Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (27/151)

What do the esteemed scholars, the leading authorities in religion, say about the following?

A person faces a need relating to this world or the Hereafter, then goes to the grave of a prophet or another righteous person and supplicates there for relief from his distress. Is this Sunnah or an innovation? Is it prescribed in Islam or not? If it is not prescribed, their needs may nevertheless sometimes be fulfilled. Does that make it permissible for them to do this? What accounts for their needs being fulfilled? Please give us a ruling.

Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him—replied:

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. This is not Sunnah; rather, it is an innovation. Neither the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, nor any of his Companions, nor any of the leading authorities whom Muslims follow in their religion ever did this. Nor was it commanded or recommended by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, any of his Companions, or the leading authorities in religion.

Indeed, this is not known to have been practised by any person of knowledge and religion among the favoured generations praised by the Messenger of Allah—the Companions, the Successors, and their successors—whether in the Hijāz, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, the Maghreb, or Khurāsān. It was only introduced later.

مَا قَوْلُ السَّادَةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ أَئِمَّةِ الدِّينِ: فِي مَنْ يَنْزِلُ بِهِ حَاجَةٌ مِنْ أَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا أَوْ الْآخِرَةِ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي قَبْرَ بَعْضِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْ غَيْرِهِ مِنْ الصُّلَحَاءِ ثُمَّ يَدْعُو عِنْدَهُ فِي كَشْفِ كُرْبَتِهِ. فَهَلْ ذَلِكَ سُنَّةٌ أَمْ بِدْعَةٌ؟ وَهَلْ هُوَ مَشْرُوعٌ أَمْ لَا؟ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَا هُوَ مَشْرُوعٌ فَقَدْ تُقْضَى حَوَائِجُهُمْ بَعْضَ الْأَوْقَاتِ فَهَلْ يَسُوغُ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَفْعَلُوا ذَلِكَ؟ وَمَا الْعِلَّةُ فِي قَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِهِمْ؟ أَفْتُونَا. فَأَجَابَ شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ -: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ سُنَّةً؛ بَلْ هُوَ بِدْعَةٌ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَلَا مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الدِّينِ الَّذِينَ يَقْتَدِي بِهِمْ الْمُسْلِمُونَ فِي دِينِهِمْ وَلَا أَمَرَ بِذَلِكَ وَلَا اسْتَحَبَّهُ: لَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَلَا أَئِمَّةُ الدِّينِ؛ بَلْ لَا يُعْرَفُ هَذَا عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالدِّينِ مِنْ الْقُرُونِ الْمُفَضَّلَةِ الَّتِي أَثْنَى عَلَيْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ: مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِيهِمْ لَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْحِجَازِ وَلَا مِنْ الْيَمَنِ وَلَا الشَّامِ وَلَا الْعِرَاقِ وَلَا مِصْرَ وَلَا الْمَغْرِبِ وَلَا خُرَاسَانَ؛ وَإِنَّمَا أُحْدِثَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ.