The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ singled out these three mosques in an authentic narration. Each occupies a unique place in Islamic worship, memory and identity.
At the heart of Al-Masjid al-Haram stands the Ka'bah. Muslims face it for their daily prayers, and pilgrims gather around it during Hajj and Umrah. The Qur'an connects the Sacred House with the legacy of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Isma'il, peace be upon them.
The QiblahThe Ka'bah is the direction of prayer for Muslims worldwide. Qur'an 2:144
Hajj and UmrahTawaf around the Ka'bah is central to both pilgrimages.
Ibrahim and Isma'il (AS)The Qur'an describes their raising of the foundations of the House. Qur'an 2:127
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01 · The Ka'bah
The House of Allah
The Ka'bah is a cube-shaped stone building at the centre of Al-Masjid al-Haram, covered in the black kiswah, a cloth embroidered with verses of the Qur'an in gold thread. The Qur'an describes it as the first house established for people (Qur'an 3:96) and links its foundations to Ibrahim and Isma'il (Qur'an 2:127). Muslims worship Allah alone: the Ka'bah is a unifying direction of prayer, not an object of worship.
The Black Stone (al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) is set in the eastern corner. Every circuit of ṭawāf begins and ends in line with it.
Ḥijr Ismāʿīl, also called al-Ḥaṭīm, is the low semicircular wall beside the Ka'bah. It encloses an area considered part of the Ka'bah's original foundations.
Ṭawāf is seven circuits around the Ka'bah, anticlockwise, with the Ka'bah on the left.
The kiswah is replaced once a year. Allah's command to Ibrahim to prepare the House for worshippers is in Qur'an 22:26.
Learn more: around the Ka'bah
The four corners. Each corner has a name: the Black Stone corner (east), the Iraqi corner (north), the Shami corner (west) and the Yemeni corner (south).
Al-Multazam. The stretch of wall between the Black Stone and the door of the Ka'bah, where many pilgrims stand to make duʿaʾ.
The Mīzāb. The golden rainwater spout on the roof, which drains towards Ḥijr Ismāʿīl.
Size. The Ka'bah stands about 13 metres high.
Why this matters todayFive times a day, Muslims everywhere turn towards the same House, whatever their language, background or nationality. At Hajj and Umrah that unity can be seen: people from every part of the world circling together in worship of the One God. It is the first thread of the one Ummah that these three mosques weave together, a single community spread across the earth.
02 · Maqām Ibrāhīm
The Station of Ibrahim
Maqam Ibrahim is a sacred stone, traditionally described as bearing the marks of Ibrahim's (AS) feet. Tradition says he stood on it while raising the walls of the Ka'bah. Today it is kept in a small glass and metal enclosure close to the Ka'bah, where pilgrims can see it. The Qur'an tells believers to take it as a place of prayer (Qur'an 2:125).
Prayer: after ṭawāf, pilgrims pray two short rakʿahs, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ. These can be prayed anywhere there is space in the mosque.
Why it matters: it connects the worship of today to the Prophet Ibrahim (AS), who built the House with his son Isma'il (AS).
Learn more: the Station of Ibrahim
The Qur'an names the Station of Ibrahim as a place where believers are told to pray (Qur'an 2:125). It sits very close to the Ka'bah, so the area around it becomes crowded during Hajj and Umrah. This is why pilgrims are free to pray their two rakʿahs anywhere in the mosque with space, rather than pressing against the enclosure.
03 · Ṣafā and Marwah
Between the two hills
Safa and Marwah are two small hills beside the Ka'bah, named among the symbols of Allah (Qur'an 2:158). Pilgrims walk between them seven times, starting at Safa and ending at Marwah. This is ṣaʿī, in remembrance of Hajar's (AS) trust in Allah and her search for water for her son Isma'il (AS), after which Zamzam flowed (see Sahih al-Bukhari 3364).
Today: the route is a long, covered, air-conditioned gallery called the Masʿā, inside the mosque complex.
Distance: it is roughly 450 metres from Safa to Marwah, so the seven lengths come to about three kilometres.
Zamzam: the blessed water remains available to pilgrims and visitors at the mosque.
Learn more: how ṣaʿī is counted
Counting. Safa to Marwah is one length, Marwah back to Safa is two, and so on. The seventh length ends at Marwah.
The green markers. Within the marked section, men move faster. This recalls Hajar (AS) hurrying through the valley.
Who it is for. Ṣaʿī is part of both Hajj and Umrah.
Why this matters todayHajar (AS) did not simply wait. She ran, seven times, searching for a means, while trusting completely in Allah. Pilgrims remember her by walking her steps: a lesson in effort and trust together.
02 / The Prophet's Mosque
Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
المدينة المنورة
After the Hijrah from Makkah to Madinah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ established his mosque as a centre of worship, learning and community. Madinah remains beloved to Muslims as the city of the Prophet ﷺ.
A special virtue of salahThe Prophet ﷺ described one prayer in his mosque as better than a thousand elsewhere, except Al-Masjid al-Haram. Sahih al-Bukhari 1190
The blessed RawdahA place described in an authentic narration as a garden from the gardens of Paradise. Sahih al-Bukhari 1196
622 CE · Year 1 AH
The Hijrah: the journey to Madinah
After years of hardship in Makkah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Madinah, a city then known as Yathrib. This migration, the Hijrah, was a turning point: it gave the Muslims a home, a community and a mosque, and it became the starting point of the Islamic calendar.
1
Leaving Makkah
Many of the Companions had already migrated. The Prophet ﷺ left Makkah quietly, in the company of Abu Bakr (RA).
2
The cave of Thawr
The two sheltered in a cave for three days before continuing towards Madinah. The Qur'an refers to this moment (Qur'an 9:40).
3
Welcome in Madinah
The people of Madinah, the Ansar, welcomed the emigrants, the Muhajirun, and shared what they had (Qur'an 59:9). A well-known song of welcome, Ṭalaʿa al-Badru ʿalaynā, is traditionally linked to this moment. The Prophet ﷺ built his mosque as the centre of the new community.
Learn more: Masjid Quba
On reaching the edge of Madinah, the Prophet ﷺ stayed at Quba, where a mosque was built that is often described as the first mosque in Islam. Qur'an 9:108 speaks of a mosque founded on piety from the first day. Commentators connect this with Quba, and some narrations connect it with the Prophet's Mosque; both are discussed by scholars.
4
The Islamic calendar
Under Caliph ʿUmar (RA), the Companions chose the Hijrah as the starting point of the calendar. The year of the Hijrah is 1 AH, and each new year begins on 1 Muharram. The calendar is lunar, with twelve months, and sets Ramadan, Hajj and the two Eids.
One Ummah, in practiceThe welcome the Ansar gave the Muhajirun is often held up as the clearest early picture of the Ummah: one community bound by faith rather than tribe or birthplace. That same bond is why Muslims from Makkah, Madinah, Jerusalem and everywhere else still call one another brothers and sisters today.
ListenṬalaʿa al-Badru ʿalaynā
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A joyful welcome
Ṭalaʿa al-Badru ʿalaynā
Before the Hijrah, Yathrib had known long years of tribal conflict and division. The arrival of the Prophet ﷺ brought hope, reconciliation and brotherhood. It is reported that the people of Madinah greeted him with joy, singing this welcome.
The full moon has risen over us from the valley of Thaniyyat al-Wadaʿ.Ṭalaʿa l-badru ʿalaynā min thaniyyāti l-wadāʿ
Why this matters todayThe Hijrah was not a flight from difficulty but a step taken with planning, sacrifice and trust in Allah. In Madinah, the Ansar and the Muhajirun showed what brotherhood looks like in practice. The Islamic calendar begins from this journey of faith and community rather than from a battle or a conquest.
The details above follow the Qur'an and authentic narrations such as Sahih al-Bukhari 3934, which reports that the Companions counted the years from the Prophet's arrival in Madinah. The Hijrah itself took place in 622 CE. The song is a traditional welcome. The opening lines are the ones most often cited in the books of seerah, and widely sung versions add further lines. Scholars have discussed its chain of narration and the occasion on which it was first sung.
◈ The Rawdah
The area between the Prophet's former home and his minbar.
Read moreIts significance is based on Sahih al-Bukhari 1196. Visitor arrangements can change and should be checked with official pilgrimage guidance.
◈ The Green Dome
A recognisable architectural landmark of the mosque.
Read moreThe dome is situated above the chamber containing the grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and those of Abu Bakr and Umar (RA). The dome was constructed many centuries after the Prophet's lifetime.
◈ The Minbar
The pulpit associated with the Prophet's teaching and khutbahs.
Read moreThe mosque has long been a centre for the transmission of Qur'an, Sunnah and Islamic knowledge.
A connected story
Sacred history across the ages
A selection of major moments in Islamic tradition, arranged as a learning journey rather than a complete chronology.
Ibrahim (AS)
The Qur'an links Ibrahim and Isma'il (AS) to the foundations of the Sacred House in Makkah. 2:127
The Night Journey
The Qur'an mentions the Prophet's night journey from Al-Masjid al-Haram to Al-Masjid al-Aqsa. 17:1
622 CE · Hijrah
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Madinah, where his mosque became a centre of the emerging Muslim community. It marks the start of the Islamic calendar.
The qiblah changes
The early Muslim community prayed towards Jerusalem before being directed towards Al-Masjid al-Haram. 2:144
03 / The blessed sanctuary
Al-Quds · Jerusalem
القدس الشريف
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa holds a profound place in Muslim faith. It is associated with the Prophet's ﷺ Night Journey, is traditionally recognised as the first qiblah, and is cherished by Muslims across the world.
The Night Journey · IsraAllah describes the journey to Al-Aqsa and its blessed surroundings in Surah Al-Isra 17:1.
The first qiblahFor a time after the Hijrah, the Muslims prayed towards Jerusalem, until the direction of prayer was turned to the Ka'bah. Qur'an 2:144
A mosque for special journeysAl-Aqsa is named with the mosques in Makkah and Madinah in Sahih al-Bukhari 1189.
Al-Isra wal-Miʿraj
The Night Journey
One night, before the Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was taken on a miraculous journey that links the sacred mosques of Makkah and Jerusalem, and then carried far beyond them.
1
The Isra
In a single night he was taken from Al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah to Al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, carried on Al-Buraq, a swift heavenly creature sent for the journey. Surah Al-Isra opens with this event (Qur'an 17:1).
2
Prayer at Al-Aqsa
Authentic narrations report that he met earlier prophets and led them in prayer, a moment often reflected on as showing the shared message of the prophets.
3
The Miʿraj
From Jerusalem he ascended through the heavens and was shown some of the greatest signs of his Lord. The Qur'an alludes to this in Surah An-Najm 53:13–18.
Learn more: through the seven heavens
Authentic narrations describe the ascent level by level. The Prophet ﷺ met Adam on the nearest heaven; Isa (Jesus) and Yahya (John) on the second; Yusuf (Joseph) on the third; Idris (Enoch) on the fourth; Harun (Aaron) on the fifth; Musa (Moses) on the sixth; and Ibrahim (Abraham), leaning against the Bayt al-Maʿmur, on the seventh. He was then shown Sidrat al-Muntāha, the Lote tree of the utmost boundary, marking the furthest point of the ascent. Sahih al-Bukhari 3207.
4
The gift of prayer
Fifty daily prayers were first enjoined. On Musa’s (AS) advice, the Prophet ﷺ returned again and again, until the number was reduced to five, kept equal in reward to fifty, a gift Muslims renew five times every day. Sahih al-Bukhari 349.
Why this matters todayScholars differ about the exact date of the Isra and Miʿraj, and about whether to mark it with special events. What is agreed is its lasting legacy: the five daily prayers, and the bond between the Prophet's ﷺ mission and Al-Aqsa. That bond is a reason for Muslims today to remember, care and make duʿaʾ for Al-Aqsa and its people.
Three mosques, one UmmahAl-Masjid al-Haram, the Prophet’s Mosque and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa are named together in a single narration (Sahih al-Bukhari 1189) because they are not three separate stories but one. The qiblah that once pointed to Jerusalem now points to Makkah; the community that formed around Madinah's mosque is the same Ummah that cares about Al-Aqsa today. What happens to any one of these three mosques is felt by Muslims everywhere.
The details above follow the Qur'an and authentic narrations such as Sahih al-Bukhari 349 and Sahih Muslim 162. Scholars have discussed some details of the narrations, including the exact date.
Important: What exactly is Al-Masjid al-Aqsa?
In common Islamic usage, Al-Masjid al-Aqsa refers to the wider sacred sanctuary (Al-Haram al-Sharif), including its open courtyards, the Qibli prayer hall with its dark dome, and the gold-domed Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock is a distinct shrine within the compound; it is not the same building as the Qibli Mosque.
01 · The Qibli Mosque
The main prayer hall
The Qibli Mosque is the large covered prayer hall at the southern end of the compound, the side facing the qiblah, which gives it its name. It is the building most often shown in photographs as “the Al-Aqsa Mosque”, and it is recognised by its dark grey dome. It is one part of the wider sanctuary. Jerusalem was the first qiblah of the Muslims before the direction changed to the Ka'bah (Qur'an 2:144), and the sanctuary is at the heart of the Night Journey (Qur'an 17:1).
Building history: its origins go back to the Umayyad period, and it was repaired and rebuilt after earthquakes over the centuries.
The minbar: a famous minbar commissioned by Nur al-Din was placed here by Salah al-Din after he recovered Jerusalem in 1187. It was destroyed in a 1969 arson attack, and a replacement was installed in 2007.
Often confused: the Qibli Mosque is not the gold-domed building. That is the Dome of the Rock.
02 · The Dome of the Rock
The golden-domed shrine
The Dome of the Rock is the octagonal shrine with the golden dome that dominates the skyline of the compound. It was completed in 691–692 CE under the Umayyad caliph ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān. It is built around the Foundation Stone (al-Ṣakhra). It is a shrine, not the main congregational prayer hall, so it is a different building from the Qibli Mosque. Long Qur'anic inscriptions in Arabic run around its interior.
The rock: the Foundation Stone is the natural rock beneath the dome, traditionally associated with the Prophet's ﷺ ascent.
Often confused: photographs of the golden dome are often labelled “Al-Aqsa Mosque”, but the gold dome is the Dome of the Rock.
The dome: its gold covering was renewed in the late 20th century.
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03 · Courtyards & Gates
The whole sanctuary
Al-Masjid al-Aqsa means the whole sanctuary: roughly 144 dunams (about 35 acres) of open courtyards, prayer halls, domes, arcades, fountains and gates. The Islamic Waqf and many scholars teach that the entire compound is Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and that every part of it is sacred.
The Marwani prayer hall: a large underground prayer hall in the south-east, restored and reopened for prayer in 1996.
The Dome of the Chain (Qubbat al-Silsila): a small domed building just east of the Dome of the Rock.
The gates: historic gates such as Bab al-Asbat, Bab al-Silsila and Bab al-Maghariba lead into the compound.
Al-Quds through the centuries
A short history of Jerusalem
From the Prophet's ﷺ time to the present day, in brief.
Before 622 CE
The Night Journey
The Prophet ﷺ is taken by night from Al-Masjid al-Haram to Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and then ascends through the heavens. Scholars discuss the exact date. For a period after the Hijrah, the Muslims pray towards Al-Aqsa, until the qiblah changes to the Ka'bah.
c. 637 CE
Umar (RA) enters Jerusalem
The city passes to the Muslims by negotiated surrender, with the Christian patriarch Sophronius dealing directly with Caliph Umar (RA). Reports describe a guarantee of safety for the people of the city and their places of worship.
c. 691 CE
The Dome of the Rock is completed
The Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik completes the Dome of the Rock. Over the following centuries, successive Muslim rulers care for and develop the sanctuary.
1099
The Crusader capture
Crusader armies take Jerusalem after a siege and kill a large part of its Muslim and Jewish population. The sanctuary is turned to Christian use, and the Dome of the Rock becomes a church.
1187
Salah ad-Din returns
After the Battle of Hattin, Salah ad-Din (Saladin) takes back Jerusalem. The city surrenders on negotiated terms, and the sanctuary returns to Muslim worship.
1517
The Ottoman period
Jerusalem becomes part of the Ottoman Empire, which governs the city for around four centuries.
1917
British rule and the Mandate
British forces enter Jerusalem in December, ending Ottoman rule. Britain then governs Palestine under a League of Nations Mandate. Earlier that year, the Balfour Declaration had expressed British support for a Jewish national home in Palestine, which the Arab population opposed.
1948
The Nakba
The end of the Mandate is followed by war. The Nakba (“the catastrophe”) sees an estimated 750,000 Palestinians driven from, or forced to flee, their homes. Jerusalem is divided: the western part comes under Israel, while the Old City and Al-Aqsa come under Jordan.
1967
East Jerusalem is taken
In the June war, Israel takes East Jerusalem, including the Old City and the Al-Aqsa compound, and later annexes it, a step most countries do not recognise. Palestinians call the events of 1967 the Naksa (“the setback”). The Islamic Waqf continues to run the compound day to day, while Israel controls access.
Today
A sanctuary at the heart of the conflict
In the decades since, Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa have remained at the heart of an ongoing conflict, with restrictions on access to the sanctuary and great suffering across Palestine. Muslims around the world continue to hold Al-Aqsa and its people in their hearts and duʿaʾ. Read our statement in Standing with the People of Palestine.
A short summary for orientation, not a full history. Dates for the earliest periods are approximate.
PALESTINE · فلسطين
Faith · Humanity · Justice
Standing with the People of Palestine
Our love for Palestine doesn’t stop at the gates of Al-Masjid al-Aqsa. It reaches the people of Palestine: their lives, their families, their homes, their heritage and their future.
Palestine holds deep spiritual and historical meaning for Muslims, but our concern for its people goes beyond faith and religious identity. It comes from justice, compassion, human dignity and the sanctity of life.
Masjid al-Noor and the Muslims of Lancaster stand firmly and unequivocally in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We affirm their right to freedom, dignity, safety and self-determination; their right to live without occupation, oppression, forced displacement or fear; and their right to build a peaceful, secure future in their homeland.
We remember the families who have lost loved ones, the children whose lives have been shaped by violence and displacement, and the generations who have held on to their identity, heritage and hope through enormous hardship.
Our faith teaches us that justice is not optional, that oppression must never be met with indifference, and that every innocent life is sacred. That calls for compassion in our words, integrity in our actions and a steady commitment to peace built on justice. Lasting peace is not possible without justice, freedom, accountability and respect for the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.
Our solidarity is not hostility towards any people or faith. It is an affirmation of humanity, a rejection of injustice and a commitment to the equal dignity and safety of every innocent life.
We stand with Palestine. We stand for justice. We stand for the right of every Palestinian child to grow up in freedom, dignity, safety and peace.
May Allah protect the innocent, grant relief to those who suffer, comfort those who mourn, restore hope to the displaced, and bless the people of Palestine with justice, freedom and a lasting peace. Ameen.
Compassion in action
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Supporting Palestinian communities can take many peaceful, practical forms. These external resources provide ways to understand humanitarian needs and contribute to relief.
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Explore & remember
Test your knowledge
Five short questions about the three sacred mosques and their history.
QUESTION 1 OF 5
Continue learning
Knowledge that brings us closer
The history of these sacred places reminds us of our shared faith, the legacy of the prophets and our responsibility towards one another.
01 · MAKKAH
02 · MADINAH
03 · JERUSALEM
Today