Al-Masjid al-Nabawi: Difference between revisions

In the early days of Islam, whenever Prophet Muhammad (s) wanted to give a speech or sermon, he used to lean against a palm tree. Then in 7/628-9 or 8/629-30 a [[minbar]] (pulpit) was built for him.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 22.</ref> It had two steps and a seat.<ref>Ibn Saʿd, al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā, vol. 1, p. 235.</ref> In some narrations, the merits of the pulpit are mentioned from Prophet Muhammad (s).<ref>Bayhaqī, ''Dalāʾil al-nubuwwa'', p. 197.</ref> After the demise of Prophet (s), the pulpit was used until the time of [[Mu'awiya]]. But then Mu'awiya tried to bring the minbar from [[Medina]] to [[Syria]] and to his palace in order to gain respect and authority which was opposed by people and it remained in the mosque. When al-Masjid al-Nabawi was on fire in 654/1256 the minbar was burnt as well. Later, the Sultan of Egypt sent another minbar to al-Masjid al-Nabawi. It was replaced a number of times in the next centuries. The current minbar in al-Masjid al-Nabawi was sent by Sultan Murad, an Ottoman king, in 998/1589-90.<ref>Jaʿfarīyān, ''Āthār-i Islāmī Mecca wa Medina'', p. 221.</ref>