This excerpt is taken from the book of Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, Al-Jawab al-Bahir fi Zuwar al-Maqabir, translated by Sheikh Ataullah Saqib.
A Warning from Sayyiduna Umar to Seekers of Relics and Blessings
Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, once saw some people going to a place where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had prayed. Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked: What is this about? The answer was that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had prayed at that place. Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Oh, this is the place where you prayed. Then he said:
أتريدون أن تتخذوا آثار أنبيائكم مساجد إنما هلك بنو إسرائيل بمثل هذا فمن أدركته الصلوة فيه فليصل فيه وإلا فليذهب
“You want to turn the relics of the Prophets into places of worship. The Children of Israel were destroyed for this very reason. Whoever finds the time for prayer should pray wherever he is, otherwise he should move on.”
Reference: (Al-Bida’ wa al-Nahy ‘anha by Muhammad ibn Waddah, pp. 41-42)
Encouragement to Attach the Heart to Mosques Instead of Shrines
The Mosque of the Prophet (Masjid al-Nabawi) is indeed the one with virtue because the virtue of prayer in it has been established. How could it not have virtue when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
صلوة فى مسجدي هذا خير من ألف صلوة فيما سواه إلا المسجد الحرام
"Prayer in my mosque is a thousand times more rewarding than prayer in any other mosque except Masjid al-Haram."
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Virtue of Prayer in the Mosques of Mecca and Medina: Chapter on the Virtue of Prayer in the Mosques of Mecca and Medina, Hadith: 1190; Sahih Muslim, Book of Hajj: Chapter on the Virtue of the Three Mosques, Hadith: 1394)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said:
لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد المسجد الحرام والمسجد الأقصى ومسجدي هذا
"Do not set out for travel except to three mosques: Masjid al-Haram, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and my mosque."
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari, Book of the Virtue of Prayer in the Mosques of Mecca and Medina, Hadith: 1189; Sahih Muslim, Book of Hajj: Chapter on the Virtue of the Three Mosques, Hadith: 1397)
The Mosque of the Prophet had this virtue even before the Prophet’s chamber (Hujrah) was incorporated into the mosque. Before the chamber was included, such people prayed in it whose ranks no one coming until the Day of Judgment could match. No one should ever entertain the misconception that the virtue of the Mosque of the Prophet is due to the inclusion of the chamber, and that now its virtue surpasses even the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Although the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the people of the Ummah at that time had virtue, neither are those people present now nor is that blessed era. The Mosque of the Prophet had virtue even when the chamber was not yet included, despite numerous changes in circumstances, events, and the people of the Ummah.
In any case, it is wrong to think that the Mosque of the Prophet’s virtue is because of the chamber. Those who incorporated the chamber into the mosque did so only to expand the mosque. For this purpose, your houses were included in the mosque. Although some people did not approve of this action.
Our sole purpose in this discussion is that mosques built for the pleasure of Allah, so that His worship may be performed in them and no one is associated with Him, have virtue because of the worship performed in them by ordinary servants of Allah and some Prophets as well. As Allah says:
لَا تَقُمْ فِيهِ أَبَدًا ۚ لَّمَسْجِدٌ أُسِّسَ عَلَى التَّقْوَىٰ مِنْ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ أَحَقُّ أَن تَقُومَ فِيهِ ۚ فِيهِ رِجَالٌ يُحِبُّونَ أَن يَتَطَهَّرُوا ۚ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُطَّهِّرِينَ ﴿١٠٨﴾
"The mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your standing in it. In it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves."
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:108)
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ تَقْوَىٰ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ أَم مَّنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَىٰ شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿١٠٩﴾
"Then do you consider the better man to be the one who founded his building on fear of Allah and seeking His pleasure, or the one who founded his building on the edge of a bank unstable, which then collapsed with him into the Fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people."
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:109)
