Table of contents:
Video: Where is Hira Cave? Photo and brief description of the attraction
2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40
The city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the capital of the Islamic world. It is here that the famous Kaaba is located, as well as a number of other Muslim shrines. Quite popular among pilgrims is Hira Cave on Mount Jabal al-Nur. We will tell about it in our article.
Hira Cave: photo and description
The sacred mountain Jabal al-Nur is located four kilometers from the Kaaba, on the northeastern outskirts of Mecca (see the map below). The 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 Almighty. 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 slope of the mountain. In profile, Jabal al-Nur resembles a giant humped camel. Its top is rocky and rather difficult to reach.
Hira Cave and the Prophet
Hira is a very tiny cave with one entrance. Its dimensions are 3.5 by 2 meters. No more than eight people can fit in it at the same time. In essence, this is allonly a grotto, a small recess in the thickness of the rocky rocks.
Hira Cave is quite a popular object among pilgrims coming to Mecca. Although her visit has nothing to do with the Hajj - the most revered and massive ritual in Islam. Nevertheless, thousands of tourists and believers rise to the top of Mount Jabal al-Nour every year.
According to historians of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad retired to 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 transmitted to Muhammad the first five verses of the 96th sura of the Qur'an, which sound like this:
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 Generous.
He taught with a writing stick
– taught a man what he did not know.
This was the first divine revelation revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Climbing the mountain
Despite the insignificant height, the ascent to the top of the Jabal al-Noor mountain takes about two hours. And it is quite difficult, since the traveler is not protected from the scorching sun all the way. From the top there are beautiful views of Mecca and its surroundings.
Not so long agoThe Saudi Arabian authorities have issued a ban on visiting the Hira cave. They argued their decision by taking care of pilgrims and tourists, because climbing the mountain is fraught with risks to their life and he alth. In addition, the Prophet Muhammad himself did not indicate that Hira was suitable for performing the Hajj. Therefore, Muslim rituals performed by pilgrims in the cave somehow contradict Sharia law. All travel companies and operators involved in the organization of ascents to the summit of Jabal al-Nur were familiarized with the issued ban.
Plus, over the past few years, the cave has had another serious problem. The fact is that its walls and vaults are gradually being destroyed. The main reason for these destructions lies in the fact that almost every pilgrim who climbs the mountain takes a stone with him as a souvenir. Therefore, the restrictions introduced will help preserve this natural historical and religious monument intact.
Recommended:
Snow cave in Abkhazia: photo, description
One of the attractive places to visit is the Snow Cave. How can you get to this amazing place? In which mountains is Snowy Abyss Cave? All this will be discussed in the article
Denisova Cave in Altai. Denisova cave - archaeological site of the Altai Mountains
In the very heart of Asia, where the Altai Mountains begin, in the picturesque Anui Valley, there is the famous Denisova Cave. It is located on the border of the Ust-Kansky and Soloneshensky districts, not far from the village of Black Anui (4 km) and 250 km from the city of Biysk. Denisova Cave rises 670 meters above sea level
An amazing creation of nature - Fingalov's Cave. Photo, description of the cave
This article will talk about the famous sea cave, formed by washing out rocks with water in the sea rock. This amazing natural creation is located on the fantastic island of Staffa, which has magnificent natural landscapes. The latter is part of the Inner Hebrides group. This is the mysterious Fingal's Cave (Scotland). Here we will talk about its features and the stunning beauty of this magnificent corner of the Earth
Abandoned villages of the Krasnoyarsk Territory: list, photo and brief description
The extinction of the village is one of the most acute socio-economic problems in modern Russia. According to the latest census, there are 17,000 villages in the Russian Federation that do not have a permanent population. In this article we will try to list the abandoned villages of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Let's briefly talk about the most interesting of them
Hiroshima Peace Memorial: photo and description of the attraction
The atomic bomb is one of the most feared weapons in human history. It was first used in August 1945. The tragedy happened early in the morning. Then an atomic bomb was dropped in the center of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Her code name was a kind of mockery - "Kid"