History of the Prophet’s Mosque
Every religion has many remarkable places that have a tremendous history. The followers of this religion respect these places and believe that visiting these sites is a great blessing. So, in this way, Islam has numerous remarkable sites that are very respectful to its followers. The Prophet’s Mosque, or Masjid al-Nabawi, is one of the holiest sites in Islam. This mosque is located in Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam. Masjid al-Nabawi has a tremendous and 1400-year long history. Prophet Muhammad (PUBU) built this mosque in 622 CE when he migrated from Mecca to Medina. Throughout history, many Muslim empires renovated this “place of worship” in their regions. This informative article will discuss the significance and history of the Prophet’s Mosque in detail.
What is the Prophet’s Mosque?
The Prophet’s Mosque, or Masjid al-Nabawi, is the second-holiest in Islam after the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca. This beautiful mosque is in Medina, the most remarkable city in Saudi Arabia. Due to its enormous significance in Islam, many Muslims visit this mosque yearly when they travel to Saudi Arabia to complete their religious duties by booking travel experts like Labbaik Hajj Umrah.
History of the Prophet’s Mosque
The history of Masjid al-Nabawi is 1400 years old. The mosque began when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. We will discuss the history of the Prophet’s Mosque in different reigns below:
Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) era:
When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Mecca to Medina in 622, he needed to build a place of worship for the people of Medina. Prophet (PBUH) liked a place for the mosque. Two orphans (Sahl and Suhayl) were the owners of this place. Upon knowing that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) wished to acquire their land to build a mosque on it, Sahl and Suhayl offered to give it to him as a gift. However, the Prophet (PBUH) wanted to provide for them because they were orphans. The Prophet’s remarkable companion, Abu Ayub al-Ansari, became the land’s donor and paid the price. The construction of the mosque took seven months.
It was once an open-air structure that served as a court of law, a community centre, and a spiritual school. A pulpit, or elevated platform, was built to teach people about the Quran and provide a platform for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to deliver the Friday sermon. After the Battle of Khybar in 628 CE, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) expanded the mosque. During this expansion, three columns were constructed along the west wall, serving as the worship place.
Rashidun Caliphate:
The Second Caliph Umar altered the mosque in his reign. During this alteration, every home, except for the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) wives’ homes, was demolished to make room for the mosque. The third Caliph, Uthman, demolished the old structure in 649 CE and built a new rectangular-shaped mosque. The materials used during the mosque’s construction were stones, iron clamps, and teakwood.
Umayyad era:
Al-Walid I, the Umayyad caliph, renovated the mosque in 707 CE, and he also erected a wall to divide it from the wives’ homes of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Constructed as a trapezoid, the mosque links the sanctuary with its northern section.
Abbasid era:
The Abbasid ruler al-Mahdi enlarged the mosque northward, and his name was inscribed on the panel of Masjid-e Nabawi. Al-Mutawakkil surrounded the enclosure of the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) with marble. Then, in the 1470s CE, a stone dome was constructed over the tomb.
Ottoman era:
The Ottoman king Suleiman, the Magnificent, renovated the east and west walls of the mosque in his reign. The Prophet Muhammad’s tomb received a new steel-covered dome during this time. After two centuries, Mahmud II finished building the refined home, al-Rawdah al-Mutaharah (purified residence), in 1817 CE. Moreover, the Prophet’s dome received the name “Green Dome” in 1837 CE when it was painted green. His successor, Abdulmejid I, reconstructed and enlarged the mosque using red stone bricks.
Saudi era:
The Prophet’s Mosque experienced several changes during the Saudi rule. The king ordered in 1951 that certain areas surrounding the mosque be demolished to expand Masjid al-Nabawi’s prayer hall; during this time, a new set of minarets was constructed northeast and northwest of the mosque.
The mosque was enlarged again, and surrounding areas were removed in 1985. Masjid al-Nabawi added 27 courtyards and escalators in 1992. In September 2012, the Saudi government announced a $6 billion project to modernize and expand the mosque’s territory. Due to this announcement, the government removed houses, hotels, and shops on the eastern side for this project.
Significance of the Prophet’s Mosque:
The Prophet’s Mosque, or Masjid al-Nabawi, has tremendous significance in Islam. It is the second-holiest site in Islam. This mosque is also the resting place of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the first two caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr and Umar. Due to this fact, visiting Masjid al-Nabawi each year is a fantastic experience for the Muslim community worldwide. During Islamic events like Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, millions of Muslims visit the mosque to seek more spirituality by availing of Umrah packages.
The Prophet’s Mosque, or Masjid al-Nabawi, is the second-holiest site in Islam. This mosque has a 1400-year-long history. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) built this mosque in 622 CE after migrating from Mecca to Medina. However, numerous Islamic rulers also reconstructed and renovated it many times.