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:

It is true that the dead people can hear us and that is why they reply to our salaams.When they can hear us they can also say `Aameen` to our Dua`s when we ask to Allah before a prohet`s grave.So why is it haraam for people to visit graves and ask Dua to God through them.You can say `we can straight away ask to Allah` but in congregation it is the Imam who asks Dua and we answer Aameen to them and when that is accepted will this be accepted too. Can we visit graves and ask Dua to Allah through the prophets

(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:

Salaam prayers dua through prophets graves

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 no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Q-1: It is true that the dead people can hear us and that is why they reply to our salaams.

The dead do not have the power in themselves to hear us! All Power is vested in Allah Subhanah Alone. If Allahs wills them to hear us, he makes them hear us; and when Allah wills that they do not hear us, they cannot hear us.

If we go to the grave of the Prophet (saws) or the graves of any of the righteous slaves of Allah and wish them ‘salaams’ or make good supplications for them; Allah Subhanah, if He Wills, makes them hear our salaams and supplications for them so that they may be satisfied and feel joy.

But if someone goes to the Prophet’s (saws) grave or the grave of any righteous slaves of Allah, and curses them, Allah would not make the dead hear these abuses! Thus, the dead in themselves have no power to hear our calls, or take our messages to Allah, or have any influence on the decisions of Allah Subhanah; all Power is Absolutely vested in Allah Subhanah Alone.

Q-2: So why is it haraam for people to visit graves and ask Dua to God through them. You can say `we can straight away ask to Allah` but in congregation it is the Imam who asks Dua and we answer Aameen to them and when that is accepted will this be accepted too. Can we visit graves and ask Dua to Allah through the prophets? 

It is absolutely permissible for the believers to visit graves, as that will remind them of their own appointment of death, and their life of the hereafter.

Buraidah reported: "The Prophet (saws) taught us that when we visited graves we should say, 'Peace be upon you, O believing men and women, O dwellers of this place. Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. You have preceded us and we are to follow you. We supplicate to Allah to grant us and you security'.'' (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and others)

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "Once the Prophet (saws) passed by graves in Madinah. He 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'." (Tirmidhi)

In light of the above narrations of the Messenger of Allah (saws), it is absolutely permissible for the believers to visit graveyards.

But it is absolutely impermissible to make supplication to Allah Subhanah through the graves, or any personality or through anything else! This precise system of invoking Allah Subhanah through someone (no matter who that someone is), is what Allah Subhanah has termed and condemned as ‘shirk’ in the Holy Quran! The mushriks of the Quraysh used to do exactly that…they would invoke Allah through the personalities behind their idols and images; and these personalities were none except some of the righteous people who had passed away! And Allah and His Messenger (saws) have precisely called and condemned these acts of invoking others with Allah Subhanah as manifest ‘shirk’!!!!

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’ (guardians) 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 ‘kaffar’ (denier of the Truth).

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.

It is indeed unfortunate, that even after Allah has revealed His Glorious Book of Guidance, and sent His Last and Final Messenger (saws) to guide mankind out of the ways of darkness and ignorance; some people call themselves muslims, believe in the Quran, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), but insist on following the ways of ‘shirk’!

Allah Subhanah is Absolutely Free and Far Exalted from the ‘shirk’ that these ignorant people commit!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself always supplicated Allah Subhanah directly, and taught and exhorted the believers to do the same. But Prophet Mohamed (saws) never ever supplicated Allah Subhanah ‘through’ a person, nor did he ever teach the believers to supplicate Allah ‘through’ any person, personality, or even in his (saws) name. Thus, if one supplicates Allah ‘through’ someone, or even through the name of the noble Messenger of Allah (saws), he is obviously not following the injunctions and guidance of the Prophet (saws), but has invented this way himself.

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!

But if a believer goes into sajdah, or lifts his hands, and humbly supplicates Allah and testifies that he is indeed the slave of Allah Subhanah, and he fears Allah, and he begs Allah for something, and testifies that Allah Alone can give him what he needs and wants… then it is fine and there is no harm. He can also say that he believes in Mohamed (saws) as Allah’s Messenger, and obeys and follows him; there is no harm…

But to supplicate Allah Subhanah and ask him to give us something through someone or some grave, (even in the name of the Prophet (saws)); that is against the very teachings and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and Islam.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan