Shrines - Religious Shrines - Islam

Islam

Throughout parts of the Islamic world there has developed a deep cultural tradition of shrine veneration. Although Salafi and Wahabbi Muslims believe it is forbidden to worship or engage in acts of worship surrounding graves, the belief in 'Tawasul' or intercession of the deceased pious person (Sufi/Wali) among Shia and Sufi Muslims is widespread. For these groups, shrines hold a notable position and considered as places to seek spiritual guidance. Most venerated shrines are dedicated to various Sufi Saints and are widely scattered throughout the Islamic world. For them it is seen as a tradition to commemorate the death of the Saint, by holding festivals at his tomb to commemorate his life. In several countries, the local shrine is a focal point of the community, with several localities named specifically for the local saint.

In some parts of the Islamic world, such as in Pakistan, these festivals are multi-day events and even draw members of the Hindu and Christian minority who often revere the Muslim saint, such as in the case of the famous Lal Baz Qalandar shrine in Sindh, Pakistan – an important example of religious syncretism that blurs the distinction between members of different religions. Sufi shrines in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan are also host to a night of commemoration by Mehfil Samaaa (Qawali) and 'Zikr' every Thursday. Some academics assert that such practices were influenced by Hinduism long ago when Muslims and Hindus co-existed in the sub-continent.

In Turkey, the famous Sufi Whirling Dervishes perform their whirling at the shrine of Jalal-ud-Din Rumi in Konya, while in Morocco and Algeria, brotherhoods of Black African Sufis, the Gnouia, perform elaborate songs at the shrines of their Saints.

Numerous shrines were once located in Saudi Arabia in its initial days. However, due to the revival of Islamic orthodoxy by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (strongly clinging to the Hadith texts and Quran) against developed cultural practices they were destroyed by local authorities who identified them as sources of Shirk and of being reprehensible innovations in Islam or 'Bid‘ah'. Other important Shrines were once found in Central Asia, but many were destroyed by the Soviets.

Shia's have several shrines dedicated to various religious figures important in their history, and several elaborate shrines are dedicated to Shia Saints and religious figures, most notably in Kerbala, Najaf, and Samarra in Iraq, and Qum and Mashad in Iran. Other important Shia shrines are located in Mazar-e-Sharif ("the Noble Shrine") in Afghanistan, and in Damascus, Syria.