Gaza and Ashkelon: Lessons from Hadith and History

Ahmed bin Al-Nadr Al-Askari told us, Sa'id bin Hafs Al-Nufaili told us, Musa bin A'in bin Shihab narrated from Fudhail bin Khalifa, who narrated from Mujahid, who narrated from Ibn Abbas. He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, *

 

'The beginning of this matter is 'Prophethood and mercy', then it will be followed by 'Caliphate and mercy', then it will be followed by 'Kingdom and mercy', then it will be followed by 'Emirate and mercy'. Then, people will confront it just as camels confront each other. You must strive in jihad, and the best of your jihad is steadfastness. The best of your steadfastness is at Ashkelon.' 

 And it is an authentic hadith, as Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his authentic compilation.

 

روى الطبراني في معجمه الكبير قال: حدثنا أحمد بن النضر العسكري ثنا سعيد بن حفص النفيلي ثنا موسى بن أعين عن بن شهاب عن فِطرِ بن خليفة عن مجاهد عن ابن عباس قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: 

 أول هذا الأمر نبوة ورحمة ثم يكون خلافة ورحمة ثم يكون ملكاً ورحمة ثم يكون إمارة ورحمة ثم يتكادمون عليه تكادم الحمر فعليكم بالجهاد وإن أفضل جهادكم الرباط وإن أفضل رباطكم عسقلان. 

 وهو حديث صحيح كما قال الألباني رحمه الله في السلسلة الصحيحة.

والله أعلم.

Gaza and Ashkelon are two Canaanite towns. Unearthed excavations indicate that they were inhabited since the Neolithic era.
The first mention of Ashkelon in history dates back to a Pharaonic text from the nineteenth century BC.
As for Gaza: it is also an ancient city, and its name changed with the changes of the nations that came over it. The Canaanites called it “Hazati,” the Egyptian Pharaohs called it “Ghazatu” and “Gadatu,” the Hebrews “Azza,” and the Assyrians “Azzati.” As for the Arabs, they called it “Red Yemen,” “Gaza,” or “Hashem’s Gaza.”

The cities of Gaza and Ashkelon are located in the south of Palestine. Gaza is located southwest of Ashkelon. From the Islamic conquest until the Crusader invasion, Gaza was affiliated with Ashkelon. It was known as “Gaza-Ashkelon.” Between Ashkelon and Gaza there are four farsakhs (about 21 km), and between Gaza and Jaffa 80 km, and between Jaffa and Ashkelon. 56 km. Gaza and Ashkelon are separated from Jerusalem by the town of Beit Jibreen, which is less than two kilometers away from Gaza, and between Beit Jibreen and Ashkelon is 32 km.

 

 

See: “Scientific life in Gaza and Ashkelon from the beginning of the Abbasid era until the Crusader invasion” (pp. 2-5) Dr. Zuhair Abdullah Saeed Abu Rahma.

It is clear from the above that Gaza is very close to Ashkelon, and that Gaza was part of it from the Islamic conquest until the Crusader invasion. For this reason, the scholars mentioned that Imam al-Shafi’i, may God have mercy on him, was born in Gaza, and it was said that in Ashkelon.

Al-Nawawi, may God have mercy on him, said in “Al-Majmoo’” (1/8). :

“The well-known opinion held by the majority is that al-Shāfiʿī was born in Gaza, and it is said that he was born in Ashkelon. Both cities are among the holy lands in which God has blessed. They are both about two stages away from Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis)." . End quote.

Main Reference: Islamqa Fatwa 

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* The Isnad based on Imam Albani Assahiha:

Narrated to us by Aḥmad ibn al-Naḍr al-‘Askarī (d. 290 AH – trustworthy),
he said: Saʿīd ibn Ḥafṣ al-Nufaylī (d. 237 AH – truthful, but makes mistakes),
he said: Mūsā ibn Aʿyan (d. 175 AH – trustworthy),
from Abū Shihāb Mūsā ibn Nāfiʿ al-Khayyāṭ (d. 163 AH – trustworthy),
from Fiṭr ibn Khalīfah (d. 153 AH – truthful, but has mistakes),
from Mujāhid (d. 104 AH – trustworthy, an authority),
from Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with them both (d. 68 AH – Companion). 

"Aḥmad ibn al-Naḍr is trustworthy (thiqah); he died in the year 290 AH, as mentioned in Tārīkh Baghdād (6/413). Al-Nufaylī (Saʿīd ibn Ḥafṣ) died in the year 237 AH, as previously noted. This means that there are 53 years between their deaths, which raises concern that Ibn al-Naḍr may have heard this ḥadīth from Saʿīd ibn Ḥafṣ when the latter was elderly and experiencing memory issues.

For this reason, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Yamānī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this ḥadīth: ‘Saʿīd ibn Ḥafṣ al-Nufaylī changed in his later years.’ See the footnote in Al-Fawāʾid al-Majmūʿah (p. 431)."