ALMISKEENAH

 

Al Musalla and Banu Zuraiq

 

The area encompassing the four Masaajid is commonly called Al Musalla. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam prayed the first Eid prayer in Madinah where the present day Masjid Ghamamah (cloud) is located (yellow) It is also known as Masjid Musalla. Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam offered subsequent Eid prayers at different places in this general location. Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali RadhiAllahu anhum continued this practice during their respective Caliphate. Hence the other three Masaajid are named in remembrance of where Rasulullah originally prayed and where the tradition was upheld by these three Rightly Guided Caliphs.

Masjid Ali bin Abi Talib. (pink)
Masjid Abu Bakr Siddique (green)
Masjid Umar bin Khattab (red)
According to the following Ahadith from Bukhari, this Musalla area was also used on many other occasions and various purposes.

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar RadhiAllahu anhu: The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam used to Nahr, slaughter sacrifices at the Musalla on ‘Id-ul-Adha. 

Narrated Nafi’ RadhiAllahu anhu : ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar RadhiAllahu anhu used to slaughter his sacrifice at the slaughtering place (i.e the slaughtering place of the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam)  

Ibn ‘Umar RadhiAllahu anhu said, "Allah’s Apostle used to slaughter camels and sheep, etc., as sacrifices at the Musalla." 

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin Zaid RadhiAllahu anhu, The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam went towards the Musalla and invoked Allah for rain. He faced the Qibla and wore his cloak inside out, and offered two Rakat.

Narrated Abbas bin Tamim from his uncle who said, "The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam went out to the Musalla to offer the Istisqa’ prayer, faced the Qibla and offered a two-Rakat prayer and turned his cloak inside out." Abu Bakr RadhiAllahu anhu added, "The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam put the right side of his cloak on his left side." 

Narrated Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu, Allah’s Apostle SallAllahu alaihi wasallam informed the people about the death of An-Najashi, the King of Ethiopia on the very day he died. He went towards the Musalla and the people stood behind him in rows. He said four Takbirs, offering the Funeral prayer. He, SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said, "Ask Allah’s forgiveness for your brother."

Narrated Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu: A man from Bani Aslam came to Allah’s Apostle SallAllahu alaihi wasallam while he was in the mosque and called the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam saying, "O Allah’s Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." On that the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam turned his face from him to the other side, whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam had turned his face, and said, "O Allah’s Apostle! I have committed illegal sexual intercourse." The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam turned his face from him to the other side whereupon the man moved to the side towards which the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam had turned his face, and repeated his statement. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam turned his face from him to the other side again. The man moved again and repeated his statement for the fourth time. So when the man had given witness four times against himself, the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam called him and said, "Are you insane?" He replied, "No." The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then said to his companions, "Go and stone him to death." The man was a married one. Jabir bin ‘Abdullah Al-Ansari RadhiAllahu anhu said: I was one of those who stoned him. We stoned him at the Musalla (’Id praying place) in Madinah. When the stones hit him with their sharp edges, he fled, but we caught him at Al-Harra and stoned him till he died. 

Abu Hurairah RadhiAllahu anhu also reported that upon returning to Madinah from a journey, The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam would pass this ground, turn to face Qibla and supplicate.

 

Immediately beside this Musalla area to the west was the market place, called Manakhah, where Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam declared it as a business centre for the Muslims, as distinct from the Jewish markets at the time. This began the establishment of the Islamic economy where the Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum could trade with self respect and be self sufficient. Trade caravans of camels would stop by here.  

The entire area from Saqeefa south to the Musalla area is under construction with many new projects adding to the dense collection of hotels and shops.

East of the Musalla is where the Banu Zuraiq tribe (light blue) was situated. Today it is a string of hotels, alongside the Shari’ah Court building.

Some historians state that the very first time Qur’an was recited in Madinah was in the Mosque of this tribe. The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam taught Rafi’a bin Maalik RadhiAllahu anhu when he met Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam in Makkah on the occasion of Bai’at-e-Aqabah, and that later when Rafi’a bin Maalik RadhiAllahu anhu returned to Madinah he taught it to his people, the Banu Zuraiq. And Allah Almighty knows best.

Also referred to in the "Virtual Tour" 1, Banu Zuraiq was the finishing line for horse racing beginning at Thaniyyatul Wada.

However the most notable incident related to this tribe is that which Aishah RadhiAllahu anha narrates. "Magic was worked on Allah’s Apostle so that he began to imagine that he had done something although he had not. One day while he was with me, he invoked Allah and invoked for a long period and then said, "O ‘Aishah! Do you know that Allah has instructed me regarding the matter I asked Him about?" I asked, "What is that, O Allah’s Apostle?" He said, "Two men came to me in a dream; one of them sat near my head and the other sat near my feet. One of them asked his companion, ‘What is the disease of this man?’ The other replied, ‘He is under the effect of magic.’ The first one asked, ‘Who has worked magic on him?’ The other replied, Labid bin A’sam, a member of the tribe of Bani Zuraiq, who is an ally of the Jews, a hypocrite.’ The first one asked, ‘With what has it been done?’ The other replied, ‘With a comb and the hair stuck to it and the spathe of a male date palm
tree.’ The first one asked, ‘Where is it?’ The other replied, ‘In the well of Dharwan.’" Then the Prophet went along with some of his companions to that well at the place of Banu Zuraiq, and looked at that and there were date palms near to it. Then he returned to me and said, ‘By Allah the water of that well was red like the infusion of Henna leaves and its date palms were like the heads of devils" I said, "O Allah’s Apostle! Did you take those materials out of the pollen skin, spathe?" He said, "No! As for me Allah has healed me and cured me and I was afraid that by showing that to the people I would spread evil among them. Then he ordered that the well be filled up with earth, and it was filled up with earth."

According to Imam Tha’labi’s narration a Jewish boy was the attendant of the Prophet, and he was bribed by ‘Labid bin A’sam to get the strands of hair from his comb and a few of its teeth. Having obtained these items, he tied eleven knots on a string and a needle was stuck into each knot. Labid then placed this spell into the spathe of a male palm tree and buried it under a stone in the well.

Jibreel Alaihis Salam, was sent with the revelations of Surah Al-Falaq and An-Nas, which comprise eleven verses. As Rasulullah recited each verse he untied one knot, until all eleven verses and eleven knots were complete, and then he felt freed from the tension of the Sihr. (Narratives adapted from Ibn Katheer)

Surah Al-Falaq directs how to seek Divine protection against worldly calamities, and Surah An-Nas tells the way to seek Divine protection against the calamities of the Hereafter.

Narrated ‘Aishah RadhiAllahu anha: Whenever Allah’s Apostle became sick, he would recite Mu’awwidhat (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) and then blow his breath into his cupped hands and then spread this over his body. When he became seriously ill, I used to recite these two Surahs and rub his hands over his body hoping for its blessings. And another narration from the Blessed wife of the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam says, "Whenever the Prophet went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over them after reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times. 

Narrated Abu Sa’id al-Khudri RadhiAllahu anhu, The Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam used to seek protection against the Jinn and the evil eye till Surahs al-Falaq and An-Nas were revealed. After they were revealed he stuck to them and discarded everything beside them. Transmitted by Tirmidhi.

‘Uqbah, shall I not teach you two Surahs the like of which has not been heard before?’

A moving story!

May the "tours" around these most blessed places where Our Beloved Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam walked, talked, prayed, supplicated, advised, initiated, supervised, received revelations, bring the reality of his presence into our lives today, and we accordingly act upon this knowledge as if we were with him at the time. Ameen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.