The Virtue of Praying in Quba’ Mosque
- Hadith Regarding The Virtue of Praying in Quba' Mosque
- The Prophet ﷺ Visited Masjid Quba' Every Saturday
- Visiting Masjid Quba' From Masjid Nabawi
- Quranic Verse About Masjid Quba' and Masjid ad-Dirar
- Key lessons
- Video Tour of The Quba' Mosque
- Questions people ask
- Conclusion About The Virtue of Praying in Quba' Mosque
Performing Salat at certain masjids has specific virtues. The virtue of praying in Quba’ Mosque is receiving a reward akin to performing the Umrah.
At a glance
- Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 1412; Jami` at-Tirmidhi 324
- Narrated by: Sahl bin Hunaif and Usaid bin Zuhair al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with them)
- Grade: Hasan (Darussalam), both
- Topic: Salat, Masjid Quba’
- Practise it: Purify yourself at home, then visit Masjid Quba’ and pray there
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) built the first mosque which is the Quba’ mosque. It was built after the Hijrah event when he migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Madinah) to escape persecution and a murder attempt from the non-believers.
He migrated to Madinah with his best companion Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, travelling a distance of nearly 500 kilometers.
In this modern day, authorities have renovated the Quba’ Mosque several times to accommodate visitors to the region. At the beginning the praying space was 1,600 m2, but it is now 5,035 m2, while the total area is 13,500 m2. In 2022, Saudi Arabia announced its largest expansion yet, planned to grow the mosque to 50,000 m2 for about 66,000 worshippers.
Hadith Regarding The Virtue of Praying in Quba’ Mosque
مَنْ تَطَهَّرَ فِي بَيْتِهِ، ثُمَّ أَتَى مَسْجِدَ قُبَاءٍ، فَصَلَّى فِيهِ صَلاَةً، كَانَ لَهُ كَأَجْرِ عُمْرَةٍ
“Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the Quba’ Mosque and offers one prayer therein, will have a reward like that for ‘Umrah.”
Sunan Ibn Majah 1412 · Hasan (Darussalam) · Narrated by Sahl bin Hunaif
Based on the hadith above, a person who wishes to visit the first mosque built by Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) should always purify themselves by taking the wudhu’ at home. InsyaAllah they will be granted a reward as high as performing the Umrah.
Another companion, Usaid bin Zuhair al-Ansari, reported the same reward in a shorter wording:
الصَّلاَةُ فِي مَسْجِدِ قُبَاءٍ كَعُمْرَةٍ
“The Salat in Masjid Quba is like Umrah.”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 324 · Hasan (Darussalam) · Narrated by Usaid bin Zuhair al-Ansari
The Prophet ﷺ Visited Masjid Quba’ Every Saturday
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْتِي مَسْجِدَ قُبَاءٍ كُلَّ سَبْتٍ مَاشِيًا وَرَاكِبًا.
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to go to the Mosque of Quba every Saturday (sometimes) walking and (sometimes) riding.” `Abdullah (Ibn `Umar) used to do the same.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1193 · Narrated by Ibn `Umar
Visiting Masjid Quba’ From Masjid Nabawi
The Quba’ Mosque is located around 3.5 kilometers away from the Nabawi Mosque. It should take around 30 to 40 minutes walk to get there. Nowadays transport services are available either by taxi, bus or a buggy and it costs 10 Riyals per pax.
But if you’re going on foot, beware, there are a lot of distractions (shops) along the way so it might just take a tad longer to reach the Masjid.
The mosque is open 24/7 for visitors.
Quranic Verse About Masjid Quba’ and Masjid ad-Dirar
In Surah at-Tawbah, verses 107-108, Allah mentioned to Prophet Muhammad to not pray at Masjid ad-Dirar. A masjid that was built by the Munafiqun (hypocrites).
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مَسْجِدًا ضِرَارًا وَكُفْرًا وَتَفْرِيقًۢا بَيْنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَإِرْصَادًا لِّمَنْ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَلَيَحْلِفُنَّ إِنْ أَرَدْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ
There are also those ˹hypocrites˺ who set up a mosque ˹only˺ to cause harm, promote disbelief, divide the believers, and as a base for those who had previously fought against Allah and His Messenger. They will definitely swear, “We intended nothing but good,” but Allah bears witness that they are surely liars.
Surah at-Tawbah 9:107 · The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), Quran.com
لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُطَّهِّرِينَ
Do not ˹O Prophet˺ ever pray in it. Certainly, a mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your prayers. In it are men who love to be purified. And Allah loves those who purify themselves.
Surah at-Tawbah 9:108 · The Clear Quran (Dr. Mustafa Khattab), Quran.com
In ayah 108, a ‘mosque founded on righteousness’ is referring to Masjid Quba’. Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains it this way, and the Prophet ﷺ said the words “in it are men who love to be purified” were revealed about the people of Quba’:
نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِي أَهْلِ قُبَاءَ { فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوا } قَالَ كَانُوا يَسْتَنْجُونَ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَزَلَتْ فِيهِمْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ
“The following verse was revealed in connection with the people of Quba’: “In it are men who love to be purified” (ix.108).” He (AbuHurayrah) said: They used to cleanse themselves with water after easing. So the verse was revealed in connection with them.
Sunan Abi Dawud 44 · Sahih (al-Albani) · Narrated by Abu Hurairah
When a companion asked which of the two mosques was founded on taqwa, the Prophet ﷺ also pointed to his own mosque in Madinah:
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي بَيْتِ بَعْضِ نِسَائِهِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الْمَسْجِدَيْنِ الَّذِي أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَى قَالَ فَأَخَذَ كَفًّا مِنْ حَصْبَاءَ فَضَرَبَ بِهِ الأَرْضَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ” هُوَ مَسْجِدُكُمْ هَذَا ” . – لِمَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ –
“I went to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as he was in the house of one of his wives, and said: Messenger of Allah, which of the two mosques is founded on piety? Thereupon he took a handful of pebbles and threw them on the ground and then said: This is the very mosque of yours (mosque at Medina).”
Sahih Muslim 1398 · Narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri
Key lessons
- Praying in Masjid Quba’ carries a reward like that of an Umrah (Ibn Majah 1412, Tirmidhi 324).
- Purify yourself at home before you set out.
- The Prophet ﷺ visited Quba’ every Saturday, walking or riding (Sahih al-Bukhari 1193).
- Quba’ was the first mosque built by the Prophet ﷺ, founded on taqwa.
- The Quran contrasts it with Masjid ad-Dirar, built to cause harm.
Video Tour of The Quba’ Mosque
Questions people ask
What is the reward of praying in Masjid Quba’?
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the Quba’ Mosque and offers one prayer therein, will have a reward like that for ‘Umrah” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1412, Hasan per Darussalam).
What should I recite in Masjid Quba’?
These hadiths do not mention a special dua or surah for Masjid Quba’. They mention purifying yourself at home, then coming to Quba’ and offering a prayer there.
How often did the Prophet ﷺ visit Masjid Quba’?
Ibn `Umar said the Prophet ﷺ used to go to Masjid Quba’ every Saturday, sometimes walking and sometimes riding (Sahih al-Bukhari 1193).
Is Masjid Quba’ the mosque founded on taqwa?
Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains Surah at-Tawbah 9:108 as referring to Masjid Quba’, and Sunan Abi Dawud 44 says part of the verse was revealed about its people. In Sahih Muslim 1398, the Prophet ﷺ also pointed to his own mosque in Madinah when asked this question.
How far is Masjid Quba’ from Masjid Nabawi?
Around 3.5 kilometers, or a 30 to 40 minute walk.
Conclusion About The Virtue of Praying in Quba’ Mosque
If you are on your way to Madinah, I highly recommend you to visit Quba’ Mosque after visiting Prophet Muhammad at Masjid Nabawi. Immerse yourself in its history and review back the Sirah that built up this beautiful mosque.
May Allah grant you the reward of performing Umrah once you’ve completed your prayer there as said in the Hadith above.
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