As a principle: on matters of the unseen world, we should solely base our opinions on Quran and Sunnah. If some hadith is discussing such topic, then it should, in addition to its chain being sound and healthy, be seen strictly in the light of Quran. And when such ahadith are presented from secondary and/or tertiary level hadith books, the chances are more likely that such ahadith do not fulfil the first criteria of sanad. Therefore, it is better to not believe in such narrations unless evidence proves it otherwise. Sometimes, such wrongly attributed narrations are used to open doors of speculation, superstition and at worse, polytheism.

There are three variants from three Sahaba to this effect which indicate that dead respond to our greetings and all of these variants are weak and should not be attributed to Prophet Muhammad (sws).

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First Variant from Abdullah ibn-e-Abbas:

بن عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مَرَّ بِقَبْرِ أَخِيهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَانَ يَعْرِفُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا عَرَفَهُ وَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامَ

Ibn-e-Abbas said that Prophet Muhammad (sws) said “There is not a person who passes by the grave of his fellow believer whom he used to know in this life, and sends greetings (i.e. salam) upon him, except that he recognises him and returns his greetings.”

Narrated by:

– Ibn-e-Abdul Bar in his book Al-istazkar – 1/185

Categorized Sahih by Abdul Haq Al-Ashbeli, he writes:

“إسناده صحيح”

“Sahih Chain of Narrators”

(Kitab ul Ahkam-ul-Wasta – 2/152-153)

Ibn-e-Taimiya writes after quoting this hadith:

قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ: ثَبَتَ ذَلِكَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَصَحَّحَهُ عَبْدُ الْحَقِّ صَاحِبُ الْأَحْكَامِ

“Ibn Al-Mubarak said: This was proven on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and it was authenticated by Abdul Haq, the author of Ahkam (Kitab ul Ahkam)”.

(Majmu al-fatawa -24/331)

As it can be seen that Ibn-e-Taimiya used authentication of Abdul Haq Al-Ashbeli to support this hadith. Other scholars who used this narration also based their authentication of this hadith from Abdul Haq Al-Ashbeli. Those other scholars include:

– Jalal-ud-din Suyuti in Kitab Sharah al-Sadur – 201 AND also in his book Kitab ul-Haawi lil Fatawa – 2/205

– Zain ud Din Al-Iraqi in Takhrij al-Ihya – 1874

However, Abdul Haq Al-Ashbeli has not provided any proof in support of this hadith being Sahih and there are clear problems in the chain of transmission of this narration.

This hadith is narrated through a chain of narration from:

Abu Abdullah Ubaid bin Muhammad from Fatimah bint al-Rayyan al-Mustamli from Al-Rabee bin Suleiman from Bashar Bin Bakeer, on the authority of Al-Awzai, on the authority of Ataa, on the authority of Ubaid Bin Umair, on the authority of Ibn-e-Abbas.

Weakness relates to three narrators:

– Abu Abdullah Ubaid bin Muhammad who is sheikh of ibn-e-Abdul Bar has no detail available on him, except for the one we find in kitab Juzwa-tul-Maqtabis by Ibn-e-Abi Nasr Al-Hamidi where he mentioned him:

عبيد بن محمد أبو عبد الله كان رجلاً صالحاً يضرب به المثل في الزهد سكن قرطبة

“Ubaid bin Muhammad Abu Abdullah was a righteous man who sets the example in asceticism and resided in Qurtubah”.

(kitab Juzwa-tul-Maqtabis – 296)

There is no mention of him as a trust worthy narrator in any source and as a principle, the hadiths of asceticism and/or from people who practice it are not reliable.

– Fatimah bint al-Rayyan al-Mustamli is not mentioned in the books of rijal, as she is an unknown person (Majhul).

– Ubaid Bin Umair is the freed slave of Ibn-e-Abbas and he is an unknown person himself (majhul) as per Hafiz Ibn-e-Hajar.

[Ibn-e-Hajr Asqalani in Taqreeb al-Tehzeeb- 377 (Number 4386)]

Therefore, this narration can in no way be regarded as Sahih as far as its chain of transmission is concerned.

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Second Variant from Abu-Huraira:

Marfu Variant (saying of Prophet Muhammad (SWS)):

ما من عبد يمر بقبر رجل كان يعرفه في الدنيا فسلم عليه إلا عرفه ورد عليه السلام

Prophet Muhammad said that “there is no person who passes by the grave of a man he knew in this world, and sends greetings (i.e. salam) upon him, except that he recognises him and returns his greetings”.

Classed weak by:

– Shiekh Nasir ud Din Albani in Silsila Ahadith e Daefa-9/473-476 (Number 4493) AND also in Daef ul Jamay Al Sagheer- 752 (Number 5208)

–Kitab-ul-ilal by Ibn-e-Jozi- 2/429 (Number 1523)

–Kitab ehwal-ul-Qabur by Ibn-e-Rajab – 86

Mauquf Variant (Saying of Abu Huraira):

أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال

“إذا مر الرجل بقبر أخيه يعرفه فسلم عليه؛ رد عليه السلام وعرفه، وإذا مر بقبر لا يعرفه فسلم عليه؛ رد عليه السلام”

Abu Huraira said “If a man passes by a grave he knows and greets him, he responds to him and recognizes him. And if he passes by a grave he does not know and greets him, he responds”.

Classed weak by:

Shiekh Nasir ud Din Albani in Silsila Ahadith e Daefa-9/473-476 (Number 4493)

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Third Variant from Umm-ul-Momineen Ayesha:

عائشة رضي الله تعالى عنها قالت: قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم -: “ما مِن رجل يزور قبر أخيه ويجلسُ عنده إلا استأنس به وردَّ عليه حتى يقوم“

Ayesha (rta) said that Prophet Muhammad (sws) said that “There is no man who visits his brother’s grave and sits by it except that he is pleased with him and responds to him until he gets up”.

Narrated in:

Kitab ur-Ruh by Ibn-e-Qaiyam with reference from Kitab-ul-Qabur by Ibn-e-Abi Dunya – 1/8-9

Classed weak by:

Ibn-e-Rajab in Kitab ehwal-ul-Qabur – 86

Through chain of narration from Muhammad bin Aoun from Yahya bin Yaman from Abdullah bin Simaan from of Zaid bin Aslam from Ayesha (May Allah by pleased with her).

Abdullah bin Simaan being an abandoned narrator and a liar. Ibn-e-Hajr writes:

عبد الله ابن زياد ابن سليمان ابن سمعان المخزومي [وقد ينسب إلى جده] أبو عبد الرحمن المدني قاضيها متروك اتهمه بالكذب أبو داود وغيره

“Abdullah bin Ziyad bin Suleiman bin Simaan Al-Makhzoumi [and he may be attributed to his grandfather] Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Madani. His judgement is abandoned. Abu Dawud and others accused him of lying”.

[Ibn-e-Hajr Asqalani in Taqreeb al-Tehzeeb- 303 (Number 3326)]