Pilgrims at the shrine in Karbala, Iraq. The shrine is holy to Shi'ite Muslims because it contains the tomb of Mashad al Hasayn bin Ali (Hussein), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima and Ali ibn Abi Talib..Husain's tomb is a place of pilgrimage for many Shi'a Muslims, especially on Ashura. Many elderly pilgrims travel there to await death, as they believe the tomb to be one of the gates to paradise..