Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I have read that there are only three places in the world which have religious significance in Islam, which are the Masjid-ul-Haraam, Masjid-e-Nabwi and Masjid-e-Aqsa. Is the Prophet Muhammad`s (salalah-alehe-wasalam) house in mecca and madinah also has any religiuos siginificance. And for that matter any other place in the world which apparently may seem sacred has any religious significance.

Jazaak Allah Khair 

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Answer:

Significance of holy places

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saws) said, "You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place (for worship) other than the three Mosques: the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, this mosque of mine (in Madinah), and Al-Aqsa Mosque (of Jerusalem)."

Related by Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to take a special journey to any place of worship, or considering a place holier than others, or assuming that worship there might bring a better reward than worship elsewhere except the Three Holy Mosques of Makkah, Madinah, and Al-Aqsa.

All the other places of worship in the world except the three Holy Mosques have absolutely no religious superiority over another, nor is one considered holier than another, nor better than another, nor does worship in one earn more reward than in another.

Is the Prophet Muhammad`s (salalah-alehe-wasalam) house in mecca and madinah also has any religiuos siginificance

The Prophet’s (saws) house in Makkah or Madinah, or the grave of the Prophet (saws) or his family or his companions, or the cave where the first Revelations of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet (saws), or the battle-fields of Badr, or Uhud, or Ahzaab, etc. do indeed hold historical significance in Islam; but absolutely no religious significance, nor are these places considered holy in Islam. Worship at any of these locations earn the exact same reward as worship done anywhere else in the world, except in the Three Holy Mosques.

If one is in or visits Makkah or Madinah or anywhere else, and one wishes to visit these or other historical sites of the Muslims, there is absolutely no harm….but there is absolutely no particular or specific worship that needs to be performed at any of these historical sites.

The believers must fear Allah and abstain from traveling to the many tombs and shrines that the ignorant have built over the graves of some righteous and pious believers and ‘imams’ who served the Cause of Allah. The building of such shrines and tombs is absolutely prohibited in Islam, leave alone traveling to visit them, or commemorating specific rites and rituals for them!

Abu Hurairah narrated: "The Prophet (saws) said: 'May Allah curse Jews and Christians for they turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship'.'' Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

Aishah reported: "Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah mentioned to Allah's Messenger (saws) a church in which they saw drawings while in Abyssinia, whereupon he (saws) said: 'Those people used to build a place of worship over the grave of a righteous man among them when he died and make such drawings in it. These will be the worst of people in the Sight of Allah on the Day of Resurrection.''

Related by Bukhari and Muslim.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan