77- Ruling on Setting out on a Journey for Visiting the Graves of Righteous People (1)
- 4 years ago
77- Ruling on Setting out on a Journey for Visiting the Graves of Righteous People (1)
Q: In Hadramawt, at a certain time every year, people visit a particular grave. They say that this grave belongs to Prophet Hud, situated in the mountain pass of Hud. There, people perform Salah (Prayer) and observe certain rites for the visit, such as the recitation of the Holy Qur`an. They also engage in transactions of selling and purchasing and so on. What is the ruling on doing so? Is the grave of Prophet Hud truly there?
A: There is no doubt that Hud (ﷺ) lived in Al-Ahqaf (the curved sand-hills in the southern part of Arabian Peninsula). His people were situated in this place wherein Allah (Exalted be He) sent them His Prophet Hud. But nobody knows for sure where his grave is, and there is nothing that indicates its exact location. Thus, those who visit that grave have no proof that it is the grave of Prophet Hud. There is no other grave of any Prophet, except that of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), that can be defined with surety in Madinah The grave of Prophet Ibrahim (ﷺ) is known to be in Al-Magharah, which is in Al-Sham (the Levant) in a well-known place there. Yet, the exact spot he was buried in is not known. Only the area of the grave is known to be inside Al-Magharah in Hebron City. As for the graves of other Prophets, such as Hud, Salih, Nuh, and others, nothing is known about their exact locations. Thus, those who claim that the grave of Prophet Hud is in a defined spot have no evidence for their claim. The graves of all Prophets are not known except that of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and that of Prophet Ibrahim (ﷺ). However, if we take it for granted that this claim is true and that the grave of Prophet Hud is there, it is still not permissible to solely travel to visit this grave for the sake of paying him salutations, offering Salah near it, or for any other reason. But, if one passes by this grave on his way knowing that it is the grave of Prophet Hud and greets him (with Islamic greeting of peace), as one would do when visiting the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), there will be non in this. But travelling exclusively to visit graves is not permissible. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: No journey to any Masjid (mosque) should be undertaken except to the following three Mas ids; Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), my Masjid (the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem). Therefore, journeys should not singly be undertaken to visit the grave of any person whether the grave of Prophet Hud or any other grave. Also, if one passes by a grave and visits it, it is still not permissible for him to offer Salah at the graveyard. For this act is forbidden in Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade doing so by his saying: Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous men as places of worship. You must not take graves as Masjids; I forbid you to do that. Offering Salah at graveyards or using them as places of worship is not permissible in Islam. If we suppose that they know the whereabouts of the burial spot of Prophet Hud, or any other person, it is not permissible for them to set out exclusively on a journey to visit their graves, whether it is the grave of Prophet Hud or any other person. It is also not permissible for Muslims to offer Salah at graveyards or use them as places of worship because the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade doing so. He (ﷺ) said: Allah curses the Jews and the Christians for using the graves of their Prophets as places of worship. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He (ﷺ) warned against their behavior." He (ﷺ) also said: Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship. You must not take graves as Masjids; I forbid you to do that. He (ﷺ) clearly declared the prohibition of using graves as Masjids and offering Salah there. Thus, it is not permissible for any Muslim to do this or to set out on a journey to visit any grave. However, if one passes by a grave or was, by chance, at this place and visits the graves to pay them salutation, there will be non on him as this is a Sunnah (action following the example of the Prophet Muhammad). Moreover, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Visit the graves, as they remind you of the Hereafter. It is permissible to visit graves provided that one does not undertake sole journeys for this purpose, use the graves as Masjids, offer Salah near them or use them as a special place for reciting the Holy Qur`an or offering Dua`a' (supplication). One is allowed to visit graves and greet the dead and supplicate Allah (Exalted be He) for their good, and then leave. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to teach the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) to say upon visiting the graves: Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the graves, among the believers, and Muslims. God willing, we shall soon join you. I...
Q: In Hadramawt, at a certain time every year, people visit a particular grave. They say that this grave belongs to Prophet Hud, situated in the mountain pass of Hud. There, people perform Salah (Prayer) and observe certain rites for the visit, such as the recitation of the Holy Qur`an. They also engage in transactions of selling and purchasing and so on. What is the ruling on doing so? Is the grave of Prophet Hud truly there?
A: There is no doubt that Hud (ﷺ) lived in Al-Ahqaf (the curved sand-hills in the southern part of Arabian Peninsula). His people were situated in this place wherein Allah (Exalted be He) sent them His Prophet Hud. But nobody knows for sure where his grave is, and there is nothing that indicates its exact location. Thus, those who visit that grave have no proof that it is the grave of Prophet Hud. There is no other grave of any Prophet, except that of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), that can be defined with surety in Madinah The grave of Prophet Ibrahim (ﷺ) is known to be in Al-Magharah, which is in Al-Sham (the Levant) in a well-known place there. Yet, the exact spot he was buried in is not known. Only the area of the grave is known to be inside Al-Magharah in Hebron City. As for the graves of other Prophets, such as Hud, Salih, Nuh, and others, nothing is known about their exact locations. Thus, those who claim that the grave of Prophet Hud is in a defined spot have no evidence for their claim. The graves of all Prophets are not known except that of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and that of Prophet Ibrahim (ﷺ). However, if we take it for granted that this claim is true and that the grave of Prophet Hud is there, it is still not permissible to solely travel to visit this grave for the sake of paying him salutations, offering Salah near it, or for any other reason. But, if one passes by this grave on his way knowing that it is the grave of Prophet Hud and greets him (with Islamic greeting of peace), as one would do when visiting the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), there will be non in this. But travelling exclusively to visit graves is not permissible. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: No journey to any Masjid (mosque) should be undertaken except to the following three Mas ids; Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), my Masjid (the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem). Therefore, journeys should not singly be undertaken to visit the grave of any person whether the grave of Prophet Hud or any other grave. Also, if one passes by a grave and visits it, it is still not permissible for him to offer Salah at the graveyard. For this act is forbidden in Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade doing so by his saying: Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their Prophets and righteous men as places of worship. You must not take graves as Masjids; I forbid you to do that. Offering Salah at graveyards or using them as places of worship is not permissible in Islam. If we suppose that they know the whereabouts of the burial spot of Prophet Hud, or any other person, it is not permissible for them to set out exclusively on a journey to visit their graves, whether it is the grave of Prophet Hud or any other person. It is also not permissible for Muslims to offer Salah at graveyards or use them as places of worship because the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade doing so. He (ﷺ) said: Allah curses the Jews and the Christians for using the graves of their Prophets as places of worship. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "He (ﷺ) warned against their behavior." He (ﷺ) also said: Beware of those who preceded you and used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship. You must not take graves as Masjids; I forbid you to do that. He (ﷺ) clearly declared the prohibition of using graves as Masjids and offering Salah there. Thus, it is not permissible for any Muslim to do this or to set out on a journey to visit any grave. However, if one passes by a grave or was, by chance, at this place and visits the graves to pay them salutation, there will be non on him as this is a Sunnah (action following the example of the Prophet Muhammad). Moreover, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: Visit the graves, as they remind you of the Hereafter. It is permissible to visit graves provided that one does not undertake sole journeys for this purpose, use the graves as Masjids, offer Salah near them or use them as a special place for reciting the Holy Qur`an or offering Dua`a' (supplication). One is allowed to visit graves and greet the dead and supplicate Allah (Exalted be He) for their good, and then leave. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) used to teach the Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) to say upon visiting the graves: Peace be upon you, inhabitants of the graves, among the believers, and Muslims. God willing, we shall soon join you. I...