SHAFAQNA (Shia International News Association) – The news of the plans for the destruction of the holy shrine of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and its transfer to an unknown place in Baqi cemetery provoked widespread reactions in the Islamic world. In an explanation the Arabic Al-Arabia wrote: The rumor of the transfer of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina is in fact a research and the government has not made any decisions regarding the matter. This explanation said: “what is published is only a research mentioned in the scientific journal of the general chairmanship of the affairs of the Masjid-ul-Haram and the prophet’s Mosque.”
Al-Arabia continued: The final decision about the expansion (The Prophet’s shrine) has been taken two years ago. The Saudi scholars’ council agreed that if the expansion of the Prophet’s Mosque to be horizontal, it should be from the northern side or like Mecca one story added. This decision was approved by majority to accept the views of the scholars. In its final remarks, Al-Arabia wrote: These explanations are a response to incorrect information circulating in two British newspapers “Independent” and “Daily Mail” about the transfer of the Prophet’s shrine from its current place.
Apart from the intentions behind the British newspapers which may be to create more division amongst Muslims but at the same time the Al-Arabia has not explained why with all the spaces available around the Prophet’s Mosque, the destruction of the shrine has been researched or why such a baseless research should be published? Which Muslim researcher will ever consider the destruction of the shrine of the Prophet (PBUH)? Which wise person for instance would consider destruction of the Masjid-ul-Haram for its expansion? It is not strange that such thoughts have been in the ill minds of the Wahhabis but publishing this treacherous, ill-minded and dangerous plan in an official journal is very worrying and needs much deliberation and shows that at least for the officials in charge the destruction of the Prophet’s shrine is not such a sensitive issue.
How can a journal which in all these years has not criticised in smallest terms the weakness in management of the holy shrines and never published a word about the destructions of the Islamic heritage on the excuse of the expansion plans, now can claim that it has published a research plan whilst its subject is the destruction of the Prophet’s shrine? Can it be believed that they have reached such a level of impartiality in research that they can publish any text regardless of its contents and intentions?
Is it not that the misguided Wahhabi thoughts have penetrated in many of the areas of the management of the holy shrines and in line with such thoughts many of the precious Islamic heritage such as the shrines of the infallibles buried in Baqi have been destroyed and now it is the turn of the Prophet’s shrine and who knows they may have such aims and laying the ground for such plans and want to test the sensitivities on this matter? The previous actions by Wahhabis in destroying the Islamic heritage in Mecca and Medina and the actions by their terrorist branch, Da’esh in Iraq in destroying the shrines of the prophets show clearly that this is not simply a research plan and in fact this has been placed in the main Wahhabi programme and it needs the awareness and reactions of the Muslims to stop the attack on one of the most sacred Islamic sites by the sworn enemies of Islam.
Shafaqna Studies Centre