Medina | The Masjid al-Quba, built on the first foot of the camel that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) rode on when he arrived in Madinah from Makkah, is being expanded. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on a visit to Madinah, has announced the largest expansion project in the history of the Quba Mosque. The project will be implemented under the King Salman Project, named following King Salman of Saudi Arabia. The expansion and development projects are aimed at providing better services in the face of increasing number of pilgrims.
The King Salman project aims to increase the total area of the mosque to 50,000 square meters by expanding the Quba Mosque and surrounding areas. In addition, the project will be expanded 10 times to the current capacity of 66,000 believers at a time.
The Quba Mosque has been rebuilt several times since the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Omar bin Abdul Aziz built a courtyard, corridors and a minaret. After the development of the Umayyad Caliph Abdul Malik Masjidunnabavi, the Quba Masjid was also renovated. It was later greatly expanded by the Ottoman government. The last of these was in the time of Sultan Abdul Majeed. The current Masjid al – Quba is a mosque that was rebuilt in 1986 during the reign of King Fahd, the Saudi ruler. The mosque is built in the form of an arcade to the south and north, separated by an open courtyard.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world visit the Holy Land for Hajj and Umrah. After the departure of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Companions and his followers visited the mosque of Quba, worshiped it and paid special homage to it. Muhammad (peace be upon him) spent more than 20 nights in the Masjid al-Quba and used to visit Quba every Saturday. Quba Mosque is located at a distance of 5 km from Masjidunnabavi.
The Crown Prince appreciated the care given to the Quba Mosque. The plan includes the development and revival of 57 historic sites, including a number of historically significant wells, farms and gardens, in addition to accommodating more believers, highlighting the religious significance of Islam, documenting the historic features of the Quba Center, and preserving the city’s architectural style and historical monuments near the mosque.
The Crown Prince said the project was part of Saudi Vision’s 2030 goals and aimed to enrich the visitor’s experience, marking a milestone in Islamic history. The news media described it as the largest extension of the Masjid al-Quba in history. The Surah At-Taubah in the Holy Qur’an makes special mention of the Masjid al-Quba Mosque.
