Ruling on swearing by the Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)

 

I hear many people, when they want to
affirm something, saying “by the Prophet”. Is this permissible?

Praise be to Allaah.

This swearing by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is haraam, and is a kind of Shirk, because swearing by
something implies veneration of it, and a created being cannot venerate another created
being. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
swears by anything other than Allaah is guilty of kufr or shirk.” (Saheeh,
narrated by Ahmad, 2/125; Abu Dawood, 3251; al-Tirmidhi, 1535). This
applies to swearing by the Prophets, angels, righteous people and all other created
beings. And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
swears an oath, let him swear by Allaah or else remain silent.” (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari,4860 – al-Fath 8/611 and 6107 – al-Fath 10/516; Muslim, 1647; Ahmad,
2/309; Abu Dawood, 3247; al-Nasaa’i, 3775; al-Tirmidhi, 1545; Ibn Maajah, 2096).

With regard to the verses in the Qur’aan which
contain oaths sworn by “those sent forth” (al-mursalaat), the winds that
scatter (al-dhaariyaat), those who pull out (al-naazi’aat), the break
of day (al-fajr), the Time (al-‘asr), the forenoon (al-duhaa)
and the mansions of the stars (mawaaqi’ al-nujoom – see al-Waaqi’ah
56:75), etc., these are oaths sworn by Allaah, and Allaah has the right to swear oaths by
whatever He wills, but the created being can swear only be his Lord, may he be exalted.

Praying at graves and the conditions of intercession

 

I was in a converstation with a follower of the sufi way of islam and that person asked me what did i think about praying at the graves, or about religious scholars interceding during the day of judgement. i told that person that praying to someones grave is shirk and no one can interceed except the prophet. and i wanted to know what was the ruling of the people of knowledge on this matter and where can i look for proof ?

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

1 – The issue of praying at graves 

Praying at graves is of two types: 

The first type is praying to the occupant of the grave.
This is major shirk which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, because
prayer is an act of worship, and it is not permissible to do any act of
worship to anyone other than Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“Worship Allaah and join none with Him (in worship)”

[al-Nisa’ 4:36] 

“Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up
partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other
than that, and whoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah, has indeed
strayed far away”

[al-Nisa’ 4:116] 

The second type is praying to Allaah in the graveyard.
This covers a number of issues: 

1 – Praying the funeral (janaazah) prayer at the graveside,
which is permissible. 

Example: if a person dies and you are not able to offer the
funeral prayer for him in the mosque, then it is permissible for you to
offer the prayer for him after he is buried. 

The evidence for this is that this is what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did. It was narrated from Abu
Hurayrah that a black man or a black woman used to clean the mosque, and he
(or she) died. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
asked about him and they said, “He died.” He said, “Why did you not tell me?
Show me to his grave (or her grave).” So he went to the grave and offered
the funeral prayer. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 458; Muslim, 956). 

2 – Praying the funeral prayer in the graveyard, which is
permissible 

Example: a person dies and you are not able to offer the
funeral prayer for him in the mosque, so you go to the graveyard and offer
the prayer there before he is buried. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: “It is permissible to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased inside
the graveyard just as it is permissible to offer the funeral prayer for him
after he is buried, because it was proven that a woman used to clean the
mosque and she died. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) asked about her and they said, ‘She died.’ He said, ‘Why did you not
tell me? Show me to her grave.’ So they showed him and he offered the prayer
for her, then he said, ‘These graves are filled with darkness for their
occupants, but Allaah illuminates them by my prayer over them.’” (Narrated
by Muslim, 956.)

From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 8/392 

3 – Praying in the graveyard – apart
from the funeral (janaazah) prayer – this prayer is invalid and does not
count, whether it is an obligatory prayer or a naafil prayer. 

The evidence for that is as follows: 

(i)               
The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “All the earth is a mosque apart from
the graveyards and bathrooms.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 317; Ibn Maajah,
745; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 606).

(ii)             
The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “May Allaah curse the Jews and the
Christians, for they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of
worship.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 435; Muslim, 529).

(iii)           
Praying in graveyards may be a
means that leads to worshipping the graves, or to imitating those who
worship graves. Hence, because the kaafirs used to prostrate to the sun as
it was rising and setting, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) forbade us to pray when the sun is rising or setting, lest that
be taken as a means that leads to worshipping the sun instead of Allaah, or
to resembling the kuffaar. 

4 – Praying towards the graveyard, which is haraam, according
to the correct opinion. 

Example: you pray with a graveyard or grave in the direction
of your qiblah, but you are not praying in the graveyard, rather you are
praying on some other ground that is close to the graveyard, with no wall or
barrier between you and it. 

The evidence for this being haraam: 

(i)               
It was narrated that Abu
Marthad al-Ghanawi said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not sit on graves, or pray towards them.”
(Narrated by Muslim, 972). This indicates that it is haraam to pray
towards graveyards or towards graves or towards a single grave.

(ii)             
The reason why it is not
allowed to pray towards a graveyard is the same as the reason why it is not
allowed to pray towards a grave. So long as a person is facing towards the
grave or graveyard in such a way that it may be said that he is praying
towards it, then this comes under the prohibition, and if it comes under the
prohibition then it is not valid, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Do not pray …” The prohibition here
is on praying, so if a person prays towards a grave, he is combining
obedience and disobedience, and it is not possible to draw closer to Allaah
in such a manner. 

Note: If there is a wall between you and the graveyard, then
the basic principle is that it is acceptable to pray in this case and it is
not prohibited. Similarly, if there is a street or a considerable distance
which would mean that you cannot be regarded as praying towards the graves,
then this is acceptable. And Allaah knows best.  

See al-Mughni, 1/403; al-Sharh al-Mumti’ by Ibn
‘Uthaymeen, 2/232. 

2 – The issue of intercession 

You were mistaken when
you said that no one will intercede on the Day of Resurrection except the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Rather the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) will intercede and so will
others among the believers. See Question no. 11931. 

But we will add here an issue that was not mentioned there,
which is that there are conditions attached to intercession: 

1 – Permission must be granted by Allaah to the intercessor
to intercede.

2 – Allaah must approve of the one for whom intercession is
to be made. 

The evidence for these two conditions is the verses in which
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And there are many angels in the heavens, whose
intercession will avail nothing except after Allaah has given leave for whom
He wills and is pleased with”

[al-Najm 53:26] 

“and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is
pleased”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:28] 

As for the imaginary intercession which the idol-worshippers
think their gods perform for them, this is an invalid intercession, for
Allaah does not permit intercession unless He is pleased both with the
intercessor and those for whom intercession is made.  

See al-Qawl al-Mufeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed by
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 336-337. 

The fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the believers will intercede does not justify asking them to intercede, as some people do when they ask the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to intercede for them even after his death.

Can the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) hear those who call upon him when he is in his grave?

 

Some people believe that the Prophet Muhamamd [(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] is "Shaheed" and is in BArzakh where he can hear us if we send 'darood' on him and also if we ask his 'wasta' [by virtue of his closeness to Allah]in praying to God.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
is alive in his grave in the sense of the life of al-barzakh, so he enjoys
the blessings that Allaah has prepared for him as a reward for his great
good actions that he did in this world. But the life in the grave is not
like the life of this world, or the life in the Hereafter. Rather it is the
life of al-barzakh which comes in between his life in this world and his
life in the Hereafter. Hence we know that he died as other Prophets and
other people before him died. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We granted not to
any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you die, would
they live forever?”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:34] 

“Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.

And the Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will
remain forever”

[al-Rahmaan 55:26,27] 

“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too)
will die”

[al-Zumar 39:30] 

And there are other verses which also indicate that Allaah
caused him to die. Moreover, the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
washed him, shrouded him, offered the funeral prayer for him and buried him;
if he had been alive in the worldly sense, they would not have done the same
as is done for others who die. 

Faatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her) asked Abu Bakr (may
Allaah be pleased with him) for her inheritance from her father (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) because she was convinced that he had
died, and no one among the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them)
differed with her concerning that. Rather Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased
with him) responded to her request by saying that nothing could be inherited
from the Prophets.  

The Sahaabah agreed unanimously to choose a khaleefah for the
Muslims to succeed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him),  and that was done with the appointment of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) as khaleefah. If the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not have
done that. So this indicates that there was consensus among them that he had
indeed died. 

When the tribulations (fitan) and problems increased
during the time of ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them both),
and before and after that, they did not go to his grave to consult him or
ask him for a way out of those tribulations and problems, or the way to
solve them. If he had been alive in a worldly sense, they would not have
overlooked that when they were in such great need of someone to save them
from the trials that surrounded them.  

With regard to the soul of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), it is in the highest part of ‘Illiyyeen,
because he is the best of creation, and because Allaah has given him
al-waseelah which is the highest position in Paradise. 

The life of al-barzakh is a special life. The Prophets and
the shuhada’ (martyrs) are alive in al-barzakh as the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Prophets are alive and they
pray in their graves.” (Narrated by al-Mundhiri and al-Bayhaqi who classed
it as saheeh because of corroborating reports in al-Saheehayn.) 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And say not of those who
are killed in the way of Allaah, ‘They are dead.’ Nay, they are living, but
you perceive (it) not”

[al-Baqarah 2:154] 

This is a special life, the nature of which is known to
Allaah. It is not like the life of this world in which the soul remains with
the body.  

The basic principle concerning the dead is that they do not
hear the words of the living sons of Adam, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“but you cannot make hear those who are in graves”

[Faatir 35:22] 

Allaah confirmed that
those whom he (the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him))
was calling to Islam could not hear, by likening them to the dead. There is
nothing in the Qur’aan or in the saheeh Sunnah to indicate that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) can hear every du’aa’ or
call from human beings. Rather it is proven that the only thing that reaches
him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the blessings and
salaams of those who send blessings and salaams upon him. This was narrated
by Abu Dawood, 2041, with a hasan isnaad from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no one who sends salaams upon me but
Allaah will restore to me my soul so that I may return his salaams.” This
does not mean that he hears the words of the one who sends salaams. Rather
it is possible that he comes to know of those salaams when the angels convey
that to him. If we assume that he hears the words of the one who sends
salaams, this is an exception from the general rule, as in the case of the
dead hearing the footsteps of those who carry his bier, and as in the case
of the slain kuffaar in the well at Badr who heard the call of the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he said to
them: “Have you found your Lord’s promise to be true? For we have found our
Lord’s promise to be true.” (See Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah,
1/313, 318, 321). 

With regard to calling upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and asking him directly, this is
the essence of shirk which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was sent to forbid and to fight against its people. For more
details on the ruling on that, see Question no.
10289,
11402,
1439. We ask
Allaah to bring the Muslims back to the right path. And Allaah knows best.
May Allaah send blessings and peace upon his Prophet Muhammad and his family
and companions.

Astrology vs. astronomy

 

Praise be to Allaah.

Al-Bukhaari said in his Saheeh:
Qutaadah said: “Allaah created these stars for three purposes: to adorn the
heavens, to stone the devils and as signs by which to navigate. Whoever
seeks anything else in them is mistaken and does not benefit from them, and
he is wasting his time and effort in seeking something of which he has no
knowledge.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Baab fi’l-Nujoom, 2/240) 

The study of the stars is divided into two
kinds: 

1-    
Study of the
influence of the stars (astrology)

2-    
Study of the
positions and movements of the stars (astronomy) 

Study of the influence of the stars
(astrology) is divided into three categories: 

1 – The belief that these stars have a real
influence in the sense that they create events and evil. This is major shirk
(shirk akbar), because whoever claims that there is another creator
alongside Allaah is a mushrik in the sense of major shirk, for he is
regarding a created thing that is subjugated as a creator which subjugates. 

2 – Making this a reason to claim to have
knowledge of the unseen, so from the movements and changes in the stars he
deduces that such and such will happen because such and such has happened to
such and such a star. For example, he may say that one person’s life will be
miserable because he was born under this star, and that another person’s
life will be happy because he was born under that star. This person is
taking knowledge of the stars as a means to claim that he has knowledge of
the unseen, and claiming to have knowledge of the unseen is kufr (disbelief)
which puts one beyond the pale of Islam, because Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

“Say: None in the heavens and the earth
knows the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allaah”[al-Naml 29:65] 

The grammatical structure used in the
original Arabic – starting with the negation laa (translated here as
“none”) followed by the word illa (“except”) – is one of the most
emphatic ways of expressing exclusivity. So if a person claims to know the
unseen, he is effectively disbelieving what the Qur’aan says. 

3 – If he believes that the stars are the
cause of good or bad things happening, this is minor shirk (shirk asghar),
i.e., when something happens he attributes it to the stars (and only
attributes it to the stars after it has happened). The basic principle is
that whoever believes that one thing is the cause of another when Allaah has
not made it so, is overstepping the mark and not acknowledging Allaah as He
should be acknowledged, because the One Who makes things happen is Allaah
alone. For example, if a person seeks healing from a piece of string (tied
around his wrist), and says, “I believe that healing is in the hand of
Allaah and this string is simply the means,” we would say to him, “You have
saved yourself from major shirk but you have fallen into lesser shirk,
because Allaah has not made string a clear means of healing. By doing this
you have transgressed against His position of Controller and Sustainer, by
making something a means to something else when Allaah has not made it so.”
The same applies to one who regards the stars as the cause of rainfall when
this is not the case. The evidence for that is the hadeeth narrated by
al-Bukhaari (801) and Muslim (104) from Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani who said:
“The Messenger of Allaah SAWs (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
led us in praying Fajr at al-Hudaybiyah, following rainfall during the
night. When he had finished praying, he turned to the people and said, ‘Do
you know what your Lord has said?’ They said, ‘Allaah and His Messenger know
best.’ He said, ‘This morning one of My slaves became a believer in Me and
one became a disbeliever. As for the one who said, “We have been given rain
by virtue of Allaah and His mercy,” he is a believer in Me and a disbeliever
in the stars. But as for the one who said, “We have been given rain by such
and such a star,” he is a disbeliever in Me and a believer in the stars.’”
So the one who attributes rain to the stars is saying that the stars caused
the rain. 

Study of the positions and movements of the
stars (astronomy) is divided into two categories: 

1 – If their movements are used to define
things that serve a religious purpose, this is something that is necessary.
If that helps in the case of religious obligations, then learning it is
obligatory, such as using the stars to determine the direction of the qiblah
(direction of Makkah). 

2 – If their movements are used to define
things that serve a worldly purpose, there is nothing wrong with that. This
is of two types: 

(a) 
Using the stars
to work out directions, such as knowing that the pole lies to the north, and
that the Pole Star, which is close to it, revolves around the North Pole.
This is permissible. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And landmarks (signposts, during the
day) and by the stars (during the night), they (mankind) guide themselves”

[al-Nahl 16:16]

(b) 
Using the stars to
work out the seasons, through learning the phases of the moon. Some of the
salaf regarded this as makrooh while others permitted it. The correct view
is that it is permissible and there is nothing makrooh in it, because there
is no shirk involved in it, unless one learns it in order to attribute
rainfall or cold weather to it, and says that this is what is causing that.
That is a kind of shirk. But simply knowing the time of year from it,
whether it is spring or autumn or winter, there is nothing wrong with that. 

See al-Qawl al-Mufeed by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/102.

Bad attitude of some writers towards Allaah, may He be exalted

 

One of them wrote in an article, “Woman is the best decision that Allaah ever made.” What is the ruling on such a comment?

Praise be to
Allaah.

This
is disrespectful towards Allaah. Such words, which indicate debauchery
and a lack of knowledge of the rights of the Lord, should not be spoken.
Allaah has willed and decreed matters which are greater than the creation
of woman, such as His Oneness (Tawheed) and His exclusive right to be
worshipped.

 It
is not permissible for a man to look at the beauty of a non-mahram woman,
as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Tell
the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things),
…”

[al-Noor 24:30] 

A man is permitted to enjoy the beauty
of his wife, whom Allaah has blessed him with by causing him to enjoy
the pleasure of living with her. There are many other phrases similar
to the one mentioned above, written by those who claim to be writing
literature but which indicate that they are insolent and that they do
not show any respect towards Allaah, that they do not honour the Lord
and that they do not know how to speak properly of Him. We must advise
these people and fight their falsehood. And Allaah is the Source of
strength.