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Al-Baqi'
Jannat al-Baqīʿ (Arabic: ٱلْبَقِيْع, "The Baqi'") is the oldest and the first Islamic cemetery of Medina in the Hejazi region of present -day Saudi Arabia. It is located to the southeast of the Prophet's Mosque, which contains the graves of some of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's family and friends. It is also known as Baqīʿ al-Gharqad (Arabic: بَقِيْع الْغَرْقَد, meaning "Baqiʿ of the Boxthorn").
Jannatul-Baqi before Demolition
The grounds hold much significance for Muslims, being the resting place of many of Muhammad's relatives and companions, thus marking it as one of the two holiest cemeteries in Islamic tradition. Many narrations relate Muhammad issuing a prayer every time he passed it.
History
When Muhammad arrived at Medina from Mecca in September 622 CE, al-Baqi' was a land covered with Lycium shawii boxthorn trees. According to historical records, after the arrival of Muhammad, the houses of Medina developed near al-Baqi', which was therefore considered as the public tomb. The bramble-growth was cleared and the place consecrated to be the future cemetery of the Muslims who died at al-Madina.
Also al-Baqi' was introduced as somewhere whose east side is Nakhl and west side contains houses. In fact, before demolition al-Baqi' was located behind the houses in the city.
During the construction of the Prophet's Mosque, on the site he purchased from two orphan children when he arrived after his migration from Mecca to Medina, As'ad ibn Zurarah, one of Muhammad's companions died. Muhammad chose the spot to be a cemetery and As'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. She was buried in al-Baqi'. She was the first person from Ahl al-Bayt (Household of Muhammad) buried in this cemetery.
Shortly after Muhammad arrived from Badr, Uthman bin Maz'oon died in 5/626-7 and was buried in al-Baqi'. He was considered the first companion of Muhammad from the Muhajirun to be buried in the cemetery. He was also called by Muhammad to be the first 'among us to go to the hereafter', and he also called the place where he is buried Rawhā.
When his youngest son Ibrahim died, he commanded that he be buried there also; he watered the grave and called this place Zawrā. As per his command two of his daughters Zainab and Umm Kulthum also buried near the grave of Uthman bin Maz'oon.
Initially, 3rd caliph Uthman was buried in the huge neighbouring Jewish graveyard. The first enlargement of al-Baqi' in history was made by Muawiyah I, the first Umayyad Caliph. In order to honour Uthman, 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'.
Demolition of al-Baqi
The former mausoleum of Fatimah, Abbas, Hasan ibn Ali, Ali as-Sajjad, Muhammad al-Baqir and Ja'far as-Sadiq
The cemetery was demolished by forces loyal to the Wahhabi-Saudi alliance in 1806 and 1925 (or 1926).
At the beginning of the Wahhabis of Najd's nineteenth century (1806) control over Mecca and Medina, they demolished many of the religious buildings including tombs and mosques, whether inside or outside the Baqi, in accordance with their understanding of the Islamic doctrine forbidding idolatry. These were razed to the ground and demolished due to Wahhabi claims of grave worshipping.
The clan of Saud regained control of the Hijaz in 1924 or 1925. The following year King Ibn Saud granted permission to destroy the site with religious authorization provided by Qadi Abd Allah ibn Bulayhid, and the demolition began on 21 April 1926 (or 1925) by Ikhwan ("The Brothers"), a Wahabbi religious militia. The demolition included destroying "even the simplest of the gravestones".
