[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="Quba — The first mosque built on piety" ids="64472,64470,64469,64471"] THOUSANDS of Muslims, from local worshippers to foreign pilgrims, gather at the Quba Mosque to break their fast and take part in Maghreb, Isha and Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan. Quba was originally a well surrounded by a village. It was inhabited by the Bani Amr tribe. On his way to Madinah, the Prophet stayed at the home of Bani Amr Bin Auf and built a mosque in the area, which he named Quba. Historical references indicate that the Prophet and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) built the mosque in the first year of Hijrah. Quba Mosque was the first mosque to be built by Muslims. The Prophet himself laid the foundation stone of the mosque and laid its first tiles and his Companions completed it. The mosque stands out along the Hijrah Road that links Makkah and Madinah. Located about 3.5 km south of the Prophet's Mosque, the mosque can be seen from quite a distance. The mosque witnesses an influx of worshippers throughout the year, but the numbers increase in Ramadan. The Prophet used to visit Quba quite often to pray at the mosque, especially on Saturdays. It is described in the Holy Qur'an as the first mosque founded on piety. According to a saying of the Prophet, whoever makes ablution at his home, travel to Quba Mosque and pray will receive a reward equal to performing one Umrah. The Saudi government has given special care to this mosque and reconstructed it in the best form following Islamic architectural designs, considering its stature and position in the minds of Muslims around the world. It is currently the second largest mosque in Madinah after the Prophet's Mosque. The first renovation of the mosque took place during the time of Caliph Othman. Later, Caliph Omar Bin Abdul Aziz added a corridor and a minaret to the mosque. It was the first minaret for any mosque in the history of Islam. In 435 AH (1043 AD), Abu Yaala Al-Hussaini and in 555 AH (1160 AD) Jamaluddin Al-Esfahani renovated the mosque. It was Al-Husaini who constructed a prayer niche known as the "mihrab" in the mosque. Quba witnessed several successive renovations between the years 671 and 881 AH (1272-1476 AD), all carried out by philanthropists. During the Ottoman period, it was reconstructed several times, the last of which was during the rule of Sultan Abdul Majeed in 1245 AH (1829 AD). During the Saudi era, Quba's outside walls were renovated in 1388 AH (1968 AD). In 1405 AH (1984 AD) King Fahd ordered a massive project to reconstruct the mosque completely, doubling its area. The king inaugurated the opening of the mosque after its expansion two years later. The modern Quba Mosque is an architectural feat equipped with the latest amenities while maintaining its Islamic character. The mosque has been expanded to accommodate more than 20,000 worshipers. The mosque was designed with an inner courtyard with several entrances. The northern section is reserved for women worshippers. In order to preserve the precious heritage, parts of the old mosque was added to the new structure. The new mosque has four minarets with a height of 47 meters as well as six large domes with a radius of 12 meters each and 56 smaller domes. Its floor is paved with high quality marble while its courtyards have been covered with sunshades to protect worshippers from the sweltering sun. The Ministry of Haj and Umrah has deployed additional staff at Quba Mosque to provide various services to worshippers during Ramadan.
