al-Madina al-Munawwara al-Nabawiyya Fadluha, Fadl Sakiniha, Ziyartuha
- Author died
- 1439 AH
- Editions
- Maṭābi‘ al-Rashīd
al-Madina al-Munawwara al-Nabawiyya Fadluha, Fadl Sakiniha, Ziyartuha ("The Prophetic, Radiant Medina: Its Merit, the Merit of Its Inhabitants, and Visiting It") is a treatise by the scholar and teacher in the Prophet's Mosque, Abu Bakr al-Jazairi (d. 1439 AH / 2018 CE), examining the sanctity, religious merits, and residents of Medina.
Purpose and Scope
In his introduction, al-Jazairi notes that Medina—illuminated by prophetic guidance—is the second of Islam's three sacred cities, alongside Mecca and Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). He wrote the treatise after observing manifestations of ignorance regarding the sanctity, honor, and veneration due to the Prophet's city, intending to circulate it among people so that the heedless would be admonished and abstain from committing prohibited acts within Medina in particular and in Muslim lands in general.
Contents and Structure
The treatise is arranged around themes detailing the status of the city and its population:
- The Merit of the People of Medina (al-Bāb al-Awwal: Faḍl Ahl al-Madīna): Addresses the standing of the righteous residents of Medina—the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and faithful believers—as the neighbors of the Prophet ﷺ and the guardians of his sanctuary. It underscores the religious obligation to respect, love, and support them when they remain upright, and cites prophetic traditions warning against harming or plotting against them, including hadiths stating that whoever intends evil for them dissolves like salt in water. It also records the Prophet's prayers for blessing in their dry measures (ṣāʿ and mudd) and his promise of intercession on the Day of Resurrection for those who honor his neighbors without perpetrating major sins.
- The Honor of Medina (al-Bāb al-Thānī: Sharaf Ahl al-Madīna / Sharaf al-Madīna): Expounds upon the noble standing of the city, highlighted by the presence of the Prophet's Mosque (al-Masjid al-Nabawi), the graves of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions Abu Bakr and Umar, and its establishment as the seat of the first Islamic state. It cites hadiths concerning faith retreating to Medina as a serpent retreats to its hole, the recommendation to die in Medina if one is able, and the virtue of patiently enduring its trials and hardships.
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