6) 'Tomb of Jesus' argument debunked!

Here is the sixth Ahmadi argument and its refutation:

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May the curse of God be upon the Jews and the Christians who made the graves of their prophets into places of worship”. (Bukhari, Kitab as-Salat, p. 296).
The Holy Prophet said this because he was anxious that Muslims should avoid the evil of making the tomb of their prophet into a place of worship, as Jews and Christians had done with their prophets’ graves. The Jews had had numerous prophets but the prophet properly recognised by the Christians is only one – Jesus. This hadith shows that the Holy Prophet believed that Jesus had a tomb. And, in fact, this is the place where Jesus was kept after being removed from the cross (till he recovered from his wounds), which Christians revere greatly. Obviously, according to this hadith, Jesus did not rise up to heaven.

The Truth:

The Hadith they quote goes as:

عَنْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى اتَّخَذُوا قُبُورَ أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ مَسَاجِدَ

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets.”
(Bukhari, Kitabul Salaah, Hadith 417)

1) Alhamdulillah our classical scholars have already clarified these things so I don’t have to write anything from my side to refute this argument. Below is a passage from Hafiz Ibn Hajr’s Fath al-Baari along with translation. Insha’Allah this is enough to bust the Qadiani argument. So here you go;

وَقَدْ اُسْتُشْكِلَ ذِكْر النَّصَارَى فِيهِ ؛ لِأَنَّ الْيَهُود لَهُمْ أَنْبِيَاء بِخِلَافِ النَّصَارَى فَلَيْسَ بَيْن عِيسَى وَبَيْن نَبِيّنَا صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَبِيّ غَيْره وَلَيْسَ لَهُ قَبْر ، وَالْجَوَاب أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِيهِمْ أَنْبِيَاء أَيْضًا لَكِنَّهُمْ غَيْر مُرْسَلِينَ كَالْحَوَارِيِّينَ وَمَرْيَم فِي قَوْل ، أَوْ الْجَمْع فِي قَوْله ” أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ ” بِإِزَاءِ الْمَجْمُوع مِنْ الْيَهُود وَالنَّصَارَى ، وَالْمُرَاد الْأَنْبِيَاء وَكِبَار أَتْبَاعهمْ فَاكْتَفَى بِذِكْرِ الْأَنْبِيَاء ، وَيُؤَيِّدهُ قَوْله فِي رِوَايَة مُسْلِم مِنْ طَرِيق جُنْدُب ” كَانُوا يَتَّخِذُونَ قُبُور أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ وَصَالِحِيهِمْ مَسَاجِد ” وَلِهَذَا لَمَّا أَفْرَدَ النَّصَارَى فِي الْحَدِيث الَّذِي قَبْله قَالَ ” إِذَا مَاتَ فِيهِمْ الرَّجُل الصَّالِح ” وَلَمَّا أَفْرَدَ الْيَهُود فِي الْحَدِيث الَّذِي بَعْده قَالَ ” قُبُور أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ ” ، أَوْ الْمُرَاد بِالِاتِّخَاذِ أَعَمّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُون اِبْتِدَاعًا أَوْ اِتِّبَاعًا ، فَالْيَهُود اِبْتَدَعَتْ وَالنَّصَارَى اِتَّبَعَتْ ، وَلَا رَيْب أَنَّ النَّصَارَى تُعَظِّم قُبُور كَثِير مِنْ الْأَنْبِيَاء الَّذِينَ تُعَظِّمهُمْ الْيَهُود
.

“Query has been raised regarding the mention of Christians here for, Jews had many prophets but not so the Christians as there was no Prophet between Jesus (PBUH) and our Prophet [Muhammad], on whom peace and blessings of Allah and Jesus (PBUH) has no grave. So the answer to this is, they [the Christians] also had prophets among them but they were not Messengers [sent by Allah], like the Disciples and Mary according to one saying. Or in the word ‘Prophets’ are included all those [holy men] who rose among the Jews and the Christians. The reference is to Prophets and the ancestors whom they followed but only the Prophets have been mentioned. And this is supported by the narration of Muslim from Jundub which says”[those before you] used to take the graves of their prophets and righteous men as places of worship.” (Muslim H.827). And it is for this reason that only the Christians are mentioned in the preceding Hadith which says “When any religious man dies amongst those people [they would build a place of worship at his grave]” (Bukhari H.409). And for the same reason only the Jews are mentioned in the following Hadith that says; [“May Allah destroy theJews for they built the places of worship at] the graves of their Prophets.” (Bukhari H.418). Or it may be to include all those who innovated and those who followed. The Jews innovated and the Christians followed [the innovation] for certainly Christians revered the graves of many of the Prophets who were revered by Jews [as well].” 
(Fath Al-Baari 2/160, Kitabul Salaah)

2) The idea that there were among Christians certain people considered prophets but were not sent as Messengers by Allah is supported by the present New Testament even. See e.g. Acts 11:27, 13:1, 21:10etc.

And definitely Christians also revered all the Prophets revered by Jews. Hafiz Ibn Hajr’s last point rests on this fact.

Alhamdulillah what a comprehensive answer by one of the greatest exegetes of Hadith.

Did you notice?

Refuting the Ahmadi position Hafiz Ibn Hajr (RA) clearly says about Jesus (PBUH):

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ قَبْر

“And he has no grave.”

And not to forget Hafiz Ibn Hajr (RA) was recognized as a Mujaddid of 8th century A.H. by Ahmadis.
May Allah guide all!

Note: I do not follow the Hadith numbering in vogue on internet as it is not a standard.