One of the important monuments in Mecca is Ghar e Hira. It is on the top of Jabal e Noor (mountain of light). You need to climb 1750 stairs to witness that holy place.
Apart from our Beloved Prophet (PBUH), there are other sacred places and monuments for Muslims as well. One of them is Ghar e Hira that is located on the top of Jabal e Noor near Mecca. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mecca. The mountain itself is barely 640 m (2,100 ft) tall. Nonetheless one to two hours are needed to make the strenuous hike to the cave. There are 1750 steps to the top which, even for a fit individual, can take anywhere between half an hour and one-and-a-half hours.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received his revelations from Allah SWT through the angel Gabriel. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived in this cave while he received messages from God and therefore refrained from leaving for prolonged periods. Muhammad (PBUH) resided here to meditate and contemplate his life and the world around him. He was 40 years old. At this period of his life, solitude became dear to him. He used to withdraw into seclusion into the cave of Mount Hira and there apply himself to ardent devotions consisting of long vigils and prayers.
Significane
One night during the last third of the month of Ramadan, the archangel Gabriel revealed on Allah’s command the first revelation of the Qur’an. Also known as the Angel of Revelation, Gabriel suddenly appeared to him and said, “Read!”. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at first thought that he was expected to read the actual script, which, being illiterate, he was unable to do, so he answered, “I cannot read”. But the angel said a second time, “Read!”; and again Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) replied, “I cannot read”. At this Gabriel (paraphrasing the Prophet)“…seized and pressed me to himself until all strength went out of me. ‘Read!’ the awesome voice commanded again; then he released me…”. And Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) then received the first lines of the Qur’an and understood, in sudden illumination, how he was called upon to “read”, that is, to receive and understand, God’s message to man.
The Hira Cave is a small cave established on the dimensions of 4 meters in length and 1.5 meters in width. The mountain itself has a slope of 380 meters forming a height of 500 meters. It possesses a shape that resembles a camel’s hump. The mountain is covering an area of about 5.2 square meters.
Now believers climb up there and are likely to offer 2 Rakat nafal there. This act is to show their devotion and tribute to the sacrifices of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).