There are numerous benefits in these statements:
1. Ibne Haaj Abu Abdullah Abdari Maliki (d. 737 A.H.) says in Al-Mudkhal: 1
“The method of reciting salutation on the deceased is that you say: Peace be
on you, O folks of this abode; men and women, believers and Muslims. May God
have mercy on our past and future folks. And if Allah approves, we would join
you. I pray to God, for your and my forgiveness. Then he says: O God, forgive us
and them.”
There is no problem if one mentions something more or less; because they
are most needful for supplication due to being cut off from their acts.
Then sit with your back to the Prayer direction (Qibla) facing the grave and
one can sit near the feet or the head; and one can sit facing the deceased’s head.
Then he should mention whatever comes to his mind from divine praise and
glorification. Then should invoke blessings on Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and as
much as possible, pray for the deceased. Also, when a calamity befalls him or
Muslims, he should pray near these tombs and express humility to Allah, the
Mighty and High, so that He may remove that calamity. This method of visiting
the graves is general and customary.
If the deceased is someone that his blessings are hoped for [like Prophet]
then one should make him as a medium with Allah, the Mighty and High. Also,
one, who regards the deceased a source of blessings and makes him his medium
for Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.); on the contrary, he should begin by seeking
mediation of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), because the best and original seeking of
mediation is from His Eminence (s.a.w.a.); after that one should seek the
mediation from those who follow him till Judgment Day.
2. It is narrated from Ibne Hajar Makki Haithami (d. 973 A.H.) regarding
Ziyarat of saints on special occasions and traveling to visit those tombs. It was
asked whether such act was lawful, in spite the fact that near those tombs, many
illegal acts were seen, like mixing of sexes, lighting of large number of
lamps/candles and nonsensical things.
He replied in Al-Fatawatal Kubratul Fiqhiya:2
“Visiting tombs of holy saints and undertaking journeys to those places is a
source of gaining divine proximity and it is recommended…and the heresies that
the questioner has hinted to, cannot be an excuse for omitting this sincere act. On
the contrary man should perform these acts and denounce those negative acts, if
he is unable to stop them entirely…one, who prohibits Ziyarat due to the fear of
these mixings, should also prohibit rituals of Hajj where there are instances of
mixing of sexes like in circumambulation, stoning of satans and other such
occasions. The view that such a ritual was not followed by past people is invalid,
and if it were a heresy, every heresy is forbidden, on the contrary, as they have
explained, sometimes it becomes obligatory, what to say of it being
recommended?”
Offerings for the inmates of tombs
In this matter, Ibne Taymiyyah and his cohorts created hue and cry and used
improper words and attacked their opponents from Muslim sects with filthy
words and it is narrated from Qaseemi that he said:
“These offerings are from the distinctive qualities of Shia and comprise
extreme beliefs about their Imams, and considering Ali and his descendants as
God.”
This is nothing, but mixing falsehood in statements: and in this matter the
Shia do not believe anything other than what the Islamic Ummah had consensus
on in the past and present.
In his Sulahul Ikhwan,3 Khalidi has discussed this subject. The gist of that
statement is:
The issue concerns the intentions of offering makers and acts will be
rewarded on the basis of intentions; if the intention of the offering maker is the
deceased only and gaining his/her proximity, according to general consensus, it is
not lawful.
If his intention is Almighty Allah and taking benefit by the living is one of
the causes, and its reward is for the deceased, whether he determines a cause
from gaining of profit or is like making an absolute vow, but it is a thing, which
in common parlance requires expenditure, like construction of tomb, or spending
for the welfare of people of the town, or neighbors or poor or relatives of the
deceased etc. In that case fulfillment of the vow is obligatory. This view is followed by Azari, Zarkashi, Ibne Hajar Haithami Makki, Ramli Shafei, Khabbati
Basri, Rafei, Nawawi, Alauddin Hanafi, Khairuddin Ramli Hanafi, Shaykh
Muhammad Ghazzi, Shaykh Qasim Hanafi.
If common parlance did not have a command regarding this, it is effective in
the opposite aspect.