Located in the West Bank, approximately thirty kilometers from al-Quds, al-Khalil is one of the significant cities of the Islamic world, known for its fertile and green landscape. Just as Mecca and Medina are referred to as the Haramayn, the same designation is also used for al-Quds and al Khalil. The name of the city is derived from an allusion to the Prophet Ibrahim, who was honored with the title Khalil al Rahman (the Friend of the Most Merciful). The Prophet Ibrahim, regarded as the patriarch by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is one of the ulu’l-‘azm prophets most frequently mentioned in the Qur’an. In the city of al-Khalil, renowned for its vineyards in Palestine, the mosque that houses the graves or shrines of prophets is known as the Ibrahim Mosque or al-Haram al-Ibrahimi. In Jewish tradition, it is known as the Cave of the Patriarchs (Ma‘arat ha-Machpelah), while in Christian tradition, it is referred to as the Cave of Machpelah. The structure, whose foundations date back to the 1st century BCE during the reign of King Herod, has survived almost entirely intact to the present day as a monumental edifice. The foundation walls, constructed with massive stone blocks approximately 1.8 meters thick and reaching up to seven meters in length, give the structure a monumental appearance. During the Byzantine period, a roof was added, and with the addition of a basilica on the southeastern side, the building assumed the identity of a church. With the advent of Muslim rule in the 7th century, it assumed the identity of a mosque. During the Crusader occupation, the site was converted back into a church, but in 1188, it was restored as a mosque by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, who also added minarets. As with al-Masjid al-Aqsa, a minbar was also installed in al-Khalil Mosque. The Minbar of Salah al-Din has survived to the present day in its original form. During the Mamluk period, the prayer areas of the mosque were expanded, and new additions were made. In the Ottoman period (16th–20th centuries), the mosque was meticulously preserved, and the legacy of the prophets was carefully safeguarded. The Ottoman sultans diligently provided and regularly renewed silk and gold embroidered coverings for the cenotaphs of the prophets and their spouses.
Al-Khalil Mosque contains one of the most revered areas, housing the tombs of several prophets. According to various narrations, the cenotaph of the Prophet Ibrahim is believed to mark his actual grave, while the cenotaphs of the other prophets are considered symbolic shrines. Within the mosque are the tombs of the Prophet Ibrahim and his wife Sarah, the Prophet Ishaq and his wife Rebekah, the Prophet Ya‘qub and his wife Le’a, and the Prophet Yusuf. In the mosque, the majority of which has been converted into a synagogue, the entire site is opened to Muslim visitors only on a few days each year. On the Night of Mi‘raj and during the ‘Eid festivals, permission is granted to visit the tombs of the Prophet Ya‘qub, his wife, and the Prophet Yusuf, which are located in the section of the mosque that has been turned into a synagogue.
In the main prayer hall of the mosque, the cenotaphs of the Prophet Ishaq and his wife Rabekah are housed in chamber-like enclosures with a square base and a triangular dome, situated in front of the mihrab and minbar. The exterior walls of these cenotaphs are adorned with stonework in alternating red and white horizontal stripes. The cenotaph of the Prophet Ibrahim, considered the central point of the mosque, is enclosed in a tomb-like room with a high ceiling, decorated with intricate hand drawn ornamentation, and features two opposing windows. Calligraphic inscriptions of verses from the Qur’an are arranged in a circular pattern along the interior walls. The covering of the cenotaph, recently replaced, is green in color but differs significantly in design from the original covering used during the Ottoman period. Today, next to the cenotaph of the Prophet Ibrahim, visitors can see a red banner said to have been placed there since the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The cenotaph of the Prophet Ibrahim’s wife, Sarah, is located in the northwestern section of the mosque.
Al-Khalil Mosque, in addition to housing the grave of the Prophet Ibrahim, is also notable for its exceptional minbar. Installed in the mosque following its reconquest by Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, the minbar has preserved its original form, composed of 12,000 intricately crafted pieces and adorned with kundekari-style mother-of-pearl inlay. This masterpiece, one of only three minbars of such distinction in the history of Islamic art, holds a unique place; the other two are located in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and al-Masjid al-Aqsa. According to the narrative, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, while still a child, saw the minbar that had been crafted for al-Masjid al-Aqsa during the time it was under occupation. Forty years after its construction, he conquered al-Quds and installed the minbar in al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Later, a similar minbar was also commissioned for the al-Khalil Mosque. Although it is commonly known as the Minbar of Salah al-Din, the original minbar intended for al-Masjid al-Aqsa was actually commissioned by Nur al-Din Zangi, who had it crafted by artisans from Aleppo forty years before the conquest. That minbar remained in al-Masjid al-Aqsa for 762 years until it was rendered unusable due to an arson attack in 1969. The minbar in al Khalil Mosque, however, has preserved its original form to this day.
The city, also known as Haram alIbrahim, is recognized as the place where the Prophet Ibrahim settled in Palestine. Haram al-Ibrahim is regarded as the fourth holiest mosque in the Islamic world, following al-Masjid al Haram in Mecca, al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, and al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Al-Khalil (Hebron) has been divided by the occupying forces into two sectors: H1 and H2. The H1 sector, which comprises approximately 80% of the city, is under Palestinian control, while the H2 sector, covering the remaining 20%, is under Israeli control. The Ibrahim Mosque is located within the H2 sector. Located in the occupied West Bank since 1967, the city of al-Khalil today endures a somber reality. On February 25, 1994, during the Fajr prayer, a fanatical Jewish settler carried out an armed attack inside the mosque, martyring 29 worshippers.
Following this massacre, the mosque was closed by the occupying forces under the pretext of “security concerns.” After being shut for several months, it was reopened—but now divided by partitions. A significant portion of the sacred space had been converted into a synagogue. The mosque, with separate prayer areas and entrances for Muslims and Jews, has since been a site of ongoing tension. For most of the year, the adhan is prohibited. On Jewish holidays, the entire mosque is closed to Muslim worshippers.
