Ruling on Intending to Visit Mada'in Saleh
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His Eminence the Shaykh: What is the ruling on intending to visit Mada'in Saleh? And what is the ruling on visiting it if a person is heading north and passes by it on his return journey, merely passing through?
As for passing by it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by it, but he hastened, may Allah praise and bless him, and lowered his head.And he said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: (Do not enter upon these people who were punished unless you are weeping, lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them. If you are not weeping, do not enter upon them) It is not permissible for a person to go to these cities for sightseeing or recreation, but rather for taking a lesson accompanied by weeping. Otherwise, safety lies in leaving them alone.And the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (Lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them) His intention is not the general punishment; because this Ummah—praise be to Allah—will not be punished in a general way. But rather, lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them in terms of hardness of heart, turning away, and abandoning the religion. The wisdom of this is: that people who go to these lands in a manner other than what the Messenger, may Allah praise and bless him, intended, will develop a sense of exalting these people in their hearts; because of what they see of the precision, strength, and power of the construction. And if the exalting of a disbeliever takes place in the heart of a believer, he is in great danger: (Lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them) And some people say: How is this? And this Ummah has not been punished with a general punishment.We say: Hardness of heart and turning away from the Shari'ah.
As for passing by it, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by it, but he hastened, may Allah praise and bless him, and lowered his head.And he said, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon him: (Do not enter upon these people who were punished unless you are weeping, lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them. If you are not weeping, do not enter upon them) It is not permissible for a person to go to these cities for sightseeing or recreation, but rather for taking a lesson accompanied by weeping. Otherwise, safety lies in leaving them alone.And the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): (Lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them) His intention is not the general punishment; because this Ummah—praise be to Allah—will not be punished in a general way. But rather, lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them in terms of hardness of heart, turning away, and abandoning the religion. The wisdom of this is: that people who go to these lands in a manner other than what the Messenger, may Allah praise and bless him, intended, will develop a sense of exalting these people in their hearts; because of what they see of the precision, strength, and power of the construction. And if the exalting of a disbeliever takes place in the heart of a believer, he is in great danger: (Lest you be afflicted with what afflicted them) And some people say: How is this? And this Ummah has not been punished with a general punishment.We say: Hardness of heart and turning away from the Shari'ah.