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The cemetery is also known as Jannatul Baqi (جنة البقيع) "The Garden of Heaven" which is located to the southeast of the Masjid un Nabawi, Madina Munawwara, Saudi Arabia.
The Origins of Al-Baqi
Literally "al-Baqi" means a tree garden. It is also known as "Jannat al-Baqi" due to its sanctity, since in it are buried many of our Prophet's relatives and companions. The first companion buried in al-Baqi was Uthman b. Madhoon who died on the 3rd of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. The Prophet (s) ordered certain trees to be felled, and in its midst, he buried his dear companion, placing two stones over the grave. On the following years, the Prophet's son Ibrahim, who died in infancy and over whom the Prophet (s) wept bitterly, was also buried there. The people of Madina then began to use that site for the burial of their own dead, because the Prophet (s) used to greet those who were buried in al-Baqi by saying, "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi". Among other relatives of the Prophet (s) who were buried at al-Baqi are: his aunts Safiya and Aatika, and his aunt Fatima bint al-Asad, the mother of Imam Ali (a).
Destruction of Janat ul Baqi
Destruction of Janat ul Baqi (Black Day) 8 Shawwal 1345 AH, 21st April 1925. The tragic event of the history of the world, "The Distruction of Janat ul Baqi" and how it was demolished by Wahabis and Salafis. Ziyarat of Jannat ul Baqi, Graves of our four Imams, Imam Hassan (as), Imam Zain ul Abideen (as), Imam Muhammed al Baqir (as) and Imam Jaffer il Sadiq. At night these graves are with out a single candle or any kind of light, while the palaces of the king are light with thousands of bulbs. Both Shia and Sunni condemn this act of disgrace towards the respectable personalities of Islam. Please be aware and spread awareness so that we recognize our enemies. Shia and Sunni unite against the hegemonic powers and their representatives. Let us all be prepared for the re-appearance of Our Imam (a.j.t.f).
In 1925 Mausoleums in al-Baqi' were demolished by King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia the founder of the Nasabi-Wahabi regime of Al-e-Saud.. In the same year, he also demolished the tombs of holy personalities at Jannatul Mualla in Mecca where Muhammad's mother, wife, grandfather and other ancestors are buried. This happened despite protest by the international Islamic community. Jannat al-Mu'alla, the sacred cemetery at Makkah was destroyed alongwith the house where the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sawaws) was born. Since then, this day is a day of mourning for all Muslims.
Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijaz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea is to eradicate the Islamic legacy and heritage and to systematically remove all its vestiges so that in the days to come, Muslims will have no affiliation with their religious history.
Al-Baqi was razed to the ground, with no sign of any grave or tomb whatsoever. But the Saudis were still not quite satisfied with doing all of that. Their king ordered three black attendants at the Prophet's shrine to show him where the treasure of valuable gifts were stored. The Wahhabis plundered the treasure for their own use.
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Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Arabic: المسجد النبوي ‘Mosque of the Prophet’), often called the Prophet's Mosque, is a mosque situated in the city of Medina. As the final resting place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), it is considered the second holiest site in Islam by both Shia and Sunni Muslims (the first being the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca) and is the second largest mosque in the world.
One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome over the center of the mosque, where the tomb of Muhammad (pbuh) is located. It is not exactly known when the green dome was constructed but manuscripts dating to the early 12th century describe the dome. It is known as the Dome of the Prophet or the Green Dome.
Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated it. Early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar are buried in an adjacent area in the mosque.
The site was originally Muhammad's (pbuh), house; he (pbuh), settled there after his Hijra (emigration) to Medina, later building a mosque on the grounds. He(pbuh), himself shared in the heavy work of construction. The original mosque was an open-air building. The basic plan of the building has been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world.
History
The original mosque was built by Muhammad (pbuh), next to the house where he settled after his journey to Medina in 622 AD. The original mosque was an open-air building with a raised platform for the reading of the Qur'an. It was a rectangular enclosure of 30 m × 35 m (98 ft × 110 ft), built with palm trunks and mud walls, and accessed through three doors: Bab Rahmah to the south, Bab Jibril to the west and Bab al-Nisa' to the east. The basic plan of the building has since been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world.
Inside, Muhammad (pbuh) created a shaded area to the south called the suffrah and aligned the prayer space facing north towards Jerusalem. When the qibla (prayer direction) was changed to face the Kaaba in Mecca, the mosque was re-oriented to the south. The mosque also served as a community center, a court, and a religious school. Seven years later (629 AD/7 AH), the mosque was doubled in size to accommodate the increasing number of Muslims.
The first of the three great shrines of Islam is the Ka"ba at Mecca (al-Haram al-Makki al-Sharif). For Muslims, this mosque is the holiest spot on Earth. The mihrabs of all mosques are aligned with the Ka"ba so that all Muslims pray in the direction of Mecca. The whole of Islam can be seen as the spokes on a wheel radiating from the Ka"ba. This picture shows the rite of circumambulation, one of the rites of the hajj or pilgrimage. The lines inscribed in the pavement are circular as well.
The dimensions of the present Ka"ba, writes Cyril Glasse" in his book "The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam," are: the northern wall 12.63 meters, the eastern wall 11.22 meters, the western wall 13.10 meters, and the northwest wall 11.03 meters (it is not completely regular.) The Ka"ba height is 13 meters. The door on the northern side is 2 meters from the ground and is 1.7 meters wide.
Buried within the Mosque
The grave of Hussein is found in the middle of the precinct, and is called the ‘Rawda’ or ‘Garden’ and it has several entry gates. The most famous one is called ‘Al-Qibla’ or ‘B?b al-Dhahab’. When it is entered, one can see the tomb of Habib ibn Madhahir al-Asadi, to the right hand side.
Habib was a friend and companion of Hussein since their childhood and was honored with martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala.
Within the shrine of Hussein can also be found a grave of all the 72 martyrs of Karbala. They were buried in a mass grave which was then covered with soil to the ground level. This mass grave is at the foot of Hussein’s grave. As well, beside Hussein’s grave are the graves of his two sons: ‘Ali al-Akbar and the 6-month old, ‘Ali al-Asghar. Also buried within the mosque is Ibrahim (son of the seventh Twelver Shi‘ah Imam, Musa al-Kadhim), who spent his life preaching about Karbala.
Martyrdom and popularity
Karbala was at first an uninhabited place and did not witness any constructional activity, although it was rich in water and its soil fertile.
From the time of Hussein ibn ‘Ali’s death in 680, pilgrimages to commemorate the massacre have often been repressed.
Despite many attempts by successive rulers, such as Al-Rashid and Al-Mutawakkil, to put a restriction on the development of this area, it has nonetheless spread with time to become a city.
Early development & specifications
The historian Ibn Kuluwayh mentioned that those who buried Hussein ibn ‘Ali, made a special and rigid construction with signs above the grave.
Higher and bigger constructions above the grave started during the ruling of al-Saffah, but heavy restrictions were put in place to prevent people from visiting the grave during the rule of Harun al-Rashid.
At the time of al-Ma'mun, construction around the grave resumed until the year 850, when al-Mutawakkil ordered the destruction and digging of the grave, and then filling the pit with water. His son who succeeded him al-Muntasir, allowed people to visit the grave site, and since then building the precinct to the grave increased and developed step by step.
On the other hand, the historian Ibn al-Athir stated that in the year 371 AH, ‘Adhud ad-Dawlah became the first to largely lay the foundations for large scale construction, and generously decorated the place. He also built houses and markets around the precinct, and surrounded Karbala with a high boundary wall turning it into a strong castle.
In the year 407 AH, the precinct caught fire due to the dropping of two large candles on the wooden decorations. The state minister at the time, Hassan ibn Fadl, rebuilt the damaged sections.
History has recorded the names of several rulers who shared the honor of widening, decorating or keeping the precinct in good condition. Amongst them is Fat'h ‘Ali Shah Qajar, who in 1250 AH ordered the construction of two domes, one over Hussein ibn ‘Ali’s grave and the other over his brother ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali.
The first dome is 27 meters high and completely covered with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with 12 windows, each of which is about 1.25 m away from the other, from the inside, and 1.30 m from the outside.
The mausoleum has an area of 59 m / 75 m with ten gates, and about 65 rooms, well decorated from the inside and outside, used as classrooms for studying.