Omar bin Aa’idth Al-Ruwais is among the few individuals who entered the chamber of Prophet Muhammad in Medina. Al-Ruwais disclosed what he saw inside the chamber during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz, who lived between 1906 and 1975.
In a video posted on YouTube on May 7th, Al-Ruwais stated that he entered the Prophet’s chamber by the order of King Faisal. He recounted that the King entered the Prophet’s Mosque and the chamber, finding iron boxes inside whose contents remained unknown to anyone. When the King inquired about their contents, he was told they were from the Ottoman era, yet their actual contents remained undisclosed.
Al-Ruwais added that King Faisal requested – without specifying the date – the formation of a committee to inventory the chamber’s contents, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Endowments, Finance, and the Audit Bureau. Al-Ruwais noted his representation for the Ministry of Finance and his participation in the inventory.
Regarding the arrangement for entering the chamber, Al-Ruwais said, “The arrangement was for us to enter the Prophet’s chamber after the Isha prayer, after which the doors would be closed, and the guards of the mosque would arrive to open the room. We would then proceed with inventorying the contents, bringing in a jewelry expert and a goldsmith, along with records to identify the artifacts.”
Chamber Contents
Al-Ruwais revealed that they found gold ingots and jewelry in the first box, while the second contained silver chains that used to hang in the Haram and around the Kaaba. He added that they discovered letters written by Muslims, containing poems praising and supplicating to the Prophet Muhammad, seeking God’s mercy through him.
Al-Ruwais indicated that the inventorying of the chamber’s contents lasted for 15 days. He mentioned finding jewelry belonging to Sultan Abdul Majid’s daughter, who had visited Medina, and donated the jewelry as an endowment for married women to adorn themselves with during weddings, ensuring there would be no distinction between the rich and the poor during celebrations.
Additionally, Al-Ruwais mentioned that his entry into the chamber enabled him to see the grave of Prophet Muhammad and his companions, as well as the boundaries of the chamber. He concluded by stating that after completing the inventory, the committee made three recommendations: transferring the jewelry related to Medina to the Medina Museum, preserving the public artifacts under the Ministry of Education’s jurisdiction, and delivering the gold, silver, and jewelry to the Ministry of Finance and the Monetary Agency to prevent them from being susceptible to looting and theft.
The Noble Chamber, known as the Chamber of Lady Aisha bint Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with her and her father, was where she resided with Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and where he was buried after his demise. Later, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq was also buried there in 13 AH, having been instructed by Aisha to be buried next to the Prophet Muhammad. When he passed away, a grave was dug for him, placing his head beside the Prophet’s shoulder. Omar bin Al-Khattab was buried next to Al-Siddiq in 24 AH, having obtained Aisha’s permission.
