{"id":7276,"date":"2013-11-30T15:21:23","date_gmt":"2013-11-30T15:21:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/?p=7276"},"modified":"2013-11-30T15:21:23","modified_gmt":"2013-11-30T15:21:23","slug":"seeking-help-from-the-graves-of-our-pious-predecessors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/seeking-help-from-the-graves-of-our-pious-predecessors\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeking help from the graves of our pious predecessors"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tFatwa ID: 01494<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnswered by <\/strong>Molana Yusuf Zaman<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tQuestion:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSeeking help from the graves of our pious predecessors<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAnswer:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t\"Bismillah\"<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe first Shirk <\/em>on the earth happened due to the confusion regarding righteous persons (that<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tthey have attributed godly characteristics).<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the Sahih, <\/em>Ibn Abbas \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu commented on the verse:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"And they have said: You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd <\/em>nor Suwa` <\/em>nor Yaghuth <\/em>nor Ya'uq <\/em>nor Nasr <\/em>(names of the idols)." (71:23)<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe said: "These are the names of some righteous persons from Noah's (Nuh) people. When they passed away, Satan inspired their people to set up statues in their honour and set them in their gathering places, and to give these statues the names of those departed. They did this but did not worship them until these people passed away and knowledge of their origins were forgotten, then they were worshipped."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIbn Al-Qaiyim \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu said that most of our predecessors have stated: After the death (of the righteous persons), they confined at their graves and made statues and after much time passed they started worshipping them.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tUmar (bin AI-Khattab \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu) is reported to have said that Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not exaggerate in praise of me just as the Christians exaggerated in the praise of Jesus,<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSon of Mary. I am but a slave, so call me Allah's slave and His Messenger." (Al Bukhari and Muslim)<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn (Sahih) <\/em>Muslim, Abdullah bin Mas'ud \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu reported that<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAllah's Messenger \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu said:<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\t"Destroyed are those who are extreme (in religion)." He \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu said it three times.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAt- Tabarani narrates with his Isnad <\/em>(chain of the narrators): During the days of the Prophet \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu there was a hypocrite who used to harm the believers, some of them (the believers) said, “Come (support) with us while we appeal to Allah’s Messenger \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu for assistance against this hypocrite.” The Prophet \"\u1e63allall\u0101hureplied, "Verily, no one should seek to me for assistance. Indeed, it is Allah Who is to be sought for assistance and help."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the Sahih <\/em>(i.e. AI-Bukhari and Muslim), 'Aishah \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\treported: "Umm Salamah mentioned to Allah's Messenger \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu that in Abyssinia she saw a church full of pictures and statues. He \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu said: "When a righteous man or pious worshipper among them dies they build a place of worship over his grave and set up all kinds of pictures and statues. They are the worst of all creatures before Allah. They combine the two evils; worshipping at the graves and-making graven images and statues."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAlso in Al-Bukhari and Muslim it is reported that `Aishah \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu narrated: When the death approached Allah’s Messenger \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu he began to draw a piece of cloth (bed sheet) over his face, (sometimes covering andsometimes removing because of distress), he (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said in this state: “Allah’s curse be upon the Jews and the Christians for taking the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” Thus he \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu warned the people about their actions. Had there not been any fear of making the Prophet’s grave a place of worship, his (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) grave would have been as open as the graves of his Companions \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tMuslim reported from Jundub bin Abdullah \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu who narrated: I heard the Prophet \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu say only five days before his death: "I am free and clear towards Allah of having any of you as my Khalil <\/em>(especially close friend). Verily, Allah has taken me as His Khalil <\/em>just as He had taken Ibrahim \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu as a Khalil. <\/em>If I would have taken anyone from my Ummah <\/em>as a Khalil, <\/em>I would have taken Abu Bakr \"ra\u1e0dyAll\u0101hu as a Khalil. <\/em>Beware! Those who proceeded before you, used to make their Prophets' graves into places of worship. Beware! Don't take (any) graves as places of worship. I forbid you to do so."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tHe \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu forbade this at the end of his life. After this [forbidding of taking graves as Masjid <\/em>(place of worship)], he cursed anyone who did any such deed within this context. Prayer at the graves is one of these deeds, even if no Masjid <\/em>has been built. This is the meaning of his \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu words "He feared (his grave) would be taken as a Masjid". <\/em>The Companions never built any place of worship around his grave. Any place, which is intended for prayer or where prayer is performed, has indeed been taken as a Masjid. <\/em>Just as the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said: "The whole earth has been made for me a Masjid <\/em>and it is pure and clean."<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAhmad has reported with a good Sanad <\/em>that Ibn Mas'ud \"ra\u1e25imahull\u0101h narrated in a Marfu' Hadith <\/em>(tradition traced to the Prophet \"\u1e63allall\u0101hu himself): "The most evil men are those upon whom the (signs of) Hour (of Resurrection) comes while they are still alive, and those who take graves as places of worship (Masjid)". <\/em>[This tradition was also reported by Abu Hatim in his Sahih.]<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe conclusion we can come to from the aforementioned article is that it is unlawful for a Muslim to pray and seek assistance or help from the graves of our pious predecessors. However, to seek tawassul through or pious predecessors is permissible.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAllah states in the Quran: “O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek a means (wasila) to be closer to him…”<\/em> (Surah Maida: 35)
\n\tIn another ayah Allah states: “…If they would have come to you when they had wronged themselves to seek Allah's forgiveness and if the Rasool had also asked Allah's forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful.. <\/em>(Surah Nisa: 64)<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIt is clear from the above verses that tawassul is permissible and there is no difference between the living and the dead in this matter.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe most pious opinion and method is that the person asks Allah directly and if required through the status of his pious prophet or people and not the deceased (to pray to Allah on his\/her behalf). As this could have an effect on the believes of the ordinary people, it is for this reason scholars state that it is undesirable for a person (ordinary individuals as well as scholars) to do dua with the words “bi haqqi rusulika” (right\/status of the prophet) as the creation do not have any right over the creator. (Raddul Muhtar, Vol 5, P281) However the above verses clearly indicate the permissibility of tawassul, therefore, if one does use tawassul then one should be precautious in not having any wrong belief and should always remember that Allah alone has influence over everything.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOnly Allah Knows Best<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten by Molana Yusuf Zaman.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tChecked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tDarul Ifta Birmingham.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fatwa ID: 01494 Answered by Molana Yusuf Zaman Question: Seeking help from the graves of our pious predecessors Answer: In the name of Allah, the most…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7276"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7276"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7276\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}