Residence in Mecca: Difference between revisions

The word "iqamah" (residency) is derived from the root "q-w-m," meaning to settle, continue, and take up residence.<ref>''Al-Ain'', vol. 5, p. 232; ''Al-Sihah'', vol. 5, pp. 2016-2017, "qawm."</ref>

==History of Residency in Mecca==

Based on historical and hadith sources, the history of residency in [[Mecca]] dates back to ancient times. It is reported that [[Adam (Prophet)|Prophet Adam (a)]], after his descent to earth, built the [[Ka'ba]] by God's command and performed the [[Hajj rituals]] in Mecca and the land of [[Mina]].<ref>''Akhbar Mecca'', Azraqi, vol. 1, pp. 36-37; ''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 229; ''Tarikh Mecca al-Musharrafah'', pp. 26-27.</ref> Also, [[Prophet Abraham (A.S.)]], by God's command, settled his wife [[Hagar]] and his son [[Ishmael (prophet)|Ishmael]] in Mecca near the Kaaba to facilitate the rebuilding of the Kaaba and the prosperity of Mecca.<ref>Surah Ibrahim, verse 37.</ref> Many scholars resided in Mecca for years and became known as "[[Jarullah]]".

Shi'a jurists hold two views, a well-known and a less well-known one, regarding residency in Mecca.

====Well-known View====

In narrations and jurisprudential sources, several reasons are mentioned for this reprehensibility, including: the hardening of the heart due to residency in Mecca,<ref>''Ilal al-Shara'i'', vol. 2, p. 446; ''Al-Muqni'ah'', p. 444.</ref> the greater ugliness of committing sins in Mecca compared to other places,<ref>''Al-Durus'', vol. 1, p. 471; ''Wasa'il al-Shi'ah'', vol. 13, pp. 231-232; ''Jawahir al-Kalam'', vol. 20, p. 70.</ref> the forced departure (migration) of the Prophet (PBUH) from Mecca,<ref>''Ilal al-Shara'i'', vol. 2, p. 446.</ref> the loss of respect for Mecca due to continuous presence there,<ref>See: ''Masalik al-Ifham'', vol. 2, p. 380.</ref> the necessity of maintaining a desire to be present in Mecca, and avoiding weariness due to residency there.<ref>''Al-Kafi'', vol. 4, p. 230; ''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 254.</ref>

====Less Well-known View====

In contrast, there are narrations from which the recommendability of residing in Mecca can be understood;<ref>''Al-Tahdhib'', vol. 5, p. 476.</ref> <ref>''Al-Kafi'', vol. 2, p. 612; ''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 226.</ref><ref>''Al-Mahasin'', vol. 1, p. 68; ''Al-Tahdhib'', vol. 5, p. 468.</ref> The purport of these narrations is the superiority of residing in Mecca over residing in other cities, the equivalence of eating in Mecca to fasting elsewhere,<ref>''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 227.</ref> and the equivalence of sleeping in Mecca to night vigil<ref>''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 228.</ref> and [[Jihad]] or [[martyrdom]] in other lands.

 

 

Others have considered residing in Mecca for trade to be [[Makruh]] and for worship to be [[Mustahab]].<ref>''Al-Durus'', vol. 1, p. 472; ''Al-Rasa'il al-Ashar'', p. 226; ''Jawahir al-Kalam'', vol. 20, pp. 72-73.</ref> Still others, based on hadiths,<ref>''Al-Kafi'', vol. 4, p. 230.</ref> have conditioned the reprehensibility of residing in Mecca on staying for one year or more, and believe that if the residency is less than one year<ref>''Al-Jami' li al-Shara'i'', p. 230; ''Kashf al-Litham'', vol. 6, p. 284.</ref> or if the resident leaves Mecca during the year and returns,<ref>''Majma al-Fa'idah'', vol. 7, p. 382; ''Wasa'il al-Shi'ah'', vol. 13, p. 232.</ref> their residency is not reprehensible. Some jurists have conditioned the reprehensibility of residing in Mecca on it being more than three years, and have not considered residency for less than that to be reprehensible.<ref>''Majma al-Fa'idah'', vol. 7, p. 387.</ref> According to another view, residing in Mecca is reprehensible only for those who are not safe from hardening of the heart, and not for others.<ref>''Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih'', vol. 2, p. 254, footnote.</ref>

Sunni jurists disagree about the taklifi ruling on residency in Mecca. Some of them have ruled it reprehensible, and some have ruled it recommended.<ref>''Al-Majmu'', vol. 8, p. 278; ''Fayd al-Qadir'', vol. 1, p. 535; ''Hashiyat Radd al-Muhtar'', vol. 2, p. 577.</ref> Among the leaders of the [[Sunni schools of thought]], [[Abu Hanifa]] and [[Malik]] believe in the reprehensibility of residing there.<ref>''Al-Majmu'', vol. 8, p. 278; ''Fayd al-Qadir'', vol. 1, p. 535; ''Ruh al-Ma'ani'', vol. 17, p. 140.</ref> Their support comes from hadiths that emphasize returning from Mecca after performing the [[Hajj rituals]]<ref>''Al-Mustadrak'', vol. 1, p. 477; ''Al-Sunan al-Kubra'', vol. 5, p. 259.</ref> and also narrations that consider the ugliness of committing sins in Mecca to be multiplied compared to other cities.<ref>''Al-Musannaf'', vol. 5, p. 28.</ref> According to these hadiths, prolonged residency in Mecca leads to familiarity with it, which diminishes respect for this land and increases sin. In contrast, returning from Mecca keeps alive the desire to visit the House of God again.<ref>''Sharh Fath al-Qadir'', vol. 3, p. 178; ''Mirqat al-Mafatih'', vol. 9, p. 200.</ref> In contrast, some [[Shafi'is]]<ref>''Al-Majmu'', vol. 8, p. 278.</ref> and [[Hanafis]]<ref>''Al-Bahr al-Ra'iq'', vol. 2, pp. 526-527; ''Al-Durr al-Mukhtar'', vol. 2, p. 690.</ref>, in an attempt to reconcile the hadiths, believe in the recommendability of residing in Mecca, except in cases where there is a greater fear of committing sins or disrespecting the [[Kaaba|House of God]].

 

Unlike residency in Mecca, whose reprehensibility, either absolutely or conditionally, is agreed upon by jurists, Imami jurists<ref>''Al-Muhadhdhab'', vol. 1, p. 283; ''Tahrir al-Ahkam'', vol. 2, p. 118; ''Majma al-Fa'idah'', vol. 7, p. 431.</ref> and most Sunni jurists<ref>''Al-Mughni'', vol. 3, pp. 587-588; ''Fath al-Bari'', vol. 4, p. 79; ''Fayd al-Qadir'', vol. 3, p. 342.</ref>, based on hadiths,<ref>''Sahih Muslim'', vol. 4, pp. 118, 120; ''Al-Kafi'', vol. 4, p. 557; ''Al-Tahdhib'', vol. 6, p. 14.</ref> believe in the recommendability of residing and [[residency in Medina]]. Some have considered the superiority of residing in Medina over Mecca, as mentioned in reports, to be weak, and assuming its authenticity, have attributed it to the period before the [[Conquest of Mecca]] or during the Prophet's (PBUH) lifetime.<ref>''Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir'', vol. 4, p. 288; ''Kashshaf al-Qina'', vol. 2, p. 548; ''Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi'', vol. 10, p. 294.</ref>

==Footnotes==

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