AL-BAQI CEMETERY (JANNAT AL-BAQI)
Jannat al-Baqi · The Eternal Garden.
A land where the best rest
To the east of the Prophet's Mosque ﷺ, there is a stretch of bare land, without mausoleums, without monumental graves, without ornaments. Just raw stone, sand, and a vibrant silence.
This is Al-Baqi. The first Muslim cemetery in history. And one of the most emotionally charged places on the planet.
Here rest over 10,000 companions of the Prophet ﷺ. His wives (except Khadijah buried in Mecca). His daughters. His son Ibrahim. His grandchildren. His uncles. And even Uthman ibn Affan (رضي الله عنه), the third caliph.
The founding hadith
'Aisha (رضي الله عنها) reports that the Prophet ﷺ used to go to Al-Baqi at the end of the night and would say: "Peace be upon you, abode of a believing people. What has been promised to you will come to you tomorrow, and we, if Allah wills, will join you. O Allah, forgive the people of Al-Baqi al-Gharqad." (Sahih Muslim no. 974)
Who rests in Al-Baqi?
The family of the Prophet ﷺ: Ibrahim (his son), Fatima az-Zahra (according to a strong opinion), Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, Zaynab (his three other daughters), Hassan ibn Ali (his grandson), several of his wives ('Aisha, Hafsa, Sawda, Umm Habiba, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Umm Salama), Halima as-Sa'diyya (his wet nurse), 'Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (his uncle).
The major companions: Uthman ibn Affan, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri.
The terrible and magnificent hadith
The Prophet ﷺ said to 'Aisha: "Jibreel came to me and said: Your Lord commands you to go to the people of Al-Baqi to ask for their forgiveness." (Sahih Muslim no. 974)
Reflect. Allah Himself sends the Archangel Jibreel to command the Prophet ﷺ to seek forgiveness for the dead of Al-Baqi.
The absence of mausoleums: a prophetic choice
The Prophet ﷺ prohibited building on graves: "Allah has cursed the Jews and Christians: they have taken the graves of their prophets as places of prayer." (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 435 · Sahih Muslim no. 529)
Before 1925, there were mausoleums and domes at Al-Baqi. They were demolished by the Saudi authorities in strict adherence to this prophetic tradition.
How to visit with adab
1. Head towards Al-Baqi after a prayer at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
2. Greet at the entrance with the prophetic formula
3. Make supplications for the deceased
4. Do not cry ostentatiously or raise your voice
5. Do not walk on the graves
6. Do not ask the dead — one asks Allah FOR them