Qubāʾ

Qubāʾ is a settlement located on the southern outskirts of Madīnah and occupies a distinguished place in the sīrah as the first destination reached by the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ during the Hijrah from Makkah in 1 AH/622 CE. Before the expansion of Madīnah, Qubāʾ was a separate village inhabited primarily by clans of the Aws. Its greatest distinction lies in its association with the Prophet’s ﷺ arrival in the oasis of Yathrib and with the establishment of the first mosque founded in Islam. For this reason, Qubāʾ became one of the most revered sites in the sacred history of the Muslim community.

Upon completing the journey from Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ arrived at Qubāʾ and stayed there for several days before entering Madīnah itself. During this stay he was hosted by members of the local community and supervised the construction of a mosque that came to be known as Masjid Qubāʾ. The mosque is traditionally regarded as the first mosque established upon piety in Islam and is commonly associated with the Qurʾānic verse praising a mosque founded upon righteousness from its first day (Q 9:108). The Prophet ﷺ participated personally in its construction, and the event marked the beginning of the institutional and communal life of Islam in its new home.

Qubāʾ also served as the point from which the Prophet ﷺ made his formal entry into Madīnah. After remaining there for several days, he departed on a Friday and proceeded toward the city, stopping to perform the Friday prayer before continuing his journey. The arrival at Qubāʾ thus represents the successful completion of the Hijrah, the event that transformed the Muslim community from a persecuted group in Makkah into an organized society in Madīnah. Throughout his later years, the Prophet ﷺ continued to visit Qubāʾ regularly, often traveling there to pray in its mosque, thereby reinforcing its special status.

In the sīrah tradition, Qubāʾ symbolizes both the beginning of the Madinan period and the establishment of the first institutional foundations of the Muslim community. Its mosque, built under the Prophet’s ﷺ supervision, became a model of communal worship and devotion, while the settlement itself marks the successful conclusion of the Hijrah. Through its association with these formative events, Qubāʾ remains one of the most significant locations connected with the life of the Prophet ﷺ and one of the most cherished landmarks in Islamic memory.