Some people believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, hears salutations and blessings in his blessed grave, while others think the manner of hearing may be different. Some believe that the Prophet, peace be upon him, hears the salutations himself when they are close, while from afar angels convey the salutations to him. However, what is the reality of this matter? Let us examine various evidences on this topic in the light of the principles of the scholars of Hadith.
Narration Number 1: Narration Attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah Radi Allahu Anhu
A narration attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه states that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me near my grave, I will hear him, and whoever sends blessings upon me from a distance, his blessings will reach me.”
Commentary:
This narration is extremely weak (da‘if) and its various aspects are as follows:
Status of the narrator:
One of the narrators of this narration is Muhammad ibn Marwan al-Saddi (al-Saghir), whom the muhaddithin have unanimously declared to be a liar (kadhdhab) and abandoned (matruk).
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, Imam Yahya ibn Ma’in, Imam Bukhari, Imam Nasai, Imam Juzjani, and Imam Ibn ‘Adi رحمهم الله have severely criticized him.
Narrator as a mudallis:
The chain of narration of this hadith includes Sulaiman bin Mihran Al-A’mash, who is a narrator known for tadlis (concealing defects in the chain), and he has narrated this hadith without specifying that he heard it directly (without tasreeh of sama’). The scholars of hadith consider the narration from Al-A’mash from Abu Salih without sama’ to be weak.
Scholars’ Opinions:
Imam Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) states that this hadith is “baseless from the chain of Al-A’mash” and it cannot be accepted as an authentic narration. Furthermore, the second narrator who follows this narration is also weak.
In the narration of Sunan Al-Bayhaqi, a narrator named Abu Abdulrahman narrates from Al-A’mash. According to Imam Al-Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him), this narrator is also Muhammad bin Marwan Al-Suddi, and his narration has also been criticized.
Imam Ibn Namir (may Allah have mercy on him) also considered this narration worthless and said: “Muhammad bin Marwan has no credibility.”
Hafiz Ibn Al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) declared this hadith “not authentic.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, states that there is an objection to the chain of this narration and its narrator Muhammad bin Marwan Suddi is abandoned.
Summary:
After investigating this narration, the clear opinion of the Muhaddithin is that this hadith is weak (Da‘if) and it is not established that the Holy Prophet ﷺ hears salutations in his blessed grave.
Narration Number 2: Details of Hearing Salutations
This narration is also found in these words: “Whoever sends salutations upon me near my grave, I will hear him, and whoever sends salutations upon me from afar, an angel will be appointed to convey it to me. Through this salutation, the person’s affairs in this world and the Hereafter will be rectified, and I will become a witness and intercessor for him.”
Commentary:
This narration is fabricated (Mawdu‘) and its weaknesses are as follows:
Status of the Narrators:
This narration includes Muhammad bin Marwan Al-Suddi (the younger), whom the hadith scholars have labeled as a “fabricator,” meaning someone who forges hadiths.
Another narrator of this narration is Muhammad bin Yunus bin Musa Qureshi Kadimi, whom the hadith scholars have called a liar.
Tamlees of A’mash:
The narration also contains the tamlees (concealment) of A’mash, meaning he did not clarify the source of his hearing, which is a weakness in the narration.
Warning:
In another chain, the following is narrated from Muhammad bin Marwan Al-Suddi through Abu Muawiyah Muhammad bin Khazim Dareer, and his words are: “Whoever sends salutations upon me near my grave, I will hear him, and whoever sends salutations from afar, I will be informed of it.”
Commentary:
The chain of this narration is also weak because it includes Abdul Rahman bin Aarij as a narrator, whose authentication has no reliable reference. Although some hadith scholars have mentioned his conditions, there is no acceptable authentication available for him. Therefore, it is not correct for Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) and Hafiz Sakhawi (may Allah have mercy on him) to call the chain of this narration “strong.”
Narration Number 3: Sending Blessings on the Prophet on Friday
A narration attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Send more blessings upon me on Friday, because on that day angels are present. Whoever sends blessings upon me, wherever he may be, I hear his voice.” We asked: Should we do this even after your death? He (peace be upon him) replied: “Yes! Even after my death. Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, has forbidden the bodies of the noble Prophets to be eaten on earth.”
Commentary:
The chain of this narration is weak due to “interruption,” because Saeed bin Abu Hilal’s hearing from Sayyiduna Abu Darda is not established. Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has classified them in the sixth category (sixth class), and the narrators of this category are not proven to have met any companion.
Summary:
These narrations have been presented with various arguments, but according to the principles of the Muhaddithin, their chains are either fabricated (man-made) or weak, and on this basis, they cannot be relied upon.
Narration Number 4: Hearing the Salawat of the People of Love
According to a narration, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was asked whether all the Salawat sent upon him by those near and far, and those who will come later, are presented to him. He, peace be upon him, replied: “I hear the Salawat of the people of love and recognize them.”
Comment:
This narration is without a chain of transmission and false. Those who use it as evidence must present a reliable chain of transmission for it. It is not befitting of a true Muslim to base any belief or practice on baseless and false narrations.
Narration Number 5: The Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) hearing Durood in a dream
Sulaiman bin Suhaim says: “I saw the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a dream and said: O Messenger of Allah! These people come near your blessed grave and greet you; do you understand their greetings? He (peace be upon him) replied: Yes! And I also respond to them.”
Commentary:
This narration is very weak, and the reasons are as follows:
Lack of verification of hearing (Sama‘):
It has not been established that Abdul Rahman bin Abu al-Rijal heard it from Sulaiman bin Suhaim.
Weakness of the narrator:
Regarding Suwaid bin Saeed Hadhaani, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “He himself was truthful, but when he became blind, he began to accept narrations that were not originally his own.”
Furthermore, it is not established that Imam Ibn Abi al-Dunya (may Allah have mercy on him) took narration from Suwaid before the mixing (of narrations).
Summary:
Both these narrations, which mention hearing the salutations and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), are weak and baseless according to the principles of the muhaddithin (scholars of hadith). It is not correct to base belief on such narrations, and they do not have any strong chain of transmission.
Narration Number 6: The appointed angel at the grave and conveying salutations
According to a narration attributed to Sayyiduna Ammar bin Yasir رضي الله عنهما, the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Allah Almighty will appoint an angel over my grave who will be granted the ability to hear the voices of all creatures. Until the Day of Judgment, whoever sends blessings (Durood) upon me, that angel will convey the name of the one sending the blessings and his father to me and will say: O Messenger of Allah! The son of so-and-so has sent blessings upon you.”
Commentary:
This narration is also very weak, and the following weaknesses exist in its chain:
Unknown narrator:
The narrator of this hadith is Imran bin Humairi Jafi, who is “unknown.” Apart from Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, no other hadith scholar has authenticated him.
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, said about him: “There is no support for him”
, while Imam Ibn Abi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him, did not mention any criticism or praise regarding this narrator.
Al-Allama Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, also declared him unknown, saying: “This narrator is not known”
.
Weak Narrator:
Another narrator in the chain, Na’im bin Dhamdam, has been declared “weak” by the hadith scholars.
Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, states that Na’im bin Dhamdam is “weak in hadith”
.
Al-Allama Al-Haythami, may Allah have mercy on him, also writes: “Na’im bin Dhamdam is weak”
.
Opinions of Other Hadith Scholars:
Al-Allama Al-Haythami, may Allah have mercy on him, citing Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, writes that “this narrator is unknown”
.
Al-Allama Abdul Ra’uf Munawi, may Allah have mercy on him, also mentioned, referring to Al-Haythami, that “I could not recognize him”
.
Summary:
This narration, which mentions the sending of blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through an angel, is very weak. Due to the weaknesses of the narrators in its chain, it cannot be considered reliable, and according to the principles of hadith scholars, it cannot be trusted.
Narration Number 7: The Angel Appointed at the Grave and the Notification of Blessings
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Send blessings upon me abundantly. Allah Almighty will appoint an angel near my grave. When any person from my Ummah sends blessings upon me, this angel will present before me and say: O Muhammad (peace be upon him)! So-and-so has just sent blessings upon you.”
Commentary:
The chain of this narration is weak and the reasons are as follows:
Unknown Narrator:
The narrator of this hadith, Bakr bin Khudash, is unknown. Only Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, has authenticated it
, but other hadith scholars have not authenticated it.
Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Salih Marwazi:
There is no available information about the life of this narrator, and no information has been found regarding his authentication.
Abu al-Fadl Karabisi:
The conditions and authentication of this narrator are also not available.
Opinions of the Muhaddithin:
Hafiz Sakhawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “There is weakness in its chain.”
Narration Number 8: The Salutation of Angels and the Presentation of Deeds
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “In the earth, Allah’s angels roam, who convey the greetings presented by my Ummah to me. My life is better for you so that we may converse with each other, and my death is also better for you so that your deeds are presented to me. Whatever good I see, I praise Allah for it, and whatever evil I see, I seek forgiveness for you.”
Commentary:
This narration is also weak, and the following issues exist in its chain:
Muddallis Narrator:
Imam Sufyan Thawri رحمه الله narrates with the phrase “عن“. The principle of the Muhaddithin is that a “trustworthy muddallis” when narrating a hadith with words other than the explicit ones in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, unless there is explicit confirmation of hearing (sama’), the narration is considered weak.
Abdul Majeed bin Abu Ruwad:
This narrator is also a mudallis and there is no specification of sama’ from his side.
Abdul Majeed bin Abu Ruwad has been declared weak and majrooh by the majority of the muhaddithin.
Opinions of the Muhaddithin:
Imam Humaidi, Imam Abu Hatim Razi, Imam Ibn Hibban, Imam Darqutni, Imam Ibn ‘Adi, and Imam Abu Zur’ah, may Allah have mercy on them, have severely criticized this narrator.
Hafiz Iraqi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He has been declared weak by the majority of the muhaddithin.”
Summary:
These two narrations, which mention the sending of salutations and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through angels, are weak in terms of their chains of transmission. Due to the weaknesses and mudallas nature of the narrators included in these narrations, they cannot be considered authentic according to the principles of the muhaddithin.
Narration Number 9: The Virtue of Reciting Salawat One Hundred Times on Friday Day and Night
It is attributed to Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Whoever sends blessings upon me one hundred times on Friday during the day and night, Allah Almighty fulfills one hundred of his needs, seventy of which are for the Hereafter and thirty for this world. Then Allah appoints an angel for him who presents those blessings at my radiant grave just as gifts are presented to you. After death, my knowledge will be just as it is now in worldly life.”
Commentary:
This narration is false and invalid, and it has several weaknesses as follows:
The case of Hikamah bint Uthman:
According to Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله, the narration reported by Hikamah bint Uthman has no status and she is unknown
.
Hafiz Aqili رحمه الله states that Hikamah narrated false traditions from her father Uthman bin Dinar which have no basis
.
The case of Uthman bin Dinar:
The authentication of Uthman bin Dinar has only been done by Imam Ibn Hibban; other hadith scholars have not authenticated him, therefore he is considered an unknown narrator.
Opinions of the Hadith Scholars:
Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes that Uthman bin Dinar is “La Shay’” meaning unreliable
.
Narration Number 10: The Virtue of Being Close to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the Day of Resurrection
Another narration attributed to Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, states that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, at every station, the person among you who will be closest to me is the one who sent the most blessings upon me in this world.”
Commentary:
This narration is also very weak and contains the same defects mentioned in the previous narration.
Narration Number 11: The Messenger of Imam Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him
Hatim bin Wardan states that Imam Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, used to send a messenger to Madinah Munawwarah so that he could convey greetings on his behalf to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Commentary:
The chain of narration of this hadith is weak and invalid, for the following reasons:
The case of Ibrahim bin Firas:
This narrator has not been authenticated, and therefore he is considered unknown.
Ustadh Ahmad bin Salih Razi:
No authentic authentication is available regarding this narrator either, so he is also considered unknown.
Summary:
These narrations, which mention the virtue of sending salutations on Friday day and night and drawing near to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, are very weak and fabricated. Due to the weaknesses and unknown status of the narrators of these hadiths, the muhaddithin have declared them unreliable and they cannot be trusted.
Hadith Number 12: Imam Umar bin Abdul Aziz’s request to convey greetings
Yazid bin Abu Saeed Maqbari narrates: “I went to Imam Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, during his caliphate in Syria. When I was about to return, he said: Do one thing for me, when you go to Madinah Munawwarah and visit the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, convey my greetings to him on my behalf.”
Commentary:
The chain of this narration is weak because:
- Its narrator Rabah bin Basheer is unknown. Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him “unknown”
Reference: (Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil by Ibn Abi Hatim: 490/3)
.
- Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned him among the trustworthy
Reference: (242/8)
, but no one else has authenticated him.
Narration Number 13: Statement of Ka’b Ahbar
It is narrated from Nabiha bin Wahb that Ka’b al-Ahbar, may Allah have mercy on him, came to the presence of Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her. When Sayyida Aisha mentioned the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, Ka’b al-Ahbar said: “Whenever the day breaks, seventy thousand angels descend. They surround the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, place their wings over it, and send blessings upon him.”
Commentary:
This narration is disconnected because:
- It is not established that Nabiha bin Wahb heard or met Ka’b al-Ahbar, therefore this chain of narration is considered broken.
- Imam Tahawi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, states regarding disconnected narrations that such narrations are not considered authoritative by the Muhaddithin (scholars of Hadith).
Reference: (Sharh Mushkil al-Athar by Tahawi: 36/10, Hadith: 4140)
.
Summary:
The foundation of the religion of Islam is the Holy Quran and authentic Hadiths, and the authenticity of the chain of narration is a distinguishing feature of the religion of Muhammad. It is not correct to establish beliefs based on weak and disconnected narrations. There is no authentic and explicit Hadith proving that sending salutations (Durood) is heard in the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and if anyone has such an authentic Hadith, they should present it; otherwise, it is better to abandon this belief.
May Allah grant us the ability to act upon authentic Hadiths.
Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds!
