Asalam Wa alakum, 
I recently watched a short video of a somewhat popular 'Shiek' putting Hanafis in the same category as Grave Worshippers.
I would just like to know why one might think such a thing, and see some form of hadeeths of certain practices that may or may not lead one to believe such a thing. Also, what is and what is not permissible according to Quran and Sunnah for one to do whilst visiting a grave?

Allah Knows Best,
JazzakAllah Kahir

Answer

To label followers of the Hanafi school of thought as grave worshipers is nothing but ignorance and misguidance and the habbit of the Wahhabi, Salafi and Deobandi sect. The Wahhabi and Salafi make such ignorant comments due to the lack of knowledge they take from the Salaf (the pious predecessors). They try and understand the Quran and Hadith according to their own intellect rather than following the explanations given by the Salaf, yet they call themselves Salafi. Deobandies make such comments due to being highly influenced by the Wahhabi and Salafi sect and also due to the disastrous mixture of beliefs that has reached them through the Fatawa (religious verdicts) and Sawanihaat (Biographies and Historic events) of their Deobandi predecessors. One should refer to books such as Zalzalah by Allamah Arshad Al-Qadri to witness this disastrous mixture and to other books of the scholars of the Ahl Al-Sunnah written in refutation of the aforementioned sects.

It is from the fundamentals in Islam that worshiping anything or anybody other than Allah is polytheism and infidelity. Therefore, to label a Muslim as a grave worshiper is labeling a Muslim as a polytheist and an infidel. The messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"When a Muslim calls another an infidel, one of them is an infidel".

And the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"When a Muslim labels another as an infidel, if he is not an infidel then the label returns upon the caller." (Bukhari)

Those who label Muslims that follow the Hanafi School as grave worshipers should take heed from such Hadith.

In regards to graves, the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

"I used to forbid you from visiting the graves (but now I give you permission), you should visit them." (Muslim)

Sayyidah Aishah (Allah is pleased with her) said,

"When the dear Prophet (peace be upon him) used to spend the night with her, in the last part of the night he would go to the graveyard of Madinah.” (Muslim)

From the above we understand it is permissible, encouraged and Sunnah to visit the graves of the believers.

When Muslims go to the graves of the pious, they seek Tawassul. This could be supplicating to Allah and using the pious as a medium or directly invoking the deceased to help. This is with the belief that Allah has given them the power to help. This was the practice of the Sahabah. Imam Bayhaqi and Imam Ibn Abi Shaybah have recorded,

“In the time of Umar’s caliphate the people faced a drought. Bilal Ibn Al-Haris came to the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “O’ Messenger of Allah! Plead rain for your nation for they will be destroyed.” The messenger of Allah came into his dream and said, “Go to Umar, give him my greeting and tell him they will be given rain.” Bilal Ibn al-Haris came to Umar and gave him the news. Umar cried and they were given rain.” (Ibn Ab Shaybah in his Musannaf narrated with a sound chain. Imam Bayhaqi in his Al-Dalaa’il. Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidayah Wa Al-Nihayah)

This was also the practice of our pious predecessors. It was the practice of Imam Maalik, Imam Shafa’i and Imam Ahmad. Imam Qadi Ayadh in his Shifa mentions that when Abu Ja’far Mansoor, the second caliph of Banu Abbas came to the holy shrine of the Prophet (peace be upon him) Imam Malik was also present in the Masjid of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Caliph Mansoor asked Imam Malik,

“O’ Father of Abd Al-Allah, shall I face the holy Ka’bah or shall I face the shrine of the beloved?”

Imam Malik replied,

“Why would you turn your face away from the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) as he is your means to reach Allah as was for your father Adam (peace be upon him). Therefore, face him and ask his intercession. Allah will accept his intercession.” (Al-Shifa)

Imam Khateeb Al-Baghdadi writes,

“In the days when Imam Shafa’i was in Baghdad he would practise Tawassul through Imam Abu Hanifah. He would come to the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifah as a visitor and would greet him (by saying Al-Salam Alayk). After, he would use him as a means in the court of Allah for gaining his needs.” (Al-Taareekh of Imam Khateeb Al-Baghdad)

Ibn Abideen writes that Imam Sahafa’i said,

"I seek blessings from Abu Hanifa by going to his grave. When I am in need of something I perform two units of salah, go near his grave and supplicate to Allah. My need is fulfilled quickly" (Radd Al-Muhtar)

Sheikh Abd Al-Haqq, the great Muhaddith writes in his Sharah of Mishkaat Al-Masabeeh,

"Imam Shâfi’î said that the grave of Sayyiduna Mūsa Kāzim (Allah is pleased with him) is a place where supplications are accepted immediately" (Ashi’ah Al-Lam’aat)

Ibn Hajar Al-Makki writes,

“It has always been the practice of the scholars and those in need, to go to the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifah (Allah is pleased with him) and use him as a medium to seek the removal of their difficulties. These people believed this to be a means of success and received great rewards from this practice. Whenever Imam Shafa’i (Allah is pleased with him) was in Baghdad, he would go to the shrine of Imam Abu Hanifah (Allah is please with him) and seek blessings from him. He said, whenever I am in need, I offer two units of salah and then go near his grave. I pray to Allah at this place and my difficulty is immediately removed.” (Al-Khayrat Al-Hissan)

Imam Nabhani has written,

“Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal practised Tawassul through Imam Shafa’i. Upon that, his son Abd Al-Allah was amazed. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said, “Imam Shafa’i is such a great person that he is like the sun for mankind.” (Shawahid Al-Haq)

Seeking help from Allah using the deceased as a medium is a tradition of our most beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) would use himself and the past prophets and messengers as a medium in his supplications. For example,

“When the mother of Ali Ibn Ab Talib passed away, the Prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated to Allah in these words, “O’ Allah, forgive my mother, Fatimah Bint Asad and make spacious the place she shall enter through your Prophet and through the Prophets that were before me (that have passed away).” (Ibn Hiban, Imam Hakim and Imam Tabrani in his Al-Kabeer and Al-Awsat)

In regards to the etiquette of visiting the graves, the great Hanafi Jurist, Imam Ahmad Raza (Allah is pleased with him) writes in his Al-Ataya Al-Nabawiyyah and his student, the great Jurist Sadr Al-Shari’ah writes that one should stand near the feet with respect and recite the Quran and supplicate to Allah. They also write that it is prohibited (Mana’) to touch or kiss the garve, impermissible to circumbulate the grave as is practised on the Ka’bah and it is forbidden and an act of infidelity to prostrate to the grave, Worshiping the graves is infidelity. Allah is the source of all help and the friends of Allah are the means of gaining Allah’s help. This is the belief of the Ahl Al-Sunnah Wa Al-Jama’ah. There is nothing in the Quran or Hadith that refutes this belief but in actual fact this belief is established from the Quran and Hadith. Please refer to the articles on Tawassul and seeking help from the friends of Allah to gain a better understanding.

And verily Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadri
(Beggar at the doorstep of Scholars)