A'zam Mosque: Difference between revisions

A number of significant political events took place in A'zam mosque including the speech of [[Imam Khomeini]] in 1964. This mosque is regarded as an important place where [[Islam]]ic teachings are taught and [[marja']]s hold their sessions there. In addition, [[congregational prayers]], important [[religion|religious]] ceremonies and [[funeral]]s of grand religious scholars are generally held in A'zam mosque.

Ayatollah Burujirdi told Muhammad Taqi Falsafi that he had planned to buy the houses neighboring west and southwest of the holy shrine of [[Lady Fatima al-Ma'suma (a)]] to build a huge mosque. [[Seminary of Qom]], Astane square, and a courtyard were situated around the holy shrine, which left only one side of the shrine with a dark guesthouse and old buildings which worried people.  

In addition, there was not a suitable place for performing [[congregational prayers]] and holding religious ceremonies in the shrine; therefore, [[Ayatollah Burujirdi]] decided to build a grand mosque next to the shrine. As [[Muhammad Fadil Lankarani]] quoted, Ayatollah Burujirdi wanted to build a great mosque similar to [[Goharshad Mosque]] in [[Mashhad]] as he predicted Seminary of Qom would expand on the long run and it would need a large and suitable place to hold classes and what is better than a place near the holy shrine as a mosque.  

On [[Dhu al-Qi'da]] 11, 1373/July 12th, 1954, concurrent with the anniversary of the birthday of [[Imam al-Rida (a)]], the building of A'zam Mosque started and it took six years to complete. Ayatollah Burujirdi paid a part of expenses and the rest was paid by people's charities.

A'zam Mosque covers about twelve thousand square meters and its building is made by reinforced concrete which is among the most firmly strong Islamic religious buildings. It has four large shabistans, the one in the center covers four hundred square meters and the lateral shabistans are nine hundred square meters each, also there is another shabistan on the northern side which is three hundred square meters; the height of its ceiling is ten meters. The lavatories and servants' room are located on its western side. A library with two halls and storage is located on its western side as well.

The mosque is built according to Islamic architecture. It has a giant dome with a diameter of thirty meters and its height from the roof is fifteen meters and from the ground is thirty-five meters. The mosque has also two tall [[minarets]] with a height of twenty-five meters from the ground. A tower watch is located on the northern side which can be seen from all angles.

With respect to decoration, tiling, and Islamic artistic features, A'zam mosque is quite an amazing example in the recent century. All the carpets in the mosque are woven in Kerman particularly for A'zam mosque. The expenses of this mosque are paid by people and businessmen. It is estimated that it cost sixty to one hundred billion Rials to build the mosque.

At first, Sayyid Husayn Burujirdi planned to build an independent library in [[Qom]] which was not successful. After the building of A'zam Mosque was finished, religious scholars of Qom proposed Ayatollah Burujirdi to build a library for the mosque. Then he asked Husayn Lorzadeh, the architect of the mosque, to build a great public library for the mosque.  

The library was built on the western side of the mosque which contains 7096 manuscripts, eight thousand lithographic copies, two hundred precious printed books and over 660 illustrated books as well as [[Manual of fatwas]] and textbooks of [[Qajar]] era. Today Sayyid Muhammad Jawad 'Alawi Burujirdi, a descendant of Ayatollah Burujirdi, is holding the trusteeship of the library which is administrated by [[Seminary of Qom]].

The grave of Ayatollah Burujirdi is located on the western side of A'zam mosque. According to Muhammad Jawad 'Alawi Burujirdi, it was previously a sixty square meter house bought by Ayatollah Burujirdi; he specified his burial place and the rest of the house was dedicated to A'zam Mosque. He wanted to be buried in the hallway where pilgrims would pass to enter the holy shrine so that the dust of their shoes would lay on his grave.

According to [[Waqf]] (endowment) document of the mosque, the trusteeship of A'zam Mosque and other endowed properties were held by the founder, [[Ayatollah Burujirdi]]. After the demise of Ayatollah Burujirdi, Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Tabataba'i was holding the trusteeship from 1340/1961 to 1356/1972 during which some construction deficiencies were repaired. Then Sayyid Sadiq Tabataba'i Burujirdi was holding the trusteeship for twenty-seven years. During that time, there were disagreements on the management of A'zam Mosque. Since 2004 the trusteeship was given to Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Tabataba'i who held a meeting with descendants of Ayatollah Burujirdi and the trusteeship was given to Sayyid Muhammad Jawad Alawi Burujirdi.

*The critical speech of Muhammad Sadiq Tihrani against Muhammad Reza Pahlavi on the anniversary of demise of Ayatollah Burujirdi in 1962.

*Speech of Ayatollah 'Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli in rejecting Ayatollah [[Husayn 'Ali Muntaziri]]'s speech.

*Strike of a number of clergymen in A'zam Mosque against the cultural policies of the government in 1999.

*Collective demonstration of [[Marja']]s and religious scholars of [[Seminary of Qom]] in A'zam Mosque to condemn the destruction of holy shrine of [[Imam 'Ali b. Muhammad (a)]] and [[Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari]] in 2005.

A'zam Mosque is regarded among the important places where classes of [[Seminary of Qom]] are held. [[Husayn Wahid Khurasani]], [[Nasir Makarim Shirazi]], [[Ja'far Subhani]], [[Sayyid Musa Shubayri Zanjani]], [[Husayn Nuri Hamadani]], [['Abd Allah Jawadi Amuli]] hold their seminary sessions in this mosque. Previously a number of other [[Marja']]s were holding their classes as well.

Today A'zm Mosque is the most important place where political and religious ceremonies are held in [[Qom]]; also the funerals of religious scholars are held there. Every year [[I'tikaf]] is performed in A'zam mosque in the months of [[Rajab]] and [[Ramadan]].