Masshad

Masshad is a city in the northeast Iran and second biggest and most populous city after Tehran. It is mostly known as a religious city as it is centered on the vast shrine of Holy shrine of Imam Ali Raza AS, the eight Imam of the infallible household of the Holy Prophet Mohammad PBUH. Shia muslims visit Masshad all round the year, particularly many pilgrims visit Masshad on the eve of Ashura and Arbaeen (the 40th day mark of martyrdom of Imam Hussain AS).

We found Masshad a very beautiful and very well maintained city. We stayed in a hotel near the Holy Shrine. The Shrine of Imam Ali Raza AS is magnificent in every way possible. Let it be architecture, the spirituality there or the efficiency with which the whole shrine is managed. The checking procedure of masshad was the strictest. It is better to take minimal things or be mentally prepared for a long checking process. The holy shine has 9 vast courtyards. Every courtyard has a golden mesh famous for their healing powers. The famous Goharshaad mosque is adjacent Imam’s tomb. Many scholars are also buried in this shrine, most famous being Sheikh Bahai.

A miracle of this shrine is that it is always crowded. We were many a times baffled because even at 3am the courtyards of this shrine was packed with people that we struggled to find a place to pray. It is very advisable to remember the names of the courtyard that one enters or leaves from because many people have told us their struggle about finding their way out. The shrine’s vastness is in no way exaggerated rather understated. In order to reach the zari of Imam Raza, the management of the shrine has introduced a system of queues so that everyone could get a chance to reach the zari for it would be almost impossible to do so for the old, weak or a child due to the immense crowd that would rush to reach the zari. The basement of this shrine is also open for pilgrims. The basement area is available for modest nikkah ceremonies.

A five day stay there was gave us sufficient time to benefit from the spirituality there. We were also able to explore the vast shrine and recite Fatiha for those who were lucky enough to get buried near the Infallible Imam.