Shafaqna English- “Atlas of Shia” is a book written by “Rasul Ja’fariyan” in Persian, published in Tehran in 2008. This scholarly work, consisting of 743 pages and 12 chapters, aims to provide a geographical and historical depiction of Shia Islam from the beginning of Islam to the first decade of the third millennium. The “Atlas of Shia” has won the Book of the Year Award of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has been translated into Arabic. Shafaqna News Agency has translated sections of this significant book into English for interested readers.
History of the Shrine of Imam Ridha (AS)
The Dar-al-Amarah, or the Garden of Hamid ibn Qahṭabah Tayyi, located in the village of Sanabad, was originally a military fortress, with its origins predating Islam. This location was situated at the crossroads of several important routes: Sanabad, Nishapur, Sarakhs, Tus, and Radkan, playing a key role in securing these vital pathways.
Hamid ibn Qahṭabah Tayyi (775 CE), a famous Abbasid commander, was appointed as the governor of Khorasan. He built a large garden and a lavish palace for himself between Noghān and Sanabad. Harun Al-Rashid, who had come to Tus to suppress uprisings in Khorasan, fell ill along the way and passed away at this site in 808 CE. With Harun’s death and his burial there, the Dar-al-Amarah became known as the “Baq’ah Haruniyah” (the Mausoleum of Harun).
Nearly two years after Imam Ridha’s (AS) arrival in Iran in 817 CE and his settlement in Merv, Mamun, realizing that appointing the Imam as his successor did not calm the political unrest and community turmoil, ordered Imam Reza’s martyrdom in Tus in 818 CE. In an effort to avoid suspicion of foul play, Mamun, ahead of the funeral procession, publicly mourned the Imam’s death and ordered his burial in the Baq’ah Haruniyah, near Harun Al-Rashid’s grave.
It is noteworthy that during these years, Mamun also minted coins bearing the name of Imam Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (AS). Numerous examples of these coins still exist, with one inscription reading: “Al-Mamun, the Caliph of God, as ordered by Amir Al-Ridha, the rightful heir of the Muslims, Ali ibn Musa ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib” (Silsilat Sikk Al-Nuqud: 42/114).
Before the burial of Imam Ridha (AS), the interior structure of the Dar-al-Amarah was a religious site dating back to pre-Islamic times. After Harun’s burial, by order of Mamun, the building was demolished and replaced with a simple, short-walled enclosure in the style of Khorasani architecture, topped with a modest dome.
After the Imam’s burial in this location, the Baq’ah Haruniyah was renamed “Mashhad al-Ridha” (the Shrine of Imam Ridha (AS)). This shrine became a site of pilgrimage for both Sunnis and Shias, although Shia Muslims, in particular, developed a deep attachment to it. Over time, Shia followers gathered in the surrounding area of the shrine and settled in Tus.
Among the rulers, Sabuktakin (d. 997 CE) not only disregarded the shrine of Imam Ridha (AS) but, out of sectarian animosity, even destroyed it. However, it was quickly rebuilt by Shia or Shia-leaning commanders. It is said that his son, Mahmud of Ghazni (997–1030 CE), rebuilt the shrine.
The dome currently over Imam Ridha’s holy grave was constructed during the reign of Sultan Sanjar (995–1157 CE). During the Mongol invasion, the shrine was again severely damaged. It is reported that around 1106 CE, a wooden coffin covered with silver was placed over the Imam’s grave, a likely project initiated by the Kakuyid dynasty. The famous Islamic world traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited Tus in 1333 CE and had the honor of praying at the shrine, also mentions the existence of a wooden coffin on the Imam’s grave.
During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Khudabandeh Ilkhanid (1316 CE), a Shia Imam, special attention was paid to the shrine’s restoration. It is unclear exactly when the shrine’s sanctuary was first placed over the grave, but it is likely that it became customary during the Timurid period. During this time, the shrine gained significant attention, and the construction of the Goharshad Mosque on the site, alongside the restoration of the shrine, was a legacy of the Timurid period.
It is certain that by the Safavid era, a shrine was placed over the holy grave. In the Qajar period, at one point, there were three separate shrines placed over the grave.
The Safavids had a strong devotion to the shrine of Imam Ridha (AS) and repeatedly expanded and renovated it. Restoration efforts continued during the Afsharid and Qajar periods. In the Pahlavi era and the subsequent Islamic Republic, there were significant developments in the shrine and its surroundings, as detailed in the book History of the Astan Quds Razavi.