Al-Baqi'

مقبرة البقيع

Jannat-ul-Baqi
Details
Year established	C.E. 622
Location	Medina
Country	Saudi Arabia
Type	Muslim
Owned by	State
Size	State Secret
Number of graves	State Secret

Maqbaratu l-Baqī' (Arabic: مقبرة البقيع‎, Al-Baqi' Cemetery) is a cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia, located to the southeast of the Masjid al-Nabawi. The mosque is built where the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to live, built a mosque, and is currently buried. The cemetery therefore holds much significance. It contains many of Muhammad's relatives and companions. Many traditions relate Muhammad issuing a prayer every time he passed it.

The cemetery is also known as Jannatu l-Baqi' (جنة البقيع), meaning "The Garden of Heaven" and Baqi'u l-Qarqad, which means "Orchard of the Boxthorn Trees".

A Jewish graveyard was once located behind Jannatu l-Baqi'. The Umayyad rulers took down the wall of the Jewish cemetery and widened the Muslim graveyard to enclose the tomb of Uthman ibn Affan within it.

History

When Muhammad arrived at Medina from Makkah in September 622, al-Baqi was a land covered with Lycium shawii boxthorn trees.

During the construction of the al-Masjid al-Nabawi, on the site he purchased from two orphan children when he arrived after his migration from Mecca to Medina, Asa'ad Bin Zararah, one of Muhammad's companions died. Muhammad chose the spot to be a cemetery and Asa'ad was the first individual to be buried in Al-Baqi cemetery among the Ansar.

While Muhammad was outside Medina for the Battle of Badr, his daughter Ruqayyah fell sick and died in 624.

Shortly after Muhammad arrived from Badr, Uthman bin Maz'oon died and was buried in al-Baqi'. He was considered the first companion of Muhammad from the Muhajirun to be buried in Al-Baqi' Cemetery.

The first enlargement of the cemetery in history was made by Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad leader. He bought the huge neighbouring farm where Uthman ibn Affan was buried inside Al-Baqi' cemetery. The Umayyad Caliphate built the first dome in Al-Baqi' over his grave. During different times of history many domes and structures were built or rebuilt over many famous graves in Al-Baqi'.

Demolition

The cemetery Jannatul Mualla in Mecca before demolition. Shown as an example of how al-Baqi' might have appeared before 1925.

Jannatul Baqi Cemetery, Medina, after the 1925 demolition, near the Mosque of the Prophet

On May 1, 1925, mausoleums in al-Baqi' were demolished by King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia. In the same year, he also demolished the tombs of holy personalities at Jannatul Mualla in Mecca where Muhammad's mother, wife, grandfather, and other ancestors are buried. This happened despite protest by the international Islamic community.

The destruction of sacred sites in the Hejaz initiated by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab continues today to prevent what some consider to be the practice of grave-worshipping, revering the dead and asking favours of the dead buried there. Many of these mausoleums, domes and structures, originally intended to identify famous companions of Muhammad, were destroyed upon the urging of Wahhabi scholars who argued, in accordance with the various recorded sayings of Muhammad:

It was narrated that Jabir said: "The Messenger of Allah forbade plastering graves, sitting on them and erecting structures over them."

It was narrated from Abu Sa`eed that the Prophet Muhammad forbade building structures over graves.

Abu Az-Zubair narrated that he heard Jâbir say: "I heard the Prophet forbid sitting on graves and plastering or building structures over them."

According to these scholars, adornment or beautification of graves is forbidden in order to prevent people from seeking a means of approach to God through the dead and to directly seek help from the dead. Despite this, the graves of many historic figures continue to be visited by numerous pilgrims, and burials continue at the cemetery to this day.

Many Shi'i Muslims continue to mourn the day the House of Saud demolished shrines in al-Baqi'. They remember it as yaum e gham or "Day of Sorrow". Shi'i Muslims continue to protest the Saudi government's demolition of these shrines.

Notable interments

Kin of Muhammad

• All of the wives of Muhammad (also known as Mothers of the Believers), including Hafsa, Zainab etc., except for Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Maymuna bint al-Harith
• Ibrahim, Muhammad's son by Maria al-Qibtiyya, died in infancy
• Roqayyah, Muhammad's daughter by first wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
• Fatima bint al-Asad, aunt of Muhammad and mother of Ali; other aunts including Safiya and Aatika
• Fatima Zahra, daughter of Muhammad
• ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of Muhammad
• Fatima bint Hizam, known as Umm ul-Banin, who married Ali after the death of Fatimah; mother of four children who died defending Hussain ibn Ali in Al-Taff Battle in Karbala
• Hasan ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad, son of Fatimah and Ali.
• ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, known as Zayn al-Abidin, grandson of Fatima Zahra who is the only adult male that survived Al-Taff Battle because he was sick and couldn't fight, the fourth Imam according to Shia.
• Muhammad al-Baqir, son of ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, the fifth Imam according to Shia
• Ja’far as-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir, the sixth Imam according to Shia

Other notable figures

• Ishmael , Son of Abraham
• Uthman ibn Affan, companion of Muhammad and third Caliph; originally buried outside of Baqi, but cemetery later expanded to include his grave
• Uthman Bin Mazoun, companion of Muhammad
• Malik ibn Anas, Islamic jurist
• Mohammad Hayya Al-Sindhi, scholar
• Imam Shamil, Muslim leader and freedom fighter from the Caucuses
• Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, scholar
• Idris of Libya, King of Libya
• Hasan as-Senussi, Crown Prince of Libya

See also

• Destruction of sites associated with early Islam
• Aisha
• Jannatul Mualla
• Baab Sagheer
• Holiest sites in Islam

External links

Media related to Jannatul Baqi at Wikimedia Commons

• Jannat Al-Baqee website
• Map of Jannat al Baqi
• History of the Cemetery of Jannat al-Baqi
• The Baqi Collection Photos
• Save the Hijaz Website dedicated to preserving Islamic heritage in the Hijaz
• Map of Jannat al Baqi according to sunni muslim sources

Gallery

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  Masjid al-Nabawi (background) and Baqi' Cemetery (foreground).

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  Masjid al-Nabawi (background) and Baqi' Cemetery (foreground).

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  Panorama showing a part of the Baqi' Cemetery. Qibla is behind the photographer.

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  Location of grave of Fatema (marked *) and others at Baqi', Medina.

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  Grave of Fatema (front), and (2nd row, left to right) Imam Hasan, Ali, Baqir and Jafar, and Abbas ibn Abd-al-Muttalib at Baqi, Medina.

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  File:Grave of wives of Muhammad.

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  Grave of Ibrahim at Baqi', Medina.