ALMISKEENAH

 

The Mubarak Hujrah

O Allah ! Open for us the gates of Your mercy and forgiveness and sustenance, and send abundant blessings and peace upon the Best of Prophets and Messengers and upon all his Family and Companions Ameen. 

His light appeared on Adam’s forehead

So that the angels bowed their heads in prostration;

Noah, in the danger of the flood,

Found help from him in his seamanship;

The scent of his grace reached Abraham,

And his rose bloomed from Nimrod’s pyre.

Yusuf was for him, in the court of kindness

[Only] a slave, seventeen dirham’s worth.

His face lighted the fire of Moses,

And his lip taught Christ how to quicken the dead.

(Jami)

Insha’Allah, the more we invest eagerness in our seeking to learn about our Beloved Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasllam, and his noble resting place, may Allah Ta’ala make it a means to be closer to Him Subhanahu wa Ta’ala and His Habib SallAllahu alaihi wasllam.

 

According to historian Al-Samhoudi, the length of the Sacred Chamber measured from east to west is 8 meters and the width 5.5 meters with the inner wall being approxiamtely one meter thick. (Unfortunately with compressing the diagram the measurements and numbers are not very clear. Insha’Allah you can ’save image as’ and then use the zoom facility to view it more readily, I have added some coloured dots to assist with some of the details)

1.       Resting place of Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

2.       Grave of Abu Bakr As-Saddiq RadhiAllahu anhu.

3.       Grave of Umar Al-Khattab RadhiAllahu anhu.

4.        Place reserved for Isa Alaihis Salam. There are two narrations regarding the position, hence the two places marked, however the stringer narration is that he will be beside Umar Al-Khattab RadhiAllahu anhu. And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

5.       House of our Lady Ayeshah RadhiAllahu anha. When the room contained our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and her noble father Abu Bakr as-Siddiq RadhiAllahu anhu our Lady Ayeshah RadhiAllahu anha would not wear the veil, but once Umar ibn Al-Khattab RadhiAllahu anhu joined them she covered and then arranged for the room to be divided. The zig zag line represents the wall built to divide the house into two parts, one for her residence and the other housing the three graves.

6.       Place where Jibreel Alaihis Salam often came with revelations.

7.       Walls of the room of our Lady Ayeshah RadhiAllahu anha that Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam assisted in building, and which still stands within the security walls.

8.       Pentagonal walls (solid black) built by Umar ibn Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah alaihi. Made of stone and having five sides so as not to have the shape of the Ka’abah. This barrier wall is 80cm wide.

9.       Wall built by Sultan Qaitabai Rahmatullah alaihi. (grey shaded) around the walls built by Umar ibn Abdul Aziz Rahmatullah alaihi.

10.   Columns (green dot) supporting the walls (of #9) which are covered by green curtains around the Sacred Hujrah.

11.   First window on the western side which originally was part of the Rowdha Shareef and included in the Maqsurah, restricted area, during the time of Sultan Al-Zahir Baibars, the ruler of Egypt in the year 668 A.H. (the first double set of circular motifs in the grill on the left in the above photo)

12.   Extension of Rowdha Shareef.

13.   Now part of the Masjid.

14.   (pink dot) House of Sayyidatuna Fatima RadhiAllahu anha.

15.   Mihrab inside the house of Sayyidatuna Fatima RadhiAllahu anha.

16.   blue dot, (no number) place of Tahajjud when Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam prayed alone, and Almighty Allah Ta’ala knows best.

17.   Place of Tahajjud behind the house of Sayyidatuna Fatima RadhiAllahu anha with Ahl Suffa. (and Allah Almighty knows best)

18.   Muwajahah.

19.   The circular motif indicating the position of the Mubarak face of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq RadhiAllahu anhu.

20.   The circular motif indicating the position of the Mubarak face of Umar ibn Al-Khattab RadhiAllahu anhu.

21.   Place of the rooms of Ummahatul Mu’mineen.  The home of Sayyidatuna Hafsa RadhiAllahu anha was so close to the home of our Lady Ayeshah RadhiAllahu anha (on the southern side) that they would exchange conversations while both were inside their homes.

22.   The column of the bed.

23.   The delegation column.

24.   The guard column.

25.   Door of Tawbah. 25B. Door of our Lady Ayeshah RadhiAllahu anha.

26.   Window opposite the Mubarak head of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

27.   Direction of Mubarak feet of our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

28.   Doors that are within the Maqsurah.

29.   Circumference of the inner small dome (blue dot).

30.   Circumference of the blue inner dome.

31.   Circumference of the Green Dome.

32.   External walls of the Maqsurah.

This site offers a history of the Sacred Chamber, along with accounts of the attempts to steal the Mubarak body of Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

Dr. Irfan Al Alawi, Executive Director Islamic Heritage Research Foundation has written the following to dispel many misconceptions about the graves in the Sacred Chamber:

“It will be pertinent to mention here that the companions never put bricks or other similar materials on these three graves. Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr {Ra} narrated as mentioned in Sunan Abu Dawud, ‘I visited Aaisha {Ra} and requested her to show me these three graves. I observed that the graves were neither very high above the ground nor totally in level with the ground. I saw these covered with reddish color earth.’

It is mentioned in Tabaqatul Kubraa by ibn Sa’ad as narrated by Qaasim, ‘I was only a child when I visited these graves which were covered with reddish colour earth.’

It is mentioned in Fath al-Baari as narrated by Abu Bakr Ajari {Ra}, ‘I saw these graves during the period of Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz {ra}. These were about four inches above the ground level.’ It is also mentioned in Fath al-Baari as narrated by Rija ibn Haiwah, ‘Waleed ibn Abdul-Malik wrote to Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz to purchase the hujrat of the wives of Prophet Muhammad {sallallaahu Alayhi wasallam} and include this area in the mosque as well. When the walls of the hujrats were removed, these graves became visible. The sandy soil on the graves had somewhat levelled off. Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz rebuilt the walls of Aaisha’s chamber during the expansion of the Prophet’s mosque.’

A renowned scholar, Samhoudi, mentioned in Wifa-ul-Wifaa that the walls of the sacred chamber were remodelled in 878H. He had the privilege and honour of entering the Sacred Chamber during these repairs. Samhoudi said, ‘As I entered the Sacred Chamber, I found very delicate fragrance there which I had never experienced in my life before. I offered salutation to the Prophet {Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam} and his both companions. Then I focussed my attention to condition of the graves so that I could describe it fully to others. All three graves were almost even to the ground level. At one place, there was a slight rise above the ground level. It was probably, Umar’s {Ra} grave. The graves were definitely covered by ordinary earth.’

After this occasion, nobody has been able to see these graves since all the four walls of the Sacred Chamber have been fully built up to the roof level and closed for any view.

I may add that some people are carrying pictures of these graves indicating that the graves are built of bricks or stones and are quite high from the ground level. It is total fabrication.”

O Allah send blessings upon this prophetic presence, which is guiding and guided, by Your complete blessings. May it be a blessing that encompasses every kind of knowledge, moreover, may it be a blessing that has no end in its limit, and neither will it sever in its extent.

And convey peace upon this Prophet in the same way. O our master, O Messenger of Allah, you are the purpose of existence. You are the master of every parent and every child; you are the precious orphan around whom all kinds of creation revolved. You are the light, the radiance of which fills the heavens and the earths. Your blessings cannot be encompassed, and your miracles are innumerable.

From salutations of Sayyid ash-Shaykh Muhammad Abu al-Mawahib ash-Shadhili, Rahmatullah alaihi.

 

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. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.