BAITULMAQDIS UMRAH 2016 CHAPTER 3: Visiting Islamic Historical Sites in Jordan
8 December 2016
We woke up to a really cold morning. For my parents, this is their first time experiencing winter. We packed enough winter outfits, including jackets, scarves, gloves because I warned them in advance. I had my fair share of ‘freezing cold and unsuitable outfits’ before so I did not want them to experience the same.
All ready to go!
First pitstop: Site of the Battle of Mu’ta
This is the place near Kerak, in southern Jordan where the Muslims fought a famous battle against a combined Byzantine/Ghassanid army during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in the year 629 CE.
Today, those Muslims who fell at the battle are considered martyrs (shaheed). Far from being a defeat, this battle was a strategic success; the Muslims had challenged the Byzantines and had made their presence felt amongst the Arab Bedouin tribes in the region. You can read more about it here.
I am a history junkie ok. I still remember being so interested in islamic history especially when we were studying on all the wars in Islam. It did wonder I will ever be able to leave this world as jihadi, well I guess times have changed. Obviously our wars these days are different from back then but to fight in the name of religion isn’t it so honourable? When studied closely, anyone would be able to tell that Islam was beautiful because the rules in wars were created to protect innocent civilians, mainly elderly, women and children.
If you ever have the chance to read to Islamic wars back then, please do so. I feel that with all the ‘terrorism’ that has been going these day, it has tarnished our pure reputation as the religion of peace. The more you know about the history of Islam, the more you can defend yourself if you ever find yourself misunderstood by non muslims.
The problem is, too many people who are trying to defend the religion lacks the knowledge in depth too. May we given the motivation to study and clarity in explaining our religion inshaAllah.
My dad and bestie’s. They just stood there and would not move until I take a photo of them lol.
2nd pitstop: Shrine of sahabah / friends of Rasullah saw
- Tomb of Jafar Bin Abi Talib (may Allah swt is pleased with him)
This is the tomb of Jafar-bin-Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the second amir appointed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to lead the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’ta. You can read more about him here.
Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the paternal cousin of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the older brother of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). After his death Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) became known as Jafar Al-Tayyar, The One of Two Wings, in reference to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) having a vision of him in Paradise with two wings.
I love the peace and serenity that envelopes the place. I think my mum would agree too.
Visiting the shrines does not mean that we have to pray towards a grave or seek supplication through them as this is tantamount to committing shirk. The purpose is to understand history a little better. When visiting, offer Al Fatihah as a form of respect to them. Other basic rules include not making a lot of noise and keeping the place clean.
2. Tomb of Abdullah Bin Rawahah (may Allah swt be pleased with him)
Abdullah-bin-Rawahah (may Allah swt be pleased with him), the third amir appointed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to lead the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’ta. During the Battle of Badr, he was left behind by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in charge of Madinah. You can read more about him here.
We took a short tea break at a coffee house / shop. It has all these beautiful antiques and it was very tempting not to shop.
Notice the beautiful architecture? I had difficulties capturing the entire ceiling and this was the best I could take of the place. With the bestie.
3rd pitstop: Wadi Musa
We were on the way to Petra when we stopped by Wadi Musa. The village that has sprung up around Petra is called Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses).
‘Ain Musa (Moses’ Spring) is one of two possible locations in Jordan for the site where Moses supposedly struck the rock with his staff and water gushed forth to the thirsty Israelites (the other possible site is near Mt Nebo).
The stone is sheltered in a small building. We had the opportunity to drink from the flow of water. It was cold and fresh. The water irrigates thousands of olive and fruit trees. Don’t ask me how the water can continue flowing out even till today. It is all God’s will. This site is usually visited by both Muslims and Christians.
With our tour group who have been so cheerful to be around with.
I love watching the sceneries outside during the entire journey. Most of the time it is filled with nothingness, only sky, sand and dust. Other times, we had the opportunity to see the residencies of the locals. Alas, they lived a very different life from us and I am often curious about it.
I was also mentally preparing myself to be ready for a long walk in Petra. We were told that we would have to walk for quite a distance. While I do worry about myself (post surgery paranoid), I worry about the parents too.
Looking forward to arriving in Petra soon, may He gives us the strength and protect us from undesirable circumstances, inshaAllah.