The Rawdah is part of the Prophet’s mosque, and the prayer in it equals in reward of 1,000 prayers. However, there is no doubt that the Rawdah is of more excellence because the Prophet distinguished it and did not distinguish any other parts of the mosque for being a garden from the gardens of Paradise.” (Bukhari)
Pilgrims during their visit to the Prophet’s Mosque are keen to visit the Rawdah, a place located between the Prophet and Aisha’s house, peace be upon them, and between the Prophet’s Minbar (or pulpit).
There are two entrances to the Rawdah which are normally guarded by police officers. The area is only able to hold several hundred at once people so accessing the Rawdah area may be difficult, especially during the Hajj season.
You may need to wait for some time before a spot is vacated and you’re allowed entry. Make sure you behave with decorum within Masjid Nabawi; if you cannot find space in the Rawdah, don’t push or behave aggressively towards others in an effort to enter the blessed area. If you find yourself waiting, now is a good time to send Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ and engage in Dhikr.
The Rawdah area is also accessible to women at certain points by using gates 21-25. Gate 25 is the closest to the Rawdah area during the day. These are:
- After Fajr, until 10am (the best time for ladies to visit)
- After Zuhr for about 15-20 minutes
- After Isha until midnight
The viewing holes above are aligned to the faces of the inhabitants of the graves. The largest hole on the left directly faces the noble face of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The one in the middle is aligned to the face of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and likewise the one on the right is aligned to the face of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
The Rawdah is rectangular in shape and measures 26.5 meters in length from east to west, although part of it lies in the Sacred Chamber so the accessible area is 22 meters long. From north to south, it measures 15 meters. The total area of the Rawdah is approximately 397.5 square meters.
Visitors are always keen to offer nafl prayers in Rawdah, for it is considered to be the best place, except for obligatory prayers to be better performed in the first row.
