Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 1802
sahih

Narrated Humaid:

Anas said, "Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of Medina, would make his she-camel proceed faster; and if it were another animal, even then he used to make it proceed faster." Narrated Humaid that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to make it proceed faster out of his love for Medina. Narrated Anas: As above, but mentioned "the walls of Medina" instead of "the high places of Medina." Al-Harith bin `Umar agrees with Anas.

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدٌ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ، فَأَبْصَرَ دَرَجَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَوْضَعَ نَاقَتَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ دَابَّةً حَرَّكَهَا‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ زَادَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ حَرَّكَهَا مِنْ حُبِّهَا‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ جُدُرَاتٍ‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 26, Hadith 27
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 3, Book 27, Hadith 28 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The enlightened city of al-Madeenah was one of the most beloved cities to the Prophet ﷺ; as it is the place he ﷺ emigrated to, and the site from which he ﷺreceived aid and support, in which he established an Islamic sovereignty that, from it, spread to all of the surrounding Arab and non-Arab lands. In this hadeeth, Anas ibn Maalik (ra) expounds on some of the manifestations of the Prophet’s love for this city. He (ra) reports that whenever the Prophet ﷺ arrived from his travels and saw the steps of al-Madeenah - which are its elevated paths which lead to the city- he ﷺ would make his she-camel hasten its pace along its way. If he was mounted on a riding animal other than a she-camel, even then he ﷺ would urge it to hasten its pace; so that he would arrive at al-Madeenah quickly; it was out of his fervent love anddesirefor being in the city, because it is his home, and therein reside his family and children who are the most beloved of people to him ﷺ. Allah has formed the souls of man to love and long for their homelands. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did that, and in doing so proved to be the most noble exemplar and ordered his community to hasten in their return to their families at the end of their travels. This hadeeth highlights the merit of the enlightened city of al-Madeenah and its denizens and exemplifies the love and longing the Prophet ﷺhad for it..