As soon as Ali set foot in the stirrups...

As soon as Ali set foot in the stirrups, the camel stood up and the Prophet directed Ali to let the animal go by itself without guiding it. Ali let loose the rein, and the camel went round a small piece of ground and came back to its starting point and knelt down. The Prophet marked the site and fixing the position of Qibla, he laid the foundation stone for the mosque. There is a mention of this mosque in the Quran vide Sura IX-109 last portion.

This was the last halt of the Prophet before he set out for Medina. Qoba is situated only two miles to the south of Medina, and is remarkable for its beauty and fertility. The Holy Prophet left Qoba on Friday the 16th Rabi I., corresponding (according to Mr. Caussin de Perceval) with the 2nd of July 622 1. Boreida b. Al Hasib with his seventy neophytes (new…