MOSQUE OF AL-FATH (OF VICTORY)
The Mosque of Victory.
The mosque of the answered invocation
On the slopes of Jabal Sal', where the Prophet ﷺ established his command post during the siege of Khandaq, there is a mosque that bears a triumphant name: Masjid al-Fath — the Mosque of Victory.
It is here that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ made the invocations that changed the course of the battle. And it is here that Jibreel descended to announce the imminent victory.
The authentic hadith
Jabir ibn Abdullah (رضي الله عنه) reported: "The Prophet ﷺ invoked against the confederates on this mountain: 'O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Quick to take account, O Allah, defeat the confederates, O Allah, defeat them and shake them!'" (Sahih al-Bukhari no. 4115 · Sahih Muslim no. 1742)
And the Prophet ﷺ prayed three consecutive days in this mosque — from Monday to Wednesday — invoking Allah for victory. It was on the Wednesday between Dhuhr and Asr that the prayer was answered.
Surah Al-Ahzab
Allah immortalized this event in an entire surah (no. 33). The central verse: "And Allah turned back the disbelievers in their rage; they did not obtain any good. And Allah spared the believers from fighting. Allah is Strong and Mighty." (Surah Al-Ahzab, 25)
Why this name
Al-Fath means "the victory", "the opening", "the conquest". The name of the mosque comes from two dimensions:
1. The physical victory: the defeat of the coalition by the wind sent by Allah
2. The spiritual victory: the confirmation that the invocations of the Prophet ﷺ were answered
The strategic position
The mosque is located on the heights of Jabal Sal', exactly where the Prophet ﷺ could observe the entire northern plain of Medina. Strategically, it was the best observation post possible. Spiritually, it was the post of invocation.