Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (), known in English as the Prophet's Mosque, is a
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
built by the
Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
in the city of
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the second-holiest city in Islam, and the capital of the ...
in the
Al Madinah Province
The Medina Province ( ar, مِنْطَقَة ٱلْمَدِيْنَة ٱلْمُنَوَّرَة, Minṭaqat Al-Madīnah Al-Munawarah) is a province ('' minṭaqah'') of Saudi Arabia, located on the country's western side, along the Red Sea coa ...
of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. It was the second mosque built by Muhammad in Medina, after
Quba Mosque
, location = Madinah, Saudi Arabia
, geo =
, religious_affiliation = Islam
, region = Hejaz
, province = Al Madinah
, website =
, architect = Abdel-Wahed ...
, and is the second
largest mosque and
second holiest site in Islam, both titles ranking after the
''Masjid al-Haram'' in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
. The mosque is located at the heart of Medina and is a major pilgrimage site that falls under the purview of the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques (abbreviation ''CTHM''; ar, خَادِمُ ٱلْحَرَمَيْنِ ٱلشَّرِيفَيْنِ, '), Servant of the Two Noble Sanctuaries or Protector of the Two Holy Cities, is a royal style that has been u ...
.
Muhammad was involved in the construction of the mosque. At the time, the land of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi belonged to two young orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, and when they learned that Muhammad wished to acquire their land to erect a mosque, they went to Muhammad and offered the land to him as a gift; Muhammad insisted on paying a price for the land because they were orphaned children. The price agreed upon was paid by
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who thus became the endower or donor () of Al-Masjid an-Nabawi on behalf of, or in favor of, Muhammad. al-Ansari also accommodated Muhammad upon his
arrival at Medina in 622.
Originally an open-air building, the mosque served as a
community center
Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...
, a
court of law
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordan ...
, and a
religious school
A religious school is a school that either has a religious component in its operations or its curriculum, or exists primarily for the purpose of teaching aspects of a particular religion.
Children
A school can either be of two types, though the sa ...
. It contained a raised platform or pulpit (''
minbar'') for the people who taught the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
and for Muhammad to give the Friday sermon (''
khutbah
''Khutbah'' ( ar, خطبة ''khuṭbah'', tr, hutbe) serves as the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition.
Such sermons occur regularly, as prescribed by the teachings of all legal schools. The Islamic traditio ...
''). Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated the mosque,
naming its walls, doors and minarets after themselves and their forefathers. After an expansion during the reign of the
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
caliph
Al-Walid I, it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first two
Rashidun caliphs
, image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png
, caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia
, known_for = Companions of t ...
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
and
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
.
One of the most notable features of the site is the
Green Dome
The Green Dome ( ar, ٱَلْقُبَّة ٱلْخَضْرَاء, al-Qubbah al-Khaḍrāʾ) is a green-coloured dome built above the tombs of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early Rashidun Caliphs Abu Bakr () and Umar (), which used to be ...
in the south-east corner of the mosque,
originally
Aisha's house,
where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Many pilgrims who perform the
Hajj also go to Medina to visit (''
Ziyarah'') 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. From the 14th century, the Mosque was guarded by
eunuchs, the last remaining guardians were photographed at the request of Prince
Faisal bin Salman Al Saud
Faisal bin Salman Al Saud ( ar, فيصل بن سلمان آل سعود ''Fayṣal bin Salmān Āl Suʿūd''; born 25 December 1970) is a member of the House of Saud and governor of Madinah province in Saudi Arabia.
Early life and education
Princ ...
, and in 2015 only five were left. 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
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in 2020.
History
Under Muhammad and the Rashidun (622–660 AD)
The mosque was built by Muhammad in 622 AD after his arrival in Medina. Riding a camel called Qaswa, he arrived at the place where this mosque was built, which was being used as a burial ground. 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 . The roof which was supported by palm trunks was made of beaten clay and palm leaves. It was at a height of . The three doors of the mosque were the "Gate of Mercy" ( ''Bab ar-Rahmah'') to the south, "Gate of
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...
" ( ''Bab Jibril'') to the west and "Gate of Women" ( ''Bab an-Nisa'') to the east. At this time point in the history of the Mosque, the qiblah wall was facing north to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, and the
Suffah
Al-Ṣuffah ( ar, الصُّفّة), or ''Dikkat Ashab As-Suffah'' () was a sheltered raised platform that was available at the rear side of the Prophet's Mosque during the Medina period (622-632) of early Islam. It was initially available at the ...
was along the northern wall.
In the year 7 AH, after the
Battle of Khaybar, the mosque was expanded to on each side and three rows of columns were built beside the west wall, which became the place of praying. The mosque remained unaltered during the reign of the first
Rashidun caliph
, image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png
, caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia
, known_for = Companions of ...
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
.
The second Rashidun
caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
demolished all the houses around the mosque except those of
Muhammad's wives
Thirteen women were married to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims use the term ''Umm al-Mu'minin'' ( ar, أم ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين; meaning 'Mother of the Believers') prominently before or after referring to them as a sign of respect ...
to expand it. The new mosque's dimensions became . 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 . Umar constructed three more gates for entrance. He also added the "Al Butayha" () for people to recite poetry.
The third Rashidun caliph
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic prop ...
demolished the mosque in 649. Ten months were spent in building the new rectangular shaped mosque whose face was turned towards the
Kaaba in
Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
. The new mosque measured . The number of gates as well as their names remained the same. The enclosure was made of stones laid in mortar. The palm trunk columns were replaced by stone columns which were joined by iron clamps.
Teakwood was used in reconstructing the ceiling filza.
Under subsequent Islamic regimes (660–1517 CE or 40–923 AH)
![Medina Grab des Propheten](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Medina_Grab_des_Propheten.JPG)
In 707, the
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
al-Walid I () renovated the mosque. It took three years for the work to be completed. Raw materials were procured from the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
. The area of the mosque was increased from the of
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic prop ...
's time to . A wall was built to segregate the mosque and the houses of the
wives of Muhammad
Thirteen women were married to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims use the term ''Umm al-Mu'minin'' ( ar, أم ٱلْمُؤْمِنِين; meaning 'Mother of the Believers') prominently before or after referring to them as a sign of respec ...
. The mosque was reconstructed in a trapezoid shape with the length of the longer side being . For the first time,
porticoes
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...
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.
The
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
caliph
al-Mahdi
Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Manṣūr ( ar, أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله المنصور; 744 or 745 – 785), better known by his regnal name Al-Mahdī (, "He who is guided by God"), was the third Abb ...
() extended the mosque to the north by . His name was also inscribed on the walls of the mosque. He also planned to remove six steps to the ''
minbar'', but abandoned this idea, fearing damage to the wooden platforms on which they were built. According to an inscription of
Ibn Qutaybah
Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muslim ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī al-Marwazī better known simply as Ibn Qutaybah ( ar-at, ابن قتيبة, Ibn Qutaybah; c. 828 – 13 November 889 CE / 213 – 15 Rajab 276 AH) was an Islamic scholar of Persian ...
, the caliph
al-Ma'mun () did "unspecified work" on the mosque.
Al-Mutawakkil () lined the enclosure of Muhammad's tomb with marble. In 1269, the Mamluk Sultan
Baibars sent dozens of artisans led by the
eunuch
A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function.
The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millenni ...
emir Jamal al-Din Muhsin al-Salihi to rebuild the sanctuary, including enclosures around the tombs of Muhammad and of Fatima. The
Mamluk
Mamluk ( ar, مملوك, mamlūk (singular), , ''mamālīk'' (plural), translated as "one who is owned", meaning " slave", also transliterated as ''Mameluke'', ''mamluq'', ''mamluke'', ''mameluk'', ''mameluke'', ''mamaluke'', or ''marmeluke'') ...
sultan al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri
Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri ( ar, الأشرف قانصوه الغوري) or Qansuh II al-Ghawri (c. 1441/1446 – 24 August 1516) was the second-to-last of the Mamluk Sultans. One of the last and most powerful of the Burji dynasty, he reigned fr ...
() built a dome of stone over his grave in 1476.
Ottoman period (1517–1805 & 1840–1919 CE or 923–1220 & 1256–1337 AH)
![Burton Nabi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Burton_Nabi.gif)
Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
(r. 1520-1566) rebuilt the east and west walls of the mosque, and added the northeastern minaret known as ''Süleymaniyye''. He added a new altar called Ahnaf next to Muhammad's altar, Shafi'iyya, and placed a new steel-covered dome on the tomb of Muhammad. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent wrote the names of the
Ottoman sultans
The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...
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
Mahmud II
Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839.
His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...
(r. 1808-1839) completed the construction of the "Purified Residence" ( ''al-Rawdah al-Mutaharah'' in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and ''Ravza-i Mutahhara'' in
Turkish) on the southeast side of the mosque and covered with a new dome. The dome was painted green in 1837 and has been known as the "
Green Dome
The Green Dome ( ar, ٱَلْقُبَّة ٱلْخَضْرَاء, al-Qubbah al-Khaḍrāʾ) is a green-coloured dome built above the tombs of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the early Rashidun Caliphs Abu Bakr () and Umar (), which used to be ...
" (''Kubbe-i Khadra'') ever since.
Sultan Mahmud II's successor, Sultan
Abdulmecid I
Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the r ...
(), took thirteen years to rebuild the mosque, beginning in 1849. Red stone bricks were used as the main material in reconstruction of the mosque. The floor area of the mosque was increased by .
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
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
were inscribed in
Islamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, in the languages which use Arabic alphabet or the alphabets derived from it. It includes Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, and Urdu calligraphy.Chapman, Caroline (2012). ...
. On the northern side of the mosque, a ''
madrasah'' was built for teaching the Qur'an. An
ablution
Ablution is the act of washing oneself. It may refer to:
* Ablution as hygiene
* Ablution as ritual purification
** Ablution in Islam:
*** Wudu, daily wash
*** Ghusl, bathing ablution
*** Tayammum, waterless ablution
** Ablution in Christianity
* ...
site was added to the north side. The prayer place on the south side was doubled in width, and covered with small domes. The interiors of the domes were decorated with verses from the Qur'an and couplets from the poem ''
Kaside-i Bürde''. The
kibla 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
Ömer Fahrettin Türkkan, commonly known as Fahreddin Pasha and nicknamed the Defender of Medina, was a Turkish career officer, who was the commander of the Ottoman Army and governor of Medina from 1916 to 1919. He was nicknamed "''The Lion of ...
's arrest by his own officers having resisted for 72 days after the end of the
Siege of Medina
Medina, an Islamic holy city in Arabia, underwent the longest siege during World War I. Medina was at the time part of the Ottoman Empire. In the war, the Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers. Sharif Hussain of Mecca revolted agains ...
on 10 January 1919, 550 years of Ottoman rule in the region came to an end.
Saudi insurgency (1805–1811 CE or 1220–1226 AH)
![View of Masjid-e-Nabawi Gate 21, 22](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/View_of_Masjid-e-Nabawi_Gate_21%2C_22.jpg)
When
Saud bin Abdul-Aziz took Medina in 1805, his followers, the
Wahhabis
Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, and ...
,
demolished nearly every tomb and dome in Medina in order to prevent their veneration,
except the Green Dome.
As per the sahih hadiths they considered the veneration of tombs and places thought to possess supernatural powers as an offence against ''
tawhid
Tawhid ( ar, , ', meaning "unification of God in Islam (Allāh)"; also romanized as ''Tawheed'', ''Tawhid'', ''Tauheed'' or ''Tevhid'') is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion's central and single m ...
'' and an act of ''
shirk''. 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
Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of the
Wahhabi
Wahhabism ( ar, ٱلْوَهَّابِيَةُ, translit=al-Wahhābiyyah) is a Sunni Islamic revivalist and fundamentalist movement associated with the reformist doctrines of the 18th-century Arabian Islamic scholar, theologian, preacher, an ...
movement, wrote that he did not wish to see the dome destroyed.
Saudi rule and modern history (1925–present CE or 1344–present AH)
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.
After the foundation of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, the mosque underwent several major modifications. In 1951 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
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
columns with pointed arches. Older columns were reinforced with concrete and braced with
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
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.
In 1974,
King Faisal added 40,440 square metres (435,000 square feet) to the mosque.
The area of the mosque was also expanded during the reign of
King Fahd
Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, فهد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Fahd ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd'', ; 1920, 1921 or 1923 – 1 August 2005) was a Saudi Arabian politician who was King and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia fro ...
in 1985.
Bulldozers were used to demolish buildings around the mosque. In 1992, when it was completed, the mosque took over 160,000 square meters (1.7 million square feet) of space. Escalators and 27 courtyards were among the additions to the mosque. 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.
In March of the following year, ''
Saudi Gazette
Saudi Gazette is an English-language daily newspaper launched in 1976 and published in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is only available online, as the print version was discontinued in 2019. It is the second English-language daily newspaper in Saud ...
'' 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.
Architecture
![The Green Dome, Masjid Nabawi, Madina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/The_Green_Dome%2C_Masjid_Nabawi%2C_Madina.jpg)
The modern-day Masjid an-Nabawi is situated on a rectangular plot and is two stories tall. The
Ottoman prayer hall, which is the oldest part of Masjid an-Nabawi, lies towards the south. It has a
flat paved roof topped with 27 sliding
domes on square bases. Holes pierced into the base of each dome illuminate the interior when the domes are closed. The sliding roof is closed during the afternoon prayer (
Dhuhr) to protect the visitors. When the domes slide out on metal tracks to shade areas of the roof, they create light wells for the prayer hall. At these times, the courtyard of the Ottoman mosque is also shaded with umbrellas affixed to freestanding
columns. The roof is accessed by stairs and
escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
s. The paved area around the mosque is also used for prayer, equipped with umbrella tents. The sliding domes and
retractable umbrella-like canopies were designed by the German Muslim architect
Mahmoud Bodo Rasch
Mahmoud Bodo Rasch (born 12 May 1943) is a German architect who specializes in the construction of large convertible umbrellas and lightweight structures. He is founder and owner of SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures with branches ...
, his firm
SL Rasch GmbH, and
Buro Happold.
Green Dome
The chamber adjacent to the ''Rawdah'' holds the tombs of Muhammad and two of his
companions,
father-in-laws and
caliphs
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
,
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
and
Umar ibn al-Khattab
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
. A fourth grave is reserved for
‘Īsā ( ar, عِـيـسَى,
Jesus
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...
), 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
Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839.
His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...
and painted green in 1837 CE.
Rawdah ash-Sharifah
![Rawdah by Uleke](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Rawdah_by_Uleke.jpg)
The ''Rawḍah ash-Sharifah'' ( ar, روضة الشريفة, lit=The Noble Garden) is an area between the
minbar and burial chamber of Muhammad. It is regarded as one of the ''Riyāḍ al-
Jannah
In Islam, Jannah ( ar, جَنّة, janna, pl. ''jannāt'',lit. "paradise, garden", is the final abode of the righteous. According to one count, the word appears 147 times in the Quran. Belief in the afterlife is one of the six articles of f ...
'' ( ar, رِيَاض ٱلْجَنَّة, lit=Gardens of Paradise).
A green
carpet
A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...
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.”
“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.”
Mihrab
![Qibla Nabvi mosque](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Qibla_Nabvi_mosque.jpg)
There are two
mihrabs or niches indicating the
qibla
The qibla ( ar, قِبْلَة, links=no, lit=direction, translit=qiblah) is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the ...
() in the mosque, one was built by Muhammad and another was built by the third
Rashidun caliph
, image = تخطيط كلمة الخلفاء الراشدون.png
, caption = Calligraphic representation of Rashidun Caliphs
, birth_place = Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia present-day Saudi Arabia
, known_for = Companions of ...
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic prop ...
. The one built by the latter was larger than that of Muhammad's and acts as the functional mihrab, whereas Muhammad's mihrab is a "commemorative" mihrab. Besides the ''mihrab'', the mosque also has other niches which act as indicators for praying. This includes the ''Miḥrâb Fâṭimah'' ( ar, مِـحْـرَاب فَـاطِـمَـة) or ''Miḥrāb aṫ-Ṫahajjud'' ( ar, مِـحْـرَاب الـتَّـهَـجُّـد), which was built by Muhammad for the ''
Ṫahajjud'' (late-night) prayer ( ar, تَـهَـجُّـد).
Minbar
![Minbar at Masjid Nabvi, Medina](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Minbar_at_Masjid_Nabvi%2C_Medina.JPG)
The original ''
minbar'' ( ar, مِـنـۢبَـر) used by Muhammad was a block of
date palm wood. This was replaced by him with a
tamarisk
The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Ta ...
one, which had dimensions of . In 629 CE, a three staired ladder was added to it. The first two
caliph
A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
s,
Abu Bakr
Abu Bakr Abdallah ibn Uthman Abi Quhafa (; – 23 August 634) was the senior companion and was, through his daughter Aisha, a father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as the first caliph of Islam. He is known with the honor ...
and
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
, did not use the third step as a sign of respect to Muhammad, but the third caliph
Uthman
Uthman ibn Affan ( ar, عثمان بن عفان, ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān; – 17 June 656), also spelled by Colloquial Arabic, Turkish and Persian rendering Osman, was a second cousin, son-in-law and notable companion of the Islamic prop ...
placed a fabric dome over it and the rest of the stairs were covered with
ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when ...
. The ''minbar'' was replaced by
Baybars I, by
Shaykh al-Mahmudi
Al-Mu'ayyad Shaykh ( Circassian: Шеихъ ал-МуIэед) ( ar, المؤيد سيف الدين أبو النصر شيخ المحمودي; 1369 – 13 January 1421) was a Mamluk sultan of Egypt from 6 November 1412 to 13 January 1421.
Fami ...
in 1417, and by
Qaitbay
Sultan Abu Al-Nasr Sayf ad-Din Al-Ashraf Qaitbay ( ar, السلطان أبو النصر سيف الدين الأشرف قايتباي) (c. 1416/14187 August 1496) was the eighteenth Burji Mamluk Sultan of Egypt from 872 to 901 A.H. (1468–14 ...
in 1483. In 1590 it was replaced by the Ottoman sultan
Murad III with a marble ''minbar'', while Qaytbay's minbar was moved to the Quba Mosque. As of 2013, the Ottoman minbar is still used in the mosque.
Minarets
The first
minarets (four in number) of high were constructed by
Umar
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate ...
. In 1307, a minaret titled ''Bab al-Salam'' was added by Muhammad ibn Kalavun which was renovated by
Mehmed IV
Mehmed IV ( ota, محمد رابع, Meḥmed-i rābi; tr, IV. Mehmed; 2 January 1642 – 6 January 1693) also known as Mehmed the Hunter ( tr, Avcı Mehmed) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1648 to 1687. He came to the throne at the a ...
. After the renovation project of 1994, there were ten minarets which were high. The minarets' upper, bottom and middle portion are cylindrical, octagonal and square shaped respectively.
Gallery
See also
References
Citations
Sources
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
Prophet's Mosque: mosque, Medina, Saudi Arabia in ''Encyclopædia Britannica Online'', by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Brian Duignan, Kanchan Gupta, John M. Cunningham and Amy Tikkanen
External links
*
Watch Live Al-Masjid an-Nabawi'
*''Detailed information o
Masjid Al-Nabawi الْمَسْجِد النَّبَوي'
*
The curious tale of the Abyssinian Guardians of Masjid Nabawi SAW'
*
prophet muhammad's mosque 360º Virtual Tour'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nabawi
8th-century mosques
Islamic holy places
Mausoleums in Saudi Arabia
Mosques in Medina
Umayyad architecture
Abbasid architecture
Mamluk architecture
Ottoman architecture
Ziyarat
8th-century establishments in the Umayyad Caliphate
623 establishments