Jawab fi al-Half bi-Ghayr Allah wa al-Salat ila al-Qubur, wa yalihi: Fasl fi al-Istighatha
- Author died
- 728 AH
- Editions
- Printed in Kuwait
Jawab fi al-Half bi-Ghayr Allah wa al-Salat ila al-Qubur, wa yalihi: Fasl fi al-Istighatha (Response on Swearing by Other than God and Praying toward Graves, Followed by: A Chapter on Seeking Aid) is a legal and theological epistle by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728 AH / 1328 CE) addressing the prohibition of taking oaths by created entities, praying at gravesites, and seeking aid (istighatha) from other than God .
Summary of Contents
Swearing by Other than God
The primary treatise opens in response to questions concerning swearing by entities other than God . Ibn Taymiyya cites prophetic narrations prohibiting taking oaths by fathers or rivals to God, including the Prophet's statement that whoever swears by something other than God has committed polytheism or disbelief . He notes that the Companions, Successors, and leading jurists agreed on the impermissibility and invalidity of oaths sworn by other than God—meaning such oaths do not take legal effect and incur no expiation (kaffara) if broken—though they differed regarding swearing specifically by the Prophet ﷺ .
He argues that taking oaths by other than God is unlawful (haram), clarifying that doing so out of actual worship of the object sworn by constitutes major disbelief, whereas swearing by created things without worshiping them is verbal or minor polytheism (shirk duna shirk) . He lists various customary oaths prevalent among the general populace—such as swearing by someone's life, a father's grave, the grave of a shaykh, the authority of the ruler, chivalry (futuwwa), the sword, or the Ka'bah—as falling under this prohibition . He also cites the statement of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: "That I swear by God falsely is more beloved to me than swearing by other than Him truthfully," explaining that a false oath by God combines a sin of lying with the virtue of monotheism (tawhid), whereas swearing truthfully by another combines honesty with polytheism, and monotheism is superior .
Praying at Graves and Building over Them
The second section addresses praying toward or near graves, erecting mosques over them, and placing lamps upon them . Ibn Taymiyya cites widespread narrations forbidding taking graves as mosques and cursing those who do so, including reports from Aisha, Abu Hurayra, Ibn Abbas, and Jundub ibn Abd Allah . He notes that the Prophet ﷺ was buried in Aisha's chamber rather than in an open area to prevent his grave from being taken as a place of prayer .
In discussing the expansion of the Prophet's Mosque during the caliphate of the Umayyad caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, he explains that the apartments of the Prophet's wives were incorporated into the mosque complex and walls were built around Aisha's chamber at angles so that worshippers would not face or pray directly into the grave, while noting that figures like Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib had opposed the demolition and incorporation of the apartments . Ibn Taymiyya also records traditions from Ali ibn Abi Talib and Zayd ibn Thabit against plastering graves, elevating them, and building mosques over them, outlining that legitimate visitation consists solely of sending greetings upon the dead and supplicating for them and the visitor .
Section on Seeking Aid (Istighatha)
The appended chapter (Fasl fi al-Istighatha) establishes that invoking or seeking rescue from any entity besides God is impermissible . Ibn Taymiyya differentiates between asking the Prophet ﷺ for supplication during his earthly life—which he describes as permissible intercession—and directly beseeching the deceased Prophet ﷺ for forgiveness, mercy, aid, or relief, which he categorizes as impermissible worship directed to created beings . He supports this with verses from the Quran highlighting that supplication belongs solely to God, such as وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا ("And that the mosques are for God, so do not invoke anyone along with God") . He concludes by reiterating the necessity of adhering to foundational monotheism in worship and speech, citing the report where Umar ibn al-Khattab corrected Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr for swearing by the Ka'bah rather than the Lord of the Ka'bah .
Manuscript and Editorial Transmission
The text was prepared and edited by Fawwaz Muhammad Ahmad al-Awadi . The primary treatise on oaths and graves was transcribed from a unique manuscript preserved in the King Saud University Library in Riyadh (collection no. 2263, folios 109–111) . The appended chapter on istighatha was sourced from a manuscript in the Zahiriyya Library (photocopied at Kuwait University under no. 6527, pp. 281–282), where it forms an unprinted excerpt from Ibn Taymiyya's Mas'alat al-Sama', with comparisons drawn against its summary in Mukhtasar al-Fatawa al-Misriyya .
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