BIG PROBLEM – SIMPLE SOLUTION – FOLLOW THE PROPHET (PBUH)

The Condemnation Of The One Who Worship ALLAH At The Grave Of A Righteous Man And How This Equates To The Worship Of Man ::

◔ In the Sahihain (i.e. Al-Bukhari and Muslim), Aisha (r.a.) reported: “Umm Salamah mentioned to Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) that in Abyssinia she saw a church full of pictures and statues. He (Peace be upon him) said:

“When a righteous man or pious worshipper among them dies they build a place of worship over his grave and set up all kinds of pictures and statues. They are the worst of all creatures before Allah. They combine the two evils; worshipping at the graves and making graven images and statues.”

◔ Also mentioned in Al-Bukhari and Muslim, that ‘Aisha (r.a.) narrated: “When death approached Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) he began to draw a piece of cloth (bed sheet) over his face, (sometimes covering and sometimes removing because of distress). He (Peace be upon him) said in that state:

“Allah’s curse be upon the Jews and the Christians for taking the graves of their Prophets as places of worship”, and warned the people about their actions. Had there not been any fear of making the Prophet’s grave a place of worship, his (Peace be upon him) grave would have been as open as the graves of his
Companions (r.a.).”

◔Muslim reported from Jundub bin Abdallah (r.a.) who narrated: I heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) say only five days before his death:

“I am free and clear towards Allah of having any of you as my Khalil (specially close friend). Verily, Allah has taken me as His Khalil just as He had taken Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) as a Khalil. (If not for this) I would have taken Abu Bakr (r.a.) as a Khalil. Beware of those who preceded before you. They used to make their Prophets’ graves into places of
worship, I forbid you to do so.”

◔He (Peace be upon him) forbade this at the end of his life. After this [prohibition of taking graves as Masjid (place of worship)], he cursed anyone who did any such deed within this context.

◔Prayer at the graves is one of these deeds, even if no Masjid has been built. This is the meaning of his (Peace be upon him) words “He feared (his grave) would be taken as a Masjid”.

◔The Companions never built any places of worship around his grave. Any place which is intended for prayer or where prayer is performed has indeed been taken as a Masjid.

◔Just as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “The whole earth has been made for me a Masjid and it is pure and clean.”

◔ Ahmad has reported a good Sanad that Ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) narrated in a Marfu’ Hadeeth “The Most evil men are those upon whom the (signs of) Hour (of Resurrection) comes while they are still alive, and those who take graves as places of worship (Masaajid)”.
[Abu Hatim in his Sahih also reported this.]

✍ Important Issues of the Lesson :-

✏ The warning of Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) on the one who builds a mosque to worship Allah near the grave of righteous persons even with a good intention.

✏ Prohibition of statues and likeness and the gravity of the matter.

✏ A lesson in the emphasis of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) on this. How he first explained and clarified the issues (politely), then five days before his death repeating what he said earlier, then how he found at the time of his death what was previously said insufficient in the context Prophet (Peace be upon him) strongly prohibited the turning of his grave into Masjid even before it had come into existence.

✏ It was the practice of the Jews and Christians to turn the graves of their Prophets into places of worship.

✏ His curse on the Jews and Christians for this practice.

✏ His intention in doing so was a warning to us regarding his grave.

✏ The reason for not raising his grave.

✏ The meaning of taking the graves as Masjid.

✏ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) linked those who took the graves as Masaajid to those upon whom the Hour will occur while they are still alive. He mentioned the means to Shirk before its actual occurrence along with its final consequence.

✏ The inclusion of Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his speech a refutation of the two worst sects of innovators just five days prior to his death. Some scholars have not included these two sects in the 72 sects. These sects are Ar-Rafidah and Al-Jahmiyah. The occurrence of Shirk and grave worshipping was due to the Rafidah sect, and they were the first to build Masjids over the graves.

✏ Suffering of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with pain and affliction from the agony of death.

✏ A clear declaration that As-Siddiq (Abu-Bakr) (r.a.) was the best Companion.

✏ The indication to him (Abu-Bakr) as caliph [successor to the Prophet (Peace be upon him)].