Mosques around the World — Page 4
4. The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat-al-Sakhra) he sanctuary known as Qubbat-al-Sakhra (The. Malik ibn Marwan in 691 C. E. This sacred building is believed to rest on Mt. Moriah in the Old City of. Jerusalem. This mountain, also known as the. Temple Mount, was the site where Prophet. Solomonas built the first temple (known as Bait-ulMuqaddas), which was completed in 957 B. C. E. It was the general direction of this site towards which the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and his companionsra would pray (the first Qiblah). Upon receiving a revelation from God (Al-Quran, 2:145), the Qiblah was changed towards the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, Arabia (Please refer to the Holy Quran with English Translation and Commentary by. Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmadra,. Volume I, page 199, commentary entry #151). The first temple was later destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. II of Babylonia, when he sacked Jerusalem in 586. B. C. E. The temple was rebuilt beginning 20 B. C. E. but was again destroyed in 70 C. E. . The. The Cave of Hira. The founder of Islam, Muhammadsa, was deeply endowed with the love of the Creator right from his early youth. When he reached his thirties, his love of God and love of His worship began to possess him more and more. To get away from the mischiefs and vices of the people of Mecca, the. Holy Prophetsa would often retire in a secluded cave atop the lofty Mount Hira. At Hira, he would worship God day and night, praying ardently for the uplift of mankind. When he was forty years of age, he saw an angel commanding him to recite. The. Holy Prophetsa said in reply he did not know what or how to recite. The heavenly figure insisted and at last made the Holy Prophet of Islamsa recite the following verses: "Recite thou in the name of thy. Lord Who created, created man from a clot of blood. Recite! And thy Lord is the Most. Beneficent, Who taught man by the pen, taught man what he knew not. " (96:2-6) This cave hence became the initiation place of the greatest spiritual revolution mankind has ever witnessed, the advent of Islam. Hazrat Ahmadah has expressed this spiritual revolution thus: "Have you any notion what was the strange event which took place in the desert country of Arabia when hundreds of thousands of people were revived within a brief period. And those who were blind obtained sight and those who were dumb began to speak of the understanding of the divine. And the world underwent a revolution which has never been heard or seen before. It was the supplications during dark nights of one who had lost himself in. God which raised a clamour in the world, and manifested such wonders as appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. " (Blessings of. Prayer, page 10). Quba Mosque (Masjid-e-Quba). This is the very first Mosque outside Mecca. Twhose foundation was laid down by the Holy. Prophetsa himself. It was built during the Holy. Prophet'ssa migration to Medina, when he took a short stay at the city of Quba, three miles north of. Medina. He worked as a laboror to construct this house of Allah. Within a few days, the mosque was completed. Holy Prophetsa continued to have a special attachment with the Quba Mosque and he visited it every week even after he migrated to. Medina. Some righteous scholars have attributed the following verse to be related to this mosque: "A. Mosque that was founded upon piety from the very first day, is surely more worthy that thou should stand therein to lead the prayer service. " (9:108). Ahmadiyya Muslim Association USA: 1994 Souveni