Visit ArabiaMOSQUE OF AR-RAYAH (THE STANDARD)
The mosque of the standard.
Where the standard of the Prophet ﷺ flew
The mosque of ar-Rayah stands on Jabal Dhubab, about 1.3 km north of the Prophet's Mosque ﷺ. According to the tradition reported by Ibn Shabba and as-Samhudi, the Prophet ﷺ had his tent (qubba) pitched there during the siege of Khandaq to oversee the digging of the trench. The name "ar-Rayah" (the standard) is explained, according to as-Samhudi, by the standard of the mawali that Yazid ibn Hurmuz planted at this spot during the Battle of al-Harra (63 AH); a popular tradition attributes it instead to the standard of the Prophet ﷺ. (Ibn Shabba · Tarikh al-Madina; As-Samhudi · Wafa' al-Wafa)
The symbol of the standard
The prophetic standard in Islam was not merely a military flag. It was a point of spiritual and strategic rallying. Where the standard of the Prophet ﷺ flew, the companions knew where to stand and for whom to die.