HISTORY OF MASJID QUBA                                     The Quba Mosque (Arabic: مَسْجِد قُبَاء‎, romanized: Masjid Qubāʾ) is a mosque in the outlying environs of Medina, Saudi Arabia. Initially, the mosque was built 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) off Medina in the village of Quba, before Medina got expanded to include this village. Depending on whether the Mosque of the Companions in the Eritrean city of Massawa[1] is older or not, it may be the first mosque in the world that dates to the lifetime of the Islamic Nabi (Prophet) Muhammad in the 7th century CE.[2][3][4] According to legend, its first stones were positioned by Muhammad as soon as he arrived on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina,[5] and the mosque was completed by his companions. Muhammad spent 14 days in this mosque praying qaṣr (Arabic: قَـصْـر‎, a short prayer) while waiting for Ali to arrive in Medina, after the latter stayed behind in Mecca to carry out a couple of tasks entrusted to him by the Prophet.[citation needed] Also going along with traditional saying, this mosque is said to be where the first Friday prayer was held, led by the Prophet Muhammad.[6]
According to Islamic tradition, performing Wuḍūʾ ('Ablution') in one's home then offering two Rakaʿāt of Nafl (Optional) prayers in the Quba Mosque is equal to performing one ʿUmrah. Muhammad used to go there, riding or on foot, every Saturday and offer a two rakaʿāt-prayer. He advised others to do the same, saying, "Whoever makes ablutions at home and then goes and prays in the Mosque of Quba, he will have a reward like that of an 'Umrah."[This quote needs a citation] This ḥadīth was reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah and Hakim al-Nishaburi.[citation needed] Also going along with traditional saying, this mosque is said to be where the first Friday prayer was held, led by the Prophet Muhammad.[7]The prayer hall is arranged around a central courtyard, characterised by six large domes resting on clustered columns. A portico, which is two bays in depth, borders the courtyard on the east and west, while a one-bayed portico borders it on the north, and separates it from the women's prayer area.

The women's prayer area, which is surrounded by a screen, is divided into two parts as a passageway connects the northern entrance with the courtyard.[citation needed]

People praying inside the Quba Mosque
When Quba Mosque was rebuilt in 1986, the Medina architecture was retained – ribbed white domes, and basalt facing and modest exterior – qualities that recalls Madina's simplicity. The courtyard, is flagged with black, red and white marble. It is screened overhead by day from the scorching heat with shades. Arabesque latticework filters the light of the palm groves outside. Elements of the new building include work by the Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil and the Stuttgart tensile architect Mahmoud Bodo Rasch,[11] a student of Frei Otto.The Quba Mosque is the oldest mosque and one of the first in Islam. Not to be confused with the Kaaba which is the oldest sacred site in Islam. The Kaaba is not a mosque but a holy site located near the Great Mosque of Mecca.#fastitlinks.com