The Mosque of al-Sahlah
The History of the Venerable Mosque of As-sahla
It was rebuilt in the first century after Hegira.
According to some historical references, the mosque used to be the house of Prophet Edris (PBUH), then the house of Prophet Abraham (PBUH), and thirdly the house of Al-Kidher (PBUH).
The mosque has many names like Al-bir (charity) because of its high and blessed status; Abdul Qais, Bin Dhafra, As-sahla Mosque.
The area of the mosque is about (17500 meter squares).
The mosque has a rectangular shape with (140 meter) length and (125 meter) width.
It is surrounded with a high fence supported with half-circular towers and each tower is (7 meter).
Seventeen entrances lead into the mosque of As-sahla; however, it is the one on the southern side that leads into the main location of praying.
In the middle of the eastern entrance, the single minaret of the mosque is located.
The Venerable As-Sahla Mosque Location
About (10 km) distance from the sacred city of An-Najaf Al-Shraf the Mosque of As-Sahla is located. It is one of oldest, greatest and most honored mosques after the Great Mosque of Al-Kufa.
About two km is the distance between the two mosques. Only 2 km long is the distance between As-Sahla and Al-Kufa mosques.
The location of the mosque in the North West side of Al-Kufa Mosque makes it connected with all of the great cities of Al-Kufa, Karbla, An-Najaf.
Near As-Sahla Mosque there is an old trench, called Kary Sa’ada;
The square of the mosque is surrounded by a rounded hall with a long portico.
The Venerable As-Sahla Mosque in the words of Imams
The Household of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon all of them have shown great honor for As-sahla Mosque. In their words, they say:
1- Imam Ali (A.S) has said: (The Mosque of ‘Bin Dhafr’ is a blessed Mosque inside of which, by Allah I say, there is a green rock contains the faces of all of the apostles Allah has sent, and it is named As-Sahla Mosque).
2- Imam Ali (A.S) has said: (I can envision Imam Al-Mahdi’s tour as he passes from ‘Wady As-Salam’ to Al-Sahla Mosque on a round dish-legged-horse).
3- Imam Ali (A.S) has once asked his companion ‘Malek Bin Dhamera Al-Anbary’: “Have you ever prayed in the Mosque beside your house?”
But Al-Anbary replied: “It is a mosque where women pray inside” Then, Imam Ali explained: “Oh Malek, this is the Mosque to which any person comes, prays inside, and supplicates to Allah his need, Almighty Allah fulfills his needs.”
4- Imam Ali Zein Al-Abedeen (A.S) has said:
“Whoever prays inside As-Sahla Mosque, Almighty Allah elongates his lifetime two years more.”
5- Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S) has said: “From As-Sahla Mosque Prophet Abraham (PBUH) had started his move to fight the giants (in Yemen).”
6- Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S) has said: As-Sahla Mosque is the house of Prophet Edrees (PBUH) and where he used to sew; and from which Prophet David (PBUH) had started his move to fight Jaloutt.”
7- Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S) has said: “I foresee Al-Mahdi (PBUH) descending in As-Sahla Mosque along with his family; As-Sahla is the house of Prophet Edrees (PBUH) and inside which all other Prophets had prayed. Staying inside it sounds like staying in the pavilion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&H.P); for which the heart of every faithful man and woman does yearn; no night passes without having angels finding shelter inside it worshiping Almighty Allah.”
8- Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S) has said: As-Sahla Mosque is one of the places from which Almighty Allah would like his people supplicate to Him; every day and night angels descend to this Mosque praying. Where I nearby it, I would have never performed a pray anywhere else.”
9- Prophet Al-khidher (PBUH) has said: As-Sahla Mosque is the shrine of Prophets, Apostles and Allah’s good people.
The Venerable As-Sahla Mosque and Islamic Scholars
The Venerable As- Sahla Mosque has been the center focus of Great Islamic Scholars for the value it embodies and stands for.
1- Sheik Al-Tousy has said:
Everyone must go to As-Sahla Mosque and pray inside; the most favorable timing for praying is between sunset and evening.
2- Sayyed Bin Tawous has said:
If you want to go to As-Sahla Mosque, let it on Tuesday night, the best time for visiting this mosque.
3-Ayato Allah Sheik Ja’afar Kashef Al-Gheta’ has said:
I visited As-Sahla Mosque with other forty people seeking protection once when plague hit the country; as a result, none of us died.
4- Ayato Allah Sheik Mohammad Hassan Al-Gwahery paid a visit for the Mosque supplicating and asking full health for another scholar named Ayato Allah Sheik Al-Ansary.
5- Ayato Allah Sayyed Mohammad Saeed Al-Haboby appears in a portray visiting As-Sahla Mosque in the year of 1914; it is from this exact location that he moved on in the purpose of fighting the English army gathered in the south of Iraq; the other scholars who appear in the portray are: Ayato Allah Sheik Mohammad Sadek Al-Kamosy,
Ayato Allah Sayyed Mohsen Al-Hakeem along with his son Sayyed Yosef, Sheik Mohammad As-Sokhayli…and many others.
6- Ayato Allah Sheik Aka Bozorg had been visiting As-Sahla Mosque on feet from An-Najaf Al- Ashraf every Tuesday for forty years.
7- Ayato Allah Sayyed Mohsen Al-Hakeem used to visit the mosque with his family members.
8- Ayato Allah Sayyed Mohammad Ali Al-Hakeem visited Al-Sahla Mosque with his sons.
9- Ayato Allah Sayyed Jamal Al-Deen Al-Golbaygani visited As-Sahla Mosque, and stayed for a long time inside it, as his teacher Ayato Allah Ali Mohammad Najaf Abady does.
Once he saw Ayato Allah Sayyed Ahmad Al-Karbla’i praying in the mosque and supplicating with great and deep emotional status.
10- Ayato Allah sayyed Abo Al-Kaseem Al- Khoey used to visit As-Sahla Mosque on Tuesday praying for one hour or one and a half with great insistence to do so.
11- Ayato Allah Sayyed Abdul A’ala Al- Sabzwari visited As-Sahla Mosque many times.
Once doctors asked him take a rest for heart problems he was encountering; yet he was determined to visit As-Sahla Mosque instead; he came and get cured by the bless that fills this site.
12- Ayato Allah sayyed Ali Al-Kadi used to visit As-Sahla Mosque on Fridays and stayed for a long time praying and supplicating.
13- Ayato Allah Sayyed Mohammad Husain Al-Tabatabae’i used to visit As- Sahla Mosque on Fridays and stayed for a long time.
14- Prophetic statements indicate that whoever visits As-Sahla Mosque Tuesday night for 40 weeks, may see Imam Al-Mahdi, May Allah expedite his honorable arrival.
Ayato Allah Sayyed Shehab Al-Deen Al-Marashei has said: “I saw Imam Al-Mahdi (A.S) and I spoke to him in As-Sahla Mosque after 40 regular visits.
15-Ayato Allah Sheik Al-Waheed Al-Khurasani stayed in As-Sahla Mosque a long time during the last three years he was spending in An-Najaf Al Ashraf.
16- Ayato Allah Sheik Husain Al-Khaleli died in As-Sahla Mosque during his visit to it in the early morning of Friday. Similarly, Sayyed Emad Al-Deen Al-Bahbhani died here also during his visit, such incident marks good ends for these great scholar visitors.
The following people keep visiting As-Sahla Mosque regularly:
Ayato Allah Husain Koly Al-Hamadani
Ayato Allah Mohammad Taha Najaf
Ayato Allah Husain Al-Helly
Ayato Allah Mahmood Al-Sahrodi
Ayato Allah Ali Al-Sahrodi
Ayato Allah Mohammad Mahdi Al-Fatoni
Ayato Allah Mohammad Herz Al-Deen
Hojato al-Islam Mohammad Hasan Herz Al-Deen
Hojato al-Islam Mohammad Hashem Al-Hendi
Hojato al-Islam Bakeer Al-Kesweni
Ayato Allah Mohammad Taki Bahjat
Ayato Allah Mohammad Al-Sherazi
Ayato Allah Mohammad Sadek Al-Sherazi
Ayato Allah Husain Bahr Al-Olom
Ayato Allah Ez Al-deen Bahr Al-Olom
Ayato Allah Dr. Abdul Hadi Al-Fadli
Ayato Allah Mohammad Bakeer Al-Hakeem
Ayato Allah Mohammad Ja,afar Al-Hakeem
Hojato al-eslam Ali Al- Hakeem
Ayato Allah Mohammad Bakeer Al-Naseri
Hojato al-Islam Mohammad Taki Al- Hakeem
Hojat al-eslam Mohammad Saleh Al- Hakeem
Ayato Allah Abdul Moneem Al-Hakeem
Ayato Allah Sadeek Al-Kamosi
Dr. Mohammad Al-Tejani Al-Samawe
Ayato Allah Mohammad Taki Al- Modrresi
Ayato Allah Hadi Al- Modrresi
Hojato al-Islam Abdul Azez Al- Hakeem
Hojato al-Islam Ammar Al- Hakeem
Hojato al-eslam Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafcanjani
Dr. Mohammad Saeed Al-Tarahee
Hojato al-eslam Abdul Ameer Al- Hakeem
Ayato Allah Bakeer Shreef Al-Karashie
Hojato al-eslam Ahmadi
Dr. Mohammad Hussein Al-Sagheer
Ayato Allah Abdul Kareem Al-Kezweni
Ayato Allah Abdul Husen Al-Kezweni
Ayato Allah Ali Al-Sabzawari
Ayato Allah Reyadh Al-Hakeem
Hojato al-eslam Ahmad Al-Safi
Dr. Abdul Hadi Mohammad Taki Al-Hakeem
And many others …
Shrines of the Venerable As-Sahla Mosque
As-Sahla Mosque contains seven shrines belong to Prophets and imams (Peace be upon all of them).
According to Mafateeh Al Jinan, the famous book of supplications stated by
the Household of Prophet Muhammad, (P.B.U.H&H.P), these shrines are:
1- The holy shrine of Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S); this shrine lies in the middle of the mosque.
According to historical references, Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-Sadiq (A.S) used to pray in this location frequently.
Today, collective or group praying is always being held by Ayato Allah Sayeed Mohammad Husain Al-Hakeem keeps visiting this mosque.
2- The holy shrine of Prophet Abraham (PBUH):
It lies in the north – west corner of the mosque, and it used to be his house and from where he moved to fight Al-Amaliqa (The Giants) in Yemen.
3- The holy shrine of Prophet Edris (PBUH):
It lies in the south – west corner of the mosque, and it used to be the house of Prophet Edris (PBUH).
4- The holy shrine of the prophet AL-Kidher (PBUH):
It lies in the corner between the southern and the eastern sides.
5- The holy shrine of As-saleheen (PBUH):
It is known as Salih Prophet’s shrine.
It lies in the corner of the northern and the eastern sides; i.e. to the right of the main entrance of the mosque.
From this place Prophet David (PBUH) moved to fight Tallout.
6- The holy shrine of Imam Zain Al-Abedeen (the Best of Worshipers) Ali Bin Al-Hussein (Peace be upon both of them):
It lies in the middle of the mosque on the back view of the holy shrine of Imam Ja’afar Bin Mohammad As-sadiq (A.S).
7- The holy shrine of Imam Muhammad Al-Mahdi, the 12th Imam (A.S):
It is known also as the shrine of Sahib Al-Zaman (the Master of time).
The larges holy shrine at the mosque; it lies in the middle of the southern side facing al- Kiblah.
It was reconstructed in (1181 H) by Ayato Allah sayed Mohammad Mahdi Bahr Al-Olom.
Source: Alsahla Great Mosque
