The Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ has said: ‘مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرِي وَجَبَتْ لَه شَفَاعَتِي’ One who visited my grave, my intercession for him became Wajib. (Dar Qutni, vol. 2, pp. 351, Hadees 2669)
Explanation
In the above Hadees, the Beloved and Blessed Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ gave the glad tidings of intercession for those visiting his blessed grave.
Commenting on the word ‘وَجَبَتْ’ mentioned in the Hadees, a great scholar of Hadees Imam Taqiuddeen Subki Shaafi’i رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ (who passed away in 756 AH) stated: It implies that the one visiting the blessed grave of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ will certainly be blessed with intercession. This is proved. Describing the benefits of the word ‘لَه’ mentioned in the blessed Hadees, he رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ further stated:
1 The visitors of the blessed grave will be made prominent by being blessed with such intercession that others will not be blessed with, neither generally nor particularly.
2 The visitor who will be blessed with this intercession, will be distinguished from others who will be blessed with any other type of intercession.
3 Those visiting the blessed grave will certainly be included among the ones deserving of intercession of the Beloved Mustafa صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ .
4 The visitor of the blessed grave will pass away in the state of Iman [faith].
Commenting on the word ‘شَفَاعَتِي’ Imam Taqiuddeen Subki رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ stated: Angels, Ambiya and Mu’mineen will also make intercession but the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ will himself make intercession for the visitor of his blessed grave. This is indeed a great honour. The intercession made by a great personage is also great. Our Beloved and Blessed Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ is greater than all other respected Ambiya, so his intercession is also greater than that of others. (Shifa-us-Siqaam, pp. 103)
It is stated in Haashiyah Ibn Hajar Haytami: This Hadees encompasses visiting the Beloved Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ in his lifetime as well as visiting his blessed grave after his visible demise. Furthermore, this ruling applies to every male and female coming from far and near. Therefore, it shows the excellence of making provisions available with the purpose of visiting the blessed grave and it is Mustahab to travel for this purpose. This is what has been deduced from the above Hadees. (Haashiyah Ibn Hajar, pp. 481)
What to do first? Performing Hajj or visiting Madinah?
A legendary and leading scholar of Shar’iah and Tareeqah, Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ stated: If Hajj is Fard, so one should perform Hajj first and then visit Madinah. However, while on his way to Hajj, if one can visit Madinah first but still he goes to perform Hajj without visiting Madinah, so this shows great deprivation and hardness of the heart. One should consider this visit to Madinah a means of the acceptance of Hajj as well as of being blessed with good fortune in religious and worldly matters. If the Hajj is Nafl, so he has the choice whether to cleanse himself first by performing Hajj and then present himself in the blessed court of the Beloved Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ or to present himself in the blessed court first and then consider it a means of the acceptance of Hajj and spirituality in it.
Whatever he chooses should do with a good intention as it is narrated ‘اِنَّمَا الْاَعْمَالُ بِالنِّیَّاتِ وَلِکُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَّانَویٰ’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 5, Hadees 1) i.e. actions depend upon intentions. And for everyone is what he intended. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 1222)
The honourable Mufti further stated: This blessed visit is close to Wajib. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, pp. 1221)
May Merciful Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ bless us with humbly visiting the blessed court of His Beloved Nabi صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ again and again!
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
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