A Terrible Distortion of al-Nawawi's Words!!

A Terrible Distortion of al-Nawawi's Words!!

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Category: Distortion (Tehrif) in Sunni Books Project

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Salafis are particularly notorious with their distortions of the Sunni texts. Being heretics, they reject ziyarah to the Holy Grave of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his family. They call it grave worship. This is not surprising considering that they are Nawasib – enemies of the Prophet and his family, peace be upon them all. The esteemed reader will be terribly shocked to see how they have doctored the book of a prominent Sunni Imam, Imam al-Nawawi (631-676), in order to support their deviant creed!

Imam al-Nawawi in his al-Adhkar (Dar Ibn Kathir: Damascus, Beirut), first edition, annotated by Muhyi al-Din Muttaqi, p. 333 states:

فصل في زيارة قبر رسول اللّه وأذكارها

اعلم أنّه ينبغي لكلّ من حجّ أن يتوجّه إلى زيارة رسول اللّه، سواء أكان ذلك في طريقه أم لم يكن، فانّ زيارته من أهمّ القربات وأربح المساعي وأفضل الطلبات، فإذا توجّه للزيارة أكثَرَ من الصلاة عليه في طريقه، فإذا وقع بصره على أشجار المدينة وقُراها وما يعرّف بها، زاد من الصلاة والتسليم عليه، وسأل اللّه تعالى أن ينفعه بزيارته وأن يسعده بها في الدارين.

وليقل: اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ عَليَّ أبْوابَ رَحمَتِكَ وَارْزُقْني في زيارَة قَبْرِ نَبِيِّك  ما رَزَقْتَهُ أولِياءَكَ وَأهْل طاعَتِكَ وَاْغْفِر لي وَارْحَمْني يا خَيْرَ مَسْؤول.

CONCERNING THE VISIT TO THE GRAVE OF THE PROPHET AND THE INVOCATIONS PERTAINING THERETO

Know that it is incumbent upon every pilgrim to go and visit the Prophet, whether this visit is on his way or not. Indeed, the visit of the Prophet is among the most important of the acts that draw one near to Allah and of the most gainful of errands and of the most excellent of quests. Once one turns his steps to visit the Prophet (s), let him invoke abundant blessings on him while on the way. As soon as his sight reaches the trees of Madina, he invokes even more blessings. He is to ask Allah to benefit him through the ziyarah of him (i.e. Allah’s Apostle) and to make him successful in both worlds as a result of it.

He is to say: “O Allah! Open for me the doors of your Mercy, and provide for me from the ziyarah of the grave of Your Prophet what you provided to Your Friends and Devotees, and forgive me and show mercy to me, O the best to ask for one’s needs.

In the version of this same al-Adhkar by Imam al-Nawawi, produced in Saudi Arabia, published by Dar al-Huda, Riyadh, second edition, 1408 H, and annotated by Abd al-Qadir al-Arnaut, on page 295, this is what is found:

فصل في زيارة مسجد رسول اللّه

«اعلم انّه يُستحب لمن أراد زيارة مسجد رسول اللّه أن يكثر من الصلاة عليه في طريقه، فإذا وقع بصره على أشجار المدينة وحرمها وما يعرّف بها، زاد من الصلاة والتسليم عليه وسأل اللّه تعالى أن ينفعه بزيارته لمسجده وأن يُسعده بها في الدارين وليقل:

اللّهمّ افتَحْ عَليَّ أبْواب رَحْمَتِكَ، وَارزُقْني فِي زيارَةِ مَسْجِدِ نبيّك ما رَزَقْته أولياءك وَ أهل طاعَتِكَ ، واغفر لي وَارحَمْني يا خَيرَ مَسْؤول.

CONCERNING THE VISIT OF THE MOSQUE OF THE "PROPHET (S)

Know that it is recommended that whoever wants to visit the mosque of the Prophet invoke abundant blessings on him while on the way there. As soon as his sight reaches the trees of Madina and its sanctuary, he is to even increase the blessings and greetings being sent to him (i.e. Allah’s Apostle). He is to ask Allah to benefit him through the ziyarah of the mosque and to make him successful in both worlds as a result of it.

He is to say: “O Allah! Open for me the doors of your Mercy, and provide for me from the ziyarah of the mosque of Your Prophet, peace be upon him, what you provided to Your Friends and Devotees, and forgive me and show mercy to me, O the best to ask for one’s needs.

Look at such grave distortions!

A Sunni website has also confirmed these distortions. For instance, we read:

About Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Arna'ut I saw the following in a booklet by Hassan ibn `Ali al-Saqqaf entitled: al-Ighatha bi adillat al-istighatha [Rescue with the proof-texts of seeking help] (Amman: Maktabat al-Imam Nawawi, 1410/1990) p. 17.):

"This is the original [ghayr munharif] text of Imam Nawawi in the Book of Pilgrimage which is part of his larger book "Kitab al-Adhkar" [Book of Invocations and Prayers], according to the original manuscript, published editions (cf. Dar al-fikr in Damascus p. 306), and Ibn 'Allan's commentary on the Adhkar:

"CONCERNING THE VISIT TO THE GRAVE [qabr] OF THE "PROPHET (S) AND THE INVOCATIONS PERTAINING THERETO:

"Know that it is incumbent upon every pilgrim [yanbaghi] to go and "visit the Prophet, whether this visit is on his way or not. "Indeed, the visit of the Prophet (s) is among the most important "of the acts that draw one near to Allah [qurubat] and of the most "gainful of errands and of the most excellent of quests. "Once one turns his steps to visit the Prophet (s), let him invoke "abundant blessings on him while on the way. As soon as his "sight reaches the trees of Madina [he invokes even more blessings]..."

"Below is the corrupt [munharif] text of the same passage of Imam Nawawi's book, as it has been corrupted by 'Abdul Qadir al-Arna'oot of salafite claim [al-mutamaslif]... in the edition of Dar al-Huda, Riyadh, 1409/1989 sponsored by the Supervisory Board for Publications, which is presided by the Authority for Scholarly Research and Ifta, p. 295:

"CONCERNING THE VISIT OF THE MOSQUE [masjid] OF THE "PROPHET (S): "Know that it is recommended [yustahabb] that whoever wants to "visit the mosque of the Prophet (s) invoke abundant blessings on "him while on the way there. As soon as his sight reaches the trees "of Madina..."

"Then the said Salafi editor took a further liberty by completely eliminating the account of al-`Utbiyy told by al-Nawawi [at the end of this section], because it contradicts (what comes from) that impure spring [the Salafi School]. Is this scholarly trustworthiness? He could have commented on it and denied it, as some of his [Salafi] brothers have done in other editions. He did not have to commit such corruption of the text, such disgraceful tampering which leads Muslims to doubt in the great texts of our heritage that are printed and disseminated among all." (End of Saqqaf's text)

This is the story of al-`Utbiyy in Nawawi's book:

"Al-`Utbiyy said: "As I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet (s), a Beduin 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 (of Allah) for my sin, seeking your intercession with my Lord [mustashfi`an bika ila rabbi]. "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 sacrificed for a grave which thou inhabit, And in which are found purity and bounty and munificence! "Then he left, and I dozed and saw the Prophet (s) in my sleep. He said to me: O `Utbiyy, run after the Beduin and give him glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him." And Allah Almighty knows best."

From al-Nawawi, Kitab al-Adhkar (Mecca: al-Maktaba al-Tijariyya, 1412/1992) p. 253-254.

Another Sunni website has provided scans of the undistorted version of Imam al-Nawawi's words!

Now, it is impossible to convince Salafis about ziyarah to the grave of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, through the book al-Adhkar of Imam al-Nawawi. As soon as you bring the Sunni version, the Salafi will confront you with the fabricated Salafi version. And you will be confused!

This is how Salafis, and Sunnis in general, lie upon their own scholars!