MADAEN SALEH

Visiting the historical sites and monuments, especially the naturally preserved sites are extremely delightful to eyes and equally mysterious to minds. Often it turned out to be an enriching experience due to the inscrutability surrounded with it. I have experienced one such during my recent visit to Madaen Saleh historical site which is inexplicable in terms of its silent existence for more than 5000 years. I must appreciate the Saudi government and the authorities for preserving its originality and preventing it from human pollution (see the below picture). I would even recommend leaving the site as it is so as the researchers, historians, archeologists, scientists and geologists can easily feel the presence of history in almost original form. They can also able to uncover and reconstruct the history of its inhabitants including the Nabataeans life and their astuteness.

My visit to Madaen Saleh with family is one of the most memorable experiences to all of us. The incapable human minds always tend to travel to past and try to unravel the lost sequence of human history. It did happen to me and I tried to identify such frequency of feelings. The dead sands and rocks; perplexing shapes and sizes of mountains; curiously looking skies; and the comprehensive existence of historical evidences are all consistently exhibiting the visual lessons to the humans that the world is impermanent to any living beings. Nature has many to offer and its imperceptible communication to every human observing mind is unexplainable in words. Nature has its own language and meanings and Madaen Saleh too. Madaen Saleh is undoubtedly one of the remarkable historical monuments on earth which is imprinting the exciting experiences and memory for ever. Precisely, the mentioning of Prophet Saleh and his people’s story in Holy Quran added the meaningful purpose to my visit.

Time and again it is proved that history has many faces and incredibly mysterious when we look at the astounding appearances of monuments and structures. One cannot have conclusive satisfaction of mere visit with simple or casual approach. It required a careful, concentrated and detailed approach right from basic knowledge about the locations, preparation of mind, proper guide and above all a clean mind to observe everything without any prejudice. I prepared with all necessary information and have read the records including Holy Quran and Ibn Kathir’s ‘the stories of prophets’ prior to my travel. Obviously, I will have to repeat the same when I come back.

It is appropriate to start from the years of Prophet Saleh as is known to the world as Madaen Saleh. It is also learned from history references that the site was named as Madaen Saleh by Andulasian traveler in 1336 AD. However, Holy Quran is the only authentic and highly relevant source available at present with the stories of Ad and Thamud tribes. Through Holy Quran only we would able to understand that Prophet Moses also warned his people with the stories of Ad and Thamuds. Holy Quran explains in detail including the explanation from Ibn Kathir.

(To be continued)