Seeking Help from the Grave: Understanding Islamic Teachings on Intercession

The Incident of Malik bin Dinar: Can We Seek Help from the Grave?

Question: There is an incident involving Malik bin Dinar during the caliphate of Umar (RA) when there was a drought and no rain. A person went to the Prophet’s (PBUH) grave and addressed the Prophet about the issue. In a dream, a person appeared to him and told him to go to Umar (RA), convey his greetings, and inform him of the situation, and they would be given water. He did so, went to Umar (RA), who then cried and prayed, “O Allah! I will not leave any stone unturned except what is beyond my control.” Is this correct, and can we seek help from the grave?

Answer: Sheikh Albani, in his book on intercession, mentioned this narration and classified it as weak, hence it cannot be used as evidence. The narration is as follows: “People were afflicted with a drought during the time of Umar, so a man went to the Prophet’s grave and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Seek rain for your nation, for they are perishing.’ Then the man was told in a dream: ‘Go to Umar…’ (Al-Tawassul by Albani: 118).

The reality is that we cannot seek help from any grave or the person in the grave. This is an act of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and such an act takes a person out of the fold of Islam because supplication is a form of worship, and worship is exclusively for Allah. Therefore, for help, we should only call upon Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

 Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah

❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫