Masjid Quba
Quba, located on the outskirts of Madinah, is where the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) first stayed after emigrating from Makkah. They arrived on Monday, 12th Rab’i al-Awwal, marking the beginning of the Islamic calendar (Hijra). The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) established Masjid Quba here, making it the first mosque built in Islam.
The virtue of Masjid Quba is mentioned in the Quranic verse in Surah Tawbah: “…certainly a mosque founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it…” [9:108]
The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who purifies himself at home and comes to Masjid Quba and offers two rakats therein will be rewarded with the reward of an Umrah (minor pilgrimage).” [Sunan ibn Majah]
The people of Yathrib (later named Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah) had eagerly awaited the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him). Each day, they would go beyond the fields and palm groves, waiting for him until the sun became unbearable. One day, after a long wait, they returned to their homes. A Jew happened to catch a glimpse of a small group of white-robed travelers in the distance and called out: “O people of Arabia! What you have been waiting for has arrived!”
The Muslims rushed to greet the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him). Upon his arrival in Quba, he addressed them, saying: “O People, give one another greetings of peace; feed the people; strengthen the ties of kinship; pray in the hours when others are asleep. You shall enter paradise in peace.”
During his stay in Quba, the Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) stayed in the house of Kulthoom bin Hadm (May Allah be pleased with him) and laid the foundations of Masjid Quba on his land. The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) personally carried stones, rocks, and sand for the construction work.
Narrated by Abdullah bin Dinar: Ibn ‘Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) used to go to the Mosque of Quba every Saturday, sometimes walking and sometimes riding.”
