786/92  

TRANSLATIONS OF LECTURES BY

Hazrath Maulana Shafi Okarvi al-Qadri 

(May Allah be Pleased with him)

786/92

Death And Acts That Benefit To The Dead

(Esaale Sawaab)

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 59^th Sura, al-Hashr, in Verse 10:

Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says at another place in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 10^th Sura, Yunus, in Verse 58:

After praising Allah (Hamd) and blessing His beloved Holy Prophet (Salaat), I recited two verses of the Holy Qur'aan, from different portions to you. The Khateeb of your Jamia Masjid, my revered and respected Hazrath Maulana has requested that I lecture to you on two religious issues (masalas). I will present these two issues to you and Allah willing within these much will be discussed that will reform our belief (aqaaid), morals and deeds. I request that you patiently sit with tranquil minds and listen to me.

The two issues that I have to address:

1. One of them is Esaale Sawaab. Can the living benefit, or send some benefit to those that have passed away or not? What is the method of doing this? The permissibility of going to the graveyard and reciting Fatiha and placing flowers etc. on the graves will be addressed within this issue. Allah-willing. 
2. The second issue is that we celebrate The Birth of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) with great love and faith. Is it permissible to celebrate The Birth of the Holy Prophet (Meelad Shareef) or not?

These two issues are to be addressed.

 Esaale Sawaab

I address the first issue of Esaale Sawaab. My elders and friends firstly, we are certain that we all will taste death. There are no different opinions regarding this irrespective of which school of thought, university or group one is affiliated to. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 3^rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, in Verse 185:

Death comes with the command of Allah. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 3^rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, in Verse 145:

The time of death has also been fixed. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 7^th Sura, al-Araaf, in Verse 34:

Death Is A Certainty

Allah says that when His decision is reached neither can it be delayed nor advanced. I have recited three Qur’aanic verses to you that make it clear that death is a certainty. Death comes with the command of Allah at the appointed time. At the appointed time the person who is to die, dies irrespective of whether he is in the security of his home. If it is not the appointed time then a person will not die even if he is on the battlefield where bullets are being shot and bombs are exploding. Remember, the intimates of Allah their case is elevated, exalted and different. E.g. there is Ahadith in the authentic collection of Bukhari and Muslim, the two notable collections. In both of them this Hadith is present. If anyone doubts any Hadith I quote or thinks that I uttered any falsehood then he is free to question me. Don’t spread the news that I uttered false statements after I leave. Question me in my presence. I am a responsible man and will lecture the truth to you. My aim is not confrontation but to clarify the issue properly.

This is the end of the Hadith. Let us examine the issues (masalas) contained in this Hadith. Allah has given us intelligence and reason. Let us utilize these gifts of Allah and ponder in the light of reason.

The Issues (Masalas) Contained In The Above Quoted Hadith

Firstly, when Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) slapped Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace), did Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) resist verbally or in action? No! He did not, yet it was that Angel Of Death from whose clutches great oppressive rulers and kings could not escape and up to this day none can escape. The American, Russian and other claims that they can destroy the world with their arsenal of weapons is helpless in protecting their leader from the Angel Of Death. The Angel Of Death did not resist Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) verbally or in action. This teaches us that the Angel Of Death, in front of whom all are humbled, is himself humbled in the court of the Messenger of Allah.  The Messengers Of Allah possess a high status.

Secondly, some people preach that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has no power to do anything. A teacher of Darul Uloom Deoband, Molvi Anwar Shah Sahib Kashmiri, has written a Commentary (sharah) on the Hadith compilation of Bukhari, in Arabic, called Faizul Bari Sharah Bukhari. In this commentary he writes that Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) possesses such power in his clenched fist, that one blow can shatter the seven skies. A senior teacher of Deoband writes this. If anyone denies that Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) possesses such power in his clenched fist, that one blow can shatter the seven skies, then they must call Molvi Anwar Shah Sahib Kashmiri a liar. I am only making reference to his writing.  If my reference is wrong, then I allow you to punish me in any way you will. He has written correctly. In Sahih Bukhari[2] a saying of Allah is recorded, that, ‘When I love a servant of Mine, I become his (faculty of) audition, with which he hears; I become his (faculty of) sight, with which he sees; I become his hands, with which he grasps…’ So keeping this hadith in mind, can’t that hand about which Allah says, ‘I become his hands, with which he grasps’, not shatter the seven heavens? It is the hand of the Messenger, but the strength of Allah. So my friends, I was saying that the Angel of Death, Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace), humbled himself in front of Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace). Also, is not the Angel of Death, Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) a creation of light? He surely is. So when his eye shattered, did it effect his constitution of light? Therefore, if the blessed teeth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is broken at the Battle of Uhud, his blessed body bleeds and is wounded, then it does not effect his light (nur) status.  I am drawing this parallel, for some people say that if the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has a light (nur) status then why did he bleed? I ask them, that if Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace), is nur then how did his eye shatter? The shattering of the eye of Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace), does not affect his nur status, so similarly the breaking of the blessed teeth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) does not affect his nur status. We accept that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is nur as well as the Leader of All Humans (Sayyidul Bashar). Some people only see one aspect and don’t look at the other. They see that at the Battle of Uhud, the lips of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) was wounded and he bled, but they don’t see that on four occasions the Angels opened the blessed chest of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions), removed his blessed heart and not a drop of blood fell. So they see bleeding and refuse to see when he did not bleed. So Allah has provided both proofs. The bleeding at Uhud is proof of his human status and the not bleeding on the opening of his chest is proof of his light status. They see that the Holy Prophet Muhammad used to get sick but don’t see that the soil that touches his feet becomes a cure for all sicknesses. They see the Holy Prophet herding the sheep of Abu Taalib but don’t see him leading the prayer of the Prophets, at Aqsa on the Night of Heavenly Ascension (Mi’raj). They see his walking on the earth but don’t see his stepping on the heavenly realm (arsh). They see that he is the descendant of Hazrath Adam (nasl) but don’t see that he is the essence (asl) of the creation of Hazrath Adam. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) said:

They concentrate on one aspect and neglect the other.

 Thirdly, did Allah reprimand Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) for slapping the Angel of Death?  No! He did not. On the contrary Allah reprimanded, Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace), saying that he should have interacted with Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) after seeking permission. This points to the fact that in the Divine Court the Prophets are highly respected and held in esteem.

Fourthly, after Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) slapped Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) and burst his eye he should have placed his hand on the back of a cow and Allah would have extended his earthly life by the amount of cow hair under his palm. On the contrary he allowed his soul to be removed by the Angel of Death, so why did he slap him. Actually, Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) slapped Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) to teach him the respect that should be practiced at the Holy Court of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) was in effect telling him, that, ‘this is the result of dealing with the Converser With Allah  (kaleemullah) without permission, so be careful in future how you deal with the Beloved Of Allah (habeebullah).  

Visit Of The Angel Of Death To Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, His Family And His Companions)

Allamah Imam abu Nuaim Isfahani (may Allah be well pleased with him) whose narrations are recorded in Mishkat Shareef, has recorded this Hadith in Hilyatul Awliya and Imam Jalalluddin Suyuti (may Allah be well pleased with him) recorded it in Sharrus Sudoor. When the time came to go to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) then Hazrath Israeel, approached the blessed home occupied by the Holy Prophet and the Purified People Of His Household (ahle bayt e athaar). Hazrath Israeel stood at the door and greeted, ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah! Peace be upon you, O Beloved Of Allah!’ He then sought permission to enter the house.  Hazrath Bibi Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) told her blessed father that a Bedouin is seeking permission to enter and whether he should be allowed? The Holy Prophet replied, ‘O My Beloved daughter! This is no Bedouin, it is he who separates daughters from fathers, children from parents, brothers from sisters, husbands from wives and friend from friend for he is the Angel of Death, so allow him in.’ Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) came in greeted and presented Allah’s greeting saying he was sent to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) to act in accordance with the Holy Prophet’s desire. If the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) so desires, he would remove his blessed soul or he would return. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) instructed Hazrath Israeel (may Allah bless him with peace) to remove his blessed soul. The Angel Of Death acted accordingly. Remember, we accept that the blessed soul was removed to satisfy the Qur’aanic injunction of ‘tasting death’. This act in no way affected the Holy Prophet’s functioning life (Hayaat). As he was alive and functioning prior to his soul being removed, so is he alive and functioning to this time. He is a living functioning Prophet. This is an issue of belief (aqidah). This is the belief of The People who follow the Prophet’s Sunnah and the Example of his Community (Ahl as- Sunna wa’l Jamaa’a). If anyone denies this then they are being unreasonably stubborn. Molvi Muhammad Zakarriyya Sahib, is a senior ‘a’lim of the Tablighi Jamaat, Shaikhul Hadith of Madrasah Mazahiral Uloom, Shaharanpur, India, who is very old and sickly; and currently living in Madinah. I saw him recently in Madinah after I performed Hajj being brought to the mosque on a chair. He has written a book called, ‘The virtues of Durood Shareef’ [Fazaile Durood Shareef] and another called ‘The virtues of Hajj [Fazaile Hajj]. In both these books he has written that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is a Living Prophet (Hayaatun Nabi), all prophets are alive in their physical forms, perform salaah in their graves and eat and drink. He says this belief is a consensus of opinion [ijma] and agreement of all ulama. The senior ‘a’lim says this and the juniors blurt out they don’t accept. Those who don’t listen to their seniors will never listen to us.   

The issue of The Living Prophet (Hayaatun Nabi)

Belief (aqidah) is formulated by the directives of the Holy Qur'aan and the Hadith and not by the saying of any Imam or Scholar (a’lim). If the statement of any Imam or Scholar (a’lim) is not in conformity with the teachings of the Holy Qur'aan and the Hadith then it does not warrant acceptance. Read the Holy Qur'aan, Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the 2^nd Sura, al-Baqarah, verses 154:

Here Allah is saying that we should not say that those slain in the path of Allah are dead for they are alive and we cannot comprehend their existence.

So it could be that someone would not say they are dead but think them to be dead, so Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) revealed another verse, the 3^rd Sura, al-i-Imraan, Verse 169 and 170

These two verses prove that the martyrs are alive so neither should they be called dead nor thought of as dead. If anyone says or thinks they are dead is denying the Holy Qur'aan. When the martyrs were made shaheed, were their souls removed or not? Where their bodies buried or not? Has not thousands of years passed since they were buried? Yet Allah says we should not think of them as dead. This proves that the removal of the soul from the body, or the body being buried is not proof of death or the termination of a functioning life. The People who follow the Prophet’s Sunnah and the Example of his Community (Ahl as- Sunna wa’l Jamaa’a) believe that the life of the Prophet’s is of a higher status than that of the martyrs. So if Allah says don’t say or think that the martyrs are dead then what must be the status of the Prophet’s who are of a higher status than the martyrs? How can we call them dead? Their souls were removed; bodies buried but it in no way affected their functioning life (Hayaat). I did not simply give you my analogical conclusion, but listen to the saying of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions).

   In another Hadith the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions):

This is our belief (aqidah), the prophets, martyrs, saints and true believers are alive. The levels of existence after death are of a different quality. The life after death of the Friend Of Allah (awliya) is of a higher degree than the life after death of an ordinary Muslim. The life after death of the martyrs (shuhada) is of a higher degree than the life after death of awliya, whilst the quality of life of the Prophets (ambiya) is of a higher state than the shuhada. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is the Leader Of All Prophets hence his quality of existence and interference is of the highest state and degree.

Therefore Ala Hazrath, The Imam of the People of the Sunna (may Allah be well pleased with them both), Maulana Shah Ahmad Rida Khan Qadri Barelvi (may Allah be well pleased with him) says:

This issue (mas’ala) was addressed by the way.

Time Of Death Has Been Fixed But For The Intimates Of Allah There Is An Exception To The Rule

Coming back to what I was saying. The time of death has been fixed but for the Intimates of Allah there is an exception to the rule. [Translators note: At this juncture Maulana drew the attention of the organizers of the time limitations and his fatigue due to his busy schedule] There are many incidents in my mind, but I will relate one and proceed.  Hazrath Sayed Ghaws Ali Shah Sahib Qalandar of Panipat (may Allah be well pleased with him), a great wali, Qalandar[5], and learned personality has written a book called Tazkira Ghawsia. In this he writes that in Kalyar, India at the Mazaar of Hazrath Maqdoom Allauddin Ali Ahmad Saabir of Kalyar (may Allah be well pleased with him) resided a majdhub[6], highly spiritually intoxicated (mast), who died one evening. It was the occasion of Ur’s and Ghaws Ali Shah Sahib told one of his disciples that it was improper to leave the dead body alone, since it was evening and burial could not be arranged, he should put a sheet over the body and wait till morning. After the esha salaat a gathering of Spiritual Musical Audition (sama or qawwali) was to be held, since the adherents of the Chishtia Order partake in this act. All the disciples went to attend the sama except the disciple ordered to remain with the dead body. This disciple, sitting alone thought, ‘if this person did not die, I too would have been at the sama.’ As the disciple was thinking such thoughts, the majdhub sat up and told him to go to the sama and he would die again when he returns. This is the state of the Intimates of Allah. He went to the qawwali and on his return the majdhub lay down and died. If this is the state of the awliya, then you gage what the state of the Beloved Of Allah, the Leader Of All Prophets, Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) must be. There are many narratives regarding the awliya that I have collated in a book called Zikre Jamil, collected from hadith and authentic books.

Gather The Wealth Of Faith (Imaan), Good Deeds (A’maal), God-Consciousness (Taqwa) And Pious Restraint

When a person dies, does he take anything with him? These mansions, houses, shops, factories, money, clothing cars, gold, silver is all left behind and friends and family prepare one to be buried, Eventually one is left alone in the grave. We have forgotten Allah and transgressed the laws given by the Holy Prophet, due to our yearning after these temporary delights. We should attach ourselves to Him that is Permanent and Everlasting. Gather the wealth of faith (imaan), good deeds (a’maal), God-consciousness (taqwa) and pious restraint that will help us in the grave and beyond. Accumulate the wealth of Love for Allah and His Beloveds it will help you after death. We are running behind temporary wealth and neglecting permanent wealth. Accumulate that wealth that will help in the grave and on the Day of Resurrection   Should I expound one of these spiritual wealth? It is mentioned in the Hadith that on the Day of Reckoning the deeds (a’maal), of a Muslim will be counted. The good deeds and bad deeds will be put on the scale (al-mizaan); and the bad deeds will outweigh the good. This Muslim will be in distress and he will see the Intercessor Of The Sinners (Shafi Al-Muznebeen), Mercy Of The Universe  (Rahmatalil Aalamien); The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) approaching him. This Muslim will plead to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) to save him. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) will take a little thing out and place it on the scale, on the side of good deeds and ask the angels to reassess this mans deeds. The good deeds will now outweigh the bad deeds. Delight will be seen on the face of that Muslim, who will ask the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as to what he had placed on the scale? The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) will answer, ‘it was the Salutations (durood and salaam) that he used to recite upon me.’ All the durood and salaam that we recite are being accumulated at the Holy Court of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions). The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated:

Invest in this bank of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) by repeatedly reciting durood and salaam. Whatever worship (ibaadah) and Remembrance Of Allah (zikr) you perform is being saved in the bank of Allah. On the Day Of Reckoning, Allah will reward you abundantly and the mercy and generosity of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) will envelop you. When we exhort people to send Salutations (durood and salaam) and perform the Remembrance Of Allah (zikr) they tell us they don’t have time. Yet they find time for all other activity. Make time for the real work.

Acts Performed Before, During And After Burial

When death comes, and after the bathing (ghusl) and shrouding (kafan) then the first thing that is done is the Funeral Prayer (janaaza). The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) says in a Hadith recorded in Mishkaat and in the authentic (sahih) collection of Abu Daud:

There is another Hadith in ibn Majah in which the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) says:

Therefore we ask people to try and make three rows (saff) whilst praying the Funeral Prayer (janaaza) because the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had not placed a restriction on the size of the saff. Now you can understand an issue (mas’ala). The living performed the prayer (salaah), the Funeral Prayer (janaaza); they invoked (dua) Allah, and the deceased was forgiven. So the deceased received benefit due to the deeds (a’maal) of the living. Those that oppose this are wrong. Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan, in the 59^th Sura, al-Hashr, in Verse 10:

So the deceased also receive benefit due to the invocation (dua) of the living. Dua is worship (ibaadah). The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) has stated:

In another Hadith the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) stated:

Invocation (dua) is the essence or soul of worship (ibaadah). This Hadith and the Holy Qur'aan prove that the dead benefit from worship (ibaadah) performed by the living.

 Listen to another Hadith. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) stated:

All true believers (mu’min) recite this dua in salaah as taught by Allah in the Holy Qur'aan, the 14^th Sura, Ibrahim, verse 41:

True believers (mu’min), after salaah, during the cycles around (tawaaf) the Kaaba, at the Station of Abraham (Maqaame Ibrahim) , in between Mount Safa and Marwa, at Mina., Muzdalifah, Arafat, at the Blessed Burial Chamber of the Holy Prophet, in The Mosque of the Holy Prophet, at the burial sites of the companions (sahaaba) and Household of the Holy Prophet (Ahle Bayt) and other sacred sites pray:

Many Muslims pray in the Funeral Prayer (janaaza):

Will these invocations (dua) be made in vain? No! The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) says due to the barakah [7] of the invocation (dua) of salvation performed for them by the living believers the sins of the deceased will be forgiven and erased. Those that say the prayers of the living don’t benefit the deceased seem to be enemies of the dead. Their aim seems to be to stop the living from benefiting the dead. If sincere dua of salvation and a Gift Given In The Path Of Allah (sadaqa) is distributed then Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) erases his sins. If it is done for one who is already saved and an inmate of paradise, then Allah elevates the deceased status. There are Hadith regarding this also. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) states and it is recorded in Mishkaat:

I ask the gathering, knowing that the ulama know the answer, to tell me how many levels of status are there in paradise? There are a hundred levels of status in paradise and eight doors to enter paradise. There are eight depths of hell. This is mentioned in the Authentic Collection of Hadith in Bukhari. Allah will give each one a level according to his status. So continuing the hadith I was quoting:

Prayers For The Sinners And The Saved

So we learn from this that prayers for a sinner washes his sins and if it is done for one who is already saved and an inmate of paradise, then Allah elevates the deceased’s status. Teach your children good Islamic habits so that after your death they pray for you. Inculcate in them regular habit of praying, abstinence from sin and the ability to recite Holy Qur'aan. Think! the son who is living prayed and sought forgiveness; and the deceased’s status was elevated.

When we observe The Auspicious Eleventh[8] (Gyarahwin Shareef), The Auspicious Sixth[9] (Chattie Shareef) in which we recite Holy Qur'aan, we perform remembrance of Allah (zikrullah) recite Salutations on the Holy Prophet (salaam and durood) and send the reward to the pious souls of the awliya, despite the fact that they have attained salvation due to the generosity (fazl and karam) of Allah. Due to our recitations Allah elevates their already elevated status and they become happy. This is a great act for we have not seen Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani (may Allah be well pleased with him) but we have pleased him. Is this something ordinary? No it is a meritorious act for if an Intimate Of Allah becomes pleased then Allah is pleased. If we present gifts (hadiya) to Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (may Allah be well pleased with him), the companions of the Holy Prophet (sahaaba), the Purified People Of His Household (ahle bayt e athaar) and awliya and due to this their already elevated status is further elevated then they get pleased. This is beneficial for us. Whatever we present to the deceased, they are rewarded and we are also rewarded. If we constantly please them will they not give us a return for our favour on them? The reward for Good Done With Ones Property, Words And Acts (ihsaan) is ihsaan. On the Day Of Reckoning the awliya whom we remembered and pleased will hold our hands and say, ‘O My Disciple (mureed)! O My Lover (muhibb)! You pleased me while you were in the world, let me please you on this day.’ They will intercede for us in the presence of Allah and gain salvation for us. Those who stop us from these remembrances are the enemies of awliya.

After Funeral Prayer (janaza) we make dua. Some stop us from making this dua, calling it an innovation (bidah). Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 2^nd Sura, al-Baqarah, Verse 186:

Again Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) says in the Holy Qur'aan in the 40^th Sura, Gaafir in Verse 60:

The verse continues:

They say we should make dua but to make dua after the janaza is is an innovation for there is no proof for the performance of this dua. Allah said whenever anyone makes dua He accepts. There is a Hadith that says:

There is another hadith in Kanzul Amaal, a famous book of hadith, in the 6^th section. The sahaaba, Hazrath Abdullah bin Abi Awfa (may Allah be well pleased with him), performed the Funeral Prayer (janaza) of his daughter and after the four takbirs and salaam he made dua for as long a period as it takes between two  takbirs.

After that he said:

Meaning the Holy Prophet also used to after the four takbirs and salaam make dua as long a period as it takes between two takbirs of the janaza salaah. Which word makes us translate as ALWAYS MADE ? If somebody in the audience has studied Arabic grammar under a qualified tutor then he will know that if on the siga of muzare (like yasnow in this statement) appears kana, then it becomes mazi istimraare. This conveys the meaning that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) ALWAYS performed janaza salaah and made dua like this. This proves that the Holy Prophet made dua after janaza salaah. Those who oppose making dua after janaza salaah present the argument that within the format of the janaza salaah, dua is made so there is no need to make dua after. We accept that dua is made between the third and fourth takbir. If this is presented as proof of the impermissibility of making dua after janaza salaah, then dua is also made within the format of the compulsory (farz) daily prayer and dua should also be made impermissible after its performance. Is Sura Fatiha not a dua? The hadith says that Sura Fatiha is the best dua. Dua is also made in the sitting position after attahiyat and durood.

Reading And Recitation At The Graveside

After dua the deceased is buried. There are some who don’t read anything after burial, branding reading and recitation of Fatiha at the graveside as an innovation. The Holy Prophet’s companion Hazrath Saad ibn Muaadh (may Allah be well pleased with him) had passed away. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) performed the janaza salaah and stated to the companions that seventy thousand angels had participated with them in the performance of the janaza salaah. Remember, angels partake in the janaza salaah of Allah’s intimates. The attendance of seventy thousand angels is meritorious but I say the janaza being performed by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) is of greater merit. Sometimes the deceased (mayyit) is of a sinner and a wali performs the prayer. Due to the piety of the Imam the deceased is forgiven. Sometimes the one whose janaza is being performed is a wali and all that attend his janaza attain salvation due to his blessing.

So the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had performed the janaza salaah and during and after the burial the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) and his sahaaba stood around the grave and the Holy Prophet read the following tasbih:

The sahaaba also joined in and they read for quite awhile. Thereafter the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) read the takbir:

When the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had finished a sahaabi asked the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) as to the reason for these recitations. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) replied that after we buried this pious servant of Allah the grave began to press him so I began reading tasbih and takbir, and you joined in. Due to our recitation Allah made him comfortable in his grave.  This hadith resolves many issues.

1.      To read at the graveside is permissible. There are many other hadith to support this. Imam Suyuti (may Allah bless him with peace) records that when anyone passed away at Madinah. Then the residents of Madinah (ansaar) used to go and read Holy Qur'aan at their graves.

2.      Tasbih and takbir was read by the living and the deceased benefited for his grave became comfortable.

3.      When the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had stated that the grave became constricted then the companions asked the reason for this since Saad was a good (salih) person. The Holy Prophet called him good (salih) and he was also a sahaaba greater in status than the greatest wali. Furthermore the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had performed his janaza salaah, in which 70 000 angels participated. So the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) answered that everyone is pressed by his or her grave. They further enquired as to whether children and particularly the son of the Holy Prophet, Hazrath Ibrahim, who died at the age of 16 months, were also pressed by the grave? The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) answered in the affirmative. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) explained that there are two types of pressing by the grave. One is the pressing of punishment for the unbelievers and hypocrites whilst the other is the embrace of love, like a beloved embraces his beloved. Like friends embrace or a mother affectionately embraces her child. Sometimes this affectionate embrace can become a means of discomfort. Like being embraced strongly after eating a full stomach. 

Reading At Graveyards

When we go to the graveyard and read Fatiha, on visiting graves of relatives and friends some brand it as impermissible.  I wrote a booklet 16 years ago, in 1962, in Karachi in which I quoted many hadith on this matter. I present two of these hadith to you:

   Hazrath Ali (may Allah be well pleased with him) reports that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) said:

This hadith mentions the recitation of Sura Ikhlaas 11 times; now listen to the other Hadith.

Hazrath Abu Hurraira says that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) said:

This proves from the Holy Prophet’s Hadith, both of which are recorded by Imam Jalalluddin Suyuti (may Allah be well pleased with him), the Imam of Muhaddithin in his book Shar hus Sudoor. The first hadith on the recitation of Sura Ikhlaas 11 times is also recorded in the authentic book of the Hanafi, School Of Fiqh, Durre Mukhtaar.

It is also stated in the hadith that Sura Yaseen must be recited in the graveyard and the sum total of reward that is given to the dead will be recorded for the reciter. A sahaaba asked the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) that, ‘before my parents died we used to perform good deeds together, is there any virtuous act that I can perform for them, now that they have died? The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) told him that when he reads his compulsory (farz) prayer he should perform 2 or 4 cycles of voluntary (nafil) prayer and dedicate the reward for his deceased parents. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) also told him to keep voluntary fasts and dedicate the reward for his deceased parents. The Holy Prophet said that to perform voluntary (nafil) prayer and to keep voluntary (nafil) fasts and dedicate the reward for his deceased parents is to perform good deeds for them. Holy Qur’aan, tasbih, takbir, zikr can be read for the deceased. In a hadith it says that a 100 000 recitations of the Testification of Faith (Kalimah) if read and dedicated to a deceased Muslim, then even if he is being punished for sins or is in hell, then Allah will grant him forgiveness.

Worship Utilizing Wealth (Ibadate Maali). 

 So far all the Hadith I presented to you relates to worship utilising the self (ibadate badni). Let me now present 2 Hadith on worship utilizing wealth (ibadate maali).  In Sahih Bukhari there is a hadith that says the companion of the Holy Prophet. The leader of a tribe from amongst the Helpers of Madinah (ansaar) Hazrath Saad bin Ubadah (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions), whose mother had died came to  the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) and said:

Hazrath Saad was a rich man who owned many orchards of dates etc. He told the Holy Prophet that he has dedicated a certain orchard as a gift (sadaqa) for his mother’s reward. This is called a recurring gift (sadaqae jaaria). As long as some one benefits from this garden, by eating fruit or sitting in the shade of its trees, then his mother will continually be rewarded. Hazrath Saad bin Ubadah (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) then after some time had lapsed came back to the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) and asked if he gift something else to benefit his deceased mother? He said that at first voluntarily he had dedicated a certain orchard as a gift (sadaqa) for his mother’s reward and now he requests the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) to tell him which is the best gift to bequeath  (fa ayyu sadaqate afzalu)? The Holy Prophet replied, ‘The gift of water’ (kalal ma’a) i.e. to provide water to Allah’s creation. This rich Sahaabi built a well and said, ‘this is dedicated to Sa’ad’s mother.’(haazihi le ummi Sa’adin). Ponder! He said it is dedicated to Sa’ad’s mother, not to Allah. So when we cook food and say this offering (niaz) is for Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani or Hazrath Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti (may Allah be well pleased with them both); or this water is dedicated as a gift for Imam Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with him) then what is the difference? So those that say the niaz is forbidden (haraam) because we take the name of the saints then the well of Sa’ad’s mother should also be haraam if we draw a comparison since Sa’ad’s mother’s name was taken. Dedicated to Sa’ad’s mother means to dedicate the reward of its use to benefit Sa’ad’s mother. In the same way dedicating (niaz) for Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani means to dedicate the reward of its consumption for the reward (sawaab) of his soul. These dedications don’t make things forbidden. They argue that anything on which ‘other than Allah’s name’ is taken makes it haraam. The prrof they provide by reading the Holy Qur'aan, the 2^nd Sura, al-Baqarah, Verse 173:

They comment on this verse that everything on which the name of ‘other than Allah’ is used is forbidden. This is a wrong interpretation and commentary. The true interpretation is that when the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) appeared amongst the Arabs, they used to eat dead animals, drink blood, consume the meat of pig and slaughter animals taking the names of idols.

Allah revealed this verse of Holy Qur'aan, the 2^nd Sura, al-Baqarah, Verse 173:

So ‘… that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah’ means that animal is forbidden that is cut in the name of anyone besides Allah. Tell me honestly, the most ignorant Muslim also will never cut an animal taking a saint’s name. They wrongly say that anything on which ‘other than Allah’s name’ is taken makes it haraam. So when we say Shaykh Abd al-Qaadir Jilaani’s niaz the niaz becomes haraam.   So when someone refers to your wife as so and so’s wife, does your wife become haraam?  Ignorant are Propagation Of Islam (Tabligh). Those who have no knowledge are undertaking this great task of Propagation Of Islam (Tabligh). Can somebody read books on medicine and become a doctor? No! He has to graduate from a medical college, studying under accomplished teachers.  If somebody reads books on medicine and practices as a doctor without having a valid certificate after studying at a valid institute, he will be arrested as a fraud. If a uncertified doctor is not allowed to practice medicine that what gives uncertified ignorant people the right to undertake the Propagation Of Islam?  Propagation Of Islam is only an excuse t create Wahabbis. Sunni’s are being duped into accepting wrong beliefs. Those should Propagate Islam who are accomplished scholars.

So returning to this hadith in Abu Daud wherein it is mentioned that the sahaabi built a well and said ‘this is dedicated to Sa’ad’s mother.’(haazihi le ummi Sa’adin). It means, ‘to benefit the soul of my mother’.  Sahaaba, ta’bieen[10] and the tabe ta’bieen[11] drank water from this well. Hundreds of thousands of residents of Madinah drank from here. Did they all drink haraam?

Another point is that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) when asked as to which was the best gift and he replied, ‘water’. The Knower of the Unseen knew that a day would come when the Yazidi’s would deprive his family of water at Karbala. He also knew that the lovers of Ahle Bayt would give people sweet tasting cold water to drink in Muharram and dedicate the reward of this act to his Ahle Bayt, and also that some will pass religious edict (Fatwa) that to give people water to drink in Muharram is haraam.

I have been in South Africa for about two months. I have in my hand a book called Fatawa Rashidia, containing the religious edict (Fatawa) of Molvi Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, the senior a’lim of the Deobandi / Tablighi Jamaat.   I refer you to section 100, of the Delhi edition, printed in 1351 A.H., 45 years ago. If anyone proves I am lying then I am prepared to reward him or her with one thousand rand.  I refer you to page 114, of this book. It is a book answering questions on issues of religion. It is written in here:

Question: Can Muslims drink from water put out by Hindus using interest money for people to drink?

Keep in mind that interest is haraam and the Holy Qur'aan calls mushriks unclean, and listen to the answer given.

Answer: [by Molvi Rashid Ahmad Gangohi]: There is no restriction for Muslims to drink this water. I.e. they may drink.

Now listen to what water is restricted to Muslims. In the same book on page 113, this same Molvi Rashid Ahmad Gangohi writes that to remember the Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (may Allah be well pleased with him) in Muharram, irrespective of referring to authentic sources or to give people water to drink, or to give sweetened drink (sharbat), or to give money for the water or sharbat, or to give milk to drink, is all forbidden (haraam).

What logic is there in these two fatawas?

[Translators note: Hereafter the Learned Maulana went on to point out some of their ridiculous religious edicts}

These people say I oppose them unreasonably. No I don’t! They have made the accepted (Halaal) to be forbidden (Haraam). We don’t force them to partake in the Birth Celebration of the Holy Prophet (Meelad) or to stand and recite salutations on the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions), but when they brand these actions as innovations (bidat) and forbidden (haraam), then we are forced to reply. These are issues of faith.

I will give one more hadith and terminate. As you can see I have not even addressed one issue completely and there is no time to give the proofs for the Birth Celebration of the Holy Prophet (Meelad). Perhaps we will answer at another function. Hazrath Anas (may Allah be well pleased with him) who served the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) for ten years, asked the Holy Prophet, the gifts and donations (sadaqa and khairaat) we give on behalf of our deceased, do they benefit thereby? The Holy Prophet answered that they do benefit them and he said:

There is another part to this Hadith, but I would like to mention something first. The enquirer in this Hadith is Hazrath Anas (may Allah be well pleased with him) who said that they give gifts and donations (sadaqa and khairaat) on behalf of their deceased. This is proof that the sahaaba did do sadaqa and khairaat.

The Hadith continues where Hazrath Anas (may Allah be well pleased with him) says, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How does our sadaqa and khairaat reach the deceased?

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) replied that Hazrath Jibraeel (may Allah bless him with peace) collects the sadaqa and khairaat in a tray of nur. He goes to the grave of the recipient and says:

The ones who get sad are these who don’t do these acts to benefit their deceased. We Sunnis start reading tasbih, Kalimah prior to death. On the third, seventh and fortieth days; after four and six months and after a year we Sunnis read and send rewards to our deceased and make them pleased. Thus to make esaale sawaab, niaz, going to the graveyard and reading; reading Fatiha after burial and after the janaza salaah and burial; the reward of all this reaches the deceased.

 The Third Day, Sixth Day, Forty Day And Annual Remembrance

The third day, seventh day, forty day [chaliswa] and annual [bursi] remembrance are all esaale sawaab. On the third day after the prescribed period of mourning, flow of sympathizers and recitations a dua is read for the acceptance of our recitations within this three day period and to present the rewards to the deceased.  The seventh day proof is found recorded in Imam Jalalluddin Suyuti’s (may Allah be well pleased with him) Sharrus Sudoor that the companions [sahaaba] used to give gifts [sadaqa] to serve as esaale sawaab for seven days after the funeral. On the seventh day, the dua for acceptance is read. The fortieth day! Let me explain the significance of forty. Hazrath Musa (may Allah bless him with peace) waited at Mount Tur [Sinai] for the revelation of the Torah for forty days and nights. Adam’s (may Allah bless him with peace) constitution was fashioned in forty days. Most Prophets proclaimed prophethood at the age of forty. A foetus within the womb develops in periods of forty days. A mother that gives birth waits for forty days for her body to readapt to a non-pregnancy mode.  Maturity is said to set in at the age of forty. If somebody reads salaah for forty days with congregation he becomes a consistent worshipper. To read forty salaah, is the Sunnah[1] in Masjidun Nabawi. The Sufis practice retreat of forty days and some of forty years. So forty has significance in Islamic practices. According to the hadith in Baihaqi, the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) said that when the dead is buried, for forty days the deceaseds attention is towards his or her home. The soul comes to the houses and goes.  After forty days the attention is diverted from the home to the prevalent situation so the sages have asked us to read and present a parting gift to the soul. However this reading on the third day, seventh day and forty day [chaliswa] is neither farz nor waajib but highly recommended [mustahab]. If we do it is beneficial and if we don’t there is no sin. However those that declare these practices as innovation [bidah] should refrain from branding those that do perform it. The consistant bpractice of a highly recommended [mustahab] action does not make it farz. Hazrath Bilaal (may Allah be well pleased with him) used consistently practice the performance of the two cycles of prayer after wudhu called Tahayyatul wudhu which is a highly recommended [mustahab] action. On account of this the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) had heard the footsteps of Hazrath Bilaal ahead of him in paradise. In Mishkaat there is a hadith in which the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) says,

I have tackled one issue (masala) with commentary and much time has passed. I ask your forgiveness. Recite salutations on the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him, his family and his companions) in two minutes and thereafter salaah.

I, the insignificant have tried my best to render these great speeches into English for the benefit of the youth who are deprived of gems due to not understanding Urdu. I apologize to the great Ulama if I fail in rendering the message, as it ought to be rendered.  I have also researched the various Qur'aanic Verses and Ahadith quoted and tried to give references where possible. All praise is due to Allah and all shortcomings are mine. Irshad Soofi Siddique