On arriving in the district of Ayn al-Tamur which is located south of the holy city of Karbala, the visitor encounters numerous ancient sites including the site of the Spring of the Droplet of Imam Ali, 5km outside the city.
It was in 37 A.H. in the arid wastes surrounding Karbala, when Imam Ali was preparing for the battle of Siffeen that he came across an old Christian priest and asked him where there was a source of water. ‘There is no water here, sir’, the priest replied. Then Imam Ali ordered his companions to dig down into a particular spot. They dug until they found a boulder which they could not remove.
Finally, the Imam came up to his companions and easily lifted out the boulder. Pure water erupted from beneath the spot where it had been, quenching the thirst of all those present. The priest spoke about the presence of water in this place and showed aninscription to Imam Ali which was by his ancestors, prophesying that a prophet or guardian would miraculously reveal this spring. The priest converted to Islam as a result of this event.
The place is indicated by a small pool under a steep rocky hill from where water drips down. In recent years, the site has been developed and is now marked by a dome.