Fadail Makka - al-Jundi
- Author died
- 308 AH
- Editions
- Abī ʿUbaydah Jawdah Muḥammad
Fada'il Makka (فضائل مكة, The Merits of Mecca) is a hadith and topographical work on the religious virtues and sacred history of Mecca, authored by the traditionalist and Quran reciter Abu Sa'id al-Mufaddal ibn Muhammad al-Jundi (d. 308 AH / 920 CE) .
Author and Context
The author, Abu Sa'id al-Mufaddal ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Jundi al-Sha'bi, was of Yemeni origin—tracing his descent to ‘Amir al-Sha‘bi—and hailed from the town of al-Janad . He settled in Mecca, where he held a study circle in the Sacred Mosque and served as a prominent local hadith scholar . His death is reported in 308 AH (920 CE), with other accounts placing it in 310 AH or after 310 AH . In addition to Fada'il Makka, al-Jundi also compiled a companion treatise titled Fada'il al-Madina (The Merits of Medina) .
Content and Structure
The work is structured as a thematic collection of narrations (ahadith, prophetic reports, and ancestral traditions), presented with full chains of transmission (isnad) going through al-Jundi's teachers, such as Samit ibn Mu'adh al-Jundi, Muhammad ibn Yusuf, and Ibn Abi Bazzah .
The chapters address the spiritual significance, sacred geography, and history of Mecca and the Kaaba, including:
- Traditions detailing the primordial creation, Adam's descent, and the divine sanctity bestowed upon Mecca .
- The virtues of performing prayer in the Sacred Mosque and the multiplied reward of worship within the sanctuary .
- The virtues of observing the fast and performing devotions during Ramadan in Mecca .
- The blessings placed in Mecca's water and provisions, as well as descriptions of its sacred boundaries and prohibitions .
- Historical narratives concerning Abraham's construction of the Ka'bah and the customary covering (kiswah) of the shrine, including practices attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab .
Transmission and Reception
The book was transmitted from al-Jundi by his students, notably al-Mughira ibn 'Amr ibn al-Walid, and remained part of scholarly transmission curricula in later centuries, being recorded in transmission bibliographies such as Ibn al-Rudani's Silat al-khalaf and al-Wadi Ashi's Barnamaj . Later scholars frequently cited reports from it, including al-Ajurri, Taqi al-Din al-Fasi in Shifa' al-gharam bi-akhbar al-balad al-haram, and al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-manthur .
An edition of the surviving text was prepared by Abu 'Ubayda Jawda Muhammad and published in 1441 AH .
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