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 (‫ )الذكار‬the 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,

( ‫ اعلم أنه ينبغي لكل من حج أن يتوجه إلى زيارة رسول ال )ص‬: ‫فصل” في زيارة قبر رسول ال )ص( وأذكارها‬
‫سواء كان ذلك طريقه أو لم يكن فإن زيارته )ص ( من أهم القربات وأربح المساعي وأفضل الطلبات‬

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

(‫)ص ( أن يكثر من‬ ‫فصل” في زيارة مسجد رسول ال )ص( اعلم أنه يستحب من أراد زيارة مسجد رسول ال‬
‫الصلة عليه )ص‬

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:
 ّ‫ن اْلُعْتِبي‬
ْ‫ع‬َ ‫شُهوَرة‬
ْ ‫حَكاَية اْلَم‬
ِ ‫شاِمل اْل‬
ّ ‫صّباغ ِفي ِكَتابه ال‬
ّ ‫صور ال‬
ُ ‫شْيخ َأُبو َمْن‬
ّ ‫عة ِمْنُهْم ال‬
َ ‫جَما‬
َ ‫َوَقْد َذَكَر‬

“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.