The conception of the cult of saints or their tombs is rooted in pre-Islamic beliefs of the Arabs, Persians, and inhabitants of Central Asia. In early Islam, some individuals became saints; but worship of them or their tombs was not permitted. Popular belief in mediators between God and individuals was gradually legitimated and the teaching of a hierarchy of saints was developed. Although Islam lacks the official apotheosis of saints in Christianity, many saints have received wide recognition, b…