Section 3: Offering Sacrifices, Vows and Gifts to Shrines and Graves and Venerating Them

The Prophet had occluded all paths that lead to polytheism and warned against it severely. Amongst these is the issue of graves. He had established regulations, which prevents their worship and extremism with respect to their occupants. Amongst these regulations are the following:

1. He, warned against being excessive with regards to the Awliya’ (friends of Allah) and the pious ones because it leads to their being worshipped. He said: ‘Be wary of excessiveness, because those before you were destroyed only as He M also said: 4 Do not extol me as the Christians extolled the son of Maryam, 1 am but a slave o f Allah. So say (i.e. call me): “The slave of Allah and His
2. He also warned against making buildings over graves as Abu al-Hayyaj al- Asadl has said: “Should I not send you upon the errand (the like of which) the Messenger of Allah sent me? That you leave no images except that you erase it, nor an elevated grave except you level it (with the ground).'1 5 Reported by Imam Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah 6 Reported by al-Bukharl 7 Reported by Muslim
3. He also prohibited plastering it and building over it. Jabir said: ‘The Prophet prohibited plastering graves, sitting upon them and making buildings upon them.'
4. He also warned against praying at the gravesite. ' Ai’shah said: ‘In the last moments of the life of Allah’ s Messenger came, he started putting a woolen blanket on his face and when he felt hot and short of breath, he took it off his face and said: "So it is, may Allah curse the Jews and the Christians, for they build the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets. ” The Prophet yt, was warning (Muslims) of what those before them had done, had it not being for that, his grave would have being left exposed, but it was feared that it may be taken as a mosque.'9 He bH also said: ‘Verily those before you used to take the graves of their Prophets as mosques. Do not take graves as mosques, verily, I prohibit you from such.''0 Taking the graves as mosques here means to observe prayers at gravesites, even if a Mosque is not built thereupon. Any place where one intends to be a place for prayers has been taken as a mosque as the Prophet has said: ‘The whole earth has been made a mosque and purification for me.'" Reported by Muslim 9 Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim 10 Reported by Muslim in his Suhih Many people have contravened these prohibitions, and have committed these things, which the Prophet warned against and as a result have fallen into major polytheism. They built mosques, mausoleums and tombs upon graves, and made them shrines where all forms of major polytheism are performed, such as sacrificing to them, invoking their occupants and seeking aid from them, making oaths to them and so on. Ibn Qayyim said: 'Whoever tries to reconcile between the practice of the Messenger of Allah regarding graves, what he ordered and what he prohibited and what his companions were upon (in this regard), and between what most people do today,12 he sees that one is the exact opposite of the other and totally negates it, as they can never be reconciled. The Messenger of Allah prohibited observing prayers towards graves, but these people observe prayers at gravesites, he prohibited taking them as mosques but these people build mosques over them calling them shrines, contrary to the Houses of Allah. He prohibited placing lanterns upon them but these people go to the extent of placing lamps thereupon. He prohibited taking them as festivals, but these people take them as festivals and religious rights, they gather in large numbers for this as they gather for thefd festival or even ‘He ordered that they be leveled (with the ground) as reported by Muslim in his SahTh from Abu al-Hayyaj al-Asadl who said: ‘All bin Abi talib - May Allah be pleased with him - said to me: "Should I not send you upon the errand (the like o f which) the Messenger o f Allah sent me? That you leave no images except that you erased it, nor an elevated grave except you leveled it (with the ground).,l3 ‘Also in his Sahih, from Thumamah bin Shufiyy who said: 'We were with Fadalah bin 'Ubayd in Rhodes in the land of Rome. One of our companions died and Fadalah ordered that his grave be leveled and then said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah ordering that they be leveled. ”14 ‘These people extensively contradict these two hadiths; they raise graves above the earth like houses and places domes upon them. - Till he said: 12 He Ai meant during his time, the situation has worsened beyond what he mentioned. 13 Reported by Muslim. 14 i.e. without elevating it. ‘So, take a look at the wide difference between what the Messenger of Allah legislated and his objective of making prohibitions about graves which have previously been mentioned, and what these people have legislated and intended?! No doubt, this involves such evil that is impossible for one to encompass. ’ - Then he began to mention those evils, till he said: ‘Amongst these is that, what the Prophet legislated regarding visitation to graves was for the purpose of remembering the Hereafter, being kind to the visited (the dead) by supplicating for them, and having compassion for them by seeking forgiveness for them and seeking safety for them. So, the visitor to the grave is being nice to himself and to the dead. But these polytheists have reversed the situation, they turned the religion upside down and made the intention with visiting graves committing Shirk with the dead, invoking it and invoking by it, requesting it for their needs, seeking the descent of blessing by it, seeking its help against their enemies and such other things. So, they became people harming their souls and harming the dead. Had they possessed blessings, Allah -the Most High- would not legislate supplicating and asking for mercy and forgiveness for them.'15 It becomes clear from this, that presenting vows and sacrifices to graves (and tombs) is major polytheism. The reason is that it contravenes the guidance of the Prophet jfe regarding the condition in which a grave should be, such as not making buildings and mosques upon them. Since domes had been built upon them and mosques and shrines had been established around them, the ignorant ones thought that those buried in them bring benefit and cause harm, and that they aid those who seek aid from them and fulfill the needs of people who take recourse to them. Thus they presented vows and sacrifices to them till they became idols worshipped besides Allah. The Prophet had said: () Allah, make not my grave a festival visited.' 16 He did not make this invocation except that he knew something of such was going to occur. This has occurred at gravesites in several Muslim cities. As for his grave M, Allah has protected it as a result of the blessing of his supplication, although, some contraventions have occurred in his mosque from some ignorant and foolish people. However, they are unable to reach his grave because his grave is in his 15 Ighathah at-LuhJan v. 1, pg. 214, 215, 217 16 Reported by Malik and Ahmad house and not in the mosque, and is surrounded with walls as Ibn Qayyim has said 'So, the Lord of the Universe responded to his supplication and encircled him with three walls.'