Visiting the Grave of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

By Sheikh Wahba Az-Zuḥaylī[1]

It is sunnah[2] 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[3] 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[4] 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.”[5]

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.[6]

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.”[7]

It is sunnah to visit Al-Baqīʿ[8] and Qubāʾ.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11]

Then one leaves facing him and one does not walk backwards.[12]

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[1] (tn): translated from Al-Fiqh Al-Shāfiʿī Al-Muyassar (Damascus: Dar Al-Fikr, 2008) p.308-310

[2] (tn) i.e. recommended

[3] (tn): i.e. to greet the masjid

[4] (tn): what is actually meant here is his face, may Allah bless him and grant him peace

[5] Related by Abū Dāwūd with an authentic (ṣaḥīḥ) chain of transmission

[6] (tn): These first two lines are found in the ḥadīth of Al-ʿUtbī has related by Imam An-Nawawī in Al-Adhkār, which is as follows:

It is on the authority of Al-ʿUtbī, who said, ‘I was  sitting next to the grave of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,  when a Bedouin came and said, “Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. I heard Allah the Exalted saying, “If only, when they wronged themselves, they had come to you and asked Allah’s forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Ever-Returning, Most Merciful.” [Al-Nisāʾ 4:64] I have come to you seeking forgiveness from my sins, seeking intercession through you to my Lord. Then he started saying:

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]

[7] Related by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim

[8] (tn): i.e. the graveyard in Madīna, next to the Masjid, where several Companions, Followers, Followers of Followers and other prominent Muslims are buried.

[9] (tn): It is recommended to pray therein due to the ḥadīth related by Imam Al-Tirmidhī and others: “Prayer in Masjid Qubāʾ is like an ʿUmrah.” Imam Al-Tirmidhī classed it as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.

[10] (tn): Sheikh Ramaḍān Al-Būṭī was asked whether praying within the expansions of the Masjid still guaranteed the same reward and his response was that the reward is the same and has been that way ever since the first expansion, and this is the consensus of the scholars.  The only exception is the Rawḍa, which has been given a special distinction on the tongue of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. One can read the fatwā here.

[11] (tn): This supplication is also found in the Adhkār with a slightly different wording:

اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلْ هَذَا آخِرَ العَهْدِ بِحَرَمِ رَسُولِكَ، وَيَسِّرْ لي العَوْدَ إِلى الحَرَمَيْنِ سَبِيلاً سَهْلَةً بِمَنِّكَ وَفَضْلِكَ، وَارْزقْنِي العَفْوَ والعَافِيةَ في الدُّنْيا والآخِرَةِ، وَرُدَّنا سالِمِينَ غانِمِينَ إلى أوْطانِنا آمِنِينَ

O Allah, do not make this my last visit to the Sacred Masjid of Your Messenger and facilitate for me to return to the two Sacred Masjids easily with Your grace and Your favour. Grant me pardon and well-being in the life of this world and the Hereafter and return us safe and sound to our homelands, free from harm.

[Al-Adhkār min Kalām Sayyid Al-Abrār (Beirut: Al-Maktaba Al-ʿAṣriya, 1421/2000), p.168]

[12] (tn): Rather, one departs in a sideways fashion towards the right. Walking backwards is only done when walking away from the Kaʿba.