The Madinah Ache: Why the Heart Breaks After Leaving
- marcom401
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Written by: Ustaz Erwin Shah Effandy
Anyone who has stood in both Makkah and Madinah carries two different breaths of the sacred world in their heart. Makkah meets you with intensity; crowds surging like waves, time racing, and every step testing your patience, focus, and tawakkul. It humbles you and strips away any illusion of control, reminding you that only Allah s.w.t governs everything.
But the moment you arrive in Madinah, the soul exhales. The air softens, the streets quieten, and your heart gently settles. Worship becomes effortless, and tranquility embraces you in a way no other place can. It feels as though Madinah speaks directly to your spirit, inviting it to rest.
Yet when you leave Madinah, a quiet emptiness follows you home; a homesickness of the soul, difficult to explain. It's a feeling like post-journey sorrow, where the heart begins to wander, searching again for the peace it tasted there. And so, you yearn to return.
Here are seven reasons why the heart never stop longing for Madinah:
The Presence of the Prophet s.a.w
Madinah is the city shaped by the footsteps of Rasulullah s.a.w, where he lived amongst his Companions, taught the ummah, built a community of faith, and ultimately returned to his Lord. Every corner of the city carries echoes of his mercy, his character, and his sunnah. When you walk through its streets, you are not just moving through a place; you are walking through history, through love, through the legacy of the greatest human being ever lived.
The heart naturally gravitates toward what it loves, and for a believer, love for Madinah is inseparable from love for the Prophet s.a.w. To stand near his resting place is to feel a nearness no words can truly capture. It is this spiritual closeness that makes the heart ache to return, again and again. Even though visiting Madinah is not a required pillar of Hajj or Umrah, every pilgrim who does it feels a natural pull to also visit Madinah, drawn by the presence of the Prophet s.a.w.
The Prophet made Du’a for Madinah
When the Prophet s.a.w and his Companions left Makkah, they left behind their homes, memories, and everything familiar. Madinah, at that time, was a land known for diseases and illnesses, its harsh climate and difficult conditions. Their hearts were heavy and loving a new city felt almost impossible.
Yet Rasulullah s.a.w lifted his hands and transformed that hardship into a blessing. He made a du’a so tender and so powerful that it changed the very nature of the city:
اللَّهُمَّ حَبِّبْ إلَيْنَا المَدِينَةَ كَحُبِّنَا مَكَّةَ أوْ أشَدَّ، وصَحِّحْهَا، وبَارِكْ لَنَا في صَاعِهَا ومُدِّهَا، وانْقُلْ حُمَّاهَا فَاجْعَلْهَا بالجُحْفَةِ
O Allah, make Madinah beloved to us just as we love Makkah, or even more. Grant it good health, bless its sa‘ and its mudd , and transfer its fever and illnesses to al-Juhfah.
With this du’a, Madinah became a place of healing instead of illness, comfort instead of hardship, love instead of fear. The city that was once difficult to embrace became a sanctuary for the soul, softened by the blessings of the Prophet’s supplication.
This is why, even today, the heart feels strangely at home in Madinah. It carries the imprint of a du’a made 1,400 years ago. It is still alive, still felt and still drawing hearts back to its blessed peace.
A City of Purity, Tranquility and Divine Protection
Madinah carries many names, and among them, as taught by the Prophet s.a.w is ‘Tabah’ and ‘Taybah’. He said in a hadith:
هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ هَذِهِ طَيْبَةُ " . يَعْنِي الْمَدِينَةَ
"This is Taybah, this is Taybah, this is Taybah," meaning Madinah.
In another Narration in Sahih Bukhari, he mentioned:
"هَذِهِ طَابَةُ"
"This is Tabah."
Ibn Hajar explained that the names Taybah and Tabah reflect the city’s goodness and purity; whether due to the purity of its soil, the virtue of its inhabitants, the pleasantness of living there, or the fragrance of its land and air. This indicates that Madinah’s environment is naturally blessed, tranquil, and aesthetically beautiful, unlike other places.
It is a city imbued with sakinah (tranquillity) and divine protection. Angels guard its streets, and by Allah’s decree, it is purified from harm. The Prophet s.a.w said:
" " عَلَى أَنْقَابِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَلاَئِكَةٌ، لاَ يَدْخُلُهَا الطَّاعُونُ وَلاَ الدَّجَّالُ
Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet s.a.w said,
“On the entrances of Madinah there are angels; neither plague nor the Dajjal will enter it.”
Madinah is more than a city; it is a sanctuary where faith flourishes and hearts draw nearer to Allah s.w.t. Chosen by Allah as the destination of the Hijrah, it became the home where the Prophet s.a.w and his companions laid the foundation of a righteous and thriving community. Every street, mosque, and corner resonates with devotion, prophetic guidance, and the footsteps of those who sought Allah’s pleasure.
It is precisely these qualities; its purity, tranquility, divine protection, and sacred history, that stir the hearts of believers. To visit Madinah is to step into a place loved by the heavens, where the soul feels peace, the heart longs to remain, and Iman itself seems to return. The city calls to the faithful, not merely as a destination, but as a spiritual home where love, devotion, and divine blessings converge; a reason why believers yearn to return again and again.
The Sanctuary Where Faith Retreats
It is this very spiritual pull that leads to our next reflection: Madinah is the sanctuary where faith retreats. People yearn to return because it is the city where iman finds its home. As the Prophet s.a.w said:
" إِنَّ الإِيمَانَ لَيَأْرِزُ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ كَمَا تَأْرِزُ الْحَيَّةُ إِلَى جُحْرِهَا "
“Faith retreats to Madinah like a snake returns to its hole”
This reminds us that just as Islam once spread from Madinah with strength and authority, it will ultimately return there. Madinah is not just a city of history; it is the spiritual heart of the faith, where the religion of Allah s.w.t is rooted, nurtured, and protected.
To step into Madinah is to feel the pull of iman itself, to be close to the place where faith settles, flourishes, and draws the believer near to Allah. This is why hearts long to return again and again; to reconnect with the source of spiritual strength, guidance, and divine presence.
The Land of Revelation, Scholars, and the Best Generation
Madinah is the land where the Qur’an was not only revealed, but also lived, taught, and preserved. It is the city where the Sahabah grew in faith, character, and wisdom, and where the Prophet s.a.w found a home amongst the Ansar; those who welcomed him when the people of Makkah and Ta’if had rejected and humiliated him. The love the Prophet s.a.w had for the Ansar was so deep that he taught that true faith is reflected in one’s love for them. He, s.a.w, said:
" آيَةُ الإِيمَانِ حُبُّ الأَنْصَارِ، وَآيَةُ النِّفَاقِ بُغْضُ الأَنْصَارِ ".
"The sign of faith is to love the Ansar, and the sign of hypocrisy is to hate them."
The children and students of the companions carried forward this legacy, turning Madinah into a beacon of knowledge and guidance. The city was illuminated by giants of scholarship such as Sa’eed ibn Musayyib, Imam Malik, and other scholars of Hijaz, making it not only a sanctuary of faith but also a center of intellectual and spiritual light for generations to come.
Every street, every mountain of this blessed city whispers the memory of the Prophet s.a.w and his companions. It is a place so steeped in sacred history that the heart naturally yearns to be there, to walk where the earliest believers walked, and to feel a living connection to the foundations of Islam.
Being in Madinah allows a believer to walk in the footsteps of the best generation, to sit in the very mosques where the Qur’an was recited and taught, and to breathe in the spiritual atmosphere that shaped the early Muslims. It is a city that embodies the true spirit and identity of Islam. No wonder a heart that has once been touched by Madinah longs to return; not merely for its peace and serenity, but for the living, sacred connection it offers to the legacy of Islam.
Worship in Madinah Carries Unique Barakah
Acts of worship in Madinah is imbued with a special barakah that sets it apart from anywhere else. The Prophet s.a.w said:
صَلَاةٌ فِي مَسْجِدِي أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِي غَيْرِهِ
"A prayer in my mosque is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere."
Every step taken in the blessed city, every act of worship, carries multiplied reward. This divine blessing draws the believer back, again and again, as the heart longs to be close to the sacred spaces where the Prophet s.a.w lived, taught, and guided the ummah. Madinah is not just a city to visit; it is a sanctuary where every moment of devotion is amplified, and every act of obedience feels closer to Allah.
The Prophet s.a.w Chose to Stay in Madinah
The final profound reason why believers yearn for Madinah is one that carries immense spiritual weight.
Even after Fath Makkah, when his beloved city had embraced Islam, when its doors were open to welcome him home, and when every reason seemed to invite his return, the Prophet s.a.w did not move back to Makkah. He remained in Madinah until he returned to Allah s.w.t.
This was not merely circumstance; it was a divine indication of the city’s rank.
He, s.a.w, said in a hadith:
“مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَمُتْ بِهَا، فَإِنِّي أَشْفَعُ لِمَنْ يَمُوتُ بِهَا.”
“Whoever is able to die in Madinah, let him die there, for I will intercede for the one who dies in it.”
If the Prophet s.a.w, who loved Makkah deeply, chose to live and die in Madinah even after victory and safety had returned to his birthplace, then it reveals a truth that Madinah is not just a beloved city; it is the chosen home of the Prophet by divine wisdom.
This is why those who leave Madinah often find themselves longing for it in a way that is difficult to explain. The pull is not merely emotional, it is spiritual. It is a longing to be near the city the Prophet s.a.w chose, the city he made du’a for, the city he honoured with his life and with his burial.
Madinah holds the hearts of believers because the heart follows the beloved.
And the beloved s.a.w chose Madinah.
Conclusion: The Call of Madinah
Madinah leaves a mark on the heart that no time or distance can erase. For those who have walked its streets, prayed in the Prophet’s mosque (and other mosques), and stood near the resting place of the Prophet s.a.w, may Allah grant you the chance to return, satisfy your longing, and to drink once more from the peace, barakah, and sakinah that only this blessed city can give.
And for those who have never set foot in this sacred land, know that Allah s.w.t invites you, calling your heart toward a place where faith settles, where devotion flows naturally, and where every breath carries remembrance of Him. May He open your path, grant you the journey, and allow you to feel the same pull of the soul; the longing, the love, and the tranquility, that has drawn believers for over fourteen centuries.
Madinah is more than a city; it is a sanctuary for the heart, a home for the faithful, and a living testament that wherever the love of Allah s.w.t and His Messenger resides, the soul finds its true rest. May every pilgrim, every seeker, and every believer experience its embrace, and may the longing it awakens always guide us closer to Him. Ameen
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