Apr 07
Demolition of Jannat-ul-Baqi
Monday 8 Shawwal, 1446
Apr 07
Monday 8 Shawwal, 1446
Jannat-ul-Baqi is also popular as Al-Baqi’ al-Gharqad. It plays an extremely powerful role in the history of Islam. It is included in the most historical and sacred places in Islam, adjacent to Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah. It is not only a holy place for Muslims, but it is also one of the most divine sites that has great significance for Muslims. Many respected religious role models are engraved at this sacred place.
Even after such importance, Jannat-ul-Baqi has to deal with two demolitions due to some religious and political situations.
The name Jannat-ul-Baqi, which is translated as “The Garden of Baqi,” with “Baqi” indicating the field of thorny trees naturally growing in the area. Its more popular name, Al-Baqi’ al-Gharqad, mirrors its initial scenery.
The sacred place was completely organized during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), who himself selected it as the resting place for many of his friends and family members. It is located in the east, just adjacent to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ Mosque, highlighting its closeness to one of the most sacred Islamic places.
The most important people engraved there include the following:
This holy place is the centre for a literal, divine, and sentimental bond for millions of Muslims. Devotees from all over the world visit Medina and perceive a strong sense of admiration at this place, which draws them back to the developmental days of Islam.
Jannat-ul-Baqi has developed to become a place far from just a burial ground throughout the generations. Islamic Caliphates of Islam, such as the Umayyads, Abbasids, and Ottomans, have played their roles in the development and adornment of the graves and shrines present in the cemetery. The mausoleums were constructed to show respect for the buried souls presented with headstones, longhand scripts, and beautiful Islamic constructional designs.
Paying a visit to these mausoleums is a greatly acknowledged and loved tradition for the Muslim community, most especially the Shia. The custom of Ziyarat, which is a normal practice, means paying a visit to the tombs to pray for them, and think of the lives of the just.
In the Ottoman era, which had its influence on the Muslim community for centuries, Jannat-ul-Baqi was nurtured with love and respect. The Ottoman rulers, irrespective of their beliefs, accepted the different aspects of Islamic culture in practice and considered it part of their faith to protect the historical places.
In 1806, the first ever act of destruction of Jannat-ul-Baqi took place when the first Saudi-Wahhabi government settled in Medina for a short duration of time. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab introduced the Wahhabi act to eradicate all the acts in practice that are not stated in Islam, which were termed as bid’ah.
The Wahhabis stated that visiting the mausoleums and graves and other religious constructions over them is shirk, strongly believing in the illustration of tawheed (the oneness of Allah). So that is the reason why they demolished many tombs and graves at Jannat-al-Baqi.
However, when the Ottomans regained control of Medina, efforts were made to restore some of the demolished structures, though not all were rebuilt to their former state. The Muslims reacted with anger and disagreement, especially the Shia and Sufi communities.
In 1925, the second and most disastrous extermination of Jannat-ul-Baqi took place, followed by the conquering of Hijaz by Abdulaziz Bin Saud, who is the father of the current king of Saudi Arabia. And all over again, following the Wahhabi statement, the Saudi government ordered the extermination of all the graves, tombs, and every other thing in the site.
On April 21, 1925, the constructions over the last resting place of Fatimah, Hasan ibn Ali, and other respected figures were demolished. This action led to an extremely important critical point. The Saudi government proclaimed that these constructions promoted misconceptions and practices that are not to Islamic teachings.
The act of destruction was not neglected or ignored. Muslim countries like Iran, India, Turkey, and Iraq were greatly oppressed by this act. In the Muslim world, people broke out to protest against this act, especially the Shia communities, who considered it an attempt to erase Islamic history and an insult to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's family.
But after all the protests, nothing changed, and the Saudi government stood silent. The site has been quite the same since that time, with only simple stones and monuments.
The Saudis’ justification for the destruction of Jannat-ul-Baqi lies in the Wahhabi’s statement and belief in the oneness of God, as seen from a religious perspective. According to their beliefs, any kind of adoration or respect for the tombs and mausoleum may become a cause of Shirk, relating someone to Allah, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, which is considered one of the greatest sins in Islam.
However, according to Sunni intellectuals and almost all the Shia communists, Ziyarat is not worshipping anyone; rather, it is an act to show respect and love to the people who played an extremely important role in the early days of Islam. In their justification, they use the hadiths in which it is mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to visit the graves of loved ones.
There are mainly two points under discussion over the dispute:
The Wahhabi’s belief is along with the second point, but people disagree as they believe that the along with the attempt to eradicate Jannat-ul-Baqi, the connection to Islamic history might be lost. Sheikh Mahmud Shaltut (former Grand Imam of Al-Azhar) and Ayatollah Sistani, are among the greatest intellectuals of Islam, strictly condemn the demolition.
In 1925, the attempt to eradicate Jannat-ul-Baqi enraged all the Muslim communities, among which the Shia’s involvement was quite prominent. The destruction of the sacred place was not only a shock for the Shia community but also for all the Muslims worldwide.
The countries like Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, where most of the community is Shia, people were infuriated and called out for a great protest that continued for days after the attempt to destroy the holy place. The eradication of tombs and mausoleums of people like Fatimah, Hasan ibn Ali, and other people shattered the souls of people who loved and respected them.
The government of Iran considered the destruction of Jannat-ul-Baqi as an attempt to insult the Prophet’s family. In Iraq, the people were quite disappointed and considered it an attack on their religious aspects. In Lebanon, where the place held an extremely special place in people’s hearts, the disaster left a mark.
The present-day condition of Jannat-ul-Baqi is quite different from its condition in the past, where it stood as the most exquisite place that reflected the religious values of Islam. Nowadays, the site is flattened, having no tombs or mausoleums. The graves of people who were once loved and respected now only have a simple headstone as a mark of their last resting place.
The entrance to Jannat-ul-Baqi is quite strict, and only a few are allowed to enter the place under certain conditions. The security of that place is quite strict and is maintained by the Saudi government, making sure that no gatherings take place near the tombs and mausoleums. The strict policies of the government make sure that their statement is followed.
The strict rules and regulations are a true representation of Wahhabi’s statement, which says that any form of respect or worship of the graves is bid’ah and shirk. So in the end, no matter that the graves of the important family members of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are present in Jannat-ul-Baqi, they are given a simple headstone.
Today, there are no noticeable headstones on the graves of Islamic role models in Jannat-ul-Baqi. In long-gone days, the graves of significant Islamic figures were adorned and well-constructed. But now, due to the destruction of Jannat-ul-Baqi, all the tombs and mausoleums look the same. As the graves cannot be differentiated from one another, this raises concerns about the conservation of the holy place's historical importance.
Irrespective of the Saudis’ statement, the demands for the establishment and conservation of Jannat-ul-Baqi are continually growing with many intellectuals, campaigners, and other people.
From all over the world, Intellectuals demand the re-establishment of Jannat-ul-Baqi, in which people from Al-Azhar University and the Iranian establishment have taken part. According to the history writers and campaigners, the conservation of such a holy place is not only essential for Islamic history but also is necessary to maintain a link between history and the today generation of Muslims.
The dispute due to the destruction of Jannat-ul-Baqi is a true representation of the difference of opinion in the cultural legacy and religious factors. According to many communities, the conservation of the religiously significant tomb is extremely important. Whatever, the Saudi government strictly follows the teachings of Islam still considers the conservation of tombs as a threat to their religious values.
Demanding a change in Saudi Arabia is an extremely sensitive task. The Wahhabi statement has quite an impression on the rules and laws and opposes any action to reconstruct or rethink the opening of Jannat-ul-Baqi. The laws of Saudi Arabia are based on the teachings of Islamic studies that believe in the oneness of God instead of adoration the tombs and mausoleums.
Even after many years of destructive actions against Jannat-ul-Baqi, it is still a place that holds great religious and spiritual importance. The eradication of this holy place is not confined to the loss of the framework but also the demolition of Islamic constructional works and divine legacy.
The loss of constructional work and ethnicity is quite clear. Before its destruction, Jannat-ul-Baqi was a living example of the artwork and creativity of various Muslim communities. The eradication of these ethnicities is considered a loss of connection to our history.
In Islam, the demolition of Jannat-ul-Baqi is a key point in the conflicts within the political and religious matters. The graves of relatives of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are especially important for the Shia Muslims as they consider them a representation of their faith and character. The differences in the beliefs of Shia and Sunni communities among Muslims are thus further enhanced by the Saudis’ statement on Jannat-ul-Baqi, which leads to a global effect on the harmony among Muslims.
As Jannat-ul-Baqi has quite importance in Islamic history, it is necessary to include respectful remarks about the conservation of the heritage of Islam. Learning about different religious beliefs, along with the preservation of holy places, could pave the way for better understanding and unity among different Muslim communities.
Jannat-ul-Baqi is a true representation of the critical connection between the history of Islam, Islamic background, and the policies introduced. The attempt to eradicate the holy place in 1925 continues to elicit intense feelings in Muslims all around the world. In Islam, the destruction of the holy site is one of the most sensitive topics to discuss. In the Muslim community, especially Shia, it is not merely a holy site but also it is a place where their emotions are attached, as there are graves of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's family members, whom they respect a lot and have a connection to Islamic history.
There are many appeals and petitions for the reconstruction of the holy site, but due to the policies, it cannot be done. The government of Saudi Arabia remains firm on its statement; on the other hand, Muslims all around the world remember the mourning over the site on the 8th of Shawwal every year, which is called Yaum-e-Gham.
Jannat-ul-Baqi was destroyed because of the concepts of Wahhabis that conflict with the reverence of tombs and consider their construction as bid’ah (innovation) and shirk (polytheism).
Jannat-ul-Baqi was the last resting place for many Islamic role models, including Fatimah, Hasan ibn Ali, and Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib are included which makes this place religiously important.
Jannat-ul-Baqi is an extremely holy place for the Shia community as it is the last resting place for many members of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's family; they worship them as a divine and significant example.
There are activities and many campaigns from intellectuals, campaigners, and historians to rebuild the place, but the Saudi government keeps up with its rules and regulations that are not in favour of the reconstruction of the tombs.
The entrance to Jannat-ul-Baqi is strictly confined with tight security and no names on the graves of the key figures.