Muhammad himself was involved in the construction of the mosque. At the time, the mosque's land belonged to two young orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, and when they learned that Muhammad wished to acquire their land to erect a mosque, they went to Muhammad and offered the land to him as a gift; Muhammad insisted on paying a price for the land because they were orphaned children. The price agreed upon was paid byAbu Ayyub al-Ansari, who thus became the endower or donor (Arabic:وَاقِف,romanized: wāqif) of the mosque, on behalf or in favor of Muhammad.[citation needed] al-Ansari also accommodated Muhammad uponhis arrival at Medina in 622.
Originally an open-air building, the mosque served as acommunity center, a court of law, and a religious school. It contained a raised platform or pulpit (minbar) for the people who taught theQuran and for Muhammad to give the Friday sermon (khutbah). Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated the mosque,naming its walls, doors and minarets after themselves and their forefathers. After an expansion during the reign of theUmayyadcaliphal-Walid I (r. 705–715), it now incorporates the final resting place of Muhammad and the first twoRashidun caliphsAbu Bakr (r. 632–634) andUmar (r. 634–644).[3] One of the most notable features of the site is theGreen Dome in the south-east corner of the mosque,[4] originallyAisha's house,[3] where the tomb of Muhammad is located. Many pilgrims who perform theHajj also go to Medina tovisit the Green Dome.
In 1909, under the reign ofOttomanSultanAbdul Hamid II, it became the first place in theArabian Peninsula to be provided withelectrical lights.[5] From the 14th century, the mosque was guarded byeunuchs, the last remaining guardians were photographed at the request of then-PrinceFaisal bin Salman Al Saud, and in 2015, only five were left.[6][7] It is generally open regardless of date or time, and has only been closed to visitors once in modern times, as Ramadan approached during theCOVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[8]
Ahadith inscribed in the mosque which says "A prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers anywhere else, except forAl-Masjid al-Haram."
The mosque was built by Muhammad in 622CE after his arrival in Medina.[9] Riding a camel called Qaswa, he arrived at the place where this mosque was built, which was being used as a burial ground.[10] Refusing to accept the land as a gift from the two orphans, Sahl and Suhayl, who owned the land, he bought the land which was paid for by Abu Ayyubal-Ansari, and it took seven months to complete the construction of the mosque. It measured 30.5 m × 35.62 m (100.1 ft × 116.9 ft).[10] The roof which was supported by palm trunks was made of beaten clay and palm leaves. It was at a height of 3.60 m (11.8 ft). The three doors of the mosque were theBāb ar-Raḥmah (بَاب ٱلرَّحْمَة, "Gate of the Mercy") to the south,Bāb Jibrīl (بَاب جِبْرِيْل, "Gate ofGabriel") to the west, andBāb an-Nisāʾ (بَاب ٱلنِّسَاء, "Gate of the Women") to the east.[10] At this time point in the history of the mosque, the wall of theqiblah was facing north toJerusalem, and theSuffah was along the northern wall. In the year 7 AH, after theBattle of Khaybar, the mosque was expanded[11] to 47.32 m (155.2 ft) on each side, and three rows of columns were built beside the west wall, which became the place of praying.[12] The mosque remained unaltered during the reign of Abu Bakr.[12]
Umar demolished all the houses around the mosque, except those ofMuhammad's wives, to expand it.[13] The new mosque's dimensions became 57.49 m × 66.14 m (188.6 ft × 217.0 ft). Sun-dried mud bricks were used to construct the walls of the enclosure. Besides strewing pebbles on the floor, the roof's height was increased to 5.6 m (18 ft). Umar constructed three more gates for entrance. He also addedAl-Buṭayḥah (ٱلْبُطَيْحَة) for people to recite poetry.[14]
The third Rashidun caliphUthman demolished the mosque in 649. Ten months were spent in building the new rectangular shaped mosque whose face was turned towards theKaaba in Mecca. The new mosque measured 81.40 m × 62.58 m (267.1 ft × 205.3 ft). The number of gates as well as their names remained the same.[15] The enclosure was made of stones laid in mortar. The palm trunk columns were replaced by stone columns which were joined by iron clamps.Teakwood was used in reconstructing the ceiling filza.[16]
The mosque during theOttoman Era, in the 19th century
In 706 or 707, theUmayyad caliphal-Walid I (r. 705–715) instructed his governor of Medina, the future caliphUmar ibn Abd al-Aziz, to significantly enlarge the mosque.[17][18] According to the architectural historian Robert Hillenbrand, the building of a large scale mosque in Medina, the original center of the caliphate, was an "acknowledgement" by al-Walid of "his own roots and those of Islam itself" and possibly an attempt to appease Medinan resentment at the loss of the city's political importance toSyria under the Umayyads.[17]
It took three years for the work to be completed. Raw materials were procured from theByzantine Empire.[19] Al-Walid lavished large sums for the mosque's reconstruction and supplied mosaics and Greek andCoptic craftsmen.[20] The area of the mosque was increased from the area 5,094 square metres (54,830 sq ft) of Uthman's time, to 8,672 square metres (93,340 sq ft).[21] Its redevelopment entailed the demolition of the living quarters ofMuhammad's wives and the expansion of the structure to incorporate the graves of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Umar.[22][20][23] The vocal opposition to the demolition of Muhammad's home from local religious circles was dismissed by al-Walid.[17] A wall was built to segregate the mosque and the houses of the wives of Muhammad. The mosque was reconstructed in a trapezoid shape with the length of the longer side being 101.76 metres (333.9 ft). For the first time,porticoes were built in the mosque connecting the northern part of the structure to the sanctuary.[21]
According to the 10th-century writerIbn Rusta,minarets were also built for the first time during al-Walid's expansion as four towers were added to the mosque's corners.[24] They may be the first minarets inIslamic architecture,[25] though it is not clear exactly what purpose these towers served in this early period.[26] At the time of Ibn Rusta's writing, only one of the original four towers remained standing. The southwest minaret was demolished in 716 on the orders ofSulayman ibn Abd al-Malik.[24]
TheAbbasid caliphal-Mahdi (r. 775–785) extended the mosque to the north by 50 metres (160 ft). His name was also inscribed on the walls of the mosque. He also planned to remove six steps to theminbar, but abandoned this idea, fearing damage to the wooden platforms on which they were built.[27] The project required the demolition of the two northern minarets of al-Walid's time but they were replaced by two new towers at the northern corners of the new expansion.[28] According to an inscription ofIbn Qutaybah, the caliphal-Ma'mun (r. 813–833) did "unspecified work" on the mosque.Al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–861) lined the enclosure of Muhammad's tomb with marble.[29]
In 1269, theMamluk sultanBaybars sent dozens of artisans led by the eunuch Emir Jamal al-Din Muhsin al-Salihi to rebuild the sanctuary, including enclosures around the tombs of Muhammad and of Fatima.[30] The Mamluk sultanal-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (r. 1501–1516) built a dome of stone over his grave in 1476.[31]
SultanSuleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566) rebuilt the east and west walls of the mosque, and added the northeastern minaret known asSüleymaniyye. He added a new altar called Ahnaf next to Muhammad's altar, Shafi'iyya, and placed a new steel-covered dome on the tomb of Muhammad. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent wrote the names of theOttoman sultans fromOsman Ghazi to himself (Kanuni) and revived the "Gate of Mercy" (Bab ur-Rahme) or the west gate. The pulpit that is used today was built under SultanMurad III (r. 1574–1595).[citation needed]
In 1817, SultanMahmud II (r. 1808–1839) completed the construction of "the Purified Residence" (Ar-Rawdah Al-Muṭahharah (ٱلرَّوْضَة ٱلْمُطَهَّرَة) inArabic, andRavza-i Mutahhara inTurkish) on the southeast side of the mosque, and covered with a new dome. The dome was painted green in 1837, and has been known as the "Green Dome" (Kubbe-i Khadra) ever since.[3] Sultan Mahmud II's successor, SultanAbdulmecid I (r. 1839–1861), took thirteen years to rebuild the mosque, beginning in 1849.[32] Red stone bricks were used as the main material in reconstruction of the mosque. The floor area of the mosque was increased by 1,293 square metres (13,920 sq ft).[citation needed]
The entire mosque was reorganized except for the tomb of Muhammad, the three altars, the pulpit and the Suleymaniye minaret. On the walls, verses from theQuran were inscribed inIslamic calligraphy. On the northern side of the mosque, amadrasah was built for teaching the Qur'an.[33] Anablution site was added to the north side. The prayer place on the south side was doubled in width, and covered with small domes. The interiors of the domes were decorated with verses from the Qur'an and couplets from the poemKaside-i Bürde. Theqibli wall was covered with polished tiles with lines inscribed from the Qur'an. The places of prayer and courtyard were paved with marble and red stone. The fifth minaret,Mecidiyye, was built to the west of the surrounded area. Following the "Desert Tiger"Fakhri Pasha's arrest by his own officers having resisted for 72 days after the end of theSiege of Medina on 10 January 1919, 550 years of Ottoman rule in the region came to an end.[citation needed]
WhenSaud bin Abdul-Aziz took Medina in 1805, his followers, the Wahhabis,demolished nearly every tomb and dome in Medina to prevent their veneration,[34] except the Green Dome.[35] As per the sahih hadiths, they considered the veneration of tombs and places, which were thought to possess supernatural powers, as an offence againsttawhid, and an act ofshirk.[36] Muhammad's tomb was stripped of its gold and jewel ornaments, but the dome was preserved either because of an unsuccessful attempt to demolish its complex and hardened structure, or because some time ago,Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, founder of theWahhabi movement, wrote that he did not wish to see the dome destroyed.[34]
View of Gates 21 and 22, as seen from the north. The gate with two minarets isBāb Al-Malik Fahd (Arabic:بَاب الْمَلِك فَهْد,lit. 'Gate of theKing Fahd')
The Saudi takeover was characterized by events similar to those that took place in 1805, when the Prince Mohammed ibn Abdulaziz retook the city on 5 December 1925.[37][38][39][40] After the foundation of the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia in 1932, the mosque underwent several major modifications. In 1951,King Abdulaziz (1932–1953) ordered demolitions around the mosque to make way for new wings to the east and west of the prayer hall, which consisted of concrete columns with pointed arches. Older columns were reinforced with concrete and braced with copper rings at the top. TheSuleymaniyya andMecidiyye minarets were replaced with two minarets inMamluk 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.[33][41]
In 1974,King Faisal added 40,440 m2 (435,300 sq ft) to the mosque.[42] The area of the mosque was also expanded during the reign ofKing Fahd in 1985.Bulldozers were used to demolish buildings around the mosque.[43] In 1992, when it was completed, the mosque took over 160,000 m2 (1,700,000 sq ft) of space. Escalators and 27 courtyards were among the additions to the mosque.[44] A$6 billion project to increase the area of the mosque was announced in September 2012. After completion, the mosque should accommodate between 1.6 million to 2 million worshippers.[42] In March of the following year, theSaudi Gazette reported that demolition work had been mostly complete, including the demolition of ten hotels on the eastern side, in addition to houses and other utilities.[45]
TheGreen Dome was given its signature color in 1837
The modern-day mosque is situated on a rectangular plot and is two stories tall. TheOttoman prayer hall, which is the oldest part of the mosque, lies towards the south. It has aflat paved roof topped with 27 slidingdomes on square bases.[46] Holes pierced into the base of each dome illuminate the interior when the domes are closed. The sliding roof is closed during the afternoon prayer (Dhuhr) to protect the visitors. When the domes slide out on metal tracks to shade areas of the roof, they create light wells for the prayer hall. At these times, the courtyard of the Ottoman mosque is also shaded with umbrellas affixed to freestandingcolumns.[47] The roof is accessed by stairs andescalators. The paved area around the mosque is also used for prayer, equipped with umbrella tents.[48] The sliding domes andretractable umbrella-like canopies were designed by the German Muslim architectMahmoud Bodo Rasch, his firmSL Rasch GmbH, andBuro Happold.[49]
The chamber adjacent to theRawdah holds the tombs of Muhammad and two ofhis companions andfathers-in-law, Abu Bakr and Umar. A fourth grave is reserved forʿĪsā (Jesus), as Muslims believe thathe will return and will be buried at the site. The site is covered by the Green Dome. It was constructed in 1817 CE during the reign of the Ottoman sultanMahmud II and painted green in 1837 CE.[3]
Ar-Rawdah ash-Sharifah is mostly crowded with worshippers, and movement is restricted by policemen at all times
Ar-Rawḍah ash-Sharīfah (Arabic:ٱلرَّوْضَة ٱلشَّرِيْفَة,lit. 'The Noble Garden') is an area between theminbar and the burial-chamber of Muhammad. It is regarded as one of theRiyāḍ al-Jannah (Arabic:رِيَاض ٱلْجَنَّة,lit. 'Gardens of the Paradise').[50][3] A green carpet was used to distinguish the area from the red carpet used in the rest of the mosque, though it is now also green.
The old mihrab constructed by Muhammad. It was remodeled several times over the centuries, and is currently set in marble.
There are twomihrabs or niches indicating theqiblah in the mosque, one was built by Muhammad and another was built by Uthman. The one built by the latter was larger than that of Muhammad's, and it acts as the functional mihrab, whereas Muhammad's mihrab is a "commemorative" mihrab.[51] Besides themihrab, the mosque also has other niches which act as indicators for praying. This includes theMiḥrāb Fāṭimah (Arabic:مِحْرَاب فَاطِمَة) orMiḥrāb at-Tahajjud (Arabic:مِحْرَاب ٱلتَّهَجُّد), which was built by Muhammad for the late-night prayer.[52][better source needed]
Theminbar commissioned by SultanMurad III is still in use at the mosque today
The originalminbar (مِنـۢبَر) used by Muhammad was a block ofdate palm wood. This was replaced by him with atamarisk one, which had dimensions of 50 cm × 125 cm (20 in × 49 in). In 629 CE, a three staired ladder was added to it. Abu Bakr and Umar did not use the third step as a sign of respect to Muhammad, but Uthman placed a fabric dome over it, and the rest of the stairs were covered withebony. Theminbar was replaced byBaybars I, byShaykh al-Mahmudi in 1417, and byQaitbay in 1483. In 1590 it was replaced by the Ottoman sultanMurad III with a marbleminbar, while Qaytbay's minbar was moved to the Quba Mosque. As of 2013, the Ottoman minbar is still used in the mosque.[52][better source needed]
The first recordedminarets, four in number, were constructed between 707 and 709 during the reign of al-Walid I.[25] They were 26 feet (7.9 m) high.[52][better source needed] In 1307, a minaret titledBāb as-Salām (بَاب ٱلسَّلَام, "Gate of thePeace") was added byal-Nasir Muhammad which was renovated byMehmed IV. After the renovation project of 1994, there were ten minarets which were 104 metres (341 ft) high. The minarets' upper, middle, and bottom portions are cylindrical, octagonal, and square shaped respectively.[52][better source needed]
An 18th century bronze token depicting the originalMamluk era dome, where the Green Dome stands today.
The mosque on the reverse side of a 1993 100-riyal paper bill. The Masjid an-Nabawi is used on the reverse of all 100-riyal notes in Saudi Arabia, with theGreen Dome on the obverse side.
TheGreen Dome over Muhammad's tomb, and the smaller silver dome next to it.
Interior of the new section
Inner courtyard
The umbrellas protect pilgrims from the harsh summer temperatures of Medina. Fans spraying water are also attached to each umbrella pillar, to keep the square and pilgrims alike cool.
East side of the mosque, with some of the umbrellas partially closed
"Muhammad the Messenger of God" inscribed on the gates of the mosque.
The library at the mosque houses several old manuscripts, books and specializes in the preservation ofIslamic history.
^Trofimov, Yaroslav (2008),The Siege of Mecca: The 1979 Uprising at Islam's Holiest Shrine, New York, p. 79,ISBN978-0-307-47290-8{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^NE McMillan (18 June 2013).Fathers and Sons: The Rise and Fall of Political Dynasty in the Middle East. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 33.ISBN978-1-137-29789-1.
Prophet's Mosque: mosque, Medina, Saudi Arabia, inEncyclopædia Britannica Online, by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Brian Duignan, Kanchan Gupta, John M. Cunningham and Amy Tikkanen
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