HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 - MASJID NABAWI, MADINAH (PROPHET MOSQUE)

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

15 April 2024

MADINA AL MUNAWARRAH

The city of Medina shines all the time, regardless of the time, because the light of Muhammad s.a.w is everywhere in this holy city, welcoming every person who arrives here.

Medina is a modern city. The length of the forbidden land of Medina is 16 km, while the distance from Jeddah is about 420 km and from Mecca is 480 km.

Medina was opened by Yathrib bin Qaniah (Yathrib was the old name of Medina before the Prophet s.a.w migrated from Mecca to Medina).

Medina became the site of the development of Islam as soon as the Prophet s.a.w migrated to Medina in 622 AD. Madinah is now known as al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, meaning "The Shining City" or al-Madinah al-Nabawiyyah, which means "The City of the Prophet s.a.w".

In the city of Medina is also the resting place of the most noble man in the world, which is the Prophet s.a.w, located in the Prophet's Mosque.

The Sacred Boundaries of Madinah Munawwarah

"The Holy Land of Madinah is between Mount Eir (South of Medina) and Mount Thaur (North of Medina)."

Mount Eir can be clearly seen from the Quba' Mosque and the Miqat Zulhulaifah Mosque. Mount Thaur is located behind Bukit Uhud.

The distance between Mount Eir and Mount Thaur is approximately 15 Kilometers. They are Boundaries of Madinah Munawwarah in the Northern and Southern Directions.

MASJID NABAWI

The Prophet's Mosque was originally built by Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It is the second holiest and largest mosque in the world after the Masjidilharam in Mecca. Rasulullah s.a.w said, "One prayer in my mosque is better than praying a thousand times in any other mosque except Masjidil Haram." 

(Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim)

The Prophet's Mosque was built for the first time in the month of Rabiulawal in the first year of the Hijrah (622 AD), which is on the second day of the arrival of the Messenger of God in the city of Medina.

Its original area at that time was about 35m x 30m = 1050m square and 2.9m high. The poles are made of tamarind stems, cemented with clay. Then the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque was done by several Islamic caliphs after that until what we see today.

Note: The authenticity of the hadith about praying 40 times in the Prophet's Mosque is disputed because one of its narrators, Nubait bin Umar, is considered weak (weak).

(Reference: Madinah Munawwarah - Advantages and History: Dr. Abd. Basit Abd. Rahman).

This is how the Prophet's Mosque originally looked in the time of the Prophet s.a.w.

The Green Dome (al-Qubbah al-Khadra) built above the tombs of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the tombs of the first Caliph of Islam Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq and the second Caliph Saidina Umar Al-Khattab. 

The Dome was painted green in 1837, and hence became known as the "Green Dome". 

The Holy Quran Exhibition located near the south-western side of the Masjid an-Nabawi, is home to a large number of historic Quranic manuscripts. Here a number of manuscripts can be seen for the first time, written over different eras in various forms and images. Other items include manuscripts in their original form as well as a Kaaba cover dating back 140 years among those shown in the exhibition. 

THE GRAVE OF THE PROPHET S.A.W

Inside the Prophet's Mosque is the resting place of the greatest person in the world, Rasulullah s.a.w., with his two most faithful companions, namely Saidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq and Saidina Umar Al-Khattab. The sacred chamber was once the house of Prophet's wife Aisyah.

The grave of Rasulullah s.a.w. is located in a building with a green dome (Al Khadrak). Next to his tomb is Ar-Raudhah, a heavenly garden marked by white marble pillars and a green carpet.

Prophet s.a.w. said, "Whoever visits me after my death is like he visited me while I was alive." (HR At-Tabrani)

RAUDHAH AL-MUSYARRAF

Ar-Rawdah ash- Sharifah (The Noble Garden), a special place is located between the mimbar and the burial-chamber of Muhammad s.a.w. It is one of the best places to pray. It is considered a noble place, once described by the Prophet s.a.w as a garden among the gardens of paradise.

From Abu Hurairah r.a., the Prophet s.a.w said:

"Between my house and my mimbar (pulpit) is a garden from the gardens of Paradise. And my mimbar is located by my pool."

(HR Bukhari no. 1196)

BAQI' AL-GHARDAD CEMETERY

Next to the Nabawi Mosque is Jannatul Baqi' (Baqi' Cemetery). It is estimated that more than 10,000 of the companions and family of Rasulullah s.a.w who died in Madinah are buried here. Nine Ummul Mu'minin (Wives of the Prophet s.a.w) were buried in this Baqi' cemetery except for Sayadatina Siti Khadijah bt Khuwalid and Saidatina Maimunah bt Haris who were buried in Makkah al Mukarramah.

Here, there is also the tomb of Ahlul Bait (the family of the Prophet s.a.w.) that is the children and grandchildren of the Prophet s.a.w and also the noble companions.

The first Muhajirin to be buried in this Baqi' cemetery was Usman bin Ma'azun r.a. who died after returning from the Battle of Badr in the 2nd year of the Hijrah. While the first person from the Ansar group to be buried here was As'ad bin Zararah al-Ansari r.a. after 9 months the Prophet s.a.w migrated to Madinah.

On our second day in Madinah Al Munawwarah, we only visited the Prophet's Mosque. The next day (September 23, 2017), we will be taken on a tour around Madinah.

Next:

HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 - TOUR IN MADINAH

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL
15 April 2024 > 6 Syawal 1445H: 2.14 p.m