Al-Sahla Mosque: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Sahla Mosque''' (Arabic:{{iarabic| مسجد السهلة}}), also known as '''Suhayl Mosque''' ({{iarabic| مسجد سهیل}}), '''Banū Ẓafar Mosque''' ({{iarabic| مسجد بنی ظفر}}) and '''ʿAbd al-Qays Mosque''' ({{iarabic| مسجد عبدالقیس}}), is one of the best-known Islamic mosques built in the first century AH (7th century) by some Arabian tribes of [[Kufa]], about two kilometers northwest of the [[Great Mosque of Kufa]].

The mosque is one of the oldest mosques associated with [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)]], the twelfth Shiite Imam. There is a place (so-called "maqam") in the mosque attributed to Imam al-Mahdi (a), and on some accounts, this mosque is where Imam al-Mahdi (a) will live after his [[Reappearance]]. In the Shiite culture, al-Sahla Mosque is the most important mosque after the Great Mosque of Kufa. In different parts of the mosque's courtyard, some [[mihrabs]] are built and are called after religious leaders, such as maqams (stances) of [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]], [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]], [[Ibrahim (a)]], [[Idris (a)]] and [[Khidr (a)]].

al-Sahla Mosque was built by the [[Banu Zafar]] tribe, a clan of [[Ansar]]. [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] allegedly took the Banu Zafar Mosque to be equivalent to the Kufa Mosque. The mosque is called Suhayl, because its architect was a person called Suhayl, and it is called 'Abd al-Qays, because 'Abd al-Qays was the tribe in whose area of residence the mosque was constructed, and it is called Banu Zafar, since they are a clan of the 'Abd al-Qays tribe.

al-Sahla Mosque is located in eastern [[Najaf]], that is the old city of Kufa. It is located 10 kilometers northwest of [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]'s holy shrine with 37 degrees of angle, and 2 kilometers northwest of the Kufa Mosque with 53 degrees of angle.

al-Sahla Mosque has three doors and a relatively tall minaret which was reconstructed in 1378 AH (1958).

The mosque was a home and a place of worship for many prophets, such as [[Ibrahim (a)]], [[Idris (a)]], [[Khidr (a)]] and some Shiite [[Imams (a)]], such as [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] and [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]]. According to a [[hadith]] from Imam al-Sadiq (a), Imam Mahdi (a) will reside in this mosque after his Reappearance.

According to another hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a), there was a house in this place where the prophet Idris (a) used to sew. And this is the place from which Ibrahim (a) moved to Amalek. There is a rock in this place on which images of prophets are drawn, and a soil was taken from this mosque from which God created prophets. It is the place of the prophet Khidr (a) and it is where the prophet [[Moses (a)]] met Khidr (a). If an anxious person goes there, God will comfort him or her and solves their problem.

* Maqam of [[Imam Mahdi (a)]]: it is located in the middle of the mosque, towards the southern part, between Maqam of Imam al-Sajjad (a) and that of Yunus (a).

==Attribution to Imam Mahdi (a)==

There is a maqam (stance) in al-Sahla Mosque attributed to Imam Mahdi (a), which is located in the middle of the mosque, between Maqam of Imam al-Sajjad (a) and that of Yunus (a). According to some hadiths, Imam Mahdi will reside in al-Sahla Mosque after his [[Reappearance]].

There are many manners and [[dhikrs]] mentioned in collections of [[Ziyara]] and supplications for al-Sahla Mosque, including saying prayers, reciting some chapters (suras) of the [[Quran]] as well as special supplications and dhikrs.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from[http://fa.wikishia.net/view/مسجد_سهله مسجد سهله]in Farsi WikiShia.