The Guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in Visiting Graves
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Fatwa No. ( 315 ):
Q: In my country, there is the grave of a deceased person who is said to be one of the righteous. A house has been built over it, decorated and adorned with complete ornamentation. There are two men who hold shares, as they say, and they have inherited this position from father to grandfather. You find them calling people by saying: "The owner of the grave said last night such and such, and asked for such and such." They have attracted the hearts of the people who live around this grave, so they believe everything this person in charge says. You see them seeking nearness to Allah, circumambulating, and slaughtering animals, and so on. What is the ruling on one who believes that this close friend of Allah has the power to cause harm or benefit? Is it permissible to make vows and slaughter for the close friend of Allah? And what is obligatory for an individual if he knows that this contradicts the Shari'ah? It is known that this individual mentioned lives with these people.
A: The Guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in visiting graves is clearly stated in authentic hadiths. Among them is what Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: , and Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi narrated it and graded it hasan, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: Mishkat al-Masabih 1765 . The four Caliphs and others from the Companions and the Tabi'un who followed them with excellence practiced this. As for those who visit the owner of the grave, if they do so in order to supplicate to Allah at his grave, and the visitor thinks that this is more effective for supplication and wants to seek nearness to Allah through him and intercession through him, then this has not come in the Shari'ah. The means have the ruling of the ends in prohibition. Allah the Exalted said: [Saba 34:22] The verse indicates that this one being called upon is either a possessor of power or not. If he is not a possessor of power, then he is either a partner or not. If he is not a partner, then he is either a helper or not. If he is not a helper, then he is either an intercessor without Allah's permission or not. The four categories are invalid, so the last one is established
and that is: the intercessor does not intercede except with His permission. And His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Anbya 21:28] indicates that His pleasure with the one for whom intercession is sought is a condition. So these are two conditions for intercession. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not seek nearness to Allah through the person of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but rather they asked him to supplicate for them. So seeking help from a living, present, capable person in what he is capable of is permissible, and it is not permissible to ask him for what is the right of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is regarding the living. As for the dead, it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through him or intercession through him absolutely; rather, it is one of the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) as mentioned before. As for one who stays at this grave, he is not free from two things: First: that the purpose is the worship of Allah. This is not permissible because it involves combining the sin of staying at the grave with the sin of worshipping Allah at the grave, and that is one of the means of shirk which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade. As for the prohibition of staying at graves, al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Jami' and graded it sahih, from Abu Waqid al-Laythi who said: . So he (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that this matter they asked him for, which was taking a tree to stay at and hanging weapons on it for seeking blessing, is like the matter that the Children of Israel asked Musa (peace be upon him) for. So likewise is staying at graves. And al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah narrated in their Sunans, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 2042Sahih (Al-Albani) . And as for worshipping Allah at graves, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade that. So al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated, from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 530a . The prohibition of taking graves as mosques includes taking them for worshipping Allah or for worshipping other than Allah, whether they are in a built mosque or not. As for coming to the owner of this grave and supplicating to him and believing that he has the power to cause benefit or harm, this is major shirk. And whoever does that is either ignorant
or knowledgeable. If he is knowledgeable, then he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) with major shirk that takes him out of Islam. If he is ignorant, then it is explained to him. If he returns to the truth, then praise be to Allah. If he does not return to the truth, then he is like the knowledgeable one in ruling. The evidence for this is abundant. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Kafirun 109:1-2] . Etc. of the surah. And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ikhlas 112:4] And in the Qudsi Hadith: Sahih Muslim 2985 . As for what the questioner mentioned about building a decorated and adorned house over this grave, this is not permissible, for it is exalting the owner of the grave with an innovated exaltation. Among the wills of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Riyad as-Salihin 1687 . And it is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him): Sahih Muslim 970a . And as for what is obligatory for the individual in this, it was clarified
by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 49a . So it is obligatory to remove this building as much as possible. And as for what the questioner mentioned about living with these people, living with them is not permissible as long as he is able to live with others who do not do what they do; because of His saying, the Exalted: [At-Taghabun 64:16] As for slaughtering and making vows for the close friend of Allah, it is major shirk; because each of them is worship for Allah alone and a right of His rights by which He, Glorified and Exalted is He, has specialized Himself, so it is not permissible to direct it to other than Him. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-An'am 6:162-163] And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Ibn Majah 2126Sahih (Darussalam) , Mishkat al-Masabih 3437 . So these evidences indicate that slaughtering and making vows for Allah the Exalted is worship, and for other than Him is shirk. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: In my country, there is the grave of a deceased person who is said to be one of the righteous. A house has been built over it, decorated and adorned with complete ornamentation. There are two men who hold shares, as they say, and they have inherited this position from father to grandfather. You find them calling people by saying: "The owner of the grave said last night such and such, and asked for such and such." They have attracted the hearts of the people who live around this grave, so they believe everything this person in charge says. You see them seeking nearness to Allah, circumambulating, and slaughtering animals, and so on. What is the ruling on one who believes that this close friend of Allah has the power to cause harm or benefit? Is it permissible to make vows and slaughter for the close friend of Allah? And what is obligatory for an individual if he knows that this contradicts the Shari'ah? It is known that this individual mentioned lives with these people.
A: The Guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in visiting graves is clearly stated in authentic hadiths. Among them is what Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach them when they went out to the graveyards, and one of them would say: Peace be upon you, people of the abodes, from the believers and the Muslims, and we, if Allah wills, are your successors. You are our predecessors, and I ask Allah for well-being for us and for you.
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعلمهم إذا خرجوا للمقابر، فكان قائلهم يقول: السلام عليكم أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين، وإنا إن شاء الله بكم للاحقون، أنتم لنا فرط، وأسأل الله لنا ولكم العافيةwhen God's messenger passed by some graves in Medina he turned his face towards them and said, “Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the graves. God forgive us and you. You have gone before us and we are coming after.”
مر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بقبور المدينة، فأقبل عليهم بوجهه فقال: السلام عليكم يا أهل القبور، يغفر الله لنا ولكم، أنتم سلفنا ونحن بالأثرSay, [O Muhammad], "Invoke those you claim [as deities] besides Allah." They do not possess an atom's weight [of ability] in the heavens or on the earth, and they do not have therein any partnership [with Him], nor is there for Him from among them any assistant.
قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلاَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِنْ شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ ظَهِيرٍand that is: the intercessor does not intercede except with His permission. And His saying, the Exalted:
and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves
وَلاَ يَشْفَعُونَ إِلا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَىWe set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to Hunayn, and we were newly converted from disbelief. The polytheists had a tree around which they would gather and to which they would tie their weapons; it was called Dhat Anwat. We passed by a tree and said, “O Messenger of Allah, make for us a Dhat Anwat just as they have their Dhat Anwat.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allahu Akbar! Those are the ways of the former nations. By Him in whose hand is my soul, you said just as the Children of Israel said to Moses: ‘Make for us a god just as they have their gods.’ He said: ‘Indeed, you are a people who know not.’ You will surely follow the ways of those who came before you.”
خرجنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى حنين ونحن حدثاء عهد بكفر وللمشركين سدرة يعكفون عندها وينوطون بها أسلحتهم، يقال لها: ذات أنواط، فمررنا بسدرة فقلنا: يا رسول الله، اجعل لنا ذات أنواط كما لهم ذات أنواط، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: الله أكبر، إنها السنن قلتم والذي نفسي بيده كما قالت بنو إسرائيل لموسى: اجعل لنا إلهًا كما لهم آلهة؛ قال: إنكم قوم تجهلون، لتركبن سنن من كان قبلكمDo not make your houses graves, and do not make my grave a place of festivity. But invoke blessings on me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be.
لا تجعلوا بيوتكم قبورًا، ولا تجعلوا قبري عيدًا، وصلوا علي فإن صلاتكم تبلغني حيث كنتمLet Allah destroy the Jews for they have taken the graves of their apostles as places of worship.
قاتل الله اليهود اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجدor knowledgeable. If he is knowledgeable, then he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) with major shirk that takes him out of Islam. If he is ignorant, then it is explained to him. If he returns to the truth, then praise be to Allah. If he does not return to the truth, then he is like the knowledgeable one in ruling. The evidence for this is abundant. Allah the Exalted said:
(1) Say, "O disbelievers, (2) I do not worship what you worship.
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ (1) لاَ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَNor is there to Him any equivalent."
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌIf anyone does anything in which he associates anyone else with Me, I shall abandon him with one whom he associates with Allah.
من عمل عملاً أشرك فيه معي غيري تركته وشركهSpare no portrait unwiped out, and leave not a high grave unlevelled.
أن لا تدع صورة إلاَّ طمستها ولا قبرًا مشرفًا إلاَّ سويتهAllah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade that the graves should be plastered or they be used as sitting places (for the people), or a building should be built over them.
أنه نهى أن يجصص القبر، وأن يقعد عليه، وأن يبنى عليهby the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيّره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه وذلك أضعف الإِيمانSo fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ(162) Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (163) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (162) لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَWhoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.
من نذر أن يطيع الله فليطعه، ومن نذر أن يعصي الله فلا يعصهThabit b. ad-Dahhak said that in the time of God's Messenger a man took a vow to slaughter camels at Buwana and came and told him. God’s Messenger asked whether the place contained any idol worshipped in pre-Islamic times and was told that it did not. He asked whether any pre-Islamic festival was observed there and was told that no such thing was observed. He then said to the man, “Fulfil your vow, for a vow to do an act of disobedience to God must not be fulfilled, neither must one to do something over which a human being has no control.”
ولما نذر رجل أن ينحر إبلاً ببوانة سأل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال له صلى الله عليه وسلم: هل كان فيها وثن من أوثان الجاهلية يعبد؟ قالوا: لا. قال: فهل كان فيها عيد من أعيادهم؟ قالوا: لا. قال: فأوف بنذرك، فإنه لا وفاء لنذر في معصية الله ولا فيما لا يملك ابن آدم
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.