Jabal al-Nour (Cave of Hira)

Jabal al-Nour, the Mountain of Light, stands on the north-eastern edge of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, a few kilometres from the Masjid al-Haram. It rises to about 640 metres above sea level. Near its summit is the small Cave of Hira.

Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad often went to the cave to meditate before his prophethood, and that it was here, in the year 610, that the angel Jibril brought him the first verses of the Quran, the opening of Surah Al-Alaq. The mountain is therefore one of the most visited places in Makkah, although climbing it is not part of the rites of Hajj or Umrah.

The climb follows a path with about 1,750 steps up the steep, rocky slope. It usually takes between 30 minutes and two hours, depending on fitness and crowds. The cave itself is very small, about 3.7 metres long and 1.6 metres wide, with an opening that faces toward the Kaaba. From the top there are wide views over Makkah. A cultural district at the foot of the mountain, Hira Cultural District, has a museum and exhibitions about revelation and the Quran.

Only Muslims may enter Makkah, so non-Muslims cannot visit the site.

Climbing is free. Most people go before dawn or in the late afternoon to avoid the heat. Bring water, wear good shoes and expect crowds during Hajj and Ramadan.

Jabal al-Nour has an unusual outline: its summit looks like one hill set on top of another, which makes it easy to pick out from the city. The rock is dark, mostly Precambrian hornblende tonalite with some granodiorite, bare apart from a few thorn bushes, and the slopes have no water. The cave itself sits at a height of about 270 metres on the mountain, below the very top.

Tradition places the first revelation on Laylat al-Qadr, one of the last ten nights of Ramadan, around August 610, when the first five verses of Surah Al-Alaq were revealed. Before that night, according to Islamic tradition, Muhammad had dreams for six months that were signs of the prophethood to come.

The cave had little importance before Islam. During Hajj an estimated 5,000 people a day climb to it. Most scholars teach that visiting the cave is not part of the pilgrimage and that prayer there earns no more reward than prayer anywhere else in Makkah, so the climb is a personal choice. The path is steep, and people with heart or knee problems should think carefully before attempting it in the heat.