By: Jibran Kadarkhan
Source: Jamiatul Ulama
Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātu
One may go to the grave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to:
(1) visit the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
(2) request the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to seek forgiveness on one’s behalf from Allah and to make dua to Allah for one’s various needs.
(3) request the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to intercede (shafa’at) on the day of Qiyamat.
The above three are understood from the following texts:
(1) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned in a hadith;
من صلى علي عند قبر سمعته من صلى علي نائيا ابلبغته رواه البيهقي فى شعب الايمان :(مشكواة المصابيح، 87,قديمى)
Translation:
“The person who sends blessings and peace upon me while at my qabr (grave), then I hear the person giving salaam to me. If the person sends blessings and peace upon me from a distant place then it is conveyed to me (by Allah’s appointed angels).” (Bayhaqi’s Branches of Faith)
(2) Allah Ta’aala says in the Quran:
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا (4:64)
Translation:
“And had they, after having wronged themselves, come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah and the Messenger sought forgiveness for them, they would have certainly found Allah most relenting, very merciful.”
3) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) makes mention in a hadith:
– وَقَالَ لِي خَلِيفَةُ: قَالَ مُعْتَمِرٌ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: كُلُّ نَبِيٍّ سَأَلَ سُؤْلًا» أَوْ قَالَ: «لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ دَعْوَةٌ قَدْ دَعَا بِهَا فَاسْتُجِيبَ، فَجَعَلْتُ دَعْوَتِي شَفَاعَةً لِأُمَّتِي يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ (صحيح البخارى،6305)
Translation:
“For every prophet there is an invocation that surely will be responded by Allah,” (or said), “For every prophet there was an invocation with which he appealed to Allah, and his invocation was accepted (in his lifetime), but I kept my (this special) invocation to intercede for my followers on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari)
It is not permissible to make dua to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) directly. Dua is an act of worship. We only worship Allah. To actually supplicate or make dua to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and ask him to fulfil our needs is shirk.
And Allāh Most High Knows Best.
