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| The best city in the world BY Mufti Faraz Adam | PDF FREE DOWNLOAD |
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Book : The best city in the world
Author : Mufti Faraz Adam
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BOOK DETAIL:
I commence with expressions of reverence and praise for the Supreme Sovereign, the Almighty King, the Creator and Sustainer of the Heavens and the Earth, who is singular in His essence, devoid of partners, offspring, or lineage, and holds supreme command over all aspects of existence. I beseech Almighty Allah to perpetually bestow His blessings, grace, and affection upon our beloved master ﷺ and messenger ﷺ, and to convey our heartfelt love, admiration and Salām to him ﷺ.
Al-Madīnah is the wish of every believer.
Al-Madīnah is the dream of every lover of Rasūlullah ﷺ .
Al-Madīnah is source of excitement for every traveller.
Departing al-Madīnah leaves a lasting ache in the hearts of its visitors, manifesting in cries and sighs of longing.
Al-Madīnah is indeed everything - one could wish for nothing more in this existence than to be within its blessed confines.
Al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah is a city without parallel, it has Rasūlullah ﷺ.
Its allure, beauty and pull are intrinsically tied with the presence of Rasūlullah ﷺ. Sayyidunā Anas (Raḍiallāhu ʿanhu) remarked that the people would know the exact streets of al-Madīnah in which Rasūlullah ﷺ walked through as his mere presence in an area would leave a trail of a sweet and unique fragrance [al-Bazzār]. Imam al-Bukhārī (d.256 AH) in his Tārīkh narrates from Sayyidunā Jābir (Raḍiallāhu ʿanhu) that people could find Rasūlullah ﷺ by merely following the sweet scent and trail left by the noble body and being of Rasūlullah ﷺ. For a decade, the blessed being of Rasūlullah ﷺ perfumed and illuminated the streets, the sand, the soil, the trees, and the houses of al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, and now, until the Final Hour, his blessed being and body fragrances the earth, land, and soil of al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah. The power and strength of his scent is such that there are several reports of people inhaling the fragrance of Rasūlullah ﷺ emanating from his blessed resting chamber.
For instance, Ibn ‘Asākir (d.686 AH) reports how ʿAbdullah b. Muhammad b. ʿAqīl could smell a unique fragrance coming from the chamber of Rasūlullah ﷺ in the time of ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-Azīz (d.101 AH) when a wall of the blessed chamber had collapsed [Itḥāf al-Zā’ir]. Al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah is a city that is overfilled with the righteous, angels, and the pious jinn. It is a city that has Barakah embedded in everything, double than that of Makkah al-Mukarramah. It is a fortress from Dajjāl and Fitan. Indeed, al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah is the place where the Quran was frequently revealed. It is the city which was visited by Sayyidunā Jibrīl (‘alayhi al-Salām) excessively. It is the stronghold of ‘Īmān, the meeting point of the best of this ‘Ummah, the Muhājirūn and the ‘Anṣār. It is the first capital of Islam and the Muslims; Islam spread across the four corners of the world from this very city.
It is the first blueprint of a successful and productive civilisation for the modern world. It cradled the first economic system in recent times that fulfilled the needs of all its members, and safeguarded the assets and wealth of owners. It is from this very city that the light of the Quran and the light of the Sunnah illuminated the dark world. It is the home of Rasūlullah ﷺ and his selected place for migration. This is where he ﷺ lived his final decade of his life, where he ﷺ passed away, where he ﷺ is resting now, and where he ﷺ will be resurrected from. It is this part of the earth that will be the first to open on the Day of Judgement, and it will be those resting in al-Baqīʿ who will be the first to be awakened with Rasūlullah ﷺ on that Day.
How blessed and fortunate are the mountains of al-Madīnah! How about the stones, the trees, the sand, the walls, and the leaves. What about the animals, the birds, or the cats that roam the streets! What can be said about the very sand, trees and nature that were in existence at the same time as that of Sayyidunā Rasūlullah ﷺ whilst he walked in those streets. They were all favoured with the companionship, proximity, and physical connection with our Master ﷺ. The love and excitement within these inanimate beings was so overwhelming when getting connection and closeness to Rasūlullah ﷺ, that they sought Allah’s permission to express their love and admiration to Rasūlullah ﷺ.
That deep love within them for Rasūlullah ﷺ brought them to life, and Allah allowed them to express their love and affection in miraculous ways: the pebbles spoke, the trees communicated, the animals expressed themselves, shades shifted to receive blessings from Rasūlullah ﷺ, branches walked and presented themselves to Rasūlullah ﷺ, walls would say ‘Āmīn to his duʿas’, clouds would hover over the blessed being of Rasūlullah ﷺ to just share the same airspace as Rasūlullah ﷺ.
The inanimate beings in al-Madīnah were so alive in love for Rasūlullah ﷺ that Imam al-Nawawī (Raḥimahullah) asserts in the commentary of the famous Ḥadīth regarding Uḥūd ‘this mountain loves us, and we love it’ [Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim], that this expression is literal, not metaphorical; it is real and a reality. Almighty Allah has endowed these inanimate beings in al-Madīnah with the capacity to love and perceive [Sharḥ al-Nawawī ʿalā Muslim]. Furthermore, Imam al-Suyūṭī recounts how various other inanimate beings communicated their love to Rasūlullah ﷺ in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Imagine how fortunate we would be if we were a mere grain of sand in al Madīnah, a stone, or a leaf, drawing close to Rasūlullah ﷺ and having the privilege to serve him without the fear of causing him any pain or discomfort, for causing him any pain or discomfort is truly unbearable.
How wonderful it would be to be a drop of perfume he applied to his blessed hands and body. How extraordinary it would be to be the bedding that provided comfort to Rasūlullah, or merely a part of the pillow that supported his blessed, beautiful head. Or to be the slipper that graced the most beloved and sacred feet to ever tread the earth. Or even a thread in the ʿImāmah that encircled his soft, fragrant hair, or the kohl stick used to enhance his most beautiful and striking eyes. The mere opportunity to serve him once, bringing him comfort without causing any pain, would mean everything. His comfort is our comfort; his happiness is our happiness; his peace is our peace. He is everything to us. Every inch and every step in al-Madīnah is imbued with blessings. It is as though al-Madīnah has been created from Barakah; Rasūlullah ﷺ has walked, sat there, passed by, performed Wuḍū’, rested, or perhaps just spoken there that his sweet voice just echoed and reverberated once. Every part of al-Madīnah has the signature of Rasūlullah ﷺ on it.
Every inch has the Barakah and connection with Rasulullah ﷺ. It is this deep association, attachment, and connection of every part of al-Madīnah with Rasulullah ﷺ that transformed al-Madīnah to the palace and paradise that it is today. There is no place or city like al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah; no matter how advanced, how upmarket, or how luxurious some destinations feel, al Madīnah is al-Madīnah. Al-Madīnah has Rasūlullah ﷺ, that suffices as a virtue. There is no advancement, no luxury greater than being near Rasūlullah ﷺ.
The depth of love for al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah stems from the intensity of love one has for Rasūlullah ﷺ . When the love of Rasūlullah ﷺ overwhelms the heart, everything and anything attached to Rasūlullah ﷺ becomes beloved. Everything that connects one to Rasūlullah ﷺ becomes cherished. The lover seeks to be in unison and harmony with Rasūlullah ﷺ in every moment. Hence, Sayyidunā ʿAbdullah b. ʿUmar (Raḍiallāhu ʿanhumā) would sleep, stop, and pass by the very places which Rasūlullah ﷺ had passed by, seeking that unison and harmony with the beloved. Sayyidah ‘Asmā (Raḍiallāhu ʿanhā) would pause at al-Ḥajūn, remember Rasūlullah ﷺ and recite Ṣalawāt every time she passed by. This cannot be understood without being in love. The heart’s rest, peace, and nourishment are in giving it some connection with the beloved. It is like a Wi-Fi connection, once connected, the smartphone comes to life. If a person cannot see Rasūlullah ﷺ, they read the Shamā’il and take solace in the beautiful features of Rasūlullah ﷺ narrated to us from the very eyes that saw Rasūlullah ﷺ.
If they cannot be with him ﷺ physically, they spend their days and nights in al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah, tracing every place that came into physical proximity with Rasūlullah ﷺ . If they cannot smell his ﷺ fragrance, they pause and inhale the most fragrant of scents, knowing that Rasūlullah ﷺ has a fragrance far superior and comforting. If they were not selected to live with him ﷺ in his era, they seek to live with his ﷺ Sunnah. If they live on the other side of the world, they yearn to live near him ﷺ in al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah. If they cannot directly speak with him ﷺ, they send Ṣalawāt and communicate with him ﷺ via angels. If they miss him ﷺ dearly and cannot bear the separation, they seek to be with him ﷺ in their dreams. This book is written as a Wasīlah (an offering in the court of Almighty Allah) with a duʿā’ from the depths of the heart, that he permits and facilitates me to frequently visit, live, and pass away in al-Madīnah al Munawwarah. I humbly request every reader who reads these words to just pause for a moment and ask Allah to grant me this. I will be eternally indebted to you for such a duʿā’. May Almighty Allah grant you the best of this world and the Hereafter. ‘Amīn.
Truly, despite my sinful self and severe shortfalls in all areas, Almighty Allah favoured me with writing and completing this book in the thirty days of Ramaḍān. I am not worthy, but Allah is Allah, so loving, so kind, so forgiving; He always showers His love and blessings on us without being worthy. I ask Almighty Allah to make this small offering a gift that pleases our beloved master ﷺ, brings a smile to his noble and beautiful face, and becomes a means of gaining his ﷺ special love and very, very close attention in this life. May Allah allow us to spend our lives in bringing a smile to that handsome face of our beloved master ﷺ.
May Allah grant us a special bond and companionship of Rasūlullah ﷺ for eternity in al-Firdaws. ‘Amīn.
Faraz Adam
