Masjid Al Haram History, Facts, Virtues, and Key Information

The mosque or Masjid Al Haram is the central place of worship of Muslims. It has several names including the Great Mosque of Mecca, Haram Mosque, and the Holy Mosque. Read the article for further details.

Masjid Al Haram is the largest mosque in the world. It is the main site for pilgrims who want to perform Hajj or Umrah as it houses Kaabah, Maqam e Ibrahim, Zamzam Well, Black Stone (Hajre Aswad), Safa Mount, and Marwah Mount. Each year, millions of Muslims from all around the world pay a visit to the holy site.

Masjid Al Haram History

The mosque is regarded as the first structure based on Islamic architecture. It has observed construction and expansion in the era of different Prophets (Blessings of Allah Be Upon Them), Rulers, and their dynasties. According to the Islamic tradition, Hazrat Ibrahim (Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) and his son Hazrat Ismail (Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) laid the foundation of Kaaba. Later, Hazrat Ibrahim (Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) also placed the Hajre Aswad (Black Stone) in the Eastern corner of Kaabah.

Masjid Al Haram Facts

• The site area of the mosque is 356,000 square meters.

• Masjid Al Haram's capacity is huge as it can accommodate 4 million worshippers.

• The mosque has 9 minarets.

• The height of each minaret is 292 feet (89 meters).

Virtues of Masjid Al Haram

There are several hadiths related to the Masjid Al Haram. In Jami Al Tirmidhi Hadith No 326, Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri narrated that: Allah's Messenger said: The mount is not saddled (for a journey) except to three Masajid: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, this Masjid of mine, and Masjid Al-Aqsa. [Abu `Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih.

In another hadith, Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, “A prayer in this mosque of mine is a thousand times greater than a prayer in other than it, except for the Masjid al-Haram.”