Grand Mosque Wlyd Bn Bdallh Aldryby W Waldyh

Endowed in memory of a pious Saudi donor and of his beloved parents, the congregational mosque of Walid bin Abdullah al Duraybi rises in one of the residential districts of Riyadh, the thriving capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Arabian tradition of including a donor's parents in the dedication of a mosque reflects one of the most beautiful teachings of the Islamic faith, namely the command in the Holy Qur'an to treat father and mother with lifelong kindness, gentle speech, and prayers for their forgiveness. The continuous reward of a mosque thus accrues to the donor and to the souls of the parents alike after their passing.

Riyadh grew from a small walled oasis in the heart of Najd into one of the largest and most rapidly expanding metropolises of the modern Arab world. Under King Abdulaziz ibn Saud and his successors the city was transformed into the political and administrative capital of the Kingdom, home to the royal court, the ministries, embassies from every nation, hospitals, universities, and countless residential neighbourhoods. Families of means traditionally endow houses of prayer in the quarters where they live, ensuring that the five daily prayers are offered nearby by men, women, and children across every generation of the district.

The Duraybi masjid follows the classic Najdi style with a square plan, flat ceiling of palm trunk beams, walls of pale plastered stone, and a slender minaret. The mihrab is marked by verses from Surat Luqman honouring the love of parents, and the wooden minbar is used for the Jumu'ah khutbah delivered in dignified classical Arabic. Salawat upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, rise frequently from the assembled worshippers, and evening classes gather young students for the memorisation of the Holy Qur'an, for tajwid, and for instruction in Islamic etiquette.

Worshippers and visitors to this page will find accurate daily prayer times for Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha at the Riyadh masjid, along with its address, a helpful location map, and notes that assist residents of the capital, business travellers attending conferences, medical patients visiting the great hospitals of the city, diplomats and expatriate professionals from many countries, and pilgrims travelling south from Riyadh towards the holy cities to share in the calm and well ordered congregational worship offered here daily.