Madina, the City of the Prophet, is the second sacred city of Madina ziyarat in the Islamic world after Makkah. It was the preferred destination for prophets and the burial site of the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH). Millions of Muslims visit Madina every year and not only to offer prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque where the Prophet is buried but also to be fascinated by other historic places. Some of the prominent holy places in Madina that pilgrims visit for ziyarat (visitation) are:

Masjid Al-Nabawi

The main landmark situated in Madina is the Mosque of the Prophet or the Masjid Al-Nabawi constructed by the Prophet Muhammad PBUH after leaving Mecca and moving to Yathrib – now known as Madina. This madina ziyarat is constructed around his house and his tomb is inside it, and also tombs of the first two Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar. It is a large mosque that encompasses the small one, built by the Prophet Muhammad, which has a small area that was constructed with a courtyard and the Rawdah area between the house and the pulpit which is thought to be one of the gardens of paradise. Millions of visitors come to this mosque every year in order to perform prayer in Rawdah and to send their blessings and salutations to the Prophet.

Jannat-al-Baqi

Jannat-ul-Baqi is a very famous graveyard which is located side by side with the Prophet’s Mosque. The cemetery contains the grave of many of the relatives of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions. It has over 7000 burying grounds of substantiated followers of Islam ascending from the prehistoric time of Islam. The list of the personalities buried here is a who is who of the Prophet’s immediate family and friends and the most illustrious figures of Shia IslamToday, the shrine is home to the tombs of the Prophet’s daughter Hazrat Fatima Zahra, his two grandsons Imam Hasan and Imam Zainul Abideen, his dear friend Hazrat Abbas, and his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Usman. This cemetery is typical and it is an overwhelming experience to visit the Madina ziyarat and show respect to such a person.

Mount Uhud

This mountain is situated near Madina and holds great religious importance as it is here that Prophet Muhammad together with his companions fought the Meccan forces in a battle called ‘ Uhud,’ during which the Prophet got hurt. Pilgrims are energized when they physically ascend Mount Uhud and the grave of Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet and other martyrs of the battle of Uhud. Thus, Uhud has become an icon of sacrifice for the defense of truth and justice. Uhud is very significant to visit as it enables you to have a mental picture of how things might have happened in the battle. It can accommodate the specific mountain slope and the valley through which Muslim archers were positioned for advantage and then retreat in defiance to the Prophet’s order. Mount Uhud is thus spiritually enriching to every Muslim since it is associated with the divine.

Quba Mosque

The Quba Mosque Madina ziyarat is located approximately 1.9 miles south of the Prophet’s Mosque is of immense significance owing to its origin as the very first mosque to be constructed by the Prophet of Islam, after his Hijra from Makkah. He started building it before getting to Madina and was actively involved in the construction process. It was here that he supervised the first congregational prayers before they moved to Madina city. That is why performing 2 rakat Sunnah prayers in Quba Mosque has great virtue and tremendous rewards/reward in terms of thawab. Any traveler to Madina city cannot miss this mosque as it is among the most famous and historical Ziyarat in Madina city.

Masjid Qiblatain

The name of the mosque is Masjid Qiblatain, which can be translated as the mosque of two Qiblas, is another one of the religious monuments that should be included into the list of the places that are worth visiting. It is particularly constructed with two prayer halls, one that is constructed in the old Qibla direction which the Muslims used to pray towards before the Prophet Moses received a revelation that the Qibla is now towards the Kaaba in Makkah and the other side refers to the new Qibla direction. The praying in both halls to me is a good chance to align in both directions and revisit part of the Islamic past. The majority of ziyarat tours introduce visitors to this remarkable mosque that shows one of the significant steps in Muslim prayer orientation. These and other sites associated with the Prophet and early Muslims create a moving experience for those who have come from distant lands just to visit Madina and to pray at these historical sites. While the message of Madina re-emphasises the implementation of these eternal values of human civilisation in the modern world, it reminds the Muslims of the sacrifice made by the Prophet, peace be upon him, to illustrate the contemporary relevance of this path-breaking model of living in the twenty-first century.

Importance of Ziyarats in Madina for Pilgrimage

Therefore for every believing Muslim the possibility of making ziyarat to Madina and its holy places is like a dream which makes a long lasting impression and memory in his or her life for the rest of one’s life. In other words, Madina provides pilgrims with many madina ziyarat that have historical or religious significance and present opportunities where they can regain themselves during their pilgrimage. It has mosques of the Prophet (PBUH), cemeteries, battlegrounds, and historical mosques, and much more to depict its Islamic history. The following are some brief descriptions of these places and how to best make time to appreciate the significant role of these places in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as well as early Muslims when one gets the opportunity to embark on this noble journey. Read also for Makkah Ziarat

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