Topic Title: HISTORY OF THE CEMETERY OF JANNAT AL-BAQI
Topic Summary: JANNAT AL-BAQI
On 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925),
mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (Madina) were demolished by King Ibn Saud.
In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of holy personages
at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet (s)'s mother, wife,
grandfather and other ancestors are buried.
Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues
even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijaz is
actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise
of Tawheed. The idea is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and
to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to come,
Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history.
The Origins of Al-Baqi
Literally "al-Baqi" means a tree garden. It is also known as "Jannat
al-Baqi" due to its sanctity, since in it are buried many of our
Prophet's relatives and companions.
The first companion buried in al-Baqi was Uthman b. Madhoon who died on
the 3rd of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. The Prophet (s) ordered
certain trees to be felled, and in its midst, he buried his dear
companion, placing two stones over the grave.
On the following years, the Prophet's son Ibrahim, who died in infancy
and over whom the Prophet (s) wept bitterly, was also buried there. The
people of Madina then began to use that site for the burial of their own
dead, because the Prophet (s) used to greet those who were buried in
al-Baqi by saying, "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God
willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi".
The site of the burial ground at al-Baqi was gradually extended. Nearly
seven thousand companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were buried there, not
to mention those of the Ahlul Bayt (a). Imam Hasan b. Ali (a), Imam Ali
b. al-Husayn (a), Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a), and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq
(a) were all buried there.
Among other relatives of the Prophet (s) who were buried at al-Baqi are:
his aunts Safiya and Aatika, and his aunt Fatima bint al-Asad, the
mother of Imam Ali (a). The third caliph Uthman was buried outside
al-Baqi, but with later extensions, his grave was included in the area.
In later years, great Muslim scholars like Malik bin Anas and many
others, were buried there too. Thus, did al-Baqi become a well-known
place of great historic significance to all Muslims.
Al-Baqi as viewed by historians
Umar bin Jubair describes al-Baqi as he saw it during his travel to
Madina, saying "Al-Baqi is situated to the east of Madina. You enter it
through the gate known as the gate of al-Baqi. As you enter, the first
grave you see on your left is that of Safiya, the Prophet's aunt, and
further still is the grave of Malik bin Anas, the Imam of Madina. On his
grave is raised a small dome. In front of it is the grave of Ibrahim son
of our Prophet (s) with a white dome over it, and next to it on the
right is the grave of Abdul-Rahman son of Umar bin al-Khattab, popularly
known as Abu Shahma, whose father had kept punishing him till death
overtook him. Facing it are the graves of Aqeel bin Abi Talib and
Abdullah bin Ja'far al-Tayyar. There, facing those graves is a small
shrine containing the graves of the Prophet's wives, following by a
shrine of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.
The grave of Hasan bin Ali (a), situated near the gate to it's right
hand, has an elevated dome over it. His head lies at the feet of Abbas
bin Abdul Muttalib, and both graves are raised high above the ground,
their walls are panelled with yellow plates and studded with beautiful
star-shaped nails. This is how the grave of Ibrahim, son of the Prophet
(s) has also been adorned. Behind the shrine of Abbas there is the house
attributed to Fatima, daughter of our Prophet (s), known as "Bayt
al-Ahzaan" (the house of grief) because it is the house she used to
frequent in order to mourn the death of her father, the chosen one,
peace be upon him. At the farthest end of al-Baqi is the grave of the
caliph Uthman, with a small dome over it, and there, next to it, is the
grave of Fatima bint Asad, mother of Ali b. Abi Talib (a)"
After a century and a half, the famous traveller Ibn Batuta came to
describe al-Baqi in a way which does not in any way differ from the
description given by Ibn Jubair. He adds saying, "At al-Baqi are the
graves of numerous Muhajirin and Ansar and many companions of the
Prophet (s), except that most of their names are unknown."
Thus, over the centuries, al-Baqi remained a sacred site with
renovations being carried out as and when needed till the Wahhabis rose
to power in the early nineteenth century. The latter desecrated the
tombs and demonstrated disrespect to the martyrs and the companions of
the Prophet (s) buried there. Muslims who disagreed with them were
branded as "infidels" and were subsequently killed.
The First Destruction of Al-Baqi
The Wahhabis believed that visiting the graves and the shrines of the
Prophets, the Imams, or the saints was a form of idolatry and totally
un-Islamic. Those who did not conform with their belief were killed and
their property was confiscated. Since their first invasion of Iraq, and
till nowadays, in fact, the Wahhabis, as well as other rulers of the
Gulf States, having been carrying out massacres from which no Muslim who
disagreed with them was spared. Obviously, the rest of the Islamic World
viewed those graves with deep reverence. Had it not been so, the two
caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar would not have expressed their desire for
burial near the grave of the Prophet (s).
From 1205 AH to 1217 AH, the Wahhabis made several attempts to gain a
foothold in Hijaz but failed. Finally, in 1217 AH, they somehow emerged
victorious in Taif where they spilled the innocent blood of Muslims. In
1218 AH, they entered Makkah and destroyed all sacred places and domes
there, including the one which served as a canopy over the well of Zamzam.
In 1221, the Wahhabis entered Madina to desecrate al-Baqi as well as
every mosque they came across. An attempt was even made to demolish the
Prophet's tomb, but for one reason or another, the idea was abandoned.
In subsequent years, Muslims from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt were refused
entry into Makkah for Hajj. King Al-Saud set a pre-condition that those
who wished to perform the pilgrimage would have to accept Wahhabism or
else be branded as non-Muslims, becoming ineligible for entry into the
Haram.
Al-Baqi was razed to the ground, with no sign of any grave or tomb
whatsoever. But the Saudis were still not quite satisfied with doing all
of that. Their king ordered three black attendants at the Prophet's
shrine to show him where the treasure of valuable gifts were stored. The
Wahhabis plundered the treasure for their own use.
Thousands of Muslims fled Makkah and Madina in a bid to save their lives
and escape from the mounting pressure and persecution at the hands of
the Wahhabis. Muslims from all over the world denounced this Saudi
savagery and exhorted the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire to save the
sacred shrines from total destruction. Then, as it is known, Muhammad
Ali Basha attacked Hijaz and, with the support of local tribes, managed
to restore law and order in Madina and Makkah, dislodging the Al-Saud
clansmen. The entire Muslim world celebrated this victory with great
fanfare and rejoicing. In Cairo, the celebrations continued for five
days. No doubt, the joy was due to the fact that pilgrims were once more
allowed freely to go for Hajj, and the sacred shrines were once again
restored.
In 1818 AD, the Ottaman Caliph Abdul Majid and his successors, Caliphs
Abdul Hamid and Mohammed, carried out the reconstruction of all sacred
places, restoring the Islamic heritage at all important sites. In 1848
and 1860 AD, further renovations were made at the expense of nearly
seven hundred thousand pounds, most of which came from the donations
collected at the Prophet's tomb.
The second plunder by the Wahhabis
The Ottoman Empire had added to the splendor of Madina and Makkah by
building religious structures of great beauty and architectural value.
Richard Burton, who visited the holy shrines in 1853 AD disguised as an
Afghan Muslim and adopting the Muslim name Abdullah, speaks of Madina
boasting 55 mosques and holy shrines. Another English adventurer who
visited Madina in 1877-1878 AD describes it as a small beautiful city
resembling Istanbul. He writes about its white walls, golden slender
minarets and green fields.
1924 AD Wahhabis entered Hijaz for a second time and carried out another
merciless plunder and massacre. People in streets were killed. Houses
were razed to the ground. Women and children too were not spared.
Awn bin Hashim (Shairf of Makkah) writes: "Before me, a valley appeared
to have been paved with corpses, dried blood staining everywhere all
around. There was hardly a tree which didn't have one or two dead bodies
near its roots."
1925 Madina surrendered to the Wahhabi onslaught. All Islamic heritage
were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the
Holy Prophet (s).
Ibn Jabhan says: "We know that the tomb standing on the Prophet's grave
is against our principles, and to have his grave in a mosque is an
abominable sin."
Tombs of Hamza and other martyrs were demolished at Uhud. The Prophet's
mosque was bombarded. On protest by Muslims, assurances were given by
Ibn Saud that it will be restored but the promise was never fulfilled. A
promise was given that Hijaz will have an Islamic multinational
government. This was also abandoned.
1925 AD Jannat al-Mu'alla, the sacred cemetery at Makkah was destroyed
alongwith the house where the Holy Prophet (s) was born. Since then,
this day is a day of mourning for all Muslims.
Is it not strange that the Wahhabis find it offensive to have the tombs,
shrines and other places of importance preserved, while the remains of
their Saudi kings are being guarded at the expense of millions of dollars?
Protest from Indian Muslims
1926, protest gatherings were held by shocked Muslims all over the
world. Resolutions were passed and a statement outlining the crimes
perpetrated by Wahhabis was issued and included the following:
1.
The destruction and desecration of the holy places i.e. the birth
place of the Holy Prophet [s], the graves of Banu Hashim in Makkah and
in Jannat al-Baqi (Madinah), the refusal of the Wahhabis to allow
Muslims to recite Ziyarah or Surah al-Fatiha at those graves.
2.
The destruction of the places of worship i.e. Masjid Hamza,
Masjid Abu Rasheed, in addition to the tombs of Imams and Sahaba
(Prophet's companions).
3.
Interference in the performance of Hajj rituals.
4.
Forcing the Muslims to follow the Wahhabis innovations and to
abandon their own ways according to the guidance of the Imams they follow.
5.
The massacre of sayyids in Taif, Madina, Ahsa, and Qatif.
6.
The demolition of the grave of the Imams at al-Baqi which deeply
offended and grieved all Shias.
Protest from other countries
Similar protests were lodged by Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia,
and Turkey. All of them condemn the Saudi Wahhabis for their barbaric
acts. Some scholars wrote tracts and books to tell the world the fact
that what was happening in Hijaz was actually a conspiracy plotted by
the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea was to
eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and to systematically remove
all its vestiges so that in the days to come, Muslims will have no
affiliation with their religious history.
A partial list of the demolished graves and shrines
*
Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah which includes the grave of Sayyida
Khadija bint Khuwailid (a), wife of the Prophet (s), the grave of Amina
bint Wahab, mother of the Prophet (s), the grave of Abu Talib, father of
Imam Ali (a), and the grave of Abdul Muttalib, grandfather of the
Prophet (s)
*
The grave of Hawa (Eve) in Jeddah
*
The grave of the father of the Prophet (s) in Madina
*
The house of sorrows (bayt al-Ahzan) of Sayyida Fatima (a) in Madina
*
The Salman al-Farsi mosque in Madina
*
The Raj'at ash-Shams mosque in Madina
*
The house of the Prophet (s) in Madina, where he lived after
migrating from Makkah
*
The house of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) in Madina
*
The complex (mahhalla) of Banu Hashim in Madina
*
The house of Imam Ali (a) where Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn
(a) were born
*
The house of Hamza and the graves of the martyrs of Uhud (a)
--
Best regards!
Mustafa Shakir
