Old picture of Haram with prayer spot for each Madhab

[Haitham Hamdan]

http://www.alfalaq.com/images/mak3.jpg

For many centuries there were four Mihraabs in the Haram. One for the followers of each Madhab to perform the daily prayers.

Some say there were only three Mihraabs. Shafi's did not have one of their own.

One of the greatest achievements of King AbdulAziz RA was to eliminate these Mihraabs in year 1345 AH, and to unite those performing prayer behind one Imam.

[tawheedullah]

The seperate mihraabs thing is bad, but I think the haram looked much better overall back then.

[Abu Maryam Alsalafi]

Bismillah
Praise be to Allah and His Blessings upon the Prophet sallallahoalaihiwasallam
Assalamoalaikum
I think Imam Shawkaani said that i am not surpirsed at the ignorant masses who do that, but at the scholars who allow that.
Secondly, i believe one of the scholars also said that in case of prayers when the time was short, like maghrib, it was hard for the owrshipper to know when his imam said takbeer since there were 4 prayers going on at the same time. Subhaanallah, even the hanbalis, the least bigotted of all madhhab-adherents had a seperate one. May Allah save us from the curse of extremism
حبك الشيء يعمي و يصم

[Abu Bakr b. Nasir]

Bismillah
Praise be to Allah and His Blessings upon the Prophet sallallahoalaihiwasallam
Assalamoalaikum
I think Imam Shawkaani said that i am not surpirsed at the ignorant masses who do that, but at the scholars who allow that.
Secondly, i believe one of the scholars also said that in case of prayers when the time was short, like maghrib, it was hard for the owrshipper to know when his imam said takbeer since there were 4 prayers going on at the same time. Subhaanallah, even the hanbalis, the least bigotted of all madhhab-adherents had a seperate one. May Allah save us from the curse of extremism
حبك الشيء يعمي و يصم


What is most outrageous is al-Suyuti's claim that each madhhab represents a different Shari`ah and that this is because the shari`ah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) combines all the past shari`ahs!

[Abu Maryam Alsalafi]

What is most outrageous is al-Suyuti's claim that each madhhab represents a different Shari`ah and that this is because the shari`ah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) combines all the past shari`ahs!
Hmmm..and add to it what a 'wali' saw in a kashaf: All 4 madhahib are rivers from a single source. All dry up after sometime, except one (the madhab of the author of the book who narrated this kashaf) which keeps on going. Hence that one is superior to all.

Moreover two of the madhahib claim that Eesa alaihi salaam would actually enforce their madhab.

Having said that, it is a great sight when u see the muslims united in the haram all year round. It would have hardly been the same sight back before King Abdul 'Aziz.

[DrSalaf]

The seperate mihraabs thing is bad, but I think the haram looked much better overall back then.

I disagree! I think it looks much better now, except I don't like how there are tall buildings outside the haram. Those should be removed in my opinion.

[ibn abi 'Abdirrahman]

those tall buildings give some shade to pedestrians.

[tawheedullah]

I disagree! I think it looks much better now, except I don't like how there are tall buildings outside the haram. Those should be removed in my opinion.

It looked closer then to what it looked like in the Salaf's time.

[Abu Zahra]

Do you have any reference saying that the followers of the 4 Madhhabs held Salah behind their own Imams behind each of those "Mihrabs" in the picture? I have also heard people say that these 4 buildings are not Mihrabs but the stations of the 4 Mufti's from the 4 Madhhabs whereby people could approach to ask for fatawa based on the Madhhab they followed.