Building upon graves: the Companions or the Barelwis?

AbuAbdillah
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Building upon graves: the Companions or the Barelwis?

Postby AbuAbdillah » Sun Jun 28, 2020 7:06 am

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The Barelwi-Sufis are notorious for their stance in regards to building upon the graves of the pious, of which include the prophets, saints and righteous. They virtually have no evidence to support their practice of building upon the graves. Islam has prohibited such an action and condemned it for reasons such as extravagance and a means to Shirk (polytheism). Islamic instructions are to level the grave to a handspan as is mentioned in the following hadith:

It was narrated that Abul Hayaj al-Asadi said: Ali ibn Abi Taalib said to me: “Shall I not send you on the same mission as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) sent me? Do not leave any statue/image without erasing it, and do not leave any raised grave without leveling it.”-Sahih Muslim, 969.

Imam Nawawi names this chapter as: باب الأمر بتسوية القبر "The chapter to level the grave".

Now, the ignorant, ill-informed and foolish person may say "But this is in regards to the graves of the Mushrikeen not the Muslimeen!" In reply we say, read the narration before the previous one cited (hadith 968):

Thumama bin Shufayy reported: "When we were with Fadala bin Ubaid in the country of the romans at a place (known as) Rudis, a companion of ours died. Fadala bin Ubaid ordered to prepare a grave for him and then it was levelled; and then he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanding (us) to level the grave."- Sahih Muslim 968.

The fact is that these hadith and the chapter heading + commentary of Imam Nawawi, do not mention or distinguish between the graves of the Mushrikeen or Muslimeen! So the flimsy argument of such an individual is flawed and rejected.

Now, who do we follow? The Companions, or the Barelwis? Let us look at the following narration and take heed:

:أَوْصَى أَبُو مُوسَى حِينَ حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَال

إِذَا انْطَلَقْتُمْ بِجِنَازَتِي فَأَسْرِعُوا الْمَشْيَ، وَلَا يَتْبَعْنِي مِجْمَرٌ، وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا فِي لَحْدِي شَيْئًا يَحُولُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ التُّرَابِ، وَلَا تَجْعَلُوا عَلَى قَبْرِي بِنَاءً، وَأُشْهِدُكُمْ أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ حَالِقَةٍ أَوْ سَالِقَةٍ أَوْ خَارِقَةٍ

قَالُوا: أوسمعت فِيهِ شَيْئًا؟

قَال: نَعَمْ، مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

-مسند أحمد، أَوَّلُ مُسْنَدِ الْكُوفِيِّينَ، حَدِيثُ أَبِي مُوسَى الْأَشْعَرِيِّ: ١٩٥٤٧، إسناده حسن.

Abu Musa al-Ashari (may Allah be pleased with him) gave orders on his deathbed saying:

"When you disperse with my body at my funeral procession, hasten, and let not a censer (incense burner) follow me, and do not place within my grave anything that seperates between me and the soil, and do not place upon my grave a construction, and I bear witness to you that I disassociate from every woman who shaves her head (due to a calamity), and every woman who raises her voice (due to a calamity) and every woman who rips her clothes (due to a calamity)."

Those present said: "Did you hear anything in regards to these things?"

He said: "Yes, from the messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him."

-Musnad Ahmad, the first musnad of the kufiyeen, hadith of Abu Musa al-Ashari, 19547, its chain is hasan (authentic).

Compare this to what the Barelwis do from building extravagant shrines and mausoleums! Is this the same understanding of Islam that was taught by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Sahaba?! Clearly not.

We ask Allah to grant them insight and guide them to the truth and keep us firm upon it, ameen.

-Abu Abdillah Ehsan.

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