Visiting the Prophet's Mosque: how to greet the Prophet ﷺ

Visiting Madinah isn't one of the rites of Umrah, but most pilgrims plan their trip around it. This guide follows the Saudi authorities' guidance as of October 2026: where the Prophet's ﷺ grave is, how to greet him, and how to behave in his mosque.

Why the mosque

The Prophet ﷺ said: "One prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other, except al-Masjid al-Haram" (al-Bukhari 1190). He also said: "Do not set out on a journey except to three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haram, the mosque of the Messenger ﷺ and al-Masjid al-Aqsa" (al-Bukhari 1189).

Scholars differ on whether the traveller should intend the mosque or the visit to the grave. Either way, once you are there, greeting the Prophet ﷺ and his two Companions is part of the visit.

Where the Prophet's ﷺ grave is

In the south-east part of the mosque, under the Green Dome, in what was the room of Aisha, the Mother of the Believers. Abu Bakr and Umar are buried beside him. The place where visitors stand in front of the three graves is called al-Muwajaha al-Sharifa.

Greeting the Prophet ﷺ, step by step

The way to the graves is the Salam passage, which runs from Bab al-Salam on the west side of the mosque to Bab al-Baqi on the east. About 70,000 people walk it every day.

Come in by Bab al-Salam, right foot first, and say what you say at any mosque: "Allāhumma ftaḥ lī abwāba raḥmatik" (O Allah, open for me the gates of Your mercy; Muslim 713). Pray two rak'ahs to greet the mosque wherever there is room, then walk east along the passage. When you stand in front of the Prophet's ﷺ grave, greet him calmly, without raising your voice:

السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

"As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh": Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Then send blessings on him. The guidance on the visit published by the Saudi Press Agency suggests these words:

اللَّهُمَّ آتِهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ، وَابْعَثْهُ الْمَقَامَ الْمَحْمُودَ الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ، اللَّهُمَّ اجْزِهِ عَنْ أُمَّتِهِ أَفْضَلَ الْجَزَاءِ

"Allāhumma ātihil-wasīlata wal-faḍīlah, wabʿath-hul-maqāmal-maḥmūdalladhī waʿadtah. Allāhumma-jzihi ʿan ummatihi afḍalal-jazāʾ": O Allah, grant him al-Wasilah and excellence, raise him to the praised station You promised him, and reward him for his ummah with the best of rewards.

Then take a small step to the right, where Abu Bakr al-Siddiq lies. Greet him ("As-salāmu ʿalayka yā Abā Bakr") and ask Allah to have mercy on him, forgive him and be pleased with him. One more small step to the right brings you to Umar ibn al-Khattab. Greet him ("As-salāmu ʿalayka yā ʿUmar") and pray for him in the same way. Then walk on and leave by Bab al-Baqi.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "No one greets me but Allah returns my soul to me so that I return his greeting" (Abu Dawud 2041, graded hasan). Abdullah ibn Umar used to stand at the Prophet's ﷺ grave and send blessings on him, on Abu Bakr and on Umar (al-Muwatta of Imam Malik).

The greeting needs no booking, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says. Keep it short, as there is a long line behind you.

For women

The greeting in front of the graves, through the Salam passage, is for men only, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says. A woman sends her greeting and blessings from wherever she prays in the mosque, and they reach him all the same. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Send blessings on me, for your blessings reach me wherever you are" (Abu Dawud 2042). Women can also pray in the Rawdah at the women's hours with a Nusuk permit, as our guide to the Rawdah permit explains.

Inside the mosque

You don't need to book to pray in the Prophet's Mosque. The Rawdah, between his house and his minbar, can only be entered with a permit from the Nusuk app.

Some of the advice Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mutlaq, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, gave visitors to the mosque (Saudi Press Agency, March 2025):

• Pray the obligatory prayers in the mosque, and make plenty of du'a and dhikr, above all in the Rawdah.
• Keep your voice down, put your phone away and take few photos.
• Don't push. Make room for others and follow the staff's directions.

Since February 2026 the mosque also has a centre on the etiquette and rulings of the visit, at several points inside, with guidance in many languages. Ask there if anything is unclear.

After the mosque

The same advice adds praying at Quba Mosque, as the Prophet ﷺ did, and, for men, visiting al-Baqi and the martyrs of Uhud. Our article on places to visit in Madinah covers them all. If you'd like to stay close to Bab al-Salam, look at the hotels on the south side in the closest hotels to the Prophet's Mosque.

The greeting takes a few minutes, and you can come back to it every day of your stay. Spend the rest of your time in Madinah praying in the mosque.