✅ Answer: Consider the following narrations:

1⃣عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ جَهْمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ أَیُّمَا أَفْضَلُ الْمُقَامُ بِمَکَّةَ أَوْ بِالْمَدِینَةِ فَقَالَ أَیَّ شَیْءٍ تَقُولُ أَنْتَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَ مَا قَوْلِی مَعَ قَوْلِکَ قَالَ إِنَّ قَوْلَکَ یَرُدُّکَ إِلَی قَوْلِی قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَمَّا أَنَا فَأَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الْمُقَامَ بِالْمَدِینَةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْمُقَامِ بِمَکَّةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَمَا لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِکَ لَقَدْ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ذَاکَ یَوْمَ فِطْرٍ وَ جَاءَ إِلَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَیْهِ فِی الْمَسْجِدِ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَدْ فُضِّلْنَا النَّاسَ الْیَوْمَ بِسَلَامِنَا عَلَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 577

Hasan ibn Jahm says: I said to Imam Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him): Which is preferable, residing in Mecca or residing in Medina? The Imam said: What do you say? I said: What is my saying compared to yours! The Imam said: Your saying leads you back to my saying! I said: But I believe that residing in Medina is preferable and better than residing in Mecca! The Imam said: Be aware that if you say this, indeed Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said it on the day of Eid al-Fitr! He came to the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), greeted him, and then said: Indeed, we have been given virtue over people today because of greeting the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!

2⃣عَنْ مُرَازِمٍ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ أَنَا وَ عَمَّارٌ وَ جَمَاعَةٌ عَلَی أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بِالْمَدِینَةِ فَقَالَ مَا مُقَامُکُمْ فَقَالَ عَمَّارٌ قَدْ سَرَّحْنَا ظَهْرَنَا وَ أَمَرْنَا أَنْ نُؤْتَی بِهِ إِلَی خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ یَوْماً فَقَالَ أَصَبْتُمُ الْمُقَامَ فِی بَلَدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَ الصَّلَاةَ فِی مَسْجِدِهِ وَ اعْمَلُوا لآِخِرَتِکُمْ وَ أَکْثِرُوا لِأَنْفُسِکُمْ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ قَدْ یَکُونُ کَیِّساً فِی الدُّنْیَا فَیُقَالُ مَا أَکْیَسَ فُلَاناً وَ إِنَّمَا الْکَیِّسُ کَیِّسُ الْآخِرَةِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 577

Marazim says: I, Ammar, and a group entered upon Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) in Medina. The Imam said: How long will you stay in Medina? Ammar said: We have sent the mounts and camels to the pasture and ordered them to be brought back for us after fifteen days! The Imam said: You have attained righteousness and correctness in residing in the city of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and praying in his mosque! Work for your hereafter and increase it for yourselves.

Indeed, sometimes a person is clever for worldly matters, and it is said how clever and shrewd so-and-so is, while the truly clever and shrewd is the one who is clever for the hereafter!

3⃣عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِی الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا أَیُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ رَجُلٌ یَأْتِی مَکَّةَ وَ لَا یَأْتِی الْمَدِینَةَ أَوْ رَجُلٌ یَأْتِی النَّبِیَّ وَ لَا یَبْلُغُ مَکَّةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِی أَیَّ شَیْءٍ تَقُولُونَ أَنْتُمْ فَقُلْتُ نَحْنُ نَقُولُ فِی الْحُسَیْنِ علیه السلام فَکَیْفَ فِی النَّبِیِّ فَقَالَ أَمَا لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِکَ لَقَدْ شَهِدَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عِیداً بِالْمَدِینَةِ فانصرف فَدَخَلَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَیْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِمَنْ حَضَرَهُ أما لَقَدْ فُضِّلْنَا أَهْلَ الْبُلْدَانِ کُلَّهُمْ مَکَّةَ فَمَنْ دُونَهَا لِسَلَامِنَا عَلَی رَسُولِ اللَّهِ.

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 331

Hasan ibn Jahm says: I said to Imam Reza (peace be upon him): Which is preferable: a person who comes to Mecca but does not come to Medina, or a person who comes to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) but does not reach Mecca?! The Imam said: What do you say? I said: We believe this about Imam Hussain (peace be upon him), let alone about the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)!

The Imam said: Be aware that if you say this, indeed Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was present in Medina on an Eid day, and he entered upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and greeted him. Then he said to those present with him: Be aware that we have been given virtue over the people of all cities, from Mecca and beyond, because of greeting the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)!

✅ The virtue of residing in Medina over residing in Mecca is clear from the above narrations and others, and it is fitting for pilgrims to Medina to value the days of their stay in Medina.

However, this does not mean abandoning residence in Mecca; it merely clarifies which is preferable.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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