This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri's book Aamad Mustafa ﷺ.
Standing for the Funeral Prayer
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما narrates that a person asked the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم whether one should stand for the funeral of a disbeliever. The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
نعم، قوموا لها، فإنكم لستم تقومون لها، إنما تقومون إعظاما للذي يقبض النفوس .
"Yes! You should stand when you see him, because you do not stand out of respect for the deceased, but you stand out of respect for the One who takes souls."
Reference: (Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 168/2, Musnad Abd bin Humayd: 1340, Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani: 13/17, Hadith: 47, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله
Reference: (3035)
and Imam Hakim رحمه الله
Reference: (1/357)
have declared this hadith authentic. Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله has agreed with them.◈ Hafiz Haithami رحمه الله says:
رجال أحمد ثقات .
"In this narration, the narrators of Musnad Ahmad are trustworthy."
Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id: 27/3)
Allama Ayni Hanafi رحمه الله has graded its chain as "Hasan."
Reference: (Nukhb al-Afkar fi Tanqih Mabani al-Akhbar fi Sharh Ma'ani al-Athar: 275/7)
Rabee' bin Saif Ma'afri considers it "Hasan al-Hadith" according to the majority.
◈ Imam Tabrani رحمه الله states:
إنما تقومون لمن معها من الملائكة .
"You stand because of the angels who are present with them."
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates:
مر على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بجنازة، فقام وقال: قوموا؛ فإن للموت فزعا .
"Once a funeral passed by the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, and he stood up. He said: Stand up, for there is a fear in death."
Reference: (Musnad al-Imam Ahmad: 287/2, Sunan Ibn Majah: 1543, and its chain is Hasan)
◈ Hafiz Haithami رحمه الله has graded its chain as "Hasan."
Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id: 27/3)
◈ Hafiz Busiri رحمه الله says:
هذا إسناد صحيح، رجاله ثقات .
"This chain is authentic and the narrators are trustworthy."
Reference: (Misbah al-Zujajah: 37/2, Hadith: 556)
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله (d. 852 AH) applies these hadiths as follows:
لأن القيام للفزع من الموت فيه تعظيم لأمر الله، وتعظيم للقائمين بأمره فى ذلك، وهم الملائكة .
"Standing due to the severity of death is actually by the command of Allah and out of respect for the angels who are appointed by Allah."
Reference: (Fath al-Bari: 180/3)
It should be noted that standing upon seeing a funeral is permissible and recommended. Its obligation has been abrogated, but the recommendation remains.
Dear readers! Now we return to the topic of standing out of respect. You have understood that standing for the mention of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, or for sending blessings (Salat) upon him, or for the mention of Mawlid, is not proven by any fabricated or contrived narration. In other words, there is absolutely no evidence for this in the Quran and Sunnah, therefore it is an innovation (bid'ah).
Establishment of the Pious Predecessors
◈ Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi (d. 1391 AH) writes:
"It is the Sunnah of the pious predecessors to stand up upon the mention of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
Reference: (Jaa al-Haqq: 252/1)
This is a strange Sunnah of the Salaf that there is absolutely no evidence of it from any Sahabi, Tabi'i, or Tabi' al-Tabi'in, not even from Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him) or Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah have mercy on him). What commentary can we make on this?
◈ Mufti Sahib further writes:
At the time of the blessed birth, the angels stood on the treasury. Therefore, standing upon the mention of the birth is similar to the action of the angels.
Reference: (Jaa al-Haqq: 253/1)
This is baseless and without proof. It is not possible for us to meet angels, and there is no narration supporting this; how Mufti Sahib came to know this is unknown.
◈ Furthermore:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) stood on the pulpit and described his attributes and noble lineage, so the origin of this standing was found."
Reference: (Jaa al-Haqq: Vol. 1, p. 253)
This narration is found in Musnad Ahmad
Reference: (210/1)
and Sunan Tirmidhi
Reference: (3608 and he said: Hasan Sahih)
. Its chain is "weak." Yazid ibn Abi Ziyad is considered "weak" by the majority.◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 852 AH) says:
ضعيف، كبر ، فتغير، صار يتلقن ، وكان شيعيا .
"He was a weak narrator. In old age, his memory deteriorated and he began to accept people's statements, and he was also a Shia."
Reference: (Taqreeb al-Tahdheeb: 7717)
◈ Hafiz Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
وقد ضعفه جمهور الأئمة .
"The majority of the Imams have declared him weak."
Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id: 56/5, 57)
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
الجمهور على تضعيف حديثه .
"The majority call his hadith weak."
Reference: (Hadi al-Sari p. 459)
◈ Allama Busiri (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
أخرجه مسلم فى المتابعات، ضعفه الجمهور .
"Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated his hadith in Mutaba'at. The majority consider it weak."
Reference: (Zawa'id Ibn Majah: 705)
There is also "Tadlees" (concealment) by Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him) in it. Therefore, this narration is weak, so what kind of argument is based on it?
◈ Mufti Sahib writes:
"Shariah has not prohibited it, and the common Muslims of every country consider it a virtue and do it, and whatever a Muslim considers good is also good in the sight of Allah."
Reference: (Jaa al-Haqq: 253/1)
In Shariah rulings, the permission and approval of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) are necessary. Did the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), the Tabi'in (may Allah have mercy on them), and the great Imams (may Allah have mercy on them) practice this? Did they also consider it good? If the answer is yes, then this act will also be good in the sight of Allah, but if the answer is no, then there is no doubt about its being a reprehensible innovation.
◈ Allah, the Almighty, states this as follows:
أَفَمَنْ زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَآهُ حَسَنًا
"Is one for whom his evil deed has been made attractive so that he considers it good?"
Reference: (Surah Fatir: 8)
Remember the rule that firstly, innovations do not come under general proofs. Secondly, this method creates suspicion about the pious predecessors (may Allah be pleased with them) that they did not understand those evidences from which today's people have extracted the religion.
New Discovery
A person says that standing up to recite salutations and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Sunnah of the Prophets, peace be upon them, as narrated by Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه who stated that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ described his journey of Mi'raj and said:
مررت على موسى، وهو يصلي فى قبره .
"I passed by Musa (Moses) عليه السلام, and he was praying in his grave."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 268/2 Hadith: 2375)
◈ Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also said about Sayyiduna Ibrahim عليه السلام:
إذا إبراهيم قائم يصلي .
"Ibrahim عليه السلام was standing and praying."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 172)
◈ About Sayyiduna Isa عليه السلام, he said:
إذا عيسى ابن مريم قائم يصلي .
"Isa ibn Maryam عليهما السلام was standing and praying."
Reference: (Sahih Muslim: 172)
This person claims that the word Salat here does not mean prayer, but rather sending salutations and peace, because the word Salat is not used only for prayer, but also for sending mercy, praise, and salutations.
Indeed, the word Salat has many meanings, but interpreting it as salutations and peace in the above hadiths is a sign of unfamiliarity with Arabic, a distortion of the meaning of the hadith, and opposition to the pious predecessors رضي الله عنهم.
Here, the word Salat cannot mean salutations and peace, because none of the pious predecessors رضي الله عنهم have explained it with this meaning. The word Salat will only mean salutations and peace when it is followed by علي صله.
In the hadiths about the Prophets عليه السلام, the word used is قائم يصلي فى قبره, not قائم يصلي عليه فى قبره. Therefore, the flaw in our respected person's argument becomes clear.
◈ Allama Abdul Rauf Munawi رحمه الله (d. 1031 AH) writes:
أى يدعو ويثني عليه ويذكره، فالمراد الصلاة اللغوية، وهى الدعاء والثناء، وقيل المراد الشرعية، وعليه القرطبي .
"That is, they were supplicating, praising Allah, and mentioning Him. Therefore, the intended meaning here is the linguistic Salat, which means supplication and praise. According to one opinion, it means the prescribed prayer. This is also the position of Allama Qurtubi رحمه الله."
Reference: (Fayz al-Qadeer: 519/5 - 520)
It is also established that other people, besides the Prophets عليه السلام, pray in their graves, as Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
A believer will be told to sit in his grave, and he will sit. He will be shown the setting sun and asked: What do you think about the man who was sent among you? What is your testimony about him? He will say:
دعوني حتى أصلي، فيقولون: إنك ستفعل، فأخبرني عما نسألك عنه .
"Leave me to perform the (Asr) prayer." The angels will say: Answer the first question, then perform the prayer."
Reference: (Sahih Ibn Hibban: 3113, Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim: 379/1-380, and its chain is Hasan)
Imam Hakim رحمه الله declared it "Sahih" on the condition of Imam Muslim رحمه الله. Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله agreed with him.
Hafiz Haithami رحمه الله also said its chain is "Hasan."
Reference: (Majma' al-Zawa'id wa Manba' al-Fawa'id: 51/3-52)
◈ Thabit Banani رحمه الله used to say:
أللهم إن كنت أعطيت أحدا أن يصلي لك فى قبره؛ فأعطني ذلك .
"O Allah! If You grant anyone the ability to pray for You in the grave, then grant me that ability."
Reference: (Musnad Ali bin al-Ja'd: 1379, Al-Ma'rifah wal-Tarikh lil-Fasawi: 59/2, Shu'ab al-Iman lil-Bayhaqi: 155/3 Hadith: 1391 and its chain is Sahih)
From this great Tabi'i's statement, it is also clear that Salat in the grave means prayer, not salutations or the like.
◈ Allama Ibn al-Hajj رحمه الله (d. 737 AH) writes in refutation of an innovation:
ما حدث بعد السلف رضي الله عنهم لا يخلو إما أن يكونوا علموه، وعلموا أنه موافق للشريعة ولم يعملوا به، ومعاذ الله أن يكون ذلك، إذ إنه يلزم منه تنقيصهم وتفضيل من بعدهم عليهم، ومعلوم أنهم أكمل الناس فى كل شيء، وأشدهم اتباعا، وإما أن يكونوا علموه وتركوا العمل به، ولم يتركوه إلا لموجب أوجب تركه، فكيف يمكن فعله؟ هذا مما لا يتحلل، وإما أن يكونوا لم يعلموه، فيكون من ادعى علمه بعدهم أعلم منهم، وأعرف بوجوه البر وأحرص عليها، ولو كان ذلك خيرا؛ لعلموه ولظهر لهم ، ومعلوم أنهم أعقل الناس وأعلمهم
"Things that appeared after the pious predecessors رضي الله عنهم are not free from three possibilities: Either the predecessors knew about them and also knew that these things were in accordance with the Shariah, yet they did not practice them. May Allah forbid! This is impossible, as it would belittle the pious predecessors and prove the superiority of later generations, whereas they were perfect in everything and foremost in following the Shariah. The second possibility is that the predecessors knew about these things but abandoned them. They abandoned them due to some evidence proving that abandoning them was obligatory. If it was due to evidence, then how is it permissible now to do these acts? This would be among impermissible acts. The third possibility is that the pious predecessors رضي الله عنهم did not know about these things. But then the question arises: How did the later generations come to know about them? Do the later generations have more knowledge than the predecessors? Are they more knowledgeable about good deeds and more eager for righteousness? If these were righteous deeds, the predecessors would have known them. It is established that they were more intelligent and knowledgeable than all others."
Reference: (Al-Madkhal: 278/4)
الحاصل
Standing up to recite salutations upon hearing the mention of the Prophet ﷺ or standing out of respect upon mentioning his birth is an innovation. If it were a good deed, the Companions رضي الله عنهم, the Tabi'in رحمهم الله, and the Imams of the religion رحمهم الله would never have been unaware of it.
