Al-Dah�yaan

Atam Al-Dah-yaan is a great fortress constructed of black stones of the lava field. Its length is approximately twenty-seven metres, the width of it twelve metres and its height about eight metres. Ahyahah bin Al-Jalaah built it and said about it:

�Ini binaitu waqiman wadduhahyaa

Binaituhu bigharat min maaliyaa

Washshir bimaa ya�lif al-�uwaasiyaa

Akhshaa rijeelan warukeeban �aadeeyaa�.

(Indeed I built it standing and the morning I built it at the onset of dawn from wealth And the evil what he made disobedient Driven away by foot and riding returning).

A section of it lasted steadfastly until the end of the last century (hijrah).

Faari�a

Al-Faari�a : The highest and best in aspect, was the name of a fortress that was a stronghold of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. It was located opposite Baab Ar-Rahmah (the Gate of Mercy) and was swallowed-up, during the last expansion project, its land incorporated into the Prophet�s Mosque.

It is said that it was the stronghold of Hassaan bin Thaabit and that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) used to sit in its shade. Hassaan mentioned it in his poetry, for he said:

�Urqtu litan maadin al-burooq al-lauwaami�a

Wa nahnu nashaawia baina Sila�a wa Faari�a�.

(The radiance of the past lightening made me sleepless And we were between Sila�a and Faari�a).

Hishaan is the plural form of Hishan, which is a grove. It was a fortress of the fortresses of Al-Madinah. Held by the Jews, it was on the right side of the road from the (graves) Shuhadaa� of Uhud.

Husn Ka�ab bin Al-Ashraf is a small fortress built on a rocky knoll, in the southwest area of Al-Madinah. The stronghold reaches a length of thirty-three metres and has a width of thirty-three metres. The height of what remains of its one metre thick walls

is four metres. There is one entrance on the western side and eight immense towers built of large stones, the length of some of them one hundred and forty centimetres, their width being eighty centimetres, with a thickness of forty centimetres. In the centre of the keep is a wide, square courtyard, the area of which covers one thousand metres. Along the interior sides of the fort are ten rooms and a well.

When the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) expelled the (Jewish) tribe of Bani Al-Nadeer from Al-Madinah, he laid waste to the fortress. He had authorised them to remove and transport with them what they wanted of their property, with the exception of weapons. The structure is located on the edge of the eastern lava field, where the tribe had resided. The owner of the fortress was Ka�ab bin Al-Ashraf, who was an Arab Jew of the tribe of Nabhaan. His mother was of the Bani Al-Nadeer. It was he who incited Al-Mushrikeen (the Polytheists) to wage war against the Muslims, through his poetry. The great damage he caused the Muslims forced the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to issue a �death-warrant� against him. Some of the Sahaabah (Companions) went and deceived him into coming out of the fortress at night and then they killed him. That was in the second year of the hijrah (emigration).

Sheikhaan

Sheikhaan : is the doubling of sheikh, two sheikhs. Sheikhaan are two fortresses in the district of the Prophet�s Mosque and Jabal (mount) Uhud. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) camped at them when he left with the Muslims to the Battle of Uhud and when �Abdullah bin Ubay bin Salool withdrew and retreated from the army with three hundred men of his escort.

Built on the location at which the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) prayed is a masjid, which continues to stand.

Siraar was a fortress of some of the Jews. It is possible that this name is attributed to its first owner, after which it passed to Bani Haarith, who were a branch of the branches of the tribe Al-Aous Al-Ansaari.

It is located to the east of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, in Harrah Waaqim near Waadi Qunaah. Its distance from the Prophet�s Mosque is about six kilometres. Those who journeyed the road to and from the Nejd, passed close to it. A well was dug for drinking water for the travellers.

Vestiges still remain of the fortress near the Second Ring Road of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

This fortification is associated with some historic events. Of them, that when the Muslims returned from Ghazwah Qurqurah Al-Kudr, they stopped at it to divide the spoils of the battle. Also that when �Umar bin Al-Khattaab (Allah be pleased with him) dispatched some of the Ansaar to Al-Kufah, he bade farewell to them at Siraar.

It has also been reported that �Umar bin Al-Khattaab (Allah be pleased with him) went to a fire that he saw near this fortress. There he found a woman with her a young girl, who was crying from her suffering of the cold and hunger. �Umar went to the Bait Al-Maal (the treasury) and carried from it on his shoulder, (a bag of) flour. He arrived at their place and remained with them until they ate.

It appears that the fortress became a rest station for travellers. Built near it were large structures similar to it, which were a caravansary for travellers to seek shelter in. The structure is still standing to this day.

Al-Ujrad is the name of a fortress of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. It was built by Banu Al-Abjar bin �Aouf bin Al-Haarith Al-Khazraj, who were of the Banu Khidrah. He called his well Al-Basah (the embers, firebrand). It was Maalik bin Sunnaan, the father of Abi Sa�eed Al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him), who designated this name also, to the mountain near Buwaat, in the area of the Juhainah tribe.