On Visiting the Graves of the Saints

Until the recent convulsions caused by those who reject the way of the Beloved of Allah ﷺ , Muslim societies revered and respected the graves of those believed to be Saints. According to the aesthetic sensibilities of the particular civilisation, dignified buildings were erected over these graves, both as a demonstration of respect and adoration, and as bait to attract the needy hearts of the masses. For the Saints are not in need of our prayers. Rather, we are in need of the shift in worldview that is so often a product of interaction with them.

Firstly, the visitation of the graves is a compelling reminder of our own mortality. Death is a certainty, and the recollection of it intensifies our experience of the universe. To remember that one will eventually be deprived of the company of loved ones makes their company all the sweeter. To know that one will be called upon to surrender everything that has been toiled for in this world in exchange for the questioning of the grave is a sombre thought, one that has reorganised many a contemplative’s priorities, replacing greed and hunger for worldly gains with noble conduct and gratitude. To consider the end is often a powerful means to a new beginning.

The Saints are consummate human beings, those who have fulfilled the mission, traversed the path to its completion, and continuously polished the window of perception until they recognised Truth as Truth. As such, they are our models, heroes, and exemplars. In these days of trial and confusion, their mere presence points towards forgotten concerns and almost lost Realities. In my experiences, the company of the Saints (both in the physical and spiritual realms) communicates a sense of order and appropriateness, that these people are the way people should be, which points to the etymological root of the Arabic word adab, to put things in their correct place. The Saints burn away the frivolous concerns that have come to define our post-natural existence. They revitalise us by speaking directly to our souls, an experience that many of us have not been privy to, being raised in an age that is dominated by the mind. The Saints offer a moment of normality in an increasingly unnerving world. Their company is a balm for the perplexed, a light for those consumed by darkness, and a magnet drawing us back to our primordial purpose.

Despite the best efforts of some pseudo-Sufis, our path will never be reduced to cognitive psychology. While it is entirely unsurprising to find material science ‘proving’ the benefits of spiritual practices that were revealed to the Prophets, the reduction of existence to the material realm is the bane of modern human existence. The transformative power of the path is to an extent dependent upon individual initiative and striving to change the way one interprets the universe. The reminder of death and the engagement with a blessed model facilitated by visiting the graves of the Saints support this endeavour. However, we make no qualms about believing in the Unseen, in spiritual forces that are entirely beyond the capacity of the material scientists to comprehend. The principle of social evolution deems our forefathers stupid and ill-informed, but the presence of the graves of the Saints in towns and cities across the Muslim world today is indicative of their utility. By the mention of the Saints, mercy descends. By means of their prayers, previously locked doors are opened and clarity is attained. The path consists of the collected practices of our forefathers, those who realised the Reality presented to them by their awakened teachers, the first of whom was the Most Perfectly Awakened Being ﷺ. Beware of abandoning the practices of the Masters in favour of shifting fads or soulless legality. And He knows best.