Commentary on Hadeeth, - Dought & clear, - * Meaning of the hadeeth: “Whoever prays Fajr will be under the protection of Allaah”

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What is the meaning of the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation will be under the protection of Allaah”? How can I be under the protection of Allaah?
If a man prays at home in congregation with his wife, is it the same as the prayer in congregation that is mentioned in the hadeeth?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Muslim (657) narrated that Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allaah, so do not fall short with regard to the rights of Allaah, for anyone who does that, Allaah will seize him and will throw him on his face into the Fire of Hell.”
Al-Teebi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The reason why Fajr prayer is singled out for mention here is because of the hardship that it entails, and performing it is a sign of a man’s sincerity and faith, and whoever is a sincere believer is under the protection of Allaah.Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeehby al-Teebi (2/184).
There are two scholarly views on the meaning of the hadeeth:
1 – The hadeeth indicates that it is forbidden to harm any Muslim who prays Fajr, for the one who prays Fajr is under the care and protection of Allaah, and it is not permissible for anyone to harm the one whom Allaah has protected. If anyone harms him, he has transgressed and violated the protection of Allaah, so he deserves the punishment of Allaah for having transgressed His protection and for harming the one who is under His protection. SeeFaydal-Qadeerby al-Manaawi (6/164).
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inSharh Riyaadh al-Saaliheen(1/591):
This indicates that it is obligatory to respect the Muslims who affirm their Islam by praying Fajr, because no one offers Fajr prayer but a believer. And it is not permissible for anyone to transgress against them. End quote.
This is also indicated by the report narrated by al-Tabaraani inal-Mu’jam al-Awsat(4/5) with his isnaad. Al-Albaani said inSaheeh al-Targheeb(1/110): it is saheeh because of corroborating reports.
It was narrated that al-A’mash said: Saalim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar was sitting with al-Hajjaaj and al-Hajjaaj said to him: Get up and strike this person’s neck. Saalim picked up the sword and took hold of the man, and headed towards the gate of the palace. Then his father looked at him when he was taking this man out and said: Is he really going to do it? He repeated it two or three times, and when he took him out, Saalim said to him: Did you pray Fajr? He said: Yes. He said: Then take whichever path you want. Then he came and threw down the sword and al-Hajjaaj said to him: Did you strike his neck? He said: No. He said: Why not? He said: I heard my father say: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays Fajr is under the protection of Allaah until evening comes.”
2 – What is meant by the hadeeth is a warning against abandoning or neglecting Fajr prayer, because abandoning it is a transgression of the covenant between a person and his Lord. This covenant is prayer and regular performance of prayer.
Al-Baydaawi said: It may be that what is meant by protection is that prayer brings security (from the punishment of Allaah), so what is meant is: Do not abandon Fajr prayer, and do not be heedless about it, lest you break the covenant that exists between you and your Lord, and Allaah seizes you, for whomever He seizes He will throw on his face into the Fire. That is because Fajr prayer is somewhat difficult and burdensome. So performing it is a sign of the believer’s sincerity, and the one who is sincere is under the protection of Allaah. End quote fromFayd al-Qadeer(6/164).
Some scholars are of the view that the virtue of entering the protection of Allaah that is mentioned in this hadeeth applies only to the one who prays Fajr in congregation. Hence al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) gave it the title, in his editing ofSaheeh Muslim, of “Chapter on the virtue of praying ‘Isha’ and Fajr in congregation.” He was preceded in that by al-Mundhiri (may Allaah have mercy on him), who quoted the hadeeth in his bookal-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheebunder the heading “Encouragement to pray Fajr and ‘Isha’, in particular, in congregation, and a warning against staying away from them.”
This apparently is what Imam Muslim did, as he narrated nearly twenty ahaadeeth before this hadeeth, and umpteen ahaadeeth after it, all of them speaking about prayer in congregation and related matters.
Hence al-Haafiz ‘Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbeeli narrated it in his compilation ofal-Saheehayn, in a chapter entitled “Prayer in congregation” (923).
Al-Mubaarakfoori quoted the same hadeeth inSharh al-Tirmidhi, where he said: “The one who prays Fajr” in congregation. End quote.
Ibn ‘Allaan said inDaleel al-Faaliheen(3/550): i.e., prayer in congregation, as mentioned in the other report.
This is supported further by the hadeeth of Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him): “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation will be under the protection of Allaah …” al-Haythami (may Allaah have mercy on him) said (2/92): Narrated by al-Tabaraani inal-Kabeer, and its men are the men of saheeh. Al-Mundhiri said inal-Targheeb: the men of its isnaad are the men of saheeh. Al-Albaani said: It is saheeh because of corroborating evidence. See:Saheeh al-Targheeb, no. 461.
Note: This additional material was quoted by al-Manaawi also, and he attributed it to Muslim, but this is a mistake on his part. The additional word “in congregation” is not found in Muslim, or in any of the six books.
And it was said that the virtue is attained by everyone who prays Fajr on time, even if he does not pray with the congregation, because no such limitation is mentioned in the report of Muslim or any other author of the six books.
This appears to be the meaning understood by Ibn Maajah (may Allaah be pleased with him) as he included this hadeeth in hisSunanin a chapter entitled “The Muslims are under the protection of Allaah,” inKitaab al-Fitan.
This was also suggested by Ibn Hibbaan in hisSaheeh(6/36): “Chapter affirming the protection of Allaah for the one who prays Fajr.” This applies to all those who pray.
3 – The prescribed prayer in congregation that is enjoined and brings the reward is prayer in congregation in the mosque, and not any other congregation. This has been explained in detail in questions no. 8918, 49947and 72398.
There are several reports that speak of the virtue of offering Fajr prayer in congregation:
InTafseer al-Tabari(3/270), in the commentary on the verse (interpretation of the meaning):“and those who pray and beg Allaah’s Pardon in the last hours of the night” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:17], it is narrated that Zayd ibn Aslam said: They are the ones who attend Fajr in congregation.
In their commentary on the verse“Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope” [al-Sajdah 32:16], Abu’l-Darda’ and al-Dahhaak said: ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer in congregation.
See:Zaad al-Maseer(6/339)
InSaheeh Muslim(656) it is narrated from ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays ‘Isha’ in congregation, it is as if he spent half the night in prayer, and whoever prays Fajr in congregation, it is as if he spent the whole night in prayer.”
Al-Bukhaari (615) and Muslim (437) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If they knew what there is (of reward) in ‘Isha’ and Fajr prayer, they would come to them even if they had to crawl.”
‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: To attend Fajr prayer in congregation is dearer to me than spending the night in prayer.Al-Istidhkaar(2/147).
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Commentary on Hadeeth, - Dought & clear, - * How sound is the hadeeth “Whoever visits my grave after I die, it is as if he visited me when I was still alive”?

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I was once told that Rasulullah(saw) has said that visiting his grave after his death is the same as visiting him when he was alive and that, therefore, when we visit his grave in Madinah, there is no harm in speaking to him as if he were alive and requesting him to intercede on our behalf with Allah. But I'm worried that this might be 'shirk'. Please answer soon; I hope to go for an Umrah in the near future and visit his grave too, insya Allah.
Al-Daaraqutni reported in hisSunan(2/278) with an isnaad from Haatib that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever visits me after I die, it is as if he visited me when I was still alive…” This is a hadeeth which many of the scholars of hadeeth judged to be false and not to have been reported with a saheeh isnaad from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Among the scholars who voiced this opinion was al-Haafiz al-Dhahabi inLisaan al-Meezaan(4/285), in his biography of one of the narrators, Haaroon ibn Abi Qaz’ah. Al-Dhahabi said: “…Haaroon ibn Abi Qaz’ah al-Madani [reported] from a man” – about visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Al-Bukhaari said: “This is not to be accepted or followed.”
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said inLisaan al-Meezaan(6/217): “Al-Azdi said: ‘Haaroon Abu Qaz’ah reports mursal ahaadeeth from a man of Aal Haatib.’ I [Ibn Hajar] say: from this we understand that what he is referring to is al-Azdi. Ya’qoob ibn Shaybah also classed him as da’eef (weak).”
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar also mentioned him inal-Talkhees al-Habeer, in his comment on the ahaadeeth of al-Raafa’i al-Kabeer (2/266). He said, “In his isnaad is the unknown [majhool] man” – meaning a man from Aal Haatib.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said inal-Tawassul wa’l-Waseelah(p. 134) about this hadeeth: “It is obviously a lie that goes against Islam. Anyone who visited him during his lifetime and believed in him, was one of his Companions, especially if he was among those who migrated to join him or fought alongside him. It is proven that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘Do not slander my Companions, for by the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you were to spend gold equal to the size of Uhud, it would not equal the deeds of one of them, not even half of it.’ [Reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]. Anyone who comes after the Sahaabah cannot be like the Sahaabah by doing obligatory duties such as Hajj, jihaad, the five daily prayers and sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so how can he become equal to them by doing something that is not obligatory according to the consensus of the Muslims? We are not even supposed to travel for this purpose, in fact it is forbidden to do so. However, travelling to the [Prophet’s] Mosque, and to al-Masjid al-Aqsaa [in Jerusalem], for the purpose of praying there, is mustahabb (encouraged), and travelling to the Ka’bah for Hajj is waajib (obligatory). If a person who undertakes a journey that is waajib or mustahabb still cannot be like one of the Sahaabah who travelled to visit the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his lifetime, how can they achieve this by undertaking a journey that is not allowed?”
He also said (p. 133): “All of the ahaadeeth about visiting his grave are da’eef, and are not to be relied upon in matters of religion. For this reason none of the authors of books ofSaheehandSunanreported them at all; they were only narrated by those who reported da’eef ahaadeeth, such as al-Daaraqutni, al-Bazzaar and others.
Shaykh al-Albaani said inal-Da’eefah(no. 1021) about this hadeeth: it is baatil (false). He mentioned what is wrong with the hadeeth, namely the man who is not named, and classed Haaroon Abu Qaz’ah as da’eef. There is a third fault with the hadeeth, which is that it causes confusion and contradiction. Then Shaykh al-Albaani said: “In general, the isnaad of this hadeeth is weak.”
He also said inal-Da’eefah(no. 47): “many people think that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and those who follow him among the Salafis forbid visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) altogether. This is a lie and a fabrication, and it is not the only lie told about Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, or about the Salafis. Everyone who reads the books of Ibn Taymiyah will see that he says it is permissible to visit his grave (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and that doing so is recommended (mustahabb), so long as it is not associated with any objectionable practices or innovations (bid’ah), such as travelling solely for that purpose, because of the hadeeth “No one should set out purposely except to visit three mosques.” The hadeeth does not describe a ban only on travelling to visit other mosques, as many people think; it also includes a ban on setting out to visit any place which people think will bring them closer to Allaah, whether it is a mosque, a grave or any other place. This is indicated by the hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurayrah who said: ‘I met Basrah ibn Abi Basrah al-Ghifaari and he asked me, ‘Where are you coming from?’ I said, ‘From al-Toor [Sinai].’ He said, ‘If I had met you before you left, you would not have gone there! I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘Do not travel except to three mosques.’” (Reported by Ahmad and others with a saheeh isnaad).
This clearly indicates that the Sahaabah understood the hadeeth to be general in application [i.e., it did not apply only to mosques]. This is supported by the fact that it is not reported that any of them ever set out with the intention of visiting a grave. They are the predecessors of Ibn Taymiyah in this regard, so whoever condemns Ibn Taymiyah is in effect condemning the salaf (the righteous predecessors), may Allaah be pleased with them. May Allaah have mercy on the one who said:
“All goodness is in following those who went before (the salaf)
and all evil is in following the innovations of those who came later.”
In conclusion, travelling with the intention of visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is bid’ah and is haraam, because of the hadeeth which forbids travelling to worship in any place except the three mosques. As for visiting the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when one happens to be in Madeenah, this is perfectly acceptable, as is travelling with the intention of praying in the Prophet’s Mosque as an act of worship and seeking to draw close to Allaah. Those that are confused about this issue are those who do not understand the difference between what is permitted and what is forbidden. And Allaah knows best.

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