The Ruling on Going to Mada'in Saleh

Question:
He says, not the Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. What is the ruling on going to Mada'in Saleh to take a lesson and a warning?

Answer:
No, going there is not allowed. But if you are a traveler passing by and you want to enter, it is better that you do not enter. However, if you want to enter, you must be in a state of fear and weeping, lest you be afflicted as they were afflicted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: they were afflicted. But unfortunately, hearts have now become hard, and people go there for a picnic; they do not go to reach the lesson. Yes.
And the admiration for these ruins and these… the civilization of the first ones, what Allah willed, they take pride in it, but it does not lead to taking a lesson or comprehending it. The situation has changed now, yes. So the result is that you do not travel to them at all, but if you pass by them, it is better that you bypass them. And if you want to enter them, you must be weeping and fearful, and you must not feel at ease in them or relax in them, because some of them stay there and spend days residing there, eating and drinking comfortably, and they do not remember the punishment, nor do they see the traces left behind by these people despite their strength, and they became no… , and their strength did not benefit them.