Known as the “Hill of Illumination” or “Mountain of Light”, Jabal Al-Nour Mountain is famous for the Cave of Hira. This was the place where Prophet Muhammad is said to have been blessed with the first of his many revelations.

Its significance in Islamic history, along with rising views of Makkah and the Holy Mosque from its summit, makes Jabal Al-Nour a renowned tourist spot among pilgrims worldwide.
In Ramadan 610 CE, the first revelations of the Holy Quran were received by Prophet Muhammad at the Hira Cave. According to the Quran, this night is called ‘the Night of Power’. The legend has it that when Prophet Muhammad was on his usual solitude retreat in the cave, during the final 10 days of the month of Ramadan, Hazrat Jibreel (Archangel Gabriel) visited him and told him to recite the first verse of the Quran.
During the Hajj season, this cave is most visited by pilgrims, but during Umrah, travelers do not make the visit to the cave obligatory. Followers of the Holy Prophet climb the rock to reach the cave on the top and seek blessings.

Location:

In the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, outside Makkah, the Cave of Hira is located in the Jabal Al-Nour Mountain at a height of 634 meters. It is 4 km away from the Holy Kaaba and overlooks the north with its entrance pointing directly towards the Kaaba. This was the place from where the first divine words of revelation are believed to have descended upon Prophet Muhammad to light up the universe.

How to reach:

It takes a lot of effort to visit the Hira Cave as it is located at the top of the Nour Mountain, which is a 20 meters’ walk to and from the cave. Jabal Al-Nour is a short drive northwest of the Old City. As the heat is extreme during the day, most pilgrims participate in the summit in the evening or at dawn and dusk.

Depending on an individual’s physical strength and ability, the climb up to the cave takes about 45 minutes to 3 hours. This peak is visible for many kilometers around, and it is advised to bring plenty of water and a flashlight along if climbing in the dark. After a climb of about 1,200 steps, the summit is complete, and one can easily recognize the Cave of Hira by a sign painted on stone.

The mountain is only 3 km away from Makkah at the end of Jabal Al-Nur Road. Vehicles might not go beyond Bilal bin Rabah Mosque, which is where the road ends and the Ghar-e-Hira Trail begins. The path is about half a kilometer of unpaved dirt road.

History of the Cave in Jabal Al Noor

The Cave Hira story dates back to the youth of Prophet Mohammad, when he used to travel all around Syria and Palestine. This presented him with the opportunity for quiet thought and meditation far from the busy crowds of Makkah. He used to frequently climb up to the mountain of Jabal Al-Nour, even before his first revelation, when he needed a place to meditate. In search of solitude, he used to withdraw in the seclusion of the Cave of Hira and apply himself to ardent devotions consisting of prayers and long vigils.

At the age of 40 years, Prophet Mohammad is said to have been presented with his first revelation from Allah through Hazrat Jibreel. During the last third of the month of Ramadan (in year 620), one night when the Prophet was in deep meditation in the Cave of Hira, Hazrat Jibreel visited him with a piece of silk brocade, in which “Read” was written, to which the Prophet said, “I cannot read!”

The angel replied,

“Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.”

The angel then gave him his first revelation which affected the Prophet so deeply, that he turned pale and was trembling all over. When he returned home and narrated the incident to his wife, she comforted him and told him that was a Prophet.

Since then, the Prophethood of Muhammad began, and when he moved out of the cave and was halfway down the mountain, he heard a voice in his ears saying,

“O Mohammad, you are the Messenger of God, and I am Jibreel.”

The Prophet was surprised to see the angel present in every direction in the Horizon. Upon his return to the house, he told his wife the complete Cave Hira story and asked her to cover him so that he could relax and recover after the incident. After encouragement from his wife and her cousin, he accepted the message from God and devoted himself to delivering the message of Islam to the idolaters of Makkah and the non-Muslims around the world.

5 Facts about the Cave of Hira

1. With dimensions of 4 m and 1.5 m in length and width, this cave is set on a 380 m slope mountain, possessing a shape that is similar to a camel’s hump.
2. According to researcher Mohie Eldin Al-Hashmi, the Hira Cave has enough space to hold six adults at a time.
3. During Hajj, approximately 5,000 pilgrims trek up to the cave daily.
4. After sunset, the top of Nour mountain offers a panoramic view of Makkah city dotted with bright yellow city lights.
5. In recent times, considering a few accidents of pilgrims falling while climbing their way up to the cave, it was suggested to build stairs to the cave site and enclosing. The suggestion was rejected by The Scholars of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas saying, “Climbing up to this cave is not one of the rituals of Hajj or Sunnahs of Islam, rather it is an innovation and is one of the things that lead to shirk or associating others with Allaah. Based on that, people should be prevented from climbing up to it; no stairs should be built, and it should not be made easier to climb up to it, in accordance with the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).”

If you are planning a trip to Makkah for Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage, it is recommended to visit the cave for its historic and religious significance and for the splendid top view of the holy city.