On the 8th of Shawwāl, in the year 1344 A.H. (April 21, 1925 A.D.), the holy shrines in Baqīʹ (in Medina) were demolished by Wahhābies. In Baqīʹ, there were buried many of the Prophet's relatives and companions. This sacred cemetery is the famous burial place of great personalities without whom the history of Islam is incomplete. The Prophet's son, Ibrāhīm, who died in infancy was also buried there. Also four great Imams of Shia, Imam al-Hassan (the 2nd Imam), Imam Ali bin Al-Ḥusayn (the 4th Imam), Imam Muhammad bin Ali (the 5th Imam), and Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad (the 6th Imam), and the Prophet's aunt and uncle, and the mother of Imam Ali were all buried there.
Thus, Baqīʹ has become a well-known place of great historic significance to all Muslims till the Wahhābis rose to power in the early nineteenth century. They believe wrongly that visiting the graves and the shrines of the Prophets, the Imams, or the saints is a form of idolatry so, destruction of sacred sites in Ḥijāz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijāz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawhīd. 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. However, in 1925, Medina surrendered to the onslaught of Wahhābis, most of Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet. Muslims who disagreed with them were branded as infidels and were subsequently killed.
Destruction of Baqīˈ
On the 8th of Shawwāl, in the year 1344 A.H. (April 21, 1925 A.D.), the holy shrines in Baqīʹ (in Medina) were demolished by Wahhābies. In Baqīʹ, there were buried many of the Prophet's relatives and companions. This sacred cemetery is the famous burial place of great personalities without whom the history of Islam is incomplete. The Prophet's son, Ibrāhīm, who died in infancy was also buried there. Also four great Imams of Shia, Imam al-Hassan (the 2nd Imam), Imam Ali bin Al-Ḥusayn (the 4th Imam), Imam Muhammad bin Ali (the 5th Imam), and Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad (the 6th Imam), and the Prophet's aunt and uncle, and the mother of Imam Ali were all buried there.
Thus, Baqīʹ has become a well-known place of great historic significance to all Muslims till the Wahhābis rose to power in the early nineteenth century. They believe wrongly that visiting the graves and the shrines of the Prophets, the Imams, or the saints is a form of idolatry so, destruction of sacred sites in Ḥijāz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijāz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawhīd. 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. However, in 1925, Medina surrendered to the onslaught of Wahhābis, most of Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet. Muslims who disagreed with them were branded as infidels and were subsequently killed.
