بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah alone, and may He exalt our Last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, bless him and his family, Companions, and all who follow him rightly until the Last Hour.

You are reading link-30 online.

Introduction

We all know from the fiṭrah (the default understanding placed by Allāh in every human being) that asking help, assistance, or requesting anything from anyone while they are buried in the grave, whether they are prophets, messengers, or awliyāʾ of Allāh, is completely against the fiṭrah. It is major shirk-kufr with Allāh. This is something well-known (maʿrūf), well-established, and clearly understood in the fundamental teachings of Islām.

Yet, despite this being so clear, extreme Sufis such as Barelvi-Sufis, and also extreme Shīʿah groups such as the Rāfiḍah, continue to search for ways to justify this major shirk with Allāh. They take any narration they come across and try to use it as a proof, even when the meaning is completely clear and cannot support what they claim.

In reality, a person does not even need to go into long debates or study detailed arguments from the people of bidʿah. The matter itself is clear. You do not need to examine the so-called proofs of those who justify asking help, assistance, miracles, duʿāʾ, healing, protection, or intercession from people who are in the grave.

Even with something so clear and self-evident, we still find people trying to defend and justify what is clearly major shirk and major kufr with Allāh. This is exactly why this topic must be explained clearly, so that the truth remains clear and confusion is removed.

This article is a clear refutation of the claim that it is permissible to seek help, assistance, duʿāʾ, or intercession from the last Prophet Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after his worldly death at his grave. Some groups, especially extreme Sufis such as Barelvi-Sufis and others, try to justify this belief by using narrations about duʿāʾ for rain (salāt al-istisqāʾ), or by misusing certain stories related to drought during the time of the Companions.

However, the authentic ḥadīths clearly show that when people asked the Prophet ﷺ to make duʿāʾ for rain, he was alive in this worldly life, present among the people, and accessible to them. The Companions used to approach him directly because he was alive both physically and spiritually in this world, not in the unseen life of the grave (barzakh).

After the worldly death of the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions did not go to his grave asking him for help or requesting rain from him. Instead, they turned to the living righteous people among them, such as during the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab (raḍiyAllāhu ʿanhu), when he asked Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (raḍiyAllāhu ʿanhu) to make duʿāʾ for rain, and Allāh granted them rain.

Despite this clear and authentic evidence, some groups still try to justify asking the Prophet ﷺ or other righteous people after their death by using weak narrations, misunderstood reports, and emotional arguments to confuse ordinary Muslims. This article will examine those narrations carefully, explain the authentic position of the Companions, and clarify the correct understanding of Tawḥīd based on the Qurʾān and the authentic Sunnah.

The purpose of this article is not only to refute a mistaken belief but also to protect the foundation of Islām itself, because duʿāʾ, help, and intercession belong to Allāh alone. May Allāh guide us to the truth and protect us from misguidance.

Refuting the Claim of Seeking Help and Intercession from the Last Prophet ﷺ After His Worldly Death at His Grave: A Clear and Undeniable Refutation of Barelvi-Sufi(Extreme Sufis) Claims.

Duʿā for rain (salāt al-istisqāʾ / asking Allāh for rain) with hands raised:

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiyAllāhu ʿanhu):

“The Prophet ﷺ would not raise his hands in anything of his supplications except in istisqāʾ (asking for rain), and he would raise them until the whiteness of his armpits could be seen.”
— [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1031, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 895]

 Anas ibn Mālik (raḍiyAllāhu ʿanhu) reported:

A man entered the mosque on Jumuʿah while the Prophet ﷺ was giving khuṭbah, and said:
“O Messenger of Allāh, livestock are dying and people are suffering. Pray to Allāh for rain.”
The Prophet ﷺ raised his hands and prayed, and the people also raised their hands with him.
— [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 933, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 897]

This is the foundation in Islam that one can approach a worldly living person to request or ask him to make duʿā to Allāh or to intercede with Allāh for rain from someone who is alive both physically and spiritually in this worldly life, accessible and capable of helping and assisting worldly people, not someone who is alive in the grave (barzakh).

Remember: alive in this worldly life, not alive in the grave, which is the unseen barzakh life. Everyone is alive in the barzakh(grave) after worldly death but their condition is different according to their Imaan and righteous deeds.This is the foundation that everyone accepts.

However, the extreme Sufis such as Barelvi-Sufis, Tijani Sufis, Naqshbandi Sufis, and Chishti Sufis come with some narrations to justify major shirk with Allāh by claiming that worldly life equals barzakh (grave) life for the last Prophet Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and for other prophets, messengers, and awliyāʾ of Allāh.

Meaning, whatever the Companions of the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ asked him for help, assistance, miracles, duʿā, intercession, healing, and protection when he was alive both physically and spiritually in this worldly life, they take those ḥadīths and apply them exactly as they are to his grave life (barzakh) after his worldly death, even though the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is alive in the grave living a comfortable barzakh life but not present physically and spiritually in this world.

No one can see him, no one can meet him in this world, and no one has access to him. Rather, people go to their imams to ask fatwā (rulings) and learn from their scholars, even though Allāh said:

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith until they make you (O Muhammad ﷺ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept them with full submission.”
— Qur’ān 4:65

So if we take this verse exactly as it is according to the Barelvi-Sufis, then no one goes to the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ physically or approaches him directly in this world, nor can anyone approach his grave for judgment. This is how they try to justify major shirk-kufr with Allāh using a corrupted understanding, heart, and mind.

Major shirk corrupts a person’s heart, soul, mind, and body. May Allāh protect us.

We clearly see in the established authentic ḥadīth that when people requested duʿā for rain from the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, he was accessible to people around him. He was alive both physically and spiritually in this worldly life. He was not in the grave.

But after the worldly death of the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions did not go to the grave of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to ask him or to request rain from him.

Authentic proof from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (time of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb)

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (raḍiyAllāhu ʿanhumā) said:

“Whenever drought occurred, ʿUmar ibn al‑Khaṭṭāb would ask al‑ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al‑Muṭṭalib to supplicate for rain. He would say:
‘O Allāh, we used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to supplicate for us, and You gave us rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ, so grant us rain.’
And they would be given rain.”
— Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1010

👉 This is clear evidence that the Companions turned to the living, not the grave of the last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, for asking help, assistance, and intercession.

But the Barelvi-Sufis and others who are upon incorrect ʿaqīdah(Imaan) bring narrations to laymen so that ordinary Muslims think they have proof. Even though it is from fiṭrah (the default natural understanding) for every human being that asking anything from people in the grave is major shirk-kufr with Allāh.

This is well-established and self-evident. You do not have to study in detail. Even the kuffār who do not display Islam outwardly understand this clearly. Still, these extreme Sufis and misguided imams bring anything to cause confusion in the religion (Islam).

Example: ilyas Qadri and the narration he mentions in his book

For example, Misguided Head of Dawate-islami, Madani channel pakistan “Iliyash Qadri” barelvi-sufi mention in his book “Miracelous wonders of Ali” , get the book here from their official site: Karamaat e Sher e Khuda link: https://www.dawateislami.net/bookslibrary/en/miraculous-wonders-of-sayyiduna-ali/ in pdf page 53 at the end that:

“The Holy Prophet helped after his apparent demise.”

He quotes the narration from Imām Ibn Abī Shaybah:

Once there was a drought during the time of Sayyidunā Fārūq-e-Aʿẓam. A person visited the holy shrine of the Prophet ﷺ and said:

“Yā RasūlAllāh! Pray for rain as people are starving to death.”

The Prophet ﷺ appeared in his dream and said:

“Convey my salām to ʿUmar and inform him that the rain will fall.”
— Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah

It is also mentioned that this person was the Companion Sayyidunā Bilāl bin Ḥārith, and Ibn Ḥajar al‑ʿAsqalānī said: “This is narrated by Imām Ibn Abī Shaybah with correct authorities.” — Fatḥ al‑Bārī

End

Note: We’ll discuss later about the principal, when some Muhaddith declare Hadith to be correct, it doesn’t make it correct automatically because it has to be checking according to usool of hadith. As for now let’s focus on story and what these extreme sufis claim to justify their major shirk-kufr with Allah.

And similarly, many extreme Sufis such as Barelvi-Sufis, Chishti Sufis, and Naqshbandi Sufis quote this same narration to justify major shirk-kufr with Allāh on the internet space through social media channels like youtube, facebook, instagram and websites.

Now let's discuss this issue even though it is maroof (well known) in Islam that asking for help, assistance, duʿā, intercession, healing, and protection from those prophets, messengers, and awliyāʾ of Allāh who are in the grave living the barzakh life is major shirk-kufr with Allāh, and there is no need to even look into the ahlul-bidʿah wal-ḍalāl made-up proofs based upon corrupt intellect..

The Story of the Man Asking Rain from Last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at His Grave – Analyzed

There are a few weak stories and reports related to the so-called incident of a man asking for rain from Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ at his grave. Groups like the extreme Sufis (Barelvis) use this to justify asking for help, intercession, dua and assistance from the Last Prophet ﷺ after his worldly death.

We will discuss this issue in detail later, but in short, the narration is often misused. The man in question was Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith al-Muzanī (رضي الله عنه). If you look carefully at the context of the hadith, you will clearly see that what Barelvi-Sufis claim is not true and not applicable.

For example, Misguided Head of Dawate-islami, Madani channel pakistan “Iliyash Qadri” barelvi-sufi mention in his book “Miracelous wonders of Ali” , get the book here from their official site: Karamaat e Sher e Khuda link: https://www.dawateislami.net/bookslibrary/en/miraculous-wonders-of-sayyiduna-ali/ in pdf page 53 at the end that:

The Holy Prophet helped after his ‘apparent demise’.
Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ, the respected teacher of Sayyidunā Imām Bukhārī ۡ   , has said:

Once there was a drought during the time of Sayyidunā Fārūq-e-A’ẓam. A person visited the holy shrine of the Noble Prophet  ٖ     and said,

‘Yā Rasūlallāĥ  ٖ    ! Pray for rain as people are starving to death.’

The Blessed Prophet  ٖ     appeared in his dream and said,

‘Convey my Salām to ‘Umar and inform him that the rain will fall.’

(Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, vol. 7, p. 482, ḥadīth 35)

That person was the Companion Sayyidunā Bilāl bin Ḥāriš.

Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Ḥajar ‘Asqalānī ۡ ہ  said:

‘This is narrated by Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ with correct authorities.’

(Fatḥ al-Bārī, vol. 3, p. 430, Taḥt al-Ḥadīth 1010)

End of speech

Bilāl ibn al-Ḥāriš al-Muzanī (رضي الله عنه) is not the same as Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ (Bilāl al-Ḥabashī), the famous black Companion. Here’s the distinction clearly:

1. Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ (Bilāl al-Ḥabashī)

• He was of Ethiopian descent (black).
• Known as the first muezzin (caller to prayer, adhān).
• Famous for his steadfastness under persecution in Makkah.
• Died in Madinah and is unrelated to the rain incident.

2. Bilāl ibn al-Ḥāriṣ al-Muzanī

• From the Muzanī tribe, not Ethiopian.
• Known for the drought/istiqāʾ (rain) incident during ʿUmar’s time.
• His significance is in the narration about asking ʿUmar to pray for rain, which grave-worshippers sometimes misuse.

✅ So they are two completely different Companions with different tribes, roles, and stories.

All the related narratons(hadiths) mentioned in The Story of  Mālik al-Dār -  Man Asking Rain from Last Prophet ﷺ at His Grave.

Narrations Mentioned

1. Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah
 Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ, the respected teacher of Sayyidunā Imām Bukhārī, has said:

Once there was a drought during the time of Sayyidunā Fārūq-e-A’ẓam. A person visited the holy shrine of the Noble Prophet ﷺ and said:
“Yā Rasūlallāh ﷺ! Pray for rain as people are starving to death.”
The Blessed Prophet ﷺ appeared in his dream and said:
“Convey my Salām to ʿUmar and inform him that the rain will fall.”
(Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, vol. 7, p. 482, ḥadīth 35)

That person was the Companion Sayyidunā Bilāl bin Ḥāriṡ (رضي الله عنه).

Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī said:

“This is narrated by Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ with correct authorities.”
(Fatḥ al-Bārī, vol. 3, p. 430, Taḥt al-Ḥadīth 1010)

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2. Mālik al-Dār (Treasurer of ʿUmar)
It is related from Mālik al-Dār that the people suffered a drought during the khilāfah of ʿUmar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said:

“O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for verily they have perished.”

After this the Prophet ﷺ appeared to him in a dream and said:

“Go to ʿUmar and give him my salām, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

The man went and told ʿUmar, who replied:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

(*al-Muṣannaf of Ibn Abī Shaybah; quoted also by Barelvi misguided scholar ilyās Qādrī in his “Miraculous Wonders of ʿAlī book” on pdf page 53-54 link of the book from their official site: Karamaat e Sher e Khuda link: https://www.dawateislami.net/bookslibrary/en/miraculous-wonders-of-sayyiduna-ali/ )

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3. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (d. 463 AH) in al-Istīʿāb fī Maʿrifat al-Aṣḥāb
 He narrates the same incident with the addition:

The Prophet ﷺ in the dream said:
“Go to ʿUmar and tell him to do istisqāʾ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and they will be watered. And tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

ʿUmar wept and said:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

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4. Abū al-Ḥasan Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Ṭabarī (d. 694 AH) in ar-Riyāḍ an-Naḍhirah
 He reports via Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه):

During the drought in ʿUmar’s time, a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for they have perished.”

The Prophet ﷺ came to him in a dream and told him:

“Go to ʿUmar, then tell him to do istisqāʾ for the people, and that they will be watered. Tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

When this was conveyed, ʿUmar wept and said:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

(Narrated also by al-Baghawī in al-Faḍāʾil and Abū ʿUmar)

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5. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (the most authentic report)
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) said:

“Whenever the people suffered from drought, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb used to ask al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to pray for rain.
He would say: ‘O Allah, we used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to pray for us, and You gave us rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ to pray for us, so grant us rain.’
And they would be given rain.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1010)

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Now let’s see repsponse in short:

Response:

1. The Rain Did Not Happen Immediately

When Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه) asked at the grave, rain did not immediately fall. Rather, what happened next shows that the Prophet ﷺ did not grant rain directly.

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2. The Dream Instruction

Bilāl bin Ḥāriš (رضي الله عنه) later went home and slept. In his dream, the Last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ appeared and said:

“Go to ʿUmar and inform him that rain will fall.”
(Reported by ad-Dārimī in Sunan, 1/56)

This is important: the Prophet ﷺ did not say in the dream, “I will ask Allah for rain” or “I will make duʿāʾ for you or I will intercede for you.”

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3. Other Reports (Be Clever, Be Clever)

In some other reports of the same incident, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said in the dream:

“Be clever, be clever, be clever.”

Meaning: Do not think wrongly, do not depend on what is not legislated, but follow the correct way.

Full hadith:

It is related from Malik al-Dar, `Umar’s treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the time of `Umar (his khilafah), whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said: “O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished,” after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: “Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!” The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: “O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!”

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4. No Direct Duʿāʾ from the Last Prophet ﷺ After Death

The Prophet ﷺ in the dream did not say:

• “I will help you.”
  
• “I will make duʿāʾ to Allah for you.”
  
• “I will ask Allah for rain on your behalf.”
• “I will intercede with Allah for rain on your behalf”.
  

Rather, he instructed the man to go to ʿUmar (the khalīfah at that time) and tell him to seek rain.

Imam Ibn Abd al Bar al Maliki in his book “al Isti’ab fi ma’rifat al As-hab”:

The people suffered a drought during the time of ‘Umar (his khilafah), whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and said:”O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished,” after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: “Go to ‘Umar and tell him to do istisqa’ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and that they will be watered. And tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!” So, the man went and told ‘Umar, and Umar cried and said “O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!”

Prophet peace be upon him did not help him, rather He said (in his dream)“Go to Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered.” while the narration quoted by Ibn Abdul Barr in “al Isti’ab fi ma’rifat al As-hab” chapter of Umar states
إِيتِ عُمَرَ فَمُرْهُ أَنْ يَسْتَسْقِي لِلنَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ سَيُسْقَوْنَ،
“Go to ‘Umar and tell him to do istisqa’ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and that they will be watered.”

and Ahmad Abdullah at Tabari in his book ar Riyadh an Nadhirah fi Manaqib al Ashara says the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him:
أئت عمر فمره أن يَسْتَسْقِي لِلنَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ سَيُسْقَوْنَ
“Go to ‘Umar and tell him to do istisqa’ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and that they will be watered.” [Note the arabic of these words are also mentioned by sufi Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed in his response to this narration with the name of “The Blazing Star” page 132 without quoting the translation see the book here online: ENGLISH BOOK: The Blazing Star in defence of a narration from Malik Al Dar By Dr. Abul Hasan Hussain Ahmed | PAGES: 443 : mrehan : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive]

And we know when Allah helped Sahaba?, it was not when the unknown person asked Prophet peace be upon him to ask Allah rather it was when Umar bin al-Khattab prayed to Allah and also asked from Abbas ra to invoke Allah.

They also say Bilal bin Harith al Muzni asked help from the Prophet peace be upon him at his grave in drought.

But they failed to realize that when Bilal came to Umar ibn al Khattab ra and informed him about his dream, Umar asked people to gather for Salaat al Istesqa. And when people gathered, They said:
صدق بلال، فاستغثت الله تعالى والمسلمون
Bilal said the truth, You should ask ALLAH for the help and the Muslims (ask help from Muslims to ask Allah). [al Muntazim fe Tareekh al Mamlook 4/250]

Note: These narrations are not authentic at all, but this is in response to sufis who quote the half of these narrations to prove their shirk. The authentic narration is mentioned in Sahih al Bukhari which states:

Narrated Anas: Whenever drought threatened them, ‘umar bin Al-Khattab, used to ask Al-abbas bin ‘Abdul Muttalib to invoke Allah for rain. He used to say, “O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask his uncle to invoke You for rain. O Allah ! Bless us with rain.” And so it would rain. (Bukhari Book #17, Hadith #123)

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5. Instruction to Ask ʿUmar, Not the Prophet ﷺ

When we collect all the similar reports, we find the message is consistent:

• “Go to ʿUmar and ask him to pray to Allah for rain.”
  
• In al-Istīʿāb of Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, the Prophet ﷺ is reported as saying:
  
  “Go to ʿUmar, for he will pray to Allah for you.”

This is very clear. The Prophet ﷺ redirected the matter to a living person to make duʿāʾ, not to himself after his worldly death.

Ahmad Abdullah at Tabari (d. 694 ) in his book “ar Riyadh an Nadhirah fi Manaqib al Ashara”:Anas bin Malik narrated:

The people suffered drought during Umar’s time, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and said: “O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your community, for verily they have but perished,”, he said so the Messenger of Allah came to him in a dream and told him “Go to ‘Umar then tell him to do istisqa’ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and that they will be watered. And tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!” So, the man went and told ‘Umar, and Umar cried and said “O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!”. narrated by al Baghawi in al fada’il and Abu Umar.

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6. The Authentic Report in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

This is supported by a sound hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) said:

“Whenever the people suffered from drought, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb used to ask al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to pray for rain. He would say: ‘O Allah, we used to ask our Prophet to pray for us, and You gave us rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet to pray for us, so grant us rain.’ And they would be given rain.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1010)

👉 This is the decisive proof: After the Prophet’s worldly death, the Companions did not go to the grave. They asked the living al-ʿAbbās to make duʿāʾ.

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7. The Result

Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه) then went to ʿUmar and informed him of the dream. ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) wept and said:

“O Allah, I do not fail except in what I am unable.”

Then he prayed for rain, and Allah sent it.

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8. No Evidence of Grave-Asking

Notice:

• The man did not claim that he stood at the grave and got rain directly or immediately.
  
• The hadith only shows he saw a dream and he informed ʿUmar Frooqe Azam bin Khattab radiallhuanhu.
  
• ʿUmar approved the dream only because it agreed with the sunnah of turning to the living for duʿāʾ, not to the grave of last prophet Muhammad ﷺ .

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9. Misuse by Barelvi-Sufis

• Past scholars like Ibn abi-Shaybah and others like Imam ibn Hajar in Fath ul-bari considered the narration acceptable in its chain, but they did not say it proves calling on the Prophet ﷺ at his grave.
  
• Imām al-Albānī declared it weak in his book at-Tawassul: Anwāʿuhu wa Aḥkāmuhu, and explained in detail why it is weak hadith and cannot be used as evidence.
  
• The Barelvi-Sufis quote only the first part (“the man went to the grave”), but they deliberately hide the continuation (that the Prophet ﷺ told him to go to ʿUmar to ask for rain).
  
• Their aim is to justify grave-worship and major shirk, but the full narration refutes their claim.
  

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10. Final Conclusion

• The Prophet ﷺ himself redirected the man to ʿUmar.
  
• Authentic sunnah shows Companions asked living people like al-ʿAbbās, not the the last Propeht Muhammad peace be upon him at his grave.
  
• Qurʾān and Sunnah forbid duʿāʾ to other than Allah:
  

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek help, seek help from Allah.”
(Sunan at-Tirmidhī, 2516; graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ)

✅ Therefore, this narration, when fully studied, is actually proof against grave-worshippers like extreme sufis such as barelvi-sufis, tijani-sufis, naqshabandi-sufis and chisti sufis, not proof for them. It confirms that duʿāʾ is only to Allah, and that tawassul(Wasilah) is through the living righteous, not from the prophets and awaliyah(close friends of Allah) after their worldly death.

Now let’s repeat in more detail:

All the related narratons(hadiths) mentioned in The Story of  Mālik al-Dār -  Man Asking Rain from Prophet ﷺ at His Grave & its Analysis

Narrations Mentioned

1. Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah
 Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ, the respected teacher of Sayyidunā Imām Bukhārī, has said:

Once there was a drought during the time of Sayyidunā Fārūq-e-A’ẓam. A person visited the holy shrine of the Noble Prophet ﷺ and said:
“Yā Rasūlallāh ﷺ! Pray for rain as people are starving to death.”
The Blessed Prophet ﷺ appeared in his dream and said:
“Convey my Salām to ʿUmar and inform him that the rain will fall.”
(Musannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, vol. 7, p. 482, ḥadīth 35)

That person was the Companion Sayyidunā Bilāl bin Ḥāriṡ (رضي الله عنه).

Sayyidunā Imām Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī said:

“This is narrated by Imām Ibn Abī Shaybaĥ with correct authorities.”
(Fatḥ al-Bārī, vol. 3, p. 430, Taḥt al-Ḥadīth 1010)

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2. Mālik al-Dār (Treasurer of ʿUmar)
It is related from Mālik al-Dār that the people suffered a drought during the khilāfah of ʿUmar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said:

“O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for verily they have perished.”

After this the Prophet ﷺ appeared to him in a dream and said:

“Go to ʿUmar and give him my salām, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

The man went and told ʿUmar, who replied:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

(*al-Muṣannaf of Ibn Abī Shaybah; quoted also by Barelvi misguided scholar ilyās Qādrī in his “Miraculous Wonders of ʿAlī book” on pdf page 53-54 link of the book from their official site: Karamaat e Sher e Khuda link: https://www.dawateislami.net/bookslibrary/en/miraculous-wonders-of-sayyiduna-ali/ )

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3. Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr (d. 463 AH) in al-Istīʿāb fī Maʿrifat al-Aṣḥāb
 He narrates the same incident with the addition:

The Prophet ﷺ in the dream said:
“Go to ʿUmar and tell him to do istisqāʾ (ask Allah for rain) for the people, and they will be watered. And tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

ʿUmar wept and said:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

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4. Abū al-Ḥasan Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Ṭabarī (d. 694 AH) in ar-Riyāḍ an-Naḍhirah
 He reports via Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه):

During the drought in ʿUmar’s time, a man came to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Ummah, for they have perished.”

The Prophet ﷺ came to him in a dream and told him:

“Go to ʿUmar, then tell him to do istisqāʾ for the people, and that they will be watered. Tell him: Be clever, be clever!”

When this was conveyed, ʿUmar wept and said:

“O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power.”

(Narrated also by al-Baghawī in al-Faḍāʾil and Abū ʿUmar)

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5. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (the most authentic report)
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) said:

“Whenever the people suffered from drought, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb used to ask al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to pray for rain.
He would say: ‘O Allah, we used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to pray for us, and You gave us rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ to pray for us, so grant us rain.’
And they would be given rain.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1010)

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Points of Analysis and Calrification

1. Firstly: Even if we assume the narration of Ibn Abī Shaybah to be authentic, it actually goes against those who ask the Prophet ﷺ for help from their homes, mosques, or roads, because the athar explicitly says the unknown man came to the grave, not that he asked while sitting at home or in a mosque.

2.Secondly: Even at the grave, he is not saying “O RasūlAllāh help us for the sake of Allah directly”, as grave-worshippers do. Rather, he says: “O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for rain.” This is an innovation (bidʿah) as well as major shirk with Allah.

The rain did not fall immediately, nor did the man report this incident to ʿUmar (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu). Likewise, ʿUmar never approved the man’s shafāʿah — which is asking Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at his grave by saying: “Yā Rasūlullāh, ask Allah for rain,” or “Yā Rasūlullāh, make duʿā to Allah for rain.”

Qur’ān: the āyah shows the usool. Allah said about the mushrikīn:

“And they worship besides Allah things that harm them not, nor benefit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’”
 (Sūrah Yūnus 10:18)

The wording “ask Allah for rain” or “make du‘ā to Allah for rain” is bid‘ah. But that doesn’t mean it is not major shirk. It is major shirk with Allah, because the usool(principle) is in the Qur’ān, where Allah said about the mushrik kāfir: “They say they are our intercessors.”

Those who understood from some of our Imāms like Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn ‘Uthaymīn and others, that it is bid‘ah — yes, it is bid‘ah, as I said — as well as major shirk with Allah.

This is clarified by Shaykh Ṣāliḥ Āl ash-Shaykh حفظه الله. Read more in detail here: Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh on Asking the Dead to Intercede | Bakkah.net link: https://www.bakkah.net/en/shaykh-saalih-aal-ash-shaykh-on-asking-the-dead-to-intercede.htm also read : Calling Upon The One In The Grave To Intercede With Allaah? Sin or Shirk? Ibn Baaz link: https://abukhadeejah.com/calling-upon-the-one-in-the-grave-to-intercede-with-allaah-sin-or-shirk-ibn-baaz/

And in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī it is proven that ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said:

“When the people suffered from drought, ʿUmar used to ask al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib to invoke Allah for rain, and he used to say: ‘O Allah! We used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to invoke You for rain, and You would bless us with rain. Now we ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ to invoke You for rain, so grant us rain.’ (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Istisqā’, 1010)

This shows clearly that the Ṣaḥābah did not go to the Prophet’s ﷺ grave asking him for rain or du‘ā after his death. Rather they went to al-ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه, a living person, to ask him to make du‘ā to Allah.

What is Usool (Principle)?

Usool literally means “principles” or “foundations.” In Islamic terminology, it refers to the underlying rules, guidelines, or pillars that form the basis for understanding and applying the Sharīʿah (Qur’ān and Sunnah). Just as the pillars of a house support the entire building, Usool are the foundations of knowledge and practice.

Example:

We often hear names of Hindu gods like Rām, Sītā, Hanumān, or others like Buddha, whom people worship. These names are not mentioned in the Qur’ān or Sunnah. However, the principles (Usool) of worship, tawḥīd, and shirk are clearly explained in the Qur’ān and Sunnah. Scholars use these Usool to determine what is correct or incorrect in worship.

• Principle (Usool): Worship belongs to Allah alone; asking others for help in ways Allah has not legislated is shirk.
  
• Application: Even if the name of a specific deity is not mentioned in the Qur’ān, the principle applies — worshipping anyone besides Allah is forbidden.
  

In short: Usool are the foundations or pillars upon which scholars build rulings and derive guidance from the Qur’ān and Sunnah.

3.Thirdly: Rain Did Not Happen Immediately

When Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه) asked at the grave, rain did not immediately fall. Rather, what happened next shows that the Prophet ﷺ did not grant rain directly.

4. Fourthly: The Prophet ﷺ did not help him directly. Rather, in the dream, he said:

“Go to ʿUmar and give him my greeting, then tell him they will be watered.”

In the version of Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr and al-Ṭabarī, it is even clearer:

“Go to ʿUmar and tell him to do istisqāʾ (duʿāʾ to Allah) for the people, and they will be watered.”

This shows that Allah sent relief only after ʿUmar performed istisqāʾ.

5.Fifthly: We know that when Allah helped the Ṣaḥābah, it was not by the man asking at the grave, but by ʿUmar asking al-ʿAbbās (alive) to make duʿāʾ, as in the Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī narration.

Some Sufis try to respond that this was “just to show tawassul (wasilah).” However, Imām al-Albānī mentions in his book Tawassul: Its Rulings and Types (link for free book: https://www.emaanlibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Tawassul-Seeking-a-means-of-nearness-to-Allaah-Sh.-al-Albani-1.pdf) that this understanding is not correct. The reason is that it was tawassul through the living, ʿIbn al-ʿAbbās, while next to them was the grave of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, but they did not go to his grave.

In Islam, there is a principle: you do not go to someone lesser in rank while leaving those who are afḍal (higher in rank). And we all know that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the afḍal and highest in rank.

Supporting Hadiths

The Prophet ﷺ himself taught:

A woman came to the Prophet ﷺ who ordered her to return to him again. She said, “What if I come and do not find you?” — as if she meant, “If you die?”
The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you do not find me, then go to Abū Bakr.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 5, book 57, hadith 11; also 9/89/327; 9/92/459)

👉 If seeking help from the Prophet ﷺ after his death was legislated, he would have said: “If you do not find me, come to my grave and ask me.” But instead, he redirected her to Abū Bakr, the living khalīfah.

Qur’ān Evidence

Allah says:

“If you invoke them, they will not listen to your call; and if they were to listen, they cannot answer you. And on the Day of Judgement they will disown your shirk. And none can inform you like the One Who is All-Aware.”
(Sūrah Fāṭir 35:14)

Imām al-Qurṭubī in his tafsīr commented:

“If you call them for help in hardship, they cannot hear you because they are inanimate (jamādāt); they cannot see nor hear. This may apply to angels, jinn, prophets, and devils — they will all reject what you have done on the Day of Judgement.”

Statement of a Tābiʿī

ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man entering through a gap at the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and making duʿāʾ. He said:

“Shall I not tell you a hadith I heard from my father, from my grandfather, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?
‘Do not take my grave as a place of festivity. Do not take your houses as graves. Send ṣalāh upon me, for your greetings reach me no matter where you are.’”
(*Musnad Abī Yaʿlā; al-Ḍiyāʾ in al-Mukhtārah; quoted also by Ibn Taymiyyah in al-Wasīlah and al-Iqtiḍāʾ)

Response to Grave-Worshippers

• The Rain Did Not Happen Immediately: When Bilāl ibn al-Ḥārith (رضي الله عنه) asked at the grave, rain did not immediately fall. Rather, what happened next shows that the Prophet ﷺ did not grant rain directly.
• The man never told ʿUmar that he had gone to the grave. He only told him of the dream only which hadith shows clearly.
  
• The rain did not come until ʿUmar himself performed istisqāʾ through al-ʿAbbās.
  
• If the Prophet ﷺ could make duʿāʾ for them after wordly death, rain would have come immediately when the man asked at the grave rather the man went to his house and slpet and at night prophet came in his dream and Umar radiallahoanhu confirmed it.
• In the dream, the Prophet ﷺ did not tell the man, Bilāl Harith, “I will help you”, or “I will ask Allah for rain for you”, or “I will make duʿā to Allah for you.” There is nothing of this kind mentioned in the hadith.
  
• The Prophet ﷺ guided the man (through a dream) to ask the living khalīfah.
  
• ʿUmar’s own statement proves this: “We used to ask our Prophet ﷺ to make duʿāʾ, and now we ask the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ.”
  
• If asking the Prophet ﷺ after his death was valid, why would ʿUmar leave the Prophet ﷺ (who is higher in rank) and go to al-ʿAbbās (lower in rank)?
  

Conclusion

This narration, even if assumed authentic, is a proof against grave-worshippers, not a proof for them:

• The Prophet ﷺ redirected the people to the living (ʿUmar radiallahuanhu).
  
• The rain only came after duʿāʾ by the living.
  
• Qurʾān, Sunnah, and practice of the Ṣaḥābah all show that duʿāʾ is only for Allah, and tawassul is only through the living righteous people, not through those prophets,meesangers and awaliyah Allah who is in the grave(alive in the barzakh).This is very clear in Authentic Hadith.

In the Qur’an, there is not a single verse where Allah command us or  encourages us to ask for help, intercession or assistance from the Prophets or the Awliyā’(close friends of Allah) after their worldly death. Likewise, there is no ṣaḥīḥ hadith from the four rightly guided caliphs — Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, or ʿAlī (رضي الله عنهم) — where they sought help, assitance and intercession(shafa’aah) from the Last Prophet ﷺ at his grave. In fact, we see the opposite in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, where during drought, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) would ask al-ʿAbbās ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib (رضي الله عنه), the uncle of the Prophet, to supplicate for rain, and he used to say: “When the Prophet was alive, we used to seek rain through him, and now we seek rain through the uncle of the Prophet.” This shows clearly that they did not seek aid from the Prophet ﷺ after his worldly death at his grave but from the living righteous people who is alive both physically and spiritually in this worldly life. Source: Shaykh Hasan Somali Refutes Sufi |Shaykh Abu Hakeem Breaks Down Shirk & Refutes Sufi  .

The Prophet ﷺ also foretold that parts of his Ummah would fall into shirk again, just as the nations before did. In  Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2219 Sahih, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim (2906), he said:

“The Hour will not begin until the tribes of my Ummah unite with the idolaters, and until they worship idols.” -  Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2219 Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Tirmidhi.

When I mention this ḥadīth to one of the barelvi-sufi, he replied with statements like:

“The Prophet ﷺ is talking about those kuffār, not Muslims.”

“This does not apply to the Ummah of the Prophet ﷺ who love him.”

“These are people who were already disbelievers, not Muslims.”

What the ḥadīth clearly means

The Prophet ﷺ is saying two things:

1. Some tribes from his Ummah will unite with the mushrikīn (idolaters).
2. Some people from his Ummah will worship idols.

This means the ḥadīth is speaking about people who were originally from the Ummah, not people who were already kuffār from the beginning.

Because if they were already idolaters, the Prophet ﷺ would not say:

“tribes of my Ummah will unite with the idolaters.”

The wording itself shows that:

• first they belong to the Ummah
• then they join the idolaters
• then some of them even worship idols

So the text is very clear and does not need forced interpretation.

When someone says, “the Prophet ﷺ is only talking about the kuffār,” that explanation does not match the wording of the ḥadīth.

Because if they were already kuffār, how can they join the mushrikīn when they are already mushrikīn?
The sentence itself shows a change of state, not something that already existed.

The real warning in the ḥadīth

This ḥadīth is not just talking about history. It is a warning to the Ummah that:

• deviation can happen even after knowledge
• people can slowly adopt beliefs of the idolaters

The below Hadith of Mother Aisha radiallahoanha made it very clear:

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The Last Hour would not come until the women of the tribe of Daus would be seen going round Dhi al-Khalasa (for worship) and Dhi al-Khalasa is a place in Tabala, where there was a temple in which the people of the tribe of Daus used to worship the idol.-Sahih Muslim 2906

And in another narration:

“The Day and the Night will not come to an end until al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā are worshipped again.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2907)

ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) was surprised and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I thought that when Allah revealed the verse: {It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may cause it to prevail over all religion, even though the disbelievers hate it} [al-Tawbah 9:33], that this would never happen again.” But the Prophet ﷺ replied: “It will happen, as Allah wills.” (Muslim, 2907).

This proves that shirk will occur in this Ummah, just as it occurred at the time of Nūḥ (عليه السلام), when people first began worshipping idols in the names of righteous men. Ibn ʿAbbās (رضي الله عنهما) explained that Wadd, Suwāʿ, Yaghūth, Yaʿūq, and Nasr were righteous Muslims who were honored by their people, but when they died, Shayṭān inspired their people to make statues of them. Over time, these statues were worshipped (reported in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4920, Tafsīr Sūrah Nūḥ and many other narrations).

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudree (radiyallāhu ‘anhu) said that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “You will surely follow the ways of those who came before you, just as one arrow resembles the others, so much so that if one of them entered the hole of a sand-lizard then you will enter into it.” They said: “O Allah’s Messenger! The Jews and Christians?” He replied: “Who else?” Reported by Bukhāree (3456) and Muslim (2669).

Abdullāh ibn Mas’ood (radiyallāhu ‘anhu), stated that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:

“Indeed, Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange just as it began, so glad tidings of paradise be for the strangers.”

It was said to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam): “Who are they?” He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) responded, “They are those who rectify when the people become corrupted.”

This Hadith has been collected by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and other than them from the scholars of hadeeth, and it has been declared authentic by Al-Albani.

In a narration, he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Those who rectify themselves [and others] when the people have become corrupt.” Reported by Ahmad and At-Tabarāni.

And there occurs in a report from ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Ās (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was asked: “Who are they?” He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) responded, “They are righteous people amongst many people who are evil, and those who obey them are few as compared to those who disobey them.” In another narration: “Those who hate them are numerous.”

In a report transmitted by Imam Ahmad and At-Tabarāni from the hadeeth of ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Amr (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Toobā is for the strangers.” It was said: “And who are the strangers?” He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied: “A righteous people surrounded by an abundance of evil people. Those who disobey them are more numerous than those who obey them.”

Reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (2/177). Imām Al-Albāni authenticated it in Saheeh al-Jāmi’ as-Sagheer (no. 3291)

These narrations, may Allah bless you, describe a group of individuals who are “ghurabā”. They are “the strangers”. So the Messenger of Allah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) has informed us in this hadith that indeed Islam began as something strange, and this is because when the Messenger of Allaah (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) began the call to Islam, the call to the worship of Allaah alone (the Most High) in Makkah, then only a few followed him, and they were truly “ghurabā”. They were truly strangers in their beliefs, in their mannerisms, their ways and in their appearance. They were the strangers in a society that was filled with ignorance (Jāhiliyyah). They were a group that were few in number, nevertheless, they were the people of truth (ahlul-haqq).

Imam Al-Barbahāri (d. 329H), rahimahullāh, mentions regarding Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamā’ah: “And know, that there shall never cease to be a group from the people who are the people of Haqq and Sunnah, and they are guided by Allah, and by way of them Allah guides others, and through them, Allah gives life to the Sunnah.”

These are the Ghurabā, may Allaah bless you, guided by Allah (the Most High) adhering to the Truth and the Sunnah. They are those that are guided by Allah and they guide others. Allah guides through them other individuals, and by way of them, Allah gives life to the Sunnah. May Allah (the One free of all imperfections) make us from amongst them.

the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said in an authentic narration, “The nations will soon summon one another to attack you as people when eating invite others to share their dish.” The Companions said to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), “Is it because we will be few in number on that day?” He said, “No, rather you will be great in number on that day, but you will be like the scum on top of the floodwater. Allah will remove the fear from the hearts of your enemies and cast a weakness into your hearts.” (Abu Dawood 4297, al-Albāni declared it saheeh)

In reference to the times of hardship that were to come the Prophet (ﷺ) stated, “Ahead of you are days of patience, when holding onto the religion will be like holding onto hot coals, and whomsoever holds onto His religion in that time, then his reward will be the reward of fifty men.” The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, fifty times the worth of their reward?” He said, “Rather fifty from you.” Collected by Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Mājah, Al-Hākim who declared it authentic, Adh-Dhahabi agreed and Al-Albāni declared it Saheeh in As-Saheehah (no. 494).

This is the reward of holding onto the religion in times of fitnah, when the misguided callers stand and call to the gates of Jahannam just as the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “There will be du’āt (callers) at the gates of Jahannam. Whoever responds to them, they will cast them into it.” (Bukhāri and Muslim). They call to misguidance, deviation and bid’ah ― and to the innovated sects, groups and parties. Why? Because they stand at the gates of the Hellfire such that you can’t even envision the Hellfire behind them. May Allāh protect us and keep us safe from that.

he Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “There are no people amongst whom acts of disobedience are committed, and they are able to change them, and they do not do so except that soon Allah will punish all of them”

Thus, we have been commanded to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and we do not care about numbers. What is going to happen on the Day of Resurrection? The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said in a hadith, “The nations were presented before me, I saw a Prophet, and I saw that he did not have except a handful of followers and I saw a Prophet and he had one follower, and I saw a Prophet and he had no followers.” (Bukhāri and Muslim) He (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) informed us that a Prophet would come forth on the Day of Judgment, and he was sent by Allaah to call his people to the worship of Allaah, and who listened to him? One man listened to him. Nobody else, no one else listened. A Prophet of Allaah, a Prophet will come on the Day of Judgment and he will have but two people with him! Does that affect the truth that they were upon? Does that change that they were upon the truth because you look at how many people were following him? Free is Allaah from all imperfections!

Source: Who are the true Ghurabā (the Strangers) in these times? “Islam began as something strange, and it will return to being strange just as it began…”

Therefore, today when extreme Sufis and Rāfiḍah Shīʿah call upon those are in the grave, seek help from graves, or make duʿā’ to Awliyā’ — this is the same major shirk with Allah and it is idol worshipping no doubt about it that occurred in the earliest generations. As the Prophet ﷺ said in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3445

“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Maryam, for I am only a servant, so say: the servant of Allah and His Messenger.”

And he ﷺ warned:

“Do not make my grave a place of festivity, and do not make your houses into graves. Send blessings upon me, for your greetings reach me wherever you are.” (Abū Dāwūd 2042, authenticated by al-Albānī).

The Prophet ﷺ warned against ghulūw (exaggeration) in praising him, just as the Christians went beyond bounds in praising ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (عليه السلام) until they raised him to divinity. Instead, Muslims are commanded to affirm what Allah gave him: ʿabdullāh (the servant of Allah) and rasūluh (His Messenger) — the highest and most honorable titles.

Ahmad (rahimahullāh) reported with a good chain of narration from Ibn Mas‛ood (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) which is elevated as a saying of the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam): “Indeed the most evil of people will be those who are alive when the Final Hour reaches them, and those who take the graves as places of worship.” Reported by Abu Hātim in his Saheeh. [Ahmad 1/405 (38844), Al-Albānee in Tahdheer as-Sājid, p. 23 (saheeh)], Sahih (authentic) according to Ahmad Shakir source: Chapter 20: Those who worship Allāh at the graves of righteous men, and those who ask the dead for help, and the Green Dome over the Prophet’s Mosque and his grave. Kitāb At-Tawheed.

It is reported in the Saheeh from ‛Ā’ishah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā): that Umm Salamah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā) mentioned to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) regarding a church she had seen in the land of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) which had within it pictures [of people]. So the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “When there used to die a righteous man or servant from amongst them, they would build over his grave a place of worship – and they would make in it these pictures. They are the worst of creatures in the sight of Allāh.” [Bukhāree 427, Muslim 528]. These people gathered together two tribulations: tribulation of building over the graves, and the tribulation of making pictures [of people].

Bukhāree and Muslim also report that ‛Ā’ishah (radiyallāhu ‛anhā) said: “When Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was close to death, he would cover his face with a cloth, and when it became difficult for him [to breath or he would tire] he would uncover it once again. So whilst in that state, he said: “The curse of Allāh is upon the Jews and Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” So he warned against what they had done. Were it not for that warning, his grave would have been raised – but it was feared that it would be taken as a place of worship.” [Reported by Bukhāree and Muslim]

Muslim reported from Jundub Ibn ‛Abdullāh (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) who said: I heard the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) five days before his death saying: “I free myself before Allāh from taking any of you as a special close friend (khaleel) for indeed Allāh has taken me as a khaleel just as he took Ibrāheem as a khaleel. And if I was to take anyone from my Ummah as a khaleel, then surely I would’ve taken Abu Bakr as a khaleel. Indeed those who came before you would take the graves of their Prophets as places of worship (as mosques). Do not take graves as places of worship, for indeed I forbid you from that.” [Reported by Muslim]

The Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) warned from this affair at the end of his life, and he cursed those who did it as is reported in the texts. The prayer next to the graves is also prohibited – even if there is no Masjid built there – and this is the meaning of ‛Ā’ishah’s saying: “It was feared that it would be taken as a place of worship.” Furthermore, it was not the Sahābah who built a Masjid around his grave. Every location which is taken as a place of prayer is considered a masjid. Indeed any place where the prayer is performed is called a masjid, just as the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “The earth was made as a masjid and a place of purification for me.” [Bukhāree 335, Muslim 521]

Exaggeration concerning the graves of the righteous leads to them being taken as idols that are worshipped besides Allah

Imām Mālik (rahimahullāh) reported in Al-Muwatta’ that Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “O Allah! Do not make my grave into an idol that is worshipped. Allah’s anger is severe upon a people who turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship (mosques).”

[Al-Muwatta no. 85 in mursal form; Abdur-Razzāq in his Musannaf, 1/406 from the hadeeth of Zayd Ibn Aslam (radiyallāhu ‘anhu), declared saheeh (authentic) by Al-Albānee in Al-Mishkāt, no. 750]

Ibn Jareer reports with his chain of narration to Sufyān from Mansoor, from Mujāhid regarding the verse: “Have you then considered [the two idols] Al-Lāt and Al-‛Uzzā…” [An-Najm: 19] that he (Mujāhid) said: “Lāt used to serve the pilgrims flour mixed with ghee and water (called Saweeq). So when he died, they would gather and sit around his grave in devotion.”

[Reported by Ibn Jareer At-Tabaree in his Tafseer, 22/523]

The same was stated by Abul-Jawzā’ from Ibn Abbās (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) that: “He would prepare flour mixed with ghee and water (Saweeq) for those performing Hajj.”

[Reported by Al-Bukhāree, no. 5859]

Ibn Abbās (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) said: “Allah’s Messenger invoked the curse of Allah upon the women who continually visit the graves and those people who build mosques upon them and place lights over them.” Reported by the authors of the Sunan.

[Reported by Abu Dāwood, no. 3236; At-Tirmidhee, no. 320]

Allamah Shaikh Ahmad an-Najmee said: “The term al-wathan is referred to anything that is worshipped besides Allāh, whether it be a grave or something else. It is for this reason that the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said:  “O Allah! Never make my grave into an idol (wathan) that is worshipped.” This was because Allah’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) feared that his grave may be taken as an idol or object that is worshipped besides Allah ―and he (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was the one who warned from idolatry and would strive against the people of idolatry and would become angry with those who practised polytheism.”

He(Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmi said) also said:

The difference between the innovated visiting and the polytheistic visiting of graves

The innovated visit: This is where the intent and thinking is that the worship and supplication next to a grave is a reason for the reward being multiplied and the worship being accepted.

The polytheistic visit: This is when the deceased is invoked, and needs are sought from him ―and this occurs more often with and women.

As for the visitation that is based upon the Sunnah: This is where one’s intent is to supplicate for the deceased. This is allowed for both men and women in general. ‘Ā’ishah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā) said to the Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam): “How should I address them, O Allah’s Messenger?” He replied: “Say: Peace be upon the inhabitants of this place from the Believers and the Muslims ―and may Allah’s mercy be upon those who have gone ahead from us, and those who will come later on ―and indeed we shall, inshā’ Allāh, join you.” [Reported by Muslim, no. 249]. So this is the correct position in this matter, inshā’ Allāh. End.

source: Chapter 21: Exaggeration in the graves of the righteous leads to them to be taken as idols that are worshipped besides Allah: Kitāb At-Tawheed.

Thus, the Companions and the Salaf were clear: tawḥīd means calling upon Allah alone without any partners, and shirk is to direct duʿā’, istiʿānah (seeking help), or istiġāthah (seeking rescue) to other than Him — whether from idols or righteous muslims awliyah Allah after their wordly death.

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