The Masjid al-Nuqtah ( is a mosque located on Mount Jawshan in
Aleppo
Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
,
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. The main feature of the mosque is a stone believed to be stained with the blood of
Husayn ibn ‘Alī by
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
.
Also located near this mosque on Mount Jawshan, is a ''
mashad
Mashhad ( ; ), historically also known as Mashad, Meshhed, or Meshed in English, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. In the Central District of Mashhad ...
'' (shrine) known as ''Mashad al-Siqt''
(). As the
prisoners of Karbalā were passing through Aleppo, one of wives of
Husayn
Hussein, Hossein, Hussain, Hossain, Huseyn, Husayn, Husein, Hussin, Hoessein, Houcine, Hocine or Husain (; ), coming from the triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-N (), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning "good", "handsome" or ...
had a miscarriage.
The still-born child was named Muhsin,
and buried at this place.
Historical accounts
According to Shi'ite sources, the
prisoners of Karbalā were taken through many cities on their way to
Damascus
Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...
on orders from
Yazīd. As they were nearing Aleppo, a
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
monk who lived there could see light emanating from the head of Husayn, upwards to the sky.
When the caravan stopped for rest, the monk approached them and asked if he could take the head for the night in exchange for 10,000 dirhams that he had with him.
When they agreed, the monk took the head and placed it on a stone, whereon blood from the head fell onto it. In the morning he returned the head and professed Islam.
This version of events can be found written on a plaque within the mosque itself.
Other versions of the story
* Other Shia narrations relate that when the
prisoners of Karbalā were passing through Aleppo, the head of Husayn was placed upon a rock. When blood from the head fell onto the rock, more blood began gushing forth from the rock.
* Sunni sources narrate that a shepherd had a dream wherein he was instructed to build a mosque in honour of Husayn, at the place where one of his goats had its foot sunken into rock. When the shepherd awoke and pulled the goat free from the rock, a river of water began to gush forth.
Artifacts of the mosque
File:Al-NuqtahMosque-Plaque.JPG, A plaque within the mosque suggests that the site was converted from a monastery in 944 C.E.
File:Al-NuqtahMosque-BloodOfImamHusaynOnStone.JPG, The blood-stained stone within the mosque
Recent history
The mosque suffered an explosion in 1920 when
King Faisal ordered his men to store gunpowder in the mosque. Restorations to the mosque began forty years later, and were completed by the 1970s. The current roof of the mosque was built in 1991.
Hajar-ul-Nuqteh was believed to be at
Karachi
Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
between 2016 and 2017. It is with a local scholar, Dr Amber Tajwer's residence at Karachi during that time with the written permission from one of Administrative of Al-Nuqtah Mosque. It was placed for security reasons and was on display for limited gathering.
See also
*
Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)
Muslims, including Shia, Sunni, Ibadi and other branches, agree on two holiest sites in Islam being the Masjid al-Haram (including the Kaaba) in Mecca; the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina.
Sites associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daug ...
*
‘Āshūrā'
*
Battle of Karbalā
*
Husayn ibn ‘Alī
*
‘Alī Zaynul ‘Ābidīn
*
Zaynab
*
Umm Kulthūm
*
‘Abbās
*
‘Alī al-Akbar
*
‘Alī al-Asghar
*
Qāsim
*
Sukayna
References
{{Aleppo landmarks
Architecture in Syria
Nuqtah
Islamic shrines
Nuqtah