Quotes below are taken from the book “Mawsu’ah Ahlus Sunnah” of Shaykh AbdurRahman Ad-Dimashqiyah written in refutation of the Ahbash.

The Ahbash have claimed that Tabarruk with the graves is correct and they justified this by what Khateeb Al-Baghdadi narrated that Ash-Shafi’i said: “I do Tabarruk with Abu Hanifah and I go to his grave every day -meaning for visit- and when I have a need I pray two Rak’ah and I go to his grave and ask my need to Allah (Ta’ala) and I do not leave it until it is fulfilled” (Tarikh Baghdad v 1 p 123)

This Sanad to Ash-Shafi’i contains Majhul (unknown) narrators as said by ‘Allamah Al-Mu’allimi. Shaykh Albani said in his “Silsilah Ad-Da’ifah” (1/31): “This narration is weak, rather Batil (pure falsehood), because ‘Umar ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim is not known and there is no mention of him in books of narrators. And it is possible that he is ‘Amr ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Humayd ibn us-Sakan Abu Muhammad At-Tunsi, and Al-Khateeb mentioned him (12/226) and mentioned that he was from Bukhara and he went for Hajj in 341H and he did not mention any Jarh nor Ta’dil (criticism or praise) so he is Mahlul ul Hal, and it is unlikely that he (the narrator Umar ibn Ishaq) is him (‘Amr ibn Ishaq) because the death of his Shaykh Ali Maymun is in latest case in 247H, so there is between their death approximately 100 years, so it is unlikely that he reached him (meaning ‘Amr ibn Ishaq did Hajj in 341 and it is difficult for him to narrate from Ali Maymun who died in 247, so the narrator of this narration is unlikely to be ‘Amr ibn Ishaq)”

Ash-Shafi’i said in his “Al-Umm” v 1 p 278: “I consider it Makruh that creation should be venerated (Ta’zim) until his grave is transformed into a place of worship (mosque) fearing the Fitnah for him and for those after him”

An-Nawawi in his Sharh Muslim quoted the words of Ash-Shafi’i v 7 p 24, Janaiz Bab 32 and “Majmu’” v 5 p 298: “I have seen among the rulers some who destroyed what was built upon graves and I have not seen the Fuqaha blaming this”

Al-Baydhawi said in his “Hashiyah Sunnan An-Nasai” v 2 p 42 that the Jews and the Christians used to come to the graves of their saints for prayer and invocation”

Comment: When Ash-Shafi’i mentioned he saw rulers destroying constructions over graves, so if the people of this time and he himself were doing Tabarruk on graves, why did he failed to mention this?

And if Ash-Shafi’i was doing such actions, why didn’t he do this on graves of Sahabah?

Why would he fail to mention in his books such actions if they were to be beneficial?

Can anyone having little reason believe that Ash-Shafi’i do such actions and believe them to be beneficial then fail to mention this in his books and recommend to do such actions on graves of Sahabah?

Compiled by Ali Hassan Khan

May Allah send Salah and Salam on the Prophet (saw), his family, companions and those who follow them