Jabal al-Nur, the Mountain of Light, rises about 640 metres above the north-east of Makkah, roughly four kilometres from Masjid al-Haram. Near its summit sits…
Jabal al-Nur, the Mountain of Light, rises about 640 metres above the north-east of Makkah, roughly four kilometres from Masjid al-Haram. Near its summit sits the Cave of Hira, the small granite hollow where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ withdrew for solitude and worship, and where the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed in Ramadan 610 CE. The cave measures only about 3.7 metres by 1.6 metres and its opening faces towards the Ka'bah. The Hira Cultural District at the foot of the mountain now provides a rebuilt stepped path, a visitor centre, exhibitions and cafés. Visiting is not part of Hajj or Umrah and no act of worship is prescribed at the cave itself.