Jabal al-Nour (Arabic: جَبَل ٱلنُّوْر, romanized: Jabal an-Nūr, lit. ‘Mountain of the Light’ or ‘Hill of the Illumination’) is a mountain near Mecca in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. The mountain houses the grotto or cave of Hira’ (غَار حِرَاء), which holds tremendous significance for Muslims throughout the world, as the Islamic Nabī (Prophet) Muhammad (peace be upon him) is said to have spent a great deal of time in this cave meditating. It is widely believed that it was here that he received his first revelation, which consisted of the first five ayats of Surah Al-Alaq from the angel Jibra’il (as is pronounced in certain Quran recitation schools and some Arab tribes; also known as Gabriel).
Jabal al-Nour is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Makkah. The mountain itself is barely 640m (2,100 ft) tall; nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to the top which, even for a fit individual, can take anywhere between half and hour and one-and-a-half hours.
