The House the Prophet (s.a.w.) was Born in was Once a Mosque

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Abu al-Walid Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Azraqi (r.a.) in his Akhbar Makkah wa ma Ja’ fiha min Atsarin, mentioned the locations in which it is commendable to pray in Makkah, and what lies therein of the relics of the Prophet (s.a.w.).  The house, in which the Prophet (s.a.w.) was born, is the house of Muhammad ibn Yusuf, the brother of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf.  Sayyidina ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib (r.a.) took the responsibility at the time the Prophet (s.a.w.) migrated.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) said in the year of the Farewell Speech, when it was asked of him, “Where shall we live, O Rasulullah (s.a.w.),” asked, “Has ‘Aqil left for us a shade?” 

The house remained in his family’s custody until his son sold it to Muhammad ibn Yusuf, after which he moved in and called it “al-Baydah”, which was known until the Wahhabis closed it down as “ibn Yusuf”.  This household remained until al-Khayzuran bint ‘Aththa, the wife of the Abbasid caliph, al-Mahdi, and the mother of, Musa al-Hadi and Harun ar-Rashid, made hajj and changed it into a place of worship.  She evicted the previous owners from the house, and bought it from the foundation to the alley which runs by the house, known as the Alley of the Birthplace of the Prophet (s.a.w.). 

Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir ath-Thabari, (r.a.) wrote is his Tarikh al-Umam wa al-Muluk, from Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ishaq (r.a.), “Rasulullah (s.a.w.) was born on Monday in the year of the Elephant.  And it is said that he was born in the house related to ibn ‘Aqil.  Indeed, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) granted it to ‘Aqil ibn Abu Thalib, and it did not leave the care of ‘Aqil until his death.  His son sold it to Muhammad ibn Yusuf, the brother of al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who sold it, and built his house to what it is referred to as ‘the house of ibn Yusuf’ and this household remained therein until al-Khayzuran ejected them and made it into a place of worship.” 

According to Wahhabi sect, although they claim to follow the Salaf, the pious predecessors, they say: “It is not permissible for Muslims to build masajid or to offer swalah at the places trodden by the Prophets as this is a means to shirk.”  This fatwa was by their mufti, the arch-heretic, ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baz.