9. Visiting al-Baqiʿ

Among the believers are men who have proven true to what they pledged to Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their pledge (with their lives), others are waiting (their turn). They have never changed (their commitment) in the least. (33:23)

You stand before a small plot of earth that holds the greatest treasures of sincerity, purity, sacrifice, and loyalty. Here lie men and women who chose the Hereafter over this world, who preferred exile and migration for the sake of faith over the comfort of their homeland. These were the people who chose nearness to the Messenger ﷺ over the company of loved ones, never wishing to part from him.

This is Baqīʿ al-Gharqad: the cemetery chosen by divine command. When the Prophet ﷺ searched for a place to bury his companions, he walked around the areas surrounding Madinah until he arrived at this specific place and declared: “I have been commanded (to select) this place.”

The first person to be buried here was ʿUthmān b. Maẓʿūn (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu). The Prophet ﷺ placed a stone at his head and said: “This is our landmark.” From that day forward, whenever someone died, people would ask: “O Messenger of Allah, where shall we bury him?” And he would say: “By our landmark, ʿUthmān b. Maẓʿūn.”

The Prophet ﷺ would come here often, especially in the late hours of the night. ʿĀ’ishah once noticed him slipping out quietly when it was her turn to be with him. He would walk to al-Baqīʿ and stand among the graves, speaking to them as one speaks to the living: “Peace be upon you, O abode of believing people. What you were promised has come to you. And indeed, God willing, we shall join you. O Allah, forgive the people of Baqīʿ al-Gharqad.”

Imagine him ﷺ standing here in the stillness of night, praying for those who had gone ahead. What an honour for those who rest here: to be visited by him, to be remembered by him, to have him pray for them.

Here lie the Mothers of the Believers. Here lie his daughters. Here lies his infant son Ibrāhīm. Here lie the companions who stood with him in every trial, who migrated with him, who fought beside him, who wept when he wept and rejoiced when he rejoiced.

As you stand in al-Baqīʿ, make duʿā’ for those who rest here. Greet them with salām. Remember that you too are promised what they were promised: that death is certain, and we are all heading to the same destination.

Whoever is able to die in Madinah, let him die there, for I will be a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection. – The Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Tirmidhī)