It is narrated from Humr bin Abd Kallal that Amir al-Mu’minin Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, after his first journey, set out towards Syria. When he neared Syria, he received news that a plague epidemic had spread there. His companions said to him that he should not go there and should return from here, because if he went there, they feared he might be afflicted by it. So he turned back towards Madinah Munawwarah. On the first night of the return journey, he stopped somewhere to rest for a while. Of all the people, I was the closest to him. When he woke up, I also sat up. I heard him saying,“I had reached as far as Syria, but these people made me return, merely because there was a plague there. Yet, my returning from there cannot delay my death, and my going there would not have hastened my death. Beware! Now, after going to Madinah and completing my necessary tasks, I will again go towards Syria and then stay in Homs. I have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: Allah Almighty will raise from there, on the Day of Resurrection, seventy thousand such people upon whom there will be no reckoning or punishment. They will be raised from Barath-e-Ahmar, between its olives and its gardens.”

It is narrated from the servant of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyida Maymunah bint Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with her), that she said: O Messenger of Allah! Please tell us something about Bayt al-Maqdis. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is the place where people will be gathered and resurrected. Go there and offer prayers, for one prayer there is better than a thousand prayers elsewhere. She asked: What is your opinion if someone cannot go there or cannot bear the hardship of travel, what should he do? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He should send olive oil to be burnt there (for its lamps). Whoever sends oil there, it is as if he has prayed there.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sulaiman bin Dawood (peace be upon him) made three supplications to Allah Almighty. Allah accepted two of his supplications, and we hope that Allah will also accept his third supplication. He prayed to Allah that his judgment should be in accordance with Allah’s judgment, and Allah accepted this supplication. His second supplication was that Allah grant him such a kingdom that no one after him would have such a kingdom, and Allah also accepted this supplication. His third supplication was that whoever leaves his house solely to perform prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa, he should be cleansed of sins as pure as he was on the day of his birth. We hope that Allah Almighty has also accepted this supplication of his.