Seeing a scene of impeccable beauty, we often hear the term
“Heaven on Earth!” But there is only one place that literally has the right to
proclaim itself as such. There, deep in the mosque of the Prophet (masjid
Nabawi), covered by green carpets and the tears of millions, lies a “garden
from the gardens of paradise.” [1] It is a place known to every Muslim who has
ever lived, yet there's still much we don't know about it. Here are just some
of the interesting facts and mysteries of the Prophet's Mosque:
9. The first place in the Arabian Peninsula to have
electricity
When the Ottomans introduced electricity to the Arabian
Peninsula, the first place to be lit up was the mosque of the Prophet . [2] By some
accounts, it would be a few more years before the Sultan himself had full
electricity in his own palace in Istanbul. [3]
8. The current mosque is larger than the old city
The current mosque is more than 100 times the size of the
original building. [4] [5] This means that the current mosque covers almost the
entire area of the old city itself. [6] [7] This is evident from the fact that
whereas Jannat Al-Baqi cemetery was on the outskirts of the city during the
time of the Prophet , [8] it now
borders the precincts of the current mosque grounds.
7. There's an empty grave in the Prophet's room
It has long been the stuff of legend that there is an “empty
grave” next to where the Prophet , Abu
Bakr and
Umar are
burie1d. [9] [10] [11] This was confirmed, however, when the individuals who
went in to change the coverings in the hujrah* in the 1970s noted the presence
of an empty space. [12] Whether or not it is meant for Isa when he
returns is a matter of debate. [13]
*Note from author: What is meant by “hujrah” in this
case is not the actual burial chamber / original room of Aisha (Ra.)
This is enclosed in a pentagonal structure with no doors or windows and has not
been visible for centuries. The area meant is the entire grilled area
encompassing the chamber and area of other rooms.
6. It was destroyed by fire
The majority of the old mosque, including the original
mimbar of the Prophet , was
destroyed in a fire that swept through the mosque centuries after the
Prophet died.
The fire was so extensive that the roof and even some of the walls of the room
of the Prophet collapsed,
revealing his resting place for the first time in 600 years. [14]
5. There was no dome before, now there are two!
For more than 650 years after the Prophet passed
away, there was no dome over his grave.
[15] The first one was built in 1279 by a Mamluk sultan and was made of wood.
[16] The green dome that we see today is actually the outer dome over the room
of the Prophet . There is an
inner dome that is much smaller and has the name of the Prophet , Abu
Bakr and
Umar inscribed
on the inside. [17]
4. The dome used to be purple!
Yup – purple. It turns out that the dome has been through
various colors and renovations before it reached its current form and colour
about 150 years ago. [18] At one point it used to be white and for the
longest period it was a purple-blue colour that the Arabs of Hijaz were
particularly fond of. [19] [20]
3. It has 3 mihrabs
Most mosques only have one mihrab, but the Prophet's mosque
has three. The current mihrab is the one used nowadays for the imam to lead
prayers. The next mihrab is set back and is called the Suleymaniye or Ahnaf
mihrab. [21] It was made on the orders of the Sultan Suleyman the magnificent
for the Hanafi imam to lead prayers whilst the Maliki imam lead prayers from
the Prophetic mihrab. The Prophetic mihrab completely covers the area that the
Prophet used to
lead prayers from except where he placed his feet. [22]
2. What lies in the room of Fatima ?
Items belonging to the Prophet were
housed in his room or the room of Fatima which
was incorporated into his room after a major expansion. [23] When Madinah
was under siege during World War I4, the Ottoman commander had many priceless
artifacts evacuated to Istanbul, hidden in the clothes of women and children.
[24] [25] They can now be seen in the Topkapi Palace. However, intriguingly,
some items still remain but are undocumented. [26]
1. It is FULL of secret signs1
Yes, the mosque of the Prophet is covered
with so many subtle signs and secrets that it makes the DaVinci Code look like
a cheap puzzle for pre-schoolers. Each pillar, each dome, each window carries a
story and indicates the location of events that carry historical and spiritual
significance. The people who constructed the Prophet's Mosque realized that it
would be impossible to put up signs everywhere as it would distract from the
main purpose of prayers. Therefore, they came up with an ingenious way of
indicating a location of importance through minor changes in the design of
surrounding objects. What are the
secrets? Well, that is a story for another
day insha'Allah.
The mosque of the Prophet was never
just a mosque. It was the center of the first Islamic community and nation. It
was the scene of our greatest triumphs and tragedies. It was a community
center, homeless refuge, university and mosque all rolled into one.
Like the Muslim community, it has grown over the years and
become more modern with each passing generation. But despite the exponential
growth and changes from the simple
Hijazi date palm trunk interior to the
marble and gold clad structure we have today – the inner core remains the same.
Perhaps there's a lesson in there for us all.
Source: Muslimmatters
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