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Can Awliyas help after death ?

The powers bestowed on Awliyas by Allah
1. Awliyas are alive in their graves.

2. Awliyas pray in their graves

3. Awliyas souls after demise move around

4. Awliyas after demise are protectors

5. Awliyas after demise remove difficulties


So all above proves that Awliyas have been bestowed with the power to
help after death.

Imam Ghazzali also advices to ask help from the tombs.


It is not rational to accept that Awliyas are alive,pray in their
graves, souls move around , they protect but they will not be
able to help or they cannot help. Such an argument will be self
contradictory.




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IMPORTANCE OF LOVING THE AWLIYA
Allah revealed to Musa (Alaihis Salaam), What actions have you done for my pleasure? He
said, O Allah, I have prayed to you, kept fast, and paid charity. Allah said, Prayer is a clear
proof for you, fast is a shield for you, and charity is your shade. But what have you done for
me? Hadrat Musa (Alaihis Salaam) then asked, O Allah, show me as action which is only for
you. Allah said, O Musa, have you loved someone for My sake, and hated anyone for My
sake? (Ihya al-uloom id-deen, Vol II)
Hadees - The inmates of the grave meet one another
1. Abu Qatada ( ) narrates that Prophet ( ) said: "When you are
a custodian of any dead, give them a fine shroud because they (the dead believers) visit one
another place and meet one another (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Baihaqi).
If Allah has given ordinary believers this much power , then what about the power of Awliya.
2. When Hazrat Bilaal (Radiallahu Taala Anh) was near to passing away, his wife said out of
sadness, What sadness is this? Hearing this he exclaimed from his deathbed, What happiness
is this! Tomorrow I shall meet all my friends, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and his
companions. [Zarqaani ala-Mawaahib]

Hadees- Amr Hamzah ( ) the remover of troubles after
death
Qastalln related it in al-Mawhib-ul-laduniyyah (2:104); and Zurqn in his Commentary
(4:470).

Abdullh bin Masd says that the holy Prophet () cried so bitterly over the
martyrdom of his uncle Hamzah in the battle of Uhud as he had never cried before. He
says that he placed his coffin in the direction of qiblah and burst into tears until he
started hiccupping. Then he addressed Hamzah (who was a martyr) and said:
O Hamzah! O the uncle of the Messenger of Allh! O Allhs lion! O lion
of the Messenger of Allh! O Hamzah! O doer of good deeds! O remover
of troubles! O protector of the radiant face of the Messenger of Allh! [12]
The use of the collocation y kshif al-kurubt (O remover of troubles) in this tradition
for a dead man deserves our special attention. The articulation of these words not only
validates the act of beseeching the help of the saints, but it also validates the act of help
by the saints in response to the petitioners appeal. It also indicates that it is quite
consistent with true Islamic belief that the person whose help is being sought should
also help the petitioner. That is why he addressed Amr Hamzah as the remover of
troubles. Here the status of Hamzah as helper is only derivative because the real helper
is Allh Himself. The fact that the Prophet () declared Amr Hamzah as a helper and
addressed him after his death by the word y (O) clearly indicates that the
classification of helper into real and derivative is quite legal; otherwise it would have
been incompatible with the Prophets act.
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So if Prophet himself certifies that the martyred Hamza Radiallahu anhu removes your
difficulties, then what is your problem in asking him to remove difficulty ?

Quran - Awliyas are Alive in their Graves
Imam al-Ghazzali (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) says in Ihya al Uloom Vol. IV:

Death cannot destroy the soul, which is the place of Allahs Marifat, because it is something
spiritual. Death causes the change of the condition of soul, and relieves it from the prison of its
bodily cage. It does not end as Allah says

Do not even think of those who are martyred in the way of Allah as dead, BUT THEY ARE
ALIVE near their lord and given provision. They are joyous of what Allah bestowed upon them
of his favour and they give good news to those who have not as yet reached them.
(Surah Al-Imraan, Verse 170).


Hadees-Prophet himself called the slain infidels by their names and
talked to them:

For example, after the battle of Badr, the Prophet ( ) himself called the slain infidels
by their names and asked them:
Surely, we found the promise of our Lord absolutely true. (O
infidels and non-believers!) Did you also find the promise of your lord
true?
At this juncture Umar bin al-Khattb said to the Prophet (): O Prophet! You
are addressing bodies which have no soul in them. To make it clear, the Prophet(
) addressed the Companions:
I swear by the Power Who has in His control the life of
Muhammad! The words I am speaking to these (infidels and non-
believers), they far excel you in their power to listen to them.[14]
This agreed-upon tradition attests not only to the purgatorial life after death of
the infidels and non-believers, but it also attests to their power of listening which
excels even that of the Companions.


References :
Bukhr narrated it in his as-Sahh, b. of maghz (military expeditions led by the Prophet)
ch.7 (4:1461#3757); Muslim, as-Sahh, b. of jannah wa sifat namih wa ahlih (Paradise,
attributes of its and natives) ch.17 (4:2203#77/2874); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (3:145;
4:29); Tabarn, al-Mujam-ul-kabr (5:96#4701); Baghaw, Sharh-us-sunnah
(13:384#3779); Ibn Kathr, al-Bidyah wan-nihyah (1:210); Asqaln, Fath-ul-br
(7:301); and Haytham in Majma-uz-zawid (6:90-1).
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An incident from the period of the companions.
It is recorded that in the period of Sayyiduna Mu'awwiya (radi Allahu anhu) a canal was dug
between Mecca and Medina. Co-incidentally, the canal passed through that plot of land where
the Shuhada (Martyrs) of Uhud lay buried. A person while digging accidentally cut the foot of a
Shaheed with a spade. As a result of this, blood began to flow from the blessed foot. We learn
from this incident that aside from their souls, even the bodies of these great and beloved servants
of Allah are alive. This incident is narrated in "Jazbul Quloob" by Shaikh Muhaddith Delwi
(radi Allahu anhu) and "Sharahus Sudur" by Imam Jallaludeen Suyutwi (radi Allahu)


Imam Baihaqi (radi Allahu anhu) narrates from Qazi Nishapuri Ebrahim (radi Allahu anhu)
who states that, "A pious woman passed away. Among those that were present for her Janazah
was a coffin thief, who attended only with the intention of noticing where she was being buried.
As darkness set in, he dug the grave and was about to steal the coffin when the pious lady
exclaimed, 'By Allah, how strange that a dweller of Paradise is stealing the coffin of another
dweller of Paradise'. She explained that whosoever took part in her Janazah, Allah would forgive
them, and that the coffin thief took part in the Janazah. The thief immediately covered the grave
and repented with a true heart."

Indeed this is the greatness of the beloved servants of Allah, that one goes to them as a thief and
returns as a Saint himself.

Hadees - Awliyas are Alive and they pray in their Graves

1. I mam Abu Nuaim (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) , in his book Hilyaat-ul-Awliya, narrates
from Hadrat Saeed (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) , that:

By Allah, Hameed Taweel, and myself were burying Hadrat Thabit Nibhaani (Radi Allahu
ta'ala Anhu) . As we were setting the final rocks, one rock accidentally fell into the grave. As I
peeped into the grave, I saw Hadrat Thabit Nibhaani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) was about to
perform salaah, and he was imploring to Allah in the following manner:

O Allah! You have given certain of your creation the permission to perform their salaah within
the grave. Give me also this same permission.

It was indeed beyond the mercy of Allah to refuse him.
Hadrat Thabit Nibhaani (Radi Allahu ta'ala Anhu) was a Tabaee (Ones that saw the Sahaaba
after the demise of the Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam).

2. Hadees -In the Tirmidhi Shareef,
Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhuma) narrates that a Sahaba once pitched his tent
on a plot of ground without realizing that he was doing so over a grave. After a while, he realized
that his tent was over a grave for he could hear the recital of the Sura Mulk. He related the entire
episode to the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), who replied that the recital of Sura Mulk
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indeed assists the person within the grave and protects him from pain and punishment.

From this episode, we see that the beloved servants of Allah are still alive within their graves, or
else the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) would have merely disregarded the entire incident.
But he did not do so. Rather, he commented on the excellences of the Sura Mulk, which means
that he also accepted that the beloved servants of Allah are still alive within their graves.
The Prophet has said, If you lose something and you are in such a place where you dont
find anyone to help then one should say, O the Servants of Allah! Help Me! O The Servants of
Allah! Help Me! O The Servants of Allah! Help Me! Since there are some servants of Allah
present there whom you do not see. (Tabrani narrated from Utbah Bin Garwan RadiAllahu
Anhu)

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) states that when your animal runs away in
the jungle then this is how you (seek assistance):

Call out, O servants of Allah! Catch it (the animal).Ref: Ibnus-Sunni (Radi ALLAH
Anhu) narrates this Hadith Shareef from Sayyiduna Abdullah ibne Mas'ood (Radi ALLAH
Anhu)

Imam Ghazzali advices to ask help from Graves

Imam Ghazzali (rah) said that whenever anyone is in some difficulty then he should ask the
people of tombs for help, who are of (sacred) souls but have passed away (i.e. transferred into
another dimension). There is no doubt in it that any person visiting (their tombs) gets spiritual
help plus benefit from them and many times when their Waseela is presented in the court of
Allah, the difficulties are removed [Tafsir Ruh ul Maani, Volume 30, Page No. 24]


See what Ghausul Azam has said :-

"Anyone who calls out to me in times of difficulties, it will be removed. If anyone takes my
name at times of hardship and calls out, the hardship will be eased. And if anyone presents my
Waseela in the Court of ALLAH and makes Dua, his desires will be fulfilled. If anyone
performs two Rakaats of Salaah and recites Sura Ikhlaas eleven times after Sura Fateha in both
Rakaats, then terminates the Salaah with Salaam and remembers Sayyiduna Rasoolullah by
reading eleven times Salawaat (Durood Shareef) on him, thereafter, takes eleven steps towards
the direction of Baghdad Shareef and takes my name and mentions your request, by the
Command of the Merciful Allah, your desire will be fulfilled."
(Buh'jatul Asraar, Page 295)

Imam Faqhi Muhaddith Khatimul-Mujtahideen Allama Taqi-ud-deen Abul-Hasan Ali bin
Abdul-Kaafi Subki (Radi ALLAH Anho), in his famous Kitaab, Shifa-us-Siqaam, has proven
the legality of Isti'aanat (seeking help) from numerous Sahih-Ahadith and thus comments:

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"Seeking assistance from Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) does not mean
that the Nabi (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) is ALLAH who possesses exclusive and absolute
powers. This incorrect interpretation to forbid Isti'aanat is certainly a deception in Deen. This
will cause gross confusion amongst the general Muslim public."

Allama Mullah Ali Qaari Makki (Radi allah Anhu), after recording this Riwayah, comments:

"Verily, this was tested several times and proven as the Grand Sheikh said, May ALLAH'S
Pleasure be with the Sheikh

Imam Sawi on Awliyas power after death
The life of the martyrs is a reality which we cannot qualify as 'how' or cannot be understood by
any human. It is necessary to believe in this life and refrain from engaging in its nature
(kayfiyya).And near to this is the life of the friends of Allah (Awliya) of their souls roaming in
the land wherever it wishes by it being alive and sitting amongst our midst.
(Shaykh Ahmad Sawi, Sharh al-Sawi ala Jawhara al-Tawhid, pg 402)

Conclusion:
Through the power bestowed on Awliyas by Allah
Awliyas are alive in their graves
Awliyas pray in graves
Awliyas souls move around after their demise
Awliyas after demise can be protectors and
Awliyas after demise remove difficulties


Imam Ghazzali also advices to ask help from the tombs.

So all above proves that Awliyas have been bestowed with the power to
help after death.

If after this much proof from Quran Hadees and Writings of great Imams is
not making one believe on the power bestowed by Allah on the Awliya during life
and after their demise, then such a person is having some defect in his belief on
Allahs Power and is on the path of deviation., `