Masjid Al Qiblatayn is located just under 4 km from the Prophet's Mosque. It is a very early mosque, as it was there that the Prophet Muhammad received the revelation to change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to the Kaaba in Mecca. The Qur'an states: “We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward heaven, so We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram.” [1] This event occurred shortly after the Hijra. [2]
The name Masjid al-Qiblatayn (مسجد القبلتين) means Mosque of the Two Qiblas. The core of the mosque is among the earliest mosques in Medina and was built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab al-Ansari in 623 CE. However, many modifications have been necessary, and most of the current mosque dates from 1987, when almost the entire original mosque was demolished. The mihrab facing Mecca was retained, and a small marker mihrab was installed in its place, to recall the earlier orientation. Now, 2,000 worshippers can pray there simultaneously.
I must admit that the steady stream of pilgrims interested me more than the building itself. Non-Muslims could enter the courtyard, where one could see people from across the Islamic world. Whether one was Sunni or Shia didn't matter. And we drank water from the Zamzam fountain—it seemed like the perfect place for it.
Links and Annotations:
[1] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:144, quoted after: https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/madinah/attractions/masjid-al-qiblatain-in-madinah
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Islam
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_al-Qiblatayn
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[1] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:144, quoted after: https://www.visitsaudi.com/en/madinah/attractions/masjid-al-qiblatain-in-madinah
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiest_sites_in_Islam
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_al-Qiblatayn
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