The architectural design of the arcades and the aisles in the qibla shade of a mosque varies between innovation and architectural aesthetics

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina witnessed an evolution in planning during its third phase, which occurred in Rabia Al-Awwal 1 AH (September 622 CE). In this phase, Muslims introduced an environmental element by providing shading for the prayer area (known as the Qibla shade). This shade consisted of three straight rows parallel to the Qibla wall, extending from east to west. The earliest example of such a parallel architectural design in Islamic architecture after this phase is the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (86-96 AH / 705-715 CE).

In a subsequent phase, mosque architecture introduced a vertical element to the Qibla wall. The Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Umayyad era is the oldest known example of this style in Islamic architecture. As for the cross-sectional design of of the arcades and the aisles in relation to the Qibla wall, it originated in the Ribat Sousse Mosque in Tunisia (206 AH / 821 CE), where these elements extended both parallel and perpendicular at the same time. This architectural style can be found in other mosques such as the Bouftata Mosque in Sousse, Tunisia (223-226 AH / 838-841 CE), the Great Mosque in Sousse, Tunisia (236 AH / 850 CE), the Mashhad of the Banu Taba Taba in Egypt (334 AH / 943 CE), and the Al-Aqmar Mosque in Egypt (519 AH / 1125 CE).