The High Price of Development in the Land of the Prophet (peace be upon him) 

A masjid  (in western parlance, a mosque), the House of ALLAH, is supposed to be the communal property of every sincere and practicing Muslim. It would have been more appropriate for the writer of the report below ("Medina: Saudis take a bulldozer to Islam's history") to describe the masjid referenced therein as a mosque that was built by, and/or dedicated to, the Prophet's grandson (as opposed to "a mosque which belonged to the Prophet's grandson").

The central point being made, however, is an important one. A historic and sacred treasure was callously destroyed (as other historic treasures have been callously destroyed) and the kingdom's "religious police" reportedly celebrated after its destruction - with probably the same amount of glee as the Israelis who were spotted celebrating on top of a nearby building, and later arrested, while filming the collapse of the WTC in New York City on September 11, 2001.

Whenever I read these types of reports I end up feeling really sad. I am troubled by the destruction of sacred heritage sites; I am troubled by the crass and naked materialism continuing to spread like a malignant tumor in the most sacred territory on earth; I am troubled by the apparent indifference to this spiritual pestilence from far too many Muslim leaders and scholars around the world (many of whom are profiting from this unfortunate sacrilege in various types of ways), and the virtual silence of the Muslim masses; and I am troubled by what this portends for the future. (A future that in the near term doesn't look good for humanity at all.)

I am also reminded that one of the signs of the Last Days is continuously unfolding before our eyes throughout the so-called Muslim world, "...and you will see the [once] naked, barefoot, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings." And one of the dark prophecies of ALLAH's Rasul (peace be upon him): "O Ali, two types of Muslims will receive Hellfire because of you. One type is on the lunatic fringe for exaggerating their affection for you; the other type are those who's fanaticism drive them to a phobia of hatred toward you."

(The Prophet was referring in this prophetic hadith to the extremists among the self-professed Shi'a and Sunnis. While it isn't stated in the report, the destroyed masjid was probably connected to Hussain, one of the noble grandsons of the Prophet who was murdered by criminals who claimed to be Muslim, widening the gates of Hell to the regrettable Sunni-Shi'a sectarian divide that still plagues the Ummah to this day!)

As I've noted in past writings on the subject, I was blessed to make Hajj in 1407 A.H. (1987 CE), and I only desire to make it once more before I die (insha'Allah). No matter how much I try to prepare myself for what awaits me (should my Lord grant me a second and final visit), I will probably become very emotional by what I see. I remember the first time I made tawaf around the Kaaba and looked up to see one of the palaces towering overhead - how out of place I thought it was, and how uncomfortable it made me feel (and I was very young in Islam at the time).

To walk again within that same territory and, with the exception of the Haramain, see a spiritually barren landscape (where sacred history once stood), now marred by soul-searing materialistic glitter, is really too much to imagine.

'O ALLAH, The One who changes the Hearts, make my heart firm upon faith.' Ameen.

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While I don't have the exact date and source of the report that immediately follows, a similar report (possibly the original) can be found at the following:  

http://tribune.com.pk/story/457875/masjid-an-nabawi-expansion-project-risks-razing-holy-sites/ 

See Also:  

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/../269150/saudi-regime-to-demolish-islamic-sites/ 

Please note my comments at the end. - MS