1. Iraq Ziyarats 101 Labbaik Ya Hussain!!! Prepared by: Ali Aga

2. Importance of Ziyarat
“My son! If someone visits me whilst I am alive or dead, or visits your father, your brother or yourself, it becomes WAJIB on me to visit him/her on the day of Qiyamat and rescue him/her from his/her sins.”
- Prophet (SAW) to Imam Hussain (AS)

3. Preparation for Ziyarat

4. Pre-Ziyarat preparation
Start learning about the personalities you are to visit
Make sure will is in order
Familiarize yourself with the Ziyarat and Duas
Get into the habit of reciting Salatul Layl
Ensure khums is up to date
Find out the weather and take appropriate measures
Call relatives and friends. Ask for forgiveness and any particular requests

5. List of things to take for the trip
General
Prayer mat
Travel mug, alarm clock & travel kettle
Dua books
Shoe bag for for haram
Small bag you can wear under your jilbaab for your money/passport
Toiletries
iPods for bus trip (not allowed inside the haram)
Clothes
Jumper or fleece like jacket (preferably in hand luggage) and abaya
Some comfy shoes/trainers for when you go for Ziyarat
Some flipflops for when you go to haram
Medicines
Paracetamol
Lemsip
Tunes
Rennies
Imodium
Chapstick/Vaseline
Glucose/dextrose tablets or orovite
First aid kit
Food
Snacks
Biscuits
Toast
Soup packets etc.
One meal in hand luggage for consumption on arrival
Charity
There is a lot of poverty in Iraq – besides funds, clothes and medicines are appreciated.
You may want to take sweets for the children.

6. Remember Before departure Packing done Take out sadaqa
Write instructions for those left behind
Phone organizer to ensure there are no last minute hitches
Update list of Marhumeen
Ensure all affairs are in order Fast for 3 days
Day of departure
Perform ghusl
Recite dua before leaving home

7. FYI - General Ruling
A traveler has the option of praying qasr or full salat in the following places:
Masjid ul-Haram and in the city of Makka
Masjid un-Nabawi and in the city of Madina
Masjid-e-Kufa
Haram of Imam Hussain (as) in Karbala

8. Iraq Ziyarats

9. Places of Ziyarats in Iraq
Najaf*
90 km from Karbala and 160 km from Baghdad
Kufa
170 km from Baghdad, 10 km NE of Najaf
Karbala
Kadhmain (close to Baghdad*)
Samarra
Balad
Hilla
*Airports

10. Imams (as) buried in Iraq
Hussain (as)
Ali (as)
Ali Naqi (as)
Moosa Kazim (as)
Hasan Askari (as)
Mohammad Taqi (as)

11. Najaf
Imam Ali (as)

12. Najaf
Renowned as the site of the shrine (haram) of Imam Ali (as)
“Najaf” means “place that is hard for water to reach” (on high ground)
City of Madressas for Ulemas, ~25 religious schools in Najaf
Many renowned Ulemas like Ayatullah Burujardi, Ayatullah Mohsin Hakim, Ayatullah Khoei are buried in and around the Holy Haram of Imam Ali (as)
~125 mosques in total
It has been narrated that there was a huge mountain where the city of Najaf is now which son of Prophet Nooh(as) got on thinking it would save him from drowning. The mountain fell to pieces and an ocean gushed out. This ocean was called NAY. After several years the ocean dried up and the place was then called NAY-JAFF (Dry Ocean). Later it came to be known as NAJAF.

13. Some historical dates
139 AH/ 756 AD
Grave of Imam Ali (as) first discovered by Dawud bin Ali al-Abbasi.
170 AH/ 786 AD
Harun Al-Rashid found it around whilst on a hunting trip.
448 AH/ 1056 AD
Islamic seminary (hawza) founded by Sheikh Tusi

14. Haram of Imam Ali (as) Three graves in the zareeh - Imam Ali(as)
Prophet Adam (as)
Prophet Nuh (as)
Many Scholars are buried in the sahan, including-
Shaikh Tusi (ar)
Allamah Hilli (ar)
Muqaddas-e-Ardebeli (ar)
Shaikh Murtaza Ansari (ar)

15. Shaikh Tusi (ar) - Shaykhu't Tã'ifa
Born 385 AH (Tus, Iran)
Died 460 AH/ 1067 AD (Najaf)
Early years spent in Tus, learnt from father (great A'lim of his time)
408 AH/ 1017 AD - moved to Baghdad and became a student of Shaykh Mufeed
When Shaykh Mufeed died he studied under Syed Murtadha
Syed Murtadha's star student
436 AH - became Marja' after the death of Syed Murtadha
Author of two of the four main books of Ahadith –
Al-Istibsãr
Al-Tahdhib

16. FYI Two great Ulema bear the title TUSI -
Shaikh Tusi (ar) - Shaykhu't Tã'ifa and
Khwaja Nasiruddin Al-Tusi (ar)
They are unrelated but were both born in the Iranian city of Tus
There is a difference of approx. 200 years between their eras

17. Allama Hilli (ar) Nephew and student of Muhaqqiq e Hilli for Fiqh
Born 648 AH (Hilla)
Died 726 AH (Najaf)
Nephew and student of Muhaqqiq e Hilli for Fiqh
Proceeded to study from other masters of his era, including Khwaja Nasiruddin Tusi who taught him Philosophy and Logic
Later, sat with the Sunni Scholars to study their Fiqh
Attained position of mujtahid at the age of years

18. Muqaddas-e-Ardebeli (ar)
Died 993 AH (Najaf)
From Ardabil
Known for his piety thus the title Muqaddas
Also known as Muhaqqiq Ardabili (investigator of Ardabil)

19. Shaikh Murtada Ansaari (ar)
Born 1214 AH
Died 1281 AH (Najaf)
Descendent of Jabir b. Abdullah Ansari (ar)
In 1249 AH took up permanent residence in Najaf and started his own classes
Famous for memory and speedy resolution of intellectual problems
Two great works, ‘Rasail’ and ‘Makasib’ are a major part of the curriculum in modern Hawzas
Known as ‘Khatimul Fuqaha Wal Mujtahideen’

20. Wadi-us-Salaam
It is said that 370 Prophets and 600 successors are buried in Najaf
Graves of Prophet Saleh (as) & Prophet Hud (as)
Maqam of –
Imam Sajjad (as)
Imam Mahdi (as)
Imam Sadiq (as)

21. Some famous personalities buried in Najaf
Ayatullah Mirza Sayyid Mohammad Hasan ibn Mahmud Shirazi (ar) -
Mirza Shirazi Buzurg
1230 A.H. to
1312 A.H.
Opposition to British tobacco
Sayyid Mohsin ibn Mahdi Tabataba’I Al-Hakim (ar)
1306 A.H. to
1390 A.H. (1970)
Marja’e taqleed after Ayatulla Burujardi
Ayatullah Syed Abul Qasim Al-Khoei (ar)
1317 A.H.(1899) to 1413 (1992)
One of the leading Ulema of Kalam, Rijal and Fiqh
Author of at least 90 different books.
Ayatullah Muhammad Baqir As-Sadr (ar)
1350 A.H. (1931) to 1980
At the age of 15 or 16, wrote an ‘Ghayat al fikr fil usul’

22. Kufa

23. Masjid-e-Kufa One of the oldest mosques built in the 7th century
Place where Prophet Nuh (as) constructed his ark
Praying wajib prayer gets the thawab of accepted Hajj
Praying mustahab prayer, gets the thawab of accepted Umra
More than a 1070 Prophets and their successors have prayed here
Imam-e-Asr (atfs) will come and pray here after his zoohur

24. Other places near/between Najaf & Kufa
Masjid-e-Hannana
Masjid of Rushaid Hajari (ar)
Masjid of Kumail ibn Ziyad (ar)
Masjid of Hani-ibn-Urwah (ar)
Bayt (House) of Ali (as)

25. Masjid-e-Sahla
Historically this masjid has been the house of Prophet Idrees (as), Prophet Ibraheem (as), and Prophet Khidr (as)
Imam Zamana (AF) will make this his residence after zoohur
All Prophets have prayed here and there is a stone which stores the images of all the Prophets
It is said that the heart of every mu’min is inclined towards this mosque
Hajats are fulfilled here
It is recommended to recite Dua Tawassul here on the night of Tuesday

26. Walk – Najaf to Karbala

27. Importance of walking

28. Recommended stops/ milestones
NOTE: There are literally thousands of Moukkab (Camps/Buildings) and you can stay anywhere.

29. Walking notes

30. Belongings

31. Important Notes

32. Karbala
Imam Hussain (as)

33. Karbala

34. Haram of Imam Hussain (as)
At the main entrance of the Haram (Babul Qibla) is grave of Habib-ibn- Mazahir (as)
Inside the main zaree there are graves of –
Imam Hussain (as)
Ali Akbar (as)
Ali Asghar (as)
Next to them is the Ganj-e-Shahida where the martyrs of the family and companions of Imam Husayn (AS) are buried.
Qatlagha - place of martyrdom of Imam Hussain (as)
Ibrahim bin Musa Al-Kadhim (as) - governor of Yemen, grandfather of Syed Murtaza & Syed Radhi (ar)

35. Other Ziyarats in Karbala
Haram of Hazrat Abbas Alamdar (as)
TILL-E-ZAYNABIA - hill facing the haram from where Sayyida Zaynab (sa) witnessed the battle of ‘Ashura
KHAIMAGAH – behind Till-e-Zainabia, place where the tents were pitched
Place of shahdat of Hazrat Ali Akbar (as), Hazrat Ali Asghar (as)
Kafl Abbas - Place where hands of Hazrat Abbas (as) were severed

36. Some Ziyarats near Karbala
Zaree of Aun (as)
few kilometers from Haram of Imam Husain (as)
Shrine of Hur-bin-Yazid ar-Riyahi (ar)
3 miles from Karbala
Shrine of sons of Muslim Bin Aqeel
between Karbala and Kadhmain

37. FYI
It is reported from Imam Sadiq (AS) that it is better not to apply oil or kohl to the eyes or eat meat whilst you are visiting Karbala
It is recommended to be in Karbala on a Thursday night
Under the dome of the haram of Imam Hussain (AS) is a pink stone which is reported to be a place where needs are granted.
To pray one wajib salat in the haram of Imam Hussain (AS) has the thawab of one hajj and one umra.

38. Kadhmain
Imam Moosa Kazim (as)
Imam Mohammad Taqi (as)

39. Kadhmain
It was a Quraysh cemetery outside Baghdad across the bridge where the 7th Imam Musa Kadhim (AS) was buried.
A town grew around the tomb called Kadhmain (meaning the two Kadhims) as the 9th Imam Muhammad Taqi (as) is also buried there

40. Haram of Kadhmain Imams buried in the haram - Imam Moosa Kazim (as)
Imam Mohammad Taqi (as)
Scholars buried in the haram -
Shaikh Mufeed (ar)
Khwaja Nasiruddin Tusi (ar)
Syed Murtaza (ar)
Syed Radhi (ar)
Syed Ismail Safruddin (ar)

41. Samarra
Imam Ali Naqi (as)
Imam Hasan Askari (as)

42. Al-Askari Masjid
Also known as the Golden mosque (attacked in 2006 and 2007)
Buried here are:
Imam Ali Naqi (as)
Imam Hasan Askari (as)
Bibi Hakima Khatoon (sa) - sister of Imam Ali Naqi (as)
Bibi Nargis Khatoon (sa) - mother of Imam Zamana (as)

43. Sardaab This was part of the house of the two Asker Imamayn.
It is said that Imam-e-Zamana (as) went into ghaibat from here

44. Other ziyarats in Iraq Salman Pak Masjid Buratha
15 miles south of Baghdad
Following personalities are there –
Salman-e-Farsi (ar)
Hudhayfa-e-Yamani (ar)
Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari (ar)
Masjid Buratha
On the road between Kadhmain and Baghdad
Mosque belongs to Prophet Isa (as) and used to home on Bibi Mariam (sa)

45. Ziyarats in Baghdad Qambar - The trusted slave of Imam Ali (as)
Four representatives of Imam Zamana (as) during Ghaybat-e-Sughra –
Uthman bin Saeed (ar) ( AH)
Muhammad bin Uthman (ar) ( AH)
Husayn bin Rawh (ar) ( AH)
Ali bin Muhammad Saimury (ar) ( AH)
Mohammad-ibn-Yaqub Al-Kulayni (ar)

46. Labbaik Ya Hussain!!! Please recite Surah Fateha for:
Ashik Hussain Ramzanali Aga
Mohammad Ali Virani
Gul Rukhsha Virani
Nazim Hussain Virani and all marhoomeen.
Labbaik Ya Hussain!!!
Acknowledgements -
Br Altaf Mawani for the pictures
Ziyara Travel Journal (by