Virtues of Madinah
كتاب فضائل المدينة
Chapter 1: Haram (sanctuary) of Al-Madina
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).
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.
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."
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.
Chapter 2: Superiority of Al-Madina. It expels (evil) persons
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.
Chapter 3: Al-Madina is also called Taba
We came with the Prophet (ﷺ) from Tabuk, and when we reached near Medina, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "This is Tabah."
Chapter 4: The two mountains of Al-Madina
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."
Chapter 5: The one who avoids living in Al-Madina?
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."
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."
Chapter 6: Iman (Belief) returns and goes back to Al-Madina
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).
Chapter 7: Sin of that person who harms the people of Al-Madina
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."
Chapter 8: The high buildings of Al-Madina
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."
Chapter 9: Ad-Dajjal will not be able to enter Al-Madina
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."
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."
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."
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.' "
Chapter 10: Al-Madina expels all the evil and bad persons
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."
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."
Chapter 11
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Bestow on Medina twice the blessings You bestowed on Mecca."