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| The Al-Rāyah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الرایه), also known as Al-Dhubāb Mosque and Qarin Mosque, is a mosque located in the north of [[Medina]] on top of [[Mount Dhubab]].
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| During the [[Battle of Ahzab]], a tent was erected for the Prophet (s) on top of Mount Dhubab where he prayed. Later, Muslims built the Al-Rayah Mosque to commemorate this place.
| | Ratej Mosque |
| ==Location==
| | Ratej Mosque is one of the mosques associated with the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe in the north of Medina. It currently does not exist, and only its boundaries or ruins remain. |
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| Dhubab Mosque is located to the northwest of the [[Masjid al-nabi]]<ref>ʿAbd al-Ghanī, '' Masājid al-Ātharīyah'', p. 80.</ref>
| | Ratej was the name of a fortress belonging to the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe, and due to its fame, the area was also named Ratej. The Ratej Mosque was located next to this fortress. It is one of the mosques where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed within its boundaries and where Bilal al-Habashi called the adhan (call to prayer). |
| And it is situated on top of the small Mount Dhu'bab, on the right side of Uthman b. Affan Street.<ref>Kaʿakī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Bayna al-ʿAmārah wa al-Tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 160,164.</ref>
| | Location |
| This mountain is to the east of [[Mount Sala']] and near [[Thaniyat al-Wada']].<ref>ʿIyāshī, '' Al-Riḥlah al-ʿIyāshīyah'', vol. 1, p. 396.</ref>
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| ==Current Status==
| | Ratej Mosque was located in the old Ratej area, also known as Hisn Ratej. Today, there is no such name or area in Medina.(1) Kaʿkī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 4, p. 179. |
| The entrance to the Al-Rayah Mosque is from the Qibla (south) side.(4) ) Kuʿakī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Bayna al-ʿAmārah wa al-Tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 168.
| | The current name of the area in question is Masani.(2) ʿAyyāshī, ''Al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-māḍī wa al-ḥāḍir'', p. 358. |
| The mosque has a simple appearance and does not have a minaret, prominent verses, or any decorations inside or outside.(5) ) Kuʿakī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Bayna al-ʿAmārah wa al-Tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 172. | | Which is entirely located within the lands and boundaries of the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe.(3) ʿAyyāshī, ''Al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-māḍī wa al-ḥāḍir'', p. 359. |
| In late 2022, the mosque was renovated, and its appearance changed from white to an old-style stone design. In late 2023, the houses surrounding the mosque were demolished.(6) '' Website of Saudi Press Agency (SPA) ''
| | The place where Ratej Mosque was located is now on Uthman ibn Affan Street, which is known to the people of Medina as Tariq al-Uyoun.(4) Kaʿkī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 4, p. 179. |
| ==History==
| | Ratej Mosque was located to the northeast of Mount Dthubab. Today, Masjid al-Rayah is located on this mountain. [5] Samhūdī, ''Wafāʾ al-wafā bi akhbār dar al-Muṣṭafā'', vol. 3, p. 225. |
| During the Battle of the Trench (fifth year of Hijra) and while digging the trench around Medina, a tent was erected for the Prophet (PBUH) at this location to rest and oversee the trench digging activities. The Prophet (PBUH) also prayed there.(7) al-Samhūdī, '' Wafāʾ al-Wafā bi Akhbār Dār al-Muṣṭafá '', vol. 3, p. 201.
| | Names |
| ==Names==
| | The name of Ratej Mosque is derived from the Banu Ratej family, who are from the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe.(6) Kaʿkī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 4, p. 178. |
| Apparently, the reason for naming this mosque Al-Rayah Mosque (Flag Mosque) is that the flag of the Prophet's companion, Muslim ibn Uqbah, was raised at this location during the Battle of Harrah (63 Hijri).(8) al-Samhūdī, '' Wafāʾ al-Wafā bi Akhbār Dār al-Muṣṭafá '', vol. 3, p. 204.
| | Ratej was the name of a fortress belonging to the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe.(7)Ḥimyarī,''Al-Rawḍ al-miʿṭār fī khabar al-aqṭār'', p. 266. |
| It is also possible that this name is due to the placement of the Islamic flag on this mountain during the Battle of the Trench.(9) al-Shanqīṭī, '' Al-Durr al-Thamīn fī Maʿālim Dār al-Rasūl al-Amīn '' , p. 71.
| | And due to its fame, the area was also named Ratej.(8) Khiyārī, ''Tārīkh maʿālimal-madīna al-munawwara qadīman wa ḥadīthan'', p. 36. |
| It has also been said that Dhu'bab was the name of a man whom Marwan ibn Hakam hanged on top of this mosque.(10) ibn Shabbah Namīrī, "Tārīkh al-Madīnah Munawwarah", p. 262.
| | And Ratej Mosque was also located next to this fortress.(9) Ṣabrī Pāshā, ''Mawsūʿa mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn'', vol. 4, p. 706. |
| Another name for it is "Qarin Mosque".(11) ) ʿAbd al-Ghanī, '' Masājid al-Ātharīyah'', p. 80.
| | And over time, other groups settled in the vicinity of the Ratej fortress. [10] ) Khiyārī, ''Tārīkh maʿālimal-madīna al-munawwara qadīman wa ḥadīthan'', p. 44,51. |
| ==Building History==
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| According to evidence, the Al-Rayah Mosque was first built during the time of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz's governance over Medina.(12) al-Samhūdī, '' Wafāʾ al-Wafā bi Akhbār Dār al-Muṣṭafá '', vol. 3, p. 202.
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| The mosque building had been destroyed during a period prior to the 9th century Hijri, and around 845 Hijri, it was reconstructed by Amir Janbak al-Nayruzi.(13)ʿAbd al-Qadūs al-Anṣārī, ''Āthār al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah'', p. 129.
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| Additionally, some Arab historians have seen and described this mosque at various times. Abdul Qadous Ansari (died: 1403 AH) observed this mosque at the end of the fourteenth century AH and noted its dimensions, stating that the length and width of the building were 4 meters and its height was 6 meters. He believed that the stone structure of the mosque resembled its construction in the ninth century.(13) ʿAbd al-Qadūs al-Anṣārī, ''Āthār al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah'', p. 129.
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| Shanqeeti (died: 1393 AH) also described this mosque as being built in 1405 with old-style light stones. According to him, the mosque only had a main chamber and a courtyard without a door.(14) ) al-Shanqīṭī, '' Al-Durr al-Thamīn fī Maʿālim Dār al-Rasūl al-Amīn '' , p. 172.
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| Elias Abdul Ghani, in his work "Masajid al-Athariyyah," described the interior and exterior of the building as having been plastered in 1418 AH. He mentioned the presence of a covered prayer hall (musalla) which enlarged the mosque space, accommodating the five daily prayers.(1) ) ʿAbd al-Ghanī, '' Masājid al-Ātharīyah'', p. 80.
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| Contemporary researcher Kaaki, in his book published in 2011, states that the mosque remains in the same condition as described by Ansari. However, Kaaki also mentions the renovation of the mosque during the era of the Al Saud dynasty.(15) ) Kuʿakī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Bayna al-ʿAmārah wa al-Tārīkh'', vol. 2, p. 166.
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| ==Gallery==
| | The building's history |
| | The construction and demolition dates of Ratej Mosque are not clear. The mosque did not exist in the eighth and ninth centuries. Samhudi mentioned this mosque in a section discussing mosques whose precise locations are not known.(11) Samhūdī, ''Wafāʾ al-wafā bi akhbār dar al-Muṣṭafā'', vol. 3, p. 224. |
| | In "Al-Madina Between the Past and the Present" (published in 2013), Ibrahim ibn Ali Ayyashi locates the vicinity of the mosque next to the Jassum Well to the south, where a large Ottoman communications center was built.(12) ʿAyyāshī, ''Al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-māḍī wa al-ḥāḍir'', p. 359. |
| | This building still remains to this day.(13) Kaʿkī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 4, p. 181. |
| | According to Kaki, a contemporary geographer of Medina, in 1992, the Municipality of Medina carried out renovation operations in this area.(14) Kaʿkī, ''Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh'', vol. 4, p. 183. |
| | Some historical events related to Ratej Mosque and its vicinity may include: |
| | According to some accounts, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed in this mosque.(15) Shurrāb, ''Al- maʿālim al-ʾathīra fī al-sunna wa al-sīra'', p. 262. |
| | And it's narrated that they drank from a well there called Jassum.(16) Numīrī, Ibn Shubba. ''Tārīkh al-madīna al-munawwara'', vol. 1, p. 69. |
| | Also, Bilal al-Habashi called the Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) in this mosque. [17] Samhūdī, ''Wafāʾ al-wafā bi akhbār dar al-Muṣṭafā'', vol. 3, p. 861. |
| | The digging of the trench |
| | At the suggestion of the Prophet Muhammad, the area of digging the trench and its divisions were arranged in a way to confront the attack of the polytheists, starting from the area of Muzad, extending to Dthubab, and then ending near Ratej Mosque.(18) Najafī,''Madīna shināsī'', vol. 2, p. 364. |
| | It has been reported that the Banu Abdul-Ashhal tribe dug trenches from the Ratej area to the vicinity of their homes.(19) Wāqidī,''Al-Maghāzī'', vol. 2, p. 337. |
| | "Related historical figures." |
| | One of the personalities from the residents of the Ratej fortress is Iyas ibn Aus, who during the Battle of Badr was among those who proposed engaging in battle outside Medina to the esteemed Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him.(20) Wāqidī,''Al-Maghāzī'', vol. 1, p. 211. |
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| Images of the mosque, in 2021 (the time when this white appearance of the mosque came into existence is not specified)
| | References |
| *The exterior environment of the mosque with white walls and white color scheme.
| | Khiyārī, Sayyid Aḥmad Yāsīn.Tārīkh maʿālimal-madīna al-munawwara qadīman wa ḥadīthan. Riyadh: al-Amāna alʿāmma li-liḥtifāl miʾat ʿām ʿalā tʾsīs al-mamlika al- ʿarabiyya al-suʿūdiyya, 1419 AH/1999. |
| *Image of the interior environment of the mosque + the mihrab area.
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| *The public section of the mosque's prayer hall that has been attached to the main section.
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| *The exterior view of the mosque along with the surrounding houses and the public passage.
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| *The main and old section of the mosque with dimensions approximately 4 meters in length and width + a view of the ceiling.
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| Images of the mosque after the 2022 renovation.
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| *Entrance of the mosque.
| | • ʿAyyāshī, Ibrāhīm .Al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-māḍī wa al-ḥāḍir. Medina: al-Maktab al-ʿilmīyya, 1972. |
| *The return of the appearance of the mosque's walls and arches to their former and ancient look.
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| *Public space of the mosque.
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| *Presence of worshipers in the mosque.
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| *A view of the mihrab and the main old section of the mosque.
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| Images from 2024, after the demolition of the houses around the mosque.
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| *Images from a distance of the mosque area during the municipality operations in Medina.
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| *The back wall of the mosque in the midst of the municipality operations.
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| *View of the mosque after the demolition of the surrounding houses.
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| *A distant view of the mosque after the renovation operations where only the mosque building remains.
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| *The current image of the mosque after leveling the surrounding lands.
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| Old pictures of the mosque building.
| | Kaʿkī, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. Maʿālim al-Madīna al-munawwara bayn al-ʿimāra wa l-tārīkh, part 1: al-Maʿālim al-Ṭabīʿīyya, vol. 1: al-Jibāl, Beirut: Muʾallif, 1419AH. |
| ==Notes==
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| {{Notes}}
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| ==References==
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| {{References}}
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| . Al-Durr al-Thamīn fī Maʿālim Dār al-Rasūl al-Amīn**, Ghālī Muḥammad Amīn al-Shanqīṭī, Jeddah: Dār al-Qiblah, 1992.
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| . Al-Majmūʿah al-Muṣawwarah li-Āshar al-Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah**, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Kuʿakī, Madinah, 1999
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| . Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Bayna al-ʿAmārah wa al-Tārīkh**, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Kuʿakī, Madinah, Publisher: Author, 2011. | | Wāqidī, Muḥammad b. ʿUmar al-. ''Al-Maghāzī''. Edited by Marsden Jones. Beirut: Muʾassisa al-Aʿlām, 1409 AH. |
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| .Āthār al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah**, ʿAbd al-Qadūs al-Anṣārī, Al-Maktabah al-Salafīyah bi al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, 3rd edition, 1393 AH. | | • Shurrāb Muḥammad Muḥammad b. Ḥasan. Al- maʿālim al-ʾathīra fī al-sunna wa al-sīra. Beirut: Dār al-Qalam, 1411AH. |
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| . Masājid al-Ātharīyah**, Muḥammad al-Yās ʿAbd al-Ghanī, 1418 AH, Matābiʿ al-Rashīd bi al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, 2nd edition, 1419 AH | | • Ṣabrī Pāshā, Ayyūb. ''Mawsūʿa mirʾāt al-ḥaramayn''. Cairo: Shirkat al-Dawlīyya li-l-Ṭibāʿa, 2004. |
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| . Wafāʾ al-Wafā bi Akhbār Dār al-Muṣṭafá**, ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Samhūdī, Tahrīq Qāsim al-Sāmarrāʾī, London: Mawsasah al-Furqān li al-Turāth al-Islāmī, 2001.
| | • Najafī, Sayyid Muḥammad Bāqir. Madīna shināsī. Tehran: Mashʿar, 1387 sh. |
| . Tārīkh al-Madīnah Munawwarah**, ʿUmar ibn Shabbah Namīrī. | |
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| . Al-Riḥlah al-ʿIyāshīyah**, Abū Sālim ʿAbd Allāh ibn Muḥammad ʿIyāshī, Dār al-Sawīdī li al-Nashr wa al-Tawzīʿ, 1st edition, 2006. | | • Samhūdī, ʿAlī b. ʿAbd Allāh. Wafāʾ al-wafā bi akhbār dar al-Muṣṭafā. Edited by Muḥammad Muḥyi al-Dīn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd. Beirut: 1984. |
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| . Tārīkh Maʿālim al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah Qadīman wa Ḥadīthan**, Khayyārī, Aḥmad Yāsīn Aḥmad, 1419 AH, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Al-Mamlakah al-ʿArabīyah al-Saʿūdīyah, Al-Amānah al-ʿĀmmah li al-Iḥtifāl bi Mawrūr Miʾah ʿĀm ʿalá Tāsīs al-Mamlakah. | | • Numīrī, Ibn Shubba. ''Tārīkh al-madīna al-munawwara''. Edited by Fahīm Muḥammad Shaltūt. Tehran: Mashʿar, 1380 sh. |
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| | .Ḥimyarī, Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Munʿim al-. ''Al-Rawḍ al-miʿṭār fī khabar al-aqṭār''. Beirut, Lebanon: Maktabat Lubnān, 1984. |
| . Website of Saudi Press Agency (SPA)**.
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