Jabal al-Nour – The Mountain of Light

Jabal al-Nour is one of the most well-known mountains in Makkah. It is located to the east of the Holy Mosque (Masjid al-Haram). This mountain is special because it has the Cave of Hira, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to worship alone before he became a Prophet.

It was in this cave that the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed by the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). The first words were:

“Read in the name of your Lord who created”
(Surah Al-‘Alaq, Verse 1)

Jabal al-Nour is a high mountain, and its top looks like a camel’s hump. It is a very unique mountain — no other mountain in Makkah looks like it. That is why many people visit it when they come for Hajj or Umrah.