Madinah visit guide

Prior to visiting the sacred mausoleum of the Beloved and Blessed Prophet, keep your luggage at a safe place (in your hotel room etc.). If you are hungry or thirsty, eat/drink something. In short, free yourself of every such thing that may affect your concentration. Make Wuḍū and use a Miswāk or, better still, perform Ghusl. Wear clean or new white clothes and a new turban, if possible. Apply kohl and fragrance preferably musk, and enter the blessed Masjid with tears in eyes. (Baĥār-e-Sharī’at, vol. 1, pp. 1223)

Grand Green Dome appears

The green dome that you used to see in pictures is now in front of your eyes. A sight for which the hearts of devotees are restless and eyes are tearful! By Allah, the beauty of Rauḍaĥ-e-Rasūl (the blessed resting place of our Beloved Prophet) is matchless on the earth and even in the Paradise.

Even the loftiness of Firdaus cannot touch it

Rauḍaĥ of Prophet is higher than even Khuld-e-Barīn

(Wasāil-e-Bakhshish, pp. 298)

It is stated in a footnote added on page 298 of the book‘Wasāil-e-Bakhshish’published by Maktaba-tul-Madīnaĥ, the publishing department of Dawat-e-Islami: The Arabic word[Rauḍaĥ] literally means a ‘garden’. The word Rauḍaĥ used in the foregoing couplet refers to the piece of land on which the blessed body of the Holy Prophetrests. Describing its sanctity, Islamic juristshave stated: The piece of the land that is in contact with the blessed body of the Holy Prophetis more sacred than even the Holy Ka’baĥ, ‘Arsh and Kursī. (Durr-e-Mukhtār, vol. 4, pp. 62)

Enter via Bāb-ul-Baqī’

Now come at Bāb-ul-Baqī’1 reverentially and rationally, with tears in eyes. If you cannot weep, at least wear a weeping look on the face. Now reciteand then halt a bit as if you are asking permission from the Noble Prophet to enter his majestic court. Now recite, place your right foot into the Masjid and enter Masjid-un-Nabawī extremely reverentially.

1 This is situated at the eastern side of Masjid-un-Nabawī. The guards deputed there usually do not allow people to enter through Bāb-ul-Baqī’. Therefore, people enter through Bāb-us-Salām. In this manner, they enter from the direction of the blessed head of the Holy Prophet, which is contrary to Islamic manners as one should enter the mausoleum of the pious from the direction of their feet. If one tries, he may enter via Bāb-ul-Baqī’, especially when there is no crowd.

The heart of every true Muslim is aware of the utmost reverence and veneration that is Farḍ on this occasion. Keep your hands, feet, eyes, tongue and heart free from engaging in anything else and move ahead weeping. Do not look here and there. Do not look at decors and carvings of the Masjid. Just one thought and only one will should preoccupy you that an absconded culprit is going to enter the merciful court of his lord.

Like a culprit, towards my lord, I am proceeding

With my eyes lowering and my body trembling

Ṣalāĥ in gratitude

If it is not a Makrūĥ time (for Ṣalāĥ) and your overwhelming sentiments also permit you, offer two Rak’āt Ṣalāĥ each for Taḥiyya-tul-Masjid and in gratitude to your presence at the blessed court. After reciting Sūraĥ al-Fātiḥaĥ, recite Sūraĥ al-Kāfirūn and Sūraĥ al-Ikhlāṣ in the first and the second Rak’at respectively.

Appearing before Golden Grille

Now, with immense reverence and devotion, come at the sacred Muwājaĥaĥ from the direction of the blessed feet, facing the Golden Grille, lowering head and eyes, perspiring, weeping and trembling with shame of sins but having hope of mercy and blessings from the Prophet of Raḥmaĥ, the Intercessor of Ummaĥ.

Now, with immense reverence and devotion, say Salām in the following words in melancholic and moderate voice. Beware; your voice should not be loud and harsh lest all your good deeds are ruined. The voice should not also be too low as it is also contrary to Sunnaĥ.

Salām be upon you O Prophetand Allah’s mercy and blessings! Salām be upon you O Rasūl of Allah! Salām be upon you O the best of Allah’s creation! Salām be upon you O the one who will intercede for the sinners! Salām be upon you, upon your family, upon your companions and upon your entire Ummaĥ!

Continue to say Salām with different titles. If you cannot do so, then continue to recite. You should then convey Salām on behalf of all those who have requested you to do so. It is my (the author’s) humble request to all those Islamic brothers and sisters reading this book to convey my Salām as well. You will be doing me a great favour.

Continue to make as much Du’ā as possible and go on begging him for intercession in these words:, i.e. I am begging you for intercession, Yā Rasūlallāĥ.

Make Salām to Ṣiddīq Akbar

Then moving slightly eastward (i.e. towards your right) for about half a yard, stand in front of the small opening with respect and say Salām to Sayyidunā Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq.

Salām be upon you, O the successor of the Holy Prophet! Salām be upon you, O the vicegerent of the Holy Prophet! Salām be upon you, O the companion of the Holy Prophet in the cave!

Make Salām to Fārūq A’ẓam

Then shift slightly eastwards (i.e. towards your right) for about half a yard. Stand facing the last opening of the Golden Grille and say Salām to Sayyidunā Fārūq A’ẓam.

Salām be upon you, O the chief of the believers! Salām be upon you, O the one who completes the forty! O the one who is the dignity of Islam and the Muslims! May Salām, Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you!

Make Salām to Shaykhayntogether

Then, move westwards (i.e. towards your left side) by a span1, stand in front of the space between the two small openings with your face towards the Golden Grille and say Salām jointly in the courts of Ṣiddīq Akbar and Fārūq A’ẓam.

Salām be upon both of you, O the successors of the Holy Prophet! Salām be upon both of you, O the vicegerents of the Holy Prophet! Salām, Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon both of you who are resting beside the Holy Prophet! I beg both of you to intercede with the Holy Prophetfor me. May Allahsend Salām and blessings upon him and both of you!

Make following Du’ās

All these courts are sacred places where one’s Du’ā is accepted. Make Du’ā for the betterment of your Hereafter. Make Du’ā of forgiveness for your parents, your spiritual guide, your teachers, children, friends and the entire Ummaĥ. Especially seek intercession from the Prophet of Raḥmaĥ, the Intercessor of Ummaĥ. If you are able to recite the following couplet of Sag-e-Madīnaĥ 12 times at this blessed place, you will be doing me a great favour.

Make ‘Aṭṭār your neighbour in Paradise,

With all your favours, make this favour as well, Yā Rasūlallāĥ

1 The word ‘span’ here implies the distance between the tip of the thumb and that of the little finger when the hand is fully extended.

12 Madanī pearls

1. 1. Make Du’ā near the blessed Mimbar (i.e. a pulpit-like raised structure).
2. 2. Come to the orchard of Paradise and offer two Rak’āt Nafl Ṣalāĥ over there provided the time is not Makrūĥ. Make Du’ā afterwards.

(The space between the blessed Mimbar and the sacred Ḥujraĥ [i.e. blessed room of the Holy Prophet] is referred to as an orchard of Paradise in a Ḥadīš.)

1. 3. Do not waste even a single moment for as long as you are blessed with the stay in Madīna-tul-Munawwaraĥ.
2. 4. If possible, spend most of your time in Masjid-un-Nabawī in the state of cleanness, offering Ṣalāĥ, reciting the Quran and Ṣalāt- ‘Alan-Nabī and making Żikr. Worldly conversation should be avoided in any Masjid, especially in this Holy Masjid.
3. 5. How wonderful it would be for you to be blessed with keeping a fast in Madīna-tul-Munawwaraĥ, especially on a hot summer day as intercession is promised to the one doing so!
4. 6. Every good deed performed here is equivalent to fifty thousand good deeds. Therefore, make strenuous efforts to perform worship. Do reduce your intake. As long as possible, give charity especially to the deserving locals.

Many graves and tombs in Jannat-ul-Baqī’ and Jannat-ul-Ma’lā in Makkaĥ have been mercilessly and disrespectfully destroyed. The graves of thousands of eminent companions, great Auliyā and those of even the family members of the Holy Prophet have been obliterated.

Therefore, if you enter the graveyard, there is a possibility that you might actually be walking on the grave of any companion or Walī, whereas walking on the grave of even an ordinary Muslim is Ḥarām in Sharī’aĥ. It is stated inRad-dul-Muḥtārthat if a certain path was built after demolishing the graves underneath it, it is Ḥarām to walk on that path.

It is also not necessary to make Salām standing near the entrance of Jannat-ul-Baqī’. The proper method is to make Salām with your back towards the Qiblaĥ and your face towards the faces of the buried ones.

Salām to those buried in Jannat-ul-Baqī’

Salām be upon you, O the believers living here., we are about to meet you. O Allahforgive those buried in Baqī’. O Allah forgive us and them.

When the heart breaking moment of departure from Madīnaĥ arrives, proceed towards the sacred Muwājaĥaĥ weeping. If you cannot weep, wear a weeping look on the face. Recite Ṣalāt and Salām whilst weeping. Then express your feelings in an imploring manner like this:

Al-Wadā’ Yā Rasūlallāĥ

Like before, present Salām in the blessed courts of Shaykhayn Karīmayn. Make Du’ā tearfully and plead for repeated visits to Madīnaĥ. Ask for an easy death with Īmān in Madīnaĥ and burial in Jannat-ul-Baqī’.

Then, return with tears in eyes, repeatedly turning around to look at the Prophet’s sacred mausoleum with wistfulness. Leave like the child who is being separated from his loving mother, crying and looking back at her all the time expecting her to call him back and embrace him. How fortunate would be the one who, at such a moment, is blessed with the embrace by the Beloved and Blessed Prophet and with death at his blessed feet!