Minbar (Pulpit)
The elevated platform in the mosque from which the imam delivers the Friday khutbah.
Minbar is the elevated platform or staircase-like structure in the mosque from which the imam delivers the Friday khutbah and other sermons. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had his minbar built by a carpenter in Medina, and it consisted of three steps. He stood on the second step and used the top as a seat.
In a famous hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated that when the Prophet's minbar was built, the date palm trunk he used to lean against during sermons began to moan and weep, until the Prophet came down and comforted it. This event is known as "Hanin al-Jidh'" (the longing of the trunk).
The minbar has an important symbolic and practical function in the mosque. It ensures that the imam can be seen and heard by the entire congregation. Historically, the minbar has also served as a symbol of religious and political authority. The four rightly guided caliphs all used the Prophet's minbar in Medina. Today, minbar designs range from simple structures to elaborate architectural masterpieces in grand mosques around the world.
Related terms
Tashahhud (Testimony of Faith in Prayer)
The testimony of faith recited in the sitting position during prayer.
Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers)
The voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and after the obligatory prayers.
Salat al-Ayat (Prayer of the Signs)
An obligatory prayer performed during natural phenomena such as solar and lunar eclipses.
Mashhad (Imam Reza's City)
The sacred city in Iran with Imam Reza's shrine, Iran's most visited pilgrimage destination.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Niyyah (Intention)
The conscious intention in the heart to perform a specific prayer.