SATURDAY 24/10/2009

Sa’eed Ibn Al-Musayyib may Allaah be pleased with him reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “You..

Sa’eed Ibn Al-Musayyib may Allaah be pleased with him reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place other than the three Mosques: the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, this  Mosque of mine, and Al-Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem).”  [Al-Bukhaari] 

Another narration has the following phrasing: “For three mosques a special journey may be undertaken: The Sacred Mosque (Ka'bah), my Mosque, and the Mosque of Al-Quds (Jerusalem)”.

 

Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that he asked the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam: “O Prophet of Allaah, which mosque was built first on earth”?   The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam replied:“The Sacred Mosque of Makkah”.  Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, again asked: “Which was next?”  The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “Al-Aqsa Mosque.”  “How long was the period between them?”  Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, asked.  The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “Forty years.  Apart from these, offer your prayers anywhere when it is time to pray, although excellence is in praying in these Mosques.”

 

Traveling to these three Mosques is prescribed because of their special position in Islam.  Jaabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “One prayer in this Mosque of mine is better than 1,000 prayers offered anywhere else except the Sacred Mosque, and one prayer in the Sacred Mosque is better than a hundred thousand prayers in any other mosque.”  [Ahmad]

 

A prayer offered in Al-Aqsa Mosque is five hundred times superior (in reward) to one offered in any other mosque, except the Sacred Mosque and the Mosque of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, (in Madeenah).

 

Etiquette of visiting the Prophet’s Mosque and grave:

1- It is recommended that one should approach the Prophet’s Mosque calmly and with composure.  One should wear perfume, put on a nice clean dress and enter the mosque with the right foot, and say: “I seek refuge with Allaah, the Supreme, with His Noble Face, and with His Eternal Dominion from the accursed devil. In the Name of Allaah, O Allaah! Bless Mohammad, his family and his followers. O Allaah! Forgive my sins, and open the doors of Your mercy for me.”

 

2- It is also recommended to go first to the Rawdhah (the place between the pulpit and the grave) and offer there two Rak’ahs as greetings to the Mosque with calm and humility.

 

3-  After this, one should head toward the grave of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, face it, and with the back to the Qiblah, give greetings of peace to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying: “Peace be on you, O the Messenger of Allaah, Peace be on you, O, the Prophet of Allaah.  Peace be on you, O, the chosen one of Allaah’s creation.  Peace be on you, O, the beloved one of Allaah, peace be on you, O, the Chief of the Messengers (of Allaah).  Peace be on you, O, the Messenger of the Lord of the Universe.  Peace be on you, O, the chief of the unique generation.  I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that you are His slave, messenger, trustee, and the chosen one of His creation.  I bear witness that you indeed delivered the Message (of Allaah), discharged your trust, counseled the Muslim community, and strove hard for the Cause of  Allaah.”

 

4- Now moving about a yard to the right, the visitor should offer his greetings to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, may Allaah be pleased with him, and then moving further another yard in the same direction, offer greetings to ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him.

 

5- Then facing the direction of Qiblah, the visitor should supplicate for himself, his family, friends, relatives, and the rest of the Muslims, and then leave.

 

6- A visitor should not raise his voice more than needed to hear himself.  The people in charge should gently and politely prevent others from raising their voices.

 

It is reported that ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, saw two men raising their voices in the Mosques of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.  At this, he, may Allaah be pleased with him, told them: “Had I known that you are from this city, I would have punished you”.  

 

7-   Avoid wiping hands on the chamber (i.e., the grave of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), or kissing it.  The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, has forbidden all such things.  

 

Abu Daawood, may Allaah have mercy upon him, reported from Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “Do not turn your houses into graves. Nor make my grave a place of festivity.  Send your greetings upon me, for your greetings are conveyed to me wherever you are.” 

 

Abdullaah Ibn Hasan, may Allaah have mercy upon him, saw a man frequenting the grave of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and making supplications there.  Thereupon he told him, O, so and so, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, has said: “Do not make my grave a place of festivity, but send your greetings upon me from wherever you happen to be, for your greetings are conveyed to me.”  

 

In this respect, there is no difference between you and a man from (a distant country like) Andalusia.

 

Excellence of prayers in the Rawdhah

Narrated Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: “The space between my house and my pulpit (which is the Rawdhah) is one of the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is at my Fountain”   [Al-Bukhaari] 

 

Offering prayers in the Mosque of Qubaa':

The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to go there, riding or on foot, every Saturday and offer a two-Rak’ah prayer.  He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, advised others to do the same, saying: “Whoever makes ablutions at home and then goes and prays in the Mosque of Quba, he will have a reward like that of an ‘Umrah.”   [Ahmad and others]