Prophet Mosque | Masjid-al-Nabawai
Masjid-al-Nabawai is currently the 2nd largest mosque in the world. In terms of importance, after Masjid al-Haram, the place of Masjid al-Nababi. Masjid al-Nababi is a mosque founded by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), located in Madinah, present-day Saudi Arabia. The mosque was built after Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to Medina.
The historic Masjid-al-Nabawai was built where the Prophet’s (pbuh) camel ‘Kaswa’ was sitting after entering Madinah. The construction work of Masjid-al-Nabawai started in the year of Hijrah, i.e., 622. Muhammad (PBUH) himself participated in the construction of the mosque. The Prophet’s Mosque was built in the middle of 623 AD. It takes more than seven months to build.
The Mosque place purchased from Sahl and Sohail, two orphan boys of Medina, for 10 dinars, which was later paid by Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA). A part of the built mosque was designated as the residence of the Holy Prophet (S). At that time, the mosque was the meeting place, court, and madrasa. The first light bulb was lit in the Arabian Peninsula in 1909
Architectures of Masjid an-Nababi:
Riyadul Jannah: Within the mosque, there is a small area called Riyadul Jannah. Riyadul Jannah is also seen as the Garden of Paradise. Narrated by Sahabi Abu Huraira that Muhammad (pbuh) called the space from his house to the pulpit part of Paradise.
Rawza: The Rawza is located next to the mosque. Here are the tombs of the Prophet (PBUH) and the first two Caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr (RA) and Umar (RA). Next to the tombs, another tomb is kept empty. According to Islam, Prophet Jesus (AS) will return to earth and be buried there after his death.
Mihrab: There are a total of three mihrabs in the mosque. One of them was built during the time of Muhammad (pbuh), and the rest were built later.
Minarets: The first minarets were built by Hazrat Umar (RA). Its height was 26 feet (7.9 m). Later, after the renovation work of 1994 AD, ten minarets were constructed. Its height is 104 meters (341 feet). The minarets’ top, bottom, and middle parts are cylindrical, octagonal, and square, respectively.
Doors: There were three doors in Masjid an-Nabawi during the time of the Prophet (PBUH). Later, during the Umar (RA), there were a total of 6 doors. After the latest renovation, Masjid Nawabi currently has 81 doors, including 11 main ones. On the mosque’s eastern wall is Gabriel’s door through which the Prophet (PBUH) used to enter. It is called ‘Bab Jibreel’ because Gabriel (AS) stood at this gate after the battle of Khandak.
This mosque has an immeasurable emotional bond with Muslims as it enshrines the sacred memory of the Prophet (PBUH). However, not a part of Hajj, Muslims from different parts of the world come to Masjidoon Nawabi with different emotions during Hajj. Every Muslim has an infinite love for Rasool (pbuh) in his heart.
Zamzam Travels BD arranges sightseeing tours in Makkah and Madinah for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.