He then adds:
“Tirmidhī narrates this ḥadīth, too and says: ‘It is an authentic [ṣaḥīḥ] and sound [ḥasan] ḥadīth’, and the commentator of this ḥadīth says in the book, Riyāḍ aṣ-Ṣāliḥīn: ‘Umm Thābit cut off the mouth of the waterskin so as to keep for herself the place of the Prophet’s mouth whereby she sought blessing [tabarruk]. Similarly, the Companions would drink water from where the Prophet used to drink’.”[1]
الغداة صلّى إذا – وسلّم [وآله] عليه الله صلى – الله رسول كان”
غمس إلاّ بإناء يؤتى فما الماء فيها بآنيتهم المدينة خدم جاء
“.فيها يده فيغمس الباردة الغداة في جاؤوه فربّما فيها يده
“The servants of Medina used to go to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) after morning [ṣubḥ] prayer with vessels full of water and he would place his hand into each vessel. Sometimes they would go to him in cold mornings and he would place his hand into them (vessels).”[2]
This shows clearly that seeking blessings through the belongings of awliyā’ of God is not a problem. It also shows that those who accuse the Shī‘ah of polytheism and associating partners with Allah on account of this practice have no clear idea of the meaning of monotheism [tawḥīd]. Polytheism or worshipping other than Allah means to have one of the creatures as a god along with Allah or to attribute to that creature some divine acts by considering him as independent and needless of God in the essence of creation or power. This is while the Shī‘ah regard the belongings of awliyā’ of God, just like theirs owners, as things that are made by God and these things are in need of Him both in the essence of existence and in power.
The Shī‘ah seek blessings through these symbols only to show respect to their leaders and forerunners of the religion of God and to express their sincere love for them.
When the Shī‘ah kiss part of the shrine or its doors or walls during their visitation to the holy shrine of the Prophet (ṣ) and his Ahl al-Bayt (‘a), it is only because they love the Holy Prophet (ṣ) and his progeny, and this is an issue of human emotion, which manifests itself in the person in love. A sweet-tongued man of letter says:
سَلْمٰى دِيار الدّيار عَلَى أمُرُّ
الجِدارا ذا و الجِدارَ ذا أقَبِّلُ
قَلْبي شَغَفْنَ الدِّيارِ حُبُّ ما وَ
الدِّيارا سَكَنَ مَن حُبُّ وَلٰكِنْ
By Laylā’s residence I pass; I kiss this wall and that wall.
It is not the love of residence that gladdens my heart; rather, the love of its dweller
[1] Muḥammad Ṭāhir al-Makkī, Tabarruk aṣ-Ṣaḥābah, trans. Anṣārī, chap. 1, p. 29.
[2] Ṣāhīḥ Muslim, vol. 7, “Kitāb al-Faḍā’il,” “Bāb Qurb an-Nabī (ṣ) min an-Nās wa Tabarrukihim bihi,” p. 79. For more information, refer to the following references:
a. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, “Kitāb al-Ashribah”;
b. Mālik, Al-Muwaṭṭa’, vol. 1, the section on invoking blessings to the Prophet (ṣ), p. 138;
c. Asad al-Ghābah, vol. 5, p. 90;
d. Musnab Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, vol. 4, p. 32;
e. Al-Istī‘āb, vol. 3, at the margin of “al-Iṣābah,” p. 631;
f. Fatḥ al-Bārī, vol. 1, pp. 281-282.
