I was a nineteen-year-old Arabic student when I last stepped foot in the majestic Umayyad Masjid in the heart of Damascus. Twenty-eight years later I find myself back here and I can only thank Allah (SWT) for this divine providence. During Syria’s thirteen-year civil war, no buildings, including our beloved masjids, were spared, so seeing the masjid still standing was emotional. This time I was there with Muslim Hands, and we had the privilege of pledging our support to the renovation work of this sacred site. For me, this is nothing short of a dream project to be involved in, equivalent to the restoration work Muslim Hands have been doing in the Blessed Masjid Al-Aqsa since 2008. 

Arguably, after al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, al-Masjid an-Nabawi in al-Madinah and al-Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, this masjid and the blessed land it sits on, Shaam, could be viewed as the fourth holiest site in the Islamic world. The Prophet Muhammad [SAW] was reported to have said, ‘Shaam is the chosen region of Allah, and He will gather His chosen servants in it.’ [Abu Dawud] 

It is therefore no surprise that Damascus is a melting pot of rich Islamic history, which includes the burial sites and stories of the noble Prophets (AS), the beloved Companions (RA) and classical scholars (RH). The Prophet (SAW) even mentioned and praised Damascus as, ‘one of the best cities in ash-Shaam.” [Abu Dawud] 

The Umayyad Masjid is believed to have been a sanctuary of worship for various faiths, spanning over an impressive 3,000 years. It once held temples built by the Romans, and later under Christian Byzantine rule (after 379 CE), the old temple was transformed into a cathedral. After the Muslim conquest of Damascus in 634 CE, part of the cathedral was dedicated as a prayer space for Muslims. For over 70 years, both Christians and Muslims would enter this place of worship through the same door, with the Muslims turning right and the Christians left. However, as the Muslim community grew, there was need for more prayer space, and this is where the sixth Umayyad Caliph, Khalid al-Walid (RH) expanded and completed in 715 CE, what is now, the Umayyad Masjid, a recognised UNESCO World Heritage site. 

The Caliph Khalid al-Walid (RH) came from a family esteemed in pioneering some of the great Islamic sites we see today. His father Abd al-Malik (rh) constructed the Dome of the Rock in al-Quds and started the Al-Aqsa Masjid, which his son finished or expanded. In 706/7 CE al-Walid (RH) instructed ‘Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (RH) [the great grandson of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab (RA) and eighth Umayyad caliph] to enlarge al-Masjid an-Nabawi. 
The Umayyad Masjid was once completely adorned with beautiful glass, stone and gold mosaics externally, and what is left of the intricate details after numerous conquests, earthquakes and wars, still dazzles when it captures the sun’s rays. It is believed that the design took inspiration from a verse in the Noble Qur’an that described paradise with high chambers and flowing rivers. And its depiction of paradise is truly a sight to behold.  

Al-Walid’s [RA] vision of what a masjid should look like, when there was no blueprint, revolutionised future Islamic architecture worldwide, which includes its rectangular shape being adopted at the Grand Masjid of Cordoba.  

The main prayer hall, which can hold approximately 25,000 worshippers in a single congregation, is full of Islamic treasures. As you walk in, you are drawn to a beautiful emerald-green mausoleum, which sits in the eastern hall and is known to be the final resting place of Prophet Yahya (AS), also known as John the Baptist.  Sadly, the story of Prophet Yahya (AS) as told in the Qur’an, was that he was martyred in Jerusalem and his noble head was brought to this blessed site.  

When the cathedral was demolished and recommissioned to become a masjid, under al-Walid’s guidance, a wooden box was found and inscribed in Latin scripture was the name of the Prophet Yahya (AS), and inside was his beautiful and noble head, which had remarkably not been decayed, in line with the hadith of the Prophet (SAW), ‘Indeed Allah, Mighty and Exalted be He, has prohibited the earth from (consuming) the bodies of Prophets.’ [Abu Dawud] 

Even during my visit, I saw Christian pilgrims still paying their respects to Yahya (AS). It is interesting to note that on 6th May 2001, Pope John Paul II became the first pope to also visit the masjid.  

The main prayer hall has the second oldest mihrab (a niche in the wall of a masjid indicating the direction of the Qiblah) in the world, called the ‘Mihrab of the Companions (RA)’, with the first in al-Madinah at the Masjid of the Prophet (SAW). In total there are four mihrabs at the Umayyad Masjid, that are indicative of the four Sunni schools of thought. The oldest of the mihrabs is in the eastern part and is full of immense beauty and intricate details with mosaics, colour and calligraphy.  

Today, the three minarets of the Umayyad Masjid are still standing proudly, despite this heritage site being scarred by bullets and bombs, during the recent civil war. The three minarets are the Minaret of the Bride, the first minaret built under the Abbasids; the Minaret of Qaitbay, built in the Egyptian-Mamluk style by the great Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay; and the Minaret of the Prophet ‘Isa (AS), the tallest minaret standing at 77 metres high, originally built by the Ayyubids, and later extended under the Ottomans.

It is narrated that the Prophet ‘Isa (AS) will descend from heaven to this minaret, as part of his second coming and one of the signs of the final hour: ‘… and it would be at this very time that Allah would send the Messiah (al-Masih), son of Maryam [AS], and he will descend at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damascus wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two Angels. When he would lower his head, there would fall beads of perspiration from his head, and when he would raise it up, beads like pearls would scatter from it …” [Muslim] 

As I climbed the narrow steps to the minaret, our guide told us if we had visited just a few weeks earlier, our way would have been blocked by rubble, but it was thanks to the diligent work of our partners on site who were beginning the restoration of this beautiful Masjid that we could even enter. As I reached the top, it felt surreal as I imagined the magnitude of what this space symbolises. You could see the splendid views of Damascus and far in the distance are the mountains of Qasiyun, where the first Prophet of God, Adam’s (AS) son, Habil (AS) is buried.

Other influential Islamic figures that have graced the Umayyad Masjid include the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad [SAW], Imam Hussein [RA] who was martyred in the battle of Karbala, and his head later made public for visitors to pay their respects. As well as scholars such as the great Imam Ghazali (RH), who spent time in devotion and self-purification there, as well as teaching in its western wing.  

There is no denying that the Umayyad Masjid holds significant importance of the past, present and future of Islamic tradition. Our intention was simply to visit this sacred Masjid in between our other work in Syria, but finding a blessed opportunity to serve it, is a favour from Allah (SWT) that we cannot thank Him enough for. Now we want to share this rare Sadaqah Jariyah opportunity with you. With your help, we aim to install a modern underfloor heating system to the main prayer hall, a brand-new state of the art digital sound system for the entire masjid and provide new copies of the Noble Qur’an to its worshippers.  

Shares for each project start from £500, so click here to be part of this remarkable history and help us to continue to revive this masjid to its full glory.  

Article written by Yasrab Shah – Director of Fundraising at Muslim Hands