JABAL LA'LA' / AL-A'LA / 'UQAB
The mountain next to the Mosque of the Two Qiblas.
A mountain in the Banu Salama neighborhood
To the west of Medina, on the heights of Harrat al-Wabarah, rises a rocky prominence known by several names in local tradition:
- Jabal La'la'
- Jabal al-A'la — "the High Mountain"
- Jabal 'Uqab — "the Mountain of the Eagle"
- A silhouette resembling an eagle seen from afar
- Eagle nests in its crevices
- The dominant height characteristic of eagles
This mountain is located in the historic neighborhood of Banu Salama — a clan of the Khazraj — specifically in the area surrounding the Al-Qiblatayn Mosque today.
The sacred geography of Banu Salama
The Banu Salama neighborhood is one of the richest historical sites in Medina. It is here that:
1. The qibla was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca (2 AH)
2. Al-Bara' ibn Ma'rur (رضي الله عنه), the first companion to die in Medina, resided
3. Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (رضي الله عنه), a great narrator of hadiths, lived
Why the name "Mountain of the Eagle"
The name 'Uqab (eagle) suggests:
Note of sincerity
There indeed exists a mountain in the Banu Salama neighborhood. Its names vary locally. The area is saturated with events from the Sīrah. No specific sahih hadith mentions the Prophet ﷺ praying on this mountain directly. It is a geographical landmark in a sacred area, worth seeing when visiting the Al-Qiblatayn Mosque.