Saudis Consider Plans to Move Tomb of Muhammad
MECCA (Worthy News)– One of Islam's most revered holy sites – the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad – could be destroyed and his body removed to an anonymous grave under plans which threaten to spark discord across the Muslim world, the UK Independent reported.
The controversial proposals are part of a consultation document by a leading Saudi academic which has been circulated among the supervisors of al-Masjid al-Nabawi mosque in Medina, where the remains of the Prophet are housed under the Green Dome, visited by millions of pilgrims and venerated as Islam's second-holiest site. The formal custodian of the mosque is Saudi Arabia's ageing monarch King Abdullah.
The plans, brought to light by another Saudi academic who has exposed and criticised the destruction of holy places and artefacts in Mecca – the holiest site in the Muslim world – call for the destruction of chambers around the Prophet's grave which are particularly venerated by Shia Muslims.
The 61-page document also calls for the removal of Mohamed’s remains to the nearby al-Baqi cemetery, where they would be interred anonymously. — continue reading…