Holiest sites in Islam

There are many Holy sites in various Islāmic traditions. For all muslims, the Ka'bah is considered the Holiest shrine, followed by Masjidun Nabawi ("The Prophet's Mosque") and Masjidul Aqsā ("The Farthest Mosque") as the second and third Holiest respectively. Other holy places, dependant on the denomination of Islām, include the tombs of Shiite Imāms, and shrines revered by locals.

Al-Masjid al-Haram, Mecca

Al-Masjid al-Harām ( _ar. المسجد الحرام IPA2|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 SharifFact|date=January 2007.

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. [http://www.jannah.org/articles/makkah.html] [http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20061027/feat3en.htm]

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

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Arabic: المسجد النبوي IPA2|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. [http://lexicorient.com/e.o/madina.htm Encyclopedia of the orient] ] Early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab are buried beside Muhammad.

Masjid Al-Aqsa, (Status pending)

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.cite book | last = Lindsay| first = James | authorlink = James E. Lindsay| year = 2005| title = Daily Life in the Medieval Islamic World | pages = 142-143| publisher = Greenwood Press| id = ISBN 0313322708] cite book |editor=Wendy Doninger, consulting ed. |title=Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of World Religions
date=1999-09-01 |publisher=Merriam-Webster |id=ISBN 0-877-79044-2 |pages=70, reviewed on Google books] 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. [A Muslim Iconoclast (Ibn Taymiyyeh) on the "Merits" of Jerusalem and Palestine Charles D. MatthewsJournal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 56, No. 1 (Mar., 1936), pp. 1-21]

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. [ [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/mideast/roots/ The Seattle Times: Two Peoples, One Land ] ] This same area was called at later Islamic periods as the Noble Sanctuary. [Oleg Grabar, THE HARAM AL-SHARIF: AN ESSAY IN INTERPRETATION, BRIIFS vol. 2 no 2 (Autumn 2000) [http://www.riifs.org/journal/essy_v2no2_grbar.htm] ] [Palestinian Encyclopedia Volume 4, pp. 203] [Palestinian Encyclopedia Volume 3, pp. 23] It is believed by many to be the area from where Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/1883472.stm BBC News | MIDDLE EAST | Eyewitness: Inside al-Aqsa ] ] although other theories claim it had been from a mosque in Medina, Jir'ana or Kufa. [ [http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP56403 MEMRI: Special Dispatch Series - No. 564 ] ] [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.] [http://www.biu.ac.il/JS/rennert/history_8.html] 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. [cite book |last=Hashimi |first=Sohail H |coauthors=various coauthors |editor=Allen E. Buchannan, Margaret Moore, eds |title=States, Nations and Borders: the ethics of making boundaries |date=2003-05-07 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |id=ISBN 0-521-52575-6 |pages=192-193 |chapter=Political Boundaries and Moral Communities: Islamic Perspectives, reviewed on Google books]

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 Bukhari|2|21|288.

Tombs of Shiite Imams

The tombs of the Twelve Imāms are revered by Shī'ah Muslims. These are often places where the people of the Shiite faith visit exclusively, for the purpose of "Ziyarah", a form of pilgrimage.

Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq

Imam Ali Mosque contains the tomb of:

* First Shī`a Imām, 'Ali ibn Abī Tālib

Also buried within this mosque:

* Prophet Adam [Allamah Majlisi, "Biharul Anwar" , vol. 97 p.173] [http://www.al-islam.org/ziyarat/iraq.htm#Najaf]
* Prophet Noah [Allamah Majlisi, "Biharul Anwar" , vol. 97 p.171] [http://www.al-islam.org/ziyarat/iraq.htm#Najaf]

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islāmic prophet Muhammad. He is considered by Shi'a tradition to be the first legitimate caliph and the first Imām due to the proclamation given by Muhammad. It is almost universally considered the holiest 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 Shī`a Imām. [Majlesi, V.97, p. 246-251] Most Shi'as accept that Ali is buried in Imam Ali Mosque, in what is now the city of Najaf (which grew around the shrine).cite book| last = Redha| first = Mohammad| coauthors = Mohammad Agha| title = Imam Ali Ibn Abi Taleb (Imam Ali the Fourth Caliph, 1/1 Volume)| publisher = Dar Al Kotob Al ilmiyah| year = 1999| id = ISBN 2-7451-2532-X]

With an estimated 130 to 200 million followers worldwide, this accounts for approximately 15% of all Muslims. [cite web
url = http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/23/sprj.nilaw.religious.rivalry/index.html/
title = Religious rivalries and political overtones in Iraq
accessdate = 2006-11-12
last = Penhaul
first = Karl
date = April 23, 2003
publisher = CNN] It is estimated that only Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims.

It has also been narrated from Ja'far al-Sadiq, the 6th Imām, that Imam Ali Mosque is the third of five holy places: Makkah, Madina, Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, and the Shrine for Fatimah - daughter of Musa al-Kadhim in Qom.cite web
url = http://www.atimes.com/c-asia/DE24Ag04.html
title = Knocking on heaven's door
accessdate = 2006-11-12
last = Escobar
first = Pepe
date = May 24, 2002
work = Central Asia/Russia
publisher = Asia Times Online
quote = 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.’]

Another story maintained by Afghanis, notes that Ali's body was taken and buried in the Afghan city of Mazari Sharif at the famous Blue Mosque (also called Rawze-e-Sharif). [ [http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/cities/afghanistan/balkh.html Balkh and Mazar-e-Sharif] ]

Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala, Iraq

Imam Husayn Mosque contains the tombs of:

* Third - Twelver Shī`a Imām, Husayn ibn ‘Ali
* ‘Ali al-Akbar, son of Husayn
* ‘Ali al-Asghar, son of Husayn
* Habīb ibn Madhāhir
* All the martyrs of Karbalā
* Ibrāhīm, son of Musā al-Kādhim - Seventh Twelver Shī`a Imām

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. [Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.] [Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10-11.] 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. [ [http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/iran/map2.html Interactive Maps: Sunni & Shia: The Worlds of Islam] , PBS, accessed 9 June, 2007.]

Directly across from Imam Husayn Mosque is another mosque:

* The shrine of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Ali - 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.cite book|last = KaraÌraviÌ|first = NajmulhÌ£asan|title = Biography of Hazrat Abbas|publisher = Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust|date = January 1, 1974|id = ASIN B0007AIWQW ] 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.cite book
last = Muhammad
first = Yousaf
title = Al-Abbas (AS) - Rajul Al-Aqidah Wal Jehad
publisher = Islamic Republic of Iran
year = 2001
month = December ]

Imam Ridha Mosque in Mashhad, Iran

Imam Ridha Mosque contains the tomb of:

* Eighth Shī`a Imām, ‘Ali ar-Ridhā

Imam Ridha was believed, by members of the Shi'a, 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-Ridha (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. [Zabeth (1999) pp. 12-16] Then the mausoleum rebuilt by Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi. [Zabeth (1999) pp. 13-15]

Nowadays Imam Ridha 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 Makkah but the poor journey to Mashhad. Thus, even as those who complete the pilgrimage to Makkah 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 Shiite shrine in Iran, and is sometimes ranked as the third holiest Shiite shrine in the world. [cite web
url = http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/iran/mashad.htm
title = Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran
accessdate = 2006-03-13
last =
first =
date =
publisher = sacredsites.com
quote =]

Al Kadhimiyya Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq

The Al Kadhimiya Mosque contains the tombs of:

* Seventh Shī`a Imām, Musā al-Kadhim
* Ninth Shī`a Imām, Muhammad at-Taqi

Also buried within this mosque:

* Shaykh Mufīd
* Shaykh Tūsi

Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shi'ite Islam. [cite web
url = http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1058210.htm
title = Iraq suicide bombings: an eyewitness account
accessdate = 2006-11-12
last = Robertson
first = Hamish
date = March 3, 2004
work = The World Today
publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
quote= 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] [cite web
url = http://www.jsonline.com/story/?id=211822
title = Iraq blasts kill 143 on Shiite holy day
accessdate = 2006-11-12
date = March 2, 2004
publisher = Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
quote = ‘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.]

Al Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq

The Al Askari Mosque contains the tombs of:

* Tenth Shī`a Imām, `Alī an-Naqi
* Eleventh Shī`a Imām, Hasan al-`Askarī

Also buried within this mosque:

* Hakimah Khātūn - sister of `Alī an-Naqi
* Narjis Khātūn - mother of Muħammad al-Māhdī (Twelfth Shī`a Imām)

The cellar from which the Twelfth or "Hidden" Imām, Muħammad al-Mahdī 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 Shiite Islam's holiest sites, only exceeded by the shrines of Najaf and Karbala. [cite web
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1167741,00.html
title = An Eye For an Eye
accessdate = 2006-11-12
last = Gosh
first = Aparisim
date = March 6, 2006
publisher = Time Magazine
pages = Cover Story
quote = 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 [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1167741-3,00.html/ third page] of article.]

Jannatul Baqee' in Madina, Saudi Arabia

Jannatul Baqee' is a cemetery located across from Masjid an-Nabawi and contains the tombs of:

* Second Shī`a Imām, Hasan al-Mujtaba
* Fourth Shī`a Imām, ‘Ali Zaynul ‘Aabideen
* Fifth Shī`a Imām, Muhammad al-Bāqir
* Sixth Shī`a Imām, Ja‘far as-Sādiq

It is also thought that the real grave of Fatimatuz-Zahra', daughter of Prophet Muhammed, lies here as well.

Fatima al-Ma'sūmah Mosque in Qom, Iran

The Fātimah al-Ma‘sūmah Mosque contains the tomb of:

* Fātimah al-Ma‘sūmah, sister of the Eighth Shī`a Imām, ‘Ali ar-Ridhā

Located in Qom, Iran, some consider the Fātimah al-Ma‘sūmah Mosque 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.cite web
url = http://www.indiasnews.com/details/Qom_Province
title = Today's Top StoriesQom Province
accessdate = 2006-12-18
last =
first =
authorlink =
date =
publisher = www.indiasnews.com
quote = Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza, one of Iran's holiest places, is in Qom. ]

Other mosques associated with Muhammad

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.

ites 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." [ [http://www.syriatourism.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=260&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0/ Syria: Crossroads of the Levant] ]

*Hala Sultan Tekke is revered by Cypriot Muslims. It is the main Cypriot Muslims pilgrimage site. [cite web
url = http://www.mcw.gov.cy/mcw/DA/DA.nsf/All/18513FF955C9F917C225719900332619?OpenDocument
title = Monuments: Hala Sultan Tekke
accessdate = 2006-03-06
last =
first =
year=2005
work =
publisher = Republic of Cyprus, Ministry of Communications and Works; Department of Antiquities
quote = ]
*Chinguetti, Mauritania is revered by many African Muslims. [cite web
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,907463,00.html
title = Shadow Over Sahara
accessdate = 2006-12-18
last =
first =
date =June 25 1973
publisher = www.time.com
quote = 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. ] 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. [ [http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19189&Cr=world&Cr1=heritage Panda sanctuary, tequila area join UN World Heritage sites ] ] [cite web
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5176110.stm
title=Five new heritage sites in Africa
accessdate = 2006-12-18
date =July 13 2006
work =
publisher = BBC
quote = Harar Jugol, seen as the fourth holiest city of Islam, includes 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th Century, and 102 shrines.] [ [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1189 Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town - UNESCO World Heritage Centre ] ]

*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". [University of Calgary's Applied History Research Group ] According to Kwesi Prah, the city on the coast of Mediterranean became the "third-holiest site" in Islam. [ Prah, Kwesi. (2004) " [http://www.hollerafrica.com/showArticle.php?artId=164&catId=1 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]

* 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.

ee also

* Jannatul Mualla
* Baab Sagheer
* Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque

Footnotes

References

*Aghaie, Kamran Scot (2004). "The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran". University of Washington Press. ISBN 0295984481
*(In Arabic)
*Shimoni, Yaacov & Levine, Evyatar (1974). "Political Dictionary of the Middle East in the 20th Century". Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co.
* cite book | last=Zabeth | first=Hyder Reza | title=Landmarks of Mashhad
publisher=Alhoda UK | year=1999 | id=ISBN 9644442210