preview

Pilgrimage to the Prophet Muhammad’s Grave Essay

Good Essays

The Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE. He was believed to be the Seal of the Prophets, meaning the last prophet; therefore his grave is a very sacred place (A Concise Introduction to World religions, 210-215). Visiting the Prophet’s grave is a controversial issue. Scholars have different perspectives on traveling to his grave, each based on the Islamic Law, shari’ah. Al-Nawawi and Bin Baz each have differing yet similar rulings on the proper way of Pilgrimaging to the Prophets place of burial. Abd al-Aziz Bin Baz has a very specific set of circumstances on visiting the Prophet Muhammad’s grave. He suggests that someone may not visit Medina with the sole purpose of seeing his grave. Bin Baz explicitly states: “It is not permissible to …show more content…

6). The two scholars have several differences between their ideas on visiting the grave of the Prophet. Bin Baz suggest that one should visit the grave before or after Hajj. He also forbids women from travelling to the grave of the Prophet. Bin Baz justifies this by stating that Muhammad has cursed women who go to graves (Fatawa of Shaykh Abdulaziz b. Baz Volume 16). Al-Nawawi recommends visiting it only as one is leaving Mecca, after Hajj. He also has a more strict policy on visiting the graves. Al-Nawawi suggests that the visitor must perform ghusl before arriving in Medina, in which a ritual washing takes place. After they have completed this then they must put on their cleanest clothes (The Explication of the Rites of Hajj Ch. 6). Bin Baz and al-Nawawi each have specific rituals that must take place once at the grave itself. Both scholars say that one should enter with their right foot, as they should in any other Mosque. Both of them suggest praying in the rawda, or garden, upon entering the mosque. After the prayer both scholars inform the visitors to approach the Prophet’s grave, then the scholars have different steps.
Al-Nawawi has a list of greetings that should be recited in front of his grave. The list is 31 lines long, but if needed be he states they may be shortened into one line of: “Peace be upon you O Messenger of God”. And thereafter they may convey salams (when someone wishes peace to another

Get Access