It has been the practice of all Muslims from the early period of Islam; that is
from the period of companions and companions or companions to perform
Ziyarat of the graves of prophets, imams, saints and important spiritual
personalities: and finally the tomb of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).
Prayers and supplication near the grave and seeking blessings and mediation
from it, seeking divine proximity through visiting those tombs is accepted by all
Muslims, and in spite of the difference of schools, no one has denied it, and no
one has condemned it.
This continued till the time of Ibne Taymiyyah Harrani and he appeared like
an ignorant fool, who uttered nonsense and invented new concepts in an
unrestrained manner. He denied that current Sunnah absolutely. A practice of
God, in which there is no change. He opposed this natural practice and turned
away from this positive custom of Islam.
Through utter nonsense and illogical arguments, he lashed out against this
practice, opposing all decorum and respect and issuing a verdict declaring it
unlawful to undertake a journey to visit the tomb of Prophet and regarded it a
journey of divine disobedience in which the Prayer has to be recited in full.
Therefore, elders of his time and his co-religionists opposed him and they
stood up to confront him in a severe manner. Some wrote detailed books on this
subject.1 Some have mentioned his defects and explained his heresies and
deviations.
People of Shaam issued rulings against him and Burhan bin Farkakh Fuzari issued a verdict about him comprising of forty lines till he declared him to be a
disbeliever.
Shahab bin Jabal supported Burhan in this issue and wrote to him in a letter;
that is Malikis also have the same view.
Then this verdict was presented to Badr bin Jama, Chief Qaazi of Shafei in
Egypt. He wrote at the beginning of the verdict:
“Praise be to Allah, what is mentioned at the end regarding the question
about statement of Ibne Taymiyyah who says: Visitation (Ziyarat) to prophets
and righteous is innovation (heretical) and what he says that journey for visitation
(Ziyarat) to prophets is unlawful; all these statements are invalid.
A section of scholars have stated that visitation (Ziyarat) of Prophet
(s.a.w.a.) is rewarding and is a Sunnah according to consensus. And this Mufti –
that is Ibne Taymiyyah – should be prohibited from such invalid verdicts and
forbidden to issue strange verdicts; if he does not desist, he should be imprisoned and exposed before the people that they may not follow him.”
Muhammad bin Ibrahim bin Saadullah bin Jama-a Shafei also wrote
similarly.
Muhammad bin Jariri Ansari Hanafi wrote: “He should be arrested and
imprisoned immediately.”
Muhammad bin Abu Bakr Maliki has written: “His persecution is
exaggerated so that this mischief and other evils should be warded off.”
Ahmad bin Umar Muqaddasi Hanbali also declared similarly.2
These four scholars were present in Egypt in 726 A.H. during the time when
this mischief occurred; each of them being chief Qaazis.3
That is why the heresy, written by his sinful hands; the baseless matters,
heretical views and ideas opposed to Quran and Sunnah were all demolished on
his head; and it was announced in Damascus that one, who follows the beliefs of
Ibne Taymiyyah, his life and property can be seized.4
Qaseemi, the author of Saraa has followed in the footsteps of Ibne
Taymiyyah, emulated his practice and obeyed his selfish desires and in the
twentieth century. He has distorted facts, concealed the truth and spread false
concepts.
He writes in Saraa:5
“Due to these extreme beliefs of Shia regarding their Imams, and due to the
fact that they regard Ali and his descendants gods, they travel from remotest
places to their graves, and make offerings, gifts and sacrifices there; and shed
blood and tears over there, and express sincerity to them; and perform all these acts only for them and not for the Lord of the monotheists.”
He also written:6
“In legal issues like invoking blessing on Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) there is no
difference between proximity and distance, and it is obtained in both cases.
However, glancing at the holy tomb and looking at stones has no merit. Without
any dispute, all scholars agree that it carries no merit; on the contrary meeting His
Eminence (s.a.w.a.) when he was alive also did not have any merit. The merit lay
in believing in him, learning from him, following his path and supporting him. In
other words, no one can prove the least merit for Ziyarat of the holy grave and
this is clear from the practice of Muslims since the early period of Islam…”
Till the end of his nonsensical statements.
The reader knows well that these poisonous statements do not befit one, who
has embraced Islam, adopted piety, submitted to the Book and the Sunnah that he
brought; also righteousness and good morals do not like this conduct and the
culture of the holy religion of Islam does not approve it. Is it lawful for a Muslim
to equate seeing a stone to glancing at the Prophet during his lifetime?
Is it lawful for a Muslim that he should accord no value for Ziyarat of His
Eminence during his lifetime and his death and not to believe in any of its merits
and to announce this in a religious gathering?
Is it not the practice of all the people of all religions, who regard visiting
their elders meritorious? Don’t they consider it a matter of pride for the visitor?
And people are more attracted due to the excellence that this act carries. Same
was the practice of people from all religions and people always had consensus on
this matter; and in the past and present they regard it a sign of respecting holy
personalities in seeking blessings from them.
How much is the difference between the statement Qaseemi and words of
Shaykh Taqiuddin Subki in Shifa?7
What is concluded from religion and practice of past scholars is that seeking
blessings from deceased righteous ones, what to say about prophets, is an
excellent deed. One, who claims that graves of prophets and others are same, has
made a serious claim and we are certain that it is invalid. This statement demotes
the Prophet to level of other Muslims and this is certainly heretic, because one,
who decreases the actual rank of Prophet, has renegaded from Islam.