Masjid al-Kufa
According to Qu'ran ahadith, the city of Kufah is one of the most dignified cities. This city in which you are walking is the same city Imam Ali (a) held his governemnt for years. There are two primary places you will visit in Kufah Masjid al-Kufah and Masjid al-Sahlah. Masjid Kufah is where the Imam Mahdi (aj) will establish his government when he returns, and his home will be in Masjid al-Sahlah.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
وَٱلتِّينِ وَٱلزَّيْتُونِ ١
وَطُورِ سِينِينَ ٢
وَهَـٰذَا ٱلْبَلَدِ ٱلْأَمِينِ ٣
Prophet Muhammad (s) said: ''Certainly, Allah, the Exalted, has selected four cities among others, mentioning this about them: the fig is Madinah (Saudi Arabia), the oilve is Jerusalem, Mount Sinai is Kufah, and the secure city is Makkah.''
The importance of Masjid al-Kufah
Prophet Muhammad (s) said ''Masjid al-Kufah will intercede for whoever has offered a two raka'at prayer in it on the Day of Judgement.''
Imam Ali (a) has said ''Do not pack your bags to go anywhere unless it is to these masajid: Masjid al-Haram, Masjid al-Nabi, and Masjid Kufa. Certainly, this masjid of yours (Masjid al-Kufah) is one of the four masajid that Allah has picked for his people. Never abandon it. Seek closeness to Allah by praying in it. To recieve anwsers to your du'as, pray in it. If people knew what blessings it holds, they would rush towards it from all corners of the earth, even if they had to crawl on the ground in the snow. Then Imam Ali (a) placed his holy hand on his chest and said, No grieved person will pray for his request in it except that Allah will anwser his call and remove his sorrow.''
Imam Sadiq (a) said ''How great is Masjid al-Kufah! Thousands of Prophets and thousands of their successors have prayed in it! Certainly, one obligatory prayer in Masjid al-Kufah is equal to 1,000 prayers, and one mustahad prayer is equal to 500 prayers. Even sitting in it without reciting anything is considered worship. Performing one set of individual prayers in Masjid al-Kufah is better than performing 70 congregational prayers in other masajid. Whoever offers a two raka'at prayer in Masjid al-Kufah and in every rak'ah, after reciting Surah al-Hamd, recites Surah an-Nas, al-Falaq, al-Ikhlas, al-Kafirun, an-Nasr, al-A'ala and al-Qadr, and then asks for his or her hajat (wishes), the Almighty will answer all of his needs and requests, insha'Allah!''
Masjid al-Kufah was built by Prophet Adam (a). The structure of the masjid was much larger than it is today. This masjid is so valuable that the Imams (a) wanted to show their followers its original vicinity so that they could benefit from its blessings. One day, to show the people how vast the original masjid, Imam Ali (a) stood infront of the door and shot and arrow that landed amongst the date sellers, who were standing further away from the masjid. The Imam (a) then stated that was the original boundary of the masjid and then said ''Today, the masjid has been reduced in size.'' Hudhayfa Ibn Yaman has said that the original masjid was reduced by 12,000 dhira' (18,000 square feet or 5,486 square meters). Mufaddal narrates ''I was passing through the bazaar with Imam Sadiq (a). As we passed the saddle shops and reached the oil shops, he dismounted his horse and said: Come down! This is the beginning of the original Masjid al-Kufah which Prophet Adam (a) had constructed. It is not good to enter (the masjid) on a horse.
Door of the serpant Masjid al-Kufa
Imam Sadiq (a) narrates ''One day, Imam Ali Amir al Muminin (a) was sitting on the minbar in Masjid al-Kufah, delivering a sermon, when a serpent appeared from the back of the Masjid. People began throwing stones and shoes to scare it away, when the Imam said, ''Leave him. He has a purpose to fulfill.'' The serpent headed towards the minbar and climbed up to the Imam. He whispered something in his ear and then slithered away. The people asked, ''O Amir al-Muminin, can you please inform us about what the serpent said?''
Imam Ali (a) said, ''Yes. He was a messenger from the Jinns. He said, 'I am the messenger of the Jinns to you. The Jinns said that if the humans loved you the way we love you, and obeyed you the way we obey you, Allah would send any humans to hellfire.''
After this miracle, this gate became known as Bab al-Thuban (Door of the serpent). When Mu'awiyah heard about this incident, he became very jealous. So, to distract the people from this miracle, he tied an elephant to the gate, and it soon became known as Bbab al-Fil (Door of the elephant). However, the gate has been restored to its original name (The Serpent Door).
Tha A'mal of Majid al-Kufah
The a'mal of Masjid al-Kufah consists of offering several prayers in 12 different spots throughout the masjid, as indicated on the map. While performing the a'mal, keep in mind that all of the Prophets have also prayed where you are praying. Thus, these are sacred and holy spots.
Maqam of Prophet Ibrahim (a)
Prophet Ibrahim (a) was born near Kufah and lived here for a while. he also used to worship in Masjid al-Kufah; thus, this pillar has been named after him. Offer a two rak'at prayer (reciting Surah al-Fatihah and Qadr in both rak'at) and another two rak'at prayer (reciting Surah al-Fatihah and Qadr in both raka'at). Then, recite a tasbih of Fatimah az-Zahra and a Du'a.
Maqam of Hadrat Khidr (a)
One day, Imam Ali (a)was praying in this spot and praising Masjid al-Kufah. One of the virtues he mentioned is that Hadrat Khidr has prayed in this masjid. No specific A'mal has been recommended for this maqam. However, one can offer a two rak'at prayer of hajat (wishes) that can also be performed in any other place in the Masjid.
Dakkat al-Qada (Seat of judgement)
Dakkat al-Qada is the place where Imam Ali (a) used to issue judgements. offer a two raka'at prayer here, followed by a tasbih and Du'a. Dakkat al-Qada was a shop-like structure in which there was a seat that was used by Imam Ali (a) for judging. Next to it a short pillar in which the following holy verses written on it 'Surely, Allah enjoins justice and kindness.' Surah Nahl verse 90.
Bayt al-Tasht (House of the Washtub)
Bayt al-Tasht is a place where a miracle of Imam Ali (a) took place. There was a girl who had taken a bath in the river, and a leech entered her body and began sucking her blood. The leech slowly grew, causing her stomach to expand. The people began thinking she was carrying a child and wanted Imam Ali (a) to punish her for this. However, the Imam (a) instead ordered the people to set up a tent next to Dakkat al-Qada, and he called a midwife to examine the girl. After the examination, the woman concluded, ''This girl is with child.'' To prove her innocence, the Imam (a) ordered a washtub full of muddy water to be brought and asked the girl to sit in the tub. When the leech smelled the muddy water, it came out of the girl. Through this miracle, the Imam (a) was able to prove her innocence.
Safinatun Nuh (Ark of Prophet Nuh (a))
This site is known as Safinat Nuh (The Ark of Noah). It used to look like a cellar in the middle of the masjid, along with a mihrab. According to narrations, this is where Prophet Nuh (a) built his ship. In addition, the water started bubbling up from the tanoor (underground over) over here, and this is also where the ship docked.
Dakkat al-Mi'raj (Seat of Mi'raj)
Prophet Muhammad (s) was ascending to the heavens during Mi'raj. Jibra'il asked him ''Do you know where you are right now? At this moment, you are infront of Masjid al-Kufah.'' The Prophet (s) replied, ''Please ask permission from Allah that I may offer a two raka'at prayer here. The Prophet (s) then came down and prayed in Masjid al-Kufah. Near the center of the Masjid is where this place is found.
Maqam of Prophet Adam (a)
The seventh pillar of Masjid al-Kufah is known as Maqam Prophet Adam (a). This is the site where Allah accepted the tawbah (repentance) of Prophet Adam (a), as the Qur'an mentions ''Then Adam recieved certain words from his lord, and he turned to Him repentant. Surely, He is the Most Clement (accepting repentance), the Most Merciful.'' Surah al-Baqarah, verse 37. In numerous narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (a), Prophet Adam (a) intereced through the names of the five best creations: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hassan, and Hussain peace be upon them. It was through these names that Allah forgave him. It has been narrated that every night, 60,000 angels descend upon Masjid Kufa and pray there at the pillar and they will not get another chance to return andpray there again until the Day of Ressurrection because there is such a longline of angels waiting to pray there.
Maqam Jibra'il (Gabriel)
This is the place where Imam Ali (a) said, ''Ask me, ask me, before you lose me! Ask me about the paths of heavens, for surely I know them better than I know the paths of the earth.'' A man in the crowd arose and asked, ''O Amir al-Mu'minin! Where is Jibra'il right now? Imam Ali (a) replied, ''Give me a moment.'' He looked up to the sky to the earth, to the right, and to the left. He then said, ''You, yourself, are Jibra'il!'' Jibra'il said, ''You are right!'' and then took off to the heavens. At this time,youcould hear theloud takbirs of the people. They asked, ''O Amir al-Mu'minin! How did you know this was Jibra'il?'' He replied, ''When I looked towards the seven heavens, seven layers of the earth, the east, and the west and coudn't find him, I knew that this person himself must be Jibra'il!''
Maqam of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a)
Abu Hamzah ath-Thumali narrates ''I was sitting in Masjid al-Kufah when someone entered from Bab al-Hujjah. He smelled pure and was wearing a green amamah, shirt and slippers. He removed his slippers and went to the 7th pillar and said Takbir. I had goosebumps as he recited the most beautiful four raka'at at prayer and du'a. Then, he went intosajdah and recited ''Ya Karim.'' When he picked up his head, I looked closely and realized it was Imam Sajad (a). I kissed his hands and asked, ''Why have you come here?'' He replied, ''To do what you just saw.''
Bab al-Faraj or Maqam of Prophet Nuh (a)
Imam Ridha (a) said Masjid al-Kufah was the house of prophet Nuh (a). If someone enters it even 100 times, Allah willforgive 100 of his sins because he is included in the du'a of Prophet Nuh (a) 71:28. Offer a four raka'at at prayer here in two sets of raka'at.
Mihrab of Shadadah of Imam Ali (a)
This is the mihrab where Imam Ali (a) was struck on the 19th night of Ramadan.
Maqam and Mihrab of Imam Sadiq (a)
Maqam Imam Sadiq (a) is where the Imam (a) prayed and made du'a.
Masjid al-Kufah will intercede for whoever has offered a two raka'at prayer in it on the Day of Judgement.
Rasullah Allah (s) said:
Muslim ibn 'Aqil (a)
Muslim ibn Aqil (a) grew up amongst the youth of Bani Hashim (the family of Prophet Muhhammad s), especially his cousins Imam Hassan (a) and Imam Hussain (a), and learned the traits of sacrifice and bravery from them. He was a noble young man during the time of Amir al-Mu'min Imam Ali (a) and married one of Imam's (a) daughters called Ruqayyah. During the Imamah of Imam Ali (a), Muslim held a position in the Imam's army during the years of 36-40 AH.
When the Kufans sent letters inviting Imam Hussain (a), Imam (a) replied by sending Muslim as his embassador. Eighteen thousand people paid their allegiance to Muslim. However, Ibn Ziyad managed to create mass fear and scatter Muslim's followers by threatening and bribing many of them. Soon Muslim was left all alone in Kufah to the extent that out of 18,000 people, only 30 people were left by Maghrib time, and at night, not even a single remained.
Muslim took ashelter in the house of a believer named Taw'ah. When his his hideout was reported to Ibn Ziyad, he sent his troops to capture he fought bravely until he was captured and taken to Dar al-Imarah a tower (governers court). Here they beheaded him and threw him off the roof of the castle. They sent the heads of Muslim and Hani to Yazid. Muslim ibn 'Aqil was martyred on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, 60AH (day of 'Arafah) and was the first martys of Imam Hussain (a) caravan.
Mukhtar ibn Abi 'Ubaydah al-Thaqafi
Mukhtar al-Thaqafi was born in the first year of Hijrah. He was a young boy during the time of Imam Ali (a), and grew up in his presence. Although he was a devout of Shi'ah, he was unable to participate in the battle of Karbala, as he was imprisoned. Mukhtar was imprisoned twice by Ibn Ziyad. He was first imprisoned on the day of Ashura and again on the day of Tawwabin uprising. After he was released from prison, he launched a campaign to avenge the killing of Imam Hussain (a). After another unsuccessful uprising of the Tawwabin, Mukhtar laid the foundations for the Shi'ah to rise up again. His army was called the Red army and comprised of many other Shi'ah. Mukhtar's army was led by Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar. He knew in order for such a movement to succeed, it would either need to be led by one of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) or at least approved by them.
So, Mukhtar wrote letters to Imam Sajjad (a) and Muhammad ibn Hanafiyya, the son of Imam Ali (a). Imam Sajjad (a) had seen a lack of loyality from the people and knew, based on his father's saying, that these people only wanted the religion as long as it did not negatively interfere with their lives. Therefore, he did not directly anwser the letter. So, Mukhtar went ahead with the uprising and was unable to take revenge. When he sent the head of Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad to the Imam, the Imam fell into sajdah and said ''All praise is for Allah who helped take revenge frommy enemies, and may Allah reward Mukhtar with the best.''
For many years, the public didnot know the exact location of his grave until Allamah Abdul Hussain Tehrani ordered a search of the grave of Mukhtar under the supervision of of Allamah Sayed Mahdi Bahr al-Ulum. They dug up the eastern side of the old wall of Masjid al-Kufah until they reached a plaque that said '' This is the grave of Mukhtar, son of Abi 'Ubaydah al-Thaqafi''.
Hani ibn 'Urwah
Hani ibn 'Urwah was a close companion of Amir al-Mu'minin (a) and among the elders of Kufah, who was in charge of the Bani Murad tribe. When Muslim ibn 'Aqil came to Kufah, he stayed with Hani, who helped him gather weapons and an army. When 'Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad began searching for Muslim and found out that he was hiding in Hani's house, he became very angry and asked for Hani.
Hani eventually confessed to housing Muslim, but refused to turn him in. Ibn Ziyad struck his head and face with his cane, breaking his nose. Even though Hani was the respected leader of his tribe, they dragged him accross the floor, and ultimately, Hani ibn 'Urwah was beheaded on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, 60 AH, along with Muslim ibn 'Aqil. The news of their martydom reached Imam Hussain (a) as he was headed with his caravan.
''Giving one dirham of charity in Kufah is equal to giving 100 dirhams outside of Kufah, and two raka'at of prayer offered in Kufah are equal to 100 raka'at outside Kufah.''
Imam Sadiq (a):
There will be no believer left in the west or the east, except that his soul will be taken to Wadi as-Salam.
Imam Sadiq (a):
''A time will arrive when Masjid al-Kufah will become the worshipping place of Imam al-Mahdi (aj) from my progeny, and the worshipping place of every believer. There will not be a believer left in this world except that he or she has come to this masjid, or his or her heart yearning for this masjid.''
Imam Ali (a):
''When the Qa'im Imam Mahdi (aj) appears, a masjid will be built for him behind Kufah that contains 1,000 doors, and the houses of Kufah will be extended so far that it will reach the Euphrates river in Karbala.''
Imam Sadiq (a):
Maytham al-Tammar
Maytham, the son of Yahya was a slave from the Bani Asad tribe in the land of Nihrawan. Some also consider him to be Iranian. Amir al-Mu'minin Imam Ali (a) purchased and set him free. He was given the title al-Tammar, which means the one who sells dates, as this was his job. When Imam Ali (a) asked him for his name, he replied ''Salim''. The Imam (a) then told him ''The Noble Prophet (s) has told me that your real name is Maytham (the name given to you by your parents). Maytham replied ''The Noble Prophet (s) and Imam Ali (a) speaks the truth my name is Maytham''. Then Imam Ali (a) replied ''Indeed, your original name is better for you''.
Maytham was among the special companions of Imam Ali (a) and learned many things based on his capacity. The Imam (a) also informed him of many secrets and hidden realities, as well as future events to the point that even Ibn 'Abbas took lessons from Maytham. Maytham was imprisoned by Ibn Ziyad at the same time as Mukhtar Thaqafi. Sheikh al-Muffid writes ''Maytham told Mukhtar in prison, 'You will rise up to seek revenge for Hussain Ibn Ali (a) and will this person who wants to kill you now.'' When Ibn Ziyad was about to kill Mukhtar, he recieved a letter from Yazid to set Mukhtar free.
One day Imam Ali (a) called Maytham and asked him, ''O Maytham! If Ibn Ziyad summons you and asks you to abondon me, what will you do?'' Maytahm replied ''O Amir al-Mu'minin (a) I will never abondon or disassociate from you''. The Imam (a) said ''They will kill you and hang you from your date palm.'' He said ''I will be patient.'' Imam Ali (a) said ''In this case, you will be with me in the hereafter.''
Many historians have reported that Imam Ali (a) told Maytham how he would be martyred. Imam Ali said ''Once I am gone,they willcapture you and hang you. On the third day, blood will flow from your nose and mouth and will dye your beard, you will be among those ten people who will be hung from Amir ibn Harith's house. Then, the Imam (a) actually showed him the palm tree and said you willbe hung from this tree.'' After the martydom of Imam Ali (a), Maytham used to come by that palm tree and would pray and talk to the tree. He would tell Amr ibn Harith ''Soon, I will be your neighbour. Be a good neighbor for me.'' Amr didn't know what he was talking about and asked him, ''Do you want to buy Ibn Mas'ud's house or Ibn Hakim?''
Maytham performed Hajj during his last year of life, and went to visit Umm Salamah in Madinah. When he asked for news of Imam Hussain (a), she told him ''I have heard the Noble Prophet (s) mention you to Amir al-Mu'minin (a) many times, and Imam Hussain (a) would mention you a lot as well.''
When Maytham returned to Kufah, Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad captured him. This was 10 days before Imam Hussain (a) entered the land of Karbala. He asked Maytham ''Where is your Allah?'' Maytham replied ''He is on the watch for the oppressors, and you are one of them.'' Finally he was hung just as Imam Ali (a) had foretold but even as they hung him he would not stop praising Ahl al-Bayt (a) or stop mentioning the evil conduct of Bani Ummayah. Therefore Ibn Ziyad ordered his men to cut off his tongue and kill him. He was the first Muslim to be martyred in such a manner.
The home of Imam Ali (a)
When Imam Ali (a) moved to Kufah and decided to establish his government headquarters there, he needed a place to live. His followers encouraged him tolive in Dar al-Imarah, which was a large, luxurious castle in which all the rulers would live. However, Imam Ali (a) refused. He looked toward the castle and said that whoever lived in this place would have a bad ending. Sure enough, after him Dar al-Imarah was cursed. Those who lived there were killed or humiliated. Instead, the Imam (a) built five rooms for his children, and their families. This is the home that we see today.
The people objected to this and asked him why he chose to live in such a simple dwelling. He told them to go search in Kufah. If they were to find a home that was smaller than his, then he would be to blame for living in a home larger than the average person. However, if all the homes in Kufah were larger than his, then he would build a bigger home. The size of Imam Ali (a) home was equivalent to the average home size of the poor individuals of Kufah. As Imam, he knew that his duty was to live the same level as the lowest class, so that they never felt their Imam was unreachable. From this, we learn an important lesson. If we want to have a better connection with Allah, the size of our homes is irrelevant, as long as our Taqwa is ever-increasing.
The Imam's home was right next to Masjid al-Kufah, and this is where he would establish his prayers everyday until he was martyred in this very masjid. The home of Imam also contains a well, from which many za'irin (visitors) seek blessings. Although it was a customary for people to have wells in their homes, this well is special because the Imam (a) dug it himself. He used to perform wudu from this well. Moreover, his ghusl al mayyit (washing of the dead) was performed with the water from this well. The well now connects with pipes to the fountains found behind his house.
Masjid Sa'sa'ah ibn Sawhan & Masjid Zayd ibn Sawhan
Sawhan was a famous companion a famous companion of Imam (a). A look at the life of Sawhan and his sons depicts a clear picture of obedience and devotion to Imam Ali (a). Sawhan had four sons who were allamong the loyal companions of Amir al-Mu'minin (a) named Zayd, Sa'sa'ah, 'Abdullah and Sayhan.
Sawhan was a jew who lived in Khaybar upon witnessing the Imam (a) lift the gate during the Battle of Khaybar, his son, Sa'sa'ah was amazed and embraced Islam. Sawhan became very upset by this and said ''O my son! He is only able to lift the gate because he is a magician!'' Still Sa'sa'ah knew the truth and became a loyal companion of the Imam (a).
Sa'sa'ah asked, ''O Father, what has made you accept Islam now?'' His father replied '' When I saw his miracle at Khaybar, I thought he was a magician but now that I have seen him stay silent, despite his great strength and power, in order to defend the truth, it is clear to methat he is the true leader. All the signs in our book clearly apply to him.''
The destruction of Dar al-Imarah
Dar al-Imarah, the governor's court was built by Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas in the year 17AH. It is the oldest islamic structure in Iraq after building the Majid al-Kufah. Some of its original pillars and walls still remain today. Muslim ibn 'Aqil was martyred in this castle, and the holy heads of Imam Hussain (a) and the martyrs were displayed here as well.
Later, after Mukhtar's uprising, the heads of the killers of Imam Hussain (a) and his progeny were displayed here. This castle is an excellent example for those who reflect as the Qur'an mentions in ''So take a lesson, O you who have insight'' (59:22).
When Mos'ab ibn Zubayr martyred Mukhtar 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan came to Iraq and defeated him he took over the Dar al-Imarah. When they presented the head of Mos'ab tohim, a man named Abu Muslim Nakha'i stood and said to 'Abd al-malik ''I was in this Dar al-Imarah when the head of Imam Hussain (a) was presented to Ibn Ziyad, after some time the head of Ibn Ziyad was presented to Mukhtar and later I saw Mukhtar's head presented to Mos'ab, and now I see Mos'ab head presented to you!'' When 'Abd al-Malik heard of this irony, he became frightened and ordered for Dar al-Amarah to be destroyed.
