The Cave of Hira is on which mountain near Mecca?

The Cave of Hira is on Jabal al-Nour, the Mountain of Light, near Mecca.

The small grotto, known in Arabic as Ghar Hira, is located high on Jabal al-Nour northeast of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. In Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation of the Quran there through the angel Gabriel, making the cave one of the most significant historical sites associated with the beginnings of Islam.

Jabal al-Nour rises to about 642 metres above sea level. The cave itself is narrow and reached by a demanding climb over steep, rocky terrain. Before his prophethood, Muhammad is traditionally said to have retreated to Hira for periods of solitude and devotion.

The main mix-up is with Jabal Thawr, another mountain near Mecca with important Islamic associations. Jabal Thawr is linked to the Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina and the cave where he and Abu Bakr took refuge. Mount Uhud, meanwhile, is near Medina, while Mount Arafat is associated with the central standing ritual of the Hajj.