9 Things you didn’t know about Prophet’s Mosque

Masjid Al-Nabawi, the Mosque of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is very dear and near to the hearts of every Muslim. It is one of the three oldest mosques in the world; its walls are richly intertwined with history and secrets. Let’s take a look at 9 things you didn’t know about the Prophet’s mosque.

Ariel view of the Prophet's Mosque, Madina Al Munawarh

1. Qaswa the Prophet’s Camel

Masjid Al Nabwi was built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 622 after his arrived in Medina. Riding on a camel named Qaswa he arrived at the place where the Prophet’s mosque was built. The owner of the land were Sahal and Suhayl

2. Qibla Direction

Masjid al-Qiblatain is not the only mosque to have had two Qibla directions.  Masjid Al Nabwi too was faced towards Masjid Al-Qubba. After the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was instructed to change the direction of Qibla from Qubba to Mecca, Masjid Al-Nabawi was reoriented to face Mecca as well.

Masjid Al Qiblatain

3. The first place to have Power Supply in Arabian Peninsula

The Prophet’s mosque used to be lit with one oil lamp, but during the era of Sultan Abdul Majid, it became the first place in the Arabian Peninsula to have a power supply. The first electric bulb was installed in the on Shabaan 25, 1326 Hijri.

4. Guardians of the Prophet Mosque

The Aghawat of Nabawi (the guardians) has been taking care of the Prophet mosque for almost 800 years. They hold the keys to the Rawda’h and the Mimbar. Presently, only five guardians are left from thousands, they are among the last generation of Aghawat of Nabwi.

5. The reserved grave for Hazrat Isa (A.S)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) close companions, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) and Hazrat Umar (RA), are also buried there. It has an empty grave, which is believed to be reserved as the grave of Hazrat Isa (Jesus).

6. The Dome

The first dome was of wood and was built in 1279 by Mamluk Sultan. In the 15th century, the dome then made with bricks and was painted white and then a purplish blue. It was painted green in 1837.

An artistic image of how the dome would have looked in purplish blue.

7. Huffaz workers

Sultan ‘Abd al-Majid remodeled the entire mosque in the 19th century. Sultan prepared an entire generation of Huffaz and trained them to become the best of craftsmen. These craftsmen were instructed to be in the state of wudh’u and recite the Quran while they worked on the mosque’s extension.

8. Special Pillars

Certain pillars in the Prophet’s Mosque have special significance, and its locations are marked by secret signs. Known as the Ustuwaanah, such as where Abu Lubabah tied himself seeking Tawbah, where the Prophet (PBUH) meets delegations, and where the Hazrat Jibra’eel (A.S) used to enter to visit the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

9. Two Mihrabs

There are two mihrabs in the Prophet’s mosque, one was built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the other was built by Hazrat Usman (ra) and act as the functional mihrab in the Prophet’s mosque.