Author: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
Placing a genealogical tree, the cover of the Kaaba, a covenant, or other "blessings" in the grave, and writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba on the shroud or the deceased's forehead with a finger, soil, or any other substance is prohibited and an ugly innovation. This self-made religion is contrary to the divine religion. There is no evidence in the Quran and Hadith for these detestable acts, and none of the pious predecessors endorsed or practiced them. These are inventions of the innovators. The Ahlus Sunnah reject these superstitions and innovations because they are daring attempts that cause corruption in the divine religion.
Presented here is an academic review of the evidence cited for these abominable acts:
Evidence by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi (1324-1391 AH):
"Placing the relics of pious people and the cover of the Kaaba or a covenant in the grave is a means of salvation for the deceased. The Quran states: "Seek the means to Him." (Al-Ma'idah: 35)" (Jaa al-Haq by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
Using this verse to justify placing covenants or similar items is invalid because none of the companions or Imams derived this meaning from the verse. Hence, it is a distortion of the divine word. In this verse, "means" is unanimously understood by the commentators to refer to righteous deeds, as Hafiz Ibn Kathir (700-774 AH) writes in his exegesis: "There is no disagreement among the commentators that what these Imams said (that means refers to righteous deeds) is correct." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 2/535)
Some people abandon the agreed-upon meaning by all commentators and Imams of Ahlus Sunnah and interpret it as they wish, yet they are still considered Sunni. Why?
Allama Shatibi (d. 790 AH) writes: "Anyone who relies on the imitation of an unverified saying or returns it without meaning has untied the knot of Islam and relied on something other than Shariah. May Allah protect us from this. This method in issuing fatwas is one of the innovations introduced into the religion of Allah, just as the absolute authority of reason over religion is an innovation." (Al-I'tisam by Shatibi: 2/179)
Second Evidence by Naeemi:
"Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to his brothers: "Take this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face; he will become sighted." (Surah Yusuf: 93) It is evident that the clothing of the pious grants healing, as this was the shirt of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Therefore, it is hoped that the name of the pious written on the deceased will enlighten his mind and he will remember the answers." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
This was a miracle of a prophet. Shariah rulings cannot be derived from miracles, and this practice is not proven from the pious predecessors; therefore, it is not part of the religion. Saying that it was the shirt of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is baseless as it contradicts the Quran. The verse clearly states: "Take this shirt of mine."
Additionally, the verse mentions: "And they brought upon his shirt false blood." (Surah Yusuf: 18)
Third Evidence by Naeemi:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) included his blessed loincloth in the shroud of his daughter, Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her)." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave his shirt as a blessing, and this blessing was unique to him. No one else can be compared to him, as Allama Shatibi writes: "After the Prophet's death, the companions did not perform such acts for anyone else. The Prophet (peace be upon him) left no one in the Ummah more virtuous than Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was his successor. No such act was performed for him, nor for Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the most virtuous after him, nor for Uthman and Ali, nor for the other companions. No reliable narration proves that any of them performed such acts. They restricted themselves to following the actions, sayings, and conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus, it is a consensus among them to leave such acts." (Kitab al-I'tisam by Shatibi: 2/8-9)
Reference to Shah Abdul Aziz's Fatawa:
"Placing a genealogical tree in the grave was the practice of the pious, but there are two ways: One is to place it on or under the shroud over the deceased's chest. The jurists prohibit this. The other is to place it in a niche at the head of the grave." (Jaa al-Haq: 1/337)
Commentary:
If the pious referred to are the Salaf Saliheen and the Imams of Hadith, then this is a blatant lie. If it refers to the Hanafi scholars, they are always at odds with the Quran, Hadith, and Salaf Saliheen. What evidence from the Quran and Hadith will be provided if someone asks these "pious" ones? They prohibit and permit whatever they wish, as they have forbidden placing a genealogical tree on the deceased's chest but permitted placing it in a niche. Why?
Further Argument by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi:
"Writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba on the shroud or in the grave is permissible, whether written with a finger or something else. Imam Tirmidhi narrated in Nawadir al-Usul that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever writes this supplication and places it between the deceased's chest and shroud in a scroll will be protected from the punishment of the grave and will not see Munkar and Nakeer." (Jaa al-Haq: 1/338)
Commentary:
This is an argument for the proof of innovations. It seems that this argument was revealed to them by Satan. Otherwise, there is no mention of this narration in Nawadir al-Usul or any other book of Hadith. This fabricated, baseless, and concocted narration is the hallmark of these people. They surpass even the People of the Book in fabricating innovations in religion and presenting false narrations as proof.
They did not realize that this contradicts their own statement, as they mentioned on the previous page of their book that their "jurists" prohibit placing a genealogical tree or covenant on the deceased's chest. If Naeemi considers this a Prophetic Hadith, what is the ruling on their "jurists" who prohibit acting upon this Hadith?
New Argument by Naeemi:
"In Al-Harf al-Hasan (a book by Ahmed Raza Khan), it is narrated from Tirmidhi that Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever reads a covenant, an angel will seal it and keep it until the Day of Resurrection. When people are raised from their graves, the angel will bring the document and announce: 'Where are those who have the covenant?' They will be given the covenant." Imam Tirmidhi said: "Tawus ordered these words to be written in his shroud." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/339)
Commentary:
This is a baseless and fabricated narration. Establishing Shariah rulings on it is a practice of the innovators. As for the statement of Tawus, neither its reference nor its chain of narration could be found.
Further Claim by Naeemi:
"Writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba is permissible and proven from authentic Ahadith and the sayings of jurists." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
Where are these authentic Ahadith? If baseless narrations are called authentic Ahadith, then what is a lie?
**Readers, you have examined the arguments for innovations. Despite this, Naeemi writes: "A covenant should definitely be written on the shroud for the deceased." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/341)
Naeemi quotes from "Fatawa Bazaziyya":"If a covenant is written on the deceased's forehead, turban, or shroud, it is hoped that Allah will forgive him and protect him from the punishment of the grave. Imam Nasir said that this narration indicates that writing is permissible, and it is narrated that the thighs of the horses in Umar's stables had written: 'Dedicated in the path of Allah.' (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/340-339)
Commentary:
Innovators are devoid of evidence. As the saying goes, "A drowning man clutches at a straw," "Mufti" Sahib has presented such an argument that the thighs of the horses in Umar's stables had written words. This is the biggest lie ever. Provide a reliable reference and chain for this. Even then, where is the relevance of writing those words on horses' thighs and writing the Kalima Tayyiba on the deceased's forehead or shroud?
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un
Placing a genealogical tree, the cover of the Kaaba, a covenant, or other "blessings" in the grave, and writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba on the shroud or the deceased's forehead with a finger, soil, or any other substance is prohibited and an ugly innovation. This self-made religion is contrary to the divine religion. There is no evidence in the Quran and Hadith for these detestable acts, and none of the pious predecessors endorsed or practiced them. These are inventions of the innovators. The Ahlus Sunnah reject these superstitions and innovations because they are daring attempts that cause corruption in the divine religion.
Presented here is an academic review of the evidence cited for these abominable acts:
Evidence by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi Barelvi (1324-1391 AH):
"Placing the relics of pious people and the cover of the Kaaba or a covenant in the grave is a means of salvation for the deceased. The Quran states: "Seek the means to Him." (Al-Ma'idah: 35)" (Jaa al-Haq by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
Using this verse to justify placing covenants or similar items is invalid because none of the companions or Imams derived this meaning from the verse. Hence, it is a distortion of the divine word. In this verse, "means" is unanimously understood by the commentators to refer to righteous deeds, as Hafiz Ibn Kathir (700-774 AH) writes in his exegesis: "There is no disagreement among the commentators that what these Imams said (that means refers to righteous deeds) is correct." (Tafsir Ibn Kathir: 2/535)
Some people abandon the agreed-upon meaning by all commentators and Imams of Ahlus Sunnah and interpret it as they wish, yet they are still considered Sunni. Why?
Allama Shatibi (d. 790 AH) writes: "Anyone who relies on the imitation of an unverified saying or returns it without meaning has untied the knot of Islam and relied on something other than Shariah. May Allah protect us from this. This method in issuing fatwas is one of the innovations introduced into the religion of Allah, just as the absolute authority of reason over religion is an innovation." (Al-I'tisam by Shatibi: 2/179)
Second Evidence by Naeemi:
"Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to his brothers: "Take this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face; he will become sighted." (Surah Yusuf: 93) It is evident that the clothing of the pious grants healing, as this was the shirt of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). Therefore, it is hoped that the name of the pious written on the deceased will enlighten his mind and he will remember the answers." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
This was a miracle of a prophet. Shariah rulings cannot be derived from miracles, and this practice is not proven from the pious predecessors; therefore, it is not part of the religion. Saying that it was the shirt of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is baseless as it contradicts the Quran. The verse clearly states: "Take this shirt of mine."
Additionally, the verse mentions: "And they brought upon his shirt false blood." (Surah Yusuf: 18)
Third Evidence by Naeemi:
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) included his blessed loincloth in the shroud of his daughter, Sayyida Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her)." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave his shirt as a blessing, and this blessing was unique to him. No one else can be compared to him, as Allama Shatibi writes: "After the Prophet's death, the companions did not perform such acts for anyone else. The Prophet (peace be upon him) left no one in the Ummah more virtuous than Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was his successor. No such act was performed for him, nor for Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the most virtuous after him, nor for Uthman and Ali, nor for the other companions. No reliable narration proves that any of them performed such acts. They restricted themselves to following the actions, sayings, and conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Thus, it is a consensus among them to leave such acts." (Kitab al-I'tisam by Shatibi: 2/8-9)
Reference to Shah Abdul Aziz's Fatawa:
"Placing a genealogical tree in the grave was the practice of the pious, but there are two ways: One is to place it on or under the shroud over the deceased's chest. The jurists prohibit this. The other is to place it in a niche at the head of the grave." (Jaa al-Haq: 1/337)
Commentary:
If the pious referred to are the Salaf Saliheen and the Imams of Hadith, then this is a blatant lie. If it refers to the Hanafi scholars, they are always at odds with the Quran, Hadith, and Salaf Saliheen. What evidence from the Quran and Hadith will be provided if someone asks these "pious" ones? They prohibit and permit whatever they wish, as they have forbidden placing a genealogical tree on the deceased's chest but permitted placing it in a niche. Why?
Further Argument by Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi:
"Writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba on the shroud or in the grave is permissible, whether written with a finger or something else. Imam Tirmidhi narrated in Nawadir al-Usul that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever writes this supplication and places it between the deceased's chest and shroud in a scroll will be protected from the punishment of the grave and will not see Munkar and Nakeer." (Jaa al-Haq: 1/338)
Commentary:
This is an argument for the proof of innovations. It seems that this argument was revealed to them by Satan. Otherwise, there is no mention of this narration in Nawadir al-Usul or any other book of Hadith. This fabricated, baseless, and concocted narration is the hallmark of these people. They surpass even the People of the Book in fabricating innovations in religion and presenting false narrations as proof.
They did not realize that this contradicts their own statement, as they mentioned on the previous page of their book that their "jurists" prohibit placing a genealogical tree or covenant on the deceased's chest. If Naeemi considers this a Prophetic Hadith, what is the ruling on their "jurists" who prohibit acting upon this Hadith?
New Argument by Naeemi:
"In Al-Harf al-Hasan (a book by Ahmed Raza Khan), it is narrated from Tirmidhi that Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever reads a covenant, an angel will seal it and keep it until the Day of Resurrection. When people are raised from their graves, the angel will bring the document and announce: 'Where are those who have the covenant?' They will be given the covenant." Imam Tirmidhi said: "Tawus ordered these words to be written in his shroud." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/339)
Commentary:
This is a baseless and fabricated narration. Establishing Shariah rulings on it is a practice of the innovators. As for the statement of Tawus, neither its reference nor its chain of narration could be found.
Further Claim by Naeemi:
"Writing a covenant or the Kalima Tayyiba is permissible and proven from authentic Ahadith and the sayings of jurists." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/336)
Commentary:
Where are these authentic Ahadith? If baseless narrations are called authentic Ahadith, then what is a lie?
**Readers, you have examined the arguments for innovations. Despite this, Naeemi writes: "A covenant should definitely be written on the shroud for the deceased." (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/341)
Naeemi quotes from "Fatawa Bazaziyya":"If a covenant is written on the deceased's forehead, turban, or shroud, it is hoped that Allah will forgive him and protect him from the punishment of the grave. Imam Nasir said that this narration indicates that writing is permissible, and it is narrated that the thighs of the horses in Umar's stables had written: 'Dedicated in the path of Allah.' (Jaa al-Haq by Naeemi: 1/340-339)
Commentary:
Innovators are devoid of evidence. As the saying goes, "A drowning man clutches at a straw," "Mufti" Sahib has presented such an argument that the thighs of the horses in Umar's stables had written words. This is the biggest lie ever. Provide a reliable reference and chain for this. Even then, where is the relevance of writing those words on horses' thighs and writing the Kalima Tayyiba on the deceased's forehead or shroud?
Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un