Imam Reza (AS) Shrine holds Qadr nights

Mausoleum of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, northeast Iran, has started playing host to the ritual of Ihya during Qadr nights.

A large number of people attended the first night of Laylat Al Qadr at the mausoleum on Tuesday night.

The ritual of Laylat Al Qadr includes keeping vigil, performing prayers and reading the Holy Quran among others.

Muslims consider the Qadr nights as the holiest nights of the year. The nights are supposed to fall either on the 19th, 21st, 23rd or 27th of the holy month of Ramadan.

Also known as the Night of Power, the Holy Quran has been first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in one of the Qadr nights.

Mashhad was selected as the Cultural Capital of the Muslim World for 2017 during the 7th conference of the ISESCO member states in the Algerian capital city of Algiers in 2007.

Every year, Mashhad hosts over 27 million Iranian and some two million foreign pilgrims in the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS).

MG/MMF