This comes as Muslims are marking the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Musa al-Kazim, the great grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and the seventh Shia Imam in Iraq.
The procession is being held in Baghdad’s northern district of Kazimiyah. Mourners participated in the ceremony to pay tribute to Imam Musa Kazim. The commemoration is being held amid tight security.
Imam Kazim, the seventh of 12 revered imams of Shias, gained martyrdom in 799 AD. The commemoration has in recent years turned into a huge event that brings the Iraqi capital to a standstill for days.
Millions of people have taken part in the pilgrimage each year
Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far Born in Madina on 7th Safar 128 Hijri (10.11.745AD). Died in Baghdad Iraq 25th Rajab 183 Hijri (4.9.799 AD) Period of Imamate was 35 years.
Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far was born during the struggle between the Ummayads and the Abbasids. He was only four years old when Abul Abbas “Saffah”, “The Shedder of Blood”, came to the throne as the first Abbasid caliph. For twenty years he was under the authority of his father, who died ten years before the end of the long reign of Mansur.
The Imamate of the 7th Imam, one of truthful successor of the holy prophet extended through the ten remaining years of the caliphate of Mansur, and included the ten years of the rule of Mahdi, one year and some months of Hadi and about twelve years of the reign of Harun al- Rashid.
Imam Musa Ibn Ja’far (PBUH) was one of the illustrious Imams who God had set a paragon of moral excellence. Each member of this noble family possessed cardinal virtues. Naturally in some individuals a particular virtue is dominant and more conspicuous. The seventh Imam excelled in tolerance and forgiveness, so much so that he was entitled al-Kazim, the suppressor of anger.
Never was he heard speaking roughly or harshly to anyone. Even in the most unpleasant situations, he was seen smiling bearing the pain gracefully. This was in accordance with the saying of his ancestor Imam ‘Ali (PBUH) that the faithful keeps his grief confined in his heart with a smile on his face.
Following the martyrdom, the place he was buried was a cemetery of the Quraish. But soon this place became the focus of pilgrimage on the grave of the Imam. A town grew around the grave yard. The name of the town became Kazimiya, the town of the Imam Kazim (PBUH) A reputed school of theology was founded in this town which is still a source of learning for many students from all over the world.