Nearly a century ago, the shrines and graves of Prophet Muhammad’s family and companions were demolished in the sacred graveyard of Jannatul Baqi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. 

Located in the heart of Medina, near Masjid al-Nabawi, Jannatul Baqi (Garden of Baqi) is one of the oldest and most revered cemeteries in Islam. It contains the graves of many members of the Prophet Muhammad’s family as well as thousands of his companions.

The first companion buried there was Uthman ibn Maz’oon, who was personally buried by the Prophet. The Prophet’s infant son, Ibrahim, is also interred in Jannatul Baqi.

Over time, the cemetery expanded to include other relatives of the Prophet, including his aunts. Among them was Fatimah bint Asad, the mother of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, who holds significance in both Sunni and Shia traditions.

Jannatul Baqi is also the burial site of four Imams of Shia Islam: Hasan ibn Ali, Ali ibn Hussain, Muhammad ibn Ali, and Ja’far ibn Muhammad. Their graves were marked by domed shrines visited by millions of Muslims who came to pay their respects.

Baqee Day commemorates the destruction of this sacred site, revered by millions of Muslims globally, on the 8th of Shawwal in the Islamic lunar calendar. 

Saudi Arabia Demolishes Jannatul Baqi

On April 21, 1926, the Saudi monarchy, alongside Wahhabi religious leaders, razed the Baqi cemetery. What remains today are small mounds of earth and stones, blocks of stone, and a broken rubble of cement and bricks. 

The destruction of the tombs belonging to the Prophet Muhammad’s descendants sparked outrage across the Muslim world. Protests erupted, many of which persist to this day. 

The Saudi monarchy follows Wahhabism, a strict interpretation of Islam that views practices such as visiting graves and building shrines as Bid’ah, or religious innovation. 

Founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab in the 18th century, Wahhabism is a school of thought that emphasizes a literal interpretation of the Quran and a rejection of what it views as superstitious practices. 

As a relatively recent and austere sect of Islam, Wahhabism rejects practices it interprets as idolatrous—including the veneration of tombs and grave sites, and even mourning the dead in certain ways.

Under the claim that Muslims—particularly those belonging to the Shia sect—were committing acts of polytheism, the Saudi government ordered the destruction of the shrines.

Islam and the Practice of Visiting Graves

Contrary to Wahhabi doctrine, the broader Islamic tradition supports the practice of visiting graves. 

The Prophet Muhammad himself is recorded in several historical sources to have visited graveyards and prayed for the deceased. Many Islamic scholars and traditions endorse building structures—such as mosques—at the resting places of revered religious figures.

While Wahhabism claims to adhere strictly to the Qur’an and Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet), its interpretations remain contentious and are not widely accepted by the majority of Muslims around the world.

Saudi Arabia’s Destruction of Other Sacred Sites

Saudi Arabia has destroyed an estimated 98 percent of its historical and religious heritage sites over the last century.

Shortly after the demolition of Jannatul Baqi, the graves at Jannat al-Mu’alla in Makkah were also razed. This cemetery, located near the Grand Mosque, holds the graves of the Prophet Muhammad’s mother (Aminah), grandfather (Abdul Muttalib), uncle (Abu Talib), and wife (Khadijah). 

Today, only unmarked stones remain at these sites.

Since 1985, more than 90 percent of historical sites in Saudi Arabia have been destroyed by the government.

In 2014, global outrage erupted after a Saudi scholar proposed relocating the Prophet Muhammad’s body from Masjid al-Nabawi to Jannatul Baqi for anonymous burial—stripped of any identifying markers. 

While this proposal was never implemented, it underscored the ongoing Wahhabi stance against tomb structures and veneration of graves.

Baqee Day and Modern Parallels

Saudi Arabia’s continued destruction of tombs and religious sites has drawn comparisons to actions by terrorist groups such as ISIS, which in 2014 destroyed the tombs of prophets like Jonah and Seth under similar pretexts of eradicating polytheism.

While the current crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has introduced reforms and permitted once-prohibited practices like celebrating Halloween—previously classified as Bid’ah—he has taken no visible steps toward restoring the destroyed graves and shrines revered by millions of Muslims.

As the world marks Baqee Day nearly a century after the destruction of Jannatul Baqi, the silence of the demolished shrines continues to echo in the hearts of millions.

For many Muslims, this is not merely a historical grievance—it is a living wound, a symbol of lost heritage and spiritual disconnection.

Baqee stands as both a reminder and a call—to honor the past, respect diversity within faith, and safeguard the sacred sites that connect generations of believers to the holy Prophet, his family, and companions.