Al-Baqi'

The Baqi Cemetery

Jannatul Baqi (جنة البقيع)
Details
Established	C.E. 622
Location	Medina
Country	Present-day Saudi Arabia
Type	Muslim
Owned by	State
Size	State Secret
Number of graves	State Secret

Maqbaratul Baqī' (Arabic: مقبرة البقيع‎‎, The Baqi Cemetery) is a cemetery in Medina, present-day Saudi Arabia, located to the southeast of the Masjid al-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque). The mosque is built where the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to live, and is currently buried. The cemetery is also known as Jannatul Baqi, meaning "The Garden of Baqi" and Baqiul Qarqad, which means "Baqi of the Boxthorn".

The cemetery holds much significance. It contains many of Muhammad's relatives and companions. Many traditions relate Muhammad issuing a prayer every time he passed it. A Jewish graveyard was once located behind Jannatul Baqi. The Umayyad rulers took down the wall of the Jewish cemetery and widened the Muslim graveyard to enclose the tomb of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan within it.

History

Al-Baqi before the demolition

When Muhammad arrived at Medina from Mecca in September 622, al-Baqi was a land covered with Lycium shawii boxthorn trees.

During the construction of the al-Masjid al-Nabawi, on the site he purchased from two orphan children when he arrived after his migration from Mecca to Medina, Asa'ad Bin Zararah, one of Muhammad's companions died. Muhammad chose the spot to be a cemetery and Asa'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.

Shortly after Muhammad arrived from Badr, Uthman bin Maz'oon died and was buried in al-Baqi. He was considered the first companion of Muhammad from the Muhajirun to be buried in the cemetery.

Earlier Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was buried in the huge neighbouring Jewish grave yard. The first enlargement of al-Baqi in history was made by Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad Caliph. In order to honour Uthman ibn Affan, Muawiyah included the huge Jewish graveyard into al-Baqi cemetery. The Umayyad Caliphate built the first dome in al-Baqi over his grave. During different times of history, many domes and structures were built or rebuilt over many famous graves in al-Baqi.

Demolitions

The Cemetery after the 1926 demolition. The Mosque of the Prophet is in the background.

On 21 April 1926 (Wednesday, 8 Shawwal 1344 A.H.), the mausoleums in al-Baqi were destroyed by king Ibn Saud. In the same year, he also demolished the tombs of holy persons at Mualla Cemetery in Mecca where Muhammad's first wife Khadijah, his grandfather and other ancestors are buried. This happened despite protests by the international Islamic community.

Notable interments

Kin of Muhammad

• Halimah the foster-mother and wet nurse of Muhammad.
• All of the wives of Muhammad, except Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, who is buried in Jannatul Mualla in Mecca
• Ibrahim, Muhammad's son by Maria al-Qibtiyya, died in infancy
• Roqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Zainab daughters of Muhammad and Khadijah
• Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad] is purportedly buried there, though the location of her grave is disputed.
• Fatima bint al-Asad, aunt of Muhammad and mother of Caliph and Imam Ali.
• ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, uncle of Muhammad.
• Umm ul-Banin, who married Caliph Ali after the death of Fatimah and Safiyyah, Atika aunts of Muhammad.
• Imam Hasan ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad, son of Fatimah and Imam Ali.
• Imam Zayn al-Abidin, grandson of Fatima Zahra who is the only adult male that survived the Battle of Karbala because he was sick and could not fight. He was the fourth Shia Imam.
• Imam Muhammad al-Baqir, son of ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, the fifth Imam according to Shia
• Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq, son of Muhammad al-Baqir, the sixth Imam according to Shia.
• Abdullah son of Jaffar e Tayyar, who was husband of Zainab, daughter of Ali and nephew of Ali and father of Aun and Muhammad (martyrs of Karbala).
• Aqeel ibn Abi Talib; the elder brother of Ali.

Notable figures

• Uthman ibn Affan, companion of Muhammad and third Sunni Caliph. Uthman ibn Affan was at first buried in a Jewish graveyard behind Al-Baqi', but later Muawiyah I extended Al-Baqi' to include Uthman.
• Uthman Bin Mazoun, companion of Muhammad
• Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri
• Malik ibn Anas, Islamic jurist
• Nafi‘ al-Madani, one of Ten Readers of Quran

Other notable figures (unknown location)

• Mohammad Hayya Al-Sindhi, scholar
• Imam Shamil, Muslim leader and freedom fighter from the Caucuses
• Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy, scholar
• Idris of Libya, King of Libya
• Hasan as-Senussi, Crown Prince of Libya
• Muhammad Zakariya Kandhalawi, Author of Fazael-e-A'maal
• Abdülmecid II, The Last Ottoman Caliph

Gallery

• 

  Panorama showing a part of the Baqi Cemetery. Qibla is behind the photographer.

• 

  Halimah

• 

  Grave of Fatima bint al-Asad (single grave in front), and Imam Hasan, Zayn al-Abidin, Baqir and Jafar (2nd row left to right, 4 graves side by side), and ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (single grave at right).

• 

  Mausoleum of Abbas, Imam Hasan, Ali Sajjad, Baqir and Sadiq prior to its destruction.

• 

  Grave of wives of Muhammad, left to right: Juwayriyya bint al-Harith, Hind bint Abi Umayya, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Sawda bint Zamʿa, Hafsa bint Umar, Safiyya bint Huyayy, Ramla bint Abi Sufyan, Aisha bint Abi Bakr

• 

  Ibrahim ibn Muhammad

• 

  Uthman

• Grave abdullah bin Jafar(left)and Akil bin abi Talib.JPG

  Abdullah ibn Ja'far and Aqeel ibn Abi Talib

• 

  Malik ibn Anas and Nafi‘ al-Madani

See also

• Aisha
• Jannatul Mualla
• Baab Sagheer
• Holiest sites in Islam

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

• Visitation of Baqi
• The oldest photos of Jannat al-Baqi (Persian)
• Jannat al-Baqi website
• Map of Jannat al-Baqi
• History of the Cemetery of Jannat al-Baqi
• The Baqi Collection Photos
• Map of Jannat al-Baqi according to Sunni Muslim sources