Muslim Views . August 201824

SALIM PARKERJANATUL Mualla is also knownas the Cemetery of Ma’la and Al-Hajun. It is located close toMasjid al-Haram, and near theMosque of the Jinn, in Makkah,Saudi Arabia.

Today the cemetery appearsbarren, a large anonymous burialground with neat geometricallyaligned dividers evident through-out, all surrounded by a whitestone wall.

Loose stones indicate the loca-tions of graves but there are noforms of any identification and noindication of the historical impor-tance of this graveyard.

Janatul Baqee, in Madinah, isconsidered by many to be the mostimportant cemetery in Islam.Janatul Mualla is older thanJanatul Baqee and is consideredthe second most important grave-yard in Islam.

The history of Janatul Muallacan be traced to several genera-tions prior to the birth of NabiMuhammad (SAW). As it was sit-uated close to the Kaabah, it wasconsidered a sacred place and anumber of dignitaries were buriedthere prior to the advent of Islam.

At the beginning of the sixthcentury, the Quraish tribe was thedominant force in Makkah. Theyestablished Janatul Mualla as theirown private burial ground. Manymembers of the tribe, and espe-cially members of the Prophet’s(SAW) Banu Hashim clan, wereburied there in the decades leadingup to the birth of Nabi Muham-mad (SAW).

During the early years of Islam,before Nabi Muhammad (SAW)was forced to emigrate to Madi-nah, several important early Mus-lims were also buried in JanatulMualla.

These include Abdul Muttalib,Nabi Muhammad’s (SAW) grand-father, Abu Talib, the uncle ofNabi Muhammad (SAW) and thefather of Ali the fourth caliph, andQasim, the son of the Prophet(SAW) who died in infancy.

One of the most importantMuslims buried there is Sayyi-datina Khadijah, the first wife ofProphet Muhammad (SAW). Shepassed away in Makkah in 619AD, the same year as his uncle,Abu Talib. They were the last twomajor figures to be buried inJanatul Mualla before the Hijrah,when the Muslims undertook thejourney to Madinah.

Nabi Muhammad (SAW) fre-quently visited the cemetery beforethe Hijrah.

In Madinah, the Maqbarat AlBaqee (Janatul Baqee) was estab-lished and this became the ceme-tery of choice for the Muslims.

Many domes and structureswere built or rebuilt over famousgraves over the years.

Books of the previous centuriesdescribe visits to particular graves.

In the late 18th century, a par-ticularly orthodox group came topower in the Arabian Peninsula.They held the view that visitingthe graves was akin to idolatryand declared such acts as againstthe spirit of Islam.

When they seized control ofMakkah, they set out to systemat-ically destroy any structure that re-sembled a shrine in JanatulMualla. This included any identi-fication markings.

Even the house in Makkahwhere the Prophet (SAW) wasborn was not spared. Only theGrand Mosque and the Kaabahwas spared. The Ottoman sultansent in his army to ward off thisgroup and some of the structureswere rebuilt.

Makkah and Madinah were re-captured by the orthodox group in1925 and all shrines and forms ofidentification were destroyed inJanatul Mualla and Janatul Baqee.This occurred despite an outcry bythe international Islamic commu-nity.

Some sectors of the Shia com-munity till this day mourn the de-struction of shrines in JanatulBaqee as Yaum e Ghamor (Day ofSorrow). The Shia continue toprotest the Saudi government’sdemolition of these shrines.

In Janatul Mualla, which wasonce filled with brilliant marbleand white stone grave markers,and domed shrines which markedthe tombs of Khadijah, Abu Taliband others, there are no longersuch structures. Till today, bothJanatul Mualla and Janatul Baqeeare mere open landscapes with

only demarcated walkways evi-dent and loose stones indicatingthe sites of graves. There is noform of any identification evident.

There are a number of textswhich identify the graves inJanatul Baqee but very little evi-dence remains about the exact lo-cations of those in Janatul Mualla.

As the latter is situated veryclose to the Grand Mosque, pil-grims often go to this graveyard. Itis divided into two sections, withmost of the older graves towardsone side. Most pilgrims stand atthe fenced perimeter and make a

general greeting at the family ofthe Prophet (SAW) who are buriedthere.

It is very easy to reach JanatulMualla from the Haram. Thereare no restrictions to going to thecemetery but entering it is not easyunless a burial is taking place. It isvery easy to view the whole grave-yard from virtually everywherealong the perimeter, though.

Despite the seemingly barrenappearance of Janatul Mualla, it isa reminder that many historicallysignificant Muslims are buriedthere.

Janatul Mualla – the second most important graveyard

Janatul Mualla, the second most important cemetery in Islam, contains the graves of Sayyidatina Khadija, the first wife of Nabi Muhammad (SAW), Abdul Muttalib, NabiMuhammad’s (SAW) grandfather, Abu Talib, the uncle of Nabi Muhammad (SAW) and the father of Ali the fourth caliph, and Qasim, the son of the Prophet (SAW) whodied in infancy. Photos SALIM PARKER

The burial site of Sayyidatina Khadija, the first wife of Nabi Muhammad (SAW), was destroyed by an ultra-orthodox group when they ruled Makkah in the late 18th century. Today, the grave is indistinguishable from all the others in Janatul Mualla. Photo WIKIPEDIA