He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

Two men disagreed about prayer in the Umayyad Mosque: is it equivalent to ninety prayers, as some claim, or not?

They have also stated that “three hundred prophets are buried there.” Is this true or not?

They have stated that “one who sleeps in Greater Syria is like one who spends the night in prayer in Iraq,” and that “one who observes a voluntary fast in Iraq is like one who does not fast in Greater Syria.” They have also stated that “Allah created blessing in seventy-one portions: one portion in Iraq and seventy in Greater Syria.” Is this true or not?

He answered:

Praise be to Allah. No hadith has been reported from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—stating that the reward for prayer in the congregational mosque of Damascus is multiplied. It is, however, among the mosques in which Allah Most High is remembered most abundantly. Nor has it been established that the aforementioned number of prophets are buried there.

As for someone residing in Greater Syria or elsewhere, actions are judged by intentions. If he resides there with a righteous intention, he is rewarded for that. Wherever a servant is more obedient to Allah, it is better for him to reside there. [Authentic hadiths have been reported concerning the virtues of Greater Syria and its people, and it is indicated in