By Osman Riaz
The Objection: It is claimed that the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings be upon Him) is dead like the common bodies which are lying dead in their graves having no concern with the affairs of the world. That he is not alive in his grave. He is, therefore, unaware of the state of his ummah and the world in general. It is, thus, wrong to seek anything from the dead through intermediation, nor is there anything special about visiting Madinah (that many Muslims yearn for) since the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) is not alive and is unaware of our presence when we visit his grave.
Answer: This idea stems from an atheistic, secularist and western orientalist approach to Islam which some Muslims have assimilated and marketed as "pure Islam". This concept had never existed for over a thousand years of Islamic history until recent centuries. This allegation has, however, been rejected by the majority of Muslims across the globe and they refuse to accept this creed. Quite frankly, since it is a deviation from the original Islamic belief. The actual belief concerning this matter is that the Prophet (peace & blessings be upon Him) did die but this does not mean that he is not alive in his grave; fully informed. The true Islamic belief will be proven through Quran, Hadith, and sayings of religious authorities: