A Glance at The Status of Imam's Progeny and Their Impact on The Development of The Pilgrimage Culture

During the Islamic history, knowing the Imam and relationship to the Prophet's kinship has enjoyed a special status, in such that friendship and bondage with their children and friends were the subject for the people, and according to traditions (hadith) their pilgrimage has always been emphasized, for the Pilgrimage represents the inner cravings of a person and is a sign of his love and affection. On the other, because of the fact that the graves of Imams today are not in hand for some people, ascribing the Imams’ progeny to Ahl al-Bayt (PBUTH), and particular respect to them by Shi’as throughout history, this blessed shrines, in addition to the religious role and influence, can be influential in preaching Alavi (Ali’s) manner and biography. Hence, the pilgrimage of an Imam’s offspring is regarded as a bridge to resort to the Infallibles (PBUTH), which is the basis of the expansion of the culture of pilgrimage. This article aims to examine the influence of the position of Imams’ progeny on the culture of pilgrimage. The findings show that the existence of an Imam’s offspring has a special role in preserving the regional identity of the place in where he is buried and in reducing the statistics of crime and corruption in these areas.