Fadl al-Madina wa Adab Suknaha wa Ziyaratiha
- Author died
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- Editions
- Maṭba‘at al-Narjis
Fadl al-Madina wa Adab Suknaha wa Ziyaratiha (The Virtue of Medina and the Etiquette of Residing in It and Visiting It) is a treatise by Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad outlining the religious merits of Medina, the ethical duties of its inhabitants, and the legal rulings governing visitation to its sacred sites.
Background and Publication
Written by the Saudi scholar Abd al-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-Abbad al-Badr, the work was published in its first edition in 1421 AH (2000 CE) by Matba'at al-Narjis. It later went through multiple printings, including a sixth edition published in 1427 AH.
Structure and Contents
In the introduction, the author states that the treatise is organized into three distinct parts: a selection of the virtues of Medina, the etiquette of living in it, and the etiquette of visiting it.
Virtues of Medina
Al-Abbad begins by detailing the sanctuary (haram) status of Medina, demonstrating through prophetic traditions that Allah made the entire area between Mount 'Ayr and Mount Thawr, and between its two volcanic tracts (labatayn), a sacred sanctuary. He points out common linguistic errors, noting that designating only the Prophet's Mosque as the haram is incorrect, as is calling al-Aqsa Mosque "the third of the two sanctuaries" (thalith al-haramayn); instead, it should be called "the third of the two revered mosques." The treatise reviews hadiths concerning the Prophet's supplication for blessings (barakah) upon Medina's measures of capacity (sa' and mudd), the city's preservation from the plague and the Dajjal, and the strict warnings against committing religious innovations (ihdath) or harboring innovators within its borders.
Etiquette of Residence
Addressing residents of Medina, the author emphasizes recognizing the privilege of living in the city and showing gratitude for it. The primary etiquettes include cultivating love for the city following the Prophet's example, as well as enduring hardship, poverty, and adversity patiently rather than leaving in search of material ease.
Etiquette and Rulings of Visitation
The treatise restricts prescribed visitations (ziyarah) in Medina to five locations: two mosques and three cemeteries. The two mosques are the Prophet's Mosque and Quba Mosque, with al-Abbad pointing out that no authentic text establishes specific virtues for visiting any other mosques in Medina. The three grave sites are:
- The grave of the Prophet and his companions Abu Bakr and Umar, where visitors are instructed to face the graves from the front and offer greetings in a quiet, composed manner without engaging in innovated practices (ziyarah bid'iyyah).
- The cemetery of al-Baqi'.
- The graves of the martyrs of the Battle of Uhud.
Regarding women visiting graves, al-Abbad maintains in the work that prohibition is the stronger and preferable legal position, concluding that abstaining from grave visitations is safer for women to avoid the prophetic warning cursing female visitors of graves.
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