Medina al-Munawwarah, located in the northwest of Arabia, 130 km away from the Red Sea, stands at an elevation of 619 meters above sea level. Today, transportation between Medina and Mecca is facilitated by a 418 km-long highway known as the Hijra Road. The city is surrounded by Uhud Mountain to the north, Ayr Mountain to the south, and volcanic lava fields known as Vebere on the east (Waqim) and west sides. Its current population is approximately 900,000. (November 2006) Formerly known as Yathrib, this city is referred to as Dār al-Hijra, Madīnat al-Nabī, and Medina al-Munawwarah due to the enlightenment brought to the city by the Prophet Muhammad.
MEDINA AL-MUNAWWARAH
Medina al-Munawwarah is the sanctuary of the Prophet’s migration.
It is the city that extends its helping hand while others withdraw theirs.
It is the first capital of the Islamic state.
It is the city from which messengers were sent to foreign lands to convey the pure faith of Islam.
It is the most blessed city after Mecca al-Mukarramah.
It is the place where over half of the Qur’an was revealed.
That luminous city where:
The Seal of Prophets resides, with no distance between him and those who approach him.
The Companions, companions of both this world and the Hereafter, two martyrs, Abu Bakr and Umar, reside there.
The window to the Hereafter, the garden of paradise (Raudah al-Mutahhara), is there. (Besides Raudah al-Mutahhara, there is no other place on earth declared to be as if it were a part of paradise.)
Jannat al-Baqi where 10,000 Companions, including foremost among them Hz. Uthman (RA), are buried, is there.
The Uhud Mountain, blessed by the presence of 70 martyrs, including Hz. Hamza, whose sight would illuminate eyes, is there.
Masjid al-Qiblatayn, where the qibla direction changed, is there.
Masjid al-Quba and the “Seven Mosques” are there.
How can one refrain from shedding tears and being heedless in this place? There is a consensus that Mecca al-Mukarramah and Medina al-Munawwarah surpass all other cities.
The Prophet(SAW) said:
“Medina is the dome of Islam, the abode of faith, the land of migration, and the place where what is permissible and forbidden is explained.” (Targhib, 2/228)
“Whoever is able to die in Medina should die there. Certainly, I will intercede for those who die there.” (Targhib, 2/223)
Respect and reverence are required for Medina al-Munawwarah. The acts of worship performed here hold superiority and abundance in both virtues and rewards, both in blessings and in outcomes. For those who cannot adhere to the rights and etiquettes of Mecca al-Mukarramah and Medina al-Munawwarah, it is reprehensible to reside there. (Lubab Sharh, p. 351)
When Imam Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, entered Medina al-Munawwarah and a donkey was brought for him to ride, he refused to ride it due to a valid excuse, saying, “It is not appropriate for me to step on the ground that the blessed feet of the Prophet have touched with the hooves of a donkey.”
The poet Nabi, upon accompanying a delegation for pilgrimage, noticed a pasha in the group who stretched out his legs and reclined as they approached Medina al-Munawwarah. He recited the following verse aloud:
Beware! Leaving etiquette aside, this is the beloved of God.
This is the holy place of God, the station of the Chosen One.
The gathering place of the Exalted Prophet’s greatness,
It transcends even the Throne of the Majestic Lord in virtue.
Enter this sanctuary with respect and observance of etiquette, O Nabi,
It is the sacred threshold of the Prophets, the sanctuary of the chosen ones.
Meaning:
When morning comes, the minarets’ muezzins recite these verses. They ask, “Where did you learn these verses?” They reply, “Last night, the Prophet himself taught us these verses and ordered us to recite them from the minarets.”
Our ancestors showed immense respect for this blessed city. Abdul Hamid II, may Allah have mercy on him, gave this order during the construction of the Hejaz Railway to the team building the railway: “When you approach Medina al-Munawwarah, cover the possible equipment with felt so that there is not much noise. Let the souls of the Prophet, Ahl al-Bayt, and the residents here not be disturbed.”
O morning breeze, if you reach the direction of the Two Holy Mosques,
Present my respect, O breeze, to the chosen one among men.
