One of Islam’s most venerated holy sites – the tomb of the Prophet Muhammed – could be demolished, reported The Independent.
According to the report, the body of Prophet Muhammed would be removed to an anonymous grave under plans which threaten to spark discord across the Muslim world.
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 (the Mosque of the Prophet) 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 aging monarch King Abdullah.
The plans, brought to light by another Saudi academic who has exposed and criticised the destruction of holy places and artifacts 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 Prophet Mohammed’s remains to the nearby al-Baqi cemetery, where they would be interred anonymously.
However, there is no suggestion that any decision has been taken to act upon the plans. The Saudi government has in the past insisted that it treats any changes to Islam’s holiest sites with “the utmost seriousness”.
