Q240 :Where are the graves of the Prophet Adam and
Caliph Ali? I heard that Ali’s grave which is said to be in Iraq is not
the true one. What happened to Ali’s body after he was murdered? Is the
grave of Mother Eve in Jeddah real or fictitious? Is there any
religious significance in keeping a fictitious grave?
A240 : I do not think any human being could say
with even the faintest chance of accuracy where the grave of Prophet
Adam is. We should not forget that the Prophet Adam was the first human
being on earth. It was unlikely that his immediate children and
grandchildren could keep a record of his burial place and that record
should remain intact until the present time. Since Ali was the fourth
caliph, it was to be expected that his burial place should be noted.
Ali was assassinated in Iraq and, in conformity with Islamic teachings,
he must have been buried in the closest graveyard to where he was
murdered. That was in the town of Kufa in Iraq. Whether we know the
exact spot of his burial or not is probably debatable. But what would
it signify if we knew it or not? We know, for example, that Caliph
Usman was buried in Al-Bak’ie, but the exact spot of his burial place,
and those of many of the Prophet’s netpanions, cannot be identified
with any degree of accuracy. Why should we bother about identifying
these graves? Those were people who served Islam to the best of their
ability. Their reward is with the Lord, and they are sure to have it on
the day of judgment. That reward does not include people paying homage
to them by visiting their graves. As for the grave of Mother Eve, what
we have said about Adam’s grave applies to her grave too. There is
certainly no significance whatsoever in keeping a fictitious grave, or
a real one for that matter.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )