The City of Madina

Madinah Munawarrah ("the enlightened city") ranks as the second most holiest place in Islam after Makkah. It is the city that gave refuge to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the early Muslims upon their migration from Makkah and where lies the burial place of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
The city of Madinah was originally known as Yathrib, an oasis city dating as far back as the 6th century BCE. During the war between the Jews and Romans in the third century CE, many Jews fled Jerusalem and migrated to their ancestral place of Yathrib (present Madinah). Nero sent a massive Roman force under Petra Lenidas to Madinah to massacre the Jews in 213 CE. A community survived and by the time the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had migrated there was a large Jewish presence around the city.
Madinah is 210 miles (340 km) north of Makkah. At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) it was approximately the size of the present masjid and the surrounding white tiled area.
It is stated in a hadith:
"There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal (the anti-Christ) will not enter except Makkah and Madinah, and there will be no entrance (road) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Madinah will shake with its inhabitants thrice and Allah will expel all the nonbelievers and the hypocrites from it." [Bukhari]
Narrated Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said,
"Verily, Belief returns and goes back to Madinah as a snake returns and goes back to its hole (when in danger)." [Bukhari]

Masjid-e-Nabwi

Masjid-e-Nabwi is the masjid (mosque) established by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) upon his migration to Madinah. It is the second most revered masjid in Islam and the second largest in the world, after Masjid al-Haram in Makkah.

The masjid was built twice during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). The first time was shortly after he had made the Hijra to Madinah in 622 CE, with the size of the masjid being approximately 35 x 30 meters and the height 2.5 meters. It was rebuilt seven years later after the Fatah (opening) of Khaibar. The increasing number of Muslims by then necessitated an increase in the area of the mosque to accommodate more worshippers.
Usman (may Allah be pleased with him) paid for the land to accommodate the extension which made the masjid approximately 50 x 50 meters. The height was also increased to 3.5 meters.
When the revelation came down to change the Qibla to Makkah in 624 CE, the whole masjid was re-orientated to the south.
The masjid also served as a religious school, community center, court and also as a
confinement for prisoners.
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: "Whoever performs forty salah in my masjid, not missing one salah in the masjid, for him is granted exemption from the fire of Hell, and exemption from punishment and he shall remain free of hypocrisy." [Ahmad]
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: "One salah offered in my masjid is superior to one thousand salahs offered in other masjids except Masjid al-Haram (Makkah al-Mukarramah)." [Bukhari]

Rawdah Mubarak (Sacred chamber)

Rawdah Mubarak consists of a gold grill in the front part of the the Sacred Chamber in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) passed away and where he is buried. It also houses the graves of the first two Caliphs of Islam, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was buried in the house of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in whose house he was staying at the time of his death. The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) lived in small, simple huts adjacent to the masjid. Each hut consisted of a room which was approximately 5m x 4m with a small backyard and were made of unbaked bricks of mud with branches of palm tree as a roof covering.
In 91 AH Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Allah show mercy on him) built five cornered walls so that nobody may enter inside the Sacred Chamber. After several plots were uncovered to steal the body of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) by digging underneath the graves, the Sultan Nurruddin Zengi had a trench built around the chamber which was filled with molten lead.

House of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her)

This door, on the eastern side of the Rawdah Mubarak marks the place where the door of the house of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and his wife Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) was located. Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) was the youngest and most beloved daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

Riadhul Jannah and Mehrab

The area between the Sacred Chamber and the Pulpit (Mimbar) is known as the Riadhul Jannah i.e. Garden of Paradise. It is presently distinguished by a green carpet and is also referred to as Rawdah.

The Garden is parallel to a garden above it in Paradise. Or it is in reality a garden of paradise, which will be returned to paradise in the hereafter. Or it is like the gardens of paradise, because the peace and tranquility which is experienced in it when engaged in the remembrance of Allah resembles that of paradise. [Akhbar Madina tur Rasool, Ibn Najjar]
The original size Is approximately 22 meters in length and 15 meters in width, part of it is in the Sacred Chamber of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).

Mehrab (Prayer niche):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) prayed for about 16 months facing towards Al-Quds in Jerusalem on his arrival in Madinah. If one was to walk away from the 'Aisha column', leaving it towards your back, the fifth column will be in line with the door marked as Bab-e-Jibraeel. This fifth column was the approximate praying spot of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) for the above period. It was near to the extreme north boundary of the original mosque.
After the change in Qibla, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) offered salah near Aisha's column for a short period while facing towards the Ka'bah. Later he started leading salah at the spot where the Mehrab Nabwi is nowadays. Note that there was no mehrab at this spot during the period of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the four Caliphs.
In 91 AH, Umar bin Abdul Aziz made a praying niche in the form of a mehrab. Since then it is called Mehrab Nabwi. If you were to stand in the mehrab for offering salah, your place of sajda will be where Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) feet used to be. The Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) place of sajda is intentionally covered by the thick wall of the mehrab.

Mimbar (pulpit):

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to lean against the trunk of a palm tree when he was tired or exhausted while delivering a sermon. The Ansar humbly suggested to him, "If you approve, we can make a pulpit for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) approved it and a pulpit was made. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) sat on this pulpit to make an address. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) started using the new pulpit, the old tree yearned for him like a camel missing its calf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) hugged the trunk until it had calmed down and then ordered that a ditch be dug and the trunk buried decently into it.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to stand on the third rung while delivering his sermons. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became caliph, he stood on the second rung and Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood on the first. Caliph Usman bin Affan did as Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for six years before he returned to the old position of the Prophet. Amir Muawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) made a pulpit consisting of nine rungs. The leaders started sitting on the seventh rung. The pulpit has since been kept in this form and the Khateeb has been sitting on the seventh rung since that time.
The pulpit has been replaced on many occasions throughout the centuries. The present pulpit was put up by Sultan Murad in 998 AH.

Ashab us-Suffah Platform

Ashab us-Suffah Platform is the house of Ashab us-Suffah (The People of the Bench). It is located towards the front of the present Masjid-e-Nabwi. The platform was originally on the north wall of the masjid and was moved back when the masjid was extended in 7 AH.

The Ashab us-Suffah were companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) who, along with the performance of religious duties, were mostly tradesmen or farmers. Some had, however, dedicated their lives exclusively for prayer and spiritual discipline in the close company of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
They neither had wives nor children, and if any were to get married, he would leave the group. Many of them would go to the jungle in the day to collect wood, which would then be sold for money to feed themselves and the other members of the 'suffah'.
There currently exists a raised platform behind the platform where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) performed Tahajjud, it is on the right of those entering from Bab-e-Jibraeel. This platform is commonly mistaken to be the platform of the Ashab us-Suffah, it was actually built by the Turks for the service and custodial personnel of the masjid. This section sits outside the masjid in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) so could not have been the suffah.
The precise number of the Ashab us-Suffah is not known, but it is estimated that the suffah could hold up to three hundred people at any one time, and that roughly seventy people made up its' permanent residents. The initial inhabitants of the suffah were members who had migrated from Makkah and were without any accommodation.

Mehrab-e-Tahajjud

This raised platform, behind the Rawdah Mubarak and in line with Bab-e-Jibraeel, is the approximate place where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to spread his prayer mat and perform the Tahajjud salah from time to time.

Isa bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
"When visitors used to depart at night, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to spread a mat behind Ali's (may Allah be pleased with him) hut and used to offer voluntary salah there. One day one person saw him offering voluntary salah at this spot during the month of Ramadhan. This person also started offering voluntary salah at this spot. Another person happened to pass this way and he started his salah also. A third person followed these two persons. By and by a large number of people gathered there. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) saw many people he wrapped up his praying mat and went away. When these people met Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) in the morning, they said, 'We were only trying to follow you in offering voluntary salah at night.' The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said, 'I was concerned about you very much. My concern was that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) may make the offering of night salah during Ramadhan obligatory for you and you may fail to keep up with it'."

House of Abdullah bin Umar
(may Allah be pleased with him)

The house of Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was situated directly opposite the Rawdah. He was the son of the second Caliph, Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) and a prominent authority in hadith and law.

Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islam in his childhood with his father. He was very particular in following the sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), for example offering salah at every spot where he happened to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) praying. He was eighty-four years old when he died in 73 AH.
Note that there are two rows of pillars between the Mehrab Usman and Mehrab Nabawi. Caliph Mehdi bin Mansur Abbasi constructed a covered path from the southern wall of the masjid up to the first row of pillars during 165 AH. The family of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) stopped using the door of their house for entry into the masjid. As an alternative, an underground tunnel was dug to provide access to the masjid for the family of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This tunnel opened where the second row of pillars is and the family of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used this approach to enter the masjid. The iron window in the visitors' gallery, that still exists, replaced the door of their house.
When the family of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away one by one, this underground passage was closed and a lock was put on its door. The door to this tunnel was opened during the Haj period for visitors. In due course the tunnel became very crowded and there was undesirable intermingling of men and women. Sultan Ashraf Qaitabai closed it for good during 888 AH.

Doors on Eastern Side of Masjid-e-Nabwi

1. Bab-e-Baqi (Door of Baqi):
This door was installed in 1408 AH and is exactly opposite to Bab-e-Salam which is on the western side. This door is to facilitate the flow of people leaving the masjid after giving salutation to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and his two companions.

2. Funeral place:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to lead Salat-ul-Janaza at this site and the Sahaba continued this tradition. Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
"In the very beginning we used to inform the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) when someone was near death. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to visit the ailing person and made supplication for his forgiveness. Many times the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) stayed there till the completion of the funeral services. In this way the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had to wait there for a very long time at each such occasion. We, therefore, decided to take the body of the deceased person near the Hujrah (houses of the wives of the Prophet) so that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) can lead the salah more easily. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) started offering Salat-ul-Janaza in the area described above."
The Turks built an enclosure around the funeral courtyard which used to be open to worshippers. Recently however, it is used as a storage space for materials needed in Masjid-e-Nabwi.

3. Bab-e-Jibraeel (Door of Jibraeel):
This door is also called Bab-un-Nabi since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to enter the masjid through this door. Jibraeel (upon him be peace) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) after the battle of Ahzab (the battle of the Confederates and also known as the battle of the Trench), and talked to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) at the door step of Bab-eJibraeel. It is mentioned in Bukhari as narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with him):
"After the battle of Ahzab, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) disarmed himself and took a bath. In the meanwhile, Jibraeel (upon him be peace) came riding a pony and talked to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) near the door step of of Bab-e-Jibraeel. Jibraeel (upon him be peace) said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), 'You have put away your arms but we (the angels) are still in battle uniforms. So you should come with us to attack the tribe of Banu Quraizah'." Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) added, "I was looking at Jibraeel (upon him be peace) through the cracks in the door of my hut. Jibraeel (upon him be peace) was covered with dust."

4. Bab-un-Nisa (Door of the Women):
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) expanded the masjid during 17 AH. He built this door at the end of eastern wall of the mosque. Women used to enter the masjid from this door and offered their salah in the last rows and thus were able to avoid contact with men. Abu Dawud mentioned that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said,
"We should let the ladies use this door exclusively."

House of Abu Ayyub Ansari
(may Allah be pleased with him)

This is the approximate spot where existed the house of Abu Ayyub Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him). This is where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) initially stayed for several months on his migration to Madinah, while Masjid-e-Nabwi and the adjoining rooms for his wives were being built.
Abu Ayyub Ansari's (may Allah be pleased with him) full name was Khalid ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb. His grave lies in Istanbul where he was honoured with martyrdom during the siege of Constantinople in the caliphate of Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) in 48 AH.
The house of Abu Ayyub Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) was double-storied. When it was settled that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) would stay at this place, he offered the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to stay on the upper storey but the Prophet could not agree to this proposal, as he felt that people frequently coming to meet him would disturb his (Abu Ayyub's) family. Thus the ground floor was made vacant for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) sent meals to him twice a day and whatever he left uneaten was shared by Abu Ayyub and his wife. He would look at the marks of the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) fingers on the food and place his own fingers at the same spots as a source of blessing.

Jannatul Baqi

Jannatul Baqi (Garden of Heaven) is the main cemetery of Madinah. Buried there are many members of the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) close family, around ten thousand of his companions (Sahabah) and many prominent, pious personalities.

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported (that whenever it was her turn for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to spend the night with her) he would go out towards the end of the night to al-Baqi and say: "Peace be upon you, abode of a people who are believers. What you were promised would come to you tomorrow, you receiving it after some delay; and God willing we shall join you. O Allah, grant forgiveness to the inhabitants of Baqi alGharqad." [Muslim]
Baqi means the land in which the roots of different trees are embedded, Gharqad is the name of a thorny tree (Boxthorn) which were abundant in Baqi. Hence the cemetery also came to be known as Baqi al-Gharqad.
As'ad Bin Zararah (may Allah be pleased with him), an Ansari companion who died soon after the Prophet 's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) migration to Madinah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) chose the spot to be a cemetery. The first of the Muhajirun (Emigrants) to be buried there was Uthman bin Mazoun who died shortly after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) returned from the battle of Badr.

Masjid Quba

Quba is the place on the outskirts of Madinah where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), accompanied by Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived and first stayed after emigrating from Makkah. They arrived on Monday 12th Rab'i al-Awwal, fourteen years after Prophethood and this date marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar (Hijra), (16th July 622 CE). A masjid was established here by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), the first to be built in Islam.

The virtue of Masjid Quba is mentioned in the following Quranic verse in Surah Tawah:
"…certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it…" [9:108]
The people of Yathrib (which was later named Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, the Enlightened City) had long awaited the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him), and each day they would go beyond the fields and palm groves and wait for him until the sun became unbearable. One day the people returned to their homes after waiting a long time for the Prophet. A Jew happened to catch a glimpse of a small group of white-robed travellers in the distance. He called out:
"O people of Arabia! What you have been waiting for has arrived!"
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) led the first group prayer from Quba Mosque when Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) was the Qibla at the time. That Friday he left Quba with Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He sent a message to Banu Najjar, the house of his maternal grandfather. His kinsmen came to Quba and joined the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) on his way to Madinah.

Masjid Jummah

Masjid Jummah, on the boundary of Madinah marks the site where the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be on him) led the first Jummah salah, shortly after his Hijrah (migration) from Makkah. It is about 2.5 km from Masjid-e-Nabwi.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) left Quba on a Friday to head into
Madinah. About a kilometer from Quba he passed the village of Banu Salim bin Auf. The people
of Banu Salim implored:
"O Prophet of Allah, you stayed at the homes of our cousins for a
number of days, reward us too with something, for they will pride themselves over us till the Day
of Judgement that you stayed with them". The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on
him) dismounted and offered his first Jummah in their locality.
Approximately one hundred Muslims participated in this first Jummah salah. Amongst them
were the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) relatives from Bani an-Najjar who
had come to meet him and some from Bani Amr who had escorted him from Quba.
Masjid Jumma is also known by Masjid Bani Salim, Masjid al wadi, Masjid Ghubaib and Masjid
Aatikah.

Masjid Qiblatain

This is Masjid Qiblatain (Mosque of the Two Qiblas). It is historically important to Muslims as this is
where in Rajjab 2 AH the revelation of the Quran came to change the direction of the Qibla from
Bait-al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka'bah in Makkah.

During his time in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
used to pray towards Bait-al-Maqdis, with the Ka'bah in front of him. When he migrated to
Madinah, he prayed towards Jerusalem for 16 months, but he hoped it would be changed to
the Ka'bah.
Masjid Qiblatain used to uniquely contain two mehrabs, one in the direction of Bait-al-Maqdis
and the other towards Makkah. However, the old mehrab has now been covered.

Saqeefah Garden

Situated 200m west of Masjid-e-Nabwi (in the rear right hand side), the Saqeefah garden belonged
to the Banu Sa'edah and is where the Muslims consulted regarding who should be appointed the
Caliphate after the demise of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). It is presently a
library.

Confusion reigned among the Sahabah as a result of the devastating impact of the death of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the most significant dispute that arose
was choosing the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) successor. Ali (may Allah
be pleased with him) thought that he was within his rights to succeed the Prophet because he
had been close to him from the beginning of his mission. He withdrew to his house with Talha
and Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them). The Ansar (Helpers) had gathered at Saqeefah
Banu Sa'edah to discuss the question of succession and felt that it should be one of them as
they had protected Islam and offered a home for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be
on him) and his companions when they were persecuted by their own people.
When news of this dispute reached Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), they
rushed from Masjid-e-Nabwi to Saqeefah Banu Sa'edah accompanied by a group of
Muhajireen (Emigrants). The Ansar were on the verge of pledging allegience to Sa'd ibn
Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him). They re-iterated the right of the Ansar to the
leadership of the Muslims but Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) spoke about the
gravity of the problem. He pointed out that the matter did not concern the citizens of Madinah
alone; it was a matter of concern for all the Arabs who had become Muslims, who were not
likely to accept the leadership of the Ansars, particularly when there were differences among
the two principal tribes of the Ansars themselves.
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) pointed out that under the circumstances the
Quraysh, who were the custodians of the Ka'bah could alone provide the leadership for the
Muslim community. Addressing his appeal to the Ansar he said: "O Ansar, none can deny the
superiority of your position in religion or the greatness of your eminence in Islam. You were
chosen by Allah as the helpers of His religion and His Apostle. To you the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be on him) was sent on his emigration from Makkah and from you come the
majority of his companions and his wives. Indeed in position you are next only to the earliest
companions. Therefore it would be fair if we take the Caliphate and you accept the ministry.
You should not be obstinate in your stand. We assure you that we will do nothing without
consulting you."
Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) then caught the hand of Umar and Abu Ubaidah bin
Jarrah and said, "I choose either of these two to be our Amir". "One Amir from among us and
one from among you," someone from among the Ansar suggested. People began to raise their
voices until finally Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) intervened saying, "O Helpers, know
ye not that the Messenger of Allah ordered Abu Bakr to lead the prayer?". "We know it," they
answered, and he said: "Then which of you will willingly take precedence over him?". "Allah
forbid that we take precedence over him!" they said whereupon Umar (may Allah be pleased
with him) seized the hand of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and pledged
allegiance to him, followed by Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with him) and others of the
Emigrants who had now joined them. Then all the Helpers who were present likewise pledged
their allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Only Sa'd ibn Ubadah (may Allah
be pleased with him) did not offer allegiance.
Whatever they had decided in the hall, it would have been unacceptable for anyone to have
led the prayers in Masjid-e-Nabwi other than Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) so long
as he was there. The next day at dawn, before leading the prayer, he sat in the pulpit and
Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) rose and addressed the assembly, bidding them pledge
their allegiance to Abu Bakr, whom he described as "the best of you, the Companion of Allah's
Messenger, the second of two when they were both in the cave." A recent Revelation of the
Quran had recalled the privilege of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to have been
the Prophet's sole companion at this crucial moment; and with one voice the whole
congregation swore allegiance to him – all except Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), who did
so later.

 

 

Garden of Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him)

The highlighted area, which is in the rear of Masjid-e-Nabwi is the approximate spot where existed
a garden at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) that was owned by
Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
often visited this garden and drank the water from its well.

It has been reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that Abu Talha owned the best
gardens in Madinah, and they were more numerous than those of any other Ansari. One of his
gardens was known by the name of Bir Ha, and this was his most favourite resort. It was close to
the Prophet's Masjid and the water of its well was sweet and abundant.
Masjid Abuzar Ghifari

Masjid Abuzar Ghifari is situated 900m north of Masjid-e-Nabwi. It's also known as Masjid Sajdah
after a hugely auspicious incident that occurred here with the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allah be on him).

Abdur Rahman bin Auf (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be on him) came to a garden of the Baitul-Maal (treasury) and offered salah,
then went in to a (lengthy) prostration. I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on
him): "Oh Prophet of Allah, you prostrated (for so long) that I feared that Allah may have taken
your soul". The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said:
"Jibraeel came with a message from Allah; 'He who sends salutations and peace upon you, I shall send mercy and blessings upon him.' I prostrated in gratitude of this bounty of Allah."
Masjid Ghamama

This masjid, located about 300m south-west of Masjid-e-Nabwi is known as Masjid Ghamama. It is built on the site where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) performed the Eid salah during the last years of his life.

This masjid is also known as Masjid Eid. According to some reports the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allah be on him) performed the Eid salah here during the last four years of his life.
This is also the location where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) performed
Salatul Istisqa (a special salah for invocation of rain). The word Ghamama means clouds which
suddenly appeared and brought rain after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on
him) had performed the prayer.
According to some reports, this was also the spot (or close to this area) where the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) performed the Janaza (funeral) prayer of Najashi, the
Emperor of Aksum in Abbyssinia (Ethiopia). Najashi, although being a Christian, had welcomed
the groups of Muslims who had migrated to his country in order to escape the persecution of
the Quraysh and later on accepted Islam. When however he passed away, there was nobody
to lead the funeral prayers and so the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) prayed
his Janazah salah, the only time ever he did so in the absence of the actual body.
Although there is a Masjid here, there is no five times salah performed due to its proximity with
Masjid-e-Nabwi.

Masjid Suqya/Suqya Well

Masjid Suqya is located inside the Anbariya train station. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) departed for the battle of Badr he stopped here, performed ablution and offered Salah. He then supplicated for the dwellers of Madinah and paraded his forces.

During the Caliphate of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be on him), Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased
with him) was asked to lead the Istisqa prayer (prayer for rain) here.
Towards the south of Masjid Suqya, just outside the boundary wall of the railway station was a
well which belonged to Saad ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him). On his way to
the battle of Badr the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) performed ablution
with its water and water was drawn from here for him to drink.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) also made du'a here for barakah
(blessings) for Madinah.

Al-Ghars Well

Located approximately one kilometer north of Masjid Quba, the Al-Ghars well was a place from
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) drank from and made a request that
he be bathed with its water after his demise. Ibn Majar quoted Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)as saying, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said:
When I die, wash me with seven waterskins from Al-Ghars Well. He (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) also used to drink from this well."

Mount Uhud and Site of Battle

This is a section of Mount Uhud, in front of which the second battle in Islam (the Battle of Uhud) took place in 3 AH. Of this mountain the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) declared,
"This mountain loves us and we love it." [Muslim]

Tragically, Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him), the Lion of Allah, was martyred in the same
battle he had dominated. He was killed by the javelin of Wahshi bin Harb, an Abyssinian slave,
who with that successful throw earned his freedom from his master, Jubayr bin Mutim.
Despite the loss of Hamza (may Allah be pleased with him), the Muslims managed to overcome
the unbelievers who, faced with yet another defeat, began to flee. The pagan women also
scattered as some of the Muslim soldiers gave chase.
By retreating, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) managed to save his army
from further losses; losses that had come about from simple disobedience of his orders.
Disobedience had changed the Muslim victory into catastrophe, but with Allah's help the
Muslims were pulled back from the edge of disaster.

Jabal Rumah

This small mountain in front of Mount Uhud is where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on
him) had positioned archers during the Battle of Uhud with the strict instructions not to move. It was
the desertion of their posts by many of the archers on thinking the battle was over that led to a
reversal of fortune for the Muslims in the war.

Cave of Uhud

This naturally formed cave, on the side of Mount Uhud facing Masjid-e-Nabwi is where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took refuge after being wounded during the Battle of Uhud. He was carried there on the back of Talha (may Allah be pleased with him).

Masjid Mustarah

Masjid Mustarah is where the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) rested and prayed
after the battle of Uhud. The meaning of Mustarah is to 'take rest'.

This site was an important strategic location for the security of Madinah. Whenever the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to visit the grave of Hamza (may Allah be
pleased with him) and the other martyrs of Uhud he used to take rest here.

Masjid Fatah

This masjid is where the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) made dua
(supplication) during the Battle of Ahzab (also known as the Battle of the Trench) and where Allah
(Glorified and Exalted is He) sent him the glad tidings of victory.

Masjid Fatah is also known as Masjid Ahzab and Masjid A'la. A masjid existed here at the time of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
Masjid Fath is one of the group of masjids known collectively as Masaajid Sab'ah (The Seven
Mosques), the others being Masjid Salman Farsi, Masjid Ali, Masjid Umar, Masjid Sa'ad, Masjid
Abu Bakr and the seventh is Masjid Qiblatain. Some of these have now been dismantled.

Masjid Ejabah

The significance of Masjid Ejabah (also known as Masjid Mu'awiyah) is that it is the location where
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) supplicated to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is
He) for three things. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) answered two of his requests, but not the
third. The Arabic word 'ejabah' in english closely means 'responding'.

Aamir bin Sa'ad (may Allah be pleased with him) reported on the authority of his father that:
One day Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) came from Aaliya and
passed by the mosque of Banu Mu'awiyah. He went in and observed two rak'ahs there and we
also observed prayer along with him and he made a long supplication to his Lord. He then
turned to us and said:
"I asked my Lord three things and He has granted me two but has withheld one. I asked my
Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed by famine and He granted me this. And I asked
my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed by drowning (by deluge) and He granted me
this. And I asked my Lord that there should be no bloodshed among the people of my Ummah,
but He did not grant it." [Muslim]