SYRIA

DAMASCUS – RAUZA OF BIBI ZAINAB A.S.

You will visit the Rauza of Bibi Zainab A.S. in the town of As-Syeda Zainab. Bibi Zainab A.S. was the daughter of our first Imam Hazrat Ali A.S. and Bibi Fatema Zehra A.S.
She was born in Medina on 1st Shabaan in the year 6 A.H. and she died in the year 62 A.H. When she was born, the Holy Prophet (SAW) gave her the name of ‘Zainab’ by the order of the Almighty Allah (SWT). Bibi Zainab A.S. was a very clever, intelligent and pious lady. She devoted her whole life in spreading and saving Islam. She used to teach Quran with the meanings to the ladies of Kufa.
Imam Zainul Abedeen AS’s mother died when he was very young and Bibi Zainab A.S. used to take care of him. In the year 60 A.H. she went with Imam Hussein A.S. to Kerbala. On every occasion in Kerbala, Imam Hussein A.S. used to take the advice of Bibi Zainab A.S. On the day of Ashura, her two sons, Ibrahim and Aun Mohammed sacrificed their lives for the sake of Islam.
On the 11th Muharram, 60 A.H. they were taken captives and marched through the city of Kufa and Shaam.
For one year they stayed captives in Damascus. Bibi Zainab A.S. faced Yazid after the Tragedy of Kerbala and told him of the wrongs he had done. She also gave very good lectures whenever she got a chance; she therefore enabled the people to know the principles and practices of Islam and the wrong and merciless killings of the followers of Imam Hussein A.S. in Kerbala by Yazid and his army.
Due to her honesty, bravery and truthfulness, Islam spread through Shaam. then they were released from prison, she, along with the rest of the members of Ahlul Bayt went to Medina. Even in Medina, she continued preaching. Islam spread rapidly. The governor of Medina became very frightened and wrote to Yazid that Bibi Zainab A.S. was in Medina and was spreading Islam quickly and that she would break his empire. Yazid gave orders that Bibi Zainab A.S. should leave Medina and settle in a village outside Medina. Later on from there she was sent to a town called Misar, which is in Egypt. She continued spreading Islam there as well. Yazid became very scared so he once again ordered that she be taken prisoner and brought to Shaam. When she arrived at a small village on the boundary of Shaam, she remembered where Imam Hussein A.S. head had been kept on a farm under a tree. When she found the tree, she started crying. A man of Shaam, who was a follower and friend of Yazid, saw her and hit her with a spade on her head. She collapsed and died. Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. buried her there. That is how this small town came to be known as As-Syed Zainab. According to historians, Bibi Zainab’s A.S. husband - Abdullah Ibne Jaffar-e-Tayyar was a very rich man. He bought the surrounding land and made the Rauza especially in the name of Bib Zainab A.S.
In the town of Misar in Egypt, there is another Ziyarat of Bibi Zainab and the place is known as Masjid-e-Zainabia. This Bibi Zainab is the daughter of Yahya, Yahya Binte Zayed, Zayed Binte Zainul Abedeen. She is the great granddaughter of our 4th Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. The Bohoras go to Cairo to the Ziyarat of this Bibi Zainab.

HAJAR BIN UDAI AND HIS SONS

He was the companion of our Prophet of Islam (SAW) and Hazrat Imam Ali A.S. He was the Commander-in-Chief of Imam Ali’s army in the battle of Siffeen. He, together with his sons and other people, was sent by Imam Ali A.S. to see Moaviya on a special project. At the border he was recognized and was arrested along with his people including his two sons. Moaviya asked them to renounce their allegiance to Imam Ali A.S., but they refused and stood steadfast in their faith for Imam Ali A.S., They were killed. He witnessed his two sons being killed. They are buried here. This place is known as MAKAME ADRA, which is about 40 km from the city. It is narrated that Bibi Zainab A.S. has said that ‘anybody who comes for my Ziyarat and does not perform the Ziyarat of Hajar Bin Udai then his/her Ziyarat is incomplete.

RAUZA OF HAZRAT JANAB-E-RUQAYYA A.S.

She was the young daughter of Imam Hussein A.S. She was also present in Kerbala. (From Kerbala along with the rest of the family of Imam Hussein A.S.) she was taken prisoner and taken to Shaam. It is here that she passed away.

RAUZA OF BIBI KULTHUM A.S.

She was the sister of Imam Hussein A.S. She was born in 7 A.H. and died in 62 A.H. She was the youngest daughter of Bibi Fatema A.S. She was also taken prisoner and brought to Shaam along with the others. When Bibi Zainab A.S. was martyred, Bibi Kulthum A.S. was with her in Shaam. She used to live in Shaam and it is here that she passed away and is buried. Her husband’s name was Mohamed Ibne Jaffer-e-Tayyar who was the brother of the husband of Bibi Zainab A.S., but he passed away before the incident of Kerbala.

RAUZA OF BIBI UMM-E-SALMA WIFE OF OUR PROPHET OF ISLAM (SAW)

She was the wife of the Holy Prophet (SAW). She used to love the children of Bibi Fatema A.S. The Holy Prophet (SAW) had already told her about the death of Imam Hussein A.S and the incident of Kerbala. When Imam Hussein A.S. was killed in Kerbala, Umm-e-Salma saw the Holy Prophet in her dream and she told him that his grandson, Imam Hussein A.S. had been martyred. The first majlis of Imam Hussein A.S. (and his sacrifice) was conducted by Umm-e-Salma in Medina. She used to cry a lot when recalling the incident of Kerbala and one year later she passed away. In Makkah, when Bibi Khadija A.S. passed away, the Holy Prophet (SAW) kept her with Bibi Fatema A.S. Umm-e- Salma used to say that Bibi Fatema A.S. had a lot of knowledge and did not need to learn anything but instead Umm-e-Salma learned a lot from her.

RAUZA OF BIBI FIDHA A.S.

She was the daughter of a king of Ethiopia. She left her father and went to work as a maid of Janabe Fatema Zehra A.S. She was only 11 years of age when she came to serve Bibi Fatema A.S. It is believed that she knew how to make gold and she also knew the Holy Quran by heart. Once she invited the Ahlul Bayt for dinner and with her dua, the food was sent to her from Heaven by the order of Allah (SWT). After the death of Bibi Fatema A.S. she continued to stay with the Ahlul Bayt, even though she had sons who were very rich. Imam Hussein A.S. even took her to Kerbala. On every occasion in Kerbala, she was with Bibi Zainab A.S. Imam Hussein A.S. respected her very much. She died in Shaam and is buried there.
It is said that when Yazid was misbehaving in the Darbar of Shaam against the Ahlul Bayt A.S. Bibi Fizza A.S. stood in front of Bibi Zainab A.S. Yazid gave orders that Bibi Fizza should be whipped. Bibi Fizza came forward and gave a daring speech addressing the African slaves who were the bodyguards. She told them it was a shame on them that in their presence Yazid was ordering her to be whipped. The slaves were very much affected by her speech and they immediately turned towards Yazid and told him that if Bibi Fizza were whipped they would attack with their swords already drawn. Yazid ordered the slaves to stop.

RAUZA OF JANAB-E-ABDULLAH IBNE JAFFAR-E-TAYYAR A.R.

He was the son of Janabe Jaffer-e-Tayyar and the grandson of Janabe Abu Talib and Bibi Fatema Binte Asad. He was the husband of Bibi Zainab A.S. he was a very rich and a successful businessman. He used to help the poor and needy from far and wide. Everyday, he used to have guests at his place. After the death of Bibi Zainab A.S. he continued living in Shaam and it is here that he passed away.

RAUZA OF OBAIS IBNE KAAB A.R.

He was the husband of Bibi Halima and was a resident of Makkah. When the Holy Prophet (SAW) was five years old, he stayed in Makkah with Obais. Later he came with the Holy Prophet (SAW) to Medina and embraced Islam. At that time, He used to live in Shaam and passed away here. This Rauza has since been closed.

RAUZA OF HAZRAT BILAL A.R. – MOAZZIN

He was a resident of Ethiopia. He was a slave when he first came to Makkah. The Holy Prophet (SAW) bought him and then freed him from slavery. The Prophet of Islam used to love him very much a used to treat him like a brother.
In Medina in the year 1 A.H., they built the Masjid and called it Masjid-e-Nabawee and Hazrat Bilal used to give Adhaan there. In the year 8 A.H. he was ordered by the Prophet of Islam to climb on the top of Khan-e-Ka’aba and give Adhaan. Hazrat Bilal used to love the Prophet (SAW) very much so after the death of the Prophet of Islam he migrated to Shaam. One night Hazrat Bilal saw the Prophet of Allah (SAW) in his dream. The Prophet asked Bilal “why did you leave our home”? So Hazrat Bilal returned to Medina.
He went to pay his respect to Bibi Fatema A.S. who asked him to please recite Adhaan. Bilal agreed at once and as soon as he started the Adhaan, Bibi Fatema A.S., fainted. She remembered her father, the Prophet of Islam. Bibi Fizza went immediately to Hazrat Bilal and asked him to stop the Adhaan because Bibi Fatema A.S. had fainted.
He returned to Shaam because the people of Medina used to bother Hazrat Ali A.S. and Bibi Fatema A.S. and Hazrat Bilal felt very bad about it. Hazrat Bilal passed away in Shaam.

RAUZA OF HAZRAT ABDULLA IBNE IMAM ZAINUL ABEDEEN A.S.

He was the son of our 4th Imam. He migrated from Medina and came to live in Shaam. He was the grandson of Imam Hassan A.S. and his mother was the daughter of Imam Hassan A.S. He was a very brave, clever and religious man and used to do a lot of ‘ibadat’. He was the younger brother of our 5th Imam - Imam Mohamed Baqar A.S. He passed away in Shaam and is buried there.

RAUZA OF BIBI FATIMA SUGHRA BINTE IMAM HUSSEIN A.S.

She was the daughter of Imam Hussein A.S. Due to the fact that she was very ill, she was unable to go to Kerbala with her father. It was when Bibi Zainab A.S. was taken prisoner the second time and taken to Shaam that Bibi Fatema Sughra went with her, it was here in Shaam that she passed away. This Rauza has since been closed.

GANJE SAR-E-SHOHADA-E-KERBALA.

This is situated in the compound of the Ummayad mosque. This is the place where the heads of the Martyrs of Kerbala were kept. In the year 60 A.H., Yazid released the members of the Ahlul Bayt from the prison, according to one historian; Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. buried all the head of the martyrs of Kerbala here. According to another historian it is said that he went to Kerbala and buried them there. Altogether there are 16 heads here including Hazrat Hur.
MUSALLA OF IMAM ZAINUL ABEDEEN A.S.
This is situated just outside Sar-e-Shohada and it is narrated that the Imam prayed here before he took the heads to Kerbala. This place is locked but if you are lucky the guard may open it for you and you can say your two Rakaat Salaat.

PLACE WHERE OUR 4TH IMAM WAS IMPRISONED

According to one historian, Yazid imprisoned Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. separately.

RAUZA OF BIBI SAKINA BINTE IMAM HUSSEIN A.S.

She was the daughter of Imam Hussein A.S. and the sister of Ali Asghar A.S. Her mother’s name was Umme Rubaab. Bibi Sakina had gone to Kerbala with Imam Hussein A.S. She faced severe hardship after the tragedy of Kerbala. She was also taken prisoner with the rest of Imam Hussein’s family and taken to Kufa and then to Shaam. Yazid Maloon tied her neck and she was also slapped.
She died when she was still in prison and was first buried in the prison near Bani Ummayad but after many years, one A’alem, saw Bibi Sakina A.S. in his dream. She asked him to remove her body from the grave and bury her elsewhere because water was seeping in her grave. So, with the advise of other A’alem, the man had the grave opened. They saw that indeed the water was filling the grave. When they brought the body out the grave they found it to be intact. The A’alem held the body in his hands till another grave was dug at another location and buried her there and the Rauza is now known as Bibi Ruqaya A.S.

PLACE WHERE BIBI ZAINAB A.S. GAVE KHUTBA

This is in the courtyard of the Ummayyad mosque or Jami Amawi where Yazid used to hold his court and give his orders.

WELL OF PROPHET HOOD A.S.

Prophet Hood A.S. was the next Prophet after Hazrat Nuh A.S. He was a very handsome man. He was 6 feet tall. He preached for many years but the people of that time were very wild. They refused to listen to him and to believe in Allah. At last Allah (SWT) punished them.
All the mountains turned into sand. The people turned into stones and were buried beneath the sand. After thousands of years by the order of Mansur Dawaniki, during the time of our 7th Imam, a well was dug in this place. But instead of water, they found stones in the shape of human beings. Mansur Dawaniki and the other people were very surprised. They went to our 7th Imam, Imam Musa-e-Kadhim A.S. and asked him about this. Our Imam revealed that these are the people of Hood and because they disobeyed Allah (SWT), He punished them by turning them into stones.

MIMBER OF IMAM ZAINUL ABEDEEN A.S.

This mimber is in the Darbar of Bani Ummayad where Yazid used to hold his orders. This is what we call DARBAR-E-SHAAM. It was here that the members of Ahlul Bayt were held captive and Yazid used to mistreat them and ask them all types of questions.
One day, Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. got a chance to give a sermon. He climbed on the Mimber and narrated the true story of how Imam Hussein A.S. and his followers were martyred and how Yazid used to mistreat them. Our 4th Imam preached the sermon in such a way that all present in Yazid’s court started to cry. When Yazid saw that it was getting out of hand, he gave an order for Adhaan and stopped the Imam from preaching. This is why this Mimber is known as Mimber-e-Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S.

MUSALLA OF PROPHET KHIZER A.S.

Allah (SWT) has given him a stick with a lot of Barkat (blessings). If he puts the stick in the water, it will become a ship and if he puts it in the earth, it will turn into a fruit-bearing tree.
Prophet Khizer A.S. came into the world 300 years before Prophet Issa A.S. and they both are still alive today. He has visited all the Imams and greeted them with salaams. He also goes and greets our 12th Imam, Hazrat Mehdi Sahebuz Dhaman A.S. now and then. It is narrated the he will re-appear with our 12th Imam A.S.
Allah (SWT) has given Prophet Khizer a gift and that is if he touches a dried stick with his hands, it at once changes into green.

RAASUL HUSSEIN A.S.

This is the place where the head of Imam Hussein A.S. was kept.

RAUZA OF PROPHET YAHYA BIN ZAKARIA A.S.

Prophet Yahya A.S. was martyred due to the lies of one sinful woman and his head was kept in the same place where the head of Imam Hussein A.S. was kept.

A FOURTEEN HUNDRED YEAR OLD DOOR IN BAZAR OF SHAAM KNOWN A.S. “BAB-E-FARAJ”

It is from this door that the members of Ahlul Bayt entered when they were taken to Shaam. They had to wait for 36 hours so that the court could be decorated before they entered.

GRAVE OF NABI HABIL.

Prophet Adam A.S. had two sons Habil and Kabil. Habil was a very pious, religious and good man and he became Prophet by the order of Allah (SWT) after the death of Prophet Adam A.S. Kabil was very jealous of Hazrat Habil and he killed Hazrat Habil but never knew what to do with the dead body and was carrying it around. Allah (SWT) showed Kabil what to do with the body by showing the fight of two crows in which one was dead. The second crow dug a hole in the ground and buried the dead crow. Kabil did the same and buried Hazrat Habil. This is first grave on the earth.

CAVE OF ASHABE KAHF AND THEIR DOG.

The following are the names of the inhabitants of Ashab-e-Kahf as inscribed on the wall outside the cave.

a)

Yamlikha

b)

Maksalmina

c)

Maslina

d)

Marnosh

e)

Dabarnosh

f)

Shaznosh

g)

Kafshat-tayush

h)

Kutmir
This is the place where the people of Ashabe Kahf are sleeping. They are six or nine of them. According to history and belief, they are the inhabitants of Rome. At that time the king of Rome was Dakyanus, who used to worship idols and also forced people to worship idols.
But the people of Ashabe Kahf used to believe in Allah and never used to worship idols. The king Dakyanus was very angry and ordered that the people of Ashabe Kahf be killed. To save themselves, they ran away to this cave, praying to Allah to save them from the king. So, by the Grace of the Almighty Allah, they went to sleep. They were sleeping in such a way that it looked as if they were dead. When the king arrived at the cave with his men, he thought that they were dead and went away. After many years, they woke up, and feeling very hungry, they went to the town but found that everything had changed. The coins (money) that they had were very old. The king Dakyanus had died and also many years had passed. When the king of that time heard of the incidence, he decided to come and visit them. When the people of the cave heard of this visit, they became very frightened and prayed to Allah to keep them in the same condition as they were before. So they went to sleep again. When the king came, he saw them and ordered the cave to be closed and they are still sleeping until this day. It is said that every six months, the angels come and change their sides. When our 12th Imam A.S. will appear, they will wake up.
By the time the Prophet Muhammad SAW the people had forgotten about the incidence of Ashabe Kahf. This incident occurred before the time of Hazrat Issa A.S. When Allah (SWT) revealed the above incidence to the Prophet in Quran in Sura-e-Kahf that is the time when the people wanted to know more about it. With the permission and blessing of the Prophet, Imam Ali A.S. with four other people, namely, Salman-e-Farsi, Anas bin Malik, Omar and Abubakr sat on a carpet, and by a miracle, they flew in air from Medina to Shaam and landed near the cave of Ashabe Kahf. Hazrat Ali said that this cave. Please say salaam to them. All of them said salaam and nobody got the reply. Imam Ali A.S. went very near the cave, put his foot on the stone and said salaam as follows: “Assallaamun Alaykum Ya Ashabe Kahf Var Raqim.” He got the reply as follows: “Wa Alaykum Salaam Ya Wasiy Yur Rasullulah.” The footmark of Hazrat Ali A.S. is still visible.

ALLEPP0 OR HALAB 360 KMS FROM DAMASCUS:

The brief history below is extracted from a book written by its Custodian Sheikh Ibrahim Nasralla called the Traces of Ale Mohammad in Aleppo.
To get acquainted with the history of this holy place, your attention is drawn to the following historical points.
This place had seen a monastery, consisting of two small rooms and being called Mart Ruta Monastery, before the appearance of Islam.
When the Kafela of Imam Sajjad and Bibi Zainab and the women and children were taken from Kufa and Kerbala to Sham, The caravan stopped in Aleppo to rest, at the mesentery, which is this location to day. The monk and priest of this monastery noticed that a brilliant light was emitting from the blessed head of Imam Hussein A.S., which was being carried along in the year 61 Hijri. After investigating the fact and knowing that the prisoners are the members of the family of the Prophet Mohammed PBU, when their men were martyred, they requested the guards of the blessed head to let the head be at their disposal during the night that they were staying. The guards agreed after being paid huge amount by the priests.
The knowledgeable, priest took the blessed head from the guards that night, and placed it on the stone that you observe, in this holy shrine and whispered with it till morning, and after giving it back, to the guards, the priest became accepted Islam. During that abundant night few drops of blood fell from the blessed head on this stone, and after the decamping of the prisoner’s caravan, the priest continued his whisperings with this stone and those drops of blood, which were left on it.
This blessed stone, which was colored with the blood of the Masters of Martyrs, Imam Hussein A.S. was kept in this monastery from the early days of Safar month of the year of 61 Hijri till the year 333 when the King Sifoddowle Hamdani, who was a Shiite and follower of Ahlul Bayt, entered Aleppo and chose it as its capital. He used to constantly visit this holy stone, which embraces the immaculate blood of Imam Hussein A.S., and he helped the people of this monastery. He finally decided to build a respectable building this place for the sake of respect and glorification of those few drops of the blessed blood of the Master of Martyrs.
In the midst of the fourth Hijri century, this magnificent building was built and from that time, this place became a Holy Shrine for the lovers of Imam Hussein and it is known as Mash-had AlNoghte, meaning the shrine of the blood drops or Mash-had of Imam Hussein A.S. In the year 1333 Hijri when the Ottoman rulers dominated this land, they prevented the people from visiting this shrine and used this place as an army ammunition depot and storage, until their ruler ship was weakened and the Allies wanted to attack Aleppo. Anarchy condition took place and on the 20th Muharram 1337 Hijri, this place, which was full of war equipments suddenly, exploded upon an even and this glorious building was ruined and its stones were scattered around the hill.
The generosity of this stone was that it remained in its place and several large stones were reposed around it and with Miracle of Allah kept it until few religious people came here, after took the stone to Zakaria Mosque in the city. The stone showed some movement, which made the older religious people fear until they decided to place the blessed stone on the back of a horse and let the horse free to go wherever it wanted. They did this and horse went through the middle of Aleppo to this place, and since the shrine was demolished due to the explosion, which had taken place earlier, the horse continued to the shrine where Mohsen, the child of Imam Hussein A.S. was miscarriaged and buried during the night when the prisoners had rested. The stone was unloaded and placed on the side of Mohsen’s grave.
The Holy Shrine stayed ruined until the year 1379 Hijri, when a society named the Jafari Islamic Rebuilding Society was established with the aim of rebuilding this according to its same old style. With Allah’s blessings and the aspiration of the men of the welfare and the help of the high rank religious authorities they rebuild this historic place according to the same old style with the same scattered stones which were collected and as seen, this glorious task is being continued.
It is suitable now, to inform the visitors the following projects in the land, around this shrine, which is endowed:

* Establishing a theology school to be named Imam Hussein A.S. School.
* Building a second courtyard, next to the existing one, and establishing an orphanage house and tailoring shop.
* Building a large parking area for the buses and automobiles of the Zuwar who come to visit this shrine.
* Building a public clinic.

Reminder:

All donations, will be used for the above mentioned project. You are kindly requested to get a receipt of any payments that you make.
AFTER COMPLETION OF YOUR ZIYARAT IN SHAAM YOU WILL PROCEED TO IRAN TO DO THE ZIYARAT THERE. IRAN ZIYART OF IRAN On arrival in Teheran and after clearing Immigration and customs you will proceed to your hotel and rest for the night. You are required to declare the following. If you do not you may have difficulty at the time of your departure from Iran. IMPORT INTO IRAN 1. There is no restriction of the Foreign Currency but the amount must be declared upon arrival at the airport. 2. All Video and camera equipment must be declared. EXPORT ALLOWANCES 1. Every passenger may take one hand-woven carpet or two rugs (a maximum size of 12 sq. m) provided that they are not antiques. 2. Every passenger may, when departing the country, carry 150 grams of wrought gold without gems and up to 3 kg of wrought silverware without gems. Our experience tells us that you should include the following items in your list of souvenirs: Saffron, pistachio, different kinds of pastries, nuts, dates, gems like Aqeeq, Feeroza, Dur-e-Najaf, Eerz-e-Jawad rings and Taweez for children and all kinds of Tasbih and small decorative placements where you would keep your Sajdagha when saying your Salaat. TEHERAN/QUM The next day early in the morning you will proceed to Qum to visit the Rauza of Janabe Masuma Fatema Binte Imam Musa-e-Kadhim A.S. and the sister of Imam Redha A.S. On your way back to Teheran you should visit Masjid-e-Jumkaran, Mazaar of Imam Khomeini and Bashete Zahra. QUM RAUZA OF JANAB-E-MASUMA FATEMA BINTE IMAM MUSA-E-KADHIM A.S. She was the daughter of our 7th Imam, Imam Musa-e-Kadhim A.S. and the sister of Imam Ali Redha A.S. Her mother’s name was Ummul Banin Najma. The meaning of Qum is to “stand” as the ship of Nabi Nooh A.S. had stopped here. It is said that our 12th Imam A.S. will start Jehad from here. One hundred fifty years before the Holy Prophet (SAW) died he said that Masuma-e-Qum one of his daughters would be buried in Qum, where many Mujtahid and A’alem would be ready to preach. After the departure of Imam Redha A.S. from Medina, Bibi Masuma-e-Qum missed her brother so much that she decided to go to Mashad also known as Khorasan to meet him. When she reached Qum, which is on the way to Mashad, she got the news that the Imam had been poisoned and had died. She was very upset and became ill. Within 40 days of the death of the Imam, she passed away in Qum. They found her grave had already been dug and two men came with Nikab (covered faces) and led Salaat-e-Janaaza and buried her. It is narrated that our Imam has said that before visiting him in Mashad you should first visit his sister in Qum, and that whoever visits her shall enter Jannat. MASJID-E-JUMKARAN Hassan Bin Maslah, by the order of our 12th Imam, Hazrat Mehdi A.S built this Masjid. The Imam has said that to pray four Rakaat Salaat in this Masjid is equal to the Thawab of praying inside Khan-e-Ka’aba. It is narrated that Imam Mahdi A.S. visits this Masjid every Tuesday night. There is a well behind this Masjid and Zuwars write AREEZA asking the Imam to take their Haajat to Allah (SWT) and they put it in this well. Sheikh Saleh (Hassan Maslah Jamkarany) narrates in his book that one Thursday night on the eve of 17th of Ramadhan, he was sleeping in Jamkaran site (small village) when suddenly he heard someone knocking at the door. He opened it and saw a couple of Sheikhs (clergymen) who after saluting him asked him to follow them, telling him that his master wanted to see him. He went with them to a place, where Masjid-e-Jamkaran (now stands). He saw a throne and a very nice carpet on the floor and a young man of about 30 years of age sitting on it and he was informed that he (the person sitting on the throne) was our 12th Imam A.S. An old man was sitting beside him and was reading a book and more than 60 people in green and white robe were praying around the throne. Later on, he was made to understand that the old man was Nabi Khizr A.S. Our Imam called Sheikh Saleh by his name and told him to tell the people that they were planting on land, which was not just meant for planting. They had to pay back all the profit they made from the crops and with the proceeds they were to build a Masjid on this land. This was a very sacred land and Allah (SWT) picked it from many others. Sheikh Saleh told the Imam that the people would not believe him and the Imam should give him some sign or a letter. The Imam replied that some kind of a sign at the site would be put until the people accept his message. “So, go and deliver my message to them to build the Masjid from ‘ardeha’ funds from our private property. Tell the people that this is a very sacred place and they should recite four Rakaat Salaat. Two Rakaat with the Niyat of Tahiyyat-e-Masjid and the other two Rakaat are for Imam-e-Dhamana A.S.” The Imam further said that each person that recites these four Rakaat would get the Thawab of reciting inside the Khan-e-Ka'aba. The Imam also said that among the sheep of “Jaafar Kashany”, a shepherd, there was a black and white sheep, which Sheikh Saleh must buy and sacrifice on this land and then distribute the meat among the sick and the poor Allah (SWT) would then heal them. Sheikh Saleh writes in his book that he returned to his house but could not get any sleep and was thinking until morning. After Salaat-e-Fajr he immediately went to the place the Imam had mentioned and found that a boundary of chains had already been put around the land and that was the sign of the area.Sheikh Saleh further writes that he then went to Qum and when reaching the house that he was asked to visit, he met a man waiting for him at the door who told him that his master had been waiting to see him since Fajr. He was escorted inside the house and after exchanging salaams the Syed then asked Sheikh Saleh whether his name was Hassan Maslah, to which he replied yes. He told Sheikh Saleh that he dreamed last night that he would be coming to see him (the Imam) and asked Sheikh Saleh to narrate his dream. Sheikh Hassan Maslah repeated his whole dream and after that they went towards the land designated for the Masjid, we saw Jaffer Kashany the shepherd and among his flock of sheep we saw the white and black sheep that was at the end of the flock. The shepherd swore that he had never seen that sheep before in his flock and how hard he tried to catch the sheep he was not able. Sheikh Hassan Maslah Jamkarany said the sheep came to him as if it knew him for years. He caught it and sacrificed it on the land and distributed the meat as per instructions in his dream. The Masjid was then erected and the chains that were around the plot were removed and taken to Qum. The sick used to visit him and rub their bodies against the chains and they would be healed. After the death of Sheikh Hassan Maslah Jamkarany all the chains disappeared. The Masjid was built in the year 393 AH by the order of our 12th Imam A.S. TEHERAN – ZIYARAATS RAUZA OF SHAH ABDUL AZIM A.S. He was the great grandson of Imam Hassan A.S. RAUZA OF JANABE HAMZA BIN ABUL QASIM IBNE IMAM MOOSA-E-KADHIM A.S. He was the grandson of Imam Musa-e-Kadhim A.S. RAUZA OF SAYYED TAHIR He was the grandson of Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. RAUZA OF IMAMZADA SALEH BIN IMAM MOOSA-E-KADHIM A.S. He was the brother of Imam Redha A.S. RAUZA OF SHEIKH SUDDUQUE He was a great A’alem and was born by the Dua of our 12th Imam A.S. KOAHE BIBI SHAHRBANOO A.S. She was the wife of Imam Hussein A.S. and the mother of Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. It is narrated that Imam Hussein A.S. instructed Bibi Shahrbanoo that after he was martyred in Kerbala she should mount the white horse “Zuljana” who will take her back to Iran. She followed the instructions and truly “Zuljana” took her to Iran but her brothers in Iran did not accept her since she had married an Arab. Her brothers wanted to kill her so Zuljana took her to the mountains of Shimran and entered a cave and the cave closed behind her so her brothers could not catch her. MUSEUM OF TEHERAN Formerly this was the palace of Shah Reza and if you get a chance you should visit it. TEHERAN/MASHAD You will fly from Teheran to Mashad and on arrival will be transferred to your Hotel. MASHAD RAUZA OF IMAM ALI REDHA A.S. He was born in Medina on Thursday 11th Zilkaad in the year 148 A.H. He was the son of our 7th Imam – Imam Musa-e-Kadhim A.S. and his mother’s name was Ummul Banin Najma. He became Imam, at the age of 35 years after the death of his father. Imam Redha A.S. lived in Medina, but Mamoon invited him to Mashad, also known as Khorasan. Mamoon’s main aim was to subdue the troubled Persian Province and he realized that Imam Redha A.S. was the only person who could achieve peace in Iran formerly known as Persia. The Imam was reluctant to leave Medina, where he was leading a quite life. Under the circumstances, however he had no choice, so he went to Khorasan. Upon arrival, Mamoon gave the Imam a royal reception and treated him with honour and declared his intention of making the Imam his successor. Imam Redha A.S. told Mamoon openly “I know why you are doing this but there is no point in refusing because my death will come before yours.” Mamoon forced the Imam to accept to become his heir and thus on 27thRamadhan in the year 201 A.H., Imam Redha A.S. was officially designated as Mammon’s heir. A gold coin was minted in the name of the Imam A.S. Distribution of this coin amongst the people subdued the enemies of the empire and Mamoon’s purpose was accomplished. Within 18 months, Persia was under control. Later Mamoon poisoned the Imam by feeding him with poisoned grapes, and made a great show of his sorrow. Thus our 8th Imam, Imam Ali Redha A.S., died on 17th Safar 203 A.H. at the age of 55 years and is buried here. Our Imam is also well known as “Imam Dhamin” and this is due to a famous story narrated by historians. One day as he was travelling he saw a hunter capture a deer and wanted to slay it. The Imam heard the deer crying and had tears in her eyes. The deer addressed our Imam in her language, and told him that she had babies who needed to be fed by her and that he should request the hunter to let her go and feed her babies first. The Imam fully understood the language of the deer and told the hunter to let the deer go and that after she fed her babies she would return to the hunter. The hunter was not prepared to listen to this and told the Imam that he would let her go if he would guarantee the return of the mother deer. The Imam guaranteed and that is why he is known as Imam Dhamin. Dhamin means guarantee. If you visit the huge lecture room, which was built after the birth of, the Islamic Republic of Iran you will see the artist has drawn the story of the deer beautifully on one of the walls. GOHARSHAD MASJID This Masjid is situated adjacent to the Holy Shrine of Imam Redha A.S. It was built in 821 AH under the orders of Gowharshad Khatun, Shahrok Mirza’s wife. Its area is 9410 sq. meters and includes a courtyard, four porches and seven large prayer halls. Two beautiful minarets, each 40 meters high, are located on both sides of Maqsureh Porch. There is an inscription on the porch written by Baisonqor, one of the best calligraphists of the time. The Sahib-al Zaman Pulpit is in the Maqsureh porch and it was built in 1243 with walnut wood and without using any iron or nail. This Masjid has a public library with 34,650 volumes. MUSEUM OF QURAAN IN THE HARAM OF THE RAUZA OF IMAM REDHA A.S. One should not miss the opportunity to visit this museum. It has pages of the Quran written by hand by Imam Ali A.S., Imam Zainul Abedeen A.S. and other Imams. LUNCH AS A GUEST OF IMAM REDHA A.S. You may not get this opportunity again. You should take your passport and go to the office of the Pilgrims which is situated in the Haram of Imam Redha’s A.S. They will mark your passport and give you a ticket for the meal. At this restaurant they feed about 4000 Zuwar each day. Thousands of Iranians have to wait for years before they get a chance to have a meal at this restaurant. They serve you a very large portion of rice, curry and bread. At the entrance you will find hundreds of Iranian begging you to bring them some food (Niaz) from the restaurant. We suggest you take a few zip lock bags with you and put the food in it. When you come out you can distribute them to the people waiting for this once in a lifetime “Tabaruk” but you must be very careful because they will jump on you like bees. There are many Ziyarat around Mashad and you should try and visit them all. TOMB OF IMAMZADA SULTAN AHMED A.S. TOMB OF KHWAJA ABU SALT HARVI R.A. He was a good friend of Imam Redha A.S. When the Imam was poisoned by Mamoon and was laying on his deathbed, the Imam said his last Vasiyat (Will) to Abu Salt. TOMB OF KHAJEH RABIEE R.A. Rabiee bin Haytham known as Khajeh Rabiee was famous for his piety. His tomb is in the middle of a garden with a very high dome. Its construction dates back to the 11th century and is considered a Safavid monument. It was one of the most important buildings of Shah Abbas period in Khorasan. There are two inscriptions written by Ali Ridha Abbasi inside the shrine. The shrine is located at the end of Khajeh Rabiee Avenue and one of the great public cemeteries of Mashad lies next to his tomb. He died in 63 H. TOMB OF KHWAJA MORAD R.A. His tomb is about 14 km in southeast Mashad on the outskirts of Binalood Mountains. His actual name is Herthameh bin Ayn and was a disciple of Imam Redha A.S. He died in 21 H. MUSEUM OF FERDOWSI Abul Qasim Ferdowsi (died 411 H) was the greatest epic poet who composed Shahnameh (poetry) and took 30 years to complete. It weighs about 73 kilograms. His shrine is located 22km northwest of Mashad. The monument is surrounded by a beautiful garden and was completed in 1968 AD. It is believed that Imam Redha A.S., while on his way to Tous in the 9th century made a stop here and delivered a speech to the audience who had gathered to welcome him to Neishapur. It is narrated that he said his Salaat on a slab of stone and left his footprints on the slab, which is now mounted on the wall. There is also spring water coming out from the rocks and is said to be a Miracle of our Imam where people drink the water in a special bowl for Shafa. TOMB OF ATTR He was a poet. TOMB OF KAMAL-AL-MULK He was also a great artist. TOMB OF OMAR KHAYYAM He was an astronomical mathematician and a famous poet. His work is well known in the Muslim world. RAUZA OF SAYYED IBRAHIM A.S. He was the brother of Imam Redha A.S. and was also executed by a Bani Abbasi representative. TOUR OF NEISHAPUR CITY SHIRAZ – SHAH CHIRAGH A.S. The Rauza of Shah Chiragh A.S. the brother of Imam Redha A.S. is in Shiraz. If you plan to visit then this place you have to add 2 to 3 extra days to your itinerary. SHOPPING GUIDE IN THE MIDDLE EAST In the Middle East bargaining is customary and you should be able to bring down the price by 25 to 30% except for gold jewelry. The price of gold is almost the same through out the world except for labor cost. Jewelry manufactured in Shri Lanka will be cheaper than those manufactured in Saudi Arabia. IRAN From the famous Bazar-e-Redha in Mashad adjacent to the Rauza of Imam Redha A.S. you can buy Tasbih, Janamaz, rings and Jewellery with Aqeeq and Feeroza stones. The best Feeroza is from Neishapur. Do not forget to buy rings and Taweez of EER-ZE-JAWAD.