The historic Sajadah Mosque in Madinah.

Power outage notices on the doors of a number of mosques including the historical Sajdah Mosque have left historians fearing that they might get demolished to make way for the Prophet’s Mosque expansion project, Makkah daily reported.

Local authorities erected notices to cut off the power from several mosques in areas of Madinah that have been marked for demolition.

Some of the marked mosques carry historical and Islamic significance that date back to the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) era.

Historians and concerned citizens are unsure whether the expansion project plans include renovation of the mosques, taking into account their architectural heritage, or to demolish them completely.

Among the mosques that could be demolished are the Ijabah Mosque and the Sajdah Mosque, also known as the Shukur Mosque.

The Sajdah Mosque is where the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Sujud Ash-Shukur (prostrating to Allah in order to express gratitude).

The mosque is located near the public transport stop north of the Prophet’s Mosque.

Both the Sajdah and Ijabah Mosques are classified by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities as historical Islamic landmarks.

Abdullah Kabir, Madinah landmarks researcher, said the expansion project must consult expert architects to ensure the preservation of the Sajdah Mosque’s architectural identity.

Preserving the historical significance of buildings in Madinah is considered complimentary to the expansion project’s vision and not an obstacle against modernization, he said.

He said: “Al-Sajdah Mosque is not just a praying location. “Imam Al-Bayhaqi and others copernfirmed the Prophet has performed sujud in this mosque.

“The mosque has a long history of preservation that started from the first Hijri century during the time of the Umayyad Caliph Umar Bin Abdul Aziz. The last renovation of the mosque was during the late King Fahd’s time.”

 
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