This small structure is where a cave existed on the western side of Mount Sila. It’s known as the Bani Haram cave and also as the Cave of Prostration due to the incident mentioned below.
- Muadh-bin-Jabal (رضي الله عنه) was once looking for the Prophet (ﷺ) and kept enquiring after his whereabouts until he finally found him in prostration in the above cave. The Prophet (ﷺ) remained in prostration for a long time, then said, “Jibraeel came to me and said, ‘Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, gives you His salam and says to you, “How would you like me to treat your community?’” I said, ‘Allah knows best!’ So he went, then returned saying, ‘He says to you, ”I shall never distress you on account of your community.’” So I prostrated myself, for the best that a slave can do to draw nearer to God is prostration.” [Al-Haytami, Majma al-Zawaid]
- the Prophet (ﷺ) is said to have spent some nights in this cave during the Battle of Khandaq, for it was away from the front line.
References: Journey to the Sacred – Deen Intensive Foundation