As-Sahabah Mosque
As-Sahabah Mosque
- As-Sahabah Mosque (Arabic: مسجد الصحابة), situated at Maydan Al-Sahaba Square in Derna, Libya, was constructed in the 1970s on the site of a former cemetery that held the graves of Sahabah martyred during the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb. The Musjid’s grounds include a cemetery where Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhu) and at least seventy Muslim soldiers from the Battle of Mamma are interred.
- Following the Battle of Mamma in 688, Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi was slain alongside fellow generals Abdullah ibn Barr al-Qayisi and Abu Mansur al-Farsi (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhum), and the other Muslim forces. They were buried in the area that is now present-day Derna.
- During the Ottoman era, three shrines were erected for Zuhayr, Abdullah, and Abu Mansur. The cemetery, once known as “Muhammad Bey Cemetery,” was later renamed “Sahaba Cemetery” by the locals.
- In 1970, the residents of Derna initiated a project to construct a new Musjid adjacent to the cemetery, funded through local donations. Construction began in 1970, and the Musjid officially opened in 1975.
- The Musjid’s attached cemetery contains three domed tombs over the graves of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi, Abu Mansur al-Farsi, and Abdullah ibn Barr al-Qayisi. Although at least seventy martyrs are buried there, the cemetery has been plastered over except for the three prominent tombs.
- In 2012, a bomb exploded in the As-Sahabah Musjid compound, causing significant damage and completely destroying the tomb of Zuhayr ibn Qays al-Balawi. The explosion uncovered Zuhayr’s body, which was found almost uncorrupted. The tombs of Abdullah ibn Barr and Abu Mansur were also targeted and attacked with bulldozers.
- In 2023, Storm Daniel led to the collapse of two dams due to excessive rainfall, causing a devastating flood that severely impacted Derna. The As-Sahabah Mosque was damaged, and the area surrounding it was heavily water-logged.