“One should not undertake journeys except to three mosques: al-Masque al-Haram (in Makkah ), the Aqsa mosque, or this mosque (in Madinah)." Agreed upon.
The Excellence of the Three Mosques
This noble hadith establishes the unique status and excellence of three specific mosques in Islam: the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The scholars explain that while travel for prayer is generally discouraged to maintain community ties, an exception is made for these three due to their unparalleled spiritual merit.
Spiritual Hierarchy and Significance
The Sacred Mosque in Makkah holds the highest rank, being the first house of worship established for mankind and containing the Ka'bah. The Prophet's Mosque in Madinah follows, blessed by the Prophet's presence and burial. Al-Aqsa Mosque completes this triad as the first qiblah and site of the Prophet's miraculous night journey (Isra').
Scholars note that prayers in these mosques carry multiplied rewards - one prayer in the Sacred Mosque equals 100,000 prayers elsewhere; in the Prophet's Mosque, 1,000 prayers; and in al-Aqsa Mosque, 500 prayers, according to various authentic narrations.
Juridical Rulings and Applications
The majority of scholars hold that traveling specifically to visit these mosques for prayer is recommended (mustahabb) but not obligatory. This ruling applies to both men and women, though women must observe proper hijab and security conditions.
Contemporary scholars extend this permission to include travel for Islamic knowledge seeking, Hajj, Umrah, and righteous visits to these holy sites, provided the journey is safe and lawful.