Madinah Al Munawwarah (The Glorious City): 2013

Friday, June 28, 2013

The Holy City of Madinah

The Holy City of Madinah

Madinah, which lies 447 kilometers north of the Holy City of Makkah, is the second holiest city in Islam. It was to Madinah that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his followers, faced by the hostility and persecution of the Makkhan merchants, departed in 622 AD - and, when the citizens of Madinah asked the Prophet to live amongst them and to arbitrate in their affairs (an invitation taken to mean their rejection of polytheism and submission to the will of the one God, Allah), it was in Madinah that the Islamic era began.

Madinah is then the city of the Prophet. As the place in which the Holy Qur'an was compiled and from which the Prophet's companions administered the affairs of the Muslim community, it was the seat of the first Islamic state. From Madinah, armies, spreading the word of the Prophet, were dispatched to Egypt, Persia and Syria.

Madinah is also the place in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, was buried.

Below you can see a selection of pictures from the Holy City of Madinah.

Scene of the Holy City of Madinah

O, Allah’s Messenger!

Your generosity is boundless, O Allah’s Messenger!

For you always grant every wish of your seeker.

From your drop flow waves of magnanimity

From your particle emerges stars of rare luminosity.

O Master of Heavenly River! You are so kind

The needs of the thirsty are clear in your mind.

People learn the art of generosity at your door

The most virtuous walk humbly on your door.

How can Earthly beings understand your grandeur

When Heavenly beings are dazzled by your splendour?

Heaven, Earth and World you feed

Who then is the host? You are indeed.

Since you are Allah’s most Beloved, yours is everything

In love mine and thine does not apply to anything.

Those at your feet hold a distinguished place

They find your feet brighter than anyone’s face.

Not a well, but an ocean I want for a start

But from your hand a mere splash contents my heart.

Quba Mosque

Quba is a village located on the outskirts of Madinah. Upon his approach to Madinah during the Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad established here the first mosque designated for Islamic worship. Known as Masjed At-Taqwa (Mosque of Piety), it has been modernized but still stands today.

Qiblatayn Mosque

In the early years of Islam, Muslims turned towards Jerusalem in prayer. The Prophet Muhammad and his Companions were in this mosque when Allah revealed that the qibla(direction of prayer) should change to the Ka'aba in Makkah: "We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now Shall We turn thee to a Qibla that shall please thee. Turn then Thy face in the direction of the sacred Mosque: Wherever ye are, turn your faces in that direction" (Quran 2:144). Within this mosque, they turned the direction of their prayers on the spot. Thus, this is the only mosque on earth with two qiblas, hence the name Qiblatayn ("Two Qiblas").

Baqi' Cemetery

Most of the Prophet Muhammad's family members and Companions of the Prophet (early followers of Islam) are buried in the Baqi' Cemetery in Madinah, located to the southeast of the Prophet's Mosque. Like all Muslim cemeteries, it is an open piece of land without decorative grave markers. (Domes which covered some of the grave sites were destroyed by the Saudi government.) Islam forbids believers from visiting cemeteries in order to worship or ask intercession from the dead. Rather, cemeteries are visited to show respect, to remember those who have died, and to remain conscious of our own mortality.

There are an estimated 10,000 graves in this site; some of the more famous Muslims who are buried here include many of the Mothers of the Believers and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad, Uthman bin Affan, Hasan, and Imam Malik bin Anas among others (may Allah be pleased with them all). It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad used to supplicate when passing by the cemetery: "Peace be upon you, O abode of the faithful! God willing, we should soon join you. O' Allah, forgive the fellows of al-Baqi." The cemetery is also known as Jannat Al-Baqi' (Tree Garden of Heaven).

Mount Uhud Battle Site

North of Madinah lies the mountain and plain of Uhud, where Muslim defenders battled with the Makkan army in 625 A.D. (3 H.). This battle serves as a lesson to Muslims about remaining steadfast, vigilant, and not to be greedy in the face of success. The Muslims initially seemed to be winning the fight. A group of archers posted on a hilltop abandoned their post, eager to reach the bounties of battle. The Makkan army took advantage of this gap, and came around in an ambush to defeat the Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad himself was injured, and over 70 Companions were killed. Muslims visit the site to remember this history and its lessons.

Prophet Muhammad's Tomb

Upon his death in 632 A.D. (10 H.), the Prophet Muhammad was buried in his house which adjoined the mosque at the time. Caliphs Abu Bakr and Omar are also buried there. Over centuries of mosque expansion, this area is now enclosed within the mosque walls. The tomb is visited by Muslims as a way of remembering and respecting the Prophet. However, Muslims are careful to remember that a grave is not a place for worship of individuals, and frown on extensive displays of mourning or reverence at the site.

Prophet's Mosque

Upon arrival in Madinah, one of the first things the Prophet Muhammad wished to do was build a mosque. The story is told that the Prophet Muhammad let his camel loose, and waited to see where it would wander and then stop to rest. The place where the camel stopped was selected as the location of the mosque, which is known as the "Prophet's Mosque" (Masjed An-Nawabi). The entire Muslim community (original residents of Madinah, as well as the migrants who had moved from Makkah) came together to help build the mosque out of mud bricks and tree trunks. The Prophet Muhammad's apartment was constructed on the eastern side, adjacent to the mosque.

The new mosque soon becamse the center of the city's religious, political, and economic life. Throughout Islamic history, the mosque has been expanded and improved upon, until it is now 100 times larger than its original size and can accommodate more than half a million worshippers at a time. A large green dome now covers the Prophet Muhammad's residential quarters, where he is buried along with the first two Caliphs, Abu Bakr and Omar. Over two million Muslim pigrims visit the Prophet's Mosque each year.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Madina Munawwarah