Jannatul-Baqi is the famous burial place of Madina. It is close to the Masjid e Nabvi, where the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) is buried.
Four of the 12 Imams are buried in Baqi and according to some accounts, so Lady Fatima Zahra (s), daughter of Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h).
Al-Baqi was established by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) when he ordered certain trees to be felled from the garden to bury his companion, Usman bin Maz’oon. In the following years, the Prophet Muhammad (s) also buried his infant son Ibrahim there.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (s) used to visit the graveyard and greet those who were buried in Baqi saying, “Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we shall
soon join you.”
Over the years, al-Baqi was maintained with splendour and respect, until the first attack on it occurred in 1806, under the rule of Saud bin Abdulaziz.
However, the Ottomans gained control over the region a few years later and rebuilt the graveyard in 1818.
Sadly, just over a century later, in 1924, Wahhabis entered Hijaz for a second time and carried out another merciless plunder and massacre.
Houses were razed, people were killed in the streets, infants being beheaded while still clinging to the necks of their mothers.
On 8th Shawwal, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), Ibn Saud, the Wahhabi ruler, demolished the tombs of Jannatul Baqi (Madina). In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet (s)’s mother, wife, grandfather are buried.
Today Baqi has pavements built through the graveyard but no signs or names given to locate the tombs of the people who are buried there.
Gates remain closed for the most part of the day. People are prevented from paying their respect to those who had done so much for Islam.
Every year, barely a week after the celebration of Eid, Shias all over the world gather together to remember the tragedy of The Demolition of al-Baqi, a destruction from which this blessed cemetery has never recovered.
Despite worldwide protests held the following year and every year there has been neither apology nor an offer of reconstruction by the powers in place.
May Allah Hasten the Reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a) so that we can #Rebuild_JannatulBaqi