Mount Thawr (Mecca)

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Mount Thawr in Mecca
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The Mount Thawr is a notable mountain located to the south of Mecca. It is renowned for housing the Cave of Thawr, the place where the Prophet Muhammad (S) and his companion Abu Bakr sought refuge during their migration (Hijra) to Medina. This event is a significant moment in Islamic history, symbolizing the Prophet's perseverance and trust in Allah during a time of great adversity.

Mount Thawr is approximately three kilometers away from the Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque of Mecca. It is situated opposite Mount Nur, which is famous for the Cave of Hira where the Prophet Muhammad (S) received his first revelation from Allah through the angel Gabriel. The geographical and historical significance of Mount Thawr adds to the rich tapestry of sacred sites in the region, each marking critical events in the life of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and the early history of Islam.

Location and Features of Mount Thawr

Mount Thawr, with an elevation of 759 meters above sea level, is situated to the south of Mecca along the route to Yemen. It is located approximately three kilometers from the Masjid al-Haram, the Grand Mosque of Mecca, and directly faces Mount Nur, which is notable for the Cave of Hira where the Prophet Muhammad (S) received his first revelation.[1] This mountain is particularly significant in Islamic history due to the presence of the Cave of Thawr on its slopes. It was in this cave that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companion Abu Bakr sought refuge during their migration (Hijra) to Medina, an event marking a pivotal moment in the early days of Islam.

Mount Thawr is composed of rocks displaying a variety of colors, including golden, silver, and charcoal hues. This distinctive coloration contributes to the mountain's unique geological appearance and adds to its visual and symbolic significance in the region.

The physical and historical attributes of Mount Thawr make it an important landmark, both geographically and spiritually. Its proximity to other sacred sites, such as the Masjid al-Haram and Mount Nur, further underscores its relevance in the Islamic tradition and the rich historical landscape of Mecca.[2]

The current mountain location

Today, with the city's expansion, Mount Thawr is situated amidst several streets named Thawr Street, Ta'if and Kudai Road.[3] And there are multiple ways for ascending and descending the mountain.[4]

Reason for Naming

It is said that Thawr b. Abd Manat was born in the foothills of this mountain, and from that time, this place became famous as Thawr Aṭḥal. Later, the name Thawr prevailed over it.[5] This mountain is also mentioned by the name Abu Thawr.[6] It is possible that the southern view of it resembles a cow (Thawr).[7] Or the collective residence of a group called Bani Thawr in this mountain and its surrounding areas[8] May be the reason for this naming.

Cave of Thawr

Main article: Cave of Thawr

This mountain is renowned among Muslims and is considered sacred, as the Prophet sought refuge in a cave on this mountain for several days during his migration to Medina, escaping from the pursuit of polytheists.[9] On top of the mountain, there are two caves close to each other, both considered hiding places of the Prophet (peace be upon him) during his migration to Yathrib (later known as Medina). Considering the guidance of Abu Bakr and Amer ibn Fuhayrah, the guide of the journey, it can be said that the larger cave served as the location of concealment. Verse 40 of Surah At-Tawbah, in which Allah reports the support of the Prophet and his companion, refers to this event and the cave.[10]

Narratives About Mount Thawr

In a narration, Mount Thawr is mentioned as the place where Abel (Habil) was killed.[11] According to some narrations, Mount Thawr is considered one of the remnants of a mountain that disintegrated after the manifestation of the power of God upon Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).[12] And it is also counted as one of the mountains attached to the seventh layer of the Earth.[13] In another narration, this mountain is said to have called the Prophet (peace be upon him) towards itself and reported sheltering seventy prophets.[14](14)

Recommendation of Praying on Mount Thawr

Mount Thawr is known as a place where prayers are fulfilled, especially during the noon.[15] It is also recommended to perform prayers in the Cave of Thawr.[16] Sheikh Murteza Ansari, the esteemed Shiite scholar, has mentioned a special prayer in his rituals to be recited on Mount Thawr.[17]

Gallary

Notes

  1. ↑ Kurdī, Al-Tārīkh al-qawīm, vol. 2, p. 384.
  2. ↑ Rafʿat Pāshā,Mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn, vol. 1, p. 63.
  3. ↑ Qāʾidān, Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmī, p. 160.
  4. ↑ Fākihī, Akhbār Makka fī qadīm al-dahr wa ḥaīthih, vol. 4, p. 203.
  5. ↑ Ḥamawī, Muʿjam al-buldān, vol. 2, p.86-87; Dīyārbakrī, Tārīkh al-khamīs, vol. 1, p. 324.
  6. ↑ Ibn Jubayr, Riḥla Ibn Jubayr, p. 83.
  7. ↑ Bilādī, Muʿjam al-Maʿārif al- Jughrāfīyya, p. 72.
  8. ↑ Āl-i Basām, Khazānat al-tawārīkh al-najdīyya, vol. 9, p. 218.
  9. ↑ Fāsī al-Makkī, Shifāʾ al-gharām, vol. 1, p. 464.
  10. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya,vol. 6, p. 184; Maqrizī, Imtāʿ al-asmāʾ, vol. 1, p. 58.
  11. ↑ Ibn Zahīra, Al-Jāmiʿ al-laṭīf, p. 301; Kurdī, Al-Tārīkh al-qawīm, vol. 1, p. 392.
  12. ↑ Fākihī, Akhbār Makka fī qadīm al-dahr wa ḥaīthih, vol. 4, p. 82; Khārazmī, Ithara al-targhīb, vol. 2, p. 311.
  13. ↑ Marjānī, Bahjat al-nufūs, vol. 1, p. 336.
  14. ↑ Ibn Zahīra, Al-Jāmiʿ al-laṭīf, p. 300.
  15. ↑ Khārazmī, Ithara al-targhīb, vol. 1, p. 236.
  16. ↑ Fākihī, Akhbār Makka fī qadīm al-dahr wa ḥaīthih, vol. 4, p. 35.
  17. ↑ Hajj Research Center. Adʿīyya wa ādāb-i Makke-yi mukarrama, p. 204-205.

References

  • Āl-i Basām, ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. Khazānat al-tawārīkh al-najdīyya. Saudi Arabia:[n.p]1419 AH.
  • Bilādī, ʿĀtiq b. Ghayth al-. Muʿjam al-Maʿārif al- Jughrāfīyya. Mecca: Dār al-Makka, 1402 AH.
  • Dīyārbakrī, Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad. Tārīkh al-khamīs fī aḥwāl ʾanfas al-nafīs. Beirut: Muʾssisa sha ʿbān, 1283 AH.
  • Fākihī, Muḥammad b. Isḥāq. Akhbār Makka fī qadīm al-dahr wa ḥaīthih. Beirut: Dār al- Khiḍr, 1414 AH.
  • Fāsī al-Makkī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad. Shifāʾ al-gharām bi akhbār al-balad al-ḥarām. Translated by Muḥammad Muqaddas. Tehran: Mashʿar, 1386 sh.
  • Hajj Research Center. Adʿīyya wa ādāb-i Makke-yi mukarrama. Tehran: Mashʿar, 1386 sh.
  • Ḥamawī, Yāqūt b. ʿAbd Allāh al-. Muʿjam al-buldān. Beirut: Dār al-Ṣādir, 1995.
  • Ibn Jubayr, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad. Riḥla Ibn Jubayr. Beirut: Dār al-Maktaba al-Hilāl, 1986.
  • Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya. Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1407 AH.
  • Ibn Zahīra, Muḥammad Jārullāh. Al-Jāmiʿ al-laṭīf fī faḍl-i Makka wa ahluhā wa bināʾ al-Bayt al-Sharīf. Edited by ʿAlī ʿUmar. Cairo: Maktabat al-Thaqāfa al-Dīnīyya, 1423 AH.
  • Ibrāhīm Rafʿat Pāshā. Mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn, aw, al-raḥlāt al-ḥijāziyya wa al-ḥaj wa mashāʿirihi al-dīniyya. Beirut: Dār al-Maʿrifa, [n.d].
  • Khārazmī, Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-. Ithara al-targhīb. Mecca: Maktabat Nazār Muṣṭafā al-Bāz, 1418 AH.
  • Kurdī, Muḥammad Ṭāhir. Al-Tārīkh al-qawīm li Makka wa bayt Allāh al-karīm. Beirut: : Dār al- Khiḍr, 1420 AH.
  • Marjānī, ʿAbdullāh al-. Bahjat al-nufūs wa al-asrār. Beirut: Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2002.
  • Qāʾidān, Aṣghar. Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmī-yi Makka wa Madīna. 4th edition. Qom: Nashr-i Mashʿar, 1381 Sh.
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