The Tomb of Eve, also known as Eve's Grave and Eve's Tomb, is an archeological site located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. [1] It is considered by some Muslims to be the burial place of Eve. Prince Faisal, Viceroy of Hejaz, destroyed it in 1928. [2] In 1975, the site was also sealed with concrete by religious authorities, who disapprove of pilgrims praying at tombs. [3]
Richard Francis Burton mentions seeing it in his translation of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night . [4]
According to the Islamic religion, Eve is considered the grandmother of humanity [Quran page 84, chapter 7:11–25] [Quran page 84, chapter 20:110–124], which influenced the name "Jeddah" meaning grandmother in Arabic. [5]
Angelo Pesce mentions the site in his book on Jeddah [6] and the earliest documented reference to the tomb:
In Hamdani (10th century) who states 'It has been related that Adam was in Mine when he felt a yearning to see Eve... that Eve had come from Juddah, and that he knew her on Arafat. The first one to speak of Eve's tomb as being in Jeddah is Idrisi (mid-12th century). However, Ibn Jubayr (late 12th century), writing from direct experience (unlike Idrisi, he went to Jeddah for the pilgrimage) state that in Jeddah 'is a place having an ancient and lofty dome, which is said to have been the lodging place of Eve . . . when on her way to Mecca... Ibn al-Mujawir (13th century) makes a clear reference to the Tomb of Eve in Jeddah, and so does Ibn Khallikan (13th century). [7] Ibn Battutah (14th century) ignores the matter altogether. Historians like Tabari, Masudi, and others state that, according to tradition, Eve is buried in Jeddah, but fail to give any detail of her tomb.
British Acting Consul S. R. Jordan, writing in early 1926, describes the tomb as follows: [8]
It may not be generally known that here is the Tomb of Eve, “ the mother of the world.” The grave is some 200 yards long and some 4 yards wide and has in the middle a small mosque, where formerly, on payment of a few piastres baksheish, the keeper of the edifice would lift a flagstone from the centre of the floor to allow sceptical Christians and pious Moslems an opportunity of admiring the lady’s navel. This tomb, until orders were issued to the contrary, used to be the favourite resort of childless wives and languishing maidens, but now has been closed under royal irade and anybody frequenting the place is punished.
Émile-Félix Gautier estimates the length of the tomb to about 130 m. [9]
The publicist Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah mentions about the dimensions:
Eve must have been a lady of formidable proportions, for the original grave, I was told, was some eight feet long. It was as well, therefore, that she had not survived to welcome us in the flesh, for although it is rumored that we Muslims have an eye for ladies of heroic proportion we draw the line at the titanic. But I was told that the grave had mysteriously extended itself by the time I arrived to its present gigantic proportions. [10]
Aun Ar-Rafiq (Amir in Hijaz 1882–1905) tried to demolish the tomb, but that caused a public outcry. He then said: "But think you that 'our mother' was so tall? If the stupidity is international, let the tomb stand". [11] However, this is not really surprising as a Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (known as the most authentic collection of hadith) narrated by Abu Hurairah states that Adam was created 60 cubits tall (about 30 meters), and that people in Paradise will look like Adam.
Mecca is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and the holiest city in Islam. It is 70 km (43 mi) inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley 277 m (909 ft) above sea level. Its last recorded population was 2,385,509 in 2022. Its metropolitan population in 2022 is 2.4 million, making it the third-most populated city in Saudi Arabia after Riyadh and Jeddah. Around 44.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and around 55.5% are foreigners from other Muslim countries. Pilgrims more than triple the population number every year during the Ḥajj pilgrimage, observed in the twelfth Hijri month of Dhūl-Ḥijjah. With over 10.8 million international visitors in 2023, Mecca was one of the 10 most visited cities in the world.
Medina, officially Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah, is the capital of Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is one of the oldest and most important places in Islamic history. One of the most sacred cities in Islam, the population as of 2022 is 1,411,599, making it the fourth-most populous city in the country. Around 58.5% of the population are Saudi citizens and 41.5% are foreigners. Located at the core of the Medina Province in the western reaches of the country, the city is distributed over 589 km2 (227 sq mi), of which 293 km2 (113 sq mi) constitutes the city's urban area, while the rest is occupied by the Hejaz Mountains, empty valleys, agricultural spaces and older dormant volcanoes.
The Hejaz is a region that includes the majority of the west coast of Saudi Arabia, covering the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif and Baljurashi. It is thus known as the "Western Province", and it is bordered in the west by the Red Sea, in the north by Jordan, in the east by the Najd, and in the south by the Region of 'Asir. Its largest city is Jeddah, which is the second-largest city in Saudi Arabia, with Mecca and Medina, respectively, being the fourth- and fifth-largest cities in the country.
The Prophet's Mosque is the second mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Medina, after that of Quba, as well as the second largest mosque and holiest site in Islam, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, in the Saudi region of the Hejaz. The mosque is located at the heart of Medina, and is a major site of pilgrimage that falls under the purview of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
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Dhu al-Qa'dah, also spelled Dhu al-Qi'dah or Zu al-Qa'dah, is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar.
Muḥammad ibn Ali ibn Muḥammad ibn Abd Allah, better known as al-Shawkānī (1759–1834), was a prominent Yemeni Sunni Islamic scholar, jurist, theologian and reformer. Shawkani was one of the most influential proponents of Athari theology and is revered as one of their canonical scholars by Salafi Muslims. His teachings played a major role in the emergence of the Salafi movement. Influenced by the teachings of the medieval Hanbali scholar Ibn Taymiyya, Al-Shawkani became noteworthy for his staunch stances against the practice of Taqlid, calls for direct interpretation of Scriptures, opposition to Kalam as well as for his robust opposition to various folk practices which he condemned as shirk (idolatry).
The holiest sites in Islam are predominantly located in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. While the significance of most places typically varies depending on the Islamic sect, there is a consensus across all mainstream branches of the religion that affirms three cities as having the highest degree of holiness, in descending order: Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. Mecca's Al-Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem are all revered by Muslims as sites of great importance.
Rabigh is a city and governorate in the Province of Makkah of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Red Sea, around 208 km (129 mi) northwest of Mecca in the historic Hejazi region. The city had an estimated population of 180,352 in 2014 and is situated at an elevation of 13 m (43 ft) above sea level, close to the border with the Madinah Province. The city dates back to the era before the advent of Islam in the 7th century C.E., and up to the 17th century, was known as Al-Juhfah, or Al-Johfah.
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, is an archaeological site located in the area of Al-'Ula within Medina Province in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia. A majority of the remains date from the Nabataean Kingdom. The site constitutes the kingdom's southernmost and second largest city after Petra, its capital city. Traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation before and after the Nabatean rule, respectively, can also be found.
The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam is an ongoing phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history by the Saudi government. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage (hajj).
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Both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims agree on the three Holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca; the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Medina; and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem.
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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Medina, Saudi Arabia.
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