Some misguided persons believe that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is powerless, that he does not possess the power to give benefit or cause loss to anybody. The belief of the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at is that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has been blessed by Allah Ta'ala with the powers to give benefit or loss to anybody if he wishes.
The following verses of the Holy Quran prove this. Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Quran:
· "And if when they do injustice unto their souls, then O Beloved! They should come to you and then beg forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger should intercede for them, then surely, they would find Allah Most Relenting, Merciful." (Para 5, Ruku 6)
· "And what they felt bad, only this that Allah and His Messenger has enriched them out of His grace;" (Para 10, Ruku 16)
· "And O Beloved! Remember when you did say to him whom Allah bestowed a favour and you have bestowed a favour." (Para 22, Ruku 2)
Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: "And O Beloved, I have sent you not as mercy unto the worlds." (Part 17 Ruku 7)
Commentating on this verse of the Holy Quran, Allama Aaloosi (radi Allahu anhu) has stated, "And the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) being mercy unto the worlds is in this context that throughout the entire universe, his control is present through the Blessing of Allah Ta'ala. This is why the Noor of the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was the first thing to be created and it is in the Ahadith, ' O Jaabir! Almighty Allah had first created the Noor of your Nabi (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam)' and in the next Hadith it is said that, 'Almighty Allah is the Giver and I am the distributor. The explanation of the Soofia is more than that of mine in this matter." (Tafseer Roohul Muaani)
It is mentioned in the Holy Quran that Hazrat 'Isa (alaihis salaam) made a bird out of clay, blew into it, and then, with the Command of Allah Ta'ala, it began to fly. The Holy Quran also mentions that Hadrat 'Isa (alaihis salaam) cured the blind, the lepers and brought back the dead back to life with the Command of Allah Ta'ala.
6. All these incidents prove that Nabi 'Isa (alaihis salaam) was able to give benefit to those who sought his assistance. How can one dispute that our Nabi Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), who is superior to Nabi 'Isa (alahis salaam), is not in control of giving benefit or loss to anyone?
It is also stated in the Holy Quran that through the Barakah of Hazrat Yusuf (alaihis salaam), Hazrat Yaqoob (alaihis salaam) regained his sight. Is the returning of the sight of Hadrat Yaqoob (alaihis salaam) not a benefit and advantage? Verily it is! Thus, if benefit can be gained through the other Ambiya (alaihimus salaam), how then can a Muslim say that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) cannot give us benefit or loss?
Once, Hazrat Maghir (radi Allahu anhu) committed a grave sin so he went to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and asked him to purify him. Although the Sahabi-e-Rasool had sinned against Allah Ta'ala, he asked the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to purify and cleanse him because he knew that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) would give benefit to him.
The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said, "I am the one who distributes and Almighty Allah is the One who gives." (Bukhari; Umdatul Qari)
Hazrat Rabia (radi Allahu anhu) said in the court of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam): "I ask from you that I may be in Jannah with you." (Mishkaat; Mirkaat)
It is obvious from these Ahadith that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is the one who distributes throughout the universe and he who is a distributor in the entire universe definitely has the power of giving benefit.
From the above narrations, those who are Muslims will always accept that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has the power of giving benefit. He will think of him as the one to turn to in the times of need.
THE HOLY PROPHET MUHAMMAD (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) IS ALIVE
Some people do not accept the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) to be alive. They say that he is dead and mixed with the soil. Allah forbid! The Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at Maslak e Aala Hazrat believes that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is "Hayaatun Nabi", that is, he is alive both physically and spiritually.
Regarding the Martyrs (Shuhada), those who are slain in the path of Allah, Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: "And say not those who have been slain in the path of Allah to be dead for they are alive and you do not know." (Part 2, Ruku 3)
Since it is evident from the Holy Quran that the Martyrs are alive, then it follows that the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam), whose status are much greater than that of the Martyrs, are also alive. (Fathul Baari Sharah Bukhari)
Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Quran: "And say not of those who are slain in the Way of Allah 'They are dead'. Nay, they are living, though you perceive it not". (al-Baqarah: 154)
"Think not of those who are slain in Allah's Way as dead. Nay, they are alive, finding their sustenance in the Presence of their Lord". (al-Ale' Imraan: 169)
The above two Ayahs were revealed after the Battle of Badr. The Ashaabs (radi Allahu anhum) used to feel sorry for those who lost their lives in the battle, and used to say: "Alas, so and so has lost his life and has missed the pleasures of this world!" Allah Ta'ala revealed these Ayahs clarifying that the Shuhada (Martyrs) are not "dead" but are transferred from one place to another where they live and are fed by the Bounteous Lord who is not deficient of anything.
If the Shuhada are not "dead", how can we say that the greatest Apostle, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam), is no more amongst us?
Referring to the Messengers, Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: "And ask those of our Mesengers, whom we sent before you, 'Did We appoint any other god except the All-Affectionate, to be worshipped'?" (Part 25, Ruku 10)
This verse proves that the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam) are alive because Allah Ta'ala commands us to ask the Messengers about all matters. If they had passed away and mixed with the soil, surely, we would not have been commanded to ask them about anything. (Tafseer Dur Manthur; Tafseer Roohul Muaani)
Another proof supporting that the Ambiya are alive is that on the night of Me'raj, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) passed by Hazrat Moosa (alaihis salaam). He saw him in his grave standing and reading his Salaah.
The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said, "Recite Durood upon me in abundance on a Friday since it is a respected day. On that day the Angels are present and whosoever sends Durood upon me on that day, then his Durood is placed before me till the time when they have completed sending Durood and Salaam". (Hazrat Abu Dardah radi Allahu anhu says), "I asked, 'Huzoor! Will you even hear (the Salaam) after your demise?'"
The Prophet (sallal laahu alaii wasallam) said, "Verily Almighty Allah has made it Haraam upon the earth to devour the bodies of the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam). Thus, all the Nabis of Allah are alive and they are given sustenance." (Ibn Majah; Jame Sahgeer; Mishkaat Shareef)
We learn from this Hadith Shareef that the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam) are alive and they have only been hidden from us. We cannot understand their position, like those of the Angels that they are alive and present but we cannot obtain (see) them. Yes! Those whom Allah has blessed, they can even see them. This has been confirmed that the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam) are alive. (Umdatul Qaari Shara Bukhari)
Hazrat Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhadith Delhwi (radi Allahu anhu) wrote: "There is no death for the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam). They are alive and existing. For them is that one death that has come only once. After this, their souls are put back into their bodies and the life that they had on earth is given back to them." (Takmeelul Imaan)
The greatest proof concerning the Ambiya (alaihimus salaam) being alive is that they make Ibaadah in their graves. They perform their Salaah and they are well provided with food and drink. Like the Angels who are alive, but do not eat and drink. (Mirkaat Shar Mishkaat)
Allah Ta'ala states in the Holy Quran: "And how would you deny faith while unto you are rehearsed the Signs of Allah and among you lives the Prophet". (Sura al- ale'Imraan: 101)
This is a typical Ayah proving Hayat-un-Nabi - "among you lives the Prophet". The word "lives" has cleared all doubts. "Among you" has been generalised, meaning with every individual, wherever he or she may be regardless of time. Man's vision and power of hearing is restricted, but it is not so in the case of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam). His powers are far beyond imagination.
If somebody says, "Where is the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam)? I cannot see him! Why must I stand and read Salaam?" Surely, this statement is absurd because none of us has seen Allah Ta'ala and the Angels. Kiraaman Katibeen are two Angels constantly present with every individual. Can we deny their existence merely because we did not see them?
It was declared in a Hadith, "When a person greets me, Allahu Ta'ala sends my soul to my body and I hear his greeting." Some people quoting this Hadith say that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam
) is not alive since his soul returns to his body only when he is greeted.
Imam Jalaal'uddeen as-Suyuti (radi Allahu anhu) said in the book "Anba' al-adhkiya' fi hayat il-anbiya" that "radda" means "ala al-dawam", i.e. permanently, and not temporarily: in other words, Allah does not return the soul and take it back, then return it again and then take it back again, but He has returned it to Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) permanently, and the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) is alive permanently, not intermittently as some ignorant people have suggested.
Another explanation of this Hadith is that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) is in the ecstasy of seeing Jamaal-Allah (Allah's Beauty) and forgetful of his bodily senses. Such situations are not scarce in this world, either. One does not hear what people say to one when one is in a deep thought of worldly or heavenly affairs. Can someone who is in ecstasy of contemplating Jamaal of Allah hear any sound ?
Thus, we have proved from authentic sources that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) is alive both physically and spiritually.
THE HOLY PROPHET IS A UNIQUE HUMAN BEING
THE HOLY PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) IS NOOR
TAWASSUL (definition)
Supplicating Allah by means of an intermediary, whether it be a living person, dead person, a good deed, or a name or Attribute of Allah Most High. The scholar, YUSUF RIFA'I, says: I here want to convey the position, attested to by compelling legal evidence, of the orthodox majority of Sunni Muslims on the subject of supplicating Allah through an intermediary (tawassul), and so I say (and Allah alone gives success) that since there is no disagreement among scholars that supplicating Allah through an intermediary is in principle legally valid, the discussion of its details merely concerns derived rulings that involve interschool differences, unrelated to questions of belief or unbelief, monotheism or associating partners with Allah (shirk); the sphere of the question being limited to permissibility or impermissibility, and its ruling being that it is either lawful or unlawful. There is no difference among groups of Muslims in their consensus on the permissibility of three types of supplicating Allah through an intermediary (tawassul):
(1) TAWASSUL through a living righteous person to Allah Most High, as in the hadith of the blind man with the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) as we shall explain;
(2) The TAWASSUL of a living person to Allah Most High through his own good deeds, as in the hadith of the three people trapped in a cave by a great stone, a hadith related by Imam Bukhari in his "Sahih;"
(3) And the TAWASSUL of a person to Allah Most High through His entity (dhat), names, attributes, and so forth.
Since the legality of these types is agreed upon, there is no reason to set forth the evidence for them. The only area of disagreement is supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a righteous dead person. The majority of the orthodox Sunni Community hold that it is lawful, and have supporting hadith evidence , of which we will content ourselves with the Hadith of the Blind Man, since it is the central pivot upon which the discussion turns.
"Oh Allah, I ask You and turn to You through my Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam, the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad),Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight [and in another version: "for my need, that it may be fulfilled. O Allah, grant him intercession for me"]."
Scholars of Sacred Law infer from this hadith the recommended character of the "prayer of need," in which someone in need of something from Allah Most High performs such a prayer and then turns to Allah with this supplication together with other suitable supplications, traditional or otherwise, according to the need and how the person feels. The express content of the hadith proves the legal validity of "tawassul" through a living person (as the Prophet - peace be upon him - was alive at that time). It implicitly proves the validity of tawassul through a deceased one as well, since tawassul through a living or dead person is not through a physical body or through or through a life or death, but rather through the positive meaning (ma'na tayyib) attached to the person in both life and death. The body is but the vehicle that carries that significance, which requires that the person be respected whether dead or alive; for the words "O Muhammad" are an address to someone physically absent - in which state the living and dead are alike - an address to the meaning, dear to Allah, that is connected with his spirit, a meaning that is the ground of "tawassul," be it through a living or dead person.
'O Allah, I ask You and turn to You through our Prophet Muhammad,Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I turn through you to my Lord, that He may fulfill my need,' and mention your need. Then come so that I can go with you [to the caliph Uthman]." So the man left and did as he had been told, then went to the door of Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him), and the doorman came, took him by the hand, brought him to Uthman ibn Affan, and seated him next to him on a cushion. 'Uthman asked, "What do you need?" and the man mentioned what he wanted, and
This is an explicit, unequivocal text from a prophetic Companion proving the legal validity of tawassul through the dead. The account has been classified as rigously authenticated (SAHIH) by Baihaqi, Mundhiri, and Haythami.
Tirmidhi has stated that the hadith of the blind man is "a hadith that is well or rigorously authenticated but singular, being unknown except through his chain of narrators, from the hadith of Abu Ja'far, who is not Abu Ja'far Khatmi," which means that the narrators of this hadith, despite Abu Ja'far being unknown to Tirmidhi, were acceptable to the degree of being well or rigorously authenticated in either case.
But scholars before Tirmidhi established that Abu Ja'far, this person unknown to Tirmidhi, was Abu Ja'far Khatmi himself. Ibn Abi Khaythama said: "The name of this Abu Ja'far, whom Hammad ibn Salama relates from, is 'Umayr ibn Yazid, and is the Abu Ja'far that Shu'ba relates from," and then he related the hadith by the channel of transmission of 'Uthman from Shu'ba from Abu Ja'far.
Ibn Taymiya, after relating the hadith of Tirmidhi, said: "All scholars say that he is Abu Ja'far Khatmi, and this is correct."
Reflect on this.
The hadith master, Ibn Hajar, notes in "Taqrib al-tahdhib" that he is Khatmi, and that he is reliable (saduq).
Ibn 'Abd al-Barr likewise says that he is Khatmi, in "al-Istii'ab fi ma'rifa al-ashab." Moreover, Baihaqi related the hadith by way of Hakim and confirmed that it was rigorously authenticated (SAHIH), Hakim having related it by a chain of transmission meeting the standards of Bukhari and Muslim, which the hadith master Dhahabi confirmed, and Shawkani cited as evidence. Dhahabi and Shawkani, who are they? The meaning of this is that all the men of the hadith's chain of transmission are known to top Imams of hadith such as Dhahabi (and who is severer than he?), Ibn Hajar (and who is more precise, learned, or painstaking than he?), Hakim, Baihaqi, Tabarani, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Shawkani, and even Ibn Taymiya.
This hadith was recorded was recorded by Bukhari in his "al-Tarikh al-kabir", by Ibn Majah in his "Sunan", where he said it was rigorously authenticated (SAHIH), by Nasa'i in "Amal al-yawm wa al-layla", by Abu Nu'aym in "Ma'rifa al-Sahaba", by Baihaqi in "Dala'il al-nubuwwa", by Mundhiri in "al-Targhib wa al-tahrib", by Haythami in "Majma' al zawa'id wa manba' al-fawa'id", by Tabarani in "al-Mu'jam al-kabir", by Ibn Khuzayma in his "Sahih", and by others. Nearly 15 hadith masters ("huffaz", hadith authorities with more than 100,000 hadiths and their chains of transmission by memory) have explicitly stated that this hadith is rigorously authenticated (sahih). As mentioned above, it has come with a chain of transmission meeting the standards of Bukhari and Muslim, so there is nothing left for a critic to attack or slanderer to disparage concerning the authenticity of the hadith. Consequently, as for the permissibility of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through either a living or dead person, it follows by human reason, scholarship, and sentiment, that there is flexibility in the matter. Whoever wants to can either take tawassul or leave it, without causing trouble or making accusations, since it has been this thoroughly checked ("Adilla Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'a , 79-83).
It is well to review some salient features of the proof that was given , such as:
(1) that there are 2 hadiths, Tirmidhi's hadith of the "blind man" and Tabarani's hadith of the "man in need" to whom Uthman ibn Hunayf related the story of the blind man, teaching him tawassul that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) had taught the blind man.
(2) Tirmidhi's hadith is rigorously authenticated (sahih), being the subject of the above investigation of its chain of narrators, the authencticity of which is established beyond a reasonable doubt and attested to by nearly 15 of the foremost hadith specialists of Islam. The hadith explicitly proves the validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a living intermediary, as the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) was alive at the time. The author of the article holds that the hadith implicitly shows the validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a deceased intermediary as well, since:
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) told the blind man to go perform ablution (wudu) pray two rak'as, and then make the supplication containing the words, "O Muhammad, I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight," which is a call upon somebody physically absent, a state of which the living and the dead are alike.
Supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a living or deceased intermediary is, in the author's words, "not tawassul through a physical body, or through a life or death, but rather through the positive meaning attached to the person in both life and death, for the body is but the vehicle that carries that significance.
And perhaps the most telling reason, though the author does not mention it, is that everything the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam) ordered to be done during his lifetime was "legislation" valid for all generations until the end of time unless proven otherwise by a subsequent indication from the Prophet himself (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Aalihi Wa Sallam), the tawassul he taught during his lifetime not requiring anything else to be generalized to any time thereafter.
The Hanafi scholar, Muhammad Hamid says: As for calling upon (nida') the righteous (when they are physically absent, as in the words "O Muhammad" in the above hadiths), tawassul to Allah Most High through them is permissible, the supplication (du'a) being to Allah Most Glorious, and there is much evidence for its permissibility.
Those who call on them intending "tawassul" cannot be blamed. As for someone who believes that those called upon can cause effects, benefit, or harm, which they create or cause to exist as Allah does, such a person is an idolator who has left Islam - Allah be our refuge! This then, and a certain person has written an article that tawassul to Allah Most High through the righteous is unlawful, while the overwhelming majority of scholars hold it is permissible, and the evidence the writer uses to corrobrate his viewpoint is devoid of anything that demonstrates what he is trying to prove. In declaring tawassul permissible, we are not hovering on brink of idolatory (shirk) or coming anywhere near it, for the conviction that Allah Most High alone has influence over anything, outwardly or inwardly, is a conviction that flows through us like our very lifeblood. If tawassul was idolatory (shirk), or if there were any suspicion of idolatory in it, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) would not have taught it to the blind man when the latter asked him to supplicate Allah for him, though in fact he did teach him to make "tawassul" to Allah through him. And the notion that tawassul is permissible only during the lifetime of the person through whom it is done but not after his death is unsupported by any viable foundation from Sacred Law ["Rudud 'ala abatil wa rasa'il al-Shaykh Muhammad al-Hamid]
0 comments:
Post a Comment