Madinah
has 95 names,
including Taibah, Tabah, Qubbat Al-Islam, Al-Mu'mina, Al-Mubarakah, Dar
Al-Abrar, Dar Al-Sunnah, Dar Al-Akhyar, Dar Al-Fateh, Dhat Al-Hirar, Dhat
Al-Nakhi, Al-Barrah and Al-Jaberah.
Madinah is the city of the Prophet,
and also his burial place. It was the first Islamic city to support the
Prophet (peace be upon him), and it joined him in fighting decisive battles
which were instrumental in the victory of Islam and its subsequent spread.
This is the city of the Ansar, or "Supporters'
and their brothers the Muhajireen, or "Emigrants", who together formed
the first Islamic army which entered Makkah in triumph eight years after
the Prophet's Hijrah, or Migration. It was a city which loved the Prophet,
and which he in turn loved. On its soil he built his sacred mosque, and
it was here that he was buried.
Madinah was also the city of the Orthodox
Caliphs of Islam, who shouldered the responsibility of Jihad, or holy struggle,
fighting against renegades and propagating Islam in the countries surrounding
the Arabian peninsula.
It was the seat of the first Islamic
state, and witnessed the Prophet's companions administering the affairs
of the Moslem community, compiling the Holy Quran, and dispatching armies
to Persia, Syria and Egypt.
It is now the city of the Second Holy
Mosque, and the Monarch, government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia take pride in serving and developing it in keeping with its distinguished
status in Islamic history.
LOCATION AND AREA:
Madinah is located in the north-western
part of the Kingdom, to the east of the Red Sea, which lies only 250 km
(155 miles) away from it. It is surrounded by a number of mountains: Al-Hujai,
or Pilgrims' Mountain to the West, Sala' to the north-west, Al-E'er, or
Caravan Mountain to the south and Ohud to the north.
Madinah is situated on a flat mountain
plateau at the junction of the three valleys of Al-Agl, Al-Aqiq, and Al-Himdh.
For this reason, there are large green areas amidst a dry mountainous region.
The city is 620 meters (2,046 ft.)
above sea level. Its western and southwestern parts have many volcanic
rocks.
Madinah lies at the meeting -point
of longitude 39 and 36 degree east and latitude 24 to 28 north. It covers
and area of about 50 square kilometers (19 square miles).
CLIMATE:
Madinah is very hot in summer, but
its weather is moderate in autumn and spring and mild in winter.
POPULATION:
In 1926, Madinah's population totalled
50,000. Its population today is approximately 500,000.
From Imam Malik's Muwatta
1) The Dua for Madina and Its
People
Yahya ibn Yahya related to me from Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha al-Ansari
from Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said, "O Allah! Bless them in their measure, and bless
them in their sa and mudd." He meant the people of Madina.
2) The Dua for Madina and
Its People
Yahya related to me from Malik from Suhayl ibn Abi Salih from his father
that Abu Hurayra said, "When people saw the first fruits of the season,
they brought them to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
took them and said, 'O Allah! Bless us in our fruits. Bless us in our city.
Bless us in our sa and bless us in our mudd. O Allah! Ibrahim is Your slave,
Your Khalil and Your Prophet. I am Your slave and Your Prophet. He prayed
to You for Makka. I pray to You for Madina for the like of what He prayed
to You for Makka, and the like of it with it.' Then he called the smallest
child he saw and gave him the fruits."
3) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Yahya related to me from Malik from Qatan ibn Wahb ibn Umayr ibn al-Ajda
that Yuhannas, the mawla of az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam informed him that he
was sitting with Abdullah ibn Umar during the troubles (at the time of
al-Hajaj ibn Yusuf) . A female mawla of his came and greeted him. She said,
"I want to leave, Abu Abd ar-Rahman. The time is harsh for us." Abdullah
ibn Umar said to her, "Sit down, O you with little knowledge, for I have
heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
say, 'No one will be patient in hunger and hardship in it (Madina) except
that I will be a witness or intercede for him on the Day of Rising.' "
4) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Yahya related to me from Malik from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Jabir
ibn Abdullah that a Bedouin took an oath of allegiance in Islam with the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. A fever befell
the Bedouin at Madina. He came to the Messenger of Allah, and said, "Messenger
of Allah, release me from my pledge." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, refused. Then he came to him again and said,
"Release me from my pledge." The Messenger of Allah may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, refused. Then he came again and said, "Release me
from my pledge." He refused. Then he came again and said, "Release me from
my pledge." He refused. The Bedouin left and the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Madina is like the blacksmith's
furnace. It removes the impurities and purifies the good."
5) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Malik related to me that Yahya ibn Said said, "I heard Abu'l-Hubab Said
ibn Yasar say that he heard Abu Hurayra say that he heard the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'I was ordered
to a town which will eat up towns. They used to say, 'Yathrib,' but it
is Madina. It removes the bad people like the blacksmith's furnace removes
impurities from the iron.' "
6) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "No one leaves
Madina preferring to live elsewhere, but that Allah will give it better
than him in place of him ."
7) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Malik related to me from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father from Abdullah
ibn az-Zubayr that Sufyan ibn Abi Zuhayr said, "I heard the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'Yemen will be conquered
and the people will be attracted to it, taking their families and whoever
obeys them. Madina would have been better for them, had they but known.
Ash-Sham will be conquered and people will be attracted to it, taking their
families and whoever obeys them. Madina would have been better for them,
had they but known. Iraq will be conquered and people will be attracted
to it, taking their families and whoever obeys them. Madina would have
been better for them, had they but known.' "
8) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Himas from his paternal uncle from
Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, said, "Madina will be left in the best way that it is until
a dog or wolf enters it and urinates on one of the pillars of the mosque
or on the mimbar." They asked, "Messenger of Allah! Who will have the fruit
at that time?" He replied, "Animals seeking food, birds and wild beasts."
9) Residing in Madina and
Leaving It
Malik related to me that he had heard that when Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz left
Madina, he turned towards it and wept. Then he said, "O Muzahim! Do you
fear that we might be among those that Madina casts off?"
10) The Making a Haram
of Madina
Yahya related to me from Malik from Amr, the mawla of al-Muttalib from
Anas ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, saw Uhud and said, "This is a mountain which loves us and we
love it. O Allah! Ibrahim made Makka Haram, and I will make what is between
the two tracts of black stones (in Madina) a Haram."
11) The Making a Haram
of Madina
Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab from Said ibn al-Musayyab that Abu
Hurayra said, "Had I seen a gazelle at Madina, I would have left it to
graze and would not have frightened it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, 'What is between the two tracts of
black stones is a Haram.' "
12) The Making a Haram
of Madina
Malik related to me from Yunus ibn Yusuf from Ata ibn Yasar that Abu Ayyub
al-Ansari found some boys who had driven a fox into a corner, and he chased
them away from it.
Malik said, "I only know that he said, 'Is this done in the Haram of the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?' "
13) The Making a Haram
of Madina
Yahya related to me from Malik from a man who said, "Zayd ibn Thabit came
across me while I was at al-Aswaf (on the outskirts of Madina). I had captured
a hawk. He took it from my hands and set it free."
14) The Epidemic of Madina
Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from his father that
A'isha, umm al-muminin said, "When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, 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?'" 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.'"
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?' " '
A'isha continued, "I went to the Messenger of Allah, 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 and bless us
in our sa and mudd. Remove its fever and put it in al-Juhfa.' "
15) The Epidemic of Madina
Malik said that Yahya ibn Said had related to him that A'isha said that
Amir ibn Fuhayra had said at the time of the epidemic, "I have seen death
before tasting it, the coward's destination is from above him."
16) The Epidemic of Madina
Yahya related to me from Malik from Nuaym ibn Abdullah al-Mujmir that Abu
Hurayra said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, said, 'There are angels at the entries of Madina, and neither plague
nor the Dajjal will enter it.' "
