Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved Messenger, the Last Prophet, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa aalihi Sallam).Jazak'Allah for your valued question. Although when performing the Hajj, a believer gains the rewards for performing all it's rites and rituals, nevertheless, one of the rituals of performing the Hajj has also been the visitation of the Beloved Messenger of Allah's (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)'s Ennobled Shrine, in the City of Madinatul Munawwarrah.
Muslims from over fourteen hundred years have always been present, twenty four hours a day, at this Blessed Place (except for the recent changes that have occurred, through history), and have maintained the belief, that whatever you ask for from the presence of the Beloved Messenger (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)'s abode, shall thus be granted.
A lot of the
Mufassirin from the
Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah, have emphasised this very point, that such an Ennobled Place, is more sacred than any other place in the world, to the extent that, it has been said, that 'even the dust, from around the Blessed Grave of the Beloved Messenger of Allah (
Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam) is more Excellent (
afdhal), than the Throne of Allah the Almighty (
'arsh).
The verse that is normally used in connection with this discussion appears in Surah al Nisa', verse number 64:
'wa law anna hum idh dhalamu anfusa hum ja'uka fastaghfarullaha was taghfara lahumur rasulu lawajadullaha tawwabur rahima'.'Oh Beloved, they should come to your presence, and then beg for forgiveness from Allah, and the Messenger should intercede for them. Then surely they would find Allah, Most Relentful, Most Merciful.'Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na'imi (
Rehmatullahi ’Alaih), in his tafsir called
'Nur ul-Irfan', upon
'Kanz-ul-Iman' states:
'In this verse there is no restriction concerning transgression, transgressor, time, and place. Oh My Beloved Messenger (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), all types of transgressors, and wrongdoers, during all periods of time, who have committed any type of transgression, or sin, must come to your sacred shrine, or abode.
It should be remembered that the words
'they should come to you', does not confine the transgressor of only going to Madinatul Munawwarrah, but he can achieve this by sincerely and mentally turning to Him. If you can be present in Madinatul Munawwarah, this would be your good fortune. From this, we learn that the Beloved Messenger of Allah (
Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam)'s abode, is a cure for all of our illnesses, that nobody turns away, without getting his needs fulfilled.
It must be remembered, that the beloved Messenger of Allah (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)'s coming into this world is one thing, while our seeking presence at His abode is another thing altogether. This very rising of the sun, is to provide sunlight for us, while our purpose of seeking it's nearness, by removing the shelter, is to obtain it's warmth. Thus there is a great difference between the verses
'assuredly there has come to you a messenger' (9:128), and
'they should come to you' (4:64).'
This explanation given by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Sahib (
Rehmatullahi ’Alaih), seems to suggest that there are those people who are ashamed of their own personal wrongdoings, and those who expect to be forgiven, without the need for hesitation.
The first group of people, are those people, who fear Allah the Almighty, and His Beloved Messenger (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), and would go any distant, in pleasing Them, and in gaining Blessing from Them, and in asking for forgiveness from Them. They would believe, that it is only Allah the Almighty, and His Beloved Messenger (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), who have given them everything, and it is Them, who can retrieve everything.
The second group of people are those people who would never appreciate the Greatness of their Lord, and Messenger (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam). They would even object to the fact that, there is no use in going to such a place, as there is no benefit whatsoever. They are the ones who are in loss, and did not gain the
dunya, nor the
akhira, because they did not please the Allah the Almighty, and the Messenger of Allah (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam). They are the ones who were not devoted to Them, and limited Their Excellence, Greatness, Esteem, Majesty etc., thus objected to them, and objected the rulings of the Qur'an al kareem.
So, in summary, it is very virtuous, and very merituous, to go and visit a City like Madinatul Munawwarah, for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty, and the Most Beloved Messenger Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam). One may ask for forgiveness from there, and one shall be forgiven, just as the Qur'an al kareem states, without any hesitation.
May Allah the Almighty, give us all the opportunity, to see both the Houses of Allah the Almighty, and the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam), so that we may ask for forgiveness.Wallahu A'lamu BiththawaabM. Waseem Ashrafi