Written by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amn Puri
This is a very important issue because sometimes it leads to sayings and actions that contradict monotheism. The fundamental reason for the worship of saints and righteous people was the belief in the blessedness of their persons, relics, and graves. Initially, people touched their bodies with the intention of seeking blessings, then they began calling upon them and seeking help from them. As this practice expanded, various places, inanimate objects, and times were also considered blessed.
In essence, tabarruk means to seek blessings from a blessed person or time to increase rewards and benefits in both religious and worldly affairs.
Sayeduna Abu Waqid Al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
"We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Hunayn, and we were newly out of disbelief. There was a lote-tree that the polytheists used to stay by and hang their weapons on; it was called 'Dhat Anwat.' We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Make for us a Dhat Anwat as they have a Dhat Anwat.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Allahu Akbar! By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have said just as the children of Israel said to Moses: 'Make for us a god just as they have gods.' (7:138) You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you.'"
[Musnad Ahmad: 218/25, Jami` at-Tirmidhi: 2180, Musnad Al-Humaidi: 868, Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by Tabarani: 274/3, Sahih]
Imam Tirmidhi has graded this hadith as "Hasan Sahih" and Imam Ibn Hibban (6702) has graded it as "Sahih."
Isa ibn Tahman says:
"Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) brought out two shoes without hair, which had two straps. Then Thabit Al-Bunani narrated to me from Anas that these were the shoes of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Sahih Bukhari: 438/1, Hadith 3107]
Once, Sayedah Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) brought out a green cloak and said:
"This belonged to Aisha until she passed away, and when she passed away, I took possession of it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to wear it. We would wash it for the sick to seek healing through it."
[Sahih Muslim: 190/2, Hadith 2049]
Sayeduna Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) kept a bowl in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions drank water. Abu Hazim says, "Sahl brought it out and we drank from it. After that, Imam Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) requested it from him, and he gifted it to him."
[Sahih Bukhari 842/2, Hadith 5437]
Ubaidah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"We had the blessed hair of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which we got from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) or his family. He said, 'If I had a single hair of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it would be dearer to me than the world and all that is in it.'"
[Sahih Bukhari: 29/1, Hadith: 170]
Hafiz Shatibi says:
"After the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, the Companions did not do anything similar for anyone who succeeded him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) left no one better than Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Ummah. He was his successor, yet no such practice was done with him. Nor with Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the best after Abu Bakr, and the same goes for Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) and the rest of the Companions. No authentic report has established that anyone sought tabarruk from them in such a way. Rather, they confined themselves to following their actions, sayings, and methods that they had inherited from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus, there is consensus among them on abandoning such practices."
[Al-I'tisam 9-2/8]
Sayeduna Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Do not set out on a journey except to three mosques: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, my mosque (this mosque of mine), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa."
[Sahih Bukhari: 159/1, Hadith 1189, Sahih Muslim 247/1, Hadith 1397]
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah says:
"If someone makes a vow to travel to a place other than these three mosques to seek blessings, it is not obligatory to fulfill that vow. There is consensus among the scholars of religion on this."
[Majmoo' Al-Fataawa: 184/27, briefly]
Traveling to visit the graves of prophets and righteous people to seek blessings is an innovation. The Companions and their successors did not do this, nor did the Prophet (peace be upon him) order it.
Imam Ibrahim Al-Nakha'i, a Tabi'i, says:
"Riding is only for three mosques: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the Prophet's mosque, and Baitul Maqdis."
[Mussannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/45, its chain is authentic]
This is a very important issue because sometimes it leads to sayings and actions that contradict monotheism. The fundamental reason for the worship of saints and righteous people was the belief in the blessedness of their persons, relics, and graves. Initially, people touched their bodies with the intention of seeking blessings, then they began calling upon them and seeking help from them. As this practice expanded, various places, inanimate objects, and times were also considered blessed.
In essence, tabarruk means to seek blessings from a blessed person or time to increase rewards and benefits in both religious and worldly affairs.
Types of Tabarruk According to Researchers:
- Permissible Tabarruk:
- This is the type of tabarruk that Allah and His Messenger have allowed.
- Forbidden Tabarruk:
- This includes any form of tabarruk that does not fall under permissible tabarruk or that has been explicitly prohibited by the Shari'ah.
Forbidden Tabarruk
Forbidden tabarruk falls under shirk (associating partners with Allah). The evidence for this is:Sayeduna Abu Waqid Al-Laythi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
"We set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to Hunayn, and we were newly out of disbelief. There was a lote-tree that the polytheists used to stay by and hang their weapons on; it was called 'Dhat Anwat.' We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Make for us a Dhat Anwat as they have a Dhat Anwat.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Allahu Akbar! By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you have said just as the children of Israel said to Moses: 'Make for us a god just as they have gods.' (7:138) You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you.'"
[Musnad Ahmad: 218/25, Jami` at-Tirmidhi: 2180, Musnad Al-Humaidi: 868, Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabir by Tabarani: 274/3, Sahih]
Imam Tirmidhi has graded this hadith as "Hasan Sahih" and Imam Ibn Hibban (6702) has graded it as "Sahih."
Permissible Tabarruk
Now let's learn about permissible tabarruk:Isa ibn Tahman says:
"Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) brought out two shoes without hair, which had two straps. Then Thabit Al-Bunani narrated to me from Anas that these were the shoes of the Prophet (peace be upon him)."
[Sahih Bukhari: 438/1, Hadith 3107]
Once, Sayedah Asma bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) brought out a green cloak and said:
"This belonged to Aisha until she passed away, and when she passed away, I took possession of it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to wear it. We would wash it for the sick to seek healing through it."
[Sahih Muslim: 190/2, Hadith 2049]
Sayeduna Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) kept a bowl in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions drank water. Abu Hazim says, "Sahl brought it out and we drank from it. After that, Imam Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (may Allah have mercy on him) requested it from him, and he gifted it to him."
[Sahih Bukhari 842/2, Hadith 5437]
Ubaidah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
"We had the blessed hair of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which we got from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) or his family. He said, 'If I had a single hair of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it would be dearer to me than the world and all that is in it.'"
[Sahih Bukhari: 29/1, Hadith: 170]
Tabarruk Was Specific to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
It should be noted that this tabarruk was specific to the Prophet (peace be upon him). It cannot be applied to anyone else.Hafiz Shatibi says:
"After the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, the Companions did not do anything similar for anyone who succeeded him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) left no one better than Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) in the Ummah. He was his successor, yet no such practice was done with him. Nor with Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the best after Abu Bakr, and the same goes for Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) and the rest of the Companions. No authentic report has established that anyone sought tabarruk from them in such a way. Rather, they confined themselves to following their actions, sayings, and methods that they had inherited from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus, there is consensus among them on abandoning such practices."
[Al-I'tisam 9-2/8]
Sayeduna Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Do not set out on a journey except to three mosques: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, my mosque (this mosque of mine), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa."
[Sahih Bukhari: 159/1, Hadith 1189, Sahih Muslim 247/1, Hadith 1397]
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyyah says:
"If someone makes a vow to travel to a place other than these three mosques to seek blessings, it is not obligatory to fulfill that vow. There is consensus among the scholars of religion on this."
[Majmoo' Al-Fataawa: 184/27, briefly]
Traveling to visit the graves of prophets and righteous people to seek blessings is an innovation. The Companions and their successors did not do this, nor did the Prophet (peace be upon him) order it.
Imam Ibrahim Al-Nakha'i, a Tabi'i, says:
"Riding is only for three mosques: Al-Masjid Al-Haram, the Prophet's mosque, and Baitul Maqdis."
[Mussannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/45, its chain is authentic]