Continuation of the discussion on the ruling regarding designating the day of the festival specifically for visiting relatives and friends, both the living and the dead.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : I said to him, it seems to you, so-and-so, that you have not heard the new call that was being reminded of from long ago, which states that one of the widespread innovations in this age is the visiting of the dead by the living. Have you not heard the new call, which is in its origin an old call, that the visiting of the living by the living on the day of the festival is an innovation?
And for that reason, I said to Abu Awfa at the beginning of the sitting, but I noticed that he did not pay attention. Yes, I said, I did not come to you as a returner, I did not come to you as a visitor.
The questioner : My master, "return" means "visited."
The Shaykh : Why don't you go back and look?
The questioner : Visiting the sick, "return" means "visited."
The Shaykh : This language now, what is its custom? Come, let us celebrate with so-and-so.
The questioner : Meaning, we visit him on the festival.
The Shaykh : That is it. So, the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation; it is among the innovations.
The questioner : This is an analogy with a difference.
The Shaykh : This is not an analogy.
The questioner : Because there, the dead person does not feel it and does not benefit from this visit, whereas here, the visiting of the living by the living is maintaining ties, affection, and love.
The Shaykh : Meaning, when you visit the dead, it is so that they feel your visit.
The questioner : There, it is for the sake of supplication, but here, this is a day of festival and joy, and it is not a funeral.
The Shaykh : No, my question is brief, Abu Awfa: When you visit the dead on the day of the festival, do you visit them so that they feel you?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : And on days other than the festival.
The questioner : My supplication for them.
The Shaykh : And on days other than the festival, when you visit them, is it so that they feel you?
The questioner : Supplication and taking a lesson.
The Shaykh : I am asking you, may Allah be pleased with you, is it so that they feel you?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Well, then why do you not visit them for the purpose for which you visit them on days other than the festival? Since it is a good purpose, why do you not visit them on the day of the festival for this good purpose?
The questioner : It is not a good purpose here, because it conflicts with the joy of the festival and the happiness of the festival, going to the dead.
The Shaykh : This is the analogy, and this is not the answer. O Allah, guide us among those You have guided. The answer, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : A good custom is also considered among the innovations.
The Shaykh : Listen to the answer regarding the matter of the living visiting the dead. It is not for this logical, or perhaps philosophical, reasoning, because someone more philosophical than you might come and destroy your philosophy. But the answer is: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. What do you think of this answer?
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : There is philosophy in it.
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : Well. If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. We are now, when we say that the visiting of the dead by the living is an innovation, we do not have a text in the Sunnah, let alone in the Qur'an, that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation. We have nothing of this. And this statement is said regarding all innovations, and unfortunately, they are in the thousands.
For every innovation, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
There is no text from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding any innovation stating that this is an innovation, yet the scholars are in consensus on the innovativeness of the thousands of matters that occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
Well, how do we say it is an innovation when we do not have a text regarding its innovativeness or its denial, except with this brief phrase indicated by many proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, which is: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
And among the proofs of this is the saying of the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:115] So, this is not the path of the believers, that people go to visit the graves on the day of the festival; this was not from the path of the believers.
So, we summarize this proof and similar proofs in one word, in order to keep people away from any newly invented matter by saying: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
So now, visiting the graves as a general principle is good, without doubt. But when this general principle is specified by the custom of the later generations to the day of the festival, and they abandon it on the other days of the year, it becomes an innovation in the religion. And we repel it with that beautiful, blessed phrase: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
So, the visiting of the dead by the living, its original ruling is that it is prescribed, and there is no need for proofs.
Likewise, we say that the visiting of the living by the living is prescribed; there is no disagreement on this.
So when someone comes to remind the people who are heedless of the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the guidance of the Salaf who followed him (peace and blessings be upon him) with excellence, and says to them: The visiting of the living by the living on the festival is like the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival; there is absolutely no difference between this and that.
If you ask for the proof of this, we remind you of the proof of that which we agreed upon, which is that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation.
We, and praise be to Allah, in what I think is now a small, good, blessed gathering, if Allah wills, are in agreement that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation, and we are completely convinced of it, starting from that logic which we summarized earlier.
We should not deviate from this logic or turn away from it, because we are overcome by our affairs, and we are accustomed to a custom similar to that custom which we agreed to deny, which is that we are accustomed to visiting the Muslims on the occasion of the festival. So we say with certainty and complete satisfaction that the visiting of the living by the living on the festival is like the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival, and there is absolutely no difference.
So any person who is a Bedouin would say, "Come on, brother, what is the problem with the visiting of the living by the living on the festival? It is a prescribed matter." And as was said today regarding visiting relatives, "It has been a year or two, etc., and he has not visited them." This alone is enough to point out the corruption of this visit, because they rely on others and are lazy about performing their duty, whether it is the duty of visiting the dead by the living, which softens the hearts and reminds of the Hereafter; they do not do it except on the day of the festival.
Also, a person who has a relative he wants to reach would say, "Come on, come on, let the festival come."
The visit on the festival is better, because the visit is originally prescribed, and the festival is also days of virtue. If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. So, whatever proves the first innovation proves the other innovation, and whoever objects to the other, first innovation must object to the other innovation, and whoever doubts the other innovation must doubt the first innovation, otherwise his thought is contradictory, contradictory.
And we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to guide us to the straight path.
And now the time is according to the new, innovated timing.
The questioner : Even the timing is an innovation.
The Shaykh : Meaning, previously, without innovation, it was ten o'clock.
The questioner : ... wiping over the socks.
The Shaykh : We are afraid that the group will get bored, especially this questioner who is a jurist.
The questioner : They will not get bored, they will not get bored.
The Shaykh : He will not get bored, definitely.
The questioner : Good speech.
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
And for that reason, I said to Abu Awfa at the beginning of the sitting, but I noticed that he did not pay attention. Yes, I said, I did not come to you as a returner, I did not come to you as a visitor.
The questioner : My master, "return" means "visited."
The Shaykh : Why don't you go back and look?
The questioner : Visiting the sick, "return" means "visited."
The Shaykh : This language now, what is its custom? Come, let us celebrate with so-and-so.
The questioner : Meaning, we visit him on the festival.
The Shaykh : That is it. So, the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation; it is among the innovations.
The questioner : This is an analogy with a difference.
The Shaykh : This is not an analogy.
The questioner : Because there, the dead person does not feel it and does not benefit from this visit, whereas here, the visiting of the living by the living is maintaining ties, affection, and love.
The Shaykh : Meaning, when you visit the dead, it is so that they feel your visit.
The questioner : There, it is for the sake of supplication, but here, this is a day of festival and joy, and it is not a funeral.
The Shaykh : No, my question is brief, Abu Awfa: When you visit the dead on the day of the festival, do you visit them so that they feel you?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : And on days other than the festival.
The questioner : My supplication for them.
The Shaykh : And on days other than the festival, when you visit them, is it so that they feel you?
The questioner : Supplication and taking a lesson.
The Shaykh : I am asking you, may Allah be pleased with you, is it so that they feel you?
The questioner : No.
The Shaykh : Well, then why do you not visit them for the purpose for which you visit them on days other than the festival? Since it is a good purpose, why do you not visit them on the day of the festival for this good purpose?
The questioner : It is not a good purpose here, because it conflicts with the joy of the festival and the happiness of the festival, going to the dead.
The Shaykh : This is the analogy, and this is not the answer. O Allah, guide us among those You have guided. The answer, may Allah bless you.
The questioner : A good custom is also considered among the innovations.
The Shaykh : Listen to the answer regarding the matter of the living visiting the dead. It is not for this logical, or perhaps philosophical, reasoning, because someone more philosophical than you might come and destroy your philosophy. But the answer is: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. What do you think of this answer?
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : There is philosophy in it.
The questioner : Good.
The Shaykh : Well. If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. We are now, when we say that the visiting of the dead by the living is an innovation, we do not have a text in the Sunnah, let alone in the Qur'an, that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation. We have nothing of this. And this statement is said regarding all innovations, and unfortunately, they are in the thousands.
For every innovation, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Every innovation is misguidance.
كل بدعة ضلالةThere is no text from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding any innovation stating that this is an innovation, yet the scholars are in consensus on the innovativeness of the thousands of matters that occurred after the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
Well, how do we say it is an innovation when we do not have a text regarding its innovativeness or its denial, except with this brief phrase indicated by many proofs from the Book and the Sunnah, which is: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
And among the proofs of this is the saying of the Exalted:
And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
ومن يشاقق الرسول من بعد ما تبين له الهدى ويتبع غير سبيل المؤمنين نوله ما تولى ونصله جهنّم وساءت مصيراSo, we summarize this proof and similar proofs in one word, in order to keep people away from any newly invented matter by saying: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
So now, visiting the graves as a general principle is good, without doubt. But when this general principle is specified by the custom of the later generations to the day of the festival, and they abandon it on the other days of the year, it becomes an innovation in the religion. And we repel it with that beautiful, blessed phrase: If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it.
So, the visiting of the dead by the living, its original ruling is that it is prescribed, and there is no need for proofs.
Likewise, we say that the visiting of the living by the living is prescribed; there is no disagreement on this.
So when someone comes to remind the people who are heedless of the guidance of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the guidance of the Salaf who followed him (peace and blessings be upon him) with excellence, and says to them: The visiting of the living by the living on the festival is like the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival; there is absolutely no difference between this and that.
If you ask for the proof of this, we remind you of the proof of that which we agreed upon, which is that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation.
We, and praise be to Allah, in what I think is now a small, good, blessed gathering, if Allah wills, are in agreement that the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival is an innovation, and we are completely convinced of it, starting from that logic which we summarized earlier.
We should not deviate from this logic or turn away from it, because we are overcome by our affairs, and we are accustomed to a custom similar to that custom which we agreed to deny, which is that we are accustomed to visiting the Muslims on the occasion of the festival. So we say with certainty and complete satisfaction that the visiting of the living by the living on the festival is like the visiting of the dead by the living on the festival, and there is absolutely no difference.
So any person who is a Bedouin would say, "Come on, brother, what is the problem with the visiting of the living by the living on the festival? It is a prescribed matter." And as was said today regarding visiting relatives, "It has been a year or two, etc., and he has not visited them." This alone is enough to point out the corruption of this visit, because they rely on others and are lazy about performing their duty, whether it is the duty of visiting the dead by the living, which softens the hearts and reminds of the Hereafter; they do not do it except on the day of the festival.
Also, a person who has a relative he wants to reach would say, "Come on, come on, let the festival come."
The visit on the festival is better, because the visit is originally prescribed, and the festival is also days of virtue. If it had been good, the predecessors would have preceded us to it. So, whatever proves the first innovation proves the other innovation, and whoever objects to the other, first innovation must object to the other innovation, and whoever doubts the other innovation must doubt the first innovation, otherwise his thought is contradictory, contradictory.
And we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to guide us to the straight path.
And now the time is according to the new, innovated timing.
The questioner : Even the timing is an innovation.
The Shaykh : Meaning, previously, without innovation, it was ten o'clock.
The questioner : ... wiping over the socks.
The Shaykh : We are afraid that the group will get bored, especially this questioner who is a jurist.
The questioner : They will not get bored, they will not get bored.
The Shaykh : He will not get bored, definitely.
The questioner : Good speech.
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.