Reading from the author's text with commentary and collation of manuscripts
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: "The Imams agreed that if one supplicates in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) mosque, he should not face his grave.
They differed regarding the greeting to him. Malik, Ahmad, and others said: He should face his grave and greet him. This is what the Shafi'i school mentioned, and I think it is explicitly stated from him. Abu Hanifah said: Rather, he should face the qiblah and greet him; this is how it is in the books of his followers. Malik also said, as mentioned by Isma'il ibn Ishaq in al-Mabsut, and al-Qadi Iyad and others: I do not think one should stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and supplicate, but rather greet him and proceed. He also said in al-Mabsut: There is no harm for one who arrives from a journey or is about to depart to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pray upon him".
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The reader: "and supplicate for Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may"
The Shaykh : and supplicate for him.
The reader: And supplicate for him and Abu Bakr?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "and supplicate for him and Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. It was said to him: What about people from Medina who do not arrive from a journey"
The Shaykh : Now, as it appears to us, there are three opinions:
The first opinion is that he should face the grave, greet him, and pray upon him.
The second opinion is that he should not face the grave; he should greet him with his face toward the qiblah. This is not strange, for we now greet him with our faces not toward the grave but toward the qiblah, even in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mosque, where we greet him with the grave behind us. This is the position of Abu Hanifah as established by his followers.
The third is that he should not face this nor that, but rather greet him while passing by, greet him while passing by. For this reason, it was said: He should greet him and proceed, and not stand.
There is no doubt that the prescribed practice is to face him. This is what appears to us: face the grave, greet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), supplicate for him and for Abu Bakr and 'Umar, then turn away, and do not stand to supplicate. Yes.
The reader: "He also said in al-Mabsut: There is no harm for one who arrives from a journey or is about to depart to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon"
The Shaykh : I have: at the grave of the Prophet. Make it a copy: at the grave.
The reader: "to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pray upon him, and supplicate for him and Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. It was said to him: What about people from Medina who do not arrive from a journey nor intend to travel, who do this once a day or more at the grave, greeting and supplicating for an hour? He said: This has not reached me from any jurist in our land, and the end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning. It has not reached me that the beginning of this Ummah and its early generations did this. It is disliked except for one who comes from a journey or intends to travel".
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This is decisive speech from Imam Malik. If you arrive from a journey or intend to travel, greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a Muslim does in this world: greet upon arrival and greet upon departure. As for coming and greeting every time one prays an obligatory prayer, as appears from the actions of people today, this is not from the Sunnah. Rather, we should clarify to people that if this does not bring them a sin, they have no reward for it. For as Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning". This is a statement that applies from his time to today to every time. "The end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning". Yes.
They differed regarding the greeting to him. Malik, Ahmad, and others said: He should face his grave and greet him. This is what the Shafi'i school mentioned, and I think it is explicitly stated from him. Abu Hanifah said: Rather, he should face the qiblah and greet him; this is how it is in the books of his followers. Malik also said, as mentioned by Isma'il ibn Ishaq in al-Mabsut, and al-Qadi Iyad and others: I do not think one should stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and supplicate, but rather greet him and proceed. He also said in al-Mabsut: There is no harm for one who arrives from a journey or is about to depart to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pray upon him".
The Shaykh : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The reader: "and supplicate for Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may"
The Shaykh : and supplicate for him.
The reader: And supplicate for him and Abu Bakr?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The reader: "and supplicate for him and Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. It was said to him: What about people from Medina who do not arrive from a journey"
The Shaykh : Now, as it appears to us, there are three opinions:
The first opinion is that he should face the grave, greet him, and pray upon him.
The second opinion is that he should not face the grave; he should greet him with his face toward the qiblah. This is not strange, for we now greet him with our faces not toward the grave but toward the qiblah, even in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) mosque, where we greet him with the grave behind us. This is the position of Abu Hanifah as established by his followers.
The third is that he should not face this nor that, but rather greet him while passing by, greet him while passing by. For this reason, it was said: He should greet him and proceed, and not stand.
There is no doubt that the prescribed practice is to face him. This is what appears to us: face the grave, greet the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), supplicate for him and for Abu Bakr and 'Umar, then turn away, and do not stand to supplicate. Yes.
The reader: "He also said in al-Mabsut: There is no harm for one who arrives from a journey or is about to depart to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon"
The Shaykh : I have: at the grave of the Prophet. Make it a copy: at the grave.
The reader: "to stand at the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), pray upon him, and supplicate for him and Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. It was said to him: What about people from Medina who do not arrive from a journey nor intend to travel, who do this once a day or more at the grave, greeting and supplicating for an hour? He said: This has not reached me from any jurist in our land, and the end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning. It has not reached me that the beginning of this Ummah and its early generations did this. It is disliked except for one who comes from a journey or intends to travel".
The Shaykh : Allahu Akbar. This is decisive speech from Imam Malik. If you arrive from a journey or intend to travel, greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as a Muslim does in this world: greet upon arrival and greet upon departure. As for coming and greeting every time one prays an obligatory prayer, as appears from the actions of people today, this is not from the Sunnah. Rather, we should clarify to people that if this does not bring them a sin, they have no reward for it. For as Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning". This is a statement that applies from his time to today to every time. "The end of this Ummah will not be rectified except by what rectified its beginning". Yes.