travel information about prophet mosque

Prophet’s Mosque

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One of only two mosques in the world that can accommodate a million people, the Prophet’s Mosque holds deep significance for Muslims all over the world. It is said to have been built by the Prophet himself in AD 622 and not only encompasses his final resting place (alongside the first two caliphs) beneath the iconic green dome built by the Ottomans, it also covers where his house once stood, adjacent to the mosque when it was just a modest square mud-and-wood building.

Like Al Masjid Al Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque never closes and is home to several significant religious spaces and relics. This includes the coveted rawdah area close to the Prophet's tomb, regarded by Muslims as one of the gardens of heaven where supplications are never rejected, and a dazzling marble minbar (pulpit) decorated in gold, dating from the late 15th century.

The mosque has a two-tiered structure and is rectangular in shape. The oldest section is in the south of the structure and was built by the Ottomans. It has 27 domes and an open-air courtyard. The rest of the mosque was built during a number of Saudi expansions, beginning in 1951. These often integrated modern takes on classical Umayyad, Ottoman and Mamluk architectural styles. One of the most innovative features, however, is outside the main building in the paved area that's also used for prayer. This has a series of retractable canopies that fan out like umbrellas during the day to offer shade. Watching this happen is an impressive sight. The motorised canopies were designed by German architect Mahmoud Bodo Rasch, who has also worked on the Grand Mosque and the Quba Mosque.

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A Guide to al-Masjid an-Nabawi, Medina

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi or the Prophet's Mosque, the second-holiest site in Islam, is one of the world’s oldest mosques, as well as one of its largest. Located in the sacred city of Madinah (also spelled Medina ), in Saudi Arabia, the stunning mosque is the most important in the city and one of the most significant of sites in Islamic history as it was built by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in 622 CE, and today is home to his final resting place. Al-Masjid an-Nabawi is not just a mosque, but the location of inspiring historical birthplace of Islam and its traditions. It plays an important role during the Hajj season, and is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. Outside of Hajj season, the masjid still sees countless worshippers from around the world each day, due to its undeniable importance. Visiting the mosque is a dream for every believer, and, thus being given the chance to do so is a blessing. The masjid and its upkeep are the responsibility of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. An interesting fact about Al-Masjid an-Nabawi is that it is open throughout the year.

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Where to pray in Madinah shouldn’t even be a question for any Muslim visiting the city, and even though there are numerous other mosques in Madinah, praying at the Prophet’s Mosque is a tremendous blessing. Our brief guide to the mosque takes you through its incredible history, from its foundation all the way to its beautiful present state.

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi - History and Present

Image Credit: Ibrahim Basha, commons.wikimedia.org

On the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) leaving of the city of Makkah , and following his arrival in the city of Madinah , Al-Masjid an-Nabawi was originally built by his own hands in 622, and over and above being a prayer place, functioned as a court, community center, as well as a religious school. The mosque’s construction took seven months, and it was enlarged and expanded over the years, with surrounding houses being demolished by the second caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), in order to facilitate the new constructions, and eventually demolished and rebuilt in 649 by the third caliph Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him), with prayer halls facing the Kaaba in Al-Masjid al-Ḥaram in the city of Makkah .

Image Credit: Pixy

In the years since, the mosque’s floor area was further expanded, with more demolitions made around the mosque, minarets were built in, as well as its iconic “Green Dome,” Qur’anic verses were inscribed in beautiful Islamic calligraphy on its walls, more columns were erected, and further changes made to its interior and exterior. In 1992, after a number of changes made by Saudi Kings; King Faisal and King Fahd, the mosque covered an area of 1.7 million square feet, with 27 new courtyards and elevators to accommodate the rising number of worshippers visiting the holy Mosque.

To this day, with the number of Muslim worshippers visiting al-Masjid an-Nabawi is consistently rising, the Mosque is constantly being expanded and made more accessible for the millions that visit it. It is in fact now known to be 100 times the size of the original building that was initially built. During Hajj season, many pilgrims visit the mosque because of its connection to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), hence the ground floor of the Mosque, as well as its roof, and the squares surrounding the Prophet’s Mosque, are packed to the brim, with worshippers even spilling on to the streets during this time.

Image Credit: said alamri on Unsplash

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi’s exterior is impeccably beautiful and awe-inspiring. The building itself is huge, with numerous minarets, a large Green Dome and a smaller inner dome. The courtyard that wraps around the masjid can accommodate thousands of worshippers, and is equipped with electronic umbrellas that expand during the day to give much-needed shelter and shade to those praying outdoors. There are a number of washrooms and wudhu facilities, and the courtyard is generally divided so that men and women have separate areas to offer their prayers.

Surrounding the mosque are countless hotels which have been built to accommodate all of the worshippers visiting the city, in addition to restaurants and shops selling a variety of succulent dates, traditional prayer garbs and other Islamic clothing, food items and more. Many businesses remain open throughout the day and night, making it known as a city that doesn’t sleep.

Inside al-Masjid an-Nabawi

Image Credit: Rezki Trianto  on Unsplash

The interior of al-Masjid an-Nabawi is equally as stunning and spectacular as its exterior. Floors covered in lush carpets for as far as the eye can see, gigantic chandeliers, extravagant arches, large pillars, marble-covered walls with Qur’anic verses, racks of Islamic books and Qur'ans, large water coolers and thousands and thousands of individuals worshipping are some of the things you are bound to see upon entering the masjid. The mosque has numerous large prayer halls, for both men and women and countless washroom and areas for wudhu can be found throughout the mosque. It is illuminated during all hours, day and night, and has an energy that has the ability to make worshippers even forget the time of day while inside.

One of the most important places in the mosque, is Ar-Rawdhah an-Nabawiyah. Worshippers visiting the mosque will make it a point to visit the Raudhah and offer a few nawafil prayers here before departing, as it is the place between the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s minbar, or pulpit, and the Prophet’s burial tomb. Distinguished by a green carpet, the area is so sacred that prayers or dua made here are said to be answered. The small space cannot however accommodate the number of worshippers visiting the mosque, so access at most times is restricted.

The mosque’s iconic Green Dome marks the place where Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) burial chamber can be found, and buried next to the Prophet are the first two Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. It is also the exact spot where his house with his wife Aisha (R.A) once was. The chamber is protected by a gold grill, which prevents worshippers from directly seeing the graves. There are also numerous other areas, and rooms, the minarets, the minbar, the mihrabs within the masjid that carry with them incredible stories from the Prophet’s time.

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi’s serenity is indescribable. The feelings and emotions that it evokes in the worshippers cannot be explained. The mosque exudes calmness and peace even while packed with thousands, and is a destination that cannot be properly put into words due to its magnificence. Its energy is magnetic and the reward of a prayer exceptional. May Allah (SWT) grant us all the ability to visit and offer our prayers at both of the Holy Mosques. Ameen.

Address:  Al Haram, Medina 42311, Saudi Arabia Opening Hours: 24 hours Website:   http://wmn.gov.sa/  

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Hishama is a Lankan born, ex-Dubai-an who enjoys all things travel. When she's not at her day job as an Online Marketing Specialist, you will find her hanging out with friends at one of the city's newest cafés, reading a Jodi Picoult novel, Netflix-ing pretty much anything, obsessing over broadway, or just dreaming of her next big adventure abroad that she wishes she could afford.

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Masjid Nabawi: Prophet’s Mosque Etiquette and Spiritual Insights

Visiting the Prophet’s Mosque (PBUH) in Madinah is a deeply spiritual and meaningful experience for Muslims around the world, which many visit after Umrah or Hajj. While it’s not a part of the pilgrimage, it is a highly recommended action. Since it’s a place of utmost reverence, it is important to understand the etiquette and insights when visiting this place.

This post aims to guide readers on the importance of correct conduct and spiritual, mindful practices when visiting the Prophet’s Mosque (PBUH), allowing them to embrace the full significance of this holy sanctuary.

ABOUT AL MASJID AL NABAWI

Al Masjid Al Nabawi is the most revered site in the entire city. Known as the “Prophet’s Mosque”, this magnificent mosque—with its ten minarets—holds great significance as it was constructed under the command of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) after he migrated from Makkah. It served not only as a place of worship but also as a hub for teachings and operations essential to Islam.

With a capacity to accommodate one million visitors, this sacred place can be visited at any time of day or night. In addition to being a prayer space, it encompasses several other holy sites including the tomb of the Prophet located beneath its iconic green dome (which is called Rawdah ash Sharifah or Noble Garden) and the Minbar where sermons were delivered by Prophet Muhammad.

Exploring Masjid Al Nabawi allows you to appreciate its intricate architecture displayed on walls, gates, and ceilings. Don’t miss witnessing the mesmerizing sight of convertible umbrellas opening and closing during dusk and dawn in the courtyard for an enriching experience.

PREPARING FOR THE VISIT

Modest attire – Prepare oneself physically by donning modest and clean attire, such as traditional clothing like thobes for men and abayas for women. It is advisable to apply a mild perfume sparingly for men. Seek knowledge – Reading up on the life of our beloved Prophet (PBUH), understanding the significance of Madinah in Islam, learning about Masjid Al Nabawi, and making sincere intentions for the visit could enhance the experience.

VISITING THE PROPHET’S MOSQUE

Step 1: Setting the right intention

When pilgrims prepare to visit the Prophet’s Mosque , it’s fundamental to have the correct niyyah or intention. Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

“If the pilgrim wants to visit the Prophet’s Mosque before or after Hajj, he should have the intention of visiting the mosque, not the grave, because traveling to a place for the purpose of worship does not include visiting graves, rather it includes only the three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), al-Masjid al-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madeenah) and al-Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), as it says in the hadeeth which was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said: “No journey should be undertaken to any mosque except three: al-Masjid al-Haraam, this mosque of mine and al-Masjid al-Aqsa.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1189: Muslim, 1397.

From this, we understand that it is only permissible to make the intention to visit Masjid Al-Nabawi, but it is not permitted to have the intention of visiting the grave of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Step 2: Dua when entering

After the intention has been established, it’s time to enter the masjid. When you arrive at the door of the masjid, enter with your right foot and recite the dua:

Bismillah; Was’salaatu was’salamu ala rasoolil’lah; Allahummaf tah’lee ab-waa’ba rahmatik.

In the name of Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad (PBUH).

O Allah, open for me the doors of Your Bounty.

Step 3: Pray 2 rakats

As you enter the masjid, make your way to Al-Rawdah, a section located between the Prophet’s house, the honorable room, and his pulpit. Pray 2 Rakats of Tahiyyatul Masjid, reciting Sūrah al-Kāfirūn in the first rakat and in the second, Sūrah al-Ikhlās. This space, Al-Rawdah, is regarded as one of the gardens of Paradise.

The prophet, (blessings and peace be upon him), said, “Between my house and my pulpit is a garden of Paradise.”

If you find the place crowded, pray wherever you can, as close as possible to the Rawdah. Women can access the honorable Rawdah from gates 25 and 29 in the Eastern Women’s Prayer Hall.

SECURING YOUR RAWDAH PERMIT

You require a pre-arrival permit to pray at Rawda. Follow the steps below to acquire your permit from the Nusuk app before you visit the Prophet’s Mosque. This is applicable to both men and women:

• Download Nusuk from your device’s app store.
• Choose your desired language: English or Arabic.
• Create a new account by clicking on “New User”
• Define your status (e.g., Citizen/Resident, Gulf, or Visitor).
• If you’re a Saudi citizen or residing in the country, select Citizen or Resident
• If you’re a citizen of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, or UAE, select the Gulf
• If you don’t belong to any of the above, select Visitor
• Add your personal details and set a password.
• Validate your account using the mobile activation code sent to you.
• This way, your account has been created in the Nusuk app.
• To get the Rawdah permit, follow these steps:
• Open the app or log in.
• Find “Prophet’s Mosque Services”.
• Choose “Praying in the Noble Rawdah”.
• Select your name and click on the “Continue” button.
• Confirm your details and move forward by pressing “Continue”.
• Pick a prayer time from the calendar. Green indicates available slots.
• Tap on “Issue permit” and your permit should be granted in a few minutes.
• For cancellation, click on “Cancel” at the bottom of your permit.

Step 4: Sending salutations

Upon completing the Tahiyyatul Masjid, join the queue for the Ziyarah to send salam to our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and his companions. Remember, it is important to maintain a high level of respect and reverence. Refrain from behaving inappropriately or raising your voice. It is advisable to limit conversations with others during this time.

• Greeting our beloved Prophet (PBUH)

When you are in front of his tomb, recite the following:

As-salāmu ‘alayka yā rasūlAllāh.

Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.

As-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu llāhi wa barakātuhu. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Note: There are numerous ways to say your salutations. You can add other shorter or longer greetings when sending your salutations.

• Greeting Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (R.A)

After greeting the Prophet (PBUH), continue moving forward until you’re in front of Abu Bakr (R.A)’s tomb and recite the following:

As-salaamu alayka ya Aba Bakr;

As-salaamu alayka ya khaleefat Rasool-illaah; Fi ummatihi, radiya Allaahu anka wa jazaa-ka ‘an ummati Muhammadin khayran.

Peace be upon you, O Abu Bakr, peace be upon you, O successor of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in his Ummah, May Allah be pleased with you and reward you with good on behalf of Muhammad (PBUH).

• Greeting Umar ibn al-Khattab (R.A)

After greeting Abu Bakr (R.A), move forward so that you’re in front of Umar’s tomb and send the following salutations:

As-salaamu alayka ya Umar;

As-salaamu alayka ya ameer al-mu’mineen, radiya Allaahu anka wa jazaaka an ummati Muhammadin khayran.

Peace be upon you, O Umar, peace be upon you, O leader of the believers, may Allah be pleased with you and reward you with good on behalf of Muhammad (PBUH).

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

“Do not make your houses like graves, and do not make my grave a place for celebration and invoke blessings (of Allah) on me for they will reach me wherever you may be.”

[Abu Dawood]

After you move out, stay back and busy yourself with additional prayers, supplications, and recitation of the Qur’an. Ensure you offer the Friday prayers in the mosque before departing from Madinah.

14 IMPORTANT ETIQUETTES FOR VISITING PROPHET’S MOSQUE

• Before visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, make sure that you take a bath and wear your best clothes. Men can wear perfume.
• Set the right intention. It should be solely about visiting the Prophet’s Mosque (PBUH) and praying there, and not visiting his grave.
• Enter the masjid with your right foot through As-Salam gate.
• Behave in a dignified manner and avoid pushing or jostling others near you.
• Do not raise your voice such as displaying overt grief or wailing at the Prophet’s grave. It is highly disliked and goes against the Prophet (PBUH)’s teachings.
• Do not push or fight when you do not have a place to pray in Rawdah. You will be able to find a place to pray a little further away.
• When in front of the Prophet (PBUH)’s tomb, stand in a dignified and respectful manner. Do not raise your hand and make dua directly in front of the tombs. You can turn towards the Ka’aba and then make dua.
• It is considered SHIRK when making dua facing the grave of the Prophet (PBUH) or requesting intercession from him. You can ONLY make dua and ask for the Prophet’s intercession from Allah ALONE.
• Beware of committing other Un-Islamic acts.
• When moving out, walk out with dignity and make space for others.
• Do not leave behind litter or damage the masjid’s property. Treat it with respect.
• Do not use the mosque’s premises to do business or trade.
• Respect other’s privacy when shooting pictures or videos.
• Follow the rules and regulations levied by the mosque’s management.

SPIRITUAL INSIGHTS

• Connection to history: The Prophet’s Mosque was established and originally built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself during his time. Visiting the mosque lets you feel a deep connection to the origins and early years of Islam.
• Deeper faith: Spending time in the mosque, engaging in prayer and remembrance (dhikr), can lead to immense spiritual enrichment and personal growth.
• Prophet’s legacy: Reflect on the sacrifices and unwavering faith of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the very city that sheltered him.
• Inner peace: Experience the unique tranquility and spiritual calmness that Madinah offers.

As we walk through Masjid Al Nabawi, the very same grounds graced by our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and his companions, it is our responsibility to tread with dignity and respect.

With the right intention, an understanding of the etiquettes, and a heart filled with reverence, the experience becomes a cherished memory and a source of immense blessings.

Let this visit serve as a reminder of the beauty of Islam, the Prophet’s enduring love for his Ummah, and our collective duty to uphold the sanctity of such sacred spaces.

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Prophet's Mosque, Medina

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Arabic: المسجد النبوي) or the Prophet's Mosque is a great mosque in Medina , Saudi Arabia. It stands on the site of a mosque built by the Prophet Muhammad himself next to his house and contains his tomb. The Prophet's Mosque is the second holiest mosque in the world after al-Haram in Mecca . ( Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem comes in third.)

History of Prophet's Mosque

The original Prophet's Mosque was built by the Prophet himself, next to the house where he settled after his Hijrah (emigration) to Medina in 622 AD . It was an open-air building with a raised platform for the reading of the Qur'an.

A square enclosure of 30x35 meters, the mosque was built with palm trunks and mud walls and accessed through three doors: Bab Rahmah to the south, Bab Jibril to the west and Bab al-Nisa' to the east. The basic plan of the building has since been adopted in the building of other mosques throughout the world.

Inside, the Prophet created a shaded area to the south called the suffrah and aligned the prayer space facing north towards Jerusalem. When the qibla (prayer direction) was changed to Mecca, the mosque was re-oriented to the south. The mosque also served as a community center, a court, and a religious school. Seven years later ( 629 AD /7 AH), the mosque was doubled in size to accommodate the increasing number of Muslims.

Subsequent Islamic rulers continued to enlarge and embellish the Prophet's Mosque over the centuries. In 707, Umayyad Caliph al-Walid (705-715) tore down the old structure and built a larger one in its place, incorporating the house and tomb of the Prophet.

This mosque was 84 by 100 meters in size, with stone foundations and a teak roof supported on stone columns. The mosque walls were decorated with mosaics by Coptic and Greek craftsmen, similar to those seen in the Umayyad mosque in Damascus and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (built by the same caliph). The courtyard was surrounded by a gallery on four sides, with four minarets on its corners. A mihrab topped by a small dome was built on the qibla wall.

Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi (775-785) destroyed the northern section of al-Walid's mosque between 778 and 781 to enlarge it further. He also added 20 doors to the mosque: eight on each of the east and west walls, and four on the north wall.

During the reign of the Mamluk Sultan Qala'un , a dome was erected above the house and tomb of the Prophet and an ablution fountain was built outside of Bab al-Salam. Sultan Nasir bin Muhammad bin Qala'un rebuilt the fourth minaret that had been destroyed earlier. After a lightning strike destroyed much of the mosque in 1481, Sultan Qaytbay rebuilt the east, west and qibla walls.

The Ottoman sultans who controlled Medina from 1517 until World War I also made their mark. Sultan Suleyman I (1520-1566) rebuilt the western and eastern walls of the mosque and built the northeastern minaret known as al-Suleymaniyya. He added a new mihrab (al-Ahnaf) next to the Prophet's mihrab (al-Shafi'iyyah) and placed a new dome covered in lead sheets and painted green above the Prophet's house and tomb.

During the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid I (1839-1861), the mosque was entirely remodeled with the exception of the Prophet's Tomb, the three mihrabs, the minbar and the Suleymaniyya minaret. The precinct was enlarged to include an ablution area to the north. The prayer hall to the south was doubled in width and covered with small domes equal in size except for domes covering the mihrab area, Bab al-Salam and the Prophet's Tomb.

The domes were decorated with Quranic verses and lines from Nahj al-Burdah , the famous poem by 13th-century Arabic poet al-Busiri. The qibla wall was covered with glazed tiles featuring Quranic calligraphy. The floors of the prayer hall and the courtyard were paved with marble and red stones and a fifth minaret (al-Majidiyya), was built to the west of the enclosure.

After the foundation of the Saudi Kingdom of Arabia in 1932, the Mosque of the Prophet underwent several major modifications. In 1951 King Abdul Aziz (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 Majidiyya minarets were replaced by 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 1973 Saudi King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz ordered the construction of temporary shelters to the west of the mosque to accommodate the growing number of worshippers in 1981, the old mosque was surrounded by new prayer areas on these sides, enlarging five times its size.

The latest renovations took place under King Fahd and have greatly increased the size of the mosque, allowing it to hold a large number of worshippers and pilgrims and adding modern comforts like air conditioning.

What to See at Prophet's Mosque

As it stands today, the Prophet's Mosque has a rectangular plan on two floors with the Ottoman prayer hall projecting to the south. The main prayer hall occupies the entire first floor. The mosque enclosure is 100 times bigger than the first mosque built by the Prophet and can accommodate more than half a million worshippers.

The Prophet's Mosque has a flat paved roof topped with 24 domes on square bases. Holes pierced into the base of each dome illuminate the interior. The roof is also used for prayer during peak times, when the 24 domes slide out on metal tracks to shade areas of the roof, creating 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 escalators. The paved area around the mosque is also used for prayer, equipped with umbrella tents.

The north façade has three evenly spaced porticos , while the east, west and south façades have two. The walls are composed of a series of windows topped by pointed arches with black and white voussoirs. There are six peripheral minarets attached to the new extension, and four others frame the Ottoman structure. The mosque is lavishly decorated with polychrome marble and stones. The columns are of white marble with brass capitals supporting slightly pointed arches, built of black and white stones. The column pedestals have ventilation grills that regulate the temperature inside the prayer hall.

This shiny new Prophet's Mosque contains the older mosque within it. The two sections can be easily distinguished: the older section has many colorful decorations and numerous small pillars; the new section is in gleaming white marble and is completely air-conditioned.

The most notable feature of the Prophet's Mosque is the green Dome of the Prophet , which rises higher amongst the sea of white domes. This is where the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad is located; early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar ibn al-Khattab are buried in an adjacent area as well.

At the heart of the mosque is a small area called ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah (Arabic: الروضة النبوية), which extends from the tomb of the Prophet to his pulpit. All pilgrims attempt to visit and pray in ar-Rawdah, for there is a tradition that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected. Entrance into ar-Rawdah is not always possible (especially during the Hajj), as the tiny area can accommodate only a few hundred people. Ar-Rawdah has two small gateways manned by Saudi soldiers charged with preventing overcrowding in the tiny area.

The green fence at the tomb of Muhammad is guarded by Wahhabi volunteers, who prevent pilgrims from touching the fence, which the Wahhabis regard as idolatry. The structure called Muhammad's pulpit is similarly guarded. The current marble pulpit was constructed by the Ottomans; the original was much smaller and made of palm tree wood.

The mosque is located in what was traditionally the center of Medina, with many hotels and old markets nearby. It is a major pilgrimage site and many people who perform the Hajj in Mecca later come to Medina to visit the mosque.

Quick Facts on Prophet's Mosque

• "Mosque of the Prophet" - Archnet Digital Library
• "Masjid al-Nabawi." Wikipedia.

More Information

• Visitation of the Prophet's Mosque (rituals for visiting the mosque as a sunnah ) - Hajj and Umra Website
• Michell, George, ed. 1978. Architecture of the Islamic World . London: Thames and Hudson, 210.
• Hillenbrand, Robert. 1994. Islamic Architecture, Form Function and Meaning . Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 72-73.
• Damluji, Salma Samar, ed. 1998. The Architecture of the Prophet's Holy Mosque, Al Madinah . London: Hazar Publishing Limited.
• Photos of Prophet's Mosque - here on Sacred Destinations

Map of Prophet's Mosque, Medina

Below is a location map and aerial view of Prophet's Mosque. Using the buttons on the left (or the wheel on your mouse), you can zoom in for a closer look, or zoom out to get your bearings. To move around, click and drag the map with your mouse.

Uncategorized

9 things you didn’t know about the prophet’s mosque.

9. The first place in the Arabian Peninsula to have electricity

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8. The current mosque is larger than the old city

* Note from author: What is meant by “hujrah” in this case is not the actual burial chamber / original room of Aisha (Ra.) This is enclosed in a pentagonal structure with no doors or windows and has not been visible for centuries. The area meant is the entire grilled area encompassing the chamber and area of other rooms.

6. It was destroyed by fire

5. There was no dome before, now there are two!

4. The dome used to be purple!

Yup – purple. It turns out that the dome has been through various colors and renovations before it reached its current form and colour about 150 years ago. [18]  At one point it used to be white and for the longest period it was a purple-blue colour that the Arabs of Hijaz were particularly fond of. [19] [20]

3. It has 3 mihrabs

1. It is FULL of secret signs

Like the Muslim community, it has grown over the years and become more modern with each passing generation. But despite the exponential growth and changes from the simple Hijazi date palm trunk interior to the marble and gold clad structure we have today – the inner core remains the same. Perhaps there’s a lesson in there for us all.

(Authors note: You may also be interested in Ten things you didn’t know about the Kaaba )

On Tuesday, May 28th, the Sun Will Indicate the Qibla

June 1st : International Day of Action for the Rohingya Suffering

Dr. Muhammad Wajid Akhter - National Council Member, Muslim Council of Britain | mcb.org.uk - Lead, National Muslim Covid Response Group | [email protected] - Council Member, British Islamic Medical Association | britishima.org - Founder, Charity Week for Orphans and children in need | charityweek.com - Co-Founder, Islamic History Channel | islamichistorychannel.org - International Director, FIMA Lifesavers

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126 Comments

May 24, 2013 at 11:29 AM

I wud luv to know abt the secret signs :)

Prof M Shamim

May 27, 2013 at 7:17 AM

As to the empty grave mentioned by you, no reference is given —wherefrom you got this information?

Muhammad Wajid Akhter

May 27, 2013 at 8:07 AM

Walaikum asalaam,

– Aisha (Ra) wanted to be buried in the same room but finally decided against differentiating herself from the other wives of the Prophet (SAW) – Hassan (R) wanted to be buried in the room but was prevented from this by the authorities of the time – There was also discussion about burying some of the other Ahsra Mubashara (like AbdurRahman ibn Auf [R]) in the same room but these also did not take place for various reasons

From the above we can see that they could only have had these considerations if there was indeed space for a 4th grave. In my article, I have only mentioned that there is a space and no 4th grave since the proposed inhabitant (Isa [A]) has yet to return.

Also there are other references in Tirmidhi and a narration by Ibn Jawzi in Kitaabul Wifaa.

May 27, 2013 at 9:22 AM

A good question and a good answer. Jazakallah khair both of you

September 21, 2015 at 1:15 PM

why don’t you do little research. why you people always ask for ref like a bagger

Tahir Iqbal

August 3, 2016 at 12:56 AM

Dear Prof Sahib:if you are serious to gain information,so pleas go to Maddinah and you can have all the information from the library ( situated inside the Masjad e Nabvi ).

December 18, 2016 at 3:47 AM

It is in Hadith that Prophet PBUH said I will be raised from my grave first with Isa AS next to me will be Abu Bakar and Omar then we will wait for people of Makkah to arrive and we will proceed to ground of judgment. That Hadith clearly indicates that Isa RA will be buried there….

abdulkadir saidu

June 9, 2015 at 7:40 AM

assalamualaikum

December 9, 2015 at 2:53 AM

You can read about the Secret Signs Mentioned in the Post (Also Watch the Video to locate them) here-http://islamhashtag.com/raudhah-of-masjid-nabawi/

May 1, 2016 at 11:36 PM

Thank you to provide the link.

Abdul Waris

January 17, 2016 at 11:44 AM

Can I know. Ore about the secret signs in Rohda

Riaz Ahmad.

July 1, 2016 at 4:21 PM

i want to know about islam &kaaba.madina. old history of islam/& .muslims

May 24, 2013 at 2:41 PM

Great read and very informative. I wish there more books written about the masjid.

KHAJA NOORUDDIN SHAHID

January 3, 2015 at 12:19 PM

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE FULL NAME OF OTHMAN WHO IS THE KING OF HYDERABAD MIR OTHMAN ALI KHAN OR SOME OTHER SULTAN AS IIN MY KNOWLEDGE KING OF HYDERABAD DECCAN INDIA PLEASE CLEARIFY

May 24, 2013 at 2:44 PM

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatulllahi wa barakatuh

JazzakAllahu khair

You better get to those secrets quick!!! Make that your next article!!!

Also, it is good you mentioned that that famous green dome isn’t real. In fact, it is not allowed because we are not supposed to make structures over graves and the Prophet sallahualayhiwasalam warned us against taking his grave as a masjid!!!

Usually, I imagine Islamic history after the few decades after seerah to be extremely boring. But JazzakAllahu khair we have our history literate brother to pick out all the interesting parts.

May 27, 2013 at 1:30 AM

Dunno why that warranted 13 negatives…..anyone want to say?

May 27, 2013 at 12:51 PM

Most likely reason is that the sufis & baraelwys revere the green dome.

May 27, 2013 at 3:42 PM

Asalamu alaykum

Sister Fatima your comment above either means you are naive of history or unwilling to shed your mantra of sectarianism. The green dome was not built by a brelwi – he wasnt even Indian he was an Ottoman Turk.

Secondly Muslims love the green dome as it is a sign of the home of and the final resting place of the beloved and his two beloveds

Your brother

Sajid [Note: comment edited by author to maintain tone of harmony but still get the commentators point across inshaAllah.]

May 27, 2013 at 7:11 PM

Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places for praying -Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa salam)

“Apart from invoking Allah’s forgiveness for the engraved, all act of worship are prohibited at the graves like, formal prayers[1], reciting the Qur’aan[2], sacrifice[3], etc. because this would contribute to making the graves as places of worship. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) has warned his nation from taking graves as places of worship: “…Beware that those before you took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship, for verily I forbid you to do so.”[4] He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) also said: “The most evil of mankind are those who will be alive when the Last Day arrives and those who take graves as places of worship.”[5]”

http://www.ahya.org/tjonline/eng/05/03Graves.html

Some love him so much they obey him. Others love him so much they disobey him. One enters Paradise and the other is deprived of Paradise and enters Jahannam.

Love is a powerful emotion.

Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah , then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” Say, “Obey Allah and the Messenger.” But if they turn away – then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.

http://quran.com/3/31-32

December 9, 2015 at 11:43 AM

AsSalamAlaikum waRahmatulla waBarkatu,

You responded well and I second your statement about how we shouldn’t take the Prophets Mosque as a place of worship. Don’t worry about the negatives, not everyone has correct Aqeeda unfortunatley.

Aly Balagamwala | DiscoMaulvi

May 27, 2013 at 12:04 PM

No idea Gibran why people voted your comment down. But then it is public controlled and we can’t change it unfortunately.

May 27, 2013 at 6:30 PM

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh Aly- Wasn’t asking you to at all, where did you get that idea? It was clearly just a general question. Fatima’s answer makes sense.

Yes, Barelvis didn’t invent it sajid, Fatima did not say it was invented by Barelvis, so why are you insinuating that she did? There are numerous hadith that make it clear this is completely haram and no amount of love for Allah and His Messenger will justify disobedience.

May the love of the people who support these grave structures never be accepted until they obey Allah and His Messenger.

May 28, 2013 at 1:41 PM

waawrwb Gibran: answering as it is my job.

May 27, 2013 at 3:36 PM

Keep in mind that the Prophet’s house was actually PART of the Masjid, and he wanted to be buried in his house. Thus, his grave is in the same structure as a Masjid. It was literally unavoidable, and whether there’s a dome on top or not doesn’t factor into that.

May 27, 2013 at 4:36 PM

No it was not part of masjid, it was attached to masjid. It became part in banu ummayah time

May 27, 2013 at 6:37 PM

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

The second Hassan was correct, the grave was not originally part of the masjid and in fact such an act is forbidden by Allah and His Messenger!!!

http://www.islamqa.info/en/ref/110061/green%20dome

“It is not correct to quote the fact that people built a dome over the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as evidence that it is permissible to build domes over the graves of the righteous dead and others, because those people’s building a dome over his grave (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was haraam and those who did it sinned thereby, because they went against what is proven in a report from Abu’l-Hayaaj al-Asadi who said: ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to me: Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any image without erasing it or any high grave without levelling it.

And it was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade plastering over graves, or sitting on them or building over them. Both reports were narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh. So it is not correct for anyone to quote the haraam action of some people as evidence that it is permissible to do similar haraam actions, because it is not permissible to go against the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by citing the words or actions of anyone else. And because he is the one who conveyed the command from Allaah, and he is the one who is to be obeyed, and we must beware of going against his commands, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” [al-Hashr 59:7].”

Abdul kalik razak

November 26, 2013 at 9:22 PM

Gibran,you’re correct,now we see the majority of muslim graves with buildings erected and much worse,huge photos framed placed on the deceased grave,nauzzubillah!!!!!

May 24, 2013 at 3:02 PM

Jazakallah khair for this very interesting and fascinating post!

May 24, 2013 at 4:45 PM

i am deadly waiting to know about secret signs in masjid… i avoid word mosque

September 9, 2013 at 6:41 AM

Exactly, we should not use the word mosque. Masjid is totally understandable by all Muslims plus it is the correct word

November 22, 2014 at 7:39 PM

If you are Arabs talking to people that speak Arabic then yeah. But if you are talking to people of different faiths they wont have no clue what a “masjid” is… so you should say MOSQUE.

You shouldn’t “avoid” that, you make it sound like its harram

March 31, 2016 at 6:26 AM

So true plz dont change the words for sake some people teach your children proper like masjid should be masjid and Ramzan should be ramzan nor Ramdan but to help and for understanding other some time we can use in ( )

May 24, 2013 at 7:52 PM

Alhamidullah, beautiful article, thank you brother

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May 25, 2013 at 5:05 AM

JazakAllah khairun to all of you for your kind comments. I’m working on the secret signs article/ book/ website (depending on my ability) inshaAllah so please make duaa that I do it justice.

May 26, 2013 at 12:44 AM

As-salamu ‘alaykum,

How to get the blessed news? I am currently planning to go for umrah shariff in two months time – Is it possible for u too tell about “secrets” some way or the other telling about few books, so one can prepare a bit and get more blessed?

Jazaka Llahu khayran wa fi amani Llah

May 26, 2013 at 12:56 AM

There are a number of things to see. I live in Saudi and have been working here for 2 years now. I regularly go to the Holy Cities and have endeavored to make a site profiling the calligraphy ad pillars in the masajid.

The problem is that Ladies do not get much time to spend in the masjid and certainly very little at riyadh al jannah – hence you wont be able to see the main features such as the pillar motifs, the calligraphy on the holy chamber external walls, poetry on the qibla wall, the enscriptions on the mihrabs, the enscriptions on the mimbar.

I am documenting these on my website.

May 26, 2013 at 1:21 AM

As-salamu ‘alaykum Sajid,

A link for ur website? It is still better than nothing… This subject is VERY dear to my heart so I will in sha’a Llah take whatever I can get!

June 3, 2019 at 7:18 AM

Whats your Web site?

May 26, 2013 at 8:17 AM

Assalaamu Alaykum brother, please share to us this secrets.. May ALLAH SWT reward you and bless you more… Shukran brother and Massalaam

December 4, 2013 at 8:57 AM

I am very excited and cannot wait to read, The secret Sign book publication – once 40 million copies are sold a block buster movie is made than I will know you did a great job in translating those secret signs and I will accept your claim that De Vinci code was just cheap puzzle. Thanks.

May 25, 2013 at 9:36 AM

please share your website/ book as and when parts get completed!

May 25, 2013 at 10:17 PM

Great article brother – we need the secrets of the Masjid!!!!!!

May 26, 2013 at 12:28 AM

I am also working on a similar project.

Some of the secrets are:

1. The green carpet – indicates Riyadh ul jannah

2. The long, thin, orange/ brown strips on the pillars – indicate the actual position of Riyadh al jannah according to some scholars.l

3. The golden floral pattern on the pillar to the right of the image – indicates the height of the original masjid in the time of the prophet.

Please see my website for more of the open secrets.

May 26, 2013 at 8:12 AM

Salaam brother, can you please give us the link for your website? It’s gonna be priceless… May ALLAH SWT reward you for your work… Shukran brother… Massalam

May 26, 2013 at 8:24 AM

Simply click on my name above or click http://holyhijaz.wordpress.com

May 27, 2013 at 4:20 AM

MashaAllah excellent work brother Sajid. May Allah reward you abundantly for what must be quite a difficult task. I will contact you when I have something substantial for your advice and opinion if this is ok inshaAllah.

May 27, 2013 at 9:31 AM

Please let me know of what assistance i can offer. I am currently working on the mimbar and the qibla wall inscriptions. They detail the poetry that was put up and still exists – until when i do not know???

January 1, 2017 at 1:41 AM

Asalam o alaikum, just returned from umrah. It was impossible for me and my daughter to reach riyadul janah, women are misbehaving and even few died ! We didn’t have enough time so could not try to go again , we prayed on red carpet and now I’m v sad .

May 26, 2013 at 7:06 PM

It would be of great help if you could provide some historical sources from where you have drawn these information. The information provided are of great significance. Please kindly provide the sources as well. Jazzakkallah khair.

May 27, 2013 at 1:28 AM

Yes – PLEASE do give sources. All this sounds wonderful, but we have a very strong tradition of proofs and evidence, so please provide your sources for all this info.

May 27, 2013 at 4:17 AM

Sources include:

Al Bidaya Wa Al Nihaya – Ibn Katheer History of Madinah – Dr Abdul Ghani History of Makkah – Dr Abdul Ghani The Holy Cities – Sultan Ghalib … and my own investigations/ questioning of the scholars and khuddam of the Masjid over the last 25years.

InshaAllah full referencing will be present in the website/ book etc…

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Arif Khalil

May 27, 2013 at 8:11 AM

During my visit to the reverend Masjid al Nabvi (in July 2011) one researcher asked few of us to roll one carpet from main entrance to the new premises, onto its left. Then he showed a medium size circle that indicates one historical well is there underneath…

May 28, 2013 at 7:29 AM

We saw that too, though I don’t remember the full story behind it.

January 7, 2014 at 10:15 AM

Probabliy you saw Bir Haa/ well of abu Talha Ansari r.z, its inside the Masjid few meters left to the gate Fahad no 21. it was in the Garden of Abu Talha Ansari rz., Prohet s,w often used to visit this garden and drank the water from this well. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) says, ‘Abu Talha owned the best gardens in Madinah, and they were more numerous than those of any other Ansari. One of his gardens was known by the name of Bir Ha, and this was his most favourite resort. It was close to the Prophet’s Masjid and the water of its well was sweet and abundant. When Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) revealed the verse of the Quran: “You will not attain unto piety until you spend of that which Ye love.” [3: 92]

Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) presented himself to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and opened his heart, “O, Prophet of Allah! I love Bir Ha very much. As Allah wants us to spend precisely that which we love, I make over that garden to be spent in the path of Allah as you please.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was very much pleased, and remarked: “What a fine present (to Allah)! I think it would be best utilized if you distribute it among your own heirs.” Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) went and acted upon the Prophet’s advice

wycliffe hili

May 28, 2013 at 4:28 AM

This is very fascinating. Keep informing us of the unknown.

May 28, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Loved this very informative and interesting article. Jazakumullah for it. Please post the one about the secret signs of the mosque soon.

Jeddah Blog

May 28, 2013 at 10:25 AM

Can the author kindly get in touch with us at Jeddah Blog as I would be very interested in this information for our readers.

http://www.jeddah-blog.com

May 28, 2013 at 8:07 PM

SubhanAllah… May Allah guide and assist you all for the work done in the name of Allah.

Looking at the atrocious number of dislikes suggests that there are ‘eyes’ watching. May Allah protect us from all evil.

Abu Huzaifa

June 1, 2013 at 11:15 AM

Assalamualaikum

We have done some research to uncover some of the lesser known places in Masjid-e-Nabwi and documented them here: http://www.islamiclandmarks.com/saudi/madinah/masjid_e_nabwi/the_city_of_madinah.html

Jazakallahu Khair

June 3, 2013 at 8:42 PM

Great article. Keep them coming!

June 3, 2013 at 8:48 PM

Mr Akhter’s little gem on nine points related to Masjid-e-Nabwi is laudable. He has thus placed in the records of history these nine features associated with the Prophet [ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam] at a time when concrete signs of his times are fast disappearing. Praiseworthy as his effort is, I wish he had stated somewhat differently three of his nine “things” so as to keep the tone and tenor of his piece entirely sacred. The three “things” are:

1) In the 4th “thing” he uses the expression, “Yup – purple.” This is chatty and juvenile and inappropriate in a sacred discourse.

2) In the 3rd “thing” his talk of Suleyman as “Sultan Solomon the magnificent” seems odd. The Turkish and even European scholars prefer to call this Sultan in English as “Sultan Suleyman” or “Suleiman the Magnificent”.

3) Finally in the 1st “Thing” Mr Akhter makes recourse to that cheap book of fiction called “The DaVinci Code” which had been built up by the media into a book of historical facts in the minds of the gullible public. There can never be any comparison or reference made in the same breath between an utter work of fiction and the factual, so far indecipherable (not ‘secret’), inscriptions dotted around the Masjid-e-Nabwi.

June 4, 2013 at 11:20 AM

Walaikum asalaam brother Mir,

JazakAllah khairun for your kind words. As to your critiques I would say that the use of chatty/ juvenile words and pop fiction books to discuss points in this article was on purpose. Unfortunately, the majority of Muslim youth (and adults) cannot relate to our heritage and live in a world so far removed from it that they are unable to truly appreciate it. Therefore, I feel it is incumbent to bridge this divide in order to make the information more accessible and interesting to the masses. Of course it must be done in a way that does not compromise our principles or denigrate the subject matter.

In fact, I find the entire format of “Ten things you didn’t know…” as quite tabloid like and not one you are likely to come across in books or serious treatise. Even though I dislike it myself, I choose to write in this style and have more people get the information rather than in a more formal style and benefit far fewer.

Hope that makes sense. JazakAllah khairun p.s. I think the Solomon instead of Suleyman thing was down to spellchecker. It has been changed

June 21, 2013 at 12:36 AM

Assalam-o-Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah Wa barakatuhu

Indeed it is an informative & exciting efforts keep it up.

June 21, 2013 at 2:23 AM

A Sufi brother told me that there is a wall in the Prophet’s Mosque with all his names, including the controversial YaaSin & TaaHaa. Is this true? And what is the Islamic ruling on such claims?

June 21, 2013 at 7:14 PM

Walaaikum asalaam,

Firstly – JazakAllah khairun to you all for your kind statements and support. It encourages me to work harder to present this information in a better way for more people to benefit from inshaAllah.

The Qiblah wall in the Prophet (SAW)s mosque has the longest piece of single artist calligraphy in the world. It has some surahs but one of the panels (in red) contains more than 100 names of the Prophet (SAW) – including Yasin and Taha.

As to what the Islamic ruling is, I humbly suggest you ask a scholar you trust.

shamsher aalam

August 10, 2013 at 5:35 AM

assalamu alaikum warahmatullahe wabarakatuhu. Its amazing to have the information about the kaba and the mosque .

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October 24, 2013 at 2:27 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnSwYW17lSc . You can visit this to see the column deacription

Prayer times

November 25, 2013 at 6:06 PM

Very interesting. Thanks :)

Fatou Binetou

November 27, 2013 at 6:41 AM

Ma cha Allah! Thanks very much for these precious information. I am so happy to learn about fact#4. Purple is my favorite color with green! A sister from Senegal, west Africa.

January 15, 2014 at 10:41 AM

in fact there are more then 90 things You Didn’t know about the Prophet Mosque and Scared Chamber.. it’s a long list ..i am adding 9 only……

1) How Prophet s.w and Abu bakr r.z Umar r.z Graves look like inside the Aisha R.z Hujra ( Aisha house walls is the 1st structure around Prophet .sw and Shaikhain Graves) Dr. Irfan Al Alawi, Executive Director Islamic Heritage Research Foundation has written the following to dispel many misconceptions about the graves in the Sacred Chamber: “It will be pertinent to mention here that the companions never put bricks or other similar materials on these three graves. Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr {Ra} narrated as mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawud, ‘I visited Aaisha {Ra} and requested her to show me these three graves. I observed that the graves were neither very high above the ground nor totally in level with the ground. I saw these covered with reddish color earth.’ It is mentioned in Tabaqatul Kubraa by ibn Sa’ad as narrated by Qaasim, ‘I was only a child when I visited these graves which were covered with reddish colour earth.’

2) When one of the wall Aisha r.z Hujra fall it happened in the time of Umar Bin AbdulAziz, when he was governor of Medina, due to heavy rain fall one of the wall of Aisha R.z Hujra destroyed. people rush to see the Grave of Prophet.sw but Omar Bin Abdul Aziz r.a immediately cover that wall portion with a cloth and said i will not enter my slef neither i will allow you people to entre as Prophet s.w could get disturb by the crowd. then only a slave named ” Mazaham” allowed only to enter the Hujra Mubarak for cleaning and repair.

3) When Graves became Visible to everyone. Prophet s.w wives Hujrats were demolished and included in Prophet Chamber area: Construction of Five side wall (2nd structure around Aisha R.z house) around Aisha rz Hujra It is mentioned in Fath al-Baari as narrated by Abu Bakr Ajari {Ra}, ‘I saw these graves during the period of Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz {ra}. These were about four inches above the ground level.’ It is also mentioned in Fath al-Baari as narrated by Rija ibn Haiwah, ‘Waleed ibn Abdul-Malik wrote to Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz to purchase the hujrat of the wives of Prophet Muhammad {sallallaahu Alayhi wasallam} and include this area in the mosque as well. When the walls of the hujrats were removed, these graves became visible. The sandy soil on the graves had somewhat levelled off. Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz rebuilt the walls of Aaisha’s chamber during the expansion of the Prophet’s mosque.’ In 91 AH Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Allah show mercy on him) built five cornered walls so that nobody may enter inside the Sacred Chamber. REMEMBER that till this time there was no Dome on sacred chamber. 4)Trench built around the chamber filled with molten lead.. After several plots were uncovered to steal the body of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) by digging underneath the graves, the Sultan Nurruddin Zengi had a trench built around the chamber which was filled with molten lead

5) The last time when someone saw the actual Grave of Prophet S.w 878H A renowned scholar, Samhoudi, mentioned in Wifa-ul-Wifaa that the walls of the sacred chamber were remodelled in 878H. He had the privilege and honor of entering the Sacred Chamber during these repairs. Samhoudi said, ‘As I entered the Sacred Chamber, I found very delicate fragrance there which I had never experienced in my life before. I offered salutation to the Prophet {Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam} and his both companions. Then I focused my attention to condition of the graves so that I could describe it fully to others. All three graves were almost even to the ground level. At one place, there was a slight rise above the ground level. It was probably, Umar’s {Ra} grave. The graves were definitely covered by ordinary earth.’ After this occasion, nobody has been able to see these graves since all the four walls of the Sacred Chamber have been fully built up to the roof level and closed for any view.

6) Window in the Dome ( in both dome, Inner and Outer) The inner dome has a window located above the Prophet’s grave and parallel to it another window on the outer dome. The window would open as Istisqaa prayer was performed, a practice originating during earlier days. As cited by al-Darmi, when the followers of the Prophet complained to Aisha, the Prophet’s wife, about the drought in Madinah, she instructed them to leave an opening in the Prophet’s grave connecting it to the sky while praying Allah for rain (istisqaa prayer); and upon doing that the sky did rain

7) Funeral place ( area enclosed with walls in between Bab-e-Baqi and Bab-e-Jibraeel

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to lead Salat-ul-Janaza at this site and the Sahaba continued this tradition. Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) described how and when this place was used for funeral services: “In the very beginning we used to inform the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) when someone was near death. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to visit the ailing person and made supplication for his forgiveness. Many times the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) stayed there till the completion of the funeral services. In this way the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had to wait there for a very long time at each such occasion. We, therefore, decided to take the body of the deceased person near the Hujrat (houses of the wives of the Prophet) so that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) can lead the salat more easily. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) started offering Salat-ul-Janaza in the area described above.” The Turks built an enclosure around the funeral courtyard which used to be open to worshippers. Recently however, it is used as a storage space for materials needed in Masjid-e-Nabwi.

8)Round Stone on the top of Bab-eJibraeel is Exact Place where Jibreel stood at bab-e-Jibraeel or Bab-eUsman or Bab-e-Nabvi

This door is also called Bab-un-Nabi since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to enter the masjid through this door. It was also known as Bab Othman since it was in front of Ottoman’s (RU) house. There is a round stone on the top of this window. This window indicates the location where Jibreel (AS) stood during his conversation with the Prophet (SAS). During the extension of the mosque, the door has been moved somewhat eastward in line with its original position.

9) Bab-e-Abubakr Siddique still exists.

Ibn Hajar said, “Small door is called Khukhah” Such small door of Abu Bakr’s (RU) house was near the fifth column west of the pulpit. This small door opened into the mosque. This door was moved westward along the same line during the various expansions of the mosque. During the first expansion by the Saudi Government, it was named Bab Siddique. if one enter from Bab-e-slam you could find a door on your left side. there is a small room, used for storage purpose now. this door was always kept in Masjid Nabvi, as Prophet s.w said ” close all the door which open in Masjid except Abu Bakr .rz door” so in every expansion this door was moved along the same line to the westward.

References: Wafa ul wafa by Shaikh Samodi, History of Masjid Nabvi by Dr Ilyas Abdul Ghani, تحقيق النصرة بتلخيص معالم دار الهجرة أبو بكر بن الحسين بن عمر المراغي ص161-183 تحقيق: د. عبد الله العسيلان ط1/1422ه

دليل مساجد المدينة المنورة إعداد سعيد أحمد الدربي ومحمد عبد الرحمن أبو عزة ص: 27 نشر: مدير أوقاف المدينة المنورة 1399 الدرة الثمينة في أخبار المدينة محمد بن محمود بن الحسن بن النجار ص 177-178 تحقيق: د . صلاح الدين بن عباس بن شكر ط 1/1427هـ المغانم المطابة في معالم طابة مجد الدين محمد بن يعقوب الفيروز آبادي ج2/619 ط1/1423هـ

its a long list, i have mentioned few only. i am working to compile all the Historical scared sites related Stuff with Photo Graph, GPS Tags ,Maps of Madina,Makkah,Tareequl Hijra, Tareequl Anbia, Tareequl Hajj, Tareequl Ghuzwaat . i would request to all of you , please pray for me that Allah Give me strength to complete This task . as i am in final phase of work .and in sha allah in couple of months i will upload the document.

Rudaba Safvi

March 3, 2014 at 9:47 AM

Asalam alekum Hamza , I am so great full that you shared precious information about Our Prophet’s Mosque . Thank you once again . Allah Hafiz .

May 6, 2014 at 1:53 PM

walikumslam , warhamtau Allah, Remember me in your prayers. Jazak allah

masroor ahmed

April 11, 2014 at 5:48 AM

Dear Brother ABU HAMZA, I want to purchase your book. From where i can purchase it in Pakistan or anywhere? what is the price?

May 6, 2014 at 1:32 PM

Dear Brother Masroor, Ma sha allah for your Interest, book would be free in sha Allah, and will be ready very soon, few of the chapters are left, mostly related to Prophet s.w Hijra Route , Ghuzwa Routs, .

May 2, 2014 at 2:01 PM

Great information shared Ya Abu Hamza. I myself have almost the same information. If I may add:

The five cornered wall was built so that there should be no resemblance with Holy Kaabaa

There is a door on all four sides leading inside to the empty space around the Sacred Chamber.

The five cornered Sacred Chamber is surrounded by metallic grills (painted green) on all sides, green colored cloth embroider with what is hanging on this grill obstructing the view of the five cornered chamber (photos can be googled)

Only the Khudam (the direct decedents of Hazat Bilal Razi Allah Anhu) are the people who can go inside for cleaning purposes. They are headed by (now very old) Shiekh Noori. You can often see him sitting on awheel chair near Ashab e Sufa Platform. All these Khuddam are MUKHANAS, as the people told me there.

These Khudam have a room behind Ashab e Sufa platform in the corner as you enter from Bab e Jibraeel.Dignitaries who go inside, enter from the door on the Qadmain e Mubarik side, which was the door of Hazrat Ali’s (KAW) and Hazrat Bibi Fatima’s Hujra.

There is a lot more, which maybe I will share next time.

May 6, 2014 at 1:50 PM

Dear Brother Muzzamil, Jazak allah khair for the information you shared, as this is not the right forum where i can share the stuff with complete authentic references, so i will only write few of sentences,

“The five cornered wall was built so that there should be no resemblance with Holy Kaabaa” True , it was first built by Umar bin Abdul Aziz r.z and then after the second fire in masjid nabvi, it was re built along the inner four side walls, Original Hujra of Aisha siddiqa rz.

yes its true, there is a lot alot alot more to share, … this is why i thought to compile the stuff,:) .

May 6, 2014 at 2:26 PM

Brother Muzzamil, i heard about these Khudam many times, wondering when did they started this Job? who appointed them first ? why Mukhans only? actually i never came across these people in any Historical book. ” the direct decedents of Hazat Bilal Razi Allah Anhu were appointed for this job, as far as at the time of SAHABa r.z no one has mentioned this thing, infect Bilal r.z himself left the madinah after the death of prophet.sw and got settled in Syria.. so where did this hole story come from? the first writer who wrote about Masjid Nabvi and other historical places was Ibn Zabala r.h who the student of Imam Malik r.h , he never reported about this, then Ibn Shiba, Matri, Samhodi etc a long list of Muslim scholars who spend their entire life only to Digg out the historical places,event related to Prophet.s.w has never mentioned this, and these are the people whose research was such a thoroughly about the ” Asaar Nabvi s.w” that they even mentioned the name of the people who were living on the way, streat, from where Rasool allah s,w passed only once…. so if this Muhanas story is true and is not like the wrong stories which we used to hear like anything, specially about Prophet sw Masjid and Scared Chamber, then there shoud be some Origin and Reason for this, could you please provide us some more details, when did it start,( i am sure if this is true then its only about two digit years old ) why Mukhanas only? why only Descendent of Bila r.z only ? etc

October 4, 2015 at 7:31 PM

Asalamualaikum wr wb, have you compiled your research in book form yet? looking forward to reading it iA

December 9, 2015 at 6:05 AM

walikum slam … book was ready last year but then some brothers insist to add Magahzi ul Nabi Places..( travelling of Prophet ) and this is a big topic , hundreds of places, so i have to pull out the photos, narrations, historical back ground present day situation etc from my stuff.. which is taking time ..hopefully by next year inShALLh it will be ready.

Shiraz Khan

October 7, 2015 at 1:46 PM

Jazak-Allah brother… pls share your website or pls msg me on facebook.. http://www.facebook.com/shirazrk or email me your website where you will / have upload(ed) the information. email me at [email protected]

Inshaallah, you will get nothing but success !!!!

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Tricia Bell

April 17, 2014 at 10:19 PM

Who is the prophet?

April 17, 2014 at 10:22 PM

And why is there such a big fuss/deal about him?

April 18, 2014 at 7:13 AM

Dear Tricia,

If this is a genuine question then we can provide you with a lot of information about the Prophet (peace be upon him.)

We Muslims believe that Muhammad the son of Abdullah (from the Makkan area of Arabia) – peace be upon him – was the last in a long line of messengers from God who was sent to guide humanity to the true purpose of life.

We revere the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the most perfect man to walk the earth and love him more than we love ourselves.

If you want to know why a teenage girl in Sudan and an elderly man in China could be moved to tears just by the mere remembrance of a man who they never met… let us know.

There are many good books/ videos/ websites out there.

May 31, 2016 at 11:32 PM

Clear, concise and excellent response Alhamdullilah

July 17, 2014 at 5:27 AM

Awesome post about 9 things you didn’t know about the Prophets mosque. Thanks a lot for sharing. Really It is a place known to every Muslim who has ever lived, yet there’s still much we don’t know about it.

August 1, 2014 at 4:58 AM

No one has been in heaven to know how it looks. Furthermore, it is not right to compare earthly structures like the mosque with heaven.

July 26, 2014 at 5:45 AM

Commenting here to follow up so that whenever those “secrets” post is up, I will get notified.

July 29, 2014 at 10:28 AM

Masha Allah… These post about hings you didnt know about the Prophet’s ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) Mosque as well as Al- Aqsa and Makkah are very informative.

One thing that came to mind when reading this is If the Open space is meant for Isa ‘alayhi’l-salām (peace be upon him), then it means that Isa will pass on in that spot… as was reported in the hadith… every prophet is buried in the place that he dies.

Muhammad kabir

April 18, 2016 at 5:47 PM

Assalamu alaikum! really an intriguing and informative platform, Jazakal Allahu bi khair ya majid. @Ebrahim ” Every prophet is buried where he died” that is true but Isa (AS) is not coming back as prophet but as a follower of the Rasul (SAW). so he may not necessarily die at that location. walLahu a’alam

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December 26, 2014 at 8:22 PM

SubhanAllah. Why is no one allowed to see inside?

January 3, 2015 at 12:07 AM

Salaam very educational and easy to grasp.

Many thanks

September 24, 2015 at 3:00 AM

You are right. It helped me alot as well.

January 3, 2015 at 1:47 PM

There are a lot of mistakes in this article and it should be corrected, like the people going into the hujrah in 1970. This is baseless and the masjid’s main scholars and caretakers are my personal friends and so are the masjid’s royal guards. Many of these matters mentioned in this article are not matters that are verified and it is conjecture. I would ask that things like this be verified better and the author do more authoritative research before making comments and claims. Wallahu alim.

December 11, 2015 at 11:26 AM

Thank you for your concerns.

The article is fully referenced. Unfortunately, being in the vicinity of history does not make one knowledgeable of it which explains why – like you – I have not been able to rely on the caretakers or the guards for the information collected here.

December 13, 2015 at 12:56 AM

Tawfique: “There are a lot of mistakes” Asslamualikum , could you please mention those “alot of mistakes”?? people entering Hujra does not mean entering in Chamber, i believe i simple means entering in Green fence area, and that still people do, like Khuddams, Aghwat for cleaning and stuff. Regards,

December 13, 2015 at 1:00 AM

Tawfique: “There are a lot of mistakes” Asslamualikum , could you please mention those “a lot of mistakes”?? people entering Hujra does not mean entering in Chamber, i believe it simple means entering in Green fence area, and that still people do, like Khuddams, Aghwat for cleaning and stuff. Regards,

January 17, 2015 at 1:54 PM

Good, informative article.

In your research, please also include some info on the peculiarity on the dome as discussed at http://almiskeenah.com/archives/11912

Also if you see the new extended portion of the mosque (behind the old Turkish construction) is slightly angled compared to the front portion. Why this deviation ? it actually changes the direction of the people offering prayers by a very small angle.

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abdu mohammed

July 5, 2015 at 7:55 PM

subhanallah let’s see miracle of allah

Mohammed Lambat

August 18, 2015 at 10:20 AM

When will the article of secret signs be written?

December 11, 2015 at 11:28 AM

I deliver it as a presentation and am currently working on it. InshaAllah it will be available in 2016.

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October 7, 2015 at 10:44 AM

It is forbidden for a masjid to encompass *any* grave. InshaAllah the structural changes and extensions will one day be reversed. If anyone is aware of a restoration campaign, please let me know.

And what’s with these “secret symbols”? Dear Lord, don’t let it be anything shirk-y.

December 11, 2015 at 11:31 AM

“And what’s with these “secret symbols”? Dear Lord, don’t let it be anything shirk-y.”

Thank you for making me smile…

December 22, 2015 at 2:34 PM

Turks did most of the damage to islam. They are in middle of two civilizations n they tried to mix them both. Concept of eid milad came from Christmas n building tombs on sahaba and sufis’s grave . If u look at the old cemeteries in Europe u will see high graves some with tombs. Now even west has corrected themselves according to teachings of Islam by making grave simple.

Fizraa Fayaz

January 19, 2016 at 10:37 AM

I wanted to know about whose janazah did prophet ( PBUH ) attend in masjid nab a with ??

January 19, 2016 at 10:38 AM

* masjid nabawi.

March 18, 2016 at 8:17 AM

SUBHANALLAH its really nice blog i love it and i love Muhammad s.a.w..

*Name has been changed to comply to our Comments Policy* [Please refrain from using a ‘Name’ that is considered advertising]

Muhammad Ibn Salah Al Deen

April 14, 2016 at 4:57 AM

Jazakallah Khair for the informative discussion. Is there any video or image of the resting place of beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?

April 14, 2016 at 3:11 PM

Walaikum asalaam br Muhammad,

No, there is no video of the resting place of the Prophet (SAW.) The inner chamber where the grave is located has not been opened in more than 800 years. The room itself has been opened but not the inner chamber.

Abdulshikur Mubarek

April 22, 2016 at 2:10 AM

aselwaleykum yaresulullah/S A W/ YARESULULLAH when you call me medinnah to visit you. YARESULULAH MISS YOU FROM HABESHA/Ethiopia/ home of SEYDINA BILLAL/R.A/

Naimuddin saifi

September 8, 2016 at 6:24 AM

it is a great article I am reading

September 18, 2016 at 12:54 PM

Mashaa Allah. I didn’t know this before❤ http://ayeina.com/19-lessons-learned-from-juz-1-quran/ You can also visit this link. Thanks.

Muhammad Sohail Khurshid

September 19, 2016 at 3:19 AM

Dear Wajid, Please update about your book. I am keenly waiting for it.

Hassan Khalid

January 25, 2019 at 1:54 PM

Masjid e Nabawi has six (6) Mehrabs, you’ve listed only 3. The names of these mehrabs are Mahrab e Nabawi Mehrabi e Uthmani Mehrab e Suleimani Mehrab e Tahajjud Mehrab e Fatimah Mehrab e Bait ul-Muqaddas

Source: https://madainproject.com/mehrabs_of_masjid_al_nabawi

October 4, 2019 at 3:49 PM

It is an amazing article thanks for sharing

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The Prophet's Mosque

Thousands of pilgrims break the Ramadan fast at sunset at a mosque that is the second holiest site in Islam. Paul Salopek shares in the meal.

Anthropology, Geography, Storytelling, Social Studies, English Language Arts

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In celebration of the ten-year anniversary of Paul Salopek's first steps on his Out of Eden Walk journey, this dispatch is now available for educational use in fifth- and eighth-grade reading levels. The original text is available as the default reading level, as well as on the Out of Eden Walk website.

This article is part of a collection called   Out of Eden 10th Anniversary: Food . It is also included in the Idea Set,   Exploring Food Traditions With the Out of Eden Walk .

By Paul Salopek

MEDINA, SAUDI ARABIA (11/21/2013)

It was during Ramadan, in the fasting month. The cleansing month. The holiest month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It was at Medina—just outside Al-Masjid al-Nabawī, the mosque of the Prophet Mohammed, the second holiest site in Islam after Mecca. Sixty thousand people had gathered at dusk to break the day’s fast together. There was a certain vibration of light in the air. A pale, tender, yellow sky at sunset. Across from me sat a big man from Afghanistan—a red-haired Nuristani. There were people from all over the world, hungry, musing quietly inward, waiting. I am not Muslim. But I had been fasting all month as well, out of respect, in order to know. The Nuristani passed me his orange. Passed him mine. We did this several times, laughing. And then we ate in silence.

View the original dispatch to see video of a crowd breaking the Ramadan fast in Medina.

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Related Resources

Visiting the Prophet ﷺ

The most excellent of deeds on completion of the Hajj or Umrah is to go to Madinah in order to visit the grave of the Master of Prophets, the Mercy unto Mankind, Muhammad ﷺ. Although visiting the Prophet ﷺ is classified as a sunnah, some scholars have gone to the extent of making it close to wajib, such is its significance and excellence. Muslims have consistently, from the time of the early righteous Muslim generations, visited him and expended much effort to travel to him because it is from amongst the most important and beneficial acts accepted by Allah. It is an excellent way of attaining spiritual elevation and increasing your love for the Prophet ﷺ.

• 1 Virtues of Visiting the Prophet ﷺ
• 2 The Presence of the Prophet ﷺ
• 3 The Intention of Visiting the Prophet ﷺ
• 4 En Route to Madinah
• 5.1 The Adab of the Sahaba
• 5.2 The Love of Imam Malik
• 5.3 Your Adab
• 6 En Route to Masjid Nabawi
• 7 Entering Masjid Nabawi
• 8.1 Salam on behalf of others
• 9 Greeting Abu Bakr al-Siddiq
• 10 Greeting Umar ibn al-Khattab
• 11 Greeting the Shaykhayn
• 12 The Legitimacy of Tawassul
• 13 Farewell Visit
• 14 Tips and Advice

Virtues of Visiting the Prophet ﷺ

The Prophet ﷺ himself implored his Ummah to visit him, such was his love for his community. He labels the person who has the ability and means to visit but refrains as being disrespectful and deprived.  Those who get to visit him ﷺ are indeed amongst the most fortunate. There are numerous sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that highlight the importance of visiting him:

Abdullah ibn Umar I narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him. 1 Allamah An-Nawawi  says, it has been reported by Al- Bazzar and Dar Qutni. Hafiz Ibn Al-Hajar says in Sharh-al-Manasik, it has been reported by Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahlh. A group of muhaddithin including the likes of Shaykh Abd-al-Haq Al-Ishbili in his Al-Ahkam and Shaykh Taqi-ad-Din As-Subki  have classified it as authentic. Mulla Ali Qari has also mentioned in his Sharh-ash-Shifa that a group from the a’immah Hadith have classified it as authentic. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Abdullah ibn Umar I again narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever visits me and has no other motive, has a right over me that I intercede on his behalf. 2 Allamah Iraqi says in his Sharh-al-Ihya, ‘At-Tabrani has narrated this and Ibn-as-Sakan has authenticated it. The author of Ithaf says, ‘Shaykh Abd-al-Haq  has done the same together with Shaykh Taqi-ad-Din As-Subki according to overall chain of narrations.’ jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Hatib I reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever visits me after my death is like he who had visited me during my life. And whoever passes away in either of the two Harams, will be resurrected from among the ones given safety on the Day of Resurrection . 3 Reported by Dar Qutni  and Allamah Adh-Dhahabi in Al-Wafa Al-Wafa has taken its chain to be good. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Abdullah ibn Umar I reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

The person who performs Hajj then visits my grave after my death, is like he who visited me during my lifetime. 4 Reported by Dar Qutni, At-Tabrani and Al-Bayhaqi. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

It is related by a person from the family of Khattab that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever undertakes a journey specially to visit me, will be my neighbour on the Day of Judgement. 5 Reported by Al-Bayhaqi and it is a mursal Hadith. However, Shaykh Taqi-ad-Din As-Subki after elaborating on its different chains of narration has classified it as a good mursal. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Ibn Abbas I reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

Whoever performs his Hajj in Makkah, then he comes to Madinah with the sole aim of visiting me in my Masjid, for him shall be written (the rewards of) two accepted Hajj. 6 Reported by Ad-Daylami as mentioned in Ithaf. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Allah says in the Quran:

وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا

And if, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you, [O Muhammad], and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

[Surah al-Nisa, 4:64]

The meaning of this verse is not confined to solely his earthly life but also refers to his other-worldly life. The Prophet ﷺ informed us that:

My life is good for you, you do things and things are done for you. When I die, my death shall be good for you, for your works shall be shown to me so that when what I see is good, I shall thank Allah, but when what I see is evil I shall ask forgiveness for you. 7 This Hadith was transmitted by Bazzar with a sound chain of transmission. Asqalani approved it in his commentary on the compilation of Bukhari, and so did Suyuti in his work on the attributes of the Prophet ﷺ. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

The Presence of the Prophet ﷺ

It is clear from the aforementioned transmissions that the Prophet ﷺ is very much alive, aware of the actions of his Ummah and receiving whatever blessings Allah wishes him to receive. It is a matter beyond dispute that the Prophet ﷺ responds to those who call him, saying “O Muhammad ﷺ”. In a Hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra I , the Prophet ﷺ says of Isa S :

When he shall stand before my grave and say, ‘O Muhammad!’ I shall certainly answer him. 8 Abu Ya’la, Musnad, 6449; ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, al-Matalib al-‘Aliya, Bab ‘Alamat al-sa‘a, 4628; al-Hakim, Mustadrak, Kitab Tawarikh al-mutaqqadimin min al-anbiya’ wa’l-mursalin, dhikr nabiy Allah wa ruhuh ‘Isa ibn Maryam Salawat Allah wa salamuh ʿalāyh, 4162 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

None shall ever greet me without Allah returning my spirit to me, so that I may answer his greeting. 9 Abu Dawud, Sunan, Kitab al-Hajj, Bab Ziyarat al-qubur, 1745 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

In another Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ says:

Allah has appointed to my grave an angel to whom He has given the hearing of all the people, so that none shall ever invoke blessings upon me up until Resurrection Day without him informing me of his name and that of his father. ‘This is so and so, son of so and so, he has invoked blessings upon you.' 10 Bazzar, Musnad, Musnad Ammar ibn Yasir, 1274 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_10').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_10', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

A companion of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Darda I stated that the Prophet ﷺ said:

Invoke blessings upon me in abundance on Fridays, for it shall be witnessed, the angels witness it. None shall invoke blessings upon me without it being shown to me until he is done. ‘Even after you die?’ asked Abu Darda, to which the Prophet ﷺ replied, Even after death, for Allah has forbidden the earth to eat the bodies of the Prophets, so that a Prophet of Allah is alive, receiving his provision. 11 Ibn Maja, Kitab Md ja fi’l-janaiz, Bab dhikr wafatih wdafnih salla’llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, 1627. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_11').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_11', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

He ﷺ also said:

For he who invokes blessings upon me before my grave, Allah appoints an angel who conveys them to me, and he is granted all his needs in this world and the next, and I shall be for him an intercessor or a witness. 12 Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman,1544, 3997 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_12').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_12', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Many scholars have mentioned, as quoted for instance by Qadi Iyad in al-Shifa, that you should not say, “I visited the tomb,” but rather, “I visited the Prophet ﷺ.” Imam Malik I declared: “I do not approve of the visitor saying, ‘I have visited the tomb of the Prophet ﷺ.’”

This is because the guest is visiting that person who hears and sees him, who is aware of his presence, recognises him and answers him. Therefore his visitation is not that of a person presenting himself at his tomb, rather it is that of a visitor being welcomed in the house of the Prophet ﷺ.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Between my house and my pulpit is a meadow of paradise.

The blessed house of the Prophet ﷺ remains his house, even after his death.

The Intention of Visiting the Prophet ﷺ

It is highly recommended that your intention for this blessed trip should be to visit the Holy Prophet ﷺ. You should also have the intention of drawing closer to Allah through this virtuous action and you should also make the intention of visiting Masjid Nabawi and performing salah therein.

After you have made your intention, increase your Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. You should do as much Salawat en route to Madinah and recite it with full concentration.

As a member of the Prophet’s ﷺ Ummah, you should develop a yearning and desire within yourself to visit him and express your love for him.

There are many instances of the Sahaba (the companions) and Tabi’een (the successors of the companions) of travelling to Madinah with the sole intention of visiting the resting place of the Prophet ﷺ.

One such instance was that of Bilal ibn Rabah I , who travelled from Syria with the intention of visiting the Prophet ﷺ after seeing him in a dream:

Abdullah ibn Dinar I said:

I saw Ibn Umar when he returned from a journey come to the Masjid and say, ‘al-salam ʿalāika ya RasulAllah, al-salam ʿalā Abi Bakr, al-Salam ʿalā Abi’ (may the salam be upon you O Prophet of Allah, may the salam be on Abu Bakr, and may the salam be on my father), and then he would pray two units. 14 Fadl al-Salat ‘ala al-Nabi jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_14').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_14', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); .

When Umar ibn al-Khattab I went to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), Ka’b Aahbar I , a senior Jewish scholar, embraced Islam. Umar I was greatly pleased by this and requested him to accompany him to Madinah in order to present himself at the blessed grave of Prophet ﷺ. He accepted this invitation and carried out the request of Umar I .

After going to Madinah, Ka’b al-Ahbar I sought permission to go to Damascus to which Umar I replied:

Do not leave Madinah for it is the place of the Prophet’s migration and the city of his burial. 15 al-Musannaf, ‘Abd al-Razzaq, vol. XI, p. 251 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_15').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_15', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

En Route to Madinah

As you begin your journey towards the blessed city of Madinah al-Munawwarah, you should make a special effort to recite Salawat/ Durood Sharif (salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ) abundantly, with complete sincerity and presence of heart. The most virtuous act on this blessed journey is the constant recitation of Salawat.

Travel with great excitement and increase your love and yearning for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as you approach Madinah. To increase your yearning, you can:

• Recite poems in praise of the Prophet ﷺ .
• Read and study the prophetic biography (seerah) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
• Discuss the life of the Prophet ﷺ with your fellow travellers.

As you enter the blessed city limits of Madinah al-Munawwarah, you should be completely engrossed in the remembrance of the Prophet ﷺ. Your yearning for the Prophet ﷺ should reach its climax at this point.

When entering Madinah, recite Salawat along with the following du’a:

You should keep the sanctity of Madinah in mind and maintain proper adab (etiquette) since Madinah, along with Makkah, is the most auspicious place on the face of the earth. Maintain this sense of reverence from the beginning of your arrival until you depart, with your heart full of awe, and profusely invoke blessings and salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ. Be conscious of the grand status and position of the Prophet ﷺ at all times.

If you haven’t done so already, you should bathe immediately after reaching Madinah, wear clean clothes and apply perfume.

The Adab of Visiting the Prophet ﷺ

Adab (Arabic: أدب‎) is commonly translated as “good manners” or “decorum” and refers to the proper etiquette that should be observed by a Muslim. It can be defined as an expression of love from the heart for someone or something. The more love you have for something, the more adab you have for it. Developing adab for the Prophet ﷺ is thus achieved by increasing your love for him.

If visiting the blessed Prophet ﷺ after his death is akin to visiting him during his life, then it would be beneficial to learn about the adab of the Sahaba whose characters were chiselled to excellence by the company of the blessed Prophet ﷺ, which imbued them with humanity, selflessness, compassion, humility, integrity and love for Allah.

The Adab of the Sahaba

As a result of their immense love for the blessed Prophet ﷺ, the adab of the Sahaba was unparalleled. There are numerous examples of their level of adab:

In fact, the Sahaba received much of their training and guidance on how to behave in the company of the Prophet ﷺ directly from Allah:

• In Surah Hujurat , they are told not to raise their voices and not to call the Prophet ﷺ by his name.
• In Surah Nur , they are told to call out to him softly and with humility. They are also instructed not to leave the gatherings of the Prophet ﷺ without his permission.

The Love of Imam Malik

When Imam Malik I , who is known as Imam Dar al-Hijrah (the Imam of Madinah), would hear of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his face would turn pale, and he would hunch over until his followers and students could no longer bear to see him in that state. Mus’ab ibn Abdullah V said:

When the Prophet was mentioned, Malik would grow pale so that it distressed those with him. One day he was asked about this. He said, ‘If you had seen what I have seen, you would not be surprised at what you see me do.' 20 Al-Shifa’ jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_20').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_20', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Imam Malik I spent his entire life in Madinah but never rode on any conveyance during his time in the blessed city. He used to walk barefoot and say: “I feel ashamed to trample this ground with a beast, while Rasulullah ﷺ used to walk on it.”

To increase your love, yearning and adab for the Prophet ﷺ, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I know him?
• Do I know his rank and station?
• Am I aware of what he did for me in the past?
• Am I aware of what he will do for me on the Day of Judgement?
• Am I aware of his importance?
• Am I aware of how much Allah honoured him?
• Am I aware of his favours upon me?

If you’re struggling to answer these questions, it is vital that you increase your knowledge of the Prophet ﷺ before your visit. This will enable you to forge a relationship with him and develop a greater attachment to him ﷺ.

Prior to your visit, you should also fulfil the adab of the outward (i.e. your appearance). To do so, perform ghusl, wear the best clothes you have, apply perfume, wear white if it’s a Friday, cover your head, let your beard grow and ensure you’re looking your best. This should be done every time you intend to present yourself in front of him ﷺ.

It is sunnah to perform ghusl before entering Madi­nah al-Munawwarah. If you’re unable to do so, ensure you do ghusl before your visit.

En Route to Masjid Nabawi

Before you make your way to Masjid Nabawi , make sure you’re not distracted by anything that will divide your attention. If you have a pressing matter to attend to, complete it quickly. Don’t indulge yourself in anything else other than the remembrance of the Prophet ﷺ.

With great humility, adab and full concentration, proceed to Masjid Nabawi, keeping in mind the sanctity of the blessed city and the reason for your visit at all times. On your way, recite Salawat and give some charity to the poor.

Take into account that nobody visits the Prophet ﷺ without permission from Allah, who has chosen and selected you from among all of His servants to receive this tremendous honour. Know that you are amongst the most fortunate that Allah has invited you to visit His Beloved, so he ﷺ may honour you.

When your eyes fall on the green dome, increase your Salawat and know that the best of all creation and the leader of all the Prophets lies beneath this blessed dome.

It is preferable for women to visit at night.

Entering Masjid Nabawi

It is preferable to enter Masjid Nabawi from Bab Jibril (the door through which the archangel Jibril S would come into the presence of the Prophet ﷺ) because it was a habit of the Prophet ﷺ to enter through this door. However, you may enter through any of the other doors.

Note: Access to Bab Jibril is likely to be blocked. Therefore, it would be advisable to enter one of the many alternative entrances of Masjid Nabawi.

When you arrive at the door of the masjid, offer your greetings and wait for a moment before entering – as if you’re asking the permission of the master ﷺ to enter his house.

Enter with your right foot and recite the well-known du’a for entering the masjid:

.بِسْمِ اللهِ ❁ اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ اللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَافْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ Bismi Llāh. Allāhumma ṣalli alā Muhammad. Allāhumma-ghfir lī wa-ftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik.

In the name of Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad ﷺ. O Allah, open for me the doors of Your Bounty.

Inside Masjid Nabawi

After entering the blessed mosque, be extremely mindful. Try not to turn your attention to the beautiful architecture of the mosque. Walk with absolute respect and reverence, with your eyes lowered. Don’t behave with disregard, and refrain from raising your voice in the mosque. Try not to converse with others.

Note: Obtaining a permit through the Nusuk application is now a requirement to access and pray within the Rawdah. Without this permit, access to the Rawdah will not be possible. If your intention is solely to present salam to the Prophet ﷺ, you may proceed to any other part of the mosque.

The area of the masjid, which is situated between the Prophet ﷺ and the mimbar (pulpit), is known as the Rawdah . About this blessed area, the Prophet ﷺ said:

The area between my house and my mimbar is one of the meadows of Paradise, and my mimbar is on my pond (al-Hawd). 21 Sahih al-Bukhāri, Hadith: 1195, 1196. Sahīh Muslim vol. 9 pp.161-162 (with commentary of Imām al-Nawawī), Hadith: 1390,1391 jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_21').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_21', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

My pulpit is on one of the hills of paradise. 22 Ahmad jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_22').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_22', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

There are different opinions about the meanings of these sayings. The majority opinion, according to Imam Malik I and many others, is that the Rawdah area is literally from Paradise.

Tahiyyat al-Masjid

In the mosque, perform two rak’ahs of Tahiyyat al-Masjid (Prayer of Greeting the Mosque), provided it isn’t one of the makruh times for prayer. It is preferable to recite Surah al-Kafirun in the first rak’ah and Surah al-Ikhlas in the second rak’ah.

Note: If a congregational prayer is about to begin, partake in it. This will suffice for your Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer.

After the prayer, praise and glorify Allah for the tremendous favour He has bestowed upon you by bringing you to the sacred city as a guest of the Prophet ﷺ.

You may also perform two rak’ahs nafl of Salat al-Shukr (Prayer of Gratitude) to thank Allah for permitting you to complete your pilgrimage and to be in close proximity to the Prophet ﷺ.

Make any du’a that you have, as this is a place where supplications are accepted.

Note: women are only allowed entry to the Rawdah at certain times of the day. The Nusuk application must be used to book a visit to the Rawdah.

Towards the Prophet ﷺ

After finishing your prayer and du’a, if you’re not inside the Rawdah already, make your way out of the Masjid towards Bab al-Salam (the Door of Peace). You will be passing before the blessed Prophet ﷺ in just a few minutes to present yourself in front of him.

Note: Direct access to this door may be blocked. You will find a pathway leading to this door in the courtyard.

Imam Malik I disliked anyone who said, “I am going to visit the grave of the blessed Prophet ﷺ” because it implies that the blessed Prophet ﷺ is dead and unhearing, and if a visitor came to the blessed Prophet ﷺ with that state of mind, he would naturally be indifferent to feeling that he was in the presence of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. He didn’t want us to think we were visiting the grave of the blessed Prophet ﷺ but, rather, that we were coming in his presence. Subsequently, we would be inspired with awe and reverence for our Beloved Prophet ﷺ.

As you enter Bab al-Salam, be conscious of the fact that you are walking on the ground that has been blessed by the Prophet ﷺ, those pure members of his household, his righteous companions (Sahaba), their followers (Tabi’een), those that followed them (Taba Tabi’een) and the saintly men of Allah over the centuries. This very ground was blessed by their noble foreheads in prostration day after day.

After you enter from Bab al-Salam, look to your right, and you will see the names of the blessed Prophet ﷺ shining with light on the Qibla wall all the way to the Baqi Door.

Some of the names of the Prophet ﷺ are inscribed in gold on a purple background: Muhammad, Ahmad, Mahmud, Hamid, Wahid, Ahid.

Continue sending prayers and salutations on the Prophet ﷺ until you reach him. Maintain adab and lower your gaze in humility. Show heartfelt shame for all the sins you have committed but remain confident in gaining pardon in the court of the Messenger ﷺ.

The Sacred Chamber of the Prophet ﷺ

As you reach the Prophet ﷺ, you will see three gold wire-mesh enclosures with round holes in each one. Many people are under the impression the Prophet ﷺ is resting inside the first enclosure, with Abu Bakr al-Siddiq I in the second and Umar ibn al-Khattab I in the third. This is incorrect – they are all in the middle enclosure .

There are three round holes in the middle enclosure and two holes in each of the two enclosures on either side of the middle one. The first hole, the largest and the most prominent, situated on the left-hand side of the wire-mesh enclosure, directly faces the blessed countenance of the Prophet ﷺ. Moving slightly to the right, the second hole marks the direction of the face of Abu Bakr I and the third hole, the face of Umar I .

In Front of the Prophet ﷺ

Stand a few yards away from the enclosure facing the sacred chamber, with your back towards the Qibla, and turn slightly to the left so that your face is directly in front of the blessed face of the Prophet ﷺ.

Keep your heart free of all worldly thoughts, and take into consideration that the Prophet’s ﷺ blessed eyes are upon you; he hears you and is aware of your presence.

Imam Ibn al-Hajj V in his book Kitab al-Madkhal says:

One must adopt maximum humility and respect at this time. This is because Rasulullah’s ﷺ intercession is guaranteed of acceptance. The person who intended to present himself in his court has fulfilled his objective. The person who presents himself at his threshold is never refused. The person who makes du’a through his wasilah (intercession) is certain to have it accepted, and he receives whatever he asks for. Experiences of people and incidents are all testimony to this. The person should therefore show as much respect as possible.

Mulla Ali Qari V stated:

It is undoubtedly better to invoke blessings close to the blessed grave than invoking him from a distance because the humility and presence of mind and heart when invoking nearby are not found when invoking from a distance. 23 Virtues of Invoking Blessings and Virtue on the Noble Prophet ﷺ. jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5891_1_23').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5891_1_23', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });

Sending Salam to the Prophet ﷺ

You will now offer your salam to the blessed Prophet ﷺ in the best possible manner. There are numerous ways to offer salams. Some scholars have recommended salams containing different themes and words, while others have recommended salams that are short and concise.

The minimum you should say is:

When reciting your salam, you must be mindful of the greatness of Rasulullah ﷺ and utter the salam in an average tone. You should not raise your voice loudly, as this is extremely disrespectful and demonstrates a lack of adab. If you can, picture the Prophet ﷺ standing in front of you in your mind’s eye when greeting him.

It isn’t compulsory to learn and recite long a salam. If you understand the words and meanings of the salam and feel that your yearning and desire will increase if you were to recite a lengthy salam, then do so. If this is not the case, then instead of repeating a prolonged salam, recite a short salam with absolute yearning, desire, tranquillity and decorum. Ensure the salam you’re sending resonates with your heart and soul.

Below are a few examples of other greetings you may recite:

After saying salam, you may:

• Recite Salat al-Ibrahimiyyah/ Durood Ibrahim , the salutation that is recited during salah in the sitting position.
• Testify to the oneness of Allah and the finality of His messenger ﷺ by repeating the Shahada.
• Thank the Prophet ﷺ.
• Most importantly, ask the Prophet ﷺ for his intercession.

Seeking the Prophet’s ﷺ Intercession

One of the great favours that Allah has granted his beloved Prophet ﷺ is that he will be a means (wasilah) of intercession (shafa’a) for his community on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet ﷺ is also a means of gaining proximity to Allah in this world. It is vital that you make du’a and plead for the Prophet’s ﷺ intercession when presenting yourself to him. You may recite the du’a below or supplicate in your native language.

Examples of other du’as you can make in your native tongue:

• Intercede for me and assist me in this world and in the Hereafter, Ya Rasulallah!
• Resurrect me with you and allow me to be with you on the Day of Judgement, Ya Rasulallah!
• Allow me to drink the water of al-Kawthar from your beautiful hands on that day, Ya Rasulallah!
• Please don’t let me be embarrassed or ashamed on the day, Ya Rasulallah!
• Ya Rasulallah! I have come to you in a state of sin. Please intercede for me so that I may be forgiven. Forgive me and be pleased with me.
• Please permit me to follow you into Jannah Ya Rasulallah – that Jannah where I may be close to you!
• Allow me to see you in a dream, Ya Rasulallah! For you said: ‘Whoever sees me in a dream has truly seen me.’ I yearn to see your beautiful face!
• Ya Rasulallah, please allow me to see you in a state of wakefulness!
• Ya Rasulallah, your enemies were privileged to see your blessed face. I am not your enemy but your servant. Please allow me to see the one I love!
• Increase my love for you, Ya Rasulallah!
• Increase my proximity to you, Ya Rasulallah! Be my means of obtaining closeness to Allah.
• Allow me to send more Salawat upon you, Ya Rasulallah!
• Please allow me to adopt more of your sunnahs, Ya Rasulallah!
• Ya Rasulallah, let me serve you and serve your community.
• Ya Rasulallah, please guide me through all my affairs!
• Ya Rasulallah, please help me with my ailments, whether they are physical, mental or spiritual. Indeed, you are the Bringer of Relief, the Merciful, the Kind!
• Ya Rasullallah, please raise my rank. Indeed, you are the Raiser of Ranks!

Remember to also seek his intercession for your parents, family, teachers, friends and the Muslim community.

Be careful if you choose to open your hands in du’a when facing the Prophet ﷺ. Although this is acceptable according to Islamic law, you may be reprimanded by the authorities for doing so.

Salam on behalf of others

After making du’a, if anybody has asked you to convey their salam to the Prophet ﷺ, you can do so in the following manner:

Replace fulān ibni (binti) fulān in the above sentence with the name of the person followed by the name of the individual’s father, e.g. As-salāmu ʿalayka yā rasūla Llāh min Zayd ibni Ahmad (male) or As-salāmu ʿalayka yā rasūla Llāh min Zaynab binti Ahmad (female).

If you have been asked to covey the greetings of a number of people and you can’t remember each and every individual, you may say the following:

If you’re struggling with the Arabic, it’s acceptable to convey their greetings in your native language.

Greeting Abu Bakr al-Siddiq

After greeting the Prophet ﷺ and making du’a, take a step to the right so that you’re in line with the blessed face of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq I . You may recite one of the greetings below:

You may praise Abu Bakr I , thank him, and make du’a, using him as a Wasilah as you did with the Prophet ﷺ.

Greeting Umar ibn al-Khattab

After greeting Abu Bakr I , take another step to the right so that you’re in line with the blessed face of Umar ibn al-Khattab I . You may convey your salam to him using one of the greetings below:

You may praise Umar I , thank him, and make du’a, using him as a Wasilah as you did with the Prophet ﷺ.

Greeting the Shaykhayn

After conveying your salam to Umar I , you may greet both Abu Bakr and Umar L collectively by taking half a step to your left, so that you’re standing between the two graves, and reciting the following:

You should praise them, show your gratitude to them and use them as a Wasilah for your du’as.  Remember to send them the salam of others if you were asked.

You may then take another step to the left so that you’re once again facing the Prophet ﷺ where you can make more du’a.

The Legitimacy of Tawassul

It is the belief of traditional Sunni Islam that you can supplicate to Allah through various means or intermediaries. In Arabic, an intermediary is known as a ‘Wasilah’, and the act of using an intermediary is known as ‘Tawassul’. The practice of using the righteous servants of Allah as a means of gaining proximity to Him or asking for His help is documented in Hadith literature as well as by Muslims through the ages. The foremost intermediary for Muslims is the Prophet ﷺ. Unfortunately, this hugely beneficial and widely practised act of worship is today sometimes erroneously regarded as associating partners with Allah. Following are some proofs for the legitimacy of this practice.

This authentic tradition is narrated in the books of both al-Nasa’i and Tirmidhi. Uthman ibn Hunaif I narrated that a blind person came to the Prophet ﷺ and requested that he make du’a for his eyesight to be restored. The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘If you wish, I will make du’a for you, or you could exercise patience, an option that is better for you.’ The person replied and said, ‘Please make du’a for me.’ The Prophet ﷺ instructed him to perform wudhu perfectly and make the following du’a:

Through the virtue of the Prophet’s ﷺ supplication, the blind man’s vision was restored. It is recommended to read this du’a after greeting the Prophet ﷺ.

This next account is reported by Atabi V who narrates: “I was sitting in the Rawdah , when a Bedouin came and said:

He then recited the following poem:

Farewell Visit

Upon leaving Madinah, humbly present yourself at the blessed tomb of the Prophet ﷺ one final time. Make the following du’a before leaving:

O Allah! Let me die in a state of Iman following the sunnah in the city of Madinah and allow me to be buried in Jannatul Baqi.

Tips and Advice

• Do not waste any time during your stay in Madinah, and spend as much time as you can in Masjid Nabawi. Some choose to spend their entire stay in Madinah in close proximity to the  Prophet ﷺ.
• Spend your time in the mosque performing salah, reciting Quran and sending Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ.
• Whenever you pass the tomb of the Prophet ﷺ, whether from inside or outside Masjid Nabawi, stop and offer salam before continuing.
• When your gaze falls on to the Green Dome, whether you’re close to the mosque or far away, look at it with love and yearning and send salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ.
• Try to offer salam at the blessed grave of the Prophet ﷺ as much as you can. Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad X all recommended visiting the blessed grave as much as possible. Imam Malik V didn’t recommend visiting it excessively due to the risk of becoming disinterested and taking it for granted.
• Don’t turn your back towards the blessed grave, regardless of whether or not you’re performing salah, unless you have no other option.
• Don’t circumambulate around the blessed tomb or prostrate towards it.

References [ + ]

20 comments, cancel reply.

Fantastic. May ALLAH reward you for your hard work.

If a permit is required for rawdah, how’re ppl praying inside during regular salah?

Salam Do women have to book a slot to say Salam at the tomb of Prophet Mohammed (saw) OR can you queue up to go to the RM.

They have to book a time slot using Nusuk app.

اَلسَّلاَ مُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَا تُهُ This is very helpful for me as i was visiting madinah it has increased my knowledge and ان شاء الله Allah will give you azhar for teaching us. May Allah bless you and your family 🤲🏻

May Allah blessed each and everyone of u who has a hand in publishing and educating the Muslim umma. Jazakallah khair

May Allah blessed each and everyone of u who has a hand in publishing and educate the Muslim umma. Jazakallah khair

Ya Allah blessed each and everyone who has a hand in publishing and educate the Muslim umma. And also us that read and learn from it… Jazakallah khair

Jazakalla khyr. May blessings be upon the author. I have learnt alot from this article. Asalam aleikum warahmatulahi wabarakatuh

MashaaAllah very informative and the best possible explanation in details. May Allah s.w.t reward you.

Salam, I found this so so useful and great beautiful Information. Alhamdulillah, may Allah swt bless whoever co tributes In this and all of us reading and using it. Ameen

May Allah blessed whoever has a hand no matter how small it is in this publishing and educating the Umma. Ya Allah bless them for whatever good they wish and their families. This is sincerely educative and mind blowing… Jazakhallah bi khair. I love you for the sake of Allaah and his messenger صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم

Nice website thanks for giving duah and articles

Mashallah mashallah great well done allah give you place in jannah you written best and easy to understand.Huzoor sallallahu alaihi wasallam. Details. Thanks.

Allahoema bariek. I found this article just before i went to visit our beloved prophet (saw). This helped me very much. Thank you. May Allah bless you all.

As Salamualaikum warahmatul lahi wabaraktu. Jzkkhair. Was very informative. Please can u elaborate on the ladies visit. As it is on the opposite side of the men. Jzkkhair

Jazak Allah Khair, I’ve learned so much and feel closer to the prophet(pbuh) and his teachings.

May Allah blessed whoever has a hand no matter how small it is in this publishing and educating the Umma. Ya Allah bless them for whatever good they wish and their families. This is sincerely educative and mind blowing… Jazakhallah bi khair

Beautiful article. Full of longing and love. God bless you. JazakAllah khair

Very beautiful and exhaustive detail, really helpful for people like me with limited knowledge.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great work.

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Going to visit places and mosques in which the Prophet prayed

Publication : 02-09-2000

Views : 79526

I see some people when they visit Madeenah, going to the seven mosques in addition to al-Masjid al-Nabawi (the Prophet’s Mosque) and Masjid Quba’. In al-Taa’if they make sure that they visit Masjid ‘Addaas, and they want to visit mosques in Makkah in order to pray there. What is the ruling on this?

Praise be to Allah.

Travelling to visit al-Masjid al-Nabawi is an action which is prescribed in sharee’ah as indicated by the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “No journey should be made to visit mosques except forthree: this mosque of mine [in Madeenah], al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in al-Quds/Jerusalem]. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim; this version narrated by Muslim). Prayer in (al-Masjid al-Nabawi) is better than a thousand prayers anywhere else, apart from al-Masjid al-Haram. 

Other places which it is prescribed to visit without travelling expressly for that purpose are the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the graves of his two companions [Abu Bakr and ‘Umar], the graves of the people of al-Baqee’ [the cemetery of Madeenah], the graves of the martyrs of Uhud, and finally, the mosque of Quba’. 

With regard to visiting those graves, this is implied in the general meaning of the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “I used to forbid you to visit graves but now visit them.” 

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is also mustahabb (recommended) to visit the graves of the people of al-Baqee’ and the martyrs of Uhud, to pray for them and ask for forgiveness for them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do this, but this is prescribed for all the Muslim graves.” (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, 17/470) 

The evidence for visiting the Mosque of Quba’ is the hadith narrated in al-Saheehayn from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to come to Quba’ riding and walking.” According to another report: “and he would pray two rak’ahs there.” (narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, “Whoever purifies himself in his house then comes to the mosque of Quba’ and prays there, he will have a reward like that for ‘Umrah.” (Narrated by Ahmad, al-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah and al-Haakim. Al-Haakim classed it as saheeh and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Also classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 6154) 

With regard to visiting other mosques and historical sites and claiming that they are “places which a person should visit”, there is no basis for doing this, and they should not be visited for the following reasons: 

1-There is no shar’i evidence to suggest that these mosques should be singled out for visits, as there is in the case of Masjid Quba’. As is well known, acts of worship should be based on following (the Sunnah), not on innovations.

2-The Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the most keen of all people to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). None of them are known to have visited those mosques and historical sites. If this were a good thing they would have been the first ones to do it.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali and all the predecessors of the Muhaajiroon and Ansaar used to travel from Madeenah to Makkah to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah, or for other purposes, and none of them said that he was keen to pray in the places where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had prayed. It is known that if this had been mustahabb in their view, they would have been the first ones to do it, for they had more knowledge of the Sunnah and followed it more closely than anyone else.” (Iqtidaa’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, 2/748).

3-Visits to these places should be disallowed as a preventative measure. This is indicated by the actions of the righteous salaf, above all the rightly-guided khaleefah ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him). It was narrated that al-Ma’roor ibn Suwayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “We went out with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and we came across a mosque on our route. The people rushed to pray in that mosque, and ‘Umar said, ‘What is the matter with them?’ They said, ‘This is a mosque in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed.’ ‘Umar said: ‘O people, those who came before you were destroyed because they followed such (practices) until they made them places of worship. Whoever happens to be there at the time of prayer, let him pray there, and whoever is not there at the time of prayer, let him continue his journey.’” (Narrated by Ibn Waddah in his book al-Bida’ wa’l-Nahiy ‘anhaa; classed as saheeh by Ibn Taymiyah in al-Majmoo’, 1/281).

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this story, “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had not singled out that place for prayer; he prayed there only because he happened to be staying there. Hence ‘Umar thought that imitating him outwardly without having the same reason for doing so did not count as following the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Singling out that place for prayer was like the innovations of the People of the Book which had led to their doom, so he forbade the Muslims to imitate them in this manner. The one who did that was imitating the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in outward appearances, but he was imitating the Jews and Christians in his intention, which is the action of the heart. The action of the heart is what counts, because following in one’s intention is more serious than following in outward appearances.” (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, 1/281)

In another example, it is narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that some people were visiting the tree under which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had accepted the bay’ah of people, so he commanded that it should be cut down.” (Narrated by Ibn Waddaah in his book al-Bida’ wa’l-Nahiy ‘anhaa, and by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, 2/375. Its isnaad was classed as saheeh by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 7/448.Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: the men of its isnaad are thiqaat).

Ibn Waddaah al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Maalik ibn Anas and other scholars of Madeenah regarded it as makrooh to go to those mosques and historical sites connected to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), apart from Quba’ and Uhud.” (al-Bida’ wa’l-Nahiy ‘anhaa, p. 43). What is meant by Uhud is visiting the graves of the martyrs of Uhud.

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Hence the scholars of the salaf among the people of Madeenah and elsewhere did not regard it as mustahabb to set out to visit any places in and around Madeenah after the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), apart from the mosque of Quba’, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not specify any mosque to be visited apart from that.” (Majmoo’ al-Fatawa, 17/469).

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after mentioning the places which it is prescribed to visit in Madeenah: “With regard to the seven mosques, Masjid al-Qiblatayn (the Mosque of the Two Qiblahs), and other places which some authors who wrote about the rituals of Hajj include among the places to be visited, there is no basis for doing that, and there is no evidence for doing so. What is prescribed for the believer at all times is to follow [the Sunnah], not to innovate.” (Fatawa Islamiyyah, 2/313)

The prominent scholar Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah preserve him) said: “There are no places in Madeenah to be visited apart from these: al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), al-Baqee’, the martyrs of Uhud, and the Mosque of Quba’. As for other sites, there is no basis for visiting them.” (Fiqh al-‘Ibaadaat, p. 405)

Some may think that as long as one does not believe that these places hold any special virtue, that justifies visiting them or other historical places. This idea is unacceptable, for the following reasons: 

Firstly: the righteous salaf (may Allah have mercy on them) forbade going to these places in absolute terms, without going into detail.

Secondly: going to these places and singling them out to visit because they are in the vicinity of Madeenah which witnessed the dawn of the Islamic call or because some battles happened there, proves that one believes in their virtue. If one did not hold such a belief, there would be no motive for visiting these places.

Thirdly: if we accept, for the sake of argument, that a person does not believe in their virtue, visiting them is still a means that may lead to that and to doing things that are not prescribed. Taking preventative measures is one of the things prescribed by sharee’ah, as is well known. Al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim – may Allah have mercy on him – gave ninety-nine examples illustrating this principle, and after giving the ninety-ninth example he said: “Taking preventative means is one-quarter of responsibility, for there are commands and prohibitions. The commands are of two types, one of which is the end in itself and the other is the means to that end. And prohibitions are of two types, the thing that is prohibited because it is evil in and of itself, and the means that lead to that evil. So preventing the means that lead to that which is Haram is one quarter of the religion.” (I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 3/143)

Fourthly: It gives wrong ideas to ignorant people; when they see many people visiting those mosques and historical sites, they will think that this is an action which is prescribed in Islam.

Fifthly: Going to extremes in that matter and calling for visits to historical sites such as Mount Uhud and Jabal al-Noor for leisure purposes is one of the means that lead to shirk. The Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas issued a fatwa (No. 5303) stating that it is not allowed to climb up to the Cave of Hiraa’ for that reason. And Allah is the One Whose help we seek.

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Source:  Al-Da’wah magazine, issue #1754, p. 55

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