Islam A Global Religion

The excellence of Prayer

2014-11-26T10:28:00.000+03:00

The excellence of Prayer

The Prayer is the first pillar of Islam that the Prophet mentioned after that of uttering the Testimony of Faith, by which one becomes a Muslim. It is a form of worship consisting of specific statements and actions. It begins by pronouncing the Greatness of Allaah (Allaahu Akbar), and is concluded with salutations (As-Salaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaah).

The Prayer was the only order that was commanded by Allaah directly to His Messenger during his night journey. Allaah Says (what means): "Exalted is He who took His slave [i.e. Prophet Muhammad] by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing." [Quran 17: 1] Prayer was also obligatory upon all the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and their nations.

Additionally, it was the first act of worship that was made obligatory by Allaah on every believer.

The status and virtue of the Prayer:

The Prayer has a great status in Islam; a status which no other act of worship holds. It is the spinal cord of the religion, without which the religion itself cannot be established. The Prophet said regarding it:"The head of the matter is Islam, its spinal cord is the prayer, and its highest pinnacle is 'Jihaad' in the way of Allaah." [Muslim]

In the Quran, Allaah ordains us hundreds of times to establish the Prayer. Allaah Says (what means): "…Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times…" [Quran 4: 103] And (what means): "Establish the Prayer, and give Zakaat (poor-due) and bow with those who bow (in worship and obedience)." [Quran 2: 43]

The Prophet said: "Islam is built upon five pillars: Bearing witness that none is worthy of worship but Allaah and that Prophet Muhammad is His Messenger, establishing the Prayer, paying Zakaah, observing Fast in Ramadhaan and performing Hajj." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

The significance of Prayer is so great that one is ordered to observe it whether traveling or not, in safety or in fear. Allaah Says (what means): "Be guardians of your prayers, and of the midmost prayer, and stand up with devotion to Allaah. And if you go in fear, then (pray) standing or on horseback. And when you are again in safety, remember Allaah, as He has taught you that which (heretofore) you knew not."[Quran 2: 238-239]

Moreover, it is the first act that the person will be held accountable for on the Day of Recompense. The Prophet said: "The first act that the slave will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment will be the Prayer. If it is good, then the rest of his deeds will be good. And if it is bad, then the rest of his deeds will be bad." [At-Tabaraani]

The Prayer is the best and most noble of deeds. It is the link between the believer and his Lord. Through the Prayer, the slave communicates with his Lord five times a day. To demonstrate the greatness and virtues of performing prayer, the Prophet said: "If the time for a prescribed prayer comes, and a Muslim performs ablution properly, (and then offers his prayer) with humbleness and bowing (to Allaah), it will be an expiation for his past sins, so long as he has not committed a major sin; and this is applicable to all times." [Muslim]

The Messenger of Allaah beautifully gave a similitude, to the one who performs the Prayer in the prescribed manner and time, by these great words: "The five daily prayers are like a deep river flowing by the door of any of you, in which he bathes five times every day." [Muslim]

The Prayer is the last thing that the Prophet reminded his nation with before he died, saying: "Guard your Prayer, guard your prayer and fear Allaah regarding what your right hand possesses (i.e. slaves)." [Imaam Ahmad]

The impact of praying:

The relationship with Allaah is demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased by the prayer. Therefore, if the prayers are sound and proper, the rest of the deeds will be sound and proper; and if the prayers are not sound and proper, then the rest of the deeds will not be sound and proper.

The spirit of the Prayer should be sincerity, devotion and contemplation. It is meant to strengthen the faith, purify and chasten the soul, qualify the believer for salvation in this life and the Hereafter and to make him shun immorality and evil deeds. Allaah Says (what means): "Recite [O Muhammad] what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish the Prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allaah is greater. And Allaah knows that which you do." [Quran 29: 45]

Moreover, its aim is to generate within the subliminal self of man such spiritual power, light of faith and awareness of Allaah as can enable him to strive successfully against all kinds of evils and temptations and remain steadfast at times of trial and adversity. The Prayer is so effective and soothing to the heart that the Prophet would resort to it whenever anything grieved him and would say to Bilaal :"O Bilaal! Comfort our hearts with it (i.e. call Iqaamah for Prayer)."[Ahmad]

The overall effect that the properly performed prayers should have upon humans is described in many verses of the Quran such as (which means): "Indeed, mankind was created anxious. When evil touches him, impatient, and when good touches him, withholding [of it], except the observers of prayer —those who are constant in their prayer." [Quran 70: 19-23]

Edited from: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=articles&id=139114

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Harmain Museum ka Tasweery Album

2014-04-15T15:27:00.000+03:00

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MBC Series - Omar - Episode # 01 with English Subtitles

2012-12-15T13:00:00.000+03:00

Episode # 01 of MBC Television Network Serial on the Life of Hazrat Umar ibn Khatab "OMAR"

Tasbeehat e Ramazan

2012-07-18T15:22:00.000+03:00

Latecomer to Jamaat Prayer

2012-07-08T11:04:00.000+03:00

Latecomer to Jamaat Prayer

If a person is late for Jamat and joins the Jamat after the prayer has begun, he should perform the prayer as follows:

Join the Jamat by performing Takbeer-e-Tahreema (by saying Allah-o-Akbar, raising your hands to the ears and then folding and placing them below the navel).

Then you have one of the following options:

Imam is in Qiyaam (standing)	Imam is not in Qiyaam (standing)
– After performing Takbeer-e-Tahreema, keep standing with the Imam. – If the Imam is reading the Holy Quran aloud, do not read Thana. – Also, if you believe you have joined after the first Rakat, do not read Thana.	– After performing Takbeer-e-Tahreema, stand just for a second and then by saying the Takbeer (Allah-o- Akbar), move into the position of the Imam.

The rest of the prayer with the Imam will be read as usual.

If you had joined the first Rakaat with the Imam, you will end your prayer with the Imam.

However, if you missed the first Rakaat with the Imam, you will carry on reading the missed.

Rakaats after the Imam has ended his prayer.

A Rakaat is found if the latecomer is able to join the Imam before or in Ruku.

For instance, if the latecomer joins the Jamat when the Imam is in Sajda, then he has missed that Rakat and all the previous Rakaats.

If a person has missed a Rakaat, he should perform the prayer in the following way:

When the Imam has sat down for the last Qa’ada, you must only read Tasha-hud (do not carry on reading Darood and Dua after Tasha-hud as this not your last Qa’ada).

When the Imam performs Salam, do not perform Salam with the Imam.

Instead, after the Imam has completed Salam to both sides, stand back up to read the missed Rakaats.

If the latecomer performs Salam forgetfully after the Imam has performed Salam or has read Darood or Dua in the Tasha-hud, he must perform Sajda Sahv in his last sitting.

When the latecomer stands back up to read his missed Rakaats, he should read Thana, Ta’awuz and Tasmia first.

Now he must read the missed Rakaats in the same sequence and order as he would have read them with the Imam.

The table shows what to read depending on whether you have missed 2, 3 or 4 rakaats.

While the latecomer is performing his missed Rakaats, if he makes any mistakes, he needs to perform Sajda Sahv at his last Tasha-hud.

In the Hanafi school, it is not valid for the latecomer to lead others in prayer, and thus the prayer of those who follow behind him is invalid.

	2 Rakaat Farz	3 Rakaat Farz	4 Rakaat Farz
Missed 1 Rakaats	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam.	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam.	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam.
Missed 2 Rakaats	1. Complete 2 Rakaats as if you were praying the full salaah on your own	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. After Ruku and Sajad, sit down and recite al-Tahiyat. 3. Then stand for your second unit. Read Surah Fatiha and a Surah with it. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. After Ruku and Sajad stand for your second unit 3. Read Surah Fatiha and a Surah with it. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam.
Missed 3 Rakaats		1. Complete 3 Rakaats as if you were praying the full salaah on your own	1. Recite Sana (Subhanakalluham….), Surah Fatiha and an additional Surah. 2. After Ruku and Sajad, sit down and recite al-Tahiyat. 3. Then stand for your second unit. Read Surah Fatiha and a Surah with it. 4. Perform Ruku and Sajda and stand for your third Rak’at. 5. Recite Surah Fatiha only. Then perform Ruku and Sajda, sit down and complete your Salah to the end, with Salam.
Missed 4 Rakaats			1. Complete 4 Rakaats as if you were praying the full salaah on your own.

Islamic Historic places and Images

2012-06-17T12:45:00.000+03:00

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Al-Kahf Inside Cave

Prophet's Beard Hair

Cave where the announcement of Jesus’ birth was proclaimed to Mary

Cave-of-Thawr

Claimed to be a foot print of Prophet Muhammad saw (peace be upon him)

Climbing to where the First Murder took place

Blessed Hairs of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH)

Maqam Arabe'een - The hand Print of Arch Angel Gebriel

Part of the Large Stone Structure thought by some archaeologists to be the remains of King David's (Prophet Dawood) Palace

Place of First Murder Case in Human History

Prophet Muhammed Sword

Sayf ullah khalid ibn walid (in Red)

Sayyiduna Umar's and Sayyiduna Ali's Sword

Sayyiduna Uthman's and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq's Sword

Structure Claimed to be the Noah's Ark near the Mount Ararat in Turkey

The cave in which the Prophet Job (Ayoub) lay ill, and the well whose sacred water washed and restored him

The Dust from tomb Sayyiduna Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wasalim

The Temple of UR, Home of the Prophet Abraham in Iraq

Islamic Museum in Makkah (Part 1)

2012-06-06T14:38:00.000+03:00

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A brass crescent belonging to one of the minarets of the Holy Mosque dating back to 1299 H

A copper door of the Holy Mosque dating Back to First Saudi construction

A copper pillar which used to be on of the pillars around the Mataf dating back to the First Saudi construction of the Holy Mosque

A Golden board made of six pieces,on an iron base on which Quranic verses are engraved.This used to be on the Ka'ba wall dated 1119H

A Copper Plated leaf of a door to the pulpit of Sultan Sulaymaan Bin Saliim Khan the Holy Mosque.He ordered it to b made in 966H

A marble arch facade of one of the doors to the holy Mosque dating back to 984 H

A marble midday timer used to determine prayer times before the printing of the Hijiri Calendar

A piece of the Saudi green curtain of the Holy Ka'aba

A pillar's base of granite from the twelve th century on Al Hijrah

A wooden door of the Holy Mosque Dating back to the early years of the fourteenthcentury of the Hijrah.

Ash.0.0...-Shumaisi stone moldings dating back to tenth century of the Hijrah

Ash-Shumaisi moldings which used to be above one of the entrance of the Holy Mosque

Copper rings used to fix the Kiswa of the Holy Ka'ba dating back to the Saudi era

Old metal coins taken from ZamZam Well during cleaning works

The Basmalah and the two Suras of An-Nas and Al-Falaq engraved on Ash-Shumaisi molding to the twelfth century of the Hijrah

The circling nave before the First Saudi Expansion and you can see the wooden stairecase of Al Kaabah behind Zamzam building

The curtain of the Holy Ka'aba door

The door to the Ottoman pulpit in the Prophet's Masjid which was made at the order of Sultan Murad III in 998 H

The interior red curtain of the Holy Ka'aba which King Abdul Aziz ordered to made

Two marble tiles on one is engraved a cypress and on the other a palm-tree like shape dating back to 1201 H

weights made of led used to fix the Kiswa of the Holy Ka'ba dating back to the Saudi era

Holy Graves of Prophets, Sahabas & Others - Part 1

2012-06-03T16:11:00.000+03:00

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A 14th century shrine built on top of the supposed grave of Aaron Prophet Harun) on Jabal Hārūn in Petra, Jordan.

Aron's tomb on Jabal Hārūn in Petra, Jordan

Al Hariths Ibn Umayrs Azadi Grave

Al Hariths Ibn Umayrs Azadi Tomb

Prophet Zakariyya Grave - Syria

An outer view of the Druze shrine of Prophet Job (Ayoub)

Layout Plan of Abraham Mosque in Jerusalem Israel. Hazrat Ibrahim, Isaac & Hazrat Yaqoob & their wives are burried here.

Cenotaph of Abraham

Mausoleum of Sarah, Abraham's wife in the Mosque of Abraham

Cenotaph of Jacob (Prophet Yaqoob), Cave of the Patriarchs

Grave of umm-ul-momineen syeda Khateeja R.A and her son Hazrat Qasim in small Square

Grave, Nabi Musa, Jerico-Jerusalam

Grave of Prophet Yahyah

Tomb of Prophet Musa (Moses)

Grave of Prophet Samuel

Maqam Of Imam Busiri RA

Prophet Daniel grave in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Prophet Elyasa Tomb

The grave monument of the Prophet Noah

The grave monument of the prophet Noah

Tomb of Prophet Ezra (Uzair)

Burial place of the Sleepers (Ashab - e - Kahf)

House of Haleema Saadia whre Rasoolallah (P.B.U.H) spent his Childhood

2012-05-30T12:55:00.000+03:00

Allah has granted special privilege to things and places related to Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Hujrathu Shareefah (حجرة الشريفة), the small area where Rasoolullah’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) Qabar Shareef is located is described as the best place in earth. Area between Hujrathu Shareefah and Pulpit(منبر) of Rasoolullah’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is described as a garden among garden of the Paradise.

It is written in history with golden scripts about childhood of Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) with Halimah (رضي الله عنها). It was a practice in that era that toddlers in city were nursed by villagers who folk the cities for that purpose. Birth parents of babies had found it a useful practice as their babies will gain better physical and mental strength once lived in villages. On the other hand villagers saw it as an opportunity to get some wealth.

Halimah (رضي الله عنها) accompanied by her husband Harith came to Makkah riding on an old and weak animal along with many other women from Saadiyya tribe seeking babies. Because of the weakness of their vehicle they were lagging at rear of the convoy. The frontrunners of the convoy entered the city fast and got babies from wealthy families.

Halimah (رضي الله عنها) when reached Makkah she couldn’t find a baby from rich families and was sad. She was told about the orphan infant in the house of Abdul Muttalib and went to see the baby. At once she was attracted and after consulting with her husband took the baby.

Subhana Allah… she couldn’t believe it. Suddenly her animal started to run fast as if it got fresh energy from somewhere! It raced ahead of all other vehicles and other women were amazed to see it! Her breast seem to be full with milk which was dry till then and her son Dhamrah (ضمرة) was crying without getting milk!

Such was blessing (بركة) of Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) even at this infant age. Verily Allah has given this blessing to his beloved Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Anything and everything related to Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is full with blessings from Allah.

There were many wonders happened during Rasoolullah’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stay with Halimah (رضي الله عنها) and for sure she loved Him more than her own children. The garden surrounding their house became green and blossom. Sheep and cattle became fat and healthy. Their livelihood became easier than ever.

During His (صلى الله عليه وسلم) stay there on 4th year of age the famous heart splitting incident occurred. It was while He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and Dhamrah where grazing their herd when three angels descended and held Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They operated his chest and took out the heart. They removed a blood-clot from it and cleansed it with Zam Zam before keeping it back!

Here are a few pictures of the house of Halimah (رضي الله عنها), It is a few kilometers away from Taif. The serenity and village nature of the area is still intact today as the route to this site remains rough and the area is scarcely populated still. Unfortunately this place is obscured like many other historically significant places in Hijaz and there is no easy access for the public. There used to be a Masjid very close to this area which has been destroyed but the place of the Masjid is specially marked. Another Masjid is built in a different area for daily prayers.”

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A Historic Mosque in Saudi Arabia - Al - Kou Mosque - Taif

2012-05-27T15:47:00.002+03:00

Masjid Kou (مسجد كوع) is few hundred years old near where Prophet Muhammad SAW rested after being attacked by the Mob. As per some historians there is a mark on the rock at which Rasoolullah (صلى الله عليه و سلم) leaned impacted by His leaning. No one can locate this rock there, might be obscured by construction of the Masjid.

This Masjid is thought to be built on the approximate spot the Prophet Muhammad(صلى الله عليه و سلم) stood or when he first came to Al Taif. This Masjid was built by the end of the Ottoman era and has been recently renovated.

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Medina Azahara - Muslim Heritage in Spain

2012-04-30T14:19:00.000+03:00

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Medina Azahara (Arabic: المدينهُ الزهراء‎ Madīnat az-Zahrā, meaning "brilliant town", "beautiful town", or "the town of Zahra") is the ruins of a vast, fortified Arab Muslim medieval palace-city built by Abd – ar – Rahman III Al – Nasr, (912–961) Ummayad Caliph of Cordoba, and located on the western outskirts of Cordoba, spain. It was an Arab Muslim medieval town and the de-facto capital of Al – Andalus, or Muslim Spain, as the heart of the administration and government was within its walls. Built beginning in 936-940, the city included ceremonial reception halls, mosques, administrative and government offices, gardens, a mint, workshops, barracks, residences, and baths. Water was supplied through aqueducts.

The main reason for its construction was politico-ideological: the dignity of the Caliph required the establishment of a new city, a symbol of his power, imitating other Eastern Caliphates. Above all, it demonstrated his superiority over his great rivals, the Fatinids of Ifriqiya in Northern Africa.^] Legend also says it was built as a tribute to the favourite of the Caliph: Azahara.

The complex was extended during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman III's son Ak – HakamII (r. 961-976), but after his death soon ceased to be the main residence of the Caliphs. In 1010 it was sacked in a civil war, and thereafter abandoned, with many elements re-used elsewhere. Its ruins were excavated starting from the 1910s. Only about 10 percent of the 112 hectares have been excavated and restored, but this area includes the central area, with "two caliphal residences, with associated bath complexes, two aristocratic residences, and service quarters ... spaces associated with the palace guard; some large administrative buildings ... the extraordinary court complex presided over by the reception hall ... the great garden spaces, and just outside this area, the congregational mosque"

A new museum on the edge of the site has been built low, with much of the space underground, to minimize disruption to the views of the landscape from the ruins, which are also beginning to be affected by modern housing.

Setting of Madinat az-ZahraSetting of Madinat az-Zahra

Located 8 miles west of Cordoba in the foothills of the Sierra Morena, oriented north-to-south on the slopes of Jabal al-Arus, and facing the valley of the Guadalquivir River, is Madinat az-Zahra, billed as theVVersailles of the Middle Ages. It was chosen for its outstanding landscape values, allowing a hierarchical construction program so the city and the plains beyond its feet were physically and visually dominated by the buildings of the fortress. There was also a quarry of limestone, used for the primary construction, though other stones from an area 50km around were also used. The city's construction led to a road, water and supply infrastructure partly preserved until today in the form of remains of roads, quarries, aqueducts and bridges.

The topography played a decisive role in shaping the city. Taking full advantage of the uneven terrain, the palace city of Madinat az-Zahra was distributed in three terraces. Unlike the labyrinthine and chaotic character typical of Muslim urbanism, the site of the city adopted a rectangular shape comprising an area of 112 hectares. It extended 1500 m per side from east to west and about 750 m from north to south, just warped on the north side by the need to adapt to the difficult topography of the terrain.

Its location in the foothills of Sierra Morena made it possible to design an urban program in which the location and physical relationships between the various constructions were expressive of the role of each in the setting. The palace was located at a higher level, and staggered its buildings along the side of the mountain in an expression of clear preeminence over the urban hamlets and the Aljama Mosque spread across the plains below. Following the terraces, the first corresponds to the residential area of the caliph, next comes the official area including the houses of the viziers, the guard-room, administrative offices and gardens. Next is the city proper, with housing, crafts, and the great mosque of the two lower terraces separated by another wall in order to isolate the upper palace complex. Archaeological research has revealed an urban morphology characterized by the existence of large areas of undeveloped land, which serves to empty the entire southern front of the fortress, ensuring privacy and maintaining an open, idyllic country landscape. The only spaces built on the lowest level are two broad bands: the western, with an urban management orthogon, and the eastern, with less rigid planning.

There were two complexes outside but close by the city, one a large Villa at the centre of a large agricultural estate, later given to the state treasurer. The other, Turrunuelos, was a huge rectangular building, perhaps a barracks.

Palace area

The palace was built where the 1st century Roman aqueduct running from the Sierra Morena to Cordoba ran, but this was several metres below the palace, so a new spur was constructed further back to bring permanent running water to the higher levels. In turn, the section of the old Roman aqueduct now diverted was used as a main sewer for a highly complex system of small channels carrying away rain and waste water. Many food and ceramic remains have been found here.

The initial construction of the palace was very rapid: begun in 936 or 940, the mosque was completed in 941 and by 945 the caliph was in residence, moving the mint in by 947. However construction continued for decades, with many changes of plan and examples building-over previous buildings. The reception hall of Abd-ar-Rahman, or "Salon Rico", can be dated by inscriptions to between 953 and 957. The large "House of Ja'far" is built over three earlier houses, and the building known as the "Court of the Pillars" replaced two earlier ones in the mid-950s. The other large hall remaining, the so-called "upper basilical hall" or "Dar al-Jund" ("House of the Army", a name mentioned in literary sources) was also probably built in the 950s.

Gardens of Madinat al-Zahra

TThere were at least three gardens in the city. A small garden, referred to as The Prince's Garden, was located on the upper terrace. This garden was for the use of the nobility, the wealthy, and the powerful; those who frequented the palace itself.

The two lower terraces supported huge, formal Islamic Gardens. The westernmost of these was the lowest terrace of the city. The easternmost of these two lower gardens, the middle terrace, led to the reception hall known as the Salon Rico. This eastern garden had a pavilion, surrounded by four rectangular pools, at its center. The four quadrants of this garden were sunken, and supplied with water from channels along the connecting walkways.

History of Madinat al-Zahra

The city, which flourished for approximately 80 years, was built by caliph Abd ar – Rahman III of Corodoba starting between 936 and 940. After he had proclaimed himself Caliph in 928, he decided to show his subjects and the world his power by building a palace-city 5 km from Córdoba. The largest known city built from scratch in Western Europe, it would be described by travelers from northern Europe and from the East as a dazzling series of palaces full of treasures never seen before. Around 1010, Madinat az-Zahra was sacked during the Civil War that led to the dissolution of the Caliphate of Cordoba. The raid effectively wiped the city off the map for a millennium.

Popular legend holds that the Caliph named az-Zahra, or Azahara, after his favorite concubine, and that a statue of a woman stood over the entrance. Others, imagining his demanding lover, say that he built this new city just to please her. The truth, however, has probably more to do with politics than love. Abd ar-Rahman III ordered the construction of this city at a time when he had just finished consolidating his political power in the Iberian Peninsula and was entering into conflict with the Fatmid dynasty for the control of North Africa. Zahara means 'shining, radiant or blossoming' in Arabic: the name communicates aspirations of power and status, not romantic love. Az-Zahra is the most common title for the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad Fatimah az-Zahra. As such, the Fatimid dynasty of North Africa adorned many buildings and even towns with her name. A female scholar in her own right, her title az-Zahra (the brilliant) was given to the oldest functioning university in the world, the al-Az'har/ al – Azhar university in Cairo in AD 968, built by the Fatimids. The Umayyads' ambitions in North Africa could well explain the usage of the name for the new city to rival the Fatimids' influence there through Islamic/ religious iconography.

In 929 Abd ar-Rahman III declared himself utterly independent, the true Caliph (Prince of Believers) and descendant of the Umayyad Dynasty, which had nearly been completely exterminated by the Abbasids in the 9th century. He brought about a series of political, economic and ideological measures to impress his legitimacy upon the world. A new capital city, fitting of his status, was one of those measures. He decided to build the city in 936 and construction took about forty years. The Mosque on the site was consecrated in 941 and in 947 the government was transferred from Cordoba.

In 2005 it was described by the American newspaper The New York Times as follows:

Teeming with treasures that dazzled the most jaded traveler or world—weary aristocrat...Pools of mercury could be shaken to spray beams of reflected sunlight across marble walls and ceilings of gold... Doors carved of ivory and ebony led to sprawling gardens full of exotic animals and sculptures made of amber and pearls...”

What is visible of the ruins of Madinat az-Zahra today is only 10% of its extent. The 112 hectare-urb was no mere pleasure palace for weekend excursions, but the effective capital of Al – Andalus, the territory controlled by the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula from the beginning of the 8th century to the middle of the 11th. The magnificent white city, built in steps into the hillside at the base of the Sierra Morena with the Caliph's palace at the highest point, was designed to be seen by his subjects and foreign ambassadors for kilometers. Abd ar-Rahman III moved his entire court to Medina Azahara in 947-48.

With time the entire city was buried, not to be unearthed until 1911. Excavation and restoration continues, depending upon funding by the Spanish government. The unexcavated portion, however, is threatened by the illegal construction of housing. According to the New York Times, "The local government in Córdoba, he said, has failed to enforce a law passed 10 years ago that expanded protections for the site against development... Construction companies are putting up houses on the site of the city, 90 percent of which remains unexcavated."

Artistically, the Medina Azahara played a great role in formulating a distinct Andalusian Islamic Architecture. Many of its features, such as basilical royal reception halls (as contrasted with domed ones in the eastern part of the Islamic World) are here conceived for the first time. Other features, such as the arranging of the suites of rooms around a central courtyard or garden, are echoed throughout western Islamic architecture, for example as late as in the Alhambra. The Mosque of Medina Azahara bears close resemblance to the Great Mosque of Cordoba; it has been called its "little sister"

Before coming to power, Al – Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir (called Almanzor in the west) lived in the suburbs of Cordova. On becoming the Hajib (Chamberlain to the Caliph) he decided to build a palace city for himself, which, if not more, was as beautiful as Medina Azahara built by Abd ar Rahman III. The palace was to be located just opposite to Al-Zahra, which was situated in the west of Cordova. The foundations of Al-Zahira were laid in 978-979 A.D near river Guadalquivir. Mansur called his palace Madinah Az-Zahira as well.

Mansur's purpose behind building this palace was to inspire awe and to have his name written in the pages of history along with the name of the greatest king of Al – Andalus, Abd-ar-Rahman III. It was a beautiful palace with extensive gardens around it. It housed the High officials and barracks for the guards of Al-Mansur.

However, on the death of Al-Mansur in 1002 A.D, his eldest son Abd al Malik Al-Muzafer succeeded to the throne, and on his death Abdar Rehaman As-Sanjul or Sanchelo or little Sancho (his mother Abda, was a daughter of Sancho the count of Casile), another son of Al-Mansur, followed his brother. People rose in revolt in Cardova, while Sanhchelo was busy in his expedition against Alfonso V in December 1009. Since Sanchelo was absent and there was nothing else in sight toward which to vent their anger, the people looted the palace built by Al-Mansur for four days. when they were through with the looting and plundering the palace, they put it to flames, and in no time the beautiful Az-Zahira was reduced to ashes.

Some Beautiful Ahadees Mubaraka

2012-02-04T11:22:00.000+03:00

Happy Eid Meelad un Nabi

2012-02-04T10:09:00.000+03:00

Happy Eid Meelad un Nabi (PBUH)

From

Team of PKC Sites, Blogs & Groups

Rare Pictures Related to the Life of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

2012-02-01T14:04:00.000+03:00

(Click on the image to Enlarge the view)

Grave of Haleema (RA)

Grave of Hazrat Safia (RA)

Grave of Hazrat Hamza (Uncle of Muhammad (PBUH))

Jable-E-Rehamt

Jabl-E-Rehmat

Birth Place of Muhammad (PBUH)

Birth place of Muhammad (PBUH)

This place is converted to Library Now.

Hira Mount (Where Muhammad PBUH used to pray)

Mount Saur (Where Hazrat Abu Bakr and his friends lived

When Kufar of Makkah were after him and a Spider made

a net on the entrance of Mount)

Hair of the Beard of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

A hair from the Beard of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

(Click on the image to Enlarge the View)

Seal of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

Single Grave Hazrat Fatima Zuhra (RA)

Swords of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

Click on the image to Enlarge

Naksh-E-Qadam(Foot Print) of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

Grave of Mother Amna Bibi of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

Hazrat Muhammad's (PBUH) Clothes Turban(Umama) and stick

Grave of Safia Mother of Ali-Umm-Al-Banin

Letter of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) to Ommani People

Letter of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) to Emporer

Letter of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) to Ruler of Bahrain

Naksh-E-Qadam(Foot Print) of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)

________________________________

Its by SUNNY

Note: Dear Friends I have added the discription to the items and Pics according to my Knowledge because you have requested for it.But if i have made any mistakes in all these three parts of the mail. Kindly correct me and share the information with other members aslo

Thanks

Sunny

Eid - Alfitr Mubarak

2011-08-27T14:37:00.000+03:00

Shab-E-Barat ki fazeelat aur Ibadat

2011-07-15T15:00:00.002+03:00

Data Durbar Complex Lahore - Pakistan

2011-05-15T13:33:00.000+03:00

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Data Darbar (or Durbar), located in the city of Lahore, Pakistan is one of the oldest Muslim shrines in the sub-continent. It houses the remains of a Sufi saint, Abul Hassan Ali HAjvery (more commonly known as Daata Ganj Baksh, meaning the master who bestows treasures). He is said to have lived on the site in the 11th Century.

The shrine is located near the Bhaati Gate into Lahore 's Walled City. It was originally built by the Ghaznavi king Sultan Zakiruddin Ibrahim in the late 11th century, and has been expanded several times. There have been rising security fears in recent years after threats by Pakistan's Taliban militants. The large size of the complex which houses the shrine and the fact that it is open at all hours to the public makes protecting it extremely difficult. For centuries his tomb was visited by Muslims and Hindus in search of his blessings but since partition, most visitors have been Muslim, although people of all religions are welcome. Pakistani politician Nawaz Sharif is a frequent visitor. On special occasions, the shrine is decorated with lights, dinner is prepared for hundreds of people and visitors. At the boundary of the shrine, Muslims recite the Holy Qur'an, and pay tributes to Prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H).

Syed Ali Hujwiri

Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajvery al-Ghaznawi or Abul Hassan Ali Hajvery (sometimes spelled Hujwiri, Hajweri, Hajveri), also known as Daata Ganj Bakhsh (Persian / Punjabi: (داتا گنج بخش) (which means the master who bestows treasures) or Daata Sahib (Persian / Punjabi: (داتا صاحب), was a Persian Sufi and scholar during the 11th century. He significantly contributed to the spreading of Islam in South Asia.

He was born around 990 CE near Ghazni, Afghanistan during the Ghaznavid Empire and died in Lahore (in present day Punjab, Pakistan) in 1077 CE. His most famous work is Kashf Al Mahjub ("Unveiling the Veiled") (کشفُ المحجوب), written in the Persian Language. The work, which is one of the earliest and most respected treatises of Sufism, debates Sufi doctrines of the past.

Ali Hajvery is also famous for his masoleum in Lahore, which is surrounded by a large marble courtyard, a mosque and other buildings. It is the most frequented of all the shrines in that city, and one of the most famous in Pakistan and nearby countries. His name is a household word, and his mausoleum the object of pilgrimage from distant places.

Background

Ali Hujwiri is both al-Hasani and al-Husayni Sayyid. His father is al-Hasani Sayyid and his mother is al-Husayni. Abul Hasan Ali bin Usman Al-Hujwiri Al-Jullabi Al-Ghazanwi was born in Ghazni (Hujwir) where his family had settled and the members of which were passionate for devoutness and learning. He was known as Ali Al-Hujwiri Al-Jullabi, Al-Ghazanwi because he lived for a long time in Hujwir and Jullab, the two suburbs (Mazafat) of the city of Ghazni located in Afghanistan. In spite of Hazrat Ali bin Usman Al-Hujwiri's popularity and deep reverence; coming across his life biography is very much tortuous. Much of his life history and thought came from his own authentic reference Kashf al-Mahjub.

Life

Ali Hujwiri studied Sufism under Abu 'l-Fadl Muhammad, who was a student of Abu 'l-Hasan al-Husri. Abu 'l-Fadl Muhammed bin al-Hasan was well-versed in tafsir and riwayat. Ali Hujwiri traveled far and wide through the Indus to the Caspian Sea. Among the countries and places which he visited were Adharbayajan, the tomb of Bayazid at Bistam, Damascus, Ramla, and Bayt al-Jinn in Syria. In Khursan alone he is reported to have met 300 Sufis. Al-Hujwiri was associated with the most well-known Sufi orders in the subcontinent, such as the Qadiri, Suharwardi, Naqshbandi and the Junaidi orders. Hujwiri belonged to the Junaidia school of Sufism, founded by Junaid Baghdadi, a major Sufi saint of Baghdad. Hajwiri is also viewed as an important intercessor for many Sufis. Moinuddin Chishti Ajmeri, a chief saint of the Chishti order, stated that an aspiring murid (disciple) one who does not (yet) have a murshid (spiritual master), should read Ali Hujwiri's book Kashf al-Mahjub, as that would be (temporarily) enough for his spiritual guidance. He settled for some time in Iraq where he had a short experience with married life.

Al-Hujwiri was a contemporary of al-Qushairi. During his travels, he met with many eminent Sufis, and saw and felt the slow transformation of Sufism from simple asceticism and adoration of God to a highly developed theosophical cult considerably influenced by pantheistic ideas. He is the link between Mysticism as it developed in Persia and Khurasan, and the form it took in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.

Al-Hujwiri came to Lahore under orders from his Pir as successor to Shaikh Husain Zanjani at a time when as a result of irruption of the Seljuks on one side and the rising tide of Hindu resistance on the order, the Ghaznavid Empire began to dismember rapidly, and life in Ghazni itself was disrupted. The saint had to leave Ghazni in difficult circumstances, leaving his books behind. According to Faw'id-ul-Fu'ad, Ali Hujwiri reached Lahore at night and in the morning found the people bringing out the bier of Shaikh Husain Zanjani whom he replaced in Lahore.

Although a Sunni Hanafi, Hujwiri's theology was reconciled with the concept of Sufi annihilation. However he strenuously campaigned against the doctrine that human personalities can be merged with God, instead likening annihilation to burning by fire which allows the substance to acquire fire like properties while retaining its own individuality. He also was a great upholder of the Sharia and rebuffed the idea that outward observances of Islam are not important for Sufis. Hujwiri believed that individuals should not claim to have attained "marifat" or gnosis because it meant that one was prideful, and that true understanding of God should be a silent understanding.

Ali-Hujwiri is said to have died on the twentieth of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal 465 H.E, but the date, the month and year are all conjectural. Most early writers agree on 455 H.E. as the year of his death, on the basis of the various chronograms.

Respect of Sufis towards Ali Hujwiri

Ali Hujwiri was buried near the mosque which he had built during his life-time. It has a been a practice of Sufi Saints coming to South Asia to first visit the shrine of Ali Hujwiri. Upon arriving in the subcontinent, Moinuddin Chishti first came to Lahore to pay his respects at Daata Ganj-Bakhsh's shrine, where he spent quite some time in meditation and prayer before attaining enlightenment. He was then directed to settle in Ajmer Sharif, and commence his spiritual mission to go further east and preach. Moinuddin Chishti paid homage to Ali Hujwiri in the following words:

Ganj Bakhsh-e faiz-e aalam, mazhar-e nur-i Khuda
Naqisaan ra pir-e kaamil, kaamilaan ra rahnuma

Translation:

Ganj Bakhsh is a manifestation of the Light of God for all people

A perfect guide unto the imperfect ones and a guide unto the perfect ones

Kashf Al-Mahjub

Kashf al Mahjub is held in high esteem as the first important treatise on Sufism in Persian. The date of the completion of the book cannot be determined with any certainty. It must have taken Hujwiri a long time to write it in Lahore without his personal collection of books. He was a prolific writer, perceptive and discriminating in his choice of topics.

Kashf al Mahjub was written in response to the request of one Abu Sa'eed Al-Hujwiri who put the following questions to him: "Explain to me the true meaning of the Path of Sufism and the nature of the stations' (maqamat) of the Sufis, and explain their doctrines and saying, and make clear to me their mystical allegories, and the nature of Divine Love and how it is manifested in human hearts, and why the intellect is unable to reach the essence thereof, and why the soul recoils from the reality thereof, and why the spirit is lulled in the purity thereof; and explain the practical aspect of Sufism which are connected with these theories."

Kashf al Mahjub (Unveiling the Veiled) begins with a chapter on ilm. Hujwiri introduces the concept of experiential knowledge toward the end of the chapter.

When Ali-Hujwiri was asked what is Sufism? he replied, "In our times this science has been in reality obliterated, especially in this region, for people are all occupied with pleasure, and have turned away from satisfying [God].

Other works

Ali Hujwiri wrote a few more books (which are mentioned in Kashf-ul-Mahjub, and listed by Professor Nichlolas in his English translation), but he himself mentions that all of those were stolen by other people. Some people think that Magzine Kashf-ul-Israr is also written by him, but Hakeem Muhammad Mosa Amaratsari believes the content of that work does not match Ali Hujwiri's erudition. Some of his works include:

Minhaj-ud-Din, on the method of Sufism, and an account of the Ahl-l-Suffa and full biography of Mansur Al – Halaj;

Asrar-ul-Khiraqq wa'l-ma'unat, on the patched frocks of the Sufis;

Kitab-i-Fana-o-baqa, composed "in the vanity and rashness of youth", a work in explanation of the sayings of Mansur al-Hallaj

Kitab-al-Bayan-li-ahl-al-iyan, on union with God;

Bahr-ul-Qulub

Al-Riayat li-huquq Allah, on Divine unity

Expansion of Haram

2011-05-11T13:17:00.001+03:00

(Click on Image to Enlarge the View in Higher Resolution)

Masjid Uqba ibn Nafi

2011-02-08T18:46:00.361+03:00

The Mosque of Uqba also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, is one of the most important mosques in Tunisia, situated in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairoun.

Built by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi from 670 AD (the year 50 according to the Islamic Calender) at the founding of the city of Kairouan, the mosque is spread over a surface area of 9,000 square metres and is considered as the oldest place of worship in the western Islamic World, as well as a model for all later mosques in the Maghreb. The Great Mosque of Kairouan is certainly one of the most impressive and largest islamic monuments in North Africa, its perimeter is almost equal to 405 metres (1,328 feet). This vast space contains a hypostyle prayer hall, a huge marble-paved courtyard and a massive square minaret. In addition to its spiritual prestige, the Mosque of Uqba is universally reputed as a masterpiece of both architecture and Islamic Art.

Under the Aghlabids (9th century), huge works gave the mosque its present aspect. The fame of the Mosque of Uqba and of the other holy sites at Kairouan helped the city to develop and repopulate increasingly. The university, consisting of scholars who taught in the mosque, was a centre of education both in Islamic thought and in the secular sciences. Its role can be compared to that of the University of Paris in the Middle Ages. With the decline of the city, the centre of intellectual thought moved to the University of Ez – Zitouna in Tunis.

Overview of the mosque's courtyard which is surrounded by colonnaded arches

Ancient cemetery and the Great Mosque of Uqba.

Location and general aspect

Map of Kairouan (1916) showing the location of the Great Mosque of Kairouan in the northeast corner of the medina

Overview of the mosque

Wall and buttresses of the western facade of the mosque

Located in the north-east of the medina of Kairouan, the mosque is in the intramural district of Houmat al-Jami (literally "area of the Great Mosque"). This location corresponded originally to the heart of the urban fabric of the city founded by Uqba ibn Nafi.

But because of the specific nature of the land, crossed by several tributaries of the wadis, the urban development of the city stretched southwards. Then there are the upheavals of Kairouan following Hilalian 's invasions in 449 AH (or 1057 AD) and which led to the decline of the city. For all these reasons, the mosque (which occupies the same place since its founding in 670) is not any more situated in the center of the medina, and is thereby positioned on the extremity, near the walls.

The building is a vast irregular quadrilateral, longer (with 127.60 meters) from the eastern side than on the opposite side (with 125.20 meters) and less wide (with 72.70 meters) on the north side (the minaret) that the opposite side (with 78 meters). It covers a total area of 9000 m2.

From the outside, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is a fortress-like building, which required as much by its massive ocher walls of 1.90 meters thick composed of well-worked stones, courses of rubble stone and courses of baked bricks, as the square angle towers measuring 4.25 meters on each side and the solid and projecting buttresses that support and bind. More than a defensive role, the buttresses and towers full serve more to enhance the stability of the mosque built on a soil subject to compaction. Although a seemingly harsh, the external facades, punctuated with powerful buttresses and towering Porches, some of which are surmounted by cupolas, give to the sanctuary a striking aspect characterized by majestic sobriety.

History

Evolutions

View of the Great Mosque of Kairouan in the Early Twentieth Century

One of the doors of the mosque in early twentieth century

At the foundation of Kairouan in 670, the Arab general and conqueror Uqba Ibn Nafi (himself the founder of the city) has chosen the site of his mosque in the center of the city, near the headquarters of the governor. Shortly after its construction, the mosque was destroyed about 690, during the occupation of Kairouan by the Berbers, originally conducted by Kusaila. It was rebuilt by the Ghassanid general Hasan ibn Al – Numan in 703. With the gradual increase of the population of Kairouan and the consequent increase in the number of faithfuls, Hisham ibn Abd Al - Malik, Umayyad Caliph in Damacus, charged his governor Bishr ibn Safwan to carry out development work in the city which include the renovation and expansion of the mosque at around 724–728 years. In view of its expansion, he pulled down the mosque and rebuilded it with the exception of the mihrab, it was under his auspices the construction of the minaret began. In 774, a new reconstruction accompanied by modifications and embellishments, took place under the direction of the Abbasid governor Yazid Ibn Hatim.

Current Plan of the Great Mosque of Kairouan

Under the rule of Aghlabid sovereigns , Kairouan is at its apogee and the mosque profited from this period of stability and prosperity. In 836, Ziadet Allah I reconstructed the mosque once more : this is when the building acquired, at least in its entirety, the appearance we see today, at the same time the mihrab's ribbed dome on squinches was raised. Around 862 - 863, Abul Ibrahim enlarged the oratory, with three bays to the north, and adds the cupola over the arched portico which precedes the prayer hall. In 875 Ibrahim II built another three bays, thereby reducing the size of the courtyard which was further limited on the three other sides by the addition of double galleries.

The current state of the mosque can be traced back to the reign of Aghlabids — no element is earlier than the ninth century besides the mihrab — except for some partial restorations and a few later additions made in 1025 during the reign of Zirids, 1249 and 1293 to 1294 under the reign of Hafsids 1618 at the time of mouradites beys, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. In 1967, major restoration work, over five years and conducted under the direction of the National Institute of Archeology and Art, are being launched throughout the monument, and ends with an official reopening of the mosque during the celebration of Mawlid of 1972

Host stories

Pilgrims around one of the wells

Colonnaded gallery above the prayer hall

Several centuries after its founding, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is the subject of numerous descriptions by Arab historians and geographers in the Middle Ages. The stories concern mainly the different phases of construction and expansion of the sanctuary, and the successive contributions of many princes to the interior decoration (mihrab, minbar, ceilings, etc.). Among the authors who have written on the subject and whose stories have survived are Al – Bakri (Andalusian geographer and historian who died in 1094 and who devoted a sufficiently detailed account of the history of the mosque in his book Description of Septentrional Africa), Al – Nuwayri (historian who died in Egypt, 1332) and Ibn Nagi (scholar and historian of Kairouan who died around 1435).

On additions and embellishments made to the building by the Aghlabid sovereign Abul Ibrahim, Ibn Nagi gives the following account :

He built in the mosque of Kairouan the cupola that rises over the entrance to the central nave, together with the two colonnades which flank it from both sides, and the galleries were paved by him. He then made the mihrab.

Minaret in the early twentieth

Old postcard (1900) showing the minbar and the maqsura

Subsequently, Western travelers, poets and writers awarded by Kairouan leave impressions and testimonies sometimes tinged with emotion or admiration on the mosque. From the eighteenth century, the French doctor and naturalist John Andrew Peyssonnel, conducting a study trip to 1724, during the reign of sovereign Al – Husayn Bey I, underlines the reputation of the mosque as a deemed center of religious and secular studies :

The Great Mosque is dedicated to Uqba, where there is a famous college where we will study the remotest corners of this kingdom : are taught reading and writing of Arabic grammar, laws and religion. There are large rents for the maintenance of teachers.

At the same time,the doctor and Anglican priest Thomas Shaw (1692–1751), touring the Tunis Regency and passes through Kairouan in 1727, described the mosque as that : " which is considered the most beautiful and the most sacred of Berberian territories ", evoking for example : " an almost unbelievable number of granite columns ".

At the end of the nineteenth century , the French writer Guy de Maupassant expresses in his book La vie errante (The wandering), his fascination with the majestic architecture of the Great Mosque of Kairouan as well as the effect created by countless columns : " The unique harmony of this temple consists in the proportion and the number of these slender shafts upholding the building, filling, peopling, and making it what it is, create its grace and greatness. Their colorful multitude gives the eye the impression of unlimited". Early in the twentieth century, the Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilker describes his admiration for the impressive minaret :

Is there a more beautiful than this still preserved old tower, the minaret, in Islamic architecture ? In the history of Art, its three-storey minaret is considered such a masterpiece and a model among the most prestigious monuments of Muslim architecture.

Architecture and ornaments

Overview of the building (center), southern facade to the outside (left) and Minaret seen from the courtyard (right)

Enclosure

Bab Lalla Rihana (late thirteenth century)

Today, the enclosure of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is pierced by nine gates (six opening on the courtyard, two opening on the prayer hall and a ninth allows access to the maqsura) some of them, such as Bab Al-Ma (Gate of water) located on the western facade, are preceded by salient porches flanked by buttresses and surmounted by ribbed domes based on square tholobate which are porting squinches with three vaults. However, Arab geographers and historians of the Middle Ages Al – Muqaddasi and Al – Bakri reported the existence, around the tenth and eleventh centuries, of about ten gates named differently from today. This reflects the fact that, unlike the rest of the mosque, the enclosure has undergone significant changes to ensure the stability of the building (adding many buttresses). Thus, some entries have been sealed, while others were kept.

During the thirteenth century, new gates were opened, the most remarkable, Bab Lalla Rihana dated from 1293, is located on the eastern wall of the enclosure. The monumental entrance, work of the Hafsid sovereign Abu Hafs `Umar ibn Yahya (reign from 1284 to 1295), is entered in a salient square, flanked by ancient columns supporting des Horsehoe Arches and covered by a dome on squinches. The front facade of the porch has a large horseshoe arch relied on two marble columns and surmounted by a frieze adorned with a blind arcade, all crowned by serrated merlons (in a sawtooth arrangement). Despite its construction at the end of the thirteenth century, Bab Lalla Rihana blends well with all of the building mainly dating from the ninth century.

View of the eastern wall of the enclosure

View of the south wall

Wall and porches on the west wall (south side)

Wall and porches on the west wall (towards the middle)

Courtyard

Courtyard area and porticoes

View of the courtyard surrounded by porticoes and dominated by the minaret

It is possible to access the courtyard by one of the six side entrances dating from the ninth and thirteenth centuries; so we discover a vast trapezoidal area whose interior dimensions are approximately 65 by 50 meters. It is surrounded on all its four sides by a portico with double rows of arches, opened by slightly horseshoe arches supported by coloumns in various marble, in granite or in porphyry, reused from Roman , Early Christian or Byzantine monuments particularly from Carthage.

The portico on the south side of the courtyard near the prayer hall, includes in its middle a high and wide arch full overridden and broken centering based on columns of precious marble with Corinthian capitals. This imposing porch of seven meters high, is topped with a square base upon which rests a semi-spherical ribbed dome ; the dodecagonal drum of the dome is pierced by sixteen small rectangular windows listed in rounded niches. The great central arch of the south portico, is flanked on each side by six rhythmically arranged horseshoe arches, which fall on the twin columns backed by pillars. Overall, the proportions and general provisions of the facade of the south portico, with its thirteen arches of which that in the middle constitutes a sort of triumphal arch crowned with a cupola, form an ensemble with " a powerful air of majesty ", according to historian and sociologist Paul Sebag.

View of the courtyard on the side of the prayer hall wall

Porch topped with a ribbed dome rising in the middle of the south portico of the courtyard

Portico located on the eastern side of the courtyard

Interior view of one of the galleries that surround the courtyard

Details of the courtyard

Close up of the sundial located in the courtyard

Thus, the combination formed by the courtyard and the galleries that surround it covers an immense area whose dimensions are about 90 meters long and 72 meters in width. The northern part of the courtyard is paved with flagstones while the rest of the floor is almost entirely composed of white marble slabs. Near its center is an horizontal sundials, bearing an inscription in naskhi engraved on the marble dating from 1258 AH (which corresponds to the year 1843) and which is accessed by a little staircase ; it determines the time of prayers. The rainwater collector or impluvium, probably the work of the Muradid Bey Mohamed Bey al-Mouradi (1686 – 1696), is an ingenious system that ensures the capture (with the slightly sloping surface of the courtyard) then filtering stormwater at a central pool furnished with horseshoe arches sculpted in white marble. Freed from its impurities, the water flows into an underground cistern supported by seven meters high pillars. In the courtyard there are also several water wells some of which are placed side by side. Their edges, obtained from the lower parts of ancient cored columns, support the string grooves back the buckets.

Details of the courtyard capitals surmounted by a small sundial

Detail of arches and columns of the north portico of the courtyard

Focus on collecting rainwater

Focus on one well of the courtyard

Minaret

Minaret consisting of a square tower of three decreasing levels, the third level is topped with a small ribbed dome

Door of the Minaret

The Minaret, which occupies the center of the northern wall, the closest of the building, with its 31.5 meters tall and is seated on a square base of 10.7 meters on each side. Located inside the enclosure and does not have direct access from the outside, It consists of three tapering levels the last of which is topped with a small ribbed dome which is most probably built later than the rest of the tower. Each of the three tiers has a railing with crenelated rounded battlements. The Minaret was serving both as a watchtower and to call the faithful to prayer.

The door that opens access is lined with ancient sculptures. Stones from the Roman and period which bear Latin inscriptions, the use of which probably dates to the work done under Umayyad governor Bishr ibn Safwan at around 725, have been reused at the base of the tower. The greater part of the minaret, work of Aghlabid princes (ninth century), consists of regular layers of carefully cut rubble stone, thus giving the work a stylistic homogeneity and unity considered admirable.

The interior includes a staircase of 129 steps, surmounted by a barrel vault, which gives access to terraces and first tier of the Minaret. The south wall of the courtyard is pierced with windows that provide light and ventilation while the other three walls, facing north, east and west, are pierced with small openings in the form of Arrowlits. Dating from the early eighth century, or 836, it is in both cases the oldest minaret in the Muslim World and also the world's oldest still standing.

Due to its age and its architectural features, the minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is the prototype of all the minarets of the Muslim West : it served as a model both in North Africa and in Andalusia. Despite its massive form and austere decoration, it nevertheless presents an harmonious structure and a majestic appearance.

Prayer hall

The largest and most ornate door of the 17 carved wooden doors opening onto the prayer hall

The prayer hall is located on the southern side of the courtyard ; and is accessed by 17 carved wooden doors. A portico with double row of arches precede the spacious Prayer Hall, which takes the shape of a rectangle of 70.6 meters in width and 37.5 meters depth.

Nave lit by chandeliers (in the bottom is the mihrab and at his right the minbar)

The hypostyle hall is divided into 17 aisles of eight bays, the central nave is wider, as well as the bay along the wall of the qibla. They cross with right angle in front of the mihrab, this device, named "T shape", which is also found in two Iraqi mosques in Samarra (around 847) has been adopted in many North African and Andalusian mosques where it became a feature.

The central nave, a sort of triumphal alley which leads to the mihrab, is significantly higher and wider than the other sixteen aisles of the prayer hall. It is bordered on each side of a double row of arches rested on twin columns and surmounted by a carved plaster decoration consisting of floral and geometric patterns.

Enlightened by impressive chandeliers which are applied in countless small glass lamps, the nave opens into the south portico of the courtyard by a monumental delicately carved wooden door, made in 1828 under the reign of the Husainids. This sumptuous door, which has four leaves richly carved with geometric motifs embossed on the bottom of foliages and interlacing stars, is decorated at the typanum by a stylized vase from which emerge winding stems and leaves. The other doors of the prayer hall, some of which date from the time of Hafsid, are distinguished by their decor with patterned essentially geometric (hexagonal, octagonal, rectangular, etc.).

Perspective in the gallery along the prayer hall

Focus on a carved wooden door of the prayer hall

Focus on the rich sculptural decoration of the upper part of the main door of the prayer hall

Interior view of the prayer Hall

Focus on the columns of the prayer hall

View of the large chandeliers in the central nave of the prayer hall

Dome raised at the beginning of the central nave

Exterior view of the dome above the mihrab

Columns and ceiling

Twin Columns in various marbles and with ancient capitals in the prayer Hall

Close view of the mihrab's dome (first half of the 9th century)

In the prayer hall, the 414 columns of precious marbles , granite or porphyry (among more than 500 columns in the whole mosque), taken from ancient sites in the country such as Sbeitla Carthage, Hadrumetum and Chemtou, support the horsehoe arches. A legend says they could not count them without going blind. The capitals overcoming the drums columns offer a wide variety of shapes and styles (Corinthian, ion, Composite, etc..). Some capitals were carved for the mosque, but others come from Roman buildings or Byzantine (Dating from the second to sixth century) and were reused. According to the German archaeologist Christian Ewert, the special arrangement of reused columns and capitals surrounding the mihrab obeys to a well-defined program and would draw symbolically the plan of the Dome of the Rock. The shafts of the columns are carved in marble of different colors and different backgrounds. Those in white marble come from Itlay, some shafts located in the area of the mihrab are in red Porphyry imported from Eqypt, while those made of greenish or pink marble are from quarries of Chemtou, in the north-west of current Tunisia. Although the shafts are of varying heights, the columns are ingeniously arranged to support fallen arches harmoniously. The height difference is compensated by the development of variable bases, capitals and crossbeans; a number of these crossbeams are in cedar wood. The wooden rods, which usually sink to the base of the transom, connect the columns together and maintain the spacing of the arches, thus enhancing the stability of all structures which support the ceiling of the prayer hall.

The covering of the prayer hall consists of painted ceilings decorated with vegetal motifs and two domes : one raised at the beginning of the central nave and the other in front of the mihrab. The latter, which its hemispherical cap is cut by 24 concave grooves radiating around the top, is based on ridged horns shaped shell and a drum pierced by eight circular windows which are inserted between sixteen niches grouped by two. The niches are covered with carved stone panels, finely adorned with geometric and floral motifs characteristics of the Aghlabid decorative repertoire : shells, cusped arches, rosettes, vine-leaf, etc. From the outside, the dome of the mihrab is based on an octagonal drum with slightly concave sides, raised on a square base, decorated on each of its three southern, Easter and western faces with five flat-bottomed niches surmounted by five semi-circular arches, the niche in the middle is cut by a lobed oculus enrolled in a circular frame. This dome, whose construction goes back to the first half of the ninth century (towards 836), is one of the oldest and most remarkable domes in the western Islamic world.

View of the ceiling of the prayer hall

The painted ceilings are a unique ensemble of planks, beams and brackets, illustrating almost thousand years of the history of painting on wood in Tunisia. Wooden brackets offer a wide variety of style and decor in the shape of a crow or a grasshopper with wings or fixed, they are characterized by a setting that combines floral painted or carved, with grooves. The oldest boards date back to the Aghlabid period (ninth century) and are decorated with scrolls and rosettes on a red background consists of squares with concave sides in which are inscribed four-petaled flowers in green and blue, and those performed by the Zirid Dynasty (eleventh century) are characterized by inscriptions in black kufic writing with gold rim and the uprights of the letters end with lobed florets, all on a brown background adorned with simple floral patterns.

The boards painted under the Hafsid period (during the thirteenth century) offers a floral decor consists of white and blue arches entwined with lobed green. The latest, dated the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (mostly dating from the time of Mouradit Beys), are distinguished by an epigraphic decoration consists of long black and red text on green-olive to those painted from 1618 to 1619, under the reign of Murad I, Bey, while those back to the eighteenth century have inscriptions in naskhi white in an orange background.

Mihrab and minbar

View of the mihrab and the minbar (on his right) which leads the central nave of the prayer hall

Close view of the mihrab, whose current state dates from the ninth century

The mihrab, which indicates the Qibla (direction of Mecca), in front of which stands the imam during the prayer, is located in the middle of the southern wall of the prayer hall. It is formed by a oven-shaped niche framed by two marble columns and topped by a painted wooden half-cupola. The niche of the mihrab is two meters long, 4.5 meters high and 1.6 meters deep.

The mosque's mihrab, whose decor is a remarkable witness of Muslim Art in the early centuries of Islam, is distinguished by its harmonious composition and the quality of its ornaments. Considered as the oldest example of concave mihrab it dates in its present state to 862-863 AD.

It is surrounded at its upper part by 139 ceramic lustre tiles (with a metallic sheen), each one is 21.1 centimeters square and they are arranged on the diagonal in a chessboard pattern. Divided into two groups, they are dated from the beginning of the second half of the ninth century but we don't know with certainty whether they were made in Baghdad or in Kairouan by a Baghdadi artisan, the controversy over the origin of this precious collection agitates the specialists. These tiles are mainly decorated with floral and plant motifs (stylized flowers, palm leaves and asymmetrical leaves on bottom hatch and checkered) belong to two series : one polychrome characterized by a greater richness of tones ranging from light gold to light, dark or ocher yellow, and from brick-red to brown lacquer, the other monochrome is a beautiful luster that goes from smoked gold to green gold. The coating around them is decorated with blue plant motifs dating from the eighteenth century or the first half of the nineteenth century. The horseshoe arch of the mihrab, stilted and broken at the top, rest on two columns of red marble with yellow veins, which surmounted with Byzantine style capitals that carry two crossbeams carved with floral patterns, each one is decorated with an inscription in kufic relief.

Close view of the upper part of the mihrab

Wall of the mihrab covered with openwork marble panels

The wall of the mihrab is covered with 28 panels of white marble, carved and pierced, which have a wide variety of plant and geometric patterns including the stylized grape leaf, the flower and the shell. Behind the openwork hint, there is an oldest niche on which several assumptions were formulated. If one refers to the story of Al-Bakri, an Andalusian historian and geographer of the eleventh century, it is the mihrab which would be done by Uqba Ibn Nafi, the founder of Kairouan, whereas Lucien Golvin shares the view that it is not an old mihrab but hardly a begun construction which may serve to support marble panels and either goes back to work of Ziadet Allah I (817-838) or to those of Ibrahim Abul around the years 862-863. Above the marble cladding, the mihrab niche is crowned with a half dome-shaped vault made of manchineel bentwood. Covered with a thick coating completely painted, the concavity of the arch is decorated with intertwined scrolls enveloping stylized five-lobed vine leaves, three-lobed florets and sharp clusters, all of yellow on blue night.

Focus on the mihrab and the minbar in 1930

The minbar, situated on the right of the mihrab, is used by the imam during the Friday or Eids sermons, is a staircase-shaped pulpit with an upper seat, reached by eleven steps, and measuring 3.93 meters length to 3.31 meters in height. Dated from the ninth century (about 862) and erected under the reign of the sixth Aghlabid ruler Abul Ibrahim (856-863), it is made in teak wood imported from India. Among all the pulpits of the Muslim world, it is certainly the oldest example of minbar still preserved today. Probably made by cabinetmakers of Kairouan (some researchers also refer to Baghdad), it consists of more than 300 pieces of carved and assembled with an exceptional ornamental wealth (vegetal and geometric patterns refer to the Umayyad and Abbasid models), among which about 90 rectangular panels carved with plenty of pine cones, thin and flexible stems, fruits lanceolate delicately chiselled surface and various geometric shapes (squares, diamonds, stars, etc.). The upper edge of the minbar ramp is decorated with a rich background that includes vegetation foliage wound alternating loops, each loop involves a fig leaf spread with a bunch of grapes hanging. In the early twentieth century, the Minbar had a painstaking restoration. Although more than eleven centuries of existence, all panels, with the exception of nine, are originals and are in a good state of conservation, the fineness of the execution of the minbar makes him a real head-d work referring to Paul Sebag. This old chair of the ninth century is still in its original location, next to the mihrab.

Maqsura

View of the maqsura decorated with a frieze that includes a kufic character calligraphic inscription

The maqsura, located near the minibar, a perimeter fence is a private enclosure that allows the sovereign and his senior officials to follow the solemn prayer of Friday without mingling with the faithful. Jewel of the art of woodwork produced during the reign of the Zirid prince Al – Muizz ibn Badis and dated the first half of the eleventh century, it is considered the oldest still in place in the Islamic world. It is a clear wood fence finely sculpted and carved on three sides with various geometric motifs measuring 2.8 meters tall, eight meters long and six meters wide. Its main adornment is a frieze that crowns calligraphy, the latter surmounted by a line of pointed openwork merlons, features an inscription in flowery kufic character carved on the background of interlacing plants, representing one of the most beautiful epigraphic bands of Islamic art.

The library is near located, accessible by a door which the jambs and the lintels are carved in marble, adorned with a frieze of floral decoration. The library window is marked by an elegant setting that has two columns flanking the opening, which is a horseshoe arch topped by six blind arches and crowned by a series of berms sawtooth.

Artworks

The Mosque of Uqba, one of the few religious buildings of Islam has remained intact almost all of its architectural and decorative elements, is due to the richness of its repertoire which is a veritable museum of Islamics decorative art and architecture. Most of the works on which the reputation of the mosque are still conserved in situ while a number have joined the collections of Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art ; Raqqada is located about ten kilometers southwest of Kairouan.

From the library of the mosque comes a large collection of calligraphic scrolls and manuscripts, the oldest dating back to the second half of the ninth century. This valuable collection, observed from the late nineteenth century by the French orientalists Octave Houdas and René Basset who mention in their report on their scientific mission in Tunisia published in the Journal of African correspondence in 1882, comprises according to the established inventory the time of Hafsid (circa 1293-1294) several Qur'ans and books of fiqh that concern mainly the Maliki fiqh and its sources. These are the oldest fund of Maliki legal literature to have survived.

Two layers of the Blue Koran, originally in the library of the mosque

Among the finest works of this series, the blue pages of the Qur'an, currently exhibited at Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art, from a famous Qur'an in the second half of the fourth century of the Hegira (the tenth century) most of which is preserved in Tunisia and the rest scattered in museums and private collections worldwide. Featuring kufic character suras are written in gold on vellum dyed with indigo, they are distinguished by a compact graph with no marks for vowels. The beginning of each Surah is indicated by a band consisting of a stylized leafy foliage, dotted with golden and red and blue, while the verses are separated by silver rosettes. Other scrolls and calligraphic Qur'ans, as that known as the Hadinah's Qur'an, copied and illuminated by the calligrapher Ali ibn Ahmad al-Warraq for the governess of the Zirid prince Al-Muizz ibn Badis at about 1020 AD, were also in the library before being transferred to Raqqada museum. This collection is a unique source for studying the history and evolution of calligraphy of medieval manuscripts in the Maghreb, covering the period from the ninth to the eleventh century.

Other works of art such as the crowns of light (circular chandeliers) made in cast bronze, dating from the Fatimid – Zirid period (around tenth-early eleventh century), originally belonged to the furniture of the mosque. These polycandelon, now scattered in various Tunisian museums including Raqqada consist of three chains, supporting a perforated brass plate, which has a central circular ring around which radiate 18 equidistant poles connected by many horseshoe arches and equipped for each of two landmarks flared. The three chains, connected by a suspension ring, are each fixed to the plate by an almond-shaped finial. The crowns of light are marked by Byzantine influence to which the Kairouanese artisan brought the specificities of Islamic decorative repertoire (geometric and floral motifs).

Role in Muslim civilization

At the time of its greatest splendor, between ninth and eleventh centuries, Kairouan is one of the greatest centers of Islamic civilization and its reputation as a hotbed of scholarship covers the entire Maghreb. During this period, the Great Mosque of Kairouan is both a place of prayer and a center for teaching Islamic sciences under the Maliki current. We can compare its role to that of the University of Paris during the Middle Ages.

In addition to studies on the deepening of religious thought and Maliki jurisprudence, the mosque also hosts various courses in secular subjects such as mathematics, astronomy, medicine and botany. The transmission of knowledge is assured by prominent scholars and theologians which include Sahnun ibn Said and Asad ibn Al – Furat, eminent jurists who contributed greatly to the dissemination of the Maliki thought, Ishaq ibn Imran and Ibn Al – Jazzar in medicine, Abu Sahl al-Kairouani and Abd al-Kindi al-Monim in mathematics. Thus the mosque, headquarters of a prestigious university with a large library containing a large number of scientific and theological works, was the most remarkable intellectual and cultural center in North Africa during the ninth, tenth and eleventh centuries.

Other images of the mosque

One of the gates of the western wall

Massive minaret of the mosque (8th-9th century)

View of the prayer hall wall

Horseshoe arches in the portico preceding the prayer hall

View of the hypostyle prayer hall

Central nave of the prayer hall (mihrab and minbar in the background)

Antique marble columns in the prayer hall

Detail of ancient composite capitals of marble columns

Perspective in one of the galleries surrounding the courtyard

One of the arched porticoes of the courtyard

Water well in the courtyard

Minaret seen at night

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