Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a): Difference between revisions

'''Shrine of Imām al-Ḥusayn (a)''' (Arabic: {{ia|العَتَبَة الحُسَینیَّة}}) is the resting place of [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]], some people from [[Banu Hashim]] and some of his [[companions|Martyrs of Karbala]] in the [[Event of Karbala]], who were martyred on [[Muharram 10]]th, [[61]]/[[October 10]], 680 in a battle with the army of [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]].

When [[al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi]] triumphed in [[Uprising of al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi|his uprising]] for the vengeance of Imam al-Husayn (a) in the [[Sha'ban]] month of 65/March 685, he built the first mausoleum for Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave with a dome made of bricks and plasters. The building consisted in an area with a ceiling and a mosque with two gates—one to the east and one to the west.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 89.</ref> Since many Shiites visited Imam al-Husayn's (a) mausoleum, [[Harun al-Rashid]] ordered some of his soldiers to destroy the mosque built on Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave as well as the one built on [[Abu l-Fadl al-'Abbas (a)]]'s. Harun had also asked them to cut the cedar tree that had grown near Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave (and was used as a sign for the grave) and to raze the grave.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 89.</ref>

During the caliphate of al-Ta'i' b. al-Muti' al-'Abbasi, [['Adud al-Dawla al-Daylami]] took over the power in [[Baghdad]]. In [[Jumada I]], 371/981, he ordered the renewal of the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a). In addition to the renewal of the building, 'Adud al-Dawla also decorated the place and built porches around the shrine. He decorated the [[darih]] with teak and precious cloth, with a wooden cover. He also donated some candlesticks to the shrine. This led to the flourishing and development of [[Karbala]] in matters religious, social, and commercial.

In 369/979, [[Mu'izz al-Dawla al-Daylami]] assigned 'Imran b. Shahin with the governance of Batih, near [[Wasit]], where 'Imran began to build a porch later known after the name of al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Mujab. The mosque he built near the porch remained intact until the [[Safavid]] period. In this period, according to a [[fatwa]] permitting the attachment of mosques to the shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), it was included within the developed building of the shrine. Parts of this mosque are still included in the shrine as storage for the shrine's carpets. It is located behind the porch known as the Nasiri Porch.

In 407/1016, two of the big candles (lightening the shrine) fell on the carpets and set the curtains and covers to fire. The fire then spread to the porches and the dome such that only the walls, parts of the shrine and 'Imran b. Shahin's mosque remained intact.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 100-102.</ref>  

After taking over the power, Hasan b. Mufaddal b. Sahlan began to reconstruct the shrine, parts of which—including the domes and the porches—were burnt in fire. In 412/1021, he repaired the dome and the burnt parts and ordered the construction of a wall around the shrine.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 103.</ref>  

In 1250/1834, Fath 'Ali Shah ordered the renewal of the dome as well as that of Abu l-Fadl al-'Abbas's (a) shrine.

* In 1358/1939, Sayf al-Din Tahir, an Isma'ili missionary, changed the silver [[darih]] into a new one. In 1360/1941, he renewed one of the minarets which was completely destroyed. In 1367/1947, houses and religious schools near the shrine were destroyed in order to expand the shrine. In 1370/1950, the eastern side of the shrine was extended and it was decorated with porches made of precious tiles. In 1371.1951, the dome of the shrine was reconstructed and it was decorated with golden tiles. In 1373/1953, the mirrors of the shrine's ceiling and porches were completely reconstructed and mosaics were brought there from [[Isfahan]] in order to decorate Imam al-Husayn's (a) and Abu l-Fadl al-'Abbas's (a) shrines. In this year, the upper part of the [[Qibla]] Portico (the Golden Portico) was gilded.

* In 1383/1963, the Renewal Committee of the shrine imported stones from Italy in order to construct the exterior walls of the shrine. In 1388/1968, pillars were imported from Iran and the old ceiling of the Portico was lifted. In 1392/1972, the reconstruction of the new Golden Portico started. In 1394/1974, the plan for the renewal and the harmonization of the courtyard was devised. The plan included the reconstruction of the portico, destruction of the western side of the courtyard and covering the walls with tiles. In 1395/1975, the reconstruction of Imam al-Husayn's (a) and Abu l-Fadl's (a) shrines continued, the walls of the courtyard were covered with tiles and a library and a museum were built on the western side. In 1396/1976, the Ministry of Endowment decorated and renewed the Golden Portico with tiles and inlays.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 111-112.</ref>

The courtyard of Imam al-Husayn's (a) shrine is the area including the porches of the shrine, also known as "jāmi'". Before 1948, bazars and other buildings were adjacent to the shrine, with no street between them. In that year, a street was built around the shrine.

In the past, there were 7 gates in the courtyard, but today it has 10 gates:

* '''Bab al-Qibla''' (Arabic: باب القبلة, the gate of [[qibla]]): it is the oldest and the main gate of the courtyard. It is called so because it is located in the direction of the qibla.

* '''Bab al-Raja''' (Arabic: باب الرجاء, the gate of hope): it is located between Bab al-Qibla and Bab Qadi l-Hajat.

* '''Bab Qadi l-Hajat''' (Arabic: باب قاضی الحاجات): the gate is located across the Suq al-'Arab (Arab market), and it is called so after one of [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]]'s titles (Qadi l-Hajat: the satisfier of people's needs). Its height is 5 meters and its width is 3.5 meters.

* '''Bab al-Shuhada''' (Arabic: باب الشهداء, the gate of the martyrs): the gate is located between the eastern side on the pilgrims' way to Abu l-Fadl al-'Abbas's (a) shrine. It is called so after the [[martyrs of Karbala]].

* '''Bab al-Karama''' (Arabic: باب الکرامة, the dignity gate): it is located in the furthest distance in the northeastern side of the courtyard, near Bab al-Shuhada. It is called so after Imam al-Husayn's (a) dignity.

* '''Bab al-Salam''' (Arabic: باب السلام, the greeting gate): it is located in the middle of the northern side, and it is called so because at this gate, people used to greet Imam al-Husayn (a).

* '''Bab al-Sidra''' (Arabic: باب السدرة, the gate of cedar): it is located in the furthest point in the northwestern side of the courtyard, and it is called so because of the cedar tree that grew near Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave in the first/seventh century by which pilgrims found the location of the grave.

* '''Bab al-Sultaniyya''' (Arabic: باب السلطانیة, the Sultan gate): it is located on the western side of the courtyard, and it is called so because it was built by an Ottoman Sultan.

* '''Bab Ra's al-Husayn''' (Arabic: باب رأس الحسین, the gate of al-Husayn's head): it is located in the middle of the western side of the courtyard, and it is called so because it is across the head of Imam al-Husayn (a).

* '''Bab al-Zaynabiyya''' (Arabic: باب الزینبیة, the gate of [[Zaynab (a)]]): it is located on the southwestern side of the courtyard, and it is called so because it is near the [[Zaynabiyya hill]] (tall al-Zaynabiyya) or Maqam Zaynab.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 193-203.</ref>

There is a tall dome over Imam al-Husayn's (a) mausoleum, covered with pure gold. The lower part of the dome contains 10 windows to the outside. The dome is 37 meters high. It looks like an onion from the outside.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 184.</ref>

Within 10 meters from the south of the shrine, there are two large golden minarets that are about 25 meters high with 4 meter diameters. The two minarets were built in 786/1384-1385 during the period of Uways al-Jalayiri and his son, Ahmad.<ref>Āl Ṭuʿma, ''Karbalā wa ḥaram-hā-yi muṭahhar'', p. 190-191.</ref>

The shrine's Gunbad Khana—the place above which the dome is located—is surrounded by four porches on its four sides. The width of each porch is 5 meters, the length of northern and southern porches is 40 meters, the length of eastern and western porches is about 45 meters, and the height of each porch is 12 meters.

* The western porch which used to be called the porch of 'Imran b. Shahin is now called the porch of [[al-Sayyid Ibrahim al-Mujab]]. This is because al-Sayyid Ibrahim, [[Imam Musa al-Kazim (a)]]'s grandson, is buried there. Some Islamic scholars are also buried in the western porch.

* The northern porch was built by [[Shah Safi]], and it is called the porch of the kings because Qajar kings are buried there.<ref>Qāʾidān, ''ʿAtabāt ʿālīyāt Iraq'', p. 122-123.</ref>

All martyrs of Karbala—except [[Abu l-Fadl (a)]], [[Hurr b. Yazid al-Riyahi]], and [[Habib b. Muzahir]]—are buried near Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave on the southeastern side of his grave. These graves are located in a 12-meter chamber with an inlayed box and a silver window. Above the window there are tiles in which the names of 120 martyrs of Karbala and a prayer addressed to them are inscribed.<ref>Qummī, ''Amākin-i zīyāratī wa sīyāḥatī-yi Iraq'', p. 118-119.</ref>

* [[Sayyid 'Ali b. Muhammad al-Tabataba'i]], the author of ''[[Riyad al-masa'il]]'' (d. 1231/1815)

* Shaykh Muhammad Taqi al-Shirazi al-Ha'iri (d. 1338/1919)<ref>Muqaddas, ''Rāhnamā-yi amākin-i zīyāratī wa sīyāḥatī dar Iraq'', p. 223-225.</ref>

After the fall of Baghdad by [[Mongols]] in 656/1258, there is little report of how the shrines of Imam al-Husayn (a) and Abu al-Fadl (a) were administered. In early 8th/14th century, some people from [[Banu Asad]], who could extend their dominance in the nearby territories, occupied the administration of the shrine.

* It is supererogatory to put some soil of Imam al-Husayn's (a) grave in a corpse's shroud before burying it, and mix it with their embalmment.