Residence in Mecca: Difference between revisions

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.

Some Imami jurists have attempted to reconcile these narrations to remove the apparent contradiction between them. One group has considered the hadiths indicating the reprehensibility of residing in Mecca to apply to those who greatly fear committing sins and disrespecting the Kaaba. However, for those who do not fear committing sins or disrespect, they have considered residing in Mecca to be recommended.<ref>''Al-Durus'', vol. 1, p. 471; ''Al-Rasa'il al-Ashar'', p. 226.</ref>

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==

{{footnotes}}