Holy Shrine of Imam Ali (a): Difference between revisions

The shrine complex of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) is located in Najaf, Iraq and is the place where he has been buried. For many years after his death, the location of his grave was a secret. However, after it was discovered, it became a place of ziyarat (visitation) for all. Throughout history, various personalities have dedicated resources to repairing, renovating, and expanding the shrine.  

In more recent years, a large courtyard has been built in the western section of the shrine, and it has been named after the Lady Fatimah (a). The shrine covers a total area of 140,000 square meters.  

The sons of Imam Ali (a), i.e. Imam Hasan (a), Imam Husayn (a), and Muhammad ibn Hanafiyya, along with Imam Ali (a)'s cousin Abdullah ibn Ja'far, buried Imam Ali (a) secretly at night in a region known as Gharwin (present-day Najaf) and hid his grave.  

Sayyid ibn Tawus writes:  

"The concealment [of the grave and its location] was due to fear of their enemies, like the Umayyads and the Kharijites. This is because it was possible that they would try to find his grave and exhume his body, which would inevitably lead to a conflict with the Hashimite tribe. Through this, several people would be killed and it would cause a large fitnah (corruption/mischief/misguidance) in the Muslim community. The Imam (a) was extremely concerned with the well-being of the Muslim nation during his lifetime, and made constant efforts to extinguish the fires of fitnah. As such, it was to be expected that he would encourage the same line of thought and actions that he embodied throughout his life, to continue after his death, and that he would want his family and followers to abandon what could be a source of conflict."

==Imams who Visited the Shrine of Amir al-Muminin (a) ==

Of the twelve Shia Imams, six of them visited the grave of Imam Ali (a) in Najaf. They include 1. Imam Husayn (a) 2. Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (also known as Imam Zayn al-Abidin) (a) (a), 3. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a), 4. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a), 5. Imam Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi (a) and 6. Imam Hasan al-Askari (a).  

In the era of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) when the Umayyads were being ousted from the caliphate, there was no longer a reason for the grave of Imam Ali (a) to remain hidden. Due to this, gradually, the location of his grave became known and exposed to everyone. It has been narrated that Safwan sought permission from Imam al-Sadiq (a) to tell the Shias of Kufa where the burial place of Imam Ali (a) was. The Imam (a) responded in the affirmative and also gave some money for the reparations and reconstruction of the grave.  

==History of the Construction of the Shrine ==

With the deposal of the Umayyads, and the public discovery of the grave of Imam Ali (a), Dawud ibn Ali Abbasi (d. 133 A.H.) witnessed that many people were visiting the gravesite. As such, he installed a donation box on top of the grave so that people could donate money towards building and reparation costs. However, after the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate, their relationship with the Alawis changed and the grave became abandoned once again and the donation box was destroyed.  

* Apparently, in approximately the 170 A.H., it was Harun al-Rashid who built the first shrine for Imam Ali (a) made from white bricks. He also gave orders for a rawzah to be built on top of the grave from roses, and for green fabric to be laid across the shrine.  

* In the same way that the Abbasid caliph, Mutawakkil (d.247 A.H.), destroyed the shrine of Imam Husayn (a), he also destroyed the one in Najaf. After this, Muhammad ibn Zayd Da'i (d. 287 A.H.) rebuilt the grave, and furthermore, built a dome, walls, and fort for shrine.  

* Umar ibn Yahya, naqib talibiyan?, in Kufa, renovated the shrine of Imam Ali (a) in 330 A.H. and he paid for the expenses to install a dome from his personal funds.  

* 'Adud al-Dawla Dilmi (d. 372 A.H.) renovated and constructed the building in such a way that it was completely unique in style for its era and he also set up endowments for it. This building remained until 753 A.H.. It was in this year that the building was burned down and destroyed. It has been said that in this fire, three volumes of a manuscript written by Imam Ali (a) himself were also burned. In addition to 'Adud al-Dawla, ¬¬¬¬other Buyid rulers and their viziers, the Hamdanids, and some of the Abbasids (Mustansir Abbasids) also participated in the shrine's renovatio and reconstruction.

* In the year 760 A.H., a new building was constructed that has not been attributed to any particular individual. However, apparently it was the Il-khanates who led the project and their king had a huge role to play. Shah Abbas I was the first one to renovate and restore the rawzah, dome, and courtyard of this building.  

* Shah Safi expanded the courtyard of the shrine.  

* In the travel diaries of Soltan Muhammad Mirza (who traveled in the year 1279 A.H.) it has been written that a fort was built by a person named Hajj Muhammad Husayn Khan Sadr Isfahani. Furthermore, in his travel diaries it is stated that a dome was first built during the Buwayhids and that it was dismantled during the Safavid era. He further notes that the monument that was put into place that year (i.e. 1279 A.H.) was known to have been built by Shah Abbas Safawi with Shaykh Bahai's designs.  

* The golden detail of the dome, entrance, and both minarets was carried out by Nadir Shah.  

==Architectural Features of the Shrine ==

===Masjid Imran ibn Shahin ===

This mosque has been named after Imran ibn Shahin. It is one of the oldest mosques in Najaf and is located in the northern courtyard of Imam Ali's (a) shrine. It is currently considered to be a part of the shrine.  

When Imran rose up against the government of 'Adud al-Dawla, he was eventually defeated. After his defeat, he took an oath that if 'Adud al-Dawla were to pardon him, he would build a room in the shrine of Amir al-Muminin (a). When 'Adud al-Dawla pardoned him, he built this room in the middle of the fourth century. Eventually, it became a mosque, and then became famously known as the Mosque of Imran ibn Shahin. The mosque lay abandoned for some time until the dissolution of the Baathist government and the removal of Saddam Hussain from power. In more recent years, the mosque has been renovated in a grand fashion and is currently used as a place to gather together (shabestan?)

A few prominent figures, like Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Yazdi (the author of Urwat al-Wuthqa), Sayyid Muhammad Kadhim Muqaddas, and Muhammad Baqir Qummi have been buried in this mosque.  

Masjid Al-Ra's can be translated as the Mosque of the 'Head'. This mosque is located in the western courtyard and is attached to a large hall. Currently, it is within the vicinity of the haram. With regards to how the name of the mosque became as such, there are two opinions:  

1. The mosque is located opposite to where the head of Imam Ali (a) lies in his grave, and as such, it called the mosque of the 'head'.

2. A hadith has been narrated from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) that says that the head of Imam Husayn (a) was actually buried in this area.  

Masjid al-Khadra' can be translated as the Green Mosque. It is located in the eastern side of the courtyard within the vicinity of the shrine. This mosque was where Ayatullah al-Khui taught his lessons. In fact, recently the wall between this mosque and the grave of Ayatullah al-Khui, was removed and replaced with a window made from stained-glass.  

===Husainiyya Sahn Sharif ===

Husainiyya Sahnn Sharif can be translated to mean the Husainiyya of the Blessed Courtyard.  This husainiyya is located in the northern section of the courtyard in the shrine. It was built by Sayyid Muhsin Zayni who was known to be one of the two best (khayrayn) of Najaf.   This building was constructed as a resting place for pilgrims visiting the shrine of Imam Ali (a) and also contains a place to perform the ritual ablution known as wudhu. For many years, it lay abandoned and ruined. However, when Saddam Hussain was toppled, Ayatullah Ali al-Hussain al-Sistani commissioned its renovation and reopening.

===Aywan al-Ulema'===

The area called the aywan al-ulema can be literally translated to mean the veranda of scholars. It is located in the central-northern section of the main hall (rawaq). The reason that the place has been named as such is due to the fact that several scholars have been buried here.  

===Madressa Ulum Dini===

The Madressa Ulum Dini (literally translated as the School of Religious Sciences) is another place within the complex of the shrine. It is in the upper floor of the courtyard, where there are 52 rooms, each of which has a veranda facing the courtyard. These 52 rooms make up the school. Behind each room, there is a hallway that leads to a stairway (to exit the school). These rooms are used for classes and as a place to rest by students of the Islamic seminary. After the uprising of the Iraqi people in the month of Safar 1377 A.H., the Baathist regime evicted the students of the seminary from these rooms with the intent of weakening and destroying the traditional seminary. From then-on, these rooms have remained empty.  

The Maqam Imam al-Sadiq (a) can be literally translated as the place where Imam Sadiq (a) stood, and it is a spot is located near the door of Masjid al-Ra's. It has been narrated that this is where Imam al-Sadiq (a) would pray when he came to perform the ziyarat (visitation) of Amir al-Muminin (a). This spot, approximately fifty years ago was covered by a white dome, spanning the area of approximately 100 square meters. However, currently there are no remnants of this building and the spot is simply a part of the shrine.  

Mawdhi' al-Isba'ayn literally means the place of two fingers. Across the place where the face of the Imam (a) lies, there is a shrine that marks this spot. It has been said that there was a tyrant ruler whose name was Mare ibn Qays who was once speaking about his tribe and forefathers. He asked the elders of the tribe about those who had passed away from his family, and in response, they said that many of them had been killed in a battle. He further asked about who had killed them, and they responded by saying that most of them had been killed at the hands of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a). So, he asked where Imam Ali (a) had been buried, and was told that he was buried in Najaf. Mare then sent an army of 2,000 individuals to storm Najaf. After six days of defending their city, the people of Najaf were defeated and Mare entered the shrine and began to destroy it. As he was about to exhume the grave, two fingers came out of the zarih, and as though they were a sword, cut him in half. At that very moment, the two halves of his body became stone. These two stones were then kept near the road/pathway, after which the army took them and hid them.  

The shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) has been expanded and renovated considerably in more recent years. The western section of the haram in its developmental plans, has been renamed after the Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (a). This courtyard includes much of the western section of the shrine complex up until the Maqam Imam al-Sajjad (a). It is being designed and built by Iranian architects. Upon completion of these developmental plans, the total area for the shrine complex will span 140,000 square meters.