Chapter 6: The death of the Prophet’s ﷺ Mother

Imaam Ahmad reported on the authority of Buriadah رضي اهلل عنه: “We went out with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ till we reached the place known as Waddaan. He ﷺ said: ❝(Remain) in your places till I return.❞ He ﷺ then went away (for a while). He ﷺ then returned with a heavy (heart) and said: ❝I visited the grave of the mother of Muhammad and sought permission from my Lord to intercede (for her), but He (تعالى) did not give me permission. 29 And I used to prohibit you from visiting the graves, but now you may visit them.❞ 30 Al-Baihaqee reported with another chain from Buraidah رضي اهلل عنه with the wording: [The Prophet ﷺ walked between the graves] till he reached a grave and sat next to it, and the people sat around him. He began shaking his head like he is addressing someone, and then he began to weep. `Umar رضي اهلل عنه approached him and said: What makes you weep, O Messenger of Allaah?! He ﷺ said: ❝This is the grave of Aaminah Bint Wahab.

I sought permission from my Lord to visit her grave, so He (تعالى) granted it to me. I sought permission to seek forgiveness for her, but He (تعالى) did not grant it to me. I was overtaken by affection for her and it made me cry.❞ Buraidah said: I had not seen a time in which he ﷺ cried more than that hour. 31 29 I (al-Albaanee) say: In another narration from (Musnad) Ahmad (23003) and (Musannaf of) Ibn Abee Shaibah (11808) it is with the addition: ❝So my eyes started to shed tears out of mercy for her because (of the punishment) of the Fire.❞ See “Ahkaam al-Janaaiz” (pg. 188) 30 Musnad Ahmad (23017). See the next hadith as well. [TN: In another narration, it is: “We went out with the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ during the conquest (of Makkah). He ﷺ came down (his riding animal) and we were around a thousand riders along with him.

He ﷺ then prayed two Rak`ah, then he turned facing towards us and his eyes were overflowing with tears. `Umar Ibn alKhattaab went to him and said: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you O Messenger of Allaah! What is the matter?” He ﷺ said: ❝I sought permission from my Lord to seek forgiveness for my mother, but He (تعالى) did not grant it to me; so my eyes started to shed tears out of mercy for her because (of the punishment) of the Fire…❞ [Musnad Ahmad (23003 and 23038). See “al-Irwaa” (3/225) and “Ahkaam al-Janaaiz” (pg. 188)]] 31 Dalaail al-Nubuwwah (1/189-190) I (al-Albaanee) say: The hadith, with all its different routes, is “sahih”. There are other chains and one of them is “sahih” (by itself). Ibn Hibbaan, al-Haakim, al-Dhahabee all graded it as “sahih”, see “Ahkaam al-Janaiz” (pg. 188) It was also narrated by al-Baihaqee (in Dalaail al-Nubuwwah) with a different chain something similar to it.

Al-Baihaqee and al-Haakim also reported it from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ood رضي اهلل عنه. And in sahih Muslim from the hadith of Abu Hurairah رضي اهلل عنه: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ visited the grave of his mother and he wept, and moved others around him to tears, and said: ❝I sought permission from my Lord to beg forgiveness for her but it was not granted to me, and I sought permission to visit her grave and it was granted to me; so visit the graves, for that makes you mindful of death.❞ 32 33 32 sahih Muslim (976), also reported by Imaam Ahmad (in his Musnad) and others. 33 [TN: As a precaution against shirk, the Prophet ﷺ took the following steps: i) He ﷺ had prohibited us from making pictures and statues as in the hadith of `Aaishah and Ibn `Umar رضي اهلل عنهما, and he said that those who make pictures will be punished severely in Hell-Fire and it will be said to them: ❝ make alive what you have created❞. [Saheehain] Even in this day we see the Christians, the Hindus, and the Buddhist making statues and paintings and worshiping them. ii) The second step he ﷺ had taken was to destroy all the pictures and statues and to level all the permanent graves, as has been reported from the hadith of `Alee رضي اهلل عنه. [sahih Muslim] iii) The third step was to prohibit from making the grave as permanent, or whitewashing it, or writing on it, or building any structure over it (like Masaajid and domes). [sahih Muslim] iv) The Prophet ﷺ was well aware that this Ummah (nation) will follow the footsteps of the people of the Book – who built places of worship over the graves of their Prophets [Saheehain] and made them into places of festivities [Sunan Abu Dawood]. So the fourth step was to prohibit the people from visiting the graves. Then he ﷺ gave them permission only to increase their remembrance of the Hereafter. But this permission was given during the conquest of Makkah, i.e. near the end of the Prophet’s mission.

In the beginning stages of Islaam, it was prohibited by the Prophet ﷺ to visit the graves because the people in Jaahiliyyah (days of ignorance) were deeply rooted in Shirk, and the Jews and the Christians had the graves of the righteous converted into places of worship and worshiped them, and sought their help and called them in difficulties. When the People of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) were in such a bad state, then the state of the Mushriks could well be imagined. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited the new Muslims from visiting the graves because of all the things that were going on. The permission to visit the graves was only granted after the conquest of Makkah, which is near the end of the Prophet’s mission. The permission was given when Islaam became widespread and people became firm in their Imaan (Belief) and the fear of them falling into Shirk was subdued.

Moreover, in the very same hadith, we are informed of the reason for the permission to visit the graves - that it reminds one of the Hereafter. It is possible to remember the Hereafter only if the grave is simple, which reminds us that we were created of this earth to it we will be returned. But if one were to go to the graves of the so-called “Awliyaa”, which are covered in very costly Ghilaaf (cloth); well-built and decorated in marbles and stones; and Also in sahih Muslim from the hadith of Anas رضي اهلل عنه: A person said: O Messenger of Allaah! Where is my father? He ﷺ said: ❝(He) is in the Fire.❞ When he turned away, he ﷺ called him and said: ❝Verily my father and your father are in the Fire.❞ well-structured inside a dome, then it is impossible that it would remind one of the Hereafter.

The example of this is the world famous structure – The Taj Mahal, which is actually a Maqbara (gravesite) of the wife of the Moghul king. People all over the world come to it to visit it, not because it reminds them of death or the Hereafter, but only to admire the beauty of its structure and as sightseeing. But from this Ummah, there are those who have opposed the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ and took the graves as places of worship. So we have the Ajmerees, Tijaanees, Disookees, Jilaanees among the many grave worshipers. May Allaah save us and our children from ever falling into Shirk.] 34 sahih Muslim (203) and there is another narration from the hadith of Sa`d Ibn Abee Waqqaas رضي ا هلل عنه, which will be mentioned later.

(Shaikh al-Albaanee said): Know that this hadith, even though it is sahih by itself, further has a lot of supporting chains, and the scholars known for their hadith criticism (i.e. those who scrutinize a chain of narration to check its authenticity) have met it with acceptance. But Shaikh Abu Zahrah had boldly refuted it upon ignorance and went into extremes. He said [in his book “خامت النبيني”] (1/132): It is a strange narration in its meaning like it is strange in its chain; because Allaah تعاىل said: ﴿و م ا ك نَّا م ع ذِّب ني ح ّتَّى نـ بـ ع ث ًر س وّل﴾ {And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 15] The father of (Prophet) Muhammad ﷺ and his mother (died) in al-Fatrah (the period prior to Islaam - those who received no message or messenger); so how can they be punished?... and in reality, I found it hard to imagine that Abdullaah and Aaminah will be entering the Fire! I (al-Albaanee) say: Sub-haan Allaah! Is this the stance of the one who believes in the Messenger of Allaah firstly; and secondly in the sincere and truthful scholars (of this Ummah), those who narrated these Ahaadeeth for us, and safeguarded them for us, and segregated the authentic from the weak for us, and unanimously agreed that this hadith is authentically confirmed from the Prophet ﷺ?!

Is not this stance of Abu Zahrah from the ways of the people of desires – like the Mu`tazilah and other than them – those who would praise and criticize according to their intellects; the ones who were heavily refuted by Ahl al-Sunnah (wal-Jamaa`ah)? The Shaikh (Abu Zahrah) claims that he is from them (Ahl al-Sunnah), then what is the matter that he had opposed them and chose the path of the Mu`tazilah of using the intellect as a means of judging (the Text); and their method of rejecting authentic Ahaadeeth because it goes against their desires – either rejecting the hadith completely, or misinterpreting (or distorting the meaning) if they are not able to reject it outright?! This is what the Shaikh (Abu Zahrah) has done, he rejected this hadith assuming that it is a strange narration. And he misinterpreted the Ahaadeeth of (the Prophet’s) visit (to his mother’s grave) by saying: “Perhaps the Prophet ﷺ was denied permission to seek forgiveness (for his mother) because there was no need for him to do so, as no Prophet was sent to address her.” We say: You may have known the statement from some of the Salaf: “Leave your “perhaps” (and your “ifs and buts”) near that star!” (meaning: there is no room for your personal opinions). Verily, the Ahaadeeth of (the Prophet ﷺ) visiting (the grave of his mother) are clear decisive evidence that the weeping of the Prophet ﷺ was because of his affection for her (because of the punishment) of the Fire.

And this is precisely and clearly mentioned in some of the routes of the hadith of Buraidah, which was already mentioned in the earlier narrations. This is why, in his Sharh of sahih Muslim, Imaam al-Nawawee commented on the hadith of Abu Hurairah saying: “In this hadith, there is evidence for the permission to visit the Mushrikeen (polytheists) while they are alive and to visit their graves after their death. This is because, if permission is given for visiting their graves after their death, then visiting them while they are alive takes precedence (and is more deserving). Also, there is evidence in it that it is not permissible to seek forgiveness for the Kuffaar.” And in his explanation of the hadith of Anas, he (al-Nawawee) said: “In this there is evidence that whoever dies upon Kufr will be in the Fire, the relationship of the near ones will not benefit him. Also, in this hadith there is evidence that whoever dies in the period of al-Fatrah (the period prior to Islaam), and he was upon what the Arabs were upon – i.e. worshiping the idols, then he will be from the denizens of the Fire.

Such a person will not be treated like the one to whom the Da`wah (the message of Islaam) had not reached. The Da`wah of Ibraaheem and other Prophets عليهم السالم had reached these (Arabs).” [TN: Shaikh Ibn Baaz رمحه اهلل said: “The saying of Prophet ﷺ: ❝Verily my father and your father are in the Fire❞, is an indication that the Da`wah (the message of Islaam) had reached him as it had reached `Amr bin Luhai. (الفوائد اجللية من دروس الشيخ ابن باز العلمية ص )] I (al-Albaanee) say: In the statement of Imaam al-Nawawee there is a clear refutation of the claim made by Abu Zahrah that the people of al-Fatrah who lived before the advent of the Prophet ﷺ will not be punished! Moreover, this statement of his is just a mere claim (as he could not disprove the authenticity of these Ahaadeeth); nor does he abide by the principle – i.e. “The one to whom the Da`wah has not reached will not be punished” – either he be an individual or a nation (or tribe) to whom the Da`wah had not reached. Rather, upon him was to present the proof for his claim (as a sahih hadith does not contradict the Qur’aan), but Abu Zahrah did not rise to the task.

By now it will be clear to the dear readers how much he had to divert from the (true) knowledge in order to reject the hadith of Anas, and in his misinterpreting of the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ visiting (his mother’s grave) while trying to negate the evidence, and all based on pure false claims! Furthermore, there are much more Ahaadeeth which disprove his baseless claims, and which all prove that the truth is the opposite of what he is claiming. And I feel it is necessary to mention a few of them here: A) His ﷺ saying: ❝I saw `Amr bin `Aamir Al-Khuzaa`ah dragging his intestines in the Fire, and he was the first person to establish the tradition of setting free the animals (for the sake of their deities).❞ [sahih alBukhaaree (3521) and sahih Muslim (6839)] In another narration, it is: ❝He was the first one to change the Deen of Ismaa`eel.❞ [Al-Saheehah (2/243)] B) The Prophet ﷺ was asked about `Abdullaah Ibn Jad`aan. They said: He used to uphold ties of kinship and feed the poor. Would that be of any avail to him?

He ﷺ said: ❝It would be of no avail to him as he did not ever say: O my Lord, pardon my sins on the Day of Resurrection.❞ [sahih al-Muslim (214)] In Musnad Ahmad it is: “He used to honor the guests, was good towards the neighbors, manumit the slaves and uphold ties of kinship.” C) The Prophet ﷺ passed by a date-palm tree and he heard a sound (meaning: from the grave). He ﷺ said: ❝ When was he buried?❞ They replied: He was buried in the days of ignorance. He ﷺ said: ❝If it were not the Al-Baihaqee also reported on the authority of `Aamer Ibn Sa`d, that his father said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ and said: “My father used to uphold ties of kinship, and he did such-and-such (mentioning his acts of kindness), so where is he?” The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝He is in the Fire.❞ The Bedouin found it difficult to bear. Then he said: “Where is your father of Messenger of Allaah?” He ﷺ said: ❝ Whenever you pass by the grave of an idolater, give him the tidings of Hell-fire.❞ The Bedouin later became Muslim, and he said: “The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ gave me a difficult task. I never passed the grave of an idolater but I gave him the tidings of Hellfire.” 35 reason that you would stop burying (your dead) in the graves on listening to the torment in the grave which I am listening to, I would have certainly supplicated Allaah that He should make you listen to the torment of the grave.❞ [Musnad Ahmad (12007, 12096, 12123, ) and sahih Muslim (2867, 2868).

See al-Saheehah (158, 159)] D) And in the hadith of the eclipse, in which the Prophet ﷺ was shown the fire and he saw that the owner of the stick with crooked end was being punished because he used to steal from the Hajj pilgrims. [sahih Muslim (904) and also see al-Irwaa’ (656)] And there are more Ahaadeeth related to this which al-Haithamee had reported in his “Majma` al-Zawaaid” (1/116-119), so whoever wishes to refer to them can do so. All these Ahaadeeth, without a doubt, are decisive evidence that the Mushriks (who died) in the days of ignorance will be from the denizens of the Fire. They are not from the people of al-Fatrah. So the argument of Abu Zahrah has tumbled and been refuted in detail. As for his saying regarding the hadith of Anas رضي اهلل عنه: “…like the way it is strange in its chain.” I (al-Albaanee) say: This is another false claim of his.

The hadith is sahih and there is no weakness in it, and it is sufficient proof that it is reported in the “sahih” (of Imaam Muslim). And if he were to intend that it is strange in its meaning, then this still does not harm it; because all its narrators are highly reliable. Moreover, it has supporting chains which add to its strength, like the ones which we have already mentioned. Here I would also like to add that even al-Suyootee got entangled in this and his desires got the best of him. He tried to fault the hadith by saying that al-Hammaad Ibn Salamah was alone in reporting it.

He went to the limit of not even mentioning this hadith in his book “al-Jaami` al-Sagheer”, or in the annex that he wrote later to it. This is all the while he is considered among the scholars of Islaam and a Haafidh. I wanted to write more on this to refute him (al-Suyootee). But we already spoke much on this, and what has preceded is sufficient for us. And Allaah is the One who grants success. 35 Al-Baihaqee in “al-Dalaail” (1/191-192), and also reported by al-Tabaraanee in al-Kabeer (326), as well as by alDhiyaa’ al-Maqdasee in “al-Mukhtaarah” (1005) and its chain is “sahih” See al-Saheehah (18). [TN: It is also reported in Sunan Ibn Maajah (1573) and graded as “sahih” by Shaikh al-Albaanee.] [TN: Shaikh al-Albaanee said: In this hadith, there is an important benefit which many books of Fiqh had missed out on (or neglected), i.e. the prescription of giving a Kaafir the tidings of Hell-fire when passing by his grave.

And it is not hidden – from this legislation – that it is to awaken a Believer and to remind him of the gravity of this crime which this Kaafir had committed. The sin which is the gravest of them all; and which makes the other worldly sins – even if they were all gathered together – insignificant in comparison to it. It is the sin of Kufr (disbelief in Allaah) Regarding `Abdul-Muttalib and Abu Taalib: [TN: After mentioning the weak hadith, al-Haafidh Ibn Katheer says]: The purpose (here is to inform) that `Abdul-Muttalib died upon what he claimed to have followed from the religion of the days of ignorance, in opposition to what Shi`a sect claim about and Shirk (associating partners with Allaah in acts of worships), about which Allaah تعاىل clearly warned us that He تعاىل severely abhors it when He تعاىل excluded it from forgiveness (for the one who dies upon it), as He تعاىل said: ﴿ َّإ ن اللَّـه ّل يـ غ ف ر أ ن ي ش ر ك ب ه و يـ غ ف ر م ا د ون ذ ىل ك ل م ن ي ش اء﴾ {Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4): 48 & 116] This is why the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝The biggest sin is that you set up a rival unto Allaah while He alone has created you.❞ [Saheehain] The ignorance about this benefit has led some of the Muslims to oppose what the Wise Legislator (Allaah) had legislated. We know for sure that many Muslims visit the lands of the Kuffaar to fulfil some of their specific needs (like for education or medical treatment) or general (like tourism etc.), and it does not suffice them till they visit the graves of some of the “great men” (in history) among the Kuffaar, and place flowers and wreaths on their graves, and humbly and sorrowfully stand in front of them – which indicates their approval of them and their lack of abhorrence for them. Whereas, the excellent examples which the Prophets عليهم السالم left behind teaches the opposite, as has been mentioned in this authentic hadith, and listen to what Allaah عز وجل had said: ﴿ ق د ك ان ت ل ك م أ س و ة ح س ن ة ف إ بـ ر اه يم و الَّذ ين م ع ه إ ذ ق ال وا ل ق و م ه م إ نَّا بـ ر آء م نك م و ِم َّا تـ ع ب د ون م ن د ون اللَّـه ك ف ر ن ا ب ك م و ب د ا بـ يـ نـ ن ا و بـ يـ ن ك م ال ع د او ة و ال بـ غ ض اء أ ب دًا ح ّتَّى تـ ؤ م ن وا ب اللَّـه و ح د ه... ﴾ {Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem and those with him, when they said to their people: “Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allaah, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you, hostility and hatred forever, until you believe in Allaah Alone…”} till the end of the Aayah [Surah al-Mumtahanah (60):4] This was their (the Prophets’) stance with them (the Kuffaar) while they were still alive.

So then how should it be after they are dead?! Regarding the people of al-Hijr (Thamood), `Abdullaah bin `Umar رضي اهلل عنهما narrated that Allaah's Messenger ﷺ said: ❝Do not enter (the places) of these people where Allaah's punishment had fallen unless you do so weeping. If you do not weep, do not enter (the places of these people) because Allaah's curse and punishment which fell upon them may fall upon you.❞ [sahih al-Bukhaaree (433, 3380, 3381) and sahih Muslim (5296, 5297)] [end of quote from Al-Saheehah (1/57-58) For Shaikh Ibn Baaz’s Fatwa, see also: http://ilm4all.blogspot.com/2011/11/brief-comments-of-shaikh-ibn-baazon_16.html]] him and his son Abu Taalib. This will be mentioned when the incident about the death of Abu Taalib will be discussed. After mentioning some of the above Ahaadeet in “Dalaail al-Nubuwwah”, al-Baihaqee said: “How can it not be, seeing that both his ﷺ parents and his grandfather used to worship idols till they died, and they did not follow the religion of `Eesaa Ibn Maryam عليه السالم.

And their Kufr does not harm his ﷺ lineage, as their marriage was correct. Do you not see that when they (i.e. the husbands) accept Islaam together with their wives, they are not obliged to renew the marriage contract nor are they separated? And Allaah is the One who grants success.” I (Ibn Katheer) say: “The news from the Prophet ﷺ about his parents and his grandfather `Abdul-Muttalib, that they are from the denizens of the Fire does not oppose the hadith that has been reported from various routes that the people of alFatrah (who did not receive the message), the children, the insane, and the mute will be tested on the Day of Judgment. Like the narrations which we have already discussed in details - about its Chain and its Text - in our Tafseer of the Aayah: ﴿و م ا ك نَّا م ع ذِّب ني ح ّتَّى نـ بـ ع ث ًر س وّل﴾ {And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)} [Surah alIsraa’ (17): 15] (On that Day) there would be those who would answer the call and those who would not answer the call. So these people could be among those who would not answer the call.

So there is no contradiction. And all praise is for Allaah alone.