Significance of Laylat al-Qadr and pilgrimage to Imam Hussein’s Shrine
Every year, Iraqis eagerly await the arrival of Holy Ramadan to commemorate religious evenings, especially Laylat al-Qadr or (the Night of Power). While most residents of Holy Karbala direct their attention to the shrine of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), people from other provinces travel to mosques and Husseiniyas to mark the occasion.
The virtues of visiting Imam Hussein’s holy shrine on the Nights of Qadr are highlighted in numerous hadiths. Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Whoever visits Imam Hussein on the twenty-third night of Ramadan, which is the night hoped to be Laylat al-Qadr, the spirits of twenty-four thousand prophets will greet him, all seeking Allah’s permission to visit Imam Hussein on this blessed night.”
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims gather in Holy Karbala to observe the first of the Nights of Power, coinciding with the anniversary of Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) painful wounding.
Laylat al-Qadr, a night of immense spiritual significance, falls during the last ten nights of Ramadan and is mentioned in the Holy Quran and the biography of Prophet Muhammad, making it an essential time for reflection and prayer for Muslims.
The holy shrines of Imam Hussein and his brother Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (peace be upon them) prepare special religious activities to commemorate these days. These activities include special Quran recitation and recommended du’as of Ahlulbayt, peace be upon them.
