This is the approximate location where one of the houses of Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) in Madinah existed. The house was adjacent to the western wall of Masjid-e-Nabwi at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ).
- The main door of the house was in the west wall. Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) also installed a small door in the eastern wall of the house that opened into Masjid-e-Nabwi for easy access into the masjid. As mentioned in Bukhari, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Close all those doors which open into the mosque except the door of the house of Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه).”
- When Caliph Umar (رضي الله عنه) expanded Masjid-e-Nabwi, he included Abu Bakr’s (رضي الله عنه) house in the extension. He, however, installed a door in the new western wall of the masjid that was in line with the original door of Abu Bakr’s (رضي الله عنه) house.
- As a result of this whenever Masjid-e-Nabwi was extended in a western direction, this door was moved westward in line with the original door. This was in obedience to the instruction of the Prophet (ﷺ).
- During the first Saudi extension, this door was extended out again. It now consists of three doors and the southern most one (the one closest to the Qiblah wall) is in line with the original door of Abu Bakr’s (رضي الله عنه) house.
References: History of Madinah Munawwarah – Dr. Muhammad Ilyas Abdul Ghani