The sacred mountains of Saudi Arabia

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The sacred mountains of Saudi Arabia

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(Web Desk) - Saudi Arabia is home to many mountains that go by their ancient names. The names of these mountains were eternalised by Arab poets in their epics and poems. The names with which these mountains were referred to are still in use today. Moreover, some of these mountains are of great significance in Islamic traditions as they are places where important incidents of Islamic history took place.

Al Safa and Al Marwa:

Al-Safa and Al-Marwah are two small hills located in the Masjid Al Haram in Makkah. During Hajj and Umrah, Muslims travel between these mountains back and forth seven times in a ritual to symbolise how the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) walked back and forth between these mountains to search for water for her son Prophet Ismail (AS).

Mount Arafat:

Mount Arafat lies to the east of Makkah in the plain of Arafat. This is the place where, according to Islamic tradition, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gave the farewell sermon to the Muslims who had accompanied him for Hajj. This is also the place where Prophet Adam (AS) and his wife Hawa met after being placed on earth.

Jabal Al-Noor:

Jabal Al-Noor or The Mountain of Light, is located northeast of Masjid Al Haram, at a height of 642 metres. The mountain is home to the famous Hira Cave, where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received the first revelation from angel Gibrael, while he was busy meditating inside the cave. The mountain is thought to take its name from the incident, as Noor means light or enlightenment, and the first revelation was a form of enlightenment.

Mount Thawr:

The Mount Thawr is located in the lower part of Makkah. It is famous for housing the cave, Ghar al-Thawr, in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companion Hazrat Abubakr (RA) took refuge from the Quraish for three days during their migration to Medina.

Mount Uhud:

Mount Uhud is famous as the site where the Battle of Uhud took place. Despite gaining an initial advantage in the battle, Muslim archers entrenched on the mountain left their positions, allowing a counter-attack that led to their defeat. Despite being a place of defeat for the Muslims, the mountain still holds significance for the Muslims. According to a hadith (Sahih Muslim 3208), Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, "Uhud is a mountain which loves us and we love it."

This article originally appeared in alarabiya.net