Throughout this long historical trajectory, many kings, sultans, rulers, and prominent figures devoted immense financial resources and sincere efforts to the development, grandeur, and preservation of this luminous sanctuary. Their motivation was the pursuit of divine reward and the hope of attaining the intercession of the Divider of Paradise and Hellfire, the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him).
In this regard, Sayed Abd al-Karim ibn Tawus states:
“If we were to enumerate all those who visited this sacred shrine or contributed to its construction and development as a means of drawing closer to God—from kings and dignitaries to ministers, literati, judges, jurists, scholars, and hadith transmitters—the account would become exceedingly lengthy.”
The First Architectural Structure of the Holy Shrine
The first prominent dome constructed above the holy grave of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was built by Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Dai al-Hasani, the ruler of Tabaristan, in the year 283 AH.
During the caliphate of al-Mutadid billah al-Abbasi, he undertook the construction of the Holy Shrine with great dedication and erected a surrounding enclosure featuring seventy arcades, intended to enhance services for pilgrims.
Some historians mistakenly identified this enclosure as the first wall of the city of Najaf; however, in reality, it constituted the boundary wall of the shrine’s courtyard.
Earlier, Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) had foretold that a man would, before his death, build a structure with seventy arches around this noble grave. This prophecy was fulfilled in the person of Muhammad ibn Zayd.
In addition to this significant construction, he dispatched large sums of wealth from Tabaristan to support the reconstruction and development of the holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala.
Reliable historical sources affirm that Muhammad ibn Zayd was the first individual to erect a distinguished dome above the Holy Shrine of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
Historical Accounts Concerning Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Dai al-Hasani
Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi, quoting Abu al-Ghanaim ibn al-Narasi, narrates:
“Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) visited the site of the grave of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) when no visible grave existed—only a leveled piece of land—until Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Dai came and made the grave manifest.”
This narration indicates that the act of “revealing” the grave refers to the construction of a structure over it by Sayed Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Hasani, as corroborated by earlier accounts. It has already been noted that Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) had previously identified the grave and erected a platform over it in the year when Umayyad rule collapsed (132 AH).
Similarly, Abu Ishaq al-Sabi (d. 384 AH) states that al-Dai al-Hasani was:
“The first to build structures over the graves of the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib and Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon them) in al-Ghari and al-Hair, spending twenty thousand dinars for their construction.”
Accounts by Ibn Isfandiyar
Ibn Isfandiyar relates:
“Until the era of al-Dai Muhammad ibn Zayd, the sacred shrines of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon him), and other Imams and prominent Shia figures were ruined and neglected.
When Muhammad ibn Zayd gained authority over Tabaristan, during the caliphate of al-Muntasir, he inclined toward Shiism and held great reverence for the family of Abu Talib (peace be upon them). Despite being of Abbasid lineage and descending from al-Saffah, he never dared to harm the descendants of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).
He undertook the reconstruction of sacred shrines and built structures wherever a noble grave was believed to exist. Annually, he sent thirty thousand red dirhams for the shrines of Imam al-Hussain, Imam Ali, Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon them), and others. When al-Mutawakkil destroyed the shrines of the Imams (peace be upon them), Muhammad ibn Zayd was the first to order their reconstruction.”
Additional Historical Testimonies
Sayed Muhammad ibn Abi Talib al-Hussaini al-Hairi al-Karaki records:
“After al-Mutawakkil, his son al-Muntasir assumed the caliphate. He showed kindness toward the family of Abu Talib and restored the visibility of the sacred graves. Later, the two Dais, Hasan and Muhammad, sons of Zayd ibn Hasan, rose in revolt. Muhammad ordered the reconstruction of the shrines of Amir al-Muminin and Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon them), after which both shrines continued to expand and flourish.”
Sayed Abd al-Karim ibn Tawus writes:
“He was the one who constructed the noble shrine in al-Ghari (Najaf) during the caliphate of al-Mutadid. He was later killed in battle and buried in Jurjan (Gorgan), as recorded in the book al-Mushajjara.”
Western Scholarly Observation
The French orientalist Louis Massignon notes:
“Around 280 AH / 902 CE, the Zaydi Daylami leader, Zayd ibn Muhammad (270–287 AH), constructed a dome to honor Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), who was buried there. Later, Abu al-Hayja al-Hamdani (317 AH) expanded and developed the structure. During the Buyid era, the dome became a focal point for pilgrims.”
The Supportive Role of al-Mutadid al-Abbasi
After ascending to the caliphate in 279 AH, al-Mutadid al-Abbasi refrained from harming pilgrims to the Holy Shrine of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) and honored the descendants of Abu Talib, influenced by a profound dream he had seen.
Al-Tabari, in his account of the events of 282 AH, provides a detailed narration demonstrating the caliph’s support for the custodians of the shrine and his protection of funds allocated for the descendants of Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
The Emergence and Expansion of the City of Najaf
The construction undertaken by al-Dai al-Hasani in 283 AH / 896 CE marks the true beginning of Najaf al-Ashraf as an inhabited urban center. Prior to this period, the area was uninhabited.
From that point onward, organized service to the Holy Shrine of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) began, including the establishment of custodianship, permanent residence of Shia communities in its vicinity, and burial near the sacred sanctuary.
Gradually, the city expanded and flourished, eventually becoming a major Islamic city and a center of intellectual and cultural life. In later centuries, Najaf al-Ashraf emerged as the heart of Shia religious authority and the global center of the Islamic seminaries.
