SUPPLICATION ON A VISIT TO GRAVE YARDS

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

One of the kinds of people we should fear most are those who are bold enough to lie against the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. They may allege that he said what he didn't say despite the fact that he said, whoever lies deliberately against him should find a seat for himself in hell.

We are in a time people are bold enough to fabricate hadiths from themselves to suit their own way of worshipping Allāh with their desires without any basis in the authentic narrations. If we must be careful in relating with fabricators of Hadiths, then we should also be careful of those who are bold to attempt to use those hadiths to justify their false claims despite knowing they are fabricated. So, let us open our eyes and worship Allah with baseerah (clarity).

For instance, Sheikh Ibn Bāz رحمه الله was asked regarding the Hadith that says when we enter the Muslim Cemetery, we should recite Suratul Ikhlas 11 times. The Sheikh replied

هذا الحديث لا أصل له عند أهل العلم، بل هو من الأحاديث الموضوعة، من الأحاديث المكذوبة التي لا سند لها صحيح، وليس من السنة أن يقرأ عند القبور ولا بين القبور،

"There is no basis for this Hadith with the People of Knowledge. It is from the fabricated hadiths, from hadiths that were based on lies, in respect of which there is authentic chain of transmission. And it is not in the Sunnah to recite Suratul Ikhlas by the graves or within the graves" (Fataawa Noor 'Ala Darb)

The Sheikh said further that what is obtainable in the Sunnah when we visit the graves is for us to say:

السلام عليكم أهل الديار من المؤمنين والمسلمين، وإنا إن شاء الله بكم لاحقون أسأل الله لنا ولكم العافية رواه مسلم.

Peace be upon you, O occupants of the graves, believers and Muslims. Verily we will, in sha Allaah, join you. May Allaah have mercy upon those who have gone ahead of us and those who will come later on. We ask Allaah for well-being for us and for you (Muslim)

He said seeking for forgiveness and mercy for the dead Muslims is the Sunnah. But recite the Qur'an for them or upon, this doesn't have basis