Quba Mosque

Origins According to historical Islamic texts, during the hijrah (migration) of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina (Yathrib), he stopped in the village of Quba' near Medina. Depending on the sources, he stayed there for 3 to 22 days. Two different accounts of the mosque's foundation exist in relation to this event. In one, Muhammad founded the mosque himself, though there are varying explanations for how the site was chosen: it was either a (place for drying dates) that belonged to Muhammad's host, Kulthum, or it was the place where a woman named Labba had tethered her donkey. Another version, probably a later legend inspired by the foundation story of the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, tells that Muhammad made Ali get on a camel and then built the mosque where the camel went. Muhammad is said to have laid the first stone himself, with the next ones laid by Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. He is also said to have visited the mosque every Saturday afterwards and conducted religious service there. The first mosque would have been oriented towards Jerusalem and Muhammad most likely rebuilt it when the qibla (direction of prayer) was changed toward the Kaaba in Mecca. Another expansion occurred in 684 CE, during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. Its first "minaret" was added under Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (). King Fahd expansion (1984–1986) The present-day mosque is the result of a complete reconstruction that began in 1984 under Saudi king Fahd bin Abdulaziz. The project aimed to maintain the mosque's traditional Islamic architectural elements while significantly increasing its capacity to accommodate 20,000 worshipers. The reconstructed mosque was built using traditional hollow clay blocks, without formwork concrete. King Fahd laid the foundation stone for the expansion on November 3, 1984, and the project was completed two years later, with its inauguration on November 2, 1986. This expansion reshaped the mosque from a square to a rectangular layout, featuring a central courtyard accessible from all entrances. A dedicated women's prayer area was established in the northern section, spanning two floors and accommodating approximately 7,000 female worshipers.Following this expansion, the mosque featured four minarets and 56 domes. It also included accommodations for Imams and Muezzins, and a library. The mosque's land area measured , with the building itself covering . King Salman expansion On April 8, 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the largest expansion in the history of the Quba Mosque, along with the development of its surrounding area. The project was named after King Salman bin Abdulaziz. This expansion aims to increase the mosque's total area tenfold, from , increasing its capacity to 66,000 worshipers. The project is focused on connecting the existing mosque with covered plazas on all four sides, functionally and visually linked to independent prayer areas not structurally attached to the existing building. When completed, it will also provide all necessary services for the mosque, improve the efficiency of the existing building and its associated services, and enhance the surrounding road network and infrastructure to improve crowd management, accessibility, and the safety and security of worshipers. Additionally, it aims to develop and revitalize several historical sites and landmarks within the mosque and its surrounding areas. In March 2023, the responsibility for overseeing and operating the Quba Mosque was transferred to the Al Madinah Region Development Authority from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance. == Religious significance ==

Performing Wuḍūʾ ('ablution') in one's home, then offering two Rakaʿāt of Nafl (optional) prayers in the Quba Mosque, is considered to be equal to performing oneʿUmrah. Muhammad used to go there, riding or on foot, every Saturday and offer a two rakaʿāt prayer. He advised others to do the same, saying, "Whoever makes ablutions at home and then goes and prays in the Mosque of Quba, he will have a reward like that of an 'Umrah." This ḥadīth was reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Hakim al-Nishaburi. Mention in the Qur'an The mosque is believed to be the one which the Quran mentions as being founded on piety and devoutness (Masjid al-Taqwa): Mentions in hadiths The merits of the mosque are mentioned in nineteen Sahih al-Bukhari hadiths; thirteen Sahih Muslim hadiths; two Sunan Abi Dawud hadiths; six Al-Muwatta hadiths. Muhammad frequented the mosque and prayed there. This is referred to in a number of hadith: == Architecture ==

Early form The original mosque is said to have been a square or rectangular walled enclosure with an open court inside it. In Muhammad's time, a roofed area supported by columns was added on the qibla side. Other historical descriptions of the mosque mostly date from periods after it had already been expanded by others. and majority of the structure and interior structures such as the minbar and mihrab are all composed of white marble. Originally, there was one minaret, the new renovations included the addition of the other three minarets, they rest on square bases, have octagonal shafts which take on a circular shape as they reach the top. The prayer hall is arranged around a central courtyard, characterised by six large domes resting on clustered columns. A portico, which is two bays in depth, borders the courtyard on the east and west, while a one-bayed portico borders it on the north, and separates it from the women's prayer area. The women's prayer area, which is surrounded by a screen, is divided into two parts as a passageway connects the northern entrance with the courtyard. When Quba Mosque was rebuilt in 1986, the Medina architecture was retained – ribbed white domes, and basalt facing and modest exterior – qualities that recalls Madina's simplicity. The courtyard, is flagged with black, red and white marble. It is screened overhead by day from the scorching heat with shades. Arabesque latticework filters the light of the palm groves outside. Elements of the new building include work by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, Pakistani architect Hassan Khan Sayyid and the Stuttgart tensile architect Mahmoud Bodo Rasch, a student of Frei Otto. File:Quba Mosque 2013 02.jpg|Rear view of the mosque File:Quba Mosque Wall Walkway.jpg|Outside wall walkway File:Quba Mosque Entrance Gate 1.jpg|One of the side entrances File:Quba Mosque Foyer.jpg|Interior courtyard File:Masjid Quba (Umroh Ramadhan 2023)-4.jpg|Interior of the prayer hall File:Quba Mosque 10.jpg|The mihrab, with one of the six main domes above == See also ==