International Journal of Imam Reza (as) and modern sciences

International Journal of Imam Reza (as) and modern sciences

The Holy Family as the Center of Pilgrimage (Comparative Comparison of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Shia with Emphasis on the Sayings of Imam Reza

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Sayyed Mohammad Hasan Saleh
Department of Religions and Mysticism/ Faculty of Theology/ AlZahra University (S)/ Tehran/ Iran
10.22034/ijs.2026.513479.1367
Abstract
Pilgrimage revolves around a sacred place, and the main secret of the sanctity of a pilgrimage place is its dependence on God Almighty, such that that place is considered a manifestation of the divine. Sometimes this manifestation and sanctity may occur due to the presence of a divine person or persons in a place, and thus that place becomes holy and becomes a pilgrimage. What has been addressed in this article, using a descriptive and analytical method, is the study of the concept of the Holy Family in Coptic Christianity and Imami Shia and its role in the formation of pilgrimage. Based on the results obtained, the presence of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ as a child, and Joseph the carpenter as the Holy Family in various places in northern Egypt created a new dimension of the concept of pilgrimage in the Coptic Orthodox Church, such that their establishment in various places has turned them into pilgrimage sites. The goal and purpose of good deeds in the Coptic Church is to resemble God, and pilgrimage plays a fundamental role in its realization. Also, in the Shiite religion, the Holy Family, referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt, plays a fundamental role in the process of sanctification, and their presence or the existence of objects attributed to them has caused the sanctity of that place and the formation of the concept of pilgrimage. In Shiite, pilgrimage has various secrets,
Keywords
Family
pilgrimage
Shia
Ahl al-Bayt
Coptic Church
Orthodox Church
Imam Reza
Subjects
International Journal of Imam Reza (as) and modern sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 June 2026

  • Receive Date 03 April 2025
  • Revise Date 22 November 2025
  • Accept Date 20 May 2026
  • First Publish Date 06 June 2026
  • Publish Date 06 June 2026