One says that this auspicious night should be spent in Ibaadat of the Almighty, and one should not waste time visiting graveyards.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Please
can you clarify the merits of going to the graveyard (khabristaan) on
Shab-e-baraah?
There
are two different schools of thought on this matter.
One
says that this auspicious night should be spent in Ibaadat of the Almighty, and
one should not waste time visiting graveyards. The other says that it is sunnah
to visit the graveyard on this night, and one who does so, all the
"mauta" (those laid to rest in the burrial ground) will pray for his
"maghfirat" ( pray for his forgiveness) untill the day of judgement.
Please
can you clarify as to the authenticity of the above statements?
thanks,
Jazakallah
khair,
Tayib
Ahmed.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Visiting graveyard on shabe baraat
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Abdallah ibn
Buraidah reported from his father that the Prophet (saws) said: "I had forbidden you to visit
graves, but now you may visit them. It will remind you of the Hereafter."
(Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan)
In
the beginning the Prophet (saws) prohibited the believers from visitlng the
graves because of their proximity to the jahiliyyah (Days of Ignorance). After they had fully entered the fold of
Islam, became well pleased with it, and
had fully accepted its laws, the Prophet (saws) permitted them to visit graves as their visit
would remind them of their own final place of destination and the
Hereafter. And that intention and
mission of visiting graves is evident in the supplication the Messenger of
Allah (saws) would make when he visited any graveyard.
Ibn Abbas reported: "Once the
Prophet (saws) passed by graves in Madinah. He (saws) tumed his face toward
them saying: 'Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You have
preceded us, and we are following your trail'."
Related by Tirmidhi.
Aishah reported: "I asked: 'What should
I say when I pass by a graveyard, O Messenger of Allah (saws)?' He (saws)
replied, 'Say, "Peace be upon the believing men and women dwelling here.
May Allah grant mercy to those who have preceded us and those who are to follow
them. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you"'.
Related by Muslim.
There is absolutely no evidence in the authentic and
established Sunnah, nor in the example of the noble companions that the so called
night of ‘shabb-e-baraat’ has any significance whatsoever in Islam, or a night
for visiting graveyards, or to commemorate or celebrate this night with any
special prayer, rite, or ritual whatsoever!
If one celebrates or commemorates this or any other night
with rites and rituals of worship when there is no evidence that the Messenger
of Allah (saws) endorsed it, they would be guilty of inventing and following an
innovation or ‘bida’ in the perfect deen of Islam; and without an iota of a
doubt, every innovation in the perfect deen of Islam is an error and a grave
sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.
Aisha narrated that
the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘If somebody innovates something which is
not present in our religion, then that thing will be rejected.’
Related by Bukhari.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah
That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a
sermon: “The best speech is that which
is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran;
and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the
innovations, and every innovation is an
error.”
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib
That the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If
anyone introduces an innovation (in religion),
he will be responsible for it.
If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who
introduces an innovation (in religion),
he is cursed by Allah, by His
Angels, and by all the people.”
Whenever one wishes to remember one’s death or the
Hereafter, one may go and visit the graveyard…for that will re-enforce the
basic and inevitable Truth that death is indeed imminent and one day he too
will be brought here and laid to rest.
There is no day specified by the Messenger of Allah (saws) for the
believers to visit the graves of their loved ones, neither the
‘shabb-e-baraat’, nor the days of Eid, nor any other day of the year. If one from themselves invent or nominate a
day to visit graveyards and believes that their self-appointed day is better or
more meritorious than other days, then indeed they would be guilty of the
abomination of inventing and following an innovation or ‘bida’!
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister