Q574 :I have read a Hadith which states that prayer
in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah is equal to one thousand prayers
elsewhere, with the exception of the Haram in Makkah. It is also stated
that prayer in the Haram in Makkah is equal to one hundred prayers in
the Prophet’s Mosque. That makes it equivalent to a hundred thousand
prayers anywhere else. Does this apply to the whole Haram area of
Makkah? Are sins also punished at one hundred thousand times their
punishment elsewhere?
A574 : The Hadith you have mentioned is authentic.
It is true that the reward we receive for a single prayer in the
Prophet’s Mosque is equivalent to the reward of one thousand prayers
elsewhere. Similarly, a prayer in the Haram in Makkah earns a reward
equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere. That is one
aspect of Allah’s grace and limitless bounty with which He favors His
servants. Some scholars say that this high reward is applicable
throughout the Haram area, but perhaps it is more correct to say that
it applies to the Grand Mosque itself, i.e. the Haram. [This is]
because the Hadith mentions “Al-Masjid al-Haraam” which refers to the
mosque itself. Perhaps it is important to add that this generous
reward does not exempt the worshipper from offering his obligatory
prayers at their times every single day of his life. Suppose a person
stays in Makkah for a month and offers all his five daily prayers
throughout the month in the Haram Mosque before returning home. He has
earned the reward of prayers in one hundred thousand months. It may
occur to him that he will not live for 8,000 years, so he need not
offer any more prayers. This is a totally mistaken notion. If he
deliberately omits to offer one obligatory prayer, he netmits a sin.
Punishment for sins netmitted in the Haram area are not multiplied by
the same figure. Allah states in the Qur’an that whoever is guilty of a
bad deed will not incur any punishment more than which is equal to his
bad deed. It is indeed a manifestation of the grace of Allah that we
are rewarded generously for the good we do, but we earn no more
punishment except what is equal to our misdeeds. Moreover, even these
are forgiven when we repent having netmitted them.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )