IS IT ‘HARAM’ TO VISIT MADINAH WITH THE INTENTION OF VISITING THE GRAVE OF MUSTAFA صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ~ DEEN E HAQ

IS IT ‘HARAM’ TO VISIT MADINAH WITH THE INTENTION OF VISITING THE GRAVE OF MUSTAFA صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ??

Ziyarat un Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is one of the most important practices of the admirers and followers of the Beloved Prophet. After the demise of the Prophet, the Sahaba used to frequently visit the Noble and Blessed Grave of the Beloved Rasul-Allah to derive blessings and seek solace from the worldly calamities. There are numerous Hadiths on this topic, which shall be discussed in a separate article.

Here, we shall first shed light on those who first denied its immense merits and declared visiting Madinah Munawwarah with the intention of visiting the Grave of the Beloved Rasul-Allah as ‘Haram’! We shall also present a list of major books written on this topic refuting these heretics.

Who was the First to Declare it ‘Haram’?

Shaykh Ibn Taymiya Mujassami Hanbali Harani (661-728 A.H/ 1263-1328 C.E) was the first to declare it ‘Haram’ in his numerous books, particularly ‘Majmu al Fatawa’, declaring that the Hadiths on the permissibility and merits of visiting the noble and blessed Grave of the Beloved Rasul-Allah were all ‘Zaeef’ {Weak} and ‘Mawdu’ {Fabricated} and it is ‘Haram’ to visit Madinah Munawwarah with the intention of visiting the Grave of the Beloved Prophet! This notion of Shaykh Ibn Taymiya was itself ‘Biddat uz Zalalah’ {Evil Innovation} by all means for no Scholar of Islam or Muslim before him ever held this view and by doing so he denied the ‘Ijma’ {Consensus} of Muslims on the matter.

Therefore, my Murshid- Shaykh ul Islam Sayyid Muhammad Madani Ashrafi Jilani Kichochavi declares Shaykh Ibn Taymiya as ‘Rayis ul Munkarin’ because Shaykh Ibn Taymiya was a ‘Munkir’ {Denier} of numerous established and proven Doctrines and Practices of Islam, therefore has been addressed as ‘Rayis ul Munkarin’ i.e. ‘Chief of Deniers’! Insha-Allah, we shall present his heresies and denials in another article.

Major Books on Ziyarat un Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم

The giant Sunni Muhaddithin and Fuqaha at once refuted Shaykh Ibn Taymiya by authoring books on the validity of visiting the Grave of the Beloved Rasul-Allah and authenticating the numerous Hadiths on the topic.

The Major books are as follows:

1. 'Shifa us Siqam fi Ziyarat Khayr il Anam’ by Imam Taqiuddin Subki Ashari Shafai’ (683-756 A.H). <in print=""></in>

The highly brilliant masterpiece of the giant Muhaddith- Imam Subki, it is regarded as one of the first and best written books on the subject.

2. 'Itihaf uz Zayir wa Atraf il Muqim Lis Sayir fi Ziyarat in Nabi’ by Imam Ibn Asakir Ashari Shafai’ Dimishqi (618-686 A.H). <in print=""></in>

3. 'AtTuhfat ul Mukhtarah fil Radd ala Munkir az Ziyarah’ by Imam Umar bin Abi Aiman Maliki(d. 734 A.H).

4. 'Tuhfat u Zawar ila Qabr in Nabi il Mukhtar’ by Imam Ibn Hajr Haythami Ashari Shafai’ Makki(d. 973 A.H) <in print=""></in>

5. 'Al Jawahir ul Munazzam fi Ziyarat il Qabr ash Sharif al Nabi al Mukarram’ by Imam Ibn Hajr Haythami Ashari Shafai’ Makki (d. 973 A.H) <in print=""></in>

6. 'Al Durrat ul Muziyah fi Ziyarat ul Mustafiya’ by Imam Hafiz Mulla Ali Qari Matrudi Hanafi (d. 1014 A.H)

Its manuscript is available with Shaykh Allama Abbas Razvi, though some starting pages are missing, however, it should still be published.

7. 'Al Zakhair ul Qudsiya fi Ziyarat il Khayr al Bariya’ by Imam Abdul Hameed bin Muhammad Ali Quds bin al Khatib.

8. 'Al Manhal as Safa fi Ziyarat in Nabi al Mustafa’ by Imam Muhammad bin Sulayman Qabbani.

9. 'Shifa ul Fuwad bi Ziyarati Khayr il Ibad’ by Imam Muhammad bin Alawi Maliki Ashari Makki. <in print=""></in>

An excellent and detail book which sums up almost all the textual proofs on the topic from the past 1400 years!

10. 'Al A’lam bi Istibab Shadd ar Rihal il Ziyarat Khayr il Anam’ by Shaykh Mahmud Saeed Mamduh Ashari Shafai’ Misri. <in print=""></in>

11. 'Raf al Minarah li Takhrij al Ahadith at Tawassul wal Ziyarah’ by Shaykh Mahmud Saeed Mamduh Ashari Shafai’ Misri. <in print=""></in>

The unchallenged masterpiece on the documentation of Hadiths of ‘Ziyarat un Nabi’ and its analysis, it also answers all the modern objections and criticisms on ‘Ziyarat un Nabi’ by the Wahhabiya-Salafiya-Ahle Hadith.

12. 'Iqdd ud Durar fi Fazl Ziyarati Khayr ul Bashar’ by ‘Shirkat Dar ul Mashari’y’, Lebanon. <in print=""></in>

This Heresy in the Indian Sub-Continent!

The Ibn Taymiyan and Wahabbiyan beliefs and doctrines were introduced and actively promoted by Syed Ahmed Rae-Bareilvi, Shah Ismail Dehlavi, and Shah Ishaq Dehlavi in their numerous books. Similarly, this Heretical notion also gained ground among the masses. The Indian Muhaddithin also contributed immensely in the refutation of this heretical Wahhabian belief. Among these works are:

‘Ahsan ul Maqal fi Hadith La Tashadd ar Rihal’ by Shaykh ul Islam Mufti Sadruddin Azurdah Matrudi Hanafi Dehlavi (d. 1285 A.H)
‘Muntahi ul Maqal fi Sharh Hadith la Tashadd ar Rihal’ by Shaykh ul Islam Mufti Sadruddin Azurdah Matrudi Hanafi Dehlavi (d. 1285 A.H)

The above book contains the endorsements of the great Mutakallim- Imam Fazl e Haq Matrudi Hanafi Chishti Khayrabadi and Shaykh Mufti Sa’adullah Muradabadi.

3. ‘Ikmal fi Bahas Shadd ar Rihal’ by Imam Fazl ur Rasul Usmani Matrudi Hanafi Quadri Badayuni(d. 1289 A.H)

This book is in answer to eight questions on the matter of ‘Ziyarat un Nabi’ which were forwarded by the Wahhabiya in refutation of ‘Muntahi ul Maqal’ of Mufti Sadruddin Azurdah Dehlavi.

4. ‘Ar Risalat ur Rabiya Fil Hajj, Fasl fi Ziyarat ul Madinah al Munawarrah’ by Imam Bahr ul Ulum Allama Abdul Alyy Farangi Mahali.

5. 'Al Kalam ul Mabrur fi Radd Qawl ul Mansur' by Imam Abdul Hayy Lakhnavi Farangi Mahali.

6.‘Zahur ul Anwar fi Ziyarat in Nabi al Mukhtar’ by Shaykh Abul Zafar Sayyid Sharif Quadri Nawshahi.

Almost all great Muhaddithin and Scholars have refuted the Ibn Taymiyan Innovation in their respected books…The details of which will be presented in the last part of this series on ‘Ziyart un Nabi صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم