Majed Al-Suqairi Okaz/ Saudi Gazette MADINAH — A joint committee from the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and Madinah Municipality closed the Uhud cave to prevent visitors from climbing to it. Many of the visitors who climbed up to the cave were shocked when they saw the entrance had been blocked with a concrete wall. The climb to the cave takes a long time as it requires expertise and a lot of energy. Yousuf Al-Muzainy, Executive Manager of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) in Madinah, said he was not aware of the closure as the site is not listed as a monument in Madinah. Visitors often climb up to the cave believing that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sought refuge in the cave after the battle of Uhud to receive treatment. Historians, however, disagree on the authenticity of the story. The ancient writings on the cave's walls increased its popularity. Islamic historians Tnaideeb Al-Faidi and Abdulaziz Kaaki had differing opinions on the importance of the cave. Al-Faidi said there was no proof that the Prophet had ever reached the cave. “He was at the bottom of the mountain and did not climb it. It was very important to shut it down because of the increasing number of visitors who had wrong impressions about the cave.” Kaaki on the other hand said the cave had been referenced in several history books but he also supported the closure due to “the wrong practices of many visitors.”
