Is installing a mihrab an innovation (bid‘ah)?

The term "mihrab" refers to a niche or marker in a mosque that indicates the qiblah direction for worshippers, serving as a sign for the imam's place during prayer. The word "mihrab" is mentioned four times in the Qur'an: in Surah Al ‘Imran, verses 37-39, in Surah Maryam, verse 11, and in Surah Sad, verse 21.

There is no definitive evidence that a mihrab existed during the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). However, historians mention that the first mihrab was installed by Caliph ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (رضي الله عنه), as a marker on the wall to indicate the qiblah. The type of mihrab we know today (a niche in the wall) was first installed during the Umayyad era, when Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik was caliph and the governor of Madinah, ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz, implemented it (Wafa’ al-Wafa bi Akhbar al-Mustafa, al-Samhudi).

The Egyptian writer Ahmad Fikri states: "The first mihrab was established in the year 50 AH by the tabi‘i and renowned commander ‘Uqbah ibn Nafi‘ when he founded the city of Kairouan and built the Kairouan Mosque, marking the qiblah direction with a mihrab" [1] (Hukm al-Salat fi al-Mihrab bayna al-Jawaz wa al-Irtib).

There are specific reasons why Muslims install a mihrab in mosques. These include determining the qiblah direction, designating the imam's place, preventing the congregation from standing in line with the imam, and helping the imam's voice to be heard more clearly.

In the foundations of Shariah, the mihrab is validated by the principle of masalih al-mursalah (public interest). That is, if something is beneficial for Muslims and does not cause harm, it cannot be considered among the prohibited acts in Shariah. Additionally, the mihrab helps distinguish mosques from other buildings. The Qur'an states:

"Whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary (mihrab) to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance." (Surah Al ‘Imran, 37)

In this verse, the word "mihrab" also means a place designated for worship.

Historically, the first mihrabs were not like those of today; they were flat and built into the northern wall of the mosque. The Qur'an says:

"(O Muhammad,) We have certainly seen the turning of your face toward the heaven, so We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] are, turn your faces toward it." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 144)

After this verse was revealed, the direction of the mihrab was changed from al-Aqsa Mosque to al-Masjid al-Haram, that is, toward Makkah in the south. In the year 88 AH, by the order of Walid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was completely renovated, and the mihrab was built as a niche. From then on, all mosques began to have recessed mihrabs. These were often semi-circular or crescent-shaped, sometimes rectangular, and decorated with ornate designs and colored bricks.

In conclusion, installing a mihrab is a practice permitted by Shariah. During the time of the tabi‘in and leading Muslim scholars, mihrabs were built in mosques and no one objected to this practice.

Hasan AMANKUL

"Munara" newspaper, No. 18, 2023