Holy Sites of Madinah
Explore the holy sites of Madinah which tells the story of faith, sacrifice, and brotherhood. These landmarks preserve the notable legacy of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) and his companions, inspiring every pilgrim to renew their faith.
The first mosque built in Islam and the first mosque built in the city of Madinah. It is one of the largest mosques in Madinah after the Prophet’s Mosque. It is located south of Madinah, and it was built by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after his migration from Makkah to Madinah. The Prophet said regarding its virtue: “Whoever performs ablution in his house and then goes to pray in Masjid Quba, he will receive the reward of an Umrah.” The Prophet was keen to visit Masjid Quba regularly, and it is established that he visited Masjid Quba every Saturday, either walking or riding.
Allah Almighty revealed the following verse about it: “A mosque founded upon piety from the first day is more deserving that you stand therein. In it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” [Surah At-Tawbah, 9:108]
This mosque is notable because it was the site where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and some of his companions changed their direction of prayer from Jerusalem to the Kaaba when they received the news that a verse had been revealed about changing the qibla (direction of prayer). The hadith narrates: “The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed towards Al-Aqsa Mosque for sixteen or seventeen months. The Prophet loved to be directed towards the Kaaba, so Allah revealed: “Indeed, We see the turning of your face toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qibla with which you will be pleased.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:144], and he turned towards the Kaaba.
Masjid al-Qiblatain is located in the residential area of Banu Salama from the Khazraj tribe, on the edge of the western Harrah of al-Wabara, making it one of the historically significant mosques in Madinah.
Uhud Martyrs Square is among the most revered historical and religious landmarks in Madinah. It marks the site of the Battle of Uhud, a pivotal moment in early Islamic history that took place in the third year after the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) migration to Madinah. This is the resting place of 70 of the Prophet’s companions, including his beloved uncle Hamza ibn Abdulmuttalib, Mus’ab ibn Umair, and others who fell in the Battle of Uhud.
The Prophet would frequently visit the site, praying for the martyrs and honoring their sacrifice. Today, the square continues to draw pilgrims and visitors who come to reflect, learn, and pay their respects.
The plains of Uhud, north of Madinah, are etched with the memory of heroism and sacrifice. In the third year of Hijrah (625 CE), the Muslims, led by the Prophet (peace be upon him), faced the Quraysh army in a battle.
Located approximately 3.5 km north of the Prophet’s Mosque, this hill measures 180 m in length and 40 m in width. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) positioned fifty archers here to safeguard the Muslim army’s rear. When some left their posts prematurely, the battle’s outcome shifted. A narrow mountain pass through Mount Uhud that channels Wadi Al-Jirār into the battlefield. Tradition holds that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used this pass during the battle, witnessing the unwavering courage of his companions. Today, it stands as a lasting symbol of faith and resilience.
This is the site where the Muslims dug the trench (Khandaq) to defend Madinah when the Quraysh and their allied tribes advanced during the Battle of the Trench (also known as the Battle of the Confederates) in the fifth year of the Hijra. The confederates were returned defeated without a battle, and this miracle sufficed the believers.
A surah in the Quran is named Surah Al-Ahzab (The Confederates) in reference to this battle. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to pray: There is no deity but Allah alone, who has honored His soldiers, supported His servant, and defeated the confederates alone; there is nothing after Him.’ Allah granted victory to the Muslims as mentioned in the Quran: “O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon you when armies came to you and We sent upon them a wind and armies you did not see. And ever is Allah, of what you do, Seeing.” [Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:9].
Located in the west of Madinah, Badr was a significant season and gathering place for the Arabs during the pre-Islamic era, and it was situated on the trade and pilgrimage routes. The area of Badr witnessed the decisive battle between the Muslims and the Quraysh in the second year of the Hijra (624 CE), which ended with the victory of the Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said about those who witnessed it: “A man who witnessed Badr or Hudaybiyyah will not enter Hell”. This battle is also known as the Battle of Furqan.
Allah Almighty says: “And [remember] the Day when We shall raise up in every nation a witness against them from among themselves, and We shall bring you [O Muhammad] as a witness against these people. And We have not sent you [O Muhammad] except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Surah Al-Anfal, 8:41]
The mosque is a prominent historical landmark in Madinah and is known as Masjid Al-Musalla because it was the place where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the Eid and rain prayers.
Abdullah ibn Zaid reported: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) went out to the Musalla to seek rain, faced the Qibla, turned his cloak, and prayed two units of prayer.” It is commonly known as Masjid Al-Ghamama (the Cloud Mosque).
This mosque was built in the Musalla area at one of the locations where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the Eid prayer. Historical accounts suggest that Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq prayed Eid at this spot during his caliphate, leading to its association with his name. For nearly two centuries — the 7th and 8th AH — it served as the principal Eid prayer area for the people of Madinah.
This mosque was built on one of the sites where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed the Eid prayer. It was named after ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib because he led the Eid prayer at this location during the caliphate of ‘Uthman — hence its association with his name. Another view suggests the name was chosen simply to distinguish it from the other Musalla mosques.
This mosque was built in the southern part of the Musalla area after 850 AH by Shaykh Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Salawi. It became popularly known as ‘Umar Mosque, a name that has endured to the present day.
Its current structure dates back to the 13th century AH. Many historians believe it was constructed on or near the site of the house of ‘Abdullah ibn Dhurah al-Muzani — the location where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed his third Eid prayer. They suggest that this house was situated southwest of Al-Musalla Mosque, close to the current location of the mosque.
On the northern outskirts of Madinah, within the historic dwellings of the Bani Unaif tribe, stands a mosque that preserves the trace of a noble visit by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Its story dates back to the second year after the Hijrah, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) visited his companion Talha ibn Al-Barra (may Allah be pleased with him), a young man from the Bani Unaif tribe who had fallen ill. During this visit, the Prophet prayed at the site where this mosque now stands.
Well of Rumah is located to the northwest of the Prophet’s Mosque, near Wadi al-Aqiq. The well is surrounded by farms and orchards and is known for its ancient and pure water.
The owner used to charge for the water, so the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Who will buy the well of Ruma and make his bucket alongside the buckets of the Muslims, he will have something better for him in Paradise?” Uthman ibn Affan purchased it, making it one of the first endowments in Islam.
It is one of Madinah’s most renowned prophetic wells. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) drank from its waters, performed ablution with it, and prayed for its blessing. He also instructed the noble Companion Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) to use its water for washing him after his passing.
The mosque is named after its proximity to the well of al-Suqya, where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) drank and performed ablution before heading to the Battle of Badr. He prayed two units of prayer near it, asking Allah to bless the city and granting victory to his army.
One of the historic mosques in Madinah, it is located on top of Jebel Dhubab or Jebel al-Rayah, and it is named after this location. It is one of the sites where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) set up a tent during the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwat al-Ahzab) to oversee the digging of the trench.
It is linked to the noble prophetic biography, as the esteemed companion Salman al-Farsi worked on its farms. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had planted date palms in exchange for Salman’s emancipation, and it was a prophetic miracle as they bore fruit the following year.
It stands on the eastern bank of Wadi Al-Aqiq, along the route leading to Dhul Hulaifah (the Miqat for the people of Madinah), about 3.5 km southwest of the Prophet’s Mosque.
Urwah Ibn Az Zubayr, one of the city’s seven renowned jurists, whose life reflected a rare union of scholarship and generosity. His home became a haven of hospitality, and his farmland a charitable endowment for travelers. When his date palms ripened, he would break down his orchard’s walls so that people might eat freely and take what they wished.
Masjid Bani Haram holds historical importance as it stands in the area where the clan of Bani Haram lived. This is also where the camps of the Muslims were based during the Battle of Ahzab (War of the Trench). The house of the sahabi Jabir (رضي الله عنه) was located here and miraculous event of sheep sacrifice occurred at his house.
On their way to the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, pilgrims from or passing through Madinah stop at this mosque and put on Ihram garments.
The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, used to stop under a tree in Dhul Hulaifah to enter into Ihram for Hajj and Umrah. He said: “Someone came to me tonight from my Lord while I was in Al-Aqiq (valley), and said to me, “Offer prayer in this blessed valley,” which is the miqat of the people of Madinah and those who go past it.
The Hijaz Railway was built during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1908. The journey of the Levant, Asia and Anatolia pilgrims from Damascus to Madinah took 5 days by train, instead of the 40-day journey using traditional means. The railway lines became inoperative after they were destroyed in 1916 during World War I.
In 1419 AH, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities restored and rehabilitated the station, turning it into a historical archaeological museum.
Quba Fort lies in the southern part of Madinah, within the Quba district, about 2.5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque and 330 m from Masjid Al-Jumuʿah, rising on an elevation, it overlooks the Quba road leading to the neighborhood of Al-Dawimah, just before the Masjid Al-Jummah (Friday Mosque).
The fort served as an ideal observation point for detecting any approaching military movement. Its placement made it one of the most important defensive strongholds of Madinah in the early twentieth century.