Are we allowed to visit Dargah?

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Please clear me this doubt,

can we go in Darga, because when i read quran i came to know that comparing any one with Allah is a big sin, but some people say me that we cannot asked any thing in darga but we can just give a normal visit to give the person a salam, so please tell me that what are the condition which we have to follow, correctly, whether we should go or not go...

yours truly brother


(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Are we allowed to visit Dargah?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Visiting the graves is permissible for the men in Islam, but the Messenger of Allah (saws) invoked the curse of Allah on the women who are frequest visitors to the graves, but there is no harm if a woman occasionally visits the graveyard.

 

Abdallah ibn Buraidah reported from his father that the Prophet (saws) said: "I had forbidden you to visit graves, but now you may visit them.  It will remind you of the Hereafter." (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan)

 

(In the beginning at the time of the Prophet (saws), he (saws) prohibited the believers from visitlng the graves because of their proximity to the jahiliyyah  (Days of Ignorance).  After they had fully entered the fold of Islam, became well pleased with it, and had fully accepted its laws, the Prophet (saws) permitted them to visit graves.)

 

Abu Hurairah reported that The Prophet (saws) visited his mother' s grave and cried, and everyone there cried with him.  Then the Prophet (saws) said: 'I sought my Lord's permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He did not permit me.  I then sought permission to visit her grave and He permitted me to do this. You should visit graves, because they will remind you of the reality of death.'' (Muslim, Ahmad, and the Sunan)

 

It is reported in an authentic narration that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “, "May Allah curse the women who are frequent visitors of the graves."

 

Anas reported: "The Prophet(saws) saw a woman crying by the grave of her son, and said to her, 'Fear Allah, and be patient.'  She replied, 'What do you care about my tragedy?'   When he went away, someone told her, 'Indeed, that was the Messenger of Allah (saws).'   The woman felt extremely sorry and she immediately went to the Prophet's house, where she did not find any guards. She called out: 'O Messenger of Allah! I did not recognize you.'  The Prophet (saws) said, 'Verily patience is needed at the time of the first affiction'.'' (Bukhari and Muslim) This supports the argument in favor of the permissibility of women visiting graves, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw her at the grave and did not show his disapproval of it.

 

It is not permissible for one to specifically travel to ‘dargahs’ or any graveyard.  If one is in the area or city, then there is no harm if one visits the graveyard.    This ruling is based on the narration of the Prophet (saws) who said: "One should not undertake journeys except to three mosques: the Masjid al-Haram (Makkah), the Aqsa mosque (Jerusalem), or this mosque (the Prophet’s mosque in Medina)."

 

Aishah reports that the Prophet (saws) said: "Allah cursed the Jews and Christians [because] they took the graves of their prophets as mosques."  This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, and an-Nasa' i.

 

'Aishah reports that Umm Salamah mentioned the churches she saw in Abyssinia and the pictures they contained to the Messenger of Allah (saws). The Prophet (saws) said to her: "These are the people who, when a pious servant or pious man among them dies, build a mosque [place of worship] upon their graves and put those pictures in it.  They are the worst of the whole creation in the sight of Allah." This is related by al-Bukhari, Muslim, and an-Nasa' i.

 

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Before you there was a group who turned the graves of their prophets and their righteous ones into mosques. Do not turn graves into mosques. I forbid you to do that'.''  (Muslim)

 

Abu Hurairah narrated that The Prophet (saws) said: 'May Allah curse Jews and Christians for they turned the graves of their Prophets into places of worship'.''  (Muslim Bukhari and Muslim)

 

Whoever pays a visit to a grave should face the deceased, greet him, and supplicate for him. On this subject we find the following:

 

Buraidah reported that The Prophet (saws) taught us that when we visited graves we should say, 'Peace be upon you, O believing men and women, O dwellers of this place.  Certainly, Allah willing, we will join you. You have preceded us and we are to follow you.  We supplicate to Allah to grant us and you security'.'' (Reported by Muslim, Ahmad, and others)

 

Ibn 'Abbas reported: "Once the Prophet (saws) passed by graves in Madinah.  He tumed his face toward them saying: 'Peace be upon you, O dwellers of these graves. May Allah forgive us and you.  You have preceded us, and we are following your trail'." (Tirmidhi)

 

What some people do, like wiping hands over the graves and tombs, kissing them, bowing down in sajdah to the graves, and circumambulating around them are abominable innovations and clear and manfiest acts of ‘shirk’.  All sorts of ceremonies and celebrations which are done on the graves like chaadar, niyaaz, etc.  are innovations and should not be done by one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day.      

 

Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited the graves to supplicate for their inhabitants, and to seek mercy and forgiveness of Allah for them.  Contrary to this, the pagans supplicated to the dead, swearing by them, asking them for their needs, and seeking their support and help. Such pagan practices are in conflict with the guidance of the Prophet (saws) and his teachings about the Oneness of Allah and about the manner of supplicating for Allah's mercy for the dead.   The people who do such things are guilty of shirk (polytheism).”

 

 

The people who visit the graves may be divided into three categories:

those who supplicate for the deceased,  

those who supplicate through the deceased, 

and those who supplicate to the deceased. 

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verse 22:And the dead and the living are not alike!  Allah causes whomever He wills to hear, but you cannot make those who are buried in the graves to hear you.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 20-21:All the other beings, whom the people invoke with Allah, create nothing! Nay, they are themselves created.  They are DEAD, not living, and they do not at all know themselves when they shall again be raised to life!

 

In light of the above clear aayahs and Sunnah of the Messenger (saws), the believers, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, are only allowed to visit the graves and supplicate Allah Subhanah for the deceased.      The acts of making supplication through the deceased and to the deceased are abominable innovations and a clear and manifest form of ‘shirk’.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

 

Your Brother in Islam,

 

 

Burhan

 

 
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