Visiting Mecca, Madinah, and the Best of Creation

Answered by Shaykh Faraz A. Khan

Question:

(1) Insha Allah, we intend to perform Umrah in Ramadan (last thirteen days) what is the correct adab?  Do we perform Umrah and then go to Madinah Munawara or vice versa?
(2) Also, how many days should one stay in Makkah Muqarrama and Madinah Munawara?
(3) It seems that people are choosing to stay in Madinah for a few nights and majority of the nights in Makkah Muqarrama. Is there a reason behind this?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

I pray this finds you in the best of health and states.

(1) Imam Shurunbulali states, “Visiting the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is a sunna, either before or after the hajj.” [Ascent to Felicity]

The same would apply to umrah: it is fine to visit Medina before or after the umra.

Also, notice that the Imam said, “Visiting the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)…” which is one’s primary intention, while one should also intend visiting his blessed mosque. [Haskafi, Al-Durr al-Mukhtar]

(2) One can stay as many days as is easy and feasible, in both Mecca and Medina.

(3) I’m not sure why people do that…perhaps because the prayer in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca is multiplied 100,000-fold a normal prayer, while in the Prophet’s mosque 1,000-fold. [Tabarani Kabir; Musnad Bazzar]

However, our Beloved (Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself chose to remain in Medina after the Opening of Mecca, and he left this world from Medina.

And as our scholars mention, while Mecca as a whole is deemed better than Medina, an exception is the ground that is honored with the blessed body of the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace)…

For indeed, the very earth that touches his blessed limbs in better than the rest of creation, including even the Ka’ba, the Footstool (kursi) and the Throne (arsh) of Allah Most High. [Tahtawi, Hashiyat Maraqi’ Falah; Ibn Abidin/Haskafi, Radd al-Muhtar ala Durr al-Mukhtar]

And Allah knows best.
wassalam
Faraz

Checked & Approved by Faraz Rabbani