Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque), the second holiest place in Islam, the second of the holy mosques, is at the very centre of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The first thing that any visitor to Madinah sees is the mosque, with its ten very tall minarets reaching high into the sky.

The building itself, is in the shape of a rectangle. Its length runs from north to south and its width, east to west. The centre of the southern wall protrudes out more than one-quarter of its distance. The front of the building is sixty metres in length. (This is the old, original building). Above this section of the mosque, in the eastern area, is the famous green dome and a square minaret of medium height. Over the western section of this part of the building is a cylindrical minaret, also of medium height and many small, silver coloured domes. The two minarets mentioned, are of less height than the others and their shapes and design are different, as they were erected in past eras.

The front section of the old part of the mosque, (the original building), was renovated in the past (1277 A.H.; corresponding to 1860 AD), during the rule of Sultaan 'Abd Al-Majeed, It included a new building, which was constructed at the end of the north front.

When we enter the Prophet's Mosque from Baab Al-Salaam, (the Gate of Peace), we find ourself in the old building. The insides of the domes are painted very beautifully with geometric decorations and flora. Under the domes, the cylindrical columns, which are reinforced by lead, support stone arches, which in turn support the roof of the building. The two capitals (crowns) of the columns are decorated. The columns are painted a light ivory-cream colour. The walls in this building are decorated with in-laid mosaic tiles and running at a height of one and one-half metres along the south wall, there is a horizontal band, upon which are written verses from the Glorious Qur'an.

After praying two raka'ats of greeting (Tahhiyat) to the mosque, the visitor moves to the final resting place of our Most Beloved, the Prophet of Allah, Mohammed (Peace be upon him), in the Sacred Chamber; the room of 'Aishah (Allah be pleased with her). Interred in the same place are his two beloved and respected friends, respectively, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and 'Umar bin Al-Khattaab (Allah be pleased with them both). In front of the Sacred Chamber are three tall gates, with three large medallions made of gold-coated brass, on them. There is also some silver decoration on these gates.

Visitors to the Sacred Chamber stop in front of it and greet the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and then in turn, his two companions. Through the metal strips in the gate, the green velvet drapery (kiswah) covering the inner wall is visible. Since the fifth century Hijrah [eleventh century C.E.], the walls surrounding the Sacred Chamber have been supported by lead.

After having made salutations and having faced the Qiblah to make supplications for the Prophet, TO ALLAH, the visitor then goes to Al-Raudah Al-Shareef. The Raudah is between the western wall of the Sacred Chamber and the Minbar. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said "What is between my house and my minbar is a garden (Raudah) from the gardens (Riyadh) of Paradise". The western face of the Sacred Chamber has another wide room attached to it from behind. This was the room of Al-Sayyedah Faatimah (Allah be pleased with her), daughter of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Behind it is a high, wide platform called Al-Suffah. It was here that the new immigrants, the poor and strangers used to live (inside). Stone columns are spread throughout the Raudah. They are decorated with well-known golden lines. On their capitals (crowns) are written descriptions, which define the border of the masjid, at the time of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).

With every column, there is biographical information about the life (Seerah) of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his Companions (Allah be pleased with them all). In the front of the Raudah is the mihrab, (a semi-circular place indicating the direction of prayer, the Qiblah) of the Prophet, Peace be upon him). It was installed at the time of the first Ummayyad expansion, in the year 91 Hijrah [709 C.E.], in the exact place from which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) led the prayers as Imam of the Noble Companions (May Allah be pleased with them all). It has been restored with subsequent renovations. The minbar (the place where the Imam stands to deliver the sermon (khutbah) during the Friday, congregational prayer, is situated in the Raudah. It was put in the place where the Prophet (Peace be upon him) gave his sermons; which was where he had stood, leaning against the trunk of a date-palm tree. In the 9th year of the Hijrah, a wooden minbar was made for him. It remained in place for a long time, but was eventually replaced by other minbars. Kings and Sultans vied to outdo each other in making gifts (i.e. a minbar) to enhance the mosque.

There are three gates along the western side of the old building. Baab Al-Salaam, (the Gate of Peace), is the southern most of the three. Next to it is the second gate of the three called Kaukh (hut) Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. The third and northern most of the three is Baab Al-Rahmah, (the Gate of Mercy). On the eastern side of it, after the Sacred Chamber in the old part of the mosque, is Baab Al-Jibreel (the Gate of Gabriel). Next to it, to the north is Baab Al-Nissaa' (the Gate of Women).

North of the old building, on the longer side, there are two separate courtyards, one behind the other, which are open to the sky. Between them and surrounding them, there are colonnades that run east to west and north to south. Huge light coloured umbrellas that open and close by remote, electronic control have been erected. The columns that support them are of similar design to those in the recent additions to the building and in the exterior plazas.

Adjacent to this building, lies the recent Sa'udi expansion of the masjid. This, the newest building addition, spreads out in three directions. There are vast interior plazas that are interconnected by long colonnades. The tall columns therein are clad in a light-coloured marble. The brass capitals (crowns) of these massive columns contain lamps, which provide ample light. Over the columns are arches, constructed of stone of contrasting colours, sandy and dark-grey. The arches support the ceiling and subsequently, the roof. The ceilings, the design of which is based on that of traditional wooden ceilings, are decorated with huge geometric forms. Suspended over the interior plazas are massive circular, gold-coated brass chandeliers, which combine tradition and technology. There are lamps hanging from them that emit diffused white light for illumination. This light is heat-less.

The pedestals (bases) of the columns have brass diffuser grills for the air conditioning system, the cold air of which emanates from the basement of the mosque. Near the windows, high up in the walls, are the brass, return-air grills. (The stale air is removed after circulation, thus affording a constant supply of fresh, clean air). The complex and efficient air conditioning network that has been installed is connected to a huge chilled-water plant, which is seven kilometres away and which is connected to the mosque by a wide, underground tunnel.

Twenty-seven massive domes (80 tonnes each) are evenly distributed across the roof of this the newest building and combine traditional Islamic architecture with advanced, modern technology. The interior surfaces of the domes are covered with Arabesque designs fashioned of expensive wood, gemstones and gilding. The gold in each of the domes amounts to 2.5 kilograms in weight. The domes are of steel construction, the outer surfaces coated with anti-rust material. Designed to open and close, by remote computer operation, they move with precision on tracks high above the surface of the roof and provide natural light and fresh air ventilation, as required.

The interior walls of the mosque are covered with alabaster of light-colours. At a height of one and one-half metres, there is a horizontal band that runs the length of the walls. Inscribed on them are Qur'anic verse in letters protruding from the alabaster band's surface. Distributed high up in the walls are wide windows, whose frames are made of expensive teak and whose panes are of dark (smoked) glass. The walls themselves are of alabaster, with Arabesque decoration, whose design is unprecedented.


Spread along the galleries, are large (thermos') containing cold water from the well of Zamzam, in Makkah. The Zamzam water is transported daily to the mosque, in special tanker trucks from Makkah, which is 430 kilometres away.

The mosque now has eighty-five doors spread across forty-one wide gates. These doors are composed of fine, rare teak. Covering the outside surfaces of the doors are brass Arabesque medallions and other designs, the hardware of which is gold-coated, (and are thus resistant to the verdigris caused by oxidation). The width of one of them is three metres, the height six metres. Inscribed in the centre of each are the words, “Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, Peace be upon him”. The words of Allah, the Almighty, from Surat Al-Hijr, The Rocky Tract, Verse 46, “Enter therein, (Paradise) in peace and security”, have been chiseled into the stone lintel over each of the doors.

This recently completed expansion includes escalators to move worshippers during peak times, to the rooftop. The roof itself was planned and designed to accommodate the large numbers of worshippers during times of peak crowding. Along the perimeters of the sides of the building are four long, narrow porticos. Most of the roof is open to the elements. However, when the domes are moved into the open position, worshippers can still pray under them, as well. No space has been wasted.

The mosque now has a total of ten minarets, evenly distributed around the building. Two of them are very old and sit atop the southern corners of the old building. The rest are new, having been erected during the two Sa'udi expansions. The height of each of these is more than one hundred metres, which pierce the sky.

Surrounding the mosque on all sides, is a vast expanse of plaza, whose surface is covered with alabaster and marble. Distributed evenly across the plaza are columns clad in light-coloured marble that have lamps at the top, which emit powerful fluorescent light. Also evenly distributed across the plaza are small pavilions that are actually (gates) entrances with escalators and stairways descending to the Ablution areas and car-park, both of which have been constructed beneath the plaza. Around the perimeter of the plaza surrounding the mosque, is a wall that is interposed with gates and guard houses, whose posts and roofs are topped with small domes.