The scholars
of Islam with the support of verses of Qur’an and traditions have recommended ziyarat
of grave especially the ziyarat of the Holy Prophet's grave and those of
the pious people and consider this to be a virtue and honour. However, Wahhabis
do not consider the principle of ziyarat to be haram (in apparent
terms) but declare that the journey for ziyara towards the grave of the awliya
Allah as unlawful and haram. After completion of the principle of ziyarat,
we shall discuss the matter of journey for ziyarat of the graves of the awliya
Allah
Ziyarat of graves has
many ethical influences and is important for moral education and training that we
shall mention here very briefly.
Looking at this silent
valley (i.e. graveyard) which has blown off the light of life of everyone from
the poor to the rich and the weak to the powerful and all of them being buried
with only three pieces of cloth, purifies the mind and the heart and reduces
greed and avarice of a person to a great extent. If a person possesses an eye
which can see warnings he can there by learn a lesson and think within himself
as such: A transient life of 60 or 70 years ending in getting concealed under
the soil and then decaying and getting destroyed is not so much valuable that a
person strives hard to achieve wealth and position and does injustice upon
himself and the others.
Witnessing this silent
valley which softens the most adamant heart and makes the most heavy ear to
hear and gives brightness to the most poor eye-sight, causes a person to review
his plans in life and ponder over the great responsibilites which he has before
Allah and the people and controls his desires.
The Holy
Prophet (s) refering to this point in a tradition says:
“Visit the
graves; for visiting them becomes the cause of remembering the next world”. [1]
While the authenticity
and firmness of ziyarat of graves is so obvious that it is needless to
produce proofs and reasonings to a great extent yet, we reflect here some of
the proofs for those who are doubtful.
Qur’an
and ziyarat of Graves:
Qur’an
clearly instructs that the Holy Prophet (s) should not perform prayer over the
dead body of the hypocrites and should not stand near their graves. It says:
“And never offer prayer
for anyone of them who dies and do not stand by his grave, surely they
disbelieve in Allah and His Apostle and they shall die in transgression”.
(Tauba: 84)
In this
verse, for destroying the character of the hypocrites and rebuking the members
of this group, the God commands the Holy Prophet (s):
1. Not to perform salat
over the dead body of anyone of them.
2. Not to stand over
their graves; and this reality is presented with the sentence;
When the Holy Qur’an
commands that one should avoid these two actions with regards to the hypocrites
it means that for others who are not hypocrites these actions are good and
worthy to be performed.
Now let us
see what 
means?
Does it refer only to the standing at the time of burial which in the case of
hypocrites is not permissible and in the case of the believers good and
necessary? Or it also refers to standing at the time of burial and at other
instances?
means?
Does it refer only to the standing at the time of burial which in the case of
hypocrites is not permissible and in the case of the believers good and
necessary? Or it also refers to standing at the time of burial and at other
instances?
Some of the
commentators think that the verse refers to the matter of standing at the time
of burial but some others like al-Baydawi see the verse from a far angle and
interpret it as such:
Don’t stand on grave for
burial or pilgrimage. [2]
Paying attention to the
contents of verse will show that it is having a wider meaning i.e. it concerns
standing at the time of burial as well as stopping after the burial.
This is because two
sentences form the gist of the subject matter of this verse and these two
sentences comprises of:
1.
“And never
offer prayer for anyone of them who dies……” (Tauba: 84)
The word of 
which has been
placed in the course of prohibition is good for all individuals.
which has been
placed in the course of prohibition is good for all individuals.
The word of 
is good for all
times and the meaning of the sentence will be as such: “Do not perform salat
for any one of the hypocrites at any time”.
is good for all
times and the meaning of the sentence will be as such: “Do not perform salat
for any one of the hypocrites at any time”.
By paying
attention to these two words we can easily understand that the meaning of this particular
sentence is not refering to recitation of salat over the dead body because
reciting salat over the dead body takes place only once and that is before
the burial and it cannot be repeated. If it specifically meant recitation of salat
over the dead, then it was needless to bring the word. And to imagine that this
word serves the purpose of expressing all individuals is completely irrelevant
because the sentence 
is sufficient for such inclusion
and purpose and there is no need to mention it once again.
. And to imagine that this
word serves the purpose of expressing all individuals is completely irrelevant
because the sentence is sufficient for such inclusion
and purpose and there is no need to mention it once again.
Moreover, the word in Arabic refers
to time and not individuals such as:
in Arabic refers
to time and not individuals such as: 
“Nor that you
should marry his wives after him ever;…” (Ahzab: 53)
Therefore the essence of
the first sentence is: Never seek forgiveness and mercy for anyone of the
hypocrites whether at the time of reciting salat or otherwise.
2. And now we will
discuss the second sentence:
The meaning
of this sentence in connection with the previous sentence is as such:
because the
adverbs which are present in 
are also applicable for 
.
are also applicable for .
Therefore it
cannot be said that qiyam (standing) refers to the qiyam at the
time of burial because it is presumed that qiyam at the time of burial
for each one is not subject to repetition and the word too is commendable in this sentence
which shows that this action is worthy of repetition.
too is commendable in this sentence
which shows that this action is worthy of repetition.
The reply to
the supposition that this word is applicable for all individuals was given in
the previous sentence since with the presence of it is needless to express that once
again.
it is needless to express that once
again.
By paying attention to
these two points in the words 
and 
one can say:
and one can say:
God has
prohibited the Holy Prophet (s) from seeking any kind of mercy for the
hypocrites whether by means of reciting salat upon the dead body or
merely by means of du'a and from any kind of standing over their graves
whether at the time of burial or after the burial. This means that these two
actions i.e. ‘seeking forgiveness’ and ‘standing’ is permissible and worthy for
the grave of a believer in all the instances and one of such instances is
standing for ziyarat and recitation of Qur’an for a believer who has
been buried there for years.
Now we shall
discuss the virtue and excellence of ziyarat of graves from the
viewpoint of traditions.
Traditions and ziyarat
of Graves:
From the
Islamic traditions which the authors of Sihah and Sunan have
narrated, we derive the conclusion that the Holy Prophet (s) had prohibited,
due to a temporary reason, the ziyarat of graves and later on allowed
the people to make haste for ziyarat.
Perhaps the reason for
prohibition was that their dead ones were predominantly polytheists and
idol-worshippers and Islam had cut off their relation and affection with the
world of polytheism. It is also possible that the reason for prohibition was
something else and that is the newly converted Muslims were writing elegies and
saying un-Islamic things over the graves of the dead polytheists. But after the
expansion of Islam and the ‘faith’ entering into the hearts of people, this
prohibition was lifted and the Holy Prophet (s) permitted the people to go for the
ziyarat of graves because of the educative benefits, so that people
should hasten to visit graves
The writers of Sunan
and Sihah narrate as such:
“I had prohibited you
from ziyara of graves. From now on, go for ziyara because it will
make you feel unattached towards this world and make you remember the
hereafter.” [3]
It is on the same basis
that the Holy Prophet (s) was visiting the grave of his mother and informing
the people to visit the graves since ziyara is the source of remembering
the hereafter. Here is the text of the tradition:
“The Holy Prophet (s) visited
the grave of his mother and cried near her grave and also made others around
him to cry. Thereafter he said: I have taken permission from my Lord to visit
the grave of my mother. You too should visit the graves because such a visit will
remind you of death.” [4]
4. Ayesha says that the Holy
Prophet (s) freely allowed the ziyarat of graves,
[5]
“The Prophet of God permitted
the visit of graves”.
5. Ayesha says: The Holy
Prophet (s) taught me the manner of visiting the graves. Here is the text of
the tradition:
“My lord commanded me to
come to Baqi’ and seek forgiveness for them. (Ayesha) says: I asked him how one
should seek forgiveness to which the Holy Prophet (s) replied: Say Peace
(Salaam) be upon the people of this place from the believers and muslims, May
God have mercy on those who have left and those who are to follow. We shall
join you all very soon.” [6]
6. In another tradition,
there are some sentences which the Holy Prophet (s) used when performing
ziyarat of graves. It is as follows:
Peace be with you the
groups of believers and we will be return to you and rely on you and certainly
if God wishes, we will join you. O God, have mercy on all those (buried) in Baqi’
al-Garqad* [7]
*Garqad was a tree in
Baqi’ graveyard. And because of this tree, it was commonly called as the land
of Garqad.
7. In another tradition,
the text of ziyarat is narrated in a different way:
Peace be with you the
groups of believers and muslims, and certainy we will join you. You will
exhilarate us and we will follow you. We ask welfare from you for ourselves and
for yourself. [8]
8. In the third
tradition, the text is narrated still differently:
Peace be with you the
groups of believers and if God wishes, we will join you. [9]
From the tradition of
Ayesha, we got knowledge that whenever the last part of night was approaching,
the Holy Prophet (s) would go towards Baqi’ and say:
Peace be with you! The
groups of believers and what has been promised to you will be given to you, soon
in future your destiny will reach you. And certainly, we will be the joiners to
you soon. And if God wishes, will be with you. O God! Have mercy on all those
(buried) in Baqi’ al-Garqad. [10]
From another
tradition we come to know that the Holy Prophet (s) used to hasten, along with
a group of people for ziyarat of graves and teach them the manner of
doing ziyarat:
The Prophet (s)
used to teach them that when they go out to graves they should say: Peace be
with those who live in houses (graves). Peace be with you the groups of
believers and muslims. Certainly if God wishes, we will be joiners to you. We
ask safety for ourselves and yourselves. [11]
Women and ziyarat
of Graves
The only
matter which is remaining is the matter of ziyara by women which in some
of the traditions, the Holy Prophet (s) has prohibited them from doing so.
“The Prophet of
God has cursed the women who go excessively for ziyarat.” [12]
But it should be known
that utilizing this tradition for proving prohibition of ziyarat is not
correct due to a number of reasons: firstly, most of the scholars think this
prohibition to be in the makruh sense and the reason for it being makruh
was because of the special conditions prevailing at that time. One of the
commentators of tradition i.e., the writer of Miftah al-haja fi sharh Sahih
Ibn Maja refers to that and says:
“The scholars are having
two opinions about the prohibition. That whether it is prohibited in the makruh
sense or prohibited in the haram sense! But most of the scholars believe
that women can go for ziyara if they are certain of remaining safe from any
trouble.” [13]
Secondly, we have read
in the previous traditions (kindly refer to tradition number 4) that Ayesha
narrates from the Holy Prophet (s) that the latter declared free the ziyara
of graves. If the women were excluded from this declaration then it is
necessary to remind that this declaration is exclusively for men especially
when the narrator is a lady and amongst the people to whom he (i.e. Prophet)
was addressing was a lady and every addressee will naturally think that the
order and declaration is directed to him or her.
Thirdly, some of the
traditions mention the manner in which the Holy Prophet (s) taught Ayesha to
perform ziyara of graves [14] and Ayesha herself used to personally
visit the graves after the Holy Prophet (s).
Fourthly, al-Tirmidhi
narrates that when Ayesha's brother i.e. ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr died in
Ethiopia, his body was taken to Mecca and buried there. When his sister Ayesha
came to Mecca from Medina, she visited grave of her brother and by the side of
his grave, recited two couplets in his sorrow and made speech (about him).[15]
The commentator of Sahih
al-Tirmidhi Imam Hafiz Ibn al-‘Arabi [al-Maliki] (born in 435 AH and died
in 543 AH) writes in his additional notes on Sahih.
“The fact is that the
Holy Prophet (s) has permitted the men and the women to go for ziyara.
If some of the traditions mention it to be makruh it is because of
restlessness and impatience near the grave or because of not observing proper hijab.”
Fifthly,
Bukhari narrates from Anas that the Holy Prophet (s) saw a woman crying over
her beloved one and comforted her to have faith and be patient. The woman not
recognising the Holy Prophet (s), said: “you release me from the calamity which
has befallen upon me and not befallen upon you”. When it was said to her that
he was the Holy Prophet (s) she left the grave and went to the house of the
Holy Prophet (s) pleading pardon for not recognising him. The Holy Prophet (s) replied:
“Patience is advised at the time of misfortunes”. [16]
If ziyara was
forbidden, the Holy Prophet (s) would have prohibited her from this action
while he only asked her to adopt patience. Moreover, after the women visited
the house of the Holy Prophet (s) he talked of patience and steadfastness at
the time of misfortunes and did not say anything about ziyara of grave;
otherwise he would have ordered her not to visit the grave of her beloved one
any more.
Sixthly, Fatima (‘a),
daughter of the Holy Prophet (s), used to visit every Friday the grave of her
uncle Hamza and recite prayer (salat) and cry sadly at his grave. [17]
Seventhly, al-Qurtubi
says that the Holy Prophet (s) did not prohibit any lady going for ziyara.
Instead he cursed those ladies who were going for ziyara very often as
he uses the words 
and 
which is used for
exaggeration [18]
and which is used for
exaggeration [18]
Perhaps the
reason of cursing such a habit is that excessive ziyarat is the source
of spoiling the rights of husband. If such factors are absent in the ziyara
of one lady then there is no problem as such since remembering death is a
matter which is necessary for both men and women.
Eighthly, if ziyara
of grave is the source of getting unattached towards this world and a reduction
of the greed of the person in helping him to remember the Hereafter, it also
brings some benefit for the dead one i.e. for the one who is buried under the
soil and is helpless from doing anything. This is because the Islamic ziyara
is usually accompanied by recitation of al-Fatiha and giving its reward
to the deceased. In fact this is the best gift which an alive person can give
to his or her beloved dead one.
Ibn Maja narrates in his
Sahih that the Holy Prophet (s) said:
“Recite Sura
Yasin upon your dead ones” [19]
Therefore, there is no
difference between man and woman that one should be permitted and the other should
be forbidden, except that if the women are faced with some special situations that
we previously discussed. Now, that the matter of ziyara of the graves of
believers is clear for us and it is now necessary to refer to the valuable
effects of ziyarat of the graves of the awliya Allah and the beloved
ones of Allah.
Notes:
[1] Sunan Ibn Maja,
vol. 1, p. 113 chapter of 
[2] Tafsir al-Baydawi,
vol. 3, p. 77.
[3]
Sunan Ibn Maja, chapter of 
vol.1, p.114, (Indian edition); Sahih
al-Tirmidhi chapter of 
vol. 3 p. 274 along with
commentary of Ibn al-‘Arabi Maliki, (Lebanon edition); After narrating the
tradition from Burayda, al-Tirmidhi says: 
vol.1, p.114, (Indian edition); Sahih
al-Tirmidhi chapter of vol. 3 p. 274 along with
commentary of Ibn al-‘Arabi Maliki, (Lebanon edition); After narrating the
tradition from Burayda, al-Tirmidhi says: 
‘The
tradition of Burayda is correct and the people of knowledge act upon it. They
do not put forward any obstacle for performing ziyara of graves and they
are people such as Ibn al-Mubarak, al-Shafi’i, Ahmad and Ishaq.’ Meanwhile, you
may refer to the following documents:
Sahih Muslim,
vol. 3.
page 65 chapter of
Sahih Abu
Dawud,
vol.2. p. 195, book of 
chapter of 
chapter of
Sahih Muslim, vol. 4 p.
73, book of
chapter of 
chapter of
[4] Sahih
Muslim, vol. 3, p. 65, chapter of 
Sahih Ibn Maja, vol. 1, p. 114.
According to the
narrators of this tradition, the reason the Holy Prophet (s) took permission
from Allah for visiting the grave of his mother was that his mother was a
polytheist. Undoubtedly the mother of Holy Prophet (s) was a monotheist and a
believer like her father, grandfather and ancestors. For this reason all the
portion of this tradition is incompatible with the religious standards.
Sunan Abi
Dawud,
vol. 2 p. 195. Book of Egyptian print along with the
additional notes of Shaykh Ahmad Sa’d from the scholars of Azhar.
Egyptian print along with the
additional notes of Shaykh Ahmad Sa’d from the scholars of Azhar.
Sahih Muslim, vol. 4 p.
74, book of chapter
of 
chapter
of
[5] Sahih Ibn Maja,
vol. 1, p. 114.
[6] Sunan al-Nasa'i,
vol. 3 p. 76; and Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 64 chapter of 
[7] Sunan al-Nasa'i,
vol. 40, pp. 76- 77.
[8] Sunan al-Nasa'i,
vol. 40, pp. 76- 77.
[9] Sunan Abu Dawud,
vol. 2, p. 196.
[10] Sahih
Muslim, vol. 3, p. 63 chapter of 
[11] Sahih
Muslim, vol. 3, p. 110 chapter of
[12] Sahih
Ibn Maja, (1st Edition, Egypt), vol. 1, p. 478, book of chapter of
chapter of 
[13] Hawashi of
Sunan Ibn Maja, (Indian edition), vol. 1, p. 114.
[14] Refer to tradition
no. 5.
[15] Sunan
al-Tirmidhi, vol. 4, p. 275 book of chapter of 
chapter of
[16] Sahih Bukhari,
p. 100, book of chapter of ; Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 2 p.
171.
chapter of ; Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 2 p.
171.
[17] al-Hakim, Mustadrak
al-sahihayn, vol. 1, p. 377; al-Samhudi, Wafa’ al-wafa’, vo1. 2 p.
112.
[18] Sunan Abu Dawud,
vol. 2, p. 196 has narrated 
[19] Sahih Bukhari,
p. 100, book of chater of ; Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 2 p.
171.
chater of ; Sunan Abi Dawud, vol. 2 p.
171. 
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