Masjid al-Haram

**Masjid al-Haram** (ٱَلْمَسْجِدُ ٱلْحَرَام&#x200E;, romanized:&nbsp;*al-Masjid al-Ḥarām*, lit.&#x2009;'De Sacred Mosque'), dem sanso know am as de **Sacred Mosque** anaa de **Great Mosque of Mecca**, ebe considered de most significant mosque insyd Islam. E dey enclose de vicinity of de Kaaba insyd Mecca, insyd de Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. Ebe among de pilgrimage sites dem associate plus de Hajj, wich every Muslim for perform at least once insyd dema lives if dem be able. E sanso be de main site for de performance of ʿUmrah, de lesser pilgrimage wey e go fi be undertaken any time of de year. De rites of both pilgrimages dey include circumambulating de Kaaba within de mosque. De Great Mosque dey include oda important significant sites, such as de Black Stone, de Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, den de hills of Safa and Marwa.

As of 2024, na de Great Mosque be both de largest mosque insyd de world, den de most expensive building insyd de world. Na e undergo major renovations den expansions thru de years. Na e pass thru de control of various caliphs, sultans den kings, wey now e dey under de control of de King of Saudi Arabia wey dem title de Custodian of de Two Holy Mosques.

## History

De Great Mosque dey contend plus de Quba Mosque insyd Medina as de oldest mosque. According to Islamic tradition, Islam as a religion dey precede Muhammad, wey dey represent previous prophets such as Abraham. According to Islamic scholars, dem dey see Abraham as he build de *Kaaba* insyd Mecca, den consequently ein sanctuary, wich according to de Muslim view be seen as de first mosque wey ever exist. According to oda scholars, na Islam start during de lifetime of Muhammad insyd de 7th century CE, den so did architectural components such as de mosque. For dat case, either de Mosque of de Companions anaa Quba Mosque go be de first mosque wey na dem build insyd de history of Islam.

### Era of Abraham den Ismael
According to Islamic tradition insyd de Quran, na Abraham, togeda plus ein son Ismael, raise de foundations of a house, wich na dem identify am by commentators as de Kaaba. According to Islamic tradition, dem say dat Allah show Abraham de exact site, wich na previously Adam build am, very near to wat now be de Well of Zamzam. After na Abraham build de Kaaba, na dem say an angel bring am de Black Stone, a celestial stone dat, according to tradition, fall from Heaven for de nearby hill Abu Qubays. Islamic scholars dey believe de Black Stone be de remnant per of de original structure wey Abraham make.

After placing de Black Stone insyd de Eastern corner of de Kaaba, Abraham reportedly receive a revelation for wich God tell de aged prophet say he for now go den proclaim de pilgrimage to mankind, so dat men fi cam both from Arabia den from lands far away, for camel den for foot.

### Era of Muhammad
Upon Muhammad ein victorious return to Mecca insyd 630 CE, Ali break de idols insyd den around de Kaaba, similar to wat, according to de Quran, na Abraham do insyd ein homeland. Thus he end polytheistic use of de Kaaba, wey he begin monotheistic rule over am den ein sanctuary.

### Umayyad era
De first major renovation to de mosque take place insyd 692, for de orders of Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. Before dis renovation, wich include na dem raise de mosque ein outer walls, na de mosque be a small open area plus de Kaaba for de center. By de end of de 8th century, na dem replace de mosque ein old wooden columns plus marble columns wey na dem extend de wings of de prayer hall for both sides along plus de addition of a minaret on de orders of Al-Walid I. De spread of Islam insyd de Middle East den de influx of pilgrims require an almost complete rebuilding of de site wich include make dem add more marble den three more minarets.

### Ottoman era
Insys 1570, na Sultan Selim II commission de chief architect Mimar Sinan make he renovate de mosque. Dis renovation result insyd de replacement of de flat roof plus domes dem decorate plus calligraphy internally, den de placement of new support columns wich be acknowledged as de earliest architectural features of de present mosque. Dese features be de oldest surviving parts of de building.

During heavy rains den flash floods insyd 1621 den 1629, de walls of de Kaaba den de mosque suffer extensive damage. Insyd 1629, during de reign of Sultan Murad IV, dem renovate de mosque. Insyd de renovation of de mosque, na dem add a new stone arcade, na dem build three more minarets (wey dey bring de total to seven), wey dem retile de marble flooring. Na dis be de unaltered state of de mosque for nearly three centuries.

#### COVID-19 Pandemic
For 5 March 2020, during de COVID-19 pandemic, na dem begin dey close de mosque for night wey na dem suspend de Umrah pilgrimage make e limit attendance. Na de resumption of Umrah service begin for 4 October 2020 plus de first phase of a gradual resumption wey na ebe limited to Saudi citizens den expatriates from within de Kingdom at a rate of 30 percent. Na 10,000 people per wey dem give Hajj visas insyd 2020 while dem give 60,000 people visas insyd 2021.

## List of current den former Imams

### Current Imams

* Abd ar-Rahman as-Sudais, appointed Imam den Khateeb insyd 1984. (Chief Imam den Presido of de Affairs of de Two Holy Mosques)
* Salih bin Abdullah al Humaid, appointed Imam den Khateeb insyd 1982. Former Chairmo of Majlis Ash-Shura (Consultative Assembly of Saudi Arabia)
* Usama bin Abdullah Khayyat, appointed Imam den Khateeb insyd 1998.
* Mahir Al-Muayqali, appointed Imam insyd 2007, den Khateeb insyd 2016.
* Abdullah Awad Al Juhany, appointed Imam insyd 2007 den Khateeb insyd 2019.
* Faisal Jameel Ghazzawi, appointed Imam insyd 2008 - Khateeb insyd 2016.
* Bandar Baleela, appointed Imam insyd 2013, den Khateeb insyd 2019.
* Yasser Al-Dosari, appointed Imam insyd 2019 den Khateeb insyd 2022.

* Waleed Al-Shamsan, appointed Guest Imam insyd Ramadan 2024, appointed permanent imam 7 months later insyd October 2024.

### Former Imams
Imams:

* Ahmad Khatib (Arabic: أَحْمَد خَطِيْب‎), Islamic scholar from Indonesia, dem appoint am as Imam during Ottoman rule.
* Abdullah Abdul Ghani Khayat (Arabic: عبد الله عبد الغني خياط), appointed Imam den Khateeb from 1953 to 1984.
* Abdullah Al-Khulaifi (Arabic: عَبْد ٱلله ٱلْخُلَيْفِي), appointed Imam den Khateeb from 1953 til death insyd 1993.
* Abdullah Ibn Humaid, he serve as Imam from 1957 til 1981. He sanso serve as Presido of Affairs of de Two Holy Mosques den as Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia.
* Mohammad Al-Subayyil (Arabic: مُحَمَّد ٱلسُّبَيِّل‎), he serve as Imam den Khateeb from 1965 to 2008. Na he be Chief Imam den Presido of de Agency for de Affairs of de Two Holy Mosques til 2008.
* Ali bin Abdullah Jaber (Arabic: عَلِى بِن عَبْدُ ٱلله جَابِر‎), Imam from 1981 to 1983, guest Imam for Ramadhan 1986–1989.
* Ali bin Abdur-Rahman Al-Huthaify (Arabic: عَلِي بِن عَبْدُ ٱلرَّحۡمٰن ٱلْحُذَيْفِي‎), guest Imam for Ramadhan 1981, 1985–1986, 1988–1991, now Chief Imam of de Prophet's Mosque.
* Umar Al-Subayyil (Arabic: عُمَر ٱلسُّبَيِّل‎), Imam den Khateeb from 1993 til death insyd 2002.
* Salah Ba'uthman (Arabic: صلاح باعثمان‎), guest Imam for Ramadan insyd 2016 wey he resign insyd 2017
* Abdullah Al-Harazi (Arabic: عَبْد ٱلله الْحَرَازِي‎), former Chairmo of Saudi Majlis al-Shura.
* Salah ibn Muhammad Al-Budair (Arabic: صَلَاح ابْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْبُدَيْر‎), he lead Taraweeh insyd Ramadan 1426 (2005) den 1427 (2006), now Deputy Chief Imam of de Prophet's Mosque.
* Adil al-Kalbani (Arabic: عَادِل ٱلْكَلْبَانِي‎), he serve as Imam for Tarawih prayers insyd 2008.
* Saleh Al-Talib, appointed Imam den Khatib insyd 2002 wey he serve til July 2018, wey dem imprison am by Saudi authorities secof he dey criticize dema actions insyd August of 2018 wey he dey serve 10 years insyd jail since then
* Khalid al Ghamdi, he retire as Imam den Khatib of Masjid Al Haram insyd September 2018, 10 years after appointment.
* Saud Al-Shuraim, appointed Imam den Khatib insyd 1992 wey he resign insyd 2022.

## Pilgrimage

De Great Mosque be de main setting for de Hajj den Umrah pilgrimages wey dey occur insyd de month of Dhu al-Hijja insyd de Islamic calendar den for any time of de year, respectively. De Hajj pilgrimage be one of de Pillars of Islam, dem require of all able-bodied Muslims wey fi afford de trip. For recent times, over 5&nbsp;million Muslims perform de Hajj every year.

## Structures

* De *[[Kaaba|Ka'aba]]* be a cuboid-shaped building insyd de center of de Great Mosque den de most sacred site insyd Islam. Ebe de focal point for Islamic rituals like prayer den pilgrimage.
* De Black Stone be de eastern cornerstone of de Kaaba wey dey play a role insyd de pilgrimage.
* Maqam Ibrahim be a rock wey reportedly get an imprint of Abraham ein foot wey na dem keep am insyd a crystal dome next to de Kaaba.
* Safa den Marwa be two hills between wich Abraham ein wifey [Haajar] run, wey she dey look for water give ein infant son Ismael, an event wich dem dey commemorate insyd de ritual of de pilgrimage. [Sa'aee]
* De Zamzam Well be de water source wich, according to tradition, spring miraculously after na Haajar be unable make she find water between Safa den Marwah.
* Nearby be Makkah Al Mukarramah Library (21°25′30″N 39°49′48″E). Since ebe believed e stand for de spot wer na dem born Muhammad, e sanso be known as *Bayt al-Mawlid*.

File:The_Kabah_in_the_Grand_Mosque_of_Makkah,_Saudi_Arabia_(52501405646).jpg|De Kaaba
File:The_Blackstone.jpg|De Black Stone
File:Maqam_Ibrahim,_Makkah.jpg|Maqam Ibrahim ein crystal dome
File:Al-Marwah.JPG|Mount Marwah within de mosque
File:Mount_Safa_Mecca.jpg|Mount Safa
File:Zamzamwell2.JPG|De well of Zamzam wey locate beneath de floor (dem now cover de entrance)


## Destruction of heritage sites

Na der be sam controversy dat de expansion projects of de mosque den Mecca einself dey cause harm to early Islamic heritage. Chaw ancient buildings, sam more dan a thousand years old, na dem demolish dem to make room for de expansion. Sam examples be:

* *Dār Al-Arqam*, de Islamic school wer na Muhammad first teach, na dem flatten am to lay marble tiles.
* Na dem demolish de house of Abu Jahal wey dem replace am by public washrooms.
* N a dome wey serve as a canopy over de Well of Zamzam.
* Na dem demolish sam Ottoman porticos for de Mosque.

## Read further
; Online
* Great Mosque of Mecca: mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in *Encyclopædia Britannica Online*, by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Surabhi Sinha, Noah Tesch, Amy Tikkanen, Grace Young and Adam Zeidan

## References

## External links

*Official website
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