Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (7/374)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

With this, our discussion of the manner of performing Hajj and ‘Umrah comes to an end. Know that everything we have mentioned is based on the evidence known to us. Nevertheless, if someone comes across evidence that contradicts what we have established, then it is obligatory to follow the evidence. This, however, is the effort of one with limited ability—we ask Allah to teach us that which benefits us.

It Is Recommended to Visit the Grave of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings Be upon Him, and the Graves of His Two Companions

His statement: “It is recommended to visit the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the graves of his two Companions.”

The evidence is the Prophet’s command to visit graves, which is general and includes the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as well as the graves of others. As for the hadith some cite as evidence: “Whoever performs Hajj and then visits my grave after my death, it is as though he visited me during my lifetime,” reported by al-Daraqutni (1), it is weak; rather, it is fabricated (2), falsely attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. For all the words of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, are true, whereas this hadith is false.

Can one who visits his grave after his death be like one who visits him during his lifetime?!

Never; they are not alike in any respect.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words, may Allah have mercy on him, is that, once the pilgrim has completed Hajj, he should undertake a journey to Madinah in order to visit the grave of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the graves of his two Companions. The scholars have differed concerning this matter:

Some of them held that there is nothing wrong with undertaking a journey to visit graves, since it is a journey undertaken for a righteous deed. The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded the visitation of graves and did not forbid undertaking a journey

(1) Reported by al-Daraqutni (2/278), al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (13497), Ibn Adi (2/790), and al-Bayhaqi (5/246), on the authority of Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). (2) See Shaykh al-Islam's discussion of this hadith in al-Tawassul wa al-Wasilah, p. 143, where he judged it to be fabricated; see also al-Sarim al-Munki by Ibn Abd al-Hadi, p. 62. Al-Hafiz likewise deemed it weak in al-Talkhis (1075).

وبهذا انتهى الكلام على صفة الحج والعمرة، واعلم أن كل ما ذكرناه فإنه مبني على ما نعلمه من الأدلة، ومع هذا لو أن إنساناً اطلع على دليل يخالف ما قررناه فالواجب اتباع الدليل، لكن هذا جهد المقل ـ نسأل الله أن يعلمنا ما ينفعنا ـ. وَتُسْتَحَبُّ زِيَارَةُ قَبْرِ النَّبيِّ ﷺ وَقَبْرَيْ صَاحِبيه قوله: «وتستحب زيارة قبر النبي ﷺ وقبري صاحبيه». والدليل أمر النبي ﷺ بزيارة القبور، وهو عام يشمل قبر النبي ﷺ وقبر غيره، وأما ما استدل به بعضهم من حديث: «من حج فزار قبري بعد وفاتي فكأنما زارني في حياتي»، رواه الدارقطني (١)، فالحديث ضعيف بل موضوع (٢) مكذوب على النبي ﷺ؛ لأن كلام النبي ﷺ كله حق وهذا الحديث باطل. فهل الذي يزور قبره بعد وفاته كالذي يزوره في حياته؟! أبداً ولا يشبهه بأي حال من الأحوال. وظاهر كلام المؤلف ﵀: أن الحاج إذا انتهى من الحج يشد الرحل إلى المدينة ليزور قبر النبي ﷺ وقبري صاحبيه، وهذه المسألة اختلف فيها العلماء: فمنهم من قال: إن شد الرحل إلى القبور لا بأس به؛ لأنه شد لعمل صالح، فالرسول ﷺ أمر بزيارة القبور، ولم ينه عن شد

(١) أخرجه الدارقطني (٢/ ٢٧٨)؛ والطبراني في «الكبير» (١٣٤٩٧)؛ وابن عدي (٢/ ٧٩٠)؛ والبيهقي (٥/ ٢٤٦) عن ابن عمر ﵄. (٢) انظر كلام شيخ الإسلام على هذا الحديث في التوسل والوسيلة ص (١٤٣) حيث حكم عليه بالوضع، وأيضاً الصارم المنكي لابن عبد الهادي ص (٦٢)، وضعفه الحافظ في «التلخيص» (١٠٧٥).