Shia Muslims Mourn Anniversary of 8th Imam’s Martyrdom
In cities and towns across Iran, black-clad mourners from various social classes and age groups came together in mosques, places of worship and religious sites nationwide to observe the rituals. Eulogies were given and sermons delivered in honor of the revered Shia Islam figure during the ceremonies.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan and several other countries also flocked to the holy city of Mashhad in the northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi to mark the occasion at Imam Reza’s (AS) mausoleum.
Also, massive memorial services were held in the cities of Qom, in central Iran, and Shiraz, in the southwest, which are home to the shrines of Imam Reza’s revered sister and one of his brothers, respectively.
The last day of the lunar Hijri month of Safar (which fell on November 30 his year) is a national holiday in Iran in commemoration of Imam Reza (AS).
The eighth Shia Imam was martyred after being poisoned by the Abbasid Caliph Mamun in the year 818 AD in Mashhad, then a small village named Sanabad.
