Holy Shrine of al-Sayyida Zaynab (a): Difference between revisions

This place is among pilgrimage sites for [[Shia]]. The area in which the shrine of Lady Zaynab (s) is located, has been a village called Rawiya. Now, this area is called [[al-Sayyida Zaynab (town)|al-Sayyida Zaynab town]].

According to researches, there is no source available until the 5th/[[11th]] century to show that there was a tomb or dome built upon the burial place of [[al-Sayyida Zaynab (a)]]. Only one source in the 2nd/[[8th]] century refers to the existence of a pilgrimage site at the current location. According to the report, a woman related to [[Alawi]] families called [[Al-Sayyida Nafisa|Al-Sayyida Nafisa bt. al-Hasan al-Anwar]], a descendant of [[Imam Ali (a)]] in [[193]]/808-9 visited the pilgrimage site of Lady Zaynab (a) in Rawiya of [[Damascus]].<ref>Qurashī, ''al-Sayyida al-Ziynab'', p. 298-303.</ref> After this date, there is another report in [[500]]/1106-7 which mentions that a person from [[Aleppo]] built a [[mosque]] at the pilgrimage site for Lady Zaynab (a) in that year.

However, after the 7th/[[13th century]], a shrine and dome have been built at this location. Also, when Ibn Jubayr (d. [[614]]/1217-8), the famous tourist of the Islamic world, travelled to Damascus, he passed by Rawiya region and the current location of the shrine. In his report, he mentioned that the shrine belonged to [[Umm Kulthum bt. 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a)|Umm Kulthum]], daughter of Imam Ali (a). However, there is a possibility that Ibn Jubayr meant the second daughter of Imam Ali (a) which is [[Zaynab al-Sughra]], not Lady Zaynab (s) who is [[Zaynab al-Kubra]].<ref>Ibn Jubayr, ''Riḥlat Ibn Jubayr'', p. 228.</ref>

In his report, Ibn Jubayr mentions the existence of the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a) in the village of Rawiya, about 6 kilometers (a [[parasang]]) away from [[Damascus]] and says, "A large mosque is built there and there are houses outside it. There are also dedicated lands around it. People know these regions as the grave of Umm Kulthum." He finally mentions that he stayed there and visited the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a).

[[Abu Bakr al-Hirawi]] (d. [[611]]/1214-5) also visited the shrine of Lady Zaynab (s) and has a report about it.<ref>Hirawī, ''al-Ishārāt ilā maʿrifat al-zīyārāt'', p. 12.</ref>  

The holy shrine of Lady Zaynab (a) is located in the south of [[Damascus]], in a region called al-Sayyida Zaynab (a). This region is part of Reef Damascus province. The building of shrine includes a great square-shaped courtyard and the tomb is located at its center, which has a dome and two tall minarets. The minarets and walls of the courtyard and inside areas are tiled by [[Iran]]ian tile-work artists.  

In the area of the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a) and the cemeteries around it, some [[Shia]] scholars and famous people are buried. For example, in the entrance corridor to the west courtyard, the graves of [[Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin|Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin al-'Amili]] and [[Sayyid Husayn Makki al-'Amili]], the two Shia schoalrs from [[Syria]] are located. In the cemetery at the north of the shrine, the grave of Dr. [[Ali Shari'ati]] is there. Also, in another cemetery in the south of the shrine, the grave of Sayyid Mustafa Jamal al-Din, the contemporary [[Iraq]]i poet is located.

After great distribution of Takfiri terrorists in Syria and taking different regions of the country, many pilgrimage sites in regions under their control were demolished by their agents. Meanwhile, the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a) was several times hit by Takfiri terrorists' mortar and suicide attacks. Takfiri terrorists several times advanced near the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a), but they moved back after encountering the resistance of [[Shia]] and residents of the region.

Following Takfiri terrorists' threat to demolish the shrines of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and especially the shrine of Lady Zaynab, many groups of Shia from other countries, especially [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Lebanon]] and [[Afghanistan]] went to Syria in order to defend the shrines of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and pilgrimage sites. Also, different groups from Iran went to Syria to defend the shrine, among which there were military counselors as well.

* The expansion of the Shrine of Lady Zaynab continued in the 15th/21st century by the construction of the Musalla (Prayer Hall) of Zaynabiyya. It was made by [[Sayyid Ahmad Fihri Zanjani]], the representative of [[Sayyid 'Ali Husayni Khamenei|Iran's Supreme Leader]]. After building Musalla in the shrine, performing [[congregational prayer]], reciting [[Kumayl Supplication]] and performing the [[Friday prayer]] are made there. Recently, a new courtyard has also been built in the north of the shrine.

* Reconstruction of the shrine after the attacks of [[Takfiri]] terrorist groups: following the increase of Takfiri terrorist groups' mortar and suicide attacks to the shrine of Lady Zaynab (a), some parts of the dome, courtyards and the gates were damaged. Therefore, the committee for reconstruction of Great Shrines consider the plan of repairing and reconstructing the dome and the gates of the shrine which had more damages. Thus, the damaged spots were repaired using the golds donated by the people of [[Khuzestan province]].