IS THIS GRAVE OF PROPHET
MUHAMMAD (Peace Be Upon Him)?
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
Assalaam o Alaikum
Nowadays this picture of a grave is wide spread among the people
of internet. It is claimed that this grave is of our beloved Prophet Muhammad
(SAW). Let us examine this picture of a grave with Islamic traditions and
geographical situation of the original grave of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallah o Alaihe Wasallam).
Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 23. Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz). Hadith 414.
Narrated By 'Urwa: 'Aisha said, "The Prophet in his fatal illness said,
'Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their
Prophets as places for praying." 'Aisha added,
"Had it not been for that the grave of the Prophet (p.b.u.h)
would have been made prominent but I am afraid it might be taken (as a) place
for praying.
Sahih Bukhari, Vol 2, Book 23. Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz). Hadith 472.
Narrated By 'Aisha: Allah's Apostle in
his fatal illness said, "Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians, for
they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets." And if
that had not been the case, then the Prophet's grave would have been made prominent
before the people. So (the Prophet) was afraid, or the people were afraid that
his grave might be taken as a place for worship.
To
sum up, the appendix of the hadith which is the text
of the sayings of Ayesha clarifies the contents of
the tradition since. "Umm-ul-Momineen"
says: In order that the grave of the Holy Prophet would not be taken as mosque,
they kept his grave hidden from the eyes of the people and constructed a
barrier around it”.
Now
it should be seen that from what aspects the barrier and wall around the grave
can become an obstacle?
Sahih Bukhari, Vol
2, Book 23. Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz).
Hadith
474.
Narrated By 'Urwa: When the wall fell
on them (i.e. grave’s) during the caliphate of Al-Walid
bin 'Abdul Malik, the people started repairing it,
and a foot appeared to them. The people got scared and thought that it was the
foot of the Prophet. No-one could be found who could tell them about it till I ('Urwa) said to them, "By
Allah, this is not the foot of the Prophet but it is the foot of Umar." 'Aisha narrated that
she made a will to 'Abdullah bin Zubair, "Do not
bury me with them (the Prophet and his two companions) but bury me with my
companions (wives of the Prophet (p.b.u.h)) in Al-Baqi as I would not like to be looked upon as better than I
really am (by being buried near the Prophet)."
Undoubtedly
the barrier due to which people cannot see the grave of Prophet SAW will
prevent the people from reciting salat over the
grave, from worshipping the grave as one idol or at least from taking it as a Qibla.
Abdullah b. Amr
reports that the Prophet of Allah said: "Jesus, son of Mary, will come
down to earth, marry, and father children. He will live 45 years and then die,
so as to be buried next to me in my grave. Then we - Jesus and I - will
resurrect between Abu Bakr and Umar"
Ibni Kathir has stated that I`sa’s A.S demise will take place in Madina, where his Janazah (Burial) Salaat will
be performed. He will then be buried beside the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW)
Imam Tirmizi has narrated from Abdullah Ibn Salaam, that he said
the character of the prophet Muhammed (SAW)and the fact pertaining to I`sa’s A.S burial beside him, was written in the Torah Allah's
Prophet(SAW) said: Hazrat Masih(SAW)
will die after completing the duration he was destined to pass in the world and
that Muslims would offer his funeral prayers and bury him next to the grave of the
holy Prophet, Hazrat Abu Bakr
and Hazrat Umar(RAs). (Mishkat,
P. 480) Allah's
Apostle(SAW) said: After his descent on earth, Hadhrat
Isa (A.S.) will marry. He will have children, and he
will remain on earth 19 years after marriage. He will pass away and Muslims
will perform his Janaza Salaat (funeral
prayers) and bury him next to Rasulullah (SAW). (Tirmidhi) Sahih Bukhari Vol
5, Book 57. Companions Of The Prophet. Hadith
050.
Narrated By 'Amr bin
Maimun: I saw 'Umar bin Al-Khattab a few days before he was stabbed in ……………'Umar then said
(to 'Abdullah), "Go to 'Aisha (the mother of the
believers) and say: "Umar is paying his
salutation to you. But don't say: 'The chief of the believers,' because today I
am not the chief of the believers. And say: "Umar
bin Al-Khattab asks the permission to be BURIED with
his two companions (i.e. the Prophet, and Abu Bakr)."
Abdullah greeted 'Aisha and asked for the permission
for entering, and then entered to her and found her sitting and weeping. He
said to her, "'Umar bin Al-Khattab
is paying his salutations to you, and asks the permission to be BURIED with his
two companions." She said, "I had the idea of having this place for
myself, but today I prefer Umar to myself." When
he returned it was said (to 'Umar), "'Abdullah
bin 'Umar has come." 'Umar
said, "Make me sit up." Somebody supported him against his body and 'Umar asked ('Abdullah), "What news do you have?"
He said, "O chief of the believers! It is as you wish. She has given the
permission." 'Umar said, "Praise be to
Allah, there was nothing more important to me than this. So when I die, take
me, and greet 'Aisha and say: "Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the
permission (to be BURIED with the Prophet), and if she gives the permission,
bury me there, and if she refuses, then take me to the grave-yard of the
Muslims……………. ………………….So when 'Umar
expired, we carried him out and set out walking. 'Abdullah bin 'Umar greeted ('Aisha) and said,
"'Umar bin Al-Khattab
asks for the permission." 'Aisha said, "Bring
him in." He was brought in and BURIED beside his two companions…………..” The Reason to mention these ahadiths
is that there was only enough place in the hujraa of Hazrat Aysha RA that only two people could have been buried there.
One was left for Hazrat Esa
AS and the other was allowed for Hazrat Umar RA by Hazrat Aysha RA although she chose that place for herself. But if we see the picture it seems that there is enough
place inside the hujraa as a whole graveyard can be
made in there. So in my opinion as there is no other picture of the grave
of the prophet Muhammad SAW, by examinig the grave in
the picture with that of
our Holy Prophet SAW under narrations from ahadiths
books it seems that this grave is a false propaganda by non-muslims
to spread misconceptions among the muslims or by some
ignorant muslims to earn wordly
benefits. Although we have no original picture of the grave of Prophet
Muhammad SAW but we can ask scholars about the condithion
there..: “At the
Prophet's Mosque, no one faces his grave, because his grave is not raised over
the ground. Besides, there is a wall built around it, to separate it from a
portion of the mosque. The wall serves as a separating area, which does not
allow the grave to be in view of the worshipers. Moreover, we should not
imagine the Prophet's grave as a tomb or something built high over the ground,
or that cement or bricks or any other building material is used with its
construction. The whole thing is made according to the Sunnah
which recommends that grave is only slightly higher than the ground. With the
passage of the years, the Prophet's grave and those of his two companions, Abu Bakr and Umar have become level
with the ground and no one is allowed inside the built-up area around.” http://www.islamicity.com/dialogue/Q478.HTM Also I visited a website http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/b/b97p/chapter16.html
. This is from a non muslim
who some how managed to get in the sacred cities of Madina
and Makkah. Though it was not a good experience for
me to read his writing but at-least he has mentioned the detailed inner map in
words. The Hujrah29
or “Chamber” as it is called, from the circumstance of its having been Ayishah’s room, is an irregular square of from fifty to
fifty-five feet in the South-East corner of the building, and separated on all
sides from the walls of the Mosque by a passage about twenty-six feet broad on
the South side, and twenty on the East. The reason of this isolation has been
before explained, and there is a saying of Mohammed’s, “O Allah, cause not my Tomb
to become an Object of Idolatrous Adoration! May Allah’s Wrath fall heavy upon
the People who make the Tombs of their Prophets Places of Prayer30!” Inside there are, or
are supposed to be, three tombs facing the South, surrounded by stone walls
without any aperture, or, as others say, by strong planking.31
Whatever this material may be, it is hung outside with a curtain, somewhat like
a large four-post bed. The external railing is separated by a dark narrow
passage from the inner, which it surrounds; and is of iron filigree painted of
a vivid grass green, — with a view to the garden. Here carefully inserted in
the verdure, and doubly bright by contrast, is the
gilt or burnished brass work forming the long and graceful letters of the Suls character, and disposed into the Moslem creed, the
Profession of Unity, and similar religious sentences. On the South side, for
greater honour, the railing is plated over with
silver, and silver letters are interlaced with it. This fence, which connects
the columns and forbids passage to all men, may be compared to the baldacchino of Roman churches. It has four gates: that to
the South is the Bab al-Muwajihah;
Eastward is the gate of our Lady Fatimah; westward
the Bab al-Taubah (of
Repentance), opening into the Rauzah or garden; and
to the North, the Bab al-Shami
or Syrian gate. They are constantly kept closed, except the fourth, which
admits, into the dark narrow passage above alluded to, the officers who have
charge of the treasures there deposited; and the eunuchs who sweep the floor,
light the lamps, and carry away the presents sometimes thrown in here by
devotees.32 In the Southern side
of the fence are three windows, holes about half a foot square, and placed from
four to five feet above the ground; they are said to be between three and four
cubits distant from the Apostle’s head. The most Westerly of these is supposed
to front Mohammed’s tomb, wherefore it is called the Shubak
al-Nabi, or the Prophet’s window. The next, on the
right as you front it, is Abu Bakr’s, and the most
Easterly of the three is Omar’s. Above
the Hujrah is the Green Dome, surmounted outside by a
large gilt crescent springing from a series of globes. So, by looking at all these Narrations and geographical
situation, I am sure that the picture of the grave do not belongs to the
prophet Muhammad SAW and is a try to spread misconceptions among the muslims. I have found the following sources of the file which I
believe are the oldest. Prophet grave i found
actually on The jewish
website which has Hebrew Language which is sacred jewish
language. http://construct.haifa.ac.il/~hsuleman/historic-person/historic.htm placed on from the followers of Nawab Mohammad Khadim Hasan Shah almaroof gudri shah baba again from http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/tabarruk/tabarrukat.htm this guy has placed two pictures on the
same page claiming both to be the grave of Prophet Muhammad SAW ignoring the
fact that these are two seperate graves... I have researched and written this topic for the sake of
Islam and do not want any worldly benefits out of it. Wallah u Aalam Wasalam Read my collection of