Chapter: Encouragement to live in Al-Madinah and to be patient on bearing its distress and hardships

Abu Sa'id Maula al-Mahri reported that they were hard pressed by the distress and hardship of Madinah, and he came to Abu Sa'Id al-Khudri and said to him: I have a large family (to support) and we are enduring hardships; I have, therefore, made up my mind to take my family to some fertile land. Thereupon Abu Sa'id said: Don't do that, stick to Madinah, for we have come out with Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) , and (I think that he also said) until we reached 'Usfan, and he (the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) along with his Companions) stayed there for some nights. There the people said: By Allah, we are lying here idle, whereas our children are unprotected behind us, and we do not feel secure about them. This (apprehension of theirs) reached Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) , whereupon he said: What is this matter concerning you that has reached me? (I do not retain how he said it, whether he said like this:) By Him (in the name of Whom) I take oath, (or he said like this:) By Him in Whose Hand is my life, I made up my mind or if you like (I do not retain what word he actually said), I should command my camel to proceed and not to let it halt until it comes to Madinah and then said: Ibrahim declared Makkah as the sacred territory and it became sacred, and I declare Madinah as the sacred territory-the area between the two mountains ('Air and Uhud). Thus no blood is to be shed within its (bounds) and no weapon is to be carried for fighting, and the leaves of the trees there should not be beaten off except for fodder. O Allah, bless us in our city; O Allah, bless us in our sa; O Allah, bless us in our mudd; O Allah, bless us in our sa; O Allah, bless us in our mudd. O Allah, bless us in our city. O Allah, bless with this blessing two more blessings. By Him in Whose Hand is my life, there is no ravine or mountain path of Madinah which is not protected by two angels until you reach there. (He then said to the people:) Proceed, and we, therefore, proceeded and we came to Madinah. By Him (in Whose name) we take oath and (in Whose name) oath is taken (Hammad is in doubt about it), we had hardly put down our camel saddles on arriving at Madinah that we were attacked by the people of the tribe of 'Abdullah bin Ghatafan but none dared to do it before.

Abu Sa'id al-Kbudri (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, bless us in our sa' and mud and shower with its blessings two other blessings (multiply blessings showered upon it).

A hadith like this has been narrated by Yahya bin Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Sa'id Maula al-Mahri reported that he came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri during the nights (of the turmoil) of al-Barrah, and sought his advice about leaving Madinah, and complained of the high prices prevailing therein and his large family, and informed him that he could not stand the hardships of Madinah and its rugged surrounding. He said to him: Woe to you; I will not advise you to do it, for I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: No one will endure hardships of Madinah without my being an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection), if he is a Muslim.

Abdul Rahman reported on the authority of his father Abu Sa'id (RA) that he heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: I have declared sacred what is between the two lava grounds of Madinah just as Ibrahim (peace be upon him) declared Makkah as sacred. He (the narrator) then said: Abu Sa'id caught hold of (Abu Bakr, another narrator, used the word "found") a bird in his hand and then released it from his hand and set it free.

Sahl bin Hunaif reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) pointed with his hands towards Madinah and said: That is a sacred territory and a place of safety.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: When we came to Madinah, and it was an unhealthy, uncogenial place, Abu Bakr (RA) fell sick and Bilal (RA) also fell sick; and when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw the illness of his Companions he said: O Allah, make Madinah as congenial to us as you made Makkah congenial or more than that; make it conducive to health, and bless us in its sa' and in its mudd, and transfer its fever to al-Juhfa.

This hadith has been narrated by Hisham bin 'Urwa with the same chain of transmitters.

Ibn 'Umar (RA) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who patiently endures the hardships of it (of this city of Madinah), I would be an intercessor or a withness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

Yuhannis, the freed slave of Zubair, narrated that when he was sitting with'Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA) during the days of turmoil, his freed slave-girl came to him. After saluting him she said: Abu Abdul Rahman, I have decided to leave (Madinah) for the time is hard for us, whereupon'Abdullah said to her: Stay here, foolish lady, for I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: For one who shows endurance on the hardships and rigour of it (of Madinah) I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

Abdullah bin 'Umar (RA) said: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who patiently endured the hardships and rigours of (this city, i. e. Madinah), I would be his witness and intercessor on the Day of Resurrection.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported the Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: For one among my Ummah who shows endurance against the hardships and rigours of Madinah, I would be an intercessor or a witness on his behalf on the Day of Resurrection.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah (RA) through another chain of transmitters.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: None who shows endurance on the hardships of Madinah,... (the rest of the hadith is the same).