Let's VisitRiadul Jannah in Masjid-E- Nabawi to Learn the Daily Routine of Our Beloved
Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)
By Dr Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani
The area between the Sacred Chamber and the Pulpit (Mimbar) is known as the Riadhul Jannah, i.e., Garden of Paradise. It is presently distinguished by a green carpet and is also referred to as Rawdah.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: "Between my house and my pulpit lays a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is upon my fountain (Al-Kauthar)." [Bukhari]
Scholars have interpreted the above narration as follows: The Garden is parallel to a garden above it in Paradise. Or it is in reality a garden of paradise, which will be returned to paradise in the hereafter. Or it is like the gardens of paradise because the peace and tranquility, which is experienced in it when engaged in the remembrance of Allah, resembles that of paradise. [Akhbar Madina tur Rasool, Ibn Najjar]
The original size is approximately 22 meters in length and 15 meters in width, part of it is in the chamber of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
Mehrab (Prayer niche)
On his arrival in Madinah the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) prayed for about 16 months facing towards Al-Quds, Jerusalem. If one were to walk away from the 'Aisha Column', the fifth column will be in line with the door marked as Bab-e-Jibraeel. This column was the approximate praying spot of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) for the above period. It was near the extreme north boundary of the original mosque.
After the change of Qibla, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) offered salah near Aisha's column for a short period while facing the Ka'bah. Later, he started leading salat at the spot where the Mehrab Nabwi is nowadays. Note that there was no mehrab at this spot during the period of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and the four Caliphs.
In 91 AH, Umar bin Abdul Aziz made a praying niche in the form of a mehrab. Since then it has been called ‘Mehrab Nabwi’. If you were to stand in the mehrab for offering salah, your place of sajda will be where the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) feet used to be. The Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) place of sajda is intentionally covered by the thick wall of the mehrab.
Mimbar (pulpit)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to lean against the trunk of a palm tree when he was tired or exhausted while delivering a sermon. The Ansar humbly suggested to him, "If you approve, we can make a pulpit for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) approved the proposal and a pulpit was duly prepared. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) sat on this pulpit to address the faithful. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) started using the new pulpit, the old tree yearned for him like a camel missing its calf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) hugged the trunk until it had calmed down and then ordered that a ditch be dug and the trunk buried decently into it.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to stand on the third rung of the pulpit while delivering his sermons. When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became caliph, he stood on the second rung and Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) stood on the first. Caliph Usman bin Affan did as Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for six years before he returned to the old position of the Prophet. Amir Muawiyyah (may Allah be pleased with him) made a pulpit consisting of nine rungs. The leaders started sitting on the seventh rung. The pulpit has since been kept in this form and the Khateeb has been sitting on the seventh rung since then.
The pulpit has been replaced on many occasions through the centuries. The present pulpit was put up by Sultan Murad in 998 AH.
Athan Platform
Major pillars of Masjid-e-Nabwi
1. Ustuwaanah Hannanah (the weeping pillar):
This is also called the Ustuwaanah Mukhallaq. This is the most blessed of the pillars for this was the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) place of salah. On this spot there once used to grow a date palm tree. Before the advent of the mimbar, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to lean on it while delivering the khutbah (sermon). When the mimbar was constructed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used it for delivering the khutbah. It so happened thatwhen the change took place, a bitter sound of weeping was heard from the tree the whole masjid echoed with it, and those present in the masjid started weeping. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) then said: "The tree cries because the zikr of Allah was near it, and now that the mimbar is built it has been deprived of this zikr in its immediate vicinity. If I did not place my hand on it, it would have cried thus till the Day of Qiyamah." Afterwards the tree dried up and was buried.
2. Ustuwaanah Sareer
'Sareer' means a sleeping place. It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to make i'tikaaf and used to sleep here while in i'tikaaf. A platform of wood used to be put here for him to sleep on.
3. Ustuwaanah Tawbah
Also known as Ustuwaanah Abu Lubabah. Abu Lubabah (may Allah be pleased with him) was a famous Sahaba. Before the advent of Islam, he had dealings with the Jews of Banu Quraizah. When they acted treacherously during the Battle of the Trench and were taken captive he told them that they were to be killed by making a sign across his throat. After having done that, he became so grieved at this indiscretion that he could not rest.
He entered the masjid at the spot where a datetree used to stand. He bound himself to the trunk saying, "As long as my repentance is not accepted by Allah, I shall not untie myself from here. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) himself must undo my bonds." When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) heard this, he said: "If he had come to me, I would have begged forgiveness on his behalf. Now he has acted on his own initiative. I cannot untie him until his repentance has been accepted."
For many days he remained tied there, except for salah and the call of nature. At such times his wife and daughter used to untie him. He remained without food and water as a result of which his sight and hearing were affected. Then, after a few days, one morning while the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was in tahajjud prayer in the house of Umme Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him), he received the good news that his tawbah had been accepted. The Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) conveyed the news to him, and tried to untie him but he refused, saying: "As long as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) does not untie me with his blessed hands, I shall not allow anyone else to do so." When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) entered for Fajr salah he untied him.
4. Ustuwaanah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to say his prayers here and afterwards moved to the place at Ustuwaanah Hannanah. It is also called the Ustuwaanah Qu'rah. The reason for this is that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said: "In this masjid is one such spot that if people knew the true blessed nature thereof, they would flock towards it in such in a manner to pray there they would have to cast such lots (i.e. Qu'rah)."
People asked her to point out the exact spot which she refused to do. Later on, at the persistence of Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him), she pointed to this spot. Hence, it is called UstuwaanahAisha,because the Hadith is reported by her and the exact spot was shown by her. It is a fact that Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) very often used to pray here.
5. Ustuwaanah Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
Also known as Ustuwaanah Mah'ras or Hars. 'Hars' means to watch or protect. This used to be the place where some of the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) used to sit when keeping watch or acting as gatekeepers. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) used to be the one who mostly acted as such, for which it is often called Ustuwaanah Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) entered the masjid from the door of Aisha's (may Allah be pleased with her) room, he passed by this spot.
6. Ustuwaanah Wufood
'Wufood' means delegations. Whenever deputations arrived to meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) on behalf of their tribes, they were seated here and it was at this place thatthe Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) used to meet them, conversed with them. and taught them Islam.
7. Ustuwaanah Jibraeel
This was the usual place where Jibraeel (upon him be peace) used to enter to visit the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). Today it cannot be seen as it lies inside the Sacred Chamber of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
8. Ustuwaanah Tahajjud
It is reported that this was the spot where late at night a carpet was spread for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) to perform tahajjud prayer, after all the people had left. It is currently covered by a bookcase but this historic photo shows what exists behind it:
Original praying spot of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
