Masjid-E-Nabawi, also known as the Prophet's Mosque, is in the centre of Madina. The Prophet Muhammad built the mosque. The Prophet's Mosque is the second largest mosque in Madina, Saudi Arabia, after the Mosque Quba. It makes sense that it is the second holiest land for Muslims. Masjid-e Nabawi is one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in Madina. It is the second holiest place in Islam. It is a big building, and the mosque is a good example of Islamic architecture. It is the third mosque built in Islam where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is known to be buried. So, it is the most important place for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to go when they come to Saudi Arabia. If you book 5 Star 10 Nights December Umrah Package, you can go to the beautiful and historic Mosque.
In the history of Masjid-e Nabawi, Sahl and Suhayl, two orphan brothers, kept the land where Masjid-e Nabawi is now. Here's what happens.
History of Masjid-e Nabawi – From the beginning
When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) moved to Madina, which was then called Yathrib, the leaders of the city and his closest followers rode around his camel in their best clothes and most beautiful armour. Everyone hoped he would come to their house and asked him to. The Prophet would say to everyone in a polite and kind way, "Allah has told this camel where to stop, and that will be my home." The camel moved forward with the reins loosened. When it got to where the Masjid is now, it got down on one knee. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) came down and said, "This is the Home." He then asked, "Who owned the land?"
When Sahl and Suhayl heard that Prophet Muhammad wanted to buy their land to build a mosque on it, they came forward to give it to him for free. Prophet Muhammad preferred to pay them because they were orphans. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari bought the land and paid for it, and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) helped pay for his work while the mosque was being built. A few palm trees, the graves of polytheists, and a place for herds of cattle to rest were on the land. He cut down the trees and dug up and evened out the graves of the polytheists. The Mosque was built next to his house in Madina, where he lived after moving there in 622 CE. It took seven months to finish.
The Initial Structure
At first, the Mosque was an open-air building that served as a meeting place, a court of law, and a spiritual school. A podium was built so that the Prophet Muhammad could give the Friday sermon and for those who teach people about the Quran. Later, Islamic rulers added to and decorated the Mosque. They named the walls, doors, and minarets after their children and grandchildren.
Over the years, the Prophet's Mosque has had changes made to it by the Rashideen Caliphs, who were in power from 622 to 660 CE. In 622, there were three gates on the south, east, and west sides of the mosque. They were called the Gate of Mercy, the Gate of Gabriel, and the Gate of Women. When the Mosque was built, the direction of the qibla was northwest toward Jerusalem, and Al-Suffah was next to the northern wall. In 628 CE, the Mosque was made bigger after the battle of Khyber. Along with the west wall, which became the place of worship, three rows and columns were built.
During Abu Bakar's time as the first Caliph of Islam, the mosque stayed the same. During the time of the second Caliph, Hazrat Umar, the Mosque was changed and enlarged, and all of the houses were torn down, except for those of the Prophet Muhammad's wives. The walls were made of sun-dried mud bricks, and the floor was made of steering pebbles. In the future, three more entrances were added to the Mosque.
In 649 CE, the third caliph Osman (RA) tore down the Mosque and built a new one with iron clamps, stones, and teakwood. This new Mosque had a rectangular shape and faced the reformed Qibla, which was the Kaaba.
Under subsequent Islamic reigns (660-1517 CE)
In 707 CE, the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid fixed up the Mosque and built a wall between it and the homes of the Prophet Muhammad's wives. Now, the mosque was in the shape of a trapezoid, and the northern part was connected to the sanctuary. The Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi also added on to the Mosque to the north, and his name is carved on a panel inside the Mosque. Al-Mutawakkil put marble around the area where Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) tomb is. In 1407 CE, a stone dome was built over the grave of the Prophet (PBUH).
During The Ottoman Rule
The longest time was from 1517 to 1918, when the Ottoman Sultanate was in power. During the time that the Ottomans were in charge, the Prophet's Mosque was changed and rebuilt. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the east and west walls of the Prophet's Mosque were rebuilt. A new steel dome was put on top of the dome, and the "Gate of Mercy" was brought back to life. Mahmud II built Al-Rawdah Al-Mutarharah in 1817. (purified residence). In 1837 CE, the dome over Prophet's grave was painted green, and it became known as the Green Dome. The next leader fixed up and grew the Mosque by adding red stone bricks. The mosque has been changed many times, except for the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad, the three altars, and the pulpit.
Masjid-e Nabawi under The King’s rule
In the 1800s CE, Saud bin Abdul-Aziz and his followers destroyed almost every tomb except for the Green Dome. They took gold and decorations from the Green Dome. People think there were two reasons: either they couldn't tear it down because it was too strong, or Ibn Abd-Al-Wahhab had written that he didn't want the Dome to be destroyed. After 400 years, the Ottomans lost their power, and the Saudis took over.
During Saudi Rule, many changes were made to the Prophet's Mosque. In 1951, the king told people to tear down the buildings around the Mosque so that the prayer hall could get bigger. Northeast and northwest of the Mosque, new minarets were built quickly, and the old ones were fixed up in the style of the Mamluk revival. On the western wall, a library was set up to store the Quran and other religious books.
In 1985, the Mosque was expanded again, so the buildings around it had to be torn down. The Prophet's Mosque got 27 new courtyards and escalators in 1992. The Mosque will be updated and made bigger through a project that will cost $6 billion. For this project, the hotels, homes, and utilities on the eastern side had to be torn down.
During the month of Ramadan, a lot of Muslims do Umrah, and then they go to Madina to do Ziyarat. You can opt for March Umrah Packages with Flights to perform Umrah in Ramadan.
