The Location of al-Husayn's Grave and a Warning Against Worshipping Graves

Question:
A message was received for the program from one of the listeners. The presenter says to your eminence: I am a resident of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the city of al-Kharj: Ash'ar 'Abd al-Rahman 'Abd Allah. I ask your eminence to provide information on this issue: Is the body of al-Husayn in Iraq, or in Sham, or in Egypt?

Answer:
It is known that the body of al-Husayn is in Iraq, not in Egypt, and not in Sham; rather, he was buried in Iraq. What is in Egypt has no basis; it is merely a claim with no truth to it. And uglier and more severe than that is calling upon him and seeking aid from him, and circumambulating his grave. This is among the greatest of wrongs and abominations, indeed, it is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, making vows for them, and drawing near to them with sacrificial animals—all of this is among the great wrongs and major shirk, whether the one buried is al-Husayn or someone else. Likewise, what is done at the grave of al-Badawi, or al-Sitt Zaynab, or others, all of it must be abandoned. Only visiting is permissible. The dead is visited, and one prays for him for forgiveness and mercy, whether it is al-Husayn or someone else.
As for calling upon the dead other than Allah, seeking aid from them, making vows for them, and asking them for healing or victory over enemies; all of this is the practice of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah), the practice of the first polytheists, and it is major shirk. Likewise, circumambulating their graves, desiring what is with them, and the secret of what their servants say other than Allah—all of this is a great wrong. Circumambulation is a great act of worship for Allah, and it is not permissible except around the Noble Ka'bah. Therefore, graves are not circumambulated, and their people are not asked for the healing of the sick, nor for victory over enemies, nor for anything else. Rather, they are visited if they are Muslims; they are visited, and one prays for them for forgiveness and mercy. In that, there is a lesson and a reminder for the visitor, reminding him of death and the Hereafter. As for worship, it is the right of Allah alone. He is the One who is called upon and hoped for, (Glorified and Exalted is He), as He said: : [al-Bayyinah: 5]. And He said: [al-Zumar: 2]. And He said: : [al-Jinn: 18].
And there are many verses in this meaning, all of which indicate the obligation of making worship pure for Allah alone, and that it is He, Glorified and Exalted, who is called upon, hoped for, and feared, and to whom one draws near with sacrifices and vows, and other acts of worship. As He, Glorified and Exalted, said: [Al-An'am: 162], meaning: Say, O Muhammad, to the people, say, O Messenger, to the people: [Al-An'am: 162], meaning: My sacrifice has no partner with Him, and with that I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims [Al-An'am: 162-163].
And He said, addressing His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So pray to your Lord and sacrifice . And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, as narrated by 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) : It is obligatory for all Muslims to understand the religion, and to make the ignorant person see the truth and teach him. This is the right of the scholars; this is the duty of the scholars to make the people see the truth, whether that concerns the grave of al-Husayn or others in Egypt or outside Egypt. It is obligatory for the scholars of truth to make the people see the truth, and to teach them that calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead, and making vows for the dead is a wrong, indeed, it is major shirk. Likewise, circumambulating their graves is a wrong. Circumambulation is worship for Allah and is not done except at the Ka'bah, at the Noble House in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
So graves are not circumambulated, and their people are not called upon other than Allah, nor is aid sought from them, nor are vows made for them, nor are sacrifices slaughtered for them. Yes, if they are Muslims, one greets them and prays for them for forgiveness and mercy. This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to visit al-Baqi' and pray for its people for forgiveness and mercy, and he would say to his companions to teach them when they visit graves to say: This is how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do, and this is the sunnah (recommended practice) in visiting graves.
As for the graves of disbelievers, one does not greet them. They are only visited for admonition and reminder. When one visits them, he remembers the Hereafter and remembers death, but he does not greet them or pray for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited his mother's grave but did not seek forgiveness for her. Allah forbade him to seek forgiveness for her because she died upon the religion of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. So he sought permission from his Lord to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit him . Rather, He permitted him to visit her for the sake of lesson and admonition.
And by this, the questioner knows that what is claimed about the presence of al-Husayn in Egypt has no basis with the people of knowledge. Rather, his body was in Iraq, and he was killed in Iraq. It is said that his head was transferred to Yazid in Sham, so it is not known where this head went: was it buried in Sham, or was it returned to its place in Iraq with his body?
So the conclusion is: that the presence of al-Husayn's body in Egypt is a matter with no foundation.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He benefit us with your knowledge.