History of Ayesha Mosque
Tana’im: The Mosque of Ayesha: Tana’im is the boundary of the Haram area, and there is no other boundary closer than this. There is a mosque here. During the farewell Hajj, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) instructed Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Bakr to take Hazrat Ayesha (RA) to perform Umrah from here. That is why it is called the Mosque of Ayesha.
This mosque has been rebuilt many times. Recently, it has been constructed as a large and beautiful mosque. It is now a modern mosque with an elegant design. Facilities for water, toilets, ablution, and washing for those donning the Ihram for Umrah have been made available.
Description of Ayesha Mosque
The current area of the mosque is 6,000 square meters. It can accommodate up to 12,000 worshippers for prayer. There are 550 toilets and 700 automatic taps for ablution. Two state-of-the-art minarets have been constructed in the mosque, and there is a separate arrangement for women’s prayers and toilets. For those donning the Ihram, the best place after Jiranah is Tana’im, as Jiranah is the most preferred.
Renovation of Ayesha Mosque
Azraki has mentioned that after Ibn Zubayr (RA) completed the reconstruction of the Ka’bah, he renovated this mosque and covered it with the cloth of the Ka’bah (Kiswah). He then called upon those loyal to him as a caliph to go to Tana’im with him for Umrah’s Ihram. He also instructed those who were able to sacrifice camels, while those who could not afford camels should sacrifice sheep, and those who could not do either should donate according to their ability. Everyone walked to Tana’im and donned the Ihram from there. They performed this Umrah in gratitude to Allah. No other day witnessed as much sacrifice of slaves, camels, sheep, and charity as that day. On that day, Ibn Zubayr (RA) sacrificed one hundred camels.
Azraki further mentions that he learned from Ibn Khaytham that Ata’ bin Abi Rabah, Mujahid, and Abdullah bin Qasir al-Du’ayi would go to Tana’im on the night of the 29th of Ramadan and perform the Ihram from there.
Best Place to Don the Ihram
Imam Shafi’i (RA) says that the best place to don the Ihram is from Jiranah because the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) himself donned the Ihram from there. The next best is Tana’im because the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) instructed Ayesha (RA) to don the Ihram from there. After that comes Hudaybiyyah, because the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) intended to enter the Haram from there and later became lawful there.
Martyrs at Tana’im
Two prominent companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) were martyred at Tana’im. They were Zayd ibn Dasinah and Khubaib ibn Adi. These two companions were part of the “As’hab al-Raji'” group. Four out of six of them were martyred. The tribe of Hozail had sold them to the Quraysh of Makkah in exchange for their own captured people. Ibn Ishaq says that Zayd ibn Dasinah was bought by Safwan ibn Umayyah to avenge the killing of his father, Umayyah ibn Khalaf.
Safwan ibn Umayyah instructed his slave, Nistas, to take Zayd ibn Dasinah outside the Haram area to Tana’im and kill him. A group of Quraysh, including Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, gathered there. Before killing Zayd, Abu Sufyan asked, “O Zayd, I swear by Allah, if Muhammad were in your place now, would you prefer to kill him while living in your own family?” Zayd replied, “I swear by Allah, I would not wish a thorn to prick Muhammad (PBUH) while he is in his current state, even if I were to be with my family.” Abu Sufyan then remarked, “I have never seen anyone love Muhammad more than his companions love him.” Nistas then killed him there.
Ibn Ishaq further narrates that Khubaib was bought by Hozail ibn Abi Ahhab Tamimi, who took him to Tana’im to crucify and kill him. He was martyred there.
Is the Mosque of Ayesha a Miqat?
Yes, the Mosque of Ayesha is a Miqat. In a long hadith narrated by Jabir (RA), it is mentioned that when Ayesha (RA) entered Makkah, her menstruation started. Therefore, she performed all the rituals of Hajj except for the Tawaf of the Ka’bah. When she became pure from her menstruation, she performed the Tawaf of Hajj. She then said, “O Messenger of Allah, you and all the others are performing both Hajj and Umrah, and I will only return after performing Hajj.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then instructed her brother, Abdur Rahman, to take her to Tana’im. She went there, donned the Ihram, and performed Umrah. This event took place right after the Hajj, in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah.
From the above incident, it can be understood that the Mosque of Ayesha is a Miqat, and from here, one can perform Umrah or don the Ihram for Umrah.
