Q.1. Some people visit the graves of auliya and on the day of the Eid, they visit their parents’ graves, where they recite Surah Yassin. Please comment.
Q.2. Can one perform the tawaf of farewell at the end of the pilgrimage and then sleep for a few hours before departure from Makkah?
T.H. Samath, Makkah
A.1. Visiting graves and graveyards is recommended because it reminds us of the Day of Judgment and encourages us to do well in this life so that we may achieve the great prize of admission to heaven in the life to come. Praying God to have mercy on the deceased and to forgive them their sins is highly encouraged, particularly if they are close relatives. Therefore, visiting the graves of one’s parents and other relatives on the day of the Eid or other days and praying for them is an act worthy of praise. On the other hand, reading the Qur’an and praying God to credit the reward of one’s recitation to a dead relative or friend is acceptable, according to the weightier view. But such reading is better done at home or in a mosque or any other place. It should not be done by the side of the grave.
Where we have a problem, and a serious one at that, is with visiting the graves of those who are described as auliya. What people do on such visits is highly questionable. They appeal to the dead to intercede with God on their behalf, or they ask them to bring them some good favor, as if they were living and having a special position with God. All this is forbidden and incurs God’s displeasure, as it elevates those dead people to the rank of partnership with God, when God has no partners. This is certainly forbidden.
A.2. The proper thing is to make the tawaf of farewell the last thing one does in Makkah before departure. If one knows that he would not be traveling for a few hours, then he should delay his tawaf until the last moment when he can do it comfortably and come back for departure without causing delay to anyone. But if you know that your departure will not take place for several hours after you finish your tawaf, then sleep first and then do your tawaf.
On the other hand, take the case of one who has made arrangements to leave Makkah in a couple of hours and goes to do your tawaf returning shortly before the time set for departure. He then discovers that his transport is delayed by a traffic jam or an accident involving other cars. He is waiting for his transport to arrive any minute so that he would load his luggage and leave. However, the wait is prolonged for reasons beyond his control, and while waiting he sleeps, then when the car arrives he is woken up, and departs, then he need not repeat the tawaf first.
The Prophet’s wives
Edited By Adil Salahi, Arab News Staff
Q.1. Could you please tell me how many wives did the Prophet Muhammad have at any time?
Q.2. Is it obligatory to keep beard? What are the conditions involved according to the Sunnah?
M. Ayaz
A.1. At the time when the Prophet passed away, he had 9 wives. This is the maximum he had at any one time. You are undoubtedly aware that God had given him this special permission to have more than the normal four wives allowed under Islam, because most of his marriages served legislative, political, or social purposes.
A.2. To wear a beard is a Sunnah. The relevant order is one of several orders concerned with people’s appearance. If we take these orders together, we realize that they are all meant as recommendations, not outlining obligations. There is no particular length one should have, but it should be reasonable and giving a pleasant appearance. I realize this is relative, and this is why the Prophet did not specify anything in this connection.