1: Kaaba and Al-Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

2: Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

3: Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem.

As indicated by Sahih al-Bukhari, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Do not prepare yourself for a holy journey except three Mosques: Masjid al-Haram, Mosque of Al-Aqsa and my Mosque (Masjid al-Nabwi).”

In Islam, Kaaba is considered the first holiest site, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet’s Mosque) is considered the second holiest site and Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third holiest site.

1: Masjid al-Haram:

Masjid al-Haram (“The holiest mosque”) is the largest mosque in the city of Makkah, and the biggest in Islam. It surrounds Kaaba, the place which all Muslims turn towards every day in prayer, considered by Muslims to be the holiest place on Earth.

The word Ḥaram means ‘sinful’ or ‘forbidden’. Al-Masjid Al-Haram. This ‘Ḥaram’ means ‘holy’, ‘sanctuary’ or ‘holy site’.

Makkah is the holiest city in the Islamic world and it’s located in the Sirat Mountains of western Saudi Arabia. The Prophet (PBUH) was born in Makkah and it is the site of Kaaba.

It is the final destination of every Muslim in the world to perform Hajj, who is able, both physically and financially to bear the cost of Hajj Packages. Hajj is essential in life at least one time.

In the late 500s, Makkah was a major center of trade and commerce as well as the site of the Kaaba (house of Allah).

Before Islam, there were thousands of gods and goddesses In the Makkah (house of Allah) worshiped by different tribes.

Quraysh tribe controlled the political and economic affairs of the city (Makkah).

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born around 570, into the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe, but he was expelled from it once he began preaching Islam and monotheism. For the next 10 years following the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s expulsion, his men and the Quraysh fought three major battles — after which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) held control of the Kaaba (house of Allah) from the Quraysh tribe.

Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) performed the Hajj in 632 CE (10 AH).In recent days Saudi government enlarged the mosque and improved the pilgrimage facilities, and Makkah experienced rapid growth.

Capacity: Increased 900,000 to 4,000,000 worshippers

Length: 400.800m

Minaret(s):9

2: Al-Masjid an-Nabawi:

Masjid an-Nabawi (“The 2nd holiest mosque”) is also the largest mosque in the city of Madina and the 2nd largest in Islam. This mosque is placed in Madina that is a city of Saudi Arabia. It stands on the site of a mosque built by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) himself next to his house and contains his tomb.

Original Prophet’s Mosque was built in 622 AD by the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) himself. The mosque was constructed by palm trunks and mud walls and accessed through three doors. The direction of doors is respectively Bab Rahmah to the south, Bab Jibril to the west and Bab al-Nisa’ to the east. Area of this mosque was covered by 84 by 100 meters in size.

The king of Saudi Arabia renovates this mosque into a size so that a large number of worshippers and pilgrims could perform their prayers easily during Umrah and Hajj.

Capacity: 1,000,000 worshippers

Mosque’s dimensions: 57.49 m × 66.14 m

Minaret(s):10

3: Al-Aqsa Mosque:

The location of the Al-Aqsa mosque is the old city of Jerusalem which is visited by many Muslims now a day using Al Aqsa Package. Jerusalem is the city of Palestine. This mosque was built on top of Temple Mount (Haram esh-Sharif).

Muslims believe that Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was transported from Al-haram mosque to Aqsa mosque during the Night Journey.

The Mosque Al-Aqsa was first Qibla of Muslim and changed in 2nd Hijra.

This is the second oldest mosque in Islam.

Verse: Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant(Peace Be Upon Him) for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque(Al-Haram) to the farthest Mosque(Al-Aqsa), whose precincts We(Allah) did bless,- in order that We(Allah) might show him(Peace Be Upon Him) some of Our Signs: for He(Allah) is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.__ Sura: Al-Isra in Quran.

It is narrated by Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA), “We prayed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) facing Al-Quds for sixteen or seventeen months. Then Allah ordered him ( Peace Be Upon Him) to turn his face towards the Kaaba.

[Sahi Bukhari]

The Mosque Al-Aqsa was built in 705 AD.

According to most of the scholars that Mosque Al-Aqsa was first built by Prophet Adam (AS).

Ibrahim (AS) rebuilt the Masjid Al Aqsa.

Secondly, Prophet Daud (AS) began the rebuilding of Masjid Al Aqsa.

Finally, Prophet Sulayman (AS) completed the building of Masjid Al Aqsa.

Area: 144,000 square meters

Capacity: 5000 worshippers