Resting Places of the Noble Prophets in Palestine

History of Islam

Resting places of the noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام in Palestine (Part 3)

Mawlana Muhammad Asif Iqbal Attari Madani

The land of Palestine is a most blessed and sanctified area. This region remained a centre where divine revelation descended and the abode of Prophets and Messengers عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام. This land was granted honour in the noble Quran, where it is mentioned as:

بٰرَکۡنَا حَوۡلَہٗ   

Translation from Kanz ul Irfan: Around which We have placed blessing[1]

It is from this area that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was taken on the Ascension, and it is the land of the Maḥshar. Numerous noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام were sent forth and dwelled here. In this way, the resting places of many Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام are found in this land today. It is related from Sayyidunā KaꜤb al-Aḥbār رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ that in Bayt al-Maqdis, there are the resting places of 1000 noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام.[2]

Take note of the mention of some of these noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام here:

1. Abū al-Bashr, Sayyidunā Ādam عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

The historians differ over the location of the resting place of Sayyidunā Ādam عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. The well-known opinion is that he was laid to rest besides the same mountain that he descended upon when he came from Paradise. Some say he was laid to rest in al-Makkah al-Mukarramah beside Jabal Abū Qubays. Others say that during the great flood, Sayyidunā Nūḥ عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم placed the blessed bodies of Sayyidunā Ādam عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and Sayyidah Ḥawwāˈ رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا in a casket and then laid them to rest in Bayt al-Maqdis.[3]

2. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīlullāh عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Sayyidah Sārah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا passed away at the age of 127, which saddened Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. After this, he purchased a cave from a person in exchange for 400 mithqāl of gold and laid her to rest there.[4]

The passing of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and his resting place:

There are varying reports relating to his passing away. Allah Almighty knows best the reality of them. Some have said that he passed away suddenly, and the scholars of Ahl al-Kitāb say he became ill, departed this finite world in that state and was laid to rest in the same cave as Sayyidah Sārah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا by Sayyidunā IsmāꜤīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and Sayyidunā Isḥāq عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. According to one view, he reached the age of 175 and according to another, he reached the age of 200.[5]

3. Sayyidunā Isḥāq عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Sayyidunā Isḥāq عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم remained in this world for 180 years. He passed away in the sacred lands and was laid to rest near the blessed resting place of Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم.[6]

4. Sayyidunā YaꜤqūb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Sayyidunā YaꜤqūb عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم lived with his son Sayyidunā Yūsuf عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم in Egypt in a state of happiness for 24 years. When the time of his passing approached, he presented his legacy to Sayyidunā Yūsuf عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم that his blessed body should be taken to the land of al-Shām (al-Khalīl, Palestine) and laid to rest besides his noble father Sayyidunā Isḥāq عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم in the sacred lands. This legacy was carried out, and after his passing, his noble body was placed in a casket of teak wood, and taken to al-Shām. At the same time, his brother Al-ꜤĪṣ passed away. They had been born together and were laid to rest together at the age of 147 years. Having laid his father and uncle to rest, Sayyidunā Yūsuf عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم returned to Egypt.[7]

5. Sayyidunā Yūsuf عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Great difference fell between the people of Egypt over the place of burial for Sayyidunā Yūsuf عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. The residents of every locality were adamant upon laying him to rest in their area to seek blessings. Eventually, they came to the view that he should be laid to rest in the river Nile, so that its water would pass caressing his resting place, and all of the people of Egypt would benefit from its blessings. Thus, he was laid to rest in the river Nile in a casket of marble. He remained so for 400 years until Sayyidunā Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم extracted his casket and laid him to rest with his noble forefathers (i.e., Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm, Sayyidunā Isḥāq and Sayyidunā YaꜤqūb عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـسَّـلَام) in the land of al-Shām.[8]

6. Sayyidunā Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ mentions in his remarkable work, Sīrat al-Anbiyāˈ:

It is said that Sayyidunā Mūsā and Sayyidunā Hārūn عَـلَيْهِمَا الـسَّلَام passed away in Tīh. Forty years after the passing of Sayyidunā Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم, Sayyidunā YūshaꜤ عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم was granted prophethood and the command for Jihād against the Jabbārīn was given. So, he took the remaining people of Banū Isrāˈīl and engaged in jihad against the Jabbārīn.[9]

The blessed resting place of Sayyidunā Mūsā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم is at a place called Ghawr near the city of Arīḥā in Palestine.

7. Sayyidunā Dāwūd عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and 8. Sayyidunā Sulaymān عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Sayyidunā Dāwūd عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and Sayyidunā Sulaymān عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم are laid to rest together in Jismāniyyah , which lies in a valley in al-Quds (Jerusalem).[10]

9. Sayyidunā Yūnus عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

Sayyidunā Yūnus’s عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم blessed grave is in a place called Ḥalḥūl (JāmiꜤ Masjid al-Nabī Yūnus) near the city of al-Khalīl.[11]

10, 11. Sayyidunā Yaḥyā and Sayyidunā Zakariyyā عَـلَيْهِمَا الـسَّلَام

Near the blessed resting place of Sayyidah Maryam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِا on the inner side of the Mount of Olives, at its foot, are the resting places of Sayyidunā Yaḥyā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم and Sayyidunā Zakariyyā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم. (The resting place of Sayyidunā Zakariyyā عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم is in a place called Zakariyyā Salwān in the valley of Qadrūn connected to the Mount of Olives, next to al-Masjid al-Aqṣā.)[12]

12. Sayyidunā YūshaꜤ عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

After the passing of Sayyidunā YūshaꜤ b. Nūn عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم, he was laid to rest in the village of Kifl Ḥāris near Nābulus.[13]

Apart from these, the blessed resting places of many other noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام and other sacred personalities are present in Palestine. May Allah Almighty grant victory to the Muslims of Palestine for the sake of these lofty personalities.