❖ Ruling on Sending Salām to the Prophet ﷺ Through Pilgrims ❖
📚 Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khālis, Vol. 1, p. 90
❓Question:
Is it permissible to send greetings (Salām) to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through those performing Ḥajj or ‘Umrah? And is it permissible to perform Ṭawāf or ‘Umrah on behalf of someone else?
❀ Ruling on Sending Salām Through Pilgrims or Visitors
Sending verbal Salām to the Prophet ﷺ via pilgrims or visitors is not established through authentic Sunnah. This task is actually fulfilled by the angels.
In a ḥadīth narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ سَيَّاحُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ، يُبَلِّغُونِي مِنْ أُمَّتِي السَّلَامَ”
Translation:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels roam the earth to convey to me the Salām of my Ummah.”
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī 1/119, Sunan al-Dārimī 2/225, ḥadīth no. 2777, al-Mustadrak al-Ḥākim 2/421, Mishkāt 1/86, Musnad Aḥmad 1/387, 441, 452)
📌 This ḥadīth has a sound (ṣaḥīḥ) chain.
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“وَصَلُّوا عَلَيَّ فَإِنَّ صَلَاتَكُمْ تَبْلُغُنِي حَيْثُ كُنْتُمْ”
Translation:
“Send blessings upon me, for your Ṣalāt (i.e., Durūd) reaches me wherever you may be.”
(Sunan al-Nasā’ī, Mishkāt 1/86)
📌 This ḥadīth is ḥasan (good).
✅ Summary of the Ruling:
✔ Sending verbal Salām to the Prophet ﷺ via Ḥajj or ‘Umrah pilgrims is not established in the Sunnah.
✔ Angels themselves convey the Salām of the Ummah to the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ The Prophet ﷺ encouraged sending Durūd, not Salām through intermediaries.
✔ In the well-known narration of Ḥajjat al-Nabī ﷺ from Jābir رضي الله عنه, there is no instruction for pilgrims to deliver Salām.
✔ Therefore, sending written requests or Salām through visitors is an innovation (bid‘ah).
❀ Ruling on Performing Ṭawāf and ‘Umrah on Behalf of Others
The ruling on performing Ṭawāf and ‘Umrah on behalf of someone else will be discussed in detail under forthcoming issues.
✔ The strongest and most authentic view is that there is no explicit Sunnah allowing acts of worship to be performed on behalf of others except for one’s parents.
✔ Analogical reasoning (qiyās) is not permissible in acts of worship, as discussed in detail earlier.
✅ Conclusion
◉ Sending Salām to the Prophet ﷺ through Ḥajj or ‘Umrah pilgrims is not supported by the Sunnah.
◉ Angels are appointed to deliver Salām to the Prophet ﷺ.
◉ The Prophet ﷺ encouraged sending Durūd, not Salām through others.
◉ Sending letters or Salām via pilgrims is a form of bid‘ah (innovation).
◉ As for performing ‘Umrah or Ṭawāf on behalf of others, no clear Sunnah supports this except in the case of parents.
ھٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best.
