Calling Mecca” Al-Mukarraamah” and Madeenah “Al- Munawwaarah”
By: Al-Faqeeha, Al-‘Alaamah Muhammad ibn Salih Al-‘Uthaymeen(May Allah rest him in Jannah)
Question: Is the word Al-Mukarraamah a description for Mecca and Al-Munawwaarah a description for Madeenah? Are these words bid’ah? Is it better to say Mecca Al-Mukarraamah Al-Muharramah and Madeenah An-Nabaweeyah? May Allah reward you abundantly.
Answer: I don’t know about any of the Salaf who described Mecca as Al-Mukarraamah. They only used to say “Mecca”. The same goes for Madeenah. They didn’t describe it as Al-Munawwaarah. They only used to call it “Madeenah”. However, recently these words have been used describe those two cities.
Allah has called Mecca safe ;and named it as a sacred city in His verse.
إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِي حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
“I (Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him) have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city (Makkah), Him Who has sanctified it and His is everything. And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam).” An-Naml 91.
No doubt Madeenah is the city of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and it is pure; as he (peace and blessings be upon him) called it. The people have made it a norm to call Mecca Al-Mukarraamah and Madeenah Al-Munawwaarah. If only they would say Mecca and Madeenah! We can’t exalt and glorify these two cities better than our Salaf- Pious predessors.
http://sound.binothaimeen.com/sound/rpm/a0093/002.html
Note it is the 17th question. With Allah is the success.
Translated by: Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle
Doha, Qatar. 8/6/1429