BI'R AL-HUJAYM & AL-'USBAH MOSQUE
The forgotten well and the mosque of the early emigrants — Quba, southwest of Medina, on the blessed path of the Hijra.
An older water than Islam
Even before the Prophet ﷺ was born, this well already existed. It belonged to the clan of Banu Jahjaba ibn Kulfa, a branch of the Aws.
But what makes this well unique is that one day, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stopped here. He leaned down. He drank from this water.
Where are we?
We are in the area of Al-'Usbah, to the west of the Quba Mosque. It is here, before the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ in Medina, that the first Meccan emigrants laid down their packs. Those who had left Mecca to escape persecution.
The well: Bi'r al-Hujaym
Bi'r al-Hujaym is an archaeological pre-Islamic well. It is named after an ancient fortress — an atam — that stood nearby.
According to the tradition reported by classical historians: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drank from the water of this well." Imam Al-Samhudi reports that Ibn Zabala transmits from Aflah ibn Sa'd that the Prophet ﷺ prayed here.
The mosque: Masjid Al-'Usbah
Next to the well stands Al-'Usbah Mosque, also called Masjid Al-Hujaym or Masjid At-Tawbah — the "Mosque of Repentance." The term al-'usbah refers to a group of supportive men. This name evokes the first Meccan emigrants who had gathered here awaiting the Prophet ﷺ.
The passage of the prophetic procession
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Medina, his procession passed precisely through this area. The first emigrants, who had settled here for weeks, scanned the horizon. And suddenly, the silhouette of Al-Qaswa carrying the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The cries of joy. The children running.
The Prophet ﷺ stops. He prays here. He drinks here, at this ancient well. And you stand today, fourteen centuries later, exactly in the same place.