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What is the mihrab?

ما المحراب؟

Depth

At a glance

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Worship and the pillars

Overview

The mihrab is the niche in the qibla wall by which Muslims know the direction of prayer. It is one of the oldest elements of mosque architecture and one of the most artistically inventive. 1

People and things also explored

Prayer in early Islam before the Night Journey· Command, prohibition and capacity· The days of Tashriq· The five pillars of Islam· The lawful, the unlawful and the doubtful· Imam (prayer leader)· Islam (the religion and the term)· The no-harm maxim

Sources

  1. Wikidata
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “What is the mihrab?”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/questions/what-is-mihrab/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-18.

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Related

Prayer in early Islam before the Night Journey

What al-Raheeq al-Makhtum reports on the first prescription of prayer: two rakats morning and evening according to Muqatil ibn Sulayman citing Ghafir 55, Ibn Hajar's statement that the Prophet and his Companions certainly prayed before the Night Journey though whether anything was obligatory before the five prayers is disputed, Jibril's teaching of ablution at the first revelation, and the Muslims praying hidden in the ravines.