Al-Masjid al-Haram: Difference between revisions

The Arabic word "al-Masjid al-Haram" is a descriptive phrase. "Masjid" means [[mosque]], and it is described as "Haram" because some acts which are not [[haram|forbidden]] in other mosques are forbidden (haram) in this mosque, because this mosque should be respected in a special way. Moreover, committing sins in this mosque is doubly wrong, and according to some sources, even the intention to do a sinful action in this mosque counts as equivalent to doing that action.

The phrase "al-Masjid al-Haram" has also been used in the Qur'an and [[hadith]]s to refer to the Ka'ba, the city of Mecca and the whole sacred area called "haram."

Al-Masjid al-Haram has long been a sacred and respectful place for people of [[Hijaz]]. It is not historically known when it found such a prestige. According to religious and local accounts, the place was venerated since the genesis of the Earth. And according to [[hadith]]s, al-Masjid al-Haram is the most venerable place on the Earth.

According to a hadith by the [[Prophet (s)]], al-Masjid al-Haram is the oldest [[mosque]] on the Earth and it was built before [[al-Masjid al-Aqsa]]. According to a hadith known as [[Shadd al-Rihal]], the Prophet (s) has said: "do not travel except to visit three mosques..." one of which is al-Masjid al-Haram.

According to local accounts, the mausoleums of seventy [[prophethood|prophet]]s, including [[Hud (a)]], [[Salih (a)]] and [[Isma'il (a)]] are located in al-Masjid al-Haram.

There are special laws of [[shari'a]] concerning al-Masjid al-Haram and [[Mecca]]. For example, war in al-Masjid al-Haram and even in the whole sacred area (haram) of Mecca is a [[major sin]], except for defense. [[Worship]]s, such as performing [[prayer]]s, have more spiritual rewards ([[thawab]]) when done in al-Masjid al-Haram than in other places.

Al-Masjid al-Haram has undergone many events, restorations, reconstructions, and expansions as witnessed by sources of history and [[hadith]]s. Here are some important ones:

Before [[Islam]], the area of [[Ka'ba]] with the area around it was called al-Masjid al-Haram.

In this period, al-Masjid al-Haram had no walls or buildings; it was just an area in which the Ka'ba was located. It is not historically known exactly when the area was recognized as a [[mosque]], but there are some [[hadith]]s in this regard. According to these hadiths, the current location of al-Masjid al-Haram was chosen before the creation of human beings and the Ka'ba was built by [[angel]]s.

Some hadiths take [[Adam (a)]] to be the one who built or rebuilt the Ka'ba. After that, [[Ibrahim (a)]] and [[Isma'il (a)]] reconstructed the building. There is a hadith from the [[Prophet (s)]] to the effect that al-Masjid al-Haram was built by Ibrahim (a). This hadith took al-Masjid al-Haram to be the oldest mosque on the earth.

Before [[Qusayy b. Kilab b. Murra b. Ka'b]], the fourth ancestor of the Prophet (s) and the head of [[Quraysh]], people of [[Mecca]] did not build houses near al-Masjid al-Haram. However, Qusayy encouraged people to build houses near the Ka'ba, though with a certain space that allows [[tawaf]] (circumambulation around the Ka'ba).

The first change in the area of al-Masjid al-Haram occurred in the period of the [[Second Caliph]]. He purchased some houses around it and attached them to it. A short wall was built around the mosque, with some candles on them to illuminate the mosque.

Since the number of [[pilgrim]]s increased, the [[Third Caliph]] destroyed more houses around al-Masjid al-Haram and attached them to it; he also built a porch and a ceiling for the mosque.

[[Al-Walid b. 'Abd al-Malik]] (reign: [[86]]/705 - [[96]]/714-15) added an area of 1725 square meters to al-Masjid al-Haram and reconstructed it. He built porches around it with large pillars. The pillars were nicely decorated and partly gilded. Al-Walid made a golden downspout for the [[Ka'ba]] that is still known as the golden downspout.

[[Al-Mansur al-'Abbasi]], the second [[Abbasid]] caliph, (reign: [[136]]/753-54 - [[158]]/774-75) doubled the area of al-Masjid al-Haram in [[137]]/754-55, adding an area of around five thousand square meters to its northern and western sides. He also made porches around it, built a minaret in its western side, and made more decorations on its walls and pillars.

[[Al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi]], al-Mansur's son, (reign: [[159]]-[[169]]/ 775-785) destroyed more houses around al-Masjid al-Haram and attached them to its area. Thus 8,380 square meters were added to it and many doors were opened to the mosque from different sides—the doors remained so for many centuries.

In [[164]]/780-1, al-Mahdi al-'Abbasi expanded al-Masjid al-Haram from its southern part as well in order to turn the whole mosque into a square at the center of which the [[Ka'ba]] was located. Thus 6,560 square meters were added to the area of the mosque, porches were built around it, and pillars were made. These pillars are still there with the al-Mahdi's inscription of on it.

In [[281]]/894-95, upon the suggestion of [[Mecca]]'s ruler, [[al-Mu'tadid al-'Abbasi]] (reign: [[279]]/892-93 - [[289]]/902) issued an order to build a place for the residence of [[hajj]] pilgrims.

[[Al-Muqtadir al-'Abbasi]] (reign: [[295]]/907-8 - [[320]]/932) added an area to al-Masjid al-Haram on the side where Bab Ibrahim (the gate of Ibrahim) is located.

In the period of [[al-Mustansir al-'Abbasi]] (reign: [[623]]/1226 - [[640]]/1242-43) a lot of attempts were made to renew al-Masjid al-Haram. In particular, they reconstructed [[al-Mataf]] (the area in which [[hajj]] pilgrims perform tawaf around the [[Ka'ba]]).

In [[1368]]/1948-49, the King 'Abd al-'Aziz Al Saud issued an order to expand al-Masjid al-Haram in all its sides. The expansion began in [[1375]]/1955-56 and the area of the mosque was expanded to 160,861 square meters. The area was intended for a population of over three hundred thousands worshippers. The doors of al-Masjid al-Haram was increased to sixty four ones.

In [[1409]]/1988-89, Malik Fahd started an unprecedented expansion of al-Masjid al-Haram. The studies for the project and the purchase of places around the mosque had started from [[1403]]/1982-83. It was the largest expansion of al-Masjid al-Haram ever in the history. An area of around 76,000 square meters were added to the western side of the mosque. Two monumental eighty nine-meter high minarets were built in this area. Three large domes were built in the middle, each resting on four pillars. Currently the number of al-Masjid al-Haram's minarets is nine.

The space between the side of the [[Black Stone]] and the door of the Ka'ba is called al-Hatim. It is mentioned in the narrations that this is the best place in al-Masjid al-Haram. It is called as such because people gather there for supplication and press each other.  

The Ka'ba had two doors; one on the eastern wall which is present today, the second door was on the western wall near al-Rukn al-Yamani. When [[Quraysh]] rebuilt Ka'ba they shut the western door and only left the eastern one. The place of the western door is called [[al-Mustajar]] and is visible on the western wall. Touching the wall of Ka'ba on this place and supplication is [[Mustahab|recommended]] in the seventh round of [[tawaf]].

Al-Multazam is between al-Rukn al-Yamani and [[al-Mustajar]]. This is called "multazam" (the place held or adhered by people) because [[hajj]] [[pilgrim]]s stand there and hold to the wall and recite their prayers and orisons. According to some [[hadith]]s, the [[Prophet (s)]] put his face and hands on this part of the wall. He is reported as having said that [[God]] listens to people's prayers in this place. One [[mustahab|recommended]] action in this place is to confess one's sins to God and ask for His forgiveness.

* The material of this article is mainly taken from {{ia|[[:fa:مسجد الحرام|مسجد الحرام]]}} in Farsi WikiShia.

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