Question:
Is the verse, “and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful” continual until this day or has it seized when the Messenger of God passed from this life?

Answer:
The verse in the chapter of Nisaa that was revealed to the Messenger of God, “and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful” is a verse that is absolute and has no restrictions whether textual or rational. There is nothing to restrict this verse to the earthly life of the Messenger of God; therefore this verse is in effect until the Day of Resurrection. This follows since in general we take meanings in the Qur’an from the generality of the wording and not from the specificity of the cause of the verse. Whosoever claims that this verse is restricted to the life of the Messenger of God must adduce proof for such a claim. Absolute meanings do not need proofs as this is their natural state; restrictions, rather, need proofs.

This is what has been understood from the scholars of Quranic exegeses, especially those who have relied on hadith for their commentaries such as the hadith master Ibn Kathir who commented on this verse by saying, “many notable scholars, among them Abu Nasr al-Sibagh in his book al-Shamil, narrate the following famous story on the authority of Utba who said:

I was sitting in the Rawda of the Prophet and a bedouin came and said, “Greetings of praise O Messenger of God, I heard God say ‘and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful’ and I have come to you seeking forgiveness for my transgressions and seeking your intercession to God” then he recited the following lines of poetry:

O the best and greatest of creation buried in the earth
Sweetness to the one who has been sweetened by the earth and its piles My soul is a ransom for the grave in which you dwell In it is forgiveness and in it is generosity and virtue Then he departed and my eyes became heavy with sleep, and I then saw the Messenger of God in my sleep and he told me ‘O Utba catch that Bedouin and give him the glad tidings that God has forgiven him.’”

The point of this story is not to use as a textual proof visions, which cannot serve this purpose. Rather, our point is that Ibn Kathir and others have mentioned this story on commenting on this verse without finding any problems with its meaning. Also the great companion Utba was present throughout the story and he never condemned the bedouin for his actions.

The jurists of Islam have used this verse to encourage one to visit the grave of the Messenger of God. They have even deemed it an encouraged act to recite this same verse upon visitation of al-Rawda. We find in the al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya concerning the etiquette of visiting the grave of the Messenger of God, “then the visitor should stand facing the head of the Messenger of God and say, ‘God you have stated and your statement is truth ‘and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful.’”

From the Maliki school we find Ibn Hajj al-Abdari saying, “interceding by the Messenger of God is the appropriate way to compile all of one’s mistakes and the heaviness of all of one’s sins since the grace of his intercession and its exalted rank with God cannot be surpassed by any sin or violation since it is greater than all of them. One should be given glad tidings if they go visit and for the one who cannot they should intercede by the Messenger of God to God. O God, by his sanctity with you, prohibit us not from his intercession. Amen. Who so ever believes opposite this then he is the one who really is at a loss. Has he not heard the statement of God ‘and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful.’ Whoever comes to him and stands at his door and intercedes by him to God, they will find God most forgiving and most merciful.

This is so since God is greater than contradicting His promise and He has promised forgiveness to he who stands and the Prophet’s door and asks God and seeks forgiveness. There is no doubt concerning this matter except for only those who seek to disclaim the religion and those who fight God and His Messenger deny these facts. We seek refuge in God from being prohibited from these blessings.”

As for the Shafi‘i school, Imam al-Nawawi has stated concerning the etiquette of visiting the grave of the Messenger of God that “[after completing the visitation] one should return to stand in front of the head of the Messenger of God and make a supplication by interceding to God through the Messenger of God. The best of what can be said is what has been mentioned by al-Mawardi and Qadi abu Tayyib and the rest of our associates the story narrated on the authority of Utba…”

As for the Hanbali school we find that Imam Ibn Qudama instructs one to recite the verse mentioned above and to address the Messenger of God by it and to ask him to seek forgiveness from him. He continues to say:

Then you come upon the grave and give your back to the qibla and face the grave of the Messenger of God and say, “peace be upon you O Messenger of God and blessings from God and His grace be with you. Peace be upon you O Messenger of God, O chosen one from amongst His creation and His servants. I bear witness that there is no deity except God alone, no partners has He and I bear witness that Muhammad is his servant and messenger I bear witness that you delivered the message of God, were sincere towards the umma called to the way of God with wisdom and good council, you worshiped and served God until you passed. May God send abundant prayers on you as is pleasing to Him.

O God give reward on our behalf to our Prophet more than you have rewarded any one from the Prophets and Messengers and cause him O God to be in the station of gratitude which you promised him which will exult him above the first and last [of creation]. O God send prayers on Muhammad and the kins of Muhammad as You send prayers on Abraham and on the kins of Abraham and bless Muhammad and the kins of Muhammad as You have blessed Abraham and the kins of Abraham indeed You are the praiseworthy, the exalted.

O God you have stated and your statement is true ‘and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful’ and I have come seeking forgiveness for my sins interceding by the Messenger of God so I ask you O God to give me forgiveness as you have made it mandatory for those who have come to him during his lifetime.

O God make him the first interceder, and the most successful of those who ask, and the most noble of the first and the last [of creation] by your mercy O the most merciful of the merciful.” He then makes supplication for his parents, his companions, and all Muslims.

The notable scholar al-Rahibani from the Hanbali school emphasized the importance of reciting this verse during visitation to the grave of the Messenger of God. He also stated in advising one to the best of things to say during the visit “O God reward Prophet Muhammad on our behalf more than you have rewarded anyone from the Prophets and Messengers and grant him the station of gratitude which you promised him by which he will be exalted above the first and the last [of creation].

O God send prayers on Muhammad and on the kin of Muhammad as you send prayers on Abraham and on the kin of Abraham and bless Muhammad and the kin of Muhammad as you bless Abraham and the kin of Abraham indeed you are the praiseworthy, the exalted.

O God you stated and your statement is true ‘and if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come to you and asked forgiveness of God, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found God Forgiving, Merciful’…”

From what has preceded we know that all the schools of Islamic law encourage the reciting of this verse upon visiting the Rawda and one should believe that its meaning is still in existence. This is what the pious ancestors were on as well as the scholars who followed in their footsteps. We give no credence to those who deviate from this understanding.

The Messenger of God asking for our forgiveness after he has passed from this life is not opposed to either rational or textual proofs. The Messenger of God said, “My life is good for you, you speak to me and I respond, and my death is better for you, you actions are presented to me and that which I find from good I praise God for and that which I find that is bad I seek forgiveness for you.”
God is most high and all knowledgeable.