The city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the capital of the Islamic world. It is here that the famous Kaaba, as well as a number of other Muslim shrines, are located. Quite popular among pilgrims and the cave of Hira on Mount Jabal al-Nur. We will talk about it in our article.
Hira Cave: photos and description
The sacred mountain Jabal al-Nur is located four kilometers from the Kaaba, on the northeastern outskirts of Mecca (see map below). Locals call it the Mountain of Light or the Mountain of Revelation, since it was here that the prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from the Most High. Jabal al-Nur stretches from west to east for almost five kilometers. The absolute height of the mountain is 621 meters.
Hira Cave is located on the eastern side of the mountain. In profile, Jabal al-Nur resembles a giant one-humped camel. Its top is rocky and quite inaccessible.
Hira Cave and the Prophet
Hira is a very tiny cave with one entrance. Its dimensions are 3.5 by 2 meters. At the same time it can fit no more than eight people. In fact, this is just a grotto, a small indentation in the thickness of rocky rocks.
Hira Cave is a fairly popular site among the pilgrims who come to Mecca. Although her visit has nothing to do with Hajj, the most revered and mass rite in Islam. Nevertheless, thousands of tourists and believers rise to the top of the Jabal al-Nur mountain every year.
According to the historians of Islam, the prophet Muhammad retired in the cave for several years of his life. Here he spent in worship up to ten nights in a row, and sometimes more. Occasionally he went down to the city for food and again returned to the mountain. And then one day in the month of Ramadan, the heavenly angel Jabrail appeared to him, identified in Christian culture with the biblical archangel Gabriel. He handed over to Muhammad the first five verses of the 96th surah of the Qur'an, which read as follows:
Read, in the name of your Lord, who created all things.
He created man from a blood clot.
Read, because your Lord is the Most Magnanimous.
He taught through a written cane
- taught a man what he did not know.
This was the first divine revelation revealed to the prophet Muhammad.
Climb the mountain
Despite its low altitude, it takes about two hours to climb to the top of Jabal al-Nur. And it is quite complicated, since the traveler is not protected from scorching sunlight all the way. From the top there are wonderful views of Mecca and its surroundings.
Not so long ago, Saudi authorities issued a ban on visiting the cave of Hira. They argued their decision by caring for pilgrims and tourists, because climbing the mountain is associated with risks to their life and health. In addition, the prophet Muhammad himself did not indicate that Hira was suitable for performing the Hajj. Therefore, the Muslim rites performed by the pilgrims in the cave in one way or another contradict the laws of Sharia. All travel companies and operators involved in organizing ascents to the summit of Jabal al-Nur were acquainted with the ban.
Plus, over the past few years, the cave has another serious problem. The fact is that its walls and arches are gradually being destroyed. The main reason for this destruction lies in the fact that almost every pilgrim who has climbed a mountain takes a stone with him as a souvenir. Therefore, the restrictions introduced will help to preserve the integrity of this natural historical and religious monument.