Virtues of the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine)

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

The Levant has many virtues mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and the people of knowledge mentioned them in their books; of these virtues are the following:

First, blessing it which has been proved in five Ayahs:

1- Allah says: "And We made the people who were considered weak to inherit the eastern parts of the land and the western parts thereof which We have blessed." [Surat Al A`raf: 137].

A group of commentators said: They are the lands of the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine).

2- Allah says: "Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] [Tafsir Qurtubi, Vol. 10, Page 204] Who took His slave (Muhammad peace be upon him) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad peace be upon him) of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." [Surat Al Isra': 1].

The neighborhood was the Levant during Muhammad's midnight journey.

3- Allah says in the story of Abraham: "And they wanted to harm him, but We made them the worst losers. * And We rescued him and Lout (Lot) to the land which We have blessed for the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns)." [Surat Al Anbiya': 70 - 71]. It is well-known that Allah (Glory be to Him) rescued Abraham and Lut to the Levant who immigrated from the land of Iraq.

4- Allah says: "And to Sulayman (Solomon) (We subjected) the wind strongly raging, running by his command towards the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are the All-Knower." [Surat Al Anbiya': 81].

It was running to the Levant in which there was the kingdom of Solomon.

5- Allah says in the story of Sheba: "And We placed, between them and the towns which We had blessed, towns easy to be seen, and We made the stages (of journey) between them easy (saying): Travel in them safely both by night and day." [Surat Saba': 18].

A group of commentators said: The meaning is the villages of the Levant. They used to walk from Yemen to the Levant, and the blessed villages of the Levant are Jordan and Palestine.

These five Ayahs come in the virtue of the Levant: The first is about the transition of the Children of Israel to it. The second is the moving of the Messenger (peace be upon him) to it. The third is the migration of Abraham to it. The fourth is the establishment of Solomon's kingdom therein. And the fifth is the march of Sheba to it. Moreover, Allah (Blessed and Exalted be He) described it by the blessed land.

The Levant also contains the mountain upon which Allah spoke to Moses and by which Allah (Glory be to Him) swore in Surat At-Tur. He (Glory be to Him) said: "By the fig, and the olive. * By Mount Sinai." [Surat At-Tin: 1 - 2].

Commentators mentioned that the meaning of blessing here is the worldly blessing through abundant sustenance, fruits, rivers and plants, and wide provisions. Others said: It is the blessing of religion as it was the abode of prophets and the place where angels and revelation came down. An-Nawawy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: "Allah blessed it as He spoke to Moses there and charged him with the mission."[1]

The truth is that it includes both matters as the Prophet (peace be upon him) invoked his Lord to bless the Levant when he said: "O Allah! Bless our Sham."[2]

Second, the Levant is the land of resurrection:

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "He it is Who drove out the disbelievers among the people of the Scripture (i.e. the Jews of the tribe of Bani An-Nadir) from their homes at the first gathering." [Surat Al Hashr: 2].

A group of scholars (such as Al Qurtuby, Ibn Kathir, and Ibn Hajar) held this Ayah as a proof that the Levant will be the land of resurrection, where the first gathering was for the Jews by expelling them to the Levant and the second will be for all people. Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Hakim ibn Mu`awiyah on the authority of his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Here you shall be gathered, here you shall be gathered, here you shall be gathered (three times): riding, walking, and on your faces. Ibn Bukayr said: He pointed at the Levant with his hand and said: "You shall be gathered here."[3]

Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: "The Glorious Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the narrations reported from previous Messengers (peace be upon them) denoted that the beginning of creation and revelation was in Makkah and from which the Prophet's message began and it is the niche to which people offer Salah and perform Hajj and by which many worldly affairs are achieved. So, the message of Islam was great in Hejaz, whereas the previous proofs indicated that the kingdom of prophethood is in Sham (the Levant) then people shall be assembled to it then to Baytul-Maqdis and the places around it, the re-creation and the command shall return to it. Islam at the end of time shall be superior in the Levant. As Makkah is better than Baytul-Maqdis, the beginning of the nation is better than its end, and at the end of time, resurrection shall return to the Levant.[4]

Third, angles spread their wings on the Levant:

This happens in the time of peace, what about the time of war? At-Tirmidhy reported in his Sunan and Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Blessed is Syria." "Blessed is Syria."[5] We asked, "Why is that so, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Because the angels of the Compassionate One have spread their wings over it.""[6]

Fourth, Allah (Glory be to Him) has undertaken to protect the Levant and its people.

Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ibn Hawalah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It will turn out that you will be armed troops, one is Syria, one in the Yemen and one in Iraq. Ibn Hawalah said: Choose for me, Messenger of Allah, if I reach that time. He replied: Go to Syria, for it is Allah's chosen land, to which his best servants will be gathered, but if you are unwilling, go to your Yemen, and draw water from your tanks, for Allah has on my account taken special charge of Syria and its people."[7]

Fifth, the pillar of the Qur'an and Islam is in the Levant: Al Hakim reported in Al Mustadrak from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "I have seen the pillar of the book was taken from under my pillow. Then I looked and found it as a bright light was planted in the Levant (the region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine). Indeed, faith exists in the Levant when afflictions befall."[8] The pillar of the book and Islam is those people who hold the concerns of religion.[9]

Sixth, the victorious group is in the Levant:

At-Tirmidhy reported in his Sunan and Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Mu`awiyah ibn Qurrah on the authority of his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When people of Syria become bad, there remains no good in you. There continues to be a section of my nation who are always helped and they will suffer no harm if anyone lets them down, till the Hour comes."[10]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The people of the West will continue to triumphantly follow the truth until the Hour is established."[11]

The people of the West are the people of the Levant as Imam Ahmad said and Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah supported this view.[12]

Seventh, the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised Muslims to go to the Levant:

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to us: A fire shall come out before the Day of Recompense from the sea of Hadhramaut or from Hadhramaut people are assembled. They inquired: O Messenger of Allah, what you command us with? He said: Stick to the Levant."[13]

Eighth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) praised and described the Levant as the best abode:

Abu Dawud reported in his Sunan and Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Abu Ad-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The place of assembly[14] of the Muslims at the time of the war will be in Al Ghutah near a city called Damascus, one of the best cities in Syria."[15]

In another narration: "The greatest war, the assembly of Muslims shall take place in a land that is called "Al Ghutah" in which there is a city that is called "Damascus;" it is the best abodes for Muslims at that time."[16]

Ninth, the descent of Jesus, the Son of Mary (peace be upon him), shall be in the Levant:

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saying: When people shall be in that condition, Allah shall send down the Christ, the Son of Mary, who will descend at the white beacon eastern Damascus."[17]

Tenth, the destruction of Al Masih-ul-Dajjal (the antichrist) shall be in the Levant:

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of An-Nawwas ibn Sam`an (may Allah be pleased with him) who said that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned the arrival of Muslims to the Levant, he said: "When they prepare themselves to the fight and arrange themselves in ranks, Salah was established. Jesus, the Son of Mary (peace be upon him), comes down to lead them in Salah. When the enemy of Allah sees him, he shall be melted as salt dissolves in water. If he (Jesus) had left him, he would be melted until he dies, but Allah causes him to die at the hand of Jesus then Jesus shows them his blood on his bayonet."[18]

Eleventh, it is the stronghold of the believers:

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Salamah ibn Nufayl (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Verily, the stronghold of the believers is in the Levant."[19]

Ibn Al Athir said: The stronghold of Islam is in the Levant which means that at the time of trials, the Levant shall be safe and secure, and its people shall also be secure and safe. [20]

Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah commented on the previous outstanding traits from the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the traditions of scholars:

"It is one of the proofs upon which I depended in urging Muslims to fight the Tatars and my command to them to stay in Damascus and forbidding them to escape to Egypt. Moreover, summoning the Egyptian army to the Levant and fixing the Syrian troops there. The truthfulness of these Prophetic texts appeared perfectly in our Jihad against the Tatars. Muslims showed the truthfulness of Our Promise and the blessing of what We commanded, and that was a great victory over the Tatars who humiliated Muslims. The Tatars were defeated badly at the hand of Muslims in the battle of Damascus during which Allah granted Muslims many favors which we could not count.

Ibn Taymiyah indicated to the battle of Shaqhab[21] which took place in 702 AH in the month of Ramadan in which the Egyptian and Syrian armies gained victory under the leadership of King Nasir Qalaun. Furthermore, the Caliph and the inhabitants of Damascus attended to see the Tatars[22]..

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people], and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.