Jannat Al Baqi: Complete History and Major Demolitions

Located to the southeast of the Prophet’s Mosque covering an area of 175000 sq metre , Jannatul Baqi is the oldest and the first assigned Muslim cemetary in Madinah. It has three entrances on the north, east and the main entrance being west. Jannatul Baqi, which means the Garden of Heaven, is the largest cemetery in Madinah. It is also known as Baqi al-Gharqad, where the Arabic word Baqi means a large plot of land where trees of different varieties are grown. It is the cemetery where many members of the Prophet’s close family, around ten thousand of his companions, and many eminent and religious personalities have been buried. Visiting this cemetery means a lot to Muslims. They come here to pay their respects to the departed souls and pray that they rest in peace.

What to recite at Jannatul Baqi?

As reported by Aisha (Prophet’s wife) that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would often go to the cemetery towards the end of the night and say: “Peace be upon you, abode of a people who are believers. What you were promised would come to you tomorrow, you received it after some delay; and God willing we shall join you. O Allah, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi al-Gharqad.”

And also, when it was asked from the Prophet how to pray or greet the people of Baqi, He replied, ‘Say: Peace be upon you O Inhabitants of this land from the believers and Muslims. May Allah have mercy upon those who have left this world and those who will eventually leave. We will, God willing, join you.’

The History of Jannatul Baqi

It is believed Jannatul Baqi was originally surrounded to the north, south and east by farmland. After migration to Madinah in September 622C Prophet Muhammad divided the land between his mosque to his companions to build their houses. The place was also cleared to build a public cemetery. During the construction of the Prophet’s mosque, Prophet’s companion As’ad ibn Zurarah died. He was one of the first ones to be buried here. The first of the emigrants to be buried was Uthman bin Mazoun, who died after his return from the Battle of Badr.

Some of the respected people who have been laid to rest in Jannatul Baqi are –

· the Prophet’s aunt, Safiyyah bint Abdul Muttalib

· her sister, Aatikah

· his relatives, Abdullah bin Jafar and Aqeel bin Abi Talib

· the wives of the Prophet except Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Maymuna bint al-Harith

· the Prophet’s daughters Fatima, Ruqayyah, Zainab and Umme Kulthum

· close family members of the Prophet such as his infant son Ebrahim and his uncles are also buried in Jannatul Baqi

· the martyrs of the Battle of Harrah which was fought against the armies of Yazeed bin Muawiyah in 683 CE after the demise of the Prophet, were also buried here

So far, there have been two cases of destruction of Jannat ul Baqi. In both cases, the site was demolished on the orders of the followers of the Wahhabi movement which was an Islamic revivalist movement by a section of Sunni Islam.

First demolition of Jannat ul Baqi

In 1806, the beginning of the House of Saud’s nineteenth century it tried to control the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and demolished many religious buildings, tombs, and mosques, whether inside or outside the Baqi. The Saudi’s also prevented non-Wahhabi Muslims from performing the Hajj

As reported by European traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt who visited the cemetery in 1815, the destruction did not prevent residents of Medina from performing their rituals. In 1818, the Wahhabi were defeated in the Ottoman–Wahhabi War. The Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II, ordered the governor of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha, to retake the territories controlled by the Wahhabi rebels, and on his order Ottomans built and renovated the buildings, domes, and mosques.

Second demolition of Jannat ul Baqi

In 1924, the House of Saud reclaimed control of Hijaz and in 1925, Ibn Saud granted permission to destroy the religious site of Baqi including destruction of even the simplest of gravestones. This act was condemned by various religious groups and Muslims all over the world. Even after so much condemnation as well as request for the restoration of the cemetery, the state of the site remains unchanged. Most of the graves in Jannatul Baqi till now look similar to the piles of sand and rocks. The majority of them cannot be identified. The more eminent graves, such as those of the Ahl al-Bayt can be identified by the marginally raised walls that surround them.

The site is opened twice a day– in the morning after the fajr prayer and in the afternoon after the asr prayer. Burials in the graveyard are allowed daily after each prayer. Women are prohibited to enter the site, only men can enter the site. People visiting the site are not allowed to use cameras or mobile phones. If used, it may lead to their confiscation. It is also discouraged to stand beside the graves and pray for the deceased.

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