Habib Ali al-Jifri's Speech Translated

Jazaak Allah khayr for this valuable translation of Sayyid al-Habib Ali's dars!



as-Sayyid al-Qutb al-Imam 'Abdallah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, Mujaddid of the twelfth Islamic century, (Radhi Allahu anhu) said:



You must visit the Messenger of God, may blessings and peace be upon him, for visiting him after his death is like visiting him during his life. He is alive in his grave as are all the other Prophets. It is churlish to go to the House of God for Hajj and then neglect to visit God's Beloved for no overwhelming reason. Know that if you had come [walking] on your head from the farthest land of Islam to visit him, may blessings and peace be upon him, you would not even have begun to render thanks for the guidance that God gave you through him.



- from the chapter on Pilgrimage in "The Book of Assistance" (translated by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi, may Allah preserve him)

 

Salam,



now there is no tomb but graves are very well known by dwellers of Madinah Shareef and sunni scholars. Also names of the dwellers of Baqi are written on a huge board near the main gate by government. I've emailed the map of jannat al-baqi shareef to Brother Abu Nibras, brother please post it here for the benefit of pilgrims



[ edit : One can find the map here



http://www.sunniport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=736#736



--an ]

 

How can a believer face the Qiblah and turn his back on his Rasūl ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam?



The Qiblah, did not become the Qiblah, except on his account ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. It is due to the munificence and his looking at the sky [hoping that the Kábah is made the Qiblah] that it became so. Muslims used to pray in the direction of Jerusalem until the following verse was revealed:



And We See that you keep looking at the heavens [in expectation]; Lo! We shall turn thee towards the qiblah of your wish.

[qad narā taqalluba wajhika fi’s samā; fa la nuwalliyannaka qiblatan tarDāhā]

--

Lo! We shall turn thee towards the qiblah that you wish. [fa la nuwalliyannaka qiblatan tarDāhā]. The qiblah became qiblah, because of the wish of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. The Káabah was not given this honor, except for the wish of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



It is absolutely not correct to turn one’s back towards him. Even a preacher [khatīb] is not allowed to show his back to Muslims during the Friday sermon. Even during supplication [duáā] he is not allowed to turn towards qiblah and turn his back to Muslims; in honor and reverence of the Muslim. Is the honor and reverence of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam lesser than that of a common Muslim?



A preacher doesn’t turn towards qiblah in the Friday sermon, as respect to muslims; Should respect shown to Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam be lesser than that of a common Muslim?



Infact, there is no condition at all that it is compulsory to turn towards qiblah in supplication [it is not wajib]; indeed, it is mustaHabb to turn towards qiblah, but in any other place other than this hallowed hall.



If not [convinced yet], just pass a little further (front or back) from the blessed mausolem so that you don’t show your back to Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam under any condition – this is from basic adab. And doing otherwise is not the desirable way of presenting yourself to him.



It is necessary that you convey the salām of those who have asked you to do so amongst your friends and relatives. You should also supplicate for yourself asking anything you wish [permissible] and for Muslims and all those who say ‘lā ilāha illā Allāh’. Because it pleases RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam that you stand there and ask for your needs; for the needs and misery of this ummah has always troubled him.



Thereon, you should move a little to the right and salute his foremost companion and his closest friend, Siddiq rađiyallāhu ánhū. The companion of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam who is mentioned in the Qur’ān. If anyone rejects the companionship of any of the companions he is a transgressor [fāsiq]; except those who reject the companionship of Abū Bakr – denying which makes one a kāfir. Because he has essentially rejected the verse: ‘when he said to his companion’

[idh yaqulu li Sahibihi / 34:26]



Therefore denying Abū Bakr’s companionship is denying the Qur’ān – we seek Allāh’s refuge from such an enormity.



And then, you should salute Úmar ibn al-Khaťťab rađiyallāhu ánhū and remember their struggle and service for the religion. One should supplicate for whatever he wishes [permissible] and recite from Qur’ān, dhikr or salawāt and present it to RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam and those with him in his resting place.



One should not pass by without visiting the dwellers of Baqīý because they are the neighbors of Mustafa – many were the nights when RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam would visit them and pray for them as reported by Bukhāri and others.



Among those who rest in Baqiý are: Sayyidah Fāťimah rađiyallāhu ánhā, according to a prevalent opinion. It is also said that she was buried in her own home. But the first one is more correct since Ĥasan ibn Álī is also buried in Baqiý and he said: ‘If you cannot bury me in the rawđah of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam then bury me with my mother’.



When you enter Baqiý, you must do so with utmost respect and salute the dwellers therein, cognizant of the great honor Allāh táāla has bestowed upon them.



When you enter Baqiý, on the right is buried Sayyidah Fāťimah, her tomb is quite prominent on the extreme right. On the left, also prominent, is the tomb of Ábbās ibn Ábd al-Muťťalib. There are four other tombs with these: Sayyidunā Ĥasan ibn Álī, Sayyiduna Álī Zayn al-Ábidīn ibn al-Ĥusayn, Imām Muĥammad al-Bāqir and his son Imām Jaáfar as-Śadiq. This area is known as the area of Ahl al-Bayt [maĥallu ahlu’l bayt] and also known as the dome of Ahlu’l Bayt [is it still there?]



On your left when you enter Baqiý are three tombs of the daughters of Muśťafā ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam: Sayyidah Zaynab, Sayyidah Ruqayyah and Sayyidah Umm Kulthūm are all buried there. Also there are the tombs of the mothers of believers [ummuhāt al-mu’minīn] – all of them, except Sayyidah Khadījah who rests in Makkah, the graveyard of Hujūn. O Muslim! You should visit her too; Sayyiduna RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam has also visited her [when he went to Makkah].



And also Sayyidah Maymūnah who is buried between Makkah and Madīnah; all others rest in Baqiý. Remember your relation to them - they are your mothers.



And be mindful of the Ahlu’l Bayt, for Allāh has ordered us to love them. RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam said that loving the Ahlu’l Bayt is from faith [īmān] and disliking them is from hypocrisy [nifāq]. We seek the refuge of Allāh from such depravity.



Towards the north, further left after the tombs of the mothers, you will find two marks – though, in actuality they are three: Sayyiduna Áqīl ibn Abū Ťālib, the uncle of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Sayyiduna Sufyān ibn Hārith ibn Ábd al-Muťťalib, the uncle of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Abdullāh ibn Jaáfar at-Tayyār rađiyallāhu ánhumā, who is also a companion. His father Jaáfar at-Ťayyār ibn Abū Ťālib rađiyallāhu ánhū is the cousin of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. He [Abdullāh] is the husband of Zaynab bint Imām Áli ibn Abū Ťālib.



At the far end of Baqiý is a prominent tomb, wherein rests Úthmān ibn Áffān, the martyred caliph, rađiyallāhu ánhū. Also further north is the grave of Sayyidah Halīmah as-Saádiyyah rađiyallāhu ánhā, the wet nurse of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



Further on the right is the tomb of Saád ibn Muáādh rađiyallāhu ánhū enclosed in a small fence. He is the one whose death caused the Ársh to bestir. According to reliable reports Sayyiduna Abū Saýīd al-Khudrī is buried next to him. There is a report that it is Abū Hurayrah rađiyallāhu ánhū, but the correct opinion is that he is buried next to Sayyiduna Ibrāhīm, the blessed son of Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



Near Sayyidah Halīmah’s tomb is an enclave where the martyrs of Ĥarrah are buried. Many companions and Tabiýīn were martyred during the onslaught of Yazīd on the radiant Madīnah. Also some from the martyrs of Uĥud before RasūlAllāh śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam forbade them to be moved from Uĥud. A little before the martyrs of Harrah is Ismāýīl ibn Jaáfar as-Śādiq ibn Muĥammad al-Bāqir ibn Zayn al-Áābidīn ibn Imām al-Husayn ibn Fāťimah az-Zahrah rađiyallāhu ánhūm ajmaýīn.



When returning from the martyrs of Harrah is a prominent grave; that of Ibrāhīm ibn RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam who was the last offspring of Mustafa and the last male offspring to pass away, and with him is buried Úbādah ibn Śāmit and Saád ibn Zurārah and Úthmān ibn Mažúūn, RasūlAllāh’s ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam foster brother. It is also said that Fāťimah bint Asad rađiyallāhu ánhā who nursed RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is buried there. She is the mother of sayyiduna Áli ibn Abū Ťālib and RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam laid her in the grave by his own hands, and wrapped his own raiment as her shroud and said: ‘she is my second mother’. [ummī baáda ummī]



When you return, alongside the grave of sayyiduna Áqīl are two other graves: of Nāfiý, the freedman of ibn Úmar who is a most important link in the golden chain of transmission [silsilatu’dh dhahabiyyah] which goes: Nāfiý narrates from ibn Úmar who narrates from Úmar who narrates from RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



The second is Imām Mālik ibn Anas, the Imām of the abode of hegira, one amongst the four [well-known] mujtahid imāms. About whom, Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam gave glad tidings: ‘it is soon to pass, that the righteous shall refer to the scholar of Madinah’



And the last on the right corner of the Baqīý next to the green dome, there are three tombs: first of Sayyidah Śafiyyah, the aunt of Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. It is said that the second and third are her sisters, Arwā and Áātikah. And next to them is that of Fāťimah Umm al-Banīn, one of the other wives of Imām Álī rađiyallāhu ánhū.



You should send salutations to all the dwellers of Baqīý, the Ahlu’l Bayt, the companions, Tabiýīn, imāms and all muslims. Pray for them and seek their intercession for yourself.



If you can, recite as much as possible from Qur’ān and Yāsīn and Ikhlās eleven times and the two Muáwwaz; and gift it to the dead; it shall surely benefit them according to the correct position of Ahlu’s Sunnah and the majority of the scholars.



While you are in Madinah, recite as much salawāt on Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam as possible. Visit the rawđah as often as you can and stay there as long as you can. But without annoying or hurting other muslims. If you can go there early, you can sit by the rawđah. If not, don’t shove in to get there and trouble others – it is not permitted to do so. You must pray wherever you find a place.



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Remind yourself that you are in the blessed sanctuary of RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. This is where RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam used to stand; this is where he sat; this is where he prayed; this is where he gave his sermons; this is where he addressed his companions; this is where he received emissaries (wufūd); this is where he sometimes lay down ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



Sometimes, he laid down here after being famished, and said: ‘how bad it is to sleep in hunger’ [bi’ysal jū’ú đajīáā]. When he was offered that Uĥud would be turned to gold without any dimunition in his rank, he said: ‘I prefer to eat on a day and be thankful to Allâh, and be hungry the next to remember the poor and the miserable’. śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



The small alley between the hallowed room and the pulpit is known as the rawđah, a small part of the room was included in this area during the reconstruction of the mosque by the Ottomans - may Allāh reward them copiously.



Be eager to partake of the munificence of the relics of (āthār) of Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Ibn Úmar rađiyallāhu ánhū would seek out every place where RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam prayed to pray therein. It is reported in Bukhāri that he went out of the masjid a little further and prayed there. When the people asked ‘Why don’t you pray in the masjid, it is just here after all’, he said: ‘This is a place where I have seen RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam pray’.



Behold! He preferred to pray in a place outside the masjid for the simple reason that RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam prayed there.



Tape Time[00:43:35]

It is reported in Bukhāri that Ibn Úmar would touch the very place where RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam placed his hands on the pulpit [during sermons] and wipe it on his face and body.



Such was the love of the companions and respect for his relics. ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. If it is possible for you to enter the miĥrab of Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam without troubling others, you should try to pray there. Nowadays it is a bit on the right and much behind – the current mihrab is not the same prayed in by RasūlAllāh ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Actually a board is put there which reads: ‘This is RasūlAllāh’s place of prayer’ ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



If possible, you should visit the martyrs of Uĥud. Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam would visit them. Ĥamzah, RasūlAllāh’s uncle ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam rests there. Musáb ibn Úmayr, Ábdullāh ibn Jaĥsh, Saád ibn Rabīý and many other companions are buried there.



Visit them and ask Allāh by their grace, for prayers have a better chance to be accepted in their proximity. Also remember that it is here that Mustafa ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam was injured and his front teeth were broken, and he bled during the battle of Uĥud. ŚallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam; his blessed teeth were buried in this place too.

 

[tape time 00:29:40]



You should recite salawat as much as you can with intense love of RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam; when you stand in front of the golden gates you should be aware of RasūlAllāh’s presence. ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Be heedful that he is in front of you, he hears you and he shall answer you. ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



You should salute Mustafa ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam, with reverence and awe, and with tears flowing [bākiyan] in his presence in these words:



As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā RasūlAllāh

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā NabiyyAllāh

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā HabībAllāh

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Khayra Khalqillāh

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Aĥmed

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Muĥammad

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Muzzammil

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Mudath’thir

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Ĥāshir

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Māĥī

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Áāqib

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā Khayra Khalqillah

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka yā Sayyidī yā AfĎal al-Khalq

As-Salātu was Salāmu álayka wa álā Ābāyika wa álā ikhwānika mina’l Anbiyāyi wa’l Mursalīn wa álā Āli Baytika wa Aš’ĥābika Ajmaýīn



It is necessary to recite Salat and Salam as much as you can whilst in Madinah. Do this manifold and seek forgiveness of your Lord. Remember this is what your Lord Almighty Allāh has said:







[wa law annahum iDH-DHalamū anfusahum jā’ūka, fastaghfaru Allāh. wastaghfara lahum ar-Rasūlu la wajadu Allāha tawwāban Rahīma] And if they oppress their own selves, let them come to you [O Beloved Prophet], and seek forgiveness from Allāh. Let the Messenger seek forgiveness for them, verily they shall find Allāh the Most-Forgiving, the Merciful.



Seek pardon from your sins. Ask RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam to seek forgiveness on your behalf [yastaghfir], for HE HEARS YOU as it has been verified by authentic reports.



RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam has said that the common folk in graves can hear the living and they also reply when saluted. Therefore he ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam would say, “Peace on you, O the dwelling of believers” [As-salāmu álaykum dāra qawmin mu’minūn. If they could not hear, then why did he salute them at all?



RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is alive in his grave. All the prophets are alive in their graves as it is reported correctly from RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. He can hear the salutations of those who send them and he replies to them.



And then the Hajji should beseech Allāh with the intercession of RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. You should not show your back to the rawDah whilst you are standing there, since it is a gross and uncivil thing to do.

 

[tape time 00:25:25]



The Hadīth is reported with a clause of exception [istithnā].



It has an article of exception [adātul istithnā], the exception itself [mustathnā], and that rule from which it is excepted from [wa’l mustathnā minhu].



The article of exception here is ‘illā’ meaning ‘except’.

The exception is ‘three mosques’.

And that rule which it is to be excepted from, is not mentioned in this narration.



It is natural in Arabic that an exception is considered generic and absolute, if the rule is not mentioned. Thus it must mean: ‘It is prohibited to travel *absolutely*.’ But this is impossible, since we have to travel for jihād, for seeking knowledge, for business, and other permissible reasons. [so it is impossible to prohibit travel absolutely.]



Thus, if it is not generic [and absolute], it should be specific. In this case an exception is always made from its own kind. For example it is not correct to make an exception of masjids while discussing a matter of graves. That is an exception of masjids can be made ONLY in a discussion about other masjids.



For example, if someone says: ‘I have spoken to all brothers, except this car’. Does it sound sensible? Of course, not. How can one make an exception for a car while talking about people?



Or it is like saying, ‘I have eaten all kinds of food, except the mountain’. How is a mountain included in kinds of food? An exception can be made for only its own kind. [2]



This lexical principle is proved by the Hadīth in Musnad Imām AHmed raHimahullāh which is more precise and obvious. He reports that RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam said: ‘it is not permissible to travel to masjids to pray therein... except three masjids.’



It is necessary for a mu’min to understand that it is wrong to use this Ĥadīth as a proof to prevent visiting Mustafā ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



Infact, one of the narrators of this very ĥadīth, Abu Hurayrah raDiyAllāhu ánhū traveled to visit the Mount Sinai to pray at the place where Mūsā álayhis šalātu wa’s salām was graced with hearing the Eternal Speech of Allāh. [nāja] How is it permissible then, since this place is not one of the three masjids?



And from a šaĥīĥ ĥadīth, Mustafa ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam traveled to Qubā to pray there. It is reported that he would go there every Saturday.



RasūlAllāh went to Uĥud, to visit the martyrs of Uĥud. If it is permissible to visit the martyrs of Uĥud, what makes it wrong to visit Mustafa ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam?



An accepted principle among the scholars of ahlu’s sunnah is, that journey is correlated with the intention of travel. If someone journeys to fulfil a wājib, his journey is wājib. If they travel to commit a ĥarām, such a journey is ĥarām. And if someone travels to perform a supererogatory action, [mandūb] his journey is desirable. A journey for makrūh is makrūh; and for mubāĥ is mubāĥ.



And what is the sharaýī ruling concerning visiting Mustafa? ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Which is that mu’min who says that it is not mandūb to visit his Nabiy ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam?



It is not just desirable but it is strongly emphasized, that a mu’min visit his Prophet ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Is there any betrayal greater than this, where a believer hesitates to visit his own Prophet and keeps debating whether it is right to visit him or not?



Suppose your father is in a city you visit and knows that you are there too, would you go there to visit him or not? And what about Mustafa who is more important than our own selves, our fathers and our mothers – where is the love of Mustafa? ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.



A heart overflowing with the love of RasūlAllāh, ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam will consider it a duty to travel and visit him – ardor will drive him towards Mustafa; his heart and soul crave to stand at his doorstep, at the golden gates. [shubbakihi’sh sharīf].



When he enters Madinah, and is about to enter the Masjid an-Nabawiy ash-Sharīf, it is sunnah to pray two rakaáh in the sanctuary (ĥarām) of Mustafa ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam in the lightsome city.



Later he should enter the mausoleum [rawĎah], facing the mausoleum, facing the beloved, ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. One must enter with a heart filled with utmost awe, respect and humility. Fearing Allāh, humbled in His Presence. One should enter with utmost care, and veneration of this noble station. Aware of the great fortune [ážamati] of standing in the presence of Mustafa ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam.

 

The first draft of this speech was completed some four months ago. Call it sloth or lack of confidence, I kept postponing it. After the second review, I think it is at least presentable.



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Ĥabib as-Sayyid Áli al-Jifrī’s speech on Hajj.



Bismillāhi’r Raĥmāni’r Raĥīm



The lecture by the Shaykh can be found here: http://www.daralmostafa.com/library/mp3/haj-hali-003.mp3



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Translator’s note: this is the translation of the second half of the third part of a series of lectures by Sayyidi Ĥabīb Áli on Hajj. This section relates to visiting the Prophet šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. I have tried as much as possible to stay close to the original, though in some places it is very difficult to do justice. In such places i have paraphrased the Shaykh. My comments are in square brackets.



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starting from tape time 00:22:23



It is essential for the Hajji to intend and endeavor to visit his Prophet ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. Indeed, it is the culmination of Hajj when you stand at the door of the Beloved šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam. There is no doubt in it and we do not need any document [naSS] to believe [in it’s validity]. A Hajji who goes to such a sanctified place knows fully well that his Prophet šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is present with his blessed body in his blessed grave, and he hears whosoever salutes him; blessings [Salāt], sent will reach him. He recognizes those who stand before him, those who visit him.



How wise is it for them to come from far places, but not visit their own Prophet šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam? Verily, this is a heinous form of treachery [jafā ash-shadīd]; it is from the hardness of the heart [qaswat al-qalb]; it is because the love for the beloved Nabiy šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam has [severely] diminished [naqsi maHabbati].



It is absolutely necessary for the Hajji to visit RasūlAllāh šallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam after the Hajj if he has not already done so [prior to the Hajj].



We should say: ‘Visit RasūlAllāh’. [saying ‘grave’ of RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam is makrūh.] After all, the sole objective of going to Madīnah, is to visit MusTafā SallAllāhu álayhi wa ālihī wa sallam. The visit of the masjid is correlated with this visit [tābi`un=follows].



Correlated, i say.



Indeed, the masjid has not earned such an honor, except on his account SallAllāhu álayhi wa ālihī wa sallam. Otherwise, it would be much more preferable to visit masjid Quba![2] But RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam said, ‘Masjid al-Haraam and this masjid of mine’. He attributed the masjid to himself [nasaba].



How sensible is it consider it right to journey to the honorable masjid, but wrong to travel to visit him on whose account such an honor was bestowed? [aSl ash-sharaf] This is among the ugliest of the mistakes committed by [akhŤā’a al-shanīáh] many who are mere claimants to scholarship [mutarassimīna bi’l ílm]. We seek Allāh’s refuge from preventing anyone to visit RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa ālihī wa sallam.



The proof they bring is the Hadīth of RasūlAllāh ŠallAllāhu álayhi wa ālihī wa sallam: ‘A journey should not be made, except for the three mosques: Masjid al-Ĥarām, this Masjid of mine and Masjid al-Aqšā.’ [lā tashuddu’r riĥāl illā li thalāthati masājid; masjid al Ĥarām wa masjidī hādhā wa masjid al-aqšā.] This is a šaĥīĥ Ĥadīth reported by Muslim.



Let us consult the exegesis of Muslim by Imām Nawawī: He opines that this Hadīth does not annull visiting the Prophet in any way. This Hadīth speaks of mosques, but not of graves or visiting them. The Prophet is speaking about mosques. Imām Nawawī says that the intent of this Hadīth is: ‘There is no greater benefit in visiting any mosque, other than these three [which are special]’.



If a man swears an oath [nadhara] to pray two rakaáh in a mosque out of his city, it is not necessary for him to travel, seeking to fulfil his vow. Rather, if he prays two rakaáh, in any mosque close by, his vow is deemed fulfilled. Except, if he vows to pray two rakaáh in any of these three mosques. In this case, it is necessary for him to travel [to these mosques] so as to fulfil his vow.



For example, if he vows to pray two rakaáh in Masjid al-Harām, his vow remains unfulfilled unless he prays in Harām [Makkah]. If he vows to pray two rakaáh in Masjid an-Nabawi, he is not released from his vow unless he prays there, or in Masjid al-Harām. If someone vows to pray two rakaáh in Masjid al-Aqsā, it is obligatory for him to travel to one of these three mosques. Else, his vow remains unfulfilled.



Thus is the ĥadīth explained correctly.



Moreover, using this Hadīth as a proof to deny visiting graves is rejected by principles of both language and the canon law [sharīáh].