TOMBS OF PROPHETS
Graves of many Prophets of Islam are existing today at many places but Graves of Ahlul bait of Prophet Mohammad (S) has been destroyed by the cruel ruler who wants his own wish to be fulfilled.
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Lecture of Agha Ali Murtuza Zaidi on Inhedam e Jannat ul Baqi: Click here to Download
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Graves of many Prophets of Islam are existing today at many places but Graves of Ahlul bait of Prophet Mohammad (S) has been destroyed by the cruel ruler who wants his own wish to be fulfilled.
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Grave of Prophet Yusha (AS), son of Hazrat Adam (AS)
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Grave of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in Occupied Palestine (Israel)
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Grave of Prophet Saleh (AS)
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Grave of Prophet Yahya (AS)
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Destructed grave of Janabe Fatima (SA), beloved daughter of Prophet Mohammad (S)
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Destructed grave of Janabe khatija (SA), beloved wife of Prophet Mohammad (S)
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عظم الله أجورنا وأجوركم
On 8th Shawwal, Wednesday, in the year 1345 AH (April 21, 1925), mausoleums in Jannatul al-Baqi (Madina) were demolished by King Ibn Saud.
In the same year (1925), he also demolished the tombs of holy personages at Jannat al-Mualla (Makkah) where the Holy Prophet (s)'s mother, wife, grandfather and other ancestors are buried.
Destruction of sacred sites in Hijaz by the Saudi Wahhabis continues even today. According to some scholars what is happening in Hijaz is actually a conspiracy plotted by the Jews against Islam, under the guise of Tawheed. 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.
The Origins of Al-Baqi
Literally "al-Baqi" means a tree garden. It is also known as "Jannat al-Baqi" due to its sanctity, since in it are buried many of our Prophet's relatives and companions.
The first companion buried in al-Baqi was Uthman b. Madhoon who died on the 3rd of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. The Prophet (s) ordered certain trees to be felled, and in its midst, he buried his dear companion, placing two stones over the grave.
On the following years, the Prophet's son Ibrahim, who died in infancy and over whom the Prophet (s) wept bitterly, was also buried there. The people of Madina then began to use that site for the burial of their own dead, because the Prophet (s) used to greet those who were buried in al-Baqi by saying, "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi".
The site of the burial ground at al-Baqi was gradually extended. Nearly seven thousand companions of the Holy Prophet (s) were buried there, not to mention those of the Ahlul Bayt (a). Imam Hasan b. Ali (a), Imam Ali b. al-Husayn (a), Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a), and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) were all buried there.
Among other relatives of the Prophet (s) who were buried at al-Baqi are: his aunts Safiya and Aatika, and his aunt Fatima bint al-Asad, the mother of Imam Ali (a). The third caliph Uthman was buried outside al-Baqi, but with later extensions, his grave was included in the area. In later years, great Muslim scholars like Malik bin Anas and many others, were buried there too. Thus, did al-Baqi become a well-known place of great historic significance to all Muslims.
Al-Baqi as viewed by historians
Umar bin Jubair describes al-Baqi as he saw it during his travel to Madina, saying "Al-Baqi is situated to the east of Madina. You enter it through the gate known as the gate of al-Baqi. As you enter, the first grave you see on your left is that of Safiya, the Prophet's aunt, and further still is the grave of Malik bin Anas, the Imam of Madina. On his grave is raised a small dome. In front of it is the grave of Ibrahim son of our Prophet (s) with a white dome over it, and next to it on the right is the grave of Abdul-Rahman son of Umar bin al-Khattab, popularly known as Abu Shahma, whose father had kept punishing him till death overtook him. Facing it are the graves of Aqeel bin Abi Talib and Abdullah bin Ja'far al-Tayyar. There, facing those graves is a small shrine containing the graves of the Prophet's wives, following by a shrine of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib.
The grave of Hasan bin Ali (a), situated near the gate to it's right hand, has an elevated dome over it. His head lies at the feet of Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, and both graves are raised high above the ground, their walls are panelled with yellow plates and studded with beautiful star-shaped nails. This is how the grave of Ibrahim, son of the Prophet (s) has also been adorned. Behind the shrine of Abbas there is the house attributed to Fatima, daughter of our Prophet (s), known as "Bayt al-Ahzaan" (the house of grief) because it is the house she used to frequent in order to mourn the death of her father, the chosen one, peace be upon him. At the farthest end of al-Baqi is the grave of the caliph Uthman, with a small dome over it, and there, next to it, is the grave of Fatima bint Asad, mother of Ali b. Abi Talib (a)"
After a century and a half, the famous traveller Ibn Batuta came to describe al-Baqi in a way which does not in any way differ from the description given by Ibn Jubair. He adds saying, "At al-Baqi are the graves of numerous Muhajirin and Ansar and many companions of the Prophet (s), except that most of their names are unknown."
Thus, over the centuries, al-Baqi remained a sacred site with renovations being carried out as and when needed till the Wahhabis rose to power in the early nineteenth century. The latter desecrated the tombs and demonstrated disrespect to the martyrs and the companions of the Prophet (s) buried there. Muslims who disagreed with them were branded as "infidels" and were subsequently killed.
The First Destruction of Al-Baqi
The Wahhabis believed that visiting the graves and the shrines of the Prophets, the Imams, or the saints was a form of idolatry and totally un-Islamic. Those who did not conform with their belief were killed and their property was confiscated. Since their first invasion of Iraq, and till nowadays, in fact, the Wahhabis, as well as other rulers of the Gulf States, having been carrying out massacres from which no Muslim who disagreed with them was spared. Obviously, the rest of the Islamic World viewed those graves with deep reverence. Had it not been so, the two caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar would not have expressed their desire for burial near the grave of the Prophet (s).
From 1205 AH to 1217 AH, the Wahhabis made several attempts to gain a foothold in Hijaz but failed. Finally, in 1217 AH, they somehow emerged victorious in Taif where they spilled the innocent blood of Muslims. In 1218 AH, they entered Makkah and destroyed all sacred places and domes there, including the one which served as a canopy over the well of Zamzam.
In 1221, the Wahhabis entered Madina to desecrate al-Baqi as well as every mosque they came across. An attempt was even made to demolish the Prophet's tomb, but for one reason or another, the idea was abandoned. In subsequent years, Muslims from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt were refused entry into Makkah for Hajj. King Al-Saud set a pre-condition that those who wished to perform the pilgrimage would have to accept Wahhabism or else be branded as non-Muslims, becoming ineligible for entry into the Haram.
Al-Baqi was razed to the ground, with no sign of any grave or tomb whatsoever. But the Saudis were still not quite satisfied with doing all of that. Their king ordered three black attendants at the Prophet's shrine to show him where the treasure of valuable gifts were stored. The Wahhabis plundered the treasure for their own use.
Thousands of Muslims fled Makkah and Madina in a bid to save their lives and escape from the mounting pressure and persecution at the hands of the Wahhabis. Muslims from all over the world denounced this Saudi savagery and exhorted the Caliphate of the Ottoman Empire to save the sacred shrines from total destruction. Then, as it is known, Muhammad Ali Basha attacked Hijaz and, with the support of local tribes, managed to restore law and order in Madina and Makkah, dislodging the Al-Saud clansmen. The entire Muslim world celebrated this victory with great fanfare and rejoicing. In Cairo, the celebrations continued for five days. No doubt, the joy was due to the fact that pilgrims were once more allowed freely to go for Hajj, and the sacred shrines were once again restored.
In 1818 AD, the Ottaman Caliph Abdul Majid and his successors, Caliphs Abdul Hamid and Mohammed, carried out the reconstruction of all sacred places, restoring the Islamic heritage at all important sites. In 1848 and 1860 AD, further renovations were made at the expense of nearly seven hundred thousand pounds, most of which came from the donations collected at the Prophet's tomb.
The second plunder by the Wahhabis
The Ottoman Empire had added to the splendor of Madina and Makkah by building religious structures of great beauty and architectural value. Richard Burton, who visited the holy shrines in 1853 AD disguised as an Afghan Muslim and adopting the Muslim name Abdullah, speaks of Madina boasting 55 mosques and holy shrines. Another English adventurer who visited Madina in 1877-1878 AD describes it as a small beautiful city resembling Istanbul. He writes about its white walls, golden slender minarets and green fields.
1924 AD Wahhabis entered Hijaz for a second time and carried out another merciless plunder and massacre. People in streets were killed. Houses were razed to the ground. Women and children too were not spared.
Awn bin Hashim (Shairf of Makkah) writes: "Before me, a valley appeared to have been paved with corpses, dried blood staining everywhere all around. There was hardly a tree which didn't have one or two dead bodies near its roots."
1925 Madina surrendered to the Wahhabi onslaught. All Islamic heritage were destroyed. The only shrine that remained intact was that of the Holy Prophet (s).
Ibn Jabhan says: "We know that the tomb standing on the Prophet's grave is against our principles, and to have his grave in a mosque is an abominable sin."
Tombs of Hamza and other martyrs were demolished at Uhud. The Prophet's mosque was bombarded. On protest by Muslims, assurances were given by Ibn Saud that it will be restored but the promise was never fulfilled. A promise was given that Hijaz will have an Islamic multinational government. This was also abandoned.
1925 AD Jannat al-Mu'alla, the sacred cemetery at Makkah was destroyed alongwith the house where the Holy Prophet (s) was born. Since then, this day is a day of mourning for all Muslims.
Is it not strange that the Wahhabis find it offensive to have the tombs, shrines and other places of importance preserved, while the remains of their Saudi kings are being guarded at the expense of millions of dollars?
Protest from Indian Muslims
1926, protest gatherings were held by shocked Muslims all over the world. Resolutions were passed and a statement outlining the crimes perpetrated by Wahhabis was issued and included the following:
The destruction and desecration of the holy places i.e. the birth place of the Holy Prophet [s], the graves of Banu Hashim in Makkah and in Jannat al-Baqi (Madinah), the refusal of the Wahhabis to allow Muslims to recite Ziyarah or Surah al-Fatiha at those graves.
The destruction of the places of worship i.e. Masjid Hamza, Masjid Abu Rasheed, in addition to the tombs of Imams and Sahaba (Prophet's companions).
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Seth
| Seth is not mentioned by name in the Quran but Muslim exegetes report that he was the son of Adam and Eve, the one to whom prophethood was passed after Adam, and to whom was revealed a number of scriptures from God. These scriptures are said to be the "first scriptures" mentioned in Q 87:18. Muslim exegetes also mention that Seth was responsible for the burial of Adam, and for the burial of secret texts in the tomb of Adam, called the "Cave of Treasures" by Tabari and other Muslim scholars. |
| Muslim and Christian sources report that some people believe Seth is buried in one of the two great pyramids in Giza near Cairo. Maqrizi reports that the Sabaians of Harran made pilgrimage to Giza and offered sacrifices there to Seth and Idris (Hermes) because they believed that the pyramids were the tombs of these two prophets. |
Tomb of Seth in Baqa'a Valley
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This tomb of Seth is located within one of the main mosques in the village of Nabi Shit (i.e. Prophet Seth) in the mountains above the Baqa'a Valley in Lebanon. This is the same range of mountains that contain the tombs of other early prophets such as Abel. The area of the tomb is not raised above the ground and is roughly 50 meters in length. The tomb, shown here, is draped with Shi'i burial shrouds and the mosque is clothed in black for the remembrance of Ashura which was taking place when this picture was taken, in February 2004. The tomb was visited in the 19th century by Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi and was described to the 12th century traveler Ibn Jubayr along with the nearby tomb of Noah in Kerak Nuh
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Idris
Q 19:56 Mention, in the Book, Idris, that he was truthful, a prophet. 57 We took him up to a high place.
Ibn Ishaq: Jared married Barakna bt. al-Darmasil b. Mehujael b. Enoch b. Cain b. Adam when he was 162 years old. She bore him Enoch b. Jared. Enoch is Idris the prophet. He was the first of Adam's children to be given prophecy and the first to write with a pen. Jared lived 800 years after the birth of Enoch, and had more sons and daughters. So all of the years lived by Jared were 962, then he died.
Tabari: Some of the Jews say that Enoch, that is Idris, was born to Jared. God made him a prophet after 622 years of Adam's life had passed. Thirty scriptures were revealed to him. He was the first to write after Adam, to exert himself in the path of God, to cut and sew clothes, and the first to enslave some of Cain's descendants. He inherited from his father Jared that which his forefathers had bequeathed upon him, and had bequeathed to one another. All of this he did during the lifetime of Adam.
Ibn Kathir: As for Idris, God praised him and attributed to him prophethood and truthfulness. He is Enoch. He is in the genealogical chain of the Prophet Muhammad, except according to one genealogist. He was the first descendant of Adam to whom prophethood was given after Adam and Seth. Ibn Ishaq says he was the first who wrote with the pen. There was a span of 380 years between him and the life of Adam. Many of the scholars allege that he was the first to speak about this, and they call him Thrice-great Hermes [Hermes al-Haramisah]. They say many lies about him just as they lied about other prophets, scholars, sages, and people who did things first.
Q 87:18-19 This is in the first scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Ibn Kathir: "First scriptures" means the scriptures which were revealed to Adam's son "Gift of God" [Seth] and Idris.
Ibn Kathir: As for the word of God "we took him up to a high place" Idris was taken up to heaven. Mujahid says that Idris was taken up and did not die, just like Jesus was taken up. Ibn Abbas and Dahhak say that Idris was taken up into the sixth heaven and died there. Hasan al-Basri says Idris was taken into Paradise.
Tomb of Idris
Muslim and Christian sources report that some people believe Idris and Seth to have been buried in the two largest pyramids on the Giza plateau near Cairo. It is also said that Sabaians from Harran made pilgrimage to Giza and offered sacrifices there because they believed the pyramids were the tombs of these two prophets.
Noah
| The story of Noah and the flood is found in a number of different passages in the Quran. Muslim exegetes say that the Ark came to rest on Mount Judi and that Noah was buried nearby. Some claim that Noah founded a city called al-Thamanin (i.e. "the Eighty) because there were 80 people on the Ark. Many exegetes say that the first city founded by Noah, and where he was buried, was called "Karak." This may account for the fact that there are tombs of Noah in several different cities named Kerak: Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq. |
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Tomb of Noah in Kerak, Jordan
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Tomb of Noah in Baqa'a Valley
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Bibliography on Noah
Hud
The account of the Arab prophet Hud and his people, the Ad, is told in several passages in the Quran. Muslim exegetes explain that Hud is the first of four "Arab" prophets (preceding Salih, Shuayb, and Muhammad), coming after four "Syrian" prophets (Adam, Seth, Idris, Noah). According to Arab genealogists, Hud and his people were part of the "Original Arabs" [Ar. al-'arab al-'aribah] or the "Extinct Arabs" [Ar. al-'arab al-ba'idah]. Hud and the Ad are said to have lived in the winding sand-tracts of the Hadramawt.
Muslim tradition mentions different locations as being the tomb of Hud, and there are numerous places identified as shrines [Ar. maqamat] of the prophet Hud throughout the Arab peninsula and the Fertile Crescent.
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Shrine of Hud in Damascus |
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Shrine of Hud near Jerash |
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Tomb of Hud in Hadhramawt |
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Tomb of Hud near Salalah |
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City of Ubar in Dhofar |
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Bibliography on the Arab Prophets
Ahqaf
Salih
The accounts of the Arab prophet Salih and his people, the Thamud, are found in numerous passages in the Quran. Muslim exegetes tend to locate the Thamud and the activites of Salih in the modern city of Mada'in Salih (i.e. "cities of Salih) in the Hijaz. Mada'in Salih is the classical Hegra (medieval "Hijra") and was the site of many monumental tombs and mountain shrines (Jabal Ithlib) in the Nabataean period.
The tomb of Salih is said to be located in Mada'in Salih, Mecca, or in the Hadhramawt. According to the local people in the Hadhramawt, Salih was the father of the prophet Hud, corresponding to the biblical Shelah father of Eber. Both Hud and Salih are said to have been giants, thus accounting for the extraordinary length of their tombs.
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This black and white photograph was taken by W.H. Ingrams in the early twentieth century and published in the account of his travels to visit the tombs of Salih and Hud in the Hadhramawt. Ingrams reports that this tomb is 64 feet long. See: W.H. Ingrams, "Hadhramaut: A Journey to the Sei'ar Country and Through the Wadi Maseila," Geographic Journal 88 (1936): 524-51, esp. p. 535.
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Prints of the She-Camel of Prophet Salih
Bibliography on the Arab Prophets
Shuayb
The Arab prophet Shuayb is mentioned by name in the Quran many times. He is said to have been sent to the people of Midian (Q 7:85, 11:84) and the people of the Tanglewood [Ar. al-aikah] (Q 15:78, 26:176). Muslim exegetes claim that Shuayb was the father-in-law of Moses, called "Jethro" in the Bible where he is called the "priest of Midian" (see Q 28:22-28).
According to al-Kisa'i: The letters of the alphabet are the names of the people of Shuayb: Abjad, Hawwaz, Huttiya, Kalaman, SaÔfas, and Qurishat. Qatadah says: These are the names of the people of the Tanglewood. It is also said that they are the names of the kings of the Amalekites, cousins of the people of Midian but have no relation to Shuayb the son of Zion, son of Anka, son of Midian, son of Abraham.
Muslim tradition assigns the tomb of Shuayb to different locations including the Sinai and places in Palestine.
This mosque is located in the Wadi Shuayb which leads up from the Jordan Valley to the city of al-Salt just northwest of Amman in Jordan. The mosque is of modern construction and houses a refurbished tomb of the prophet Shuayb.
The tomb of Shuayb is housed in a room to the east of the main mosque and prayer area. This tomb is not of extraordinary size, though some travelers and locals report that the tomb was much longer before it was refurbished.
Bibliography on the Arab Prophets
Tomb of Eber
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Building housing tomb of prophet Eber |
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Tomb of Eber
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| The tomb of Eber is located about 1k from the ocean along the coastal road between Salalah and Taqah in eastern Oman. Local tradition maintains that Eber was the son of Hud. Local tradition in the Hadramawt holds that Salih was the son of Hud, leading some scholars to argue that Eber might be identified with Hud, both of the names related to Arabic words for "Hebrew" and "Jew." |
Tombs of Prophets
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
The Quran does not refer to the deaths of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but Muslim exegesis reports that all three of these prophets were buried in a cave in the city of Khalil (Hebron) in Palestine. Ibn Kathir reports that the tomb of Abraham, the tomb of his son Isaac, and the tomb of his grandson Jacob are in the part of the ancient city of Khalil which Solomon b. David built.
Isaac is said to have lived for a hundred years after the birth of his sons Esau and Jacob, and died when he was 170 years old. Some Muslim exegetes claim that his sons buried him in the tomb of his father Abraham, in a great field.
Muslim tradition states that Jacob settled in Egypt and lived there for seventeen years after his reunion with Joseph. Jacob bequeathed to Joseph that he should be buried with his father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham. Joseph is reported to have taken Jacob's body and buried it in a cave in Hebron which Abraham had purchased from Ephron b. Sakhr. It is also said that when Jacob died the people of Egypt cried for 70 days, and that Joseph had the physicians of Egypt prepare his body for forty days. Muslim exegetes report that Joseph was also embalmed, placed in a special coffin, and transported with Moses and the Israelites back to Palestine where he was buried with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham.
Jewish tradition also holds that Adam and Eve are buried in the Cave of Machpela in Hebron, and that the cave was originally a passageway to the garden of Eden.
Bibliography
Lot
The prophet Lot (Lut) is mentioned by name 27 times in the Quran in several long passages that relate how he was sent to the people of Sodom. The cities destroyed by Godinclude Sodom, Zeboiyim [Sab'ah], Zoar [Sa'rah], Gomorrah [Amarah], and Admah [Duma]. Q 51:33-34 mentions stones of clay marked by God which were caused to rain down upon the people of Lot as punishment for their sins.
The cave of Lot is located just above the eastern edge of the Dead Sea. The Bible reports that Lot had sexual relations with his dauthers in a cave after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra, and Muslim tradition locates the cities of Lot in the area of the Dead Sea. Some traditions refer to this cave as the burial place of Lot.
Bibliography on Lot
Joseph
According to Muslim and Jewish sources, the body of Joseph was brought back to Palestine by the Israelites when they left Egypt under Moses. The tomb of Joseph is today located in the city of Nablus or Shechem. The older, Ottoman-era tomb was replaced by Israeli authorities, and the Israeli site was attacked by Palestinians during the Intifada. Below is a photo from the tomb as a Muslim and Jewish shrine before the more recent modifications to the site.
Tomb of Joseph in Nablus. Photo thanks to Majid al-Massari.
Tombs of Prophets
Brothers of Joseph
This mashhad, now in ruins, was probably built in the Fatimid period, and was said to house the remains of the brothers of Joseph. Only the main dome is now intact. Beneath it is a triple mihrab surrounded with Fatimid-style calligraphy and decoration. Some evidence of a burial site is extant just to the west of the dome. The site is located in the Southern Cemetery in Cairo just north of the Lu'lu' Mosque.
Dome containing the triple mihrab and later structure with evidence of tombs.
Close-up of triple mihrab under the dome with Fatimid-style decoration.
Tombs of Prophets
Imran
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Left: Sign with message for pilgrims to tomb of Imran
Right: Tomb of Imran, some 33 meters in length.
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The tomb of Imran is located in downtown Salalah in the Dhofar region of western Oman. Some believe that Imran was a local Arab prophet, and others believe that the name is a reference to the father of Mary mother of Jesus mention in the Quran, or the father of Moses mentioned in the Bible.
Tombs of Prophets
Moses
The stories of Moses, his time in Egypt, and his time with the Israelites in the Wilderness of Wandering, are described in great detail in the Quran. Moses is mentioned by name far more than any other person in the Quran, and the stories associated with him take up a good portion of the stories of the prophets in the Quran.
The Quran does not describe the death of Moses but Muslim exegetes relate different traditions regarding his death and the death of his brother Aaron. Later Muslim traditioin identifies a number of locations with the tomb of Moses. The main locations include sites on both banks of the Jordan river and a location in the city of Damascus. Some Christian and Jewish traditions assert that Moses did not die but ascended into heaven after looking upon the Holy Land which he was not allowed to enter.
Christian church and shrine atop Mount Nebo (Jabal Nebo) in the mountains on the east side of the Jordan Valley opposite the city of Jericho. The site is also reverred by Muslims as one of the possible places for the tomb of Moses, also known as the "Red Mound" [Ar. al-kathib al-ahmar].
Bibliography on Moses
Tomb of Aaron
Aaron [Ar. Harun] is brother of Moses and Miriam. Q 19:53 refers to Aaron as a prophet, and in Exodus 7:1 it is stated that God made Aaron to be the prophet of Moses. Q 28:33-35 describes how God offered Aaron as the spokesperson of Moses but Aaron is given no dialogue in the Quran and is not described as having a role in the plagues (see Q 7:127-136). Aaron is associated with the Golden Calf in Q 7:150-151 and 20:80-98. Muslim exegetes report that Aaron died before entering the Holy Land, referring to Q 5:26. Some of these accounts claim that Aaron was interred in a special cave.
Christian and Jewish pilgrims visited a site near Petra, said to be the tomb of Aaron. The site was later rennovated as a Muslim shrine. Another tomb site is located near Mount Sinai in the Sinai.
Tomb of Aaron near Petra
Tomb of Aaron in Sinai
Tombs of Prophets
Joshua
Joshua is not mentioned by name in the Quran but Muslim exegetes claim that he is the "companion" [Ar. fata] of Moses mentioned in Q 18:60-65 and inherited prophethood after Moses. Exegesis on the narratives in the Quran referring to the Israelites' conquest of the Holy Land detail the stories associated with Joshua b. Nun. Ibn Kathir reports that Joshua was a great warrior and lived for 127 years.
Tomb of Joshua b. Nun in the town of Zayy near the city of al-Salt in Jordan. The tomb itself is roughly 10 meters in length though the local Imam claims that Joshua himself was only four or five meters tall at the time of his death. This tomb is housed in a low, covered building which has undergone recent rennovation, and a new mosque has been built nearby. Some scholars and travelers claim that this is actually the tomb of the prophet Hosea [Ar. Hoshu'a].
Ruins of city of Moscha
These ruins are located on the eastern coast of Oman just west of Salalah in the Dhofar region. It is thought that these ruins are to be identified with the city of Abyssopolis mentioned by the classical Greek geographer Pliny. Arabic sources maintain the city was built by King Azz II who ruled over the Hadramawt in the first century CE. The city is now named Sumhurum and was excavated a number of times, including by Wendell Philips and the American Foundation for the Study of Man in 1952.
Nearby is a ruin identified as the palace of Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba, perhaps one of those supposed to have been built by Solomon.
John
The Quran refers to the prophethood on John [Ar. Yahya] in Q 19:12-15 and he is mentioned as the son of the prophet Zechariah in Q 3:39 and 21:90. Muslim exegetes identify Yahya with John the Baptist, that the mother of John and the mother of Jesus were sisters. Muslim tradition also recounts the meeting of John and Jesus at the Jordan river where John baptized Jesus, and describes the martyrdom of John during the lifetime of Jesus. Exegesis on Q 17:4-8 narrates how Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem because of John's martyrdom, continuing to massacre the people until the blood of John stopped boiling over.
Tomb of John within the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Some scholars report that it is only the head of John that was found when the mosque was being refurbished during the Umayyad period. Others claim that the head of John is housed in the crypt below a mosque in the old city of Sebastiya near Nablus, and still others claim the head was buried at Muwakir and at John's baptism site near the Jordan river.
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Wilderness near the Jordan river where tradition states that John baptized his followers, including Jesus. The site is on the east side of the Jordan river just opposite the city of Jericho |
Bibliography on John and Jesus
Prophet Radwa at Jabal Akhdar
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Historical and ethnographic sources relate that an Arab prophet named Radwa was sent to the people living in the region of Jabal Akhdar, in Oman, near the coastal cities of Muscat and Sohar.
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Historical sources report that the tomb of the prophet Radwa is located in the Jabal Akhdar region, but the location of this tomb is not known today.
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Villages of Jabal Akhdar
Tombs of Prophets
Aila
Mosque containing the tomb of the prophet Aila on the western slopes of the Lebanon mountains overlooking the Baqa'a Valley in Lebanon.
Nabi Rashadah
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