Mosque Mr Bn Alkhtab

Resting among the steep hillsides of Sir al Danniyeh in the northern Lebanese governorate of Liban Nord, Masjid Umar ibn al Khattab bears the name of al Faruq, the second of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs, may God be pleased with him, whose just administration expanded the Muslim world and whose sleepless nights of walking among the poor of Medina remain a cherished memory across the ummah. The Danniyeh district occupies the mountains rising above Tripoli, famous for its pine forests, snowy winters, cool springs, and orchards of apples, cherries, and plums that thrive in the fresh highland air.

Islam reached northern Lebanon during the early Rashidun expeditions that followed the conquest of the Levant, and Tripoli, the regional capital, grew into a major Mediterranean port under successive Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, Mamluk, and Ottoman administrations. The Mamluk sultan Qalawun and his son Ashraf Khalil rebuilt the city in the late thirteenth century after a devastating Crusader occupation, raising madrasas, mosques, and the beautiful Taynal Mosque of 1336. Danniyeh's mountain villages share in that heritage through their scholarly families, their zawiyas, and their deeply rooted habit of Qur'an memorisation.

Umar al Faruq, may God be pleased with him, embraced Islam in Mecca after hearing Surah Taha recited by his sister Fatima, and from that moment the Muslims prayed openly in the Sacred Mosque for the first time. During his caliphate between 634 and 644 he organised the diwan registers, instituted the Hijri calendar, received the peaceful surrender of Jerusalem, and visited the camps of every frontier commander to inspect the treatment of soldiers, widows, and orphans. His love for the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, guided every one of his decisions as caliph.

Architecturally the building follows the restrained Lebanese mountain style. Walls of pale limestone cut from local quarries, a slim minaret with a single muezzin balcony, a modest central dome, and a stone paved courtyard with an ablution fountain welcome worshippers. Inside, patterned carpets stretch across the prayer hall, chandeliers of brass hang beneath the painted ceiling, a carved wooden minbar faces the mihrab, and a women's section provides dignified space for mothers and daughters from the surrounding villages.

Current daily timings for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha at the masjid appear on this page alongside the Sir al Danniyeh address, a clear map pin, and considerate notes for visitors approaching from Tripoli, Zgharta, or the winding mountain roads toward the Cedars of God. Ramadan evenings fill the courtyard with iftars of shorba adas, fattoush, kibbeh nayyeh, and sweet mamoul cookies offered with cardamom coffee. Travellers climbing into the Lebanese highlands are welcomed with the famed northern hospitality, invited to pray amid the cool mountain breeze, and gently urged to offer a sincere supplication that al Faruq may rest under the shade of the throne beside his beloved Messenger and his dearest companion for all eternity.