Imam Ali Shrine in
Najaf,
Iraq 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.
Adam and
Noah are also buried within this mosque according to Shia Islam. 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 considered by Shia Muslims to be the sixth Shia imam. Most Shias accept that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Mosque which is now the city of Najaf.
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.
Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala. Two tall
minarets of
Al-Abbas Shrine are also seen in the picture.
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. Millions of pilgrims visit the city to observe the anniversary of Husayn ibn Ali's death. There are many Shia traditions which narrate the status of Karbala:
Al-Baqi cemetery in Medina|231x231px
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. It is particularly important to Shi'as as it is the burial place for 4–5 of their Imams. •
Shia imams: •
Hasan ibn Ali (first grandson of
Muhammad and 2nd Shi'a Imam) •
Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (4th Twelver Imam) •
Muhammad al-Baqir (5th
Twelver/
Isma'ili Imam) •
Ja'far al-Sadiq (6th Twelver/Isma'ili Imam) •
Isma'il ibn Ja'far (Isma'ili) •
Relatives of Shia figures: •
Fatimah bint Asad – mother of Ali •
Umm al-Banin – mother of
Abbas ibn Ali •
Bibi Shahrbānū – mother of Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin •
Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb –
wet nurse of Muhammad
Al-Kadhimiya Mosque in
Baghdad 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.
Imam Reza Shrine in
Mashhad,
Iran. It is the world's third-largest mosque after
Masjid al-Haram in
Mecca and the
Prophet's Mosque in
Medina. 30 Million Muslims visit the shrine each year, the most visited site in Islam.
Imam Reza Shrine in
Mashhad,
Iran is the third holiest site for Shia Muslims, 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. 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.
Al-Askari Shrine of the 10th and 11th Twelver Shia imams 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. == Sites dedicated to other than the Imams ==