Alarm over Saudi plan to remove tomb of Prophet Muhammad

A proposal by a Saudi scholar to remove the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina and bury them in an unmarked grave have sparked controversy. The plans, according to the Independent newspaper have been circulating the al-Masjid al-Nabawi mosque in Medina which houses the Prophet’s remains under the Green Dome which is visited by millions of pilgrims each year and is regarded as the second holiest site in Islam after the Kabbah.

The document calls for the demolition of chambers around Muhammad’s grave and the removal of his remains to the nearby al-Baqi cemetery, where they would be anonymously interred without a headstone. The article pointed out that no decision had been officially made to implement the plans.