Indication of the Location of the Grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)

‘Āmir ibn ‘Abdillāh ibn Judhā’ah Al-Azdi and I were with Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) when ‘Āmir said to the Imam (a.s.), “People believe that the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) was buried in Ruḥbah.” “No,” Imam (a.s.) replied. “So where was he buried?” ‘Āmir asked. Imam (a.s.) replied: After the death of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.), Ḥasan (a.s.) carried him (to an area which is located) behind Kūfah, close to (the sea of) Najaf, to the left side of Gharī, and on the right side of Ḥīrah. He buried (the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)) in some white-coloured gravel. After some time, I (Safwān Al-Jammāl) went to the location (which the Imam (a.s.) had described), and I thought I had found the grave. When I returned, I told the Imam (a.s.) about the location (that I had thought to be the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)). Imam (a.s.) responded, “You were right! You were right! You were right! May Allāh have mercy on you.”

I asked Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.), “Where did you bury the Commander of the Believers (a.s.)?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “We carried him out at night. We passed the mosque of Ash’ath and then moved toward the area behind Gharī.”

One day ‘Umar ibn Yazīd came to me and asked me to accompany him. I joined him and we traveled until we arrived at the house of Ḥafs Al-Kunāsi. ‘Umar ibn Yazīd asked Ḥafs to join us also, and he did. We traveled until we arrived in Gharī. We arrived at a grave, (at which point) ‘Umar (ibn Yazīd) said, “Come down from your sumpters! This is the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).” We asked him, “How do you know this?” ‘Umar replied, “I came here with Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) more than once when he was in Ḥīrah, and he told me that this is the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).”

When Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) was in Ḥīrah, he asked me, “Do you not want that which I promised you?” “Yes,” I replied – he meant going to the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.). Then the Imam rode his sumpter. His son, Ismā’īl, and I accompanied him. We passed Thawiyyah and then stopped between Ḥīrah and Najaf next to some white-coloured gravel. Imam (a.s.) and his son, Ismā’īl, descended their sumpters, so I descended my sumpter. We (all) prayed. Then Imam (a.s.) said to Ismā’īl, “Stand and say Salām to your grandfather, Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.).” So I asked, “May I sacrifice myself for you! Is Ḥusain (a.s.) not in Karbalā?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes. However, when his head was being carried to Shām, one of our servants stole it and buried it next to the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).”

I was with Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) when he passed through (the area) behind Kūfah. He stopped there and prayed two Rak’ah. Then he moved forward a little and prayed another two Rak’ah. Then he moved forward a little further and prayed another two Rak’ah. Then he said, “This is the location of the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.).” “May I sacrifice myself for you! What were the other two locations on which you prayed?” I asked. “The location of the head of Ḥusain (a.s.) and the location of the pulpit of the Qā`im (a.s.),” Imam (a.s.) replied.

Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) said: You shall see two graves when you go to Gharī, a large grave and a small grave. The large grave is the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) and the small grave is where the head of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali (a.s.) was buried.

Once I traveled with Ja’far ibn Muḥammad (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) from Qādisiyyah. When we arrived in Najaf, he said: This is the mountain on which the son of my grandfather, Nūḥ (a.s.), sought refuge and said, “I will betake me to a mountain that shall save me from the water” (11:43). Allāh, the Blessed and the Exalted, revealed to the mountain of Najaf, “O Najaf! (Will you allow the son of Nūḥ) to seek refuge with you from Me?” Therefore, the mountain of Najaf collapsed into pieces which then spread toward the borders of Shām. Then the Imam (a.s.) said, “Let us move.” So we moved and continued on our route until we arrived in Gharī. Then the Imam (a.s.) stopped next to a grave. He said Salām to all of the prophets, starting with Prophet Ādam (a.s.) (continuing) until the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.), and I said Salām to them also. Then (the Imam (a.s.)) fell on to the grave, said Salām to him (the owner of the grave), and then raised his voice, crying. After a while, he stood up and prayed four Rak’ah, and I also prayed with him. (After the prayers) I asked him, “O son of the Messenger of Allāh (s.a.a.w.)! Whose grave is this?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “This is the grave of my grandfather, ‘Ali ibn ‘Abī Ťālib (a.s.).”

I told Abal Ḥasan (Imam Kāżim (a.s.)) about the way in which Yaḥyā ibn Mūsā bothers those who go to the Ziyārah of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.). I explained that he goes to Thawiyyah for picnics and verily the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) is a little further than Thawiyyah. I told (the Imam (a.s.)) that – based on the narration of Safwān Al-Jammāl – this is the place that Abū ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) described to him (as follows): Once you arrive in the land of Gharī, which is behind Kūfah, turn your back to Gharī and move forward slightly to the right toward Najaf. When you come to the white-coloured gravel with the mountain road ahead of you, you will find the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.). I told the Imam that I had gone to that place many times but that some of our companions do not believe that the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) was buried there. Some believe that he was buried in the Mosque (of Kūfah) while others believe that he was buried in the palace (of Kūfah), but I always responded to them by saying that Allāh would not allow the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) to be in a palace, for it is the abode of oppressors, nor can it be in the mosque because his children wanted to hide his grave. I asked the Imam (a.s.), “Which one of us is correct?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “You are correct because you have followed the words of Ja’far ibn Muḥammad (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)). O Abā Muḥammad! None of our companions say that which you say or believe in that which you believe.” I asked, “May I sacrifice my life for you! Is this one of the (blessings of) Allāh (on me)?” Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes. Verily Allāh gives success to and secures (from falsehood) whomever He wills. Therefore, praise Allāh and say, ‘This is a success from Allāh.” The above Ḥadīth had also been narrated to me through the following chain: Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan and Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Ḥusain, both from Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Mahziyār, from his father ‘Ali, from Ḥasan ibn ‘Ali ibn Faďďāl, from Ḥasan ibn Jahm ibn Bukayr, from Abil Ḥasan (a.s.).

I was with Abī ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) when he was (forcefully) taken to Abī Ja’far (Mansūr Al-Dawānīqi) in Ḥīrah. One clear and moonlit night, the Imam (a.s.) looked at the sky and said, “O Yūnus! Do you see how beautiful these stars are?! Verily they are the protection of the inhabitants of the skies, and we (the Ahlul Bayt) are the protection of the inhabitants on earth.” Then he asked me to order (the servants) to saddle the donkey and the mule. Once they were ready, Imam (a.s.) asked me which (sumpter) I would prefer to ride. I thought that Imam (a.s.) would prefer to ride the mule because it was stronger than the donkey, so I chose the donkey. However, Imam (a.s.) asked me to allow him to ride the donkey to which I agreed. Once we were outside Ḥīrah, Imam (a.s.) asked me to move ahead and I did. He kept instructing me to turn right and left until we came to some red-coloured gravel. Imam (a.s.) said, “This is the place.” Then the Imam (a.s.) moved slightly to the right. There was a well and some water there with which Imam performed Wuďū. Then he moved toward a mound and prayed next to it. Then he leaned over it and cried. Thereafter, he moved to a smaller mound which was next to the (first) mound. He repeated what he had done next to the first mound. Then he said to me, “O Yūnus! Do as I did.” I followed the order of the Imam (a.s.). Thereafter, Imam (a.s.) asked me, “O Yūnus! Do you know where we are?” “No,” I replied. Imam (a.s.) said: The first place was the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) and the second place was where the head of Ḥusain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abī Ťālib (a.s.) was buried. After the cursed ‘Ubaydullāh ibn Ziyād – may Allāh’s curse be upon him – sent the head of Ḥusain (a.s.) to Shām, it was sent back to Kūfah. But ‘Ubaydullāh said, “Take the head out of Kūfah so that it does not cause disorder among its people.” However, Allāh placed the head next to the Commander of the Believers (a.s.) (and thereafter, it was joined with the body of Ḥusain (a.s.)). Therefore, the head is with the body now and the body is with the head.

"I was with Abu Abdillah (AS) in Al-Hira during the days of his visit to Abu Ja'far on a clear, moonlit night. He looked up at the sky and said, 'O Yunus, do you not see how beautiful these stars are? Indeed, they are a source of security for the inhabitants of the heavens, and we are a source of security for the inhabitants of the earth.'
Then he said, 'O Yunus, instruct them to saddle the mule and the donkey.' When they were saddled, he asked, 'O Yunus, which one do you think I prefer, the mule or the donkey?' I thought that the mule would be more preferable to him due to its strength, so I said, 'The donkey.' He then said, 'I would prefer that you bring it to me.' I said, 'I have done so.' So he mounted, and I mounted as well.
When we left Al-Hira, he said, 'Proceed, O Yunus.' He then began to say, 'Turn right, turn left,' until we reached the red rocks. He said, 'This is the place.' I replied, 'Yes.' He then turned right and headed to a spot where there was water and a spring. He performed ablution and then approached a small hill, prayed there, then leaned on it and cried. After that, he moved to another smaller hill and did the same thing.
Then he said, 'O Yunus, do as I have done.' So I did as he instructed. When I finished, he asked me, 'O Yunus, do you know this place?' I replied, 'No.' He said, 'The place where I first prayed is the grave of the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and the other hill is the resting place of the head of al-Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS). When the accursed Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, may Allah curse him, sent the head of al-Husayn (AS) to Syria, it was returned to Kufa. He then ordered it to be removed from the city so that the people of Kufa would not be tempted by it. Thus, Allah placed it near the Commander of the Faithful (AS), so the head is with the body, and the body is with the head."

I asked Abā ‘Abdillāh (Imam Sādiq (a.s.)) about the location of the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.). He described that it was located in the land of the hardened sands. I went to the described location and established prayers there. The following year, I went back to the Imam (a.s.) and informed him that I had gone to the described location and had prayed there. He told me that I had found the correct location. For twenty years thereafter, I used to go to that described location every year and establish prayers next to it.

I asked Imam Riďā (a.s.) about the location of the grave of the Commander of the Believers (a.s.). He told me that it was in Gharī. I asked, “May I sacrifice myself for you! Some people say that he is buried in Ruḥbah.” Imam (a.s.) replied, “No. Some people (even) believe that he is buried in the Mosque (of Kūfah).”