Is tabarruk, expecting barakah (abundance) from things permissible?
Is tabarruk, expecting barakah (abundance) from things permissible? Evidences from the Quran about tabarruk...
Submitted by on Mon, 07/08/2017 - 10:18
Dear Brother / Sister,
EVIDENCES FROM THE QURAN ABOUT TABARRUK
FIRST EVIDENCE (Tabarruk of Sons of Israel with the Ark, the chapter of al-Baqara, verse 248)
SECOND EVIDENCE (Tabarruk of Hz. Yaqub with the shirt, the chapter of Yusuf, verse 93)
THIRD EVIDENCE (Sacred Valley, the chapter of Taha, verse 12)
FOURTH EVIDENCE (Safa and Marwa are among Allah's signs, the chapter of al-Baqara, verse 158)
FIFTH EVIDENCE (Holy Majid al-Aqsa, the chapter of al-Isra verse 1)
SIXTH EVIDENCE (Blessed and sacred places)
HADITHS ABOUT TABARRUK AND THE PRACTICES OF THE COMPANIONS
FIRST EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the blessed hair of the Prophet (pbuh))
SECOND EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the blessed hair of the Prophet (pbuh) after his death)
THIRD EVIDENCE (the Prophet (pbuh) giving his hair to people)
FOURTH EVIDENCE (People racing in order to get the hair of the Prophet (pbuh))
FIFTH EVIDENCE (The Prophet (pbuh) wanting the remainder of his wudu water to be kept)
SIXTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the sweat of the Prophet (pbuh))
SEVENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk by touching the blessed skin of the Prophet (pbuh))
EIGHTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the place where the Prophet (pbuh) performed prayers)
NINTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the place where the Prophet (pbuh)'s blessed mouth touched)
TENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk by kissing the hand that touched the Prophet (pbuh))
ELEVENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the gown of the Prophet (pbuh))
TWELFTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the place that the hand of the Prophet (pbuh) touched)
THIRTEENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the glass of the Prophet (pbuh) and the place where he performed prayers)
FOURTEENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the pulpit of the Prophet (pbuh))
FIFTEENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the blessed grave of the Prophet (pbuh))
SIXTEENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with the traces of righteous people and previous prophets)
SEVENTEENTH EVIDENCE (Tabarruk with Masjid al-Ashshar)
Tabarruk means to want barakah (abundance). It means to attain barakah through something. We can explain it in a more detailed way as follows: To show respect to the things belonging to a person or to the place where he lived due to the love felt toward him is expressed with the word Tabarruk.
When we deal with the issue of tabarruk, we will concentrate on the blessed beard of the Prophet. For, in our country, the thing that is visited the most with the intention of tabarruk is the blessed beard of the Prophet. Unfortunately, those who visit the blessed beard of the Prophet are accused of polytheism (shirk) by some people. This Wahhabi mentality, which regards tabarruk as polytheism, rejects the respect shown to holy things and label those who show respect to them as polytheists (mushriks).
Inshaallah, we will definitely prove how wrong the Wahhabi mentality is.
EVINDENCES FROM THE QURAN ABOUT TABARRUK
Tabarruk of Sons of Israel with the Ark, the chapter of al-Baqara, verse 248
The first Quranic evidence that we will mention to show that tabarruk is permissible is the ark that is mentioned in verse 248 of the chapter of al-Baqara. First, let us summarize the incident narrated on page 39:
Sons of Israel went to their prophet and asked to send them a king. They promised that they would fight in the way of Allah with this prophet. Allah sent them a person called Talut as their king. However, Talut was poor; therefore, Sons of Israel did not want to accept him as the king. They said they deserved to be the king more than Talut.
Thereupon, their prophet said to them:
إِنَّ آيَةَ مُلْكِهِ A Sign of his authority is that أَن يَأْتِيَكُمُ التَّابُوتُ there shall come to you the Ark of the covenant فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِن رَبِّكُمْ with (an assurance) therein of security from your Lord.
What is in that ark? Security (sakina) from your Lord.
Sakina: means material and spiritual abundance. That ark had such sakina. Sons of Israel attained Allah's mercy and barakah (abundance) with that ark.
According to what is stated in tafsirs of Fakhrurrazi, Abussuud, Hazin, Qurtubi and Alusi, when Sons of Israel went astray and disobeyed Allah Almighty, He inflicted the tribe of Amaliqa upon them. This tribe took the ark from them. Afterwards, Allah Almighty sent the ark to Sons of Israel through His angels as a sign of the kingdom of Talut. The phraseتَحْمِلُهُ الْمَلآئِكَةُ carried by angelsmentioned in the verse shows that the ark was brought to them by angels who carried it.
We refer the details of the story to tafsir books. What we need to know here is as follows:
There is an ark with which Sons of Israel makes tabarruk. As the Quran puts it, فِيهِ سَكِينَةٌ مِن رَبِّكُمْthere is security in it from your Lord. They attain sakina, that is, blessings and abundance, due to this ark. Afterwards, this ark is removed from them due to their sins; later, it is returned to Sons of Israel by being carried by angels as a sign of the kingdom of Talut. Let us analyze this ark, which is a means of barakah, in detail:
An ark, that is a piece of wood, can bring about material and spiritual barakah and blessings with divine permission. Those who show respect to it can benefit from its barakah and blessings. And Allah wants Sons of Israel to show respect to it. When people cease to respect it, Allah removes it from them.
It is necessary to understand the following point: Barakah and blessings do not belong to the ark. They were placed in it by Allah. Every barakah, boon and grant come from the treasure of Allah. There is nobody except Him that can own grant. However, Allah does things based on reasons/causes in this world of wisdom. He places fruit on the branch of the tree. He sends milk through the udders of cows. He sends down water through clouds. He presents us with vegetables through the ground. Every boon comes to us through a reason.
Real belief is not denying the reason but seeing Allah’s hand of mercy on it. The one who denies the reason is deprived of mercy.
In the verse that we interpreted, the ark that is mentioned is only a means. The sakinah in the ark does not belong to it. The owner of it is only Allah. However, Allah made that ark a reason and a means for His barakah and blessings.
Then, what is necessary to do here is not burning the ark on behalf of oneness but showing respect to that ark on behalf of Allah and knowing that the sakinah in it comes from Allah. This is both oneness and reasoning. Now, we will ask those who deny tabarruk some questions:
We ask those who deny tabarruk the following questions:
- Allah can place blessing and abundance in an ark, a piece of wood and make it a means of His mercy. Those who show respect to it attain Allah’s mercy. You read about it in the Quran. Does a piece of blessed hair from the beard of the Prophet not have as much value as a piece of wood in the eye of Allah?
- Those who show respect to an ark on behalf of Allah attain sakina; why should those who show respect to the blessing beard of the Prophet on behalf of Allah not have sakina?
- Showing respect to the ark is not regarded as polytheism (shirk); why should respect to the blessing beard of the Prophet (pbuh) be regarded as polytheism?
I think that you would have called those who showed respect to the ark polytheists if you had lived at that time and you would have burned the ark as soon as you had the opportunity. Your mind is not so good. Therefore, you call those who visit the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh) polytheists.
I am asking you: Why should Our Lord, who placed blessing and abundance in an ark, not place blessing and abundance in the hair taken from his beard and make it a means of His mercy?
We regard the blessed beard when we visit it as the ark in the verse. The beard is not the real owner of theblessing and abundance. Every blessing and abundance come from the treasure of Allah. However, Allah sends blessing to His slaves sometimes through a beard, sometimes through a tree, sheep and cloud in this material world and sometimes through a different reason.
Oneness does not mean to deny reasons/causes. Oneness means to see the creator of the causes/reasons, that is, Allah. This is the real oneness. You are so distant from the real oneness that you deny reasons on behalf of oneness and ignore reasoning.
O those who regard visiting the blessed beard of the prophet as polytheism!Answer my questions now:
1. Would Allah have placed sakina in that ark if it were haram to show respect to things with the intention of tabarruk?
2. Would He have ordered them to show respect to the ark?
3. Would He have removed the ark from them as a punishment for their disrespect?
4. Would he have returned the ark to them after they had lost it as a sign of the kingdom of Talut?
It is possible to show respect even to an ark on condition that barakah is known to have come from Allah. In that case, it is possible to show respect to the blessed beard of the Prophet, which is much more valuable than the ark in the eye of Allah, on condition that barakah is known to have come from Allah. Since showing respect to the ark is not regarded as polytheism, showing respect to the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh) will never be regarded as polytheism.
Tabarruk of Hz. Yaqub with the shirt, the chapter of Yusuf, verse 93
The second Quranic verse that we will show for the permissibility of tabarruk is the incident narrated in verse 93 of the chapter of Yusuf. The summary of the incident is as follows:
Hz. Yaqub lost his eyesight due to the sorrow caused by being away from his son, Hz. Yusuf. Hz. Yusuf, who became the prime minister in Egypt, found his brothers and father years later and learned from them that his father became blind. Hz. Yusuf, said to his brothers:
اِذْهَبُوا بِقَمِيصِي هَـذَا Go with this my shirt فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَى وَجْهِ أَبِي and cast it over the face of my father: يَأْتِ بَصِيرًا he will come to see (clearly).
Hz. Yusuf's brothers took the shirt and returned to their father. The Quran expresses this scene as follows:
فَلَمَّا أَن جَاء الْبَشِيرُ Then when the bearer of the good news came, أَلْقَاهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ He cast (the shirt) over his face, فَارْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا and he forthwith regained clear sight.
As you can see clearly in the verse, Hz. Yaqub wiped Hz. Yusuf's shirt on his face and was healed.
Let us analyze the verses in a more detailed way and make those who deny tabarruk see some points clearly.
When Hz. Yusuf found out that his father was blind, he sent his shirt to him and asked him to wipe it on his face. In other words, Hz. Yusuf asked his father to use his shirt as a means of healing. This is the meaning of sending his shirt. Hz. Yaqub accepted it and wiped his face with the shirt with the intention of being healed.
Now, we ask those who deny tabarruk the following question:
- Is there a physical relationship between a shirt and healing of eyes? There is definitely no physical relationship. That is, a shirt does not have the property to enable eyes to see. Then, why did Hz. Yusuf send this shirt? Why did he not just open his hands and pray for his father? Why did he use the shirt as a means and send it with the intention of tabarruk? Why did he want his father to use the shirt as a means?
If tabarruk is shirk, does Hz. Yusuf – God forbid – invite his father to shirk? What about Hz. Yaqub? He wipes his face with the shirt. That is, he uses the shirt as a means of healing. If it were not permissible to use things for tabarruk, Hz. Yaqub would probably have said, "I will not apply to anything for tabarruk in order to be healed. It is shirk. I will only pray." He should have said something like that. However, he did not speak like that; he used the shirt as a means of tabarruk. It means tabarruk is permissible.
Besides, tabarruk means to use an object as a means by expecting the result from Allah Almighty. It is like the following example: A person goes to see a doctor; his going to see a doctor is an actual prayer. He takes the medicine given by the doctor with the intention of healing; taking the medicine is also an actual prayer. That is, when he takes the medicine, he thinks as follows:
"O Lord! Healing comes only from You. You are the only Healer. I go to see the doctor and take the medicine because You order us to act in accordance with reasons/causes. I obeyed Your order by going to see the doctor and taking this medicine. I know that the doctor and the medicine cannot heal me. Healing comes from Your treasure."
A person who goes to see the doctor and takes the medicine believes and should believe like that; similarly, Hz. Yaqub believed like that and applied tabarruk by thinking as follows:
"O Lord! You are the one who closed my eyes and You are the one who will open them. Even if all of the doctors of the world came together, they could not open my eyes without Your permission. I use Hz. Yusuf's shirt as a means of healing and ask you to heal my eyes."
This is the intention of Hz. Yaqub. For, a person who applies tabarruk does not expect barakah from the object. He regards that object as a means for Allah's mercy. This is what the people who deny tabarruk does not understand. After these explanations, let us ask those who deny tabarruk some questions:
We ask those who deny tabarruk the following question: A shirt, a piece of fabric, becomes honorable by touching the body of Hz. Yusuf and becomes a means of barakah like making a blind person see again.
- Are the hairs from the blessed body of the Prophet (pbuh) not as valuable the shirt of Hz. Yusuf?
- Why should our Lord, who made a piece of fabric a means of healing for the sake of Hz. Yusuf's sincerity, not make the blessed beard of the Prophet a means of mercy and barakah for the sake of his prophethood?
- Why do you call visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet shirk by regarding the explanations above unreasonable?
We also want to ask the following question:
- If it is shirk to show respect to objects with the intention of tabarruk, why did Hz. Yusuf send his shirt to his father and asked his father to wipe his face with the shirt? Did Hz. Yusuf commit a deed – God forbid – that was shirk?
- Why did Hz. Yaqub wipe his face with the shirt? Why did Hz. Yaqub use the shirt as a means of healing?
- If taking refuge in things with the intention of tabarruk were shirk, would Hz. Yaqub have wiped his face with the shirt? Or, do you know belief and oneness better than Hz. Yusuf and Hz. Yaqub?
What is the difference between Hz. Yaqub's wiping his face with the shirt and our kissing the blessed beard of the Prophet? There is no difference between them. If using a shirt as a means of tabarruk is permissible, using the blessed beard of the Prophet should also be permissible. It is permissible to use the shirt as a means of tabarruk because Hz. Yusuf and Hz. Yaqub did so. It is not possible for two prophets to commit a deed that is shirk. Since using a shirt as a means of tabarruk is permissible, it should be permissible to visit the blessed beard of the Prophet too.
If you say it is not permissibleto visit the blessed beard of the Prophet, you have to say, "It is not permissible to wipe the face with the shirt." When you say so, you will have to attribute shirk to Hz. Yusuf and Hz. Yaqub. This will be a dilemma for you. What will you do? You will either accept that visitingthe blessed beard of the Prophet is permissible or you will have to accuse two prophets of Allah of shirk. You have no other choice.
Sacred Valley, the chapter of Taha, verse 12
The third Quranic evidence that we will show for the permissibility of tabarruk isverse 12 of the chapter of Taha. In this verse, our Lord addresses Hz. Musa as follows:
فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ Put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa.
Those who deny tabarruk say, Things cannot be sacred; to show respect to things is shirk. That is what they say. What does the Quran say about Tuwa? It says Tuwa is a sacred valley.
What is demanded from Hz. Musa in that valley? He is demanded to take off his shoes, that is, to step on the valley barefoot and to show respect to it. That is what the Quran says though you say that things cannot be sacred and it is shirk to show respect to things.
Dear brothers! Believe that those who deny tabarruk have no connection with the Quran at all. Be sure that if the verse “Put off thy shoes: thou art in the sacred valley Tuwa” were a hadith instead of a verse, they would denied it at once and said, "This hadith is fabricated." The verse clearly states that Tuwa is a sacred valley and that it was not permissible to step on it with shoes.
The verse says so but this Wahhabi mentality does not view verses. If they did, we would not see the terrible state of Arafat when we went there. Let us connect this issue with visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet.
We ask those who deny tabarruk the following question:
You read in a verse that a piece of land can be sacred. Allah forbids stepping on it with shoes; you read in the verse that respect is demanded for it. Can you say, “Tuwa is a valley; that one is also a valley in my village. There is no difference between them.” You can never say so.
Yes both of them are valleys; both of them consist of soil. However, Allah calls one of them sacred and forbids stepping on it with shoes; He has not given this honor to the other one. Then, you have to show respect to it; let alone dirtying it, you must not step on it with your shoes.
- Since a piece of land can be sacred with divine permission and it is discriminated from other pieces of land thanks to it, why should the blessed beard of the Prophet not be sacred and why should it not be discriminated from other beards?
- Is the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh) not as valuable as a piece of land in the eye of Allah?
- Is it unreasonable for our Lord, who describes Tuwa as sacred, to render the beard of the Prophet (pbuh) sacred and to demand respect for it? Why do you have difficulty in understanding it?
May Allah give you reason and common sense! May he protect the ummah of Muhammad from your evil!
Safa and Marwa are among Allah's signs, the chapter of al-Baqara, verse 158
The fourth Quranic evidence that we will show for the permissibility of tabarruk is verse 158 of the chapter of al-Baqara. Lord states the following in a verse:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ Behold! Safa and Marwa are among the symbols of Allah مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ are among the symbols of Allah.
What are Safa and Marwa? They are Allah's signs/symbols (sha’air).
Safa and Marwa are two small hills with a height of a few meters. During hajj, sa’y is performed between them. Most of you already know these two hills. Allah Almighty says "are among the symbols of Allah" for these two hills. What is the importance of signs/symbols? Let verse 32 of the chapter of Hajj answer this question:
وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ Whoever holds in honor the symbols of Allah, فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ such (honor) should come truly from piety of heart.
From what does respect to signs/symbols originate? From piety of heart.
What are Safa and Marwa? They are Allah's sha’air. Then, to show respect to Safa and Marwa originate from piety (taqwa) of heart. If a person does not show respect to them, his heart has no taqwa. The verses have this meaning.
Those who deny tabarruk say, “Things cannot be sacred; it is shirk to show respect to things/objects.”
Now, we are asking them:
- Since it is shirk to show respect to things, go and dirty Safa and Marwa hills and show disrespect to them. Can you do it? You cannot do it. You might do it but will it be in accordance with the Quran?
Is it possible for you to say, “They are hills; the one in our village is also a hill; they are the same”? You cannot say so because Allah describes Safa and Marwa hills as Islam's signs/symbols.
You cannot treat Safa and Marwa in the same way as you treat the hills in your village. It originates from piety of heart.
You say showing respect to things is shirk but Allah orders us to show respect to Safa and Marwa. If showing respect to things were shirk, would Allah have ordered it?
The Quran describes those who show respect to Safa and Marwa as people whose hearts are of taqwa but you call them mushriks (polytheists). If you are a bit sane, you will understand how far away from the Quran you are. Let us connect this issue with visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet.
We ask those who deny tabarruk the following question:
A hill can be a sign/symbol of Islam. The Quran states that that to show respect to it originates from piety of heart and disrespect from lack of piety of heart. You also see and read it.
- How can you say, "showing respect to things is shirk and visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet is shirk" after these explanations?
- Is it possible for our Lord, who renders a hill a sign and demands respect for it, not to demand respect for the beard of the Prophet (pbuh)? Is the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh) not as valuable as a small hill in the eye of Allah?
- In fact, Allah created this realm for the sake of the Prophet. Does the beard or other things of a person for whose sake the realms were created not deserve to be respected more than a hill?
How can a person who has some taqwa in his heart show disrespect to the blessed beard of the Prophet? I ask just people that question.
Holy Majid al-Aqsa, the chapter of al-Isra verse
The fifth Quranic evidence that we will show for the permissibility of tabarruk is verse 1 of the chapter of al-Isra. The following is stated about Masjid al-Aqsa in that verse:
الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى الَّذِي the farthest Mosque, بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless.
How did Allah Almighty describe Masjid al-Aqsa (the farthest mosque)? The farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless.
Those who deny tabarruk say, "Things cannot be mubarak." I ask them: - O those who say, "Things cannot be mubarak."Do you not read the Quran? See what Allah says: “the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless.” Allah says, "I bless the things that I wish." You say, "You cannot bless; things cannot be blessed." Are you aware what kind of a statement you utter and what kind of a crime you commit?
Know it very well that Allah places barakah in a place and thing, making that thing blessed just as He places a benefit and use in a food and medication, giving it barakah. We learned five of those blessed things and places. We will find out more.
Denying the barakah of some things and places means denying some verses of the Quran. For, the Quran clearly states that barakah has been placed in some things and places. One of the places apart from Masjid al-Aqsa in which barakah is placed is the Kaaba. Let us hear what the Quran states about the Kaaba:
The following is stated in verse 96 of the chapter of Aal-i Imran:
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ The first House (of worship) وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ appointed for menلَلَّذِي was that بِبَكَّةَ at Bakka: مُبَارَكًا Full of blessing وَهُدًى لِلْعَالَمِينَ and of guidance for all kinds of beings.
Let us have a look at the meaning of the full sentence:
“The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings.”
How did our Lord describe the Kaaba? He described it as blessed just as He described Masjid al-Aqsa.
Then, let us ask again those who deny tabarruk:
Allah describes the Kaaba as blessed though you do not accept that things can be blessed. After this statement, can you say, “The Kaaba is a piece of stone and my house is also a piece of stone; both of them are the same; I will treat both of them in the same way; I will not show respect to them?” You cannot say so. You might say so but will it be in accordance with the Quran?
Is it possible for you to say, “They are hills; the one in our village is also a hill; they are the same”? Let us connect this issue with visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet.
We askthose who deny tabarruk the following question:
- Masjid al-Aqsa and the Kaaba are blessed places, that is, places in which barakah has been replaced, as the Quran expresses it. Since Allah places barakah in something made of stone, why should He not place barakah in the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh)? Why should he not give barakah to those who show respect to it and kiss it?
- Is the blessed beard of the Prophet (pbuh) not as valuable as a stone in the eye of Allah?
That stone becomes the Kaaba and Masjid al-Aqsa when barakah is placed in it and is discriminated from other stones. When that beard grows on the blessed face of the prophet (pbuh), it is discriminated from other beards and receives barakah. Even if its name is the same, the difference between them is as big as the distance between the earth and the sky.
Blessed and sacred places
We proved the issue by using five verses of the Quran. There are many more verses that we can show. Dealing with each verse under a separate heading will lengthen the issue unnecessarily; therefore, we will use several verses as evidence in this chapter and prove again that things can be blessed and sacred.
We hope that the issue has been understood since we have analyzed the issue in detail and meditated on verses deeply. Therefore, we are not going to analyze the verses we will use as evidence in this chapter in detail. The essence of the issue is as follows:
Those who deny tabarruk say, "Things cannot be blessed and sacred. Showing respect to things is shirk." To answer their statement, we show the things that the Quran describes as sacred and blessed and say, "You say things cannot be sacred but the Quran states that these things are sacred." Thus, we refute their words by the verses of the Quran.
Now, let us have a look at the beings that the Quran describes as sacred:
The following is stated in verse 137 of the chapter of al-Araf:
“And We made a people, considered weak (and of no account), inheritors of lands in both east and west, - lands whereon We sent down Our blessings.”
According to Hasan al-Basri and Imam Qatada, the place mentioned as“lands whereon We sent down Our blessings is Damascus”. This verse clearly states that Damascus was rendered blessed.
It means some places can be superior to others. It is not shirk, unbelief or a sin to be in those places with the intention of tabarruk. It enables man to benefit from Allah's barakah.
The following is stated in verse 71 of the chapter of al-Anbiya:
“But We delivered him and (his nephew) Lut (and directed them) to the land which We have blessed for the nations.”
According to Ibn Abbas, the place mentioned as "the land which We have blessed" is Makkah.
It means a place can be superior to other places when Allah renders it blessed and sacred. In that case, the duty of man is probably to show more respect to those places, which Allah rendered blessed and sacred, and to visit those places in order to benefit from their blessing.
The following is stated in verse 81 of the chapter of al-Anbiya:
“(It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the land which We had blessed.”
According to Imam Suddi, the place mentioned as "the land which We had blessed", in the verse is Damascus and the land around it. This verse clearly proves that some places can be blessed and sacred.
The following is stated in verse 8 of the chapter of an-Naml:
“But when he came to the (fire), a voice was heard: "Blessed are those in the fire and those around: and glory to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’”
In verse 30 of the chapter of al-Qasas, the phrase اَلْبُقْعَةِ الْمُبَارَكَةِ a blessed spot is used for the same place. The valley mentioned in the verse is Mount Tur and the land around it. Ibn Abbas states that the rendering blessed here means rendering sacred. This expression can also be understood as follows:
The place the fire exists is a blessed region; and barakah has been given to the places around this land. For, prophets were sent from those places. Their dead bodies are in that region. Allah Almighty blessed that region, especially the place where He spoke to Hz. Musa (Moses).
The following is stated in verse 18 of the chapter of Saba:
“Between them and the Cities on which We had poured our blessings, We had placed Cities in prominent positions.”
According to what Ibn Abbas states, the phrase "the Cities on which We had poured our blessings" are the villages of Palestine. As you can see, this verse clearly states that some towns have been rendered blessed.
The following is stated in verse 21 of the chapter of al-Maida:
“O my people! Enter the holy land which Allah hath assigned unto you.
According to some tafsir scholars, the holy land mentioned in the verse consists of Ariha, Palestine and some part of Jordan.
Those who deny tabarruk say "Things cannot be sacred." However, it is clearly stated by the phrase الْاَرْضَ الْمُقَدَّسَةَ that the earth is sacred. Will those who deny tabarruk close their eyes and overlook these verses?
Allah Almighty blessed not only things and places but also some nights; He reminded us to benefit from the barakah of those nights. For instance, He stated the following in verse 3 of the chapter of ad-Dukhan:
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ We sent it down during a Blessed Night.
Thus, we are informed that the night of Barat is blessed. After seeing this verse, can you say that all nights are the same and that they are not superior to one another? You cannot say so. If you do, you will oppose this Quranic verse.
There are more verses that we can show but it will mean to state what is already known, which is unnecessary. Therefore, we will not lengthen it anymore and connect the issue with visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet:
We ask those who deny tabarruk the following question: A night can be blessed. A piece of land and a valley can be sacred. We read them in the Quran.
- Why should the beard of the Prophet (pbuh) not be blessed? What do you not understand about it? Can there be anything more natural than it?
Besides, we will mention the respect the Companions showed to the Prophet (pbuh)’s beard and things.
- Will you still call visiting the blessed beard of the Prophet shirk?
What else can we say to you if you say so? We will only say, ‘Guidance and success come from Allah. May Allah grant you guidance and open the lock in your heart! This is our final word to you.
HADITHS ABOUT TABARRUK AND THE PRACTICES OF THE COMPANIONS
Up to now, we have proved tabarruk through verses. Now, we will prove tabarruk through hadiths.
Let us see the narrators and resources of these hadiths; after that, we will analyze them as a whole.
Tabarruk with the blessed hair of the Prophet (pbuh)
According to the narration of Jafar Ibn Abdillah from his father, When Khalid Ibn Walid lost his cap on the Day of Yarmuk, he said, "Look for it." People looked for it but could not find it. He said, "Look for it again." When they found it, they saw that it was an old cap; Khalid Ibn Walid said,
"When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had a haircut after umrah, people raced to get his hair. I was faster than the others and got the hair of his forehead and placed it in this cap. I was always helped (by the barakah of this blessed hair) in any battle that I joined after that.”(Tabarani, Mu'jamul-Kabir, No:3804, 4/104; Hakim, Mustadrak, No: 52299, 3/338; Ibn Hajar, al-Matalibul-Aliya, No: 4044, 4/90; Abu Yala, Musnad, No: 7183, 13/139)
According to the statement of Imam Ayni, When Khalid Ibn Walid wanted the people to look for his cap for a long time, the Companions objected; thereupon, Khalid Ibn Walid Halid said,
"I did not act like that because of the value of this cap; I did not want it to be obtained by the mushriks. For, there were some hairs of the Messenger of Allah in it." (Ayni, Umdatul Qari, 3/37)
Tabarruk with the blessed hair of the Prophet (pbuh) after his death
Uthman Ibn Abdillah Ibn Mawhab narrates:
“My people sent me with water in a silver glass to Umm Salama, the wife of the Messenger of Allah. There was some hair of the Prophet in it. When a person suffered from evil eye or some other disease, he would send a vessel to Umm Salama. When I went to her, I saw some red hairs of the Messenger of Allah in a small container.”(Bukhari, Libas: 64, No: 5557, 5/2210)
Imam Ayni explains this incident as follows:
Umm Salama had some red hair in a small container resembling a small bell for camels. (The color of the Prophet’s hair was not red but they might the hair cut when his hair was dyed in henna.) When people got ill, they would use them for tabarruk; that is, they would ask cure with its barakah and put that hair in a container with water; they would drink this water in order to be cured. The family of Uthman, the narrator of the hadith, took some of that hair, put it in a silver water container and drank it with the intention of cure. Then, they sent Uthman to Umm Salama with this water container. Umm Salama took the container and put it in juljul, an object like a camel’s bell. Uthman, the narrator saw the red hair in it. (Ayni, Umdatul-Qari, 22/49; Qastalani, Ishadus-Sari, 8/465)
The Prophet (pbuh) wanting the remainder of his wudu water to be kept the Prophet (pbuh)
According to what is reported from Anas Ibn Malik, when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) arrived in Mina and threw stones at Satan, he returned to his place in Mina. After slaughtering his animal, he said to the barber, "Take", he showed his right side and after that his left side. Then, he started to distribute his hair to the people. (Muslim, Hajj: 56, No:1305, 2/947; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No:12093, 4/223; Bayhaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, No:9400, 5/168)
The following was reported from Anas Ibn Malik:
When the Messenger of Allah threw stones at Satan, slaughtered his animal and started to have a haircut. He bent the right side of his head toward the barber. The barber cut the hair on the right side of his head. Then, he called Abu Talha from Ansar and gave this hair to him. Then, he bent the left side of his head toward the barber and said, "Cut." When the barber cut the hair on the left side, the Prophet gave this hair to Abu Talha and said to him, "Share it among people." (Muslim, Hajj: 56, No: 1305/326, 2/948; Tirmidhi, Hajj: 73 No:912, 3/255; Abu Dawud, Manasik: 78, No:1981, 1/606; Humaydi, Musnad, No: 1220, 2/512)
According to what is reported from Hafs Ibn Ghiyas, the barber started from the right side and gave one or two hairs to everybody. (Muslim, Hajj:56, No:1305/324, 2/947)
People racing in order to get the hair of the Prophet (pbuh)
Hz. Anas (ra) said,
“When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had his hair cut in Mina, he took the hair from the right side of his head. When the haircut was over, he gave those hairs to me and said, "O Anas! Take them to Umm Sulaym (your mother)!" When people saw this privilege of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) for my mother, they started to race in order to get one of the remaining hairs of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).”
Muhammad Ibn Sirin, who reported this hadith from Anas narrates: When I told this hadith to Abidatul-Salmani, he said, “It is better and more valuable for me to have one of those hairs with me than to have all yellow and white things on the earth and under the earth (to have all precious things and mines). (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No:13686, 4/509; Bayhaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, Salat:523, No:4223, 2/599)
The following was reported from Ibn Sirin: Once, I said to Abida, "We have some hair ofthe Messenger of Allah; we obtained it from Anas."Thereupon, Abida said, “Having only one hair of the Messenger of Allah with me is definitely better for me from the world and everything in the world.”(Bukhari, Wudu':32, No:168, 1/75)
Abida, who is mentioned in the hadith, is one of the notables of Tabiun; he became a Muslim two years before the death of the Prophet but he could not see the Prophet.
The Prophet (pbuh) wanting the remainder of his wudu water to be kept
Talq Ibn Ali narrates:
We went to the Messenger of Allah in a group and paid allegiance to him. We performed a prayer with him. Then, we told him that we had a church that belonged to us in our country. We asked him to give usthe remainder of his wudu water. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked some water, made wudu, rinsed his mouth and poured the wudu water into a container and said to us,
"Set off now. When you arrive in your country, demolish your church; sprinkle this water there and transform that place into a mosque."
Thereupon, we said, "Our country is far away and it is hot. This water might get dry." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
“Add more water on it. For, my wudu water increases the cleanliness of water.”
After that, we set off and arrived in our city. We demolished the church and sprinkled that blessed water there. Wetransformed that place into a mosque and called adhan. The priest was a person from the tribe of Tayy. As soon as he heard adhan, he said, "This is a true call." Then, he headed toward one of our valleys. We could not see him after that. (Nasai, Masajid:11, No: 700, 2/369; Hatib at-Tabrizi, Mishqatul-Masabih, Salat: 7, No:716, 1/228; Ibn Hibban, No: 1120, 2/224; Tabarani, Mujamul-Kabir, No: 8241, 8/332; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 16293, 5/494; Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, 5/552; Abu Nuaym al-Isfahani, No:47, 1/90; Ibn Abi Shayba, Musannaf, Salat:304, No:10, 1/528)
Doubtlessly, there is a strong secret settled in the Companions here:
Although there was a lot of water in Madinah and their country had a lot of water, they wanted the wudu water of the Prophet (pbuh). This was because of the barakah of that water. Otherwise, why should they put up with the trouble of carrying a small amount of water from a city to another in that hot weather?
Besides, when they said, "This water might get dry", the Messenger of Allah said,"Add more water on it." It shows that he shows consent when they do it and that the barakah given to water will remain constant.
According to the statement of Ibn Hajar, this hadith bears evidence that it is permissible to practice tabarruk with what the Messenger of Allah left and to carry them to cities. Besides, it indicates that what touches the body of the Messenger of Allah will not change forever, that this thing will remain in the perfect form that it attains when it touches the valuable organs of the Messenger of Allah and that anything that touches it will attain barakah.
Tabarruk with the sweat of the Prophet (pbuh)
According to what is narrated from Hz. Anas, his mother Umm Sulaym used to lie on a leather rug and sleep on it during the day. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) slept on that rug close to her. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) slept, he would sweat a lot. Umm Sulaym collected his sweat and hairs in a jar, and mix them with nice scent. When Anas bin Malik was about to die, he wanted that mixture to be added on the scent to be put on him when he died. They did so. (Bukhari, Isti'dhan: 41, No:5925, 5/2316; Muslim, Fadail: 22, No: 2332, 4/1816; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 27187, 10/319)
Umm Sulaym, the mother of Anas, who narrated this hadith, was a foster aunt of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh); since she was a close relative, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would enter her house and sleep next to her. This hadith shows that it is permissible to make tabarruk with the things that remained from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).
In another narration, it is stated that Umm Sulaym made tabarruk with the sweat of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and that the Messenger of Allah saw and approved it. As a matter of fact, Anas bin Malik stated the following:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would enter the house of Umm Sulaym and sleep in her bed when she was absent. Once, he came and slept in her bed. When Umm Sulaym was told, "The Prophet slept on your bed in your house", Umm Sulaym went home at once. The Messenger of Allah was in sweat and his sweat accumulated on the piece of leather on the bed. Umm Sulaym opened her bag and started to squeeze the leather to collect the sweat in the jar in her bag. Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) woke up and asked, "O Umm Sulaym! What are you doing?" She said, "O Messenger of Allah! We hope tabarruk from it for our children." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "What you do is right." (Muslim, Fadail: 22, No: 2331/84, 4/1815)
According to another narration, Umm Sulaym answered that question as follows: "This is your sweat. We add it to our perfume. It is the best scent." (Muslim, Fadail: 22, No: 2331/84, 4/1815)
According to what is understood from those sound narrations, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw what Umm Sulaym did and approved it. There is no contradiction between the two narrations stating that Umm Sulaym collected his sweat for its scent in one narration and for barakah in the second one. For, these statements show that Umm Sulaym did it for both. (Ibn Hajar, Fathul Bari, 11/74)
Tabarruk by touching the blessed skin of the Prophet (pbuh)
Usad Ibn Hudayr, who was one of the notables of Ansar, was talking to a group of people and making them laugh. The Prophet (pbuh) hit his side with a piece of stick. Thereupon, he said, “I want retaliation.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, "All right." Thereupon, Usayd said, "You are wearing a shirt; I did not have a shirt on me when you hit me." When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) rolled up his shirt, Usayd started to hug the Messenger of Allah and kiss his side. He said, "O Messenger of Allah! What I wanted to do was this." (Abu Dawud, Adab: 160, No: 5224, 2/778; Hakim, Mustadrak, No: 5262, 3/327; Bayhaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, Jirah: 25, No: 16021, 8/87; Tabarani, Mu'jamul-Kabir, No: 556, 1/205)
In another hadith, according to what Habban Ibni Wasi Ibn Habban narrated from the old people of his nation, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was straightening the ranks of his Companions on the Day of Badr with an arrow he was holding in his hand. Meanwhile, he hit Sawwad Ibn Ghaziya, who was an ally of Sons of Adiyy Ibn Najjar, with the arrow in the stomach and said, "O Sawwad! Stand straight." Thereupon, Sawwad said, "O Messenger of Allah! You hurt me. Allah definitely sent you with truth and justice. Allow me to retaliate. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) opened his abdomen and said, "Retaliate." Sawwad hugged the Messenger of Allah and kissed his abdomen. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "O Sawwad! Why did you do that?" He said, "O Messenger of Allah! What you saw happened. I wanted my skin to touch your skin in my last meeting with you." When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) heard this, he prayed for Sawwad. (Ibn Hisham, as-Siratun-Nabawiyya, 2/202; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya, 3/307)
In another hadith, according to what is narrated from Hz. Anas bin Malik, somebody called Zahir who lived in the desert brought some presents (plants, herbs, perfume, etc.) to the Messenger of Allah whenever he visited him. When he wanted to set off, the Prophet (pbuh) would give him some things that were available in the city. The Messenger of Allah loved him a lot and said, "Doubtlessly, Zahir meets our needs in the desert and we meet his needs in the city." His face was ugly. Once, he was selling the things he bought when the Messenger of Allah hugged him from behind. He shouted, "Leave me! Who is that?" When he turned round, he recognized the Messenger of Allah and wanted his back to touch the chest of the Messenger of Allah some more (with the hope of barakah). Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Who will buy this slave?" Zahir said, "O Messenger of Allah! You always regard me as cheap." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "However, you are not cheap in the eye of Allah." (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 12648, 4/323; Tirmidhi, Shamail, No: 231; Abu Ya'la, Musnad, No: 3456, 6/174; Bayhaqi, Sunan al-Kubra, Shahadah: 82, No: 21172, 10/419)
What would those who regard the people who visit the blessed beard, cardigan and grave of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) as polytheists have said if they had seen what the lofty Companions mentioned in those hadiths had done? Are these people about whom the phrase "guiding stars" is used on the true path or some poor people who call them polytheists on the true path? All sane and just people must make up their mind regarding this issue.
Tabarruk with the place where the Prophet (pbuh) performed prayers
Sharaf ar-Rawha is a place two destinations away from Madinah. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following about the virtue of that place in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayra:
"This is one of the valleys of Paradise. Seventy prophets performed prayers before me here. Musa, Son of Imran, stopped here with seventy thousand people on the way to hajj or umrah." (Ayni, Umdatul-Qari, 4/269; Ibn Shabba, Tarikhul-Madinatil-Munawwara, 1/80; Wafaul-Wafa, 2/167-168)
In another narration, it is stated that Abdullah Ibn Umar, the great fiqh scholar of the Companions, did not perform the noon prayer on the way but performed it when he arrived there and that when he arrived there before the time for the morning prayer started, he waited there and performed the morning prayer there.
Musa Ibn Uqba narrates:
I saw Abdullah Ibn Umar’s son, Salim, look for some places and perform prayers there. He said his father, Abdullah Ibn Umar, habitually performed prayers there and saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) perform prayers there. (Bukhari, Masajid: 55, No: 469, 1/183)
It can only be explained by tabarruk that Abdullah Ibn Umar, one of the four great fiqh scholars of the Companions, and his son, Salim, looked for the places where the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) performed prayers and gave great importance to performing prayers in those places.
Mahmud Ibnir-Rabi' al-Ansari narrates:
Itban Ibn Malik, who was one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and who was one of the Ansar who took part in the Battle of Badr, went to the Messenger of Allah once and said,
"O Messenger of Allah! My eyes got weak. I lead prayers to my tribe. When it rains, floods occur in the valley between me and them. I cannot go to the mosque to lead prayers there. O Messenger of Allah! I would like you to come to my house, perform a prayer there and make my house a place of prayer."
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "I will do it inshaallah." The next day, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and Hz. Abu Bakr came to my house after noon time. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) asked for permission to enter my house. I gave him the permission. He did not sit when he entered. He asked me, "In which part of your house do you want me to pray?" I showed him some part of my house. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) uttered takbir to start prayer. We stood behind him in a rank. After performing two rak’ahs, he saluted. (Bukhari, Masajid: 14, No:415, 1/164; Muslim, Iman: 10, No:33, 1/61; Ibn Majah, Masajid: 8, No: 754, 1/249; Nasai, Iqamah: 46, No: 843, 2/440; Abu Davud at Tayalisi, No: 1241)
Imamı Ayni, Imam Nawawi and Imam Qastalani deduced the following decrees from the hadith above:
1. Tabarruk with the traces of righteous people is permissible.
2. It is nice to perform prayers in the places where they performed prayers.
3. It is permissible to ask from them to make something have barakah.
Tabarruk with the place where the Prophet (pbuh)'s blessed mouth touched
Abdurrahman Ibn Abi Amra narrates from his grandmother (who is called Kabshatul-Ansariyya):
“Once the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) entered her house and drank water from the water-skin hanging on the wall by standing. Kabsha cut off the part of the water-skin where the blessed mouth of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) touched by expecting barakah from it.”(Ibn Majah, Ashriba:21, No: 3423, 2/1132, Tirmidhi, Ashriba: 18, No:1892, 4/306, Humaydi, Musnad, No: 354, 1/172, Tabarani, Mujam al-Kabir, No: 8, 25/15)
The following is reported from Anas Ibn Malik: “Umm Sulaym kept the part of the water-skin from which the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) drank water in her house for barakah.” (Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 12189, 4/238)
All of those hadiths are definite by sound chains of narrators and are recorded in the soundest resources. The question that needs to be asked here is this:
What was the purpose of the Companions when they kept the things belonging to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)? Was it a reminiscence? Did they keep them to display in a museum? If so, why did they turn to Allah with them when they were hit by a misfortune or illness?
The Companions had only one purpose for keeping them: it was tabarruk with those things.
Tabarruk by kissing the hand that touched the Prophet (pbuh)
Yahya Ibn Harith az-Zimari stated the following:
Once, I met Wasila Ibn Asqa and asked him, “You paid allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) with this hand of yours. Is that right?" When he said, “Yes”, I said, “Let me kiss your hand.” He extended his hand and I kissed his hand. (Tabarani, Mu’jamul-Kabir, No: 226, 22/94; Haysami, Majmauz-Zawaid, No: 12798, 8/84)
Abdurrahman Ibn Razin narrates:
When we stopped by at a place called Rabaz, we were told: “Salama Ibn Akwa is here.” We went to him and greeted him. He showed us his hands and said, “I paid allegiance to the Prophet of Allah with these hands.” He extended his hands which were big like the hands of a camel. We kissed his hands. (Bukhari, Adab al-Mufrad, Chapter: 445, No: 1002, p. 264)
Ibn Jud’an narrates:
Once, Thabit asked Anas, “Did you touch the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) with your hands?" He said, “Yes.” Then, Thabit kissed his hands. (Bukhari, Adab al-Mufrad, Chapter: 445, No: 1003, Sh.264)
Tabarruk with the gown of the Prophet (pbuh)
Hz. Asma, Hz. Abubakr’s daughter, showed her gown (worn by Persian rulers), which had a hem of brocade, and sleeves bordered with brocade, and said,
“Here is the gown of Allah's Messenger (pbuh). This gown was kept by Hz. Aisha until she died; and when she died, I got possession of it. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to wear it. We wash it for the sick people (we make them drink its water). Cure is sought with it.” (Muslim, Libas and Ziynah: 2, No: 2069, 3/1641)
According to the statement Imam Nawawi, this hadith indicates that it is mustahab to make tabarruk with the traces of righteous people. (Sahih al-Muslim, Sharhun-Nawawi, 14/44)
Tabarruk with the place that the hand of the Prophet (pbuh) touched
According to what is reported from Safiyya Bint Majza’a, Abu Mahzura had a forelock on his forehead; when he let it, it would touch the ground. Once, he was asked, “Are you not going to cut your hair?” He said, “I am not going to cut it because the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) touched this hair with his hand.” He did not cut it until he died. (Tabarani, Mu’jamul-Kabir, No: 6746, 7/176, 177, Abu Dawud, Salah: 28, No: 501, 1/191, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, No: 15376, 5/242)
Tabarruk with the glass of the Prophet (pbuh) and the place where he performed prayers
Abu Burda narrates:
Once, I went to Madinah. Abdullah Ibn Salam met me and said, “Let us go to my house; I will make you drink from the glass from which the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) drank; you can also perform a prayer in the place where the Messenger of Allah prayed.” When I went with him, he made me eat sawik (soup made from barley and wheat) and dates. I also performeda prayer where the Messenger of Allah prayed. (Bukhari, al I'tisam bil-Kitabi was-Sunna: 16, No: 6910, 6/2673)
Let us ask a question here:
- Why did Abdullah Ibn Salam invite Abu Burda to his house? To make him drink from the container from which the Messenger of Allah drank andperform a prayer in the place where the Messenger of Allah prayed.
If tabarruk were not permissible, would Abdullah Ibn Salam have made this invitation? If tabarruk were not permissible, would Abu Burda have accepted this invitation? He would not have accepted it and he would have said, "Tabarruk is not permissible and it is shirk. I will not come with you." However, he did not say so and accepted the invitation. This invitation and Abu Burda’s accepting it show that tabarruk is permissible.
Tabarruk with the pulpit of the Prophet (pbuh)
According to the statement of Ibrahim Ibn Abdirrahman Ibn Abdilqari, it was seen that Abdullah Ibn Umar put his hand on the place where the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sat on the pulpit and then wiped his face with his hand.
According to what is reported from Ibn Qusayd and Utbi, when there were very few people left in Masjid an-Nabawi, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would touch Rummana (the war club resembling a pomegranate that the Messenger of Allah held with his right hand), which was on the right side of the grave of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), make tabarruk, turn toward the qiblah and beg Allah. (Qadi Iyad, ash-Shifa bi Ta'rifi Huquqil-Mustafa, 2/86, Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, 1/254)
Ibn Taymiyya, who is the greatest imam of the sect of Wahhabis, who oppose tabarruk regarding it as shirk, reported something true regarding the issue and said, “Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal allowed touching the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and that the greatest fiqh scholars of Madinah like Ibn Umar Said Ibn Musayyab and Yahya Ibn Said did it.” (Ibn Taymiyya, Iqtidaus-Siratil-Mustaqim, p. 367)
It is understood from all of those hadiths that it is liked and approved to make tabarruk with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) himself, his traces or anything belonging to him.
Tabarruk with the blessed grave of the Prophet (pbuh)
Amr Ibn Maymun al Awdi Narrates:
I saw Hz. Umar (who was in his deathbed after being wounded in the shrine). He addressed his son as follows:
“O Abdullah Ibn Umar! Go to the mother of believers, Hz. Aisha. Tell her, ‘Umar Ibnil-Hattab greets you.’ Then, ask permission from her so that I will be buried with my two friends (the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and Hz. Abu Bakr).”
When Ibn Umar conveyed his father’s message to Hz. Aisha, she said,
“I wanted that place for myself but today I will definitely prefer Umar to myself.”
When Ibn Umar returned, Hz. Umar asked him, “What is the news with you?” He said, “O leader of the believers! Aisha gave you the permission.” Hz. Umar said,
“Nothing was more important to me than that place."(Bukhari, Janaiz: 94, No: 1328, 1/469)
According to the statement of Ibn Hajar, this narration shows the mercy to be sent down on righteous people and the virtue of the people who want to be neighbors with good people in grave by expecting their prayer.
Muhammad Ibn Ahmad adh-Dhahabi stated the following:
It is reported that Ibn Umar regards touching the grave of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) makruh but Ibn Umar regards it makruh because he thinks it is disrespect. When Ahmad Ibn Hanbal was asked about “touching the grave of the Prophet and kissing it”, he did not consider it to be wrong.
If we are asked, “why the Companions did not act like that”, we will answer as follows: “For, the Companions saw the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) alive; they kissed his hands, raced in order to get his wudu water and shared his clean hair on the day of Hajj al-Akbar. We tend toward his grave with respect since we cannot see him alive. Do you not see what Thabit al-Bannan did? He would kiss Anas Ibn Malik’s hand and wipe his face saying, "This hand touched the hand of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). They originate from a Muslim’s extreme love toward the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) because a believer is ordered to love Allah and His Messenger more than his life, wealth, son, daughter, people, even Paradise and houris.
Hafiz Dhahabi reports that Ahmad Ibn Hanbal's son, Abdullah stated the following:
“I saw my father taking a hair of the Messenger of Allah to his mouth and kissing it. I saw that he put that hair on his eye, dip it in water and expect cure by drinking that water. I also saw him take the bowl of the Messenger of Allah, wash it in a big water container and drink that water. I also saw him drinking zamzam water with the intention of cure and spread it on his hands and face.”(Dhahabi, Siyaru A'laminnubala, 11/212)
Tabarruk with the traces of righteous people and previous prophets
According to what is reported from Abullah Ibn Umar, when people stopped on the way with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in Hijr, the land of the tribe of Thamud, they drew water from wells and kneaded dough with it. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw it, he asked them to pour the water and to give the dough to their camels. He also ordered them to draw water from the well from which the she-camel (which came out of rock as a miracle of Hz. Salih) drank water. (Muslim, Zuhd: 1, No: 2981, 4/2286)
According to the statement of Imam Nawawi, this hadith encourages people to avoid taking water from the wells of oppressors and to take water from the wells of righteous people. (Nawawi, Sharhu Muslim, 18/112)
Tabarruk with Masjid al-Ashshar
Ibrahim Ibn Salih Ibn Dirham narrates: I heard the following from my father:
On the way to hajj, one of us (Hz. Abu Hurayra) asked us, “Is there a town called Ubulla near here?” When we said, “Yes”, he said, “Who promises to perform a prayer of two or four rak’ahs for me in in Masjid al-Ashshar and promises to say, ‘This prayer is for Abu Hurayra’? For, I heard my friend Abul-Qasim (pbuh) say,
‘Allah will definitely resurrect so martyrs fromMasjid al-Ashshar that only martyrs of Badr will be able to resurrect with them.’” (Abu Dawud, Malahim: 10, No:4308, 2/516, Bukhari, Tarih al-Kabir, No: 942, 1/293)
According to the statement of the great scholar Sheikh Khalil Ahmad as-Saharanfuri, this hadith indicates that the thawabs of bodily worshipping can be given to others as presents and that the places where saints and people close to Allah exist can be visited for tabarruk. (Ahmad as-Saharanfuri, Bazlul-Majhud, 17/225)
All of those hadiths and practices of the Companions prove that tabarruk is permissible. We address those who close their eyes to those hadiths as follows: The notables of the Companions like Anas bin Malik, Abdullah Ibn Umar and Hz. Aisha narrated those hadiths. And those narrations are written in the soundest resources like Bukhari, Muslim and Ibn Majah. Hafizes of hadiths analyzed those hadiths in detailed and unanimously agreed that they were sound.
If a person still denies tabarruk after these explanations, he is like a person who closes his eyes to the sun in the middle of the day. He cannot eliminate the light; he only makes it the night for himself.
Questions on Islam
- Is tawassul permissible according to verses and hadiths?
- Why were the personal belongings of the Prophet taken to Egypt?
- About Growing Beards
- Will you give information about the face and appearance of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)?
- Is the beard fard or just a Sunnah?
- How did the Prophet take care of his beard? How wide and long should be a beard of Sunnah?
- What are the causes of mischief and tribulations that were seen during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman? Some scholars say that he did not have the sufficient qualities for leadership.
- Is it permissible to dye one’s hair black?
- What is the decree about saying "Allahumma antassalam wa-minkassalam tabarakta ya dhaljalal-i wal-ikram (O Allah, You are peace, peace comes from You. Blessed are You O Possessor of Glory and Honor)" after a prayer?
- What is the wisdom behind wiping the hands on the face?
