Welcome to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, the place
where faith has gathered and adhered, and which became the abode of the
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him). Madinah, the sanctuary in which
lies the second of the Two Holy Mosques.
A most gracious welcome, gleaming with the gift
of culture; a recitation of a journey from the unknown that carries us
into the light the illuminates the universe.
Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah
holds a distinguished place in the hearts of all Muslims. It was the first
capitol in Islam and from it, Islamic propagation was launched as well as
the conquests to open the lands of the earth to Islam. At the heart of the
city is the second of The Two Holy Mosques, The Prophet's Mosque, and the
final resting place of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him). The
Prophet�s Mosque has been a distinguished symbol in the history of Islam
and that of its legislation. Allah, the Almighty, commanded His Messenger
(Peace be upon him) to establish his mosque in the location he precisely
demarcated. The radiance of Islam advanced from it and spread to all
directions of the earth. Oppression and tyranny were expulsed by its
magnificent brilliance, along with the oppressors and their
injustice.
Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah has been a centre of
tradition and heritage since ancient times. This is especially in the
fields of academics and sociological refinement and advancement. Many
native scholars went forth from it to spread knowledge. At the same time,
many scholars and students came to it from the east and west, from the
ends of the earth, in search of knowledge, which they found in the lessons
held in the Prophet's Mosque.
What emerged from Al-Madinah was one Islamic
culture. Through the long centuries the residents of the city have
inherited this and it is apparent in their demeanor and nature. What is of
an age except what visitors to Al-Madinah have written about it and about
what they found of the mild manner and sociable, noble conduct of the
Madinan people.
Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is the second of Islam's
cities, after Makkah Al-Mukarramah. It has a long and important history.
The first Muslim community flourished in Madinah. The Muslims, who were
persecuted in Makkah, by the Quraish tribe, emigrated to it. When the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself emigrated to Madinah in 622 A.D., it
became the capitol of the emerging Islamic state.
First, Islam spread all over
the Arabian Peninsula and then, to the adjacent countries. Madinah
remained the capitol of the Islamic state until the end of the era of the
Raashidi Caliphate, in the year 661 A.D., (corresponding to the 40th year
after the Hijrah {emigration}). The capitol of the Islamic State was then
shifted to Damascus, with the move of the Ummayyad Caliphate. Located in
Madinah, is the Prophet's Mosque, the second most important mosque in
Islam, after the Grand Mosque (Al-Haram), in Makkah. Muslims from all over
the world visit it, grasping the opportunity afforded them to offer
prayers in it and to extend their salutations upon the Messenger of Allah
(Peace be upon him), who is buried in the chamber in which he died. The
chamber was next to the mosque at that time, but has since been
incorporated into the mosque with a subsequent expansion.
It also provides the chance to attend the lessons
of various scholars held daily in the Prophet�s Mosque, as well as other
lectures that are delivered in various centres of cultural activity.
In Madinah there are other important places of
Islamically legal, historic and cultural significance, which have been
painstakingly preserved, to visit. Among them are: Qubaa' Mosque, Baqi'a
Al-Gharqad, and the Graves of the Martyrs of the Battle of Uhud, which is
near Mount Uhud.
There are other historic places in Madinah, as
well, which are associated with events
that occurred in the time of the
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) and his Noble Companions. A visit
to these places is solely to remember that event, to benefit from the
inspiration that the recollection evokes, and to become more aware of our
noble and respected forebears, when considering the implications of what
transpired; our Imaan is increased by their example
These other historic
places are not for worship, the sole benefit of stopping at these
places is to recall the particular event and the reasons for its
occurrence.
