ENCOURAGING VISITING THE PROPHET’S MOSQUE IN AL-MADINAH
All thanks are to Alláh, Who created the heavens and earth. I thank and praise Him, as He is Worthy of all praise, and He is Able to do all things. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Alláh Alone, without partners, and that Muhammad(pbuh) is His slave and Messenger whom Alláh sent with truth as Bringer of glad tidings and Warner. O Allah! Send Your best mercy and blessings on Your slave and Messenger Muhammad and on his progeny and Companions.
Many pilgrims feel eager to travel to Al-Madinah for the purpose of visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, encouraged by the Prophet’s statement:
“One prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque, except for AI-Masjid Al-Haram (in Makkah).”
Therefore, visiting the Prophet’s Mosque to pray in it is encouraged and legislated. We should assert that it is allowed to travel to visit the Prophet’s Mosque in Al-Madinah for the purpose of praying in it, but not for the purpose of visiting the Prophet’s grave. The Prophet(pbuh) forbade us from travelling to visit any grave, just as he forbade us from making his grave a place for celebrations (i.e., visiting it at special designated times). The Prophet(pbuh) said:
“Travelling is not allowed to other than the three Mosques: AI-Masjid Al-Hararn (in Makkah), this Mosque of mine and AI-Masjid Al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).”
Further, ‘AIi bin Al-Husain saw a man go towards a small opening in the room where the Prophet(pbuh) was buried, try to enter it and supplicate to Alláh next to the Prophet’s grave. Ali discouraged him saying, “I will narrate to you a Hadith that my father narrated from my grandfather (Ali ) from the Messenger of Alláh(pbuh) that he said:
“Do not make my gravesite a place of celebration, nor turn your homes into graves (by not performing voluntary prayers in them) and recite the Salat (prayer for Alláh blessings) on me. Verily, your reciting Salát on me is conveyed to me no matter where you are.”
In this Hadith, the Prophet forbade us from turning his gravesite into a holiday Festival by visiting it at certain times, such as during Rajab. Also, Alláh has granted a special quality for saying the Salát on His Prophet(pbuh), for He will deliver the Salat to him no matter where the one who said it is, whether close to his grave or in his own area:
” ..and recite the Salát on me. Verily, your saying Salát on me is conveyed to me no matter where you are.”
Visiting the Prophet’s grave is not a necessary act of worship, nor a pillar or an obligatory act of Hajj as some people think. Furthermore, we should assert that there are many Ahadith that were invented about the virtue of visiting the Prophet’s grave, and these Ahadith have become common knowledge to many people! Some of them heard these Ahadith so often that they began to think that they are authentic, when in fact they are fake and utter Iies. This is why many people endure hardships to visit the Prophet’s grave and also think that visiting AI-Madinah is a requirement of Hajj. For instance, among the fake Ahadith that are falsely attributed to the Prophet(pbuh) is that they claim that he said, “Whoever visits me (my grave) after I die, will be as if he visited me in my life. Whoever visits my grave earns my Shifá ‘ah. And whoever performs Hajj, but does not visit me (my Ahadith that are plain lies, according to the scholars of Islam).
Whoever intended to visit the Prophet’s mosque should do so and try to perform as many prayers in the mosque as Alláh allows him. Then, one is allowed to visit the Prophet’s grave and recite the Saldm (salutation of peace) on him, observing quietness and extreme politeness, for raising one’s voice is not good behavior in the presence of the Prophet(pbuh). One then recites the Salam on the Prophet’s two Companions buried next to him, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, . One should then leave the gravesite and should not supplicate to Alláh while facing the grave. Those who could not visit the Prophet’s mosque, even during their Hajj, then their Hajj is complete and there is no sin on them. In this case, one’s Hajj is adequate and he or she should feel assured that they have fulfilled the duties of Hajj, for Allah and His Messenger(pbuh) only required Hajj to Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah.
Whoever visits Al-Madinah and prays at the mosque of the Messenger(pbuh) of Alláh is recommended to pray at Mosque Qubá’ and visit the graveyard of Al-Baqi’. However, it is not from the Sunnah to visit all the Mosques in that area. ‘Umar once saw some people head towards a certain area and he asked, “Where are these people headed to?” They said, “To a place where they say the Messenger of Alláh(pbuh) prayed at.” ‘Umar said,
“Even if it was a place where the Messenger of Alláh(pbuh) prayed at! Do you want to make the footsteps of your Prophets as places of worship? Indeed, this is how earlier nations were destroyed.”
I invoke Alláh to direct us all to perform righteous good deeds and to make all our actions beneficial and accepted. I say this and seek Allah’s forgiveness for me, you and all other Muslims from every error and sin. Seek His forgiveness, for He is the All Forgiving, Most Merciful.
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