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Multiplication of good deeds in terms of quantity and degree whereas sins in terms of degree only 
Al-Taw`iyah Al-Islamiyyiah (Islamic enlightenment) magazine has received some questions, including:
Q: Is it true that the punishment of sins is multiplied in Makkah just as good deeds are? Why are they multiplied in Makkah only and not in any other place? A: The evidence of Shari`ah (Islamic Law) indicates that good deeds are multiplied in honorable times, such as Ramadan, and the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, and places like the Two Sacred Masjids (Mosques). They are highly rewarded in Makkah and Al-Madinah, as it is reported in the authentic Hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 
One Salah (Prayer) in my Masjid (mosque) [i.e. Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah)] is better than thousand Salahs in any other Masjid, except Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah). And one Salah in Al-Masjid Al-Haram is better than hundred Salahs in my Masjid.
(Related by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban through an authentic Isnad [chain of transmission])This indicates that a Salah in Al-Masjid Al-Haram is one hundred thousand times better in reward than any Salah in any place, whereas Salah in Al-Masjid Al-Nabawy is one hundred times better in reward. Other good deeds are also multiplied but nothing is narrated to specify their reward such as the case of Salah. On my part, I know no authentic evidence that indicates a specific amount of reward for the other good deeds, such as Sawm (fasting) or Dhikr (remembrance of Allah), but there are general Hadiths that show that they are greatly rewarded. |
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There is a Hadith reading: "Whoever fasts Ramadan in Makkah, Allah writes it as a hundred thousand Ramadans", but it is weak according to scholars.Accordingly, there is no doubt that carrying out good deeds in Al-Haram-ul-Sharif (Sacred Sanctuary) in Makkah Al-Mukarramah is greatly increased in reward, but there is no determined amount here except in the case of Salah, as illustrated previously.As for misdeeds, the verifying scholars are of the opinion that sins are not doubled in number but in intensity. This is because Allah (Glorified be He) says: 
Whoever brings a good deed (Islâmic Monotheism and deeds of obedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed (polytheism, disbelief, hypocrisy, and deeds of disobedience to Allâh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم) shall have only the recompense of the like thereof.
They are not doubled in number whether in Ramadan, Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) or any other place; always a misdeed is counted as one misdeed. This is a bounty and favor from Allah (Exalted and Glorified be He). Committing an evil deed in Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), Ramadan, or on the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is graver but not counted as more than one sin. Similarly, committing a wrongdoing in Makkah is graver than committing it in Jeddah or Al-Ta'if, for example. A sin in Ramadan or Dhul-Hijjah is graver and worse than that committed in Rajab or Sha`ban,but it is the degree that increases, not the number, as long as sins are concerned. On the other hand, good deeds are doubled in terms of degree and number as well, and this is a great bounty from Allah. The following Ayah (Qur'anic verse) indicates the serious warning against committing sins in Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) and that a misdeed in Al-Haram is very heinous and grave. Allah (Glorified be He) says: ...and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong (i.e. practise polytheism and leave Islâmic Monotheism), him We shall cause to taste from a painful torment. |
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This shows that committing a sin in Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah) is very offensive, and even having an inclination to do wrong is included in the threat mentioned above. The Ayah states that to have an inclination to do wrong in Al-Haram entails a great punishment, then what about a person who acts upon the sin they are inclined to do while in Al-Haram. This normally entails more punishment than just an inclination to sin. The Ayah at hand contains a great warning against committing sins in Al-Haram, and it applies to every bad inclination whether in belief or any other thing. Allah (Exalted be He) says: ...and whoever inclines to evil actions therein or to do wrong (i.e. practise polytheism and leave Islâmic Monotheism)The word Ilhad, i.e., inclination to evil action, was mentioned as an indefinite noun, which means that it is equally applied to every act of evil, because it is a form of Ilhad. Those who have inclinations to evil actions are liable to the punishment mentioned above. If these inclinations contradict the Islamic creed, this is a great danger, for whoever has it may become a disbeliever due to this and as a result commits the greatest sin.However, having inclinations to one of the evil actions, such as drinking Khamr (intoxicants), Zina (sexual intercourse outside marriage), and ungratefulness to parents or one of them is lesser in punishment than that of disbelief.Committing evil actions by violating others' rights through killing, hitting, plundering, cursing or anything of the sort is also meant here, and whoever does so falls under this great danger. There is no doubt that disbelief is the greatest and most abominable of evil actions. Allah (Glorified be He) says: ...Verily joining others in worship with Allâh is a great Zûlm (wrong) indeed.May Allah grant us success, and peace and blessings be upon His Prophet and his family and Companions.