Prophet's Mosque

Coordinates: 24°28′6″N 39°36′39″E / 24.46833°N 39.61083°E / 24.46833; 39.61083
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Prophet's Mosque
Al-Masjid An-Nabawī (ٱلْمَسْجِد ٱلنَّبَوِي)
AH)
Specifications
Capacity1,000,000[1]
Minaret(s)10
Minaret height105 m (344 ft)
InscriptionsVerses from the Quran and the names of Allah and Muhammad
Website
wmn.gov.sa

The Prophet's Mosque (

largest mosque and holiest site in Islam, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, in the Saudi region of the Hejaz.[2] The mosque is located at the heart of Medina, and is a major site of pilgrimage that falls under the purview of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
.

Arabic: وَاقِف, romanizedwāqif) of the mosque, on behalf or in favor of Muhammad.[3] al-Ansari also accommodated Muhammad upon his arrival at Medina
in 622.

Originally an open-air building, the mosque served as a

caliph al-Walid I (r. 705–715), it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first two Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr (r. 632–634) and Umar (r. 634–644).[4] One of the most notable features of the site is the Green Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque,[5] originally Aisha's house,[4] where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Many pilgrims who perform the Hajj also go to Medina to visit
the Green Dome.

In 1909, under the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, it became the first place in the Arabian Peninsula to be provided with electrical lights.[6] From the 14th century, the mosque was guarded by eunuchs, the last remaining guardians were photographed at the request of then-Prince Faisal bin Salman Al Saud, and in 2015, only five were left.[7][8] It is generally open regardless of date or time, and has only been closed to visitors once in modern times, as Ramadan approached during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[9]

History

Under Muhammad and the Rashidun (622–660 AD)

A hadith inscribed in the mosque which says "A prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers anywhere else, except for Al-Masjid al-Haram."

The mosque was built by Muhammad in 622 AD after his arrival in Medina.[10] Riding a camel called Qaswa, he arrived at the place where this mosque was built, which was being used as a burial ground.[11] Refusing to accept the land as a gift from the two orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, who owned the land, he bought the land which was paid for by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and it took seven months to complete the construction of the mosque. It measured 30.5 m × 35.62 m (100.1 ft × 116.9 ft).[11] The roof which was supported by palm trunks was made of beaten clay and palm leaves. It was at a height of 3.60 m (11.8 ft). The three doors of the mosque were the Bāb ar-Raḥmah (بَاب ٱلرَّحْمَة, "Gate of the Mercy") to the south, Bāb Jibrīl (بَاب جِبْرِيْل, "Gate of Gabriel") to the west, and Bāb an-Nisāʾ (بَاب ٱلنِّسَاء, "Gate of the Women") to the east.[11] At this time point in the history of the mosque, the wall of the qiblah was facing north to Jerusalem, and the Suffah was along the northern wall. In the year 7 AH, after the Battle of Khaybar, the mosque was expanded[12] to 47.32 m (155.2 ft) on each side, and three rows of columns were built beside the west wall, which became the place of praying.[13] The mosque remained unaltered during the reign of Abu Bakr.[13]

Umar demolished all the houses around the mosque, except those of

Muhammad's wives, to expand it.[14] The new mosque's dimensions became 57.49 m × 66.14 m (188.6 ft × 217.0 ft). Sun-dried mud bricks were used to construct the walls of the enclosure. Besides strewing pebbles on the floor, the roof's height was increased to 5.6 m (18 ft). Umar constructed three more gates for entrance. He also added Al-Buṭayḥah (ٱلْبُطَيْحَة) for people to recite poetry.[15]

The third Rashidun caliph

Teakwood was used in reconstructing the ceiling filza.[17]

Under subsequent Islamic states (660–1517)

The mosque during the Ottoman Era, in the 19th century

In 706 or 707, the

Umayyad caliph Al-Walid I (r. 705–715) instructed his governor of Medina, the future caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, to significantly enlarge the mosque.[18][19] According to the architectural historian Robert Hillenbrand, the building of a large scale mosque in Medina, the original center of the caliphate, was an "acknowledgement" by Al-Walid of "his own roots and those of Islam itself" and possibly an attempt to appease Medinan resentment at the loss of the city's political importance to Syria under the Umayyads.[18]

It took three years for the work to be completed. Raw materials were procured from the

porticoes were built in the mosque connecting the northern part of the structure to the sanctuary. Minarets were also built for the first time as Al-Walid constructed four minarets around it.[22]

The

Baibars sent dozens of artisans led by the eunuch Emir Jamal al-Din Muhsin al-Salihi to rebuild the sanctuary, including enclosures around the tombs of Muhammad and of Fatima.[27] The Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (r. 1501–1516) built a dome of stone over his grave in 1476.[28]

Ottoman period (1517–1805 & 1840–1919)

An illustration of the Mosque, 18th century
An illustration of the mosque in the 18th century

Sultan

Ottoman sultans from Osman Ghazi to himself (Kanuni) and revived the "Gate of Mercy" (Bab ur-Rahme) or the west gate. The pulpit that is used today was built under Sultan Murad III
(r. 1574-1595).

In 1817, Sultan

Abdulmecid I (r. 1839–1861), took thirteen years to rebuild the mosque, beginning in 1849.[29]
Red stone bricks were used as the main material in reconstruction of the mosque. The floor area of the mosque was increased by 1,293 square metres (13,920 sq ft).

The entire mosque was reorganized except for the tomb of Muhammad, the three altars, the pulpit and the Suleymaniye minaret. On the walls, verses from the

Kaside-i Bürde. The qibli wall was covered with polished tiles with lines inscribed from the Qur'an. The places of prayer and courtyard were paved with marble and red stone. The fifth minaret, Mecidiyye, was built to the west of the surrounded area. Following the "Desert Tiger" Fakhri Pasha's arrest by his own officers having resisted for 72 days after the end of the Siege of Medina
on 10 January 1919, 550 years of Ottoman rule in the region came to an end.

Saudi insurgency (1805–1811)

When

Saud bin Abdul-Aziz took Medina in 1805, his followers, the Wahhabis, demolished nearly every tomb and dome in Medina in order to prevent their veneration,[31] except the Green Dome.[32] As per the sahih hadiths, they considered the veneration of tombs and places, which were thought to possess supernatural powers, as an offence against tawhid, and an act of shirk.[33] Muhammad's tomb was stripped of its gold and jewel ornaments, but the dome was preserved either because of an unsuccessful attempt to demolish its complex and hardened structure, or because some time ago, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the Wahhabi movement, wrote that he did not wish to see the dome destroyed.[31]

Saudi rule and modern history (1925–present)

Arabic: بَاب الْمَلِك فَهْد, lit.'Gate of the King Fahd
')

The Saudi takeover was characterized by events similar to those that took place in 1805, when the Prince Mohammed ibn Abdulaziz retook the city on 5 December 1925.

King Abdulaziz (1932–1953) ordered demolitions around the mosque to make way for new wings to the east and west of the prayer hall, which consisted of concrete columns with pointed arches. Older columns were reinforced with concrete and braced with copper rings at the top. The Suleymaniyya and Mecidiyye minarets were replaced with two minarets in Mamluk revival style. Two additional minarets were erected to the northeast and northwest of the mosque. A library was built along the western wall to house historic Qurans and other religious texts.[30][38]

In 1974, King Faisal added 40,440 m2 (435,300 sq ft) to the mosque.[39] The area of the mosque was also expanded during the reign of King Fahd in 1985. Bulldozers were used to demolish buildings around the mosque.[40] In 1992, when it was completed, the mosque took over 160,000 m2 (1,700,000 sq ft) of space. Escalators and 27 courtyards were among the additions to the mosque.[41] A $6 billion project to increase the area of the mosque was announced in September 2012. After completion, the mosque should accommodate between 1.6 million to 2 million worshippers.[39] In March of the following year, the Saudi Gazette reported that demolition work had been mostly complete, including the demolition of ten hotels on the eastern side, in addition to houses and other utilities.[42]

Architecture

The Green Dome was given its signature color in 1837

The modern-day mosque is situated on a rectangular plot and is two stories tall. The

retractable umbrella-like canopies were designed by the German Muslim architect Mahmoud Bodo Rasch, his firm SL Rasch GmbH, and Buro Happold.[46]

The Green Dome

The chamber adjacent to the Rawdah holds the tombs of Muhammad and two of his companions and father-in-laws, Abu Bakr and Umar. A fourth grave is reserved for ʿĪsā (Jesus), as Muslims believe that he will return and will be buried at the site. The site is covered by the Green Dome. It was constructed in 1817 CE during the reign of the Ottoman sultan Mahmud II and painted green in 1837 CE.[4]

The Rawdah

Ar-Rawdah ash-Sharifah is mostly crowded with worshippers, and movement is restricted by policemen at all times

Ar-Rawḍah ash-Sharīfah (

Arabic: رِيَاض ٱلْجَنَّة, lit.'Gardens of the Paradise').[47][4] A green carpet
was used to distinguish the area from the red carpet used in the rest of the mosque, though it is now also green. Considering visiting Madinah and performing the Ziyarah, Muhammad said:

“Whoever visits me after my death is like he who had visited me during my life.”[48]

"When a person stands at my grave reciting blessings on me, I hear it; and whoever calls for blessings on me in any other place, his every need in this world and in the hereafter is fulfilled and on the day of Qiyamah I shall be his witness and intercessor."[49]

Mihrabs

The old mihrab constructed by Muhammad. It was remodeled several times over the centuries, and is currently set in marble.

There are two

better source needed
]

Minbars

The minbar commissioned by Sultan Murad III is still in use at the mosque today

The original minbar (مِنـۢبَر) used by Muhammad was a block of

better source needed
]

Minarets

Minaret in Prophet's Mosque

The first

better source needed
]

Imams

Gallery

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ "WMN". Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  2. ISBN 978-0-307-47290-8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
    )
  3. ^ "Masjid-e-Nabwi - IslamicLandmarks.com". IslamicLandmarks.com. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Ariffin 2005, pp. 88–89, 109
  5. .
  6. ^ "The History of Electrical lights in the Arabian Peninsula". Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Portrait of Saeed Adam Omar". The British Museum. 2014. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  8. ^ "'The Guardians' at Leighton House Museum". The Park Gallery. 2015-10-12. Retrieved 2022-04-29.
  9. ^ Farrell, Marwa Rashad, Stephen (24 April 2020). "Islam's holiest sites emptied by coronavirus crisis as Ramadan begins". Reuters. Retrieved 12 September 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "The Prophet's Mosque [Al-Masjid An-Nabawi]". Islam Web. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Ariffin 2005, p. 49.
  12. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 50.
  13. ^ a b Ariffin 2005, p. 51.
  14. .
  15. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 54.
  16. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 55.
  17. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 56.
  18. ^ a b c Hillenbrand 1994, p. 73.
  19. ^ Munt 2014, p. 106.
  20. .
  21. ^ a b Bacharach 1996, p. 35.
  22. ^ a b Ariffin 2005, p. 62.
  23. ^ Kennedy 2002, p. 127.
  24. ^ Munt 2014, pp. 106–108.
  25. ^ Munt 2014, p. 116.
  26. ^ Munt 2014, p. 118.
  27. .
  28. .
  29. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 64.
  30. ^ a b Ariffin 2005, p. 65.
  31. ^ .
  32. .
  33. .
  34. ^ "History of the Cemetery Of Jannat Al-Baqi". Al-Islam.org. 23 December 2013.
  35. .
  36. .
  37. .
  38. ^ "New expansion of Prophet's Mosque ordered by king". Arab News. 30 June 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  39. ^ a b "Prophet's Mosque to accommodate two million worshippers after expansion". Arab News. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  40. ^ "Expansion of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah (3 of 8)". King Fahd Abdulaziz. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  41. ^ "Expansion of the two Holy Mosques". Saudi Embassy. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  42. ^ "Prophet's Mosque to house 1.6m after expansion". Saudi Gazette. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  43. ^ "Archnet". archnet.org.
  44. ^ MakMax (Taiyo Kogyo Group). "Large scale umbrellas (250 units) completed, covering the pilgrims worldwide with membrane architecture : MakMax". makmax.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  45. ISBN 0-419-24060-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link
    )
  46. ^ Malik ibn Anas. "14.5.11". Muwatta Imam Malik.
  47. OCLC 927110104
    .
  48. .
  49. ^ Ariffin 2005, p. 57.
  50. ^ a b c "The Prophet's Mosque". Last Prophet. Retrieved 19 June 2015.

Sources

Further reading

External links