Virtues of Madinah – pt1

Narrated Anas(radhiyallahu anhu): The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) said, " Madinahis 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." (Bukhari)
Narrated Anas(radhiyallahu anhu): The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) came toMadinahand ordered a masjidto 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
(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ordered the graves of the pagans to be
dug out and the land to be levelled, and the date-palm trees to be cut
down. The cut date-palms were fixed in the direction of the Qibla of
the (Grand) masjid. (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira (radhiyallahu anhu): The Prophet(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said, "I have madeMadinaha sanctuary between its
two (Harrat) mountains." The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)
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." (Bukhari)
Narrated 'Ali(radhiyallahu anhu): We have nothing except the Book of
Allah and this written paper from the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) (where-in is written:) Madinah 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 Muslimis 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.
(Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira (radhiyallahu anhu): Allah's Apostle said, "I was
ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow (conquer) other towns
and is called Yathrib and that is Madinah, and it turns out (bad)
persons as a furnace removes the impurities of iron." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Humaid(radhiyallahu anhu): We came with the Prophet
(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) from Tabuk, and when we reached near
Madinah, the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said, "This is
Tabah (meaning the good one)." (Bukhari)
Jaabir bin Samurah (radhiyallahu anhu) says; "I heard
Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) say: ' Verily Allah named
Madinah, Taabah(meaning the good one) or Tayyibah(the pure)."
Sa'ad (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullullah (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said: "I declare haraam that area between the rocky
lands on both sides of Madinah, that it's vegetation be not cut down
nor that animals be hunted within it's area." Rasullullah(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) also said: " For the believer, Madinah is the best
place. If only they could understand it's virtue fully, they would
never leave it, and whoever departs from Madinah, having become
disenchanted with it, Allah will send someone better to replace him.
And whoever bears patiently the ordeals of Madinah, for him shall I be
an intercessor(or witness) on the Day of Qiyaamah." (Muslim)
Narrated Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu): If I saw deers grazing in
Madinah, I would not chase them, for Allah's Apostle said, "(Madinah)
is a sanctuary between its two mountains." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu): I heard Allah's
Apostle(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) saying, "The people will leave
Madinah 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 Madinah, but will find nobody
in it, and when they reach the valley of Thaniyat-al-Wada', they will
fall down on their faces dead." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Zuhair(radhiyallahu anhu): I heard Allah's
Apostle(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) saying, "Yemen will be conquered
and some people will migrate (from Madinah) and will urge their
families, and those who will obey them to migrate (to Yemen) although
Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew. Sham will also be
conquered and some people will migrate (from Madinah) and will urge
their families and those who will obey them, to migrate (to Sham)
although Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew. 'Iraq will
be conquered and some people will migrate (from Madinah) and will urge
their families and those who will obey them to migrate (to 'Iraq)
although Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu): Allah's Apostle(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said, "Verily, Belief returns and goes back to
Madinah as a snake returns and goes back to its hole (when in
danger)." (Bukhari)
Narrated Sad (radhiyallahu anhu): I heard the Prophet(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) saying, "None plots against the people of Madinah
but that he will be dissolved (destroyed) like the salt is dissolved
in water."
Narrated Usama(radhiyallahu anhu): Once the Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) stood at the top of a castle amongst the castles (or the
high buildings) of Madinah 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
rain-drops fall." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Bakra(radhiyallahu anhu): The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) said, "The terror caused by Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal will not
enter Madinah and at that time Madinah will have seven gates and there
will be two angels at each gate guarding them." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira(radhiyallahu anhu): Allah's Apostle(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said, "There are angels guarding the entrances (or
roads) of Madinah, neither plague nor Ad-Dajjal will be able to enter
it." (Bukhari)
Narrated Anas bin Malik(radhiyallahu anhu): The Prophet(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said, "There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal will
not enter except Makkahand Madinah, and there will be no entrance
(road) (of both Makkah and Madinah) but the angels will be standing in
rows guarding it against him, and then Madinah will shake with its
inhabitants thrice (i.e. three earth-quakes will take place) and Allah
will expel all the nonbelievers and the hypocrites from it." (Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri(radhiyallahu anhu): Allah's
Apostle(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) 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 Madinah. He will land in some of the salty barren
areas (outside) Madinah; 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 Apostle .'
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.' " (Bukhari)
Narrated Jabir(radhiyallahu anhu): A bedouin came to the
Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) and gave a pledge of allegiance
for embracing Islam. The next day he came with fever and said (to the
Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) ), "Please cancel my pledge (of
embracing Islam and of emigrating to Madinah)." The Prophet(sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) refused (that request) three times and said,
"Madinah is like a furnace, it expels out the impurities (bad persons)
and selects the good ones and makes them perfect." (Bukhari)

Virtues Related to Hajj, - Virtues of Makkah – pt1

1.While departing fromMakkah, Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi
wassallam) halted on a plateau, faced the Qibla and said: "By Allah!
You are the most beloved portion of Allah's earth to me, and verily
you are the most beloved portion of the earth to Allah too. Verily you
are the best, spot on the face of the earth. And the most beloved to
Allah. If your people did not expel me, I would not have departed from
you." (Al-Muatta)
2.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated in a Hadith- "The
best and the most beloved city on the face of this earth to Allah
isMakkah." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
3.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated: "The earth was
rolled out fromMakkah. Allah stretched (the earth) from underneath it.
Thus it is called the mother of all cities." (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
4."The first mountain that was placed on the earth was Abu Qubais."
(Ibn Abi Shiba, Ibn Abi Hatim and Dailmi from Ibn Abbas.) (Abu Qubais
is the name of a mountain near Makkah.)
5."The angels were the first beings to circumambulate around the
sacred house, two thousand years before Allah created Adam." (Ibn Abi
Duniya from Anas lbn Abi Shiba from lbn Abass/ Shafi from Ka-ab
Alqirti)
6."Around the Ka'bah lies the graves of three hundred prophets."
(Sahih Muslim/ Bayhaqi)
7."There is no city on earth to which all the prophets, the angels,
the holy messengers and all the pious servants of Allah, who reside in
the heavens and on earth, including the jinn, flocked to, except
Makkah." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
8."There is no city on earth through which Allah multiplies one good
deed by a hundred thousand except Makkah." (Sahih Bukhari , lbn
Hibban)
9."Whosoever offers a salat therein, then that salat is enhanced a
hundred thousand fold over." (Sahih Muslim / Sunan Nisai)
"Whosoever gives one dirham therein in charity, Allah writes for him
the reward of having spent a hundred thousand dirhams in charity."
(Ibn Abi Zubair in the Jamul Latif from Sunan Tirmizi)
10."Anyone who completes the recitation of the full Qur'an once
therein, Allah records for him the reward of a hundred thousand
recitations." (Baihaqi , lbn Majah)
11."Whosoever glorifies Allah once therein, for him is recorded the
rewards of having glorified Allah a hundred thousand times elsewhere.
Every good deed which a servant enacts in the haram is equivalent to a
hundred thousand deeds enacted elsewhere." (Sunan Nasai)
12."Each pious deed performed therein is multiplied a hundred thousand
fold." (Sunan Abu Dawud)
13."It is not known of any other city from which Allah will, on the
day of Qiyamah, resurrect as many Ambiya, Allah-fearing souls, pious
people, truthful ones, martyrs, religious people, Ulama, jurists,
sages, ascetics, devotees, pilgrims, chosen ones and mystics, both
males and females as Makkah. Verily they will be resurrected in a
state wherein they will be safe from Allah's punishment." (Sahih
Bukhari , Sahih Muslim)
14.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated: "The best,
purest, holiest and closest spot to Allah, is the place between the
Marwah and the Maqam." (Sahih Bukhari , Sunan Ibn Majah)
15.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated: "The space
between the Ruknul Yamani and the Hajre Aswad is a garden from the
gardens of Jannah." (Sahih Muslim, Sunan Tirmizi)
16.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated: "A person who
passed away while performing the hajj or umrah will not be questioned
(in the qabr) nor will any reckoning be taken from him (on the day of
Qiyamah). He will be told: "Enter Jannah in peace with those who have
attained salvation." (Bayhaqi)
17.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated:"Anyone who
observes the fasts of the month of Ramadan in Makkah, Allah records
for him the reward of a hundred thousand months of fasting in any
other city." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
18."The salat offered in Musjid-ul-Haram is increased by a hundred
thousand salaah. For verily one obtains one hundred and fifty million
(150 000 000) rewards for a salaah offered therein." (Sahih Bukhari ,
Sahih Muslim)
19."Anyone who falls ill in Makkah for one day, Allah renders his body
and his flesh haram (forbidden) from the fire of Jahannam." (Sahih
Bukhari)
20.Rasullullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stated: "Anyone who falls
ill in Makkah for one day, Allah records for that person the rewards
of having done good deeds equivalent to sixty years worship in any
other place." (Muatta)
21."Anyone who endures the heat of Makkah with patience for an hour of
the day, Allah will distance that person from the fire of Jahannam by
a distance of a journey of five hundred years and bring him closer to
Jannah by a distance of a journey of two hundred years. Indeed Makkah
and Madinah eject any impurities within them like flames eject rust
from iron. Understand carefully! Difficulties and calamities abounded
in Makkah right from its inception. Great stages are realised by
enduring these difficulties." (Sahih Muslim)
22."Anyone who endures any difficulty experienced in Makkah (with
patience), I will intercede and bear witness for him on the day of
Qiyamat." (Sunan ibn Majah)
23."The best valley on the face of this earth is the valley of
lbrahim(alaihis salaam)." (Sahih Bukhari, Sunan Tirmizi)
24."The best well on the face of this earth is the well of Zamzam."
(Sahih Muslim)
25."For verily, anyone who touches the Hajre Aswad is cleansed of his
sins just as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him." (Musnad
lmam Ahmad)
26."There is no city in the world in which one finds an object, which
when touched by any human being, cleanses him of his sins and leaves
him in the same state as he was on the day his mother gave birth to
him, except Makkah." (Muatta)
27."There is no city on the face of this earth in which a person
offers a salah in accordance with a command which Allah issued to his
Nabi Sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam except Makkah." (Sunan Ibn Majah)
28."Anyone who offers salah behind the Maqam has attained safety."
(Sahih Bukhari, Sunan Nisai)
29."The most beloved spot to Allah is the area between the
Maqam-e-lbrahim and the Multazam." (Sunan Tirmizi , Abu Dawud)

Fathwa, - Swimming In Front Of A Non-Mahram Male

Question:
There is a sister I know who is in a confusing situation. A few months
back she received surgery on her knee and has been given swimming as
physiotherapy. The problem is that although she attends a women-only
session, there is a male lifeguard on duty. What should she do?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
A woman (and a man) must cover the nakedness (awra) of her body in the
presence of non-mahram males and also non-Muslim females, which is her
complete body except the face, hands (up to the wrists) and feet (up
to the ankles). The rest of the body must be covered in loose and
non-transparent clothing.
Therefore, normally it would not be permitted for a Muslim sister to
attend swimming sessions where non-mahram males such as male
lifeguards or non-Muslim females are present. Even if it is a private
�Muslim-women only� swimming session, she will have to take
precautions by not wearing tight-fitting clothing such as regular
swimming costumes.
With regards to the sister in question who has been prescribed
swimming as physiotherapy due to the surgery she received on her knee,
the following needs to be considered:
The ruling is that a woman must cover her nakedness unless there is a
genuine and valid excuse, such as for medical treatment. The jurists
(fuqaha) explain that medical treatment from a male doctor is only
permitted when there is a need and no female doctors are reasonably
available.
It is stated in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya:
�If a woman has a wound on a part of the body that is impermissible
for a male to look at (i.e. nakedness), it will be impermissible for
her to receive treatment from a male doctor, rather a female should be
instructed to treat her. If a female expert is not available, neither
is there a female who can be instructed to treat her� then it would be
permitted for a male doctor to treat her, provided there is a genuine
need.� (al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, 5/330)
Moreover, the jurists tell us that prohibitions and particularly
unlawful medication become permissible when no other alternative is
reasonably available. In the case of an alternative being available,
it would not be permitted to avail of unlawful medication.
Now, you state that the sister attends swimming sessions for a medical
purpose and that swimming is the best form of physical medicine for
her. However, in light of the above, committing something unlawful
(which is exposing one�s nakedness, in this case) only becomes
permitted when there is a genuine need and no alternative is
available.
Therefore, if she can arrange to swim in a place where no non-mahram
males (or non-Muslim females) are present, then she should do that.
Mere difficulty in getting back for work or other such matters would
not justify exposing one�s nakedness in front of non-mahrams.
If this is not possible, then she should look at other means of
therapy. You state that swimming is the best form of therapy; hence it
seems that other alternatives are available. Unlawful medication only
becomes permitted when no other reasonable alternative is available,
thus it would not be allowed to expose one�s nakedness when another
alternative is available.
However, if it is not possible at all for the sister to find a
all-women swimming place (where no non-mahram males are present), nor
is there another alternative for her therapy, in that the experts
state swimming is the only realistic form of therapy and other forms
of exercise are not that effective, then due to extreme and genuine
need she may be allowed to swim there.
And Allah knows best

Fathwa, - My wife has to come back to London from Pakistan. I cannot afford to go and bring her here. Can

Question:
My wife has to come back to London from Pakistan. I cannot afford to
go and bring her here. Can she travel for 8 hours on her own?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
Some scholars give the permissibility if a woman travels with a
reliable and trustworthy group of people, as is the case when one
travels by air. This is after one has tried ones uttermost to arrange
for her travel with a mahram, and there is obvious need or benefit in
the trip.