Dars e Imam-Shair Allah

“Bismillahir Rahmannir Raheem””Al-Hamdu Lillaahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen was Salaatu was- Salaamu ‘Alaa Sayidinaa Muhammadin wa Aalihi wa Asabihi Ajma ‘een (tauheed- risalat- ahkirat and islam-iman-ihsan)

In the Quran (2/158), the mountains of Safa and Marwah were called Sha’a’ir Allahi, because they are the mountains on which a Waliyyah from the Ummah of Nabi Ibrahim, `alayhi-s-salam, called Hajirah ran seven times.What about a place where a Wali from the Ummah of Nabi Muhammad’s ﷺ is resting?We believe that place is also from the Sha’a’ir Allahi and should be honoured.It is thus unfortunate that some people want to prohibit us from honouring the Awliya of Allah. They forget that we honour them for the sake of Allah and not as Partners with Allah. No Muslim can ever do that.

There are also Qur’anic evidences supporting the building of structures at graves.
18/ 21, speaks about the honourable Ashab al-Kahf. According to Tafsir al-Jalalayn, ‘The believers’ built a Masjid at their Qubur. This was to derive extra blessings from the pious ones buried there, as in the Tafsirs of Khaffaji, Baydawi, Razi and Ruh Al-Bayan.

In Makkah, it is recommended to pray in Hijr Ismail (also called Hateem), as it has the Qabr of Nabi Ismail (a.s) in it as many scholars have said (Qisas al-Anbiya by Ibn Katheer).

In the famous work of Shafi’i Fiqh, Umdat as-Salik, it is clearly stated that what is meant by “making a Qabr a Masjid” is: “praying to it in honour or praying on it (Reliance of the Traveller p.896).

Also often misinterpreted is the Hadith which says that Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, cursed the people who have turned the Qubur of Prophets into Mosques.This Hadith is actually referring to those people who actually pray to the Prophets, and not those who merely pray near the Prophets’ graves – to Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, -for the sake of Barakah.Every Haji can see that in Madinah, in the Blessed Prophet’s (s.a.w) Mosque, people have been praying around the four sides of His Holy and Blessed Qabr ash-Shareef for 1400 years. Was that Shirk?

For 1400 years, the Honourable Tombs of the Great Sons and Daughters of Islam, throughout the Islamic World, have acted as symbols of inspiration and glory for all Muslims, as well as a source of Barakah and Spirituality.

It is narrated in a Sahih Hadith in Ibn Majah (Kitab al-Zuhd), that Nabi Muhammad ﷺ said that the thing he dreaded most for his Ummah was Shirk. Nabi Muhammad ﷺ went on to say that he does not mean that his Ummah is going to worship the sun or the moon or idols (ama la aqulu tabuduna shamsan wala qamaran wala wasana), but that they are going to do things for reasons besides for the sake of Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, e.g. they would pray to impress people, perform hajj to show off, and the study the Deen to show off to people or cause Fitna .So, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not fear that his Ummah would worship idols. If someone comes along and says that the Ummah of Nabi Muhammad ﷺ is worshipping idols, he is implying that Nabi Muhammad was wrong. Astagh firullah.

It is narrated in a Sahih Hadith that Nabi Muhammad ﷺ said that towards the end of time, people will say to you things that neither you, nor your forefathers have heard. Nabi Muhammad ﷺ goes on to say that we should beware of them, lest we be misguided into confusion.

In Sahih al-Bukhari it is narrated that Abdullah ibn Umar said that the Khawarij (enemies of Sayyidina Ali) were the worst of people because they used Qur’anic Ayats referring to the kuffar, and made it to refer to believers. (nazalat fil Mushrikeen wa Ja’a looha fil Mumineen).

Also, the kuffar explicitly said that they worship (Na’buduhum) their “gods” to get closer to Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala. Not a single Muslim out of all the millions of Muslims in the world who visit the Awliya claims to worship them. We only respect and love them and want to be close to them because Allah says: (Inna Rahmat Allahi Qaribun minal Muhsineen) i.e. Verily, the Rahmah (Mercy) of Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, is close to the Pious Ones.We can only repeat the Ayah of the Quran: (Afa tajaloon al-Muslimeena kal Mujrimeen-Maalakum Kaifa tahkumun) i.e. “Do you make the Muslims like the Mujrims (Kuffar)-What is (wrong) with you, How do you Judge?”

We say that Allah himself clearly states in the Holy Qur’an (5/55:”Verily, your Wali (Protector or Helper) is Allah, His Messenger, and the believers”. (Exact words of the Saudi translation of the Qur’an validated by the university of Madinah, printed in Riyadh: 1993).

When Hadrat Uthman ibn Mazoon (ra)was buried, the Holy Prophet ﷺ placed a stone on the head-side of the grave and said, “With this, we place the recognition of our brother’s grave and shall bury the deceased of our family here.” – Mishkaat, Kittaabul-Janaaza, Baabud-Dafn with reference to Abu Dawood

Hadrat Khaarija (ra)states, “We were present in the time of Uthman ra. The most successful jumper from us was the person who was able to leap across the grave of Uthman ibn Mazoon (ra) – Bukhari, Kitaabul­Janaaiz, Baabul-Jareed alal-Qabr, narrated as a note (taaleeq) .We know from the narration in Mishkaat Sharif that there was a stone on the head-side of Hadrat Uthman ibn Mas’un’s (ra)grave and, from this Hadith of Bukhari, it’s known that the hump of his grave was that stone. Consistency between these two narrations can be made through the following – “A stone was placed at the head-side of the grave” doesn’t mean that it was placed near the head, separate from the grave, but that it was placed in the grave itself at the head-side. It could also mean that the entire grave was of that stone (but only the head-side was mentioned). Both of these Ahadith prove that to preserve the recognition of a certain grave by making it a little high or strengthening it with stones, etc. is permissible. This is so that people realize that this is the grave of a Buzurg. The two rules are cleared through this. Also, the Fuqahaa state that if the piece of earth is soft and the deceased has to be buried in a box of wood, the inner area of the grave should have sand spread within in all four directions. ­Shaami, Alamgbiri, etc. Baabu-Dajni-Mayyit .We can also deduce from this that the interior of the grave shouldn’t be solid. Two rules are hereby proven.

Ruh/spirit of salaah

1.qushu o quzu (concentration and devotion)

2. sidq o iqlas (sincerity and purity)

3.with Allah’s marifat/recognisation

4.for the sake of Allah (to gain his raza/pleasure)

5. heart is involved in the prayer.

When I want to talk to allah I say prayers and when I want that he talk to me I recite quran- Hazrath Ali(ra)

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