A Digital Atlas of Sacred Geography

Saints

1113 records · Page 40/47

Remembered in Jumada al-Awwal

Saints whose death anniversary falls this Hijri month (sourced).

Prophet's Family

Isma'il ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq

(may God have mercy on him)

Isma'il ibn Ja'far al-Sadiq was the eldest son of the sixth Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq; his mother was Fatima bint al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Athram. He is a central figure in the Isma'ili tradition: by that branch's account the imamate passed from Ja'far to his son Isma'il (and then to Isma'il's son Muhammad ibn Isma'il), and it is from him that the Isma'iliyya take their name. In the Twelver (Ithna'ashari) tradition, however, the imamate continued through Isma'il's brother Musa al-Kazim, because Isma'il died during his father's lifetime, around 138 AH (755 CE) in Medina. Famously, Ja'far al-Sadiq uncovered his son's face before witnesses to refute those who denied his death, an event linked to the concept of bada'. He was buried in Jannat al-Baqi; a domed shrine (built in the Fatimid era) over his grave was demolished in the 1925-26 Baqi demolitions. A minority Isma'ili tradition holds that he outlived his father and was buried at Salamiyah in Syria; this is noted as a sectarian position.

Aqil ibn Abi Talib

May Allah be pleased with him

Aqil ibn Abi Talib al-Hashimi was the elder brother of Ali and a cousin of the Prophet, about twenty years older than Ali. He was famed for his knowledge of Arab genealogy and his quick wit. At the Battle of Badr, while still a non-Muslim, he fought on the side of the Meccan polytheists and was taken captive; his uncle al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib ransomed him. Reports differ on whether he embraced Islam before Hudaybiyya or near the conquest of Mecca; he later settled in Medina. He lost his sight late in life and died in Medina during the reign of Mu'awiya or the early days of Yazid's caliphate. Sources disagree on his burial place: well-known reports state he was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery and that a dome was later built over his grave (removed in 1925), while some authoritative sources state only that he "died in Medina" without specifying the burial site. His Baqi burial should therefore be regarded as a tradition. If the grave in Baqi is genuine, it is today unmarked like the others.

Nafi, the mawla of Ibn Umar

May Allah have mercy on him

Abu Abdullah Nafi was one of the foremost Tabi'un scholars of the Medina school, a jurist and traditionist. Of Daylami origin, he was captured young and then purchased and freed by Abdullah ibn Umar, which is why he is called "the mawla of Ibn Umar." He remained with Ibn Umar for over thirty years, learning from him and becoming the most reliable transmitter of his narrations. Many scholars, foremost Imam Malik, took hadith from him; al-Bukhari's saying, "the soundest of all chains is Malik from Nafi from Ibn Umar" (the golden chain, silsilat al-dhahab), made this chain the most prized isnad. He was an important link in the formation of the practice and jurisprudence of the people of Medina. He died in Medina around 117-119 AH (735-737 CE). According to Arabic sources he was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery near the grave of his student Imam Malik. His grave is today unmarked, like all graves in Baqi.

Prophet's Family

Umm Salama (Hind bint Abi Umayya)

Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her)

Umm Salama, whose given name was Hind bint Abi Umayya, was a Qurashi woman of the Banu Makhzum clan. Together with her first husband, Abu Salama al-Makhzumi, she migrated both to Abyssinia and to Medina, making her family among the earliest emigrants in Islam. After Abu Salama died from wounds sustained at Uhud, she married the Prophet in 4 AH. Renowned for her intelligence and sound judgment, she is especially remembered for the wise counsel she gave at the Treaty of Hudaybiyya when the Companions hesitated. She transmitted many hadiths and became an important authority in jurisprudence and prophetic biography. She is generally held to be the last of the Prophet's wives to die. According to most sources she died in 62 AH (681 CE) in Medina and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. Her grave, like the others in Baqi, is unmarked following the leveling of 1925-1926.

Prophet's Family

Umm Kulthum bint Ali

(may God be pleased with her)

Umm Kulthum bint Ali was the daughter of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima al-Zahra, granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and full sister of Hasan, Husayn, and Zaynab. According to Sunni sources she married Umar ibn al-Khattab (c. 17 AH), with whom she had Zayd and Ruqayya. After Umar's death she is reported to have married her cousins Awn ibn Ja'far and then Muhammad ibn Ja'far. Her marriage to Umar is accepted in Sunni sources and debated in Shia scholarship, and is therefore presented neutrally and from multiple viewpoints. She died in 41 AH (c. 661 CE) in Medina on the same day as her son Zayd; a single funeral prayer was held for mother and son, attended by Hasan and Husayn. She was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. Although a grave attributed to her is said to exist in Damascus (Bab al-Saghir), academic sources hold that it belongs to a different person (Zaynab bint Ali, whose kunya was also Umm Kulthum, or another Umm Kulthum) and affirm that she was buried in Medina.

Imam Malik ibn Anas

Imam of the Abode of Hijra (may God have mercy on him)

Imam Malik ibn Anas al-Asbahi was the eponym of the Maliki school, one of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, and the leader of the Medina school of hadith scholars. Born and raised in Medina, where he lived his whole life, he is called 'Imam Dar al-Hijra' (Imam of the Abode of Hijra). He authored al-Muwatta, a foundational work of hadith and law and one of the earliest and most influential compilations in Islamic legal history, built on the methodology of the practice of the people of Medina. He studied under scholars such as Nafi (the mawla of Ibn Umar) and al-Zuhri, and trained many students, including Imam al-Shafi'i. His reverence for knowledge and hadith was famous, including his avoidance of riding a mount within the Prophet's city. He died on 14 Rabi al-Awwal 179 AH (7 June 795 CE) in Medina after a short illness, aged about 85; the governor of Medina led his funeral prayer. He was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery near the grave of Safiyya, the Prophet's aunt. The dome over it, restored under Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II, was demolished in 1926 during the campaign against tomb structures; the grave site is known today but unmarked.

Prophet's Family

Ruqayya bint Muhammad

(may God be pleased with her)

Ruqayya bint Muhammad was a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija, born in Mecca around 601 CE. She was first betrothed to Utba, son of Abu Lahab; the engagement was broken off after the revelation of Surat al-Masad (Tabbat). She then married Uthman ibn Affan, the future third caliph, emigrating with him first to Abyssinia and later to Medina. They had a son, Abdullah, who died in childhood (c. 4 AH). Ruqayya fell ill (reported as measles or fever) and died in Ramadan 2 AH (March 624 CE), aged about 22-23, just as the news of the victory at Badr reached Medina. Because the Prophet was at Badr, Uthman, who had remained in Medina to care for her, led her funeral prayer, and Umm Ayman washed her body. She was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. Her burial place is reported unanimously in the classical sources; it is neither disputed nor folkloric. Her grave, like the others in Baqi, is today unmarked.

Hanzala ibn Abi Amir

Ghasil al-Mala'ika (Washed by the Angels) — Martyr of Uhud

Hanzala ibn Abi Amir Amr ibn Sayfi al-Ansari al-Awsi was a Companion of the Aws tribe of Medina. His father Abu Amir 'the Monk' (al-Rahib) was a pre-Islamic Hanif who became a bitter enemy of Islam, whereas Hanzala embraced Islam after the Hijra. One day before the Battle of Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE) he married Jamila bint Abdullah ibn Ubayy; on hearing that the Prophet had set out against the Meccans, he hastened to the army still in a state of ritual impurity (janaba) after his wedding night, with no time to perform ghusl. In the battle he charged the Meccan commander Abu Sufyan and unhorsed him, but when Abu Sufyan called for help, Hanzala was killed by Shaddad ibn al-Aswad, known as Ibn Sha'ub; he was about 24 years old. The Prophet said, 'I saw the angels washing Hanzala between heaven and earth, with rainwater from vessels of silver,' and so the Companions gave him the title 'Ghasil al-Mala'ika' (the one washed by the angels). His son Abdullah ibn Hanzala was a noted Companion who later led the Medinans at the Battle of al-Harra. Hanzala was buried with the martyrs in the Cemetery of Uhud.

Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' al-Ansari

Chief (naqib) of the Ansar and a scribe — Martyr of Uhud

Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' ibn Amr al-Khazraji al-Ansari was a Companion of the Khazraj tribe of Medina; his mother Huzayla bint Utba was among the women who pledged allegiance to the Prophet. He was one of the few literate people of pre-Islamic Medina and served as a scribe, later being counted among the Prophet's scribes. He took part in the First and Second Pledges of Aqaba and was one of the chiefs (naqib) of the Ansar. After the Hijra the Prophet established a bond of brotherhood between Sa'd and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf; Sa'd offered to share half his wealth and one of his two orchards, but Abd al-Rahman declined, asking only to be shown the market. Sa'd fought at Badr and Uhud, and was martyred at Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE) after receiving numerous wounds. The Prophet sent a Companion to find him; dying, Sa'd delivered his message to the Ansar: that they would have no excuse before God should harm reach the Prophet while one of them yet lived. His body was so mutilated it was recognized only by his fingers, and he was buried in the Cemetery of Uhud in a single grave together with Kharija ibn Zayd.

Prophet's Family

Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad

(may God be pleased with her)

Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad was a daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadija, born in Mecca. She was first betrothed to a son of Abu Lahab; the engagement was dissolved after the revelation of Surat al-Masad (Tabbat). After her sister Ruqayya died in 2 AH, the Prophet married Umm Kulthum to Uthman ibn Affan (contract c. 3 AH). Having married two daughters of the Prophet, Uthman earned the title 'Dhu al-Nurayn' ('possessor of the two lights'). The marriage was childless. Umm Kulthum died in Sha'ban 9 AH (Nov/Dec 630 CE), aged about 27. According to TDV, at her burial the Prophet stated that man is created from earth, returns to it, and will be brought forth from it. She was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. The Prophet is reported to have said that had he another daughter, he would have given her to Uthman. Her burial place is reported unanimously in the classical sources; it is neither disputed nor folkloric.

Amr ibn al-Jamuh al-Ansari

Chief of Banu Salama, Companion — Martyr of Uhud

Amr ibn al-Jamuh ibn Zayd al-Ansari al-Salami was a Companion and one of the chiefs of the Banu Salama clan of the Khazraj of Medina. Before Islam he venerated an idol named Manaf; he embraced Islam after his sons and Mu'adh ibn Jabal repeatedly demonstrated the idol's helplessness. He was lame in one leg, which had kept him from Badr. At the Battle of Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE), though exempt because of his disability, he insisted on fighting; according to tradition the Prophet permitted him, and he fought valiantly — with one of his sons guarding his back — until he was martyred. One narration reports the Prophet saying he 'walks in Paradise with sound feet.' He was the brother-in-law of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Haram, being married to Abdullah's sister Hind bint Amr. Owing to a shortage of shrouds and the affection between them, Amr and Abdullah were buried together in a single grave. He is described as tall, generous, brave and of a poetic temperament. His grave is in the Cemetery of Uhud.

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf

May Allah be pleased with him

Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf al-Zuhri was one of the ten companions promised Paradise and among the earliest Muslims. He accepted Islam through Abu Bakr's invitation and emigrated both to Abyssinia and to Medina. Through honesty and enterprise in trade he amassed great wealth, and was renowned for his generosity, spending much of his fortune in the path of God. He took part in Badr and the other major campaigns. Under Abu Bakr and Umar he was among the caliph's close advisors, and for a time held charge of the pilgrimage and the treasury. When Umar was assassinated, he was placed on the six-man council to choose the next caliph, acting as arbiter and leading the pledge of allegiance. He died around 32 AH (652-654 CE) in Medina and was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery; the funeral prayer was led, according to reports, by Uthman or Ali. His grave is today unmarked, like all graves in Baqi.

Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Haram al-Ansari

First martyr of Uhud, father of Jabir ibn Abdullah, Companion

Abu Jabir Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Haram al-Ansari al-Salami was a leading Companion of the Banu Salama tribe of Medina and the father of the celebrated hadith narrator Jabir ibn Abdullah. He was among the seventy who represented their tribe at the Second Pledge of Aqaba (alongside al-Bara ibn Ma'rur) and fought at Badr. The night before Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE) he told his son Jabir that he sensed he would be among the first martyrs, entrusting to him the care of his sisters and the repayment of his debts; by morning he was killed — tradition names him the first martyr of Uhud (in Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by Jabir). A well-known narration holds that after his martyrdom God addressed him directly, without intermediary, saying He would grant whatever he wished, and that the angels shaded him with their wings. He was buried together with his brother-in-law Amr ibn al-Jamuh in a single grave. It is reported that some forty-six years later, when a flood threatened the graves and they were exhumed for reburial, both bodies were found fresh and unchanged, as though they had died only the day before. His grave is in the Cemetery of Uhud.

Al-Yaman (Husayl ibn Jabir al-Absi)

Father of Hudhayfa, Companion — Martyr of Uhud

Al-Yaman's actual name was Husayl (or Hisl) ibn Jabir, of the Banu Abs tribe (al-Absi). He first lived in Mecca but left after involvement in a blood feud and settled in Yathrib (Medina), where he became a confederate (halif) of the Banu Abd al-Ashhal of the Aws. According to the sources, the epithet 'al-Yaman' derives from this alliance of Yemenite origin (in another report it traces to an ancestor, Jirwa ibn al-Harith, called 'al-Yaman'). He and his son Hudhayfa embraced Islam before Badr. At the Battle of Uhud (3 AH / 625 CE), despite his advanced age he chose to enter the fighting, having at first been placed among the non-combatants with Thabit ibn Waqsh. In the chaos of battle, Muslim fighters who had covered their faces and did not recognize him killed him by mistake, taking him for a polytheist. It is reported that his son Hudhayfa cried out 'He is my father!' but the cry went unheard amid the din. Grieved yet patient, Hudhayfa forgave the killers, saying 'May God forgive you, for He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy'; when the Prophet offered the blood money (diya), Hudhayfa declined it and gave it as charity to poor Muslims. Al-Yaman was buried with the martyrs of Uhud at the battlefield, in the Cemetery of Uhud.

Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr

may Allah be pleased with him

Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr and nephew of Aisha, was among the foremost young Companions and is regarded as the first child born to the Muhajirun in Medina after the Hijra. He established a Mecca-based caliphate opposing the Umayyads and was killed fighting valiantly on 14 Jumada al-Awwal 73 AH (1 October 692) during the siege of Mecca by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. After his body was displayed for a time, burial was permitted at the request of his mother Asma, and his grave is in the Jannat al-Mu'alla cemetery in Mecca. In keeping with Saudi policy, individual graves in the cemetery are unmarked.

Prophet's Family

Zaynab bint Muhammad

(may God be pleased with her)

Zaynab bint Muhammad was the eldest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija, born in Mecca around 600 CE (before the prophethood). At Khadija's wish she married her maternal cousin Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi, with whom she had two children, Ali (who died young) and Umama. When her husband was captured at the Battle of Badr, she sent her mother Khadija's necklace as his ransom; the Prophet was deeply moved and had him released, earning her the title 'Sahibat al-Qilada' ('owner of the necklace'). During her emigration to Medina she was attacked by Quraysh, thrown from her camel, and suffered a miscarriage; her death years later (end of Safar 8 AH / 629 CE), aged about 31, was attributed to that injury, and some sources count her a martyr. The Prophet led her funeral prayer and descended into her grave, showing deep grief. She was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. TDV explicitly states that reports of her burial in Damascus or Cairo are incorrect; that confusion concerns her granddaughter-generation namesake, Zaynab bint Ali.

Prophet's Family

Abdullah ibn Ja'far

Bahr al-Jud (may God be pleased with him)

Abdullah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib al-Hashimi was the son of Ja'far al-Tayyar, the martyr of Mu'ta, and Asma bint Umays, and a nephew of Ali ibn Abi Talib. Born in Abyssinia during the migration and brought to Medina as a young child, he is reported to have been the last Hashimite Companion to have seen and kept company with the Prophet. He married Zaynab bint Ali, daughter of Ali and Fatima and granddaughter of the Prophet; his children included Ali, Awn, Abbas, and Umm Kulthum. Zaynab went to Karbala with her brother Husayn with his permission. He fought alongside Ali at the Battles of the Camel and Siffin. Regarded as the most generous Arab of his age and titled 'Bahr al-Jud' ('ocean of generosity'), his munificence became proverbial. According to the preferred view he died in 80 AH (699-700 CE) in Medina (variants give 84, 85, 86, 90). The governor of Medina, Aban ibn Uthman, attended his funeral and did not leave until he laid him in al-Baqi. He was buried in Jannat al-Baqi near the graves of Aqil ibn Abi Talib and Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith. His burial place (Medina / al-Baqi) is undisputed.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (Ta'if)

may Allah be pleased with them both · Interpreter of the Qur'an · Scholar of the Ummah

Abdullah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-88), the cousin of the Prophet ﷺ and a member of the Prophet's family, was a Companion for whom the Prophet ﷺ prayed: "O Allah, grant him understanding of religion and teach him interpretation." For his depth in Qur'anic exegesis and jurisprudence he is honoured as "Interpreter of the Qur'an" and "Scholar of the Ummah." He lost his sight late in life and died at Ta'if at around seventy; his funeral prayer was led by Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah. The Ibn Abbas Mosque was later built over his burial site and long formed the centre and symbol of Ta'if. The mosque is active and visitable today, with the grave within its precinct; the present structure was rebuilt in modern times.

Asma bint Abi Bakr

may Allah be pleased with her

Asma bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq was a female Companion: daughter of the first caliph Abu Bakr, elder sister of Aisha, wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, and mother of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr. She is known as "Dhat al-Nitaqayn" (she of the two belts) because she split her belt in two to fasten provisions during the Hijra. She died at an advanced age in Mecca a few days after her son Abdullah was killed on 14 Jumada al-Awwal 73 AH (1 October 692), reputedly the last of the female Muhajirun to die; her grave is in Jannat al-Mu'alla. In keeping with Saudi practice, individual graves in the cemetery are unmarked.

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

May Allah be pleased with him

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud al-Hudhali was among the earliest Muslims and one of the foremost companion-authorities on the Qur'an and jurisprudence. He is reported to have been the first to recite the Qur'an aloud at the Ka'ba in Mecca. Renowned for his closeness to the Prophet, he was known as "the keeper of the siwak and sandals." He emigrated to Abyssinia and then to Medina, and took part in Badr and all the major campaigns. Profound in recitation and exegesis, he was one of the four from whom the Prophet directed believers to take the Qur'an, and he laid the scholarly foundations of the Kufa school. Umar sent him to Kufa as a teacher and treasurer. Toward the end of his life he returned to Medina, fell ill, and died there a little past sixty, around 32 AH (652-653 CE). The funeral prayer was led, according to reports, by Uthman or Ammar ibn Yasir, and he was buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. His grave is today unmarked, like all graves in Baqi.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas

May Allah be pleased with him

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas al-Zuhri was one of the ten companions promised Paradise (al-'ashara al-mubashshara) and among the foremost commanders of Islam. He embraced Islam very young and is remembered as "the first to shoot an arrow in the path of God" and as "Faris al-Islam" (the Knight of Islam). As commander-in-chief at the Battle of al-Qadisiyya he defeated the Sasanian army, and he founded and first governed Kufa. Umar included him in the six-man council that would choose his successor. He chose neutrality during the civil strife and spent his last years on his estate at al-'Aqiq near Medina. He died there around 55 AH (some say 58 AH); by his will his body was carried to Medina and buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery, reportedly shrouded in the worn cloak he had worn at the Battle of Badr. His grave today is unmarked, like all graves in Baqi, since the structures were removed and its exact location cannot be determined.

Prophet's Family

Sawda bint Zam'a

Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her)

Sawda bint Zam'a belonged to the Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy branch of Quraysh. With her first husband, al-Sakran ibn Amr, she was among the early emigrants to Abyssinia. After her husband's death she became the first woman the Prophet married following the death of Khadija, thus marrying before Aisha among the Mothers of the Believers. She was known as an older, compassionate and generous woman. Her gifting of her allotted day to Aisha in her old age is recounted as an example of noble character. She died in Medina during the caliphate of Umar, most reliably in 23 AH (644 CE); a report of 54 AH is not considered accurate. Umar led her funeral prayer and she was buried in Jannat al-Baqi. Her grave, like the others in Baqi, is unmarked.

Prophet's Family

Safiyya bint Huyayy

Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her)

Safiyya bint Huyayy was the daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, chief of the Jewish Banu Nadir tribe of Medina; her lineage is said to trace back to the Prophet Aaron. Taken captive at the conquest of Khaybar, the Prophet freed and married her, and upon embracing Islam she joined the Mothers of the Believers. It is famously narrated that when she was taunted over her Jewish origin, the Prophet taught her to reply: 'My father is Aaron, my uncle is Moses, and my husband is Muhammad.' She was known for forbearance and patience, and is reported to have supported Uthman during his siege. She died in Medina, most reliably in 50 AH (670 CE). The governor of Medina (Marwan ibn al-Hakam is named in the sources) led her funeral prayer and she was buried in Jannat al-Baqi. Her grave, like the others in Baqi, is unmarked.

Uthman ibn Maz'un

May Allah be pleased with him

Uthman ibn Maz'un al-Jumahi was one of the earliest converts to Islam, renowned for his asceticism and piety. He accepted Islam early in Mecca, joined the first emigration to Abyssinia, and later migrated to Medina. He was famed for his devotion and his caution against sin; tradition records that when he sought to renounce all worldly pleasures, the Prophet called him to moderation and reminded him of his obligations to his family and to himself. He died in 2 AH in Medina and became the first of the Muhajirun (emigrants) to be buried in the Jannat al-Baqi cemetery. The Prophet placed a stone at the head of his grave and said, "This is the grave of our predecessor," and thereafter directed that relatives be buried near "our predecessor Uthman ibn Maz'un." He thus symbolically inaugurated the Baqi cemetery. Like all graves in Baqi, his is today unmarked, since the headstones and domed structures were removed and individual graves can no longer be precisely located.