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المسجد الحرام
مسجد الحرام (The Sacred Mosque) in مکہ مکرمہ is the largest مسجد in the world, with a capacity exceeding 1.5 million worshippers. It surrounds the کعبۃ اللہ, the holiest site in Islam. A single نماز performed here equals 100,000 نمازs elsewhere, according to hadith. It is the destination of حج and عمرہ حجs.
مسجد الحرام's origins trace back to the time of نبی کریم Ibrahim (Abraham), who, along with his son Ismail, raised the foundations of the کعبۃ اللہ and established the sacred precinct around it. For centuries, the area around the کعبۃ اللہ served as an open-air place of worship. The first formal enclosure walls were built by the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) around 638 CE, when he purchased surrounding houses to expand the نماز area and erected a low wall around the compound. The Caliph Uthman ibn Affan further expanded the مسجد in 647 CE, adding a covered colonnade (riwaq) to provide shade for worshippers. Successive Islamic dynasties — the Umayyads, Abbasids, Mamluks, and Ottomans — each enlarged and embellished the مسجد. The Abbasid Caliph al-Mahdi (775-785 CE) carried out one of the most significant expansions, extending the مسجد to encompass the Mas'a (the سعی corridor between Safa and Marwa) and adding the first minarets. The Ottoman Empire maintained and renovated the مسجد for over four centuries. Sultan Selim II commissioned major repairs after a devastating flood in 1571, and subsequent sultans added architectural refinements including the distinctive Ottoman-style minarets. However, the most dramatic transformation came under the Saudi government. King Abdulaziz initiated the first Saudi expansion in 1955, and King Fahd's expansion (1982-1992) more than tripled the مسجد's area, adding the landmark King Fahd Gate and air-conditioned نماز halls. The most recent and largest expansion project, begun under King Abdullah in 2011 and continued under King Salman, aims to increase the مسجد's capacity to over 2.2 million worshippers. This expansion added the massive northern نماز area with retractable domes, new escalator towers, and a redesigned Mataf (طواف area) with expanded capacity. The project also modernized infrastructure including cooling systems, crowd management technology, and accessibility features. Today, مسجد الحرام covers approximately 356,800 square meters of indoor نماز space, with additional outdoor areas bringing the total usable area to over 750,000 square meters. The مسجد features 13 minarets, each standing 89 meters tall, and 210 gates. The complex includes the زمزم Well, مقام ابراہیم, the Mas'a corridor, underground نماز levels, and extensive service facilities for millions of annual visitors.
مسجد الحرام holds the highest rank among all مسجدs in Islam. نبی کریم Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) said: 'One نماز in my مسجد is better than one thousand نمازs elsewhere, except مسجد الحرام, for one نماز in مسجد الحرام is better than one hundred thousand نمازs elsewhere' (Ahmad and Ibn Majah). This immense reward reflects the مسجد's unique status as the house surrounding the کعبۃ اللہ, the first house of worship established for humanity. The قرآن designates the precincts of مسجد الحرام as a sanctuary where violence is حرام and all creatures are protected. It is one of only three مسجدs to which Muslims may undertake a special religious journey, as stated in the hadith: 'Do not set out on a journey except to three مسجدs: مسجد الحرام, my مسجد (مسجد نبوی), and Masjid al-Aqsa' (Bukhari and Muslim). The مسجد is also the site of the Isra and Mi'raj, the night journey and ascension, from which نبی کریم Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) was transported to al-Aqsa and then to the heavens.
مسجد الحرام is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and there is no admission fee. The مسجد can be entered through any of its 210 gates, with the most prominent being King Abdulaziz Gate (Gate 1), King Fahd Gate, and عمرہ Gate. Security screening is required at all entrances. Visitors must remove their shoes before entering the نماز halls; shoe storage racks are available at all gates, though carrying shoes in a bag is مستحب during peak times to avoid loss. The مسجد is fully air-conditioned, with temperatures maintained at a comfortable level even during the extreme summer heat. زمزم water stations are located throughout the مسجد. Wheelchair services are available, and the entire facility is accessible via ramps and elevators. Electric scooters for طواف can be rented on the roof level. The مسجد provides free قرآنs in multiple languages, and translation services for sermons are available via FM radio receivers. During حج season and Ramadan, the مسجد experiences its highest crowd density. Pilgrims should plan their visits during off-peak hours when possible — the period between Dhuhr and Asr نمازs, and the late-night hours after Isha, tend to be least crowded. The مسجد management has implemented a sophisticated crowd flow system with color-coded zones and digital signage to manage حاجی movement. Separate نماز areas for women are available on all levels.