Various issues relating to graves

 Making graves elevated

 

Making a grave (qabar in Urdu) higher than a hand-breadth is Mustahab (commendable).  Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abu Bakr (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with them) says:

 

Translation of Hadith: I have seen the grave of Hadhrat Uthman bin Maz'oon.  It was (i.e. elevated) (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, Vol. 3, Kitab Ul Janaaiz, Pg. No: 216)

 

Also, the graves of Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar and the martyrs of Uhud were high, as given in various Hadith in Kanz Ul Ummal.  There is a Hadith in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba:

 

Translation of Hadith: I have seen the graves of the martyrs of Uhud high like the hump of a camel.  (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, Vol. 7, Pg. No: 342, Hadith No. 11858).

 

There is another Hadith in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba:

 

Translation of Hadith: Hadhrat Khalid Bin Abu Uthman narrates from a person, who says: I saw a few days after the demise of Hadhrat Abdullah Bin Umar that his grave was built high.

 

This shows that keeping the grave high and elevated is Mustahab as per the Shariah.

 

There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari:  Hadhrat Sufyan Tamaar (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with him) said:  I have seen the blessed grave of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as elevated as the hump of a camel.  (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Ul Janaaiz, Hadith No. 1325)

 

Placing green twigs on the grave

 

What you have heard is correct.  This Sahabi (companion of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)) is Hadhrat Buraidah Aslami (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with him) who had willed that 2 green twigs be placed on his blessed grave.  This Hadith is present in Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 1, Pg. No: 181.

 

Translation of Hadith: Hadhrat Buraidah Aslami (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with him) willed that 2 green twigs be placed on his grave.

 

Imam Bukhari (May Allah Ta’ala shower His mercy on him) has mentioned this Hadith in Kitab Ul Janaaiz and deduced the ruling on placing green twigs on the grave.  Thus, he named this chapter "Babul Jareedi 'Alal Qabri" (placing (green) twigs on the grave)

It is well known among the Muhaddithin (the Hadith-experts) that the Ijtihad (deductions and/or opinion) of Imam Bukhari is expressed in the names of the chapters of Sahih Bukhari.  The name of the chapter is his opinion and position on that issue and he makes deductions to prove/support the ruling on the particular issue.

 

Correct manner of visiting graves

 

Included among the manners of visiting graves is that one should enter from the feet side of the grave and stand in such a way that one's face should be before the deceased and the Qiblah at the back.  Then one should greet the deceased with ""Salaam."  In the light of the Hadith it is permissible to recite the Holy Quran at the grave and the Fatwa is on this only.  Fatawa A'alamgiri, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 350.

 

Shaykh Ibn Ul Hummam has also said that if one recites Surah Ikhlaas (Qul Huwallahu Ahad) 11 times and gift the reward (Isaal-e-Sawab) to the deceased, then that person will get the reward equal to the number of the deceased.  (Dara Qutni, Miraqil Falah Ma'a Haashiya Al Tahtahawi, Pg. No. 622, Nur Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 201)

 

Performing Sajdah to the grave, performing Tawaf of them, etc. are not correct and it is highly objectionable to do things which are not allowed by the Shariah.  (Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His mercy on him), Mawaaiz-e-Hasana)

 

Kissing the grave

 

The Fuqaha (Islamic Law experts) have ruled that kissing the graves of one’s parents and that of Saints is permissible (Jayaz), as given in Fatawa A’alamgiri, Al Fasl ul Ula, Al bab us Sadis ‘Ashr

 

Sahabah would kiss the grave of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

 

There is a Hadith in Musnad Imam Ahmed, Mustadrak ‘Alas Sahihain, Majma Uz Zawaaid, Subul Ul Huda War Rashad, etc.

 

Translation of Hadith:  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Dawood Bin Saleh (May Allah be well pleased with them), he said that once Marwan saw that a person had kept his face on the blessed grave of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Marwan asked: What are you doing?  When he went forward, he saw that that person was Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with him).  He said: Yes! I have come to pay my respects to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), I have not come to any piece of stone.  I have heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) saying: You don’t cry over the Deen when a person fit for it rules over it, however, you may cry over Deen when somebody not fit for it rules over it. 

 

(Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith No. 24302,

 

Mustadrak ‘Alas Sahihain, Hadith No. 8717,

 

Majma Uz Zawaaid, Hadith No. 5845,

 

Subul Ul Huda War Rashad, Vol. 12, Pg. No. 398)

 

Is Ziyarah of graves permissible

 

Visiting graves is Mustahab (commendable) by consensus.  It softens the heart.  It is given in the Hadith: 

 

Profusely reflect on death, which dissipates the pleasures (of the flesh).  This is carried out by visiting graves and visiting graves becomes a means of Du'a and prayers of forgiveness.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has ordered the Ummah to visit graves as given in the Hadith of Sahih Muslim:

 

It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Ibn Buraidah (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) and he narrates on the authority of his father that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  I had forbidden you to visit graves.  Now you visit them.

 

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2305; Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 2816, 3212; Sunan Nasai, Hadith No. 558, 2005, 5559; Mustadrak 'Alas Sahihain, Hadith No. 1334; Musannaf Abdur Razzaq, Hadith No. 6708; Musnad Imam Ahmad Bin Hambal, Hadith No. 21974, 4092, 21880, 21925, 21939; Sunan Sughra Lil Baihaqui, Hadith No. 1177; Sunan Kubra Lin Nasai, Hadith No. 2159, 4518, 5162; Sunan Kubra Lil Baihaqui, Kitab Ul Janaaiz, Hadith No. 7444, 7460; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, Hadith No. 145; Al Matalib Ul A'aliyya, Hadith No. 922; M'ojam Ausat Tabarani, Hadith No. 2812, 3083, 6583, 880; M'ojam Kabeer Tabarani Hadith No. 1403, 11487; Sh'uabul Iman of Imam Baihaqui, Hadith No. 8981; Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 5391, 5400, 5390; Majma Uz Zawaaid, Vol. 3, Pg. No. 58; Kanz Ul Ummal, Hadith No. 12264)

 

The command of visiting graves included both men and women without any limitation of time period, place, etc.  The word "Visit them" abrogates the earlier command of it being forbidden.  As related by Hadhrat Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlwi (May Allah Ta'ala shower His mercy on him) in Ash'atul Lam'iaat, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 764.

 

There is a Hadith:

 

It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  I had forbidden you to visit graves, now visit them as they make you pious in this world and remind you of the hereafter.  (Jame' Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 974, Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 112)

 

It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) visited the grave of His mother……………  He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Visit graves, as they remind you of death.  (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 314; Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Pg. No. 112)

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Sa'eed Khudri (May Allah Ta'ala be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  I had forbidden you to visit graves.  Now visit them, as there is warning and admonition in it.  (At Targhib Wat Tarhib, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 357)

 

In the mentioned Hadith, 4 benefits of visiting graves have been mentioned:

 

1.  Remind one of death.

2.  Remind one of the hereafter.

3.  Serve as a warning.

4.  Make one pious.

 

Be it the graves of the common people or the graves of the Auliya, as per what the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said these 4 benefits are gained from all of them, but through visiting the graves of Auliya and the elders, the human being acquire piety, as benefits of the world and the hereafter are gained through them.  For this reason, the Fuqaha (jurists) have clarified this in their works.

 

Doing Sajdah to the grave

 

Visiting graves (Ziyarat-e-Quboor) is a Sunnah.  Visiting graves of the Auliya (saints) leads to even more blessings.  However, Sajdah (prostration) is only for the Lord Almighty Allah Ta'ala.  Prostrating before the creation is forbidden (Haraam).  If you really prostrate to the graves, please stop doing it, don’t ever do anything which is forbidden in the Shariah.  The Auliya also don’t like it.