Islamic Sites

Jordan could be an important destination for Muslims and many do undertake visits to some of the more well known sites without knowing the full extent of Jordan’s rich Islamic history. Jordan contains Holy sites pertaining to at least ten different ancient Holy Prophets and the tombs of twenty of the Prophet Mohammed’s companions. The most famous are: the Prophet Haron, Jethro, Joshua, Job and Moses, and companions Ja’far bin Abi Talib, Zeid bin Al-Haritha and Ubu Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah.

Jordan also is blessed with the site of the Cave of the Seven Sleepers mentioned in the Quran, Surah 18 Here is a brief outline of some of the revered people and the various places and events in Jordan associated with them. Visits to these sites could be incorporated with Haj & Umrah visits and trips to Al-Aqsa Mosque – Hebron and Damascus – Homs (burial place of Khaled bin Walid – for those seeking to undertake a religiously orientated trip .

Many of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions and military leaders were martyred and buried in Jordan. Some learned estimates put this figure at somewhere around 30,000. A brief selection is outlined below.
Many strategic battles were fought in Jordan such as Muta, Yarmouk and Fahl (Pella).
The Prophet’s Muhammad’s tree where he took shelter during a journey from Mecca to Damascus is still located near Safawi in Al-Mafraq
Kahf Al-Raqim or The Cave of The Seven Sleepers. Mentioned in the Holy Qur’an in a Sura named Al-Kahf (the Cave), it is located outside the village of Al-Raqim,
Desert Castles (Umayyad dynasty (661-750 AD) – examples of early Islamic art.
The famous Battle of Fahl (Pella) which liberated Jordan from Byzantine rule.
In the southern part of Jordan, near Ras Al-Naqab, lies Humayma the base of the Abbasid Dynasty from where they planned their seizure of the Islamic Caliphate from the Umayyads.

Midway between Hejaz and Syria, on a hill located in Udruh between Ma’an and Shobak, lies Jabal Al-Tahkim or The Hill of Judication. It was here after the Battle of Siffin, that Abu Musa Al-Ashaari representing Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib met Amr ibn Al-Aas representing Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan before a court of judgment. North of the city of Ma’an is a mountain named Jabal Al-Ashaari, where a shrine for Abu Musa Al-Ashaari is located.

Aqaba hosts three interesting Islamic sites: Othman Mosque at Ayla built during the Caliphate of Othman ibn Affan , the Mamluk Fort, and the Castle of Salahuddin (Saladin) which is located on an island in the middle of the gulf.

A copy of the original letter (held in the Central Bank of Jordan) sent from The Prophet Muhammad to the emperor of Byzantium, Heraclius – can be seen at the King Abdullah Mosque Museum in Abdali Mazar Islamic Museum – Karak …. Small collection of islamic sculpture, coins, ceramics 

MU’TA BATTLE FIELD (AL MAZAR AL JANOUBI): The most significant and fiercest battle fought during Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) lifetime was the Battle of Mutah (629 AD). It took the lives of his closest companions, martyred fighting against a combined Byzantine/Ghassanid army. You can visit the tombs of the venerable companions Zaid bin Harithah, Ja’far bin Abi Talib, and Abdullah bin Ruwahah, in the town of Al-Mazar Al-Janubi, near Kerak. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) had sent Harith b. ‘Umayr al-Azdi to deliver his letter to Sharhbil b. ‘Amr al-Ghassani, a satrap of the Byzantine Emperor at Busara. Harith was first tied up under the orders of Sharhbil and then beheaded. However disagreeable a message was conveyed by an emissary, it had never been the custom of kings to condemn the envoys to death sentence. The crime was disgraceful both for the sender of the letter and the addressee as well as it poses a grave danger to the envoys, and could not just assume impunity or ever allowed to go unpunished. The guilt of blood had to be avenged with firmness so that no tyrant would be tempted to repeat a similar crime in the future, The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) decided to send a detachment to Busra in Jamada. Al-Ula, 8 A.H, A force 3,000 strong was drafted. It was the strongest force sent out so far and a number of leading companions had enlisted for active service, but the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) entrusted the expedition to his freed slave Zayd (radiallahu ‘anhu) b. Haritha. He instructed that if Zayd (radiallahu ‘anhu) will be killed then J’afar (radiallahu ‘anhu) b. Abu Talib should take over the command, and if the latter meets the same fate, then the mandate should pass on to ‘Abdullah b. Rawaha. When the expedition was already prepared to leave, the people bade farewell and saluted the commanders selected by the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). The force had to undertake a long and arduous journey in order to face an enemy backed by the strongest empire of the world.

Zayd ibn Harithah (Arabic: زيد بن حارثة‎) or Zayd mawla Muhammad (c. 588-629 CE), Was a prominent figure in the early Islamic community and the only one of sahaba whose name appears in the Qur’an (33:37).He was the adopted son of the prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). He was the 01st leader who killed during the battle

Ja‘far ibn Abī Tālib (Arabic: جعفر ابن أبي طالب) (Died 629), also known as Ja‘far at-Tayyār, was the son of Abu Talib ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib (the uncle of prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam)), and the elder brother of the fourth Islam caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib. Jafar was raised by his uncle, Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib, for his father was a poor man and had to support a big family. He embraced Islam in around 613. He appointed Zayd ibn Harithah as commander of the army and he was subsequently killed during the battle.

Abdullah ibn Rawahah ibn Tha‘labah (Arabic: عبدالله ابن رواحة‎) was one of the companions of the prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), He was one of the twelve representatives of the Ansar who took an oath of allegiance initially, before the Hijra and later spread Islam to Medina. Also he was among the 73 that pledged allegiance to the prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) in Medina; Abd Allah ibn Rawahah was third in command during the Battle of Mu’tah and was subsequently killed during the battle.

PROPHETS

It is generally acknowledged that Prophet Moses was buried on Mount Nebo, although there is no actual tomb marking the spot. The Holy Qur’an describes in detail the life and mission of Prophet Moses . In fact, Prophet Moses is the most mentioned prophet in the Holy Qur’an.

Visit Prophet Nuh ‘Noah’ shrine in the city of Kerak.

The Prophet and King of Israel, Sulayman ‘Solomon’ , has a shrine in Sarfah near Kerak.

Prophets Abraham and Prophets Jesus reportedly traveled extensively in Jordan

Lot’s Cave. Prophet Lut ‘Lot’ Shrine and museum – south of the Dead Sea. Passing by the pillar of salt statue of Lot’s wife on the Dead Sea Road – believed to be the site of the Five Cities of the Plains – 2 of which were Sodom & Gomorrah.

The Prophet Yahya ‘John the Baptist’ was the son of the Prophet Zakariyyah ‘Zacharia’ and continued his father’s work of preaching the word of Allah . He was beheaded at Mukawir and his head sent to Damascus.

In Wadi Shu’ayb lies the shrine of Prophet Shu’ayb ‘Jethro’ , the Midianite father-in-law of Prophet Moses

The shrine of Prophet Yusha ‘Joshua’ . West of salt

The final resting place of Prophet Ayyoub ‘Job’ who is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an 4 times. Khirbet Ayyoub – south west of Salt

Shrine for Prophet Dawud ‘David’ . As a child, he slew Jalut ‘Goliath’ with a sling and became the second King of Israel

The shrine of Prophet Hud . Here is a modern mosque with a cave inside where Prophet Hud is believed buried. Near Jerash

The shrine of Prophet Adam’s third son Prophet Seeth , near Tafila

The shrine of Prophet Harun ‘Aaron’ the brother of Prophet Moses . Jabal Al-Nabi Harun near Petra

VENERABLE COMPANIONS

The tomb of Bilal in Wadi el Seir, Amman – the Holy Prophet’s personal muezzin.

The tomb of the venerable companion Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf Al-Zuhri . Lined up stones mark the burial place of one of the ‘Blessed Ten’, to whom Prophet Mohammad promised paradise. Jubeiha, Amman

The venerable companion Abu Ubeida Amer ibn Al-Jarrah was the Prophet’s relative and one of the first converts to Islam. He is one of the ‘Blessed Ten’, to whom the Prophet , promised paradise.

Mo’ath ibn Jabal entered Islam at the age of 18. He was one of the six charged with the task of compiling the Holy Qur’an during the life of Prophet Mohammad He died at the age of 38 in the Jordan Valley.

The venerable companion Shurahbil ibn Hasanah He died from the plague on the same day as the – venerable companion Abu Ubeida Amer ibn Al-Jarrah .

The venerable companion Dirar ibn Al-Azwar was a poet and a fierce warrior who loved combat. He took part in the conquest of Greater Syria along with his distinguished sister Khawlah bint Al-Azwar. In the town of Deir Alla a mosque superimposed by a dome houses the tomb of Dirar ibn Al-Azwar in the 18th year after Hijra was when he, too, became a victim of the Great Plague.

The tombs of the venerable companions Zaid ibn Harithah , Ja’far ibn Abi Talib , and Abdullah ibn Ruwahah in the town of Al-Mazar Al-Janubi near Kerak. (next to the site of the famous battle of Muta)

Also in Kerak is the shrine of Zaid ibn Ali ibn Al-Hussein . He was the great, great, grandson of Prophet Mohammad

A collection of stones marks the tomb of the venerable companion Maysarah ibn Masrouq Al-Abssi buried west of Salt in the town of Arda.

The Grave of the Venerable Companion Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl marked by a collection of stones. – Ajloun

The tomb of the venerable companion Abul-Dardaa is located in a modern building in the village of Soam Ashunnaq near Irbid.

The much beloved venerable companion Jabir ibn Abdullah Al-Ansari has a shrine in Tafilah.

The venerable companion Kaab ibn Umayr Al-Ghifari His shrine is located in Salmani, Tafila province.

The venerable companion Al-Harith ibn Umayr Al-Azdi the only one of the Prophet’s messengers martyred while on an official mission. Tafila

The shrine of Farwah ibn Amr Al-Judhami is in Tafilah near Afra water springs. He was the Roman-Byzantine governor of Ma’an district until the Byzantines crucified him for converting to Islam.