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Visiting Graves from the Perspective of Wahhabism

Question

What is the view of Wahhabism on visiting graves?

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.

Ruling on Visiting Graves

Ibn Taymiyyah states that visiting graves or performing a "legal visitation" for someone who seeks closeness to Allah through it is not prohibited.[1] 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.[2] Wahhabis claim that the act of visiting graves is permissible for men but disliked (makruh) for women, based on certain narrations.[3] 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.[4]

Practical Behavior of Wahhabis Toward Visiting Graves

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.[5] 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 1], and prohibited visiting the Prophet's grave and the graves of parents, were all false accusations against him.[6]

Prohibition of Traveling for Visitation

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.[7] Wahhabis base their prohibition on the hadith: Template:Arabic text[8] They claim that none of the Imams of the schools of thought disagree on this ruling. The companions also understood the prohibition of travel from the hadith "لا تشد الرحال" (Do not undertake journeys). Wahhabis assert that the majority of scholars do not permit travel to places other than the three mosques and consider those who permit it, such as al-Subki, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, and others, as innovators. They view their ruling as a violation of hadiths and a breach of consensus.[9]

If visiting graves is permissible, there is no reason to prohibit traveling for visitation or to consider it bid'ah and haram. Therefore, if visitation itself is not bid'ah or haram, and according to Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, there is no religious prohibition, then traveling for visitation, which has no element of prohibition or bid'ah, cannot be considered haram or illegitimate. This indicates that, in their view, the act of visitation itself is problematic, which is why they consider traveling for it to be haram and bid'ah.

Moreover, if Wahhabis believe that visitation without travel is permissible, this only applies to those who reside in the city of visitation. However, no one from other cities, according to Wahhabi logic, has the right to visit unless they travel for another purpose, such as trade or tourism, and incidentally perform the visitation. How can it be acceptable that traveling for a permissible act like visitation is haram and bid'ah, while worldly purposes make the journey permissible? Furthermore, even residents of the city of visitation, according to this Wahhabi rule, should not leave their homes with the intention of visiting graves, as this intention and the short distance traveled should also be haram and illegitimate. Therefore, based on this Wahhabi principle, the people of Medina do not have the right to leave their homes to visit the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) unless they coincidentally pass by the grave and visit it.

Ambiguity of Visitation in Wahhabism

The reality of visitation according to Wahhabi principles is highly ambiguous. In fact, the visitation they permit is not truly visitation, as they prohibit touching the grave, **making dua**, **seeking blessings**, and similar acts near the grave, considering them bid'ah and shirk. Thus, the visitation they permit is practically impossible. They even prohibit standing facing the grave, citing the example of Anas bin Malik, who leaned against the wall of the grave after greeting the Prophet (peace be upon him) and then made dua.[10] They awkwardly use this example to argue against traveling for visitation, claiming that if traveling to graves were permissible, Anas bin Malik would not have made dua with his back to the grave.[11] However, standing with one's back to the grave has no connection to traveling. Therefore, the only act that Wahhabis might permit is greeting the occupant of the grave, and nothing more. Even this has not been explicitly endorsed by Wahhabis.

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, *Muallafat Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab fi al-Aqida*, Riyadh, Imam Muhammad bin Saud University, pp. 12 and 64.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ Ahmad bin Hanbal, *Musnad Ahmad*, Beirut, Dar Sader, n.d., vol. 2, p. 278.
  9. ↑ Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, *Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid*, Riyadh, Maktabat al-Riyadh al-Haditha, n.d., p. 312.
  10. ↑ Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, *Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid*, Beirut, 1st edition, 1999 CE, researched by Muhammad Ayman al-Shabrawi, p. 293.
  11. ↑ Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, *Taysir al-Aziz al-Hamid*, Beirut, 1st edition, 1999 CE, researched by Muhammad Ayman al-Shabrawi, p. 293.


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