Jabal al-Nour ( or 'Hill of the Illumination') is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
Etymology
This is where Muhammad is said to have had his first revelation and received five verses of the
Quran, the mountain was given the title
Jabal an-Nūr ("Mountain of the Light" or "Mountain of the Enlightenment"). This experience is sometimes identified with the beginning of revelation; hence the present name.
The date of the first revelation is said to have occurred on
Laylat al-Qadr,
one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, suggested to have been around August of 610
Anno Domini
Appearance
One physical feature that differentiates Jabal al-Nour from other mountains and hills is its unusual summit, which makes it look as if two mountains are on top of each other. The top of this mountain in the mountainous desert is one of the loneliest of places. However, the cave within, which
Qibla of the
Kaaba, is even more isolated. While standing in the courtyard back then, people could only look over the surrounding rocks. Nowadays, people can see the surrounding rocks as well as buildings that are hundreds of meters below and hundreds of meters to many kilometers away. Hira is both without water or vegetation other than a few thorns. Hira is higher than Thabīr (ثَبِيْر), and is crowned by a steep and slippery peak, which Muhammad with some companions once climbed.
[Weir, T. H.. "Ḥirāʾ." Encyclopaedia of Islam, First Edition (1913-1936). Edited by M. Th. Houtsma, T.W. Arnold, R. Basset, R. Hartmann. Brill Online, 2013. Reference. Augustana College. 07 October 2013 ]
Geology
The mountain is composed of
Intrusive rock, predominantly
Precambrian aged coarse grained
hornblende tonalite, with subordinate
granodiorite.
Cave of Hira
The Cave of Hira was of minor significance before Islam, its name comes from
hira (jewels). Taking 1750 walking steps to reach, it is about in length and in width.
It is at a height of .
During the
Hajj (pilgrimage), an estimated five thousand visitors climb to it daily to see the place where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have received the first revelation of the Quran on the
Laylat al-Qadr (night of power) by the angel
Gabriel.
Most Muslims do not consider visiting the cave an integral part of the Hajj. Nonetheless many visit it for reasons of personal pleasure and spirituality, and though some consider it a place of worship, this view conflicts with
Salafist interpretations of Islamic ritual. While the cave plays an important role in
As-Sīrah an-Nabawiyyah (prophetic biography), it is not considered as holy as other sites in Mecca, such as the
Al-Haram Mosque, and so under most interpretations of
Islam, the same reward is received for praying here as any other place in Mecca.
According to Islamic tradition, before Prophet Muhammad's first revelation, he had transcendental dreams, in which were signs that his prophethood had begun and that the stones in Mecca would greet him with the salaam. These dreams lasted for six months.
An increasing need for solitude led Prophet Muhammad to seek seclusion and meditation (Muraqabah) in the rocky hills which surrounded Mecca.[
]
Gallery
File:Gable Noor.JPG|View of Jabal al-Nour
File:Hira mağarası.jpg|People entering the Cave of Hira
File:جبل النور مكة.jpg|Overview of Jabal an-Nour
File:Jabl_e_Noor.jpg|Cave Hira
File:Jabl_e_Noor_2.jpg|Jabal e Noor
File:Great Mosque of Mecca1.jpg|A photograph of Mecca in 2019, featuring Al-Masjid Al-Haram in the foreground, and Jabal an-Nour in the background. Jabal Abu Qubays is to east of the mosque, in the right hand side of the photograph.
See also
External links
