Wadi-us-Salaam in Najaf (largest cemetery in the world)

[Saif al-Arab]

وادي السلام مقبرة النجف اموات الاسلام مقبرة وادي السلام An Najaf tomb Wadee al salam Wadi Als-Salam Cemetery by Hassanein Samir, on Flickr

وادي السلام، هي مقبرة إسلامية واقعة في مدينة النجف بالعراق. تغطي المقبرة مساحة قدرها 6 كيلومتر مربع وترقد فيها الملايين من الجثث منها للأنبياء والملوك والأمراء والسلاطين والأشخاص العاديين من مختلف الديانات والمذاهب، مما يجعلها واحدة من أقوى المنافسين على by مؤسسة البارجيل, on Flickr

Najaf cemetery, Iraq by Jack Barton, on Flickr

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For a historian/genealogist this must be a wonderful place. Whole family histories and history is buried below the earth. It gets bigger and bigger each year as well.

Although Arabs are second to none when it comes to keeping track of their genealogy many Arabs from across the Arab world are visiting this cemetery in order to do genealogical studies of their family trees or extended families. In particular Shia Arabs obviously but not only.

One of the best rants against the corrupt politicians and establishment. Relevant for all Arab and Muslim countries.

Aerial footage from this year:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi-us-Salaam

@f1000n @Malik Alashter

 

[Śakra]

Are muslims allowed to cremate?

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Are muslims allowed to cremate?

No. Why are you asking?

 

[Indus Pakistan]

Kind of reminds me of Makli Tombs in Pakistan. It is listed as the largest necropolis in the world and on UNESCO register.

Link > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makli_Hill

 

[Śakra]

No. Why are you asking?

Because Christians cremate and they bury the cremated remains. This saves a lot of space.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Because Christians cremate and they bury the cremated remains. This saves a lot of space.

No need to tell me this, as Arabs happen to be the first people to have adopted Christianity outside of the small number of Jews who adopted it, but Muslims are not Christians. We Arabs are very familiar with all Abrahamic religions and pre-Abrahamic religions as they are native to our peoples (Semites). In fact so much that one of the most important topics is religion. Everyone is basically an expert or claims to be. Even the atheists and agnostics. In fact there is too much of it and I say that as a religious and spiritual person.

So this thread is not intended for religious discussion although I obviously respect that this is a sacred place for many and I am sure that if I visited I too would feel it.

Anyway Muslims do not cremate their dead. I am yet to visit Najaf (hopefully I will soon) but I do not think that space is a problem and even if we assume that it was, you can always find solutions to this problem. There is no need to cremate people even if it was allowed. Also if we assume that all people were to be cremated and their ashes spread all over the place how could you then visit graves of loved ones? It would IMO be a mess.

Yes, the ashes could be put in some urns as people do across the world (strange practice but whatever) but that would eventually also require a lot of space.

Personally the thought of being turned into ash is not very appealing. I rather decompose the traditional way. At least there will be a trace of me and descendants of mine (whether 100 generations away or just 10) will always be able to locate my grave and if necessary take DNA from me if required.

A curiosity, the Mahdi Army fought American occupiers in this cemetery during the Battle of Najaf back in 2004. In fact parts of the cemetery were destroyed however they were rebuilt.

Some more photos:

 

[terry5]

Are muslims allowed to cremate?

no .Allah forbids the use of fire on his creations

 

[livingdead]

unless we start building cemetery vertically there is insufficient space for 7 billion of us...

 

[raptor22]

unless we start building cemetery vertically there is insufficient space for 7 billion of us...

Graves could be used again after some years in Iran it's 30 years ... and also you could have 3 levels grave that could save space ..

 

[but-shikan]

Because Christians cremate and they bury the cremated remains. This saves a lot of space.

Islam forbade to Muslims to use concrete or marble the graves so that after some years anyone else can use the same space but some Sunni and mostly Shia did use these materials which is not good and became a cause of space shortage.

Why you pollute your water by throwing ash in Ganga river which made it dirtiest river on the whole planet even much dirtier than sewerage.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

Some more photos: