On the tragic date of 8th Shawwal we offer our condolences to the Imam of our time, Imam Mahdi (AS) and all believers on the painful anniversary of the savage, barbaric and uncivilised destruction of the graves of the Prophet’s family and loved companions in Jannatul Muallah, Makkah, and Jannatul Baqi, Madinah. In 1924 and 1925 on this date, the oppressive Saudi Wahhabi regime razed the graves of our pious illustrious role models, under the pretext that grave building was prohibited by the Prophet (pbuh).
Those who destroyed Jannatul Baqi follow a violent, extremist and literalist interpretation of Islam which seeks to distort our connections with the past, so that no moral and legal challenges can be made to their unIslamic version of Islam. Hence, they set out systematically to distance the Ummah from the real teachings of the Prophet and his Progeny. This was done by trying to obliterate places of utmost importance that connected us with the Prophet and his appointed successors from his holy Progeny – his home, his family’s graves in Makkah, Madinah, and places of other significance were deliberately and violently demolished. Any Muslims who visit shrines and graves to offer their respects to the departed souls are accused by the Wahhabi extremists of heresy.
They try to justify their unlawful actions by giving them a ‘religious’ flavour through spurious fabricated Hadiths that shrines should not be constructed and graves should not be visited. In fact this destruction is still taking place at an alarming rate: Wahhabi plans also involve trying to separate the Holy Prophet’s grave from his mosque, but such plans are currently on hold because there are too many objections by conscientious Muslims. If we undertake even a slight amount of research, then we discover that the visiting of graves and praying over them is mentioned in the Quran, and that the Prophet himself used to regularly visit the graves of loved departed souls. Muslim scholars since the beginning of this struggle till now continue to practice and guide people to this being an Islamic worship in emulation of the Prophet.
Every culture honours its deceased, and every civilisation honours its past history. Whereas other societies erect museums to preserve their antiquity, extreme Wahhabis took out bulldozers to erase ours! Indeed it is not their history that they are attacking, it is the entire Muslim world’s!
We ask all believers to join international and local protests on 8 Shawwal to protest at this savagery and to lead campaigns for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the graves. We ask the UN and UNESCO to recognise Jannatul Muallah and Jannatul Baqi as historic sites to be preserved and accord them international heritage status and protection.
May Allah hasten the day when we can see the graves of the Prophet’s Progeny and followers restored to their previous glory.
Sayed Mohammad Al-Musawi
World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League (WABIL)
London
United Kingdom
Previous
Next