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10-05-2022
By Syed Najaf Ali Showkat + Bureau Report
MEDINA/ KARACHI/ NEW DELHI/ LONDON/ PARIS/ NEW YORK/ TEHRAN:On 8th Shawwal in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (holy city of Medina) were demolished by King Ibn-e-Saud of Saudi Arabia.
The Shia Muslims across the world are observed the day of 8th Shawwal every year.
Religious scholars, speakers, ulemas, Zakireen, leaders and priests of Pakistan, India, America, Great Britain, France, Canada, Iran, Syria, Kuwait, Belgium, Russia, Australia, Nigeria and other Asian, African and European counties in their speeches strongly condemned the demolition of the holy shrines adding that their protest would continue till the restoration of dignity of the holy shrines of the daughter of Prophet of Islam Peace Be Upon Him/ PBUH), Hazrat Bibi Fatima Salamullah-e-Alaiha (SA) and other family members, fellows and companions of Prophet (PBUH).
They said that reconstruction of ‘Jannat-ul-Baqi’ is the issue in faith, spiritual and human in nature. They called upon the United Nations to get the dignity of Islamic symbols restored.
They lodged strong protest on the dilapidated condition of ‘Jannat-ul-Baqi’ while they also presented ‘pursa’ to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on the destruction of holy shrines.
Protestors were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands especially in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Islamabad, New Delhi, Hyderabad Deccan, Paris, London, New York, Ottawa, Abuja, Tehran, Damascus, Rome, Berlin, Lagos, Melbourne, Sydney and dozens of big and small towns and cities globally while the protest rallies were also carried out in across the world.
They were raising slogans against House of Saud, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, for their unpardonable crime that they demolished the sacred shrines and graves of noble figures of Islamic history including Ahl-e-Bayt (AS) and Companions of the Prophet of Islam.
On the occasion solidarity was also expressed with the people of Palestine, Burma, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
According to the prominent Shia religious scholars, before the 1925 demolitions the Baqi ul-Gharqad cemetery had several mausoleums of important Muslim personalities. Other graves included that of Fatima bint-e-Muhammad, Imam Hassan ibn-e-Ali, Zain-ul-‘Abideen, Imam Baqir, Imam Jaffar Sadiq Alaihiss Salam (AS).
The cemetery of Jannat ul-Baqi before 1926 demolitions. The large structure to the extreme right is the Mausoleum of Ahl-ul-Bayt, the first smaller structure from right to left was of Daughters of the Prophet (PBUH) and the square structure at the bottom of the picture was an old mosque.
The group of the multiple smaller structures belonged to the Prophet Muhammad’s wives, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, Abdullah bin Jaffar Thayaar, Imam Nafi’i and a few others.
Mausoleum of Ahl-al-Bait
The Tomb of ‘Abbas also known as the Mausoleum of Ahl-al-Bait before 1926 demolition. Its last known major renovation was done during the reign of Suleiman in 1543 CE. Umar Ibn Jubair 
describes Al-Baqi as he saw it during his travel to Medina, saying “Al-Baqi is situated to the east of Madina. The grave of Hasan bin Ali (a), situated near the gate to its right hand, and has an elevated dome over it. His head lies at the feet of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (AS), and both graves are raised high above the ground, their walls are paneled with yellow plates and studded with beautiful star-shaped nails.
Mausoleum of Uthman ibn Affan
The Mausoleum of Uthman ibn-e-Affan in Baqi-ul-Gharqad before 1926 demolition. It was a large white washed and painted dome. It was first destroyed circa 1810, and it was rebuilt after the Ottomans took control around 1850. The rebuilt tomb was destroyed in the 1925/26 demolitions for the second and final time, since then the grace has only a mark-less headstone and a stone boundary.
