2- Excellence of the Sahla Mosque

(A sanctuary of worship for his holiness (a.s.) is situated in this mosque)

After the grand mosque of Kufa, no other mosque can match the status and magnanimity of the Sahla Mosque, because it was the house of Prophet Idrees (a.s.) and Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.). Prophet Khizr (a.s.) also visited this place and resided here.

            It has arrived in a narration that it is the sanctuary of the righteous, the prophets and the messengers, and there are many other traditions which indicate towards the significance of this mosque.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said to Abu Basir:

أتراني أنظر إلى صاحب الأمر داخلا إلى مسجد السهلة بأهله و عياله و متّخذه منزلا له، و إنّ اللّه تعالى لم يرسل نبيّا قطّ إلّا و صلّى فيه، و كلّ من أقام فيه فكأنّما أقام في خيمة رسول اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه و اله، و ما من مؤمن و لا مؤمنة إلّا و قلبه يحنّ إليه، و فيه حجر عليه صور جميع الأنبياء صلوات اللّه عليهم ‏و ما من أحد يصلّي فيه و يدعو بنيّة خالصة إلّا أعطاه اللّه حاجته، و ما من أحد يطلب فيه الأمان إلّا آمنه اللّه من كلّ ما يخاف، و ما من يوم أو ليلة إلّا و تنزّل الملائكة لزيارته و عبادة اللّه فيه، و ما لم أذكره لك من فضيلة هذا المسجد أكثر ممّا ذكرته

            “Would you believe if I say that I am witnessing ‘Sahib e Amr’ (Imam Mahdi a.s.) entering the Sahla Mosque with his family and relatives seeking it as their house? The Almighty Allah did not sent forth any prophet but that prophet has offered prayer in that mosque. Whoever resides there is like someone who has resided in the camp of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.). Every believer, be it man or woman, has the desire to visit this place in his heart and there lies a stone in this mosque upon which the image of all the prophets have been engraved.

            There is none who prays in this place and calls Allah (s.w.t.) with pure intention but that Allah accomplishes his request. Whoever seeks protection from Allah in these places, He will grant him protection from all that he fears. There are no mornings and evenings when the angels do not descend on this place and worship the Almighty Allah here. That which I did not tell you regarding the attributes of this mosque is much more than all that I have mentioned.

            Likewise, it has been narrate from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that:

من صلّى ركعتين في مسجد السهلة، زاد اللّه في عمره عامين‏

 

Whoever offers two Units (of prayer) in the Sahla Mosque, Allah (s.w.t.) will increase two years of his life.  

            It has arrived in another narration that:

أنّ منه يكون النفخ في الصور، و يحشر من حوله سبعون ألفا يدخلون الجنّة بغير حساب‏

 

            The trumpet shall be blown from this place, and seventy thousand people will be resurrected from its surrounding such that they will be permitted inside the Heaven without any reckoning.

In his book ‘Kamil uz Ziyaraat’, Ibn e Qaulwayh narrates with authority from Hadrami who narrates from Imam Baqir (a.s.) or Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that Hadrami says:

الكوفة يا أبابكر؛ هي الزكيّة الطاهرة، فيها قبور النبيّين المرسلين و غير المرسلين و الأوصياء الصادقين، و فيها مسجد سهيل الّذي لم يبعث اللّه نبيّا إلّا و قد صلّى فيه.

و منها يظهر عدل اللّه، و فيها يكون قائمه و القوّام من بعده، و هي منازل النبيّين و الأوصياء و الصالحين‏

 

I said to Imam (a.s.): “After the two sanctuaries of Allah (s.w.t.) and Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h.), which sanctuary is the most superior one?

Imam (a.s.) said: O Aba Bakr! It is Kufa, it is a pure and immaculate place. The graves of those prophets who were messenger and those who were not messengers, are situated in that place, and there lies the Sahla Mosque where all the prophets raised by Allah (s.w.t.) have offered prayers.   

The Divine Justice will become evident from that place and the Riser of Allah and all his succeeding risers will reside there. It is the house of the prophets, the executors and the righteous.[1]