According to the scholars, this amazing hadith has been said to mean many different things. One meaning is that when the Day of Judgement draws near and Dajjāl appears, there shall be no sanctuary on Earth for a believer to save his faith. The only place the believers can go to protect their faith at that time, shall be the city of Madinah. Faith will thus return to Madinah the way a snake returns to its hole.

Scholars of hadith further say:

The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم drew a similarity between faith returning to Madinah and a snake going back to its hole. A snake leaves its hole to find food and other things it needs. As it moves around, its skin is exposed to sunlight and accumulates dirt, eventually becoming old. So, across the year, they take shelter for a period of time and shed their skin. When they emerge from their hole, their skin is then fresh and new.

This is what this hadith highlights. The same way a snake goes into its hole with its skin worn out and old, yet emerges with it fresh and new, the same principle applies to a person living in this world. As he lives his life, Satan encourages him to perform sin and indulge in the luxuries of the world. His nafs causes him to fall into transgression. This causes his faith to become weak.

Need then arises for such a person to renew and rejuvenate his faith. The method of this was described by the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم when he said: اِنَّ الْاِيمَانَ لَيَاْرِزُ اِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ - “Faith verily returns to Madinah”. When Muslims living across the world encounter worldly people, when Satan bears heavy on them, when their nafs leads them to sin; their faith eventually begins to weaken. When this happens, they should come to Madinah. The very air and water of this sacred city will strengthen their faith again.