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.
1925 Madina surrendered to the Wahhabi onslaught. All Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet (sawaws). In 1926, protest gatherings were held by shocked Muslims all over the world. Similar protests were lodged by Muslims in Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, and Turkey. All of them condemn the Saudi Wahhabis for their barbaric acts. Some scholars wrote tracts and books to tell the world the fact that what was happening in Hijaz was actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. The idea was 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.
A partial list of the demolished graves and shrines Al-Mualla graveyard in Makkah which includes:
The grave of Sayyida Khadija bint Khuwailid (a), wife of the Prophet (s), Jannatul Mualla, Makkah. The grave of Amina bint Wahab, mother of the Prophet (s), Jannatul Mualla, Makkah. The grave of Abu Talib, father of Imam Ali (a), Jannatul Mualla, Makkah, and The grave of Abdul Muttalib, grandfather of the Prophet (s) Jannatul Mualla, Makkah. The grave of Hawa (Eve) in Jeddah The grave of the father of the Prophet (s) in Madina The house of sorrows (bayt al-Ahzan) of Sayyida Fatima (a) in Madina The Salman al-Farsi mosque in Madina The Raj'at ash-Shams mosque in Madina The house of the Prophet (s) in Madina, where he lived after migrating from Makkah The house of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) in Madina The complex (mahhalla) of Banu Hashim in Madina The house of Imam Ali (a) where Imam Hasan (a) and Imam Husayn (a) were born The house of Hamza and the graves of the martyrs of Uhud (a).