JEDDAH, 29 January 2005 — Three decades after being unearthed in Makkah, a tombstone believed to date from the early days of Islam has been revealed. The marker was found during a construction excavation in the Abu Lahab neighborhood of the old Makkah district of Jarwal. Etched with the name of Fatima of the Bani Hashim tribe, the heavy stone, 80 cm long and a half-meter in uneven width, is believed to be more than 1,300 years old. The woman is believed to be the great great granddaughter of Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet’s grandfather.
Noor Amoudi has been keeping the tombstone for the past 30 years since her grandfather bought the land and began building their home. The letters on the stone are not dotted, indicating that it was written before the year 95H, when dots were introduced into the Arabic alphabet.
Noor, a history teacher, did research on the location where the stone was found, and she believes the land belonged to the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Lahab. Makkah, with its unique history and religious significance, is full of buried historical treasures.
Amoudi is among many Makkawis who accidentally unearth such items but are either unaware of their significance or neglect to have them properly curated in a museum. She has kept the stone safe because she was afraid to give it to someone who might mishandle it.
