The Mosque of Bani Haram

The Mosque of Banī Ḥarām (Ar:Masjid Banī Ḥarām) is one of the ancient mosques in Medina, with its origins dating back to the Prophetic era. The mosque is located to the west of Mount Silaʿ, on the right side of the road leading to the Mosques of Fatḥ. It has one dome and one minaret in the northwestern corner. Its length is 16 meters, and its width is 13 meters.

The Mosque of Banī Ḥarām

General Information
Other Names	Al-ʿUmārī Mosque, Bani Haram Al-Saghir Mosque
Place	Saudi Arabia, Medina, West of Mount Silaʿ
Usage	mosque
Religious Aspect
Religious Affiliation	Islam
History
Historical Features	Prayer of the Prophet(s) in this mosque
Current State
Status	Available
Parts	Side walls - altar - minaret
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This mosque, which had fallen into ruins before 1388 AH due to the uncertainty of its exact location, was identified and restored through the efforts of a researcher from Medina. It has since been renovated twice.

Name

Masjid Banī Ḥarām is named after its location among the houses of the Banī Ḥarām tribe. This tribe is a subgroup of the Khazraj. Today, the mosque is also known as Masjid al-ʿUmārī.

Location

Masjid Banī Ḥarām, which some consider part of the Seven Mosques of the Trench, is located to the west of Mount Silaʿ, on the right side of the road leading from Sīḥ Street to the Mosques of Fatḥ. It is 1.68 kilometers away from Masjid al-Nabī.

Construction

According to narrations, during the early days of Islam, some members of the Banī Ḥarām and Banī Salama tribes complained to Prophet Muhammad (s) about their living conditions. The Prophet (s) guided them to settle in the western part of Mount Silaʿ, and they did so. After relocating, the Banī Ḥarām tribe built this mosque, which was later restored by ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. It is reported that the Prophet (s) prayed in this mosque. However, some believe the relocation of this tribe and the construction of the mosque occurred during the caliphate of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.

History of the Structure

The mosque was in ruins by the 9th century AH, and according to ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Samhūdī, a historian of Medina, only its foundations and some columns remained. However, Shams al-Dīn al-Sakhāwī (d. 906 AH), another historian of Medina, reported its restoration during the same century. Abū Sālim al-ʿAyyāshī, in his travelogue from 1073 AH, mentioned the mosque but described it as ruined.

According to Ibrāhīm al-ʿAyyāshī (d. 1388 AH), a philanthropist from Medina restored the mosque, which had been in ruins until then, under his guidance. In 1400 AH (1979 CE), it was restored again by the Saudi government. In 1410 AH (1990 CE), the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Endowments completely rebuilt the mosque after demolishing the old structure. During this restoration, the mosque was given a minaret and a dome, which, based on available images, was sometimes painted green.

Current Structure of the Mosque

In 2024 CE, Masjid Banī Ḥarām was renovated again, this time with stone-clad walls. The mosque has one dome and one minaret in the northwestern corner. Its length is 16 meters, and its width is 13 meters. It also has facilities for ablution in the northeastern corner. The total area is 236.42 square meters, and it can accommodate 172 worshippers.

Images After the 1400 AH (1979 CE) Restoration

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  Exterior view of the mosque
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  Prayer area of the mosque
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  Mihrab
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  Courtyard and minaret of the mosque
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  Short, dome-shaped minaret of the mosque

Images After the 1410 AH (1990 CE) Restoration and Later

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  Entrance of the mosque
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  Prayer hall of the mosque
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  Southern interior of the mosque
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  Mihrab of the mosque

Images Before the 2024 CE Restoration Project (Two Decades Between Restorations)

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Images from 2024 CE

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References

• ʿAbd al-Ghanī, Muḥammad Ilyās. Al-Masājid al-Athariyya fī al-Madīna al-Munawwara. Medina, 1998.
• Ibn Shubba, Abū Zayd ʿUmar. Tārīkh al-Madīna al-Munawwara. Qom: Dār al-Fikr, 1368 SH.
• Ibn Zabāla, Muḥammad ibn Ḥasan (d. 199 AH). Akhbār al-Madīna. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Center for Research and Studies of Medina, 1st edition, 1424 AH.
• Kaʿkī, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān. Maʿālim al-Madīna al-Munawwara bayn al-Miʿmāra wa al-Tārīkh. part 4, Beirut, 2011.
• Sakhāwī, Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al- Al-Tuḥfa al-Laṭīfa fī Tārīkh al-Madīna al-Sharīfa. Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyya, 1993.
• Samhūdī, ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-. Wafāʾ al-Wafā bi-Akhbār Dār al-Muṣṭafā. edited by Qāsim al-Sāmarrāʾī, London: Muʾassasat al-Furqān lil-Turāth al-Islāmī, 2001 CE.
• IQNA News Agency, Persian version.
• Google Maps, World Map.
• Explore Medina Website.