The Sanctity of the City of Madinah al-Munawwarah

The Prophet's Mosque

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم said,

“Madinah is a sanctuary from that place to that. Its trees should not be cut and no heresy should be innovated nor any sin should be committed in it, and whoever innovates in it a heresy or commits sins {bad deeds}, then he will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people.”

{Sahih Bukhari}

Before fasting in the month of Ramadan was made compulsory, our Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم would fast on the 10th of Muharram, instructing the Sahaba to follow suit. But once the fasting of Ramadan became obligatory, fasting on the 10th of Muharram was made optional.

It is reported in the Sahih of Imam al-Bukhari, on the authority of Aisha and Abdullah Ibn Umar that when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم came to Madinah, he commanded the people to fast on the 10th of Muharram, but when fasting during the month of Ramadan was made compulsory, our Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم said, “Now fasting on the 10th of Muharram is optional.”

The heart of the Prophet Muhammad’s صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم

Masjid houses a very special but small area named ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah, which extends from the Prophet Muhammad’s tomb to his pulpit.

The Hajji’s attempt to visit and pray in ar-Rawdah, for there is a tradition that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected.

Entrance into ar-Rawdah is not always possible {especially during the Hajj season}, as the tiny area can accommodate only a few hundred people.

Ar-Rawdah has two small gateways.

The original pulpit was much smaller than the current one, and constructed of palm tree wood, not marble. Ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah is considered part of Jannah {Heaven or Paradise}.

It is prescribed for the one who visits the Prophet’s Masjid to pray two rak’ahs in the Rawdah or whatever he wants of nafil prayers, because it is proven that there is virtue in doing so.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله تعالى عنه وأرضاه that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم said:

“The area between my house and my minbar is one of the gardens {riyaad, sing. rawdah} of Paradise, and my minbar is on my cistern {hawd}”

{Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari & Imam Muslim}

And it was narrated that ibn Abi ‘Ubayd رضي الله تعالى عنه وأرضاه said:

“I used to come with Salamah ibn al-Akwa رضي الله تعالى عنه وأرضاه and he would pray by the pillar which was by the mus-haf, i.e. in the Rawdah.

I said, ‘O Abu Muslim رضي الله تعالى عنه وأرضاه , I see that you are keen to pray by this pillar!’ He said, ‘I saw that the Prophet was keen to pray here.’”

{Narrated by Imam al-Bukhari & Imam Muslim}

– Originally posted by Ustadh Luqman al-Andalusi

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