Original Article by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri (حفظه الله)
Enhanced with headings and organization for clarity
❖ Manifestations of Allah’s essence
❖ Owners of divine treasures
❖ Removers of all afflictions
❖ Controllers of life, wealth, and the blessings of both worlds
They believe these personalities possess the keys to benefit and harm, and have control over worldly affairs.
◉ Know the secrets of hearts
◉ Are aware of situations
◉ Possess knowledge of the unseen
◉ Solidifying graves and constructing domes over them
◉ Holding annual festivals and fairs (Urs)
◉ Draping cloths, placing water stalls, and lighting lamps on graves
Reciting Salah and the Qur'an at graves is also perceived as a source of blessings.
This Hadith affirms that victory was attained through the righteousness and prayers of the Sahabah — not through seeking blessings from them.
✔ It is permissible to seek the du‘a of living righteous individuals.
✘ It is not permissible to seek blessings or assistance from deceased saints or those absent.
(al-Majmū‘ fī Tarjamat al-‘Allāmah al-Muḥaddith al-Shaykh Ḥammād ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī: 2/504)
This further invalidates many public beliefs regarding the supposed locations of Prophets' graves.
Enhanced with headings and organization for clarity
✿ Popular but Erroneous Beliefs
Many people in our society hold unsound beliefs about the Prophets, Messengers, and righteous saints. They regard these individuals as:❖ Manifestations of Allah’s essence
❖ Owners of divine treasures
❖ Removers of all afflictions
❖ Controllers of life, wealth, and the blessings of both worlds
They believe these personalities possess the keys to benefit and harm, and have control over worldly affairs.
❀ Seeking Help from Saints
It is commonly believed that saints can be called upon from near or far. Their names are invoked for help, people prostrate before them, make vows in their names, and believe they:◉ Know the secrets of hearts
◉ Are aware of situations
◉ Possess knowledge of the unseen
❀ Veneration of Graves
Such beliefs also promote:◉ Solidifying graves and constructing domes over them
◉ Holding annual festivals and fairs (Urs)
◉ Draping cloths, placing water stalls, and lighting lamps on graves
Reciting Salah and the Qur'an at graves is also perceived as a source of blessings.
❀ Misuse of
To justify these innovations, people exploit the misunderstood concepts of tabarruk (seeking blessings) and tawassul (intercession). The former polytheists held similar beliefs about their elders, seeking blessings from them — a practice Islam classifies as shirk.❀ True Scope of
Only the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ holds a unique and unparalleled status for tabarruk. Seeking blessings from anyone else — including saints and righteous individuals — contradicts the spirit of Shari‘ah. Attributing such barakah to others is a distortion of clear Islamic texts.❀ A Misconception Addressed
A Hadith from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ foretold a time when people would wage jihad and be asked, “Is there among you anyone who accompanied the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3649, Sahih Muslim: 2532)This Hadith affirms that victory was attained through the righteousness and prayers of the Sahabah — not through seeking blessings from them.
❀ Correct Understanding of
According to Ahl al-Sunnah:✔ It is permissible to seek the du‘a of living righteous individuals.
✘ It is not permissible to seek blessings or assistance from deceased saints or those absent.
❀ Graves of the Prophets Today
Shaykh Hammad ibn Muhammad al-Ansari (رحمه الله) stated that apart from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, no other Prophet's grave is definitively known today.(al-Majmū‘ fī Tarjamat al-‘Allāmah al-Muḥaddith al-Shaykh Ḥammād ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī: 2/504)
This further invalidates many public beliefs regarding the supposed locations of Prophets' graves.
