Therefore, she ordered that a wall should be raised around the Prophet’s grave.

Therefore, she ordered that a wall should be raised around the Prophet’s grave.[^12] The excellence and superiority of the clay of Karbala Clay from Karbala is one of the soils on earth which Allah, the Exalted, has blessed for certain reasons, and one of the reasons is that this piece of the earth is where the pure and noble body of the Doyen of Martyrs, Imam al-Husayn (as), rests.

While explaining the hidden meaning of prostrating on soil from Karbala, ‘Allamah Amini says, “This issue is based on two basic principles: a. That the Imamate Shi‘ahs try to always have a clean cake of natural earth in their possession so that they may prostrate on it. b. That some graves are superior to others; therefore, there are special blessings derived from these tombs. It is for this reason that the precincts of the Ka‘bah and other holy shrines have special religious laws.

One of the lands which has gained superiority over other lands and has become a source of blessings and favors is Karbala, the place where the body of the Doyen of Martyrs, Imam al-Husayn (as), lies. Karbala is that same holy piece of land from which Imam ‘Ali (as), long before the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn (as), had picked up a handful of clay.

He smelled the soil and cried so much that the soil got wet with the tears flowing from his eyes.” Then, he said, “Seventy thousand people will be raised from this land. They will enter heaven without their actions of this world being accounted.”[^13] Can it not be said that prostrating on such holy soil is a desirable and virtuous act? Won’t prostrating on such soil bring about nearness to Allah, the Exalted?

Is it not deserving that man should prostrate on soil which is the symbol of monotheism and reminds him of the sacrifices which have to be made for the Beloved, Allah the Exalted?

A piece of soil which, if man looks at it from the perspective that it truly deserves, brings about tenderness of heart and brings man closer to Allah.[^14] Professor ‘Abbas Mahmud ‘Aqqad, Egyptian author, says the following about the land of Karbala, “The land of Karbala is a holy place where Muslims go for pilgrimage in order to learn lessons from the example of Imam al-Husayn. For those who are not Muslims, they come here as tourists to see and visit the holy land.