jordan

Site of the Battle of Mu’ta

This is the place near Kerak, in southern Jordan where the Muslims fought a famous battle against a combined Byzantine/Ghassanid army during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in the year 629 CE.

• Of the epistles (letters) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) despatched to various kings, inviting them to Islam, one was sent to the King of Bursa through Haris-bin-Umair Azdi (may Allah be pleased with him). When Haris (may Allah be pleased with him) reached Mu’ta, he was killed by Sharjeel Ghassani, one of the governors of the Qaiser. The murder of the envoy was against all laws of inter-tribal morality. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was naturally very much upset when the news reached him. He collected an army, 3,000-strong, to advance against the enemy. This was the first time the Muslims would fight the Byzantines (The Roman Empire during the Middle Ages).

• While nominating Zaid-bin-Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him) to command the army, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: “If Zaid is killed, then Jafar-bin-Abi Talib will be your Amir and if he is also martyred, then Abdullah-bin-Rawahah will take the command. If he also dies, then you can select a commander from among yourselves.” A Jew, who was listening to this, said: “All the three must die. This is exactly how the earlier Prophets used to prophesy.”

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) gave Zaid a white flag made by himself. He then accompanied the army for some distance out of Madinah and prayed for them saying: “May Allah bring you back safely and triumphantly, May He guard you against all evils.”

• When Sharjeel received intelligence about this army, he prepared an army 100,000 strong and another army of 100,000 was raised by the Qaiser himself to meet the Sahabah. When the Sahabah heard the rumour of the impending army they hesitated whether they should face such heavy odds or inform the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Abdullah bin Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) exhorted them to advance and they faced the army in the battlefield of Mu’ta.

• A fierce battle raged in which, as prophesised, Zaid-bin-Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him), followed by Jafar-bin-Abi Talib and Abdullah-bin-Rawahah were martyred. After the last leader had fallen, Thabit bin Aqram (may Allah be pleased with him) ran to receive the flag and rose it high, so that the Muslims would not disperse in chaos. Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) then handed the flag to Khalid-bin-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) and called the Muslims publicly to accept his leadership. They unanimously agreed and for the first time Khalid-bin-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) headed a Muslim army.

• Khalid-bin-Waleed (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the fighting was so intense that he used nine swords which broke in the battle. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he prepared to withdraw the army. He continued to engage the Byzantines in skirmishes, but avoided pitched battle. One night he completely changed his troop positions and brought forth a rearguard that he had equipped with new banners; all this was intended to give the impression that reinforcements had arrived from Madinah. He also ordered his cavalry to retreat behind a hill during the night, hiding their movements, and then return during daytime when the battle resumed, raising as much dust as they could. This also was intended to create the impression that further reinforcements were arriving. The Byzantines believed in the fictitious reinforcements and withdrew, thus allowing the Muslim force to safely retreat to Madinah.

Today, those Muslims who fell at the battle are considered martyrs (shaheed). Far from being a defeat, this battle was a strategic success; the Muslims had challenged the Byzantines and had made their presence felt amongst the Arab Bedouin tribes in the region.

Cave of Ashabe-Kahf (interior)

The main view above shows a section of the interior. The crafted stone blocks are tombs; one of them has a viewing hole through which bones can be seen (inset). The bones of the dog have also been displayed.

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was challenged by the Quraysh of Makkah who did not believe in his message to answer three questions passed onto them by the Jews. One of the questions was, “Who were the youth who disappeared, and how many were they?” The Jews knew that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) would only be able to tell the story if he was indeed a prophet.

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had no clue and said that he would answer them tomorrow, hoping for the answer to be revealed to him through Jibraeel (upon him be peace) but forgetting to say ’Inshallah’ (if Allah wills). No revelation came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) for 15 days, leading the Quraysh to greatly abuse and revile him.

• The answer, however, was eventually revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in a Surah named after the cave (Al-Kahf) of the sleepers. The Quran revealed the exact story that the Jews knew of, and it answered the questions similarly to the information they had. The Quran confirmed that they slept for 309 years, which the Jews knew of. The Quran however did not give an exact answer as to how many they were. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) revealed: “(Some) will say: They were three, their dog the fourth, and (some) say: Five, their dog the sixth, guessing at random: and (some) say: Seven, and their dog the eighth. Say (O Muhammad): My Lord is best aware of their number. None knowth them save a few. So contend not concerning them except with an outward contending, and ask not any of them to pronounce concerning them.” [18:22]

The Jews themselves did not know exactly how many there were (whether 3,5 or 7) and were astonished when the Quran gave all the possible numbers they had suspected for the number of sleepers 
                             Cave of Ashabe-Kahf (exterior)

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  This is regarded as the cave in which a group of pious youths (equated with the Christian legend of the ‘Sleepers of Ephesus’) sought refuge from a tyrannical pagan king and in which Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) caused them to sleep for 300 years. Their story is mentioned in the Holy Quran in Surah Kahf. The cave is located in the suburb of Abu Alanda in Amman.
  

In around 250 CE there ruled a Roman king called Daqyanoos (Decius) who would annually hold a gathering dedicated to the worshipping of idols. Many people would attend, dressed in their best clothing. However, one youth believed in the oneness of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), the teachings of Isa (upon him be peace) and shunned pagan worship. He rebelled against the practices that were happening in the society. He attracted another youth and then another to form a small group.
When the king heard of their rebellion he became very angry and issued a command for them to be killed. In order to save their iman (faith) they fled and went into hiding. On their escape route they met a young farmer who owned a dog; they gave him da’wah, he accepted and decided to also join them. Eventually they came to a cave in which they made dua to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) for ease. They decided to take rest there for a while, leaving the dog (named Qitmir) near the entrance as a guard. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) caused them and the dog to sleep for 300 years.

• Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) describes their sleeping in the Holy Quran in Surah Kahf:
  “And thou wouldst have deemed them waking though they were asleep, and we caused them to turn over to the right and the left, and their dog stretching out his paws on the threshold. If thou hadst observed them closely thou hadst assuredly turned away from them in flight, and hadst been filled with awe of them.” [18:18]

• The Quran further states that the period of time these sleepers spent in the cave was 300 years during which the calendar of their people was changed from solar to lunar and, as a result, the period of their sleep was 309 years. When they woke up, they had no idea they slept for centuries and thought they had only slept a few hours. When they sent one of them to buy food, the shopkeeper was amazed to see such old coins and the reality of the time they had spent in the cave gradually came to light. The present ruling king, whom some scholars have identified as Tandoosees, was a believer who came on foot to see them and seek their blessings. When these young men died they were buried in the cave along with their dog. The bones of these youth and the dog are visible to see inside.

• Apart from Amman in Jordan, the location of the cave is also claimed to be in Turkey. And Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows best.

To the left of the entrance is an ancient olive tree. At one time a small church was built on top of the cave; this was converted to a mosque with the mihrab still being visible above the entrance                            

Tomb of Abdullah-bin-Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him)

This is the tomb of Abdullah-bin-Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him), the third amir appointed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to lead the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’ta.

• Abdullah-bin-Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) was originally a Christian scribe from Madinah and was also known as Abu Amro’ Al-Ansari Al-Khazraji Al-Badri. He was one of the most active persons from among the Ansar to support the faith of Islam and strengthen its structure.

• During the Battle of Badr, he was left behind by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in charge of Madinah.

• When Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) was killed in Mu’ta, Abdullah-bin-Rawahah (may Allah be pleased with him) was eating a piece of meat in a corner of the battle-field. He had been hungry for three days. On hearing of Jafar’s death, he threw away that piece of meat, saying to himself, “Abdullah! You are busy in eating, while Jafar has reached Paradise.” He then took the flag and began to fight. His finger was severely injured and hung loose. He put the hanging finger under his foot and tore it off from the hand, and then rushed forward, striking with his sword till he was martyred.

 

Tomb of Jafar-bin-Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)

This is the tomb of Jafar-bin-Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the second amir appointed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to lead the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’ta.

• Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) was the paternal cousin of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the older brother of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

• He had a special love for the poor and often mingled and associated with them.

• He was amongst the first of the companions to emigrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) during the persecution of the Quraysh. He was the spokesman of the Muslims who successfully defended the emigrants in the court of the King Negus against the Quraysh who had come to force them back to Makkah.

• When Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) had been killed, the flag of the muslims was taken by Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him). He intentionally disabled his horse to dispel any idea of returning home from the battlefield. With flag in one hand and sword in the other, he jumped into the enemy lines. The enemy cut his right hand, which held the flag. He at once transferred it to his left. When that was cut off, he held the flag in his teeth and supported it with his bleeding arms. His body was cut into two by somebody from behind and he fell dead, he was around 33 at the time.

• On hearing the news of his death, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) went to his house to condole with his family. He called his sons Abdullah, Aun and Muhammed, consoled them and blessed them with his prayers.

After his death Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him) became known as Jafar Al-Tayyar, The One of Two Wings, in reference to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) having a vision of him in Paradise with two wings.                          

Tomb of Zaid-bin-Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him)

 This is the tomb of Zaid-bin-Haritha (may Allah be pleased with him), the first amir appointed by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to lead the Muslim army in the battle of Mu’ta.

• Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) was the first to embrace Islam after Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

• When still a small child he was travelling in a caravan when it was attacked by the tribe of Banu Qais. He was taken as a slave and sold in Makkah to Hakim-bin-Hizam who purchased him for his aunt Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with him), who offered him as a present to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) at the time of her marriage to him.

• Zaid’s father was in immense grief at the loss of his son and roamed about in search of him. Zaid met some people of his clan during their pilgrimage to Makkah and sent a letter to his father assuring him that he was quite well and happy with his noble master. Zaid’s father and uncle came to Makkah with sufficient money to ransom Zaid and approached the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to free him so they could take him back. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) gave Zaid the free choice to go back with his father but he refused saying, “How can I prefer anybody else to you? You are everybody for me, including my father and uncle.” On this the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took Zaid in his lap and said, “From today, I adopt Zaid as my son.” Zaid’s father and uncle were quite satisfied with the situation and gladly left Zaid with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

• Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) is the only companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) mentioned by name in the Quran which concerned his divorce from Zainab (may Allah be pleased with him):“So when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, We gave her unto thee in marriage.” [Quran 33:37]

• Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) died at the age of 55.

                           

Tomb of Prophet Shoayb (upon him be peace)

This tomb is believed to be that of Shoayb (upon him be peace). He is regarded as being the father-in-law of Musa (upon him be peace) and was sent to the people of Madyan, a community of merchants who controlled the great trade routes between Yemen and Syria, and between Iraq and Egypt on the shores of the Red Sea.

• Shoayb (upon him be peace) is mentioned in the Holy Quran 11 times, he is known as Jethro in the Bible. The people of Madyan were originally true followers of Ebrahim (upon him be peace) but gradually over the centuries had become involved in disobedience and sin. In particular they were involved in:
  1. Idol worship and polytheist customs 2. Cheating when giving measure but claiming in full or more than entitled 3. Falsehood in all matters and robbing people

• Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) makes mention in the Holy Quran in Surah Al-A’raf: “And unto Madyan (We sent) their brother, Shoayb. He said: O my people! Serve God! Ye have no other god save Him. Lo! A clear proof hath come unto you from your Lord; so give full measure and full weight and wrong not mankind in their goods, and work not confusion in the land after the fair ordering thereof. That will be better for you, if ye are believers.” [7:85]

• Shoayb (upon him be peace) was very upset on seeing his people practice bad deeds. He advised them to seek forgiveness of Allah. Alas, they desisted and were destroyed by an earthquake.

• Shoayb (upon him be peace) was renowned for his eloquence and good speech. According to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) mentioned him, he said, “he was the orator of the Prophets”.

• Shoayb (upon him be peace) was ethnically an Arab. In a hadith narrated by Abu Zarr (may Allah be pleased with him) it is stated, “Four are from the Arabs. Hud, Salih, Shoayb and your Prophet, O Abu Zarr!”.

The tomb of Shoayb (upon him be peace) is also claimed to be in Hadramawt, Yemen.

Tomb of Prophet Harun (upon him be peace)

The white building on top of this mountain is believed to house the tomb of Harun (upon him be peace) who was the brother of Musa (upon him be peace). It is situated on top of Mount Hor, close to the valley of Petra. It was built in the 13th century, by the Mameluk Sultan Al Nasir Mohammad.

• Harun (upon him be peace) is mentioned by name in the Holy Quran 20 times. In the Bible he is known as Aaron.

• When Musa (upon him be peace) was commanded by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to go to Firawn (Pharoah) he made dua for Prophethood to be bestowed on his brother Harun so he could help him. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) reproduces this dua in the Holy Quran in Surah Ta Ha:“Moses said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness). And ease my task for me; and make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (remove the incorrectness of my speech) that they understand my speech, and appoint for me a helper from my family, Aaron, my brother; increase my strength with him, and let him share my task (of conveying Allah’s Message and Prophethood), and we may glorify You much, and remember You much, Verily! You are of us ever a Well-Seer.“ [20:25-35]

• Harun (upon him be peace) was a gifted speaker, and would often speak for Musa (upon him be peace) who suffered from a speech impediment. He was largely responsible with teaching the Israelites the way of worship as it was laid out in the Torah of that time.

• Islam holds that Harun (upon him be peace) held no part in causing the Israelites to worship the golden calf. Rather, he was overpowered and was threatened with being killed by his people. When Musa (upon him be peace) returned from the mount, he immediately blamed Harun (upon him be peace) and seized him by his beard, but Harun (upon him be peace) then gave his explanation, after which Musa (upon him be peace) prayed to Allah to forgive both of them.

• Amir bin Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported (on the authority of his father) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: “You are in the same position with relation to me as Harun was in relation to Musa but with (this explicit difference) that there is no prophet after me.” [Muslim]

Harun (upon him be peace) is said to have lived for 122 years.                              

Tomb of Prophet Yusha (upon him be peace)

This is the tomb of Yusha (upon him be peace), a Prophet who was very close to Musa (upon him be peace) and took his place as the leader of the Bani Israil after his death. He is known as Joshua in the Bible.

• Yusha (upon him be peace) was the great grandson of Prophet Yusuf (upon him be peace), his full name being Yusha bin Nun bin Afraeem bin Yusuf. Although he is not mentioned by name in the Holy Quran there are references made to him in two places.

• After the Bani Israil fled bondage in Egypt and wandered the desert for 40 years Musa (upon him be peace) died close to Bayt al-Maqdis, often referred to as ‘The Promised Land’. Yusha (upon him be peace) took over and led the Bani Israil over the River Jordan and into the surroundings of Jericho (also known locally as Ariha). It was a splendid city with large palaces. He laid siege over it for six months and then with a final push, raising the takbeer, he led his army in and conquered it.

• It is said that when they were about to take the city of Jerusalem it was on a Friday at Asr time. The sunset was close approaching which would subject them to the observance of the sabbath (on Saturday), meaning that they would have had to cease fighting. Yusha (upon him be peace) addressed the sun that it was under a command while he was under another command and he prayed to Allah, “O Allah, hold it back from setting!”. It was stopped till Allah made him victorious.

• A hadith has been narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, ”Surely, the sun has never been stopped from setting down for a human being except for Yusha (upon him be peace) on the evening he invaded the Bayt al-Maqdis.”

• The Bani Israil lived in the Bayt al-Maqdis for some time and Yusha (upon him be peace) taught them the Torah and ruled according to it. He lived for 127 years.

                         

Cave of Prophet Lut (upon him be peace)

According to Christian tradition, this cave, situated close to the Dead Sea is where the Prophet Lut [Lot] (upon him be peace) sought refuge in after the destruction of Sodom, his village.

• In Islam, Lut (upon him be peace), like all the other Prophets of Allah is regarded as being righteous and the upholder of all forms of moral conduct. There occurs a  major difference between the Islamic and Judeo/Christian beliefs regarding what happened to Lut (upon him be peace) and his daughters after they fled the destruction of Sodom.

• According to “Who’s Who in the Bible” by Peter Calvocoressi, after they went to live in the cave the two daughters of Lut (upon him be peace) feared they would never get a man so they plotted to make their father seduce them when he was drunk. They took it in turns and each subsequently bore a son who became the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites. The story is told in Genesis 19:30-36: 

30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.
³¹ And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:
³² Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
³³ And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
³⁴ And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
³⁵ And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
³⁶ Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.                                 

Tomb of Muadh-bin-Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him)

This is the tomb of Muadh-bin-Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him), an eminent Sahabi about whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) once said, “The most knowledgeable of my ummah in matters of halal and haram is Muadh-ibn-Jabal.”

• Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) was an Ansari who became a Muslim at a young age at the hands of Musayb-bin-Umair (may Allah be pleased with him), whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had sent to Yathrib (Madinah) before the Hijrah. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) reached Madinah, Muadh stayed in his company as much as possible. He studied the Quran and the laws of Islam until he became one of the most well-versed of all the companions in the religion of Islam. Wherever Muadh went, people would refer to him for legal judgements on matters over which they differed.

• Sometime after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had returned to Madinah, messengers of the kings of Yemen came to him announcing that they and the people of Yemen had become Muslims. They requested that some teachers should be with them to teach Islam to the people. For this task the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) commissioned a group of competent da’ees (missionaries) and made Muadh-bin-Jabal their amir. He then put the following question to Muadh: “According to what will you judge?”. “According to the Book of Allah,” replied Muadh. “And if you find nothing therein?”. “According to the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah.”. “And if you find nothing therein?”. “Then I will exert myself (exercise ijtehad) to form my own judgement.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was pleased with this reply and said: “Praise be to Allah who has guided the messenger of the Prophet to that which pleases the Prophet.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) personally walked for some distance alongside Muadh as he rode out of the city.

• When it came time to bid farewell the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said to Muadh, “O Muadh, perhaps you shall not meet me again after this year. Perhaps when you return you shall see only my mosque and my grave.” Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) wept upon hearing this as he knew in his heart that he was never to meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in this world again. A feeling of sadness and desolation overtook him as he parted from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). The Prophet’s premonition was correct, the eyes of Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) never beheld the Prophet after that moment. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) died before Muadh returned from Yemen.

• Muadh (may Allah be pleased with him) died in Jordan during the 18th year after Hijra, at the age of 38. His son is also buried close to him.

Many visitors have commented on the lovely fragrance that is present in the room where he is buried. Caretakers have insisted they have never applied anything there.                            

Mosque of Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him)

This mosque, in the Jordan Valley, houses the tomb of Abu Ubaidah-bin-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who was among the Ashura Mubbasharah, the blessed ten companions whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) gave glad tidings of their entry into Paradise.

• The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, “Every nation has a trustworthy man, and the trustworthy man of this (Muslim) nation is Abu Ubaidah.”

• Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) has been described as a tall, thin, light bearded man with two broken teeth that was the envy of all the Muslims, as they had been broken in the process of helping the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). During the battle of Uhud, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was fiercely attacked by the enemy and two links of the helmet worn by him was struck deep into his head (or face). Abu Ubaidah ran to help him and started pulling out the links with his teeth. By the time one of the links was out he had lost one of his teeth. Without minding this, he again used his teeth to pull out the other link as well. He succeeded in taking out that one too, but he had to loose another tooth in the effort. In this process his blood mixed with the Prophet’s blood.

• During the Caliphate of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) replaced Khalid-bin-Waleed as the commander of the Muslims during the Syrian Campaign.

• He died from the Great Plague in the 18 A.H. , near Fahl at the age of 58.

                             

The Treasury, Petra

This building, known as The Treasury is one of a series of buildings in Petra that was built by the Nabateans who followed a pagan religion and were closely linked to the people of Thamud. They were renowned for their elaborate skill of carving into rocks.

• The Nabateans were a Semitic people, Arabs of southern Jordan, Canaan and the northern part of Arabia,

• Petra lies on the slope of Mount Hor and close to the town of Wadi Musa (the valley of Moses). Harun (upon him be peace), the brother of Musa (upon him be peace) is buried close by, as is Miriam, their sister.

• The Nabateans worshipped the Arab gods and goddesses of the pre-Islamic times as well as few of their deified kings. Many statues carved in the rock depict these gods and goddesses. Three of the idols worshipped by the disbelievers at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), Lat, Uzza and Manat have their origins with the Nabateans. They used to believe that they were the daughters of Allah.

One of the first things that can be seen around the entrance to Petra are three huge blocks, standing 6 to 8 metres high. Tradition holds that they contained ‘jinn’, placed there to guard the city.                             

Kerak castle

This is the Crusader castle in which resided Reynald-de-Chatillon (also known as Arnat), one of the worst enemies of the Muslims during the Crusades. It was taken by Salahuddin Ayyubi on the second attempt in 1189 CE. 

• In 1183 Salahuddin besieged the castle, the siege taking place during the marriage of Humphrey IV of Toron and Isabella of Jerusalem. Lady Stephanie (the wife of Reynald) sent plates of food to the Muslim army beyond the walls. In response, while his men were trying to bridge the moat and catapulting rocks against the walls, Salahuddin enquired which tower the newly weds were occupying. As an act of chivalry, Salahuddin ordered his army not to bombard the tower and direct their fire elsewhere. The siege was eventually relieved by King Baldwin IV.

• Despite a truce between the Crusaders and Muslims, in 1186 Reynald attacked a caravan travelling between Cairo and Damascus. In the ensuing hostilities, Reynald launched ships on the Red Sea, partly for piracy, but partly as a threat against Makkah and Madinah, challenging Islam in its own holy places. His pirates ravaged villages up and down the Red Sea, before being captured by the army of Al-Adil only a few miles from Madinah and subsequently beheaded.

• Reynald’s rein in Kerak was characterised by wanton cruelty. Not only did he throw prisoners from the castle walls, he encased their heads in boxes first, in the hope that this would stop them losing consciousness before they hit the rocks below.

• Salahuddin swore that if Reynald was ever captured he would be executed by his own hands. In 1187, the Muslims defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin during which Reynald was taken prisoner along with King Guy, both of whom Salahuddin ordered brought to his tent. The chronicler Imad ad-Din al-Isfahani, who was present at the scene, relates: “Salahuddin invited the king [Guy] to sit beside him, and when Arnat [Raynald] entered in his turn, he seated him next to his king and reminded him of his misdeeds. “How many times have you sworn an oath and violated it? How many times have you signed agreements you have never respected?” Raynald answered through a translator: “Kings have always acted thus. I did nothing more.”

• During this time King Guy was gasping with thirst, his head dangling as though drunk, his face betraying great fright. Salahuddin spoke reassuring words to him, had cold water brought, and offered it to him. The king drank, then handed what remained to Reynald, who slaked his thirst in turn. The sultan then said to Guy: “You did not ask permission before giving him water. I am therefore not obliged to grant him mercy.” After pronouncing these words, the sultan smiled, mounted his horse, and rode off, leaving the captives in terror. He supervised the return of the troops, and then came back to his tent. He ordered Reynald brought there, then advanced before him, sword in hand, and struck him between the neck and the shoulder-blade. When Reynald fell, he cut off his head and dragged the body by its feet to the king, who began to tremble. Seeing him thus upset, Salahuddin said to him in a reassuring tone: “This man was killed only because of his maleficence and perfidy”.

• Salahuddin besieged Kerak castle again and finally captured it in 1189.

• Kerak is the unofficial capital of southern Jordan and lies around 125 km south of Amman.

                       

Wife of Prophet Lut (upon him be peace)

This rock formation (near the city of Salt) is believed by Christians to be the wife of Lut (upon him be peace), who looked back at the punishment being inflicted on the people of Sodom and Gommorah and as a result was turned into a pillar of salt. According to the Holy Quran, the wife of Lut (upon him be peace) was inflicted with punishment but her turning into a pillar of salt is not specifically mentioned. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) knows best. Please note that this has been shown for information purposes only as it relates to Quranic revelation. By no means does this imply that this is a place of veneration for Muslims.

• Some angels came down in the form of handsome young men to Sadoom (Sodom), where lived Lut (upon him be peace) among a community indulging in homosexuality and immoral behaviour. The first to see them was one of the daughters of Lut (upon him be peace) who immediately told her father about them. Lut (upon him be peace), fearing that they will be abused if they were spotted, rushed out to meet them and invited them to his house as his guests. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) mentions this incident in the Quran in Surah Hud:“And when Our Messengers came to Lut he was grieved on their account and felt himself straightened for them (lest the town people should approach them to commit sodomy with them). He said: ‘This is a distressful day’.” [11:17]

• Only the people of his house were aware of the guests but his wife went out and informed the people that Lut (upon him be peace) had brought handsome men into the house. People immediately came and surrounded the house and demanded Lut (upon him be peace) to give up his guests to them. Lut (upon him be peace) barricaded himself behind the closed door but when he found the task of holding them back formidable, he said,“Would that I had power against you, or might have some strong support for refuge.” [11:80]

• In that moment, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) makes mention of what the angels said:“O Lut ! Verily, we are the Messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you! So travel with your family in a part of the night, and let not any of you look back, but your wife (will remain behind), verily, the punishment which will afflict them, will afflict her. Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near?” [11:81]

• Lut (upon him be peace) left with his family and when the sun rose the decree of Allah was fulfilled. A severe punishment descended upon the people and destroyed all of them. On the saving of Lut (upon him be peace), Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) says in the Holy Quran: “So we saved him and his family, all except an old woman (his wife) among those who remained behind.” [26:170-171]

• There are two interpretations about how his wife was destroyed. Either she remained inside the city or she looked back at the punishment and as a result was punished herself.

• Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has mentioned in Surah At-Tahrim: “Allah has struck a similitude for those who disbelieve – the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were under two of our righteous servants, but they betrayed them, so that they (their husbands) availed them nothining whatsoever against Allah; so it was said (to them) enter the fire along with the enterers.” [66:10]