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:

dear brother

assalamo alaikum

can a person make niyyah that if he is blessed with a child he will go for umrah? if one goes for umrah/hajj, what should one pray and do when they are infront of our prophet`s grave?

i will appreciate your answers in detail, pls. let us know.

thank you

a sister

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Answer:

Etiquettes of visiting pm grave

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.

Your Question: can a person make niyyah that if he is blessed with a child he will go for umrah?

The ‘promise’ or ‘condition’ that one makes with Allah that ‘if so and so thing is done I will do so and so…’ is what is known as a ‘nadhar’ (vow) in Fiqh or Jurisprudence terminology. The Messenger of Allah (saws) discouraged the believers from making such ‘nadhar’ or vows, for the truth is that the vow itself has absolutely no bearing on what has already been Decreed and Determined by Allah Subhanah!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.685 Narrated by Abu Huraira

The Prophet (saws) said, "Allah says, 'The ‘nadhar’ (vow) does not bring about for the son of Adam anything I have not decreed for him, but his ‘nadhar’ (vow) may coincide with what has been decided for him, and by this way I cause a miser to spend of his wealth. So he gives Me (spends in charity) for the fulfillment of what has been Decreed for him what he would not give Me before but for his vow!"

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.683 Narrated by Said bin Al Harith

that he heard Ibn 'Umar saying, "Weren't people forbidden to make ‘nadhar’ (vows)?" The Prophet (saws) said, 'A ‘nadhar’ (vow) neither hastens nor delays anything, but by the making of vows, some of the wealth of a miser is taken out."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.684 Narrated by Abdullah bin Umar

The Prophet discouraged the making of ‘nadhar’ (vows) and said, "It (a vow) does not prevent anything (that has to take place), but (through the vow) the property of a miser is spent (taken out) with it."

Some people have a habit that they are reluctant to do a good deed or spend some of their wealth in the Cause of Allah, without putting a condition with their Lord that only if He gives them such and such, only then will he do such and such a good deed! The truth is that these conditions do not help in expediting or bringing about what their heart desires, for only that will happen what has been already Decreed and Determined by Allah Subhanah!

A better way than making a ‘nadhar’ or vow, is to do whatever good deeds one wills and beg and implore their Lord in all humility and hope to bestow upon them whatever their hearts desires.

Having said that making a ‘nadhar’ or a vow is discouraged in Islam and one should not make conditions with their Lord in their supplications, Allah Subhanah in His Glorious Quran has appreciated and praised those believers who fulfill their ‘nazars’ or vows that they have made with their Lord!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 76 Surah Dhahr verses 5-12:

5 As to the Righteous they shall drink of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Kafur

6 A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.

7 They perform (or fulfill their) ‘nazar’ (vows) and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.

8 And they feed for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive

9 (saying): "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you nor thanks.

10 We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord."

11 But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day and will shed over them a light of Beauty and a (Blissful) Joy.

12 And because they were patient and constant, He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk.

If one has already made a vow to fast, or spend in charity, or visit His Sacred house, or do a good deed, etc. when their heart’s desire is fulfilled, then it would be best for the person to now fulfill their vow; it is expected that they will have their full reward with their Lord for keeping their promises made unto Him.

Your Question: if one goes for umrah/hajj, what should one pray and do when they are infront of our prophet`s grave?

Sa'id bin Al-Musayyib reported from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saws) said, "You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place (of worship) other than the three Mosques: the Sacred Mosque of Makkah, this mosque of mine (in Madinah), and Al-Aqsa Mosque (of Jerusalem)."

Related by Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Daw'ud.

Beloved sister in Islam, firstly, to visit the Prophet’s grave or even to go to Madinah is not amongst the rites of performing Hajj and Umrah; and secondly, one should never make an intention to visit Madinah to visit the Prophet’s grave, but rather the intention of a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day should be to visit the Prophet’s Mosque…..for it is not permissible for a believer in Islam to undertake a journey specially to visit a particular grave or shrine, even if that grave is of the Noblest Prophet of Allah (saws)! But when one is visiting Madinah, there is absolutely no harm if one pays one’s respects near the Prophet’s grave which is adjacent to the Prophet’s Mosque.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 5.133

Topic: Etiquette of Visiting the Prophet's Mosque and Grave

1. It is recommended that one should approach the Prophet's Mosque calmly and with composure. It is recommended that one should wear perfume, put on a nice clean dress and enter the mosque with the right foot, and say, ‘ Bismillah, Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa aalihi wa sallam, Allahummaghfir li zunubi waftah li abwaba rahmatika.’ (In the Name of Allah O Allah! Bless Mohammad his family and his followers. O Allah! Forgive my sins and open doors of Your mercy for me.)

2. One should offer a two rak'ahs as greetings to the Mosque with calm and humility, preferably in the ‘raudah’ marked by the green carpets, or if one cannot find space there, then anywhere else in the Prophet’s Mosque.

3. After this one should head toward the grave of the Prophet (saws) and give greetings of peace to the Prophet (saws) saying: ‘Assalamu 'alaika ya rasulallah. Assalamu 'alaika ya nabiyallah’. (Peace be on you, O the Messenger of Allah. Peace be on you, O, the Prophet of Allah)

4. Then if one wishes, one may offer their greetings at the graves of Hadrat Abu Baker As-Siddiq (r.a.) and Hadrat Umar bin Al-Khattab (r.a.) who are buried alongside the Prophet (saws).

5. Then facing the direction of Qiblah the visitor may recite the durood, supplicate for himself, his family, friends, relatives, and the rest of the Muslims to his heart’s desire.

6. A visitor should not raise his voice more than needed to hear himself.

7. Absolutely avoid and abstain from wiping ones hands on the chamber (i.e., the grave of the Prophet (saws)), or kissing it, etc. The Prophet (saws) has absolutely forbidden all such things.

Abu Daw'ud related from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (saws) said, "Do not turn your houses into graves, nor make my grave a place of festivity. Send your greetings upon me, for your greetings are conveyed to me wherever you are."

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