Who is Al-’Utbi? 

He is Muhammad ibn Ubaydullah ibn ‘Amru ibn Mu’awiyah ibn ‘Amru

ibn Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb. He was from the most

eloquent of men, a companion of narrations, and a narrator of

literature. He reported from his father and from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah.

Taqiyud-Din As-Subki reports the narration that we are soon to go

over in his Shifaa’ As-Siqaam regarding the visiting of the grave of the

Nabi  (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). He reports this narration with

his chain. ((See Futuhaat Ar-Rabbaaniyah 5/39 )) 

The narration of Al-’Utbi is probably not known to many

English speaking Muslims. Let me state my purpose in producing this

article. I am going to share a photocopy as well as further research

regarding the narration of Al-’Utbi so that the Muslim masses will be

informed of the fact that many great ‘Ulamaa’ of the past maintained

that Tawassul by the Nabi Muhammad is permitted in Islam. We

hope that this information will lend more credence to the fact that the

greatest Jurists to have walked the earth believed in tawassul with the

beloved Prophet Muhammad .

The Savant, Jurist, Shaykh-ul-Islam, Virtuous and Pious Wali of Allah

ta’alaa, The Ascetic, Defender of the Sunnah, Mountain of

Knowledge, Known as the Second Imam Ash-Shafi’i, the Reviver of

Islam in his time, The Mujaahid, The Hafidh of Hadith, Abu Zakariya

Yahya ibn Sharaf, known best as “Imam An-Nawawi” recorded in his

tome, Al-Adhkaar (االذكار) the following story from Al-’Utbi:1

 

 

“As I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet, a Bedouin Arab came

and said: “Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah ! I have heard

Allah saying: “If they had only, when they were unjust to

themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah ’s forgiveness, and the

Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found

Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful” (4:64), so I have come to

you asking forgiveness for my sin, seeking your intercession with my

Lord.” Then he began to recite poetry:

O best of those whose bones are buried in the deep earth,

And from whose fragrance the depth

and the height have become sweet,

May I be the ransom for a grave which thou inhabit,

And in which are found purity, bounty and munificence!

Then he left, and I slept and saw the Nabi (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa

Sallam) in my sleep. He said to me: “Yā `Utbi, run after the Bedouin

and give him glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him.” [End Quote.

To also read the online version click here.]

The scans are taken from the published print from Mu’asasah ‘Ulum

Al-Qur’an (Beirut) and Dar Al-Qiblah Lil-Thiqafat Al-Islamiyyah,

Jeddah pages 284-285, with the editing of Subay’ Hamzah Hakimi.

Imam An-Nawawi placed this narration below the chapter titled,

“Chapter: Regarding Visiting the Grave of Rasulullah (‘alayhis

salaam) and its Remembrances (adhkaar)”. The publisher “Dar-Al-

Huda” from Riyadh, Saudia Arabia changed “Grave” to “Masjid” so as

to make it seem one is not to visit the Prophet Muhammad ’s grave.

Furthermore, they intentionally changed the text and words of Imam

An-Nawawi when he said,

  في زيارة قبر رسول الله )ص( وأذكارها : اعلم أنه ينبغي لكل من حج أن يتوجهفصل”

أهم  إلى زيارة رسول الله )ص ( سواء كان ذلك طريقه أو لم يكن فإن زيارته )ص ( من

القربات وأربح المساعي وأفضل الطلبات

Dar-Al-Huda changed these words to what is clear tahreef:

 ( في زيارة مسجد رسول الله )ص( اعلم أنه يستحب من أراد زيارة مسجدفصل”

)ص ( أن يكثر من الصالة عليه )ص     رسول الله

This is simply one example of their distorting the Adhkar as was

pointed out by Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh in his Rafa’ Minaara.

Let us talk further regarding the narration of Al-Utbi. Some groups

will say that this narration has no chain, and is thus weak. I have

personally not found a chain for this narration, but for the student of

knowledge, this is of no major concern. Hundreds, if not thousands, of

scholars from all madh-habs have recorded this narration just as

Imam An-Nawawi (radhiya Allahu Anhu) did. They used this narration

as support that our righteous Muslim Sunni forefathers implemented

this action of Al-’Utbi. Some examples of great scholars other than

Imam An-Nawawi were:

Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi in his magnum opus Al-Mughni, the great

Hanbali work. He transcribed this narration beneath his chapter,

“Chapter on Visiting the Grave of the Prophet.” Click here to see the

quotation yourself. Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, in which he prefaces the

narration with:

د� اعة ذكر وق م م� ج ن�ه� ي�خ م� �ب�و الش ور أ ن�ص� ب�اغ م �ام�ل ك�تابه ف�ي الص �كاية الش ال�ح�

ة ور ه� ال�ع�ت�ب�ي/ عن� ال�مش�

“And a group [of scholars], amongst them Ash-Shaykh Abu Mansur As-

Sabbaagh in his treatise “Ash-Shaamil” mentioned the well known

story from Al-’Utbi…” Click here to read the tafsir yourself.  Imam Al-

Baaji reports this narration in his Sunan As-Saaliheen. Imam Ath-

Tha’labi narrates it in his Tafsir, as well as others.

It is true that this narration is not a proof in itself. It is a supporting

proof, and the ettiqutte displayed therein was used to teach the

Muslim masses by the great jurists. This is the reason I have

presented it for you all.

May Allah bless our beloved Nabi Muhammad, his family,

companions, and those that follow him until their end. Amin!

1. *“A report graded mashhur (established and well-known) and

related by

Nawawi, Adhkar, Mecca ed. p. 253-254, al- Majmu` 8:217, and al-Idah

fi manasik al-hajj, chapters on visiting the grave of the Prophet;

*Ibn Jama`a, Hidayat alsalik 3:1384; *Ibn `Aqil, al-Tadhkira;

*Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi in his magnum opus Al-Mughni, the great

Hanbali work. He transcribed this narration beneath his chapter,

“Chapter on Visiting the Grave of the Prophet.” ;

* al-Qurtubi, Tafsir of 4:64 in Ahkam al-Qur’an 5:265;

*Samhudi, Khulasat al-Wafa p. 121 (from Nawawi);

* Dahlan, Khulasat al-Kalam 2:247;

*Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, in which he prefaces the narration with:

“And a group [of scholars], amongst them Ash-Shaykh Abu Mansur As-

Sabbaagh in his treatise “Ash-Shaamil” mentioned the well known

story from Al-’Utbi…”,

and al-Bidayat wa al-nihayat 1:180;

* Abu al-Faraj ibn Qudama, al-Sharh al-kabir 3:495;

*al-Bahuti al-Hanbali, Kashshaf al-qina` 5:30;

*. Taqiyud-Din As-Subki reports the narration in his Shifaa’ As-Siqaam

p. 52, regarding the visiting of the grave of the Nabi (sallallahu

‘alayhi wa sallam). He reports this narration with his chain. ((See

Futuhaat Ar-Rabbaaniyah 5/39 ))

*Ibn al-Jawzi, Muthir al-gharam al-sakin ila ashraf alamakin p. 490;

*al-Bayhaqi, Shu`ab al-iman #4178; *Ibn `Asakir, Mukhtasar tarikh

Dimashq 2:408;

* Ibn Hajar al- Haytami, al-Jawhar al-munazzam [commentary on

Nawawi's Idah];

* Imam Al-Baaji reports this narration in his Sunan As-Saaliheen.

* Imam Ath-Tha’labi narrates it in his Tafsir

*Ibn al-Najjar, Akhbar al-Madina p. 147. A similar report is cited

through Sufyan ibn `Uyayna (Shafi`i’s shaykh), and through Abu Sa`id

al-Sam`ani on the authority of `Ali.