Important Islamic Heritage Sites in Makkah for Pilgrims

House of Khadīja-tul-Kubrā رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ عَنْہَا

As long as the Noble Prophet ﷺ lived in Makkah, he stayed in this blessed house. All the blessed offspring of the Holy Prophet except for Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ were born in this sacred house. Many a time, Sayyidunā Jibrāīl عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام presented himself in the court of the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the same house. The Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ also received many Quranic revelations in this house. After Masjid-ul-Ḥarām, there is no place in Makkah superior to this house but regretfully it has now been obliterated completely, and a walkway has been made here. Exiting via the adjacent door of the mount Marwah, you can only behold the aura of this house looking towards left with desperate eyes.

Cave of Jabal Šaur

This cave is situated on the right side of Makkah towards the suburb of Masfalah approximately 4 kilometres away. This is the sacred cave which is mentioned in the Holy Quran. This is the very same blessed cave where the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his beloved companion, Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ spent three nights during migration (Hijrah). When the enemies reached the mouth of the cave in search of them, Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُ became dejected and said: Yā Rasūlallāh! Our enemies have approached us. If they look down, they will see us. Comforting and encouraging him, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:

لَا تَحْزَنْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَنَا

Grieve not, no doubt Allah ﷻ is with us.

[Kanz-ul-Īmān (Translation of Quran)] (Part 10, Sūrah at-Taubah, verse 40)

This is the mountain where Qābil martyred Sayyidunā Hābil عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَام.

Cave of Ḥirā

This is the place where the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to do worship and meditation prior to declaring his Prophethood. This cave faces the direction of the Qiblah. This is where the Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ received the first revelation (i.e. first five verses of Sūrah al-'Alaq). The cave is situated in Jabal Nūr on the eastern side of Masjid-ul-Ḥarām about 3 kilometres away.

The cave of Ḥirā is superior to the cave of Šaur as the Noble Prophet ﷺ spent only 3 nights in the latter while he lived for a month in the former.

Dār-ul-Arqam

Dār-ul-Arqam was situated in the vicinity of mount Ṣafā. When the situation in early Islamic era became very desperate, our Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ sought refuge in this blessed house. Several eminent people embraced Islam in this house such as Sayyidunā Ḥamzah, Sayyidunā 'Umar رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمَا etc.

It is in this house that the verse يٰٓاَيُّهَا النَّبِیُّ حَسْبُكَ اللّٰهُ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ was revealed. On this spot, the mother of caliph Hārūn Rashīd عَلَيْهَا رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْغَنِی had a Masjid constructed which was renovated by many succeeding caliphs during their reign. No sign of this house exists now and it has been included in Masjid-ul-Ḥarām.

Masfalah

This is indeed a very historic locality. Sayyidunā Ibrāhīm Khalīlullāh عَلٰی نَبِیِّنَا وَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَام used to live here. Eminent Ṣaḥābah like Sayyidunā Abū Bakr, Sayyidunā 'Umar and Sayyidunā Ḥamzah رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمْ also lived here. This area lies in the direction of Mustajār (wall of the Holy Ka'bah).

Jannat-ul-Ma'lā

After Jannat-ul-Baqī', Jannat-ul-Ma'lā is the world's holiest graveyard. Sayyidatunā Khadīja-tul-Kubrā, Sayyidunā 'Abdullāh Ibn 'Umar رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمْ and many companions رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمْ اَجْمَعِيْن, Auliyā and pious people are resting here.

Alas! The sacred graves and even the headstones have been obliterated in the name of making roads there. It is better to stand outside the graveyard and make Salām from far.

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا اَهْلَ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ وَ اِنَّآ اِنْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَاحِقُوْنَ نَسْئَلُ اللّٰهَ لَنَا وَلَکُمُ الْعَافِيَةَ

Salām be upon you, O the believers living here! In shā' Allah ﷻ, we are about to meet you. We ask Allah ﷻ for our well being and ours.

Make Du'ā for yourself, your parents, family, friends and the entire Ummah, and make Īṣāl-e-Šawāb for those buried in Jannat-ul-Ma'lā. Du'ā is accepted here.

Masjid jinn

This Masjid is situated near Jannat-ul-Ma'lā. Listening to the recitation of the Holy Quran from the Beloved and Blessed Rasūl ﷺ during Ṣalāt-ul-Fajr, a group of jinn embraced Islam in this Masjid.

Masjid-ur-Rāyah

This Masjid is situated in the vicinity of Masjid Jinn on the right-hand side. The word رَايَة (Rāyah) in Arabic refers to a flag. This is the historic spot where the Noble Rasūl ﷺ planted a flag on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah.

Masjid Khayf

This Masjid is located in Minā. The Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ offered Ṣalāh here on the occasion of Ḥijja-tul-Wadā'. He ﷺ has said: 'That is, seventy Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام offered Ṣalāh in Masjid Khayf.'

(Mu'jam Awsaṭ, vol. 4, pp. 117, Ḥadīš 5407)

He ﷺ has further stated that the graves of seventy Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام are present in Masjid Khayf.

(Mu'jam Kabīr, vol. 12, pp. 316, Ḥadīš 13525)

This Masjid has now greatly been extended. The visitors should behold this Masjid with reverence and present Salām in the courts of the Prophets in following words: اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْکُمْ يَا اَنْبِيَآءَ اللّٰهِ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَکَاتُهٗ. Then make Īṣāl-e-Šawāb and Du'ā.

Masjid Ji'irrānah

This Masjid is located about 26 kilometres from Makkah on the road to Taif. You should put on Iḥrām for 'Umrah here as the Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ also put on Iḥrām for 'Umrah here on his return after the conquest of Taif. Yūsuf Bin Māhak has said, 'Three hundred Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَام put on Iḥrām for 'Umrah at Ji'irrānah. The Beloved and Blessed Prophet ﷺ drove his blessed stake into the ground, causing very sweet and cold spring water to gush out.

(Balad-ul-Amīn, pp. 221; Akhbār Makkah, Juz 5, pp. 62-69)

It is said that there is a well here. Sayyidunā Ibn 'Abbās رَضِیَ اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہُمَا has said: On his return from Taif, the Holy Prophet ﷺ stayed here and distributed booty here. He ﷺ put on the Iḥrām of 'Umrah here on 28 Shawwāl-ul-Mukarram.

(Balad-ul-Amīn, pp. 220-221)

This area is named after a Qurayshī woman, Ji'irrānah.

(Balad-ul-Amīn, pp. 137)

[The Urdu-speaking] people refer to it as 'Baŕa 'Umrah', i.e. the place of big 'Umrah.

This is indeed a very special place. Sayyidunā 'Abdul Ḥaq Muḥaddiš Dihlvī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْقَوِی has stated in 'Akhbār-ul-Akhyār' that his Murshid Sayyidunā 'Abdul Wahhāb Muttaqī رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْقَوِی has strongly advised him to put on the Iḥrām of 'Umrah at Ji'irrānah, if possible.

His Murshid has further stated that Ji'irrānah is such a special place that once he spent a night there, and was blessed with the vision of the Holy Prophet ﷺ a hundred times in his dream within that single night. اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی اِحْسَانِہٖ. It was a routine of Sayyidunā 'Abdul Wahhāb Muttaqī عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ الْقَوِی that he used to walk all the way to Ji'irrānah in the state of fast in order to put on the Iḥrām of 'Umrah.

(Mulakhkhaṣ az: Akhbār-ul-Akhyār, pp. 278)