Chapter: The virtue of Al-Madinah and the Prophet's Prayer for it to be blessed. Its sanctity and the sanctity of its game and trees. The Boundaries of its sanctuary

'Abdullah bin Zaid bin 'Asim (RA) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Verily Ibrahim ؑ declared Makkah sacred and supplicated (for blessings to be showered) upon its inhabitants, and I declare Madinah to be sacred as Ibrahim had declared Makkah to be sacred. I have supplicated (Allah for His blessings to be showered) in its sa' and its mudd (two standards of weight and measurement) twice as did Ibrahim for the inhabitants of Makkah.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters with a slight variation of words.

Rafi' bin Khadij reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Ibrahim declared Makkah as sacred and I declare sacred the area between its two stony grounds (lava lands by which he meant Madinah).

Nafi' bin Jubair reported that Marwan bin al-Hakam (RA) addressed people and made mention of Makkah and its inhabitants and its sacredness, but he made no mention of Madinah, its inhabitants and its sacredness. Rafi' bin Khadij called to him and said: What is this that I hear you making mention of Makkah and its inhabitants and its sacredness, but you did not make mention of Madinah and its inhabitants and its sacredness, while the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) has also declared sacred (the area) between its two lava lands (Madinah)? And (we have record of this) with us written on Khaulani parchment. If you like, I can read it out to you. Thereupon Marwan became silent, and then said: I too have heard some part of it.

Jabir (RA) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: Ibrahim declared Makkah as sacred; I declare Madinah, that between the two mountains, as inviolable. No tree should be lopped and no game is to be molested.

Amir bin Sa'd reported on the authority of his father (RA) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: I have declared sacred the territory between the two lava plains of Madinah, so its trees should not be cut down, or its game killed; and he also said: Madinah is best for them if they knew. No one leaves it through dislike of it without Allah putting in it someone better than he in place of him; and no one will stay there in spite of its hardships and distress without my being an intercessor or witness on behalf of him on the Day of Resurrection.

'Amir bin Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas reported on the authority of his father (RA) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, and then the (above-mentioned) hadith was narrated with this addition: "None should nurse ill-will towards the people of Madinah, or Allah will melt him in fire like the melting of lead or the dissolution of salt in water.

'Amir bin Sa'd reported that Sa'd rode to his castle in al-'Aqiq and found a slave cutting down the trees, or beating off their leaves, so he stripped him off his belongings. When Sa'd returned, there came to him the masters of the slave and negotiated with him asking him to return to their slave or to them what he had taken from their slave, whereupon he said: God forbid that I should return anything which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has given me as spoil, and refused to return anything to them.

Anas bin Malik (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to Abu Talha (RA) : Find for me a servant from amongst your boys to serve me. Abu Talha went out along with me and made me sit behind him. And I used to serve Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) whenever he got down from the camel. And in one hadith he said: He proceeded and when (the mountain of) Uhud was within sight, he said: This is the mountain which loves us and we love it. And as he came close to Madinah he said: O Allah, I declare (the area) between the two mountains of it (Madinah) sacred just as Ibrahim declared Makkah as sacred. O Allah, bless them (the people of Madinah) in their mudd and sa'.

Anas bin Malik (RA) reported a hadith like this from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) except with this variation that he said: "I declare sacred the area between its two lava mountains."

'Asim reported: I asked Anas bin Malik (RA) whether Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had declared Madinah as sacred. He said: Yes. (the area) between so and so. He who made any innovation in it, and further said to me: It is something serious to make any innovation in it (and he who does it) there is upon him the curse of Allah, and that of the angels and of all the people, Allah will not accept from him on the Day of Resurrection either obligatory acts or the surpererogatory acts. Ibn Anas said: Or he accommodates an innovator.

'Asim reported: I asked Anas (RA) whether Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had declared Madinah as sacred. He said: Yes, it is sacred, so its tree is not to be cut; and he who did that let the curse of Allah and that of the angels and of all people be upon him.

Anas bin Malik (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Allah bless them in their measurements, bless them in their sa's and bless them in their mudd.

Anas bin Malik (RA) (Allah he pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, increase in Madinah twice the blessings (Thou showered) on Makkah.

Ibrahim al-Taimi reported on the authority of his father: ' Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA) addressed us and said: He who thought that we have besides the Holy Qur'an anything else that we recite, he told a lie. And this document which is hanging by the sheath of the sword contains but the ages of the camels, and the nature of the wounds. He (Hadrat 'Ali) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: Madinah is sacred from 'Air to Thaur; So if anyone makes an innovation or accommodates an innovator, the curse of Allah, the angels, and all persons will fall upon him, and Allah will not accept any obligatory or supererogatory act as recompense from them. And the protection granted by the Muslims is one and must be respected by the humblest of them. If anyone makes a false claim to paternity, or being a client of other than his own masters, there is upon him the curse of Allah, the angels, and all the people. Allah will not accept from him any recompense in the form of obligatory acts or supererogatory acts. The hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Bakr (RA) and Zubair ends with (these words): The humblest among them should respect it; and what follows after it is not mentioned there, and in the hadith transmitted by them (these words are) not found: (The document was hanging) on the sheath of his sword.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters (but at the end) these words are added: "He who violated the covenant with a Muslim, there is upon him the curse of Allah, of angels and of all people. Neither an obligatory act nor a supererogatory act would be accepted from him as recompense on the Day of Resurrection; and in the hadith transmitted by two other narrators these words are not found: "He who claimed false paternity." And in the hadith transmitted by Waki' there is no mention of the Day of Resurrection.

A hadith like this has been narrated with the same chain of transmitters by A'mash with a slight variation of words.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: Madinah is a sacred territory, so he who made any innovation in it or gave protection to an innovator, there is upon him the curse of Allah, that of the angels and that of all the people. There would not be accepted on the Day of Resurrection either obligatory acts or supererogatory acts from him.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of A'mash with the same chain of transmitters, but no mention has been made of the Day of Resurrection. But this addition is made: "The protection granted by Muslims is one and must be respected by the humblest of them. And he who broke the covenant made by a Muslim, there is a curse of Allah, of his angels, and of the whole people upon him, and neither an obligatory act nor a supererogatory act would be accepted from him as recompense on the Day of Resurrection."

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: If I were to see deer grazing in Madinah, I would have never molested them, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has stated: There is between the two lava mountains a sacred territory.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) declared sacred the territory between two lava mountains of Madinah. Abu Hurairah (RA) said: If I were to find deer in the territory between the two mountains, I would not molest them, and he (the Holy Prophet) declared twelve miles of suburb around Madinah as a prohibited pasture.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that when the people saw the first fruit (of the season or of plantation) they brought it to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) . When he received it he said: O Allah, bless us in our fruits; and bless us in our city; and bless us in our sa's and bless us in our mudd. O Allah, Ibrahim was Thy servant, Thy friend, and Thy apostle; and I am Thy servant and Thy apostle. He (Ibrahim) made supplication to Thee for (the showering of blessings upon) Makkah, and I am making supplication to Thee for Madinah just as he made supplication to Thee for Makkah, and the like of it in addition. He would then call to him the youngest child and give him these fruits.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was given the first fruit and he said: O Allah, shower blessings upon us in our city, and in our fruits, in our mudd and in our sa's, blessings upon blessings, and he would then give that to the youngest of the children present there.