Imam 'Ali Mosque (Manakhah)

Imam 'Ali Mosque (Manakhah)

General Information
Place	Manakha, west of al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina.
Usage	Mosque
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Imam Ali Mosque (a) is one of the historical mosques of Medina built on the site of the Musalla of the Prophet (s). The Musalla was an open prayer ground where the Prophet and the people of Medina performed the 'Eid al-Adha and 'Eid al-Fitr prayers. This mosque is located in the Manakha district, west of al-Masjid al-Nabawi. According to reports, Imam 'Ali (a) performed the 'Eid prayer at this location when 'Uthman b. 'Affan was besieged by his opponents.

Geographical Location

The 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) Mosque, al-Musalla Mosque and Abu Bakr Mosque are three mosques known as the Musalla mosques of the Prophet in the Manakhah district. These mosques are located close to each other, west of al-Masjid al-Nabawi. The Imam 'Ali Mosque is located north of al-Musalla Mosque and Abu Bakr Mosque, and is 122 meters from al-Musalla Mosque, 80 meters from Abu Bakr Mosque, and 290 meters from al-Masjid al-Nabawi.

According to al-Samhudi (d. 911/1505), the historian of Medina, these mosques were built in places where the Prophet Muhammad (s) used to perform 'Eid prayers. These places were not originally mosques but rather open spaces or prayer ground, which were later converted into mosques.

origin of the name

According to some narrations, when 'Uthman was besieged in his house by his opponents, Imam 'Ali (a) performed the 'Eid prayer at the site of this mosque. According to some historians of Medina, this report is the reason for the naming of this mosque. They have emphasized that Imam Ali (a) and the caliphs only performed 'Eid prayers in the prayer grounds of the Prophet (s); therefore, the 'Ali b. Abi Talib Mosque was also one of the Musallas of the Prophet.

History of the Mosque's Construction

According to al-Samhudi, this mosque was first constructed during the reign of Umar b. Abd al-Aziz (r. 87-93/706-712); however, it later disappeared, and its location became the burial place for some pilgrims who died during the Hajj season. In 881/1476, Zayn al-Din Dighm Mansuri, the Amir of Medina, rebuilt it.

'Ali b. Musa mentioned this mosque in 1303/1885 as a mosque with one minaret. Ibrahim Rifa'at Pasha also referred to this mosque during his journey in 1318/1900.

Reconstruction of the Mosque in the Thirteenth Lunar Century

An inscription, which according to a report was on the mosque's wall until the early twentieth century CE, contained verses indicating that this mosque was rebuilt in 1269/1852 (during the reign of Sultan 'Abd al-Majid I of the Ottoman Empire). This building, before its reconstruction in 1411/1991, looked like this:

1991 CE Reconstruction

The Imam 'Ali Mosque in Manakhah was completely demolished in 1411/1991 due to dilapidation and then rebuilt in its original form and architecture. A women's prayer area and restrooms were added to it. In 1429/2009, repairs were also carried out in this mosque.

Features of the Mosque Building

The Imam 'Ali (a) Mosque has a rectangular shape. On the north side, there is an open courtyard, and on the south side, there is a portico (roofed section) with seven domes, the largest of which is the mihrab dome. This portico is 30 meters long and 6 meters wide, and its doors open to the mosque's courtyard. This mosque also has a minaret located in its southeastern corner.

Gallery

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The image below shows the distance of the Muṣallā mosques to one of the corners of the current al-Masjid al-Nabawi building.

See Also

• Musalla of the Prophet(s)

References

• Ma'alim al-Madinah al-Munawwarah bayn al-'Imarah wa l-Tarikh, 'Abd al-'Aziz Ka'ki, Beirut, Dar Maktabat al-Hilal, 2007.
• Wafa' al-Wafa' bi Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, 'Ali b. 'Abd Allah al-Samhudi, corrected by Qasim al-Samarra'i, London, al-Furqan, 2001 CE.
• 'al-Ta'rif bi ma Anasat al-Hijrah, Jamal al-Din Muhammad b. Ahmad al-Matari, corrected by Sulayman al-Ruhayli, Riyadh, Idarat al-Malik 'Abd al-'Aziz, 1426 AH.
• Masajid al-Athariyyah fi al-Madinah al-Nabawiyyah, Muhammad Ilyas 'Abd al-Ghani, Medina, Publisher: Author.
• Wasf al-Madinah al-Munawwarah
• al-Madinah al-Munawwarah Tatawwuruha al-'Imrani wa Turathuha al-Mi'mari, Salih La'mi Mustafa, Beirut, Dar al-Nahdah al-'Arabiyyah, 1981
• Mir'at al-Haramayn, Ibrahim Rifa'at Pasha,