Hira’ Cave

Published On Jun 08, 2021

Hira (Arabic: حراء‎ Ḥirāʾ ) or the Cave of Hira (غار حراء Ġār Ḥirāʾ ) is a cave about 3 kilometres (2 mi) from Mecca, on the mountain named Jabal al-Nour in the Hejaz region of present-day Saudi Arabia.

It is notable for being the location where Muslims believe Muhammad received his first revelations from God through the angel Jebril (Arabic: جِبرِيل ) (alternatively spelled Jabraeel, جبرائيل , as is pronounced in certain Quran recitation schools and some Arab tribes). To Christians, Jebril is known as Gabriel and to Jews as Gavri’el.

Taking 600 steps to reach, the cave itself is about 3.7 m (12 ft) in length and 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) in width. The cave is situated at a height of 270 m (890 ft). During the Hajj, around 5,000 Muslims climb up to the Hira cave daily to see the place where Muhammad is believed to have received the first revelation of the Quran on the Night of Power. Muslims do not typically consider seeing the cave an integral part of the pilgrimage. Nonetheless many visit it for reasons of personal pleasure and spirituality, and though some consider it a place of worship, this view conflicts with Salafist interpretations of Islamic scripture. — while the Cave of Hira is an important place to know in the Al-sīra (prophetic biography) it is not considered as holy as other sites in Mecca (for example, the Masjid Al-Haram) and so under most interpretations of Islam, the same reward is received for praying here as any other place in Mecca.