Debating the Origins: The Sanctity of Madina in Ḥadīth Narratives

Abstract This article analyses ḥadīth narratives about the sanctification of Madina, using the isnād-cum-matn analysis pioneered by the late Harald Motzki. It challenges the view––derived from the persistent assumption in Western scholarship that, unless proven case by case to be otherwise, the ḥadīth corpus must be regarded as back-projected forgery––that the sanctity of the Prophet’s city evolved several generations after his death. Following brief accounts of this view and of how the isnād-cum-matn analysis is applied, the paper works through several clusters of ḥadīth variants to demonstrate that the Prophet himself did, on a single occasion, sanctify Madina and indicate the boundaries of the sacred area. The veracity of these core elements of the report is strengthened, not weakened, by the fact of variations in wording, while the variations do also reflect changes in the boundaries of the city and in the early generations’ representation of its sanctity. This study should contribute to better understanding of Islamic origins, notably Madina’s historical and religious significance, and help in questioning the distrust of traditional Muslim records and accounts of early Islamic history.