MOSQUE OF AL-'AJOUZ
The mosque of the pious old woman.
A mosque with an unexpected name
Among all the mosques in Medina, there is one with a curious name: Masjid al-'Ajouz — "the Mosque of the Old Woman".
The name alone intrigues. Why "the old woman"? And why has this designation remained etched in the memory of Medina for fourteen centuries?
The answer reveals one of the most beautiful dimensions of the Prophet ﷺ: his humility, his closeness to the humble, and the honor he bestowed upon pious people regardless of their social rank.
The reported tradition
Ibn Shabah, one of the great classical chroniclers of Medina, reports: "The Prophet ﷺ prayed in this mosque, located in the area of Bani Khatmeh." (Ibn Shabah · Tarikh al-Madinah)
Ibn Zabala also confirms, based on the accounts of Aflah ibn Sa'id and other scholars, that the Prophet ﷺ performed prayer there. (Ibn Zabala · Akhbar al-Madinah)
Why the name "Al-'Ajouz"
The name of the mosque is attributed to a pious woman from the tribe of Bani Salim, traditionally called Al-'Ajouz (the old woman).
This woman — whose personal story has been lost but whose piety was significant enough for her nickname to be given to an entire mosque — embodies one of the great silent lessons of the Sîrah: the humble build places that the powerful cannot erase.
She was neither the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, nor the daughter of a caliph, nor a famous warrior. She was "the old woman" — an elderly woman, anonymous in the eyes of the world, but dear enough to her community for a mosque to be named after her nickname. And the Prophet ﷺ came to pray there.
What this site teaches
1. The Prophet ﷺ honored the homes and places of his companions — he literally blessed every stone of Medina.
2. Pious women were honored in the Medina community.
3. Sanctity does not depend on social status — Allah honors whom He wills.