Saudi Gazette reports on an issue that is sure to ignite a blaze of stories of the anti-’Wahhabi’ sort. Six mosques of alleged antiquity—some say they date back to the days of the Prophet in Madinah—are being closed for renovation and a shift to ‘historic site’ status. Some see this as an issue of historic preservation. Others see it as the heavy hand of the ultra-conservatives to stop non-Salafist Muslims from praying at the sites, something the Salafists seem to believe represents bida’ or ‘innovation’, one of the dirtiest words in their book.

At several points in Saudi history, the ultra-conservatives, primarily in the form of the ‘Ikhwan’, went overboard and tried to destroy several sites in Medinah, including the Prophet’s Mosque. They were halted from that, but is this move just the latest move to that goal through other methods? Some will certainly assume so.

It’s interesting to note, by the way, that the ’seven mosques’ discussed actually number only six. The seventh is the Masjid al Qiblatain, an early mosque built when the point to which prayers were directed was still Jerusalem. When the Prophet decided that Mecca was the appropriate focus, a second qibla was constructed, thus, ‘qiblatain’, ‘two qiblas’.

Madina’s ‘7 mosques’ to be historical sites
Khalid Al-Jabari

MADINA – A ministerial panel has decided to close down seven historic mosques frequented by Haj and Umrah pilgrims at Mount Sala’ in Madina.

The sites, according to Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Huseyyin, Mayor of Madina province, will be taken on by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs for renovation ahead of becoming historic sites.

The decision was made at a meeting between representatives from the ministries of Interior, Islamic Affairs, and Municipal Affairs; the tourism authority was also represented at the meeting.

The seven sites are believed by some sources to have been first built by the Prophet’s Companions during the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and the “Battle of the Trench” when defending the city of Madina.

Other sources date them to later times and say visits to the buildings are Bida’ (innovation or heresy) and that they should be demolished.
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