Ziyarat

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Masjid al-Aqsa, built near the spot from whence legend holds Muhammad is to have ascended to the heavens; Jerusalem
Masjid al-Aqsa, built near the spot from whence legend holds Muhammad is to have ascended to the heavens; Jerusalem

Ziyarat is a pilgrimage to sites associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, or other venerated figures in Islamic history, such as Shi'a imams or Sufi saints. It literally means 'meeting'. Sites of pilgrimage include mosques, graves, battlefields, mountains, and caves.

Iranian Muslims use the word ziyarat for both the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and pilgrimages to other sites. Such sites are called Ziyaratgaah. The exact meaning of the term, or related terms, in other Muslim-majority countries is not clear.

The lesser pilgrimages are not required of Muslims; only the Hajj is required. However, the lesser pilgrimages have often been the only pilgrimage available to many Muslims. Some Muslims believe incorrectly that if they cannot do the Hajj, a ziyarat to a celebrated shrine can substitute for the Hajj. Hence local ziyarat is sometimes called the poor man's Hajj[citation needed]

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"Ziyarat" comes from the Arabic word "zur" meaning "to visit". The word is actually pronounced "ziyarah" with a silent 't' at the end but as Arabic is not the first language of most Muslims, the word is commonly pronounced "ziyarat" rather than "ziyarah". It can also be transliterated from Arabic as "ziarah".

Pilgrimage sites are associated with the lives of Muhammad, his family, and his companions, or with the Shi'a Muslim imams and their families, or with various Sufi saints.

Different Muslim-majority countries, speaking different languages, use different words for these sites.

Sufi places of worship and retreat may be built near the graves of famous Sufi saints; they are often called khanqahs or tekkes.

The historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif
The historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif

 This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can (June 2007).

The Ziyarat sites in India are owned and maintained by the waqf Boards of the respective states in which they are located.

The dargah of Khwaja Nizamuddin Awliya, Delhi.

The dargah of Salim Chisti, through the Buland Darwaza.

The dargah and mosque of Haji Ali

Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization lists several hundred "ziyarat-gah" or places of pilgrimage in which a sage, Sufi, Imamzadeh, or Imam were buried in Iran. Some of the more popular ones include:

Imam Reza shrine, the biggest and holiest shrine of Iran which is visited by 12 to 15 million pilgrims every year.

Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, one of Iran's holiest places. The shrine complex includes dozens of seminaries and religious schools.

The shrine of Shah-Abdol-Azim is in the city of Rayy. The mausoleum of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Imam Reza's brother, and that of Imamzadeh Tahir, son of Imam Sajjad, are adjacent to this holy shrine.

Inside Imamzadeh Saleh in Tehran

Shazdeh Hosein shrine, Qazvin

Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Mahshahr-Hendijan, Khuzestan.

Shrine of Sheikh Shebeli, Damavand.

Sheikh Safi's tomb, Ardabil.

Masjid al-Aqsa
Masjid al-Aqsa
  • Masjid al-Aqsa, built over the spot where Muhammad is said to have prayed before he ascended to the heavens; Jerusalem
  • Masjid Sakhra (Dome of the Rock), built over the rock from whence legend holds Muhammad is to have ascended to the heavens; Jerusalem
  • Tomb of Bibi Maryam, the mother of Prophet Isa, Jerusalem
  • The Cave of Prophets (ghar al-anbiya), between Jerusalem and Damascus
  • Tomb of Prophet Ezra, between Jerusalem and Damascus
  • Tomb of Prophet Moses, 10 miles from Jerusalem
  • Tomb of Prophet Abraham, Hebron
  • Tomb of Sarah, wife of Prophet Abraham and mother of Prophet Isaac, Hebron
  • Tomb of Prophet Isaac, son of Prophet Abraham, Hebron
  • Tomb of Rifka, wife of Prophet Isaac, Hebron
  • Tomb of Prophet Jacob, son of Prophet Isaac, Hebron
  • Tomb of Lanika, wife of Prophet Jacob, Hebron
  • Tomb of Prophet Joseph, son of Prophet Jacob, Hebron

Data Durbar Complex. Close-up of the grave.
Data Durbar Complex. Close-up of the grave.

  • Prophet's Mosque in Medina; Muhammad is buried there.
  • Hira, the cave where the angel Gabriel is said to have first visited Muhammad.
  • Baqi cemetery, where the wives and companions of Muhammad are buried.

Rumi's tomb in Konya, Turkey
Rumi's tomb in Konya, Turkey

Some Sunni groups believe that many kinds of ziyarat should be classified as shirk, or idolatry, and bid'ah, or innovation. In many cases, such Muslims who have achieved political power over a country or a region have used that power to prevent ziyarat and even to destroy pilgrimage sites.

The government of Saudi Arabia, as the Guardian of the Two Holy Shrines, attempts to prevent Shi'a and Sufi Muslims from performing ziyarat while they are visiting Mecca and Medina during the Hajj. One popular pilgrimage site, the Baqi Cemetery, is surrounded by large billboards proclaiming the sinfulness of shirk and grave-worshipping. Visitors are advised to visit the cemetery only to remind themselves of death and the transitory nature of life.

Apparently there is a folk belief in South Asia that passing through the gate of the Dargah of Khwaja Sahib seven times is equivalent to doing the Hajj. According to the Tribune of India:

"The “zannati darwaja” is opened only four times in a year during Khawaja’s Urs, on Id-ul-Fitar, Sixth of Id and Bakrid. It is considered by faithfuls that one who passes through the “zannati darwaja” gets his seat reserved in “Zannat” (heaven) after death. Moreover seven rounds of the “Darwaja” gives “sawab” equal to Haj pilgrim. Those who cannot afford to go for Haj come here when the “darwaja” traditionally remains open and pass through it seven times. This is called poor men’s Haj." [1]

  • Privratsky, Bruce G. Muslim Turkistan: Kazak Religion and Collective Memory. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. 2001.
  • Subtelny, M. E. 1989. The cult of holy places: religious practices among Soviet Muslims. Middle East Journal, 43(4): 593–604.

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