Thousands of Muslims Register for Itikaf at Imam Reza shrine
Itikaf is a spiritual practice in Islam that involves staying in a mosque for a certain number of days, fasting, and praying to God. It is usually performed on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of Rajab, the seventh month of the Islamic calendar.
The shrine of Imam Reza (AS), the eighth Shia Imam and a descendant of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is one of the most sacred and visited sites in the Muslim world.
Amin Behnam, an official with the shrine, said on Monday that the registration process, which started on December 5 and lasted for 10 days, attracted more than 67,355 Iranians and 3,070 foreigners.
The foreign registrants came from 21 countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Australia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Nigeria, the US, Canada, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Germany, Philippines, Kazakhastan, South Africa, Kuwait, Netherlands, and Hinduras, he said.
He added that 69% of the registrants were female and 31% were male, and that the shrine would allocate 1,200 slots for the ritual, half for each gender, through a draw.
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The official also said that 10% of the capacity would be reserved for foreign pilgrims and that the draw would be held on December 22 and the results would be announced by text messages on December 26.
The itikaf ceremonies will take place from February 24 to 26 in the underground space of Goharshad Mosque, a historic mosque adjacent to the shrine, which can accommodate hundreds of worshippers and provide them with a warm and comfortable environment in the cold weather.
The itikaf ritual is a tradition of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his family, and is considered a highly rewarding act of worship in Islam. Last year, 89 foreigners joined the itikaf at the holy shrine.
Source: news.razavi.ir 349922
