Visiting the City of God’s Messenger

Muslims regard Prophet Muhammad to be the moral example and chosen guide for mankind.

He is the last prophet who received the last Testament to complete the revelation of the Old and New Testaments that were revealed to the Prophets Musa (Moses) and ‘Isa (Jesus).

Visiting his tomb at Madinah is not an essential obligation to make Hajj valid or complete. Honoring him remains a matter of the heart, and a Muslim proves his love towards the Prophet by following his path of Islam.

However, it is strongly recommended that whoever can reach Madinah should visit the Prophet’s burial place to pay his respect to the greatest teacher that the world has ever known.

Remembering his struggle for justice and equality, the Muslim knows in his heart that Muhammad was a humble human being. His message was sacred, but he died like any other human being and the ultimate sacredness and divinity remains for Allah only.

Aware that Prophet Muhammad’s precious steps have trodden in every place around Madinah, the pilgrim ought to walk with dignity and caution, recalling the Messenger’s humility and graceful gait. The purpose should be pure love for the Prophet and longing to behold his city of refuge and early Islamic society.

Visiting the tomb should be controlled by the most decent manners, for visiting a Prophet in death should be as visiting him in life. One should approach the tomb as he would approach the noble person of the Prophet if he were still alive.

Touching and kissing the tomb is not allowed. Muslims’ respect and love is not for the walls or stones of any tomb, not even that of the Prophet, but should be for the great message and the noble person who strived to convey it throughout his life.

To conclude, throughout Hajj, the pilgrim should watch the duties of his heart at all stages. He will realize if he has been accepted or not by watching his heart and its conduct.

If he finds his heart adverse to this world and inclined to be intimate with Allah, then he may count on acceptance, for Allah accepts only those whom He loves.

Throughout the performance of Hajj, the pilgrim can easily observe that it is a course of spiritual enrichment and moral rearmament, a journey of intensified devotion and disciplinary experience, a course of humanitarian interests and inspiring knowledge, all put together in one single Pillar of Islam.