A Discussion of the Narrations

1) The Most Beloved City to God and the Prophet

Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.) said: “The most beloved land to God Almighty is Mecca, and no soil is more beloved to God, the Mighty and Sublime, than its soil, and no stone is more beloved to God than its stone, and no tree is more beloved to God than its tree, and no mountains are more beloved to God than its mountains, and no water is more beloved to God than its water.”(212)

From Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) remarked upon leaving Mecca: “By God, I am leaving, knowing that you are the most beloved land to God and the most honored by God. If it were not for your people expelling me, I would not have left.” He also said to Mecca: “How good a city you are and how beloved you are to me. If it were not for my people forcing me out, I would not have dwelled anywhere else.”(213)

Note: While it’s conceivable that certain times and places possess unique qualities due to a divine root they hold in the sacred realm, it appears that the sanctity of time and place derives from what they embody and represent. Mecca’s preeminence as the most revered land lies in its ancient role as the cradle of tawḥīd (monotheism), the center of divine revelation, and the birthplace, nurturing ground, and place of manifestation for numerous prophets and saints. This history of purity culminated in the ultimate monotheism, the revelation of the Qur’an, and the ascension of the Seal of the Prophets (s.a.w.) to the exalted rank of final prophethood.

2) The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) Supplication for the People of Medina

From ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (a.s.), who said: The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) prayed: “O God, indeed Abraham was Your servant and Your intimate friend, and he supplicated to You for the people of Mecca for blessings. I am Muḥammad, Your servant and messenger, and I supplicate to You for the people of Medina, that You bless them in their ṣāʿ and their mudd just as You blessed the people of Mecca, and grant them twice the blessings.”(214)

Note: Medina was deserving of the supplication of the Seal of the Prophets (s.a.w.) and of becoming a sanctuary, as it was, like Mecca, a place where revelation descended, with many chapters of the Qur’an revealed there. Additionally, it served as the base for the establishment of the Islamic government. The Qur’an recognizes the people of this region as the anṣār (helpers) of God’s religion and as the companions of the emigrants for God’s cause: “They love those who emigrated to them” [59:9]. The blessing of Medina persists as long as its people uphold the core principles of belief, the foundations of ethics, and the branches of jurisprudence.

3) The Sanctity and Security of Mecca

From Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.), who said: “When the Quraysh demolished the Kaʿba, they found in its foundations a stone with an inscription they could not decipher. They called a man who read it. It said: ‘I am God, the Possessor of Bakka. I sanctified it on the day I created the heavens and the earth, placed it between these two mountains, and surrounded it with seven angels as a protective guard.’”(215)

From Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.), who said: “When the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) entered Mecca on the day of its conquest... he declared: ‘Indeed, God sanctified Mecca on the day He created the heavens and the earth. It is sacred by God’s sanctity until the Day of Resurrection. Its game should not be hunted, its trees should not be cut, its grass should not be uprooted, and any lost property should only be picked up by someone who announces it.’” Al-ʿAbbās then said: “O Messenger of God, except the idh__khir (a type of grass), as it is used for graves and homes?” The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) replied: “Except the idh__khir.”(216)

From Muʿāwiya ibn ʿAmmār, who reported that the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) said on the day of the conquest of Mecca: “Indeed, God sanctified Mecca on the day He created the heavens and the earth, and it remains sacred until the Hour is established. It was not lawful for anyone before me, nor will it be lawful for anyone after me. It was only permitted for me for a single hour of the day.”(217)

Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.) said: “Whoever enters the sanctuary, whether seeking refuge from among the people, is safe from God’s wrath. And whoever among the beasts or birds enters it is safe from disturbance or harm until they leave the sanctuary.”(218)

From Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.), who said: “The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) said: ‘Indeed, Mecca is God’s sanctuary, which Abraham (a.s.) sanctified, and indeed Medina is my sanctuary...’”(219)

Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.) further mentioned: “...The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) sanctified the area between the two stony fields (lābas) of Medina...”(220)

Note: The sanctity of Mecca dates back to ancient times, primarily because it houses the Kaʿba, its final and divinely ordained location. Narrations regarding prophets performing circumambulation before Abraham (a.s.) align with this ancient reverence. The sanctity and security associated with Abraham (a.s.)’s role in establishing the Kaʿba were therefore a continuation of this divine designation, sustained with God’s permission.

From another perspective, Abraham’s act of sanctifying Mecca can be likened to the verse, “You did not throw when you threw, but it was God who threw” [8:17]. In a similar manner, one might say, “You did not sanctify when you sanctified, but it was God who sanctified.” In other words, when Abraham (a.s.) sanctified Mecca, he was not acting independently; rather, he was the medium through which God’s command was manifested. Thus, the sanctity of Mecca was ultimately by God’s will, and Abraham (a.s.) served as the channel for this divine decree.

It is narrated from Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.) that an inscription found on a stone stated, “I am God, the Possessor of Bakka. I established it on the day I created the heavens and the earth, surrounding it with seven angels. It is blessed for its people with water and milk, and sustenance reaches it from three paths: from its highest, lowest, and mountain pass.” This assurance of divine provision illustrates the special status of Mecca in both spiritual and worldly sustenance.(221)

Another narration mentions an inscription that reads, “This is the Sacred House of God in Mecca. God has guaranteed sustenance for its people from three paths, blessing them with meat and water.” This divine guarantee reflects God’s commitment to fulfill the needs of Mecca’s people, sustaining them through the flows of provision directed towards the sanctuary.(222)

Abū Jaʿfar (a.s.) clarifies that when Abraham (a.s.) asked God to provide Mecca’s people with fruits, it encompassed “fruits brought from various horizons,” highlighting a wider, international supply reaching the holy city.(223)

Al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) offered another interpretation: the “fruits” are the fruits of the hearts, implying that people are drawn towards the sanctuary, enhancing love, repentance, and spiritual attraction towards Mecca and its residents.(224)

Further, in a unique narration, Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā (a.s.) recounts that God, in response to Abraham’s plea for sustenance, commanded a piece of land from Jordan to move and circumambulate the Kaʿba seven times. This land was named al-Ṭāʾif, meaning “the one that circumambulates,” symbolizing the divine arrangement to bring sustenance in response to Abraham’s (a.s.) invocation.(225)

Allusions:

a) Just as pilgrims to the Kaʿba, on both well-fed and emaciated mounts, make their way to the sanctuary from every region, so too do traders bring a variety of goods—whether agricultural, livestock, or industrial—to Mecca from across deserts and mountain passes.

b) The months of Ḥajj follow a lunar cycle rather than a solar one, shifting through different seasons over the years. This variability, along with the Earth’s spherical shape and the range of climates across different regions, ensures a variety of conditions. Additionally, the sustenance, innovation, and technologies in various cities lead to diverse goods. Consequently, due to Abraham’s (a.s.) supplication for Mecca and the Noble Messenger’s (s.a.w.) supplication for Medina, both cities benefit from a wide array of products during Ḥajj and ʿUmra.

c) While security and abundant blessings are necessary, they alone are not enough to draw people in. Other regions may also offer these benefits. The key factor is the attraction of hearts and the genuine inclination of people to visit. Hence, in addition to his supplications for security and prosperity, Abraham (a.s.) also prayed for the attraction of people’s hearts, saying, “So make the hearts of some people yearn towards them.” This yearning, often interpreted as the “fruit of the hearts” or love, connects directly to the latter part of Abraham’s supplication.

d) Regarding the narration of the circumambulation by Ṭāʾif, after accounting for the limitations in relying on a single narration, the matter may still need interpretation. If interpretation is not possible, the knowledge should be entrusted to those firmly grounded in understanding, namely, the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.).

5) The Clear Examples of the Believers and Disbelievers

From ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a.s.): “Regarding the saying of Abraham, ‘My Lord, make this a secure city and provide its people with fruits — whoever of them believes in God,’ he intended us by that, along with his friends and the followers of his successor.”

As for the continuation, ‘And whoever disbelieves — I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire,’ he explained: “This refers to whoever rejects his successor (waṣī) and does not follow him among his people. By God, this describes the state of this nation.”(226)

Note: The Wise Qur’an serves as a guide for nurturing God-consciousness in humanity. Every perfection mentioned within this divine revelation finds its fullest realization in the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of infallibility and purity (a.s.). Likewise, every fault and deficiency highlighted within the Qur’an is outwardly embodied by those who oppose these infallible beings. However, it is essential to recognize that the Qur’anic message of glad tidings and warnings, praise and criticism, and promises of reward and punishment are not limited to these two examples alone.

6) The Benefit of the Disbelievers from the Fruits

“Abraham asked his Lord to provide sustenance for those who believe in Him. God replied: ‘O Abraham! I will also provide sustenance to the one who disbelieves. I will grant him enjoyment for a little; then I will force him to the punishment of the Fire, and wretched is the destination.’”(227)

Note:

a) In the course of the exegesis, it was clarified that Abraham’s supplication does not exclude or deny sustenance to the disbelievers. Instead, it merely lacks comprehensiveness; meaning he did not specifically pray for the disbelievers, but nor did he curse them.

b) Out of respect for the Kaʿba and the Sanctuary, God granted blessings even to the disbelievers.

c) The disbelievers are of two kinds: some are from the progeny of Abraham, while others are not. This means that just as the descendants of Abraham are divided into believers and disbelievers, the disbelievers also include both his descendants and those who are not.