188 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMADAlso in the sahih collections is the hadith of Mdik, quoting Yahya h. Sa'id as
saying that he heard Abii al-Hubab Sacid b. Yasar report, "I heard Abii Hurayra
say, 'The Messenger of God (SAAS) commented, "I was commanded to go to
a town that eats up other towns; they call it 'Yathrib', but it is 'al-Madina'. It
purifies men just as a bellows purifies the dross from iron."'"
Iman Malik is unique among the four Im-s in giving Medina preference
over Mecca.
Al-Bayhaqi stated, "The hdfi? Abii <Abd Allah quoted Abii d-Walid and Aha
Bakr b. 'Abd All&, both of whom said, 'Al-Hasan b. Sufym related to us, quot-
ing Aba Miisa al-Anszri, quoting Sacid b. Sacid, quoting his brother, from Aba
Hurayra, that the Messenger of God (SAAS) stated, "0 God, you have brought
me out of the town that is dearest to me; let me now dwell in the town dearest to
You." And God sent hi to dwell in Medina."'
This hadith is extremely strange.
It is very widely known and accepted that Mecca is better than Medina, except
for that place that holds the body of the Messenger of God (SAAS).
Most authorities give many proofs of that, these being too many to refer to
here; we have referenced their location in al-Man~sik mm al-Ahkdm (The Rites of
the Hajj m the Sharica).
The most famous proof for them of this is in what Imam Ahad stated,
namely, "Abii d-Yaman related to us, quoting Shukyb, quoting al-Zuhri and
Abii Salama h. <Abd al-Rahan that 'Abd All* b.cAdi b. al-Hamra' told hi
that he heard the Prophet (SAAS), while standing at al-Hazwara in the market
of Mecca, say, 'By God, I swear that of all God's earth you are the best, and the
dearest to me; and had I not been forced out of you I would never have left."'
Mmad related the same, from Yacqoh b. Ibrahim, from his father, from Sdih
b. Kaysn, from al-Zuhri.
Al-Tirmidhi related it thus, as did al-Nasa1i and Ibn Maja, from a hadith of
al-Layth, from 'Uqayl, from al-Zuhri. Al-Tirmidhi stated it to be "hasan, $ahi!z',
"good and authentic".
Yonus related this from al-Zuhri. Muhammad b. 'Amr related it from Abii
Salama b. 'Abd al-Rahmsn, from Abo Hurayra. In my view the hadith of
al-Zuhri is more reliable.
Ima Ahmad stated, "'Abd al-Razzaq related to us, quoting Macmar, from
al-Zuhri, from Aba Salama h. 'Abd al-Rahman, from Abii Hurayra, who said,
'The Messenger of God (SAAS) stood at al-Hazwara and said, "I know you to
be of all God's earth the best, and the dearest to me; and if your people had not
expelled me I would not have forsaken you."'"
Al-Nasa'i related this thus from an account of Macmar.
The hdfiq al-Bayhaqi stated, "This is a mistake on Macmar's part."
Some authorities relate this from Muhammad b. 'Atnr, from Abii Salama,
from Abii Hurayra; it too is a misconception, the authentic version being that of
the community of scholars.