✍🏻Khama Farsai: Abu Khalid
Madina... that holy city, in whose atmosphere the fragrance of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's footsteps still resides. That city, which was once illuminated by the smile of its first resident, Muhammad ﷺ,
and sometimes shed tears in his separation. This same Madina witnessed a day in history when its air became heavy, its streets trembled with lamentation, and the tear-soaked atmosphere felt as if Madina itself was weeping.
This was the day when the sacred chambers of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them), those chambers in which the secrets of the life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ were hidden, were being demolished for the expansion of Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ.
Hujrat-e-Tahirat, that epitome of simplicity that captivated hearts. These were the same chambers whose roofs were made of date palm branches and leaves, whose walls were plastered with mud and clay, whose doors were made of sackcloth and curtains, where simplicity, sanctity, and the poverty of the Prophet ﷺ shone in all their glory.
These chambers were, in fact, a practical example of the Prophetic way of life;
the same chambers where the stove was never lit, where for months on end, there was only water and dates in the house,
where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to live a very simple and pure life with his wives.
Their soil, their walls, their simplicity... everything told a story that was not written in books but in hearts.
The decision to expand Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ that shook hearts.
The era was 96 AH. The borders of Islam were expanding, people were coming to Madina in large numbers, and Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ was becoming too small for the existing congregation. The Caliph of the time, Walid bin Abdul Malik, sent an order that Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ should be expanded, and the chambers of the wives of the Prophet adjacent to it should be included in the mosque. When this order reached Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him), the governor of Madina, his heart also trembled. This decision was not a trivial one. It was a decision that reached the heart of Madina.
That is why he gathered the people of Madina: scholars, sheikhs, students of the Companions, and ordinary citizens.
He read out the Caliph's order. As soon as the words ended, it seemed as if lightning had struck the assembly. The eyes of the listeners were lowered.
Lips began to tremble. And then a sigh arose, a sigh that shook the atmosphere of Masjid al-Nabawi ﷺ. People wept and said: O Amir! These are the same chambers in which the greatest being in the world ﷺ lived a life of simplicity.
These are the houses that people take lessons from. They should not be demolished. Some people said: If only they could be left in the same condition so that future generations could see that the world had made the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the master of the universe, but he accepted voluntary poverty.
At that moment, the elderly Companion Hazrat Sahl bin Hunaif (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up. His beard was wet with tears. He said in a trembling voice: If only these chambers could be left as they are. People would know that Allah did not give His beloved ﷺ the glitter and glory of the world, but gave him poverty, asceticism, and simplicity.
Hearing these words, another wave of sobs arose in the assembly.
Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote down all these circumstances and the lamentations of the people of Madina to the Caliph, but the decision remained unchanged.
And then that moment came... when the first pickaxe was struck, the first jolt was felt, the first brick moved
then Madina seemed to scream.
The atmosphere was filled with lamentation.
The sobs of the elders, the weeping of the women, the spontaneous cries of the children, all together were creating a scene as if
Madina was feeling the same pain that it felt on the day of the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Historians write: On that day, the same weeping was heard in Madina that was heard on the day of the death of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Those historical moments were forever recorded in the atmosphere of Madina. The expansion was completed, but the hearts remained wounded forever, the chambers were demolished, the mosque became larger,
this was a necessity, an expediency for the Ummah.
But... those who had seen those chambers, who had seen the light of simplicity in their soil, always had an empty space in their hearts.
A place that no construction brick could ever fill.
Thus, Madina shed tears again one day, a painful day, in which the mud walls fell, but the greatness of the love of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ increased in the hearts.
Razina Billahi Ala Kulli Hal.