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As for the visit to Madinah, when
your eyes alight on the city walls, remember that this
is the town which God, Great and Glorious is He,
selected for His Prophet (peace be upon him) and made it
the goal of his migration. Remember that this was his
home where he promulgated the binding decrees of his
Lord, Great and Glorious is He, established his own
exemplary precedents, strove against his foes, and
proclaimed his religion until God Almighty took him to
Himself.
It then came to house his tomb, and
the tombs of two of his aides who upheld the truth after
him (may God be pleased with them).
Envisage next, the footprints of
God's Messenger as he went about the city. Aware that
his precious feet have trodden in every place where feet
may tread, you must walk with dignity and caution.
Recall how he used to walk about its
streets, picturing to yourself his humility and his
graceful gait. Think of the tremendous wisdom God,
Glorified is He, entrusted to his heart, how He has
exalted his memory along with His own, even linking
remembrance of him to remembrance of Himself and how He
frustrated the work of those who showed him disrespect,
if only by raising their voices above his.
Reflect then on the great favor God,
Exalted is He, bestowed on those who enjoyed his
fellowship, and who were fortunate enough to see him in
the flesh and to hear him speak.
You should feel a great regret at
having missed his companionship, and that of his
Companions (may God be pleased with them). Remember that
it has not been given to you to see him in this life,
and that to see him in the life to come is to place
yourself in jeapordy. For it may be that you will grieve
when you see him, having been prevented from being
accepted by him because of your bad deeds, for as he
(peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"God will raise certain people
to me and they will say: "O Muhammad!" I shall
say: "Lord, these are my Companions." But He
will say: "You do not know what practices they
introduced after you had left them." Then I shall
say: "Let them be far removed from
me""(Bukhari)
In the affirmation of faith, you
say, "There is none worthy of worship but God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
If you have ceased to respect the
sanctity of his law, be it only for one instant, you
have no guarantee that you will not be barred from him
because of your deviation from his way.
Nonetheless, you should have great
your hope that God Most High will not keep you from him
after He has granted you faith and sent you forth from
your homeland in order to visit him, not for purposes of
trade or worldly gain, but purely for love of him and
longing to see his traces and the wall of his tomb.
Since you embarked on this journey
for that reason alone, having missed the opportunity of
seeing him in the flesh, you surely deserve the
compassionate regard of God Most High.
On reaching the Mosque, you should
recall that this is the site selected by God Almighty
for His prophet , and for the first and most virtuous of
the Muslims.
Remember that the laws decreed by
God, Glorified is He, were first observed at this spot,
and that the best of God's creatures, living or dead,
have gathered here. Be most hopeful, therefore, that God
Most High will mercifully bless your entrance, and make
that entrance in all humility and veneration.
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