Travel Towards Prophet's Resting Place

To make the Intention to travel to our Prophet Muhammad’s resting place

Whenever Muslims are fortunate enough to travel to Makka and Madina, i.e. for Hajj or ‘Umra,after visiting the Ka’ba, they would then go towards Madina to visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) blessed resting place.

Some people argue that when they do go, they should not intend to see our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave, because it is not permissible. They argue that the people should only intend for salat in Masjid an-Nabawi (the green domed Mosque of the Prophet) and when they get there they can visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave as well.

The Ahl as-Sunna believe that it is permissible to make the intention to travel to visit our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave. We shall, with the help of Allah, provide proof that it is permissible to travel to our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave with intention to see his grave. Qadi Shawkani writes:

“Some of the highest scholars say that our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is alive in his grave” So then it would make it the same as travelling to see our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when he was alive.

[Qadi Shawkani, Nayl al-Avtar, chapter on ‘al-Hajj’]

Proof from Qur’an

Allah Most High says in the Holy Qur’an:

“When they were unjust to themselves, they came unto thee and asked Allah’sforgiveness and the Messenger asked forgiveness for them they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning Most Merciful.

[Sura Al-Nisa verse 64]

From this we can say that it permissible to visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave.

Some people say that this aya was only applicable when our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was alive but not now. The answer to this doubt is that he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is still alive in his grave and thus, to visit him at his grave is same as visiting him when alive.

Proof from Hadith

Imam Muslim writes when Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went on Mi’raj he saw Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) standing in his grave performing salat [Muslim, Chapter on ‘Fada’il Musa’]

The Prophet’s Companions Used to Travel to His Grave

Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:

” ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) after returning from a journey would visit the grave of Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)”

[Ibn Taymiyya, at-Tawassul and Iqtida Sirat al-Mustaqim, chapter on ‘Zirah Qabar an-Nabi’; Imam Muhammad, Muwatta, chapter on ‘Hajj’]

Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes:

“Ka’ab [a Tabi’i] said to ‘A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) that 70,000 angels visit the grave of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the morning and in the evening, who recite durud on our Prophet”

[Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Sura al-Ahzab, under verse 56]

Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya has a statement, found in his book called ar-Rad al-akh-Nai, that it is not permitted to travel to visit the grave of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Ibn Taymiyya’s proof is derived from the hadith about travelling: “You can travel to the three Mosques, i.e. Haramayn in Makka, Masjid an-Nabawi in Madina and Masjid Aqsa in Jerusalem.”The real meaning of this hadith would be that no one can claim that prayer in one Mosque is more rewarded than another.The understanding of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya is wrong about visiting our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave.

Imam Abu Hanifa writes that when a person attends the grave of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) the person should face the grave and make du’a’ [Abu Hanifa, Musnad, chapter on ‘Hajj’]

Qadi Shawkani writes:

“After our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away, Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) moved to Sham [Syria]. One night, in his dream our Prophet (may Allay bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘Oh Bilal, what kind of friendship is this that you do not come to see me?’ When Bilal woke up in the morning, he made his way towards our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). At that time his intention was to go to our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave. Quite a lot of the Sahaba were alive at that time but none of them said that this was haram. This event is from a sanad jayyid [it was true]. From this we learn that to have intention to visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave is permissible

[Qadi Shawkani, Nail lau tahri, chapter on ‘Hajj’; Hafiz Ibn al–Athir also writes this event as well]

Allama Ibn Jawzi writes:

“Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:’To come and see me whilst I am alive,is called hijra, and it is the same as to come to see me after I have passed away’

[Talbis-Iblis, page 200]

Muslims have been Travelling to Visit Our Prophet’s Grave From the Beginning and Will Do So Till the End

When Muslims reach our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave they read their salams and make du’a through wasila of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) – and they also make du’a that help us on the Day of Judgement, and this is all permissible.

Hafiz Ibn Qayyim writes:

“Whenever you are present at our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave, cry as much as you can when you are making your du’as.This is because on the Day of Judgement your tears will be weighed on the Scales. To visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave is the best thing you can do to receive a very high reward – more than anything other”

[Ibn Qayyim, Qasida Nu-numia, page 180]

Shaykh al-‘Alawi al-Maliki writes:

“Some people have wrongly interpreted what Imam Malik has stated. He said that, ‘I do not like people saying that I have visited the Ka’ba, or that I have visited our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave.’The answer to this is that Imam Malik did not say, ‘Do not visit our Prophet’s grave.’ He did not like the word ‘ziyara’ as Ibn Rusan al-Maliki said that the word ziyara [visit] is used when addressing ordinary deceased, so this is not suitable for our Prophet”

[al-‘Alawi al-Maliki, Shifa al-Fawar, page 130]

Hafiz al-‘Asqalani writes:

“The scholars have said, ‘How can Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya say that it is haram to visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave?’.In this instance the scholars have really rebuked Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya. And on this saying of Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya it created a lot of disagreement between the Umma as all the scholars agree unanimously that it is permitted to travel to visit our Prophet’s grave. The evidence Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya gave was of Imam Malik saying that he did not like people saying that he has visited our Prophet’s grave. However, the Maliki scholars have cleared this by saying that Imam Malik did not like the word ziyara being used. He was not against the actual visiting of the grave. Imam Malik knew that visiting our Prophet’s grave is the best sort of worship you can do to become closer to Allah Most High. And he also knew that the whole of the Umma is together on this issue”

[al-‘Asqalani, Ibn Hajar., Fath al-Bari, chapter on ‘al-Masajid’]

Qadi Shawkani says:

“There are a lot of different fatwas on visitin
g our Prophet’s grave.It is permitted by the majority of them. In the eyes of the Malikis and some of the others, it is wajib to visit; to the Hanafis it is very close to being wajib. And yet, Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya says it is not permitted to travel to visit the grave intentionally.Some of the Hanbali scholars have rebuked Ibn Taymiah on this”

[Qadi Shawkani, Nayl al-Awtar, chapter on ‘Hajj’]

From all this we can say it is permitted to travel with the intention to visit our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave.Only Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya and some people are against it, so we cannot follow Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya’s saying, but to follow the great majority of the scholars of our Umma.

I pray that AllahMost High take all the Muslims to Makka and Madina, and that on the Day of Judgement they may get help and intercession from our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) .Amin.