Muslim ibn Aqil Shrine

The Shrine of Muslim ibn Aqil is the shrine of the emissary of Imam Hussein and the first martyr of the Husseini revolution. Imam Hussein sent him in the year 60 AH to Kufa as his ambassador, chosen for his courage, knowledge, and capability. He was martyred on the eighth of Dhul-Hijja of that year.

Muslim ibn Aqil ibn Abi Talib was the cousin of Imam Hussein, born in Medina. He was an exceptional warrior who resembled the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in his appearance. He witnessed with his uncle Imam Ali the Battle of Siffin, who placed him on the right flank of the army alongside Al Hassan, Al Hussein, and Abdullah ibn Ja'far Al Tayyar.

When the letters of the people of Kufa overwhelmed Imam Hussein and reached eighteen thousand pledges of allegiance, he sent Muslim as his ambassador to them, writing in his letter: "I am sending to you my brother, my cousin, and my trusted one from my household, Muslim ibn Aqil." He stayed in Kufa for sixty-four days, then was betrayed and left alone, as the soldiers of Ubaydullah ibn Ziyad surrounded him, and he was martyred.

Muslim and Hani ibn Urwa were buried by order of Ibn Ziyad near the governor's palace to prevent those who intended to visit them from doing so. However, the Shia did not cease visiting them secretly at night for fear of the guards.

The first structure erected over the shrine was during the era of Al Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayda Al Thaqafi in 67 AH, when he built a small dome over it and placed marble stones upon it inscribed with the name of its occupant.

In its current form, a towering golden dome rises above the shrine reaching 28 meters in height, clad with sheets coated in pure gold numbering 10,315 pieces, each coated with two and a half mithqals of gold. The courtyard containing the pure shrine and the shrine of Hani ibn Urwa covers 5,344 square meters, while the sanctuary of Muslim ibn Aqil covers 620 square meters. The shrine has a wide arcade adorned with mirrors, floral engravings, and magnificent artistic works. The courtyard also contains beside it the shrine of Al Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayda Al Thaqafi, who rose to avenge Imam Hussein in 64 AH.