"Makkah is inviolable," said the Prophet, "It is not legal either to sell its dwellings or to rent its houses."
The dwelling places of Makkah not to be rented. Muḥammad ibn-Ḥâtim al-Marwazi from ʿÂʾishah who said, "Once I said to the Prophet, 'Build for thee, Prophet of Allah, a house in Makkah that will protect thee against the sun,' to which he replied, 'Makkah is the dwelling place only of those who are already in it.'"
Khalaf ibn-Hishâm al-Bazzâr from ibn-Juraij who said, "I have read a letter written by ʿUmar ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz in which the renting of houses in Makkah is prohibited."
Abu-ʿUbaid from ibn-ʿUmar:—The latter said: "The whole of al-Ḥaram is a place of worship."[1]
ʿAmr an-Nâḳid from ʿAbd-al-Malik ibn-abi-Sulaimân:—A message written by ʿUmar ibn-ʿAbd-al-ʿAzîz to the chief of Makkah reads: "Let not the inhabitants of Makkah receive rent for their houses because it is not legal for them."
The following tradition regarding the text, "Alike for those who abide therein and for the stranger[2]" was communicated to us by ʿUthmân ibn-abi-Shaibah from ʿAbd-ar-Raḥmân ibn-Sâbit:—By the stranger is meant the pilgrims and visitors who go there and who have equal right in the buildings, being entitled to live wherever they want, provided none of the natives of Makkah goes out of his home.
The following tradition regarding the same text was communicated to us by ʿUthmân on the authority of Mujâhid:—The inhabitants of Makkah and other people are alike so far as the dwellings are concerned.
ʿUthmân and ʿAmr from Mujâhid:—ʿUmar ibn-al-Khaṭṭâb once said to the people of Makkah, "Make no doors for your houses that the stranger may live wherever he wants."
