Learning Faith

by Manolo Espaliú

There are about two million faithful Muslims in Spain. Within this small percentage, about 1% are Shiite, around 20,000 people. Since many are uprooted, the Islam-Oriente Foundation regularly organizes some religious and cultural immersion in Iran, inviting members of the Spanish Shiite community to follow a short course of Shiite Islam to Al Mustafa University in Qom, one of the most important places in the Shiite world, but also a kind of pilgrimage through different religious places all over Iran.

Encarni and Uasi at the shabestan or prayer hall of Jameh mosque of Isfahan.By Manolo Espaliú
Sheikh Ali Mir Jalili reciting some suras of Qoran in a bus, coming from Tehran to Qom.By Manolo Espaliú
Abderahman, Mikail and Anuar having lunch at their dorm, after classes at Al Mustafa Univerity in Qom.By Manolo Espaliú
A sheikh reading a newspaper at Imam Khomeini house in Qom, Iran.By Manolo Espaliú
Susana and Fatima praying at Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Qom.By Manolo Espaliú
Yumana at the Grand Imam Khomeini Square. She was attending a course on Shi'a Islam at the Al Mustafa University, Qom.By Manolo Espaliú
Mikail praying at Imam Reza Shrine. The mausoleum of Imam Reza in Mashhad is the most important place of pilgrimage in Iran receiving more pilgrims annually than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (around 30 million visits every year).By Manolo Espaliú
Sheikh Ali Mir Jalili is explaining some old religious stories to members of Spanish Shia community.By Manolo Espaliú
A Lebanese sheikh from Hezbollah teaching about Shia experiences in Lebanon at Al Mustafa University in Qom, Iran.By Manolo Espaliú
Some Spanish Shia Muslims visiting an imamzadeh, which is a shrine-tomb of Imam's descendant, directly related to prophet Muhammad and used as centers of shiite devotion and pilgrimage, but also believed to have miraculous properties.By Manolo Espaliú
Sheikh Ali Mir Jalili explaining some facts about Imam Khomeini at Jamaran mosque in Tehran, close to his small house wher he was living before his death in 1989.By Manolo Espaliú
Spanish female shi'ites at the Jamkaran Mosque, located close to Qom. Jamkaran is a popular pilgrimage site. On Tuesday evenings large crowds of thousands gather at Jamkaran to pray.By Manolo Espaliú

See Also

fotopreis2014header.
zenith Photo Award 2014

Islam in Germany (2014)

The third edition of the zenith Photo Award called upon professional and amateur photographers alike to pick up their cameras and take part in the debate on what Islam in Germany looks like.

Read more
See entries