Explanation of the quote of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah in Al-Iqtida about Karamat at graves

Some people mention a quote from the book “Iqtida As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim li Mukhalafati Ashabil Jahim” to give the impression that Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah believed that the Prophet (saw) exercises supernatural powers to grant people who ask him at his grave. We will see in this article that Shaykhul Islam mentions instances of individuals who came to ask the Prophet (saw) in his grave to make dua for them (intercede for them to Allah), and they did not ask him anything that only Allah can grant. Such narrations of Malik Ad-Dar and Utbi are weak but the aim is here to show that Shaykhul Islam did not quote them to show that the Prophet (saw) has supernatural powers to grant them things only Allah can give, but for Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, such people who ask the Prophet (saw) in his grave to make Dua, Allah can grant them rain or forgiveness, though what they did was not legislated and an innovation. But in no way Shaykhul Islam believes that the Prophet (saw) has the power to grant what only Allah can give.

We will see first in this article that Shaykhul Islam considers asking even to the living person things only Allah can do as Shirk and he considers the claim of Kun fa Yakun granted to the creation as Kufr.

Secondly we will see that many other scholars consider asking the Prophet (saw) in his grave to make dua to Allah as an innovation and not Shirk such as Shaykh Barrak, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zaid and Shaykh AbdulLatif Aal Shaykh, and Shaykhul Islam is not unique in claiming such is an innovation and not Shirk.

And in a third place, we will see that the quote of “Iqtida” only speaks about individuals who ask the Prophet (saw) at his grave to make Dua to Allah for them and not about asking the Prophet (saw) to grant things only Allah can do. So there is no supernatural powers granted to them.

Shaykhul Islam declaring Shirk to ask the creation, alive or dead, what only Allah can give

Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi wrote in his biography of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, eng tran. By Uk Islamic Academy p 84:

“Ibn Taimiyah interdicted not only the practice of supplicating to the departed Prophets, saints or other pious souls but also objected to the requests made to a man for something beyond his powers or pertaining to matters falling within the province of Divinity. Elucidating his viewpoint in Ziarat-Al-Qubur, he says:

To implore a saint, a Prophet or a king whether dead or alive, is unlawful if the object desired is such as the health of cattles, deliverance from debt without any effort to repay it, peace and happiness for one’s family members, attainment of Heaven, rescue from Hell, acquisition of knowledge, learning the Quran, and the life for, these can be granted by God alone. If anybody entreats a created being in these matter, he would be deemed to be a polytheist like pagans who worshipped the angels and the Prophets and the idols or like the Christians who asked for Divine grace from Jesus and Mary.

End of quote from Shaykh Abdul Hasan Nadwi’s book. One can see that even imploring someone alive for things only Allah can grant, is Shirk for Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, and this was agreed by Shaykh Abul Hasan Nadwi as the view of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah. How can one then claim that Shaykhul Islam believes that after his death, the Prophet (saw) can grant things that only Allah can give?

Also, Shaykhul islam ibn Taymiyah said in “Mukhtasar Fatawa Misriyah”:

ومن قال إن أحدا من أولياء الله يقول للشيء كن فيكون فأنه يستتاب، فأن تاب و إلا قتل، فأنه لا يقدر أحد على ذلك إلا الله سبحانه وتعالى

“Whoever says: “One of the Awliya says about something: be (kun), and it is so (fa yakun)”, repentance should be sought and either he repents or he is killed, as indeed none is capable of such except Allah Subhanahu wa Taala,…”

The matter of asking the dead to make Dua is an innovation and not Shirk according to many scholars

See below statements of Shaykh barrak, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, Shaykh AbdulLatif Aal Shaykh and Shaykh ibn Utheymeen:

Extracts from the Fatwa of Shaykh Barrak on distinction in call to dead and absent:

First: As for his saying “The Du’a (call) to dead and absent people is not Shirk absolutely, rather there is a distinction in it”, I say: This is correct but the claim that it is the saying of Asha’irah then I do not know the Madhab of Aisha’irah in this and this claim of attribution to them requires quotes from some of their texts and the one informing about them did not add to his claim.

Likewise attributing the saying that it is Shirk Akbar absolutely to the followers of Shaykh Muhammad ibn AbdilWahhab, is not correct, rather they do differentiate between the one who calls the absent upon the way of making him present (tr: in his mind) as it is well known in the Arabic language, such as the saying of the Muslim: “May the Salah and Salam be upon you O Messenger of Allah”, and as it is mentioned in the Tashahhud: “As-Salamu Alyka Ayuha Nabi”, as this person is not seeking a need from the deceased and he does not believe that he hears him from far.

(See “Ad-Durar As-Sanniyah” 2/191, 10/226)

Likewise for Du’a (call) to the dead or dead people, they do differentiate between the one who seeks the relief of his difficulties and seeks assistance from the dead, this is Shirk Akbar according to them. (See “Taysir Al-Aziz Al-Hameed” 1/405 and “Kasfh min Maqasid Abwab wa Masail Kitab At-Tawheed of our Shaykh (Barrak))

As for the one who calls the dead (tr in the grave) due to the belief that he hears him, and he gives him Salam with his name due to the belief that he hears him, and with this he does not seek nearness with any form of worship from sacrifice or prostration, nor does he seek from him the fulfilment of needs from sustenance or help against enemies, deliverance from hardships and forgiveness of sins, some declared such as Shirk Akbar and others said that it is an innovation and a mean towards Shirk, and the Rajih view according to them is the second, meaning that it is a mean.

(See Minhaj At-Ta’sis p 180. This is what is apparent from the speech of Shaykhul Islam in “At-Tawassul wal Waseelah” p 43-44, p 289, p 207, p 226, and “Majmoo Al-Fatawa” 27/72, and with “Isqtida As-Sirat Al-Mustaqeem” 2/224, 2/304-305 and our Shaykh (Barrak) has a Fatwa on his official website entitled “Explanation of the speech of Shaykhul Islam for the one who asks the dead for Du’a (tr: Ask dead to invoke Allah for him) at his grave”)

As for what is Shirk Akbar about which there is no difference among them (Tr: scholars of Najd), that is to direct any kind among the kinds of worship to other than Allah from a living or dead person or natural object such as the Shirk of the people of Jahiliyah, as for Du’a (calling), it s not worship in itself, rather it can be worship and it can be not worship, and if it contains the seek for the fulfilment of needs then its contains Shirk in Rububiyah and Shirk in Ibadah (worship)

So it is known from this that the person who mentioned this speech, he only has a claim in what he established and negates as he did not bring an evidence for what he attributed to people. So it is known that what is correct is the distinction in the ruling of Du’a (call) from dead and absent people. And Allah knows best

Dictated by Shaykh AbdurRahman ibn Nasir Al-Barrak, 17 Ramadan 1445

The speech in bracket with references was from editor of Fatwa on the website of the Shaykh and some brackets with Tr indicate explanations from Translator.

Arabic Link: https://sh-albarrak.com/fatwas/28726?fbclid=IwY2xjawNYo_BleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETB1NDJ1ME5DcHBFcFVsY0ZLAR7GBQNjRsf7qhBP3dpq2s5LUhj7ZigEmF8bs1-2_RjnTidQ0oAuebR32jBuJw_aem_Rca1MUSHcUNNLXOOmKonsA

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zaid said in “Tashih Ad-Dua'”:

“The question of the alive to the dead that he invokes Allah for him, and there are two branches in this category:

1) Asking from alive to dead while he is absent (far) from his grave, that he invokes Allah for him, and this category the Muslims do not differ on declaring it Shirk Akbar, and this is from kind of polytheism of Christians with Maryam ect…

2) Asking from alive to dead (in the presence of the grave) that he invokes Allah for him: “O so and so, invoke Allah for me for such and such)...the Muslims do not differ in declaring an innovative intermediation and a mean leading to Shirk and invoking dead besides Allah and turning hearts away from Allah, but this category can be Shirk Akbar in the situation when the invoker desires from person of grave “Intercession” and Shirkiyah intermediation according to level of actions of polytheists (we do not worship them except to get close to Allah”

To see similar statements of Shaykh AbdulLatif Aal Shaykh and Shaykh ibn Utheymeen on asking the dead to make Dua being an innovation and not Shirk, while asking dead directly to grant things only Allah can do being Shirk:

https://www.islamweb.net/ar/fatwa/187225/

So we understand from this that Shaykh Al-Islam ibn Taymiyah and many other scholars consider asking the dead to make Dua as an innovation while asking the dead or alive things only Allah can do as major Shirk.

The Quote of Shaykhul Islam in Iqtida

Before the quotes in “Al-Iqtida”, let’s read what Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said about the narration of Utbi in “Qa’idah fil Mahabah”, published in “Jami Rasail” compiled by Dr Muhammad Rashad Salim vol 2 p 376:

“As for the person coming to the Messenger at his grave and saying, “Seek Forgiveness for me”, “Ask your Lord for me”, “Invoke for me (Ud’u Li)”, or saying in his absence “O Messenger of Allah (saw), invoke for me”, “Seek Forgiveness for me”, “Ask your Lord this and that”, there is no basis for it, and Allah never ordered this and neither was it performed by anyone among the well-known Salaf of this community from the first three generations, nor was it known among them. And if it was something recommended, the Salaf would have done it and it would have been known among them, rather it would be famous among them and it would have been reported from them.

If something like this was a way to obtain the forgiveness of sins and the fulfilment of needs, then the resolutions and reasons to do it would be abundant like the narrations of it, especially for those who were the the most desirous of doing good. And when it is not known from them that they (Salaf) would do such, and none narrated it from them, it is known that it is not something recommended and ordered. Rather what is reported authentically about it is what Allah ordered the Prophet (saw) from prohibition of taking his grace as a place of Eed and as an idol, and prohibition of taking graves as Masajid.

As for what some of the Jurists (Fuqaha) mention from the story of Al-Utbi about a Bedouin who came to the grave of the Prophet (saw) and said: “O best of the creation, Allah says: “And if, when they wronged themselves…” (Surah An-Nisa 4:64), and indeed I have come to you” Then he (Utbi) saw the Prophet (saw) in a dream telling him to give good news to the Bedouin (that Allah forgave him).

This story and others like it about the grave of the Prophet (saw) and the graves of others among the pious people, similar to it occur for the person who has weakness in his Eman, and he is ignorant of the status of the Messenger (saw) and ignorant of what he (saw) ordered, and if a person such as this is unable to abstain due to his need for this kind of thing, so that his iman may not become confused or hypocrisy grows within him, then he will be similar to those who were given gifts to soften their hearts during the life of the Prophet (saw), as he said: “I give to some people because of the impatience and discontent present in their hearts and leave other people because of the content and goodness Allah has bestowed on them.” though it was disliked for them to take this amount, this is similar to such needs.”End of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah’s quote.

All the routes of the narration of Utbi are weak, and this has been acknowledged by Muhammad ibn Alawi Maliki in his “Mafahim” but he tried to argue that Nawawi, ibn Qudamah and others mentioned it. In this story the Bedouin says after quoting the verse: “Hence I have come to you in a state that I seek forgiveness for my sins by seeking your intercession to my Lord” and recited few couplets and left, and then Utbi saw the Prophet (saw) who told him to inform the Bedouin that Allah has forgiven him.

I have detailed all the weaknesses of these narrations in the appendices to my English translation of “Jawab Al-Bahir An Zuwar Al-Maqabir” of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, entitled in English “The Outstanding Answer on Visiting the graves” (Umm-ul-Qura Publications), p 233. Also see Shaykh Salih Aal Shaykh reply to Muhammad Maliki in my translation of “Hazihi Mafahimuna” entitled “These are our Notions” (Umm-Ul-Qura Publications) eng Tran p 130 and after regarding Utbi’s weak narrations.

What one can see in this weak narration is that this Bedouin did not ask the Prophet (saw) for anything only Allah can give such as health, guidance, children ect rather he asked the Prophet (saw) to make Dua to Allah to forgive him, and such was granted by Allah, so there is no mention of any supernatural or Divine powers granted to the Prophet (saw) to fulfil the needs of this Bedouin.

Shaykhul Islam only mentioned this narration to show that even if this Bedouin’s wish of being forgiven was granted by Allah, this granting is like those who were given by the Prophet (saw) in his life and it was makruh for them, so this Bedouin’s wish being granted does not prove that such an action is legislated rather it is an innovation.

Shaykh Al-Islam ibn Taymiyah also mentions the story of Utbi in “Iqtida”, Eng translation (Dakwah Corner Bookstore) entitled “Distinctive Guides on Pursuing the Straight Path and Defying the Path of the People of Hellfire” p 577:

“Such tradition is known of the tales narrated by some later jurists on the authority of a Bedouin Arab who claim to have visited the Prophet’s grave, recited this verse and composed two stripes of poem…, after which his request was granted. Based on this narration, some later followers of ash-Shafi’i and Ahmad saw it permissible for one to practice that. However, Islamic law cannot be established using such tales, particularly the ruling pertaining to the act which the Prophet’s companions and the Tabiun were in the best position to know and practice if it was permissible and desirable in the religion.

As for the granting of his request or those of his kind, this will not be an issue, as there are several possibilities other than the legitimacy of the act for such occurrence to occur. Not all the prayers that are granted necessarily have come through permissible means of offering prayers. The Prophet (saw) during his lifetime was accustomed to granting requests that, from the part of the people, were unauthorized. It was such that the Prophet (saw) said to them: “Amongst you, someone will present a request to me, and which I shall grant. Subsequently, he will then go out carrying it under his arm, but really he has not acquired but Hell” The people asked: “O Allah’s Messenger! Then why do you fulfil their requests?” He replied, “The people refused but to ask, and Allah refused that I should appear a miser” (Authentic Ahmad)

Furthermore, someone engages in an act believing it to be veracious without being aware that it is forbidden will be rewarded for his good intentions and pardoned for his ignorance. This discussion has a wide scope. Similarly, it is possible that certain individuals to engage in forbidden and heretical acts of worship and derive some benefits from them. However this does not indicate that such acts are permissible. The Shari’ would not have forbidden such practices if the evil present in them had not been greater than the benefits. In additions, those who engaged in the acts may have done so due to certain wrong interpretation, or mistake, or independent Ijtihad (judgment) or blind conformity to an taqlid (authority), and they will be forgiven and even be rewarded for some good deeds associated with the practice, just as a mujtahid is rewarded for his judgment. We have extensively explained this elsewhere” End of Shaykhul Islam’s quote.

So here in “Iqtida” like in “Qaidah fil Mahabah”, Shaykhul Islam when mentioning the story of Utbi about the Bedouin, there is nothing about Allah Ta’ala granting supernatural or divine powers to the Prophet (saw) to perform things only Allah can do such as granting health, wealth, children ect.

Now lets go the the quote that some use to argue supernatural powers, in the Eng translation of Iqtida p 543 and after:

“Likewise, the report about a man visiting the Prophet’s grave and seeking relief from drought during Ar-ramada (the year of Perdition), where he claimed to have seen the Prophet (saw) who commanded him to go to Umar and request him to come out in the open, leading the people in prayer for rain, does not directly fall within the scope of our discussion. Such occurrences are frequently happening to individuals of lesser status than the Prophet (saw). Personnaly, I am aware of many similar incidents.

The same principle applies to instances where an individual makes a petition of need to the Prophet (saw) himself or to anyone of his nation, and their request is subsequently granted, Such occurrences have commonly taken place and are not relevant to our discussion.

It is important to keep in mind that if the Prophet (saw) or somebody else for the matter, responds to such petitioners, it does not necessarily imply that such petitioning is commendable. The Prophet (saw) himself had said:

“Of of you will make a request of me, which I will grant, and (the gift will be so much that) he could only set out leisurely, but really he has only acquired hell. The People asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Why, then, did you grant him?” He replied: They refused but to ask, and Alah refused that I should appear a miser.”

If most of these persistent petitioners had been denied the fulfilment of their needs during moments of misery, it would undoubtedly have shaken their faith. This also applies to those who petitioned the Prophet (saw) during his lifetime. Some of these individuals obtained what they wanted, only to be later instructed to leave Madinah. If any grant is bestowed, it should be attributed to the merit and virtue of the occupant of the grave. However, inferring from such grants that it signifies the virtue of the supplicant would equate one supplicant with another, without any distinction.

The prohibition of Salat (prayer) at graves or transforming graves into places of worship is not intended to demean or diminish the importance of the individual buried there. Rather, it is motivated by the concern of preventing Fitnah (temptation). Invariably, fitna happens when the circumstances that can lead to it are allowed to thrive. If there was no apprehension of corruption or temptation arising from such practices at graves, they would not have been prohibited.

Likewise the miracles attributed to prophets and saints (literal translation: As for the Karamat and Khawariq Al-Adat which are found at graves of prophets and saints), such as the descent of lights and angels at their graves, the fact that these places are avoided by evil spirits and animals, the immunity from fire of these places and their neighbouring places, the intercession of some saints for those buried near them, the commendability of being buried near some saints, attainment of grace (literal translation: attainment of peace and warmth) in their neighbourhood and visitation of chastisement upon those who make light of them (literal translation: descent of punishment for those who degrade them)- these things are all true but not belonging to our discussion. Nor is the place meant for discussing the mercy and favor which Allah shows to the graves of prophets and righteous, or the deference and regard, beyond all conceivable proportions, in which He holds them” End of Shaykhul Islam’s quote. I have in brackets added some literal translations to better understand the sentences.

At the beginning shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah mentioned the narration of Malik ad-Dar that a Bedouin came to the grave of the Prophet (saw) and asked the Prophet (saw) to make Du’a for rain saying: “O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Umma, for verily they have all but perished”, and then the Bedouin saw in a dream that the Prophet (saw) instructed to go to Umar and tell Umar to do salah Al-Istisqa.

This narration is weak, and Shaykh Sali Aal Shaykh mentioned the reasons of its weakness in “These are our Notions” eng tran p 105 and after.

And also in this weak narration, the Bedouin did not ask the Prophet (saw) something only Allah can give such as health, wealth or children but only to make Dua for rain, which is under human condition. Also the fact that the Prophet (saw) told him in a dream to go to a living person to do Salah Al-Istisqa show that this is what is legislated, to go the living person and ask the living person to make Du’a and prayer for rain, and Allah Ta’ala granted rain.

As for Shaykhul Islam saying: “The same principle applies to instances where an individual makes a petition of need to the Prophet (saw) himself or to anyone of his nation, and their request is subsequently granted”, here it is about asking the Prophet (saw) to make Dua to Allah and people are granted by Allah. Even if we suppose that the Prophet (saw) accepts their request to make Dua for them, there is no mention that Allah has granted supernatural powers to the Prophets to give things only Allah can give. All examples quoted by Shaykhul Islam are about request of Dua to the Prophet (saw) in his grave, in the story of Malik Ad-Dar request of Dua for rain, and in story of Utbi, request of Dua that Allah forgives him. In both of these stories, the requests were fulfilled by Allah. There is nothing about Prophets or saints having powers to grant children or wealth or rain ect

As for angels and lights coming to graves, Jinns and animal being prevented, protection from fire, peace for those visiting or punishment for those degrading saints, these are all performed by Allah as Shaykhul Islam clearly said: “which Allah shows to the graves” and he said these Karamat are found at graves. There is no mention of any power granted to Prophets and saints that they can bring angels, bring peace, protect from fire as they wish, ect. These are Miracles or Karamat in the same manner as Allah (Ta’ala) separated the sea, broke the moon into two, resurrected the dead at the hands of Prophets. Prophet Musa was scared when he first saw his stick turning into a snake or his hand having leprosy, so these are actions done by Allah on their hands. Shaykhul Islam in many of his writings speaks of miracles and Karamat which are performed ON THEIR HANDS. See detail of my book “Gift to the Barailwis” or appendices to my translation of “Fatwa Gawth Qutb Abbad, Awtad” of Shaykhul Islam ibn Taymiyah, with the verification of Shaykh Ozair Shams. See also the English translation of “Furqan Bayna Awliya Ar-Rahman” by Daar As-Sunnah.