Reason Why Prophet Muhammad PBUH Forbade Us to Visit Al-Ula (Maidan Saleh)

Saudi Arabia has been working to transform the ancient heritage site near Al-Ula into a global tourist destination as part of Vision 2030’s efforts to diversify the Kingdom’s economy. But for Muslims, this place carries a far deeper and more sobering significance.

Hegra or Al-Hijr

The ancient site known as Hegra or Al-Hijr is home to towering mountains and remarkably preserved carvings that have stood untouched for thousands of years. UNESCO now recognizes it as one of the oldest heritage sites in the world.

Archaeologists note that the precision and scale of the mountain carvings suggest a level of craftsmanship that would be extraordinary even by modern standards.

Al Ula is also known as Maidan e Saleh (Home of Thamud)

In Islam, this place is known as Maidan Saleh — the land of the Thamud, the people of Prophet Saleh (AS).

The Thamud were a powerful nation renowned for their extraordinary strength and their ability to carve magnificent dwellings and structures directly out of mountains, the remnants of which we can still see today.

The land was once fertile and abundant, rich in crops and natural wealth. However, this prosperity bred arrogance among the powerful, who became cruel and oppressed the poor among them.

“And to the Thamud We sent their brother Saleh. He said: ‘O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him.’” — Surah Hud (11:61)

Allah SWT sent Prophet Saleh (AS) to guide them, as mentioned in the Holy Quran:

Rather than accepting his message, the people of Thamud challenged Prophet Saleh (AS) to produce a miracle as proof of his Prophethood.

They demanded he bring forth a she-camel from the surrounding rocks. Saleh prayed, and with Allah’s permission, a she-camel miraculously emerged and gave birth to a calf.

Prophet Saleh (AS) commanded his people to respect her and allow her to graze freely.

Some believed and accepted his Prophethood. Others refused, and among them were those who killed the sacred camel in defiance.

As divine punishment, Allah sent a mighty earthquake upon them in the middle of the night. Not one of them survived. Allah says in Surah Al-A’raf (7:78):

“Thereupon a shocking catastrophe seized him so that they lay prostrate in their dwellings”

Surah Al-A'raf verse 78

All that remains of that once-mighty civilization are the colossal structures carved into the cliffs — silent witnesses to what arrogance and rejection of Allah’s message brings.

Prophet Muhammad PBUH Avoided Al Ula (Maidan e Saleh)

When Prophet Muhammad ﷺ passed through Al-Hijr during the journey to the Battle of Tabuk, he specifically pointed it out to his companions as a lesson and a reminder (ibrat). He instructed them to drink water only from the well that had been used by the she-camel of Prophet Saleh (AS), forbade them from consuming anything else from that area, and ordered them to pass through it quickly without lingering.

This is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 4702 (Book 65, Hadith 224).

Fatwa from the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia

Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzanthe Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, was asked about visiting this site. His response can be heard in the video below (enable subtitles/CC for your language):

Researchers also caution that prolonged stay in this area may carry environmental risks, which aligns with the Prophet PBUH’s guidance to pass through it quickly rather than settle or linger.

Maidan Saleh is not a tourist attraction. It is a sign left by Allah as a reminder of His power and His justice. It was the home of a nation that was destroyed by divine punishment due to their arrogance, cruelty, and rejection of their Prophet.

As this place is increasingly marketed as an architectural and cultural destination for leisure and tourism, Muslims must remember what it truly represents — not a monument to human achievement, but a warning from Allah to all of humanity.

“Indeed in that is a sign for those who fear the punishment of the Hereafter. That is a Day for which the people will be collected, and that is a Day [that will be] witnessed.”
— Surah Hud (11:103)

May Allah grant us the wisdom to take heed of His signs and keep us steadfast on the straight path. Ameen.