The Minarets of the Prophet’s Mosque
Before the Adhān was prescribed, the caller appointed by the Prophet, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, would announce, "Assemble for prayer," and the people would gather. When the Qiblah was shifted to the Ka‘bah, the Adhān was prescribed. The Prophet, may Allah's salah and salam be upon him, was concerned with how the call for prayer should be done, for that reason some Muslims suggested several ways to call for prayer. Some said use a horn and others said use a bell. While they were discussing this matter, ‘Abdullāh ibn Zayd al-Khazrajī, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the Prophet, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, and said: "I had a vision in which a man passed by me, wearing two green garments and holding a bell in his hand. I asked him, ‘Are you selling this bell?’ He replied, ‘What will you do with it?’ I said, ‘We will use it to call for prayer.’" He said, "Shall I not guide you to something better than that?"I asked, "What is it?"He replied, "Say: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar," and continued until he recited the full Adhān. When he informed the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, the Prophet said, "It is a true vision, in shā’ Allāh. Stand with Bilāl and teach it to him so that he may call the Adhān, for he has a louder and more resonant voice than you. When Bilāl called the Adhān, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, heard it while he was in his house. He rushed out to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, dragging his cloak behind him and saying, "O Prophet of Allah! By the One who sent you with the truth, I saw the same as he saw. The Prophet, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, said, "All praise is due to Allah (Reported by Al-Bukhārī, Sunan Abī Dāwūd, and al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī.)
The Minarets of the Prophet’s Mosque
The Noble Prophet’s Mosque had no minarets during the time of the Prophet, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, nor during the era of his rightly guided caliphs. Rather, the caller to prayer would ascend to an elevated place and calls for prayer. Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ, may Allah be pleased with him, used to call the Fajr Adhān from the rooftop of a woman’s home from the Banū al-Najjār tribe. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s salah and salam be upon him, said: "No jinn, human, or anything hears the voice of the mu’adhdhin except that it will bear witness for him on the Day of Judgment
From the above, it becomes clear that the need to raise the Adhān from a high place led the Muslims in Madinah to shift the call to prayer from the mosque’s roof to the rooftops of the highest surrounding houses. Later, it was moved to the roof of the Prophet’s Mosque, with a structure built to elevate it further, eventually leading to the construction of minarets of varying heights.
Names and Locations of the Minarets in the Noble Prophet’s Mosque:
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The Southeastern Minaret (Main Minaret): Located near the Green Dome, it is the most renowned minaret of the Prophet’s Mosque.
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The Northeastern Minaret (Al-Sinjariyah): Located at the northeastern corner of the mosque.
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The Northwestern Minaret (Al-Majīdiyyah): Located at the northwestern corner of the mosque, it was renovated during the reign of Sultan Abdul Majid.
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The Southwestern Minaret (As-Salam Gate): Located at the southwestern corner of the mosque, it is also known as the Gate al-Salām Minaret.
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The Western Minaret (Ar-Rahmah Gate): Located on the western side, it was built outside the wall of the Prophet’s Mosque near Al-Mahmudiyyah School.
The Minarets of the Prophet’s Mosque
The first to introduce a minaret in the Prophet’s Mosque was ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAziz during the reconstruction commissioned by al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik, placing a minaret at each corner of the mosque. The mosque retained five minarets until the Ottoman era when Sultan al-Ashraf Qāytbāy added a small minaret between Bāb al-Salām and Bāb al-Raḥmah. During the Ottoman period, the northeastern minaret (Al-Sinjariyah) was demolished and replaced with the Sulaymāniyyah Minaret.
In the Saudi era, the minarets were renovated through multiple expansions, bringing the total number to ten, with each featuring distinctive architectural elements.
Saudi Expansions: Minarets
In the first Saudi expansion (1370–1375 AH), four new minarets were constructed, each reaching a height of 70 meters. In the second Saudi expansion, six additional minarets were added, each approximately 104 meters tall, bringing the total number of minarets to ten. These minarets are distributed throughout the expansion, with one positioned at each corner of the new extension.
Reflecting on the minarets of the Prophet’s Mosque, one finds a distinctive aesthetic touch in the use of artificial lighting, which creates a stunning effect, illuminating the minarets and highlighting their beauty and spiritual aura.