Pilgrimage Sites

Iraq

Places to Visit:

Najaf
Kufa
Karbala
Moosayab
Kadhmayn
Baghdad
Madain /Salman Pak
Samarra
Balad
Hillah
Basra

Najaf

1
Mausoleum of 1st Imam Ali b. Abi Taalib, peace be upon him

There are 3 graves in one darih:
• Grave of Imam Ali [a]

• Grave of Prophet Adam [a] - 1st prophet and man on earth

• Grave of Prophet Nuh [a]

2
Wadi-us Salaam

• Tomb of Prophet Hud [a]

• Tomb of Prophet Saleh [a]

• Maqam of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq [a]

• Maqam of Saheb al-Asr, Imam Al-Mahdi [a]

• Mosalla of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin [a]

3
Tomb of Hadrat Kumayl - companion of Imam Ali [a]
4
Tomb of Rashid Hijri - companion of Imam Ali [a]
5
Masjid Hannana

This mosque is between Kufa and Najaf. The significance of this mosque is that when Imam Hasan [a] and Imam Husayn [a] were carrying the janaza of Imam Ali [a] from Kufa to Najaf, they passed near this mosque, and as they were passing, the pillars of the mosque inclined towards Imam Ali [a] as if paying its last respects. It is also believed that some of the skin from Imam Husayn [a]'s head (that came off when Khul Mal'un was disrespecting the head of Imam Husayn [a] with a knife) is buried here.
6
Grave of Sayyid al-Khui

Grand-mujtahid (marja') to 450 million Muslims since 1970 (d. 8th August 1992)

Kufa

1
Masjid Kufa

• Mehrab-e-Ibadat. The place where Imam Ali [a] was martyred

• Court room of Imam Ali [a]

• Mausoleum of Muslim ibn Aqil [a], cousin and ambassador of Imam Husayn [a] to Kufa

• Mausoleum of Mukhtar, the avenger of Imam Husayn [a]'s massacre

• Mausoleum of Hani ibn Urwa, companion of Imam Husayn [a] who was killed by Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad for sheltering and supporting Muslim ibn Aqil

• Mosalla of several prophets

• Tanoor. The place from where the deluge (toofan) of Prophet Nuh [a] began

2
House of Imam Ali, peace be upon him
3
Mausoleum of Sayyida Khadijatul Sughra daughter of Imam Ali [a] - outside Masjid Kufa
4
Mausoleum of Prophet Yunus [a] - near the river
5
Masjid Sahla. Recommended to be in this mosque at the maghrib time of a Wednesday i.e. at the end of a Tuesday

• Mosalla of 6th Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq [a]

• Mosalla of Prophet Ibrahim [a]

• Mosalla of Prophet Idris [a]

• Mosalla of Prophet Khidr [a]. Also called Maqam al-Saleheen

• Maqam of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq [a]

6
Kooba of Ebrahim ibn Hasan al-Muthanna ibn Imam Hasan [a]
7
Mausoleum of Maytham al-Tammar, companion of Imam Ali [a]
8
Mosque of Zaid - near Masjid Sahla
9
Mosque of Sa'asa ibn Sauhan, companion of Imam Ali [a]

Karbala

1
Mausoleum of 3rd Imam al-Husayn, peace be upon him

There are 3 graves in one darih:
• Grave of Imam Husayn [a]

• Grave of Ali Akbar, son of Imam Husayn [a]

• Grave of Ali Asgher, son of Imam Husayn [a]

2
Mausoleum of Hadrat Abbas b. Ali [a]: Brother and Standard-bearer of Imam Husayn [a]
3
Grave of Habib ibn Madhaher [a]
4
Ganj-e-Shohada - graves of the rest of the martyrs of Karbala
5
Qatl-ghah
6
Grave of Ibrahim son of 7th Imam Musa al-Kadhim, peace be upon him
7
Til-e-Zaynabiya
8
Khaimaghah
9
Garden of 6th Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, peace be upon him
10
Garden of 12th Imam Sahib al-Asr, Al-Mahdi, peace be upon him
11
Mausoleum of Hur (companion of Imam Husayn [a] in Karbala) - 3 miles from Karbala
12
Mausoleum of Aun, son of Sayyida Zaynab [a]

6 miles from Karbala. One can visit this place as well as the mausoleum of Tiflane Muslim while going back to Kadhmayn

Moosayab

Location

This place is on the way to Kadhmayn while going from Karbala.

Pilgrimage site

Mausoleum of the two sons of Muslim ibn Aqil [a]:-
• Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Aqil [a], and

• Ibrahim ibn Muslim ibn Aqil [a]

They are also known as Tiflan-e-Muslim.

Kadhmayn

1
Mausoleum of 7th and 9th Imams, Imam Musa al-Kadhim and Imam Muhammad al-Jawad, peace be upon them
2
Grave of Shaykh al-Mufid
3
Grave of Sayyid Ismail Safrudin
4
Grave of Khwaja Nasirudin Tusi
5
Grave of Sayyid Murtada
6
Grave of Sayyid Razi

Baghdad

Location

Baghdad and Madain are very close to Kadhmayn.

Pilgrimage sites

1
The four representatives of the 12th Imam [a] during the minor occultation (ghaybat al-sughra) are buried here i.e.
• Uthman b. Sayeed

• Muhammad b. Uthman

• Ali b. Muhammad Foor, and

• Husayn b. Rooh

The graves of Uthman & Husayn are easy to find whereas the other two are inside the bazaar. One will need some guidance from the local people to locate this place if one is going by bus.
2
Tomb of Qambar the slave of Imam Ali [a]
3
Tomb of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni, the compiler of Al-Kafi
4
Masjid Boorasa. This mosque is on the way to Baghdad from Kadhmayn

Madain/Salman Pak

Pilgrimage sites

1
Tomb of Salman Farsi, companion of the Holy Prophet [s]
2
Tomb of Hudhaifa al-Yamani, companion of the Holy Prophet [s]
3
Tomb of Jabir b. Abdullah al-Ansari, companion of the Holy Prophet [s]
4
Masjid Jum'a - near the tomb of Salman Farsi
Note: On 26th March 1934, King Faisal I of Iraq supervised the transfer of the remains of Hudhaifa al-Yamani and Jabir b. Abdullah al-Ansari, the two trusted companions of the Holy Prophet [s] from their resting places in Madain which were endangered with water from River Tigris to a new site at Salman Pak near the resting place of Salman Farsi.

Historic site

Tak-e-Kisra, the palace of Nausherwan - part of ancient Babylonian civilization. When the Holy Prophet [s] was born in Makkah, this huge edifice is said to have developed cracks on its walls.

Samarra

Location

Samarra is closer (and therefore easier to go to) from Kadhmayn than it is from Karbala. Try and spend atleast one night in Samarra so as to perform ziyarat and a'amals properly. Most people make a quick trip to Samarra lasting only a few hours which is most unfortunate.

Pilgrimage sites

1
Mausoleum of 10th and 11th Imams, Imam Ali al-Naqi and Imam Hasan al-Askari, peace be upon them

The main darih has four graves:
• Grave of 10th Imam Ali al-Naqi, peace be upon him

• Grave of 11th Imam Hasan al-Askari, peace be upon him

• Grave of Sayyida Halima Khatoon [a] daughter of Imam Ali al-Naqi [a] and sister of Imam Hasan al-Askari [a]. Her narration of the birth of the 12th Imam [a] is reported extensively as she was a mid-wife to Sayyida Nargis Khatoon the mother of the 12 Imam [a]

• Grave of Sayyida Nargis Khatoon [a], mother of the 12th Imam Al-Mahdi, peace be upon him

2
Cellar (sardab) of 12th Imam Al-Mahdi, peace be upon him - where he was last seen. Also called Maqam Ghaybat (i.e. the place of occultation)
3
Masjid Jamia

Historic sites

Mosque built during the time of Mutawakkil - at one time the largest mosque in the world.

Balad

Location

This place lies between Kadhmayn and Samarra. One can visit it on the way to Samarra or while returning to Kadhmayn.

Pilgrimage site

Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Imam Ali al-Naqi, peace be upon him.

Hillah

Basra

Pilgrimage sites

Masjid Ali, peace be upon him

Related Articles on the Web:
History of the Mausoleum in Najaf
History of the Mausoleum in Karbala
History of the Mausoleum in Kadhmayn
History of the Mausoleum in Samarra