine in Shia Islam (see above).

The shrine has attracted to itself dozens of seminaries and religious schools. Shah Abbas I built the shrine complex in the early 17th century.^[30]

Other mosques associated with Muhammad

Masjid Al-Quba

The Quba Mosque (Quba' Masjid or Masjid al-Quba, Arabic: مسجد قباء) just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, is the first Islamic mosque ever built. Its first stones were positioned by Muhammad on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina and the mosque was completed by his companions. Muhammad spent more than 20 nights in this mosque (after migrating) praying qasr (a short prayer) while waiting for Ali whose house was behind this mosque. Muhammad used to go there, riding or on foot, every Saturday and offer a two rak'ah prayer. He advised others to do the same, saying, "Whoever makes ablutions at home and then goes and prays in the Mosque of Quba, he will have a reward like that of an 'Umrah." This hadith is reported by Ahmad, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Al-Hakim.

Sites revered by locals

Numerous cities, mosques and tombs throughout the Muslim world are revered locally.

• The Umayyad Mosque is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. Located in the old city of Damascus, it is of great importance to Islamic architecture. The mosque holds a shrine which is said to contain the head of John the Baptist, honoured as a prophet by Muslims. An article featured on Syria’s Ministry of Tourism website describes the site as the "highlight to the Old City...which after Mecca and Medina, is possibly the world's third most important mosque."^[31]

• Hala Sultan Tekke is revered by Cypriot Muslims. It is the main Cypriot Muslims pilgrimage site.^[32]

• Chinguetti, Mauritania is revered by many African Muslims.^[33] The city is home to five important manuscript libraries of scientific and Qur'anic texts, and a principal gathering place for pilgrims of the Maghreb to gather on the way to Mecca. It was once a center of Islamic religious and scientific scholarship in West Africa.

• The city of Harar in eastern Ethiopia, is locally considered to be "the fourth holiest city of Islam." The city hosts 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th century, and 102 shrines. For centuries, Harar has been a major commercial center, linked by the trade routes with the rest of Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and, through its ports, the outside world. Harar Jugol was included in the World Heritage List in 2006 by UNESCO in recognition of its cultural heritage.^[34][35][36]

• Constructed by Arabs in 675, Kairouan became a holy site of Islam in the medieval period. The city gained importance as the centre of Islamic faith in the Maghreb.^[37] According to Kwesi Prah, the city on the coast of Mediterranean became the "third-holiest site" in Islam.^[38]

• The Eyup Sultan Turbesi in Istanbul is revered by Turks as the most important place of prayer in Istanbul. It is the Tomb of Abu Ayub Al-Ansari, one of the sahaba of the Prophet.

Footnotes

1. ^ Encyclopedia of the orient
2. ^ Lindsay, James (2005). Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World. Greenwood Press, 142-143. ISBN 0313322708. 
3. ^ (1999-09-01) in Wendy Doninger, consulting ed.: Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions. Merriam-Webster, 70. ISBN 0-877-79044-2. , reviewed on Google books
4. ^ A Muslim Iconoclast (Ibn Taymiyyeh) on the "Merits" of Jerusalem and Palestine Charles D. Matthews Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Mar., 1936), pp. 1-21
5. ^ The Seattle Times: Two Peoples, One Land
6. ^ Oleg Grabar, THE HARAM AL-SHARIF: AN ESSAY IN INTERPRETATION, BRIIFS vol. 2 no 2 (Autumn 2000) [1]
7. ^ Palestinian Encyclopedia Volume 4, pp. 203
8. ^ Palestinian Encyclopedia Volume 3, pp. 23
9. ^ BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Eyewitness: Inside al-Aqsa
10. ^ MEMRI: Special Dispatch Series - No. 564
11. ^ al-Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi 9th century (Oxford UP, 1966, vol. 3, p. 958-9). Jirana, which Muhammad visited in 630, is about ten miles from Mecca.
12. ^ http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_8.html
13. ^ Hashimi, Sohail H; various coauthors (2003-05-07). "Political Boundaries and Moral Communities: Islamic Perspectives", in Allen E. Buchannan, Margaret Moore, eds: States, Nations and Borders: the ethics of making boundaries. Cambridge University Press, 192-193. ISBN 0-521-52575-6. , reviewed on Google books
14. ^ Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251
15. ^ 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. 
16. ^ Penhaul, Karl (April 23, 2003). "Religious rivalries and political overtones in Iraq". CNN. Retrieved on 2006-11-12.
17. ^ Escobar, Pepe (May 24, 2002). "Knocking on heaven's door". Central Asia/Russia. Asia Times Online. Retrieved on 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.’”
18. ^ Balkh and Mazar-e-Sharif
19. ^ Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.
20. ^ Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10-11.
21. ^ Interactive Maps: Sunni & Shia: The Worlds of Islam, PBS, accessed 9 June, 2007.
22. ^ KaraÌraviÌ, NajmulhÌ£asan (January 1, 1974). Biography of Hazrat Abbas. Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust. ASIN B0007AIWQW. 
23. ^ Muhammad, Yousaf (2001). Al-Abbas (AS) - Rajul Al-Aqidah Wal Jehad. Islamic Republic of Iran. 
24. ^ Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16
25. ^ Zabeth (1999) pp. 13-15
26. ^ "Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran". sacredsites.com. Retrieved on 2006-03-13.
27. ^ Robertson, Hamish (March 3, 2004). "Iraq suicide bombings: an eyewitness account". The World Today. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 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”
28. ^ "Iraq blasts kill 143 on Shiite holy day". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (March 2, 2004). Retrieved on 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.”
29. ^ Gosh, Aparisim (March 6, 2006). "An Eye For an Eye" Cover Story. Time Magazine. Retrieved on 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.
30. ^ "Today's Top StoriesQom Province". www.indiasnews.com. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. “Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza, one of Iran's holiest places, is in Qom.”
31. ^ Syria: Crossroads of the Levant
32. ^ "Monuments: Hala Sultan Tekke". Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Communications and Works; Department of Antiquities (2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-06.
33. ^ "Shadow Over Sahara". www.time.com (June 25, 1973). Retrieved on 2006-12-18. “Told that the strangers are there to watch the moon black out the sun, some believers in the oasis town of Chinguetti—the seventh holiest city of Islam—are incredulous.”
34. ^ Panda sanctuary, tequila area join UN World Heritage sites
35. ^ "Five new heritage sites in Africa". BBC (July 13, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-18. “Harar Jugol, seen as the fourth holiest city of Islam, includes 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th Century, and 102 shrines.”
36. ^ Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
37. ^ University of Calgary's Applied History Research Group
38. ^ Prah, Kwesi. (2004) Towards A Strategic Geopolitic Vision of Afro-Arab Relations. This was originally a paper submitted to the African Union (AU) Experts’ Meeting on a Strategic Geopolitic Vision of Afro-Arab Relations. AU Headquarters, Addis Ababa, 11-12 May, 2004. Professor Kwesi Prah is the Director of Centre for Advanced Study of African Societies, Cape Town, South Africa

References

• Aghaie, Kamran Scot (2004). The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0295984481
• Majlisi, Mohammad Baqer. Bihar al-Anwar V.97. (In Arabic)
• Shimoni, Yaacov & Levine, Evyatar (1974). Political Dictionary of the Middle East in the 20th Century. Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co.
• Zabeth, Hyder Reza (1999). Landmarks of Mashhad. Alhoda UK. ISBN 9644442210.