Visiting Graves from the Perspective of Wahhabism: Difference between revisions

The founders of Wahhabism have expressed contradictory views on visiting graves. On one hand, they permit visiting graves, but in practice, they prevent it. They also consider traveling for the purpose of visiting graves to be haram (forbidden) and an act of shirk (associating partners with Allah), citing a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as evidence.

[[Ibn Taymiyyah]] states that visiting graves or performing a "legal visitation" for someone who seeks closeness to Allah through it is not prohibited.<ref>Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Ahmad Abdul Halim, *Kutub wa Rasail wa Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah*, researched by Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad bin Qasim al-Asimi al-Najdi, 2nd edition, n.d., Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah, vol. 26, p. 150.</ref> [[Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab]] says that those who travel to Medina must intend their journey for the purpose of visiting the Prophet's Mosque, and after arriving, men may visit the grave of the Prophet, but women are not allowed to do so.<ref>Bin Baz, Abdul Aziz, Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymin, *Fatawa Muhimma*, Riyadh, Dar al-Asimah, 1st edition, 1413 AH, researched by Ibrahim al-Faris, p. 104.</ref> Wahhabis claim that the act of visiting graves is permissible for men but disliked (makruh) for women, based on certain narrations.<ref>Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, *Mukhtasar al-Insaf wa al-Sharh al-Kabir*, Riyadh, Matabi' al-Riyadh, 1st edition, researched by Abdul Aziz bin Zaid al-Rumi, Muhammad Baltaji, and Sayyid Hijab, p. 223.</ref> At the same time, they believe that touching the grave, rubbing it, praying near it, or making vows to it are not part of the religion of Muslims but are instead bid'ah (innovation) and lead to shirk.<ref>Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, *Fatawa wa Masail Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab*, Riyadh, Imam Muhammad bin Saud University, n.d., researched by Salih bin Abdul Rahman, p. 69. Salih bin Abdullah al-Abboud, *Aqidat Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab al-Salafiyya wa Atharuha fi al-Alam al-Islami*, Medina, Umm al-Qura University, 2nd edition, 1424 AH/2004 CE, vol. 2, p. 723. Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, *Al-Fatawa*, Riyadh, Matabi' al-Riyadh, 1st edition, researched by Salih bin Abdul Rahman al-Atram and Muhammad bin Abdul Razzaq al-Dawish, p. 60.</ref>

Although Wahhabis permit visiting graves based on narrations, in practice, they prevent it. At the beginning of his activities, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, under the pretext that Muslims were visiting the graves of saints and prophets, massacred Muslims and launched what he called "campaigns" against them, accusing them of worshipping graves and declaring their blood, wealth, and honor permissible.<ref>Najdi, Husayn bin Ghannam, *Tarikh Najd aw Rawdat al-Afkar wa al-Afham*, Beirut, Dar al-Shuruq, 4th edition, 1415 AH/1994 CE, edited and researched by Nasiruddin Asad, pp. 95–203. Najdi Hanbali, Uthman bin Abdullah bin Bishr, *Unwan al-Majd fi Tarikh Najd*, Riyadh, Darat al-Malik Abdul Aziz Publications, 4th edition, 1402 AH/1982 CE, vol. 1, pp. 45–180.</ref> Due to the hatred Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab faced from Muslims for his actions, he defended himself by claiming that these were false accusations. He said that the claims that he declared those who sought intercession from the righteous as disbelievers and that he would have destroyed the dome of the Prophet's grave if he had the power, or removed the Mizab of the Kaaba{{Note|The Mizab of the Kaaba (in Arabic: ميزاب الكعبة) is a drainage system on the northern wall of the Kaaba for rainwater to flow from its roof. The Mizab is located near the Hijr Ismail. It was first built by the Quraysh during the reconstruction of the Kaaba. The Mizab has been rebuilt during various periods. In Arabic, "Mizab" means "gutter." *Taj al-Arus*, vol. 1, p. 302. The Mizab is also known as Mizab al-Dhahab (the Golden Gutter) *Guide to the Two Holy Mosques*, vol. 1, p. 178, and Mizab al-Rahma (the Gutter of Mercy) *Al-Rihla al-Hijaziyya*, p. 105, *Mawsu'at al-Atabat al-Muqaddasa*, vol. 2, p. 236.}}, and prohibited visiting the Prophet's grave and the graves of parents, were all false accusations against him.<ref>Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, *Muallafat Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab fi al-Aqida*, Riyadh, Imam Muhammad bin Saud University, pp. 12 and 64.</ref>

The Wahhabi view that they do not accept the principle of visitation is evident from their stance on traveling for visitation. They consider traveling for the purpose of visiting graves to be haram and bid'ah, without any convincing evidence, and regard it as shirk. Wahhabis claim that Muslims unanimously agree on this prohibition. They argue that the statements of scholars also indicate that no one should travel to visit any grave.<ref>Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani, Abu al-Abbas Ahmad Abdul Halim, *Kutub wa Rasail wa Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah*, Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah, 2nd edition, n.d., researched by Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad bin Qasim al-Asimi al-Najdi, vol. 26, p. 150.</ref> Wahhabis base their prohibition on the hadith:   

{{Arabic text|لا تشد الرحال إلا لثلاثة مساجد: المسجد الحرام ومسجدي هذا والمسجد الأقصى|Translation= Do not undertake journeys except to three mosques: the Masjid al-Haram, my Mosque (in Medina), and the Masjid al-Aqsa.}}<ref>Ahmad bin Hanbal, *Musnad Ahmad*, Beirut, Dar Sader, n.d., vol. 2, p. 278.</ref>