| The Sacred Grove | |
|---|---|
Al-Mašʿar Al-Ḥarām (ٱلْمَشْعَر ٱلْحَرَام) | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Muzdalifah,Makkah,Hejaz |
  Location within Saudi Arabia Show map of Saudi Arabia Al-Mash'ar al-Haram Mosque (Middle East) Show map of Middle East Al-Mash'ar al-Haram Mosque (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
| Coordinates | 21°23′10″N39°54′44″E / 21.38611°N 39.91222°E /21.38611; 39.91222 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Style | Islamic |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | Qiblah |
| Minaret | 2 |
Al-Mash'ar al-Haram Mosque (Arabic:مَسْجِد ٱلْمَشْعَر ٱلْحَرَام,romanized: Masjid Al-Mašʿar Al-Ḥarām) is one of the most significant landmarks of theHajj pilgrimage, located inMuzdalifah,westernSaudi Arabia.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
The mosque covers an area of approximately 5,040 m2 (54,300 sq ft), with a length of about 90 m (300 ft) and a width of 56 metres (184 feet). It includes a large prayer courtyard that can accommodate over 12,000 worshippers, and it features two minarets rising to a height of around 32 metres (105 feet).[9]
Themosque is situated in the heart of Muzdalifah, betweenMount Arafat andMina, along the route connecting the two sites. It serves as a major gathering point for pilgrims after they move from Arafat at the end of theDay of Arafah.[10]
The history of the mosque is closely connected to theIslamic ProphetMuhammad's actions during theFarewell Pilgrimage, and to the Quranic command to remember God here when moving from Arafat to Muzdalifah. The mosque was originally built in the 3rd centuryA.H. on the site whereMuhammad spent the night in Muzdalifah, prayed Fajr, and rememberedGod until daybreak. Since its initial construction, the mosque has undergone several expansions and restorations throughout Islamic history, eventually reaching its present form.[11]
The importance of the mosque stems from its mention in theQuran (2:198)[12] asthe Sacred Grove [ar]:
لَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا أَفَضْتُم مِّنْ عَرَفَاتٍ فَاذْكُرُوا اللهَ عِندَ الْمَشْعَرِ الْحَرَامِ ۖ وَاذْكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَاكُمْ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الضَّالِّينَ
There is no sin on you if you seek the Bounty ofyour Lord. Then when you leave 'Arafat, rememberAllah at the Sacred Grove. And remember Him as He has guided you, and verily, you were, before, of those who were astray.
It is the place where the Prophet prayed and spent the night in Muzdalifah, making it a natural and meaningful stop for pilgrims after standing at Arafat.[13] The mosque serves as a place for remembering God, performing the combined Maghrib and ‘Isha prayers, and spending the night in Muzdalifah before heading to Mina on the morning of Eid. Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the mosque as a blessed site of prayer and devotion.[14]
The wordjamrah is applied to the place of stoning, as well as to the stones.
1204.Jamrah originally means a pebble. It is applied to the heap of stones or a pillar.
Literally "gravel, or small pebbles." The three pillars [...] placed against a rough wall of stones [...]
With thousands of Hajjis, most of them in motor vehicles, rushing headlong for Muzdalifah [...] There is special grace for praying at the roofless mosque in Muzdalifah called al-Mash'ar al-Haram (the Sacred Grove)
It was still dark when we arrived at Muzdalifah, four miles away. The Koran instructs us to spend the night at al-Mash'ar al-Haram. the Sacred Grove at Muzdalifah, as one of the conditions for the hajj.
The Qur'an admonishes: "When you hurry from Arafat, remember God at the Sacred Grove (al-mash' ar al-haram)," that is, at Muzdalifah (2:198). Today a mosque marks the place in Muzdalifah where pilgrims gather to perform the special saldt
Muzdalifah is an open plain sheltered by parched hills with sparse growth of thorn bushes. The pilgrims spend a night under the open sky of the roofless Mosque, the Sacred Grove, Al Mush'ar al-Haram. On the morning of the tenth, all depart[.]
Every year, from the eighth to the twelfth day ofDhu al-Hijjah. | ||
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