Al-Baqīʿ
ٱلْبَقِيْع
Jannatul-Baqi before Demolition
Details
EstablishedC.E. 622
Location
Medina, Hejaz
CountrySaudi Arabia
TypeMuslim
Owned byState

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

Al-Baqīʿ is reported to have been founded by Muhammad and is the burial place of 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 and, after their reconstruction, again in 1926 under the Sultanate of Nejd, in accordance with their Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic law on idolatry.[1] These demolitions were condemned across the Islamic world, but the Saudi government has rejected calls for reconstruction.[1]

History

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

During the construction of the Prophet's Mosque, on the site he purchased from two orphan children when he arrived 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 sick and died in 624. She was buried in al-Baqi'. She was the first person from Ahl al-Bayt (Household of Muhammad) 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. He was also called by Muhammad to be the first 'among us to go to the hereafter', and he also called the place where he is buried Rawhā.

When his youngest son Ibrahim died, he commanded that he be buried there also; he watered the grave and called this place Zawrā.[4] As per his command two of his daughters Zainab and Umm Kulthum also buried near the grave of Uthman bin Maz'oon.[5]

Initially, 3rd caliph Uthman[6] was buried in the huge neighbouring Jewish graveyard. The first enlargement of al-Baqi' in history was made by Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad Caliph. In order to honor Uthman, Muawiyah included the huge Jewish graveyard in al-Baqi's cemetery. The Umayyad Caliphate built the first dome in al-Baqi' over his grave. During different times in history, many domes and structures were built or rebuilt over many famous graves in al-Baqi'.

Demolition

First demolition

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
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 Wahhabis of Najd's nineteenth century (1806) control over Mecca and Medina, they demolished many of the religious buildings including tombs and mosques,[9] whether inside or outside the Baqi,[10] in accordance with their understanding of the Islamic doctrine forbidding idolatry.[1] These were razed to the ground[8][11] and demolished due to Wahhabi claims of grave worshipping.[12]

Second demolition

The clan 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, and the demolition began on 21 April 1926[8] (or 1925)[7][13] by Ikhwan ("The Brothers"), a Wahabbi religious militia.[14] The demolition included destroying "even the simplest of the gravestones".[1] 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 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, efforts were made by Iranian religious scholars and political figures to restore the cemetery and its shrines.[8] Both Sunni and Shia protested against the destruction[1][13] and rallies are held annually.[1][15] 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 but the Saudi authorities have so far ignored all criticism and rejected any requests for restoration of the tombs and mausoleums.[8]

Burials

For more: Category:Burials at Jannat al-Baqī

Islamic Religious people buried at Jannat al-Baqi'

Name Notes
Ahle Bait
Fatimah Leader of the Women of Paradise; daughter of Muhammad, wife of Ali and mother of Hasan, Husayn and Zaynab[16]
Imam Hasan Leader of the Youth of Paradise; The Second Imam; grandson of Muhammad, son of Fatimah and Ali.
Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin 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.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir The Fifth Imam; son of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin ibn Husayn.
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq The Sixth Imam; son of Muhammad al-Baqir. Well-known Scientist of the Islamic World and a Teacher and Guide to so many Scientists
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 mother of Abbas ibn Ali and her all sons got 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
Wives of Muhammad
Umm al-Momineen (Mother of the Believers)
Sawdah bint Zam'ah Second wife of Muhammad. Married him after the death of Khadijah (m.620)
Aisha bint Abu Bakr Third wife of Muhammad. Daughter of Abu Bakr, the first Rashidun Caliph (m.623)
Hafsa bint Umar Fourth wife of Muhammad. Daughter of Umar, the second Rashidun Caliph (m.625)
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.[17][18]
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud One of the 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 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

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 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. ISSN 1873-9830.
  2. ↑ Hopkins, Daniel J.; 편집부 (2001). Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary. 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. 1 2 Mohammadi, Adeel (2014–2015). "The destruction of Jannat al-Baqi': A case of Wahhabi Iconoclasm" (PDF). Undergraduate Journal of Middle East Studies. Canada (8): 47–56. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 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. 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. 1 2 3 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. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ Lady Fatima Archived 11 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Islamic Insight, Accessed 1 September 2012.
  17. ↑ "Al Baqi Cemetery". Al-Mustafa International University. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  18. ↑ "History of the Cemetery Of Jannat Al-Baqi". Al-Islam.org. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
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