Visiting the Rawdah

What the Rawdah is

The Rawdah — in full Riyad al-Jannah, "the gardens of Paradise" — is the stretch of the original Prophet's Mosque lying between the Prophet Muhammad's minbar and the chamber that was once the room of his wife Aisha, where he was later buried. Its standing rests on a hadith recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim: "Between my house and my minbar lies a garden from the gardens of Paradise." It is a small space — roughly 22 metres by 15 metres, a few hundred square metres in a mosque that now holds hundreds of thousands — and it is instantly recognisable because its carpets are green, while the rest of the mosque is carpeted in red.

Praying two rakahs and making personal supplication in the Rawdah is one of the most sought-after acts for any visitor to Medina, whether on Hajj, Umrah or an ordinary trip. Immediately beside it stand the gilded grilles of the Sacred Chamber, where visitors offer greetings of peace to the Prophet and to his companions Abu Bakr and Umar, buried alongside him beneath the Green Dome.

Booking a permit through Nusuk

Entry is managed entirely through the official Nusuk app. The permit is free; you choose a date and a time slot, and the app issues a QR code that stewards scan at the assembly point. A few practical points from how the system has worked recently:

• Slots are released in advance and the most convenient times go quickly, especially in Ramadan and the Hajj season — book as soon as your travel dates are firm.
• Each visitor needs their own permit under their own Nusuk account, including children where a slot is required; family members can usually be added to one booking.
• The frequency of visits is capped — the authorities have at times limited visitors to one Rawdah entry within a long window (a year at the strictest), so treat your slot as a single opportunity rather than something to repeat daily.
• Arrive early. Gates and assembly points change with crowd management, so follow the gate number shown on your permit and the instructions of stewards on the day.

Men's and women's timings

Men and women visit in separate blocks of the day. The precise hours shift with the season and the prayer timetable, but the pattern is stable: men's slots run through the night and around the daytime prayers, while women's slots are grouped into their own windows, typically in the late morning and again at night. The Nusuk app only shows you slots valid for your own registration, so you cannot book the wrong session. Women assemble at their designated gates and are guided by female stewards throughout.

What to expect inside

Your group is walked in together, and stewards keep people moving so that everyone gets a turn. Expect around ten to fifteen minutes: enough time to pray two rakahs, make du'a, and — for men exiting past the Sacred Chamber — pause briefly to give salam at the tomb. It is crowded, emotional and tightly choreographed; the calmer your expectations, the better the visit. If you cannot find a clear spot on the green carpet immediately, wait a moment rather than pushing — spaces open constantly as the group rotates.

Etiquette in the sacred garden

• Keep your voice low. The Quran itself commands believers not to raise their voices in the Prophet's presence, and the mosque authorities enforce quiet near the chamber.
• Do not push, and do not linger once stewards signal your time is up — the person behind you has waited just as long.
• Long phone-filming sessions are discouraged and stewards will ask you to put cameras away near the tomb; a general etiquette guide covers dress and conduct across the mosque.
• Face the qibla, not the grave, when praying; greetings to the Prophet are offered standing, facing the chamber, with dignity and without wailing or touching the grilles.

Many visitors pair the Rawdah with a walk to Jannat al-Baqi, the cemetery beside the mosque, which has its own visiting hours. For answers to other common questions about visiting Medina, see the FAQ.

Common questions