The Honorable Birth Place of the Prophet
The Library of the Honorable Makkah A Document of Architectural and Historical Research Dr. Sāmī Muhsin Angāwī, PhD in Islamic Architecture Introduction In the name of Allah, and peace and blessing upon the Messenger of Allah. The blessed birth place [of the Prophet Muhammad] has the been the center of attention for the whole Islamic nation over the span of 1400 years, remaining a brilliant reflection throughout Islamic history, to be seen with utmost clarity by both the current and coming generations, revisiting immortal memories, and remembering within its vicinity the life of the one “possessed of tremendous character.” This location gets its historical, educational and civilizational importance from the events which took place in it throughout the passage of time. The one about Allah said: “and we have not sent you save as a mercy for all the worlds” was born in it. Multiple narrations by trustworthy historians confirm the specified location is the birth place of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The continuity of the history of nations supported by factual archeological documents, is something needed in modern life, especially in construction work, and in the restoration of historical buildings. Add to that the historical documents and archeological discoveries found in excavations, all of which contribute to beneficial knowledge, like the other sciences of the humanities, as contrasted with mythology and imagination. The difference between myth and truth is proof [facts], and the proof of history is the material evidence supporting its claims. The science of archeology has become significantly more advanced [today], incorporating other sciences, such as physics and chemistry, and other sciences which benefit humanity. To safeguard human heritage Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “do not demolish old buildings; for they are the ornament of the city.” When they demolished the rooms the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used in Medina Saeed bin Naseeb – may Allah have mercy on him – said, "By Allah I wished they had left it alone, so that the new generation in Medina and those visiting, will see what the Prophet (pbuh) was satisfied with in his life, which would have caused people to become frugal, and abandon the accumulation of wealth and showing off." This means safeguarding the heritage of the ancestors, and studying it in order to benefit in our modern life. The birth place is considered one of the last relics from the Prophet’s life remaining in Mecca. | ||
  Drawing of the original Birthplace of the Prophet (pbuh) home of Abdul Muttalib and Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib, as depicted in the book The Hijazi Travels by al-Batānūnī (d. 1327 H.E.) .  Planned new library which will remove all trace of the original birth home of the Prophet and cover it with a modern building.  Map of Makkah al-Mukarramah  Close-up map near al-Haram ash-sharif.  Fine detail map of Mawlid an-Nabi (s) location. "the House became known as al-Baydā’-the Luminous." | The initial building of the library at the (honorable birth place of the Prophet): We thank Allah, and those overseeing the protection of the religious sites, and those thinking about them in this blessed nation. The newspaper al-Bilād as-Saudīa published an article we are quoting here, titled "A School and a Library at the Historical Sites" which stated: His majesty the great king, King Abdul-'Azīz – may Allah bless the soil of his grave with a good scent – gave to the honorable Shaikh Abbas Kattan the al-ard al-bayda (the blessed land), known as the home of As-Sayyidah Khadījah may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the generous Prophet (pbuh), in order to build on top of its ruins, a school for Quranic memorization. He also gave to him the place where the greatest Prophet (pbuh) was born, in order to build on top of its location a huge library, which will be visited by those seeking knowledge. The construction will begin this week according to the plan.[1] The library of Makkah al-Mukarrama in place (of the honorable birth place):
Ownership of the location The Prophet (pbuh) was born in the home of his father `Abdullah ibn `Abdul-Muttalib. When he became blind `Abdul-Muttalib divided his wealth between his children during his life; therefore the birthplace of the Prophet (pbuh) and what is around it, belonged to his father Abdullah ibn Abdul Muttalib, and after which the Prophet inherited it from him.[2] The Historical Background of the Place of Birth of the Noble Prophet Muhammad bin Jarīr at-Tabarī (224-320 H.E.) said is his Tārīkh, from Ibn Ishāq relates:
Abū al-Walīd al-Azraqī (d. 250 H.E.) in his books of Akhbar Makkah wa ma ja' fiha min aathaarin the mention of the locations in which it is commendable to pray in Makkah and what lies therein of the relics of the Prophet (pbuh) and what is venerable from them cites:
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 Historical photo of the neighborhood of the Mawlid House of the Prophet (s).  More recent historical photo showing the library built over the Mawlid House of the Prophet's (s) foundations by Shaykh Kattan - something done to preserve its foundations from the depredations of the Wahabis who sought the houses complete eradication.  Historical photo of the library built over the Mawlid House of the Prophet (s). "being the place of [the Prophet's]  birth, its ancestral significance was inherited by the Khalaf from the Salaf." | Taqī ad-Dīn al-Fāsī (775-832 H.E.) said in his book, Shifa al-Gharām bi-Akhbāri al-Balad al-harām, in mentioning the description of the building:
Shaykh Abū Bakr bin ‘Alī bin Tahīrah in his book, al-Jām‘ī al-Latīf fī Faļl Makkah wa Ahlihā wa Banā’ al-Bait ash-Sharīf:
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Drawings for the new King Fahd Library planned to be built in place of the existing library at the location of the Prophet's Birthplace.  Drawing of the second story of the planned King Fahd Library. | Muhammad Labīb al-Batānūnī in his book The Hijazi Trip in his description of the location of the birth place of the Noble Prophet (pbuh) said:
Muhammad Tāhir al-Kurdī al-Makkī said in his book On the history of Makkah and the Blessed House of God:
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 Proposed solution: build new library around the existing building, leaving an empty space between the two buildings. | Conclusion From the civilizational, economic and geographical standpoints, building over verifiable antecedent properties for the location of the present library the ultimate consequence tends towards the eradication of our cultural makeup and heritage. Therefore the noble neighborhood from whose locale issued forth the greatest heavenly religion in an earlier epoch should certainly be under protection like other such [historically significant] places. It is not like (other) locations, for the establishment of its significance is due to what it contains of the relics which its people consider historic, important aspects of the history of the beloved Prophet's life-story. Therefore we see the act of preserving the present library essential. If in fact there is need to erect a new one, its construction should be a new style of a building totally enclosing the existing building from all sides at a distance from it its walls of no less than 15 meters leaving the present building intact, like an inner courtyard, which is inaccessible. Thus for the present building there are two alternatives: either to sully the great care [taken in preserving it] and placing it under the supervision of technocrats who has no connection to what exists of these ancient relics from the blessed Prophet's epoch; or to conserve the interior as a courtyard in the new building so its historical connection remains intact, from the time of the era of immaculate prophethood up until the time of the late ‘Abd-‘Aziz ibn Sa’ud. |
[1]Al-bilad as-Saudia, “A School and a Library at the Historical Sites,” edition # 998, 1370 Islamic Era, (Sunday, March 4, 1951).
[2]Muhammad Tāhir al-Kurdī al-Makkī, Nadhar at-tārīkh al-qaweem li-makkah wa baytillah il-kareem, (On the history of Makkah and the Blessed House of God ) vol. 1, page 170.
[3]Muhammad bin Jarīr at-Tabarī, Tārīkh al-umam wal-muluk (History of Nations and Dynasties), p. 156.
[4] Abū al-Walīd al-Azraqī, The Reports of Makkah and What Relics are Therein (The Reports of Makkah and What Relics are Therein), pg. 158.
[5] Taqī ad-Dīn al-Fāsī, Shifa al-Gharām bi-Akhbāri al-Balad al-harām, p.
[6] Abū Bakr bin ‘Alī bin Tahīrah, al-Jām‘ī al-Latīf fī Faļl Makkah wa Ahlihā wa Banā’ al-Bait ash-Sharīf, p.
[7] Muhammad Labīb al-Batānūnī, al-Rihlah hijāzīyah, 1327 H.E., pg. 50.
[8]Muhammad Tāhir al-Kurdī al-Makkī, Nadhar at-tārīkh al-qaweem li-makkah wa baytillah il-kareem, (On the history of Makkah and the Blessed House of God ) vol. 1, page 170.
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