Who is Al Utbi
Transcript of Who is Al Utbi
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 (االذكار) the 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,
في زيارة قبر رسول الله )ص( وأذكارها : اعلم أنه ينبغي لكل من حج أن يتوجهفصل”
أهم إلى زيارة رسول الله )ص ( سواء كان ذلك طريقه أو لم يكن فإن زيارته )ص ( من
القربات وأربح المساعي وأفضل الطلبات
Dar-Al-Huda changed these words to what is clear tahreef:
( في زيارة مسجد رسول الله )ص( اعلم أنه يستحب من أراد زيارة مسجدفصل”
)ص ( أن يكثر من الصالة عليه )ص رسول الله
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:
د� اعة ذكر وق م م� ج ن�ه� ي�خ م� �ب�و الش ور أ ن�ص� ب�اغ م �ام�ل ك�تابه ف�ي الص �كاية الش ال�ح�
ة ور ه� ال�ع�ت�ب�ي/ عن� ال�مش�
“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.