There are conflicting opinions among Muslims regarding whether the dead can hear or not. This very disagreement is also a major reason for the division of Muslims in terms of belief. This issue is known as “Sama’ al-Mawta” (hearing of the dead). We will present the solution to this issue from the Quran and Sunnah in the light of the understanding of the Salaf. We kindly request the readers to remain impartial and consider our observations in the pursuit of truth, and not let prejudice interfere when making any decision. We have firm hope, indeed certainty, that they will surely reach the truth, because if the Quran and Sunnah are understood according to the method and approach of the Companions, the Successors, and the Imams of the religion, then reaching the truth becomes one hundred percent certain.
As a preface, keep in mind that some general rules and laws of Islamic Sharia have a few exceptions. These exceptions do not affect the status of the general rules. After excluding the exceptions proven by Sharia texts, the remaining rule remains general, for example:
➊ It is a general rule that all humans are born from one mother and one father. The command of Allah Almighty is:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى
“O mankind! Indeed We have created you from a male and a female.”
? Whereas Adam (peace be upon him) was born without both mother and father, and Jesus (peace be upon him) was born without a father.
Now, no one can absolutely say on the basis of these two special incidents that a human is born without both mother and father or without either one; rather, it can be said that there have been two special humans in the world, one of whom was born without both mother and father, and the other without a father.
➋ The prohibition of carrion is a general rule. The Divine command is:
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ
? While the meat of جراد (a bird called locust) and حوت (fish) is excepted.
? The permissibility of these two types of carrion does not justify the permissibility of all carrion. At most, it can be said that “carrion is permissible, but only that of fish and locust.” The law prohibiting carrion remains firm and general.
3. It has been made forbidden for the men of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ to wear silk. The Prophetic saying is:
الحرير والذهب حرام على ذكور أمتي، حل لإناثهم
“Silk and gold are forbidden for the men of my Ummah, while they are permissible for women.”
However, using an amount equivalent to three or four fingers is permissible.
The general rule of Shariah is that wearing silk is forbidden for men, but a specific quantity has been permitted. No one can categorically say on the basis of this concession that wearing silk is permissible for men. At most, one can say, “Wearing silk is permissible for men but only in a specific quantity.”
All these examples loudly proclaim that, as a general rule, Sharia sometimes allows certain exceptions, but this does not affect the overall status of Sharia law. The exact same situation applies to the issue of the dead hearing. The dead do not hear; however, it is established from the Quran and Sunnah that in specific times and circumstances mentioned by them, they do hear something special. It is not permissible to say that the dead hear. At most, it can be said that “the dead hear, but only in those circumstances and events explicitly stated by the Sharia texts.”
Therefore, holding the belief that the dead hear absolutely is contrary to the Quran and Sunnah. The Quran and Sunnah have categorically negated the dead hearing. This is the general rule. Consider the evidence:
Evidence against the dead hearing
Evidence number ①
The honorable command of Allah Almighty is:
إِنَّمَا يَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ يَسْمَعُونَ وَالْمَوْتَى يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّـهُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ
“The response is only given by those who hear, and Allah will resurrect the dead (on the Day of Judgment), then they will be returned to Him.”
◈ The renowned commentator Abu Ja’far, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him (224-310 AH), says:
﴿والمؤتى يبعثهم الله﴾ , He says: Allah will resurrect the disbelievers along with the dead, so He, the Exalted in Mention, has placed them among the dead who neither hear any sound, nor comprehend any call, nor understand any speech.
﴿والمؤتى يبعثهم الله﴾ “And the dead will He raise up.” Allah Almighty says that He will resurrect the disbelievers along with the dead, thus Allah has included them (even while being alive) among those dead who neither can hear any sound, nor understand any call, nor have any awareness of any speech.”
Evidence number ②
﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ﴾
“(O Prophet!) Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear your call when they turn away walking.”
◈ Janab Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi Deobandi Sahib (1244-1323 AH) writes:
واستدل المنكرون (لسماع الموتى)، ومنهم عائشة وابن عباس، ومنهم الإمام (أبو حنيفة)، بقوله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾ , for when the disbelievers were likened to the dead in not hearing, it was known that the dead do not hear, otherwise the simile would not be valid.
“Those who deny that the dead hear include Sayyida Aisha, Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), and Imam Abu Hanifa. Their argument is based on this command of Allah Almighty: ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾ ‘(O Prophet!) Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.’ They say that Allah Almighty has likened the disbelievers to the dead in not being able to hear. From this, it becomes clear that the dead do not hear, otherwise the simile would not hold…”
? In this noble verse, Allah Almighty has likened the disbelievers to the dead, as if these disbelievers are dead, just as the dead do not hear, similarly they do not listen to the truth.
Argument number ③ Allah Almighty’s command is:
﴿وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْيَاءُ وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يُسْمِعُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾
◈ Masood bin Umar Taftazani Maturidi (d. 792 AH) writes:
واما قوله تعالى : ﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ , so the state of the disbelievers is likened to the state of the dead, and there is no dispute that the dead do not hear.
“In His honorable statement ﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ ‘You cannot make those in the graves hear,’ Allah Almighty has likened the condition of the disbelievers to the condition of the dead, and there is no disagreement that the dead cannot hear.”
◈ The commentator of Hidayah, Allama Ibn Humam Hanafi (d. 861 AH), after mentioning these two verses, states:
فإنهما يفيدان تحقيق عدم سماعهم، فإنه تعالى شبه الكفار بالمؤتى لإفادة تعذر سماعهم، وهو فرع عدم سماع الموتى.
“From these two verses, it is understood that the dead absolutely cannot hear. Allah Almighty has likened the disbelievers to the dead to indicate that they cannot hear. The disbelievers’ inability to hear the truth is a consequence of the dead not hearing.”
Benefit: Some people call upon the deceased for help and invoke their names from the unseen. This is a false belief. The dead cannot hear even from close by, so how can they hear from thousands of miles away? The Holy Quran refutes this as follows:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ ٭ إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ﴾ (35-Fatir:14, 13)
“The ones you call besides Allah are not even owners of the smallest thing like the seed of a date. If you call them, they cannot hear your call, and even if they hear, they cannot respond to your wishes. On the Day of Resurrection, these people will disassociate themselves from your polytheism. No one can inform you like the All-Knowing (Allah).”
Also, Allah the Exalted says:
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّـهِ مَنْ لَا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ
“Who can be more astray than the one who calls upon those besides Allah who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection? And they, of their invocation, are unaware.”
It is understood that the dead cannot hear. This is a general rule. Those who deny this general rule are not the people of truth, but rather misguided persons.
Exceptions proven by Shariah texts
The Shariah itself has set some exceptions to this general rule. Some of these exceptions are:
Exception number ①
The dead hearing the sound of shoes:
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
العبد إذا وضع في قبره , وتولي , وذهب اصحابه حتى إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم اتاه ملكان فاقعداه , فيقولان له
“When the deceased is placed in the grave and his relatives leave and return, until he hears the sound of their shoes, two angels come to him and sit him up and say to him…?”
❀ In a narration from Sahih Muslim, these words are mentioned:
إن الميت إذا وضع في قبره إنه ليسمع خفق نعالهم إذا انصرفوا
“When the deceased is placed in the grave, he hears the sound of people’s shoes as they leave…”
❀ It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ان الميت اذا وضع في قبره انه لسمع خفق نعالهم حين يولون عنه
“When the deceased is placed in the grave, he hears the sound of people’s footsteps as they depart.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) classified this hadith as “Sahih” and Imam Hakim (may Allah have mercy on him) said it is “Sahih” according to the conditions of Sahih Muslim.
◈ Allama Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) said its chain is Hasan.
? This is an exception. These hadiths also prove that the dead cannot hear. The rule that the dead do not hear is firmly established. If they could hear all the time, then what was the purpose of imposing the restriction of حين يولون عنهٔ (when people are burying the deceased and returning) and إِذا انصرفوا (when people are returning), specifying a particular time? This means that the law and principle is that the dead do not hear; however, this hadith has made an exception for a specific occasion, that at the time of burial, the deceased hears the footsteps of the shoes of the people returning.
◈ Allama Aini Hanafi (d. 855 AH) writes:
وفيه دليل على أنّ الميت تعود إليه روحه لأجل السؤال، وإنه ليسمع صوت نعال الاحياء، وهو فى السؤال
“From this hadith it is understood that the soul of the deceased is returned for the questioning (by Munkar and Nakir), and at the time of questioning, the deceased hears the sound of the shoes of the living people.”
? Then the principle of Arabic grammar is that when the letter Lam is added to the present tense verb, the meaning becomes specific to the present situation, that is ليسمع they hear specifically in that situation.
This research is also supported by the Prophetic saying:
◈ Imam Tahawi Hanafi has narrated:
والذي نفسي بيده ! إنه ليسمع خفق نعالهم، حين تولون عنه مدبرين
“By the One in Whose hand is my soul! Surely when people bury the dead and are returning, the dead hears the sound of their shoes.”
◈ The famous Arab scholar of Hadith, Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him (1332-1420 AH), says about this Hadith:
فليس فيه إلا السماع فى حالة إعادة الروح إليه ليجيب على سؤال الملكين، كما هو واضح من سياق الحديث.
“This Hadith only mentions that when the soul is returned to the dead for answering the questions of the angels, at that time he hears the sound (of the shoes). This is clear from the context of the Hadith.”
◈ The famous Arab scholar of Hadith, Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 1421 AH), says:
فهو وارد فى وقت خاص، وهو انصراف المشيعين بعد الدّفن.
“The hearing of the dead occurs at a specific time, which is when those who buried him are returning after the burial.”
Exception No. ②
The disbelievers who reached Hellfire in the Battle of Badr hearing the sermon of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):
● The twenty-four polytheists killed in Badr were thrown into a well. After three days, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called out their names and said:
يا فلان بن فلان، ويا فلان بن فلان ايسركم انكم اطعتم الله ورسوله، فإنا قد وجدنا ما وعدنا ربنا حقا “O son of so-and-so and O son of so-and-so! Do you now feel good that you obey Allah and His Messenger? We have seen the promise of our Lord fulfilled. Have you also seen the promise of your Lord fulfilled?”
Upon hearing this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: يا رسول الله ما تكلم من اجساد لا ارواح لها “O Messenger of Allah! What are you saying to these bodies which have no soul?”
To this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:
والذي نفس محمد بيده، ما انتم باسمع لما اقول منهم “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace be upon him)! What I am saying, you are not hearing it more than these disbelievers.”
● Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما narrates this incident as follows:
اطلع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على اهل القليب، فقال: وجدتم ما وعد ربكم حقا، فقيل له: تدعو امواتا، فقال: ما انتم باسمع منهم ولكن لا يجيبون
“The Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم looked towards the disbelievers at the well and said: Have you found your Lord’s promise to be true? It was asked: Are you calling the dead? The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم replied: They hear like you do, but they cannot respond.”
? This hadith also mentions a specific sound heard by the disbelievers of Makkah, as in Sahih al-Bukhari
:
انهم الان يسمعون ما اقول
“They are hearing my words at that moment.”
? From this, it is understood that the dead do not hear. This was the belief of the Companions. That is why Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم why he was speaking to the dead, since they do not hear. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم informed him that the incident of the disbelievers lying at the well of Badr hearing was an exception to the law of Shariah regarding the deafness of the dead. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم did not say that the dead hear after death, but said: الآن meaning they were hearing my words at that moment. There is no mention of continuous hearing, rather the continuity is negated.
◈ Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631-676 AH), quoting Allama Mazari, writes:
قال (أبو عبدالله محمد بن على – 453-536هـ -) المازري : قال بعض الناس : الميت يسمع عملا بظاهر هذا الحديث، ثم أنكرهٔ المازري، وادعى أن هذا خاض فى هؤلاء.
“Allama (Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ali) Mazari (453-536 AH) states that some people, looking at the apparent words of this hadith, said that the dead hear. After that, Allama Mazari refuted this and claimed that this hearing was specific to those disbelievers.”
◈ Allama Nasiruddin Albani, may Allah have mercy on him (1332-1420 AH), says regarding this hadith:
ونحوه قوله صلي الله عليه وسلم لعمر حينما ساله عن منادته لاهل قليب بدر ما انتم باسمع لما اقول منهم هو خاص ايضا باهل القليب
“When the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم called out to the slain in the well of Badr, Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه asked about it; the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: You do not hear my words more than they do. Similarly, this honorable statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is also specific to the people of Badr.”
Benefit: The famous Tabi’i Imam Qatadah bin Du’ama, may Allah have mercy on him (61-118 AH), says:
أحياهم الله حتي أسمعهم قوله، توبيخا وتصغيرا ونقمة وحسرة وندما .
“Allah Almighty resurrected those disbelievers and made them hear the command of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, so that they would be humiliated and disgraced and drown in regret and remorse.”
◈ Allama Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Khalaf bin Abdullah, Ibn Battal (d. 449 AH) says:
وعلى تأويل قتادة فقهاء الأئمة وجماعة أهل السنة.
“The jurists, Imams, and the Ahl al-Sunnah community are established upon the meaning stated by Imam Qatadah.”
? It is understood that neither the Companions nor the pious predecessors accepted the hearing of the dead. If there was any evidence in the Quran and Hadith for hearing the dead, the predecessors of the Ummah would certainly have accepted it. Therefore, we establish the original rule of non-hearing, and the places where hearing is proven with authentic evidence are considered exceptions.
A chapter on exception in beliefs and actions has been opened. Saying “Negation of hearing, then exception, what difference will it make, the result will anyway be that hearing is like pearls…” is sheer ignorance and foolishness.
◈ The commentator of Bukhari, Allama Abu Muhammad Abdul Wahid Ibn Tain Maghribi (d. 611 AH) says:
ان الموتي لا يسمعون بلا شك . “Indeed, the dead do not hear.”
◈ The commentator of Bukhari, Mahlab bin Ahmad bin Asid Tamimi (d. 435 AH) says:
لا يسمعون، كما قال تعالى : ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾
, ﴿And you are not to make those in the graves hear﴾
“The dead do not hear, as the command of Allah the Exalted is: ﴿إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَى﴾ (O Prophet!) “Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear.” Also He said: ﴿وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَنْ فِي الْقُبُورِ﴾ “(O Prophet!) You cannot make those in the graves hear.”
It has been proven that there is no evidence in the Quran and Sunnah for men listening, which is why none of the pious predecessors (Salaf us-Salih) believed in Sama’ Moti. The religion is exactly what the Salaf us-Salih understood and acted upon. Everything else is innovation and superstitions. May Allah grant us safety in religion and faith and keep us on the path of the Salaf us-Salih throughout our lives. Ameen!
Doubts of those who believe in Sama’ Moti and their refutation
Those who believe in Sama’ Moti are poor and destitute in the world of arguments. They do not have evidence, only doubts, on the basis of which they support men listening. Let us refute these doubts in the light of the Quran, Sunnah, and the practices of the Salaf:
Doubt number ①
An additional phrase from Tafsir Ibn Kathir
وقد شرع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأمته : إذا سلموا على أهل القبور أن يسلموا عليهم سلام من يخاطبونه، فيقول المسلم: السلام عليكم دار قوم مؤمنين، وهذا خطاب لمن يسمع ويعقل، ولولا ذلك لكان هذا الخطاب منزلة خطاب المعدوم والجماد، والسلف مجمعون على هذا وقد تواترت الآثار عنهم بأن الميت يعرف زيارة الحي له ويستبشر به.
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught his Ummah that when they greet those in the graves, they should greet them in the same manner as they greet their interlocutors. Thus, the one who greets should say: اَلسَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ دَارَ قَوْمِ مُؤْمِنِينَ ‘O inhabitants of the houses (graves) of the believers! Peace be upon you.’ This manner of greeting is used for those who hear and understand. If this greeting were not addressed to the addressee, then greeting the dead would be meaningless and akin to greeting inanimate objects. The pious predecessors have consensus on this matter. There are continuous reports from them that the deceased recognize the living who come to the grave and are pleased.”
The passage from Tafsir Ibn Kathir is an addition taken from a defective manuscript whose copyist is unknown, therefore it has no credibility. Even if it were proven authentic, there is no sound evidence supporting it, hence this passage is inadmissible and should be disregarded.
◈ Dr. Ismail Abdul Aal says about the manuscripts of Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
وأرى من الواجب على من یتصدى لتحقيق تفسير ابن كثير تحقيقا علميا دقيقا، سيما من المآخذ، أن لا يعتمد على نسخة واحدة، بل عليه أن يجمع كل النسخ المخطوطة والمطبوعة، ويوازن بينها مع إثبات الزيادة والنقص، والتحريف والتصحيف.
“Whoever wishes to conduct a precise and scholarly research of Tafsir Ibn Kathir, especially considering various sources, in my opinion, it is also necessary for him not to rely on just one manuscript, but rather to collect all the handwritten and printed manuscripts, then compare all the manuscripts while keeping in mind additions, omissions, distortions, and alterations.”
Then Tafsir Ibn Kathir, which has been published with the research of Sami bin Muhammad Salamah, whose reference is also mentioned above, the researcher has considered fifteen manuscripts. After writing the mentioned phrase, the researcher writes: زيادة منْ ت، أ meaning this phrase is present in the manuscript Al-Muhammadiyyah which is in Turkey. The scribe (writer) of this manuscript is unknown. Also, this phrase is present in the manuscript of Waliullah bin Jarullah. Its scribe is Ali bin Yaqub, who is famous by the name Ibn al-Mukhlis. His biography is not found. Thus, these two manuscripts are not considered reliable.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir, which has been published in fifteen volumes with the research of five investigators, its first edition was published by comparing the manuscript Azharīyah and the manuscript Dar al-Kutub. This phrase is not present in it. This is also a clear indication of the doubtful nature of this phrase.
Doubt number ②
The evidence of saying Salaam in the graveyard:
Some people have established the issue of hearing the greetings of the dead from the hadith about salam. They have come across “weak” narrations. Based on these, some things have been proven. However, no authentic hadith mentions hearing the greetings of the dead.
The founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, Janab Muhammad Qasim Nanotvi (1248-1297 AH), says:
“According to his flawed thinking, hearing sounds is beyond the limit of hearing. But listening to sounds is possible. This seems to be the reason that Allah Almighty said انك لا تسمع الموتي, and despite this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prescribed the salam of the people of the graves. If listening is not possible, then this absurd act, i.e., the salam of the people of the graves, is sufficient for the blasphemy of the atheists.”
Is this a scholarly matter? When there are no arguments, such “arrows” are shot, and intellectual horses are raced against revelation. Even a person with the slightest awareness knows that it is a greeting and prayer. And when a deceased person is greeted, it is said only as a prayer; it is not intended to be heard by them. Just as when Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the Black Stone and said:
اني اعلم انك حجر، لا تضر ولا تنفع
“I know that you are a stone; you neither benefit nor harm…”
Here too, it was not intended for the Black Stone to hear, but rather to inform people that I kiss the Black Stone only following the Sunnah of the Prophet. No Muslim says that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said this to make the Black Stone hear. It is understood that sometimes addressing is not meant to be heard but can have some other purpose. Can anyone, while testing reason, say that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressing the Black Stone, which is inanimate and incapable of hearing (may Allah forbid!), was a foolish act?
◈ The famous scholar of the Arab world, Sheikh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 1421 AH), says:
فإنه لا يلزم من السلام عليهم أن يسمعوا، ولهذا كان المسلمون يسلمون على النبى فى حياته فى التشهد، وهو لا يسمعهم قطعا.
“It is not proven that men hear the greetings said to them. Muslims (especially the Companions) used to send salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, while reciting Tashahhud during his lifetime, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, certainly did not hear it.”
Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, has spoken absolutely correctly. If the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, heard the salutations السلام عليك ايها النبي (O Prophet! Peace be upon you) recited by the Companions in Tashahhud, then the Prophet, peace be upon him, should have always been aware of all the Companions, because all the Companions were five-time daily worshippers. However, many times it happened that the Prophet, peace be upon him, had to inquire about his Companions—where they were and how they were.
For example, consider an incident where a woman (or man) who used to take care of cleaning the mosque passed away. The Companions performed her funeral prayer and buried her. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) inquired about her absence from the mosque, he was informed that she had died several days earlier.
If the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard every salaam recited by the Companions in prayer, then at the time of the first prayer after the woman’s death, he should have known that the woman who cleaned the mosque neither prayed nor said salaam. The fact that this did not happen, and that the Prophet (peace be upon him) learned of her death several days later from the Companions, is clear evidence that it is not necessary to hear every salaam.
? This is the same matter regarding greeting the dead. The intention is only to offer prayers for them, not to recite the greeting aloud. There is no authentic hadith proving that greeting the dead aloud is established. Our question is, if the dead can hear, then why do they not respond? No one has ever heard a reply from the dead, nor has any proponent of the doctrine of hearing after death claimed that the dead respond. When some people believe that the dead can hear and recognize, then why do they not greet themselves?
It is understood that the greeting said in the graveyard is not a greeting of address, but a greeting of prayer, and the intention is not to recite it aloud.
◈ The commentator of Bukhari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him (773-852 AH), says:
واستدل جماعة منهم عبد الحق على حصول الاستماع من الميت بمشروعية السلام على المؤتى، فقالوا: لو لم يسمعوا السلام لكان خطابهم به عبثا، وهو بحث ضعيف، لانه يحتمل خلاف ذلك، فقد ثبت فى التشهد مخاطبة النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فهو لا يسمع جميع ذلك قطعا، فخطاب المؤتى بالسلام فى قول الذى يدخل المقبرة : السلام عليكم اهل القبور من المومنين، لا يستلزم انهم يسمعون ذلك، بل هو بمعنى الدعاء، فالتقدير : اللهم اجعل (السلام عليكم) كما تقدر فى قولنا : الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله، فإن المغنى : اللهم اجعل الصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، فقد ثبت فى الحديث الضحيح فى أن العبد إذا قال : السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين، أصاب كل عبد صالح، فهو خبر بمعني الطلب، فالتقدير: اللهم سلم عليهم، والله اعلم
“A group, including Abdul Haq (Ashbili), has argued for the permissibility of greeting the dead by citing Sama’ al-Mawta. They say that since the dead do not hear greetings, addressing them is pointless… but this is a weak position, because there is also the opposite and a possibility in greeting the dead. It is established that in Tashahhud, addressing the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, with greetings is proven, but the Prophet, peace be upon him, does not hear the greetings said on behalf of everyone in Tashahhud. Similarly, when a believer enters a graveyard and greets the dead, it means: O Allah! Send peace upon them, just as الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله! means ‘O Allah! Send mercy and peace upon Your Messenger.’ It is proven in an authentic hadith that when a servant says in Tashahhud السلام علينا وعلي عباد الله الصالحين ‘Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah,’ this prayer reaches every righteous person. Thus, this report is in the form of a supplication. Its meaning is: O Allah! Send peace upon all the righteous people. والله اعلم !
Doubt Number ③
An Unsourced Tradition:
وروى أبو الشيخ الأصبهاني فى كتاب (أثواب الأعمال) بإسناده عن عبيد بن أبى مرزوق، قال : ماتت بالمدينة امرأة يقال لها : ام محجن، تقم المسجد، فماتت، فلم يعلم بها النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فمر على قبرها، فقال : ”ما هذا القير؟“، قالوا: أم محجن، فقال: التي كانت تقم المسجد؟، قالوا: نعم، فصف الناس، وصلى عليها، ثم قال : أی العمل و جدت أفضل؟، قالوا : يا رسول الله ! أتسمع ؟ قال : ”ما أنتم باسمع منھا“ فذکر انھا اجابتہ : قم المسجد .
Commentary: Its complete chain of narration could not be found.
Unsourced traditions hold no credibility. Among the weak chains available, Ubaid ibn Abu Marzuq is “unknown in status.”
Except for Imam Ibn Hibban
, no one has authenticated it.
Imam Bukhari
, Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi
, and others have classified it as “Mursal.” According to the scholars of Hadith, a “Mursal” narration is considered “weak.”
Doubt Number ④
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما:
جاء أعرابي إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: يا رسول الله ! إن أبى كان يصل الرحم، وكان وكان، فأين هو، قال: ”في النار“، قال: فكانهٔ وجد من ذلك، فقال : يا رسول الله ! فأين أبوك؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ”حيثما مررت بقبر مشرك، فبشرهٔ بالنار“، قال : فأسلم الأعرابي بعد، وقال : لقد كلفني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تعبا، ما مررت بقبر كافر الا بشرته بالنار.
“A villager came to the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and said: O Messenger of Allah! My father used to maintain kinship ties and do many good deeds. Where is he? He replied: In Hell. This upset him, and he said: O Messenger of Allah! Where is your father? He said: Whenever you pass by the grave of a polytheist, give him the glad tidings of Hell. That villager later embraced Islam and said: The Messenger of Allah has engaged me in a difficult task. Whenever I pass by the grave of a disbeliever, I give him the glad tidings of Hell.”
Comment: Its chain of narration is “weak.”
Imam Zahri is a “fabricator” and is narrating in the form of “عن.” There is no specification of hearing (sama’) anywhere.
However, a narration with the same meaning is also present in Sahih Muslim (203), but in that narration, the villager is not commanded to pass by the grave of every polytheist and give the glad tidings of Hell.
Doubt number ⑤
Sayyiduna Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by Baqi’ Gharqad and said:
السلام عليكم يا أهل القبور !! أخبار ما عندنا أن نسائكم قد تزوجن، ودوركم قد سكنت، وأموالكل قد فرقت، فاجابه هاتف : يا عمر بن الخطاب ! أخبار ما عندنا أن ما قدمناه، فقد وجدناه، وما أنفقناه، فقد ربحناه، وما خلفناه، فقد خسرناه.
“O inhabitants of the graves! Peace be upon you. The news we have is that your women have remarried, strangers have settled in your homes, and your wealth has been distributed.” A hidden voice replied: “We have the news that the wealth we sent ahead has reached us, what was spent in the way of Allah has proven beneficial for us, and what we left behind has proven harmful.”
Comment: Its chain is severely “weak” because:
① There is no authentication for the narrator Mutahir bin Nu’man.
② Muhammad bin Jubair’s hearing from Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه is not established. As Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله states:
لايصح سماعه عن عمر بن الخطاب، فإن الدارقطني [العلل :174/1] It is indicated that his narration from Uthman is mursal.
“There is no established hearing from Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه. Imam Darqutni clarified that the hadith he narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه is mursal.”
If Muhammad bin Jubair’s hearing from Sayyiduna Uthman رضي الله عنه is not established, then how is it possible from Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه?
We are surprised why some people load such raw material into their books?
Doubt number ⑥
Sayyiduna Abu Abdullah, Sayyidan (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates:
أشرف النبى صلى اللہ عليه وسلم على أهل القليب 0 فقال : ”يا أهل القليب ! هل وجدتم ما وعد ربكم حقا؟“، فقالوا: يا رسول الله ! وهل يسمعون ؟ قال: ”يسمعون كما تسمعون، ولكن لا يجيبون“ .
“The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) looked towards the slain disbelievers lying in the well of Badr and said: O inhabitants of the well! Did you find the promise of your Lord to be true? The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! Can they hear? He (peace be upon him) replied: They hear just like you do, but they cannot respond.”
Commentary: Its chain of narration is very weak because:
① Imam al-Tabarani’s teacher, Abdul Warith ibn Ibrahim, Abu Ubaidah al-Askari, is “majhool al-haal” (unknown status).
Regarding him, Hafiz Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
لم اعرفه
② Yunus ibn Musa al-Shami’s reliability is not confirmed.
③ The identification and authentication of Husayn ibn Hamad is required.
④ Who is Ubaidullah ibn Ghasil? An introduction is needed.
? Unknown persons dominate this chain. Therefore, it is unreliable.
Doubt number ⑦
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
وقف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على أهل القليب، فقال: يا أهل القليب ! هل وجدتم ما وعدكم ربكم حقا؟، فإني قد وجدت ما وعدني ربي حقا، قالوا: يا رسول الله ! هل يسمعون ؟ قال : ما أنتم باسمع لما اقول، منهم ولكنهم اليوم لا يجيبون
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood by the slain disbelievers lying in the well of Badr and said: O inhabitants of the well! Did you find the promise of your Lord to be true? I have found the promise of my Lord to be absolutely true.” The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! Can they hear this? He replied: You do not hear my words more than they do. But today they are unable to respond.”
Commentary: Its chain of narration is “weak.” In it:
① Ash’ath ibn Sawwar is considered “weak” by the majority of scholars.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has called him “weak.”
◈ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
ضعفه أحمد وجماعة. “He has been declared weak by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, and a group of the noble Imams.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Milqan, may Allah have mercy on him, has declared him “weak” and said:
فالاكثر على انه غير مرضي ولا مختار
“Most of the noble hadith scholars consider him unreliable and disliked.”
② There is also “tadlis” (concealment) and confusion by Abu Ishaq al-Sabi’i in it.
من حديث أبى العباس الاصم In the chain of narration (84), Aban ibn Abu Ya’ash is a “matruk” (abandoned) narrator.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says about him:
فانهٔ ضعيف باتفاق . “This narrator is unanimously considered weak by the hadith scholars.”
◈ Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, states in the footnote of Sunan Ibn Abi Asim:
لكن ليس فيها أن المؤتى عامة يسمعون، وإنما فيها أن أهل القليب سمعوا قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم إياهم، فهي قضية خاصة، لا عموم لھا . . . .، ويؤيده قول قتادة المتقدم : أحياھم الله له، فالقضية خاصة، فلا يجوز أن يلحق بها غيرها، فيقال : إن المؤتى كلهم يسمعون، كما يقول كثير من الناس اليوم !
“But from this hadith, it is not established that all dead men hear (everything). It only mentions that the murdered ones in the well heard what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said to them. This is a specific incident that cannot be generalized… This is also supported by the statement of Imam Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, which we have already mentioned, that Allah Almighty brought those disbelievers back to life to hear the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him… Thus, this is a specific incident. It is not permissible to generalize it and say that all dead hear, as is the belief of many people in the present time.”
Doubt number ⑧
Saeed bin Musayyib, a Tabi’i, narrates:
دخلنا مقابر المدينة مع على بن أبى طالب، فنادي يا أهل القبور ! السلام عليكم ورحمة الله، تخبرونا باخباركم، ام تريدون ان نخبركم ؟ قال : فسمعت صوتا ؛ وعليك السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته، يا أمير المؤمنين ! خبرنا عما كان بعدنا، فقال على رضى الله عنه : أما ازواجكم، فقد تزوجن، و اما اموالكم، فقد اقتسمت، و الاولاد قد حشروا فى زمرة اليتامى، والبناء الذى شيدتم فقد سكنها اعدائكم فهده اخباركم عندنا، فما اخبارنا عندكم؟ فما عندكم؟ فاجابه ميت: قد تخرقت الأكفان، وانتثرت الشعور، وتقطعت الجلود، وسالت الأحداق على الخدود، وسالت المناخر بالقيح والصديد، وما قدمناه وجدناه، وما خلفناه خسرناه، ونخن مرتهنون بالأعمال.
“We entered the cemetery of Madinah Munawwarah with Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) called out loudly: O inhabitants of the graves! Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you. Will you tell us about your condition, or do you want to hear from us? I (Saeed bin Musayyib) heard this voice: O Commander of the Faithful! And upon you be peace and mercy of Allah. Tell us about the events that happened after us. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Your wives have remarried, your wealth has been distributed, your children have begun to be counted among orphans, and the houses you built have been occupied by your enemies. These were the news we had about you. Now tell us what news you have? One deceased replied: Our shrouds have decayed, our hair has scattered, our skins have split, the blackness of our eyes has flowed down our cheeks due to weeping, from our noses gush spurts of blood and pus. The things we sent ahead (in the way of Allah) have proven beneficial for us, and those we left behind (for the heirs) have proven harmful for us. We are held as collateral for our deeds.”
Comment: This chain of narration is weak because:
➊ There is no authentication available for Abdullah bin Hasan bin Abdulrahman, Abu al-Qasim Bazzaz.
➋ Several other narrators in this chain are also “unknown,” as Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
في إسناده قبل ابي زيد النحوي من يجهل .
“There are unknown narrators before Abu Zaid Nahwi in this chain of narration.”
◈ Hafiz Suyuti says about this narration:
بسند فيه من يجهل
“It is narrated with a chain that contains unknown narrators.”
➌ Sufyan bin Uyaynah is a “mudallis” (one who practices tadlis) and is narrating through “an.”
Therefore, this narration cannot be considered authoritative.
Doubt number ⑨
There was a young man in the era of Farooq. The Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه, was very pleased with him. He stayed in the mosque all day and went to his father after Isha prayer. On the way, there was a woman’s house. She fell in love with him. She always wanted to attract his attention, but the young man did not look at her. One night, his foot slipped, and he was with her. He went to the door. When he wanted to enter, Allah Almighty came to his mind, and involuntarily this noble verse came out of his tongue: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذَا مَسَّهُمْ طَائِفٌ مِّنَ الشَّيْطَانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذَا هُم مُّبْصِرُونَ﴾. Upon reciting the verse, he fainted and fell down. The woman picked him up with her veil and threw him at his door. The father was waiting. It took time for him to come. He went out to see and found him unconscious at the door. He called the family and brought him inside and revived him. He regained consciousness late at night. The father asked about his condition. He said: “I am fine.” The father insisted: “Tell me.” He reluctantly narrated the story. The father said: “My dear son! Which verse is this?” The young man recited it again. Upon reciting, he fainted again. When moved, he was found dead. That very night, he was bathed, shrouded, and buried. In the morning, the Commander of the Faithful, Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه, received the news. He offered condolences to the father and complained about not being informed. The father said: “O Commander of the Faithful! It was night.” Then the Commander of the Faithful went to the grave with his companions. فقال عمر : يا فلان ! ولمن خاف مقام ربه جنتان . فأجابه الفتي من داخل القبر : يا عمر قد أعطانيهما ربى يا عمر ! Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه said: “O so-and-so! Whoever fears accountability before his Lord, for him there are two paradises.” The young man replied from inside the grave: “O Umar! Allah Almighty has granted me those two paradises.”
Comment:
? The chain of narration of this incident is invalid, because:
Yahya bin Ayyub Ghafqi Misri (d. 168 AH) says:
سمعت من يذكر انهٔ كان فى زمن عمر . . .
“I heard a narrator say that in the era of Faruq…”
Thus, this chain is severely “problematic.” It is unknown who that storyteller was and from where he heard these tales?
◈ Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on him, while narrating a chain of a statement, said:
سمعت بعض أصحاب عبد الله (ابن المبارك ) . . .
“I heard a student of Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, narrate this…”
? Commenting on this:
◈ Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631-676 AH), says:
سمعت بعض أصحاب عبد الله، هذا مجهول، ولا يصح الاحتجاج به .
“Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh says that I heard a student of Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak. This student is unknown, and it is not correct to take proof from this chain.”
It is not permissible to base one’s beliefs and actions on narrations from ambiguous and unknown people.
Doubt number ⑩
حدثنا أبو عقيل أنس بن سلم الخولاني : ثنا محمد بن ابراهيم بن العلاء الحمصي : ثنا اسماعيل بن عياش : ثنا عبدالله بن محمد القرشي، عن يحيي بن ابي كثير عن سعيد بن عبد الله الأودي، قال : شهدت أبا أمامة، وهو فى النزاع، فقال : إذا أنا مت، فاصنعوا بي كما أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن نصنع بموتانا، أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال : إذا مات أحد من اخوانكم، فسويتم التراب على قبره، فليقم احدكم على راس قبره، ثم ليقل : يا فلان بن فلانة ! فإنه يسمعه، ولا يجيب، ثم يقول : يا فلان بن فلانة، فإنه يستوي قاعدا، ثم يقول : يا فلان بن فلانة ! فإنه يقول : ارشدنا رحمك الله، ولكن لا تشعرون، فليقل : اذكر ما خرجت عليه من الدنيا؛ شهادة أن لا اله الا الله وان محمدا عبده ورسوله، وانك رضيت بالله ربا، وبالإسلام دينا، وبمحمد نبيا، وبالقران اماما، فان منكرا ونكيرا ياخذ واحد منهما بيد صاحبه، ويقول : انطلق بنا، ما نقعد عند من قد لقن حجته، فيكون الله حجيجه دونهما، فقال رجل : يا رسول الله ! فإن لم يعرف أمه؟ قال : فينسبهٔ إلى حواء ؛ يا فلان بن حواء
Saeed bin Abdullah Awdi narrates that I was present before Sayyiduna Abu Umamah رضي الله عنه when he was in a state of near death. He said: When I die, deal with me in the same manner that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم commanded us to deal with the deceased. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم instructed us that when one of you dies and you have filled his grave with soil, one person among you should stand at the head of his grave and say: O son of so-and-so woman! When he says this, the dead will rise and sit up; the dead will hear this but will not respond. Then he should say: O son of so-and-so woman! He will say: May Allah have mercy on you! Guide us, but you do not have his awareness. Then he should say: Remember that for which you have departed from this world. The testimony that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is His servant and Messenger. That he was pleased with Allah as his Lord, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as his Prophet, Islam as his religion, and the Qur’an as his leader. One of the angels Munkar and Nakir will take the other’s hand and say: Come, we do not sit with the one who has been given his answer. Thus, Allah Almighty will support him in front of both. A man asked: O Messenger of Allah! If the one who is giving the admonition does not know the deceased’s mother, what should he do? He said: He should attribute him to Hawwa (Eve) and say: O son of Hawwa!
Comment: This chain is understandably very weak because:
➊ The narration reported by Ismail bin Ayyash from the people of Hijaz is “weak.”
The mentioned narration is also from the people of Hijaz, therefore it is “weak.”
◈ Imam Andalus, Hafiz Ibn Abdul Barr, may Allah have mercy on him (368-463 AH), says:
وإسماعيل بن عياش (عندهم) أيضا غير مقبول الحديث، إذا حدث عن غير أهل بلده، فإذا حدث عن الشاميين، فحديثة مستقيم، وإذا حدث عن المدنيين وغيرهم، ما عدا الشاميين، ففي حديثه خطا كثير واضطراب، ولا أعلم بينهم خلافا أنه ليس بشيء فيما روى عن غير أهل بلدہ.
“When Ismail bin Ayyash narrates from anyone other than his own people, his hadith is not accepted by the muhaddithin. When he narrates from the people of Sham, his hadith is authentic. When he narrates from people other than the people of Sham, such as the people of Madinah and other regions, there are many mistakes and confusion in his narration. To my knowledge, there is no disagreement among the noble muhaddithin that when Ismail bin Ayyash narrates from anyone other than his own people, his hadith is not worthy of consideration.”
◈ Imam Ya’qub bin Sufyan Fasawi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 277 AH), says:
وتكلم قوم فى إسماعيل، وإسماعيل ثقة، عدل، أعلم الناس بحديث الشام، ولا يدفعه دافع، وأكثر ما تكلموا، قالوا : يغرب عن ثقات المدنيين والمكيين .
“Some scholars have criticized Isma’il bin ‘Ayyash. Isma’il is trustworthy and just, and he is the foremost in knowledge of the hadith of Sham. No one rejects him. At most, it has been said about him that he narrates contradictory reports from trustworthy narrators of Madinah and Makkah.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
صدوق فى روايته عن أهل بلدہ، مخلط فى غيرهم.
“When he narrates from his own people, he is truthful, but when he narrates from others, he suffers from weakness of memory.”
This narration is from the Hijazi narrators. Therefore, it is weak. This criticism is explanatory.
➋ One narrator of this narration, Abdullah bin Muhammad Qurashi, is unknown. About him:
◈ Hafiz Al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
عبد الله، لا يدرى من هو.
“This narrator named Abdullah is not known who he is.”
➌ Yahya bin Abu Kathir is a “fabricator.”
In this narration, there is no clarification of his hearing, therefore this narration is unacceptable.
➍ One of its narrators, Saeed bin Abdullah Awdi, has not been authenticated. For this reason:
◈ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وفي إسناده جماعة، لم أعرفهم.
“There are many narrators in its (Tabarani’s) chain whom I could not recognize.”
? Therefore, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, is not correct in saying:
اسناده صالح، وقد قواه الضياء فى احكامه.
“Its chain is Hasan (good). Imam Ziya al-Maqdisi has declared it strong in his book Ahkam.”
Whereas Hafiz Ibn Hajar himself, at one place, says about this hadith:
هذا حديث غريب، و سند الحديث من الطريقين ضعيف جدا.
“This hadith is strange and both its chains are weak.”
? For this reason, Hafiz Sakhawi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote that our Sheikh Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, has called this hadith “weak” in some of his works.
? Also consider the opinions of other scholars regarding this hadith:
① Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, quotes his teacher Hafiz Iraqi, may Allah have mercy on him (725-806 AH), who says:
الطبراني هكذا باسناد ضعيف .
“Imam Tabarani has narrated this report with a weak chain in the same manner.”
② Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631-676 AH), says:
اسنادۂ ضعیف. “Its chain is weak.”
③ Hafiz Ibn As-Salah, may Allah have mercy on him (557-663 AH), states:
ليس اسنادۂ بالقائم .
“Its chain is not reliable.”
④ Allama Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him (697-751 AH), says:
ضعيف باتفاق أهل العلم بالحديث.
“The hadith is unanimously agreed upon by the muhaddithin to be weak.”
◈ He also says:
لا تقوم به حجة . “It cannot be used as evidence.”
⑤ Hafiz Haithami, may Allah have mercy on him (735-807 AH), states:
وفي إسناده جماعة، لم أعرفهم.
“There are many narrators in its chain whom I could not recognize.”
⑥ Hafiz Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him (869-911 AH), says:
التلقين لم يثبت فى حديث صحيح ولا حسن، بل حديثة ضعيف باتفاق المحدثين.
“Reciting (talaqeen) at the grave is not proven by any authentic or good hadith; rather, the narrations on this matter are unanimously weak according to the muhaddithin.”
◈ He also says:
في معجم الطبراني بسند ضعيف
“This narration is present in Mu’jam Tabarani with a weak chain.”
? Therefore, Allama Ayni Hanafi’s
calling its chain “authentic” is meaningless and not worthy of attention.
It is also absolutely incorrect for Hafiz Ibn Milqan to say about it:
إسناده، لا أعلم به باسا. “I do not find any defect in its chain.”
Because at one place he himself writes about Ismail bin Ayyash:
وهو عن غير الشاميين ليس بشيء عند الجمهور.
“The majority of the noble hadith scholars consider his narration from non-Shamīs as negligible.”
And in this chain, Ismail bin Ayyash is narrating from non-Shamīs.
It is proven that according to the Imams of Hadith and scholars of Sunnah, this narration is “weak.”
◈ Allama San’ani, may Allah have mercy on him (1099-1162 AH), says:
ويتحصل من كلام ائمة التحقيق أنهٔ حديث ضعيف.
“From the statements of the researching Imams of the religion, it is established that this hadith is weak.”
Note: After declaring this narration “weak”:
◈ Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him (631-676 AH), writes:
وقد اتفق علماء المحدثين و غيرهم على السماحة فى أحاديث الفضائل، و الترغيب والترهيب.
“There is consensus among the noble hadith scholars and other scholars on leniency regarding hadiths based on virtues, encouragement, and warning.”
◈ In response to Hafiz Nawawi, the famous Ahl al-Hadith scholar, Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani (1332-1420 AH) says:
ولا يرد هنا ما اشتهر من القول بالعمل بالحديث الضعيف في فضائل الاعمال، فإن هذا محله فيما ثبتت مشروعيته بالكتاب أو السنة الصحيحة، وأما ما ليس كذالك، فلا يجوز العمل به بالحديث الضعيف لانہ تشريع، ولا يجوز ذلك بالحديث الضعيف، لأنه يفيد إلا الظن لمرجوح اتفاقا، فكيف يجوز العمل بمثله .
“The well-known statement about acting upon weak hadiths in the virtues of deeds does not apply here. It applies only to those deeds whose legitimacy is established by the Holy Quran and authentic hadiths. For actions not proven by the Book and Sunnah, acting upon weak hadith is not permissible, because acting for reward is part of Shariah, and Shariah is not established by weak hadith. By consensus, weak hadith provides a rejected assumption. How then can it be permissible to act upon such a weak proof?”
◈ Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ولم يقل أحد من الأئمة : إنه يجوز أن يجعل الشرع واجبا أو مستحبا بحديث ضعيف، ومن قال هذا فقذ خالف الإجماع.
“None of the Imams of the religion has said that it is permissible to declare an act obligatory or recommended based on a weak hadith. Whoever claims this is opposed to the consensus of the Ummah.”
? Some scholars believe that there are many evidences for this “weak” hadith. We are also presenting those evidences for the esteemed readers to observe:
① (a) وأخرج ابن مندة عن أبى مامة، قال : إذا ملت فدفنتموني، فليقم إنسان عند رأسي، فليقال : يا صدي بن عجلان ! اذكر ما كنت عليه فى الدنيا؛ شهادة أن لا اله الا الله، وان محمدا رسول الله
“It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: When I die and you have buried me, a person should stand by my head and say: O Sadi ibn Ajlan! (the name of Sayyiduna Abu Umamah) Remember the belief upon which you were steadfast in life, that is the affirmation of the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad.”
Commentary:
This narration is invalid due to being without a chain of transmission. The foundation of religion is based on the chain of narration.
(b) There is another chain of narration for the above mentioned Marfoo’ narration.
علي بن حجر : حدثنا حماد بن عمرو عن عبد الله بن محمد، عن يحيي بن ابي كثير، عن سعيد الاودي قال : . . . .
Commentary:
This is a blatant lie. The one who fabricated this chain is Hammad bin ‘Aru, a Nasibi. Regarding him:
◈ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
ممن يكذب، يضع الحديث. “He is a liar and a fabricator of hadith.”
◈ Imam Ibn Shahin (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
لم يكن بثقة، قد رايته. “He was not trustworthy, I have seen him.”
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
يضع وضعا على الثقات . “He used to fabricate narrations himself and attribute them to trustworthy narrators.”
◈ Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
منكر الحديث، ضعفه على بن حجر
“He is a narrator who denies hadith. Ali bin Hajar declared him weak.”
◈ Imam Hakim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
يروي عن جماعة من الثقات أحاديث موضوعة ساقطة.
“He attributes fabricated and very weak narrations to several trustworthy narrators.”
◈ Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
قد عده السلف فيمن يضع الحديث .
“He has been counted among the fabricators of hadith by the pious predecessors.”
? It is clear that this narrator is unanimously considered a liar and fabricator by the hadith scholars. Therefore, this chain is false.
◈ Imam Muslim bin Hajjaj, may Allah have mercy on him (204-261 AH), says:
فأما ما كان منها عن قوم، هم عند أهل الحديث متهمون، أو عند الاكثر منهم، فلسنا نتشاغل بتخريج حديثهم
“For narrators who are accused of fabricating hadith by all or most of the great hadith scholars, we do not engage in narrating their hadith.”
? In this narration, Abdullah bin Muhammad Qurashi is an unknown narrator; also Yahya bin Abu Kathir is a “mudallis” (one who conceals defects in the chain), and the mode of hearing is not specified. Then Saeed Azdi or Saeed Awdi is also “majhool” (unknown).
? A supporting reference is mentioned in Qadi Khallai’s book
.
Its chain of narration is also fabricated (man-made).
◈ Muhaddith Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, says about it:
هذا حديث ضعيف جدًا، لم اعرف احدا منهم غير عتبة بن السكن، قال الدارقطني [السنن : 184/2، 250/3]: Abandoned hadith, and Al-Bayhaqi said: Waw, attributed to fabrication.
“This hadith is weak. Except for Atbah bin Sakan, I could not recognize any of its narrators, and regarding Atbah, Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, says that he is an abandoned narrator of hadith, and Imam Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: He is a weak narrator and is accused of fabricating hadiths.”
? Atbah bin Sakan is a severely criticized narrator. About him:
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
يخطي ويخالف . “He makes mistakes and contradicts trustworthy narrators.”
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi says:
قال الدارقطني : منكر الحديث، متروك الحديث
“Imam Darqutni, may Allah have mercy on him, declared him a denier of hadith and abandoned.”
◈ Hafiz Bazzar says:
قد روي عن الاؤزاعي أحاديث لم يتابع عليها .
“He narrated denier reports attributed to Imam Awza’i.”
◈ Hafiz Haithami says:
وهو متروك. “This is a neglected narrator.”
? The other narrators of this chain have also not been authenticated. Therefore, this chain is completely invalid.
(c) وعن ضمرة بن حبيب أحد التابعين، قال : كانوا يستحبون إذا سوي على الميت قبره، وانصرف الناس عنه، أن يقال عند قبره : يا فلان ! قل : لا اله الا الله، ثلاث مرات، يا فلان ! قل : ربي الله، و ديني الإسلام، ونبيي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم.
A Tabi’i, Zamra bin Habeeb, says that when the grave was leveled over the deceased and people returned, they used to consider it recommended to say near his grave: O so-and-so! Say La ilaha illallah (three times), O so-and-so! Say that my Lord is Allah, my religion is Islam, and my Prophet is Muhammad (peace be upon him).”
Commentary: Its chain is “weak.”
It contains “Ashayakh min Ahl Homs” who are unknown and unidentified, therefore it is not authoritative and not actionable.
(d) Hikm bin Harith Salmi said:
إذا دفنتموني ورششتم على قبري، فقوموا على قبري، واستقبلوا القبلة، وادعوا لي .
“When you bury me and sprinkle water on my grave, stand on my grave facing the Qiblah and pray for me.”
Comment: Its chain of narration is “weak.”
◈ Hafiz Haithami says:
عطية الدعاء، ولم أعرفه. “I do not recognize the supplication of Atiyah.”
? The second point is, what relation does it have with the established funeral prayer? It is permissible to stand at the grave and make dua. The surprising thing is that Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, used it as evidence for the hadith of Abu Umamah.
(h) Imam Saeed bin Musayyib, a Tabi’i, says:
حضرت ابن عمر فى جنازة، فلما وضعها إلى اللحد، قال : بسم الله، وعلي ملة رسول الله
“I attended a funeral with our master Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both. When the deceased was placed in the grave, he said: In the name of Allah and according to the way of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”
Comment: This is a very weak (Da’eef) narration because:
① Its narrator Hammad bin Abdul Rahman Kalbi is “weak”.
◈ Hafiz Busiri (d. 840 AH) says:
هذا إسناد فيه حماد بن عبد الرحمن، هو متفق على تضعيفه .
“In this chain, the narrator Hammad bin Abdul Rahman is present, whom all Muhaddithin agree to classify as weak.”
② Idris bin Subaih Awdi, the narrator, is “unknown”.
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi has declared him “unknown”.
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
يغرب ويخطيء على قلته.
“Although he narrated very few hadiths, his narrations contain faults and errors.”
◈ Imam Ibn Adi has identified him as Idris bin Yazid Awdi.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وقول ابن عدي أصوب.
“The statement of Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, is more accurate.”
? This matter is not correct due to lack of evidence.
This weak narration has no connection even remotely with the prevalent innovative supplication. It is clear that those who keep repeating the evidence have absolutely nothing.
Benefit number ① Halabi, quoting Allama Subki, writes:
حديث تلقين النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لابنه، ليس له أصل، أى صحيح أو حسن.
“There is no authentic or good chain of narration for the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, instructing his own son.”
Benefit number ② Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him (691-751 AH), writes:
فهذا الحديث، وإن لم يثبت، فاتصال العمل به فى سائر الأمصار والأعصار من غير إنكاره كاف فى العمل به.
“Although this hadith is not proven to be authentic, it has been acted upon in all regions and at all times without objection. This alone is sufficient for the permissibility of acting upon it.”
◈ Regarding the book Al-Ruh, the Muhaddith of the era, Allama Nasiruddin Al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
فاني فى شك كبير من صحة نسبة (الروح) إليه، أو لعله ألفه فى أول طلبه للعلم، والله أعلم.
“I have considerable doubt regarding the attribution of the book Al-Ruh to Allama Ibn al-Qayyim. (Either it is not his composition at all) or he composed it in the early stages of his scholarly pursuit.” واللہ اعلم !
It is possible that this phrase is an addition, meaning it was recorded due to a scribe’s error, because Allama Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, while explaining the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ, states:
ولم يكن يجلس يقرا عند القبر، ولا يلقن الميت، كما يفعله الناس اليوم.
“The Prophet ﷺ did not sit by the grave to recite, nor did he admonish the deceased at the grave, as people do nowadays.”
If some people act upon the ruling of a weak narration, it does not become correct. The correctness of a sanad (chain of narration) is not established by the actions of people, according to the scholars of hadith. Even if there is a consensus of the Ummah on the ruling derived from a narration, the sanad will still remain “weak”; however, the ruling will gain legal status due to the consensus of the Ummah. If some people have acted upon the hadith of Abu Umamah رضي الله عنه, their actions do not strengthen it. Moreover, many scholars have declared it “weak and not established” and have labeled the practice of talqeen as an innovation.
Talqeen at the grave and the scholars of religion
① Allama Izz ibn Abdus Salam (may Allah have mercy on him) (577-660 AH) says:
لم يصح فى التلقين شيء وهو بدعة، وقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : لقنوا مؤتاكم : لا إله إلا الله، محمول على من دنا موته ويئس من حياته.
“There is no authentic hadith regarding advising the deceased. This is an innovation. The statement of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to advise your dying ones with La ilaha illallah applies to the person whose time of death is near and there is no hope for his recovery.”
② Allama Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi, may Allah have mercy on him (541-620 AH), writes:
فأما التلقين بعد الدفن، فلم أجد فيه عن أحمد شيئا، ولا أعلم فيه للأئمة قولا، سموي ما رواه الأثرم، قال : فلت لأبي عبد الله : فهذا الذى يصنعون إذا دفن الميت، يقف الرجل، ويقول : يا فلان بن فلانة ! اذكر ما فارقت عليه، شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله ؟ فقال : ما رأيت أحدا فعل هذا إلا أهل الشام، حين مات أبو المغيرة جاء إنسان، فقال ذاك، قال : وكان أبو المغيرة يروي فيه عن ابي بكر بن ابي مريم، عن اشياخهم انهم كانوا يفعلونه.
“After burying the deceased, I have not come to know of any statement from Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, regarding giving admonition to the deceased. I have also not found any statement from any other Imam among the scholars of religion on this matter. However, Allama Athram narrates that he asked Abu Abdullah (Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him): These people who, after burying the deceased, stand by the grave and say: O so-and-so woman’s such-and-such son! Remember the belief in Tawheed with which you left this world. The Imam said: I have not seen anyone do this except the people of Sham. When Abu Mughira passed away, a person came and did this. Abu Mughira used to narrate a tradition from Abu Bakr ibn Abu Maryam, who used to report this practice from one of his (unknown) sheikhs…”
③ Sheikh Mardawi (d. 885 AH) says:
والنفس تميل إلى عدمه …
“My inclination is that reciting the talqin is not permissible.”
④ Allama Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him (691-751 AH), writes:
ولم يكن يجلس يقرا عند القبر، ولا يلقن الميت، كما يفعله الناس اليوم.
“The Prophet ﷺ did not sit by the grave to recite, nor did he perform talqin (to the deceased at the grave), as people do nowadays.”
⑤ Hafiz Suyuti (869-911 AH) writes:
ذهب جمهور الأئمة إلى أن التلقين بدعة.
“The consensus of the great Imams is that talqin at the grave is an innovation (bid’ah).”
⑥ It is written in the most authentic book of the Hanafi school:
وأما التلقين بعد المؤت، فلا يلقن عندنا فى ظاهر الرواية، كذا فى العيني شرح الهداية، ومعراج الدراية.
“According to the apparent narration, in our (Hanafi) view, talqin should not be done after death. It is also written in Allama ‘Ayni’s Sharh al-Hidayah and Miraj al-Dirayah.”
⑦ Sheikh Zadah Hanafi (d. 1078 AH) writes:
وقال أكثر الأئمة و المشايخ : لا يجوز.
“Most Imams and scholars say that this is not permissible.”
⑧ Allama Sanani, may Allah have mercy on him (1099-1182 AH), says:
ويتحصل من كلام أئمة التحقيق أنه حديث ضعيف، والعمل به بدعة، ولا يغتر بكثرة من يفعله.
“The conclusion from the statements of the researching scholars is that this hadith is weak and acting upon it is an innovation. Many people do this, but one should not consider it permissible just because they are deceived by their actions.”
⑨ Muhammad bin Abdullah Tamr Tashi Hanafi writes:
ولا يلقن بعد تلحيده۔
“Do not perform the admonition after the burial of the deceased.”
⑩ Allama Shams al-Haq Azeemabadi, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 1329 AH), says:
والتلقين بعد الدفن، قد جرم كثير أنه حادث.
“Many scholars have explicitly stated that admonishing the deceased after burial is an innovation.”
تلك عشرة كاملة These are ten complete references
A subtlety:
Allama Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi (d. 1252 AH) writes:
وإنما لا ينهى عن التلقين بعد الدفن، لأنه لا ضرر فيه، بل فيه نفع .
“The prohibition of admonishing after burial was not made because it causes harm, rather it is beneficial.”
Dear readers! You have observed the statements of the scholars. Consider that the Hanafi scholar from Sham is saying about an innovation that it has not been prohibited. Is it sufficient to deem an act permissible just because it has not been prohibited, even if it is not established by Shariah evidence and the scholars of religion consider it an innovation? Has it been prohibited to offer more than one rak’ah of funeral prayer? Then what is the evidence that the innovative practice of talqeen benefits the deceased?
It is Sunnah to steadfastly pray for the deceased after burial. Contrary to this, some people have reduced the practice of talqeen.
Mufti Darul Uloom Deoband, Mr. Azizur Rahman (d. 1347 AH) was asked:
“Is it permissible to perform talqeen after burial or not? If it is permissible, then how?”
Answer: “Reciting the talqin after burial has been permitted by the jurists.”
Which jurists are these? And who has authorized these jurists to legitimize an act that is without evidence and which the Imams of the religion consider an innovation?
Sir Sarfaraz Khan Safdar Hayati Deobandi Sahib also writes in defense of this innovation:
“However, reciting the talqin after burial is at the grave (near the grave). But that is in the context of والدعاه عندها قائما (standing by the grave and making dua), which is established from the Sunnah.”
It should be noted that both Deobandi and Barelvi sects agree on the innovative practice of reciting Talqeen (reminder) to the deceased after burial. The Deobandis have likened Talqeen at the grave to supplication (dua), while the Barelvis have likened the call to prayer (azan) at the grave to this Talqeen. However, conventionally and legally, neither Talqeen is a supplication nor is azan considered Talqeen. In Islamic law, neither azan at the grave nor Talqeen after burial is established. Therefore, it is not the way of the people of truth to base one baseless thing on another baseless thing.
In conclusion:
Allah’s law is that the dead cannot hear. However, like many other general rules and laws, there are some exceptions to this rule which are proven by authentic hadiths. For example, the dead hear the sound of the shoes of people returning after burial, and also, during the Battle of Badr, the disbelievers who reached Hell were made to hear the sermon of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Some people have been led by these exceptions to the suspicion that the dead hear, whereas due to the legal evidences, only these exceptions will be excluded from this general rule; the entire law of Sharia regarding the non-hearing of the dead will not be changed. Those who deny this general rule based on these exceptions are requested to consider: if by adopting their approach, a person denies other general rules, for example, by taking the verses about the birth of Adam (peace be upon him) without a mother and father, and the birth of Jesus (peace be upon him) without a father, and then denying the general law that humans are born from both mother and father; or by taking the legal text permitting the consumption of fish in a dead state and then denying the general rule of the prohibition of carrion; or by taking the hadith permitting men to wear silk equal to a few fingers and then denying the general rule of the prohibition of silk for men—would such an approach be correct?
In the light of the Quran, Sunnah, and the understanding of the Salaf, our belief is that the dead do not hear, except in those situations and events which the Shariah itself has explicitly clarified. Or the dead do hear, but only in those specific situations and events which have been defined and specified in the Shariah texts. Whoever claims to hear any statement from a dead person in any situation must have a specific Shariah text to support this; otherwise, his claim is false and rejected, and it will be considered a mockery and tampering with Islamic Shariah. If someone presents a specific Shariah text in support of his claim, then no Muslim will have the room to deny the hearing of the dead in that particular case. However, apart from that specific case, the general rule that the dead cannot hear in normal circumstances will remain an established law of the Shariah.
We pray that Allah Almighty grants us the ability to understand the truth and act upon it! Ameen
