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Al-Baqi Cemetery

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Jannat al-Baqī (Arabic: ٱلْبَقِيْع, "The Baqi'", Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [al.ba.ɡiːʕ, al.ba.qiːʕ]) is the oldest and first Islamic cemetery of Medina[1] located in the Hejazi[2] region of present-day Saudi Arabia. It is also known as Baqi al-Gharqad (Arabic: بَقِيْع الْغَرْقَد, meaning "Baqiʿ of the Boxthorn").[1]

Al-Baqīʿ
ٱلْبَقِيْع
Al-Baqi Cemetery, 2021
Map
Details
EstablishedC.E. 622
Location
Medina
CountrySaudi Arabia
TypeMuslim
Owned byMinistry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance

Al-Baqi is reportedly founded by Muhammad and serves as the burial place for many of his relatives and companions, establishing it as one of the two holiest cemeteries in Islamic tradition. Monuments and mosques built on or near al-Baqīʿ were demolished under the Emirate of Diriyah in 1806. After their reconstruction, they were again demolished in 1926 under the Sultanate of Nejd, in accordance with their Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic law regarding idolatry.[1] These demolitions were condemned across the Islamic world, but the Saudi government has rejected calls for reconstruction.[1]

History

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When Muhammad arrived in Medina from Mecca in September 622 CE, al-Baqi' was a land covered with boxthorn. According to historical records, after Muhammad’s arrival, the houses of Medina developed near al-Baqi', which was therefore considered the public tomb. The bramble growth was cleared, and the place was consecrated to be the future cemetery of the Muslims who died in al-Madina.[1] Additionally, al-Baqi’ was introduced as a location with Nakhl on its east side and houses on its west side. In fact, before its demolition, al-Baqi’ was situated behind the houses in the city.[3]

During the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque on the site he purchased from two orphan children after his migration from Mecca to Medina, As'ad ibn Zurarah, one of Muhammad's companions, died. Muhammad chose the spot to be a cemetery, and As'ad was the first individual to be buried in al-Baqi' among the Ansar.

While Muhammad was outside Medina for the Battle of Badr, his daughter Ruqayyah fell ill and died in 624. She was buried in al-Baqi'. Ruqayyah was the first person from the Ahl al-Bayt (Household of Muhammad) to be buried in this cemetery.

Shortly after Muhammad arrived from Badr, Uthman bin Maz'oon died in 3 AH (624/625 CE) and was buried in al-Baqi'.[1] He was considered the first companion of Muhammad from the Muhajirun to be buried in the cemetery. Muhammad also referred to him as the first ‘among us to go to the hereafter,’ and he named the place where Uthman bin Maz’oon is buried as Rawhā.

When his youngest son Ibrahim died, Muhammad commanded that he be buried there as well. He watered the grave and called this place Zawrā.[4] Following his instructions, two of his daughters Zainab and Umm Kulthum, were also buried near the grave of Uthman bin Maz'oon.[5]

Initially, the third caliph, Uthman,[6] was buried in the large neighbouring Jewish graveyard. The first expansion of al-Baqi' was carried out by Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad caliph. To honor Uthman, Muawiyah incorporated the extensive Jewish cemetery into al-Baqi’s burial grounds. The Umayyad Caliphate constructed the first dome over Uthman’s grave in al-Baqi’. Over time, numerous domes and structures were built or reconstructed over various graves in al-Baqi’.

Demolition

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Main article: Demolition of al-Baqi
 
The cemetery before the 1926 demolition
 
The former mausoleum of Fatimah, Abbas, Hasan ibn Ali, Ali as-Sajjad, Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far as-Sadiq

First demolition

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The Cemetery after the 1926 demolition. The Prophet's Mosque in far background, view towards west.
 
Panorama showing the cemetery, with the Qiblah being behind the photographer, view towards north.

The cemetery was demolished[1] by forces loyal to the Wahhabi-Saudi alliance in 1806 and 1925[7] (or 1926).[1][8]

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, during the Wahhabi control over Mecca and Medina in 1806, many religious buildings, including tombs and mosques,[9] were demolished. This demolition occurred both inside and outside al-Baqi,[10] in accordance with the Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic doctrine that forbids idolatry.[1] These structures were razed to the ground[8][11] due to Wahhabi claims of grave worship.[12]

Second demolition

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The House of Saud regained control of the Hijaz in 1924[8] or 1925.[1] The following year, King Ibn Saud granted permission to destroy the site, with religious authorization provided by Qadi Abd Allah ibn Bulayhid. The demolition began on April 21, 1926[8] (or 1925)[7][13] by the Ikhwan ("The Brothers"), a Wahabbi religious militia.[14] The demolition included destroying "even the simplest of the gravestones.".[1] The British convert Eldon Rutter compared the demolition to an earthquake: "All over the cemetery, nothing was to be seen but little indefinite mounds of earth and stones, pieces of timber, iron bars, blocks of stone, and a broken rubble of cement and bricks, strewn about."[8]

The second demolition was discussed in the Majles-e Shora-ye Melli (the National Consultative Assembly of Iran), and a group of representatives was sent to Hijaz to investigate. In recent years (1982),[15] efforts have been made by Iranian religious scholars and political figures to restore the cemetery and its shrines.[8] Both Sunni and Shia communities protested the destruction,[1][13] and rallies are held annually.[1][16] The day is regarded as Yaum-e Gham ("Day of Sorrow").[13] Prominent Sunni theologians and intellectuals have condemned the "unfit" situation of the Baqi cemetery. However, the Saudi authorities have ignored all criticism and rejected any requests for the restoration of the tombs and mausoleums.[8]

Burials

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Islamic religious people buried at Jannat al-Baqi'

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Name Notes
Ahl al-Bayt
Aisha Third and youngest wife of Muhammad and daughter of first righteous caliph Abu Bakr Al-Sadiq
Fatimah Leader of the Women of Paradise; daughter of Muhammad, wife of Ali and mother of Hasan, Husayn and Zaynab[17]
Hafsa bint Umar Fourth wife of Muhammad. Daughter of Umar, the second Rashidun Caliph (m.625).
Imam Hasan Leader of the Youth of Paradise; The Second Imam; grandson of Muhammad, son of Fatimah and Ali.
Ali al-Sajjad The Fourth Imam, grandson of Fatimah and Ali, who is the only adult male that survived the Battle of Karbala because he was sick and could not fight.
Muhammad al-Baqir The Fifth Imam; son of Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn Husayn.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq The Sixth Imam; son of Muhammad al-Baqir. Well-known scientist and teacher in the Islamic world.
Ibrahim Muhammad's son by Maria al-Qibtiyya, died in infancy.
Zaynab bint Muhammad The first daughter of Muhammad, She's mother of Umamah bint Abi al-As (the second wife of Ali).
Ruqayya bint Muhammad The second daughter of Muhammad and wife of Usman ibn Affan.
Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad The third daughter of Muhammad, wife of Usman ibn Affan, she married Usman after her elder sister's (Ruqayya) death.
Abdullah ibn Uthman Died at a young age. He was the first grandson of Muhammad, son of Usman and Ruqayya (620–625).
Fatimah bint Asad Aunt of Muhammad and mother of Ali.
Abdullah ibn Ja'far Son of Ja'far at-Tayyar, who was husband of Zaynab, daughter of Ali and nephew of Ali.
Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib Uncle of Muhammad and father of Abdullah ibn Abbas the great Islamic Scholar.
Lubaba bint al-Harith Lubaba claimed to be the second woman to convert to Islam, the same day as her close friend Khadijah. She is the wife of the Prophet's Uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib.
Umm ul-Banin Married to Caliph Ali after the death of Fatimah and she is the mother of Abbas ibn Ali and all her sons were martyred in the Battle of Karbala.
Safiyyah Aunt of Muhammad and mother of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam.
Atikah Aunt of Muhammad.
Aqeel ibn Abi Talib the elder brother of Ali and father of Muslim ibn Aqeel.
Sawdah bint Zam'ah Second wife of Muhammad. Married him after the death of Khadijah (m.620).
Zaynab bint Khuzayma Fifth wife of Muhammad. She is also known as Umm al-Masakin (t. Mother of the Poor) (m.625–626).
Umm Salama Sixth wife of Muhammad (m.626).
Zaynab bint Jahsh Seventh wife of Muhammad, Previously married and divorced to Zayd ibn Harithah (m.627).
Juwayriya bint al-Harith Eighth wife of Muhammad (m.628).
Umm Habiba Ninth wife of Muhammad, Daughter of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and half-sister of Muawiya I (m.628).
Safiyya bint Huyayy Tenth wife of Muhammad. She originated from a Jewish tribe Banu Nadir, after the Battle of Khaybar Muslims won the battle and the Prophet married her (m.628).
Maria al-Qibtiyya The last wife of Muhammad. She was an Egyptian woman and gifted to Muhammad in 628 as a slave by Al-Muqawqis, a Christian governor of Alexandria. Prophet had a son with her Ibrahim (m.628).
Companions of Prophet Muhammad
Halimah al-Sa'diyah The milk-mother and nurse of Muhammad.
Uthman ibn Affan Early companion of Muhammad, Third Rashidun Caliph (r.644–656) and he's son-in-law of Muhammad, he married two (Ruqayya & Umm Kulthum) of his daughters earned him the honorific title Dhū al-Nurayn (The Possessor of Two Lights). He was first buried in a Jewish graveyard behind Al-Baqi', but later Muawiyah I extended Al-Baqi' to include Uthman.[18][19]
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud A prominent companion of Muhammad, Islamic tradition regards him as the greatest interpreter of the Quran and he influenced many theologians and Hadith Scholars.
Abu Hurayra Companion of Muhammad, He is the most prolific narrator of Sunni Hadith.
Asad ibn Zurarah As'ad was the first chief in Medina to become a Muslim and he was said to be the first man buried at Al-Baqi'.
Khunays ibn Hudhafa He died at the beginning of twenty-five months after Muhammad emigrated to Medina.
Uthman ibn Maz'un He is the first Muhajir (immigrant to Medina) to be buried in the cemetery of al-Baqi' in Medina.
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh He was the chief of the Aws tribe in Medina and one of the prominent companions of Muhammad. He died shortly after the Battle of the Trench.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Abu Saʽid is one of the narrators of hadith most frequently quoted and he participated in war at a young age.
Rulers/Leaders buried here as their wish
Imam Shamil He was the political, military, and spiritual leader and the third Imam of the Caucasian Imamate (1834–1859), and a Sunni Muslim Shaykh of the Naqshbandi Sufi Tariqa.
Abdulmejid II The last Ottoman Caliph and Head of the Osmanoğlu family (1926–1944).
Muhammad Idris He was a political, and religious leader and King of Libya (1952–1969).
Zein El Abideene Ben Ali He was a Tunisian politician who served as the 2nd president of Tunisia (1987–2011).

Unknown burial locations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Werner, Ende (2010). "Baqīʿ al-Gharqad". In Fleet, Kate; Krämer, Gudrun; Matringe, Denis; Nawas, John; Rowson, Everett (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (3rd ed.). Brill Online. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_ei3_COM_23494. ISSN 1873-9830.
  2. ^ Hopkins, Daniel J.; 편집부 (2001). Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. p. 479. ISBN 0-87779-546-0. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  3. ^ Muhammad Sadiq Najmi. history of tombs of Imam in Baqi and other monuments (in Persian). Mashar. pp. 67–68.
  4. ^ "Encyclopedia of Islam by the Turkish government".
  5. ^ Sunan Abu Dawood. pp. https://sunnah.com/abudawud:3206.
  6. ^ Textual Sources for the Study of Islam, by Knappert, Jan, and Andrew Rippin
  7. ^ a b Mohammadi, Adeel (2014–2015). "The destruction of Jannat al-Baqi': A case of Wahhabi Iconoclasm" (PDF). Undergraduate Journal of Middle East Studies (8). Canada: 47–56. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Bahramian, Ali; Gholami, Rahim (2013). "al-Baqīʿ". In Madelung, Wilfred; Daftary, Farhad (eds.). Encyclopaedia Islamica (Third ed.). Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Sahih Muslim 969a, 969b – The Book of Prayer – Funerals – كتاب الجنائز – Sunnah.com – Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  10. ^ Ahmed, Irfan. "The Destruction Of The Holy Sites in Mecca and Medina". Islamica Magazine. No. 15. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  11. ^ "History of the Cemetery Of Jannat Al-Baqi". Al-Islam.org. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  12. ^ Bahramian, Ali. "Baqi". The Great Islamic Encyclopedia (in Persian). Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  13. ^ a b c Shahi, Afshin (2013). The Politics of Truth Management in Saudi Arabia. Routledge. ISBN 9781134653195. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  14. ^ "The Destruction Heritage in Saudi Arabia" (PDF). The Center for Academic Shi'a Studies. August 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  15. ^ Kramer, Martin (August 1987). "BEHIND THE RIOT IN MECCA". The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 5: 7.
  16. ^ Hassan, Sara (27 July 2015). "Protests at Saudi Embassy in Washington". American al-Jazeera. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  17. ^ Lady Fatima Archived 11 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Islamic Insight, Accessed 1 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Al Baqi Cemetery". Al-Mustafa International University. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  19. ^ "History of the Cemetery Of Jannat Al-Baqi". Al-Islam.org. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
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