Al-Baqi

Al-Baqi'It is the oldest Muslim cemetery in Medina, next to a tomb Messenger of God (PBUH), and includes four Shiite imams from the family of the Messenger of God (PBUH): Imam Hassan And Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein, Imam Al-Baqir, Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon them.

Al-Baqi also includes the grave of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet (PBUH), the grave of Ibrahim bin the Messenger of God, and the grave of a number of the Prophet’s aunts (PBUH), his wives, some of his companions, a number of martyrs of early Islam, and many senior Muslim figures.

Since the time of the Messenger of God (PBUH), Al-Baqi’ has been a shrine for believers to this day, but the Wahhabis demolished the domes there and prevented Muslims from performing their religious rituals and practicing their legitimate beliefs.

Al-Baqi in the language

Al-Baqi’ in language is a place on earth that contains trees of various kinds, and thus Baqi’ Al-Gharqad is called Medina. Because there was a lot of this type of tree, then it was cut down. In the book (Al-Ain), Al-Gharqad: a type of tree.

History of Al-Baqi

There is no historical information or narratives indicating the existence of a cemetery in the name of Al-Baqi’ before Islam. The oldest poetic literary text mentioning Baqi’ Al-Gharqad is by Amr bin Al-Nu’man Al-Baydani, one of the Khazraj leaders, lamenting his people who fought inside a grove in Al-Aqiq ten miles from Medina and Buqi’ Al-Gharqad. He mentioned Ibn al-Atheer wrote in his history of this incident that occurred between the Aws and the Khazraj and called it (the Day of al-Baqi’), and the victory in it was for the Aws. The Jews of Yathrib used to bury their dead in the orchard (Hash Kawkab) near Baqi al-Gharqad. Sheep and camels ate from the herbs found in Al-Baqi.

At the beginning of Islam and the time of the Caliphs

When the Messenger of God (PBUH) migrated to Medina and established the Islamic government there, one of the Muslims’ needs was to have a cemetery in which to bury their dead, so he appointed Messenger of God (PBUH) They have the area of ​​Al-Baqi’, and the first of the immigrants to be buried there was Othman bin Mad’un, and among the Ansar was Asaad bin Zurarah. Some historical texts have indicated that this orchard (Al-Baqi’) was not used to bury the dead, but there are immigrants, especially those who built a house for him. In it, - where it was mentioned that the Messenger of God (PBUH) divided the land in order to build homes for the immigrants - and then this house later became the family cemetery, or the burial place of an important person, and one of the most famous of those large houses in Al-Baqi’ is the house of Aqeel bin Abi He demanded, and there were also some small houses, which later became the burial place of their owners, and each tribe chose an area of ​​Al-Baqi’ to bury their dead, so each tribe knew its graves. One of the well-known places in Al-Baqi is the House of Sadness, or the House of Sorrows, built by it Commander of the Faithful To Mrs. ZahraShe used to go to him to cry after the passing of her father, the Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him). There is also the cemetery of Al-Rawha’, which is located in the middle of Al-Baqi’.

It was said that Imam Ali He chose a house next to Aqeel’s house in Al-Baqi’, and he was told: Why are you next to the graves? He said: I found them to be honest neighbors.

There is a designated place in Al-Baqi’ where the funeral is placed before burial. It is called the “funeral place.” It is possible that this place was designated for gathering people or for washing the dead, shrouding him, and performing prayers over him.

During the time of the Umayyads

The land of Al-Baqi attracted the attention of people during the time of the Umayyads, with the continued expansion of Medina, as some individuals built houses for themselves in it, while continuing to bury the dead. Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah built a house for him in Al-Baqi during the time of Abdul Malik bin Marwan, and he was also buried in Al-Baqi. There are also other houses that were built in that period, including: the house of Ibn Aflah, Muhammad bin Zaid, and Saeed bin Othman, and there was also a house in Al-Baqi’ attributed to Imam Zain Al-Abidin (peace be upon him).

Marwan bin Al-Hakam, the governor of Medina, during the time of Muawiyah, expanded Al-Baqi’ by introducing the orchard (Hash Kawkab) in which Othman was buried in Al-Baqi’, and removed the stone he had placed there. Messenger of God (PBUH) on the grave of Othman bin Mad’un so that he would be known for it, and he placed that stone on the grave of Othman bin Affan.

During the time of the Abbasids

Because of the burial of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Messenger of God (PBUH), in Dar Aqeel, he was also buried Imam Hassan Al-Mujtaba (peace be upon him), Imam Al-Sajjad (peace be upon him), and Imam Al-Baqir (peace be upon him). Bani Abbas expanded and reconstructed the graves of the imams of Al-Baqi (peace be upon him) and transformed Dar Aqeel into a sanctuary, due to their policy that was contrary to the Bani Umayyads on the one hand, and to win the affection of the Alawites, especially the children. Imam Hassan (A) On the other hand. Likewise, Harun al-Rashid, who ruled from 170 AH to 193 AH, reconstructed and expanded the graves of the Imams of al-Baqi’ (peace be upon him).

Historical sources also mentioned the rebuilding of the cemetery of the Imams of al-Baqi’ (peace be upon him) during the time of the Seljuks, where Majd al-Malik al-Balasani al-Qummi (d. 492 AH), the Seljuk minister of Barkiariq (died: 498 AH), sent al-Mimar al-Qummi to rebuild the dome of the Imams of al-Baqi’ (peace be upon him). But when the minister was killed, the Emir of the city killed Al-Mimar after giving him safety.

Ibn Jubayr (d. 614 AH) mentioned in his book: Baqi al-Gharqad is located on the eastern side of the city. You exit to it through a door known as “Bab al-Baqi’,” and the first thing you encounter on your left when you exit the aforementioned door is the scene of Safiya, the aunt of the Prophet (PBUH). Then he begins to mention the graves of Al-Baqi’, mentioning the Rawdat of Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib and Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon him), which is a dome high in the air close to the aforementioned gate of Al-Baqi’ and to the right of the one who exits from it, and the head of Al-Hasan (peace be upon him) to the feet of Al-Abbas and their graves are high above the ground, wide and covered with plastered panels. The most beautiful tape is studded with yellow sheets and strung together with its nails, with the most ingenious characteristic and most beautiful appearance. In this shape is the tomb of Ibrahim ibn the Prophet (PBUH). Next to this Abbasid dome is a house of lineage. To Fatima, daughter of the Prophet (PBUH) It is known as the House of Sadness.

Ibn al-Najjar (d. 643 AH) mentioned that in al-Baqi’ there were masters from among the Tabi’in and after them ascetics, scholars, and famous people, but their graves are not known today, except for nine graves: the grave of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the uncle of the Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), and the graves of the imams of al-Baqi’ (peace be upon him). The two graves are in a large, high, ancient dome built at the beginning of Al-Baqi’, and it has two doors, one of which is opened every day for visits, as well as the dome of the grave of Fatima bint Asad, and the dome of the grave of Othman bin Affan.

During the time of the Ilkhanids

After the fall of Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid state, at the hands of the Mongols, and the departure of the Abbasids to Egypt, to form the Mamluk government in Cairo, during this period of time, Ibn Battuta traveled in the year 725 AH to Mecca and Medina, and mentioned Baqi’ al-Gharqad, and pointed out the presence of the grave of Safiya bint Abd al-Muttalib, his paternal aunt. The Messenger of God (may God’s prayers and peace be upon him) and the mother of Al-Zubayr bin Al-Awwam, and in front of him is the grave of Abu Abdullah Malik bin Anas, with a small dome over it, and in front of him is the grave of Ibrahim bin the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), with a white dome over it, and to its right is the grave of Abdul Rahman bin Omar bin Al-Khattab, known as Abu Shahma, and next to it is a grave. Aqeel bin Abi Talib, and the grave of Abdullah bin Jaafar bin Abi Talib, and next to them are the graves of the Mothers of the Believers, followed by a garden containing the grave of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, his uncle. Messenger of God (PBUH) and the grave of Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon him), which is a lofty dome and their graves are wide and studded with yellow sheets. At the end of Al-Baqi’ is the grave of Othman bin Affan and Fatima bint Asad. Likewise in Al-Baqi’ are the graves of the Muhajireen, the Ansar and the rest of the Companions, but most of them are not known.

In the time of the Ottomans

In the year 1220 AH, the Wahhabis besieged Medina, and demolished the domes in Al-Baqi’, except for the dome of the Messenger of God (PBUH), by order of Saud bin Abdul Aziz. Sultan Mahmoud II Al-Othmani sent an army to the city to fight the Wahhabis, and the army was able to expel them in the year 1227 AH. This historical event was called (cutting off the roots of the Kharijites).

In his book Travels in the Arabian Peninsula, John Lewis Burckhardt mentioned a journey that took place on Safar 3, 1230, to the Hijaz, Mecca, and Medina. He gave a comprehensive description of Al-Baqi’ after the destruction caused by the Wahhabism. He mentioned that all the graves had been destroyed, and there were no inscriptions or writings on them. Except for piles of clay, and nothing was spared from Wahhabi vandalism except the remains of domes and small buildings.

at present

The Al Saud government expanded Al-Baqi', and as the years progressed, it placed an iron fence around the cemetery.

Building graves and domes in Al-Baqi’

The issue of burying the dead Muslims and religious figures in Al-Baqi’ and the extreme care given to Muslims and their emphasis on the desirability of visiting the graves of the righteous and believers led to the construction of shrines, domes and buildings over these graves. From that, it is possible to point to the grave of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, may God have mercy on him. Prophet (PBUH), and four Shiite imams, as well as other figures from Bani Hashem And the relatives of the Prophet, the Companions, the scholars, and the Muslim elite throughout history. Domes were built over the graves and shrines were placed over them, where tourists visited them. Documented news was reported in books and sources. The traveler Ibn Battuta, in the first half of the eighth century AH, described Al-Baqi’:

Baqi al-Gharqad is located to the east of Medina...[and it contains] the tomb of Malik ibn Anas, with a small dome of brief construction, and in front of it is the tomb of the pure, holy, and honorable lineage of the Prophet, Ibrahim ibn the Messenger of God (may God bless him and grant him peace), with a white dome over it...and a garden containing the grave of Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib, the uncle of the Messenger of God, and the grave of Al-Hassan bin Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him) It is a dome rising in the air, with wonderful rulings, to the right of the one who exits from Bab Al-Baqi and the head of Al-Hasan to the feet of Al-Abbas (peace be upon him), and their graves are high above the ground, wide, covered with wonderfully sticky panels studded with sheets of scratch.

Al-Safadi also talked about domes for the graves of four Shiite imams, and Al-Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet (PBUH).

As for Burckhardt, who made a trip to Medina after Wahhabism came to power, he pointed out that Al-Baqi’ had become one of the most despicable cemeteries in the East at that time, and the Al-Baqi’ Cemetery - like the Hamzah Cemetery in Uhud or the Quba Mosque, the first mosque in Islam - is considered one of the neighborhoods located in the suburb of Medina and from... Holy places. Pilgrims may visit them and consider visiting them as part of their acts of worship.

Farhad Mirza, one of the Qajar princes in the year 1293 A.D., and Muhammad Hussein Khan Farahani in the year 1303 A.D. This is how they describe Al-Baqi’: Al-Baqi’ includes several spots, including a spot for the graves of four of the Imams (peace be upon him) and Abbas, the Prophet’s uncle, and a grave attributed to Lady Al-Zahra (peace be upon her) It also has an embroidered curtain gifted by Sultan Ahmed Al-Othmani in the year 1311 AH, and a spot for the graves of the daughters of the Great Prophet (PBUH), and a spot for his wives (PBUH), and there are other spots.

Demolishing graves

Demolishing the graves of the imams of Al-Baqi is an operation carried out by the Wahhabis and the rulers of the Al Saud family when they took control of Medina. They violated its sanctities and vandalized and demolished its monuments. This process was repeated twice, the first: in the year 1220 AH and the second: in the year 1344 AH.

The demolition of the graves of Al-Baqi’ sparked a number of protests in Islamic countries, including Iran, where the Shiites hold mourning gatherings on this anniversary, give speeches, and remind people of this incident, so much so that it is called the Day of Demolition.

Muslim scholars have written books responding to Wahhabi claims about demolishing graves, including the book Revealing Mistrust.

Some of those buried in Al-Baqi'

A number of prominent Muslims and their historical, religious and political figures were buried in Al-Baqi’ Al-Gharqad, led by four of the imams of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), in addition to some of the children of the Prophet. Prophet (PBUH) His wives and best companions, and it was said that ten thousand companions were buried in it.

It is likely that the grave of Al-Siddiqah Al-Tahira is located in Al-Baqi Fatima Alzahraa Girl Messenger of God  She was buried at night and her grave site was destroyed.

It is also possible that the grave of al-Muhsin al-Saqt ibn al-Muhsin al-Saqt is located in al-Baqi’ Ali bin Abi Talib  He was killed as a fetus in the womb of his mother, Fatima Al-Zahra (peace be upon her).

One of the shrines of Al-Baqi’ was the House of Sorrows, according to some historical accounts.

Footnotes

Notes