Q: Would you please tell us the degree of authenticity of the following Hadith:The first one: “Whoever performs Hajj to the House (the Ka‘bah) without visiting me (i.e. My grave) has shunned me.” The second: “Whoever visits me after my death, it is as if he has visited me when I was still alive.” The third one: “Whoever visits me in Madinah, hopeful of Allah’s reward, I will be an intercessor and a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection.” These Hadith were cited in some books and triggered heated debates among people; for and against.

A: The first Hadith was narrated by Ibn ‘Ady and Al-Daraqutny on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Umar from the Prophet (peace be upon him) with the following wording: “Whoever performs Hajj to the House without visiting me has shunned me.” This Hadith is Da‘if (weak); it is even judged as Hadith Mawdu‘ (fabricated). This is because its Sanad (chain of narrators) includes Muhammad ibn Al-Nu‘man ibn Shibl Al-Bahily who narrated it from his father, and both of them are very weak narrators. Al-Daraqutny stated that this Hadith is blemished due (Part No. 4; Page No. 455) to Ibn Al-Nu‘man, not Al-Nu‘man. Moreover, this Hadith was narrated by Al-Bazzar through a Sanad including Ibrahim Al-Ghifary who is judged to be Da‘if. It was related by Al-Bayhaqy from `Umar through an unknown Sanad. The second Hadith was narrated by Al-Daraqutny on the authority of a man from the family of Hatib from Hatib from the Prophet (peace be upon him) with this wording through the Sanad including the anonymous man. Moreover, it was narrated by Abu Ya‘la in his Musnad, and by Ibn ‘Ady in his book entitled "Al-Kamil" through a Sanad including Hafs ibn Abu Dawud who reported Da‘if (weak) Hadith. The third Hadith was narrated by Ibn Abul-Dunya on the authority of Anas ibn Malik from the Prophet (peace be upon him) with this wording through a Sanad including Sulayman ibn Zayd Al-Ka‘by, whose Hadith is weak. It was also narrated by Abu Dawud Al-Tayalisy from `Umar through a Sanad which includes an unknown narrator.Moreover, authentic Hadith have been reported that urge Muslims to visit the graves in general to take lessons, receive admonition and invoke Allah (Exalted be He) for the dead. All the Hadith about visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in particular are Da‘if (weak); rather, it is said they are Mawdu‘ (fabricated). So, whoever wants to visit the graves or to visit the grave of the Messenger (peace be upon him) in the Islamically lawful manner to learn lessons of wisdom, receive admonition and supplicate to Allah for the dead, invoke peace and blessings upon the Prophet and invoke Allah’s pleasure upon the Prophet’s two Companions (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar), their visit will be lawful and will hopefully be rewarded so long as it is not associated with traveling solely for that purpose. On the other hand, setting out purposely to visit the Prophet’s grave is regarded as a Bid‘ah (innovation in religion) which is not authentically established by any text and was not done by the Salaf (righteous predecessors). (Part No. 4; Page No. 456) Rather, there are reports that ban this act, among which is the following one in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “No journey should be made except to three Masjids (mosques): Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), this Masjid of mine (the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah), and Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa (the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem).” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.