Fatima Masumeh Shrine

Iranian national heritage site

This article is about the shrine. For the adjacent mosque, see Azam Mosque of Qom.

Fatima Masumeh Shrine

حرم فاطمه معصومه

An aerial photograph of the shrine with golden dome and the adjacent mosque, in 2018

Religion
Affiliation| Shia (Twelver)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status| Shrine
Status| Active
Location
Location| Qom, Qom province
Country| Iran

Location of the shrine in Iran

Geographic coordinates| 34°38′30″N 50°52′44″E﻿ / ﻿34.6417°N 50.8790°E﻿ / 34.6417; 50.8790
Architecture
Type| Mosque architecture
Style| Iranian
Completed|

* From 9th century CE;
* To 19th century CE

Specifications
Dome(s)| Three
Minaret(s)| Six
Site area| 38,000 m2 (410,000 sq ft)
Website
amfm.ir

Iran National Heritage List

Official name| Holy Shrine of Hazrat Ma'soomeh
Type| Built
Designated| 1932
Reference no.| 128
Conservation organization| Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran

The Shrine of Fatima Masumeh (Persian: حرم فاطمه معصومه, romanized: Haram-e Fateme-ye Masumeh, lit. 'Holy Shrine of Hazrat Ma'soomeh') is a Twelver Shi'ite shrine, located in the city of Qom, in the province of Qom, Iran. Qom is considered by Twelver Shia Muslims to be the second most sacred city in Iran after Mashhad.

Fatima Masumeh was the sister of the eighth Twelver Shi'ite Imam 'Ali al-Rida, and the daughter of the seventh Imam Musa al-Kadhim (Tabari 60). In Shia Islam, women are often revered as saints if they are close relatives to one of the Twelver Imams. Fatima Masumeh is therefore honored as a saint, and her shrine in Qom is considered one of the most significant Shi'i shrines in Iran. Every year, thousands of Shi'i Muslims travel to Qom to honor Fatima Masumeh and ask her to ask God for blessings. Also buried within the shrine are three daughters of the ninth Twelver Imām Muhammad al-Taqī.[1]

## Specifications

[edit]

The shrine consists of a burial chamber, three courtyards and three large prayer halls, totalling an area of 38,000 m2 (410,000 sq ft). The three prayer halls are named: Tabātabā'ī, Bālā Sar, and A‘dham.[2][3]

## Ziyarah

[edit]

See also: Ziyarat

The golden dome above the mausoleum Decorative muqarnas vaulting in the iwan entrance of the shrine in atabki sahn

Though Shi'i theology formally states that the relatives of the Imams, or Imamzadehs, hold a lower status than the Imams, popular Shi'ism still strongly venerates imamzadehs.[4] In Iran, there are many more burial places of the Imams' relatives than there are for the Imams themselves.[4] Imamzadehs are considered to be close to God and religiously pious because of their close relation to Imams.[5] Shi'is commonly travel on pilgrimages to shrines of imamzadehs, such as the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh, the sister of the 8th Imam 'Ali al-Rida, in Qom, Iran. Men and women seek cures to ailments, solutions to problems, and forgiveness of sins at these sites.[5] Many hadiths, or teachings, are recorded from Shi'i Imams praising the veneration of Fatima Masumeh, and proclaiming that those who make a pilgrimage to her Shrine will "certainly be admitted to heaven."[2]

Fatima Masumeh's Shrine in Qom is crowded every day of the year with Shi'i men, women, and children from all around the world. Some stay for hours or days praying at the mosque and circumambulating her tomb. The economy of Qom has become reliant on this pilgrimage for the tourism it brings.[6] In turn, Qom has remained conservative and traditional to maintain a pious environment for pilgrims.[7] Many miracles have been recorded as taking place at this shrine, and they are documented in a special office within the shrine complex. Some are published in the shrines monthly newspaper, the Payam-e Astan.[2]

Pilgrims at the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh follow rituals that have been passed down for centuries. Imam Ali al-Rida, Fatimah's brother, outlined these ritual acts as he described the way he visited her Shrine. The prayer Imam al-Rida dictated to his sister continues to be part of the pilgrimage.[4] Since the Safavid period, additional rituals have been added that are now typical for many Shi'i pilgrimages including ritual washing beforehand, dressing in perfumed clothing, and entering the site with one's right foot.[4]

## History

[edit]

### Early

[edit]

Since the beginning of Qom's history in the 7th century, the city has been associated with Shi'ism and set apart from the Sunni caliphate.[4] Many Shi'i hadiths referred to Qom as a "place of refuge for believers," calling it a deeply religious place. After Fatima Masumeh's death in Qom and the construction of her Shrine, scholars began to gather in Qom and the city gained its reputation for religious learning. Today, Qom is still noted for its religious seminaries and organizations.[2]

Fatima Masumeh died in Qom in 201 AH (816/817 CE) as she travelled to join her brother, Imam Ali al-Rida in Khorasan.[2] The caravan she travelled in was attacked in Saveh by the Abbasid Sunnis, and 23 of Fatima Masumeh's family and friends were killed (Jaffer). Fatima Masumeh was then poisoned by a woman from the Sunni enemies, fell ill, and asked to be taken to Qom, where she died.[2] Fatima Masumeh's host in Qom buried her in his plot of land.[4]

The style of Fatima Masumeh's Shrine has developed over many centuries.[8] At first, her tomb was covered with a bamboo canopy.[4] Fifty years later, this was replaced by a more durable domed building, at the request of the daughter of Imam Muhammad at-Taqī, Sayyida Zaynab.[4][2] The family of Sayyida Zainab later added a further two domes to the Shrine.[4]

### Safavid period

[edit]

In 1519, Tajlu Khanum, the wife of Shah Isma'il I, led a project to improve the drainage around the Shrine, embellish the Shrine with an iwan and two minarets, and reconstruct the tomb chamber as a domed octagon. In times of war, Safavid royal women found refuge in Qom, and likely compared their situation to that of Fatima Masumeh. These women donated beautiful fabrics and other items to the Shrine. Shah Abbas I of the Safavids did not patronize the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh as much as he did other shrines of Imams, but he did offer books to the Shrine's seminary library.[4]

### Modern

[edit]

From 1795–1796, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar converted two Safavid sahn or courtyards into one large courtyard and, in 1803, fixed the golden dome. In 1883, Amin al-Sultan added the new sahn e-jadid or "New Court" to the Shrine complex.[8]

During Ayatollah Khomeini's 1979 Iranian Revolution, Qom was named "the birthplace" of this movement. Khomeini studied in Qom and lived there at the beginning and end of the Revolution. Aspects of the culture of Qom, including the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh, were used to unite the Iranian people over significant historical and mythical events.[9] Khomeini used images of the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh in posters, money, and stamps created during the Revolution.[8] Khomeini also constructed an addition to the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh and added more space for pilgrims.[2] In addition, the tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini utilizes architectural elements that are similar to Fatima Masumeh's Shrine, such as the golden dome.[8] See Mausoleum of Khomeini.

## Notable burials

[edit]

Main article: List of burials at Fatima Masumeh Shrine

In addition to Fatemeh Masumeh (790–816), a daughter of Musa al-Kadhim, the shrine is the site of many notable burials, including six members of the Safavid family, eleven members of the Qajar family, and many notable political figures, scholars, and clerics.[citation needed]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Historical photograph by Antoin Sevruguin, between 1880-1895

* The Golden Iwan and Golden Dome, commissioned ca. 1519 by Tajlu Khanum, wife of Shah Ismail.[10]

* Islamic architecture in the shrine

* Eid al-Fitr prayer at the shrine in 2017

* The shrine in 1955

* The shrine on the reverse of a 1981 5000 Iranian rial banknote

## See also

[edit]

* Shia Islam portal
* Iran portal

* List of mausoleums in Iran
* Shia Islam in Iran
* Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)
* Seyyed Mohammad Saeedi, the shrine trustee

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Qum, Iran". sacredsites.com. Retrieved 12 March 2009.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Jaffer, Masuma (2003). Lady Fatima Masuma (a) of Qum. Qum: Jami'at al-Zahra. ISBN 964-438-455-5.
3. ^ "Today's Top StoriesQom Province". indiasnews.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2006. "Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza, one of Iran's holiest places, is in Qom."
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Canby, Sheila R. (2009). Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran. London: The British Museum Press.
5. ^ a b Betteridge, Anne H. (2002). "Muslim Women and Shrines in Shiraz". In Donna Lee Bowen and Evelyn A. Early (ed.). Everyday Life in the Muslim Middle East (2 ed.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 276–289.
6. ^ Majd, Hooman (2008). The Ayyatolah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran. New York: First Anchor Books.
7. ^ Khosrokhavar, Farhad (2011). "Post-revolutionary Iranian youth: The case of Qom and the new culture of ambivalence". In Roksana Bahramitash and Eric Hooglund (ed.). Gender in Contemporary Iran: Pushing the boundaries. London: Routledge. pp. 99–119.
8. ^ a b c d Allan, James W. (2012). The Art and Architecture of Twelver Shi'ism: Iraq, Iran, and the Indian Sub-Continent. Oxford: Azimuth Editions.
9. ^ Rivzi, Kishwar (2003). "Religious Icon and National Symbol: The Tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran". Muqarnas. 20: 209–224\. doi:10.1163/22118993-90000045.
10. ^ Rivzi, Kishmar (2015). "CHAPTER 14 THE INCARNATE SHRINE Shi'ism and the Cult of Kingship in Early Safavid Iran". SAINTS AND SACRED MATTER The Cult of Relics in Byzantium and Beyond (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. pp. 209–303\. ISBN 978-0-88402-406-4.

## External links

[edit]

Media related to Fatima Masumeh Shrine at Wikimedia Commons

* Biography of Fatimah Ma'sumah and history of the Al-Masumeh Shrine

* v
* t
* e

Mausoleums, imamzadehs, shrines, and tombs in Iran

Mausoleums
and shrines|

* Abbas I
* Abdol-Azim
* List of burials
* Abdul Samad al-Isfahani
* Abu Lu'lu'a (closed)
* Ahmad-e Jami
* Al-Rashid
* Aladdin Tower
* Alaviyan Dome
* Attar of Nishapur
* Awn ibn Ali
* Avicenna
* Baba Ghassem
* Baba Rukn al-Din
* Baba Tahir, Hamadan
* Baba Tahir, Khorramabad
* Besh Qardash
* Chahar Padshahan
* Chehel Dokhtaran
* Darb-e Imam
* Dome of Soltaniyeh
* Fakhrigah
* Fatima Masumeh
* List of burials
* Fazl ibn Musa ibn Ja'far
* Ghazan (demolished)
* Gonbad Kabud
* Gur-e-Dokhtar
* Imam Reza
* List of burials
* Harun ِal-Rashid
* Kamal-ol-Molk
* Khaje Taj od-Di
* Kharraqan towers
* Lajim Tower
* Mir Bozorg
* Molla Hassan Kashi
* Omar Khayyám
* On ibn Ali
* Pir Bakran
* Pir Quzhd
* Qadamgah Hazrat Ali
* Qeydar
* Reza Shah (destroyed)
* Ruhollah Khomeini
* Saeb
* Safi al-Din
* Seti Fatemeh
* Shahshahan
* Shah Rokneddin
* Soltan Bakht Agha

Imamzadehs|

* Abdollah, Ray
* Ahmad
* Ali ibn Jafar
* Chaharmanar
* Darb-e Imam
* Davood, Tehran
* Ebrahim, Kashan
* Hadi, Tehran
* Hamzeh, Kashmar
* Hamzah, Tabriz
* Haroun-e-Velayat, Isfahan
* Hashem Shrine, Tehran
* Hassan, Khalilabad
* Hosein Reza, Varamin
* Hossein, Kordan, Alborz
* Hossein, Qazvin
* Imam Reza shrine
* Ismail and Shayah Mosque, Isfahan
* Ja'far, Borujerd
* Ja'far, Damghan
* Ja'far, Isfahan
* Mohammad, Kashmar
* Qasem, Khalilabad
* Qasem, Zarqan
* Saleh, Shemiran
* Sayyid Muhammad Kojajani, Tabriz
* Seyed Mohammad, Isfahan
* Seyed Morteza, Kashmar
* Shahreza, Isfahan
* Shah Cheragh, Shiraz
* Shah Zeyd, Isfahan
* Sultan Mutahhar, Rudehen
* Yahya, Tehran

Tombs|

* Abdolabad
* Abu al-Hassan Kharaqani
* Abu Usman Al-Maghribi
* Acropole
* Ahmad ibn Ishaq
* Ali ibn Hamzah, Shiraz
* Artaxerxes I of Persia
* Baba Loghman
* Bibi Dokhtaran
* Boghrat
* Cyrus the Great
* Daniel
* Darius the Great
* Darius II
* Davāzdah Imām
* Dukkan-e Daud
* Esther and Mordechai
* Ferdowsi
* Hadi Sabzevari
* Habakkuk
* Hafez
* Kukherd
* Hamdallah Mustawfi
* Hassan Modarres
* Haydar Amuli
* Heydar Yaghma
* Javan Mard-e Ghassab
* Khajeh Rabie
* Khwaju Kermani
* Malek
* Mir Zobeyr
* Nader Shah
* Nizam al-Mulk
* Pir Palandouz
* Rais al-Mojahedin
* Saadi
* Shah Firooz
* Shah Qalandar
* Seyed Alaeddin Husayn
* Shams Tabrizi
* Shaykh Aminuddin Gabriel
* Shaykh Haydar
* Shaykh Zahed Gilani
* Sheikh Shahab ol-Din Ahari
* Shebeli Tower
* Sheikh Yusof Sarvestani
* Sorkh Deh
* Two Kamals
* Wais-e Nāzār
* Xerxes I
* Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar

* v
* t
* e

Mosques in Iran

Ardabil

* Germi Jameh
* Namin Jameh

East Azerbaijan

| Tabriz|

* Awn ibn Ali mausoleum
* Hajj Safar Ali
* Hamzah Imamzadeh
* Jameh
* Master and Student
* Saheb-ol-Amr
* Sayyid Muhammad Kojajani Imamzadeh
* Shohada

|

Elsewhere|

* Ahar Jameh
* Gugan Jameh
* Marand Jameh
* Mehrabad Jameh
* Mirpanj
* Sarab Jameh
* Stone Tark

Fars

| Shiraz|

* Ali ibn Hamzah tomb
* Atigh Jameh
* Mohammad Rasul-Allah
* Nasir-ol-Molk
* Seyed Alaeddin Husayn tomb
* Shah Cheragh
* Vakil

|

Elsewhere|

* Arsanjan Jameh
* Darab Jameh
* Fazl ibn Musa ibn Ja'far
* Jahrom Jameh
* Kabir Neyriz Jameh
* Lar Jameh

Gilan

* Chahar Padshahan
* Hajj Samad Khan

Hormozgan

* Bandar Abbas Jameh
* Malek bin Abbas
* Qeshm Jameh
* Qiblah Jameh

Isfahan

| Isfahan|

* Agha Mirza Muhammad Baqir Chahar Suqi
* Agha Nour
* Ali Gholi Agha
* Darb-e Imam
* Darvazeh No
* Dashti
* Grand Mosalla
* Hakim
* Ilchi
* Jameh
* Jarchi
* Lonban
* Maghsoudbeyk
* Mesri
* Mohammad Jafar Abadei
* Monar Jonban
* Rahim Khan
* Roknolmolk
* Safa
* Saru Taqi
* Seyyed
* Shah
* Sheikh Lotfollah

|

Elsewhere|

* Agha Bozorg
* Ardestan Jameh
* Ashtarjan Jameh
* Barsian
* Golpayegan Jameh
* Kaj
* Kashan Jameh
* Khansar Jameh
* Khozan Jameh
* Meydan
* Meymeh Jameh
* Nain Jameh
* Natanz Jameh
* Nushabad Jameh
* Tabriziha
* Zavareh Jameh

Kerman

* Hajj Agha Ali
* Kerman Jameh
* Kerman Pamenar
* Malek

Kermanshah

* Abdullah ibn Umar
* Emad o dolah
* Hajj Shahbazkhan
* Kermanshah Jameh
* Shafei Jameh

Khuzestan

* Dezful Jameh
* Khorramshahr Jameh
* Shushtar Jameh

Kurdistan

* Dar ul-Ihsan
* Domenareh
* Hajar Khatoon

Lorestan

* Imamzadeh Ja'far
* Borujerd Jameh
* Borujerd Soltani

Markazi

* Agha Zia ol Din
* Arak Jameh
* Saveh Jameh

Mazandaran

* Amol Jameh
* Babol Jameh
* Farahabad
* Sari Jameh

Qazvin

* Al-Nabi
* Qazvin Jameh

Qom

* Azam
* Chehel Akhtaran
* Imam Hasan al-Askari
* Jamkaran
* Qom Jameh
* Pachian Jameh

Razavi Khorasan

* Goharshad
* Gonabad Jameh
* Gonbad Kabud
* Haji Jalal
* Kashmar Jameh
* Khalilabad Jameh
* Marandiz Jameh
* Nishapur Jameh
* Qadamgah
* Radkan Jameh
* Sabzevar Jameh
* Sabzevar Pamenar
* Shah (Mashhad)

Semnan

* Aradan Jameh
* Damghan Jameh
* Farumad Jameh
* Imam
* Mehdishahr Pamenar
* Semnan Jameh
* Shahrud Jameh
* Sheikh Bastami
* Tarikhaneh

South Khorasan

* Fathabad Jameh
* Ferdows Jameh
* Mahvid
* Raqqeh Jameh

Tehran

| Tehran|

* Fakhr-ol-dowleh
* Grand Mosalla (in use; under construction)
* Hedayat
* Lorzadeh
* Mirza Mousa
* Qoba
* Sepahsalar
* Shah
* Tehran Jameh

|

Elsewhere|

* Damavand Jameh
* Varamin Jameh

West Azerbaijan

* Dash Aghlian
* Hojjatieh
* Menareh
* Sardar
* Takab Jameh
* Urmia Jameh

Yazd

* Abarkuh Jameh
* Amir Chakhmaq
* Amir Chakhmaq Complex
* Ardakan Jameh
* Chahar Suq and Hajj Muhammad Husayn
* Eslamiyeh Jameh
* Fahraj Jameh
* Yazd Jameh
* Zir Deh

Zanjan

* Hosseinieh Azam Zanjan Mosque
* Khanom
* Qerveh Jameh
* Sojas Jameh
* Zanjan Jameh

Other provinces

* Golestan
* Gorgan Jameh
* Hamadan
* Hamadan Jameh
* Sarabi Jameh
* North Khorasan
* Jajarm Jameh
* Sistan and Baluchestan
* Makki Jameh

Haram and tomb

* Bibi Shahr Banu
* Fatima Masumeh
* Hajar Khatoon
* Imam Reza
* Kushk
* Monar Jonban
* Ruhollah Khomeini
* Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami
* Tomb of Daniel
* Tomb of Hassan Modarres

Former

* Ardabil Jome
* Arg of Tabriz
* Bastak Jameh
* Blue (Tabriz)
* Espi Mazget
* Gar
* Hafshuye
* Heidarieh
* Khosrow Shir
* Rangooniha
* Sheikh Fayz
* Soltaniyeh
* Vali-e-Asr

* Category
* List
* Islam in Iran
* Mosques by country

* v
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* e

Holiest sites in Shia Islam

Saudi Arabia|

* al-Masjid al-Nabawi
* al-Baqi' Cemetery
* Mount Uhud
* Quba Mosque
* Masjid al-Qiblatayn
* The Seven Mosques
* Great Mosque of Mecca
* Kaaba
* Safa and Marwa
* Jabal al-Nour
* Mina, Saudi Arabia
* Mount Arafat

Iraq|

* Imam Ali Shrine
* Al-Sahlah Mosque
* Al-Hannanah Mosque
* Wadi-us-Salaam
* Imam Husayn Shrine
* Al Abbas Mosque
* Al-Askari Shrine
* Great Mosque of Kufa
* Maytham al-Tammar
* Al-Mada'in
* Al-Kadhimiya Mosque

Iran|

* Imam Reza shrine
* Fatima Masumeh Shrine
* Jamkaran Mosque
* Shah Cheragh
* Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine
* Bibi Shahr Banu Shrine
* Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza
* Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar
* Tomb of Ali ibn Hamzah, Shiraz
* Tomb of Hassan Modarres
* Tomb of Seyed Alaeddin Husayn
* Imamzade Hossein, Qazvin
* Imamzadeh Ja'far, Borujerd

Syria|

* Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque
* Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque
* Al-Nuqtah Mosque
* Uwais al-Qarni Mosque

Lebanon|

* Al-Nabi Shayth

Palestine|

* Al-Aqsa

* v
* t
* e

Qom province, Iran

Capital|

* Qom

Counties and cities|

| Qom County|

* Dastjerd
* Qom
* Qanavat
* Salafchegan

|

Jafarabad County|

* Jafariyeh
* Qahan

Kahak County|

* Kahak

Sights|

* Chelakhtaran Imamzadeh
* Hajaskarkhan bath
* House of Khomeini
* House of Mulla Sadra
* Fatima al-Masumeh Shrine
* Feyziyeh School
* Jamkaran Mosque
* Jameh Mosque of Qom
* Qom Bazaar
* Green dome garden
* Namak Lake
* Howz-e Soltan Salt Lake
* Qom salt dome

populated places|

* List of cities, towns and villages in Qom Province

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