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Saudi tourism commission accused of neglecting historic wells in Madinatul Munawarrah
4-19-2016
A researcher in the history of Madinah has accused the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) of neglecting several wells of Prophet Muhamamd (peace be upon him).
However, the tourism commission denied the charges and said it was giving utmost attention to all the wells from where the Prophet (pbuh) used to drink water and do his ablution for prayer.
Director of the SCTNH branch office in Madinah, Saleh Abbas, said the commission was giving due attention to all the historic sites in the Kingdom including the wells of the Prophet (pbuh).
He said the commission has a special department to care for the architectural relics and added that the tourism body has spared no efforts in taking good care of the historic sites.
On his part, historian Fouad Al-Mighmasi, alleged that the commission has neglected a number of wells. He contested the claims that the Prophet’s wells in Madinah are only seven and said they are 22 at least. According to other historians, the seven Prophet’ wells are Arees, Ghars, Al-Ouhan, Roumah, Al-Bastah, Bidaah and Haa.
Mighmasi doubted this number and said it was not accurate. “Throughout his life in Madinah and during his visits to the tribes outside his city, the Prophet (pbuh) drank water and did his ablution from a number of wells,” he said.
According to him, the Prophet’s wells which are still existing include Ghars which is close to Dar Al-Hijra Schools in Al-Olayah district and Al-Ouhan which is only 500 meters away from it in the same area.
He said Al-Roumah well is still existing in Al-Azhari neighborhood in Madinah near Sultan District.
Mighmasi said the Al-Bastah well is under Al-Jazirah Hotel near Al-Baqee graveyard while Arees is under the fountain adjacent to Qiba Mosque.
He said Haa well is inside the Prophet’s Mosque to the left hand side of the entrance to the mosque from King Fahd door to the north.
Bani Saad residents upset
Meanwhile, residents of Bani Saad village in Taif have filed a complaint against the commission to the concerned authorities for alleging that their village was not the place where Halima Al-Saadiyah, the Prophet’s wet nurse, had lived.
They said they have enough historical evidence to prove that Halima Al-Saadiyah, who breast-fed the Prophet (pbuh) after the death of his mother, Amina Bint Wahab, lived in their village.
The residents said they have inherited this fact through generations and are not ready to give on it.
Ali Bin Raja Allah Al-Dhuwaibi, a resident, said the blood ties are a red line which nobody should be allowed to cross.
“We will follow our complaint until our rights are restored,” he said.
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