A mosque remains closed because of misuse by some pilgrims and visitors. Views are divided between tourism promotion officials and religious officials, the former claim it to be a historical site while the latter call for its closure due to un-Islamic rituals practiced in it. Al-Quaa mosque (Elbow Mosque) is located on the way to Ekrima water dam in Al-Mathna area. It is alleged that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) stopped here when he came to invite the people of Taif to Islam. “People come here every weekend,” said Hamoud Saleh, a Yemeni who resides nearby. “They also visit on weekdays but not as much as on weekends.” “Most of them are from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. They come here to pray and some of them even circumabulate around the mosque as if it were the Ka'bah in Makkah,” said Mohammad Yahya, Saleh's Yemeni friend. Authorities have fenced it to prevent people from committing such un-Islamic acts, but the fence is broken and people manage to go inside and offer such rituals. Notice boards The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has set up notice boards in different languages to educate people that it was not established if the Prophet prayed here and to warn them against sinful rituals. I asked one of the visitors if he believed the Prophet (pbuh) prayed here. He replied in affirmation. I then asked how did he know of it. He had no answer. Hamoud added, “Saudi drivers also bring tourists and pilgrims here and tell them that the Prophet (pbuh) prayed here even though they know it is not true.” “Some Saudis volunteer to educate visitors that such rituals were not Islamic, but they ignore them completely,” added Yahya. “It looks as if people from their country have already convinced them about this place.” __
