The mosque and shrine complex is the burial place of al-Qasim ibn Musa al-Kadhim, who is buried in the room topped by the golden dome.

[1][2] He was very deeply beloved to his father, Musa al-Kadhim who included his son in his will and testament.

[1][2] The Shi'ite scholar Ibn Tawus emphasized the importance of visiting the grave of al-Qasim, saying:[3] If you want to visit one of them, such as al-Qasim ibn [Musa] al-Kadhim, al-Abbas ibn Ali, or Ali ibn al-Husayn, who was killed in al-Taif, and whoever is similar to them, you will stand at the One whom you want to visit.The original mausoleum was established by the Buyids in the 10th-century, in years later on the Ilkhanate and the Jalayirid Sultanate would renovate and expand the structure between the 14th to 15th centuries.

[4] The current mausoleum dates back to the reign of the Safavid Empire when Shah Ismail ordered the placement of a wooden cenotaph over the grave of al-Qasim in 1871.

[4][2][1] The present day mosque and outer structure, however, date back to the 20th century; a large number of repairs were done to the shrine in 1907; in 1950 the glided dome was implemented; between 1951 and 1952 the courtyard was built.