عَنِ ابنِ عَبَّاسٍ رضيَ اللهُ عنْهُما قال: مَرَّ رسُولُ اللهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم بِقُبورٍ بالمَدِينَةِ، فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ بوَجْهِهِ فقالَ: «السَّلامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يا أَهْلَ القُبُورِ، يَغْفِرُ اللهُ لَنا وَلَكُمْ، أَنْتُم سَلَفُنا ونحْنُ بالأَثَرِ» رواهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وقال: حديثٌ حسن.
Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some graves in Medina, turned his face toward them, and said: "Peace be upon you, O people of the graves. May Allah forgive us and you. You are our predecessors, and we are to follow." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who said: it is a hasan (sound) hadith.
الشرح · explanation
سلفنا: سلف الإنسان من تقدمه بالموت من آبائه وذوي قرابته ولهذا سمي الصدر الأول من التابعين السلف الصالح. نحن بالأثر: أي تابعون لكم عن قرب.
"Our predecessors" (salafuna): a person's predecessors are those who went before him in death from among his forefathers and relatives; for this reason the first generation of the Followers (Tabi'un) were called the Righteous Predecessors (al-Salaf al-Salih). "We are to follow": that is, we are following close behind you.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ من آداب زيارة الموتى استقبالهم بالوجه عند السلام عليهم. التقيد بالآداب النبويّة في زيارة القبور والدعاء لأهلها بالمغفرة. ليس لزيارة القبور وقت محدد من أيام السنة. الميّت أهل للخطاب يعرف من يأتي ومن لا، لأنّ روحه وإن كانت في أعلى علّيّين لها مزيد تعلُّق بالقبر.
It is part of the etiquette of visiting the dead to face them when greeting them with peace. Adhering to the prophetic etiquette in visiting graves and supplicating for forgiveness for their occupants. There is no fixed time during the days of the year for visiting graves. The deceased is a fit recipient of address and knows who comes to him and who does not, for although his soul may be in the highest of the high ('Illiyyin), it retains a special attachment to the grave.