Among the signs of this sacred land’s honor is that Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) once resided here. He purchased its land from its owners. He desired that the souls of those buried within it might rest upon ground that belonged to him. For the followers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), visiting this holy place is a means of attaining intercession. It brings the fulfillment of supplications. It also grants nearness to Almighty God.
The Virtue and Eminence of Najaf
Shaikh Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Daylami stated:
“God Almighty has endowed this noble land and its sacred shrine with a sanctity and distinction unmatched by any other place.”
Numerous narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) describe this pure and blessed soil as “a garden from the gardens of Paradise.” They emphasize the spiritual merit of living near it and visiting it. They also highlight the merit of being buried within Wadi al-Salam. Such proximity has profound effects in this world and the Hereafter.
The eminent scholar Sayed Abdul-Karim ibn Tawus narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to Imam Ali (peace be upon him):
“God presented the love of the Ahl al-Bayt to the heavens and the earth. The first to respond was the seventh heaven, which was adorned with the Throne and the Divine Seat; then the fourth heaven, with the House of Prosperity; the worldly heaven, with the stars; the land of Hijaz, with the Kaaba; the land of Sham, with Bayt al-Maqdis; the pure land, with the tomb of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family); and the land of Kufa, with the blessed grave of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him).”
The Prophet also foretold that Imam Ali (peace be upon him) would be martyred in Kufa at the hands of Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam. He also said that a hundred thousand swords from Iraq would rise in his defense by the will of God.
The “Dur al-Najaf”—A Gem Reflecting the Land’s Blessedness
The people of Najaf often keep a small white stone known as Dur al-Najaf. It is found in the Najaf plateau and surrounding desert. They believe it carries blessings and rewards. The land that contains the body of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has been divinely ennobled.
Shaikh al-Tusi narrated from Mufaddal ibn Umar, who reported that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“I love that every believer should wear five kinds of rings:
The first, a ruby, for it is the most beautiful and precious;
the second, an agate, for it is the purest and most beloved to God and to us, the Ahl al-Bayt;
the third, turquoise, whose sight brings joy to the heart, brightness to the eye, and strength to the soul;
the fourth, Chinese iron—not for adornment, but to repel the harm of evil people;
and the fifth, the stone that God has revealed in the land of Najaf, between two white hills.”
When asked about the virtue of this stone, the Imam replied:
“Whoever wears it and gazes upon it, for every glance, God records a reward equal to that of the prophets and the righteous. Were it not for the mercy of God upon our followers, its value would have been so high that none could afford it. But God, in His mercy, made it attainable for both the wealthy and the poor.”
The Merit of Residing Near the Shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)
Ibn Tawus narrated from Hassan ibn Mehran that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“Visit the graves of our martyrs; seek your needs near the graves of the Commander of the Faithful and Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon them), and strive to reside near them.”
Allamah al-Majlisi explained that proximity to the shrines of the Imams (peace be upon them) carries unmatched spiritual merit, as expressed in the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt.
A narration in al-Mukhtasar from Allamah Ibn Fahd al-Hilli, quoting Shaikh al-Saduq, reports that a man once asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“What is the virtue of residing near the grave of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)?”
The Imam replied:
“A single night beside his grave is equal to seven hundred years of worship.”
When asked about the grave of Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him), he said:
“It equals seventy years of worship.”
And regarding performing prayers at the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), he said:
“It equals two hundred thousand prayers.”
The Virtue of Burial in Wadi al-Salam
Traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) emphasize the immense reward of being buried in the soil of Najaf al-Ashraf and Karbala. These lands possess sacred qualities found nowhere else. Thus, many devotees of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) aspire to be buried within the precincts of the Holy Shrine. Many also wish to be buried in Wadi al-Salam, one of the largest cemeteries in the world. There, millions of believers rest.
Shaikh al-Daylami stated:
“Among the blessings of this soil is the protection of the deceased from the torment of the grave and from the questioning of Munkar and Nakir.”
Shaikh al-Kulayni narrated from Habbah al-Urani that he once accompanied Imam Ali (peace be upon him) to Wadi al-Salam and saw him speaking with unseen souls. When he inquired, the Imam said:
“Yes, these are the spirits of the believers. Were you able to see them, you would behold them gathered in circles, conversing among themselves.”
The Imam explained that the souls of all believers, from the east to the west of the earth, are transferred after death to Wadi al-Salam. This realm forms part of the Garden of Eden.
The Gathering of Believers’ Souls in Wadi al-Salam
According to Shaikh Hasan ibn Sulayman al-Hilli, quoting Fadl ibn Shadhan from Asbagh ibn Nubata:
“When Imam Ali (peace be upon him) went out from Kufa toward al-Ghari, he lay upon the ground, saying that this was a sacred place for the souls of the believers. He explained that the spirits of the faithful gather here in fellowship, and that even the faintest trace of the disbelievers is drawn away to Wadi Barhut.”
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“No believer dies in the east or the west except that his spirit is taken to Wadi al-Salam.”
Narrations on Burial in Najaf and the Intercession of Imam Ali (peace be upon him)
Numerous narrations recount that those buried near the shrine of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) will attain his intercession. In one narration, a man brought his father’s body from Yemen to bury it in Najaf. He said that his father had willed to be buried there. Whoever rests in this land will be granted the right to intercede for people equal in number to the tribes of Rabiah and Mudar.
When the man was asked who had told him so, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) replied:
“By God, I am that man. Proceed and bury him.”
Another narration from Hafid Rajab al-Bursi quotes Asbagh ibn Nubata. He describes how Imam Ali (peace be upon him) foretold the arrival of a funeral from a distant land. The deceased had requested to be buried in Najaf for the same reason—its divine intercessory grace.
Traditions even state that all graves surrounding the Holy Shrine are connected by an unseen thread to the radiant dome of Imam Ali (peace be upon him). This thread is a symbol of the continuous spiritual bond between the faithful and their Imam. It links them in this world and in the next.
