Carving mihrabs in mosques, is it permissible?

During the Prophet’s lifetime and during the time of the rightly guided caliphs, the Prophet’s mosque did not have a mihrab [a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of prayer]. The first to place a mihrab was Umar Ibn Abd Al-Aziz. He ordered Al-Walid Ibn Abd Al-Malak who was the governor of Medina to place one when they rebuilt the Prophet’s mosque after it was destroyed in 91 A.H. Other reports mention it taking place in 88 A.H. while the completion of the renovation took place in 91 A.H.

Jurists have variant opinions on carving mihrabs in mosques. The Shafi’is are of the view that it is reprehensible while the majority of scholars hold that it is both permissible and recommended. We can draw this opinion from the books of Hanafi and Maliki scholars. Ibn Muflih from the Hanbalis cited Ibn Tamim as saying: “It is recommended to build mosques and it is recommended to carve mihrabs in both mosques and homes. Ibn Aqil said, ‘It is incumbent to carve mihrabs in mosques so that [people] know that it is a mosque.’”

Based on the above, we can see that it is recommended to carve mihrabs in mosques as this is in congruence with what these scholars have said and because it is of benefit to Muslims.

And God the Almighty knows best.