home Zander Muslim shrines: The Prophet's Mosque in Medina (Masjid al-Nabi). The most significant mosques for Muslims The first mosque in the medina

Muslim shrines: The Prophet's Mosque in Medina (Masjid al-Nabi). The most significant mosques for Muslims The first mosque in the medina

Masjid an-Nabawi Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina. It was built by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions immediately after the Hijra (migration) of the Meccan Muslims to Medina. This mosque is the third sanctuary of Islam after the "Forbidden" mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca and the "Furthermost" (Al-Aqsa) mosque in Quds (Jerusalem), to which pilgrimage is allowed in Sharia. After the relocation of the Prophet Muhammad to Medina, he remained for some time in the suburbs of the city of Quba, where a mosque was built by his order. Then he left from there and arrived in Medina. There, many people began to invite him to their homes. However, the Prophet refused and announced that he would stay in the house where his camel would stop. After that, he released the animal. Left without a rider, the camel walked some distance, stopped and sat down on the ground not far from the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, where Muhammad temporarily stopped. The place where the camel stopped belonged to the Medinans Sahl and Suhayl, who were ready to donate this land to the prophet. However, he did not agree and bought this territory from them for a symbolic sum of 10 dinars. The money was paid by Abu Bakr. After that, the Muslims, under the leadership of the Prophet Muhammad, began to build a mosque on this site, which was built in the shortest possible time. Due to the fact that the qibla was originally facing Quds, the mihrab of the mosque was installed on the northern side of the mosque. Six months later, after changing the direction of the qibla towards Mecca, the mihrab was installed on the south side of the building. A minbar was also installed in the mosque, from which the prophet read sermons to the people. However, the building's dome was missing. After the construction was completed, the Prophet Muhammad settled in this mosque. On its eastern side two rooms were built for his wives Aisha and Sauda. However, these rooms remained outside the main building. Also, near the mosque, a place called Suffa was arranged, where needy Muslims and travelers gathered for prayers and teaching the basics of religion (See Ashab as-Suffa). The number of rooms belonging to the prophet was originally seven, then there were nine. The Medina mosque was of exceptional social importance in the life of the early Muslim community. It turned into a public and educational center, where all everyday, economic and political problems of Muslims were solved. From here the Prophet Muhammad ruled the state, received various embassy delegations, together with his companions solved military tasks, created the legal mechanism of society, and taught the people the Koran. In addition to him, the Koran was taught here, as well as Arabic writing and grammar by his other educated associates. After the conquest of Khaibar in 628, the Prophet Muhammad ordered the expansion of the territory of the mosque. And after his death in 632, he was buried in the room of his wife Aisha. In the same place, next to him, the first Righteous Caliphs - Abu Bakr and Omar were buried. During the reign of the second Righteous Caliph Omar, the mosque was further expanded. The first thorough reconstruction of the mosque was carried out during the reign of the third Righteous Caliph Osman in 650. The weak brick walls of the structure were replaced with solid, stone ones. A dome was built and columns were added to support it. During the governorship of the Umayyad Omar ibn Abd al-Aziz in 707-711, the Prophet's Mosque was rebuilt and expanded so much that the rooms of the wives of the prophet were inside the building. Due to the fact that Muhammad's tomb was in Aisha's room, only part of it was brought inside the mosque. The walls, structures and columns were built of stone and brick and lined with marble. At the same time, the first four minarets of the prophet's mosque were built. In 778-781, the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi carried out another reconstruction of the mosque, significantly expanding it to the north. Similar work was carried out in 817 during the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mamun. In 1180, Caliph an-Nasir built a special room on the territory of the mosque, where he collected clothes and household items that had been preserved from the Prophet Muhammad and his companions. In 1256, during the reign of the last Abbasid caliph al-Mutasim, due to the fault of one of the servants, a major fire broke out in the mosque. The fire destroyed almost the entire building. The following year, the Caliph ordered the urgent restoration of the mosque. In the same year, he sent the best craftsmen and architects to Medina, who restored the mosque of the prophet. The ruler of Yemen, Muzaffar, and the ruler of Egypt, Nur ad-Din Ali ibn Muiz, also took part in this affair. Instead of the prophet's minbar that burned down in the fire, a new minbar made in Yemen was installed there. However, the repair work was not completed due to the invasion of Baghdad by the Mongol-Tatars, who destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate. They were continued and completed only in 1295 on the initiative of the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, Baybars. He ordered a new minbar to be brought from Egypt, with which he replaced the previous one. The second major fire happened in the mosque of the prophet in 1481, when one of the minarets was struck by lightning. From there, the fire spread throughout the building. After that, the mosque was restored by the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, Ashraf Kaytabay, who sent the best craftsmen to Medina. At the same time, Mahmudiya Madrasah was built near the mosque. During the reign of the Ottoman sultans, the Prophet's Mosque was repeatedly repaired. However, the most fundamental work was carried out by Sultan Abd al-Majid in 1849-1861, when the building was actually rebuilt in parts. That is, the old walls were replaced by new, more fundamental ones. The last fundamental restoration work in the mosque was carried out by the authorities of Saudi Arabia in 1953.

Since 623, she waged war with the Meccan polytheists. The community was not a state, but a self-governing community of the polis type. After the death of the Prophet, the Righteous Caliphate was created on the site of the Medina community. The period of the life of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam is called asr as-saadat .

background

Around 571, in the so-called " Year of the Elephant" in the family of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb, the son Muhammad was born. His father died before he was born, and his mother died when the boy was 6 years old. Muhammad was taken in by his grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, but he also died two years later. After the death of Abd al-Muttalib, Muhammad was taken in by his uncle Abu Talib.

By the age of 20 he became, being a person versed in trade and knowing how to drive caravans, he was hired by wealthy merchants as a clerk, caravan guide or sales agent. At the age of 25, Muhammad married Khadija bint Khuwaylid.

When Muhammad was forty years old, his religious activity began. For the first three years, he preached in secret. People began to gradually convert to Islam, at first it was the wife of Muhammad Khadija and eight more people, including the future caliphs Abu Bakr, Ali and Usman. Since 613, the inhabitants of Mecca began to accept Islam in groups, both men and women, and the prophet Muhammad began to openly call for Islam.

The Quraysh began to take hostile actions against Muhammad, who openly criticized their religious views, and against newly converted Muslims. Muslims could be insulted, thrown with stones and mud, beaten, subjected to hunger, thirst, heat, and threatened with death. All this prompted Muhammad to decide on the first resettlement of Muslims in Ethiopia (615).

In 619, Khadija and Abu Talib, who defended Muhammad from the hostile Quraysh, died. Muhammad called this year "the year of sorrow." Due to the fact that after the death of Abu Talib, oppression and pressure towards Muhammad and other Muslims from the Quraysh increased markedly, Muhammad decided to seek support in at-Taif, located 50 miles southeast of Mecca, among the tribe of Thaqif. He wanted them to convert to Islam, but in at-Taif he was rudely rejected, and when they left the city they threw stones at them.

According to legend, around the year 619, Muhammad made a night journey ( isra) to Jerusalem, and then taken up ( miraj) to heaven .

Because of the danger of finding Muhammad and other Muslims in Mecca, they were forced to move to Medina (Yathrib). By this time, Islam had already been accepted in Medina, and the whole city and army were subordinate to Muhammad. This event is considered the beginning of Muslim statehood, as Muslims received the independence they needed. The year of the Migration became the first year of the Islamic lunar calendar (lunar Hijri).

Community history

After moving to Medina, the Prophet Muhammad turned from a simple preacher into the political leader of the Medina community, which included not only Muslims. His main support was local residents from the Aus and Khazraj tribes (Ansar) and the Muslims (Muhajirs) who came with him from Mecca. In the early years, Muhammad also hoped to find religious and political support from the Jews, who refused to recognize a non-Jewish prophet. Moreover, the Jews ridiculed the Prophet and even made contact with the Meccans, who were at enmity with the Muslims. The internal Medinan opposition from pagans, Jews and Christians, who opposed Muhammad, is repeatedly condemned in the Qur'an under the name of "hypocrites".

The majority of the inhabitants of Medina in 622 were Jews. Initially, Muhammad accepted Jerusalem as the side to which the worshipers should face ( qibla) and observed Jewish fasts. However, after the rejection of the Jews in recognition, Muhammad establishes Mecca as the party of conversion and declares Islam the true religion of Ibrahim (Abraham).

From that time on, Muhammad speaks more and more clearly about the special role of Islam, which is announced as the correction of the distortions of the will of Allah committed by Jews and Christians, about himself as the last prophet - the “seal of the prophets”. A special day of common prayer for Muslims is established - Friday ( Juma), announces the holiness of the Kaaba and the paramount importance of the pilgrimage to it. The Kaaba becomes the main shrine of Islam; instead of Jerusalem, Muslims begin to turn to it during prayer.

In Medina, the first mosque (al-Kuba), the house of Muhammad, is being built, the foundations of the Islamic ritual are being established - the rules for prayer and calling for it, ablution, fasting, mandatory fees to help those in need, etc. The rules of life of the Muslim community began to be fixed in the sermons of the Prophet - principles of inheritance, marriage, etc. Prohibitions on the use of alcoholic beverages, gambling, and pork are announced. In the "revelations" there are demands for special reverence for the Messenger of Allah.

Thus, the basic principles of religious teaching, ritual and organization of the Islamic community were formed in Medina. These principles were expressed in the Qur'an and in the sayings, decisions and deeds of Muhammad himself (sunnah).

War with the Meccans

One of the forms of rallying Muslims and its expansion was the struggle against the Meccan polytheists. In 623, Muslim attacks on Meccan caravans begin; in 624, the Muslims defeated the Meccan detachment at the Battle of Badr. In 625, near Mount Uhud (near Medina), the Meccans fought with the Muslim army. In this battle, the Muslims suffered heavy losses, Muhammad himself was slightly wounded in the head, but the Meccans did not develop their success and retreated. In 626, the Meccans approached Medina again, but were stopped by the Muslim defenses at a specially dug ditch.

The close ties of the internal Medinan opposition with the Meccan polytheists, its attempts on the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the stubborn refusal to completely submit to him caused sharp responses from Muslims. Successively, the Jewish tribes of Banu Qaynuka and Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina, a significant part of the Banu Qurayza tribe was killed. Some of the most active opponents and rivals of the Prophet were killed. Large forces were gathered for a decisive struggle against the Meccans. In 628, a large army, consisting of Medinan Muslims and some nomadic tribes that joined them, moved towards Mecca and stopped on the border of the sacred territory of Mecca, in the town of Hudaybiya. Negotiations between the Meccans and Muslims ended with a truce, according to which a year later the Prophet Muhammad and his companions made a small pilgrimage ( die) .

Over time, the strength of the Medinan community grew stronger. The northern Arabian oases of Khaybar and Fadak were conquered, more and more Arab tribes became allies of the Muslims, many Meccans converted to Islam openly or secretly. As a result of all this, in 630, the Muslim army entered Mecca without hindrance. Pagan idols were removed from the Kaaba.

After the conquest of Mecca, Muhammad continued to live in Medina and only once (in 632) made a "farewell" pilgrimage. The victory over Mecca raised his political and religious authority of the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia. He sends messages to various leaders and kings of Arabia and governors of the regions of Persia and Byzantium bordering Arabia with a proposal to convert to Islam. Meccan military detachments appear in Yemen, capture new oases in Northern Arabia. Representatives of various tribes and regions of Arabia come to Mecca, many of whom agreed with Muhammad on an alliance. In 630, hostile nomadic tribes organized an attack on Mecca, but the Muslims and their allies fought back in the battle of Hunayn. In 631-632, a significant part of the Arabian Peninsula is, to one degree or another, included in the political association, which was headed by the prophet Muhammad.

Community after Muhammad's death

In the last years of his life, Muhammad identified the main goal - the spread of the power of Islam to the north; he is actively preparing a military expedition to Syria. In June / July 632, at the age of about 60 years (or 63 years according to the lunar calendar), Muhammad died after a short illness. He was buried in his house, which eventually became part of the complex of the main mosque of Medina (Mosque of the Prophet).

After the death of the Prophet, the community began to be managed by his deputies - caliphs, who continued to implement the laws and rules set forth in the Koran and commanded by the Prophet. Several people applied for the post of caliph. The first Caliph was one of the closest associates of the Prophet Muhammad - Abu Bakr. After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, many tribes that had once converted to Islam fell away and had to be returned to the elected caliph.

Islamic fundamentalists cite the community of Medina as a precedent. The community was not a state, but a self-governing community of the polis type

When the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) moved to Medina (made the hijra), every inhabitant of it wanted the Messenger of Allah to stay with him. However, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Let my she-camel pass, for she is walking according to the divine command.”

After some time, the camel sank to the ground in the place where there was a stall belonging to two orphans. It was in this place that a mosque would later be built, but since there were owners near the place itself, the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to buy it. The two boys who owned this land refused: “No, we will give it to you, Messenger of Allah!”

However, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not accept such a gift and paid them ten dinars. (al-Bukhari No. 3906).

This mosque is based on the fear of God

The fact that the mosque of the Prophet was built on the foundation of fear of God, Almighty Allah said in the Qur'an: “The mosque, which from the first day was founded on fear of God, deserves more that you stand in it (sura 9, “Repentance”, ayat 108).

Abu Salama ibn Abdurrahman said: “Once Abdurrahman ibn Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by me, and I asked him: “What did you hear from your father about the mosque, which is based on piety?” He replied: “My father said: “I went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in one of the houses of his wives, and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the two mosques was founded on fear of God?” Then the Prophet took small stones in his hand, threw them on the ground with force and said: “This mosque of yours, the mosque of Medina, is it!” Then Abu Salama said: “I testify that I heard your father tell this (story) in this way” (“Sahih Muslim”, No. 1398).

Prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is like 1000 prayers in other mosques

The reward for praying in this great mosque is multiplied many times over. No mosque has such dignity, except for the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which surpasses it a hundred times. As Imam Muslim quotes in his collection, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“A prayer in the mosque of the Prophet is better than a thousand prayers performed in other mosques, except for the mosque of the Kaaba” (Sahih al-Bukhari, No. 1190, Sahih Muslim, No. 1394).

One of the worst sinners is the one who took a false oath at the minbar in the Prophetic Mosque

A person who takes a false oath near the minbar in this mosque takes on a great sin and deserves severe punishment. It is reported in an authentic hadith narrated from the words of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Any male or female slave who falsely swore near this minbar, at least for a fresh sivak, let them prepare to take their place in Hell” (“Musnad Imam Ahmad”, 2/329, No. 518).

The Prophet's Mosque is the first building in the Arabian Peninsula to have electricity.

During the Ottoman rule, in 1910, electricity was installed in the mosque of the Prophet. It was she who became the first building on the Arabian Peninsula, where electric light appeared, and only ten years after that the Sacred Mosque in Mecca was illuminated. (Source: Tarikh al-masjid al-haram, Hussein Basalama)

The mosque is one of the best places on Earth

In the middle of the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is one of the best places in the world - Riyad al-Jannah (Arabic for "Gardens of Paradise"). This is the most honorable place in the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), which is surrounded from the east by the room of the wife of Muhammad (ﷺ) Aisha (r.a.), from the west by the minbar of the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), from the south by the wall of the mosque with a mihrab and from the north a passage for movements from the edge of Aisha's house (r.a.). It is believed that this place in the future life will become one of the places in Paradise. This word translates as "Garden of Eden".

It is reported in an authentic hadith:

“Between my grave and the minbar is Rauda, one of the Gardens of Eden” (this hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 1196, and Muslim, no. 1391).

The mosque has been expanded nine times in the history of Islam.

The first expansion took place during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), after the battle of Khaibar. When the number of Muslims in Medina increased, and the worshipers no longer fit in it, the Prophet decided to increase its territory. It has grown by 20 meters in width and 15 in length.

In the era of the Abbasids, the mosque was destroyed by fire, some ceilings collapsed, the fire engulfed all the premises. A year later, recovery began. Later there was a second fire, which also caused enormous damage to the mosque. The mosque was reconstructed by Sultan Kaytbey.

At the present time, the area of the mosque, together with the area around it, intended for prayers, covers the area of almost 56 football fields! And just recently, the tenth expansion of the Prophet's Mosque began. This project should bring a significant increase in the territory of the mosque.

The dome over the mosque was erected only in the thirteenth century

The dome over the Prophetic Mosque was built only in the thirteenth century by a ruler named Kalaun al-Mansur. At first, the dome had a quadrangular shape at the bottom and an octagonal top, was made of wood and covered with dense fabric. However, many Muslims expressed their disagreement with such an act, since in Islam it is an innovation that is alien to religion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever introduces an innovation in this matter of ours (Islam) that does not belong to it, it will be rejected.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

The Prophet (ﷺ), as well as Abu Bakr and Umar are not buried in the mosque

As mentioned above, three people (the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them) were buried in Aisha's room, which from the very beginning was separate from the mosque. Indeed, after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, the companions buried him in a small room that belonged to his wife Aisha, next to the mosque. The mosque was separated from this room by a wall with a door.

Many years later (or rather, in 88 AH), during the reign of al-Walid ibn Abdul-Malik, the emir of Medina, Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz, significantly expanded the territory of the mosque, and Aisha's room was inside the new territory. But despite this, the emir of Medina built two huge walls to separate Aisha's room from the mosque. Thus, it is incorrect to say that the tomb of the Prophet (ﷺ) is inside the mosque. She, as before, is in Aisha's room, and Aisha's room is separated from the Prophetic Mosque from all sides.

The first minbar of the mosque was a palm stump

After the mosque was built, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) began to conduct sermons (khutbas) in it. At first, the function of the minbar was performed by a palm stump, on which the Prophet climbed during sermons. This is reported in a hadith quoted by Imam al-Bukhari: Jabir ibn Abdullah said:

“Earlier, the mosque relied on palm supports, and when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pronounced khutbas, he stood on one of its stumps. Then a large minbar was made for him. One day he climbed it, and we heard a voice like that of a camel's foal. It continued until the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approached the palm stump and put his hand on it, and only then did it calm down.

1. The place where the mosque was built was chosen by a camel, and its place belonged to two orphans.

However, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not accept such a gift and paid them ten dinars. (al-Bukhari No. 3906).

2. This mosque is based on the fear of God.

3. Prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is like 1000 prayers in other mosques.

“A prayer in the mosque of the Prophet is better than a thousand prayers performed in other mosques, except for the mosque of the Kaaba” (Sahih al-Bukhari, No. 1190, Sahih Muslim, No. 1394).

4. One of the worst sinners is the one who took a false oath at the minbar in the Prophet's Mosque.

“Any male or female slave who falsely swore near this minbar, at least for a fresh sivak, let them prepare to take their place in Hell” (“Musnad Imam Ahmad”, 2/329, No. 518).

5. The Prophet's Mosque is the first building on the Arabian Peninsula where electricity appeared.

6. The mosque is one of the best places on Earth.

It is reported in an authentic hadith:

“Between my grave and the minbar is Rauda, one of the Gardens of Eden” (this hadith was narrated by al-Bukhari, no. 1196, and Muslim, no. 1391).

7. Throughout the history of Islam, the mosque was expanded nine times.

8. The dome over the mosque was erected only in the thirteenth century.

“Whoever introduces an innovation in this matter of ours (Islam) that does not belong to it, it will be rejected.” (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

9. The Prophet (ﷺ), as well as Abu Bakr and Umar are not buried in the mosque.

As stated above, three people (the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them) were buried in Aisha's room, which from the very beginning was separate from the mosque. Indeed, after the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) died, the companions buried him in a small room that belonged to his wife Aisha, next to the mosque. The mosque was separated from this room by a wall with a door.

10. The first minbar of the mosque was a palm stump.

Medina (Madinat An-Nabiy, Madina Munauuarra) - this is the name of one of the cities in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, which used to be called Yathrib.

The city owes its worldwide fame to the fact that the Prophet Muh ammad moved to it from Mecca, laying the foundation of the modern Islamic Ummah (Community), uniting those Muslims who moved to Medina (muhajirs) with those believers who lived in this city (Ansar). In a difficult moment, the Ansar accepted their co-religionists from Mecca, providing them with disinterested help, wishing only to receive good in the next world. In Medina, the Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him, lived for 10 years, calling people to Monotheism. Many responded to His call. The Messenger of Allah also died in Medina, at the age of 63, in this city He was buried.

The Mosque of the Prophet was built as soon as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, moved from Mecca to Medina. When He died, He was buried in the room of his wife - ‘A`isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr.

The first expansion of the mosque was carried out during the time of Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khatt aba, who attached part of the land from the north side to the mosque and built it up. Caliph Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik expanded and rebuilt the mosque, introducing new architectural elements such as balconies, minarets, niches (mihrabs). During the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, no minarets were built. Therefore, it is considered an innovation that was approved by the Shari‘ah (bida‘ h asana). At the same time, the rooms of the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were attached to the mosque. The mosque underwent cardinal architectural changes during the reign of Sultan Mahmuda II.

Above the room of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, a large green dome made of lead was built. The Ottoman Sultan ‘Abd al-Majid I completely rebuilt the mosque with the exception of the room of the Prophet Muh ammad, peace be upon him. Currently, ten minarets rise near the mosque, six of which are 99 meters high and were built recently. The mosque has 2104 columns, which form a series of galleries and courtyards. Above it there are 27 domes, forming 27 open courtyards. The dome automatically opens, allowing you to ventilate the room in good weather. All buildings of the mosque are built in the Islamic architectural style, giving the mosque a unique oriental flavor. The decoration of the new buildings was done in such a way as to preserve as much as possible the appearance of the mosque, characteristic of the first expansion of the building. Windows, railings and doors are adorned with delicate, intricate patterns that match marbles of the most exquisite hues. All this gives the mosque of the Prophet, peace be upon him, a particularly solemn look.