Which is better among Makkah, Madinah, and Al-Sham for living, dying, and being buried, in terms of rewards and steadfastness in faith? Does the hadith "You must go to Al-Sham, for Allah عز وجل has guaranteed Al-Sham and its people to me" contradict the hadith "Madinah is better for them, if only they knew" regarding the preference of residence? And does Al-Sham in the hadiths refer to all of Al-Sham or a part of it?

The land of the Two Holy Mosques (Haramayn) is preferred over Al-Sham, especially Madinah, for dwelling and dying in, due to the prophetic traditions that mention its virtues. It is superior to Yemen, Al-Sham, and Iraq. However, going for Jihad in Al-Sham is better than merely dwelling in Madinah. The criterion for the virtue of dwelling is the place where assistance for obeying Allah Almighty is greater, and deeds are judged by intentions. Al-Sham includes the region extending from the Euphrates to Arish of Egypt, encompassing Jerusalem and Damascus.