Al-Ghamamah Mosque

The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, used to offer Eid and rain-invoking prayers outside the Prophet’s Mosque in different places in the desert. Towards the end of his life, he settled on praying in this place, so he mostly offered Eid and rain-invoking prayers on the site of this mosque. There was neither a structure nor a pulpit at the time.

The place was part of the uninhabited desert outside Madinah. Today, the mosque has become adjacent to the Prophet's Mosque courtyards, following the great Saudi expansion works.

It was known as Al-Musalla Mosque; i.e., the place of performing Eid and rain-invoking prayers. Recently, it has become known as Al-Ghamamah Mosque because the Prophet used to offer rain-invoking prayer there. It is reported that a cloud shaded the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, from the sun in this place while he was invoking for rain.

This site was one of the most important prayer grounds where the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, prayed. It is also a site where Muslims used to gather for Eid and rain-invoking prayers.

One of the merits of this spot is that it is the place where the Messenger of Allah offered funeral prayer in absentia for the Negus, King of Abyssinia, who believed in the Messenger of Allah, welcomed and protected the Muslims who emigrated to his dominions. The Prophet informed the companions of the death of the Negus immediately after he died and ordered them to ask forgiveness for him. Moreover, he ordered them to gather at the prayer ground, where he lined them up in rows and then led them in the funeral prayer.

The mosque was built by Omar ibn Abdulaziz, may Allah have mercy on him, when he was governor of Madinah in the first century AH. In the presence of the companions' major successors, Omar ibn Abdulaziz traced the Prophet's prayer grounds and built mosques on those sites to delineate their locations.
 

The building was renewed and repaired several times, the largest of which was the comprehensive improvement of the structure by the Saudi government. The mosque was restored according to the highest standards to ensure preserving its unique architectural design.

The mosque consists of an entrance, 4m wide and 26m long. It is topped by 5 domes.

The prayer hall is 15m wide and 30m long. A cylindrical minaret is erected in one of the corners.

Above the door is a green signboard, with the phrase "Al-Ghamamah Mosque" inscribed in golden thuluth script.

The exterior structure of the mosque consists of black basalt stones, characteristic of the lava plains around Madinah. The interior walls and the exterior and interior dome walls are painted with white lime. The original black color of the stones was preserved in the abutments and arches, giving a majestic view of the contrast of the two colors derived from the natural surrounding areas.

Today, congregational obligatory prayers are offered in Al-Ghamamah Mosque. It is a historical landmark that attracts visitors to Madinah.