The veneration of the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is an established fact because the pure body of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is buried there, but seeking blessings from it is not permissible. There is no authentic evidence with a sound chain from any companion, follower, or follower of the follower among the pious predecessors that they sought blessings from the blessed grave. Excessiveness in religion is forbidden in Islam, and likewise, touching or kissing the Prophet’s grave is not proven by any authentic hadith.
The foundation of the truth of religion is based on the practice of the pious predecessors
The practice adopted by the pious predecessors is the true religion. In Shariah, matters that the pious predecessors were unaware of have no status. In this context, seeking blessings from, touching, or kissing the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is not proven by any authentic source.
The practice of the Companions of the Prophet
Narrated from Hazrat Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه: When the Muslims conquered Tustar, they found the body of a man in a coffin whose nose was long. The people there used to seek victory and rain through this coffin. Hazrat Abu Musa Ash’ari رضي الله عنه informed Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه about this incident. Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه said that this is a Prophet; neither fire can consume him nor can the earth destroy his body. Then he ordered that he be buried in a place known only to him and his companions so that no one could seek blessings from it.
The practice of Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما: When Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما visited the grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, he would pray but considered touching or kissing the grave undesirable.
Statement of Hazrat Nafi’ Tabi’i رحمه الله: Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما considered touching the blessed grave of نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم undesirable.
Wisdom
It has been explained that Allah Almighty did not inform people of the grave of any prophet except نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم so that the wrong concept of seeking blessings and intercession from graves would not arise. Similarly, the graves of many companions, followers, and the followers of the followers are also unknown so that the mistaken notion of obtaining blessings from graves does not develop.
The Conduct of the Followers and Scholars of Later Periods
The famous follower Abu al-Aaliyah, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that when the Muslims conquered the city of Tustar, they saw a cot in the treasury of Hormuzan on which the body of a deceased person was lying. People believed that bringing out this cot during a famine would bring rain. Abu al-Aaliyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said that he buried this coffin so that people would not seek blessings from it.
Scholars’ Opinions
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, commented on this incident by stating that the Companions concealed the grave of Daniel, peace be upon him, so that people would not be led into trial because of it. He said that if seeking blessings from graves were permissible, the Companions would have displayed this grave and prayed there, but this was not done.
The Wrong Concept of Honoring the Prophet’s Grave and Seeking Blessings from It
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, and other scholars also stated that the Companions and the Followers did not consider it permissible to seek blessings from the graves of Prophets or righteous people. If such an act were permissible, the Companions would have displayed those graves and sought blessings from them.
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him: The Companions concealed the grave of Daniel, peace be upon him, so that people would not be led into trial because of it. They did not display this grave so that praying or seeking blessings there would not become a custom.
Allama Ghazali, may Allah have mercy on him: Touching graves and kissing them is a habit of Jews and Christians, and there is no concept of this in Islam.
Opinions of Other Scholars
Allama Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him: Circumambulating the blessed grave of نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم or prostrating near it is disliked and such an act is considered an innovation (bid’ah).
Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him: Touching graves and asking for prayers through them or seeking blessings from them is an innovation for which there is no justification in Islam.
Allama Ibn al-Hajj, may Allah have mercy on him: Some ignorant people circumambulate graves and touch them, whereas all this is an innovation and it is necessary to avoid it.
The Companions and Seeking Blessings from the Grave of the Prophet ﷺ
Some people consider it permissible to seek blessings from the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and present various arguments for it. Below is a review of two of their famous arguments along with a brief and comprehensive commentary on them:
① Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and Prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque
Some people argue that when Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه was to send people towards Sham in response to the letter of Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah رضي الله عنه, he first went to the Prophet’s Mosque, performed four rak’ahs of prayer, and then visited the grave of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and offered salutations.
Commentary
This narration is from Muhammad ibn Umar al-Waqidi, who is considered unreliable and a weak narrator by the Muhaddithin.
Imam Ishaq ibn Rahwayh رحمه الله said: “In my view, this hadith is among those fabricated.”
Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi, Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam Nasai, and other Muhaddithin have declared al-Waqidi as “abandoned in hadith.”
Imam Bandar ibn Bashar said: “I have not seen a narrator more lying than al-Waqidi.”
Hafiz al-Dhahabi رحمه الله said: “It is established that al-Waqidi is a weak narrator.”
Therefore, this narration is baseless and unreliable.
② Ka’b al-Ahbar, may Allah have mercy on him, and the visitation of the Prophet’s grave
The second claim is that when Ka’b al-Ahbar, may Allah have mercy on him, embraced Islam, Sayyiduna Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked him if he would accompany him to visit the grave of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. Then both visited the Prophet’s grave and offered salutations.
Commentary
This narration is also reported by al-Waqidi and is considered weak and unreliable by the scholars of hadith. The hadith scholars have classified al-Waqidi as a weak narrator and a fabricator of lies, therefore this narration holds no status.
③ Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, and the claim of seeking blessings from the Prophet’s grave صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم
Some people claim that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) instructed to seek blessings from the grave of نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم during a famine. They present a narration for this: Abu al-Jawza narrated from Aws ibn Abdullah, a Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, that once the people of Medina were severely afflicted by famine, so they complained to Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). She said to go to the grave of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and open a window towards the sky so that there would be no barrier between the grave and the sky. When the people did this, there was heavy rainfall, and the camels gained a lot of fat, after which that year was called “The Year of Fat-Breaking” (the year when the fat burst).
Commentary
This narration is “weak” and its chain of transmission is unreliable. The primary reasons are as follows:
The narration of Amr ibn Malik al-Nakri from Abu al-Jawza is not reliable. Hadith scholars have declared many of his narrations as unreliable and untrustworthy.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated the statement of Imam Ibn Adi that Amr bin Malik narrated approximately ten weak narrations from Abu al-Jawza.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, declared this narration to be false and said that its chain of transmission is not authentic. He further explained that during the lifetime of Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, there was no window in the Prophet’s chamber, and this is historically proven.
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, further states that even if this narration were authentic, it would not serve as evidence that the Companions نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم sought blessings through his person. Rather, it only proves that they would open a window over the grave so that Allah’s mercy might descend.
Response to the Allegation
Another obligatory response to this narration is that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) herself states that نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم did not know the unseen, and if anyone claims that you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم know the unseen, then he is lying, because Allah has said in the Quran that the knowledge of the unseen is only with Allah.
When Sayyida Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) statement that نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم did not know the unseen is accepted, then how can her statement regarding seeking blessings from the Prophet’s grave be accepted without any verse or hadith? Furthermore, the chain of narration of this report is also weak, so there is no basis for accepting it.
④Our Master Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) and the claim of seeking blessings from the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) grave
Some people have presented a narration in which it is said that Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنهما was seen crying near the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and he was saying: “This is the place for shedding tears. I heard the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم say: ‘The space between my grave and my pulpit is one of the gardens of Paradise’.”
Commentary
This narration is “extremely weak” in terms of its chain of transmission, and its details are as follows:
❀ Muhammad bin Hussain Abu Abdulrahman Salmi
Hafiz Al-Dhahabi رحمه الله says that the hadith scholars criticized him and he was not a trustworthy person.
He also classified him as “weak.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله also criticized him.
Muhammad bin Yusuf Qattan Nishapuri رحمه الله said that this person “was not reliable and fabricated narrations for the Sufis.”
❀ Muhammad bin Yunus bin Musa Kadimi
Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, accused him of fabricating hadiths and theft.
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “This person used to attribute himself to trustworthy narrators and fabricate hadiths himself, and he probably fabricated more than a thousand hadiths.”
Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him “abandoned.”
Imam Abu Hatim Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, commented on one of his narrations saying, “This is not a narration of a truthful person.”
Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him “abandoned.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, also called him “weak.”
⑤ Claim of seeking blessings from Sayyiduna Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Prophet’s ﷺ grave
Some people have presented a narration regarding Sayyiduna Bilal رضي الله عنه in which it is said that he saw نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a dream and you صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “O Bilal! What is this negligence? Has the time not come for you to visit me?” After this dream, Sayyiduna Bilal رضي الله عنه reached Madinah Munawwarah, visited the Prophet’s grave صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, wept there, and placed his face on the grave. Then he met Hasan and Husayn رضي الله عنهما, who requested him to give the Adhan, and he gave the Adhan. This Adhan echoed throughout Madinah and people began to wonder if the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم had come back to life?
Commentary
This narration is weak and fabricated, as various Muhaddithin have stated:
❀Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله clearly declared this narration as “fabricated”: “This story is clearly someone’s fabrication.”
❀Allama Ibn Abdulhadi رحمه الله
Allama Ibn Abdulhadi, may Allah have mercy on him, states that the narration attributed to Sayyiduna Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, is “not authentic”: “This narration is not established.”
❀Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him
Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, considers the chain of this narration “weak” and the narration itself “denounced”: “Its chain is weak and this narration is denounced.”
❀Ibn Iraq Kanani, may Allah have mercy on him
Ibn Iraq Kanani, may Allah have mercy on him, also called this narration “fabricated”: “This story is apparently fabricated.”
Defects in the Chain
There are multiple defects found in this narration which make it unacceptable:
◈Abu Ishaq Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Sulayman bin Bilal
Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes that this narrator is “unknown”: “This narrator is unknown.”
“This narrator is ignorant.”
◈Sulayman bin Bilal bin Abu Darda
Hafiz Ibn Abdulhadi, may Allah have mercy on him, states that this narrator is also “unknown in status”: “This narrator is unknown in status and no scholar has considered him reliable.”
◈Discontinuity
There is no established narration of Sulayman bin Bilal’s hearing from Sayyida Umm Darda رضي الله عنها, therefore this narration is also “disconnected”: “Sulayman bin Bilal’s hearing from Umm Darda رضي الله عنها is not established.”
⑥ Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنه and the claim of seeking blessings from the Prophet’s ﷺ grave
Some people have presented an incident attributed to Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansari رضي الله عنه in which it is mentioned that Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub رضي الله عنه placed his face on the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and Marwan admonished him for this act. According to this narration, Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub رضي الله عنه replied to Marwan: “I have come to the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, not to a stone.”
Commentary
This narration is weak and there are many defects in its chain of transmission. The details are as follows:
❀ Dawood bin Abu Saleh Hijazi
Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله has declared Dawood bin Abu Saleh as “unknown”: “He is an unknown narrator.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, also declared him “maqbool” (acceptable), which indicates that this narrator is unknown and his narration is not reliable: “This is a person of unknown status.”
Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, declared the chain of this narration “sahih” (authentic), but Hafiz Zahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, agreed with this while acknowledging that the unknown status of Dawood bin Abu Saleh weakens this narration. Therefore, the agreement between Hakim and Zahabi is not considered acceptable.
❀Narration of Tabrani
This narration is also present in Tabrani’s books “Mu’jam Kabir” and “Mu’jam Awsat,” but its chain is weak for the following reasons:
- Sufyan bin Bashir al-Kufi is an unknown and obscure narrator.
- Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “I do not recognize him.”
Reference: (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 130/9)
- Matlab bin Abdullah bin Hantab is a narrator who commits tadlis and narrates using “an” without specifying his hearing.
- Matlab bin Abdullah’s hearing from Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub, may Allah be pleased with him, is also not established, therefore this narration is “munqati” (disconnected).
- Harun bin Sulayman Abu Dharr and Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hajjaj bin Rushdain are also included in the chain, who have been declared unknown and weak.
❀ Defects in the Chain
Imam Ibn Abi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him, declared Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hajjaj weak: “The muhaddithin have criticized him.”
Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, also declared him weak.
⑦ A Person’s Grave Being Blessed from the Prophet ﷺ in the Era of Faruq
Some people have presented a narration in which it is said that during a famine in the time of Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, a person came to the grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and requested him to pray for rain from صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. This person saw نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a dream, who told him to convey greetings to Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and inform him that Allah will send down rain.
Commentary
This narration is weak in terms of its chain of transmission, and it has many defects. The details are as follows:
❀Sulaiman ibn Mihran Al-A’mash
Al-A’mash is a mudallis (a narrator who conceals the source), and in this narration, he narrated through “an” (عن), meaning he did not specify his hearing. The narration of a mudallis is acceptable only when he clarifies his hearing.
Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, states that the hadith of a mudallis is not accepted unless he says that he heard it himself.
Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr, may Allah have mercy on him, also states that the tadlees (concealment) of A’mash is not acceptable: “The scholars say that the tadlees of A’mash is not accepted.”
❀Malik Daar
Malik Daar is unknown, and only Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, has authenticated him, while other muhaddithin have declared him as unknown:
Hafiz Mundhiri, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “I do not know him.”
Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, also says: “I do not recognize him.”
❀Other Defects in the Chain
The tadlees of A’mash and the unknown status of Malik Daar further weaken this narration.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar and Ibn Kathir have declared this narration as authentic, but their decision is considered scholarly leniency, because the other fundamental weaknesses of the narration cannot be ignored.
Warning
Imam Tabari and Hafiz Ibn Kathir have narrated a narration in which Bilal bin Harith Al-Muzani, may Allah be pleased with him, is mentioned as having seen the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a dream. This narration is also weak because it contains the following defects:
- Shuaib bin Ibrahim Rifai Kufi: This narrator is unknown, and the hadiths and narrations he has reported have been declared unreliable by the muhaddithin.
- Hafiz Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, called him unknown: “There is ignorance in him.”
Reference: (Mizan al-I’tidal: 2/275)
- Saif bin Umar: This narrator is considered weak, abandoned, and a fabricator of hadith, whose narration is not trustworthy.
- Sahl bin Yusuf bin Sahl bin Malik Ansari: He is also unknown, and the narration he has reported is not considered reliable.
⑧Incident Attributed to Muhammad bin Munkadir
Ismail bin Yaqub Taymi narrates that Muhammad bin Munkadir, may Allah have mercy on him, used to sit with his companions and sometimes he would suffer from deafness. In this condition, he would go to the blessed grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and place his cheek there, then return back. When asked about this practice, he said that whenever he felt the danger of this disease or affliction, he would go to the grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and supplicate. Similarly, he narrated that he saw نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم in a dream in the courtyard of the mosque, and that is why he used to lie down on the ground there.
Commentary
This incident is very weak and rejected in terms of chain of narration, because its narrator Ismail bin Yaqub Taymi is a defective narrator.
❀Statements of the Muhaddithin about Ismail bin Yaqub Taymi
Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He is a weak narrator of hadith.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned it in “Al-Du’afa wal-Matrukoon.”
Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “There is weakness in it.”
He also says: “Imam Abu Hatim has declared it weak, and he narrated a rejected report from Imam Malik.”
Therefore, this narration cannot be relied upon.
⑨The Statement of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him
Imam Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said that he was asked about touching the pulpit of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and seeking blessings from it, and about kissing the grave of نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and seeking nearness to Allah through it. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, replied that if the intention is to seek nearness to Allah, then there is no harm in doing so.
Commentary
This is an ijtihadi error of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, because none of the pious predecessors performed such an act, nor did the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, adopt the practice of touching the grave or pulpit of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم to seek blessings.
Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, also confirmed that the Companions نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم disliked touching the grave because they considered it disrespectful:
“Our master Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, disliked touching the grave نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم because he considered it disrespectful.”
✔ The True Requirement of Love for the Prophet
The true requirement of love for the Prophet is that we adopt the Sunnah and practice of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم were the ones who loved the Prophet the most, but they never sought blessings by touching or kissing the blessed grave. The real standard of love for the Prophet is what the Companions adopted.
Love for the Prophet does not mean that we innovate any act on our own. We should follow in the footsteps of the Companions and the pious predecessors because the criterion for every act in religion should be the Quran, Sunnah, and the practice of the Companions.
Summary of the Article
The mentioned article discusses various narrations regarding seeking blessings from the grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, which some people consider authentic. However, research shows that the chains of these narrations are either weak or rejected, and the hadith scholars have criticized these narrations.
➊ Narrations about seeking blessings from the Prophet’s ﷺ grave
The chains of the narrations presented in this regard are often defective, and the hadith scholars have declared these narrators weak or unknown.
➋ The true standard of love for the Prophet
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, who loved نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم the most, never sought blessings by touching or kissing the grave. Their practice is the best example for us.
➌ Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s Ijtihad
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, permitting touching the grave and seeking blessings from it is an ijtihadi error because this practice is against the Sunnah of the pious predecessors.
➍ Hafiz Dhahabi’s commentary
According to Hafiz Zahbi, may Allah have mercy on him, the Companions disliked touching the grave of نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and none of the Salaf adopted this method of seeking blessings.
Conclusion
The foundation of religion is the Quran, Sunnah, and the practical interpretation of the Companions. The expression of love for the Prophet should be in the ways adopted by the Companions. The practice of seeking blessings from the Prophet’s grave is neither Sunnah nor does it have any Shariah evidence.
