Thread by @YeniceriQ

Makkah vs Madinah: Is Makkah Superior or Madina? [Thread]

This thread is about analysing the superioty of Madinah over Makkah by using numerous clear sahih hadiths of Bukhari/Muslim which ascertain that Madina is indeed more virtuous than Makkah. (1)

Hadith # 1

Volume 3, Book 30, Number 109: (Sahih Bukhari)Narrated Anas: The Prophet ﷺ said, "O Allah! Bestow on Medina twice the blessings You bestowed on Mecca." (2)

Hadith # 2

Volume 3, Book 34, Number 339: (Sahih Bukhari)Narrated 'Abdullah bin Zaid: The Prophet ﷺ said, "The Prophet Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary, and asked for Allah's blessing in it. (3)

I made Medina a sanctuary as Abraham made Mecca a sanctuary & I asked for Allah's Blessing in its measures the Mudd & Sa as Abraham did for Mecca.

Muhammad ﷺ is seuprior in status to Ibrahim (Alaihs Salam) so the sanctuary which he made is also superior by analogical POV (4)

Hadith # 3

Volume 3, Book 30, Number 114: (Sahih Bukhari) Narrated Zaid bin Aslam from his father: Umar RadiAllah Anhu said, O Allah! Grant me martyrdom in Your cause, and let my death be in the city of Your Apostle." (5)

If Sayyidna Umar RadiAllah Anhu considered Makkah as more superior then he would have asked for martyrdom in Makkah not Madina and with the Grace of Allah Sayyidna Farooqal-Azam was also martyred in Madina and his dua was accepted. (6)

Hadith # 4

Book 45, Number 45.2.6: (Muwatta Imam Malik)

Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that the Prophet ﷺ , said, "No one leaves Madina preferring to live elsewhere, but that Allah will give it better than him in place of him ." (7)

Book 45, Number 45.4.14: (Muwatta Imam Malik)

Um ul Momineen Sayyida A'isha said, "When the Prophet ﷺ , came to Madina, Abu Bakr and Bilal came down with a fever. I visited them and said, 'Father, how are you? Bilal, how are you?'" (8)

She continued, "When Abu Bakr's fever worsened he would say, 'Every man is struck down among his people in the morning - death is nearer than the strap of his sandal.' (9)

When it left Bilal, he raised his voice and said, 'Would that I knew whether I will spend a night at the valley of Makka with the idhkhir herb and jalil herb around me Will I go one day to the waters of Majinna? Will the mountains of Shama and Tafil appear to me?' (10)

A'isha continued, "I went to the Prophet , may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and informed him. He said, 'O Allah! Make us love Madina “AS MUCH AS WE LOVE MAKKA OR EVEN MORE. Make it sound & bless us in our sa' and mudd. Remove its fever and put it in al-Juhfa. (11)

Please note at: “OR EVEN MORE” so no wonder Imam Malik (rah) the great Imam of fiqh was of opninion that Madina was superior to Makkah in status.

This is why great Imams went to the extent of saying: (12)

Qadhi Iyadh & others have related the consensus of the Ummah on the fact that the land on which lies the blessed Prophet ( ﷺ ) is more virtuous than even Ka’ba, and that the difference of opinion among the scholars is besides the grave.” (Manasik Mulla Ali al-Qari, p. 531) (13)

Sayyidina Anas ibn Maalik (RA) reported that on seeing Uhud, Prophet ﷺ said, “This Mountain loves us & we love it. O Allah, surely, Ibrahim declared Makkah to be sacred and I declare sacred that which lies between the two rocks (Madinah).”

Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith No (3948) (14)

Sayyidina Ali narrated: we went forth with Prophet ﷺ till we were at Harrah Suqya, The locality of Sa’d ibn Abu Waqqas. Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said, “Fetch me water for ablultion.” He performed ablution and stood up and faced the qiblah. Then he prayed: (15)

"O Allah! Surely, Ibrahim was Your slave & Your friend. He prayed for the people of Makkah to be blessed. And, I am Your slave and Your Messenger. I pray to You for the people of Madinah that You bless them in their mudd & their Sa’ like Makkah, with a blessing twice over."
(16)

Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith No (3940) Chapter 141 About the excellence of Madinah

Volume 3, Book 30, Number 100: (Sahih Bukhari) Narrated Abu Huraira: Prophet ﷺ said, "Verily, Belief returns and goes back to Medina as a snake returns and goes back to its hole (when in danger)." (17)

So those people who say visiting Madina is not important for Hajj or Umra are not wanted there at first place because only the Momineen have the concept that Faith returns to Madina whereas haters of Prophet ( ﷺ ) find excuses. (18)

Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3 : Hadith 95
Narrated Abu Huraira: Prophet ﷺ said, "I was ordered to migrate to a town which will swallow (conquer) other towns and is called Yathrib and that is Medina, and it turns out (bad) persons as a furnace removes the impurities of iron. (19)

Hadith related to the the People who plot against the People of Madina

Sahih Bukhari : Volume 3 : Hadith 101 Narrated Sa`d: I heard the Prophet ﷺ saying, "None plots against the people of Medina but that he will be dissolved (destroyed) like the salt is dissolved in water" (20)

The Prophet's Grave is the Holiest(Most Superior) Site on Earth

Qadi `Iyad states in al-Shifa', in the chapter on visiting the Prophet, the consensus of the Muslims whereby the site of the Prophet's grave is the holiest site on earth. (21)

This particular consensus has been questioned by Ibn Taymiyya in his al-Ziyara and Shawkani in Nayl al-awtar, however, it is established that some of the major scholars of all four schools agree to this view whether or not it is a consensus, among whom are the following: (22)

Hanafis: Mulla `Ali al-Qari in his Sharh al-Shifa' already quoted.

Malikis: Qadi `Iyad in al-Shifa' already quoted. He cited ijma` on this question.

Shafi`is: Imam Nawawi in his Sharh Sahih Muslim 6:101 [1] and al-Majmu` sharh al-muhadhdhab 7:444 [6]. (23)

Hanbalis: Shaykh Ibn `Aqil as quoted by Ibn Qayyim in Bada'i` al-fawa'id

See also: Sa`di Abu Habib, Mawsu`at al-ijma` fi al-fiqh al-islami 2:919.
(24)

Al-Shawkani in Nayl al-Awtar says:

"The position of `Umar and some of the Companions and Malik and the majority of the people of Madina is that Madina is better." (25)

Also says:

"There is no doubt that Mecca, highly venerated sanctuaries, is preferable to Madina itself, except for the mound of the Prophet's grave, which is mercy & tranquillity: for it is better than the Ka`ba & Throne itself as per a large group of the scholars." (26)

Mulla 'Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa', Dar al-kutub al-`ilmiyya ed., 2:162.

Indeed Madina Munawarra is superior to Makkah Muqaramah, as a matter of fact the dust touching the blessed body of Prophet (Peace be upon him) is superior to the Ka'ba and Arsh. (27)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi beautifully says about this:

O Pilrigms! Come and witness the Throne of the King of Kings!

You've witnessed the Kabah, now witness the Kabah of the Kabah itself! (28)

This is just my personal view which has also been shared by a great strength of Jurists and Scholars. I in no way oppose ppl who deem Makkah to be superior as I've also been of that view earlier but further research lead me to the belief that Madinah is superior. (29)

Moreover people should not forget that Prophet ﷺ himself is superior to Kabah and the Arsh as well since he is the Beloved of God for whom the Kabah, Arsh, and the whole universe was created. So definitely Prophet ﷺ is the best of all Creation of Allah. (30)

Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi says:

Neither Jibreel nor the Great Throne, neither the Clear Tablet nor anyone anywhere!

About the secrets, none is aware -concealed since eternity, revealed for you! (31)

Some people do not realize that Ka'ba and Arsh are also creations of Allah not that Allah is sitting over or inside any of these two! Hence amongst best of Allah's creations is Prophet Muhammad ( ﷺ ) so his resting place is also most superior!
(32)

Allah and His Prophet(صلى الله عليه وسلم) Knows the Best