Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
It is common knowledge that Islamic history has been erased in Mecca, Medina and other Arabian cities, by your own statement its quite clear that not much has been left for people to see. Had these sites been preserved as they are in other civilized societies you would have seen them.
Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
oops, sorry guppy, I misread your post.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
Offcourse its completely stupid & ideotic action to demolish it. Even non muslims would tell u that. Its part of important history so it needs protection. If a person idolizes, thats his problem.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
I think its hardly an excuse to destroy historical places that few ignorant people may worship these places. By the way I hserous doubt that perople actually want to worship these places. They do silly things out of uncontrolled unchecked respect towards these places. One should stop those people and educate rather than destroying these places.
Also, these are buildings not idols so no comparison there. Wahabis have great wisdom in keeping Islam clear of some illogical ideas but they are at times too much concrete dry in their thinking.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
I have serious doubt....sorry for typo.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
Most of Mekkah and Medina are very new. When you visit places like Cave Hira or the site of Battle of Ahad, these places are kept in exactly the same manner as they were 1500 years ago, and it just gives you an immense appreciation for that time. It doesn't mean you start worshiping these places. They are places of supreme historical importance, especially for muslims. The argument that if you leave a historical place intact, people will start worshipping it, is lame and absurd.
Coming back to the birthplace, **if **there is such an historic place still intact, then it should be preserved, definitely. And thats a big "if". I have been to Mekkah a few times and never was told about the birth place. May be it is hidden from public view inside a library or something. Whatever the case may be, an historic structure should not be demolished just because "we need more space". They can get a lot more space by moving Badshah Salamat's palaces from opposite Bab-Abdul Aziz and moving them to somewhere out of the city. How is that for getting more space?
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
I'm somewhat sceptical about this article, its quite hostile towards the Wahabbis which isn't surprising since it surfaced in The Independent newspaper.
What truth is there to the claim that parts Safa and Marwa were destroyed to build a palace?
And is there really any evidence that this IS the Prophet's (pbuh) birthplace?
Either way, despite there being so much bidah going on at the holy sites, it doesn't warrant destruction of an historical site. Bidah and the so-called worshipping of these sites will still go on as much of it is derived from cultural practices and lack of education and understanding. The other excuse of 'space' doesn't hold much either. They can afford to build the golden arches of McDonalds outside the Haram but can't even bother to preserve a little piece of Islamic history and their heritage in Mecca?
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
I haven't read through the thread or all the comments.
When I was in Saudi Arabia during Hajj earlier this year, there was a lot of talk about the Saudi government closing down or no longer allowing access to certain sites related to the Prophet (pbuh), his life, where he grew up, etc. I believe his home had been turned into a jewellery shop or something like that. I am sure someone here will be able to correct me.
Anyway, the problem, as I was told by some people who live in Mecca, is that when pilgrims come to Mecca/Madina for Hajj or Umrah, they go to these sites and basically start worship it, do sajda there, turn it into an idol. They flock there by the thousands.
Now, for us who have lived in Europe/North America, we appreciate historical sites and would see these places just as that ... a historical site which should be appreciated and not worshipped. However, for the vast majority of pilgrims, they see it the other way and want to worship these buildings. In order to avoid that, they are destroying all these sites or no longer allowing public access to them.
In a way, I don't blame the Saudi government cause I have witnessed first hand and experienced how it can be amongst these crowds. Like someone above mentioned, you aren't supposed to be worshipping these places, but that is unfortunately what people are doing.
I'm not in favour of destroying the places and do not believe for one second that it has anything to do with needing more space for hotels. It has to do with controlling the masses of people who go there.
Do you know that in the great masjid of Madina, the praying space for women in the area that is considered the "piece of jannat" is so limited and women are no longer allowed to the front where men are allowed to go, where the grills covering the Prophet and his companions' graves are. They have big sheets up blocking the view so that all you can see is the engraved arabic duas/surahs above the graves.
After seeing and experiencing how the women who go there behave and treat each other trying to get as close as possible to the graves, I do not blame the government one bit for limiting the space for women. Honestly, a lot of pilgrims lose all sense of control and go completely buck wild. There is talk that they may shut it down altogether for women. Right now, women can only go after Fajr and after Zuhr, but even that will be limited if the pilgrims carry on the way they do.
It's very unfortunate for the rest of us, but look at it from the Saudi government's point of view, what else can they do in order to control the masses?
Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
IMO, it has less to do with (if anything) controlling the masses (crowd control), and all to do with their desire to shove down their own belief-system on anyone who steps on their soil. Then again, thats pretty much how and why the House of Saud got the power on the Arabian Peninsula, in the first place.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
Maybe. I don't agree with destroying any historical sites. They need to be preserved and appreciated (not worshipped). People actually believe the crowd control theory, and to an extent, I do as well only cause I've seen the crowds and what they are capable of.
Part of the problem is that their soldiers or whoever guards these places (assuming there are guards) do a fairly lousy job. Perhaps they need to be more thoroughly trained. I don't know.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
I do agree with Starsky. Some news are made to infuriate people.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
by the way its not a few who do these acts of worship, its thousands!!
The House of The Prophet(saw) was truned into a library. id just like too say that yes the Prophets(saw) house is a special site but did the Prophet(saw) mention that we wud be needing it for any reason? the Three Holy sites r the Haram, Masjid nabawi, and masjid al Aqsa.
imagine you ran that country and you had 4+ million pilgrims comin each yr and you had to accomodate them. wot wud u do in that situation.
i am against the Saudi Govt but that doesnt mean i shun them in any action they do. i defend any muslim that needs to b defended. 2b honest the saudis govt shudnt b defended but its quite a hot topic. Wud any of u like to take responsobility of the worship of other than Allah on Qiyamah in yr country?
i no u wudnt.
like a brother mentioned earlier the cave is still intact, they cud completely shut that up if they wanted to.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
btw did u see how the media portrayed this? they are trying to break us frm within, and you no what? its workin!
Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
Some serious thought must be given to this impending catastrophe…
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_18-8-2005_pg7_46
Muslim silence over Saudi demolition of holy site puzzling
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: Surprise has been expressed at the lack of reaction in the Muslim world at the impending demolition of the house of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) by the Saudi authorities.
An op-ed article in Toronto Star, Canada’s widely-circulated daily, by Tarek Fatah, a Pakistani-Canadian Muslim activist and broadcaster, finds it incomprehensible that while the demolition of the Babri mosque by Hindu zealots at Ayodhya continues to remain an emotive issue with Muslims, what the Saudi authorities plan to do has evoked no protest at all.
Fatah writes, “What makes this demolition worse is the fact that the **home of the Prophet is to make way for a parking lot, two 50-storey hotel towers and seven 35-storey apartment blocks; a project known as the Jabal Omar Scheme, all within a stone’s throw of the Grand Mosque. Yet despite this outrage, not a single Muslim country, no ayatollah, no mufti, no king, not even a Muslim Canadian imam has dared utter a word in protest. Such is the power of Saudi influence on the Muslim narrative.”
**
The writer wonders if the lack of a response is because Muslims have become so overwhelmed by the power of the Saudi riyal currency that we have lost all courage and self-respect? Or is it because they feel a need to cover up Muslim-on-Muslim violence, Muslim-on-Muslim terror or Muslim-on-Muslim oppression? He notes that one man who is standing up to the demolition plan is Saudi architect Dr Sami Angawi, who is leading “a one-man campaign.” to save the sacred and historic edifice. He told a London newspaper, “The house where the Prophet received the word of God is gone and nobody cares … this is the end of history in Mecca and Medina and the end of their future.”
According to Fatah, “The cultural massacre of Islamic heritage sites is not a new phenomenon. **It is said that in the last two decades, 95 per cent of Mecca’s 1,000-year-old buildings have been demolished. In the early 1920s, the Saudis bulldozed and levelled a graveyard in Medina that housed the graves of the family and companions of Muhammad. Today, the religious zealots in Saudi Arabia are not alone.
**
Commercial developers have joined hands with them and are making hundreds of millions in profits as they build ugly, but lucrative high-rises that are shadowing the Grand Mosque know as the Kaaba. Today Saudi petrodollars have the ability to silence even its most vocal critics, but when all is said and done, history will render a harsh judgment on those who try to wipe out its footprints and steal the heritage of all humanity.”
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
Well think about it like this...Islam doesn't ask us to make rituals at and preserve the places where the Prophet was.
That only thing I can say, is that its a bit historically insensitive on the part of the gov't of Saudi, but (far be it from me to defend those people and their gov't), but in a way its a good thing...I think there are too many muslims out there that think the Rasul is a God in a way or much equivalent to God.
This is historically insensitive, but at the same time, if these sites were preserved, there would be people critizing how the gov't is promoting the worship of the Prophet which is ... um... like ... dumb.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
"It is said that in the last two decades, 95 per cent of Mecca’s 1,000-year-old buildings have been demolished. In the early 1920s, the Saudis bulldozed and levelled a graveyard in Medina that housed the graves of the family and companions of Muhammad. Today, the religious zealots in Saudi Arabia are not alone. "
well accoring to shareeah they shud b levelled. this guy obviously aint got a clue of what Shareeah said abt graves!
"The house where the Prophet received the word of God is gone and nobody cares ... this is the end of history in Mecca and Medina and the end of their future.”"
he recieved it many other places 2 not just his house.
did The Prophet(Saw) say anythin abt his House? did he tell us to maintain it? did Allah say Maintain it?
what needs to stay are the three Holy Places.
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
Only Muslims would destroy their own history. Good riddance. Muslim history is not worth anything at all. These people kill each other, destroy their own culture, why should they expect sympathy from the Kufars?
Re: Prophet's birthplace up for demolition?
every nation has tried to protect its history, every religion has too.
Why these idiots are doing this is beyond my understanding. This should not be happening.
Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
It seems you are in the minority.
Re: Prophet’s birthplace up for demolition?
I strongly disagree, given a choice majority of the muslim world would oppose such desecration of history and memories of the beloved prophet.
What is happening is Saudization or sud I say wahabization of the Muslim world starting from Mecca, Medina. Now ppl may find reasoning from Shariah, well they better check where that shariah came from. It was once again the senseless, xenophobic mentality of a few individuals who had their persoanl biases and traditions to protect. When we protect our families our beloved ones their memories does that mean we are not muslims? How can we deny importance of the Holy Prophets existence and not honor his memories.
We claim that Muhammed (PBUH) was the beloved messenger of Allah and the last none shall follow him, mention his name in our salaat, prayers in Quran and in our Kalima, yet we do not want to preserve what he left behind? How can we then cling to our beloved ones, our passports, our nationalities, our ethnicities and yet say its Ok if the Prophets memories are demolished?