Holiest sites in Shia Islam
In addition to the three mosques accepted by all Muslims as holy sites, Shi'ite Muslims consider sites associated with Muhammad, his family members and descendants, to be holy. After Mecca and Medina, Najaf, Karbala and Jerusalem are the most revered by Shias.
Holy sites accepted by all Muslims
Masjid al-Haram
Masjid al-Haram, 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 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.
According to the teachings of Islam, God in the Quran used the word mosque when referring to the sites established by Ibrahim 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.
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, 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 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.
Other places associated with Muhammad
- Quba Mosque found just outside Medina, Saudi Arabia, was the first mosque ever built by Muhammad. 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 was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca
- Cave of Hira located on the mountain Jabal al-Nour in Saudi Arabia - the place where the first verses of the Quran were revealed to Muhammad
Al-Ḥaram al-Šarīf
Al-Aqsa Mosque is sacred because it was the first of the two Qiblas. 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. According to some narrations, a single prayer performed at this mosque is the same as having performed 500 prayers elsewhere.
Tombs of Biblical prophets
- Nabi Habeel Mosque in Syria - contains the grave of Abel, son of Adam and Eve as believed by many Muslims
- Tomb of Daniel Daniel who is considered to have been an Islamic prophet.
- Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, West Bank, Palestinian territories - contains the graves of the Prophet Abraham and some of his family
- Al-Nabi Yusha' in Upper Galilee, Israel - Tomb of prophet Joshua
- Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria - entombs the head of John the Baptist, as well as having sites relating to the Battle of Karbala
- Great Mosque of Aleppo in Aleppo, Syria - entombs the remains of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.
- Several tombs of prophets all over Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia
Holy sites accepted by all Shia Muslims
Imam Ali Mosque
Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq contains the tomb of:- First Shia Imam, Ali
- ʾĀdam
- Nūḥ
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. Most Shias accept that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Mosque, in what is now the city of Najaf.
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.
Imam Husayn Shrine
Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq contains the tombs of:- Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad and third Shia Imam
- Ali al-Akbar ibn Husayn, son of Husayn
- Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn, son of Husayn
- Habib ibn Muzahir
- All the martyrs of Karbalā
- ʾIbrāhīm, son of Musa al-Kazim - seventh - Twelver Shia Imām
Al-Baqi'
Al-Baqi' is a cemetery located across from Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Holy figures of interest to the Shia include:- Shia Imams:
- *Hasan ibn Ali
- *Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin
- *Muhammad al-Baqir
- *Ja'far al-Sadiq
- *Isma'il ibn Jafar
- Fatimah bint Asad - the mother of Ali
- Umm ul-Banin - the mother of Al-Abbas ibn Ali
- Bibi Shahrbānū - the mother of Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin
- Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb - wet nurse of Muhammad
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:- Abd Manaf ibn Qusai - great, great-grandfather of Muhammad
- Hashim ibn 'Abd Manaf - great-grandfather of Muhammad
- Abdul Muttalib - grandfather of Muhammad
- Abu Talib ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib - uncle of Muhammad and father of the first Shia Imam, Ali
- Khadija bint Khuwaylid - first wife of Muhammad and mother of Fatimah
- Qasim ibn Muhammad - son of Muhammad who died in his infancy
- Possible grave of Aminah bint Wahb - mother of Muhammad
Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
- Zaynab bint Ali, the daughter of Ali and Fatimah, and the granddaughter of Muhammad.
Al Abbas Mosque
- Al-Abbas ibn Ali, son of Ali and brother of Hussein
Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
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
- Umm Kulthum bint Ali, daughter of Ali and Fatimah, granddaughter of Muhammad
- Bilal ibn Rabah al-Habashi, the muezzin of Muhammad
- Hamīdah, daughter of Muslim ibn Aqeel
- Maymūnah, daughter of Hasan ibn Ali
- Sakinah bint Husayn, daughter of Hussein ibn Ali
- Asma bint Umays, wife of Ja'far ibn Abī Tālib
- Abdullah ibn Zaynul Abidin, son of Ali ibn al-Hussain
Other tombs for the family of imams
- Great Mosque of Kufa in Kufa, Iraq - contains the tombs of Muslim ibn Aqeel, Khadijah bint Ali, Hani ibn Urwa, and Al-Mukhtar. The mosque also contains many important sites relating to the prophets and Ali, including the place where he was fatally struck on the head while in Sujud
- Mount Uhud near Medina, Saudi Arabia - bears the grave of Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib the uncle of Muhammad, along with the graves of all the other Muslims who fell at the Battle of Uhud.
- The tomb of Zayd ibn Ali in Kufa, Iraq
- Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd - a descendant of Ali ibn al-Hussain in Mashhad, Iran.
- Awlād Muslim Mosque in Musayyib, Iraq - entombs the remains of the sons of Muslim ibn Aqeel.
Places associated with imams and Karbala
- Al-Nuqtah Mosque in Aleppo, Syria - this mosque contains a large stone where the head of Hussein ibn Ali was placed, while on a stop-over along the journey from Karbala to Damascus.
- Masjid al-Hannaanah in Kufa, Iraq - contains some of the skin of Hussein ibn Ali which was ripped off of him post-mortem by the aggressors of Battle of Karbala.
- The House of Ali in Kufa, Iraq
- Tombs of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib also known as Ja'far al-Tayyar, cousin of Muhammad and brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Zayd ibn Harithah after their martyrdom during the battle of Battle of Mu'tah, located in Mu'tah in Jordan.
Mosques associated with companions of Muhammad and the imams
- Tomb of Salman the Persian, Hudhaifah Ibn Yaman, Muhammad Ibn Baqir and Jabir ibn Abd-Allah in al-Mada'in, Iraq
- Uwais al-Qarni Mosque in Raqqa, Syria. It contains graves of Uwais al-Qarni and Ammar ibn Yasir.
- Tomb of Meesam Tammar in Kufa, Iraq
- Tomb of Kumayl ibn Ziyad in Kufa, Iraq
- Hujr ibn Adi Mosque in Adra', Syria
- Shrine of Malik al-Ashtar in Egypt. He was one of the most loyal companions of Ali bin Abu Talib.
- Tomb of Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al Tamimi companion of Imam Hussain, who was martyred in Battle of Karbala.
- Other several tombs and graves of companions in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt and Yemen
Holy sites specific to Twelver Shia Muslims
Imam Reza Mosque
Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran contains the tomb of:- Ali ar-Ridha, eighth Shia Imam
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.
Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
The Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq contains the tombs of:- Musa al-Kadhim, seventh Shia Imam
- Muhammad al-Taqi, ninth Shia Imam
Some consider the mosque the third holiest in Shia Islam. Shrine of the 10th and 11th Twelver Shī‘ah Imāms
Al-Askari Mosque
The Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra, Iraq contains the tombs of:- Ali al-Hadi, tenth Shia Imam
- Hasan al-Askari, eleventh Shia Imam
- Hakimah Khātūn - sister of Ali al-Hadi
- Narjis - mother of Muhammad al-Mahdi
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.
Mosques associated with the twelfth Shia Imam
The final Imam, considered to be alive and in occultation, has the following two mosques associated with him:- Jamkaran Mosque in Qom, Iran
- Masjid al-Sahlah in Kufa, Iraq
Fatima Masumeh Shrine
- Fātimah bint Mūsā, sister of the eighth Shia Imam, Ali al-Rida
Tombs of other family members of Muhammad
- Imamzadeh in Ganja, Azerbaijan - bears the grave of one of the sons of Muhammad al-Baqir.
- Shrine of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi - entombs the remains of Muhammad ibn Ali al-Hadi, son of Ali al-Hadi in Balad, Iraq
- Imam Zadeh Saleh in Tehran, Iran - bears the grave of one of the sons of Musa al-Kadhim
- Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine in Rey, Iran - entombs a descendant of Hasan ibn Ali. The mosque also contains the tombs of a son of Ali ibn al-Hussain and a son of Musa al-Kadhim.
- Shah Cheragh in Shiraz, Iran - entombs the brothers of Ali ar-Ridha
- Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza in Kashmar, Iran - entombs another son of Musa al-Kadhim
- Imamzadeh Hamzah, Tabriz in Tabriz, Iran - entombs another son of Musa al-Kadhim
- Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar in Kashmar, the tomb of Hamza al-Hamza ibn Musa al-Kadhim
- Shrine of Sultan Ali in Mashhad-e Ardehal, Iran - entombs a son of the fifth Imam Muhammad al-Baqir
- Shrine of Kusam ibn Abbas in Samarkand, Uzbekistan - the cousin of Muhammad Shah-i-Zinda
- Various Imamzadeh scattered throughout Iran and Iraq
Holy sites specific to other Shia Muslims (non-Twelvers)
- Shrines of the Ismaili Imams, Hujjas and Da'i al-Mutlaqs - Imams - see List of Ismaili imams, Hujjas - Arwa al-Sulayhi, Nasir Khusraw and Da'is - see List of Dai of Dawoodi Bohra.
- Shrines of the Ismaili Da'is or Missionary - see List of Isma'ili missionaries.
- Ruins of the Ismaili castles - see List of Ismaili castles.
- Shrines of the Zaidi Imams of Yemen and Iran - Imams of Yemen and Alavids - see Hasan al-Utrush.
Holy Modern sites
- Tomb of Hassan Modarres, It was built in 1937 in Kashmar, Iran