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
Tabi'in (The Successors)
The generation of Muslims who met the Prophet's companions but did not themselves meet the Prophet.
Wudu (Ritual Ablution)
The ritual cleansing with water, required before prayer.
Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
Islamic legal theory that defines the methods for deriving legal rules from the sacred sources.
Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening Chapter)
The opening chapter of the Quran, recited in every single rak'ah.
Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Kaaba)
The ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba counterclockwise as part of Hajj and Umrah.
Masjid al-Aqsa (The Farthest Mosque)
The third holiest mosque in Islam, in Jerusalem, connected to the Prophet's nocturnal journey.