Holiest Sites in Islam
The holy places in Islam holds tremendous rewards
Masjid Al-Haram
Masjid Al-Haram is the holiest mosque of Islam. It is the mosque of the Ka’bah and every year, millions of pilgrims travel to Masjid Al-Haram in order to perform the Hajj. Prayer in the mosque is so virtuous that one Salah inside Masjid Al-Haram is worth that of one hundred thousand Salah elsewhere!
The origins of Masjid al-Haram trace back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael). After his return to Makkah (Mecca), Allah instructed Ibrahim(as) to build a house of worship. This house would be – The Ka’bah. The Quran narrates how Ibrahim and Ismail built the Ka’bah together.
“And remember when Abraham raised the foundation of the House with Ishmael, both praying, “Our Lord! Accept this from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing”
Just before the completion of the Ka’bah, Ibrahim (as) observed an empty gap in one of the walls. At that moment Allah ﷻ sent the angel Jibreel (as) to him with a brilliant stone from Jannah. This stone would later be known as ‘Hajr al-Aswad’, the black stone. Regarding the appearance of the stone, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the Black Stone came down from Paradise, it was whiter than milk, but the sins of the sons of Adam made it black.”
The Ka’bah became a place of great spiritual energy and the area surrounding it was known as Al-Haram (the forbidden) as activities such as fighting and hunting were not allowed in the holy sanctuary. Over the centuries the Ka’bah became a popular pilgrimage site, attracting people from all the different regions of the Hijaz.
Masjid An-Nabawi
Masjid al-Aqsa
Masjid al-Aqsa is the third holiest mosque of Islam. It is so named because at the time, it was the furthest mosque from the Ka’bah. Salah which is performed in Masjid Al-Aqsa is worth five hundred times more than Salah performed elsewhere.
The mosque was built by prophet Ibrahim (as) forty years after he had built the Ka’bah. After his passing away, the mosque would be inherited by multiple generations of prophets from his lineage. These prophets included Ishaq (as), Ya’qub (as), Yusuf (as), Dawud (as) and Suleiman (as).
In 70AD, the Romans razed the mosque and converted it to a place of idol worship. Over time the mosque became neglected and the Jews of Palestine no longer considered it a holy site. It wasn’t until 637A.D that Umar Ibn Al Khattab (ra) entered Jerusalem and establish Masjid Al-Aqsa once again as a place of worship.
50 years later, Umayyad caliphate Abdul Malik directed the building of the famous Dome of the Rock. This is the famous building with the golden dome roof. It’s actually a shrine in the center of the mosque compound.
The shrine was built in honor of the stone which ascended with the Prophet (s) in his miraculous night journey. To stop the rock from rising, the Prophet ﷺ stepped on it with his foot and commanded it to stop. This left his blessed footprint on the rock.
Masjid e Nabawi is the second largest and holiest mosque in the world. All of the architectural styles and the rest of the things are matchless, where all of the Muslims can sit and recite the holy Quran. The Arab rulers tried to enhance the grooming of this mosque according to their own will. And now it’s in front of you as the only best architectural model ever.
Every year, millions of Muslims visit Madinah (Saudi Arabia) to see this mosque. If you are planning to visit this holy mosque, December will be the most suitable month for you, with less heat. The Muslims can go to Umrah this month, too.
You can have a better understanding of the importance of this mosque from the following hadith:
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), on visiting Masjid Nabawi, said, “Whoever asks blessings for me at my grave, I hear him, and whoever asks blessings upon me from afar, it is conveyed to me.” [Mishkat al-Masabih 934].
Have a look at the following hadiths:
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ “ لاَ تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلاَّ إِلَى ثَلاَثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ، وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ﷺ وَمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى“
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Do not set out on a journey except for three Mosques i.e. Al-Masjid-AlHaram, the Mosque of Allah Messenger (PBUH), and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, (Mosque of Jerusalem).”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 1189 (Book 20, Hadith 2)