A sound (sahih) tradition related on the authority of Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi by: Ahmad in his Musnad, Ibn Abi Shaybah in the Musannaf, Abu Dawud in the Sunan, Nisa'i in his Sunan, Ibn Majah in his Sunan, Darimi in his Musnad, Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih, ibn Hibban in his Sahih, Hakim in the Mustadrak, Tabarani in his Kabir, Bayhaqi in Hayat al-anbiya', Suyuti in Anba' al-adkhiya, Dhahabi who confirmed Hâkim's grading, and Nawawi in the Adhkar.

Another version in Ibn Maja has this addition:

fa nabiyyallahi Hayyun yurzaq
Bayhaqi mentions it also in the Sunan al-kubra.

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A sound (sahih) tradition related on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (r) by: al-Bazzar in his Musnad, Abu Ya`la in his Musnad, Ibn `Adi in al-Kamil fi al-du`afa', Tammam al-Razi in al-Fawa'id, al-Bayhaqi in Hayat al-anbiya' fi quburihim, Abu Nu`aym in Akhbar Asbahan, Ibn `Asakir in Târeekh Dimashq, al-Haythami in Majma` al-zawa'id (8:211), al-Suyuti in Anbâ' al-adhkiya' bi-hayat al-anbiya' (#5), and al-Albani, in Silsilat al-ahadith al-sahihah (#621).

Suyuti adds: "The life of the Prophet, ﷺ may Allah bless him and give him peace, in his grave, and [also] that of the rest of the prophets is known to us as definitive knowledge (`ilman qat`iyyan)."

I have used the above information from a post on MSA-Net on that particular hadith by Brother Akram Y. Safadi, for which I thank him.

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A sound (sahih) tradition related on the authority of Anas and others by Muslim, Nasa'i, and Bayhaqi in the dala'il al-nubuwwa and the Hayât. Some mention the beginning (in parentheses), while others omit it. Nawawi said in his explanation of this hadith: "The work of the next world is all dhikr and du`a" (sharH SaHeeH Muslim 1/73/267).

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From Abu Hurayra, in Abu Dawud with a sound (SaHeeH) chain. This hadith has been adduced by the scholars as the legal proof for the validity and modality of visiting and greeting the Prophet ﷺ, although the hadith does not mention the necessity of physically visiting the Prophet ﷺ in Madina.

A note about the translation of "has returned": Suyuti said that "radda" means `ala al-dawâm," i.e. permanently, and not temporarily: in other words, Allah does not return the rûH and take it back, then return it again and then take it back again, but He returned it to the Prophet ﷺ permanently, and the Prophet ﷺ is alive permanently.

Sakhawi, Ibn Hajar al-`Asqalâni's student, said: "As for us (Muslims) we believe and we confirm that he ﷺ is alive and provided for IN HIS GRAVE" (al-qawl al-badee` p. 161). Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-RûH p. 58: "It is obligatory knowledge to know that his body ﷺ is in the earth tender and humid (i.e. as in life), and when the Companions asked him: 'How is our greeting presented to you after you have turned to dust' he replied:

and if his body was not in his grave he would not have given this answer."

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami wrote in al-jawhar al-munaZZam (?):

"tawâtarat al-adillatu wa al-nuqûlu bi anna al-MuSTafa Hayyun Tariyyu... wa Sawmun thumma Hajjun kulla `âmin yaTTahhiru li al-Salâti bi mâ'i ghaythi" which means:

"The proofs and the transmitted texts have been established as authentic in the highest degree that the Prophet ﷺ is alive and tender... that he fasts and performs pilgrimage every year, and that he purifies himself with water which rains on him."

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Qadi `Iyad cites it in "al-Shifa" (1:56 of the Amman edition) and Suyuti said in his "Manahil al-safa fi takhrij ahadith al-shifa" (Beirut 1988/1408) p. 31 (#8): "Ibn Abi Usama cites it in his Musnad from the hadith of Bakr ibn `Abd Allah al-Mazni, and al-Bazzar from the hadith of Ibn Mas`ud with a sound (sahih) chain."

It is cited in Subki's Shifa' al-siqâm fi ziyarat khayr al-anâm
[The Healing of the Sick Concerning the Visit of the Best of Creation],
where he mentions that Bakr ibn Abd Allah al-Mazini reported it, and Ibn al-Jawzi mentions it through Bakr and then again through Anas ibn Malik in the penultimate chapter of the penultimate section of al-Wafa, both huffaz without giving the isnad. However, Ibn al-Jawzi specifies in the introduction of al-Wafa that he only included sound traditions in his bûk. He also mentions the version through Aws ibn Aws: "The actions of human beings are shown to me every Thursday on the night of (i.e. preceding) Friday." See also FatH al-Bâri 10:415, al-Mundhiri's Targheeb wa al-Tarheeb 3:343, and Ahmad 4:484.

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Ibn Hajar says in FatH al-Bâri 6:379: "Abu al-Shaykh cites it with a good chain (sanad jayyid)," and Bayhaqi mentions it in Hayât al-anbiyâ with "ublightuhu" in the end.

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Narrated by al-Daraqutni, al-Dulabi, al-Bayhaqi, Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-`Uqayli, Ibn `Adiy, Tabarani, and Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih, all through various chains going back to Musa ibn Hilal al-`Abdiyy from Ubayd Allah Ibn Umar, both from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar.

Dhahabi declared this chain hasan (fair) as narrated, in "Mizan al- i`tidal," vol. 4, p. 226: "Huwa salih al-hadith" which means:"He -- Musa ibn Hilal -- is good in his narrations." Al-Sakhawi confirmed him in the "Maqasid al-hasana", while al-Subki declared it sahih according to Samhudi in Sa`adat al-dârayn 1:77. Ibn `Adiyy said: "He [Musa ibn Hilal] is most likely acceptable; other people have called him 'unknown' and this is not true... He is one of the shuyukhs of Imam Ahmad and most of them are trustworthy." al-Kamil fi al-Du`afa (6:2350). Albani declared him "thabit al-riwaya" (of established reliability) in his Irwa' 4:338. About `Ubayd Allah ibn `Umar al-`Umari: - Dhahabi calls him "saduq hasan al-hadith" [truthful, of fair narrations] al-Mughni 1:348; - Sakhawi says of him "salih al-hadith" [of sound narrations] al-tuhfat al-latifat 3:366; - Ibn Mu`in said to Darimi about him: "salih thiqat" [sound and reliable] al-kamil 4:1459.

This is one of the prûf-texts adduced by the ulama of Islam to derive the obligation or recommendation of visiting the Prophet's grave and seeking him as "wasilat" (intermediary/means). See the chapter on visiting the Prophet's grave in Nawawi's bûk "al-Adhkar" and in Qadi `Iyad's bûk "al-Shifa." Sakhawi said in "al-qawl al-badee`" p. 160: "The emphasis and encouragement on visiting his noble grave is mentioned in numerous ahadith, and it would suffice to show this if there was only the hadith whereby the truthful and God-confirmed Prophet ﷺ promises that his intercession among other things becomes obligatory for whoever visits him, and the Imams are in complete agreement from the time directly after his passing until our own time that this is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah."

Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions.

Dawud ibn Salih says: "[The Umayyad Caliph] Marwan [ibn al-Hakam] one day saw a man placing his face on top of the grave of the Prophet ﷺ. He said: "Do you know what you are doing?" When he came near him, he realized it was Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. The latter said: "Yes; I came to the Prophet ﷺ, not to a stone. I heard the Prophet ﷺ say: Ahmad 5:422, Hakim (Mustadrak 4:515); both the latter and al-Dhahabi said it was sahih. It is thus cited by as-Subki (Shifa' as-siqam p. 126), Ibn Taymiyya (al-Muntaqa 2:261f.), and al-Haythami (al-Zawa'id 4:2).

Brother Audah is right if his point is to show that kissing the grave, rubbing or hugging it is neither haram nor an innovation, although it is disliked that people should be permitted to do it.

Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions. ﷺ

GF Haddad ©
[ Feb. 1996]