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“Why don’t you allow us to seek blessings from the Prophet’s grave?”
Answered by ash-Shaykh al-’Allaamah Saalih ibn Sa’d as-Suhaymee

[Watch the Video with English Captions Here]

 Questioner:

He says: “What is the ruling on seeking blessings (tabarruk) from the Black Stone? And why don’t you allow us to seek blessings from the grave of the Prophet – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -?”

Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee:

[Why] don’t you allow?! Laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa bil-Laah! I ask you, O brother, may Allaah give you success: is it permissible for me or other than me to allow or forbid? Is it permissible for us to declare halaal (lawful) or haraam (unlawful) on our own accord?

وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ ٱلْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلاَلٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُواْ عَلَىٰ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ

{And say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely: “This is lawful and this is forbidden,” so as to invent lies against Allaah.} [Sûrah an-Nahl (16): verse 116]

Did you pay attention? If we allow on our own accord, then we are liars and forgers. And if we declare lawful on our own accord, then we are liars and forgers. And [likewise] if we declare unlawful, declare lawful, make obligatory or legislate. For the one who makes obligatory or legislates on his own accord, then he is a Taaghoot [1] from the Tawaagheet [2], even if he testifies that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allaah. Do you understand, O servant of Allaah? So do not blame us and say, “Why don’t you allow us to do this and why do you forbid us from that?” Because if we allow things on our own accord, then we are Tawaagheet! Na’am! The one who declares lawful and unlawful is Allaah! We are not from those whom Allaah said about,

ٱتَّخَذُوۤاْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَاباً مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ

{They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary)…} [Sûrah at-Tawbah (9): verse 31]

So declaring lawful and declaring unlawful is in the Hands of Allaah, in the Book of Allaah – jalla wa ‘alaa -. So the lawful is that which Allaah and His Messenger declared lawful, and the unlawful is that which Allaah and His Messenger declared unlawful.

إن الحلال بيّن والحرام بيّن ، وبينهما أمور مشتبهات لا يعلمهن كثير من الناس ، فمن اتقى الشبهات فقد استبرأ لدينه وعرضه ، ومن وقع في الشبهات فقد وقع في الحرام ، كالراعي يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يرتع فيه ، ألا وأن لكل ملك حمى ، ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه ، إلا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله ، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله ، ألا وهي القلب

“Verily, that which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear. And between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honour. But he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepard who shepards [his flock] around a sanctuary, he is certain to pasture [his flock] in it. And verily, every king has a sanctuary, and verily, Allaah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. And verily, in the body there is a lump of flesh, which, if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and which, if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.”

So the unrestricted legislation belongs to Allaah and His Messenger – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -. And it is not permissible for anyone to legislate or prohibit something which Allaah and His Messenger – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – have not legislated or prohibited. As for saying, “Is seeking blessings from the Black Stone allowed?” No, this is not permissible. Rather, what do we do? We kiss it, touch it or point to it, following the example of the Prophet – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -. And where are you from the authentic statement of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree,

“I know that you are only a stone which can neither bring benefit nor cause harm. Were it not that I had seen the the Messenger of Allaah - salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – kiss you, I would not have kissed you.”

So pay attention to this, O servant of Allaah! As for the second part of the question; seeking blessings (tabarruk) from the grave of the Prophet – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -, this is not allowed, nor from the grave of other than him. Rather you seek blessings by following him – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -! Here lies the barakah (blessing); by obeying his commands and staying away from his prohibitions. As for wiping over the walls, then this form of tabarruk is forbidden! And if a believer believes that this wall benefits him or has power to harm him, or that the one behind the wall has power to remove harm from him or bring good, then this is Shirk, which because of it Allaah sent the Messengers and sent down the Books.

So beware of this, O servant of Allaah! For verily, this is extremely dangerous! And whoever attaches himself to a grave, even if he is a Prophet or angel, then he has commited Shirk! Meaning: whoever thinks that the person in the grave hears him, benefits him, answers his supplications, responds to him and raises him, then he is a mushrik (polytheist) and Allaah will not accept from him any sarf (repentance or obligatory acts) or ‘adl (ransom or supererogatory acts).

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ

إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُواْ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُواْ مَا ٱسْتَجَابُواْ لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِـكُمْ وَلاَ يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ

{And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the datestone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All-Knower (of each and everything).} [Sûrah Fâtir (35): verses 13-14]

So pay attention to this, O servant of Allaah! By Allaah, the Prophet – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – will declare himself innocent from those who wipe over his grave or hope for him to fulfill their needs or to remove their distresses on the Day of Resurrection, just as ‘Eesaa (Jesus) will declare himself innocent from the Christians.

وَإِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يٰعِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ ٱتَّخِذُونِى وَأُمِّىَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِيۤ أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِحَقٍّ إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ تَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِى وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ مَا فِى نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلاَّمُ ٱلْغُيُوبِ

مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ

{And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): “O ‘Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allaah?” He will say: “Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my innerself though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden and unseen.” Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me to say: Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.} [Sûrah al-Mâ-idah (5): verses 116-117]

So whoever comes and stretches out his hand out to the grave and seeks help from him and asks him to remove harm; by Allaah, the Messenger of Allaah – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – will declare himself innocent from him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will be turned to that which he attached himself to. And he (the Prophet) is free from him and from his deeds. Indeed, he (the one who does this) will be free from the whole religion of Islaam. Whoever does this, then he has freed himself from the whole religion. Whoever supplicates to other than Allaah, seeks help (in times of need) from other than Allaah, slaughters for other than Allaah, takes an oath by other than Allaah or seeks help from other than Allaah, even if he is the best of the creation, our sayyid (master), Imaam and leader, our Prophet Muhammed – salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam -; by Allaah, if you ask from him the fulfillment of your needs and the removal of your distresses, then you are a mushrik (polytheist) and Allaah will not accept from you sarf (repentance or obligatory acts) or ‘adl (ransom or supererogatory acts).

[1] Taaghoot:The word Taaghoot covers a wide range of meanings. It means anything worshipped other than the Real God (Allaah), i.e. all false deities. It may be satan, devils, idols, stones, sun, stars, angels, human beings, who were falsely worshipped and taken as Taaghoot. Likewise saints, graves, rulers, leaders, etc., are falsely worshipped and wrongly followed, but the one who does not accept to be worshipped will not be considered as a Taaghoot. Sometimes Taaghoot means a false judge who gives a false judgement. [See Tafseer ibn Katheer]

[2] Tawaagheet: plural of Taaghoot.

Source: http://athaar.net/alsoheemy/play.php?catsmktba=1236

Translated by Yâsîn Abu Ibrâhîm, May Allaah reward him with good