The Book of Pilgrimage

كتاب الحج

Chapter 86: Encouragement to live in Al-Madinah and to be patient on bearing its distress and hardships

Abu Sa'id Maula al-Mahri reported that they were hard pressed by the distress and hardship of Medina, and he come to AbU Sa'Id al-Khudri and said to him

I have a large family (to support) and we are enduring hardships; I have, therefore, made up my mind to take my family to some fertile land. Thereupon Abu Sa'id said: Don't do that, stick to Medina, for we have come out with Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and (I think that he also said) until we reached 'Usfan, and he (the Prophet along with his Companions) stayed there for some nights. There the people said: By Allah, we are lying here idle, whereas our children are unprotected behind us, and we do not feel secure about them. This (apprehension of theirs) reached Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), whereupon he said: What is this matter concerning you that has reached me? (I do not retain how he said it, whether he said like this: ) By Him (in the name of Whom) I take oath, (or he said like this: ) By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I made up my mind or if you like (I do not retain what word did he actually say), I should command my camel to proceed and not to let it halt until it comes to Medina and then said: Ibrahim declared Mecca as the sacred territory and it became sacred, and I declare Medina as the sacred territory-the area between the two mountains ('Air and Uhud). Thus no blood is to be shed within its (bounds) and no weapon is to be carried for fighting, and the leaves of the trees there should not be beaten off except for fodder. O Allah, bless us in our city; O Allah, bless us in our sil; O Allah, bless us in our mudd; O Allah, bless us in our sa; O Allah, bless us in our mudd. O Allah, bless us in our city. O Allah, bless with this blessing two more blessings. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, there is no ravine or mountain path of Medina which is not protected by two angels until you reach there. (He then said to the people: ) Proceed, and we, therefore, proceeded and we came to Medina By Him (in Whose name) we take oath and (in Whose name) oath is taken (Hammad is in doubt about it), we had hardly put down our camel saddles on arriving at Medina that we were attacked by the people of the tribe of 'Abdullah b. Ghatafan but none dared to do it before.

Abu Sa'id al-Kbudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said

O Allah, bless us in our sa' and mud and shower with its blessings two other blessings (multiply blessings showerted upon it).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Yabya b. Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Sa'id Maula al-Mahri reported that he came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri during the nights (of the turmoil) of al-Barrah, and sought his advice about leaving Medina, and complained of the high prices prevailing therein and his large family, and informed him that he could not stand the hardships of Medina and its rugged surrounding. He said to him

Woe to you; I will not advise you to do it, for I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: No one will endure hardships of Medina without my being an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrectiar), if he is a Muslim.

Abd al-Rahman reported on the authority of his father Abu Sa'id (Allah be pleased with him) that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

I have declared sacred what is between the two lava grounds of Medina just as Ibrahim (peace be upon him) declared Mecca as sacred. He (the narrator) then said: Abu Sa'id caught hold of (Abu Bakr, another narrator, used the word" found" ) a bird in his hand and then released it from his hand and set it free.

Sahl b. Hunif reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pointed with his hands towards Medina and said

That is a sacred territory and a place of safety.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported

When we came to Medina, and it was an unhealthy, uncogenial place, Abu Bakr fell sick and Bilal also fell sick; and when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw the illness of his Companions he said: O Allah, make Medina as congenial to us as you made Mecca congenial or more than that; make it conducive to health, and bleesus in its sa' and in its mudd, and transfer its fever to al-juhfa.

This hadith has been narrated by Hisham b. 'Urwa with the same chain of transmitters.

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

He who patiently endures the hardships of it (of this city of Medina), I would be an intercessor or a withness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

Yuhannis, the freed slave of Zubair, narrated that when he was sitting with Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) during the days of turmoil, his freed slave-girl came to him. After saluting him she said

Abu Abd al-Rahmin, I have decided to leave (Medina) for the time is hard for us, whereupon Abdullah said to her: Stay here, foolish lady, for I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: For one who shows endurance on the hardships and rigour of it (of Medina) I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) said

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who patiently endured the hardships and rigours of (this city, i. e. Medina), I would be his witness and intercessor on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying

For one among my Ummah who shows endurance against the hardships and rigours of Medina, I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) through another chain of transmitters.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

None who shows endurance on the hardships of Medina,... (the rest of the hadith is the same).

Chapter 87: Al-Madinah is protected against the plague and the Dajjal entering it

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

There are at the approaches of Medina angels so that plague and the Dajjal shall not penetrate into it.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

Dajjal will come from the eastern side with the intention of attacking Medina until he will get down behind Uhud. Then the angels will turn his face towards Syria and there he will perish.

Chapter 88: Al-Madinah eliminates its Dross and it is also called Tabah, and Taibah

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying

A time will come for the people (of Medina) when a man will invite his cousin and any other near relation: Come (and settle) at (a place) where living is cheap, come to where there is plenty, but Medina will be better for them; would they know it! By Him in Whose Hand is my life, none amongst them would go out (of the city) with a dislike for it, but Allah would make his successor in it someone better than be. Behold. Medina is like furnace which eliminates from it the impurities. And the Last Hour will not come until Medina banishes its evils just as a furnace eliminates the impurities of iron.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (way peace be upon him) as saying

I have been commanded (to migrate) to a town (Medina) which would overpower other towns. They (the people) call it Yathrib; its correct name is (in fact) Medina. It eliminates (bad) people just as a furnace removes the alloy of iron.

This hadith has been narrated by Yabya b. Sa'id with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are)

" Just as a furance removes impurity," but no mention is made of iron.

Jabir b. `Abdullah (Allah be pleased with them) reported that a desert Arab swore allegiance to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). He suffered from a severe fever in Medina (and) so he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying

Muhammad, cancel my oath of allegiance. But Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) refused it. He again came and said: Cancel my oath of allegiance. But he (the Holy Prophet) refused it. He again came to him and said: Cancel my oath of allegiance, but he refused. The desert Arab, however, went away (cancelling the allegiance himself). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Medina is like a furnace which drives away its impurity and purifies what is good.