Omar bin Aaidh Al-Ruwais is among the very few individuals who were granted entry into the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ private chamber in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi, in Medina. Al-Ruwais shared his remarkable account of what he saw during the reign of King Faisal bin Abdulaziz (1906–1975).
In a video published on YouTube on May 7, Al-Ruwais revealed that he entered the Prophet’s Chamber under the order of King Faisal. He recounted that the King himself had once entered the sacred chamber and found several iron chests inside, their contents unknown at the time. When he inquired about them, he was told they dated back to the Ottoman era — yet their exact contents remained a mystery.
Following this discovery, King Faisal reportedly instructed — at an unspecified date — the formation of a formal committee to inventory the chamber’s contents. The committee consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Endowments, the Ministry of Finance, and the Audit Bureau. Al-Ruwais was appointed to represent the Ministry of Finance and personally participated in the documentation and inspection process.
Entering the Sacred Chamber
Describing the procedure, Al-Ruwais said:
“The plan was to enter the Prophet’s Chamber after the night prayer (Isha). Once the mosque was closed and the doors were locked, the Aghwat — custodians of the mosque — would arrive to unlock the chamber. We began inventorying the items, assisted by a jewellery expert and a goldsmith, and we used official ledgers to register the relics.”
What Was Inside the Chests?
Al-Ruwais stated that the first chest contained gold ingots and precious jewellery. The second held silver chains that were once hung in the Grand Mosque in Mecca and over the Kaaba. They also found handwritten letters from Muslims containing poems praising the Prophet ﷺ, supplications, and pleas to Allah through the noble status of the Prophet.
The inspection process lasted 15 days. Among the discoveries was a set of ornaments donated by the daughter of Sultan Abdul Majid during her visit to Medina. These were endowed as wedding adornments for poor brides, to ensure that financially disadvantaged women could appear as beautifully adorned as their wealthier counterparts during marriage ceremonies.
Al-Ruwais further mentioned that entering the chamber allowed him to see the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ grave and the exact boundaries of the sacred chamber, along with the resting places of his two closest companions.
The Committee’s Final Recommendations
After the inspection, the committee issued three official recommendations:
- All jewellery and items specific to the city of Medina were to be transferred to the Medina Museum.
- Historical Islamic relics of general significance were to be handed over to the Ministry of Education’s Department of Antiquities.
- As for gold, silver, and valuable jewels, these were to be deposited with the Ministry of Finance and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority for safekeeping and to protect them from potential theft or misuse.
What Is the Prophet’s Chamber?
The Noble Chamber (Al-Hujrah Al-Shareefah) is the private room of Lady Aisha bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her and her father), where she lived with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Upon the Prophet’s passing, he was buried there per Islamic tradition.
Later, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) — who had requested to be buried next to the Prophet — was laid to rest beside him in 13 AH. His head was positioned near the Prophet’s shoulders. Then in 24 AH, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) was buried next to Abu Bakr after securing Lady Aisha’s permission to be buried alongside them.
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