Jannat-ul-Baqi’ is a much revered graveyard located in Madinah
Munawwarah in Saudi Arabia. Many great personalities of the Ahle Bait
(a.s.), immaculate members of his (s.a.w.a.) household including his
(s.a.w.a.) successors are laid to rest here:
- Hazrat Fatemah al-Zahra (a.s.), the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) highly-revered daughter
- Imam Hasan b. Ali – Al Mujtaba (a.s.)
- Imam Ali b. Husain – Zain al-Aabedeen (a.s.)
- Imam Muhammad b. Ali – Al-Baqir (a.s.) and
- Imam Jafar b. Muhammad – Al-Sadiq (a.s.)
In addition to the successors of the Messenger (s.a.w.a.), prominent
and famous companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and his (s.a.w.a.) close
relatives are also buried here:
- Abbas b. Abdul Muttalib (Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) uncle)
- Safiyyah bint Abdil Muttallib and Aatika bint Abdil Muttalib (Prophet’s aunts (s.a.w.a.))
- Ibrahim b. Muhammad (Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) son)
- Hazrat Fatima binte Asad (Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) aunt and Ameerul Momineen’s (a.s.) mother (a.s.))
- Aqeel b. Abi Talib (Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) cousin and Ameerul Momineen’s (a.s.) brother)
- Muhammad b. Ali b. Abi Taalib, famous as Muhammad-e-Hanafiyyah (his mother’s name was Hanafiyyah)
- Hazrat Ummul Baneen (mother of Hazrat Abul Fazl Abbas b. Ali b. Abi Taalib (a.s.))
- Ismail b. Imam Sadiq (a.s.)
- Abdullah b. Jafar-e-Tayyaar (a.s.)
These are the individuals buried in Baqi’ and their graves were
adorned with mausoleums and tombs. Even today Muslims have preserved
pictures of the tombs and these are widely available on internet
websites. These tombs were present till 8th Shavval 1344 A.H. Apart from
these great personalities, graves of approximately seven thousand
famous companions are located in Baqi’. Similarly, many scholars of the
early days of Islam are also buried here, like Imam Maalik – the
founder of the Maaliki sect. Like with other graves, a tomb was also
built over his grave.
The first attack on Baqi’ – 1220 A.H.
The attack was first engineered by the Wahhabis in 1220 A.H. i.e. when
the first Saudi government was overthrown by the Ottoman government. In
1220 A.H. Wahhabis entered Medinah to demolish Baqi’ and tried to
demolish many mosques instead of Baqi’. They initially tried to pull
down the dome of the mausoleum of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) but apparently
refrained due to fear of reprisal.
The Ottoman government renovated the mausoleums and Shias and Sunnis
from all over the world accumulated funds for its renovation.
Consequently, beautiful tombs were created in Baqi’ and visitors from
all over the world at the time of Hajj, Umrah and Ziyaarah paid their
respects to these tombs.
However, this was just the beginning of the nightmare for the Islamic world.
The Day of Demolition
The Day of Demolition as it came to be known later was the day of breaking down of all mausoleums and tombs in Baqi’.
In 1344 A.H. when Aal-e-Saud – Saudi family gained complete control of
Makkah, Madinah and its neighborhood, they decided to wipe out the signs
of the holy places, Jannatul Baqi’, companions and family of the
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) from the map of Islam. For this, they obtained
rulings from the scholars of Madinah to make it easy for themselves and
to gain support of the people of Hijaz who were previously not ready for
their rule.
Rulings for Demolition
Aal-e-Saud dispatched the Chief Justice Sulaiman b, Bulaihar so that he
could obtain the desired rulings from the scholars of Madinah. For this,
he posed questions to the scholars of Madinah in such a manner that the
answers, as per the Wahhabi viewpoint, were present in the questions
themselves. Similarly, the jurists (muftis) were informed beforehand to
respond with the desired answers or they would be declared polytheists
and killed if they failed to repent. The questions and answers were
published in a Makkah-based magazine ‘Ummul Qura’ in the Shavval 1344
A.H. edition.
Sulaiman b. Bulaihar posed the following question:
- What do the scholars of Al-Madinahh Al-Munawwarah, may Allah
increase their knowledge and understanding, have to say – Is it
permissible to construct a structure and mosque over graves?
- If it is not permissible and Islam strongly prohibits it, then is it
obligatory to demolish them and stop Muslims from praying namaz there?
- Can graves, structures and tombs constructed on an endowed land like
Baqi’ whose some parts are not useful considered as usurped? Should not
they be demolished at the earliest to do away with the oppression
perpetrated on the deserving ones?
The scholars of Madinah, out of fear and greed replied to Sulaiman ibn Bulaihar as stated below:
Building a structure over graves has been collectively prohibited in
traditions. Hence many scholars have given the verdict of the necessity
of breaking them and we would like to take support of a tradition on the
authority of Imam Ali (a.s.) wherein he instructed Abil Hayyaj: I
command you to accomplish something which the Messenger of God
(s.a.w.a.) had ordered me. It is that you destroy any image and any
grave that you see before making it level (with the ground).
At this stage, we do not wish to comment on this tradition except
that Quran permits building of a structure on graves as advocated in
Surah Kahf (18): Verse XX. The Muslim nation is united on this reality
and has been building graves in every era. In fact, the companions have
never opposed building structure over graves, which explains why tombs
and mausoleums existed in Baqi’ until they were destroyed and the graves
of the first and second caliphs continue to be enshrined.
Lastly, the tradition of Abil Hayyaj, which the Wahhabis quote
freely, is unreliable as it does not meet the criteria of a Sahih
tradition from aspects of text and chain of narrators and more
importantly contravenes the Noble Quran, the foremost test of a
tradition’s reliability.
Destruction and Looting
Between 1205 A.H. and 1217 A.H., the Wahhabis attempted to occupy Hijaz
several times but failed until they captured Taaef in 1217 A.H. killing
many Muslims in the process. In 1218 A.H., they attacked Makkah and
destroyed all the holy places including the structure built over the
well of Zam Zam.
In 1216 A.H., in the month of Zilqad, the Wahhabis attacked the holy
city of Karbala, laid a siege to it, killed many people in the streets
and markets and plundered it until midday before fleeing the city with
lot of wealth and goods. Saud himself took one-fifth of the looted
amount and gave one part of the remaining loot to the soldiers on foot
and two parts to the horsemen (because as per them this was a war
against the disbelievers).
Attack on the Holy City of Makkah
In 1344 A.H. i.e. 1925 A.D. before the Wahhabis attacked Jannatul Baqi’,
they attacked the graveyard of Makkah which is still known as Jannat ul
Mo’alla and is the most venerated cemetery after Baqi’. The Prophet of
God (s.a.w.a.) used to visit this graveyard, where
- His (s.a.w.a.) great grandfather Abdul Manaf
- Grandfather Abdul Muttalib (a.s.)
- Uncle Abu Talib (a.s.) and
- Wife Khadija (s.a.) are buried.
There was a mausoleum and a tomb on each of their graves. The
Wahabbis demolished all of them before turning towards Madinah. It
should be noted that their destructive aims were accomplished only after
many Muslims were martyred in the skirmishes. The Wahhabis did not stop
at killing; they made sure to plunder the mausoleums afterwards.
Destruction and Disrespect of Baqi’
It was on Wednesday, 8th Shavval 1344 A.H. i.e. 21st April 1925, under
the commandership of Abdul Aziz b. Saud – the Wahhabis surrounded
Madinah and fought its defenders and evicted the officials of the
Ottoman government out of Madinah and then went on to destroy the graves
of Imams (a.s.) i.e. grave of Imam Hasan-e-Mujtaba (a.s.), Imam Zainul
Abideen (a.s.), Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) and Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.).
Other graves were also not spared viz. those of Abbas b. Abdil Muttalib,
Safiyya bint Abdil Muttalib, Aatika bint Abdil Muttalib, Ibrahim son of
Messenger (s.a.w.a.), Ummul Baneen, Ismael b. Imam Sadiq (a.s.),
Abdullah b. Jafar-e-Tayyaar, Halimah-e-Sa’diyyah and approximately seven
thousand companions of Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.a.). Imam Malik’s
grave was also demolished.
Killing and Plunder by the Wahhabis
Whenever the Wahabbis attacked the holy places, they not only killed
Muslim men, women, children and the aged, but also plundered the streets
and markets and escaped with abundant wealth.
Historians have documented that the Wahhabis looted forty trunks of
diamonds, ornaments, and rubies and nearly one hundred swords with pure
gold sheaths laden with diamonds and rubies from the mausoleums of Baqi’
in Madinah.
The Ruthlessness and Mercilessness of the Wahabbis
Noted historian Jameel Siddiqui Zahavi has documented details of the
Wahhabi attack on Taaef – The head of a suckling child was severed while
still clutched to the mother’s neck. People gathering the Holy Quran
were killed. When houses were abandoned out of fear, they entered shops
and mosques and killed the people in varying states of worship – be it
bowing or prostration. Books, mostly Quran and books of jurisprudence
including extracts from Sahih-e-Bukhari and Muslim were thrown in the
markets and trampled on.
Such killing and plundering was not surprising from the followers of
Muhammad b. Abdul Wahhab as they deemed other Muslims as disbelievers
and polytheists and considered Makkah and Madinah as House of War and
House of Disbelief which they redeemed after gaining control over it.
Views of the great jurist Ayatullah al-Uzma Lutfullah Saafi Gulpaigani (r.a.)
The great and renowned jurist and Marja-e-Taqleed of the Shias, author
of various books, defender of Imamat and Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.),
the propagator of Imamat and Wilayat with the special grace of
Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.), the author of the renowned book Muntakhab
al-Asar fi al-Imam al-Saani Ashar, declared Sunday 8th Shavval, as a day
of great calamity for the Muslim nation. He declared – This calamity
has occurred not only on the Shias and the Ahle Bait (a.s.) but on the
entire Muslim nation and is a loss and detriment which has befallen on
Islam through this most deplorable incident and appalling action. It is a
loss equal to several losses put together.
The Holy Mausoleum in the History of Islam
Ayatullah Saafi Gulpaigani (r.a.) has declared the blessed mausoleums
and other effects related to Imams (a.s.) as the complete history of
Islam. He stated – Wahhabis have destroyed the history of Islam and
worse is that in these eighty years, they did not stop at only this act
but destroyed and desolated everything which bore a trace the Prophet’s
Ahle Bait (a.s.). These were memorials of Islam, blessings of Islam and
the history of Islam does not have any apparent signs without them.
This great jurist of the Shias has pointed towards the fact that all
nations and religions have protected and renovated their historical
signs and effects. This act persuades the Muslims to protect and
safeguard the corporal history of Islam. He declared – Just as these
symbols are protected in the entire world, the signs of Islam should
also be protected so that whoever is blessed with the visitation of
Makkah and Madinah, witnesses Islam closely even centuries after its
advent.
Ayatullah Saafi Gulpaigani (r.a.) blames the enemies of Islam and the
selfish nature of the Salafis for this incident and elaborates – The
real intention of the enemies of Islam and the Salafis is to destroy
Islam and since they found this act as a debasement and an ignominy for
themselves, they persuaded a group to commit this crime.
A ‘Day of Grief’ for Muslims
Ayatullah Saafi Gulpaigani (r.a.) addressed the Muslims, particularly
the Shias and said – The Shias and Muslims should be aggrieved and
sorrowful on this day (8th Shavval) and should curse and condemn these
criminals.
Certainly the Proof of Allah – Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.) is also
mournful and grief-stricken when he witnesses the desolate state of
Baqi’, particularly the state of his grandmother, Hazrat Zahra (s.a.)
and his forefathers’ (a.s.) graves.
