Sammara
You have not entered the city of Samarra. As you walk through this city, be aware that this is the same land where our beloved 10th, 11th and 12th Imam (a) lived and were under house arrest. This is the place where our living Imam (a) was born and last seen before he entered into ghaybah (occultation). Make sure to especially pray for his quick reappearance, and for your families and communities to be included amongst his close companions and supporters.
The city of Samarra isunique in that both Shi'ah annd Sunni population peacefully coexist in this locale. This is because they have found firm unity through the love for the Imams (a) who reside in this land. In this haram you will find one big dar'ih that has four holy graves within it: Imam Ali al-Hadi (a), Imam Hasan al-Askari (a), Hadrat Hakimah Khatun (The sister of 10th Imam) and Hadrat Narjis Khatun (The mother of the 12th Imam).
History of Samarra
Samarra is located on the east bank of the Tigris river in the Salahuddin province, 78 miles north of Baghdad. Due to the good weather the Sasanian Kings had erected some buildings here. Samarra used to be the border city between Persian and Roman empires. The Romans had control over it therefore its people were Christians. After the revelation of Islam, the city was conquered from the Romans through various battles, and was destroyed, leaving its people scattered. By the end of 2nd century there was only one temple left standing in this city. The city was famous even before the Muslims took over. In the year 221 AH, Mu'tasim, the 6th Abbasid Khalifah, rebuilt the city and appointed it as his capital. He named it ''Sorra man ra'' 'which means ''who ever sees it will become happy''.
This was engraved on the 'Abbasid coins during that time. From the death of Mu'tasim until 279 AH, seven 'Abbasid khalifahs also selected Samarra as their capital and constructed many buildings around it. Samarra was extended during the time of al-Mutawakkil , and a new city named Mutawakkiliya and established next to it. Once the capital of the khalifahate was moved back toBaghdad, Sammara developments slowed down. Some of the magnificient buildings of Samara existed until the 4th century. It slowed down at the 4th century nothing remained except for the Holy 'Askariyayn Shrine.
Virtues of visiting of Askariyayn (a)
Without a doubt, the rewards and virtues of performing the ziyarah of the 10th and 11th Imam (a) is equivalent to that of other Imams (a). Imam Sadiq (a) said ''The one who performs ziyarah of any of the Imams (a) is like one who has visted and performed the ziyarah of the Noble Prophet (s). Whoever performs ziyarah ofan Imam (a), who it is mandatory to follow, and offers a four rak'at prayer in his haram will be given the reward of performing Hajj and Umrah.
Allamah Majlisi has reported 15 narrations in regards to the rewards for rebuilding the graves ofthe Prophets and the Imams here are some of them.
1) Imam Hasan al-Askari (a) said ''My grave in ''Sorra man ra'' is a source of safety (from divine punishment) for both groups.
The two groups are the Shi'ah and Sunni groups who were living there at the time, implicating that the Imams (a) holy grave has such magnificent blessings that it has covered the entire region and is a general mercy for all.
2) Shaykh al-Tusi narrates in Amali that someone asked Imam al-Hadi (a) ''O my master! Teach me a du'a through which I may gain closeness to Allah, the Exalted.'' The Imam replied ''I will teach you a du'a that I recite many times and call upon Allah with. I have asked Allah not to disappoint anybody who recites du'a at my shrine.
This dua reads ''O my means when I lack means. O my hope and trust! O my shelter and support! O the One! O the Only! O He is Allah, the One. I ask you, O Allah, by the right of those whom you have created and have not made anyone like them to send me blessings upon allof them and grant me (your whishes).
3) It's been narrated in 'Uddat al-Da'i that one person had a difficult problem during the time of Imam al-Hadi (a). So, he asked Imam (a) to intercede on his behalf to the khalifah. Before long, his problem was resolved, so he came to the Imam (a) and asked ''Did you intercede for me at his palace?'' The Imam (a) replied ''Allah has trained us in a way that we only seek His help during difficult hardships and do not ask anybody else for help. I was afraid that if I took your request to the khalifah, the Almighty would remove his mercy from us, so I asked Him to grant blessings to those who recite this du'a at my shrine and accept their call.'' The Imam (a) then recited the above du'a.
Imam Ali Al-Hadi peace be upon him
Brief
He is: Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abdul Manaf bin Qusayy bin Kilab bin Murrah bin Kaab bin Luay bin Ghalib bin Fahr bin Malik bin Quraysh Bin Kinana bin Khuzaymah bin Mudrikah bin Elias bin Namdar bin Nizar bin Maad bin Adnan. • Her mother is the mother of a son, and her name is Samana. She is called Samana al-Maghribiyya. She has other names like Sussan and Jumana, and she is called Umm al-Fadl. Abu Ja`far al-Tabari al-Imami and others narrate with a chain of transmission on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Faraj ibn Ibrahim ibn Abdullah ibn Ja`far, who said: Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa, peace be upon them, invited me and informed me that a caravan had arrived and in it was a slave laborer with slave labor, and he paid me seventy dinars and ordered me to buy A slave girl he described to me, so I went and did what he ordered me to do, and that slave girl was the mother of Abi Al-Hasan, peace be upon him.
His birth (peace be upon him)
He was born in Surya, a village on the outskirts of Medina, in the middle of Dhul-Hijjah in the year 212. The hadith scholars differed regarding the date of his birth: it was said: He was born in the month of Rajab, and this statement is supported by the supplication narrated from the twelfth Imam (O God, I ask you regarding those born in Rajab: Muhammad Bin Ali II and his son Ali bin Muhammad Al-Muntjab..). Ayyash mentioned that his birth was on the second of the month of Rajab, or the fifth of it, and it was said: (on the thirteenth night of the month, in the year 214 AH, and it was said: 212 AH. And it was said: his birth was in the middle of Dhul-Hijjah, or the twenty-seventh of it.
Imamate
The imamate passed to Al-Hadi after his father, Al-Jawad, who was in Medina at the time. He was eight years old at that time. The duration of his imamate was about thirty-four years.
His Biography (peace be upon him)
His seal is engraved: “God is my Lord, and He is my protection from His creation.” • His poets are Al-Awfi, Al-Daylami, Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Saymari, Abu Tammam Al-Tai, Abu Al-Ghouth Aslam bin Mahwuz Al-Manbaji, Abu Hashim Al-Jaafari, and Al-Hamani. • The kings of his era: Al-Mu’tasim Al-Abbasi, Al-Wathiq, Al-Mutawakkil, Al-Muntasir, Al-Musta’in, and Al-Mu’tazz. Imam al-Hadi remained in Medina for the remainder of the caliphate of al-Mu'tasim al-Abbasi and the days of the caliphate of al-Wathiq al-Abbasi, as 12 years had passed since his imamate. When al-Mutawakkil assumed the caliphate, he feared that he would rise up against him, so he brought him to Iraq, to be close to him, to monitor him and facilitate pressure on him. It seems that he did not bring him in until after letters came to him from Hijaz informing him that the people in the Two Holy Mosques were favoring him.
Al-Mutawakkil’s wife, whom he apparently sent to find out the matter, was among those who sent the letters. It appears from the manner in which the Imam was brought that Al-Mutawakkil was very careful about the matter, as he sent an entire detachment from Samarra to Medina to achieve this matter. Al-Mutawakkil wrote a letter to the Imam in which he said: “The Commander of the Faithful saw that Abdullah bin Muhammad was distracted from the war and prayer that he was undertaking in the city of the Messenger, as he was as you mentioned of his ignorance of your rights and his disdain for your destiny, and when he associated you with him and attributed you to him regarding the matter that the Commander of the Faithful had known.” The believers, your innocence from him, the sincerity of your intention, your righteousness, and your words, and that you did not qualify yourself for what you were accustomed to asking for, and the Commander of the Faithful took charge of what was to come from that, Muhammad ibn al-Fadl, and ordered him to honor you and venerate you, and to adhere to your command and opinion, and to draw closer to God and to the Commander of the Faithful in that, and the Commander of the Faithful longs for you and loves to make a covenant with you And look at your face." When Al-Hadi settled in the city of Samarra, Al-Mutawakkil made him live in the house of the Tramps for three days, before entering upon him.
Al-Mutawakkil Al-Abbasi, known for his extreme brutality and hatred for the Fatimid family, wanted Ali Al-Hadi to remain close to him so that it would be easy for him to eliminate him whenever he wanted. However, the Imam began to penetrate the depth of his authority and extend his influence to those close to Al-Mutawakkil’s supporters. Perhaps the following story reflects an aspect of the Imam’s influence in the Abbasid court: (Al-Mutawakkil fell ill from an abscess he had, and it was about to become ruined, so no one dared to touch him with an iron, so his mother vowed that if he was healed, he would carry to Abu Al-Hasan Ali bin Muhammad a large amount of her money). Al-Fath bin Khaqan said to him: If you sent to this man, meaning Abu Al-Hasan, and asked him, perhaps he had a recipe for something that God would relieve you of. He said: Send for him. So the Messenger went on and returned, and said: Take the sheep’s gain, bathe it with rose water, and put it on the tax, for it is beneficial, God willing. . Then those in the presence of Al-Mutawakkil mocked his statement, and Al-Fath said to them: What is harmful is experiencing what he said, by God, I hope for righteousness with it. So he brought the harvest, dipped it in rose water, and placed it on the tax, and it opened and what was in it came out. Al-Mutawakkil’s mother was given good news of his well-being, so she carried ten thousand to Abu Al-Hasan. A dinar under its seal, so Al-Mutawakkil was relieved of his illness.
His death
He died on the third Monday of Rajab in the year 254 AH and was buried in his home in Surr Min Ra’a (Samarra) at the age of 42 years. Al-Yaqoubi mentioned: People gathered inside and outside Al-Hadi House, and when the house was not large enough to perform prayers over the body of the Imam, it was decided to take the body out to the street known as Abu Ahmed Street, which is one of the longest and widest streets in Samarra, so that the place would be large enough to perform prayers. Abu Ahmed bin Harun Al-Rashid, who was sent by Al-Mu'tazz Al-Abbasi to pray over the body of the Imam, when he saw the gathering of people and their uproar, ordered the coffin to be returned to the house so that it could be buried there.
Imam Hassan Al Askari peace be upon him
Hadrat Hakima Khatun (a)
Hadrat Hakima Khatun is the daughter of Imam Jawad (a), sister of Imam Hadi (a) and aunt of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a) in Samarra. This noble lady witnessed the Imamate of four Imams. In addition Imam Hadi (a) appointed her to be the teacher of Hadrat Narjis Khatun the mother of Imam Mahdi (aj), so she could learn about Islam. Even after the martydom of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a), She also witnessed the birth of Imam az-Zaman (aj).
Allamah Majlisi says ''I wonder why there is no specific ziyarah for this noble and pious lady, despite her being among true compainions of the Imams (a) being present at the birth of Imam az-Zaman (aj), and constantly being around Imam al-Askari (a) and being intermediatry after his martydom. By the same reasoning, Marhum Muhaddith Qummi mentions in Mafatih al-Jinan that it is proper to recite her ziyarah using the phrases that are used for her aunt, Sayyidah Ma'sumah, the daughter of Imam Musa bin Ja'far (a).
Brief
He is: Abu Muhammad Al-Hassan bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Musa bin Jaafar bin Muhammad bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abdul Manaf bin Qusay bin Kilab bin Murrah bin Kaab bin Luay bin Ghalib bin Fahr bin Malik Ibn Quraish Ibn Kinana Ibn Khuzaymah Ibn Mudrikah Ibn Ilyas Ibn Mudar Ibn Nizar Ibn Maad Ibn Adnan. His mother is: Hadith.
His birth (peace be upon him)
He was born in Medina on the 8th of Rabi’ al-Thani 232 AH, and it was said that it was the 10th of Rabi’ al-Thani, which is most likely according to the majority of scholars.
His Titles
His most famous nickname peace be upon him by which he is known is: Al-Kadhim. He was also called the good servant, and in Medina he was known as Zayn al-Mutahajdin. After his death, he became famous with a title that overshadowed the rest of his titles, which is the Gate of Needs, because he [peace be upon him] was known for his miracles, miracles, and answered prayers.
His Biography (peace be upon him)
Al-Hasan Al-Askari moved with his father, Imam Ali Al-Hadi, to Samarra after Caliph Al-Mutawakkil Al-Abbasi summoned him there. He lived with his father in Samarra for 20 years, after which he received the Imamate at the age of 22. This happened after the death of his father in the year 254 AH. According to Shiite narratives, his imamate lasted until the year 260 AH, that is, six years. During this period, he experienced the weakness of the Abbasid authority and the Turks’ control over the reins of government. This did not prevent the increasing policy of Abbasid pressure against him, as he returned to their prisons several times and was subjected to strict supervision, and finally an attempt to oppress him away from the eyes of the people, which failed. Despite all of this, Al-Hassan Al-Askari was able to abort all these attempts, which earned him special respect among the followers of the authority, so that through their closeness to him, they turned into people who were trustworthy, loyal, and concerned for his safety. Rather, he was able to impose his respect on everyone, such as Ubayd Allah ibn Yahya ibn Khaqan, the Abbasid vizier, who is credited with having said of his right: “If the caliphate were to disappear from the Abbasids, no one of the Banu Hashim would have deserved it other than him for his virtue, chastity, guidance, self-preservation, asceticism, worship, and his beautiful morals and righteousness.” Through his cautious and careful stances in his relationship with the government, Al-Hasan Al-Askari wanted to prevent the Abbasid rule from evading his plan to integrate the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt and melt them into the crucible of the ruling apparatus and subject them to permanent surveillance and house arrest that aimed to isolate them from their bases and loyalists.
Al-Askari, like his father, was forced to maintain power by coming to the Caliph’s court every Monday and Thursday. Al-Hassan Al-Askari took advantage of this policy to convince the authorities not to deviate from its policy. To protect his companions from the pressure and persecution they were subjected to by the Abbasid state. But without giving the authority the legal cover that would consolidate its legitimacy and justify its policy, as is clearly shown by his position on the Zanj revolution that broke out as a result of the authority’s injustice and indulgence in a life of luxury. Due to extreme poverty among the vulnerable classes, and it was led by a man who claimed to belong to the Ahl al-Bayt, this revolution confused the authority and cost it a lot of effort to eliminate it. The position towards this revolution was one of rejection, but it had the effect of being silent and not condemning its actions so that the condemnation would not be considered an implicit support for the state. In fact, the authorities were too busy monitoring him to suppress the Zanj revolution. Which allowed him to exercise his guiding and guiding missionary role.
He encouraged his companions to publish books and letters on vital religious topics, and he would review and revise them. As prey to answer the skeptics and wrote revoked. It is said that he contacted the Canadian philosopher, who began writing a book about the contradictions of the Qur’an. So he convinced him of his mistake. Which made Al-Kindi burn the book and repent. He worked to provide and strengthen his bases and loyalists with all the elements of steadfastness and awareness. He provided them with the money necessary to solve their problems, tracked their news and psychological and social conditions, and provided them with the necessary directions and guidance, which led to their cohesion and understanding of the approach of Ahl al-Bayt and their seeking all ways to contact him despite the strict censorship that surrounded him by the authority. It is narrated that Muhammad bin Ali Al-Samri used to carry letters, questions, and money in a jar of ghee in his capacity as a seller, and bring them to Al-Hasan to return with answers and directions. Thus, Al-Hasan was able to break the Abbasid collar around him, convey the thesis of authentic Islam to his popular bases, abort the attempts of the authority, and defeat its goal
Imam (peace be upon him) marriage
Shiite biography books narrate that Ali al-Hadi sent one of his close companions, who was a slave laborer, to buy a specific Roman slave woman whose description he described to him. Her name was Narjis, daughter of Joshua, son of Caesar, king of the Romans, and her lineage goes back to Shimun al-Safa, one of Jesus’ disciples. The slave trader bought her and delivered her to al-Hadi, who in turn delivered her to His sister, Hakima, taught her the rules of Islam. Thus, Narjis remained with Hakima until Hassan al-Askari married her, and she gave birth to him Muhammad al-Mahdi ibn al-Hasan, who is the only son left by Hassan al-Askari. The Shiites believe that God miraculously hid the belly of Mrs. Narjis so that the Abbasids would not know of her pregnancy, and she gave birth to Imam al-Mahdi, who was absent. The minor absence when he was seven years old, then the major absence, and he is still absent to this day.
His death
I serve Al-Hasan bin Ali Al-Askari and carry his books to the cities, so I went to him during his illness in which he died, and he wrote letters and said: Take them to Al-Mada’in. So I went out with the letters and took their answers and returned to - the secret of those who saw - on the fifteenth day, and I found the preacher in his house, and Ja’far bin Ali was at the door of the house. The Shiites around him console and congratulate him. So I said to myself: If this is the case, then he is in trouble. Then the servant’s colonel came out and said: Sir, your brother has been shrouded, stand up to pray over him. Then Ja’far and those present entered, and Ja’far bin Ali (who is the brother of Al-Askari) came forward to pray over him. When he was about to say the takbir, a boy came out with a brown face, cat hair, and gritting teeth. He grabbed Ja’far bin Ali’s robe and said: “Be late, uncle.” I am more deserving of you than you to pray for my father. So Ja`far delayed, his face turning pale, so the boy came forward and prayed over him. He was buried next to his father’s grave, where their appearance is a Kaaba for the arrivals and a refuge for those who love the Ahl al-Bayt, from whom God has removed impurity and purified them with a purification by which they seek blessing and plead with God Almighty by the sanctity of the one who is buried in his grave, to allow them to enter into the grave. His mercy and makes them follow the truth and guidance.
The Bombing of the 'Askariyayn grave
Near the end of February 2006, due to the poor security situation, the former regime, assisted by foreigners from al-Qaeda,commited the biggest crime in the history of Samarra, namely the tragedy of bombing the shrine and honorable dome, which is the biggest violation of their sancity. It was a great loss for the people of Samarra, in particular, and for the Iraqis and all the Muslims in general. From an archeological point of view, the building of this shrine was the oldest among the holy shrines in Iraq. It dated back to more than a thousand years.
In June 2007, Terrorists from al-Qaeda destroyed the minaretes of the Holy shrine. In April 2008, the members of the Hussain (a) and Abbas (a) shrine with the help of the Technical Committee for the reconstruction of the 'Askariyayn shrine combined their efforts to aid the 'Askariyayn site. The construction started in 2010 by expanding the courtyard of the 'Askariyayn (a), 100% horizontally and 200% vertically. The new courtyard consists of two floors
The bombing of the Dome of the Two Askari Imams (peace be upon them)
The Baathist terrorist hands extended to attack the shrine of the two Imams of Askari (peace be upon them) with dishonorable attacks, as was known in previous years, by demolishing the graves of the Imams of al-Baqi’ (peace be upon them) and also attacking the shrine of the Lord of all creation, the Beloved of the God of the Worlds, the Prophet Muhammad (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family). ) In attempts to destroy his blessed shrine.
On the twenty-third day of the holy month of Muharram, it is the day of remembrance of the first bombing of the shrine and dome of the two Askari Imams by deviant, terrorist, inhumane groups, in order to erase the effect of the blessings of our imams and the imams of all Muslims in their miserable, insignificant attempts.
And we do not answer them except as God Almighty answered them in His decisive and noble Book, in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful ((They want to extinguish the light of God with their mouths, but God refuses except to perfect His light, even if the disbelievers dislike it)) God, the Most High, the Great, has spoken the truth.
Here we present a brief overview of the life of the two Askari Imams (peace be upon them) and a historical overview of the stages of building the noble shrine.
Imam Ali bin Muhammad Al-Hadi (peace be upon him)
Imam Abu Al-Hasan Ali Al-Taqi Al-Hadi (peace be upon him) was born in the middle of Dhul-Hijjah in the year 212 AH in the village of (Sariya), one of the villages of the city. It is a village founded by Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) and is three miles away from the city (1).
The most famous of his nicknames is Al-Naqi and Al-Hadi, and he is also called Abu Al-Hassan the Third. According to the custom of Shiite narrators, what is meant by Abu Al-Hasan the first is Musa bin Jaafar (peace be upon them) and by Abu Al-Hassan the second is Imam Al-Rida bin Musa Al-Kadhim (peace be upon them).
He was martyred in the year 254 AH in the city of Samarra and was buried in his home. He was forty-one years old on the day of his death.
Despite his short life, he lived his life in constant activity. He taught people and taught scholars among them, until it was mentioned that those who narrated his knowledge from him amounted to approximately one hundred and eighty-five narrators, and among his trustworthy ones were: Ahmad bin Hamza bin Al-Yasa, and Saleh bin Muhammad Al-Hamdani. And Muhammad bin Jazal al-Jamal, Yaqoub bin Yazid al-Katib, Abu al-Hussein al-Hilal, Ibrahim bin Ishaq, Khairan al-Khadim, and al-Nadr bin Muhammad al-Hamdani. Among his agents mentioned by historians were: Jaafar bin Sahl al-Saql, and among his companions were Daoud bin Zaid, Abu Suleiman Zankan and al-Hussein bin Muhammad. Al-Madaini, Ahmad bin Ismail bin Yaqtin, Bishr bin Bashar Al-Naysaburi Al-Shadhani, Salim bin Jaafar Al-Maruzi, Al-Fath bin Yazid Al-Jurjani, Muhammad bin Saeed bin Kulthum, Muawiyah bin Hakam Al-Kufi, Ali bin Ma’ad bin Ma’bad Al-Baghdadi, and Abu Al-Hasan bin Raja Al-Abarta’i (2).
The era of Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him):
Imam Al-Hadi (peace be upon him) lived during a period of the Abbasid Caliphate that had characteristics that distinguished it from other periods, which are:
1- The disappearance of the prestige of the Caliphate, and this is due to the control of the loyalists and the Turks over the affairs of government, managing it as they pleased. The Caliph had only a formal role, limited to praying for him in the mosques.
2- The disintegration of the men of the court: as a result of the entertainment and debauchery gatherings that these caliphs and pimps held because of the vacuum experienced by the caliphate apparatus.
3- The increase in injustice and tyranny resulting from tampering with the treasury due to spending and extravagance on the Caliph’s entourage and those around him and on intrigues and conspiracies.
4- The escalation of the Alawite revolutions, which were a reaction to the injustice and persecution that were prevailing over Islamic society at that period. History books recorded 18 revolutions between the period 269-270 AH, and these revolutions often ended in failure and were eliminated by the Abbasid state.
Imam al-Hadi’s (peace be upon him) secret activities:
Al-Mutawakkil was a contemporary of Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) more than other caliphs. Al-Mutawakkil mistreated the Banu Hashim and persecuted them a lot. He thought badly of them and accused them all the time. His minister, Abdullah bin Yahya bin Khaqan, sought them out and encouraged him to abuse them. Al-Mutawakkil gained favor with them. He was the first to oppress and persecute the Ahl al-Bayt among the Abbasid caliphs.
For this reason, Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), especially during the era of al-Mutawakkil, carried out his activities in secret, and observed complete secrecy in his various affairs with his Shiites. When the Imam resided in Samarra, severe censorship and restrictions were imposed on him by the ruling Abbasid apparatus.
Imam Al-Hadi (peace be upon him) in the face of deviation:
Religious and intellectual schools such as the Mu'tazilites and Ash'aris prevailed in the era of Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), and multiple opinions and theological theories appeared in Islamic society. Controversy and research arose in full swing on verbal issues such as algebra, delegation, and its rulings on seeing God or not, His bodily being, the Almighty, and other issues. Here the Imam (peace be upon him) was facing questions resulting from these opinions and theories.
The spread of these deviant opinions and their spread of intellectual leadership of the Shiites by the Imam (peace be upon him) made it extremely necessary, and therefore the Imam (peace be upon him) began to spread the invalidity of deviant opinions and schools such as fatalism and anthropomorphism during his debates and letters with conclusive and clear evidence, and he presented the true Islam, devoid of every blemish and deviation to the The Islamic community and this is one of the manifestations of the scholarly greatness of the Imam (peace be upon him).
Imam Hassan Al-Askari (peace be upon him):
Imam Al-Askari was born the eleventh Imam of the Shiites in the year 232 AH. His father was Imam Al-Hadi, the tenth Imam (peace be upon them), and his mother was an ascetic and believing slave whose name was Hadithah. Some said that her name was Sawsan, and she was one of the righteous know-it-alls, and it is sufficient in her virtues that she was the fear of the Shiites after the death of my father. Muhammad, in these critical circumstances.
Because the Imam (peace be upon him) was forced to reside in Samarra in a neighborhood called Al-Askari, based on the order of Caliph Al-Abbay, he was called Al-Askari.
His other most famous surnames are Al-Taqi and Al-Zaki, and his nickname is Abu Muhammad. He was 22 years old when his honorable father was martyred. His Imamate was six years and he lived for 28 years. He was martyred in the year 260 AH and was buried in his home next to his father in Samarra.
During his short stay, the Imam (peace be upon him) was contemporary with three Abbasid caliphs, each of whom was more oppressive than the other. They were:
The proud of God, the one guided by God, and the one who relies on God.
Aspects of the activities of Imam Askari (peace be upon him)..
1- Scientific endeavors in defending the Islamic religion and confronting suspicions and problems.
2- Creating a network of communications with Shiites in different regions by installing agents, representatives, and correspondence.
3- Practicing secret political activities despite the atmosphere of terror and censorship by the Abbasid regime.
4- Guiding Shiite men and prominent figures politically and standing by their side in crises.
5- Making extensive use of knowledge to attract stubborn people and raise Shiite morale.
6- Preparing the Shiites for the period of occultation of his son, the Twelfth Imam (peace be upon him).
Some of the poetry that was said about him (peace be upon him)...
By the late Sayyed Saleh al-Najafi, known as al-Qazwini, from a poem of his:
O the elite of the guide, O the reviver of guidance, and the arbiter of the religion of the Chosen One, and he is a scholar
How many blessings have you planted, but you have reaped nothing but the opposite of what you planted?
When Al-Hadi passed, I was shown miracles with which I forced miracles on your side.
And when those who seek help have dried up, and he is not satisfied with his actions, while he is the envious and competitive
I believed that after three abominations are on the head in the depths of hell for Nax.
The late Mr. Mohsen Al-Amin Al-Amili said:
I cry, and does my crying cure the sick? Two moons set in Samarra
Two flags from the Lord of the wilderness for the night, a monument at the top of the dome of the Most High.
Two stars guide those who walk to their Lord by guiding them through blind temptation
He who is not guided by them has gone astray. When will there be guidance for the one who stumbles upon the dark?
They are truly the path of God. Whoever turns away from Him will be in utter darkness.
With Ali Al-Hadi and his son Al-Hassan, he uncovered the cherubim and the banner’s cannon
The holy scene..
The house in which Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him) lived with his family in Samarra was bought by Dalil bin Yaqoub the Christian, and he lived in it and was buried in the center of the house. Then he buried some of the men and women of the family.
Incidents occurred in the city of Samarra during the days of al-Mu'tamid, and many people immigrated. After the city of Samarra was one of the largest, most beautiful, and most prosperous countries in the world, it turned into an abandoned city, with few residents, and the military camp remained inhabited.
When the year 328 AH came, nothing remained of the city of Samarra except a khan and a grocery store for passers-by, and Samarra fell from its centrality and lost its councils and splendor. Some people were appointed in Baghdad to take care of the garden of that garden, and these individuals would accompany visitors to Samarra and return with them.
The second building..
Nasir al-Dawla al-Hamdani, the brother of Saif al-Dawla al-Hamdani, built a dome over the two holy graves, made a wall for Samarra, and placed two shrines over the shrines of the two Imams, which he covered with curtains. He built a court around the Imam’s house and housed a group in it.
The third building..
In the year 337 AH, Mu'izz al-Dawla al-Buwayhi built the Holy Landscape. He entered Samarra, spent great sums of money, arranged the structure and veil for the blessed garden, and appointed salaries and maintenance for the Holy Dome for them.
The fourth building..
In the year 368 AH, Adud al-Dawla al-Buwaihi built the holy scene, building the noble Rawdah with teak wood and expanding the noble courtyard.
The fifth building..
In the year 445 AH, Prince Arsalam al-Basasiri built the shrine, ordered a high building over the shrine of the two Imams, and erected a teak wood shrine over the two shrines.
The sixth building..
In the year 495 AH, King Bakiruk of Seljuk came and renewed the doors of the kindergarten from the most expensive types of wood, built a wall for the holy kindergarten, and restored the dome, portico, and courtyard.
The seventh building..
Ahmed Al-Nasir Lidin Allah Al-Abbasi rose in the year 606 AH and restored the dome and minarets and decorated the noble Rawdah.
The eighth building..
In the year 640 AH, Al-Mustansir Al-Abbasi, son of Al-Nasir Lidin Allah Al-Abbasi, built the Holy Landscape and ordered Sayyed Ahmed bin Tawus to undertake it.
The ninth building..
In the year 750 AH, Abu Uwais Al-Jalayri performed great services and great influences on the holy scene.
The tenth building..
In the year 1106 AH, another fire occurred in the Blessed Rawdah, and the news reached Shah Hussein Al-Safavi, the last Safavid king. He ordered a group of scholars and notables to accompany the caskets and the shrine to Samarra, and their entry was a memorable day, and the name of Shah Hussein was written on the front of the door of the shrine.
The eleventh building...
In the year 1200, Prince Ahmed Khan al-Danbali, one of the rulers of Azerbaijan, undertook the construction of the Rawdah, and Mirza Muhammad Rafi’, who was one of the best of his time, ordered him to rebuild the noble Rawdah, the basement, the portico, the iwan, and the courtyard, according to the order of the building of the Imam, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) in the Holy City of Najaf.
He added another courtyard and a hallway that ends in the basement, and he built the noble kindergarten with the most beautiful construction and the best engineering art, as well as the doors and the box. He added a box and a shrine for Lady Narcissus and a shrine and a box for Lady Hakima.
Twelfth building...
Ahmed Khan was killed in that same year, and his son Hussein Quli Khan rose and completed the construction.
The thirteenth building...
In the year 1282, King Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar reconstructed and renovated the garden. He brought the best types of green marble to the garden and inlaid it inside the window, as well as the garden, the portico, and the courtyard. He renovated the dome and restored some aspects of the courtyard.
The existing building is a beautiful and joyful edifice that fills hearts with joy and makes visitors feel spiritual and majestic when viewed from the outside and inside.
Each time the building was built, the scene expanded and additional additions were added to it until the area of the Noble Sanctuary became about thirteen thousand square metres.
Because the length of the courtyard is 112 meters, its width is 108 meters, and the height of the wall is seven meters. It is furnished with white marble, the walls are covered with white marble about two meters, and the rest is covered with plaster of wonderful colors.
The gardens of the two Imams Askari (peace be upon them) are considered more spacious than all the gardens of the pure imams buried in Iraq.
1- Al-Irshad by Sheikh Al-Mufid, p. 296
2- Manafīth Al Abi Talib, vol. 4, p