Mihrab of the Prophet’s Mosque
The Mihrab of the Prophet’s Mosque is the place where the imam stands to lead the prayer, facing the Qibla of Muslims, Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa. After Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH), arrived in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, he continued to face Jerusalem in prayer for about sixteen or seventeen months before the Qibla was changed to Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa in the Grand Mosque in Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
Location of the Prophet’s Mihrab
In the initial stage before the Qibla was changed, the Mihrab of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was located at the northern end of the mosque, opposite the Gate of Uthman, beside the fifth column, and north of the Column of the Mother of the Believers Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). After the Qibla was changed to Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa, the Mihrab shifted from the north side of the mosque to its south. Prayers were held for two or four months at the Column of Aisha, then at the Mukhallaqah Column, near which the Prophet (PBUH) designated his mihrab and used the mosque's wall as a sutrah (barrier) for prayer.
Stages of the transition of the Mihrab in the Prophet’s Mosque
The Mihrab in the Prophet’s Mosque went through several stages after the death of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Among these was its relocation during the expansion of Caliph Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), when it was moved to the end of his southern expansion. Caliph Uthman Bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) also moved it during his expansion. He used to stand at what is now called the Uthmani Mihrab, which is the place where Caliph Uthman Bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray and is currently where the imam of the Prophet’s Mosque prays. During the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the mosque did not have a recessed Mihrab.
The recessed Mihrab in the Prophet’s Mosque
The first recessed Mihrab in the Prophet’s Mosque appeared during the Umayyad construction ordered by Al-Walid Bin Abdulmalik, under the supervision of Caliph Umar Bin Abdulaziz during his governorship over Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah between 707 and 710. Before that, the Mihrab was flat and without any distinctive marking on the qibla wall.
Mihrab of the Prophet’s Mosque
The Prophet’s Mosque contains multiple Mihrabs, including: the Prophet’s Mihrab, located in the Noble Rawdah to the left of the minbar; the Uthmani Mihrab, which marks the prayer spot of Caliph Uthman Bin Affan and is currently used by the imam; the Sulaymani Mihrab, also known as the Hanafi Mihrab, located west of the Minbar; Fatimah’s Mihrab, situated south of the Tahajjud Mihrab within the Noble Enclosure; and the Shaykh Al-Haram Mihrab, which was introduced during the Majidi expansion and is located behind the Dakkat Al-Aghawat platform.