40. ✧ Merit of the lands
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5010No grade recorded
بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَالِسًا بَيْنَ ظَهْرَيْ أَصْحَابِهِ إِذْ قَالَ: صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْمَقْبَرَةِ - ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ - فَلَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ أَحَدٌ: أَيُّ مَقْبَرَةٍ هِيَ ؟ وَلَمْ يُسَمِّ لَهُمْ شَيْئًا، فَدَخَلَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ عَلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ، كَأَنَّهَا عَائِشَةُ، فَقَالَ لَهَا: فَدَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلَتْهُ عَنْهَا، فَقَالَ: هِيَ مَقْبَرَةٌ بِعَسْقَلَانَ
✧ While the Messenger of God ﷺ was sitting among his companions, he said: 'May God bless that cemetery' – three times – but no one asked him which cemetery it was, and he did not name anything for them. Then one of his companions entered upon one of his wives, as if she were 'A'isha, and said to her: 'When the Messenger of God ﷺ comes in, ask him about it.' She did so, and he said: 'It is a cemetery in 'Asqalan.'
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5011No grade recorded
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَذْكُرُ أَهْلَ مَقْبَرَةٍ يَوْمًا، فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا، فَأَكْثَرَ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَيْهَا، فَسُئِلَ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ: أَهْلُ مَقْبَرَةِ عَسْقَلَانَ، يُزَفُّونَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ كَمَا تُزَفُّ الْعَرُوسُ إِلَى زَوْجِهَا
✧ I heard the Messenger of God ﷺ one day mentioning the people of a cemetery, and he prayed for it, increasing his prayers for it. He was asked about it, and he said: 'The people of the cemetery of 'Asqalan. They will be escorted to Paradise as a bride is escorted to her husband.'
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5012No grade recorded
أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فِي إِمَارَةِ عُثْمَانَ ؓ، فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ كَثُّ اللِّحْيَةِ قَعَدَ لَهُمْ وَأَغْلَظَ، فَتَفَرَّقُوا، فَقُلْتُ: يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ، مَا أَرَاكَ إِلَّا قَدْ أَسَأْتَ، قَالَ: إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ مُدَاهِنُونَ، أَتَعْرِفُنِي ؟ قُلْتُ: لَا قَالَ: أَنَا أَبُو ذَرٍّ، فَمَنْ أَنْتَ ؟ قُلْتُ: مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَصْرَةِ، فَقَالَ: أَلَا أُحَدِّثُكَ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، يَقُولُ: بَلَايَا بِالْعِرَاقِ وَذَلِكَ بِالْكُوفَةِ، فَأَمَّا أَهْلُ الْبَصْرَةِ فَأَقْوَمُ الْأَمْصَارِ قِبْلَةً، وَأَكْثَرُهُ مُؤَذِّنًا، يَدْفَعُ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ
✧ I came to Madinah during the governorship of 'Uthman ؓ, and there was a man with a thick beard who sat for them and spoke harshly, so they dispersed. I said: 'O 'Abd Allah, I think you have done wrong.' He said: 'These are flatterers. Do you know me?' I said: 'No.' He said: 'I am Abu Dharr. Who are you?' I said: 'From the people of Basra.' He said: 'Shall I not tell you a hadith I heard from the Messenger of God ﷺ? He said: "Calamities are in Iraq, and that is in Kufa. As for the people of Basra, they are the most correct of the cities in qiblah and the most abundant in muezzins. God will avert from them what they dislike."'
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5013No grade recorded
إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ ذَكَرَ أَهْلَ الْكُوفَةِ، فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ سَتَنْزِلُ بِهِمْ بَلَايَا عِظَامٌ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ أَهْلَ الْبَصْرَةِ، فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُمْ أَفْضَلُ أَهْلِ الْأَمْصَارِ قِبْلَةً، وَأَكْثَرُهُمْ مُؤَذِّنًا، يُدْفَعُ عَنْهُمْ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ
✧ The Prophet ﷺ mentioned the people of Kufa, and he mentioned that great calamities will befall them. Then he mentioned the people of Basra, and he mentioned that they are the best of the people of the garrison cities in facing the qiblah, and the most numerous of them in muezzins; what they dislike will be averted from them.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5014No grade recorded
مَا رَأَيْتُ أَخْصَاصًا إِلَّا أَخْصَاصًا كَانَتْ مَعَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ مَا يَدْفَعُ عَنْ هَذِهِ
✧ I have not seen any reed huts but the reed huts that were with Muhammad ﷺ; what is averted from this one?
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5015No grade recorded
إِنَّكُمْ سَتَقْدَمُونَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ جَعْدَةٌ رُؤُوسُهُمْ، فَاسْتَوْصُوا بِهِمْ خَيْرًا، فَإِنَّهُمْ قُوَّةٌ لَكُمْ، وَبَلَاغٌ إِلَى عَدُوِّكُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ تَعَالَى
✧ You will come upon a people with curly hair, so treat them well, for they will be a strength for you and a means of reaching your enemy, by the permission of Allah Almighty.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5016No grade recorded
أَتَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ ؓ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، فَقَالَ: مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ ؟ قُلْتُ: مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، قَالَ: مِنْ أَيِّ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ ؟ قُلْتُ: مِنْ حِمْصَ، قَالَ: مِنْ حِمْصَ جِئْتَ تَطْلُبُ الْعِلْمَ هَاهُنَا ؟ قُلْتُ: مَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَطْلُبَ الْعِلْمَ مِنْ مِثْلِكَ وَأَنْتَ صَاحِبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ ؟ قَالَ: فَأُخْبِرُكَ أَنَّ الْقَاصِيَةَ الْأُولَى سَارُوا تِلْوَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى نَزَلُوا الشَّامَ، ثُمَّ جُنْدُكَ خَاصَّةً، فَانْظُرْ مَا كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّهُ السُّنَّةُ
✧ I came to Ibn Umar ؓ and asked him about something of knowledge. He said: From where are you? I said: From the people of al-Sham. He said: From which people of al-Sham? I said: From Homs. He said: From Homs you came seeking knowledge here? I said: What prevents me from seeking knowledge from someone like you, and you are a companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? He said: I inform you that the first distant group traveled in the footsteps of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until they settled in al-Sham, then your army in particular, so look at what they were upon, for it is the Sunnah.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5017No grade recorded
لَا تَزَالُ عِصَابَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ دِمَشْقَ وَمَا حَوْلَهُ، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ دِمَشْقَ وَمَا حَوْلَهُ، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَمَا حَوْلَهُ، لَا يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُمْ، ظَاهِرِينَ عَلَى الْحَقِّ إِلَى أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ.
✧ A group of my nation will continue to fight at the gates of Damascus and its surroundings, and at the gates of Damascus and its surroundings, and at the gates of Jerusalem and its surroundings; those who abandon them will not harm them, victorious upon the truth until the Hour is established.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5018No grade recorded
إِنَّكُمْ سَتُجَنِّدُونَ أَجْنَادًا
✧ You will be organized into armies.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5019No grade recorded
إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ عَمُودَ الْكِتَابِ انْتُزِعَ مِنْ تَحْتِ وِسَادَتِي، فَأَتْبَعْتُهُ بَصَرِي فَإِذَا هُوَ نُورٌ سَاطِعٌ عُمِدَ بِهِ إِلَى الشَّامِ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ الْإِيمَانَ حِينَ تَقَعُ الْفِتَنُ بِالشَّامِ
✧ I saw the pillar of the Book being pulled out from under my pillow, so I followed it with my eyes, and behold, it was a shining light that was taken to al-Sham. Verily, faith will be in al-Sham when trials occur.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5020No grade recorded
إِنَّكُمْ سَتُجَنَّدُونَ أَجْنَادًا، جُنْدًا بِالشَّامِ وَجُنْدًا بِالْيَمَنِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ خَوْلِيُّ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ خِرْ لِي، قَالَ ﷺ: عَلَيْكَ بِالشَّامِ، فَمَنْ أَبَى فَلْيَلْحَقْ بِيَمَنِهِ، وَلْيَسْقِ بِغُدُرِهِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ تَكَفَّلَ لِي بِالشَّامِ وَأَهْلِهِ
✧ You will be organized into armies: an army in al-Sham and an army in Yemen. A man from Khawlan said: O Messenger of Allah, choose for me. He ﷺ said: Upon you is al-Sham, and whoever refuses, let him join his Yemen and draw water from its ponds, for Allah Almighty has guaranteed me al-Sham and its people.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5021No grade recorded
وَجٌّ وَادٍ مُقَدَّسٌ
✧ Wajj is a sacred valley.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5022No grade recorded
إِنَّ وَجًّا مُقَدَّسٌ مُنْذُ عَرَجَ الرَّبُّ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ يَوْمَ قَضَى الْخَلْقَ
✧ Indeed, Wajj has been sacred since the Lord ascended to the heaven on the day He decreed the creation.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5023No grade recorded
نِعْمَ الْمُرْضِعُونَ أَهْلُ نَعْمَانَ
✧ Excellent are the wet-nurses, the people of Nu'man.
al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 5024No grade recorded
لَا تَزَالُ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا عَظَّمُوا هَذِهِ الْحُرْمَةَ حَقَّ تَعْظِيمِهَا
✧ This nation will continue to be in good as long as they honor this sacred place with the honor it deserves.