The Hijrah and the First Community
Arrive with the Prophet ﷺ at Quba and follow him into the city: the Hijrah from the side of the Ansar, and quiet places most tour cars drive past
The south of Madinah in the order it happened: the palm grove where the Prophet rested on the day he arrived, the first mosque he then built at Quba, the path he rode into the city, the site of the first Friday prayer, and his well at Bir Ghars. Best on a Saturday morning, and best with a guide: these are quiet places with little signage.
Itinerary
- 01
Bustan al-Mustadal and the Ethiq well
The palm grove beside Quba where the Prophet rested in the shade on the day he arrived, with its old well. Quiet, green and shaded: he stopped here before a single wall of the first mosque was raised.
- 02
Masjid Quba
The first mosque built in Islam, founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him) on arriving in Madinah after the Hijrah. Visitors make wudu beforehand and pray two rak'ahs here, which the Prophet described as carrying the reward of an Umrah.
- 03
The Quba path
A walk of about a kilometre along the shaded path from Quba towards the city, the direction the Prophet rode when he left Quba, with every clan asking him to stay. From May to September the car takes you instead.
- 04
Masjid al-Jumu'ah
Where the first Friday prayer was led, in the valley of Banu Salim ibn Awf, on the way from Quba into the city.
- 05
Bir Ghars
One of the wells of Madinah the Prophet is reported to have drunk from, restored with a small mosque and a garden.
The car is yours for the full 3.5 hours. Your driver waits at each stop while you visit and pray.
About your driver
Your chauffeur works for a licensed local partner. They collect you from the lobby, take you to each stop and wait while you visit. A chauffeur is never sold to you as a guide and does not narrate the journey: the notes on this page tell you what each stop is and what people do there.
The first mosque built in Islam, founded by the Prophet (peace be upon him) as he arrived from Makkah, even before al-Masjid an-Nabawi.
Rawasheen, the carved wooden screens of old Hijazi houses, let the breeze in while those inside could see out without being seen.
What's included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for your group only: the class you booked, or better
- Driver, fuel and bottled water
- Driver waits at every stop for the full duration; no stop is skipped
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Madinah
- Free cancellation until 48 hours before pickup
Good to know
- Times are Madinah local time (UTC+3).
- Please be ready in your hotel lobby at the pickup time.
- Your driver waits 60 minutes at the pickup. After that the booking counts as a missed pickup and is not refunded, so message us on WhatsApp if you are held up.
- If the driver is more than 60 minutes late, message us on WhatsApp: we treat it as a no-show and refund in full.
- Pickups just before or after a prayer at the Haram sit in heavy traffic, so avoid the 30 to 45 minutes around each prayer.
- Dress modestly for mosque visits. Most stops are mosques, so you can pray on the way.
- Wheelchairs and child seats: message us on WhatsApp and we confirm with the partner.
