Author: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
Numerous narrations extolling the virtues and significance of visiting the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are commonly known. This article provides a critical examination of these narrations based on the principles of Hadith scholars:
"Whoever visits my grave, my intercession will be obligatory for him."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/278, Hadith 2669; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/490, Hadith 5169; Musnad al-Bazzar, Kashf al-Astar, 2/57, Hadith 1197]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak." Regarding this narration:
➊ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah said:
"There is some hesitation in my heart about it. I am free from its responsibility."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 6/135]
◈ He also declared this narration as "rejected."
[Same Source]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar comments after presenting all of Ibn Khuzaymah's discussion:
"Given Ibn Khuzaymah's statement and his explanation of the defect in this report, it is incorrect to say that it is included in his 'Sahih' without clarification."
[Same Source]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi states:
"It is in the Sahih of Ibn Khuzaymah, but he pointed towards its weakness."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1125]
➋ Imam al-‘Uqayli says:
"There is leniency in it."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/170]
➌ Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi states:
"It is a rejected narration."
[Shu'ab al-Iman, 3/490]
➍ Hafiz Al-Nawawi mentions:
"Its chain is weak."
[Al-Majmu', Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 8/272]
➎ Hafiz al-Dhahabi says:
"It is a rejected Hadith."
[Tarikh al-Islam, 11/212; another version: 11/115]
➏ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi writes:
"It is not a Sahih (authentic) or established Hadith. Rather, it is a rejected Hadith according to the leading experts of this field. It has a weak chain of narration and is not considered valid evidence. Only the weak in this science rely on such Hadiths."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 30]
➐ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"Nothing is authentic in this chapter."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
◈ He further states:
"There is weakness in it."
[It-haf al-Maharah, 9/123-124]
↰ The narrator of this narration, Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, is not confirmed to be reliable. Moreover, scholars of Hadith have deemed him "unknown" and his narrations as "rejected." For details, consider:
➊ Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi called him "unknown."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 8/166]
➋ Imam Al-Daraqutni also termed him "unknown."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 6/136]
➌ Imam al-‘Uqayli states:
"His narrations are weak and rejected."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/170]
➍ Discussing Imam Ibn Adi's statement "I hope there is no harm in him," Hafiz Ibn Qattan remarks:
"The truth is that his integrity has not been established."
[Bayan al-Wahm wa al-Iham, 4/322]
↰ Hafiz Ibn Qattan's statement is accurate. Imam Ibn Adi's wording does not establish the reliability of Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, as he used similar phrases for other weak narrators, indicating they may not deliberately fabricate Hadiths.
Our point is further supported by a quote from Allama Abdul Rahman bin Yahya al-Yamani (1313-1386 AH), who noted that Ibn Adi used this phrase for narrators whose integrity was not confirmed, suggesting they did not intentionally lie, but their narrations were unreliable.
[Al-Ta'liq ala al-Fawa'id al-Majmu'ah, p. 51]
↰ It is proven that no early scholars explicitly declared Musa bin Hilal as "reliable." His Hadiths are "weak" and "rejected," as evident from the declarations of the scholars. Therefore, Hafiz al-Dhahabi's characterization of him as "Salih al-Hadith" in Mizan al-I'tidal (4/225) is an oversight and not correct. We have already noted that Hafiz al-Dhahabi himself labeled this Hadith as "rejected." Hence, his oversight cannot be used to argue for the authenticity of this Hadith. No early Hadith scholars have declared it "authentic." Only the statements of Hadith scholars hold value.
"Whoever comes to me as a visitor with no need except to visit me, it becomes obligatory upon me to intercede for him on the Day of Judgment."
[Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani, 12/291, Hadith 13149; Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani, Hadith 4543; Al-Khulaiyat by Al-Khulai, p. 52; Al-Mu'jam by Ibn al-Muqri, p. 158; Tarikh Asbahan by Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani, 2/190; Al-Durra al-Thamina fi Akhbar al-Madina by Ibn al-Najjar, p. 155]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak."
The narrator, Muslimah bin Salim al-Juhani (Muslim bin Salim al-Juhani), is "unknown" and "weak."
Hafiz Al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawa'id (2/4) and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Taqrib al-Tahdhib (6628) have declared him "weak."
Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi [Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 36] has stated that he is "unknown in condition" like Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, and no verification of his reliability is established.
↰ This is why Allama Nawawi declared its chain "weak."
[Al-Majmu', Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 8/272]
Therefore, Hafiz Iraqi's statement "Ibn al-Sakan declared it authentic" is not beneficial for its authenticity.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi states:
"It is a weak chain, not suitable as evidence, nor is it permissible to rely on such narrations."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 36]
↰ Even if this narration is accepted as authentic, it would refer to visiting the Prophet ﷺ during his blessed life, not visiting his grave after his death.
"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever visits me until he reaches my grave, I will bear witness for him on the Day of Judgment," or he said: "I will intercede for him."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir by Al-‘Uqayli, 3/457]
Commentary:
Its chain is severely "weak" and "rejected."
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi (663-748 AH) states:
"This is a fabricated narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 3/349, No. 6709]
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli declared it "unpreserved."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/457]
↰ Its narrator, Fadalah bin Sa’id bin Zumayl al-Marbi, is "weak." No one declared him "reliable," but:
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli says:
"His narration is unpreserved, and it is only known from him."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/457]
◈ Hafiz Abu Nu'aym states:
"He narrates rejected reports, he is nothing."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 4/436]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi called him "weak."
[Al-Mughni fi al-Du’afa, 2/510]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar also deemed him "weak."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin also deemed him "weak."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 3/255]
Benefit:
The narrator, Muhammad bin Yahya bin Qays al-Marbi, was declared "reliable" by Imam Al-Daraqutni [Su'alat al-Barqani, 464] and Imam Ibn Hibban [Al-Thiqat, 9/45], but Imam Ibn Adi said about him:
"He is a rejected narrator, and his narrations are severely weak and rejected."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 6/2239; another version: 6/234]
↰ Meaning, despite being reliable, he narrated "rejected" narrations, and this narration is one of his rejected reports.
"Whoever visits me in Madinah with the intention of reward, I will intercede for him and testify for him on the Day of Judgment."
[Tarikh Jurjan by Hamzah bin Yusuf al-Sahmi, p. 434; Kitab al-Qubur by Ibn Abi al-Dunya, as cited in Talkhis al-Habir by Ibn Hajar, 2/265; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak" because:
➊ Its narrator, Abu Mathna al-Ka'bi (Sulaiman bin Yazid), is "weak."
Regarding him:
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"He is a rejected narrator and weak."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 4/149]
◈ Imam al-Daraqutni declared him "weak."
[Al-‘Ilal al-Warida fi al-Ahadith al-Nabawiyyah, 3823]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He contradicts reliable narrators in narrations, it is not permissible to use him as evidence, nor to narrate from him, except for consideration."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 3/151]
↰ He also included him in his book [Al-Thiqat, 6/395], but the accepted criticism is the one that aligns with the consensus of scholars.
Imam Al-Tirmidhi's [Jami', 1493] declaration of one of his Hadiths as "Hasan" and Imam Al-Hakim's [Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, 4/222] ruling of "authentic chain" cannot be used to argue his reliability, as Imam Al-Tirmidhi's designation of "Hasan" applies to many "weak" chains, and Imam Al-Hakim's judgment reflects his leniency.
In summary:
Abu Mathna is considered "weak" by the consensus of Hadith scholars, as highlighted by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar who declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 3840]
➋ This narrator, Abu Mathna, was a successor of the successors (taba' tabi'i), and there is no proof of his meeting with Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, his narration from Sayyiduna Anas is "disconnected."
Benefit:
There is another chain for this narration in the Musnad of Ishaq bin Rahwayh, but it is "weak" due to an "ambiguous sheikh."
"Whoever visits Madinah to visit me, my intercession is obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams will be resurrected in a state of security."
[Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki, p. 40]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ There is an "unknown" person in the chain. His integrity, reliability, and even his name are unknown.
➋ Who is Bakr bin Abdullah? His identification, reliability, and verification are required. Whether he was a Tabi’i or Taba’ Tabi’i, his narration from the Prophet ﷺ is "mursal" and "disconnected."
➌ Abdullah bin Wahb is involved in "tadlis" (concealment), as he did not name his teacher nor clarified that he heard directly.
↰ It appears this is an action of the unknown person.
◈ Allama Ibn Abd al-Hadi (705-744 AH) says about this narration:
"This is a fabricated, baseless, severely disconnected narration. Such narrations cannot be relied upon. It is weaker than general mursal and disconnected narrations."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 243]
↰ Furthermore, this narration does not mention visiting the blessed grave of the Prophet ﷺ. It rather relates to visiting the Prophet ﷺ during his blessed life or seeing him in a dream.
"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams will be resurrected in a state of security on the Day of Judgment."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/277; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak."
◈ Hafiz Abdul-Rauf al-Manawi declared it "defective."
[Al-Fath al-Samawi fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Qadi al-Baydawi, 1/381]
This narration has two defects:
➊ Harun bin Abu Qaz'ah is a "rejected narrator."
◈ Imam Bukhari says:
"He is a rejected narrator."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir by Al-‘Uqayli, 4/362, chain authentic]
◈ Imam Ibn Adi says:
"Harun Abu Qaz'ah is an unattributed narrator who narrated only a few reports, indicated as rejected by Imam Bukhari."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 7/128]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"Ya'qub bin Shaybah weakened him, and Al-‘Uqayli, Al-Saji, and Ibn al-Jarud listed him among the weak."
[Lisan al-Mizan, 6/181]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban mentioned him in [Al-Thiqat, 7/580], but this is leniency on his part. The prevailing opinion of the majority of Hadith scholars is correct.
➋ A man from the family of Hatib is "unknown" and "ambiguous." Thus,
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"There is an unknown narrator in its chain."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/266]
Therefore, there is no doubt about the fabricated nature of this narration.
"Whoever visits my grave—or said: whoever visits me—I will be his intercessor or witness, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams, Allah will resurrect him among those in security on the Day of Judgment."
[Musnad al-Tayalisi; Minhah al-Ma'bud, 1/228; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, 5/245; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is fabricated because:
➊ Sawar bin Maymun has no mention in the books of narrators.
➋ A man from the family of Umar is "unknown."
Therefore, regarding the chain of this narration:
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi states:
"Its chain contains unknown narrators."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, 5/245]
◈ Hafiz al-Mundhiri says:
"Its chain is objectionable."
[Al-Badr al-Munir by Ibn al-Mulaqqin, 6/298]
Benefit:
In Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi [3/489], this narration is mentioned as follows:
"Shu'bah narrated from Sawar bin Maymun: Harun bin Qaz'ah narrated from a man from the family of al-Khattab from the Prophet ﷺ who said: Whoever visits me intentionally, he will be in my company on the Day of Judgment, and whoever resides in Madinah and endures its difficulties, I will be his witness and intercessor on the Day of Judgment, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams, Allah will resurrect him among those in security on the Day of Judgment."
This chain is also fabricated because:
➊ The same Sawar bin Maymun who is "unknown," as mentioned earlier, is present in it.
➋ It includes Harun bin Qaz'ah, who has already been described as "weak" by the majority of scholars.
➌ A man from the family of al-Khattab is "unknown" and "ambiguous."
Regarding this:
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli states:
"The narration in this regard is weak."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/362]
"Whoever performs Hajj, then visits my grave after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life."
[Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani, 12/406; Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/278; Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi, 2/790; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, 5/246; Akhbar Makkah by Al-Fakihi, 1/437; Musnad Abi Ya'la, as cited in Al-Matalib al-Aliya by Ibn Hajar, 1/372]
Commentary:
This is a severely "weak" narration because:
➊ Hafs bin Sulaiman al-Qari is a "discarded narrator."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar, 1404]
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami states:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 10/163]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Al-Qawl al-Badi fi al-Salat ala al-Habib al-Shafi, p. 120]
➋ Layth bin Abu Sulaym is "weak" according to the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Hafiz Al-Nawawi writes:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1/52]
◈ Hafiz Iraqi says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Takhrij Ahadith al-Ihya, 1/306]
◈ Allama Al-Haythami mentions:
"Most have weakened him."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 1/90, 2/178]
◈ Busiri writes:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Zawaid Ibn Majah, 542]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin says:
"He is weak according to the majority."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 2/104, 7/227; Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 2/48]
◈ Allama Abu al-Hasan Sindhi al-Hanafi writes:
"In Zawaid: Layth bin Abu Sulaym is weak according to the majority of scholars."
[Hashiyat al-Sindi ala Ibn Majah, 1891]
Benefit:
➊ In Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani [12/406] and Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani [1/201], Hafs bin Sulaiman is followed by Aisha bint Sa'd.
However, regarding her:
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami states:
"Aisha bint Sa'd is present in this chain, but I did not find any biography of her."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 2/4]
Similarly, the lives of Ali bin Hasan bin Harun al-Ansari and Layth bin Bint Layth bin Abu Sulaym are not documented. The fourth defect is that Al-Tabarani's teacher, Ahmad bin Rashdin, is "weak." Thus, this following is useless and unbeneficial.
(b) In Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki [p. 27], Hafs bin Sulaiman al-Qari is followed by Ja’far bin Sulaiman al-Da'abi.
However, this is also unhelpful and ineffective because it contains Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Sari bin Uthman al-Tammar, who is described as:
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi states:
"He narrates rejected and false reports, thus he is an unreliable narrator."
[Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, 3/559]
↰ The second defect in it is that Nasr bin Shu’ayb is a "weak" narrator.
Note:
In Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki [p. 27], Al-Subki writes on the authority of Ibn Asakir that in the mentioned chain, the narrator Ja’far bin Sulaiman is actually Hafs bin Sulaiman Abu Umar al-Asadi al-Ghafari al-Qari. Labeling him as Ja’far is an error and transcription mistake.
[It-haf al-Za'ir wa Atraf al-Muqim al-Sair, p. 29]
Whoever this narrator may be, the chain is "weak."
"Whoever performs the Hajj of Islam, visits my grave, participates in a battle for Allah’s cause, and prays in Bayt al-Maqdis, Allah will not question him about the obligations."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, p. 34; Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 2/4]
In Shifa al-Siqam, the narrator of the Hadith is Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), instead of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). This is a transcription error, and the correct version is as we have mentioned. Refer to: [Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 2/4; Al-Qawl al-Badi' by al-Sakhawi, p. 135, and others].
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ The author, Abu al-Fath al-Azdi, is himself a "weak" and "criticized" narrator. Regarding him:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Kathir (700-774 AH) writes:
"Many of the prominent scholars of his time declared him weak, and some accused him of fabricating a Hadith."
[Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, 11/303; another version: 344]
◈ Abu Najib Abd al-Ghaffar bin Abd al-Wahid al-Armavi says:
"I saw the scholars of Mosul consider Abu al-Fath al-Azdi extremely weak and insignificant."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi says that he asked Abu Bakr al-Barqani about him:
"He indicated that he was weak and said: 'I saw him in the mosque of Baghdad, and the Hadith scholars would pay no attention to him and avoided him.'"
[Tarikh Baghdad, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi himself says:
"His narrations contain strange and rejected reports."
[Tarikh Baghdad, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib states that he asked Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Allan about him, and he said:
"He described him as having good retention and knowledge of Hadith and praised him."
[Same Source]
Nevertheless, Hafiz Muhammad bin Husayn bin Ahmad bin Husayn Abu al-Fath al-Azdi al-Mawsili was explicitly declared "weak" by Hadith scholars, and no clear authentication is established contrary to this.
➋ About Abu Sahl Badr bin Abdullah al-Misisi, Al-Subki says:
"I have no knowledge of his status."
[Shifa al-Siqam, pp. 34-35]
➌ Ibrahim al-Nakha’i is involved in "tadlis" (concealment of sources).
Regarding this narration:
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi says:
"Its authenticity is questionable."
[Al-Qawl al-Badi', p. 135]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi declared it false and fabricated.
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 1/300]
◈ Ibn Iraq al-Kinani also labeled it false.
[Tanzih al-Shari'ah, 2/175]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi says:
"This Hadith is fabricated against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ without any doubt among the scholars of Hadith."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki, p. 169]
"Whoever performs Hajj and does not visit me has shunned me."
[Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi, 7/2480; another version: 7/14; Al-Majrooheen by Ibn Hibban, 3/73; Ghara’ib Malik by Al-Daraqutni as in Shifa al-Siqam, p. 28; Tarikh Jurjan by Al-Sahmi, p. 217]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man, the narrator, is "weak." As stated by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi says:
"Al-Daraqutni stated that the fault in this Hadith lies with Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man."
[Al-Mawdu’at, 2/217]
Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man is a "discarded" narrator.
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar, 6275]
➋ Nu’man bin Shibl al-Bahili al-Basri is also "discarded." Regarding him:
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He would attribute false and altered narrations to reliable narrators."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 3/73]
Benefit ➊: Musa bin Harun al-Hammal says about this narrator:
"He was accused."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi, 7/14]
↰ However, no authentication is found for Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Isa, a narrator in this statement.
➋ Imran bin Musa al-Dajjaji says:
"He was reliable."
[Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi, 7/14]
↰ However, this statement is also false. It includes Salih bin Ahmad bin Abu Muqatil al-Qirati, whom Imam Al-Daraqutni declared "discarded."
[Su’alat al-Hakim for Al-Daraqutni, 113]
◈ Imam Ibn Adi himself says about him:
"He dared to elevate halted narrations to marfu' (elevated) status, to connect mursal narrations, and to steal narrations from others until nothing was left from him."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 4/74]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi says:
"This is a fabricated narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 4/265]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin has called it "weak."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 6/299]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi termed it "not authentic."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1178]
↰ This leniency from Hafiz al-Sakhawi and Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin in labeling the narration merely as "weak" and "not authentic" rather than "fabricated" is noteworthy. Normally, narrations from such narrators should not be considered anything less than fabricated.
◈ Allama Al-Shawkani says that Al-San'ani, Al-Zarkashi, and Ibn al-Jawzi declared it fabricated.
[Al-Fawa'id al-Majmoo'ah fi al-Ahadith al-Mawdu'ah, p. 34]
Similarly, Ibn Tahir al-Hindi [Tadhkirat al-Mawdu'at, p. 76] and Ibn Iraq al-Kinani [Tanzih al-Shari'ah al-Marfu'ah 'an al-Akhbar al-Shani'ah al-Mawdu'ah, 2/172] have also deemed it fabricated.
"Whoever visits my grave after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever does not visit me has shunned me."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, p. 39]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated chain because:
➊ It contains Nu’man bin Shibl, a "discarded" narrator who has already been discussed.
➋ Muhammad bin Fadl bin Atiyyah al-'Absi al-Kufi is described by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar who says:
"They accused him of lying."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 6225]
➌ Jabir bin Yazid al-Ju’fi is a well-known Rafidi (Shia), as:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"Weak Rafidi narrator."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 878]
◈ Hafiz al-Nawawi states:
"Al-Ju'fi is unanimously agreed upon as weak and his narrations are abandoned."
[Khilasat al-Ahkam, 2/684]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Tabaqat al-Mudallisin, p. 53]
↰ It is evident that this narration is a collection of lies and a concoction by Rafidis.
➍ The narration of Muhammad bin Ali Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is "disconnected."
"Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him."
[Musnad al-Bazzar, Kashf al-Astar, 2/57, Hadith 1198]
Commentary:
This is a blatant fabrication because:
➊ Regarding Abdullah bin Ibrahim al-Ghifari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"He is discarded, and Ibn Hibban accused him of fabricating Hadith."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 3199]
➋ His teacher Abdurrahman bin Zayd bin Aslam is also "weak" according to the majority.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"There is a consensus among scholars that Abdurrahman bin Zayd bin Aslam is weak."
[It-haf al-Maharah, 12/97, Hadith 15163]
"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me while I was alive."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, pp. 34-35]
Commentary:
This too is a fabricated and invalid chain because:
Regarding its narrator Khalid bin Yazid Abu Walid al-'Umari, Imam Yahya bin Ma'in says:
"He is a liar."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/360; chain is authentic]
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"He was a liar. I met him in Makkah, but I did not write from him. He was unreliable in Hadith."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/307]
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli says:
"Khalid narrates errors and attributes baseless narrations to reliable narrators."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/18]
◈ Imam Al-Daraqutni declared him "weak."
[Al-Sunan, 1/226]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He narrates highly rejected narrations. Most of those who recorded from him were the followers of personal opinions, and his narrations should not even be mentioned, for he would fabricate narrations against reliable narrators."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 1/284-285]
↰ There is not even the slightest evidence of authentication for him.
"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me while I was alive. Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment, and whoever among my Ummah has the means and does not visit me, he has no excuse."
[Al-Durra al-Thamina fi Fada’il al-Madina by Ibn al-Najjar, p. 144]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated and concocted narration because:
➊ Regarding Sam'an bin Mahdi:
◈ Al-Dhahabi says:
"This is an unknown entity; a fabricated manuscript is attributed to him, which I have seen. May Allah curse whoever fabricated it."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 2/234]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"He mentioned a manuscript containing more than three hundred Hadiths, most of whose texts are fabricated."
[Lisan al-Mizan, 3/114]
➋ Regarding Abu al-Abbas Ja'far bin Harun al-Wasiti:
◈ Al-Dhahabi says:
"He fabricated a narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 1/420]
➌ Regarding Muhammad bin Muqatil al-Razi, Al-Dhahabi says:
"He was criticized but not abandoned."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 4/47]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 6319]
"Whoever visits me and also visits my father Ibrahim in the same year, I guarantee him Paradise."
[Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab by Al-Nawawi, 8/261; another version: 8/209]
Commentary:
After mentioning this narration, Hafiz al-Nawawi says:
"This is false; it is not narrated from the Prophet ﷺ, nor is it known in any authentic or weak book. It was fabricated by some transgressors."
[Same Source]
"May Allah have mercy on whoever visits me with the reins of his camel in his hand."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah by Al-Sakhawi, 1/363, Hadith 515]
Commentary:
After mentioning this narration, Hafiz al-Sakhawi writes:
"Our Shaykh (Ibn Hajar) said: It has no basis in these words."
"Whoever performs Hajj to Makkah and then comes to me in my mosque, it will be written for him as two accepted Hajj."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki by Ibn Abd al-Hadi, p. 79]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated (forged) narration because:
➊ Its narrator, Asid bin Zayd bin Najiha al-Jammal al-Kufi, is "discarded" and "a liar." He was described as:
Imam Yahya bin Ma'in [Tarikh Yahya bin Ma'in narrated by al-Abbas al-Duri, 2/39] called him "a liar," Imam Al-Nasa’i [Kitab al-Du’afa wa al-Matrukin, 285] called him "discarded," and Imam Al-Daraqutni [Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib, 7/48, and its chain is Hasan] declared him "weak in Hadith."
◈ Imam Ibn Adi writes:
"The weakness is evident in his narrations, and most of what he narrates is not followed."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 1/401]
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"They criticized him."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 2/318]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He narrated rejected narrations from reliable narrators and would steal Hadith to narrate them."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 1/180]
◈ Abu Nasr bin Makwala says:
"They declared him weak."
[Al-Ikmal, 1/56]
◈ Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi says:
"He was unreliable in narrating Hadith."
[Tarikh Baghdad, 7/47]
There are many other criticisms against him, and no authentication is established. His narrations in Sahih Bukhari are cited only when corroborated by others.
➋ Regarding Isa bin Bashir, Hafiz al-Dhahabi writes:
"It is not known who this is, and he narrated a false narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, 3/310]
"Whoever asks Allah for the rank of wasilah for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, intercession will be obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever visits the grave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will be in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki by Ibn Abd al-Hadi, p. 182; another version: 151-152]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated and forged narration. The fabricator, Abdul Malik bin Harun bin Antrah, was unanimously declared "a liar" and "discarded" by the Hadith scholars. He was notorious for fabricating Hadiths.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi says:
"This too is among the fabricated narrations attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 182]
➊ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) says:
"All the narrations reported about visiting his grave are weak, rather fabricated."
[Al-Radd 'ala al-Bakri, p. 253]
➋ Ibn Abd al-Hadi (705-744 AH) says:
"All the narrations mentioned by the objector (Al-Subki) in this chapter, and his claim that there are more than ten narrations, none of them is authentic; rather, they are all weak and feeble, and the weakness of some of them has reached the extent that the Imams of Hadith have declared them fabricated, as indicated by Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah)."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki, p. 21]
➌ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (773-852 AH) states:
"All the chains of this Hadith are weak."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
Benefit: Hafiz al-Dhahabi (673-748 AH) writes:
"The narrations in this chapter are weak, some of them support each other because none of the narrators are accused of lying."
[Tarikh al-Islam, 11/213]
◈ Similarly, Hafiz al-Sakhawi (831-902 AH) says:
"As al-Dhahabi said: All its chains are weak, but they strengthen each other because none of their narrators are accused of lying."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1/647]
Meaning, even according to Hafiz al-Dhahabi and Hafiz al-Sakhawi, all the chains of this Hadith are "weak" and none of them is "Hasan" or "Sahih." However, they believed that the weak chains, when combined, could be considered as evidence. Their view is based on leniency and is debatable in several respects:
➊ Many of the chains of this Hadith contain "liars" and "accused liars" among the narrators, as has been noted by the readers. Even Hafiz al-Dhahabi himself declared some narrators in these chains as "liars" and "discarded."
➋ The idea that several "weak" chains combined can serve as evidence was not prevalent among the early Imams of Hadith. This idea emerged and was adopted in later periods. Therefore, there is even disagreement among later scholars on applying this lenient principle. For example, regarding this Hadith, scholars who accept the rule of "weak plus weak equals evidence" differ; some consider it "weak" and even fabricated, while others consider it acceptable.
Conclusion:
All the narrations regarding the virtues and significance of visiting the Prophet’s grave ﷺ are "weak" and unsuitable as evidence. None of them reach the level of authenticity. Islam consists of authentic Hadiths transmitted to us with sound chains of narration. A "weak" Hadith implies that it is not established from the Prophet ﷺ. What is not established from the Prophet ﷺ cannot be considered the religion of any Muslim.
Numerous narrations extolling the virtues and significance of visiting the blessed grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are commonly known. This article provides a critical examination of these narrations based on the principles of Hadith scholars:
Narration No. ➊
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits my grave, my intercession will be obligatory for him."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/278, Hadith 2669; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/490, Hadith 5169; Musnad al-Bazzar, Kashf al-Astar, 2/57, Hadith 1197]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak." Regarding this narration:
➊ Imam Ibn Khuzaymah said:
"There is some hesitation in my heart about it. I am free from its responsibility."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 6/135]
◈ He also declared this narration as "rejected."
[Same Source]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar comments after presenting all of Ibn Khuzaymah's discussion:
"Given Ibn Khuzaymah's statement and his explanation of the defect in this report, it is incorrect to say that it is included in his 'Sahih' without clarification."
[Same Source]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi states:
"It is in the Sahih of Ibn Khuzaymah, but he pointed towards its weakness."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1125]
➋ Imam al-‘Uqayli says:
"There is leniency in it."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/170]
➌ Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi states:
"It is a rejected narration."
[Shu'ab al-Iman, 3/490]
➍ Hafiz Al-Nawawi mentions:
"Its chain is weak."
[Al-Majmu', Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 8/272]
➎ Hafiz al-Dhahabi says:
"It is a rejected Hadith."
[Tarikh al-Islam, 11/212; another version: 11/115]
➏ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi writes:
"It is not a Sahih (authentic) or established Hadith. Rather, it is a rejected Hadith according to the leading experts of this field. It has a weak chain of narration and is not considered valid evidence. Only the weak in this science rely on such Hadiths."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 30]
➐ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"Nothing is authentic in this chapter."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
◈ He further states:
"There is weakness in it."
[It-haf al-Maharah, 9/123-124]
↰ The narrator of this narration, Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, is not confirmed to be reliable. Moreover, scholars of Hadith have deemed him "unknown" and his narrations as "rejected." For details, consider:
➊ Imam Abu Hatim Al-Razi called him "unknown."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 8/166]
➋ Imam Al-Daraqutni also termed him "unknown."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 6/136]
➌ Imam al-‘Uqayli states:
"His narrations are weak and rejected."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/170]
➍ Discussing Imam Ibn Adi's statement "I hope there is no harm in him," Hafiz Ibn Qattan remarks:
"The truth is that his integrity has not been established."
[Bayan al-Wahm wa al-Iham, 4/322]
↰ Hafiz Ibn Qattan's statement is accurate. Imam Ibn Adi's wording does not establish the reliability of Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, as he used similar phrases for other weak narrators, indicating they may not deliberately fabricate Hadiths.
Our point is further supported by a quote from Allama Abdul Rahman bin Yahya al-Yamani (1313-1386 AH), who noted that Ibn Adi used this phrase for narrators whose integrity was not confirmed, suggesting they did not intentionally lie, but their narrations were unreliable.
[Al-Ta'liq ala al-Fawa'id al-Majmu'ah, p. 51]
↰ It is proven that no early scholars explicitly declared Musa bin Hilal as "reliable." His Hadiths are "weak" and "rejected," as evident from the declarations of the scholars. Therefore, Hafiz al-Dhahabi's characterization of him as "Salih al-Hadith" in Mizan al-I'tidal (4/225) is an oversight and not correct. We have already noted that Hafiz al-Dhahabi himself labeled this Hadith as "rejected." Hence, his oversight cannot be used to argue for the authenticity of this Hadith. No early Hadith scholars have declared it "authentic." Only the statements of Hadith scholars hold value.
Narration No. ➋
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever comes to me as a visitor with no need except to visit me, it becomes obligatory upon me to intercede for him on the Day of Judgment."
[Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani, 12/291, Hadith 13149; Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani, Hadith 4543; Al-Khulaiyat by Al-Khulai, p. 52; Al-Mu'jam by Ibn al-Muqri, p. 158; Tarikh Asbahan by Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani, 2/190; Al-Durra al-Thamina fi Akhbar al-Madina by Ibn al-Najjar, p. 155]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak."
The narrator, Muslimah bin Salim al-Juhani (Muslim bin Salim al-Juhani), is "unknown" and "weak."
Hafiz Al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawa'id (2/4) and Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Taqrib al-Tahdhib (6628) have declared him "weak."
Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi [Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 36] has stated that he is "unknown in condition" like Musa bin Hilal Al-Abdi, and no verification of his reliability is established.
↰ This is why Allama Nawawi declared its chain "weak."
[Al-Majmu', Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 8/272]
Therefore, Hafiz Iraqi's statement "Ibn al-Sakan declared it authentic" is not beneficial for its authenticity.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi states:
"It is a weak chain, not suitable as evidence, nor is it permissible to rely on such narrations."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 36]
↰ Even if this narration is accepted as authentic, it would refer to visiting the Prophet ﷺ during his blessed life, not visiting his grave after his death.
Narration No. ➌
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever visits me until he reaches my grave, I will bear witness for him on the Day of Judgment," or he said: "I will intercede for him."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir by Al-‘Uqayli, 3/457]
Commentary:
Its chain is severely "weak" and "rejected."
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi (663-748 AH) states:
"This is a fabricated narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 3/349, No. 6709]
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli declared it "unpreserved."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/457]
↰ Its narrator, Fadalah bin Sa’id bin Zumayl al-Marbi, is "weak." No one declared him "reliable," but:
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli says:
"His narration is unpreserved, and it is only known from him."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/457]
◈ Hafiz Abu Nu'aym states:
"He narrates rejected reports, he is nothing."
[Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 4/436]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi called him "weak."
[Al-Mughni fi al-Du’afa, 2/510]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar also deemed him "weak."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin also deemed him "weak."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 3/255]
Benefit:
The narrator, Muhammad bin Yahya bin Qays al-Marbi, was declared "reliable" by Imam Al-Daraqutni [Su'alat al-Barqani, 464] and Imam Ibn Hibban [Al-Thiqat, 9/45], but Imam Ibn Adi said about him:
"He is a rejected narrator, and his narrations are severely weak and rejected."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 6/2239; another version: 6/234]
↰ Meaning, despite being reliable, he narrated "rejected" narrations, and this narration is one of his rejected reports.
Narration No. ➍
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits me in Madinah with the intention of reward, I will intercede for him and testify for him on the Day of Judgment."
[Tarikh Jurjan by Hamzah bin Yusuf al-Sahmi, p. 434; Kitab al-Qubur by Ibn Abi al-Dunya, as cited in Talkhis al-Habir by Ibn Hajar, 2/265; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak" because:
➊ Its narrator, Abu Mathna al-Ka'bi (Sulaiman bin Yazid), is "weak."
Regarding him:
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"He is a rejected narrator and weak."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 4/149]
◈ Imam al-Daraqutni declared him "weak."
[Al-‘Ilal al-Warida fi al-Ahadith al-Nabawiyyah, 3823]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He contradicts reliable narrators in narrations, it is not permissible to use him as evidence, nor to narrate from him, except for consideration."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 3/151]
↰ He also included him in his book [Al-Thiqat, 6/395], but the accepted criticism is the one that aligns with the consensus of scholars.
Imam Al-Tirmidhi's [Jami', 1493] declaration of one of his Hadiths as "Hasan" and Imam Al-Hakim's [Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn, 4/222] ruling of "authentic chain" cannot be used to argue his reliability, as Imam Al-Tirmidhi's designation of "Hasan" applies to many "weak" chains, and Imam Al-Hakim's judgment reflects his leniency.
In summary:
Abu Mathna is considered "weak" by the consensus of Hadith scholars, as highlighted by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar who declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 3840]
➋ This narrator, Abu Mathna, was a successor of the successors (taba' tabi'i), and there is no proof of his meeting with Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, his narration from Sayyiduna Anas is "disconnected."
Benefit:
There is another chain for this narration in the Musnad of Ishaq bin Rahwayh, but it is "weak" due to an "ambiguous sheikh."
Narration No. ➏
Yahya bin Al-Hasan bin Ja’far in Akhbar al-Madina narrates: Muhammad bin Yaqub narrated to us: Abdullah bin Wahb narrated from a man who narrated from Bakr bin Abdullah, who narrated from the Prophet ﷺ:"Whoever visits Madinah to visit me, my intercession is obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams will be resurrected in a state of security."
[Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki, p. 40]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ There is an "unknown" person in the chain. His integrity, reliability, and even his name are unknown.
➋ Who is Bakr bin Abdullah? His identification, reliability, and verification are required. Whether he was a Tabi’i or Taba’ Tabi’i, his narration from the Prophet ﷺ is "mursal" and "disconnected."
➌ Abdullah bin Wahb is involved in "tadlis" (concealment), as he did not name his teacher nor clarified that he heard directly.
↰ It appears this is an action of the unknown person.
◈ Allama Ibn Abd al-Hadi (705-744 AH) says about this narration:
"This is a fabricated, baseless, severely disconnected narration. Such narrations cannot be relied upon. It is weaker than general mursal and disconnected narrations."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 243]
↰ Furthermore, this narration does not mention visiting the blessed grave of the Prophet ﷺ. It rather relates to visiting the Prophet ﷺ during his blessed life or seeing him in a dream.
Narration No. ➏
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Hatib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams will be resurrected in a state of security on the Day of Judgment."
[Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/277; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is "weak."
◈ Hafiz Abdul-Rauf al-Manawi declared it "defective."
[Al-Fath al-Samawi fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Qadi al-Baydawi, 1/381]
This narration has two defects:
➊ Harun bin Abu Qaz'ah is a "rejected narrator."
◈ Imam Bukhari says:
"He is a rejected narrator."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir by Al-‘Uqayli, 4/362, chain authentic]
◈ Imam Ibn Adi says:
"Harun Abu Qaz'ah is an unattributed narrator who narrated only a few reports, indicated as rejected by Imam Bukhari."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 7/128]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"Ya'qub bin Shaybah weakened him, and Al-‘Uqayli, Al-Saji, and Ibn al-Jarud listed him among the weak."
[Lisan al-Mizan, 6/181]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban mentioned him in [Al-Thiqat, 7/580], but this is leniency on his part. The prevailing opinion of the majority of Hadith scholars is correct.
➋ A man from the family of Hatib is "unknown" and "ambiguous." Thus,
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"There is an unknown narrator in its chain."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/266]
Therefore, there is no doubt about the fabricated nature of this narration.
Narration No. ➐
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits my grave—or said: whoever visits me—I will be his intercessor or witness, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams, Allah will resurrect him among those in security on the Day of Judgment."
[Musnad al-Tayalisi; Minhah al-Ma'bud, 1/228; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, 5/245; Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi, 3/488]
Commentary:
Its chain is fabricated because:
➊ Sawar bin Maymun has no mention in the books of narrators.
➋ A man from the family of Umar is "unknown."
Therefore, regarding the chain of this narration:
◈ Imam Al-Bayhaqi states:
"Its chain contains unknown narrators."
[Al-Sunan al-Kubra, 5/245]
◈ Hafiz al-Mundhiri says:
"Its chain is objectionable."
[Al-Badr al-Munir by Ibn al-Mulaqqin, 6/298]
Benefit:
In Shu'ab al-Iman by Al-Bayhaqi [3/489], this narration is mentioned as follows:
"Shu'bah narrated from Sawar bin Maymun: Harun bin Qaz'ah narrated from a man from the family of al-Khattab from the Prophet ﷺ who said: Whoever visits me intentionally, he will be in my company on the Day of Judgment, and whoever resides in Madinah and endures its difficulties, I will be his witness and intercessor on the Day of Judgment, and whoever dies in one of the two Harams, Allah will resurrect him among those in security on the Day of Judgment."
This chain is also fabricated because:
➊ The same Sawar bin Maymun who is "unknown," as mentioned earlier, is present in it.
➋ It includes Harun bin Qaz'ah, who has already been described as "weak" by the majority of scholars.
➌ A man from the family of al-Khattab is "unknown" and "ambiguous."
Regarding this:
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli states:
"The narration in this regard is weak."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 4/362]
Narration No. ➑
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever performs Hajj, then visits my grave after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life."
[Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani, 12/406; Sunan al-Daraqutni, 2/278; Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi, 2/790; Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi, 5/246; Akhbar Makkah by Al-Fakihi, 1/437; Musnad Abi Ya'la, as cited in Al-Matalib al-Aliya by Ibn Hajar, 1/372]
Commentary:
This is a severely "weak" narration because:
➊ Hafs bin Sulaiman al-Qari is a "discarded narrator."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar, 1404]
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami states:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 10/163]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Al-Qawl al-Badi fi al-Salat ala al-Habib al-Shafi, p. 120]
➋ Layth bin Abu Sulaym is "weak" according to the majority of Hadith scholars.
◈ Hafiz Al-Nawawi writes:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Sharh Sahih Muslim, 1/52]
◈ Hafiz Iraqi says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Takhrij Ahadith al-Ihya, 1/306]
◈ Allama Al-Haythami mentions:
"Most have weakened him."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 1/90, 2/178]
◈ Busiri writes:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Zawaid Ibn Majah, 542]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin says:
"He is weak according to the majority."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 2/104, 7/227; Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, 2/48]
◈ Allama Abu al-Hasan Sindhi al-Hanafi writes:
"In Zawaid: Layth bin Abu Sulaym is weak according to the majority of scholars."
[Hashiyat al-Sindi ala Ibn Majah, 1891]
Benefit:
➊ In Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani [12/406] and Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat by Al-Tabarani [1/201], Hafs bin Sulaiman is followed by Aisha bint Sa'd.
However, regarding her:
◈ Hafiz Al-Haythami states:
"Aisha bint Sa'd is present in this chain, but I did not find any biography of her."
[Majma' al-Zawa'id, 2/4]
Similarly, the lives of Ali bin Hasan bin Harun al-Ansari and Layth bin Bint Layth bin Abu Sulaym are not documented. The fourth defect is that Al-Tabarani's teacher, Ahmad bin Rashdin, is "weak." Thus, this following is useless and unbeneficial.
(b) In Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki [p. 27], Hafs bin Sulaiman al-Qari is followed by Ja’far bin Sulaiman al-Da'abi.
However, this is also unhelpful and ineffective because it contains Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Sari bin Uthman al-Tammar, who is described as:
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi states:
"He narrates rejected and false reports, thus he is an unreliable narrator."
[Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, 3/559]
↰ The second defect in it is that Nasr bin Shu’ayb is a "weak" narrator.
Note:
In Shifa al-Siqam by Al-Subki [p. 27], Al-Subki writes on the authority of Ibn Asakir that in the mentioned chain, the narrator Ja’far bin Sulaiman is actually Hafs bin Sulaiman Abu Umar al-Asadi al-Ghafari al-Qari. Labeling him as Ja’far is an error and transcription mistake.
[It-haf al-Za'ir wa Atraf al-Muqim al-Sair, p. 29]
Whoever this narrator may be, the chain is "weak."
Narration No. ➒
Abu al-Fath al-Azdi included this narration in his collection, stating: Al-Nu’man bin Harun bin Abi al-Dalahath narrated to us: Abu Sahl Badr bin Abdullah al-Misisi narrated to us: Al-Hasan bin Uthman al-Ziyadi narrated to us: Ammar bin Muhammad narrated to me: My uncle Sufyan narrated from Mansur, from Ibrahim, from Alqama, from Abdullah bin Mas'ud who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever performs the Hajj of Islam, visits my grave, participates in a battle for Allah’s cause, and prays in Bayt al-Maqdis, Allah will not question him about the obligations."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, p. 34; Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 2/4]
In Shifa al-Siqam, the narrator of the Hadith is Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), instead of Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). This is a transcription error, and the correct version is as we have mentioned. Refer to: [Lisan al-Mizan by Ibn Hajar, 2/4; Al-Qawl al-Badi' by al-Sakhawi, p. 135, and others].
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ The author, Abu al-Fath al-Azdi, is himself a "weak" and "criticized" narrator. Regarding him:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Kathir (700-774 AH) writes:
"Many of the prominent scholars of his time declared him weak, and some accused him of fabricating a Hadith."
[Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, 11/303; another version: 344]
◈ Abu Najib Abd al-Ghaffar bin Abd al-Wahid al-Armavi says:
"I saw the scholars of Mosul consider Abu al-Fath al-Azdi extremely weak and insignificant."
[Tarikh Baghdad by al-Khatib, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi says that he asked Abu Bakr al-Barqani about him:
"He indicated that he was weak and said: 'I saw him in the mosque of Baghdad, and the Hadith scholars would pay no attention to him and avoided him.'"
[Tarikh Baghdad, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi himself says:
"His narrations contain strange and rejected reports."
[Tarikh Baghdad, 2/244]
◈ Imam Al-Khatib states that he asked Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Allan about him, and he said:
"He described him as having good retention and knowledge of Hadith and praised him."
[Same Source]
Nevertheless, Hafiz Muhammad bin Husayn bin Ahmad bin Husayn Abu al-Fath al-Azdi al-Mawsili was explicitly declared "weak" by Hadith scholars, and no clear authentication is established contrary to this.
➋ About Abu Sahl Badr bin Abdullah al-Misisi, Al-Subki says:
"I have no knowledge of his status."
[Shifa al-Siqam, pp. 34-35]
➌ Ibrahim al-Nakha’i is involved in "tadlis" (concealment of sources).
Regarding this narration:
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi says:
"Its authenticity is questionable."
[Al-Qawl al-Badi', p. 135]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi declared it false and fabricated.
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 1/300]
◈ Ibn Iraq al-Kinani also labeled it false.
[Tanzih al-Shari'ah, 2/175]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi says:
"This Hadith is fabricated against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ without any doubt among the scholars of Hadith."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki, p. 169]
Narration No. ➓
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever performs Hajj and does not visit me has shunned me."
[Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi, 7/2480; another version: 7/14; Al-Majrooheen by Ibn Hibban, 3/73; Ghara’ib Malik by Al-Daraqutni as in Shifa al-Siqam, p. 28; Tarikh Jurjan by Al-Sahmi, p. 217]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated narration because:
➊ Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man, the narrator, is "weak." As stated by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi says:
"Al-Daraqutni stated that the fault in this Hadith lies with Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man."
[Al-Mawdu’at, 2/217]
Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Nu’man is a "discarded" narrator.
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib by Ibn Hajar, 6275]
➋ Nu’man bin Shibl al-Bahili al-Basri is also "discarded." Regarding him:
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He would attribute false and altered narrations to reliable narrators."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 3/73]
Benefit ➊: Musa bin Harun al-Hammal says about this narrator:
"He was accused."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal by Ibn Adi, 7/14]
↰ However, no authentication is found for Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Isa, a narrator in this statement.
➋ Imran bin Musa al-Dajjaji says:
"He was reliable."
[Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi, 7/14]
↰ However, this statement is also false. It includes Salih bin Ahmad bin Abu Muqatil al-Qirati, whom Imam Al-Daraqutni declared "discarded."
[Su’alat al-Hakim for Al-Daraqutni, 113]
◈ Imam Ibn Adi himself says about him:
"He dared to elevate halted narrations to marfu' (elevated) status, to connect mursal narrations, and to steal narrations from others until nothing was left from him."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 4/74]
◈ Hafiz al-Dhahabi says:
"This is a fabricated narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 4/265]
◈ Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin has called it "weak."
[Al-Badr al-Munir, 6/299]
◈ Hafiz al-Sakhawi termed it "not authentic."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1178]
↰ This leniency from Hafiz al-Sakhawi and Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin in labeling the narration merely as "weak" and "not authentic" rather than "fabricated" is noteworthy. Normally, narrations from such narrators should not be considered anything less than fabricated.
◈ Allama Al-Shawkani says that Al-San'ani, Al-Zarkashi, and Ibn al-Jawzi declared it fabricated.
[Al-Fawa'id al-Majmoo'ah fi al-Ahadith al-Mawdu'ah, p. 34]
Similarly, Ibn Tahir al-Hindi [Tadhkirat al-Mawdu'at, p. 76] and Ibn Iraq al-Kinani [Tanzih al-Shari'ah al-Marfu'ah 'an al-Akhbar al-Shani'ah al-Mawdu'ah, 2/172] have also deemed it fabricated.
Narration No. ⓫
Abu al-Hasan Yahya bin al-Hasan ibn Ja’far narrated in Akhbar al-Madina from Nu’man bin Shibl, who said: Muhammad bin al-Fadl narrated from Jabir, from Muhammad bin Ali, from Ali, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits my grave after my death, it is as if he visited me in my life, and whoever does not visit me has shunned me."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, p. 39]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated chain because:
➊ It contains Nu’man bin Shibl, a "discarded" narrator who has already been discussed.
➋ Muhammad bin Fadl bin Atiyyah al-'Absi al-Kufi is described by:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar who says:
"They accused him of lying."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 6225]
➌ Jabir bin Yazid al-Ju’fi is a well-known Rafidi (Shia), as:
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"Weak Rafidi narrator."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 878]
◈ Hafiz al-Nawawi states:
"Al-Ju'fi is unanimously agreed upon as weak and his narrations are abandoned."
[Khilasat al-Ahkam, 2/684]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"The majority have weakened him."
[Tabaqat al-Mudallisin, p. 53]
↰ It is evident that this narration is a collection of lies and a concoction by Rafidis.
➍ The narration of Muhammad bin Ali Abu Ja’far Muhammad al-Baqir from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) is "disconnected."
Narration No. ⓬
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him."
[Musnad al-Bazzar, Kashf al-Astar, 2/57, Hadith 1198]
Commentary:
This is a blatant fabrication because:
➊ Regarding Abdullah bin Ibrahim al-Ghifari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"He is discarded, and Ibn Hibban accused him of fabricating Hadith."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 3199]
➋ His teacher Abdurrahman bin Zayd bin Aslam is also "weak" according to the majority.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:
"There is a consensus among scholars that Abdurrahman bin Zayd bin Aslam is weak."
[It-haf al-Maharah, 12/97, Hadith 15163]
Narration No. ⓭
Abu al-Futuh Sa’id bin Muhammad bin Isma’il al-Ya’qubi in his collection narrated from Khalid bin Yazid: Abdullah bin Umar al-'Umari narrated to us, he heard Sa’id al-Maqburi say: I heard Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me while I was alive."
[Shifa al-Siqam by al-Subki, pp. 34-35]
Commentary:
This too is a fabricated and invalid chain because:
Regarding its narrator Khalid bin Yazid Abu Walid al-'Umari, Imam Yahya bin Ma'in says:
"He is a liar."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/360; chain is authentic]
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"He was a liar. I met him in Makkah, but I did not write from him. He was unreliable in Hadith."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 3/307]
◈ Imam Al-‘Uqayli says:
"Khalid narrates errors and attributes baseless narrations to reliable narrators."
[Al-Du’afa al-Kabir, 3/18]
◈ Imam Al-Daraqutni declared him "weak."
[Al-Sunan, 1/226]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He narrates highly rejected narrations. Most of those who recorded from him were the followers of personal opinions, and his narrations should not even be mentioned, for he would fabricate narrations against reliable narrators."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 1/284-285]
↰ There is not even the slightest evidence of authentication for him.
Narration No. ⓮
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:"Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me while I was alive. Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment, and whoever among my Ummah has the means and does not visit me, he has no excuse."
[Al-Durra al-Thamina fi Fada’il al-Madina by Ibn al-Najjar, p. 144]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated and concocted narration because:
➊ Regarding Sam'an bin Mahdi:
◈ Al-Dhahabi says:
"This is an unknown entity; a fabricated manuscript is attributed to him, which I have seen. May Allah curse whoever fabricated it."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 2/234]
◈ Hafiz Ibn Hajar says:
"He mentioned a manuscript containing more than three hundred Hadiths, most of whose texts are fabricated."
[Lisan al-Mizan, 3/114]
➋ Regarding Abu al-Abbas Ja'far bin Harun al-Wasiti:
◈ Al-Dhahabi says:
"He fabricated a narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 1/420]
➌ Regarding Muhammad bin Muqatil al-Razi, Al-Dhahabi says:
"He was criticized but not abandoned."
[Mizan al-I'tidal, 4/47]
Hafiz Ibn Hajar declared him "weak."
[Taqrib al-Tahdhib, 6319]
Narration No. ⓯
One narration states:"Whoever visits me and also visits my father Ibrahim in the same year, I guarantee him Paradise."
[Al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhdhab by Al-Nawawi, 8/261; another version: 8/209]
Commentary:
After mentioning this narration, Hafiz al-Nawawi says:
"This is false; it is not narrated from the Prophet ﷺ, nor is it known in any authentic or weak book. It was fabricated by some transgressors."
[Same Source]
Narration No. ⓰
One narration is as follows:"May Allah have mercy on whoever visits me with the reins of his camel in his hand."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah by Al-Sakhawi, 1/363, Hadith 515]
Commentary:
After mentioning this narration, Hafiz al-Sakhawi writes:
"Our Shaykh (Ibn Hajar) said: It has no basis in these words."
Narration No. ⓱
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet ﷺ said:"Whoever performs Hajj to Makkah and then comes to me in my mosque, it will be written for him as two accepted Hajj."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki by Ibn Abd al-Hadi, p. 79]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated (forged) narration because:
➊ Its narrator, Asid bin Zayd bin Najiha al-Jammal al-Kufi, is "discarded" and "a liar." He was described as:
Imam Yahya bin Ma'in [Tarikh Yahya bin Ma'in narrated by al-Abbas al-Duri, 2/39] called him "a liar," Imam Al-Nasa’i [Kitab al-Du’afa wa al-Matrukin, 285] called him "discarded," and Imam Al-Daraqutni [Tarikh Baghdad by Al-Khatib, 7/48, and its chain is Hasan] declared him "weak in Hadith."
◈ Imam Ibn Adi writes:
"The weakness is evident in his narrations, and most of what he narrates is not followed."
[Al-Kamil fi Du'afa al-Rijal, 1/401]
◈ Imam Abu Hatim al-Razi says:
"They criticized him."
[Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil by Ibn Abi Hatim, 2/318]
◈ Imam Ibn Hibban says:
"He narrated rejected narrations from reliable narrators and would steal Hadith to narrate them."
[Kitab al-Majrooheen, 1/180]
◈ Abu Nasr bin Makwala says:
"They declared him weak."
[Al-Ikmal, 1/56]
◈ Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi says:
"He was unreliable in narrating Hadith."
[Tarikh Baghdad, 7/47]
There are many other criticisms against him, and no authentication is established. His narrations in Sahih Bukhari are cited only when corroborated by others.
➋ Regarding Isa bin Bashir, Hafiz al-Dhahabi writes:
"It is not known who this is, and he narrated a false narration."
[Mizan al-I'tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, 3/310]
Narration No. ⓲
A narration attributed to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) states:"Whoever asks Allah for the rank of wasilah for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, intercession will be obligatory for him on the Day of Judgment. Whoever visits the grave of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will be in the company of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki by Ibn Abd al-Hadi, p. 182; another version: 151-152]
Commentary:
This is a fabricated and forged narration. The fabricator, Abdul Malik bin Harun bin Antrah, was unanimously declared "a liar" and "discarded" by the Hadith scholars. He was notorious for fabricating Hadiths.
◈ Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Hadi says:
"This too is among the fabricated narrations attributed to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki, p. 182]
Research on the Narrations of Visiting the Prophet's Grave
All these are "weak" narrations and are not suitable as evidence. Islam is based on authentic Hadiths. Consider the scholars' research on these narrations:➊ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 AH) says:
"All the narrations reported about visiting his grave are weak, rather fabricated."
[Al-Radd 'ala al-Bakri, p. 253]
➋ Ibn Abd al-Hadi (705-744 AH) says:
"All the narrations mentioned by the objector (Al-Subki) in this chapter, and his claim that there are more than ten narrations, none of them is authentic; rather, they are all weak and feeble, and the weakness of some of them has reached the extent that the Imams of Hadith have declared them fabricated, as indicated by Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah)."
[Al-Sarim al-Munki fi al-Radd 'ala al-Subki, p. 21]
➌ Hafiz Ibn Hajar (773-852 AH) states:
"All the chains of this Hadith are weak."
[Talkhis al-Habir, 2/267]
Benefit: Hafiz al-Dhahabi (673-748 AH) writes:
"The narrations in this chapter are weak, some of them support each other because none of the narrators are accused of lying."
[Tarikh al-Islam, 11/213]
◈ Similarly, Hafiz al-Sakhawi (831-902 AH) says:
"As al-Dhahabi said: All its chains are weak, but they strengthen each other because none of their narrators are accused of lying."
[Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, 1/647]
Meaning, even according to Hafiz al-Dhahabi and Hafiz al-Sakhawi, all the chains of this Hadith are "weak" and none of them is "Hasan" or "Sahih." However, they believed that the weak chains, when combined, could be considered as evidence. Their view is based on leniency and is debatable in several respects:
➊ Many of the chains of this Hadith contain "liars" and "accused liars" among the narrators, as has been noted by the readers. Even Hafiz al-Dhahabi himself declared some narrators in these chains as "liars" and "discarded."
➋ The idea that several "weak" chains combined can serve as evidence was not prevalent among the early Imams of Hadith. This idea emerged and was adopted in later periods. Therefore, there is even disagreement among later scholars on applying this lenient principle. For example, regarding this Hadith, scholars who accept the rule of "weak plus weak equals evidence" differ; some consider it "weak" and even fabricated, while others consider it acceptable.
Conclusion:
All the narrations regarding the virtues and significance of visiting the Prophet’s grave ﷺ are "weak" and unsuitable as evidence. None of them reach the level of authenticity. Islam consists of authentic Hadiths transmitted to us with sound chains of narration. A "weak" Hadith implies that it is not established from the Prophet ﷺ. What is not established from the Prophet ﷺ cannot be considered the religion of any Muslim.
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