بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
From Abū Juhayfah Wahb ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Suwāʾī (رضي الله عنه) who said:
“I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was in a red dome of his made of leather. He said: Bilāl came out with (his) ablution water – some took directly from the water and some were sprinkled with the water.” (al-Bukhārī 185, Muslim 503)
Ibn Daqīq al-‘Īd said: “It is taken from the hadīth [the permissibility of] seeking blessing through what the righteous have been in contact with…for indeed, it came [in the report] regarding the ablution water from which the Prophet (ﷺ) performed ablution. It is extended by analogy to all else that the righteous are in contact with. And Allāh knows best.”
Imām al-San’ānī said commenting on the above statement: “(Seeking blessing in what the righteous have been in contact with)” – I say: [This is] based on the fact that he (ﷺ) approved them in that, and it is known from this and from other [evidence].
However, extending it to what others from the people of righteousness are in contact with is a matter of hesitation, because this extension is by analogy (qiyās), and it is not known that any of the righteous are in his rank (ﷺ) so that he could be joined to him as the requirement of analogy [would demand].” (Sharh al-‘Umdah 3/14-18)
Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azīz al-Rājihī said: “Indeed, by Allāh, the Companions used to seek blessing through his (bodily) excretions: when he performed ablution, they would take (from) the drops (of water); when he expectorated, it would be in the hand of one [of them] who would rub his body with it; and when he shaved his head – as in the Farewell Pilgrimage – he distributed the hair to the people, a hair or two hairs, [and] they would seek blessing through it.
This is specific to him, and no one else is compared to him in analogy (qiyās), so blessing is not sought through other than him.” (Sharh Sahīh al-Bukhārī 1/526)
Imām ibn Rajab al-Hanbalī said: “ʿUmar and others among the Companions and Successors (may Allāh be pleased with them) used to dislike that supplication (duʿāʾ) be requested from them, and they would say: “Are we prophets?” This indicates that this rank is not befitting except for the Prophets (ﷺ).
Likewise, seeking blessing (tabarruk) through the traces/relics (āthār) – the Companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) only used to do this with the Prophet (ﷺ), and they did not do it with one another. Nor did the Tābi’īn (Successors) do it with the Companions, despite their lofty status.
This indicates that this is only done with the Prophet (ﷺ), such as seeking blessing through his ablution water (wudūʾ), his bodily excretions, his hair, drinking the remainder of his drink and food.
In summary: These matters are a trial (fitnah) for the one who venerates and the one who is venerated, due to what is feared for him of exaggeration that leads into innovation (bidʿah), and perhaps rises to a type of polytheism (shirk). All of this only came from imitating the People of the Book and the polytheists, which this ummah has been forbidden from [imitatin].
The righteous predecessors (al-salaf al-sālih) used to forbid venerating them in the utmost prohibition, such as al-Hasan [al-Basrī], [Sufyān] al-Thawrī, and Ahmad [ibn Hanbal].
A man came to him (i.e. Imām Ahmad) and wiped his hand on his [Ahmad’s] garment and wiped his face with them. Imām Ahmad became angry and objected to that in the strongest objection, and said: “From whom did you take this matter?” (Sharh al-‘Umdah 3/18 footnotes, referencing al-Hikam al-Jadīra bi-l-Idhāʿa pp. 46-47)
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