Namirah is the name of a small mountain west of the mosque. The mosque is named after it. On the Day of Arafat (9th Dhul-Hijjah), pilgrims pray Dhuhr and Asr prayers together and early at this place.

This follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). On that day, he moved from Mina to Arafat and stayed in a tent near Namirah. After midday, he went to the valley of Uranah, gave a sermon, and prayed with the people.

The Namirah Mosque has been expanded many times. The latest and largest expansion was done in the Saudi era to make space for the growing number of pilgrims. Today, it is one of the biggest mosques in the world.