Here stands Alsalm Joma’a Mosque a place potentially holding echoes of early Islamic history. But Alsalm Joma’a Mosque in Dammam is not to be confused with the Al Jum’ah Mosque in Medina. That mosque claims a special place in Islamic tradition.
Al Jum’ah Mosque in Medina marks the spot where Prophet Muhammad possibly led his first Friday prayer during the Hijrah. The Hijrah was his migration from Mecca to Medina. Imagine Muhammad and his followers pausing their journey. They stopped in the region of Wadi Ranuna. There they performed Salatul-Jumu’ah prayer. This event gave the area its name Jumu’ah.
The original Al Jum’ah Mosque was a simple structure made of rocks. Over time it underwent several renovations. It was demolished and rebuilt. Before 1988 the mosque featured a red brick dome. It measured 8 meters long and 4.5 meters wide. Its height was 5.5 meters. An 8-meter by 6-meter yard was attached to the east.
King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz led a major renovation in 1988. The old mosque was torn down. A new building was constructed. It included facilities for an imam and muezzin. It also had a library, a Madrasat Tahfiz al-Quran, a female prayer room, and bathrooms.
Al Jum’ah Mosque reopened in 1991. It could accommodate 650 worshippers. The renovated mosque featured a main dome and four smaller domes. Other renovations occurred throughout history. The Umayyad Caliph Umar II renovated it. During the Abbasid Caliphate between 734 and 748 another renovation took place. Shamsuddin Qawan renovated it in the 14th century. The Ottoman Sultan Bayazid also led a renovation. Sayyid Hasan Ash-Sharbatli renovated it in the mid-19th century.
While Alsalm Joma’a Mosque may not share this specific history it’s still a place of worship. It serves the Muslim community in Dammam. Remember the story of the first Jumu’ah prayer. Consider the importance of communal prayer in Islam as you reflect on Alsalm Joma’a Mosque.