Follow my tracks for this "virtual tour" around Jannatul Baqi and Masjid Nabawi from this morning after Ishraq, beginning and ending at the pink cross at the southern edge of the courtyard.
Blue dot, looking back towards the top of the Dome of Peace and the minarets. Shops line the entire length of this curved section of the fence of Jannatul Baqi, the lights on in the few that were open at this time. The area on the left is hotel after hotel at various stages of construction.
Pink dot looking north to Jabal Uhud.
Lime dot, the curved marble fence on the left and our Blessed Prophet SallAllahu alaihi
wasallam’s Abode, in the realms of peace and beauty of his Masjid, near the splendour of the Garden of Paradise which radiates with the effulgent lights of the message, the chosen Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, and the heavenly host of Angels who continuously, and up tp the Day of Resurrection will continue to descend upon this resting place. This is the place where Jibreel Alaihis Salam came with revelations of the holy scripture and the place that witnessed the birth of this Radiant City of Enlightenment and housed the school of divine truth. Where thousands of the esteemed Comapanions rest. "Peace be upon you, the abode of the believers. That which was promised to you has reached you, Insha’Allah we shall join you. O Allah, grant pardon to the inhabitants of Baqi al-Gharqad."
Aqua dot, turning towards the direction of the complex where they prepare the bodies for Janazah. Brothers streaming in from the right coming for Ziarah, with a solitary one sitting near a loved one, SubhanAllah! Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said to visit our dear departed, greet them with Salam, and they will reply to your greetings till the Day of Resurrection.
Taken from nearby. The baked mud bricks stacked ready for sealing the graves. May the reality of our destination be embedded in our hearts.
Sulaiman bin Ahmad narrated that when Mu’ath ibn Jabal RadhiAllahu anhu, stood up to pray in the middle of the night, he used to say: "O Lord, the eyes are asleep, the stars have ebbed out, and You remain the ever living watchful Controller over all. Lord, my soliciting Your Paradise is indeed slow, and my flight from the Hell-Fire is tenuous. Lord grant me the gift of a hidden guidance which You will demonstrate as an award out of Your generosity on the Day of Resurrection, for surely You do not fail Your promise."
‘Amr ibn Khalid narrated that when Abu Musa al-Ashari RadhiAllahu anhu laid on his deathbed, he called his children to his side and said to them: “Go and dig a grave and make it spacious and deep.” When the children completed what their father asked them to do, they came back and reported to him: “We dug a grave, and we made it large and deep as you asked.” Abu Musa RadhiAllahu anhu then said: “I swear by Allah, that it will soon come to one of two conclusions: 1) Either my grave will expand to form angles stretching up to forty yards wide, and then a doorway to Paradise will open to reveal my house, family, stations, blessings, and honours Allah has reserved for me, and I will then know my way to my dwellings therein better than I know the road to my house in this world; and I will smell the fragrance of Paradise and perceive the vivacity of that station up to the Day of Resurrection; or 2) should it be the opposite, and we too seek refuge in Allah’s mercy from such culmination, then my grave will tighten down to be smaller than the bushing of a spearhead, and then a doorway to the Hell-Fire will open to reveal my chains, shackles, and the like concatenations reserved for fellows who dwell in Jahannam, and I will immediately know the way to my seat of punishment therein better than I know the road to my house today; and moreover, I will smell the baneful stench of its poisons, and experience the intensity and fieriness of its blazes up to the Day of Resurrection.”
Red dot, a precarious pathway leading back to Masjid Nabawi. Work has begun with the tearing up of what was a shady avenue of trees, and the demolishing of the road as part of the eastern extension. The street vendors, in large numbers as you come closer to the Masjid do cause congestion. This side of Jannatul Baqi is mostly crowded with Iranian sisters, the men being allowed inside, who stand in large groups of hundreds, and do some shopping at the same time; these vibrant scarves always seem popular.
Purple dot. Glowing!
Yellow dot, inside one of the recessed alcove entrances.
The pigeons love all these intircate nesting places, making so much work for the cleaners.
Green dot. Many of the initial areas of preparing the courtyard for the umbrellas have been completed, with new areas now being dug up. This view is towards Bab Salam, below is the opposite direction, looking across to Masjid Ali and all the construction on the northern side.
Orange dot.
O Allah, send blessings and Peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad,
The Owner of the Crown and the Ascent and the Buraq and the Standard,
The Repeller of Affliction and Disease and Drought and Illness and Pain.
His name is written on high, served and engraved in the Tablet and the Pen,
The Leader of All, Arabs and non-Arabs,
Whose body is sanctified, fragrant, and pure,
Illumined in the House and the Haram,
The Sun of Brightness, the Full Moon in Darkness,
The Foremost One in the Highest Fields, the Light of Guidance,
The Cave of Refuge for Mortals, the Lamp That Dispels the Night,
The Best-Natured One, The Intercessor of Nations,
The Owner of Munificence and Generosity.
Allah is his Protector, Gabriel is his servant.
The Buraq is his mount, the Ascent is his voyage,
The Lote-Tree of the Furthermost Boundary is his station,
Two Bow-Lengths or Nearer is his desire,
His desire is his goal, and he has found his goal,
The Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets,
The intercessor of sinners, the friend of the strangers,
The Mercy for the Worlds,
The rest of those who burn with love, the goal of those who yearn,
The sun of knowers, the lamp of travellers,
The light of Those Brought Near,
The friend of the poor and destitute,
The master of Humans and Jinn,
The Prophet of the Two Sanctuaries,
The Imam of the Two Qiblas,
Our Means in the Two Abodes,
The Owner of Qaba Qawsayn,
The Beloved of the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests,
The grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn,
Our patron and the patron of Humans and Jinn:
Abu al-Qasim MUHAMMAD Son of `Abd Allah,
A light from the light of Allah.
O you who yearn for the light of his beauty,
Send blessings and utmost greetings of peace
Upon him and upon his Family.
*
This photo of Jannatul Baqi in the early 1900’s shows Bab Al-Baqi, also known as Bab Al-Jumaa’ on the right, which was positioned on the inner wall around Masjid Nabawi. The large dome on the left is that of Ahl al-Bayt, RadhiAllahu anhum, with the smaller ones belonging to the daughters of our Beloved Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and his wives, the Blessed Mothers of the Believers, may Allah Ta’ala be pleased with them all. Quite a contrast to what we see today.
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
Asalamualaikum
The pictures are so beautiful and nice.
I like the one of the green dome and minarets a lot.
I put it on our screen saver.
Wassalamu alaikum.
Comment by yusuf — July 12, 2007 @ 2:20 am
Asalamualaikum
one question: Are the grave stones inscribed?
How do the relatives know where their loved ones are buried ?
Comment by yusuf — July 12, 2007 @ 2:28 am
Wonderful photos
I agree with Brother Yusuf, the green dome and minarets are beautiful.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — July 12, 2007 @ 4:26 am
Assalamu alaikum,
dear Yusuf and brother Irving,
Simply looking at pictures of the Green Dome is an elixir for the heart, SubhanAllah!
No the stones are just natural, usually inscriptions are not an Islamic custom. Some graves have one stone at the head and one at the foot, some only have the one at the head, some are very small stones and others are large rocks. The layout of the graves is very neat and ordered, seeming like a linear pattern, so I imagine families visiting their loved ones can easily find the correct place with the various pathways as indicators, along with the ordered lines. Plus all of the stones are of such an individual size and shape that I think it would be easy to recognize the loved one by this. Insha’Allah you will soon be here to see for yourself, and being a boy you will be able to go inside! Alhumdulillah! Ameen.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — July 12, 2007 @ 10:57 pm
meant to comment on the my photos….they are not so professional, not like many out there in the blogosphere! Mine is a very basic hand-me-down-point-and-shoot type camera, Alhumdulillah, better than nothing. Plus…imagine me consumed in all black standing in the courtyard with security men all around with their walkie talkies, numerous police at each door of Masjid Nabawi, commandos in their fatigues gathering all around with their truncheons….so I try to be as “inconspicuous” as possible, and as fast as possible,
Maybe one day they will not consider taking photos to be so “nasty”, and maybe one day I will have a super duper camera that will cope with the variable lighting conditions, producing “classy” shots….but in the meantime I am content, Alhumdulillah with what I have. JazakumuLlahu khairan for your appreciation. I feel any images of our sacred places, and what is left of the historical places touch the soul.
Comment by almiskeenah — July 12, 2007 @ 11:32 pm
Assalaamu ‘alaikum dearest sister!
SubhanAllah what a wonderful post - I remember last year when my husband and I were blessed to visit the blessed City of our beloved Nabi (SAW), my husband asked a local Shaykh why there were two stones on some graves, and one stone on others…the answer the shaykh gave was to distinguish between male and female! I don’t remember now which way around it was..will ask DH when he gets home inshaAllah!
Love and duas
Comment by Syma — July 13, 2007 @ 1:24 am
Wa ‘alaikumus Salam dear sister Syma, we have heard that as well, however have also been told by another Maulana here that there is no basis for using stones to mark the gender of the occupants of the grave. Also, Shaykh Zindany of Yemen supports this version. I intend to make further inquiries, Insha’Allah. The other aspect to consider is that the graves in Jannatul Baqi are of the Lahd method, where shelves are dug into the side of the grave, and the case in Baqi due to the demand and the lack of space, more than one body is in each grave, (as more than one shelf is excavated into the side of each grave) and apparently it can be either gender. But once I gain further information I will post about it, Insha’Allah.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — July 13, 2007 @ 11:54 pm