Saying when I visit a grave or the shrine of one of the righteous men, after the greeting, I recite Surat al-Ikhlas eight times and I supplicate to Allah for the deceased or the owner of the shrine, beginning with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then I conclude my recitation and supplication by saying, and I dedicate to them from me the reward of Surat al-Fatihah and I recite it.
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The questioner : Yes, he says: When I visit a grave or the shrine of one of the righteous men, after the greeting, I recite Surat al-Ikhlas eight times and I supplicate to Allah for the deceased or the owner of the shrine, beginning with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then I conclude my recitation and supplication by saying, and I dedicate to them from me the reward of Surat al-Fatihah and I recite it. Is my action correct?
The Shaykh : Well, we say that reciting Surat al-Ikhlas eight times after the greeting has no basis in the Shari'ah, and it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) newly introduced by those who do it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, dedicating Surat al-Fatihah to them is also among the matters that the Shari'ah did not bring regarding the visiting of graves. Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed that the visitor should say when visiting graves:.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This comprehensive greeting, which combines supplication for them with the greeting and salutation, is the best thing for a person to say, because of the following of the Sunnah to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided. If there had been a matter better than that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it, for he is the most knowledgeable of people about what is most beneficial, and the most sincere of people toward creation. It is not possible for him to leave the best thing and then guide his Ummah to something less than it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, we advise our brother, this questioner, not to go beyond what the Sunnah brought regarding the visiting of graves.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the two rak'ahs of prayer that he referred to at the end of the question at the grave, if this is in a cemetery, it is not permissible, because prayer in a cemetery is forbidden (haram). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 760Sahih (Darussalam). So praying toward the grave, meaning that the grave is between you and the qiblah, is forbidden and not permissible.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, the cemetery, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 317Sahih (Darussalam), the cemetery is not a place for prayer. The only exception to this is the funeral prayer (janazah), because it is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he went out to the funeral of a man who was buried, or a woman who used to stand in the mosque. When he learned of her, he went out to her and prayed over the grave, (peace and blessings be upon him). So nothing of the prayers that are performed in a cemetery is excepted except the funeral prayer.
The questioner : Yes, and this also differs from the intention of the questioner, Abdullah Hamid, because the funeral prayer does not contain any bowing (ruku') or prostration (sujud).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Well, we say that reciting Surat al-Ikhlas eight times after the greeting has no basis in the Shari'ah, and it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) newly introduced by those who do it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every innovation is misguidance.
كل بدعة ضلالةThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, dedicating Surat al-Fatihah to them is also among the matters that the Shari'ah did not bring regarding the visiting of graves. Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prescribed that the visitor should say when visiting graves:
Peace be upon you, abode of a people of faith, and indeed, if Allah wills, we will be joining you. May Allah have mercy on those of us who have gone before and those who come after. We ask for well-being for us and for you. O Allah, do not deprive us of their reward, and do not test us after them, and forgive us and them.
السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنين وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون يرحم الله المستقدمين منا ومنكم والمستأخرين نسأل لنا ولكم العافية اللهم لا تحرمنا أجرهم ولا تفتنا بعدهم واغفر لنا ولهمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : This comprehensive greeting, which combines supplication for them with the greeting and salutation, is the best thing for a person to say, because of the following of the Sunnah to which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided. If there had been a matter better than that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it, for he is the most knowledgeable of people about what is most beneficial, and the most sincere of people toward creation. It is not possible for him to leave the best thing and then guide his Ummah to something less than it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For this reason, we advise our brother, this questioner, not to go beyond what the Sunnah brought regarding the visiting of graves.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : As for the two rak'ahs of prayer that he referred to at the end of the question at the grave, if this is in a cemetery, it is not permissible, because prayer in a cemetery is forbidden (haram). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Do not pray toward graves
لا تصلوا إلى القبورThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, the cemetery, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
All of the earth is a Masjid except for the graveyard and the washroom.
الأرض كلها مسجد إلا المقبرة والحمامThe questioner : Yes, and this also differs from the intention of the questioner, Abdullah Hamid, because the funeral prayer does not contain any bowing (ruku') or prostration (sujud).
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes.