Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
Is it permissible to say ‘O Messenger of Allaah’ (يا رسول الله) any where other than in the presence of the Prophet of Allaah’s grave?
Answer:
The phrase ‘O Messenger of Allaah’! (يا رسول الله) is used to call upon and invoke the Messenger of Allaah. However, when invoking someone, it is important that the one being called upon is present or else he would not be able to listen to or respond the call. There are some people who believe that the Messenger of Allaah is omnipresent [1] according to their belief, the one that is omnipresent encompasses the knowledge of all things. However, the one that truly encompasses the knowledge of all things is none other than Allaah, the Most High alone, and this is one of His unique attributes. To assign such a unique attribute to anyone other than Allaah is to associate partners with Him, which is the greatest sin one can commit. In his book entitled ‘Miftahul-Quloob’, Mulla Husain Khabbaz[2] has written that:
‘To call upon the dead believing that they are omnipresent [as Allaah is with His knowledge], for example to say ‘O Messenger of Allaah’! (يا رسول الله) or ‘O Shaykh Abdul-Qadir Jailaanee! [3]’ etc., then know that this is disbelief. It is for this reason that in the books of [Hanafi] Fiqh[4], it has been narrated that if a person was to conduct a marriage, bear witnessing that Allaah & His Messenger are both his witnesses, then this marriage contract would be considered invalid, whilst the one who conducted this marriage would be considered a disbeliever because of their belief that the Prophet of Allaah knows the knowledge of the unseen.’ Refer to Bahrur-Ra’iq[5] and others.
I say [Sayyid Nadhir Husain Dehlawi] to make a distinction whilst calling upon somebody by saying ‘O so and so!’, whether it be a prophet or anybody else, whether it is whilst sending prayers on the prophet in Salaah or on any other occasion… then this is not feasible because you should only call upon somebody that is present and can hear you, and the Prophet is not omnipresent [as Allaah’s knowledge is omnipresent].With regards to sending prayers upon the Prophet, then this is something that has been established in authentic Hadeeth where the angels convey the prayers that are sent upon him[6]. Therefore the person who calls upon and invokes somebody that is not present is indicating that they believe that the one being called upon is omnipresent and it is this type of belief that has been defined as associating partners with Allaah. Therefore, it is very important that a Muslim abstains from using such words and actions that imply such heretical beliefs i.e. associating partners with Allaah. If somebody was to argue by using the prayer ‘Salaatul-Hajjah[7]’ as a proof and evidence then the answer to that is that at the time when Salaatul-Hajjah was prayed, the Prophet of Allaah was alive and present amongst the believers, but now he is dead and no longer with us. Although the same wording is adopted, it is only said in its narrative form in the past tense, just as one does when he supplicates in the Tashhahud. In his book entitled ‘To attain the blessings of Allaah by explaining the meaning of At-Tahiyyat [Tashhahud], Sheikh Abdul-Huq Muhaddeeth Dehlawi[8] has written:
‘That the response to those who argue that in the Tashhahud we send prayers on the Prophet by addressing him in the first person [i.e. saying O Prophet!], although he is not present is as follows: The prayer upon the Prophet in the Tashhahud is in its narrative form in the past tense which occurred during the incident of Miraj. Further, it has been narrated by Imam Bukhari in his Saheeh on the authority of Abdullah ibn Masood who said:
‘The messenger of Allaah taught me the Tashhahud [with] my palm between his palms, the way he taught me the Surahs of the Qur’an [which began with the following words]: ‘’All compliments, prayers, and pure words are due to Allaah, Peace be on you, O Prophet…’’ This was while he was among us, but after he passed away, we would say ‘Peace be on the prophet.’[9]
Therefore, to use the aforementioned words as proof and evidence [is out of context and] is incorrect. And Allaah knows best!
16th Ramadan 1267 AH,
Fataawa Nadheeriyah
Book of Eemaan and Beliefs
Volume 1 page 159-161.
[1] Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jam’aah do not believe that Allaah is omnipresent. Rather they believe that Allaah’s knowledge is omnipresent [i.e. His knowledge encompasses all things apparent and hidden). Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jam’aah further believe that Allaah, the Most high, is above the seven heavens, above His Arsh, and separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty. This is established from the Qur’an & Sunnah, as well as the consensus of the companions of the messenger of Allaah. [TN]
[2] I could not find a biography of Mulla Husain Khabbaz. After asking Sheikh Uzair Shams Al-Hindee of Makkah, he informed me that in his opinion it may be that Imam Nadhir Husain Dehlawi quoted this reference from a manuscript, and Allaah knows best. [TN]
[3] Abdul Qadir Jilani [in Arabic] or Gaylani [in Persian] was born in Ramadan 470 AH in the Persian province of Jilan in Iran south of the Caspian Sea. He went to Baghdad to seek knowledge when he was 18 years old, where he studied Aqeedah, Hadeeth and the Hanbali Fiqh with many scholars. Many fabricated books have been attributed to him along with false allegations of his involvement of a Sufi order known as Qadariyyah. What is known is that he was a man of Sunnah and upon the Aqeedah of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal, and Allaah knows best. He died in Baghdad in the year 561 AH at the age of 91 years. [TN]
[4] For example refer to the English translation of Fatawa-I-Qazi Khan, Volume 1, page 34 with Arabic text relating to Islamic Law, by Fakhruddin Hasan bin Mansoor Al-Uzjandi Al-Farghani (d.592 AH), translated and edited into English by Maulvi Muhammad Yusuf Khan Bahadur & Maulvi Wilayat Husain, Published by Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, India, reprinted 1994. The text is as follows: A man marries a woman citing as witnesses Allaah and His Prophet, the marriage is void, (on the authority of the Prophet himself, on whom be the blessings of Allaah), the Prophet having laid down , that “There is no marriage except when there are witnesses,” whilst every marriage that takes place is witnessed by Allaah: and some of the learned have held that such marriage involves Kufr (blasphemy or infidelism), because it involves belief that the Prophet knows the hidden things, which is blasphemy. [TN]
[5] Bahrur-Ra’iq’ is an explanation of one of the most eminent books of Hanafi Fiqh known as Kanzud-Daqa’iq by Abul-Barakat Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Mahmood An-Nasafi (d.710 AH). It was authored by Zainul-Abedeen bin Ibrahim bin Nujaim Al-Hanafi who also authored ‘Al-Ashbaa wan-Nadhaair’ (another important book of Hanafi Fiqh). He died in the year 969/970 AH. For more details for his biography refer to Abdul-Hay Lucknowi’s marginal notes on Al-Fawaaid-Al-Bahiyyah, and the publisher’s introduction of Al-Ashbaa wan-Nadhaair page 20-21, Idaratul-Qur’an wa Uloomul-Islamiyyah, Karachi Pakistan, second edition 1424 AH/2004 [TN]. The text of ‘Bahrur’Raiq’ is as follows: “If a person conducting a nikaah was to testify that Allaah and Muhammad were his witnesses, then this person has actually believed that Allaah’s prophet has knowledge of the unseen, thus making him a kaafir” [Bahrur-Ra’iq (5/16)].
[6] Refer to Saheeh Ibn Hibban Hadeeth no: 2293 and Al-Hakim: 2/421 which has been graded Saheeh [authentic] by Imam Dhahabee. Also refer to Sunan Abee Daud Hadeeth no: 2041 graded Saheeh [authentic] by Imam Ibn Taymiyah. [TN]
[7] In praying Salaatul-Hajjah, one is required to properly undertake Wudhoo, pray two rak’ahs, and then to single out Allaah alone in supplication [asking only Allaah for whatever one is in need of]. The supplication that was referred to by Imam Nadhir Dehlawi and by which some people take out of context and try to use as proof and evidence for their deviant ways is based on a Hadeeth reported by Uthmân bin Hunaif (may Allaah be pleased with him) where a blind man afflicted with the sickness having lost his eyesight came to the Messenger of Allaah (Allaah bless him & give him peace) requesting him to supplicate to Allaah for him to restore his eyesight. The wording of this supplication is as follows: ‘Oh Allaah, I ask you and turn to you through the intermediary of Muhammad, the prophet of mercy, O Muhammad! I turn to my Rubb through you [supplicating to Him alone] that He may restore [cure] my eyesight. O Allaah! Accept his supplication [intercession] with respect to me, and accept this supplication of mine by giving me [good] health. Reported by Imam Al-Bayhaqi in Dalaail-An-Nubuwwah 6/167-168, Imam Ahmed in his Musnad 4/138, Imam An-Nisa’ee in Amalul-Al-Yawm wal-Lailah 418, while Imam Al-Hakim declared it Saheeh [authentic] according to the conditions of Imam Bukhari & Imam Muslim. Imam At-Tirmidhee has reported another similar narration but with out the wording of ‘pray two rak’ahs’, refer to Sunan Tirmidhee Hadeeth no 3578 declared Saheeh [authentic] by Allamah Albani. An important factor in relation to understanding the aforementioned narration that was mentioned by Allamah Albani and is valuable in obtaining the proper understanding of this Hadeeth is that the blind man sought intermediary through the supplication of the Messenger of Allaah, he did not seek the intermediary of the Messenger of Allaah himself. For further details refer to the book of Allamah Albani At-Tawassul its different types and its rulings. [TN]
[8] His full name is Shah Abdul-Aziz bin Al-Muhaddeeth Shah Waliulllah bin Abdur Rahim Al-Muhaddeeth Ad-Dehlawi Al-Umaree Al-Farooqee. Born in the year 1159 AH, he started to memorise the Qur’an at the age of five. Among the books he authored are: 1. Fathul-Aziz which is an explanation of the Qur’an in Persian. 2. Majmooah-Fatãwaa 3.Tauhfa Ithnaa-Ashariyyah is a refutation of the Shias, and numerous other books. In the later period of his life he tried to reform the Muslims of India by calling them to follow the Sunnah and abandoning the blind-following of Madhabs. He died on the 7th Shawwal 1239 AH and was buried next to his father. Refer toTaraajim Ulema Ahlil-Hadeeth fil al- Hind page 84-94. [TN]
[9] Recorded in Saheeh Bukhari, vol. 8, The book of asking permission, Chapter 28, Hadeeth number: 6265 [English Edition, Darussalam] [TN]
[10] He is Imam Sayyid Nadhir Husain Dehlawi. born in the year 1220 AH corresponding to 1805 CE. He left home at the age of 17 in search of Islamic knowledge. He arrived in Delhi on the 13th Rajab 1243 AH where he studied under the most prominent scholars of Islam of that era. From amongst his teachers include Allamah Shah Muhammad Ishaaq Dehlawi (1192 AH-1262 AH) who was the grandson of Allamah Shah Abdul-Aziz Dehlawi. Imam Sayyid Nadhir Husain Dehlawi authored over 60 books, from amongst them is his Fatãwaa known as Fatãwaa Nadheeriyyah in 2 volumes, and Mayaarul-Huq on the issue of Taqleed (blind-following a particular Fiqh Madhab). He called to Tahweed and taught Hadeeth and defended the Sunnah all his life. He is considered unanimously amongst Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’aah as one of the Imams of his time who revived Ad-Dawah-Salafiyyah in the Indian subcontinent. He died on the 10th Rajab 1320 AH corresponding to 15th October 1902 CE. Those amongst his senior students include Allamah Shamsul-Huq Adheemabaadee (d. 1329AH), Allamah Abdur-Rahmãn Mubarakpuree (d.1353 AH), Allamah Thanaullah Amritsaree (d.1368 AH.) and many others. Refer to the introduction of Fatãwaa Nadheeriyyah page 26-51 for a detailed biography of the Imam. [TN]
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