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DEAD SEA
One
of the most memorable places in Jordan
is the Dead Sea; at 400 metres below sea
level, it is the lowest point on earth.
As suggested by its name the sea is devoid
of life, due to an extremely high content
of salts and minerals caused by a rapid
rate of evaporation. It is these natural
elements which give the waters their curative
powers, recognised since the days of Herod
the Great over 2,000 years ago. Today
you can enjoy the Dead Sea at comfortable
health spas and luxurious hotels. The
high concentration of salt in the Dead
Sea allows you to easily relax and float
on the water.
Near the Dead Sea, you can visit the famous
Lut's Cave?. The Prophet Lut Lot 
immigrated with his uncle, Prophet Abraham
from Ur in Iraq. He went to live in the
region just south of the Dead Sea. He
fled God's destruction of his village
Sodom due to its inhabitants' immoral
practices, by taking refuge in this cave
with his daughters. God turned his wife
into a pillar of salt for disobeying God's
command not to look back at Sodom as it
burnt. When visiting the cave you will
notice its topography tallying exactly
with the Islamic and Biblical accounts.
Furthermore, you can visit several 6th
century ruins and mosaics dedicated to
Lut's Cave. Prophet Lut
is mentioned several times in the Holy
Quran.
JORDAN VALLEY
Join other pilgrims in the Jordan Valley
and visit the tombs of Prophet Mohammad's
r venerable companions and military leaders
(may God have mercy upon them) who fell
in battle or became victims to the Amwas
Plague or Great Plague in the 18th year
after the Hijra.
The venerable companion Abu Ubeida Amer
bin Al-Jarrah 
? was the Prophet's 
relative and one of the first converts
to Islam. Among the early Muslims who
fled to Abyssinia, Abu Ubeida
participated in all major events. Furthermore,
he is one of the 'Blessed Ten', to whom
the Prophet
promised paradise. As the supreme commander
of the Northern Muslim Army, Abu Ubeida
successfully conquered Greater Syria.
Prophet Mohammad
dubbed him "The Trustee of the Nation"
because of the knowledge he acquired.
When the Prophet
died, Abu Ubeida
was among the candidates for the Caliphate.
He believed Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq
was to lead the Muslims and become Caliph
because Prophet Mohammad
had asked him to lead prayers upon his
death. Abu Ubeida
thus managed to avoid insurrection and
disunity amongst Muslims. At the age of
fifty-eight, he fell victim to the Great
Plague that spread through Greater Syria.
In the central Jordan Valley, his tomb
is a major Islamic centre with a mosque,
library and a cultural centre.
The
handsome, generous and venerable companion
Mo'ath bin Jabal
entered Islam at the age of eighteen.
He was one of the six charged with the
task of compiling the Holy Quran during
the life of Prophet Mohammad
who said of him "the most knowledgeable
on what is allowed and prohibited (in
Islam) is Mo'ath bin Jabal" and that
"Mo'ath will be at the forefront
of all scholars on Judgement Day".
Before accompanying Abu Ubeida Amer bin
Al-Jarrah
on his conquests and later succeeding
him, Prophet Mohammad
sent Mo'ath bin Jabal
as counsellor to the people of Yemen.
He also took part in the Aqaba Allegiance
Convention between the Prophet
and his supporters from Medina. He died
at the age of thirty-eight in the Jordan
Valley, having spent his short life teaching
faith and the Holy Quran. Today a modern
building with five domes houses the tomb.
The
venerable companion Shurahbil bin Hasanah
?was among the early Muslims who fled
to Abyssinia. He was reputed for his strong
faith, intelligence, bravery and successful
administration. Shurahbil
actively participated in the Battle of
Yarmouk and the conquest of Jerusalem.
When the Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq
sent the Muslim armies to Greater Syria,
Shurahbil
was in command of the army assigned to
the conquest of Jordan. Later, the Caliph
Umar bin Al-Khattab
appointed Shurahbil
the governor of a province in Greater
Syria, where he distinguished himself
for his fair dealings with subordinates.
He died from the plague on the same day
as the venerable companion Abu Ubeida
Amer bin Al-Jarrah
.
The venerable companion Amir bin Abi Waqqas
?was the maternal cousin of the Prophet
and the eleventh man to convert to Islam.
He was devoted to his faith, although
his mother Himnah, daughter of Abi Sufyan
bin Harb bin Umayyah, swore to stay out
in the burning sun until he renounces
Islam. He migrated to Abyssinia and fought
in the Battle of Uhud and was later entrusted
with carrying messages from the commanders
of the Muslim army to the Caliph in Medina.
Furthermore, he was the deputy of the
venerable companion Abu Ubeida
in his governorship of the military district
of Syria. You can visit his tomb
located inside a new building erected
on vaults, within the village of Waqqas
in the northern Jordan valley.
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The
venerable companion Derar bin Al-Azwar
?was a poet and a fierce warior who loved
combat. He fought in the wars of Apostasy
and took part in the conquest of Greater
Syria along with his distinguished sister
Khawlah bint Al-Azwar. In the town of
Deir 'AlIa a mosque superimposed by a
dome houses the tomb of Dirar bin Al-Azwar
.
The 18th year after the Hijra was when
he, too, became a victim of the Great
Plague.
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