Grave visitation/worship - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
[Article]
McGregor, Richard J.
Leiden
Brill
(2,246 words)
Grave visitation/worship , commonly termed ziyāra , denotes simply a visit, but more specifically, a piously motivated pilgrimage. The most significant pilgrimage, incumbent upon all able-bodied Muslims with the material means, is that of the ḥajj to the Kaʿba, in Mecca, which may include a visit to the grave of the prophet Muḥammad, in Medina. The ḥajj shares many features with local and regional pilgrimage practices: experiences of liminality and sacred space, a social levelling and formation of community among fellow travellers, and a display of piety through rituals such