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Babus'Selam Minaret

The Babus'Selam Minaret is a historical minaret rising near the Babus'Selam gate on the western facade of the Prophet's Mosque, referenced in relation to the tradition of the first muezzin, Hz. Bilal al-Habashi, who climbed a historical pole (ustuvane) to call the adhan. There was no minaret in the first mosque; Hz. Bilal would call the adhan from a high place or poles near the mosque.

Diğer

Babus'Selam Minaret

Location

Medina, Saudi Arabia

Map

History

During the time of the Prophet, there was no minaret in the Prophet's Mosque. The first adhan was proclaimed in the year 1 AH (622-623 CE) when it became obligatory, with Hz. Bilal climbing to the highest point around the mosque to announce it to all of Medina. According to narrations, Hz. Bilal would climb a high pole or tree on the southern qibla side of the mosque with a rope to call the adhan. This practice served the function of a minaret. The first minaret was built during the major expansion of the Prophet's Mosque under the Umayyad Caliph Walid ibn Abd al-Malik (88-91 AH/706-709 CE). The Babus'Selam Minaret carries the name of the minarets added to this historical corner in later periods. The minaret, which underwent various repairs and renovations during the Ottoman period, was rebuilt during the extensive restoration of Sultan Abdulmecid (1265-1277 AH/1849-1861 CE). [Source: "Prophet's Mosque", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/mescid-i-nebevi; "Adhan", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ezan]

Importance and Narrations

The Prophet said about the adhan: "If people knew how virtuous the adhan and the first row were, they would draw lots for it." [Source: Bukhari, "Adhan", 9; Muslim, "Salat", 129]