English
Yahya ibn Sa'id narrated that while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting near a grave being dug in Madinah, a man looked into it and said: "What a terrible resting place for a believer!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "How terrible is what you said!" The man replied: "O Messenger of Allah, I didn't mean that. I meant dying in Allah's cause." The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Nothing compares to dying in Allah's cause. There is no place on earth where I would prefer to be buried more than this" - meaning Madinah - which he repeated three times.
Possible references (unverified, pending editorial review)
- Candidate: Mishkat al-Masabih 2764 (unverified) 30% confidence
Mishkat (candidate) 2764
Confidence and text similarity are not editorial verification.
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Note 2
(2) The statement: "No place on earth where I would prefer to be buried": Scholars unanimously agreed that dying in Madinah is superior after initially differing on whether residing in Makkah or Madinah is better. This shows the virtue of that sacred place, not necessarily the city's superiority. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would pray: "O Allah, grant me martyrdom in Your cause and let me die in the city of Your Messenger." Consensus holds that the Prophet's burial place is superior to Makkah, the Ka'bah, even the Throne. As in Al-Mirqat.
Note 1
(۱) قوله: ما على الأرض بقعة أحب إلي: وقد أجمع العلماء على أن الموت بالمدينة أفضل بعد اختلافهم أن المجاورة بمكة أفضل أو بالمدينة أكمل، ولهذا كان من دعاء عمر الله: اللهم ارزقني شهادة في سبيلك واجعل موتي ببلد رسولك، وليس فيه دلالة على أفضلية المدينة، بل لأفضلية البقعة المكينة، وقد قام الإجماع على أنها أفضل من مكة، بل من الكعبة، بل من العرش الأعظم. كذا في «المرقاة».