Short answer
Riyad al-Jannah (the Rawdah) is the area in the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque between his house, where his grave now is, and his minbar. He called it a garden from the gardens of Paradise. Praying voluntary prayers and making dua there is recommended, but it is not a rite of Hajj or umrah.
Praying nafl and making dhikr and dua in the Rawdah is mustahabb (recommended). It is not wajib and not part of Hajj. Pushing, harming others or breaking the mosque's arrangements to reach it is not allowed.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Prophet ﷺ said: "What is between my house and my minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and my minbar is over my pool." The area is marked today by green carpet and white pillars, many of which have names linked to events in his life.
Scholars give two explanations, and both may be true: that the place itself will be part of Paradise, or that worship there is a path that leads to Paradise. Either way it is a blessed place to pray, so long as the means of getting there are blessed too.
- What to do: pray two rakats or more of nafl prayer, then make dua and dhikr. There is no special prayer or set dua for it.
- Not at disliked times: the usual rules apply, such as no nafl after Asr until Maghrib in the Hanafi school.
- Access: entry is by booked time slots, with separate hours for women. Follow the staff's instructions.
- Crowds: do not push, step over people or overstay your slot. Harming others to gain a recommended act is a sin.
- The rest of the mosque: every prayer in Masjid an-Nabawi carries great reward (see reward of prayer in the two mosques).
After the Rawdah, many visitors greet the Prophet at his grave, which is next to it. See visiting the Prophet's grave.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 1196
Sahih... ما بين بيتي ومنبري روضة من رياض الجنة ومنبري على حوضي ...
"What is between my house and my minbar is a garden from the gardens of Paradise, and my minbar is over my pool."
The virtue of the Rawdah.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Radd al-Muhtar (Ibn Abidin), Kitab al-Hajj, matlab fi ziyarat qabr al-nabi. Praying in the Rawdah during the visit to Madinah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.