Ziyarah according to Sunnis and Shi`ah
As stated
earlier, Wahhabis think that ziyarah, like shafa'ah, is a
polytheistic act of seeking intermediation, and renders a person outside the
pale of religion. This is while ziyarah, according to the Ahl
as-Sunnah, has been considered permissible. In this context, as in many other
beliefs as well, Wahhabism is at odds with the Ahl as-Sunnah.
By
resorting to uncommon and strange statements, against which the Ahl as-Sunnah
have also complained, the Wahhabis have endeavored to portray Wahhabism as a
school of thought {madhhab}. But Muslims, the Ahl as-Sunnah in
particular, cannot permit the inclusion of this group in the list of Muslim
schools of thought {madhahib}.
The views of Ibn al-Qudamah
Ibn
al-Qudamah, a leading figure and faqih of the Ahl as-Sunnah, while
regarding ziyarah, like mourning, as consistent with the laws of
Islam, elaborates that ziyarah is permissible for men while undesiderable
{makruh} for women. In confirming this view, he has cited the
following tradition:
لَعَنَ
اللهُ
زُوّارَاتِ
القُبُورِ،
الْمُتَّخِذَاتِ
عَلَيْهِنَّ
الْمَسَاجِدَ
وَالسُّرَجَ.
Allah
curses the visitors of the graves, especially women who light candles on the
graves and take them as their place of prostration or mosque.
And he
adds,
In this
tradition, the phrase, “Allah curses…” implies aversion, and this aversion is
more intense for women according to their welfare; for, it is possible that by
going outside the house and to be present in the public, the rights of the
husband might be violated. The reason behind the curse on female visitors {za'irin}
is because of the fact that the people during the pre-Islamic period of
ignorance {jahiliyyah} used to visit the graves. After sometime, they
would construct statues and images on the grave. Then, these would be treated
as idols and they would pay reverence in front of these. So, they were cursed
and the visitation of the women was prohibited.[61]
In
continuation, he writes:
Visiting
graves is mustahabb for men. Regarding its being makruh or
impermissible for women, there are two pertinent traditions. According to a
tradition, it is mustahabb provided that, like men, they read beside
the grave surahs of at-Tawhid (al-Ikhlas) and Ya
Sin, and ayat al-Kursi, but according to another tradition, it is
not permissible. In case of its permissibility, man and woman should recite
this salutation:
السَّلاَمُ
عَلَيْكُمْ
أهْلَ
الدِّيَارِ مِنَ
الْمُؤمِنِينَ
وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ،
إنَّا إنْ
شَاءَ اللهُ
بِكُمْ
لاَحِقُونَ،
نَسْألُ اللهَ
لَنَا
وَلَكُمُ
العَافِيَةَ.
“Peace
be upon you, O believers and Muslims who inhabit these graves. We will join
you, God willing. We pray Allah for wellbeing for you and us.”[62]
Ibn
al-Qudamah does not regard the ziyarah as permissible for women, saying:
وَتُكْرَهُ
لِلنِّسَاءِ،
لأنَّ
النَّبِيَّ
قَالَ:
لَعَنَ اللهُ
زُوَّارَاتِ
القُبُورِ…
Ziyarah
for women is makruh (discommended) because the Prophet said, 'Allah
curses the women who visit the graves'.
He
believed that the Prophet (s) initially prohibited ziyarah for women
and the phrase, “Allah curses…” bespeaks of this fact. But afterward, he
considered the ziyarah for women as permissible, saying:
كُنْتُ
نَهَيْتُكُمْ
عَنْ
زِيَارَةِ
القُبُورِ،
فَزُورُوهَا.
I was
prohibiting you from visiting to grave in the past, but now you may do so.
Ibn
al-Qudamah also says:
وَرَوَى
التِّرْمِذِيُّ
أنَّ
عَائِشَةَ زَارَتْ
قَبْرَ
أخِيهَا.
Tirmidhi
narrated that 'a'ishah visited the grave of her brother ('Abd ar-Rahman).
In the
end, Ibn al-Qutadah concludes from the set of the decrees on the permissibility
and honor (of ziyarah) in the quoted hadiths that it is
loathsome for the women to perform ziyarah.[63]
The view of ‘Allamah Majlisi
In this
regard, 'Allamah Majlisi expresses thus:
Ziyarah
is good and recommended for men… But concerning the ziyarah for women,
there are two pertinent opinions. One opinion is that ziyarah for
women is loathsome… and the other opinion is that it is permissible provided
that they cover themselves from the sight of strangers {ghayr mahram}.[64]
According
to the belief of the Shi`ah, visiting the grave of the faithful is part of the Sunnah
of the Holy Prophet (s) and all Muslims have consensus of opinion that at the
time of death of a believer, he would go to his grave and express condolences
to the bereaved ones. It is also stated in the Holy Qur'an, thus:
﴿وَلاَ
تُصَلِّ
عَلَى أَحَدٍ
مِنْهُمْ
مَاتَ
أَبَدًا
وَلاَ تَقُمْ
عَلَى
قَبْرِهِ إِنَّهُمْ
كَفَرُوا
بِاللَّهِ
وَرَسُولِهِ
وَمَاتُوا
وَهُمْ
فَاسِقُونَ.﴾
And never pray over any of them when he
dies, nor stand on his graveside. They indeed defied Allah and His Apostle and
died as transgressors.[65]
This verse
is about the hypocrites {munafiqun} and expresses this point: O
Prophet! Do not go to the graveside of the hypocrites as you are doing with
respect to the graves of the faithful, and do not pray for their souls nor pray
over their graves because they defied Allah and His Apostle and they are
transgressors. That ziyarah is an indisputable principle and the
presence of believers at the graveside of one another is unquestionable
although there may possibly be differences of opinion among some Muslim schools
of thought concerning the secondary features of ziyarah.
Visiting the grave as an excellent sunnah
It is thus
recorded in history books attributed to the Ahl as-Sunnah: Every year the
Prophet (s) would visit the graves of the martyrs {shuhada'} of the
Battle of Uhud and recite this prayer {ziyarah}:
السَلاَمُ
عَلَيْكُمْ
بِمَا
صَبَرْتُمْ فَنِعْمَ
عُقْبَى
الدَّارِ.
Peace be
on you because you were constant, how excellent, is then, the issue of the
abode.
It is also
recorded that Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman, like the Prophet (s), also used to
perform ziyarah. The daughter of the Prophet of Islam (s), °adrat
Fatimah az-Zahra ('a) would also visit the martyrs of Uhud two days a
week. During his visit to the martyrs, especially in the ziyarah to Hamzah
and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr, the Holy Prophet (s) would recite this verse,
رِجَالٌ
صَدَقُوا مَا
عَاهَدُوا
اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ.
Men who fulfill what they have pledged to
Allah.[66]
In
addition to this, it is thus recorded in the book, As-Sahih that Abu
Sa'id al-Khudri would extend salutations to the grave of Hamzah… Umm Salamah,
one of the honorable wives of the Prophet (s), and individuals such as Abu
Hurayrah, Fatimah Khuza'iyyah, and 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar al-Khattab also used to
perform ziyarah to this group of martyrs.[67]
It is thus
recorded in the valuable book, al-Ghadir under the section, “Virtues
and Merits of Abu Hanifah” {Bab Fada'il wa Manaqib Abu Hanifah}:
Whenever
he would go to Baghdad, Imam ash-Shafi'i would pay a visit to the grave of Abu Hanifah.
He would stand beside his grave, offer salutation to him and seek his intermediation
for the fulfillment of his needs. Ahmad ibn Hanbal did the same practice with
respect to his master (Imam ash-Shafi'i) to such an extent that his son would
get astonished. Ahmad ibn Hanbal explained to his son that there is nothing
wrong in seeking the intermediation of Imam ash-Shafi'i for the removal of
difficulties because he, like the sun, was beneficial to the people.[68]
Were the
Prophet (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt ('a) not like ash-Shafi'i for
the people? This is while ash-Shafi'i and Abu Hanifah held the Imams ('a)
in high esteem, and Imam ash-Shafi'i acknowledges the sublime station of 'Ali
ibn Abi Talib ('a).
Is the
practice of these Imams of the Ahl as-Sunnah not a proof for their followers?
Do the Wahhabis who regard ziyarah as an act of polytheism also
consider the Imams of the Ahl as-Sunnah as polytheists?
Notwithstanding
the Sunni and Shi`ah traditions regarding the mustahabb status of ziyarah,
there is also another tradition narrated from the Prophet of Islam (s) that if
anyone who goes to the cemetery and read Surat Ya Sin, the agony of
the dead ones shall be mitigated. The Wahhabis, however, inscribed on a tabloid
the hadith, “Allah curses those who visit the graves” and placed it at
the Baqi' cemetery and on the grave of Abu Talib.
Critique:
Although the imams of the Ahl as-Sunnah have approved of the practice of
visiting the graves and reckoned it as mustahabb, is not the
opposition of the Wahhabis nothing but advancing the imperialist objectives and
disrupting the unity of Muslims? Does it indicate the fact that they are
determined to interpret and explain the religion in the way they like even if
it is contrary to the opinions and views of the other Muslim schools of
thought? If they really regard it permissible for men to perform ziyarah,
why cannot male pilgrims visit the Baqi' cemetery at all times, but they are
only allowed to do so at a specific time?
Why are
Wahhabis determined to destroy all the holy shrines? For example, why in 1216
AH Sa'ud ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, on the order of his father, assaulted Karbala' and
after killing and plunder, destroyed the holy shrine there? Or, why in 1217 and
1218 AH did they attack the holy city of Mecca and engage in demolishing the
religious relics there? Or, why in 1220 AH under the slogan of “Kill the
polytheists” did they invade an-Najaf al-Ashraf? Or, why in later years did
they assault the holy city of Medina and raze the holy shrines to the ground in
that blessed place—the shrines of great personages such as the father of the
Prophet (s), the Imams ('a) buried in Baqi', and the descendants and
wives of the Prophet (s)?[69]
Must not
the answer to these questions be sought in Wahhabis' enmity to the oppressed
Imams of Baqi' and to the truth of Islam, or are we not compelled to say that
they also do not regard as permissible the ziyarah for men which is
proved by what they are doing in practice?
The laws pertaining to the graves and mosques
The
Wahhabis are not much inclined to beautify and visit shrines. Based on some
traditions some of which we shall quote later, they uphold the unlawfulness of
visiting graves, considering their demolition as permissible. The basis of this
mindset is traceable to Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab.
The
Wahhabis claim that in practicing the religion and in explaining and
interpreting its laws, one must take inspiration from the conduct and practice
of the caliphs, the Companions {sahabah} and Followers {tabi'un}
because they are closer to the time of revelation and the Prophet (s). We know
that this is nothing but an empty claim and their beliefs regarding ziyarah
is contrary to the sayings and practice of the Companions because the latter
did not only visit Uhud and the martyrs of Baqi' but if they ever happened to
conquer a territory they would also pay respect to the graves there. For
instance, when Syria was conquered during the reign of the second caliph, the
Muslims preserved the graves of Hadrat Zakariyya (Zechariah) and Yahya (John the
Baptist) ('a), considering them as holy. Or, when Bayt al-Maqdis
(Jerusalem) was annexed to the Islamic territories, they preserved the graves
beside Masjid al-Aqsa and no one demolished them.
The
Wahhabis' opposition to the burial of the dead in a private house or mosque, or
near it is another proof of the fact that contrary to their claim, they have
adopted a different way which is discordant with the way of the Companions
because these very Companions, 'Ali ('a) in particular, buried the
Prophet (s) in his own house, or according to a certain narration, Fatimah
az-Zahra ('a), who was regarded by the Wahhabis as one of the great
Companions, was buried in her own house. The incorrectness of this belief of
the Wahhabis will be made clearer to us when we find out that based on
historical evidence, many of the prophets ('a) were buried in Hijr
Isma'il and Bayt al-Maqdis without considering the fact
that at the time of their burial, the nature of these sacred sites as places of
worship were known.
Why did the Wahhabis not destroy the graves of the
Prophet (s) and the Two Sheikhs {shaykhayn} (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar)?
The
Wahhabis who play the companion card have never found an opportunity to
demolish the graves of the Prophet (s) and the Two Sheikhs {shaykhayn}
(Abu Bakr and 'Umar) because such practice is against the conduct of the
Companions of the Prophet (s), not to mention the fact that the Muslim world
will be united in opposing them.
But on
account its distance from Masjid an-Nabi, opposition to the Shi`ah and the
gathering of the pilgrims, they destroyed the Baqi' cemetery. In 1344 AH
corresponding to 1912-1913 CE, the Wahhabis razed to the ground all the domes
around Medina such as the domes of the four Imams ('a) (buried in
Medina such as al-Hasan, as-Sajjad, al-Baqir, and as-Sadiq ('a));
'Abbas the uncle of the Prophet (s); the wives of the Prophet (s); 'Abd Allah
the father of the Prophet (s); 'Uthman ibn 'Affan; Isma'il ibn Ja'far as-Sadiq;
and Malik.[70]
Therefore,
since the Wahhabis do not believe in the visitation {ziyarah} to the
graves of the prophets and the saints, considering it as a manifestation of
polytheism and man's drifting away from God, they are of the opinion that
people must be kept away from this practice and shrines and mausoleums must be
destroyed.
Honoring the mosques and praying beside graves
The
Wahhabis regard standing in prayer beside graves as an act of polytheism
because it will be deemed worshipping those who are buried. Similarly, by
citing the tradition below on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, they think that
constructing a mosque beside graves is improper and against the religion.
The
Prophet (s) said:
لاَ
تَجْعَلُوا
بُيُوتَكُمْ
قُبُوراً، وَلاَ
تَجْعَلُوا
قَبْرِي
عِيداً،
وَصَلُّوا
عَلَيَّ؛
فَإنَّ
صَلاتَكُمْ
تَبْلُغُنِي
حَيْثُ
كُنْتُمْ.
Do not convert your houses into a graveyard
and do not make my grave as a site for festivity {'id}. Send salutations to me
as your salutations, wherever you are, reach me.
This hadith,
on account of its narrator whose practice of fabricating habits is
known to all and sundry, is not very reliable, and it cannot be accepted except
through explanation and analysis. In explaining this tradition it must be said
that perhaps the phrase, “Do not convert your houses into graveyards,” is
indicative of the fact that if the remembrance of God is forgotten in a house
and spirituality in it dies out, it actually turns into a graveyard, from which
no voice comes out.
In the
same manner, the phrase, “Do not make my grave a site for festivity {id},”
maybe a reminder of the reality that since the people usually engage in
merrymaking and rejoicing on the eve of feasts and this merrymaking may
possibly go against the religion or might result in neglecting God for some
moments, festivity and celebration must not be held near the shrine of the
Chief of the Prophets (s) because among the requisites of visiting that holy
shrine is presence of heart and remembrance of God.
In the
same vein, perhaps what is meant by the phrase, “Send salutations upon me,” is
when the Holy Prophet (s) wants his followers to send salutations upon him
which is perhaps a sort of need, his Companions and followers are more in need
of this spiritual gift. Meanwhile, the phrase, “Do not convert your houses into
graveyards,” has a health dimension and that is, if a dead body is not buried,
after sometime it will emit an offensive odor and cause ailments and harm. And
if it were also buried near the site of a residence, by emitting a nauseating
smell, it would make life difficult for the residents, or bring about disease
and unpleasantness. Of course, this expression does not include the Prophet (s)
and the infallible Imams ('a) because their bodies and souls, based on
this Verse of Purification {ayat at-tathir},
﴿إِنَّمَا
يُرِيدُ
اللَّهُ
لِيُذْهِبَ
عَنْكُمْ
الرِّجْسَ
أَهْلَ
الْبَيْتِ
وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ
تَطْهِيرًا.﴾
Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity
from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough
purification,[71]
are pure
and will not cause sickness and plague. Now, if by citing this tradition, there
is someone who would protest against the burial of the Prophet (s) and Fatimah
az-Zahra ('a) in the house, this criticism can be traced back to Abu
Bakr and 'Umar who were not members of the Ahl al-Bayt ('a),
and based on the Verse of Purification, they were not purified. In conclusion,
if the Wahhabis find fault with the burial of the dead and regard standing in
prayer beside the grave as an act of polytheism, they would have to consider
the Companions as polytheists though they were not so.[72]
Argument based on verse 21 of Surah al-Kahf
According
to verse 21 of Surat al-Kahf, when the Companions of the Cave went to
sleep again, the people differed with one another on how to mark the place
where they had gone to sleep, and they finally agreed to build a place of
worship so that visitors, apart from visiting, could also engage in worshipping
God. With the aim of making their belief in the religious impermissibility of
constructing mosque over the graves acceptable, the Wahhabis utilized the verse
below although no part of it can actually be taken to substantiate their
belief. The verse in question thus states:
﴿وَكَذَلِكَ
أَعْثَرْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوا
أَنَّ وَعْدَ
اللَّهِ
حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ
السَّاعَةَ
لاَ رَيْبَ
فِيهَا إِذْ يَتَنَازَعُونَ
بَيْنَهُمْ
أَمْرَهُمْ فَقَالُوا
ابْنُوا
عَلَيْهِمْ
بُنْيَانًا رَبُّهُمْ
أَعْلَمُ
بِهِمْ قَالَ
الَّذِينَ
غَلَبُوا
عَلَى
أَمْرِهِمْ
لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ
عَلَيْهِمْ
مَسْجِدًا.﴾
So it was that We let them come upon them,
that they might know that Allah's promise is true, and that there is no doubt
in the Hour. As they were disputing among themselves about their matter, they
said, 'Build a building over them. Their Lord knows best.' Those who had the
say in their matter said, 'We will set up a place of worship over them'.[73]
Another argument
At the
outset, it must be noted that the Wahhabis oppose building mosques over the
graves, regarding it as unlawful and religiously illegitimate. And in order to
prove their belief, they resort to any tradition, no matter how weak {da'if}
it is. For example, they have resorted to the following tradition, whose
authenticity has no basis, for whatever purpose it may serve them:
لَعَنَ
اللهُ
اليَهُودَ
وَالنَّصَارَى؛
إتَّخَذُوا
قُبُورَ
أنْبِيَائِهِمْ
وَصَالِحِيهِمْ
مَسَاجِدَ.
Allah curses the Jews and the Christians for
making the graves of their prophets and righteous ones as places of worship.[74]
Although
both in terms of thought and practice, the Jews and the Christians have
committed many errors, they have never worshipped graves. Secondly, this hadith—assuming
that it is authentic {sahih}—does not include Muslims because contrary
to the Jews and the Christians, they have never built a mosque over a grave,
and if they are ever standing in prayer near a grave, their aim is the pleasure
of God and to offer as gift its reward as a gift to the buried person, and if
the latter is among the awliya', they are praying to God to let them
attain his station and rank.
It seems
that through this sort of opposition, Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn 'Abd
al-Wahhab, in particular, wanted to show their open-mindedness and
enlightenment, when they could have shown the greatness of their minds by
learning the truth of Islam, Islamic management, means of social welfare and
doing things like promoting the setting up learning and research centers and
struggling against imperialism.
At the
present time also, in order to display their knowledge and intelligence, some
neophytes and novices have made holy shrines, mausoleums and supplications as
the targets of their speeches. Consciously or unconsciously, they are using
their pens for the advancement of imperialist objectives, and thus, pouring oil
onto the fires of the enemy.
They have
to know, however, that enlightenment does not mean regarding the prayers for ziyarah
as superstitious and making a mockery of supplications. It rather means to
remind the Muslims of their past glory and grandeur; to show to them way of
deliverance from the yoke of despotism and to present to them the truth of
religion. This method was made manifest when Imam Khomeini (r),
throughout the course of the Islamic Revolution, exerted his utmost efforts and
dedication along these lines.
Construction of mosques near the graves
With the
conditions that we shall mention, Shi`ah 'ulama' have consensus of
opinion regarding the permissibility of mosques near graves and shrines of the
prophets ('a) and righteous people. Some scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnah
also believe in its permissibility and others are of the opinion that it is
loathsome. The Wahhabis, however, in following Ibn Taymiyyah and Shaykh
Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, acknowledge its unlawfulness, and in order to
prove their belief, they have resorted to any hadith, no matter how
weak {da'if} it is. For example, they have cited as proof verse 21 of
Surah al-Kahf and as we have stated earlier, from this verse the correctness of
the Wahhabi belief cannot be deduced whatsoever.
It is said
that some distinguished Shi`ah 'ulama' such as 'Allamah Majlisi,
'Allamah Hilli and Shaykh at-Tusi have decreed that it is loathsome to build a
mosque beside a grave if the mosque is built on the grave and the prayer is
performed in such a manner that one has to face the grave, otherwise according
to them, there is nothing wrong as it is permissible to build a mosque such as
these in the vicinity of the holy shrines of Imam ar-Rida ('a) and Hadrat
Fatimah al-Ma'sumah.[75]
Some leading Shi`ah figures even opine that it is mustahabb to
construct a mosque near shrines.
While
expressing his opinion on the permissibility of building mosques near shrines
under the conditions we have mentioned, 'Allamah Majlisi points to some
traditions that confirm the permissibility of praying near the shrines of the
Imams ('a). For instance, he narrates that the Prophet (s) said:
“…وَاللهِ
لَتُقْتَلُنَّ
بِأرْضِ
العِرَاقِ
وَتُدْفَنُ
بِهَا.”
قُلْتُ: “يَا
رَسُولَ اللهِ!
مَا لِمَنْ
زَارَ
قُبُورَنَا
وَعَمَّرَهَا
وَتَعَاهَدَهَا؟”
فَقَالَ لِي:
“يَا أبَا
الْحَسَنِ!
إنَّ اللهَ
تَعَالَى
جَعَلَ قَبْرَكَ
وَقَبْرَ
وُلْدِكَ
بِقَاعاً
مِنْ بِقَاعِ
الْجَنَّةِ
وَعَرَصَةً
مِنْ
عَرَصَاتِهَا.”
{The
Prophet (s) said:} “You shall be killed in Iraq and you shall also be buried
there!” I (Imam 'Ali ('a)) said: O Messenger of Allah! What shall be
the reward of the one will visit our graves, beautify them and maintain them?”
He (s) said to me: “Your grave and that of your sons are among the edifices of
paradise and among its fields.”[76]
It can be
deduced from this noble hadith that renovating the graves of the Imams
('a) is mustahabb. Visiting them shall have otherworldly
rewards, and there is nothing wrong to pray in those sacred places.
Elevation of the graves
The
Wahhabis, basing their opinions on a tradition, believe that graves must not be
elevated beyond the ground level, or that a mausoleum should not be constructed
upon graves. Abu'l-Hayyaj narrates that 'Ali ('a) said:
ألاَ
أبْعَثُكَ
عَلَى مَا
بَعَثَنِي
عَلَيْهِ
رَسُولُ
اللهِ ؟
أنْ لاَ
تَدَعَ
قَبْراً
مُشْرِفاً
إلاَّ سَوَّيْتَهُ،
وَلاَ
تِمْثالاً
إلاَّ طَمَسْتَهُ.
{O Abu'l-Hayyaj!}
Be aware that I shall send you for a mission for which I was dispatched by the
Messenger of Allah (s). Your mission is to level to the ground the elevated and
ornamented graves and to demolish statues.[77]
Thereafter,
the author of Fath al-Majid infers from this hadith that
construction of monuments-like domes and statutes, and elevation of outstanding
and looming graves are not permissible and they must be destroyed.
In reply,
it must be said that first of all, as indicated by the book, Tahdhib at-Tahdhib,
the hadith is not substantiated. Secondly, this tradition has ruled on
the demolition of statues and razing graves to the ground, and this rule cannot
be applied to edifices and domes.
Therefore,
the Sunnis and the Shi`ah have consensus of opinion that graves must not be
stupendous, but it is permissible to build mausoleums over the graves of the
righteous and the 'ulama'. It is recorded in the book, Al-Ghadir,
that “Malik ibn Anas passed away in 179 AH and his grave is in Medina, in the
Baqi' cemetery in particular, and has a small dome and a small building:[78]
عَلَيْهِ
قُبَّةٌ
صَغِيرَةٌ
مُخْتَصَرُ البِنَاءِ.
Therefore,
it is permissible to construct domes and shrine according to the Maliki 'ulama'.
In the book, Al-Fiqh 'ala al-Madhahib al-Arba'ah, it is thus stated
about the manner of making grave:
وَيُنْدَبُ
ارْتِفَاعُ
التُّرَابِ
فَوْقَ
الْقَبْرِ
بِقَدَرِ
شِبْرٍ.
It is mustahabb
for the grave to be an inch above the ground.[79]
The Wahhabi viewpoint concerning the ornamentation
of mosques and holy shrines
This is
the underpinning of the Wahhabi creed—if they do not find a supporting document
and tradition about a certain case, they will prohibit it. It is for this
reason that they do not consider the ornamentation of mosques, such as the
Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca) and Masjid an-Nabi (in Medina), with lanterns,
chandeliers, etc. as permissible, because they have not found a pertinent hadith.
In reply, it must be said that if the Wahhabis really give importance to this
criterion, then they are not supposed to make use of any manifestation of the
modernity because there has not been any traditions about the permissibility of
using vehicles, telephones, etc.
Secondly,
the fact that we have no hadith about the unlawfulness of this kind of
issues is perhaps proof that it is permissible and acceptable to use them. In
conclusion, it may be said that if ornamentation of mosques does not distract
the attention of people but rather encourages them to be present in it, it is
therefore permissible and there is nothing wrong with it.
Traveling to for visit mosques
By relying
on a certain tradition, the followers of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab believe
that traveling with the intention of surveying mosques is unlawful. Their main
basis is a tradition on the authority of Abu Sa'id who narrated that the
Messenger of Allah (s) said:
لاَ
تُشَدُّ
الرِّحَالُ
إلاَّ إلَى
ثَلاَثَةِ
مَسَاجِدَ:
الْمَسْجِدُ
الْحَرَامُ،
وَمَسْجِدِي
هَذَا،
وَالْمَسْجِدُ
الأقْصَى.
You are
not supposed to travel except for the visitation {ziyarah} of three
mosques: Masjid al-Haram (in Mecca), this mosque of mine (Masjid an-Nabi in
Medina), and Masjid al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem).
The
Wahhabis have concluded from this hadith that travel to see other
mosques are not lawful. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab also says:
مَنْ
سَافَرَ
لِمُجَرَّدِ
زِيَارَةِ
قُبُورِ
الأنْبِيَاءِ
وَالصَّالِحِينَ
فَهُوَ
مُشْرِكٌ.
He who
travels only to visit the graves of the prophets and the pious is a polytheist.[80]
Of course,
this hadith expresses the importance of these three mosques and one
cannot infer from it the unlawfulness of visiting other mosques. Visiting
mosques located in Muslim lands is not only not blameworthy but it also
acquaints us with the past glory and grandeur of Muslims and thus encourages us
to strive hard to regain that honor and dignity.
Notes:
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