Madinah Landmarks

Al-Ihn Well

An Overview:

Al-Ihn Well or Al-Yasira, as the Prophet (ﷺ) called it, is one of the prophetic wells in Madinah. It was associated with his biography and with some of his honorable companions. The celebration of the well is due to the fact that the Prophet (ﷺ) passed through it and performed ablution withitswater. So, it became an eternal prophetic monument.

it is one of the known historical wells in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah since the era of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). According to historical sources, the Well is situated in Al Aalyia, on the land of the Bani Umayyah ibn Zaid of Al-Ansar. In some narrations, it was referred to as the Well of Al-Yaseerah. Moreover, it was stated that it is one of the prophetic wells, but not all sources concur. The Well was dug into a mountain and is very salty

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Its Names:

The well has two well-known names:

1. Al-Ihn Well

2. Al-Yasira Well, which is the name given by the Prophet (ﷺ) to the well after he visited it and performed ablution from its water. Prior to that, it was called Al-Asira.

Its Story:

The well was associated with the Prophet (ﷺ) and remained a witness to his visit and ablution from it. He passed by the well and asked about it. He was told that it was called "Al-Asira". So, the Prophet (ﷺ) changed its name to "Al-Yasira", as it was his habit of changing unpleasant names to ones with good denotations.

Additionally, the body of the great companion, Abu Salama Al-Makhzoumi (RA), was washed with water from this well. It is worth mentioning that Abu Salama is the foster-brother of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his cousin, being the son of the Prophet's aunt, Barrah bint Abd Al-Muttalib. Abu Salama participated in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He was wounded in the latter battle, his wound healed, but reopened later and led to his death. He was washed at the well of Al-Ihn.

The Well in the Saudi Era:

After the issuance of the royal decree to designate and preserve antique Islamic sites in Makkah and Madinah, the competent authorities have taken great care of the well. It is now part of the project for Developing and Rehabilitating Islamic Historical Sites.

Its Geographical Location:

Al-Ihn Well is located in Aliat Al-Madinah, about 3 kilometers south of the Prophet’s Mosque, and about one kilometer east of Quba Mosque. It is about 100 meters away from the main road leading to Quba neighborhood.

Its Access:

The well can be reached via Prince Abdul Mohsen ibn Abdulaziz Road, leading to the Prophet’s Mosque.