In the Presence of the Beloved : Two Treatises on the Merits and Etiquettes of Visiting the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
This work is a translation of two authorative treatises on the act of Ziyarah, namely, visiting the Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. Both texts meticulously examine the legal status, manifold virtues and etiquettes of this blessed visit. They also address issues, some of which have become controversial in contemporary Islamic discourse, such as the permissibilityof tawassul (supplicating to Allah through the Prophet), the practice of tabarruk (seeking blessings from his relics), the distinctive merits of the Rawdah and Madinah and the significance of visiting other revered historical sites within the Prophet's City.
Imam al-Qastallani settled on the Shafi'i school later in life, though he was initially a follower of the Maliki school in jurisprudence. In regard to Islamic theology, Al-Qastallani was a proponent of the Ash'ari school for which he is considered one of the main figureheads.
Some of his teachers included;
--- Siraj al-Din Umar ibn Qasim an-Nashshar in Quranic sciences,
--- Shihab al-Din Ahmed ibn Asad al-Umyuti,
--- Ibrahim ibn Ahmed al-'Ajluni al-Maqdasi,
--- Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Sakhawi,
--- Shams al-Din Muhammad b. Muhammad Abu al-Su'ud al-Gharrafi,
Some of his popular works are:
--- al-Muwahib al-Ladunniyyah bi al-Minah al-Muhammadiyyah,
--- Irshad al-Sari, 10 vol, one of the best commentaries on Sahih Bukhari,
--- Minhaj al-Ibtihaj Sharh Muslim b. al-Hajjaj, a commentary on Sahih Muslim,
--- al-Jannat al-Dani fi Hall Hirz al-Amani, a commentary on the Shatibiyyah,
--- al-Fath al-Mawahibi, a biography of the author of Shatibiyyah,
--- A commentary on the Burda,
--- Makamat al-'Arifin,
--- Masalik al-Hunafa ila Mashari al-Salat 'ala al-Nabi al-Mustafa,
and many other works.
He passed away in Muharram 923 After Hijri and was prayed upon after Friday prayers in al-Azhar.