Book: Dalail an-Nubuwwah by Bayhaqi

Interpretation of a Quranic Verse

In this passage, the renowned Companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, was asked about a verse from the Quran. The verse in question, "And do not think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision" (Quran, Surah Al-Imran: 169), intrigued the companions.

Explanation by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud provided a vivid explanation of the state of these martyrs. He likened their souls to green birds roaming freely in Paradise before returning to the bodies hanging from the Throne of Allah. The companions then asked Allah to reunite their souls with their bodies so they could experience martyrdom again. However, after realizing that this was their only wish, they were left in that state.

As narrated in Sahih Muslim, "When your Lord looks at them and He will say: 'Do you want something?' They will say: 'What else do we desire while we roam freely in Paradise as we desire?' But when they see that they are not being asked anything besides this, they will be left" (Sahih Muslim, Book of Leadership, Hadith 33).

Hadith on the Martyrs of Uhud

This hadith was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih from Yahya ibn Yahya from Abu Mu'awiya. Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz informed us, saying: Ali ibn Isa al-Hiri told us, who narrated from Musaddad ibn Qatan. Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Abdan informed us, saying: Ahmad ibn Ubaid al-Saffar narrated to us, who said: Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Farisi narrated to us, who said: Usman ibn Abi Shayba narrated to us, who said: Abdullah ibn Idris narrated from Muhammad ibn Ishaq, from Isma'il ibn Umayyah, from Abu al-Zubair, from Saeed ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, from the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:

"When your brothers were struck at Uhud, Allah placed their souls in green birds that frequent the rivers of Paradise, eating its fruits and resting in lamps of gold hung from the Throne. When they found the delightful food, drink, and resting place, they said: 'Who will inform our brothers about us, that we are alive in Paradise, so they do not lose determination in battle or become disheartened in Jihad?' Allah, the Exalted, informed them about you, and He revealed in the Quran: 'And do not think of those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.'"⁶

There is no mention of Abu Abdullah's hadith in this theme. He said: Allah, the Exalted, informed us. Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz said: Abu al-Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya'qub informed us, who said: Ahmed ibn Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, who said: Yunus ibn Bukayr narrated from Ibn Ishaq, who said: Asim ibn Umar ibn Qatada narrated from Abdul Rahman ibn Jabir ibn Abdullah, from his father, who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say: 'When the martyrs of Uhud are mentioned, by Allah, I wish I had been with them, in the valley of Mount Uhud.' He said, 'I was martyred with them.'"⁷

Reported by Ibn Majah in Al-Jihad and Tirmidhi in the Tafsir of Surah Al-Imran, and Tirmidhi said: "Hasan Sahih." Reported by Abu Dawood in Al-Jihad, in the chapter on the virtue of martyrdom, Hadith (2520), p. 3/15.

Hadith Narration: Conversation between Rabia and a Companion

Imam Muslim reported that Aasim mentioned, "By Allah, it does not please me that he (the Prophet) was buried with them." Ali ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abdan told us that Ahmad ibn 'Ubayd al-Saffar said, "Ibrahim ibn Salih al-Shirazi narrated to us that al-Humaydi said, 'Muhammad ibn Ma'n al-Ghifarri informed us that Dawud ibn Khalid ibn Dinar said, 'I passed by Rabia with a man from Banu Tamim called Yusuf or Abu Yusuf. He said to Rabia, 'We hear from you things we do not hear from others!' Rabia said, 'By Allah, I have plenty of narrations, but I have heard Ibn al-Hudhayr, who used to be in the company of Talha ibn 'Ubaydullah, saying, 'I have not heard Talha ibn 'Ubaydullah narrating from the Messenger of Allah except one narration.' I asked him, 'What is it?' He said, 'We went out with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to visit the graves of the martyrs. When we reached the region of Harra Wāqim in the desert, we found graves on a slope. We asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, are these the graves of our brethren?' The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said...'

Key Figures Mentioned

• Dawud ibn Khalid ibn Dinar: Also known as Dawud al-Madani, he was a well-regarded narrator with limited narrations.
• Rabia bin Abi 'Abdur Rahman: Known for his insightful opinions and rulings in Medina.
• Rabia bin Abdullah al-Hudhayr: Born during the time of the Prophet, considered trustworthy with few narrations.

Interpretation and Background

In this narration, the companion Rabia recounts an event where the Prophet visited the graves of martyrs with his companions. The specific location mentioned and the Prophet's response show the reverence for the martyrs and the concern of the companions for their fallen brethren. This account provides insight into the companions' interactions with the Prophet and their reverence for the deceased.

Graves of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH)

These are the graves of our companions. When we came to the graves of the martyrs, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "These are the graves of our brothers." Rabia is the son of Abi Abdul Rahman, and Ibn Al-Hudair is Rabia ibn Abdullah ibn Al-Hudair.

Hadith Transmission Chain

Abu Al-Husayn ibn Al-Fadl Al-Qattan from Baghdad informed us that Abu Sahl ibn Ziyad Al-Qattan reported to us that Abdul Karim ibn Al-Haytham narrated to us, who was told by Muhammad ibn Isa ibn As-Sabba', from Ibn Imran, from Musa ibn Yaqoub, from Abbad ibn Abi Salih, from his father, from Abu Huraira, who said: "The Messenger of Allah used to visit the martyrs. When he reached the pass of the tribes, he would say: 'Peace be upon you, for what you have endured. How excellent is the final home!' After the Prophet (PBUH), Abu Bakr (RA) would do it, then Umar (RA) after Abu Bakr, and then Uthman (RA) after Umar."

Another Transmission Chain

Abu Abdullah Al-Hafiz reported that Abu An-Nasr Al-Faqih informed him, who was informed by Al-Musayyib ibn Zuhair ibn Nasr, who was informed by Aasim ibn Ali ibn Aasim, who was informed by Al-Laith ibn Saad, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Abu Al-Khayr, from Uqbah ibn Al-Harith.

Prophet Muhammad's Visit to the Graves of the Martyrs in Uhud

In a well-known incident, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once went out and prayed for the people of Uhud who had passed away. After praying for them, he addressed the companions, stating that he would be a witness over them and that he had been shown his basin (for giving water to his followers on the Day of Judgment). Additionally, he mentioned that he had been given the keys to the treasures of the earth and expressed his concern not for them engaging in shirk (associating partners with Allah) after his passing, but rather for them falling into disputes.

It is narrated that the Prophet visited the graves of the martyrs in Uhud and made a supplication to Allah, stating that he bears witness to their martyrdom and that those who visit them or send greetings to them will receive responses until the Day of Judgment. There is also an account of a woman visiting the graves and receiving a response from them, with the martyrs recognizing her and conversing with her to the extent that she became overwhelmed and requested to be helped onto her camel.

Source:

This narration is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari, transmitted through various trustworthy sources as detailed below:

• Isma'il ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Faqih al-Ri'i narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Mughirah al-Sukkari, who heard it from 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Alqamah al-Marwazi, who received it from al-'Attaf ibn Khalid al-Makhzumi, who narrated it from 'Abd al-'Ala ibn 'Abdullah ibn Abi Farwah, who related it from his father.
• Abu Al-Husayn ibn Bishran reported from Al-Husayn ibn Safwan in Baghdad.

Visit to the Martyrs' Graves

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib reported: The aunt of Al-Bara' informed him, saying, “I rode one day to the graves of the martyrs and she used to visit them often. She said, ‘I sat by the grave of Hamzah and I performed prayer, as much as Allah willed for me to pray, and there was no one in the valley making a call or answering it, except for a boy standing, holding the reins of my camel. When I finished my prayer, I gestured with my hand saying: ‘Peace be upon you,’ and I heard the response of the greeting coming from beneath the earth. I recognized it as I recognize that Allah created me, and as I recognize the night from the day. Every hair on my body stood up.”

Visits of the Companions

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri used to visit these graves. It was also mentioned by Umm Salamah, Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, and Abu Hurayrah. The Messenger of Allah used to visit them each year. When he passed by their graves and saw people, he would raise his voice and say, “Peace be upon you for your patience. What excellent dwellings you have! Then Abu Bakr would do the same, then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, then 'Uthman. Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, would visit them. Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas would also greet them, then he would turn to his companions and say, ‘Why do you not greet a people who respond to your greetings?’

Fatimah Al-Khuzaiyyah's Visit to Hamza's Grave

Al-Waqidi mentioned that Fatimah al-Khuzaiyyah used to say, "I once saw myself at sunset when the martyrs were being accepted into Paradise, accompanied by my sister. I said to her, 'Let us go and offer greetings at Hamza's grave.' She agreed, so we stood by his grave and said, 'Peace be upon you, O Prophet's uncle! May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon you.' No one was closer to us than the people."

Authenticity of the Narration

This account was reported by Abu Abdullah al-Hafiz and Abu Saeed ibn Abi Amr, who narrated from Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Saffar, who in turn narrated from various sources detailing Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, visiting her uncle Hamza's grave on frequent occasions to pray and weep.

Visiting the Graves of Martyrs

Abu Ya'la reported that Hamza ibn Muhammad al-Alawi heard Hashim ibn Muhammad al-Umari say that his father took him to visit the graves of the martyrs one Friday morning. As they arrived at the cemetery, he greeted them aloud, commending their patience and the excellent end they received. Each time he greeted them, he was answered, until he did so three times. Then, his father prostrated in gratitude to Allah Almighty.