Question Summary:
It is permissible to ask Nabi Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam directly at his grave?

Question Detail:

i want to know that if its permissible to go the prophet s.a.w grave and ask him to do dua to allah on our behalf,
what is the diffrence between this and asking him to help us against the kuffar, what i dont understand is whats the diffence between asking him to do dua and asking him to do anything else.
 
also was this common with the sahabah and taabi een that they would go to the prophet s.a.w grave and ask him to do dua to allah on their behalf or was it rare?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.   
 
 
Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātu
 
One may go to the grave of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam to:
 
(1)   visit Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.
 
(2)    request Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam to seek forgiveness on one’s behalf from Allah and to make dua to Allah for one’s various needs.
 
(3)    request Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam to intercede (shafa’at) on the day of Qiyamat.
 
 
The above three are understood from the following:
 
(1)   Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam mentioned in a hadith ;
من صلى علي عند قبر سمعته من صلى علي نائيا ابلبغته
رواه البيهقي فى شعب الايمان :(مشكواة المصابيح، 87,قديمى)
Translation:
The person who sends durood and salaam upon me by my Qabr, he physically presents himself then I hear the person making salaam to me. If the person sends durood and salaam upon me from a distant place then Allah has appointed angels to take the salaam and convey it to Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.
 
 
(2)    Allah Ta’aala says in the Quran E Karim;
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذْ ظَلَمُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ جَاءُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا اللَّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُوا اللَّهَ تَوَّابًا رَحِيمًا
(سورة النساء:64)
 
Translation:
And had they, after having wronged themselves, come to you and sought forgiveness from Allah and the Messenger sought forgiveness for them, they would have certainly found Allah most relenting, very merciful.
 
)3) Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam makes mention in a hadith ;
 
 
- وَقَالَ لِي خَلِيفَةُ: قَالَ مُعْتَمِرٌ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «كُلُّ نَبِيٍّ سَأَلَ سُؤْلًا» أَوْ قَالَ: «لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ دَعْوَةٌ قَدْ دَعَا بِهَا فَاسْتُجِيبَ، فَجَعَلْتُ دَعْوَتِي شَفَاعَةً لِأُمَّتِي يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ»
(صحيح البخارى،6305)
Translation:
"For every prophet there is an invocation that surely will be responded by Allah," (or said), "For every prophet there was an invocation with which he appealed to Allah, and his invocation was accepted (in his lifetime), but I kept my (this special) invocation to intercede for my followers on the Day of Resurrection.
 
It is not permissible to make dua to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam directly. Dua is an act of worship. We only worship Allah. To make to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam and ask him to fulfil our needs is shirk.
 
 
And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best
Wassalāmu ῾alaykum 
 
Jibran Kadarkhan

Student Dārul Iftā
Mauritius