Performing at the Graves: The Sore Case of Habib Umar & His Followers
Commenting on the performances done by Habib Umar and his followers at the grave of Shaykh Abu Bakr bin Salim, @badralialotibi1 [Dr Badr bin Ali Al-Otaibi] says, 'This practice of drumming at graves and other places, chanting heretical and polytheistic poems, and dancing to them in gatherings—all of this is innovation and misguidance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) neither permitted nor practised it. The Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them) neither said it nor did they. Nor did the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Nor did those who followed them in righteousness. Nor did the seven jurists of the Successors (Sa'id, Urwah, al-Qasim, Kharijah, Ubaydullah, Sulayman, and Abu Bakr ibn Abd al-Rahman). Nor did the four imams of the major cities (Malik, Sufyan, al-Awza'i, and al-Layth). Nor did the four imams of jurisprudence (Abu Hanifah, Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad). Nor did the author...