Imamzadeh

For places in Iran, see Emamzadeh.

An imamzadeh (Persian: امامزاده, romanized: emāmzādeh) is a Persian term with two related meanings: a type of holy person in Shia Islam, and the shrine-tomb of such a person.

Firstly, it means an immediate descendant of a Shi'i Imam. The term is also used in Urdu and Azeri. Imamzadeh means "offspring" or descendant of an imam. There are many different ways of spelling the word in English,[1] such as imamzada, imamzadah and emamzadah.[2][3] Imamzadeh are basically the Syed's or Syeda's as they have descended from the Imams.[citation needed] Imamzadehs are also sayyids, though not all sayyids are considered imamzadehs.[3]

There are many important imamzadehs. Two of these are Fātimah bint Mūsā, the sister of Imam Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Twelver Imam, and Zaynab bint Ali, daughter of Ali, considered by Shi'i Muslims to be the first Imam and by Sunni Muslims as the fourth Rashid. Imamzadehs are not traditionally women.[3]

Secondly, imamzadeh is a term for a shrine-tomb of the descendants of Imams, who are directly related to Muhammad.[1] These shrines are only for the descendants of Imams and they are not for the Imams themselves.[3] These shrine-tombs are used as centers of Shi'i devotion and pilgrimages. They are believed to have miraculous properties and the ability to heal.[4] Many of them are located in Iraq, Medina, India and Iran.

A Mullah (Shia Islam cleric) praying in Imāmzādeh Sayyid Hamzah, Tabriz
The interiors of many Imamzadehs are covered with mirrors to create a brilliant display of light.
Imamzadeh in Ganja, Azerbaijan

Many people visit the imamzadehs that are relatively close to them. There are also special ziyarat-namas (pilgrimages) for many of the imamzadehs. Some of these pilgrimages even happen annually during the certain time of year.[3] Some of the imamzadehs are not as well kept as others. According to Reinisch, an imamzadeh that he saw was mostly in ruins, though it is still important.[5]

  1. ^ a b Esposito, John L. 2003. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. Oxford. p 136.
  2. ^ Glasse, Cyril. 2001. The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam. Revised Edition. Stacey International, London. p. 213
  3. ^ a b c d e Lambton, A.K.S. "Imamzada." Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. Van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2010. Brill Online. Augustana. 6 April 2010 <http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_SIM-3552[permanent dead link‍]>
  4. ^ Esposito, John L. 1995. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, v.2. Oxford University Press. Oxford. p. 185
  5. ^ Reinisch, Leo. "Egypt and Abyssinia". The Geographical Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Mar., 1897), Blackwell Publishing on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)<https://www.jstor.org/stable/1774943>. pp. 314–318.