ONE HADITH A DAY
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim · Authentic hadith
عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما "أَنَّ رسُول الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم- كَانَ يَخرُجُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الشَّجَرَةِ، وَيَدْخُلُ مِنْ طَرِيقِ الْمُعَرَّس، وَإِذَا دَخَلَ مَكَّةَ دَخَلَ مِنَ الثَنِيَّةِ العُلْيَا، وَيَخْرُجُ مِنَ الثَنِيَّةِ السُّفْلَى".
“‘‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to go by way of Ash-Shajarah and return by way of Al-Mu‘arras. He would also enter Makkah through the Higher Pass and leave through the Lower Pass.”
The Hadīth of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar )may Allah be pleased with him) highlights the recommendation of taking different routes when going to and returning from the Eid and Friday prayers, as well as other acts of worship. For example, a Muslim should leave from the right and return from the left. This is authentically reported to have been done by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) for the two Eid prayers. Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that, on the Day of Eid, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to go to the prayer using one route and return using another. The same is indicated in this Hadīth. The scholars have held various opinions about the wisdom of going to the prayer via one route and returning via another. The most well-known of these opinions are the following: 1. The purpose of the two routes is that the routes would be able to bear witness in the person's favor on the Day of Judgment, as the earth will bear witness to whatever evil or good was done over it. So, if a Muslim goes for prayer via one route and returns via another, the two routes will bear witness on the Day of Judgment that he performed the Eid prayer. 2. The two routes are recommended to show that it is the day of the rite of Eid by having the markets filled with crowds of people everywhere. When people spread out through the paths of the city it makes this rite obvious, and the Eid prayer is one of the rites of Islam. This is also proven by the fact that people are ordered to go out in the deserts to show that it is Eid and declare the r…