Invoking tombs shirk grave
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:
As salaamu alaykum
Dear Brothers
May
Allah reward you for this good work and continue to bless you(ameen). I have
learnt so much from your forum about invoking deceased pious people in their
graves. I completely understand that this is not allowed in Islam but I live in
a country where this habit is recommended by the ulamaa and certain Hadith and
narrations of imam Shafi are quoted in support of this. I am not confused but
dear friends of mine seem to understand that there is nothing wrong with it.
They say they follow the sufi way. Please check the answer below from a
sheikh and advise if the narrations are authentic and correctly
interpreted......especially that of imam Shafi.
If the Qabr of a normal mu'min is a garden of paradise,
what about the Qubur of the Awliya of Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala. Are they not from
the Jannah? If yes, then only a fool can claim that there is no Barakah there!
The people of
This Authentic story is narrated by the Great
Shafi'i scholar Imam Ibn Hajar al-Makki in in his Book called "al-Khairat
al-Hisan fi Manaqib al-Imam al-A'zam Abu Hanifah al-Nu'man". The great
Hanafi scholar Ibn Aabidin al-Shami also narrates it in the introduction of his
massive work called "Radd al-Muhtar".
We ask, was Imam Shafi'i making Shirk, and are
these great Ulama who narrated this incident also encouraging Shirk? Na'uzu
billah min dhalik.
Summary:
It is Sunnah to visit Qubur, even on a certain
fixed day, annually.
The people in the
Qubur have awareness about what is happening outside.
Some dead are
actually praying or making Du'a in their Qubur.
It is Sunnah to
recite Qur'an at the Qubur.
There is Barakah at
the Qubur of the Awliya.
Graveyards become
more blessed and significant when pious people are buried there.
It is Sunnah to ask the pious to make Du'a for
you. It is absurd to say that one may ask the living pious for Du'a but once
they have passed away it is Shirk to ask Du'a, as they are still alive in their
Qubur. Or, do they say that Shirk is allowed with a living person and not
allowed with a dead person?
QUESTION
2:
Is it true
that Sayyidana Umar, radi Allahu `anh, chopped down the tree where he saw
people praying to attain the Barakah of Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa
sallam?
It was believed that special Bay'ah-or oath of
allegiance to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, was taken at this
tree.
Mr.Gamieldien uses this to show that the Sahabah
did not believe in the Barakah of Sayyidina wa Mawlana Rasul Allah, sall-Allahu
`alayhi wa sallam, and were against honouring his monuments.
ANSWER:
It is well known that when Nabi Muhammad,
sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, was in Hudaybiyyah he gave Bay'ah to the Sahabah
under a certain tree. This incident is known as Bay'at al-Ridwan. The tree
became famous when Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, mentioned it in the Holy Qur'an
(48:18) saying: (Laqad radiy Allahu anil muminina iz. Yubayi-oonaka tahta ash
shajarah) "Verily Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, is Pleased with those
Believers who gave Bay'ah to you under the Tree".
In the time of Sayyidina Umar, radi Allahu `anh,
people were going to this historical tree and praying there to receive the
Barakah of Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam. Upon knowing this,
Sayyidina Umar went there and chopped down the tree. Faaik Gamieldien uses this
Hadith, wrongly, to prove that praying under the blessed tree was Shirk. Also,
to search for Tabarruk and blessings of Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa
sallam, and pious people is Shirk and it is for this reason that Sayyidina Umar
chopped down the tree.
This is a great lie and some people fabricate this
to suit their own ideas and nafs.
Sayyidina Umar, radi Allahu `anh, did chop down
the tree, but not because he thought the people praying there were Mushriks,
who, by the way, were Sahabah and Tabi'een themselves. That kind of a silly
thought did not even occur to his mind.
This incident ¬as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari
(Kitab al-Maghazi) and Muslim (Kitab al-Imamah) ¬took place because there was
controversy over which tree was the one where the honourable Bay'ah was taken
and reliable sources from amongst the Sahabah held that that tree in question
was definitely the wrong tree and the original Tree could no longer be located
and had mysteriously vanished.
Ibn Umar (who was present in the Bay'ah under the
Tree) said: "No one could locate the Tree after that year". (Bukhari).
Thus, the tree that the Sahabah and Tabi'een were
visiting at Hudaybiyyah, in the era of Sayyidina Umar was not the real one, but
it was in the same valley where the real one was.
Hence, the real reason for Sayyidina Umar's
chopping down of the tree was because it was wrongly believed to be the Tree
under which the Holy Bay'ah was taken.
In fact, the mysterious vanishing of the Real Tree
by Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, shows how important it was. The honourable
Sahabah actually looked for the Tree and could not find it.
Sayyidina Umar's respect for the relics and things
of the Nabi , sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, can be ascertained from the
following incident narrated in Kanzul Ummal (vol.7 p.66) and Ibn Qudamah
(al-Mughni vol.4 p.554):
Once while going to the Mosque to lead the Jum'ah
Salah, Umar passed by a canal (Mizab), which was in the way, and the dirty
water from the canal messed up his clean clothes. Umar got angry and took the
canal out of the way, went back home, dressed up again and went to Mosque.
In the Mosque, the Prophet's, sall-Allahu `alayhi
wa sallam, uncle Sayyidina Abbas confronted him and said: "That canal was
put there by the Messenger of Allah, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, as I saw
with my own eyes".
When Sayyidina Umar heard that, he immediately
left the Mosque with Abbas and went where that canal was, bent himself like in
Ruku and said to al-Abbas:
"O Uncle of the Messenger of Allah,
sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, climb on my back and put the canal back where
Allah's Messenger put it".
THIS WAS THE LOVE AND RESPECT OUR MASTER UMAR HAD
FOR THE THINGS RELATED TO THE MASTER OF ALL BELIEVERS, SAYYIDINA MUHAMMAD,
sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam.
THOSE WITH NO LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS CAN SAY AND DO
WHAT THEY WANT.
Summary:
Sayyidina Umar, radi Allahu `anh, did not cut the
tree because he believed the people were making Shirk, he cut it because it was
not the original tree.
Sayyidina Umar, radi Allahu `anh, had complete
respect and honour for all things related to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi
wa sallam, and it is unimaginable that he should show any kind of disrespect to
them.
The Sahabah gave a lot of importance to that tree
and that is why they tried to locate it after the year of the Bay'ah. The
Tabi'een would also go to the
Ya Abu Bakar...Ya 'Umar.....Ya 'Uthman....Ya 'Ali
(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:
Invoking tombs shirk
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.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 186:
And if My
servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning
Me, tell them that I am quite near
to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the
suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in
Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!
If one wishes to make supplications to their Lord Most
Gracious, one may do so form wherever one is……for the Lord Most Merciful is
quite near to each and every individual with His Knowledge and He hears and
responds to the supplications of the suppliant from wherever it may be
made. Thus if one wishes to make
supplications to their Lord, they do not need to go visit a ‘makbara’ or
graveyard!
It is permissible in Islam to make supplications for
the deceased in the graves and for oneself when visiting the graveyards; but if
(Allah forbid) one were to invoke the deceased or make supplications to
them instead of for them, then without an iota of a doubt, that
would be a manifestation of the unforgivable and heinous abomination of ‘shirk’
in the Sight of Allah Subhanah!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus
verse 18:
These people serve beside Allah those which can
neither harm nor benefit them, and say, “These are our ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors)
with Allah!” (O Mohammed), tell them,
“Do you wish to inform Allah of that thing which He knows not in the heavens,
or in the earth?” He is absolutely free
from, and exalted above the shirk
that they commit.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah
Kahf verse 102:
What? Do
these people, who have disbelieved, presume that they would make My servants
their ‘auliyaas’ besides Me? We have
prepared Hell for the hospitality of such people.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 72:
Whoever
commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah),
Allah shall forbid for him
The statement: We say that when Imam
al-Shafi'i was in Baghdad, whenever he would have a problem, he would visit the
TOMB of Imam Abu Hanifah, pray two Rak'ahs there and ask Allah, subhanaHu wa
Ta`ala, through the Barakah of Imam Abu Hanifah, and his problem would be
immediately be solved.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 492 Narrated by Sa'id
The Prophet (saws) said: ‘The whole earth is
a place of prayer (masjid) except public baths and graveyards.’
Firstly it is strictly prohibited in Shariah to offer
prayers in a graveyard….thus it is inconceivable that a scholar of the stature
of Imam Shafei would disobey such a clear command of the Messenger of Allah
(saws)!!!
Making a supplication using another being as a ‘shufaa’ or
‘intercessor’ is categorically prohibited in Islam and is a clear manifestation
of the unforgivable crime of ‘shirk’! It
would be beyond comprehension and a manifest insult to accuse the Imam of the
stature of Shafei to even remotely be associated with ‘shirk’!
Respected sister, rest assured that these ignorant people
have self-invented this and other stories to further their false belief that it
is permissible in Islam to seek intercession through the pious amongst the
deceased!
If invoking the pious amongst the deceased were
permissible in Islam, the Messenger of Allah (saws) himself would have used the
intercession of the ‘Khalil-ur-Rahmaan’ and the ‘Father of the Prophets’, and
the Choicest Friend of Allah Subhanah….Hadrat Ibrahim! Allah is our witness sister, never ever did
the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoke the pious amongst the deceased as
intercessors in his supplications, nor did the noble companions of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) ever invoke their beloved Prophet and leader Mohamed
ar-Rasool Allah (saws) after his death!
The pagan mushriks of Makkah believed in Allah as the
Supreme Lord and Creator, honored the Kaaba as the House of Allah Subhanah,
performed the Hajj, etc. But they had
nominated and placed several self-invented deities and gods in the Kaaba whom
they used to serve and invoke as their ‘shufaa’ and ‘intercessors’ with Allah
Subhanah…..Never ever did one amongst them claim that their deities and gods
created the heavens and the earth! Never
ever did they claim that these deities and gods gave life and death! Never ever did they claim that these deities
and gods had any power over and above the Power and Strength of Allah Subhanah.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah
Zumar Verse 38:
38 If indeed thou (O Prophet (saws)) ask them (the pagans of Makkah)
who it is that created the heavens and the earth? They would be sure to say
"Allah." Say: "See ye
then? The things that ye invoke besides Allah can they if Allah wills some
Penalty for me remove His Penalty? Or if He wills some Grace for me can they
keep back His Grace?" Say: "Sufficient is Allah for me! In Him trust
those who put their trust."
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah
Ankabut Verse 61:
61 If indeed thou ask them who has created the heavens and the earth
and subjected the sun and the moon (to His Law); they will certainly reply
"Allah." How are they then deluded away (from the Truth)?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 29 Surah
Ankabut Verse 63:
63 And if indeed thou ask them who it is that sends down rain from the
sky and gives life therewith to the earth after its death they will certainly
reply "Allah!" Say
"Praise be to Allah!" But most
of them understand not.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah
Muminoon Verses 84-90:
84 Say: "To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? (Say) if
ye know!"
85 They (the Pagans) will surely say "To Allah!" Say:
"Yet will ye not receive admonition?"
86 Say: "Who is the Lord of the seven heavens and the Lord of the
Throne (of Glory) Supreme?"
87 They will surely say "(They belong) to Allah." Say:
"Will ye not then be filled with awe?"
88 Say: "Who is it in whose Hands is the governance of all things
who protects (all) but is not protected (of any)? (Say) if ye know."
89 They will surely say "(It belongs) to Allah." Say:
"Then how are ye deluded?"
90 We have sent them the Truth: but they indeed practice falsehood!
Respected sister, ask them, what is the difference between
the ‘shirk’ committed by the pagans of Makkah whereby they invoked their
deities and gods as intercessors unto Allah, and those who invoke the deceased
in the graves as their intercessors unto Allah Subhanah??? The Truth sister is that there is not an iota
of a difference in the shirk being committed by the Pagans of Makkah then, and
the ignorant now!!!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verse 2-3:
So worship Allah Alone, making your religion His exclusively. Beware!
Religion is the exclusive Right of Allah. As for those who have taken other ‘auliyas’
with Allah (and justify their this conduct by saying): “We serve them only that
they may bring us closer to Allah.”
Allah will surely judge between them concerning all that in which they
differ. Allah does not show guidance to
any liar and denier of the Truth.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah
Zumar verses 44 :
What!
Have they taken besides Allah others as ‘shofa’a’ (intercessors)? Say to them, “Will they intercede even if
they have no power whatever nor understanding?”
Say, “Shafa’a is wholly in the Power of Allah Alone!”. His is the Kingdom of the heavens and the
earth. Then to Him you will be returned.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah
Kahf verse 102:
What? Do
these people, who have disbelieved, presume that they would make My servants
their ‘auliyaas’ besides Me? We have
prepared Hell for the hospitality of such people.
If the above quoted Aayahs are not enough to convince them
sister, then quote these two Aayahs from the Glorious Quran to expose the
‘shirk’ which they commit!!!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 31:
They have made their
scholars and their monks as their Rabbs (lords) besides Allah!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah
Nahl verse 20-21:
All the other beings, whom the people invoke
with Allah, create nothing! Nay, they
are themselves created. They are DEAD,
not living, and they do not at all know themselves when they shall again be
raised to life!
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