Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Once I did not find the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the room, so I followed him to the graveyard. When I reached there, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Peace be upon you, O abode of a believing people! You have preceded us.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned his attention towards me, saw me, and said: “Alas, if you had the strength, you would not have done this.”
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
(1) The details of the incident are clear from the hadith. Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha radi Allahu anha thought that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had gone to the house of another wife on the night of her turn, whereas for someone as just as him, this was not possible, because that would be injustice, and the personality of a Prophet is free from such things. Due to feelings of protective jealousy (ghayrah), Aisha radi Allahu anha’s attention did not turn to this reality. That is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam struck her chest to draw her attention to the truth. Since he would not take any step without Allah’s command, he also mentioned Allah Ta’ala along with himself: “Would Allah and His Messenger wrong you?” (﴿أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَرَسُولُهُ﴾).
(2) From this, it has been deduced that it was obligatory (wajib) for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to assign turns among his wives; otherwise, violating the turn would not have been considered injustice. However, there is no need for such forced interpretation, because a just personality like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, even without obligation, could not hurt anyone’s feelings. It was far from his noble character to cause anyone distress.
(3) It is understood from this that one should visit the graveyard with the intention of supplication (du’a), and one should make a lengthy supplication. In addition to [السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ………], it is also permissible to make further supplications. Furthermore, whether the supplication is made with raised hands or without raising them, both ways are permissible.
(4) From the question of Aisha radi Allahu anha and the answer of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is understood that a woman may also go for the visitation (ziyarah) of graves. And Allah knows best.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2039
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
"Support": Because on the Day of Resurrection, the prophets, martyrs, scholars, and the righteous will intercede, and they will also bear true testimony for one another. Otherwise, the true support is only Allah's mercy, for without Allah's permission, there is neither intercession nor testimony.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2041
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
هَيْشَاتِ الْأَسْوَاقِ:
The confusion and disputes of the marketplaces, and the noise and commotion, because "hushusha" refers to turmoil and mingling.
وَلِي يَلِي:
To be near, to be adjacent.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 974
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊
The mentioned narration has been declared weak in its chain of transmission by our esteemed researcher.
He has further written that the following narration suffices in place of this one.
It is likely for this reason that other researchers have declared the mentioned narration to be authentic.
In conclusion, the mentioned narration is weak in its chain.
However, due to other narrations, its meaning is correct.
For details, see: (al-Mawsu‘ah al-Hadithiyyah, Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 487, 486/47 and Sahih Ibn Majah, no. 1266)
➋
Visiting graves is a Sunnah,
so that one may remember death and develop disinterest in the world, turning one’s attention towards the Hereafter.
➌
Just as visiting graves can be done during the day,
it is also permissible at night.
➍
The purpose of visiting graves is to supplicate for the deceased.
It is not permissible to ask anything from the deceased,
because they neither hear our words
nor can they accept our requests.
➎
By saying “as-salamu ‘alaykum,” the intent is not to make them hear, but rather to supplicate for them and to take a lesson from their condition:
just as these people used to sit and stand with us yesterday,
today they are lying in their graves.
Soon, the time will come upon us as well,
when we too will be buried in this way and will be in need of others’ supplications.
➏
The final sentence of the supplication is included in the supplications of the funeral prayer (salat al-janazah); it is correct to recite it there.
See: (Sunan Ibn Majah, hadith: 1498)
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 1546