Does the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, hear the greetings of the visitor?

 

Question: If someone comes to the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) grave to pray and send peace upon him, does he hear and see them? Is this belief considered shirk (associating partners with Allah)?

Answer: It is recommended for a Muslim visiting the Prophet’s Mosque to start by praying in the mosque. If possible, praying in the Rawdah (the area between the Prophet’s grave and his pulpit) is preferred. Then, they should approach the Prophet’s grave, stand respectfully, and quietly send peace upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Abu Dawood reported with a good chain from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No one sends peace upon me but Allah returns my soul to me so that I may return his greeting.” Some scholars have used this hadith to argue that the Prophet (peace be upon him) hears the greetings of Muslims when his soul is returned to him. However, other scholars argue that this hadith is not explicit in this regard and does not indicate that this is specific to those who greet him at his grave.

 The apparent meaning of the hadith includes all Muslims in general.

It is also authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Among the best of your days is Friday, so increase your prayers upon me on that day, for your prayers are presented to me.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how are our prayers presented to you when you have decomposed?” He replied, “Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the prophets.” This was reported by Abu Dawood, An-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah with a good chain. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: “Allah has angels who travel around conveying to me the greetings of my ummah.”

These hadiths and others like them indicate that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is informed of the prayers and greetings of those who send peace upon him. However, they do not indicate that he hears them directly. Therefore, it is not permissible to say that he hears them without clear, authentic evidence. Matters like these are based on textual evidence, not personal opinions. Allah says: “If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination” (Quran Women:59). Referring this matter to the Quran and authentic Sunnah, we do not find evidence that the Prophet (peace be upon him) hears the prayers and greetings directly. The Sunnah indicates that he is informed of them, and some hadiths explicitly state that the angels convey them to him.

As for the belief that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sees those who greet him, there is no basis for this. There is no evidence in the Quran or hadith to support this claim. The Prophet (peace be upon him) does not know the conditions of the people on earth or what happens to them, as the connection between the deceased and the living is severed. Stories and dreams reported in this regard, as well as claims by some Sufis about the Prophet’s presence among them and his knowledge of their conditions, or claims by some who celebrate his birthday about his presence among them, are all baseless and should not be relied upon. The evidence in Islamic law is limited to the words of Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) and the consensus of verified scholars. Opinions, dreams, stories, and analogies have no place in this matter and should not be relied upon to establish any of the mentioned claims.

Allah is the source of success, and He is sufficient for us and the best disposer of affairs. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his followers until the Day of Judgment.