Originally posted 2024-01-09 19:42:15.

By: Nihal Şahin Utku

The master of mankind continued on his way with renewed enthusiasm and excitement that he got from Quba.

Salim: Abu Hudhayfah‘s former freed slave

The Masjid: A Legacy of Light and Tranquility

Three kilometers from Madinah, in a field once used for drying dates, a man leads the prayer. Rows of believers stand behind him in quiet devotion within a simple, makeshift structure nailed to the ground. The congregation prays in hushed unison, their hearts lifted by the moving lips of the imam whose face is turned toward Jerusalem. Their pleas rise beyond the humble bounds of this early masjid, reaching into the sky.

In this poignant moment, a powerful symbol of transformation is unfolding. A man—once enslaved, now free—stands as imam to a congregation that includes giants of Islam: Abu Bakr, `Umar, Abu Salamah, and Zayd. The first to declare his faith to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stands in the back, while the freed slave Salim leads from the front.

This is not just a gathering for prayer. It is a living testament to Islam’s core message: that honor is found not in lineage or social status, but in faith and righteousness. In humility, the congregation stands before their Lord in a simple, sacred place—Masjid Quba’.

Quba’: The First Masjid

Quba’ was the final stop on the Prophet’s migration from Makkah, and the site where Islam’s first permanent masjid was established. Here, amid the scent of dried dates and wet mortar, the Prophet delivered his first Friday sermon and led the inaugural Jumu’ah prayer. This small village, through divine wisdom, became the birthplace of the Islamic masjid.

Renewed in spirit by the warmth and support of the community in Quba’, the Prophet continued on to Madinah—not as a fugitive, but as a savior, commander, and head of state. While Masjid Quba’ laid the foundation, a new center was soon constructed: Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet’s Mosque. It became not only a place of worship, but a center for governance, community, and learning.

Though the Prophet moved on, he never forgot Quba’. He visited the masjid regularly and honored it with the words:

“…a mosque founded on piety from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in.”
(At-Tawbah 9:108)

Every masjid on earth, in some way, traces its roots back to Quba’. In Masjid al-Qiblatain, where the command to change the qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah was revealed, the echoes of this early legacy still resound.

The Spirit of the Masjid

From Al-Masjid al-Aqsa to the last village masjid on earth, from the time of Prophet Solomon to our modern age, the masjid has been more than a physical space—it has been a vessel of sacred continuity, a link between earth and the divine.

The Prophet said:

“The entire earth has been made a pure masjid for me.”

And so, Muslims built masjids across the world, crowning every city with domes and minarets, and writing in each the story of devotion, simplicity, and surrender that began in Quba’.

The masjid is not just a place of ritual; it is a spiritual home. A believer walking toward it receives rewards with every step. Prayer in congregation multiplies in reward. As one hadith beautifully puts it:

“A believer in the mosque is like the sun shining in water.”

Masjids: The Heart of Islamic Cities

Islamic cities were traditionally built around the masjid. This sacred center influenced not only the skyline with its minarets, but the soul of the society. Streets, homes, and markets organically grew outward from this hub, grounding daily life in worship, tranquility, and reflection.

The adhan rang out from minarets like a lighthouse guiding lost ships through turbulent seas. Its call reminded people of the One who created them, of time’s passing, and of the presence of peace.

As scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes, the masjid reflects the harmony and order found in nature itself. The act of sujud—bowing in prayer—connects the forehead to the earth. The word “masjid” means a place of prostration, a site of surrender. The body bends, the heart softens, and the soul realigns with its origin.

Nature and the masjid mirror one another. In both, a Muslim finds silence, order, and a return to the divine rhythm of life.

The Masjid: A Symbol of Action in Tranquility

The masjid is not merely a building—it is a symbol of serenity in motion. Turkish architect Turgut Cansever described it as the purest expression of “action in tranquility.”

The masjid is a place where the Prophet’s breath lingers, where a trace of his presence remains. It is a center not just of prayer, but of community, leadership, learning, and remembrance. It is the spiritual heartbeat of the Islamic world, from Quba’ to every corner of the globe.

And so, from the first humble masjid to the majestic mosques of today, Muslims continue to bow their foreheads to the earth. They reconnect with the essence of faith. And they honor the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who, with sweat on his brow and stone in hand, laid the foundation of a space that would welcome every soul seeking Allah.

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Source: www.lastprophet.info.