Question # 568: As-Salaamu Alaikum, I notice that only some masjids have a dome hence my question is what is the significance of having a dome?

Assalamu ‘laikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,

All praise and thanks are due to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى), and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).

Dear questioner,

First of all, we implore Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) to help us serve His cause and render our work for His sake.

Shorter Answer: Domes have become an iconic feature of Islamic architecture, although they are not required for mosque design. The use of domes in Islamic buildings evolved over time, with early mosques in the 7th century typically featuring flat roofs modeled after those in Madinah and Makkah. The construction of the first major domed Islamic structure was the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem in 72 AH, which was influenced by Christians and Byzantine architecture. Small domes began to appear in Fatimid mosques in Egypt, adopted from North African examples, and by the 6th century AH, domes became popular in mosques in Anatolia. They also spread to other Islamic buildings, such as palaces and schools.

Scholars have criticized elaborate domes as innovations that were not present in early Islamic practice. Many scholars have criticized the construction and coloring of the Green Dome over the Prophet’s grave in Madinah. They argue that this practice goes against Islamic principles aimed at preventing shirk. They also pointed out that the dome was not built by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) or his companions but rather by later rulers imitating Christian churches. They contend that this contradicts authentic ahadith and should be removed to restore the mosque to its original state. However, some scholars allow domes for practical purposes like lighting and ventilation as long as they are not extravagant or lead to greater fitnah.

Long Answer: Domes have become an iconic and recognizable feature of Islamic architecture. However, the dome is not a required element of mosque architecture, but it has become a common and significant feature in many mosques around the world.

[Historically,] the Romans adopted the dome, as [seen] in the Pantheon in Rome, and the Byzantines used the dome to cover their monumental buildings. The Arabs built mosques or adapted local religious structures such as churches in the lands they conquered; however, for most of the 7th century, they were satisfied to have flat-roofed structures recreating the flat-roofed mosques of Madinah and Makkah. The first domed building constructed by the Arabs was the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra) in Jerusalem (691-692 CE) [ 72 AH)] during the Umayyad period on the orders of Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. [To clarify,] the building is a shrine, not a mosque. It is located on the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) of Jerusalem, beside the al-Aqsa Mosque, whose first form had been built by the Caliph ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه). The Dome of the Rock’s design and dimensions reflect architectural language borrowed from Christian and Byzantine prototypes (such as the dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the form of the martyrium). [However,] there is no accepted tradition explaining the building’s construction.

The use of small domes in Fatimid mosques in Egypt apparently was adopted from examples in the Maghreb [i.e., region of Northwest Africa]. [This adoption marked a significant evolution in mosque architecture.] The dome became the dominant feature for mosques, although it was also used in palaces, in particular over audience chambers, and in other places such as schools and hammams. Although the earliest mosques in Anatolia date from the 11th century, it wasn’t until the 12th century that it became popular to place domes on mosques.

As for the ‘Green Dome’ …that stands above the tombs of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and the first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar (رضي الله عنهما), it was first constructed in 678 AH above the sacred room by Sultan Qalawoon al-Saalihi – an unfinished wooden dome erected above the grave in marking the beginning of the building. It was made of wood and erected on the pillars that encircled the room. It was square at the bottom and octagonal at the top. The brick cage was replaced with a wooden one, with planks of wood attached to it and plates of lead placed over them. When al-Naasir Hasan ibn Muhammad Qalawoon restored the dome, the leaden plates slid, but they were repaired and refurbished by al-Ashraf Sha’baan ibn Husayn ibn Muhammad in 765 AH. In 886 AH, a fire ripped through the Prophet’s mosque, destroying the chamber and dome, and it had fallen into ruin; it was renovated under the reign of Sultan Qayit Bey in 887 AH, and sturdy pillars to support it were placed on the mosque’s floor.

When the cracks started to emerge after several rounds of renovations, it became clear that it could not be restored. The Sultan Qayit Bey ordered that the upper half be dismantled and reconstructed with white plaster. So, it was substantially constructed in 892 AH. The Ottoman Sultan Abd Al-Hameed ordered the dome to be painted green in 1253 AH. He was the first to paint it green, and the color has been updated regularly since then. After being painted green, people started calling it as the Green Dome. Previously, it was known as the white dome, fragrant dome, or blue dome.

Scholars, both in the past and in modern times, criticized the building of this dome and its being given a color. All of that is because of what they know of shari’ah closing many doors for fear of falling into shirk. These scholars include the following:

Al-San’ani said in Ta-thir al-I’tiqad: “If you say: A great dome has been built over the grave of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم), costing a great deal of money, I say: This is in fact great ignorance of the situation because this dome was not built by him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) or by his Companions or by those who followed them, or by those who followed the Tabi’in, or by the scholars and imams of the ummah. Rather, this dome was built over his grave (صلى الله عليه و سلم) on the orders of one of the later kings of Egypt, namely the Sultan Qalawun al-Salihi, who is known as King Mansur, in 678 AH, and was mentioned in Tahqiq al-Nasrah bi Talkhis Ma’alim Dar al-Hijrah. These are things that were done on the orders of the state and not on the basis of shar’i evidence.”

Shaykh Shams al-Din al-Afghani said: “Al-‘Allamah al-Khajandi (1379 AH) said [that] …it should be noted that until the year 678 AH, there was no dome over the chamber which contains the grave of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم), rather it was built by the king al-Zahir al-Mansur Qalawun al-Salihi in that year (678 AH) when this dome was built. I say: He did that because he had seen in Egypt and Syria the adorned churches of the Christians, so he imitated them out of ignorance of the command and Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم), as al-Walid imitated them by adorning the mosque, as was mentioned in Wafa al-Wafa. It should be noted that undoubtedly, this action of Qalawun was contrary to the authentic hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه و سلم), but ignorance is a great calamity and exaggeration in love, and veneration is a real disaster, and imitation of foreigners is a fatal disease. We seek refuge with Allah from ignorance, exaggeration, and imitation of foreigners.” (Juhud ‘Ulama al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtal ‘Aqaid al-Quburiyyah)

Shaykh Salih al-‘Usaymi said: “The fact that this dome has remained for eight centuries does not mean that it has become permissible, and being silent about it does not indicate approval of it or that it is permissible. Rather, the Muslim authorities should remove it and put it back as it was at the time of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم). They should remove the dome and the adornments and engravings that are found in the mosques, above all the Prophet’s Mosque, so long as that will not lead to an even greater fitnah. If it would lead to an even greater fitnah, then the ruler should postpone the matter until he finds an opportunity for that.” (Bida’ al-Qubur, Anwa’uha wa ahkamuha)

It is said in Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah that “we do not know of there being anything wrong with [building domes on mosques for the purpose of letting in light and air] …” So, there is nothing wrong with building a dome on the mosque if it is for the purpose of letting in light and air, or building minarets so that the muezzin’s voice may reach as far as possible, or so that the mosque may be recognized from a distance and worshippers may come to it because the means come under the same rulings as the ends. But that should be limited to whatever will serve the purpose without being extravagant…”

(The above reply is based on the following resources:

  • Islamqa.info
  • Online Article ‘The dome – symbol of power’ by Niki Gamm (in the ‘Hurriyet Daily News’)
  • Online Article ‘Green Dome: The History, Design, Highlights And Facts’ in Zamzam.com
  • Online Article ‘Dome of the Rock – Islamic Civilizations’ at the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World – Brown University)

Allahu A’lam (Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) knows best) and all Perfections belong to Allah, and all mistakes belong to me alone. May Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) forgive me, Ameen.

Wassalaam