Source: Fatāwā ‘Ilmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 63
A clarification was sought about a narration mentioned by Qasṭallānī in Irshād al-Sārī, quoted from Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ, who said:
Abū al-Fatḥ Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Samarqandī, when he came to Samarqand in 464H, told of a drought due to lack of rain. The people prayed for rain several times, but no rain fell.
A righteous man came to the judge of Samarqand and said:
“I want to give you a good suggestion.”
The judge asked him to proceed. The man said:
“Take all the people with you to the grave of Imām al-Bukhārī, and there supplicate to Allāh for rain. Perhaps Allāh will bless us with it.”
The judge approved the idea, gathered the people, and went to Imām al-Bukhārī’s grave. There, the people wept and, through the intercession (waseela) of the one in the grave, prayed to Allāh for rain. Immediately, Allāh sent heavy rain, such that for seven days the people could not leave Khartang.
Reference: Taysīr al-Bārī, Translation & Commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī by ‘Allāmah Waḥīd al-Zamān, Vol. 1, Preface, p. 64, Nu‘mānī Kutub Khānah, Lahore, Ḍiyā’ Iḥsān Publishers (1990)
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Upon close examination, the following points become clear:
◈ This incident is indeed found in Irshād al-Sārī (Vol. 1, p. 39) by Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Qasṭallānī (d. 923H).
◈ Qasṭallānī narrates it from Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ.
◈ The complete chain from Qasṭallānī to Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ is missing, making this a mursal narration.
◈ There is no clear, reliable information about who this Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ was.
◈ It is certain that he is not Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Naysābūrī, as he passed away long before the time of Abū al-Fatḥ Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Samarqandī.
◈ Since this event is reported without an authentic chain, it cannot be considered established or reliable.
◈ It depends on unknown personalities about whom history and scholarship provide no dependable details.
◈ The story of praying for rain at Imām al-Bukhārī’s grave is not proven.
◈ Therefore, it is not correct to use this narration as evidence for the permissibility of waseela through the dead.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
❖ The Question
A clarification was sought about a narration mentioned by Qasṭallānī in Irshād al-Sārī, quoted from Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ, who said:
Abū al-Fatḥ Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Samarqandī, when he came to Samarqand in 464H, told of a drought due to lack of rain. The people prayed for rain several times, but no rain fell.
A righteous man came to the judge of Samarqand and said:
“I want to give you a good suggestion.”
The judge asked him to proceed. The man said:
“Take all the people with you to the grave of Imām al-Bukhārī, and there supplicate to Allāh for rain. Perhaps Allāh will bless us with it.”
The judge approved the idea, gathered the people, and went to Imām al-Bukhārī’s grave. There, the people wept and, through the intercession (waseela) of the one in the grave, prayed to Allāh for rain. Immediately, Allāh sent heavy rain, such that for seven days the people could not leave Khartang.
Reference: Taysīr al-Bārī, Translation & Commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī by ‘Allāmah Waḥīd al-Zamān, Vol. 1, Preface, p. 64, Nu‘mānī Kutub Khānah, Lahore, Ḍiyā’ Iḥsān Publishers (1990)
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh. Ammā ba‘d:
Upon close examination, the following points become clear:
① Source and Chain of the Narration
◈ This incident is indeed found in Irshād al-Sārī (Vol. 1, p. 39) by Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Qasṭallānī (d. 923H).
◈ Qasṭallānī narrates it from Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ.
◈ The complete chain from Qasṭallānī to Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ is missing, making this a mursal narration.
② Identity of Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ
◈ There is no clear, reliable information about who this Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ was.
◈ It is certain that he is not Abū ‘Alī al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Naysābūrī, as he passed away long before the time of Abū al-Fatḥ Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Samarqandī.
③ Status of the Narration
◈ Since this event is reported without an authentic chain, it cannot be considered established or reliable.
◈ It depends on unknown personalities about whom history and scholarship provide no dependable details.
④ Summary
◈ The story of praying for rain at Imām al-Bukhārī’s grave is not proven.
◈ Therefore, it is not correct to use this narration as evidence for the permissibility of waseela through the dead.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
