Muqtada al-Sadr orders opening of Al-Sadr Family Guesthouse in Syria

Shafaq News– Najaf

The leader of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, directed the opening of a new guesthouse (Madhif) in Syria to provide social services and assistance to needy families, according to a statement issued on Friday.

Al-Sadr tasked Mashhour al-Khafaji with overseeing the opening of the “Al-Sadr Al-Kiram Family Guesthouse” in the Sayyida Zaynab area of Damascus, the statement said, stressing that the guesthouse “must not be used for political, personal, or other non-humanitarian purposes,” and that the initiative is limited strictly to social and charitable work.

The Madhif refers to a traditional guesthouse deeply rooted in Iraq’s tribal and religious culture, where visitors are welcomed and offered food, shelter, and assistance free of charge. Such guesthouses are typically associated with hospitality, charity, and community support rather than commercial or political activity.

The Sayyida Zaynab area is home to the shrine of Sayyida Zaynab, one of the most revered female figures in Shiite Islam and a central destination for Shiite pilgrims from Iraq and across the region.