Virtues of Madinah

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Medina 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 an heresy or commits sins (bad deeds), then he will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people." (See Hadith No. 409, Vol 9).

‏ الْمَدِينَةُ حَرَمٌ، مِنْ كَذَا إِلَى كَذَا، لاَ يُقْطَعُ شَجَرُهَا، وَلاَ يُحْدَثُ فِيهَا حَدَثٌ، مَنْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) came to Medina and ordered a mosque to be built and said, "O Bani Najjar! Suggest to me the price (of your land)." They said, "We do not want its price except from Allah" (i.e. they wished for a reward from Allah for giving up their land freely). So, the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered the graves of the pagans to be dug out and the land to be leveled, and the date-palm trees to be cut down. The cut datepalms were fixed in the direction of the Qibla of the mosque.

‏ يَا بَنِي النَّجَّارِ ثَامِنُونِي ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I have made Medina a sanctuary between its two (Harrat) mountains." The Prophet (ﷺ) went to the tribe of Bani Haritha and said (to them), "I see that you have gone out of the sanctuary," but looking around, he added, "No, you are inside the sanctuary."

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏‏ حُرِّمَ مَا بَيْنَ لاَبَتَىِ الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَى لِسَانِي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ وَأَتَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَنِي حَارِثَةَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَرَاكُمْ يَا بَنِي حَارِثَةَ قَدْ خَرَجْتُمْ مِنَ الْحَرَمِ ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ، فَقَالَ ‏"‏ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ ‏"‏‏.‏"

We have nothing except the Book of Allah and this written paper from the Prophet (wherein is written:) Medina is a sanctuary from the 'Air Mountain to such and such a place, and whoever innovates in it an heresy or commits a sin, or gives shelter to such an innovator in it will incur the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted. And the asylum (of protection) granted by any Muslim is to be secured (respected) by all the other Muslims; and whoever betrays a Muslim in this respect incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted, and whoever (freed slave) befriends (take as masters) other than his manumitters without their permission incurs the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people, and none of his compulsory or optional good deeds of worship will be accepted.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التَّيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ مَا عِنْدَنَا شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَهَذِهِ الصَّحِيفَةُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏‏ الْمَدِينَةُ حَرَمٌ، مَا بَيْنَ عَائِرٍ إِلَى كَذَا، مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِيهَا حَدَثًا، أَوْ آوَى مُحْدِثًا، فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ ذِمَّةُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَاحِدَةٌ، فَمَنْ أَخْفَرَ مُسْلِمًا فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ، وَمَنْ تَوَلَّى قَوْمًا بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِ مَوَالِيهِ، فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَالْمَلاَئِكَةِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ، لاَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلاَ عَدْلٌ ‏"‏‏.‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I was ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow (conquer) other towns and is called Yathrib and that is Medina, and it turns out (bad) persons as a furnace removes the impurities of iron.

‏ أُمِرْتُ بِقَرْيَةٍ تَأْكُلُ الْقُرَى يَقُولُونَ يَثْرِبُ‏.‏ وَهْىَ الْمَدِينَةُ، تَنْفِي النَّاسَ كَمَا يَنْفِي الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ ‏"

We came with the Prophet (ﷺ) from Tabuk, and when we reached near Medina, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "This is Tabah."

‏ هَذِهِ طَابَةُ ‏"

If I saw deers grazing in Medina, I would not chase them, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(Medina) is a sanctuary between its two mountains."

‏ مَا بَيْنَ لاَبَتَيْهَا حَرَامٌ ‏"

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "The people will leave Medina in spite of the best state it will have, and none except the wild birds and the beasts of prey will live in it, and the last persons who will die will be two shepherds from the tribe of Muzaina, who will be driving their sheep towards Medina, but will find nobody in it, and when they reach the valley of Thaniyat-al-Wada`, they will fall down on their faces dead."

‏ يَتْرُكُونَ الْمَدِينَةَ عَلَى خَيْرِ مَا كَانَتْ، لاَ يَغْشَاهَا إِلاَّ الْعَوَافِ ـ يُرِيدُ عَوَافِيَ السِّبَاعِ وَالطَّيْرِ ـ وَآخِرُ مَنْ يُحْشَرُ رَاعِيَانِ مِنْ مُزَيْنَةَ، يُرِيدَانِ الْمَدِينَةَ يَنْعِقَانِ بِغَنَمِهِمَا، فَيَجِدَانِهَا وَحْشًا، حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَا ثَنِيَّةَ الْوَدَاعِ خَرَّا عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمَا ‏"

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Yemen will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families, and those who will obey them to migrate (to Yemen) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. Sham will also be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them, to migrate (to Sham) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew. 'Iraq will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Medina) and will urge their families and those who will obey them to migrate (to 'Iraq) although Medina will be better for them; if they but knew."

‏ تُفْتَحُ الْيَمَنُ فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ، فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ، وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ، وَتُفْتَحُ الشَّأْمُ، فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ، وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ، وَتُفْتَحُ الْعِرَاقُ، فَيَأْتِي قَوْمٌ يُبِسُّونَ فَيَتَحَمَّلُونَ بِأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُمْ‏.‏ وَالْمَدِينَةُ خَيْرٌ لَهُمْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Belief returns and goes back to Medina as a snake returns and goes back to its hole (when in danger).

‏ إِنَّ الإِيمَانَ لَيَأْرِزُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ كَمَا تَأْرِزُ الْحَيَّةُ إِلَى جُحْرِهَا ‏"

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "None plots against the people of Medina but that he will be dissolved (destroyed) like the salt is dissolved in water."

‏ لاَ يَكِيدُ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ انْمَاعَ كَمَا يَنْمَاعُ الْمِلْحُ فِي الْمَاءِ ‏"

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) stood at the top of a (looked out from upon one) castle amongst the castles (or the high buildings) of Medina and said, "Do you see what I see? (No doubt) I see the spots where afflictions will take place among your houses (and these afflictions will be) as numerous as the spots where raindrops fall."

‏ هَلْ تَرَوْنَ مَا أَرَى إِنِّي لأَرَى مَوَاقِعَ الْفِتَنِ خِلاَلَ بُيُوتِكُمْ كَمَوَاقِعِ الْقَطْرِ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The terror caused by Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal will not enter Medina and at that time Medina will have seven gates and there will be two angels at each gate guarding them."

‏ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْمَدِينَةَ رُعْبُ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ، لَهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ سَبْعَةُ أَبْوَابٍ، عَلَى كُلِّ باب مَلَكَانِ ‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "There are angels guarding the entrances (or roads) of Medina, neither plague nor Ad-Dajjal will be able to enter it."

‏ عَلَى أَنْقَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَلاَئِكَةٌ، لاَ يَدْخُلُهَا الطَّاعُونُ وَلاَ الدَّجَّالُ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will not enter except Mecca and Medina, and there will be no entrance (road) (of both Mecca and Medina) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Medina will shake with its inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earthquakes will take place) and Allah will expel all the non-believers and the hypocrites from it."

‏ لَيْسَ مِنْ بَلَدٍ إِلاَّ سَيَطَؤُهُ الدَّجَّالُ، إِلاَّ مَكَّةَ وَالْمَدِينَةَ، لَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ نِقَابِهَا نَقْبٌ إِلاَّ عَلَيْهِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ صَافِّينَ، يَحْرُسُونَهَا، ثُمَّ تَرْجُفُ الْمَدِينَةُ بِأَهْلِهَا ثَلاَثَ رَجَفَاتٍ، فَيُخْرِجُ اللَّهُ كُلَّ كَافِرٍ وَمُنَافِقٍ ‏"

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told us a long narrative about Ad-Dajjal, and among the many things he mentioned, was his saying, "Ad-Dajjal will come and it will be forbidden for him to pass through the entrances of Medina. He will land in some of the salty barren areas (outside) Medina; on that day the best man or one of the best men will come up to him and say, 'I testify that you are the same Dajjal whose description was given to us by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) .' Ad-Dajjal will say to the people, 'If I kill this man and bring him back to life again, will you doubt my claim?' They will say, 'No.' Then Ad-Dajjal will kill that man and bring him back to life. That man will say, 'Now I know your reality better than before.' Ad-Dajjal will say, 'I want to kill him but I cannot.' "

‏ يَأْتِي الدَّجَّالُ ـ وَهُوَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ نِقَابَ الْمَدِينَةِ ـ بَعْضَ السِّبَاخِ الَّتِي بِالْمَدِينَةِ، فَيَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ رَجُلٌ، هُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ ـ أَوْ مِنْ خَيْرِ النَّاسِ ـ فَيَقُولُ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ الدَّجَّالُ، الَّذِي حَدَّثَنَا عَنْكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدِيثَهُ، فَيَقُولُ الدَّجَّالُ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ قَتَلْتُ هَذَا ثُمَّ أَحْيَيْتُهُ، هَلْ تَشُكُّونَ فِي الأَمْرِ فَيَقُولُونَ لاَ‏.‏ فَيَقْتُلُهُ، ثُمَّ يُحْيِيهِ فَيَقُولُ حِينَ يُحْيِيهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا كُنْتُ قَطُّ أَشَدَّ بَصِيرَةً مِنِّي الْيَوْمَ، فَيَقُولُ الدَّجَّالُ أَقْتُلُهُ فَلاَ أُسَلَّطُ عَلَيْهِ ‏"

A bedouin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and gave a pledge of allegiance for embracing Islam. The next day he came with fever and said (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ), "Please cancel my pledge (of embracing Islam and of emigrating to Medina)." The Prophet (ﷺ) refused (that request) three times and said, "Medina is like a furnace, it expels out the impurities (bad persons) and selects the good ones and makes them perfect."

‏ الْمَدِينَةُ كَالْكِيرِ، تَنْفِي خَبَثَهَا، وَيَنْصَعُ طَيِّبُهَا ‏"

When the Prophet (ﷺ) went out for (the battle of) Uhud, some of his companions (hypocrites) returned (home). A party of the believers remarked that they would kill those (hypocrites) who had returned, but another party said that they would not kill them. So, this Divine Inspiration was revealed: "Then what is the matter with you that you are divided into two parties concerning the hypocrites." (4:88) The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Medina expels the bad persons from it, as fire expels the impurities of iron."

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ لَمَّا خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى أُحُدٍ رَجَعَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَتْ فِرْقَةٌ نَقْتُلُهُمْ‏.‏ وَقَالَتْ فِرْقَةٌ لاَ نَقْتُلُهُمْ‏.‏ فَنَزَلَتْ ‏{‏فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينِ فِئَتَيْنِ‏}‏ وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏‏ إِنَّهَا تَنْفِي الرِّجَالَ كَمَا تَنْفِي النَّارُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ ‏"‏‏.‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Bestow on Medina twice the blessings You bestowed on Mecca."

‏ اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ بِالْمَدِينَةِ ضِعْفَىْ مَا جَعَلْتَ بِمَكَّةَ مِنَ الْبَرَكَةِ ‏"

Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) returned from a journey and observed the walls of Medina, he would make his Mount go fast, and if he was on an animal (i.e. a horse), he would make it gallop because of his love for Medina.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَى جُدُرَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَوْضَعَ رَاحِلَتَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَلَى دَابَّةٍ، حَرَّكَهَا مِنْ حُبِّهَا‏.‏

(The people of) Bani Salama intended to shift near the mosque (of the Prophet) but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disliked to see Medina vacated and said, "O the people of Bani Salama! Don't you think that you will be rewarded for your footsteps which you take towards the mosque?" So, they stayed at their old places.

‏ يَا بَنِي سَلِمَةَ‏.‏ أَلاَ تَحْتَسِبُونَ آثَارَكُمْ ‏"

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is a garden from the gardens of Paradise between my house and my pulpit, and my pulpit is on my Lake Fount (Al-Kauthar).

‏ مَا بَيْنَ بَيْتِي وَمِنْبَرِي رَوْضَةٌ مِنْ رِيَاضِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْبَرِي عَلَى حَوْضِي ‏"

When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) reached Medina, Abu Bakr and Bilal became ill. When Abu Bakr's fever got worse, he would recite (this poetic verse): "Everybody is staying alive with his People, yet Death is nearer to him than His shoe laces." And Bilal, when his fever deserted him, would recite: "Would that I could stay overnight in A valley wherein I would be Surrounded by Idhkhir and Jalil (kinds of goodsmelling grass). Would that one day I could Drink the water of the Majanna, and Would that (The two mountains) Shama and Tafil would appear to me!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Curse Shaiba bin Rabi`a and `Utba bin Rabi`a and Umaiya bin Khalaf as they turned us out of our land to the land of epidemics." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, "O Allah! Make us love Medina as we love Mecca or even more than that. O Allah! Give blessings in our Sa and our Mudd (measures symbolizing food) and make the climate of Medina suitable for us, and divert its fever towards Aljuhfa." Aisha added: When we reached Medina, it was the most unhealthy of Allah's lands, and the valley of Bathan (the valley of Medina) used to flow with impure colored water.

‏ اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ كَحُبِّنَا مَكَّةَ أَوْ أَشَدَّ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي صَاعِنَا، وَفِي مُدِّنَا، وَصَحِّحْهَا لَنَا وَانْقُلْ حُمَّاهَا إِلَى الْجُحْفَةِ ‏"

`Umar said, O Allah! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let my death be in the city of Your Apostle."

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي شَهَادَةً فِي سَبِيلِكَ، وَاجْعَلْ مَوْتِي فِي بَلَدِ رَسُولِكَ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ وَقَالَ ابْنُ زُرَيْعٍ عَنْ رَوْحِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ أُمِّهِ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتِ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، نَحْوَهُ‏.‏ وَقَالَ هِشَامٌ عَنْ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ حَفْصَةَ، سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، رضى الله عنه‏.‏