Quba is the name of a well, and the name Quba was derived from this well. Quba is located southeast of Madinah. Nowadays, as the southern part of Madinah has expanded, it has become a part of the main city and is no longer a separate village as before. It is located three kilometers south of Mosque -e-Nabawi. From the very beginning, Kuba has been famous for its sweet water and agriculture. Dates, lemons, grapes, vegetables, and other crops grow abundantly here. The climate of this area is healthy and pleasant. There is a wide dual-carriage road that connects Masjid-e-Nabawi to Kuba directly via Manakha. The new Makkah-Jeddah Express Road also merges at Quba.
The History of Mosque-e-Quba
Below, we will learn about the history of Mosque-e-Quba.
The First Mosque on Earth and the First Mosque in Islam
Mosque-e-quba is the first mosque built in the history of Islam. When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, he constructed this mosque in Kuba, which is near Madinah. Before this, he did not build any mosque in Makkah. During his first stay in Cuba after migration, he laid the foundation of this mosque. The Prophet (PBUH) personally participated in the construction work of the mosque alongside his companions.
Historians say that when the Prophet (PBUH) laid the foundation, he personally placed the first stone of the Qibla direction with his own hands.
Tabarani narrates from Shams bint Nu’man, an Ansari woman, who said: “I saw the Prophet (PBUH) building Masjid-e-Quba with his own hands. He carried stones himself and helped construct them. I personally saw his stomach and navel covered in dust. Whenever a Muhajir or an Ansari offered to carry the stones for him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, give it to me; I will carry it,’ he would reply, ‘No, you carry another stone.’ The Ansari woman added, ‘I can still see the dust on his stomach and navel.’ Then Jibreel (AS) came and led the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in prayer facing the Qibla.”
The site of Masjid-e-Kuba was a barren land where dates were dried, owned by Hazrat Kulthum ibn al-Hidam (RA), the tribal chief of Amr ibn Auf.
The Location of Mosque-e-Quba and the Reason for Its Name
Located 320 kilometers north of Makkah Sharif and in the southwestern corner of Madinah, this mosque is situated in the village of Kuba. It is only five kilometers from Mosque -e-Nabawi.
Quba was a famous well. Over time, the settlement that developed around this well came to be known as Quba. From this, the mosque also got its name, Mosque -e-Quba.
The Prophet’s (PBUH) Stay in Quba
According to one narration, he reached Madinah on Monday, the 8th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. He stayed in the village of Kuba for four days—Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—and left for Madinah on Friday, the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. However, another narration in Bukhari Sharif states that he stayed in Quba for 13 to 19 days. In Fath al-Bari, Hazrat Anas (RA) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stayed in Quba for 14 days. Ibn Jabal narrates from Qasim ibn Auf that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stayed in Quba for 22 days. During his stay, he laid the foundation of this mosque.
Mosque-e-Quba in the Holy Quran
Allah says about Masjid-e-Quba in the Holy Quran:
“The mosque whose foundation was laid from the very first day on piety is more deserving that you stand therein. In it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who purify themselves.”
The Virtues of Praying in Mosque-e-Quba
It is narrated in Bukhari and Nasa’i Sharif: “The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to visit Mosque-e-Quba every Saturday, either on foot or riding.” Here, “Saturday” may mean the actual Saturday or, according to some, the week. That is, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) visited Mosque-e-Quba once a week.
It is narrated in Tirmidhi Sharif from Usaid bin Zuhair al-Ansari: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Praying in Mosque-e-Quba is equivalent to performing Umrah.” Ibn Majah and Ibn Sho’ba narrate from Sahl bin Hanif with an authentic chain of transmission: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Whoever performs ablution (wudu) at home and then goes to Mosque-e-Quba to pray earns the reward of an Umrah.”
It is also narrated by Tabarani from Sahl bin Hanif: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Whoever performs ablution well and prays four rak’ahs in Masjid-e-Quba earns the reward of freeing a slave.”
Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) used to visit Mosque-e-Quba every Monday and Thursday. Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) and Hazrat Uthman (RA) also visited Mosque -e-Quba.
How the Prophet (PBUH) Went to Mosque-e-Quba
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) traveled to Mosque-e-Kuba from Madinah through the Suwaika route. On the way, he passed Masjid al-Mosalla and Masjid Bani Zuraiq. Those who go to Quba via the shorter route by Baqi Cemetery do not follow the exact Sunnah route of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Facing Mosque-e-Aqsa During Prayer
The camel of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sat in the middle of Mosque -e-Quba. Today, the mihrab (prayer niche) does not mark the exact spot where the Prophet (PBUH) used to pray. As-Samhudi narrates from Ibn Jabalah, quoting Ibn Abi Layla, that the place where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prayed facing the Ka’bah was slightly to the east of the current mihrab. On the other hand, the place where he prayed, facing Mosque -e-Aqsa, was near the third pillar in the courtyard after entering through the second door of the mosque.
Renovations of Masjid-e-Quba
The third caliph of Islam, Hazrat Uthman ibn Affan (RA), was the first to renovate and expand Mosque-e-Kuba. During the Umayyad rule (91-93 AH, 711-713 CE), Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, the governor of Madinah, renovated and expanded the mosque. He was the first to build a minaret and veranda for the mosque, enhance its beauty with mosaics, and replace the wooden beams of the mosque’s roof with iron. In 435 AH (1045 CE), Abu Ya’la al-Husayni renovated the mosque and built its mihrab.
Subsequent renovations were carried out in 555 AH (1162 CE), 671 AH (1275 CE), 733 AH (1335 CE), 840 AH (1439 CE), and later during the Ottoman period and by Saudi rulers. The latest renovation by King Fahd in 1407 AH (1986 CE) expanded the mosque to accommodate 20,000 worshipers, covering an area of 13,500 square meters.
The entire mosque is air-conditioned and has 4 minarets and 6 domes. There are accommodations for the imam and muezzin, and the mosque has been constructed with a completely modern design. The mosque is also equipped with an Islamic library.
Rasulullah (SAW) stayed in the house of Kulthum bin Al-Hadam in Quba, and it was in the house of Asma bint Abu Bakr that the first child of the Muhajireen, Abdullah bin Zubair, was born in Madinah.
