BLESSINGS THROUGH PROPHET (S), THE RIGHTEOUS, AND THEIR RELICS - Part 8.

Seeking blessings through Prophet (s), and the Righteous and their Relics: 

From the Layman, Nasir’s Desk: Islamic Article No.16: ISLAMIC BARAKA, Part 8:

In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. 

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), his Family, and all his Companions. 

In order to deny the fact of Baraka, it is very common for the deviants to point out that Hazrat Umar ® chopped down the tree under which the Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah was executed by the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  According to them, Hazrat Umar ® chopped… “all the trees under which the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had ever sat.”  So let's examine this: 

The Tree at Hudaybiyyah - Bay'at al-Ridwan

The tree became famous when Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, mentioned it in the Holy Qur'an (48:18) saying: (Laqad radiy Allahu anil muminina iz. Yubayi-oonaka tahta ash shajarah) "Verily Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, is Pleased with those Believers who gave Bay'ah to you under the Tree".  That tree was in Hudaybiyyah.  
The incident of cutting down the “Tree” by Hazarat Umar ® is mentioned in Tabaqaat ibn-Saad which is not a book of Hadith.  According to this book, based on the chain of narrators, Abdul Wahhaab Bin Ataa' reported "People were visiting a tree in Hudaybiyyah which had become famous as Shajaratul Ridhwaan and they were praying beside the tree. When Umar ® was informed about this, he ordered that the tree should be cut down." 
But the Tabaqaat also mentions: "Saeed Bin Musayyab was informed that people were praying at a location that had become famous as the tree of Hudaybiyyah, he laughed and said: My father [Musayyab Bin Hazn Al-Qurashi ® was among the Sahaabah who took oath under that tree, and Musayyab reported that when they went to Makkah the next year, they traveled to Hudaybiyyah to visit the tree but could not find it.  So it is like a joke for me that Sahaabah of Rasoolullah were unable to locate the tree and you have found it, so you have more knowledge than Sahaabah".
The word “Hudaybiyyah” appear 65 times in 56 prophetic traditions mentioned by Bukhari.  We ask the same people to show us either in Bukhari or Muslim where the above mentioned narration is mentioned regarding Umar's ® ordering that tree to be cut down. Hafiz ibn Kathir has not mentioned any narration about the cutting of the tree either in his Tafseer, or Tarikh or even in Seerat a-an-Nabi.  

This incident as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (Kitab al-Maghazi) and Muslim (Kitab al-Imamah) took place because there was controversy over which tree was the one where the honourable Bay'ah was taken and reliable sources from amongst the Sahabah held that that tree in question was definitely the wrong tree and the original Tree could no longer be located and had mysteriously vanished.  Ibn Umar (who was present in the Bay'ah under the Tree) said: "No one could locate the Tree after that year". (Bukhari)  In fact, according to him,  when they reached (Hudaibiyya) a year after the treaty of Hudaybiyya), not even two men amongst us agreed unanimously as to which was the tree under which we had given the pledge of allegiance, and that was out of Allah’s Mercy.  In Imam al-Bukhari's version, Sa'id ibn Musayib said: 'My father told me when he went to look for the tree of bay'a, he could not recognize the place where it was and had forgotten the exact place where it was' [i.e. it had disappeared] [Bukhari, chapter on 'Al-Hudaybiyya']  In the last moments of Jabir ibn 'Abdullah when he had lost his sight, he used to say: 'If I could see today I would show you the tree where the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) received the bay'a of the Companions".  [Bukhari, chapter on 'al-Magazi']  

To state very shortly:   Sahaabah loved to visit the sacred sites which had a NISBAT with Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) involving a special journey to Hudaybiyyah from Makkah  (22 km approx.) in the west which is not located en route to Madinah.  This indicates that visiting sacred sites was valid.  From the narration in Bukhari, we can say no one was stopped to go there.  

The above-mentioned narrations prove that if it were shirk to seek the blessings,  the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) would have struck down the tree.  This was not done!  Neither did this happen during the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr ®.   The Sahabah gave a lot of importance to that tree and that is why they tried to locate it after the year of the Bay'ah.  The Tabi'een would also go to the valley of Hudaibiyyah looking for that tree.  However, Allah, subhanaHu wa Ta`ala, had made the original tree vanish for mysterious reasons.  The tree that the Tabi’een were visiting at the Hudaybiyyah, in the time of Sayyidina Umar ® was not the real one, though it was in the same valley.  Sayyidina Umar ®  did not cut down the tree because he believed the people were committing shirk, he cut it because it was not the original tree and because it was being wrongly attributed to the Prophet (sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam). So, it is wrong to conclude from the premise of ibn Sa’d that Tabarruk from the relics of the pious is forbidden.  

On the contrary, Sayyidina Umar, radi Allahu `anh, had complete respect and honour for all things related to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, and it is unimaginable that he should show any kind of disrespect to them. He did not mean to prohibit the Tabarruk with the traces of the Messenger.  Had it been like what they thought, his son Abdullah would not have come to the tree of Samur, under which the Messenger used to sit, seeking the Tabarruk. He used to water it so that it does not dry out. Ibn Hibban related it and said it is Sahih. There is no doubt that Abdullah understood his father's biography more than Ibn Taymiyah and his followers did.

Sayyidina Umar's respect for the relics and things of the Nabi , sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, can also be ascertained from the  incident narrated in Kanzul Ummal (vol.7 p.66) and Ibn Qudamah (al-Mughni vol.4 p.554):   

Refixing the “Mizab” or Water Spout:

Once while going to the Masjid to lead the Friday Prayers  Umar ® passed by a ‘Mizab, which was in the way, and the dirty water from the Spout soiled his clean clothes.  Annoyed, he removed the Mizab out of the way,  went back home,  dressed up again, and went to Masjid.  There, the Prophet’s (sal Allah alayhi wasallam) uncle Sayyidina Abbas ® confronted him saying: "That ‘Mizab’ was fixed there by the Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam),  as I saw with my own eyes".  When Umar ® heard that, he immediately left the Masjid along with Abbas ® and went to the place where the ‘Mizab’ had been originally fixed.  Then he bowed as in a ‘Ruku’ and said to Abbas ®:  " O Uncle of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), climb on to my back and put the back the Water Spout where Allah's Messenger had fixed it".

Hazrat Umar’s ® zeal in protecting the relics of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wasallam is also proved from what al-Bukhari transmitted from al-Zubayr that Allah’s Messenger (sal Allahu alalyhi wasallam) requested from (al-Zubayr) the spear with which he killed Abu Dhat al-Karish on the day of Badr, and it is mentioned here that “When Allah’s Messenger died, (al-Zubayr) took it (back). After that Abu Bakr ® demanded it and he gave it to him, and when Abu Bakr ® died, (al-Zubayr) took it (back). ‘Umar ®  then demanded it from him and he gave it to him.  When ‘Umar ® died, (al-Zubayr) took it (back).  Thereafter, ‘Uthman ® demanded it from him and he gave it to him. When ‘Uthman ® was killed, the spear remained with Ali’s ® offspring. Then ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr demanded it, and it remained with him till he was martyred.” [Kitab al-Maghazi in Sahih al-Bukhari, Bab Shuhud al-Mala’ikati Badran]

This was the love and respect Hadrat Umar ® had for the things related to the master of all believers, Sayyidina Muhammad Mustafa (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  And now it has become a common place to destroy the holiest of Islamic relics, including the home of the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu Alayhi wasallam). 

Kissing and Touching the Black Stone of Ka’ba: 

Next, as we are all aware, kissing the Black Stone (Hajar-e-Aswad) during the Hajj is a part of the pilgrimage rituals and is full of blessings.  However, in their zeal to deny the Baraka, the deviants point out the following hadith: 
Al-Bukhârî reports that ‘Umar – Allâh be pleased with him – came to the Black Stone (performing tawâf, circumambulation), kissed it, and said, “I know that you are a stone, you do not cause benefit or harm; and if it were not that I had seen Allâh’s Messenger – peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him – kiss you, I would never have kissed you.” [Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on what has been said about the Black Stone.]

So let us discuss this:

1. It may be noted that Hazrat Umar ® while visiting the Kaba, said before the Hajar al-aswad, "You cannot do anything! But I kiss you in order to follow Rasulullah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)."  Upon hearing this, Hazarat 'Ali ® said: "Rasulullah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said, 'On the Day of Judgment, the Hajar al-Aswad will intercede for people.' " [This hadith is reported by at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasai, al-Baihaki, at-Tabarani, and al-Bukhari in his History.] And 'Umar ® thanked 'Ali ®.

2. Qutaiba narrated from Jarir, who from Khusaim, who from Sa'eed bin Jubair, who from Ibn Abbas, who said that Rasool Allah (sal Alayhi wasallam) said about Hajar-e-Aswad:  By Allah, Hajar-e-Aswad will be granted eyes on the Day of Judgment by Allah and also a tongue, which will give testimony in favour of those who behaved well with it. Abu 'Isa said that this hadith is "Hasan".[Sunnan Tirmidhi, Book of Hajj.]

3. The Black Stone will come forth on the Day of Resurrection and will testify in favour of those who touched it in truth.  It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said concerning the Stone: “By Allah, Allah will bring it forth on the Day of Resurrection, and it will have two eyes with which it will see and a tongue with which it will speak, and it will testify in favour of those who touched it in sincerity.”  [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 961; Ibn Maajah, 2944.   This hadeeth was classed as Hasan by al-Tirmidhi, and as ‘Qawiy’ by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 3/462]
The following Ahadith confirm the fact that Prophet Mohammad  (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaba ® kissed and touched the black stone (Hajar al-Aswad)  at Ka'abatullah: 
4. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas ® said: The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) said: “The Black Stone came down from Paradise.”  
[Tirmidhi # 877; Nasaa’i # 2935]. The Hadith was classified as Saheeh by Tirmidhi.]

5. Narrated by Ibn Umar ®  He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) say: “Touching them both (the Black Stone and al-Rukn al-Yamani) is an expiation for sins.” 
[Tirmidhi - 959.  This Hadith was classified as Hasan by Tirmidhi and as Saheeh by al-Hakim(1/664) and ad-Dhahabi agreed with him].

6. Narrated by Naafi’  ®  He said: I saw Ibn Umar ® touch the Stone with his hand then he kissed his hand. He (Ibn Umar ® said, I have never ceased to do this since I saw the Messenger of Allah  (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) do it. (Muslim - 1268).

No one doubts that while circumambulating the House of God {tawaf}, the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasalalam) used to touch or kiss the Black Stone {Hajar al-Aswad}.  Bukhari in his Sahih says:

“I saw the Messenger of Allah (S) touch and kiss it (Hajar al-Aswad).” [Sahih al-Bukhari (Egypt), vol. 2, “Kitab al-Hajj,” “Bab Taqbil al-Hajar,” pp. 151-152.]

If touching or kissing a stone was an act of associating partner with God, how would the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) who called for monotheism do it?
To conclude, it is worth warning those who show disregard for the items related to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and deny Tabarruk. It is stated in Al-Shifa that Jahiah seized from Uthman ® the Prophet's (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) staff, and broke it over his knee.  Then Jahiah's knee became infected from a splinter, leading to amputation.  He died within a year.

CONCLUSION: 

What has been mentioned above are only a few incidents of Tabarruk out of the many that have been documented by the righteous Islamic Scholars.    By themselves, they are proof enough to show that the Holy Prophet, (sal Alahu alayhi wa sallam) taught us that there is indeed a benefit in seeking blessings (barakah) from the traces of the Prophets and the righteous and pious Muslims and in asking Allah for things by them whether during their lifetime or even after death.  As was mentioned above, Imam Nawawi (in “Sharh Sahih Muslim”) said: “In these narrations is evidence for seeking blessings with the relics of the saints” (fihi al-Tabarruk bi athar al-salihin). This is, of course, with the understanding that the relics of holy people are a means of receiving blessings from Allah Almighty.

Seeking Tabarruk was the methodology of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and those who followed them, i.e. the Salaf as-Saliheen and the Khalaf as-Sadiqeen.  The righteous Sunni scholars passed the uninterrupted chain of knowledge to the masses through the Four surviving authentic Schools of Islamic jurisprudence: Hanafi, Shafi’I, Maliki and Hanbali schools (madhaahib) who are followers of the Ash’ari-Maturidi creed. Therefore, those who say that it is ““shirk””/kufr to believe in Taburruk have no proof from either the Holy Qur’an and the ahadith and having invented their own methodology have deviated from the right path.  There is no hadith that proves that to get Tabarruk from the pious is forbidden.  It is also to be remembered that if Tabarruk was only permitted during the Prophet’s life, then he would have clearly indicated so. No hadith, not even a weak one, exists in which the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) informed us that after his passing away Tabarruk is haraam.    The sacred relics means that they contain God-given nobility.  We do not believe that they are inherently noble.  Thus respecting the sacred relics does not mean worshipping them.  The Ummah is connected to the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and so is his Baraka.  The Tabarruk through any  thing other than the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is in reality through him (s) just as the Baraka through him is really from Allah (swt).

In view of the above, some of the simple questions for the doubters and slanderers are:  Why did the Companions of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) take his hair?  Why did the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) distribute his nails among the people?  Why did the Companions want the Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) sweat?  Why did the Companions of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) compete for his ablution water?  If putting the face on the grave was not objected to by any of the Companions, what would Ibn Taymiyah say?  Would he accuse Abu Ayyub ® of kufr or what would he do? Then what would he do with the statement of Imam Ahmad reported by his son Abdullah, which was mentioned previously about kissing and touching the minbar and grave of the Prophet in order to seek the blessing and a better status from Allah: No objection to that. We pray to Allah Almighty, not to the relics. In fact, like Maqam Ibrahim shows, you can pray towards a relic and it is still not shirk  because your intention is known to Allah alone. And so on!

 Hafidhh Ibn Kathir say’s in al Bidaya Wal Nihaya:   When Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah passed away some people came and gathered around him and sat close to his body to obtain blessing from him. Also a group of women came and the water that was left over after bathing him they drank to get blessing from it as Tabarruk. The left over leaves of a tree which were also used in bathing him, were distributed among themselves for the purpose of Tabarruk. Whatever touched his body, like for example handkerchief, scarf which he used wear round his neck, was sold for a large amount of money, to someone to keep as Tabarruk. People used to come day and night to his grave, and some people use to even spend the night there'. It is also stated in al Bidaya Wal Nihaya:  They sought barakah, their eyes were exalted with this beautiful vision and they started to kiss him to seek barakah. Then the men left and the women came and they did the same and then they left.  It is also mentioned therein that whilst doing ghusl they saw Ibn Taymiyyah had a Taweez around his neck, he had nits so the Taweez was to protect him from them. That Taweez was then auctioned, it was sold for 150 dirhams.
 [Tareek Ibn Kathir chapter: Death of Ibn Taymiya]

If from the clothes or from the water which is left over from touching his body or by sitting close to Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyya you may obtain blessing, then how can it be wrong to get blessing from the other pious people of Allah. Or how can that be called Bid’ah or go even as far as calling someone Mushrik for doing that.

It is well-settled that Tabarruk is a noble and established practice in our Islamic tradition and in full agreement with the Qur’an and Sunnah — even if the deviant sects foolishly think that Tabarruk and Tawassul are shirk (polytheism).  May Allah protect us from their designs, and may He keep all Muslims unswervingly on the path of Ahl al-Sunna and that of the true Salaf. We declare ourselves clear and innocent of the innovations of those who have attacked, rejected, or questioned the validity of Tabarruk and Tawassul. 

May Allah Guide us on the Right Path and forgive us for our wrong assumptions and misinterpretations of the actions of the pious.

And Allah and His Rasool know best.

CONCLUDED

Nasir.

BLESSINGS THROUGH PROPHET (S), THE RIGHTEOUS AND THEIR RELICS - Part 7.

From the Layman (Nasir’s) Desk: Islamic Article No.16: ISLAMIC BARAKA, Part 7:

In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. 

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), his Family and all his Companions. 

[An original pair of the Prophets (Salla Allahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa Sallam) ‘Nalain As Shareef’ has been kept and safeguarded in the Famous Islamic Museum the Blue Mosque in Turkey]

Na’layn Shareef of Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam): 

Imam Qastalani in his book “Mawahib al-Ladunniyah” has quoted very authentic sources from the biographies of the Holy Prophet and presented some irrefutable pieces of evidence in his other book “Al-Murtaja bil Qubul” that whenever the Holy Prophet walked on stones, they turned soft below his feet leaving deep imprints of his blessed foot.

Hazrat Numan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) in his famous eulogy “Rahmatur Rehman” has described this miracle in the following words:
If you walk on soft earth your foot leaves no trace
But on hard stone, your foot leaves deep traces. 

One of the wonders of the heels of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is that when Uncle Abu Talib complained of severe thirst at Zul Majaz, the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) struck his heel against the earth. The water came gushing from the earth. Abu Talib says: I never saw such a spring neither before nor after it. When Abu Talib was saturated, the Prophet struck again and the spring disappeared. (Khasaes Kubra).

Tirmidhi has reported that Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) fell seriously ill and lost hope of survival. The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) passed by him. He struck him by his toe and said O My Lord! Cure his disease and give him a speedy recovery. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: After that, I never complained again of that disease.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah and Hazrat Abu Omamah (may Allah be pleased with them) have reported that when the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) walked on a stone, his feet have engrossed in it (Baihaqi and Ibn Asakir). It means that stones become soft below his blessed feet in order to facilitate his easy walk.

Hazrat Allamah Imam Shehabuddin Khafaji has reported that when the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) walked bare-footed on the stone, it became soft leaving the foot embossed in it. Many people have preserved these holy stones for blessings. A number of such stones are still found in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jerusalem and some other countries. A large number of people visit, offer their respects, and take blessings from these stones (Nasim al- Riyadh and other books).

On the night of ascent to heaven, Angel Jibrail had awakened the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasalalam) by touching his sole with his cheek. After his arrival to the sanctum empyrean the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallm) remembering that Allah (swt) had told Moosa (a.s.) to take off his shoes near Mount Sinai, intended to take off his shoes, but Allah (swt) told him to proceed with the shoes on.  

We have noted above the practice of honouring relics (tabarruk) was common among the Companions of Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  In view of the above, lots of attention has been given to the blessed Sandals of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  It is by no means an innovation.  Now, in Arabic, the Holy Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) sandal is known as na’al.  The Na’layn are the blessed sandals worn by blessed messenger, Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  Regarding the Blessed Na’layn, there is not a civilization that has loved and celebrated its leader the way that Islamic civilization loves and celebrates its Prophet, the mercy to mankind Muhammad Mustafa (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).

Many other narrations have been transmitted from the Companions giving exact descriptions of the noble sandals of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).  Bukhari and Tirmidhi narrate from Qatada: “I asked Anas to describe the sandals of Allah’s Messenger and he replied: Each sandal had two straps”; and from `Isa ibn Tahman: “Anas took out a pair of shoes and showed them to us. They did not have hair on them.” (The remark refers to the Arabian practice of not removing the hair from the leather from which shoes were made.) Bukhari, Malik, and Abu Dawud relate that `Ubayd ibn Jarih said to `Abd Allah ibn `Umar: “I saw you wear tanned sandals.” He replied: “I saw the Prophet wearing sandals with no hair on them and perform ablution in them, and so I like to wear them.”

The first generations, from the Companions of Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), were the first to give them attention and importance, such that some of them were known to have distinguished themselves with serving the Noble Sandals. 

It has been reported by Ibn Saad that Anas bin Malik was the keeper of the sandals of Messenger.  Imam al-Salihi,  who was a student of Imam Jalaludin Suyuti,  reported in his work, Subul al-Huda wa’l Rashad (8:318) that Abd Allah ibn Masud ® used to get up as soon as Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)  sat down, and would take off the Beloved Messenger’s   sandals, and place them under his arms. Then, when the Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)   would get up, he would put them on his Blessed Feet. Imam Qastalani too mentions this in  Mawahib al-Laduniyya.  Abd Allah ibn Masud ® was often called ‘the Caretaker of the Sandals, Couch and Water Bag’.

The depiction of the Na’layn has had a special place in the hearts of Muslims since it points to one of the needs of their tremendous Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam).  The depiction inspires in them the utmost humility towards the lofty status of Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam). Because of this, they took care to record this depiction and to draw it, and they sometimes even placed it under their turbans, to feel their complete subservience to the tremendousness of this Most Noble Messenger.  They also hung this depiction in their houses, seeking blessings from it. Writers and poets wrote eloquently in praise of the Noble Sandals, and in describing the feelings of ecstatic love for that King who wore them. Imam Abu al-Abbas gathered a significant amount of these writings in his aforementioned work, as well as in his treatise Azhar al-Riyad.

Al-Munawi and al-Qari mentioned in their commentary on Tirmidhi's Al-Shama'il that Ibn al-`Arabi said that the sandals are part of the attire of Prophets (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), and the people only left them due to the mud in their lands. He also mentioned that one of the names of the Prophet in the ancient books is Sahib Al-Na`layn or "The Wearer of the Two Sandals."
Imam Jazuli, the author of the famous Dala’il al-Khayrat, includes the image of the blessed sandal in his Dala’il al-Khayrat out of reverence for it and as a means of seeking Allah’s blessings.

Out of this same love and devotion, Imam al-Zarqani states, “If possible, kiss the dust that has been touched by the sandals, otherwise, kiss an image of the sandals.” [Sharh al-Zarqani ‘ala’l Mawahib, 5:48]

The above reports are all crystal clear demonstrations of love and submission from the Salaf towards the Beloved Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, through honouring the depiction of his blessed Na’layn Paak.

Imam Qastalani narrates a beautiful verse in honour of the blessed sandals, composed by Imam Qurtubi who says: “I concentrated on the waves of light that emanated from the blessed sandals and as long as we bow down before them (in humility), we will be honoured. Hence, keep it above the head as it is in reality a crown, though apparently a sandal.” [al-Mawahib al-Ladunniya, 2:470]

Imam ibn Asakir wrote an entire volume on the image of the blessed sandals entitled Timthalu Naal al-Nabiyy or A Sketch of the Sandal of the Prophet.

Na’layn Mubarak or an impression together with a description of the blessings is utilized to obtain blessings of Na’layn Mubarak. There are many blessings for a person to keep a picture of Na’layn Shareef with him.

Also reported by Imam Qastallani that, Sayyidina Abu Ishaq al-Zuhri who was one of the Tabi’een, reports that Sayyidina Qasim ibn Muhammad (ibn Abu Bakr Siddiq) said, “Of the proven blessing of the likeness of the Prophet's sandal is that, whoever has it in his possession for Tabarruk will be safeguarded by it from the sedition of rebels and the mastery of enemies, and it will be a barrier against every devil and the evil eye of the envious. If a pregnant woman holds it in her right hand during labour, her delivery will be easier by Allah's Power.”

Al-Qastallani also said that Abu al-Yaman ibn `Asakir wrote a volume on the image of the Prophet’s sandal, and so did Ibn aHajj al-Andalusi. He relates the account of a pious shaykh by the name of Abu Ja`far Ahmad ibn `Abd al-Majid: I cut the pattern of this sandal for one of my students. He came to me one day and said: “I saw a wonder yesterday from the blessing of this sandal. My wife was suffering from a pain that almost took her life. I placed the sandal on the spot of her pain and said: O Allah, show me the blessing of the owner of this sandal. Allah cured her on the spot.” 

As Imam Yusuf Nabhani says: 

Verily I serve the image of the Sandal of Mustafa
So that“ I may live in both worlds under its protection.”

Shaikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani informs us:

 Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Muqri wrote a book on this which he named Fath al-muta`al fi madh al-ni`al(The opening of the Most High in the praise of the Prophet’s sandals).
 Ashraf `Ali al-Tahanawi the Deobandi shaykh wrote a treatise entitled Nayl al-shifa’ bi na`l al-mustafa(The attainment of cure through the sandals of the Elect One) found in his book Zad al-sa`id(Provision for the fortunate).
 The Muhaddith of India Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalwi said in his translation of Tirmidhi’sShama’il that Ashraf `Ali Thaanwi Saahib has written in his Kitaab Zaadus Sa`eed a detailed treatise on the baraka and virtues of the shoes of Rasulullah Sallallahu `Alayhi Wasallam.” Those interested in this should read that Kitab (which is available in English).
 In short, it may be said that it [the Prophet's sandal] has countless qualities. The `ulama have experienced it many a time. One is blessed by seeing Rasulullah Sallallahu `Alayhi Wasallam in one’s dreams; one gains safety from oppressors and every heartfelt desire is attained. Every object is fulfilled by its Tawassul (means, petition, request). The method of Tawassul is also mentioned therein.


 THE BLESSINGS & BENEFITS OF NALAIN SHARIF
 The Great Muslim theologians have listed many benefits and blessings in keeping and venerating a copy of the Nalain Shareef. Some of these are listed below.
 * The person will be safe from the harms of the cruel, wickedness of the Satan and from the bad sight of the enviers. 
* The pain of childbirth will be eased for the woman who keeps it with her at the time of delivery. 
* The person who always keeps a copy of it with him will have respect in the sight of creation. 
* He will have the opportunity to see the Blessed Green Dome – Ghumbad-e-Khizra in Madeena Shareef.
* He will have the honour in seeing the Holy Prophet in his dream. 
* His property or wealth will be safe in a place where the Nalain Shareef is kept. 
* A person’s needs will be met when he prays through the Waseela of the Nalain Shareef. 
* A person who keeps the Nalain Shareef for a particular reason will have his wishes fulfilled. 
* The person will be safe from thieves, calamities, and dangers such as drowning. 
* The disease and ailments go away when the Nalain Shareef is placed over the affected part. 
* Success and deliverance were gained through the Nalain Shareef in oppressive times.
 (The Blessings are not limited to the list above but are also obtained when in other circumstances as well.)

 Writers and poets wrote eloquently in praise of the noble sandals and in describing the feelings of ecstatic love for their wearer (Allah bless him and give him peace). Imam Abu al-`Abbas gathered a significant amount of these writing in his aforementioned work, as well as in his treatise Azhar al-Riyad.

Readers also urged to refer to a long Hadith in Sahih Muslim book 1, 31/54/50], in the Book of Imaan (Faith) reported by Abu Hurayrah (May Allah be pleased with him). wherein the Prophet (sallaahu alayhi wasallam) addressed Abu Hurayrah: "O Aba Hurayrah!’ and gave me his sandals [na’l] and said: ‘Go with both my sandals and when you meet anyone outside this garden who testifies that there is no god but Allah, being assured of it in his heart, gladden him by announcing that he shall go to Paradise." This shows that the above Sandals have a link to the faith too!

Even King Negus (Najashi) of Ethiopia who gave asylum to the Companions who had migrated there, eventually believed in the message has been recorded as saying that had it not been that he was king, he would have left Ethiopia to seek the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) and he would carry and kiss his sandals.

Some people say that the pictures of the Nalain Mubarak (Sandals) of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) are doubtful, that these pictures are made of the local ink and paper. To kiss this picture is not permissible. The picture of the Nalain Mubarak is the photocopy of the holy Sandals, which were used by the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in his life. It bears the description and the related story connected with it. We pay respect to the Holy Quran which is printed on paper with the ink or colour used in its printing. Both the paper and the ink are locally manufactured and these were not brought from Heaven. But we give due reverence to it believing it as the print of the Holy Quran and no other book. The respect paid to the printed Quran is, in fact, the respect paid to the Holy Quran, which was revealed to the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam).

Speaking of the respect paid to the printed Holy Qur’an, it is interesting to note that Mushaff Uthman (Codex Uthmani) which was written at the command of Hadrat Uthman ® was kept in the Great Mosque at Damascus.  It was this Qur’an that Hadrat Uthman ® had been reading at the time of his assassination (35H/656 c.e.) so that it got stained with his blood.  According to one version, it had been moved from Tiberias to Damascus in the year 543 H./1148 c.e. in a special case to preserve it from the onslaught of the Franks.  The Baraka of this Qur’an was reconfirmed during the siege of Damascus by the armies of the Second Crusade.  The Holy Qur’an was brought out to the Mosque’s courtyard in a procession,  and men, women, and children gathered around it bareheaded to enhance the efficacy of the prayers and supplications.  Also, during the 2nd Mongol attack (1282 c.e.), the Mushaff Uthman and some other copies of the Holy Qur’an were taken out in procession in Damascus and Ba’labakk and were held above the people’s head in the company of Quranic reciters, muezzin, and preachers.  Even during ordinary times, Mushaff Uthman was taken out of its case daily and the people who were there in the mosque crowded around it to touch it and kiss it.   There were two other copies of the Holy Qur’an that were known for their Baraka: One was in the town of Hisn Muthaqqab where a fortress was established by the righteous Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz.  This was the Qur’an that had been written in Caliph’s own hand.  In Antartus there was another personal Qur’an of Hadrat Uthman ®.  Sibt Ibn al-Jawzy mentions the belief in attaining the blessings through the sight of Mushaff Uthman – al-Tabarruk Bi-Nazar al-Mushaff.

Tabarruk with the soil and vegetation of Madina:

• The merits of Madina, of prayer in Madina, of visiting the Masjid al-Nabawi, of living in Madina, of not cutting its trees, etc. are all based on the fact that the Prophet is there. The fact that it is a sanctuary (haram) and a preserve (hima) is well documented in numerous ahadith. It is even strongly recommended not to enter Madina except on foot, and many Companions, Tabi`in, and Tabi` al-Tabi`in never entered it except on foot, in respect for the Holy Presence of the Prophet.
• Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib: The Prophet said: "Madina's fresh grass is not to be cut, its game is not to be driven away, and things dropped in it are to be picked up only by one who publicly announces it, and it is not permissible for any man to carry weapons in it for fighting, and it is not advisable that its trees are cut except what a man cuts for the fodder of his camel. [Abu Dawud, 10: 2030]
• Narrated Abu Hurayra: When the people saw the first fruit (of the season or of the plantation) they brought it to Allah's Apostle. When he received it he said: "O Allah, bless us in our fruits; and bless us in our city, and bless us in our SA's and bless us in our Mudd (i.e. in every measure). O Allah, Ibrahim was Thy servant, Thy friend, and Thy apostle; and I am Thy servant and Thy apostle. He (Ibrahim) made supplication to Thee for (the showering of blessings upon) Mecca, and I am making supplication to Thee for Madina just as he made supplication to Thee for Mecca, and the like of it in addition." He would then call to him the youngest child and give him these fruits. [Muslim, 7: 3170]

As the Prophet asked Allah's Blessings on the city, its fruits, and in their measures, then it must be full of blessing as his supplication is a Du`a' Mustajab or answered prayer.  Therefore, it is common practice for pilgrims to purchase the dates of Madina for the blessings to bring back home with them to share among those who could not make the pilgrimage. And it is said that there yet remain living some of the date palms from those planted by the holy hand of the Most Noble Messenger himself, blessings and peace be upon him. 

Hazrat Imam Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) lived all his life in Madina Shareef. With the exception of the time of illness, he never answered the call of nature inside the boundaries of Madina. Hazrat Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith-e-Dehlwi (radi Allahu anhu) states: "Imam Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) used to be very conscious concerning the (respect and honour) of Madina Munawwarah. It is said that in his entire life, he never sat in the boundaries of Madina Munawwarah to answer the call of nature. He used to go outside the boundaries of Madina, except during illness and in great need." (Bustaanul Muhaditheen)

Hazrat Imam Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) used to sit in Madina on his mount and say, "I am ashamed before Allah that I am trodding the hooves of a horse on this ground where the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is resting." (Shifa Shareef)

Allama Qadi Iyad states: "One type of the respect of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is this - that any place or thing that is associated to the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) - that place where the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) kept his blessed feet, Makkah Mu'azzama, Madina Munawwarah, the blessed house of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), that place where the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) used to visit often, and that object which was touched by the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) or that thing which is recognized through the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) - all such things should be respected." (Shifa Shareef) 

 Continued in Part 8...

SEEKING BLESSINGS FROM PROPHET (S), THE RIGHTEOUS & THEIR RELICS - Part 6:

From the Layman (Nasir's) Desk: Islamic Article No.16: ISLAMIC BARAKA, Part 6:

In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful. 

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), his Family, and all his Companions.

Tabarruk with the Prophet's (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) Grave:

Allah made Prophet Muhammad the best of the creation and he made him the most blessed, this means that wherever the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) is in,  the place will also have the blessings.  As stated by Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Alawi in Manhaj al-Salaf, Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) "is alive with a complete isthmus-life (hayât barzakhiyya) which is greater and better and more perfect than worldly life - indeed, higher, dearer, sweeter, more perfect, and more beneficial than worldly life."

Ka’b al-Ahbar ®  (died 32 AH) said: “Not a day goes by without seventy thousand (70,000) angels descending upon the grave of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), surrounding him and sending Salawat upon him until night falls. When they ascend another such group of angels take their place and do the same; until when the earth splits open before him (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), he comes out with seventy thousand (70,000) angels in procession around him.” [Recorded with Saheeh (authentic) chains to Ka’b by Darimi Volume 1, Page 57, Hadeeth number 94), Bayhaqi (Shu’ab, Volume  3, Page 492), Ibn al-Mubarak in Kitab az-Zuhd (Volume 1, Page 558), Abu Nu’aym in Hilya (Volume 5, Page 390), Qadi Isma’il in Fadl As-Salat (#102).]

Related to this, there is consensus among the scholars of the four Madhahib (Schools of Thought) that the blessed place which contains the blessed fragrant body of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is superior to any other place on earth.* 
*[Consensus on this is documented by:
Hanafi: Ibn ‘Abidin in Hashiya, 2:626; Tahtawi in Hashiya Maraqi Falah, p. 70.
Maliki: Qadi ‘Iyad in ash-Shifa’, 2:58; Hattab in Mawahib Jalil, 3:344-45; al-Qarafi in Dhakhira, 3:378, 381; an-Nafrawi in Fawakih Dawani, 1:45.
Shafi’i: Nawawi in Majmu’, 7:389; Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya, 3:205; as-Suyuti in Khasa’is, 2:351; al-Munawi in Fayd Qadir, 6:264.
Hanbali: Ibn ‘Aqil (see: Subki’s Shifa’ Siqam and Ibn Qayyim’s Bada’i Fawa’id 2:147); Ibn Muflih in Mubdi’, 3:70.]

Some (e.g. Ibn ‘Abidin al-Hanafi, Ibn ‘Aqil al-Hanbali, Salim an-Nafrawi al-Maliki) added that it is even superior to the Divine ‘Arsh. 
(Fakhr-al-Din al-Razi’s Tafsir Kabeer; Imam Jalaludin as-Suyuti’s Khasais al-Kubra; Nabhani’s Jami’ Karamat al-Awliya). 

At this stage, we need to slightly digress since the deviant sects hold that our Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) has mixed up with the soil after his death.  How they belie the many ahadith!  But this being not our subject here, we will just cite  couple or so against their false beliefs as cited by Shaykh G.F. Haddad:   

1. "Allah has defended the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets".  A sound (sahih) tradition related on the authority of Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi by: Ahmad in his Musnad, Ibn Abi Shaybah in the Musannaf, Abu Dawud in the Sunan, Nisa'i in his Sunan, Ibn Majah in his Sunan, Darimi in his Musnad, Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih, ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Hakim in the Mustadrak, Tabarani in his Kabir, Bayhaqi in Hayat al-Anbiya', Suyuti in Anba' al-Adkhiya, Dhahabi who confirmed Hâkim's grading, and Nawawi in the Adhkar.

2. Another version in Ibn Maja has this addition:  "And the Prophet of Allah is alive and provided for." fa nabiyyallahi Hayyun yurzaq.  Bayhaqi mentions it also in the Sunan al-kubra.

3. al-anbiyâ'u aHyâ'un fi qubûrihim yuSallûn
"The Prophets are alive in their graves, praying to their Lord".
A sound (sahih) tradition related on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (r) by: al-Bazzar in his Musnad, Abu Ya`la in his Musnad, Ibn `Adi in al-Kamil fi al-du`afa', Tammam al-Razi in al-Fawa'id, al-Bayhaqi in Hayat al-anbiya' fi quburihim, Abu Nu`aym in Akhbar Asbahan, Ibn `Asakir in Târeekh Dimashq, al-Haythami in Majma` al-zawa'id (8:211), al-Suyuti in Anbâ' al-adhkiya' bi-hayat al-anbiya' (#5), and al-Albani, in Silsilat al-ahadith al-sahihah (#621).

Suyuti adds: "The life of the Prophet,   may Allah bless him and give him peace, in his grave, and [also] that of the rest of the prophets is known to us as definitive knowledge (`ilman qat`iyyan)."


Sakhawi, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalâni's student, said: "As for us (Muslims) we believe and we confirm that he is alive and provided for IN HIS GRAVE" (al-qawl al-badee` p. 161). Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-RûH p. 58: "It is obligatory knowledge to know that his body  is in the earth tender and humid (i.e. as in life), and when the Companions asked him: 'How is our greeting presented to you after you have turned to dust' he replied:

'Allah has defended the earth from consuming the flesh of Prophets,' and if his body was not in his grave he would not have given this answer."
Ibn Hajar al-Haythami wrote in al-jawhar al-munaZZam (?):

"tawâtarat al-adillatu wa al-nuqûlu bi anna al-MuSTafa Hayyun Tariyyu... wa Sawmun thumma Hajjun kulla `âmin yaTTahhiru li al-Salâti bi mâ'i ghaythi" which means:

"The proofs and the transmitted texts have been established as authentic in the highest degree that the Prophet  is alive and tender... that he fasts and performs pilgrimage every year, and that he purifies himself with water which rains on him."


4. Hayâti khayrun lakum tuHaddithuna wa yuHaddathu lakum fa idha muttu kânat wafâti khayran lakum tu`raDu `alayya a`mâlukum fa in ra'aytu khayran hamidtu allaha wa in ra'aytu ghayra dhâlik istaghfartu Allaha lakum
"My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be presented to me (in my grave) and if I see goodness I will praise Allah, and if see other than that I will ask forgiveness of him (for you)."
Qadi `Iyad cites it in "al-Shifa" (1:56 of the Amman edition) and Suyuti said in his "Manahil al-safa fi takhrij ahadith al-shifa" (Beirut 1988/1408) p. 31 (#8): "Ibn Abi Usama cites it in his Musnad from the hadith of Bakr ibn `Abd Allah al-Mazni, and al-Bazzar from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ud with a sound (Sahih) chain."

It is cited in Subki's Shifa' al-siqâm fi ziyarat khayr al-anâm
[The Healing of the Sick Concerning the Visit of the Best of Creation], where he mentions that Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Mazini reported it, and Ibn al-Jawzi mentions it through Bakr and then again through Anas ibn Malik in the penultimate chapter of the penultimate section of al-Wafa, both huffaz without giving the isnad. However, Ibn al-Jawzi specifies in the introduction of al-Wafa that he only included sound traditions in his book.  He also mentions the version through Aws ibn Aws: "The actions of human beings are shown to me every Thursday on the night of (i.e. preceding) Friday." See also FatH al-Bâri 10:415, al-Mundhiri's Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb 3:343, and Ahmad 4:484.

Then, of course there are many other ahadith to show that those who visit the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) are ensured about his intercession and also about the Durud and Salwat reaching him and the rewards involved.   To point out just one more hadith Shareef cited by Shaykh G.F. Haddad: 

Man zara qabri wajabat lahu shafa`ati.
"Whoever visits my grave, it becomes incumbent upon me to intercede for him."
Narrated by al-Daraqutni, al-Dulabi, al-Bayhaqi, Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-`Uqayli, Ibn `Adiy, Tabarani, and Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih, all through various chains going back to Musa ibn Hilal al-`Abdiyy from Ubayd Allah Ibn Umar, both from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar.

Dhahabi declared this chain Hasan (fair) as narrated, in "Mizan al- i`tidal," vol. 4, p. 226: "Huwa salih al-hadith" which means:"He -- Musa ibn Hilal -- is good in his narrations." Al-Sakhawi confirmed him in the "Maqasid al-hasana", while al-Subki declared it Sahih according to Samhudi in Sa`adat al-dârayn 1:77. Ibn `Adiyy said: "He [Musa ibn Hilal] is most likely acceptable; other people have called him 'unknown' and this is not true... He is one of the Shuyukhs of Imam Ahmad and most of them are trustworthy." al-Kamil fi al-Du`afa (6:2350). Albani declared him "thabit al-riwaya" (of established reliability) in his Irwa' 4:338. About `Ubayd Allah ibn `Umar al-`Umari: - Dhahabi calls him "saduq hasan al-hadith" [truthful, of fair narrations] al-Mughni 1:348; - Sakhawi says of him "Salih al-hadith" [of sound narrations] al-tuhfat al-latifat 3:366; - Ibn Mu`in said to Darimi about him: "salih thiqat" [sound and reliable] al-kamil 4:1459.

This is one of the proof-texts adduced by the ulama of Islam to derive the obligation or recommendation of visiting the Prophet's grave and seeking him as "wasilat" (intermediary/means). See the chapter on visiting the Prophet's grave in Nawawi's bûk "al-Adhkar" and in Qadi `Iyad's bûk "al-Shifa." Sakhawi said in "al-qawl al-badee`" p. 160: "The emphasis and encouragement on visiting his noble grave are mentioned in numerous ahadith, and it would suffice to show this if there was only the hadith whereby the truthful and God-confirmed Prophet  promises that his intercession among other things becomes obligatory for whoever visits him, and the Imams are in complete agreement from the time directly after his passing until our own time that this is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah."

Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions.

Next, there is direct evidence to show that the Sahaba indeed used to visit the holy grave of Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam].  To name a few randomly, they are Hazrat Umar ® and his son Abdullah ibn Umar ®, Bilal ibn Harith ®, Bilal ibn Rabah ®, Muhammad ibn Harb Hilali ®, Ayub Ansari ®, Muadh ibn Jabal ®,   Hazrat Ali ®,  and Fatima az-Zahra ®.

Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique ®  had requested that when he leaves this world, for the realm of Divine Beauty, he should be shrouded, the Funeral Prayer prayed and then taken to the Sacred Burial Chamber of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam). He said salutations should be offered to the Holy Prophet and then it should be proclaimed, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Your companion of the cave, Abu Bakr Siddique is present’. He said if the door to the Holy Prophet’s Burial Chamber automatically opens then he should be buried inside or he should be buried at Jannat al-Baqi, the Sacred Cemetery. When his blessed funeral bier was taken to the Holy Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) Burial Chamber and the Companions had presented their greeting, they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam)! Hadrat Abu Bakr ® is at your door. The door of the Holy Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) Burial Chamber opened on its own and a voice was heard:  Bring my beloved to his beloved; bring my friend to his friend; For the Beloved is longing for his beloved!  Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique ® was buried within the Sacred Burial Chamber.

Narrated Hisham's father:  'Aisha said to 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, "Bury me with my female companions (i.e. the wives of the Prophet) and do not bury me with the Prophet in the house, for I do not like to be regarded as sanctified (just for being buried there).''  
The words of Aisha ®:  "and do not bury me with the Prophet in the house, for I do not like to be regarded as sanctified (just for being buried there), " go to prove beyond doubt that the Sahaba Karam regarded the grave of Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) as sanctified.  This is in direct contravention of the doctrine of the Salafi who regard the grave of Rasool Allah [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] as almost an idol and a source of ““shirk””. Naudobillah.

Husayn bin ‘Abd-ur-Rahmān from ‘Amr bin Maymūn al-Awdī has narrated: He said: I saw ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb, he said: ‘O ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Umar! Go over to the Mother of the Believers, ‘Ā’ishah, and give her my regards and then ask her if I am permitted to be buried beside my companions.’ ‘Ā’ishah replied: ‘I had this spot marked for myself and today I prefer ‘Umar to myself.’ When he came back, ‘Umar asked him: ‘What news have you brought?’ He replied: ‘O leader of the believers! She has given you the permission.’ At this ‘Umar said: ‘today nothing matters to me more than this resting place (Ma Kaan Shai Ahamm ilayya min Zaalik) . When I pass away, take me to (this place), give my regards, and request that ‘Umar bin al-Khattāb seeks permission. If I am given the permission, then bury me there, otherwise bury me in an ordinary graveyard for the Muslims.’  [ Bukhārī transmitted it in his as-Sahīh, b. of janā’iz (funerals) ch.94 (1:469#1328), b. of fadā’il-us-sahābah (virtues of the Companions) ch.8 (3:1355#3497).]

The only interpretation of the desire expressed by both ‘Umar and ‘Ā’ishah is that they wanted to receive divine blessings through the mediation of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) by being buried close to him.

Narrated Hisham's father: 'Umar sent a message to 'Aisha, saying, "Will you allow me to be buried with my two companions      (the Prophet and Abu Bakr) ?" She said, "Yes, by Allah." though it was her habit that if a man from among the companions (of the Prophet ) sent her a message asking her to allow him to be buried there, she would say, "No, by Allah, I will never give permission to anyone to be buried with them." [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 428] 

Aisha ® was in fact located in the room where Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] was buried and this evident from the following hadith:  

It is narrated by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal that before Umar ® was buried in Aisha's room, she would go there without Hijab, as Rasool Allah [sal Allahu alaihi wasallam] was her husband and Abu Bakr ® was her father. However, when Umar ® got buried there, she would only go into the room with Hijab. (al-Mishkat: Bab ziyarat al-Qubur)

Abdul Rahman ibn al-Jauzi Hanbali (d.597 A.H),  was a prolific writer of some 700 books and he came heavily down on the anthropomorphists in the Hanbali madhab.  He mentions in his al-Wafa bi ahwalil Mustafa,  that Fatimah ® would get blessings from the grave of her father, Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi  wasallam),  and she would put the soil of the grave on her eyes.  Narrated by Ali ®, that when the Prophet [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] passed away, Fatimah ® went and took a grasp of the soil of the grave and put it on her eyes.  She cried and said in a poetical form:  
One who smells Ahmad’s soil (from the grave) will never smell such greatness; Such calamities fell upon me that if they fell upon the day it would turn into night.
Abu Nasir told us [with his chain of transmission] that `Ali said: "When Allah's Messenger was buried, Fatimah  came and stood in front of his grave, took a handful of soil, put it on her eyes, cried and recited:  
The one who breathes from the soil of Ahmad,
will never breathe trouble all his life,
If the troubles that have been poured on me were poured on days,
they would turn into nights.
 ( Ibn al-Jauzi writes in Muthir Al-Gharam Al-Sakin Ila Ashraf Al-Amakin.) 

Many of the research writers have narrated this incident such as al-Shabrawi in al-Tuhaf page 9 and al-Samhudi in Wafa' al-wafa', vol. 2 page 444 and al-Khalidi in Sulh al-'Ikhwan, page 57 and others.

Dawud ibn Salih says: "[The Caliph] Marwan [ibn al-Hakam] one day saw a man placing his face on top of the grave of the Prophet. He said: "Do you know what you are doing?" When he came near him, he realized it was Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The latter said: "Yes; I came to the Prophet, not to a stone." 
[Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Ahmad (5:422), Tabarani in his Mu`jam al-kabir (4:189) and his Awsat according to Haythami in al-Zawa'id (5:245), al-Hakim in his Mustadrak (4:515); both the latter and al-Dhahabi said it was Sahih. It is also cited by al-Subki in Shifa' al-siqam(p. 126), Ibn Taymiyya in al-Muntaqa (2:261f.), and Haythami in al-Zawa'id (4:2)].

It is important to note that ad-Dahabi and Ibn Taymiyya have quoted this Hadith in their books which confirms that one can kiss the Grave and  place his head on the Grave of Prophet Mohammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) and Awliya Allah and request their mediation (Waseelah) after the death.

Hazrat Ali ® says: “Three days had elapsed from the burial of the Holy Prophet (s) when a Bedouin Arab came and threw himself over the grave of the Holy Prophet (s). He sprinkled the soil of his grave over his head and started to converse with the Holy Prophet (s). He said: ‘O Prophet of Allah, you spoke and we listened. You received the truth from Allah and we too received it from you. From the things which Allah revealed to you is this:
ولو أنهم إذ ظلموا أنفسهم
I have done injustice upon myself. So seek forgiveness for me from Allah. Suddenly he heard a voice saying: Your sins have been forgiven.”

This incident has been narrated by most of the historians mainly al-Samhudi in Wafa' al-wafa', vol. 2 page 612 and Shaykh Dawud al-Khalidi (died in 1299 AH) in Sulh al-'Ikhwan and others.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) told Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) to visit his Grave whenever he would return from Yemen. And he (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) promised his intercession to those who would do so.  (Musnad Ahmad with two sound chains as stated by al-Haythami, al-Bazzar, al-Tabarani in al-Kabir and Musnad al-Shamiyeen. Ibn Abi Asim in al-Ahad wal-Mathani and as-Sunna. Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra).

Mu`adh ibn Jabal and Bilal also came to the grave of the Prophet and sat weeping, and the latter rubbed his face against it.
[Ibn Maja 2:1320, Ahmad, Tabarani, Subki, Ibn `Asakir and Ibn Taymiyya.]

Yahya ® related from Imam Maalik ® that he heard that AIi Ibn Abi Talib ® used to rest his head on Graves and lie on them [meaning  holding the grave with his stretched hands while his head, entire face and chest is rested on the Grave]. Imam Maalik said, “As far as we can see, it is only forbidden to sit on the Graves to relieve oneself.” (Muatta’ Imâm Malik – Book #16, Hadith #16.11.34)

It may be recalled that the great companion Bilal ® who had left Madina Shareef for some reason and settled by order of the frontier guards, in the districts of Syria, dreamt that the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)  was saying: “What kind of injustice is this, O Bilal? Has not the time come that you visit us?”  He woke up from his sleep in sadness and sat on his horse and left for Madina Munawwara. When he reached the grave of the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) he started to cry and rubbed his face over it. Later he saw al-Hasan and al-Husayn and kissed both of them.
[This incident has been narrated by a group of great Islamic scholars  like al-Subki in Shifa al-Saqam narrating from Ibn 'Asakir, and Ibn al-'Athir in Usd al-ghaba, vol. 1 page 28.]

Why Salafies don’t issue the fatwa of ““shirk”” against all these Sahaba, who considered the Rawdah of Rasool Allah (sal Alahu alayhi wasallam) as a sanctuary? Moreover, they have to tell us why Abu Bakr and Umar wished to be buried along with Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)! 

Hafiz al-Dhahabi writes in the compendium of his shaykhs entitled Mu`jam al-shuyukh (1:73) in the entry devoted to his shaykh Ahmad ibn `Abd al-Mun`im al-Qazwini (#58): "Ahmad ibn al-Mun`im related to us... [with his chain of transmission] from Ibn `Umar that the latter disliked to touch the Prophet's grave. I say: He disliked it because he considered it disrespectful. Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about touching the Prophet's grave and kissing it and he saw nothing wrong with it. His son `Abd Allah related this from him. If it is said: "Why did the Companions not do this?" It is replied: "Because they saw him with their very eyes when he was alive, enjoyed his presence directly, kissed his very hand, almost fought with each other over the remnants of his ablution water, shared his purified hair on the day of the greater Pilgrimage, and even if he spat it would virtually not fall except in someone's hand so that he could pass it over his face. Since we have not had the tremendous fortune of sharing in this, we throw ourselves on his grave as a mark of commitment, reverence, acceptance, and kissing. Don't you see what Thabit al-Bunani did when he kissed the hand of Anas ibn Malik and placed it on his face saying: "This is the hand that touched the hand of Allah's Messenger"? Muslims are not moved to these matters except by their excessive love for the Prophet, as they are ordered to love Allah and the Prophet more than they love their own lives, their children, all human beings, their property, and Paradise and its maidens. There are even some believers that love Abu Bakr and `Umar more than themselves...

 Al-Dhahabi elsewhere relates that Imam Ahmad himself used to seek blessings from the relics of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) then he lambasts who­ever would fault the practice of tabarruk or seeking blessings from blessed objects:

"`Abd Allah ibn Ahmad said: -I saw my father take a hair that belonged to the Prophet  , put it on his mouth, and kiss it. I believe I saw him put it on his eyes. He also dipped it in water and drank the water to obtain a cure. I saw him take the Prophet's   bowl (qas'a), wash it in water, and drink from it. I saw him drink Zamzam water in order to seek cure with it, and he wiped his hands and face with it.' I say: Where is the quibbling critic of Imam Ah.mad now?! It is also authentically established that `Abd Allah asked is father about those who touch the pommel of the Prophet's   pulpit and touch the wall of the Prophet's room, and he said: -I do not see any harm in it.' May Allah protect us and you from the opinion of the Khawarij and from innovations!!" Al-Dhahabi, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala' (9:457). Ch. on Imam Ah.mad, the section entitled Min Aadaabih.

Don't you see that the Companions, in the excess of their love for the Prophet, asked him: "Should we not prostrate to you?" and he replied no, and if he had allowed them, they would have prostrated to him as a mark of utter veneration and respect, not as a mark of worship, just as the Prophet Yusuf's brothers prostrated to Yusuf. Similarly the prostration of the Muslim to the grave of the Prophet is for the intention of magnification and reverence. One is not imputed disbelief because of it whatsoever (la yukaffaru aslan), but he is being disobedient [to the Prophet's reply to the Companions]: let him therefore be informed that this is forbidden. Similarly in the case of one who prays towards the grave."  

Imam Ahmad's son `Abd Allah said: "I asked my father about the man who touches and kisses the pommel of the Prophet's minbar to obtain the blessing, or touches the grave of the Prophet. He responded by saying: "There is nothing wrong with it."" `Abd Allah also asked Imam Ahmad about the man who touches the Prophet's minbar and kisses it for blessing, and who does the same with the grave, or something to that effect, intending thereby to draw closer to Allah. He replied: "There is nothing wrong with it." This was narrated by `Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal in his book entitled al-`Ilal fi ma`rifat al-rijal (2:492).

In our previous articles in this Blog:
• We already mentioned the authentic account whereby in the time of `Umar there was a drought during which Bilal ibn Harith came to the grave and said: "O Messenger of Allah, ask Allah for rain on behalf of your Community."
• We already mentioned `A'isha's account whereby she instructed that the roof be opened over the Prophet's grave in times of drought, and it would rain.
• `Umar sent a message to `A'isha saying: "Will you allow me to be buried with my two companions (the Prophet and Abu Bakr)?" She said, "Yes, by Allah," though it was her habit that if a man from among the Companions asked her that she would always refuse. [Bukhari].

Reader must honestly answer why did the Companions, especially Abu Bakr ® and Umar ®, wish to be buried near the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam)?  The foremost of the Companions would never indulge in any polytheistic act or ““shirk””, would they?  As in life, they sought his (s) company in death knowing full well that the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) is alive in his grave.  If there is no Barakah in the Rawdah of Rasool Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam), then why all the Companions wanted to get buried near him (s) in the house of Aisha? Why all Sahaba considered the Rawdah of Rasool Allah (sal Allah alayhi wassallam) as the sanctuary, instead of an idol place?  Now do you see of the lies that are being perpetrated against Rasool-Allah (sal Allahu alayhi wassallam) and his Noble Companions ®?

Imam Bukhari

Ibn Adee narrated and many others have quoted this " Imam Bukhari completed his Book by sitting near the Blessed Grave of Prophet(sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)"
[Muqadama Fathul Bari By Imam Hajr Asqalani page # 656]

In any case, the deviants' false claims in relation to Visits, Tawassul and Tabarruk at the Rauza-e-Rasool have been given a fitting reply by Shaykh Mahmud Mamduh's superb documentation work titled Raf` al-Minara fi Takhrij Ahadith al-Tawassul wa al-Ziyara ("Raising the Lighthouse: Documentation of the Narrations Pertaining to Using an Intermediary and Visitation").

Blessing through the Prophet’s blanket: 

The Mother of Believers, ‘Ā’ishah lovingly guarded a blanket in which the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had passed away as is attributed to Abū Hurayrah that ‘Ā’ishah took out a thick blanket and showed it to us. She said:  The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had breathed his last in this blanket. 
[Related by Bukhārī in his as-Sahīh, b. of khumus (fifth part) ch.5 (3:1131#2941)].

Tabarruk with the Prophet's minbar:

• Ibn `Umar used to touch the seat of the Prophet's minbar and then wipe his face for the blessing. [al-Mughni 3:559; al-Shifa' 2:54; Ibn Sa`d, Tabaqat 1:13; Mawsu`at Fiqh `Abdullah ibn `Umar p. 52].
• From Abu Hurayra, Jabir, Abu Imama, and Malik: The Prophet made it a Sunna to swear to the truth on top of his minbar. [Nisa'i, Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Maja, and others.]  
Bukhari confirms it. Ibn Hajar says: and in Makkah, one swears between the Yemeni corner and Maqam Ibrahim. (Fath al-Bari)
• Ibn Abi Shayba narrated in his Musannaf (4:121), in the chapter entitled: "Touching the grave of the Prophet" with a sahih chain as judged by Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalani, and Qadi `Iyad in his book al-Shifa', in the chapter entitled: "Concerning the visit to the Prophet's grave, the excellence of those who visit it and how he should be greeted": Yazid ibn `Abd al-Malik ibn Qusayt and al-`Utbi narrated that it was the practice of the Companions in the masjid of the Prophet to place their hands on the pommel of the hand rail (rummana) of the pulpit (minbar) where the Prophet used to place his hand. There they would face the qibla and supplicate (make du`a) to Allah hoping He would answer their supplication because they were placing their hands where the Prophet placed his while making their supplication. Abu Mawduda said: "And I saw Yazid ibn `Abd al-Malik do the same." This practice of the Companions clarifies two matters. The first is the permissibility of asking Allah for things by the Prophet (tawassul) after his death since by their act the Companions were truly making tawassul. Likewise it is permissible to ask Allah for things by other pious Muslims. The second is the permissibility of seeking blessings (Baraka) from the objects the Prophet touched.

Abu Nu’aym writes in Hilya al-Awliya that Harun al-Rashid intended to demolish the minbar of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and replace it with one made of gold, silver and expensive jewels. Imam Malik advised him: I do not want you to deprive people of the relics (athar) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).  [Tabarruk al-Sahaba bi Athar Rasul Allah. Sheikh Muhammad Tahir ibn Abd al-Qadir ibn Mahmud al-Kurdi. (p. 52)]
In other words, something that the Prophet had touched could never match all the gold and silver in the world. 

 Imam Ahmad also said it was a liked thing to make Tawassul by the Prophet when there is drought. Furthermore, Imam Ahmad said that blessings would descend on those present in a session when the name of Safwan Ibn Sulaym (Safwan Ibn Sulaym was a pious man at the time of the salaf) was mentioned. 

How can Ibn Taymiyah and his followers claim to follow the school of Imam Ahmad? Imam Ahmad is in one valley and they are in another valley altogether.

Continued in Part 7….

SEEKING BLESSINGS FROM PROPHET (S), THE RIGHTEOUS & THEIR RELICS - Part 5:

From the Layman’s Desk: Islamic Article No.16: ISLAMIC BARAKA, Part 5:

In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful. 

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam), his Family and all his Companions.

Tabarruk with the Prophet's (sal Allahu Alayhi wasallam) Hair and Nails: 

There are very many hadiths on this.  Bukhari narrates in his Sahih in the Book of Clothing, under the chapter entitled "What is mentioned about gray hair," that `Usman ibn `Abd Allah ibn Mawhab said: "My family sent me to Umm Salama with a cup of water. Umm Salama brought out a silver bottle which contained one of the hairs of the Prophet, and it used to be that if anyone came under the evil eye or ill health they used to send her a cup of water through which she would pass this hair (for drinking). We used to look into the silver bottle: I saw some reddish hairs."

Uthman bin ‘Abdullah bin Mauhab said, “My people sent me with a bowl of water to Um Salama Radiyallaaho T`aalaa A`nhaa.” Isra’il approximated three fingers (‘indicating the small size of the container in which there was some hair of the Prophet sal Allaho alayhi wasallam. ’Uthman ® added, “If any person suffered from evil eye or some other disease, he would send a vessel (containing water) to Um Salama ®.  I looked into the container (that held the hair of the Prophet sal Allaho alayhi wasallam  and saw a few red hair in it.”  (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 784)

Anas said: "When the Prophet shaved his head (after pilgrimage), Abu Talha was the first one to take of his hair."[ Bukhari].

Anas also said: "The Prophet threw stones at al-Jamra, then sacrificed, then told the barber to shave his head right side first, then began to give the hair away to the people."[ Muslim].
He said: "Talha was the one distributing it." [Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud].

He also said: "When the Prophet shaved his head in Mina, he gave me the hair from the right side and he said: Anas! take it to Umm Sulaym [his mother]. When the Companions saw what the Prophet gave us, they began to compete to take the hair from the left side, and everyone was getting a share from that." [Ahmad narrated it].

Ibn al-Sakan narrated through Safwan ibn Hubayra from the latter's father: Thabit al-Bunani said: Anas ibn Malik said to me (on his death-bed): "This is one of the hairs of Allah's Messenger, Allah's blessings and peace upon him. I want you to place it under my tongue." Thabit continued: I placed it under his tongue, and he was buried with it under his tongue."

Abu Bakr said: "I saw Khalid [ibn Walid] asking for the Prophet's forelock and he received it. He used to put it over his eyes and then kiss it." It is known that he then placed it in his qalansuwa (head cover around which the turban is tied) and never faced battle again except he won. 

Al-Waqidi (Maghazi), Ibn Hajar (Isaba). Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani relates that Imam Malik said: "Khalid ibn al-Walid owned a qalansiyya which contained some of the Prophet's hair, and that is the one he wore the day of the battle of Yarmuk.

Al-Bayhaqi too narrates in his book Dala'il anNubuwwah. He narrated, with a sahih (A Sahih hadith is one of the two types of hadith that can be relied upon in deducing judgments. The other type is the hasan hadith.) chain that Khalid Ibn al-Walid lost a headgear (qalansuwah) he wore during the Battle of al-Yarmuk. He asked the people to help him find it and they searched repeatedly until it was found. They saw it was a very old qalansuwah and thought it strange that Khalid Ibn alWalid was so insistent on finding it. Khalid Ibn alWalid told them: "The Prophet performed Umrah and then shaved his head. I rushed with the people to get some of his hair. I got some of the hair from the front part of his head which I put in this qalansuwah. Every time I went into battle with this qalansuwah, Allah gave me victory."

Note: Nobody told Khalid ibn Walid ® to put the blessed hairs in his hat. He did this from his own accord. 

Ibn Sirin (one of the tabi`in) said: "One hair of the Prophet in my possession is more precious to me than silver and gold and everything that is on the earth and everything that is inside it." [Bukhari, Bayhaqi (Sunan kubra), and Ahmad].

Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, Volume 10, page 353, said: "They used to call the silver bottle in which the hair of the Prophet was kept jiljalan and that bottle was in the home of Umm Salama." 

Hafiz al-`Ayni said in `Umdat al-Qari, Volume 18, page 79: "Umm Salama had some of the hairs of the Prophet in a silver bottle. When some people got ill, they would go and obtain blessings from these hairs and they would be healed by means of their blessings. If a person were struck by the evil eye or any sickness, he would send his wife to Umm Salama with a mikhdaba or water-pail, and she would pass the hair through that water and then drink the water and he would be healed, after which they would return the hair to the jiljal."

Imam Ahmad narrates in his Musnad (4:42) from `Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn `Abd Rabbih with a sound (sahih) chain as stated by Haythami in Majma` al-zawa'id (3:19) that the Prophet clipped his nails and distributed them among the people.

Ibn Sa'd writes:
"'Umar ibn 'abd al-Aziz had the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) hair. He said: 'When I die bury me with the hair in my grave'
[Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, chapter on 'Death of 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-Aziz']

Hafiz ibn Kathir writes:
"Mu'awiya had the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) nails and hair.He said: 'When I die can you bury the nails and hair with me in my grave'"[Ta'rikh Ibn Kathir, chapter on 'Death of Mu'awiya']

Also,  Ahmad ibn Hanbal had three hairs from the body of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He requested to be buried with one placed on his mouth, and the other two on each eye.  [p. 24. Tabarruk al-Sahaba bi Athar Rasul Allah. Sheikh Muhammad Tahir ibn Abd al-Qadir ibn Mahmud al-Kurdi.  (p. 13) Maktaba al-Qahira Publications, Cairo. 1997.]

Imam Ahmad is reported to have kept some hairs of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the sleeve of his shirt. During the days of the fitna over whether the Qur’an was created, al-Mu‘tasim refused to burn this shirt, because of the blessings of the hair [in it].  [p. 112. Tashīh al-Aqā’id. Muhammad Abd al-Hāmid Budāyūnī.]

Throughout his life, Imam Bukhari used to keep the blessed hair of Prophet(sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) in his clothes."
[Muqadama Fathul Bari By Imam Hajr Asqalani page 645]

Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) Bow: 
Qadi Iyad reports in al-Shifa that Ahmad ibn Fazlawiyya possessed the bow of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He said, ‘I have never touched this bow with my hands expect with Wudhu since I learnt that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) held this bow with his hand.’  [p. 275. Al-Shifa. Qadi Iyad. p. 275. Dar Ibn Hazm Publications, Beirut, 2002.]  

Tabarruk with Prophet’s (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) visits or Places of Prayers: 

The Sahaba used to get benefit of Barakah by the house in which Rasool Allah [sal Allahu alayhi wasallam] entered:

Narrated Abu Burda:  When I came to Medina. I met Abdullah bin Salam. He said, “Will you come to me so that I may serve you with Sawiq (i.e. powdered barley) and dates, and let you enter a (blessed) house in which the Prophet entered? [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 159]

It is also narrated in Sahih Bukhari that Sayyidina Ibn Umar, radi Allahu `anh, when travelling between Makkah and Madinah, would make a point of praying at the spots where the Holy Prophet (sal-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) used to pray during his lifetime.  Clearly, Sayyidina Ibn Umar, radi Allahu `anh, wished to receive the Barakah of Nabi Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam.

Thus it is also known that Ibn ‘Umar derived blessings even from walking in the same spots where the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had walked and praying exactly where he had prayed both at the Ka’ba and on his travels, and that he watered a certain tree under which Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) had prayed so that it would not die.  
[Recorded by Bayhaqi in his Sunan al-Kubra (5:245), Abu Ya’la (10:87-88 #5724), Humaydi (#680, 682), Bazzar (Musnad, 1:81 #129), Tabarani (M. Awsat, 4:199), Ibn Abi Shayba (8:175), and Ibn Hibban (#7074). See also Ibn Hajar’s Fath al-Bari (1:569-70) and Imam Dhahabi’s Siyar A’lam an-Nubala (Chapter on Ibn ‘Umar)]
Vol. 1, Book 8, Hadith 471 (Sahih Bukhari):

It is related from 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to stop at Dhu'l-Hulayfa when he performed 'umra or hajj under an acacia tree at the spot where the mosque is in Dhu'l-Hulayfa. When he returned from an expedition or was coming from hajj or 'umra and was on that road, he came down along the riverbed and emerged from it and would make his camel kneel at the dip which is on the eastern side of the riverbed. He stayed there until morning, not at the mosque which is by the rocks nor on the hill with the mosque on it. There was a water channel there, where 'Abdullah prayed, with sand heaps in it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to pray there. The floodwater drove the pebbles down until the place where 'Abdullah used to pray was buried. 

'Abdullah related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed at the site of the small mosque which is below the mosque at the hill at ar-Rawha'. 'Abdullah knew the place where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had prayed. He said, "It is on your right when you are standing in prayer in the mosque." That mosque is on the right hand side of the road when you are going to Makka, a stone's throw or thereabouts from the largest mosque. 

Ibn 'Umar used to pray towards the small mountain which is at the end of ar-Rawha'. That mountain ends at the side of the road near the mosque, between it and al-Munsaraf when you are going to Makka. A mosque was built there. 'Abdullah did not pray in that mosque. He left it to his left and behind him. He prayed in front of it towards the mountain itself. 'Abdullah came back from ar-Rawha' and did not pray Dhuhr until he came to that place where he prayed. If he was coming from Makka and passed by it an hour before Subh or at the end of the night, he stopped until he could pray Subh there. 

'Abdullah related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to alight under a large sarj tree below ar-Ruwaytha on the right hand side of the road, facing the road in a wide level place and go on until he emerged from the small hill about two miles below the road of ar-Ruwaytha. The top of it is broken and inclines inward. It stands on a flat place where there are many sand-dunes.

'Abdullah related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed at the end of the upper part of the valley behind al-'Arj if you are on the way to Hadba.There are two or three graves at that mosque, on which are piles of stones, to the right of the path at the large stones marking the path. 'Abdullah used to return home from al-'Arj after the sun had declined from midday. He would pray Dhuhr in that mosque. 

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar related that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted at the sarj trees at the left of the road in the river bed below Harsha. That slope joined the foot of Harsha about a bows-shot from the road. 'Abdullah used to pray at the sarj tree which was nearest the road. It was the tallest of them. 

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to alight at the slope which was closer to Marr az-Zahran towards Madina where it descends from the small valleys. He would alight on the flat of that slope to the left of the road when you are going to Makka. There is only a stone's throw between where the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, alighted and the road. 

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to alight at Dhu Tuwa and spent the night there until morning when he would pray Subh when he was going to Makka. The place where the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,* prayed was a great mound which is not inside the mosque which was built there, but is lower down. 

'Abdullah related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, faced the two gaps in the mountain between him and the tall mountain towards the Ka'ba. He put the mosque that was built to the left of the mosque at the end of the mound. The place where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, prayed was lower than it, on the black mound located ten cubits or thereabouts from the other mound. He prayed there facing the two gaps in the mountain between him and the Ka'ba. 

[End of Hadith]

An Islamic scholar points out:  Please see how beautifully and clearly Ibn Umar (ra) memorizes the places where Prophet (Peace be upon him) prayed. This hadith also proves of praying in Masajid which has graves inside them as Ibn Umar (ra) used to pray Dhuhr in that mosque of valley behind al-‘Arj. This hadith is also a proof of visiting all the holy places where Prophet (Peace be upon him) went. The Wahabis stop Muslims from this great Sunnah because they are against seeking Tabarruk from Athaar of Anbiya whereas Bukhari Shareef is filled with proofs that Sahaba took Tabbaruk from Athaar of Prophet (Peace be upon him). 

According to the Wahhabi Muhsin Khan, all the above hadiths of Sahih Bukhari in relation to the various places where Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) prayed on the way from Makkah to Madinah Shareef is impossible to translate and according to him it is “Narrated by Unknown”!  Therefore, there was no further translation by him.  Can you believe that?  According to Islamic scholars: “Although there are many examples of Muhsin Khan's lies and Dajl but this one is the ultimate of them all, because this has to do with the issue of taking Tabarruk from places where Prophet (Peace be upon him) prayed and this according to their guru Ibn Taymiyyah was ““shirk”” to the extent that Ibn Taymiyyah even tried to prove Ibn Umar (ra) as Mushrik in his Iqtida as Siraat al Mustaqeem (Audhobillah Min Dhalik!)… We ask the Wahabis what was impossible for Muhsin Khan to translate? This means that Muslims should not read Sahih Bukhari as there are impossible things beyond our comprehension in it? With such distortions/forgeries/corruptions to Sahih Bukhari these Wahabis are misguiding innocent new Muslims who think that Wahabis are on Tawhid whereas Christians and Jews would know that even the Tawhid of Wahabi is similar to theirs i.e. Tajseem-e-ELahi (Anthropomorphism).”

Next, similarly, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, Ibn ‘Umar, Mu’awiya, Salama ibn Akwa’, and others used to search out the places where the Prophet (sal Allahu wasallam) prayed, and pray there for the blessings gained by that.
  
[For example: Bukhari (Kitab as-Salat, #448, 461-62, 472), Nasa’i (#1709), Imam Ahmad (2:75, 4:419),Bayhaqi (3:25), Tayalisi (#514), ‘Abd ibn Humayd (#774), Tabari’s Tafsir (11:33), Ibn Abd al-Barr’s Tamhid (5:119, 6:228, 13:65), Nawawi’s Sharh Sahih Muslim (5:161, 13:178) and Tahdhib al-Asma’ (1:262), Ibn Hajar’s Fath al-Bari (1:522, 571), Haythami’s Majma’ az-Zawa’id (3:295, 8:265), Malik’s Muwatta’ (1:423), Ruyani’s Musnad (#741, 757-59, 1142), Humaydi (#149), and others].

Narrated Yazid bin Al 'Ubaid: 
I used to accompany Salama bin Al-Akwa' and he used to pray behind the pillar which was near the place where the Qurans were kept I said, "O Abu Muslim! I see you always seeking to pray behind this pillar." He replied, "I saw Allah's Apostle always seeking to pray near that pillar." [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 9, Number 481]

Other Sahaba used to ask Anas and Bilal where he (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) used to pray so they could pray in the same spots (Tabarani’s Mu’jam al-Awsat 3:350, 6:309).

Narrated Ibn 'Umar: 
The Prophet entered the Ka'ba along with Usama bin Zaid, 'Uthman bin Talha and Bilal and remained there for a long time. When they came out, I was the first man to enter the Ka'ba. I asked Bilal "Where did the Prophet pray?" Bilal replied, "Between the two front Pillars."
[Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 9, Number 483]

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Isaba fi Tamyiz as-Sahaba, 4:424) stated that Zubayr ibn Bakkar recorded in Akhbar al-Madina (also Ruyani 2:230 #1106) that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) entered the home of Sahl ibn Sa’d and sat in the middle of the house, and afterwards Sahl and his wife used to take that exact place as a place for prayer. 

Um Sulaym also asked the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) to pray in her house, so they could take that as a place of prayer too (Tabarani’s Mu’jam al-Awsat, 6:305 #6481). 

Thus, the Sahabah would search out the places where the Holy Prophet (sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam)  prayed, and they would pray there.

`Utban ibn Malik was one of the Companions of the battle of Badr. After he became blind he said to the Prophet: "I would like you to pray in my house so that I can pray where you prayed." The Prophet went to his house and asked where exactly he would like him to pray. He indicated a spot to him and the Prophet prayed there.  [Bukhari (#406-07, 627, 645, 795, 1113), Muslim (#48, 1053), Imam Malik (#377), and many others.]
The version in Muslim has: I (`Utban) sent for the Prophet the message: "Come and lay for me a place for worship [khutta li masjidan]."  

Imam Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim said: "It means: "Mark for me a spot that I can take as a place for worship by obtaining blessing from your having been there [mutabarrikan bi aathaarika]... In this hadith is evidence for obtaining blessings through the relics of saints (al-Tabarruk bi aathaar al-salihin)." Notice how many times (nine times total in his Sharh Sahih Muslim) already Imam Nawawi has shown that these Sahih hadiths prove the permissibility and recommendability of obtaining blessings thru the righteous and their relics. Imam Nawawi also said (Sharh Muslim 5:161): “From this hadith we gain three beneficial lessons: 1) it is permitted to obtain blessings from righteous people and the objects connected to them, 2) it is recommended to pray in the places the righteous used to pray, and 3) it is recommended to seek blessings from the places where the righteous people resided.”  

The Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) was also told to “pray in al-‘Aqiq because it is a blessed valley” (Bukhari #1436).  

Continued in Part 6…