Another
element of the reverence and esteem for Beloved Prophet Muhammad
Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him is found in all things
and places connected to him in Makkah al-Mukarrama, Madinah al-Munawwarah
and elsewhere.
Hadrat
Saffiyah bint Najda Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anha tells us that Abu
Madhura Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anho had a long lock of hair on his
forehead that touched the ground when he sat down. When he was
asked why he did not cut it he replied,
لم أكن بالذي أحلفها ، و قد مسها رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بيده
"I will not cut off something that the hand of the Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him touched." [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 62]
The Sword of Islam, Hadrat Sayyiduna Khalid Ibn Waleed Radi
Allahu Ta'ala Anho had some strands of the Prophet's of hair
that he placed inside his cap. During one of the battles the cap
fell off whereupon he fought zealously to retrieve it. He told
his companions that,
لم أفعلها بسبب القلنسوة ، بل لما تضمنه من شعره صلى الله عليه و سلم لئلا أسلب بركتها و تقع في أيدي المشركين
I didn't fight for the sake of the cap, rather I fought to retrieve the strands of the Prophet's hair that were tucked within it so that I would not be deprived of their blessing, and also to avoid them falling into the hands of the unbelievers. [Majma' az-Zawaid, Vol. 9, Page 349 – Mustadrik, Vol. 3, Page 239]
Ibn al-Sakan narrated through Safwan ibn Hubayra from the
latter's father: Thabit al-Bunani said: Anas ibn Malik said to
me (on his death-bed):
هذه شعرة من شعر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فضعها تحت لساني فوضعتها تحت لسانه فدفن وهي تحت لسانه
"This is one of the hairs of Allah's Messenger, Allah's blessings and peace upon him. I want you to place it under my tongue." Thabit continued: I placed it under his tongue, and he was buried with it under his tongue." [al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-Sahaba (Calcutta - 1853), Vol. 1, Page 72]
Imam al-Bayhaqi
records in his Dalail al-Nabuwwah and Imam Qadi Iyad al-Maliki
states in his Ash-Shifa:
رئي ابن عمر واضعاً يده على مقعد النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم من المنبر ، ثم وضعها على وجهه
Hadrat Sayyiduna Ibn Umar Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anho was seen placing his hand on the seat of the Beloved Prophet's pulpit and then wipe it over his face. [Dalail an-Nabuwwah lil Bayhaqi, Vol. 6, Page 249]
Abu Abd ar-RaHman Salma Alaihir raHma narrated from Ahmad Ibn
Fadlwiya Zahid Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho that he was a famous
archer in Battles. He says:
ما مسست القوس بيدي إلا على طهارة منذ بلغني أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم أخذ القوس بيده
I never touched my bow without Ablution from the time Beloved Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) took it in his Blessed Hands. [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 63]
It was on
account of the esteem Imam Malik Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anho had for
the Prophet Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him that we
would not ride a mount in Madinah al-Munawwarah. He would say,
أستحي من الله أن أطأ تربة فيها رسول الله بحافر دابة
"I am too shy before Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala to trample with the hoof of an animal upon the earth in which the Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him is buried." [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 63]
Someone in Madinah al-Munawwarah said, "The soil of Madinah al-Munawwarah
is bad." (May Allah Forbid) This outrageous statement caused
Imam Malik to pronounce the judgement against him that he should
be beaten and jailed. The man had connections to the hierarchy
of Madinah al-Munawwarah but Imam Malik did not retract his
judgement and said,
تربة دفن فيها النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم يزعم أنها غير طيبة
"He claims the soil in which the Prophet Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him is buried is not good!" [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 63]
Of Madinah
al-Munawwarah, the Beloved Prophet Peace and Blessings of Allah
be Upon Him said,
من أحدث فيها حدثاً أو آوى محدثاً فعليه لعنة الله و الملائكة و الناس أجمعين ، لا يقبل الله منه صرفاً و لا عدلاً
"The curse of Allah, the angels and all mankind falls upon whosoever innovates something (against the spirit of Islam) in it or shelters an innovator (of something against the spirit of Islam) therein." [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 63]
Imam Qadi Iyad al-Maliki Alaihir raHmah records in Ash-Shifa bi
Ta'rifi Huqooqil Mustafa:
أن جهجاها الغفاري أخذ قضيب النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم من يد عثمان رضي الله عنه ، و تناول ليكسره على ركبته ، فصاح به الناس ، فأخذته الأكله في ركبته فقطعها ، و مات قبل الحول
Jihjah al-Ghifari snatched hold of the Beloved Prophet's staff from Sayyiduna Uthman's hand and proceeded to try and break it across his knee. Upon seeing this, the people shouted at him. Thereafter he was stricken by an itching disease in his knee and despite its amputation he died within the year. [Ash-Shifa, Vol. 2, Page 63]
The Prophet
Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him said,
من حلف على منبري كاذباً فليتبوأ مقعده من النار
"Whosoever swears to a lie on my pulpit will have a seat in the Fire." [Ash-Shifa, Vol 2, Page 63]
Abu Fadl al-Jowhari Alaihir raHma was blessed to visit the City
of Madinah al-Munawwarah and as he approached he recited:
رفع الحجاب لنا فلاح لناظر ـــ قمر تقطع دونه الأوهام
و إذا المطي بنا بلغن محمداً ـــ فظهورهن على الرجال حرام
قربننا من يخر من وطيء الثرى ـــ و لها علينا حرمة و ذمام
"The veil has been lifted from us and a moon shines; out to those who look on, banishing all illusions.
As our mounts reach Muhammad; it is forbidden for us to be found in our saddles.
We are drawing near to the best man to have ever walked upon the earth; so it is with respect and honor that we hold this ground." [Ash-Shifa, Vol 2, Page 64]
When a pious Shaykh went on pilgrimage, he went on foot. When
asked why he had done so, he replied,
العبد الآبق لا يأتي إلى بيت مولاه راكباً ! لو قدرت أن أمشي على رأسي ما مشيت على قدمي
"What, an offending worshiper going to the home of his master riding! Had I been able to walk upon my head, I would not have walked upon my feet!" [Ash-Shifa, Vol 2, Page 64]
Reverence
and respect for the places in which the Revelation were received
and which the angels Jibra'il and Mika'il visited, as well as
places where the angels descended, also places that heard the
sounds of worship and exaltation, and the blessed soil that
surrounds the body of the Master of all mankind Peace and
Blessings of Allah be Upon Him and places from which the
religion of Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala and the prophetic
quotations of the Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings of
Allah be Upon Him were spread are necessities.
One must also revere and respect the places where verses of the
Holy Qur'an were studied, the mosques in which the prayer was
offered, places where virtues and good deeds were witnessed,
places that saw proofs and miracles, places associated with the
rites of the religion and the stations of the pilgrimage and the
way marks of the Master of all the messengers of Allah, praise
and peace be upon them. The places where the Seal of the
Prophets Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him lived and from
which the prophecy gushed and where its waves overflowed. The
places that witnessed the message, and the first earth that the
skin of the Prophet Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him
touched after his death – its fragrance should be inhaled, its
residence and walls kissed.