By Sheikh Wahba
Az-Zuḥaylī
It is sunnah
to visit the grave of Al-Muṣṭafā, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after
finishing one’s Ḥajj or ʿUmrah, and it is recommended absolutely. It is
imperative for two reasons:
The first is that the majority of those coming for Ḥajj or ʿUmrah travel a
very long distance to do so. Thus, to come so close to Madīna and not visit
would be offensive.
The second is the ḥadīth of Ibn ʿAdī, found in Al-Kāmil
and other collections: “Whoever performs a Ḥajj and does not
visit me has treated me harshly.” It is also a sunnah to visit
Al-Masjid Al-Aqṣā, due to the ḥadīth: “Do not set out to travel
except to three masjids; Al-Masjid Al-Ḥarām, Al-Masjīd
Al-Aqṣā and this Masjid of mine.” Thus, it is sunnah
to visit Jerusalem and to visit Al-Khalīl Ibrahim, peace be upon him, even
though doing so is not connected to the Ḥajj.
It is sunnah for the one who has made the intention to visit
Al-Madīna Ash-Sharīfa in order to visit his grave, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, to invoke many blessing and much peace upon him while on the
way and to ask Allah to benefit him from this visit and to accept it from him.
It is also sunnah to perform a ghusl before entering Al-Madīna and to
wear one’s cleanest and finest clothes.
Upon entering the Masjid, one heads for the Rawḍa (which is
between the grave and the minbar) and one prays taḥiyat al-masjid next to the
minbar. After finishing the prayer, one thanks Allah for this sublime blessing.
Then one heads towards the Noble Grave and one faces his head
with one’s back to the qibla. Then one gives him, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, the greeting of peace, due to the report: “There is no
one who gives me the greeting of peace except that Allah returns my spirit to
me so that I can return the greeting to that person.”
The minimum greeting of peace is to say, ‘as-Salām ʿalayk yā Rasūl
Allah’ (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and not to raise
one’s voice, out of etiquette with him, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, just as was the case in his lifetime.
Then one moves about half a metre to the right and gives the greeting
of peace to Abū Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, and then one moves another half
meter to the right and gives the greeting of peace to ʿUmar, may Allah
be pleased with him, saying, ‘as-Salām ʿalayk yā Abā
Bakr, as-Salām ʿalayk yā ‘Umar.’
Then one returns to one’s first position, which is facing his face,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and one makes tawassul by his
rank (ḥaqq) and seeks his intercession before one’s Lord.
One of the best things that the visitor can say after that is:
يا خيرَ مَنْ دُفنتْ بالقاع أعظُمُه * فطابَ من طيبهنَّ القَاعُ
والأكمُ
نفسي الفداءُ لقبرٍ أنتَ ساكنُهُ * فيه العفافُ وفيه الجودُ والكرَمُ
أنت الحبيب الذي ترجى شفاعته* يوم الحساب اذا ما زلت القدم
O the best to have
his bones buried in the earth,
The fragrance of
which scents that which is below and that which is above
Might my soul be
the ransom for the grave you dwell in,
In which there is
purity, magnanimity and munificence.
You are the
Beloved, whose intercession shall be sought,
On the Day of
Reckoning, whenever feet slip
Then one faces the
qibla and supplicates for oneself and for whomever one wishes from
amongst the Muslims. One also supplicates at the Minbar and in the Rawḍa, due to his statement, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, “What is between my house and my Minbar is a meadow from the
meadows of Paradise.”
It is sunnah
to visit Al-Baqīʿ and Qubāʾ.
One should also be
mindful of praying in his Masjid as it was in his time, for prayer therein is
equivalent to one thousand prayers.
One should also be wary of circumambulating his grave, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, and of praying inside his private quarters with the intention
of exaltation.
It is extremely disliked
to make one’s front or back touch the walls of the grave, and it is also
disliked to wipe it with one’s hand and to kiss it.
It is sunnah
to fast in Madīna as much as one is possible and to give out in charity to the
neighbours of Allah’s Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, those
resident and those from outside, as much as possible.
When one wants to
travel, it is recommended to say farewell to the Masjid with two units of
prayer and then approach the Noble Grave, repeat the original greetings of peace
and say:
اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلْ هَذَا آخِرَ العَهْدِ من حَرَمِ
رَسُولِ الله، وَيَسِّرْ لي العَوْدَ إِلى الحَرَمَيْنِ سَبِيلاً سَهْلَةً وَارْزقْنِي
العَفْوَ والعَافِيةَ في الدُّنْيا والآخِرَةِ، وَرُدَّنا إلى أهلنا سالِمِينَ
غانِمِينَ
O Allah, do not make this my
last visit to the Sacred Masjid of the Messenger of Allah and facilitate for me
to return to the two Sacred Masjids easily. Grant me pardon and well-being in the life of this world and the
Hereafter and return us to our people safe and sound.
Then one leaves facing him and
one does not walk backwards.
(tn): translated from Al-Fiqh Al-Shāfiʿī
Al-Muyassar (Damascus: Dar Al-Fikr, 2008) p.308-310
O the best to have
his bones buried in the earth,
The fragrance of
which scents that which is below and that which is above
Might my soul be
the ransom for the grave you dwell in,
In which there is
purity, magnanimity and munificence.’
Then he left and
my eyelids felt heavy, and then I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, in my sleep and he said to me, “O ʿUtbī, catch up with the
Bedouin and give him the glad tidings that Allah the Exalted has forgiven him.”’
[Al-Adhkār min Kalām Sayyid Al-Abrār (Beirut: Al-Maktaba Al-ʿAṣriya,
1421/2000), p.169]
[Al-Adhkār min
Kalām Sayyid Al-Abrār (Beirut: Al-Maktaba Al-ʿAṣriya, 1421/2000), p.168]
