Why
You Should Love
The
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
Mokhtar
Stork
Chapter
One
The
Pre-existence of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
The
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, “I was a
Prophet while Adam was between water and earth.”
Allah
the Exalted has revealed, “Allah is the
Light of the heavens and the earth; the likeness of His Light is as a niche
wherein is a lamp – the lamp in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering
star – kindled from a blessed tree, an olive tree that is neither of the east
or the west, whose oil well-nigh would shine, even if no fire touched it: Light
upon Light; Allah guides to His Light whom He will. And Allah strikes
similitude’s for man, and Allah has knowledge of everything.” [Surah Nur
24:35]
The
origin of the Light of Muhammad (Nur Muhammad) in pre-eternity is depicted as a
luminous mass of primordial adoration in the presence of Allah. Tustari in
explaining Surah Nur 24:35 (above) says that when Allah willed to create
Muhammad, He made appear a light from His light. When it reached the veil of the
Majesty (Hijabul ‘Azamah), it bowed
in prostration before Allah. And Allah created from its prostration a mighty
column like crystal glass of light, that it outwardly and inwardly translucent.
In a Sacred Hadith (Hadith Qudsi), the
Prophet (s.a.w.) is reported to have said that Allah said, “If
it had not been for you (O Muhammad), I would not have created creation.” The
Prophet (s.a.w.) himself used to supplicate Allah by saying, “O
Allah, place light in my heart, and light in my soul, light upon my tongue,
light in my ears. Place light to my right and light to my left, light behind me
and light before me, light above me and light beneath me. Place light in my
nerves and light in my flesh, light in my blood, light in my hair and light in
my skin! Give me light, increase my light and make me light!”
[Annemarie Schimmel, And
Muhammad is His Messenger].
It is equally interesting to
note that the Prophet (s.a.w.) possessed no shadow.
Chapter
Two
The
Prophet’s Status and Position
The
Qur’an provides us with countless examples of the Prophet’s status and
position. For example Allah says, Say (O
Muhammad): “If you love Allah then follow me, and Allah will love you and
forgive your sins.” [Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:31]. It is equally interesting
to note that Jesus (a.s.) also uttered, “I
am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father except through
me.” In the Tradition of all true servants of the Creator, as His
Messengers, there was no other way to the Creator except through their example.
Muslims as such do not worship Muhammad but they adore him. This is where
Christianity went wrong with Jesus Christ.
The
Qur’an explicitly declares that the Prophet (s.a.w.) was sent as a ‘mercy
to creation’; that he was sent to both ‘jinn
and mankind’. In fact he was sent to the whole of creation i.e. the
vegetable kingdom, the animal kingdom etc, otherwise you will not come across
incidences mentioned in Ahadith of trees, stones etc speaking to the Prophet
(s.a.w.).
The
honoured position of the Prophet (s.a.w.) is so great that even on the Day of
Judgement all Prophets will seek His intercession (shafa’ah)
with Allah. Even during his Ascension to the Heavens (Me’raj) we find the Angel Gabriel (a.s.) unable to proceed beyond
a certain point in time. In this respect the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “I
have a time with Allah to which even Gabriel, who is pure spirit, is not
admitted.” If the Prophet Moses (a.s.) had to be content with His glory
cast upon a mountain face, well, the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) had the pleasure
of coming within the presence of Allah. The Qur’an describes it as the ‘distance
of two bow lengths’ which is indeed very close. [Surah Najm 53:9]. It is
here (the Arsh) that Allah spoke to
the Prophet (s.a.w.) directly without being seen.
When
the Prophet (s.a.w.) came in the presence of Allah, he said, "All
praises, greetings, honours and purity are for Almighty Allah". In
exchange Allah said, "O My Prophet,
My peace is on you". At this point in time the Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.) desired that his Ummah should be included in this peace of Allah, so he
said, "O Allah is your peace on us
and on your pious people?" Although the word "us" includes
everyone, the Prophet separated it by mentioning the Muslims in general, which
would include sinners also alongside the pious, thus making it possible for all
Muslims to enjoy peace from Allah (s.w.t.). That is why when Muslims read this
dialogue in their prayers they declare immediately, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His Messenger". Then Allah revealed directly Surah
Fatihah or the Opening Chapter of the Qur'an, together with the last verses of
Surah Baqarah. Allah then told Muhammad (s.a.w.) that these verses were not
given to any other Prophet before him.
The
Prophet (s.a.w.) was also bestowed the ‘Fountain of Abundance’ or Al-Kauthar during Me’raj. He said, “I saw a canal with beautiful jewels in it and surrounded by beautiful
green birds. Gabriel (a.s.) told me that this is Kauthar and Allah has given you
this canal. When I drank water from it, it was sweater than honey and perfume
better than musk”. Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, "I
was asked whether I want to be a Prophet and a King like the Prophet Solomon, or
I want to be a Prophet and Servant of Allah. I chose to be a Prophet and
Servant". This does give meaning to what and why we observe such to
give life and existence more meaning.
The
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is the object of our devotion simply because he is the
beloved of our Lord. A sound Hadith related by Imam Ahmad and Hakim relate the
following narration by Ubay bin Ka’ab: “I
once asked the Prophet (s.a.w.), ‘O Messenger of Allah, I invoke much. What
portion of that should be of prayer upon you?’ The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied,
‘However much you wish.’ To this I said, ‘A fourth?’ He replied, ‘If
you wish, but should you increase that number, it will be better for you.’ I
then asked, ‘A third?’ And he said, ‘If you wish, and if you increase it,
it is still better for you.’ ‘A half?’ I asked. He replied, ‘If you
wish, and if you do more, it is still better for you.’ I then said, ‘Indeed!
Then I shall make all my prayers upon you!’ To this he responded, ‘If you do
that, then you will be freed of anxiety and your wrongs pardoned!’”
The
Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Do not reflect
upon Allah but reflect on the blessings of Allah.” What greater blessings
can a Muslim possess in the personality of the Prophet (s.a.w.). And if you
think that you can manage this journey solely on your own then reflect upon the
Prophet’s words when he said, “Your
entry into paradise is not the result of your deeds but it is due to Allah’s
mercy.” And that mercy comes in
the form of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) who has been granted intercession for
his community on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (s.a.w.) is reported to have
said, “My intercession is for those from
my community who have committed grave sins,” and just how many of us can
claim to have not done so?
Chapter
Three
The
Relationship Between Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w.)
If
Allah is Merciful, then we find the Prophet (s.a.w.) being sent as a “mercy”
to creation. This relationship is present in the Shahadah,
the Declaration of Faith or the Witnessing of Allah and His Messenger. It cannot
be separated. If you did so, you would end up like Iblis, the Cursed, who
acknowledges Allah’s supremacy but refuses to acknowledge Adam (Mankind) to be
his superior. As such, there is no way you can undertake this journey to Allah
except through the example of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). If you tried doing
so by only directing your attention to Allah only, you would be no different
from Iblis (Lucifer).
Many
Muslims think that all you have to do is to focus your attention on Allah alone
as anything else would amount to shirk
(idolatry). Well, to some extent this is true in terms of idols etc, however, in
terms of truly succeeding, you will not succeed, because Allah has sent His
Beloved as an example to be followed, and not your own concoction of adherence
to Him. This has been verified in the following verses:
“And
thus have We by Our command, sent inspiration to you (O Muhammad). You knew not
what revelation was, and what faith was: but We have made the (Qur’an) a
light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily you do
guide to the
“If
anyone contends with the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed
to him, and follows a path other than that becoming men of faith, We shall leave
him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell – what an evil refuge!” [Surah
Nisa 4:115].
In
opposing such thought one could come up with a good number of Qur’anic verses
to say that Allah alone is sufficient. For example one could quote Surah Tawbah/Bara’ah
9:129: “But if they turn away, say: ‘Allah is sufficient for me; There is
no god but He: On Him is my trust – He is the Lord of the Throne (of Glory)
Supreme!’” and one would be right. But then one needs to view things in
perspective. In this instance the Prophet (s.a.w.) is commanded by Allah to
declare that sufficient is Allah for him. The same would be applicable to us
also, but in our context it has to be in accordance with what Allah’s
Messenger has taught us, and not some arrogant stand of independence without any
respect for the Prophet (s.a.w.). If it is further argued through this
Qur’anic verse: “Those whom they call
upon do desire (for themselves) means of access to their Lord – even those who
are nearest: They hope for His Mercy and fear His Wrath: for the Wrath of your
Lord is something to take heed of.” [Surah Isra’/Bani Isra’il 17:57],
as a means of rejecting any notion of help, then there is a need for us to
examine this verse in perspective.
What
we have here is a situation where every true believer in Allah desires to draw
close to Him, seeking His Pleasure, hoping for His Mercy and fearing His Wrath.
These are the states of one seeking wasilah
(closeness) to Allah. It has nothing to do with love for the Prophet
(s.a.w.) or the Saints, but rather it also signifies that they too desire the
same towards Allah. It in no way rejects what Allah has already bestowed upon
His Prophet (s.a.w.) in the form of intercession etc. As such, it is a misquoted
verse by the opponents of the Prophet and his Auliyah to show that they could do
nothing for you because they too fear Allah over the issue of shirk.
The
Qur’an provides us with an insight to the intimate relationship between Allah
and His Messenger (s.a.w.). In Surah Ahzab 33:56 it has been revealed, “Allah
and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe! Send you
blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.” In fact one could say
that there is not a single creature or thing that does not honour the Prophet
(s.a.w.). What is significant here is that Allah Himself and His Angels send
blessings on the Prophet (s.a.w.). Why would He want to do this if He did not
love the Prophet so much? Whereas with us, we are commanded to submit and
surrender ourselves to Allah, thus, proving the need to draw close to the one
(the Prophet) He loves most, so that we may enjoy His pleasure while submitting
ourselves to Him. This is an established approached to worshipping Allah, where
you worship none but Him, through a prescribed path revealed by Allah to
Muhammad (s.a.w.), His Messenger and Beloved. Reflect upon this sincerely and
you will find it truthful.
However,
do not exceed the limits of veneration towards the Prophet (s.a.w.) so as to
make him equal or greater than Allah – this would amount to the glorification
of Jesus in Christianity. Do not also develop the notion that if you did not
make mention of the Prophet’s name, Allah will not respond to your
supplications. This would amount to Shirk.
Instead, look upon the exercise as one that incurs Allah’s pleasure, for
when the name of His Beloved is mentioned, Allah is pleased, the Prophet too is
pleased, and for every salutation on the Prophet (s.a.w.), Allah rewards you ten
times!
The
Most Honoured of Prophets
All
Prophets and Messengers of Allah were honoured by Allah. For example, the
Prophet Abraham (a.s.) was known as the ‘Friend
of Allah’, Moses (a.s.) as the one
‘whom Allah spoke to’ [Surah Nisa 4:125], while Jesus (a.s.) was known
as ‘the Promise of Allah’ [Surah Nisa 4: 171], and the Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w.) as ‘His Servant’
and then only as ‘His
Messenger’.
The
Qur’an informs us towards the end of Surah Baqarah not to distinguish one
Prophet from the other, which means that Muslims respect all Prophets and
Messengers of Allah, beginning with Adam, right down to Jesus and ending with
Muhammad (may Allah be pleased with them all). However, we know from the Sayings
of the Prophet (s.a.w.) that he does enjoy a special relationship with Allah and
that all the Prophets will seek his intercession with Allah on the Day of
Judgement. Apart from this, no one has been bestowed more titles or names than
the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) in the Qur’an. Some of these are as follows:
1.
Muhammad
[The Praised One].
2.
Ahmad
[Surah Saff 61:6].
3.
Ya Sin
[Surah Ya Sin 36:1].
4.
Al-Muzzammil
– The Enfolded One [Surah Muzzammil 73:1].
5.
Al-Muddaththir
– The One Wrapped Up [Surah Muddaththir 74:1].
6.
‘Abdullah
– Servant of Allah.
7.
Shahid
– Witness [Surah Fath 48:8, Surah Ahzab 33:45].
8.
Mubashir
– Bearer of Glad Tidings [Surah Ahzab 33:45].
9.
Nadzir
– Warner [Surah Fath 48:8].
10.
Nadzirum Mubin
– Clear and Open Warner [Surah Dhariyat 51:50].
11.
Khataman Nabiyeen
– Seal of the Prophets [Surah Ahzab 33:40].
12.
Da’iyan Ilallah
– One who Invites to Allah [Surah Ahzab 33:46].
13.
Rahmah –
a Mercy [Surah Tawbah/Bara’ah 9:61].
14.
Rahmatal-lil-‘Alamin
– a Mercy to all Creatures [Surah Ambiya’ 21:107].
15.
Nabi
– Prophet.
16.
Rasul –
Messenger.
17.
Ra’ufur Rahim –
Most Kind and Merciful [Surah Tawbah/Bara’ah 9:129].
18.
Sirajun Munira –
as a Lamp spreading light [Surah Ahzab 33:46].
19.
Mundzir –
a Warner [Surah Ra’d 13:7].
20.
Hadi –
Guide [Surah Ra’d 13:7].
Chapter
Five
The
Beloved and Lover of Allah
Every
command of Allah becomes a responsibility of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and every
concern of the Prophet (s.a.w.) becomes a concern of Allah. Take for example the
Prophet’s desire to pray facing the Ka’bah. Allah says, “We
see the turning of your face to the heavens, now shall We turn you a Qiblah that
will please you. Turn then your face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque.” [Surah
Baqarah 2:144].
When
the Prophet (s.a.w.) was saddened at the loss of his beloved wife Khadijah, his
uncle and benefactor, Abdul Muttalib, Allah took note and rewarded him with Me’raj (Ascension to the Heavens). Even at Ta’if, when the
Prophet (s.a.w.) was badly treated, Allah dispatched the Angel Gabriel (a.s.) to
fulfil his every desire but he did not, preferring to seek Allah’s forgiveness
over his shortcomings and then to pray that they be spared. Such was the
intimate relationship between the ‘Lover’
and the ‘Beloved’. Who are we to
reduce this to some formal state of mere servantship?
Even
when Allah calls upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) to declare through revelation “I
am but a man like you.” [Surah Fussilat 41:6]. However, at the same time
we reminded that the Prophet, though human, has been blessed with revelation.
And when Allah declares, “Muhammad is no
more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him.” [Surah
Ali ‘Imran 3:144], the objective is to retain the natural human state and
perspective, lest we get carried away like the Christians over Jesus Christ,
viewing him as the Son of God. These
verses cannot be misused in a distorted manner to create the impression that the
Prophet (s.a.w.) is like you and me (ordinary human beings), when in fact he is
not. He is human but he is special and only one of his kind. So respect him and
grant him the honour that is due to him – that honour which has been bestowed
upon him by Allah Himself. Be mindful of this lest you incur Allah’s
displeasure. Be mindful of the fact that on the Day of Judgement the Prophet
(s.a.w.) will become a witness against you by the will of Allah [Surah Nahl
16:89].
One
should also be conscious of the fact that the Prophet (s.a.w.) was a person who
was concerned even over those who rejected Allah. Evidence of this can be found
in Surah Hijr 15:95-99, where Allah is aware of the Prophet’s distress over
what his opponents say, but all the same the Prophet (s.a.w.) is called upon to
strive with determination over what has been entrusted to him by Allah. Now just
how many people these days are concerned in this manner? Most are quick to draw
their swords against fellow Muslims just because they do not share the same view
point as theirs. Their determination is not one of tolerance or a willingness to
even listen to another point of view, but rather one that is over-zealous,
fanatical and at times violent.
The
Prophet (s.a.w.) was a very accommodating person, so much so that Allah had to
reveal the following verse to grant him relief. Allah says, “O
you who believe! Enter not the Prophet’s houses until permission is granted to
you for a meal (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation: but
when you are invited, enter: And when you have taken your meal, disperse,
without seeking familiar talk. Such annoys the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss
you but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.” [Surah Ahzab
33:53].
Anyone
annoying Allah and His Messenger will suffer severe punishment. Allah says: “Those
who annoy Allah and His Messenger – Allah has cursed them in this world and in
the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating punishment.” [Surah
Ahzab 33:57].
The
Prophet’s station (maqam) is such
that compliance with his Sunnah
(Practice) will see you together with him in Heaven. To this effect the Prophet
(s.a.w.) said, “O my son, the one who
has cherished my Sunnah, without doubt he has cherished me, and he who cherishes
me will be with me in
Chapter
Six
Seeking
Closeness to the Prophet (s.a.w.)
Over
the centuries, the issue of tawassul,
which means ‘beseeching’ or ‘supplicating’ the Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.), and the Saints has been hotly debated. The lexical meaning of tawassul is 'nearness' or a 'means' through which to reach a certain
goal. For instance, when it is said “wa
wassala ila Allah”, it means to perform a certain act for gaining
proximity to Allah. Accordingly “wasil”
here means being 'desirous of Allah'. Allah says, "O you who believe! Fear Allah and seek an approach unto Him”. [Surah
Ma’idah 5:35]. According to the prominent Sunni scholar, Sayyid Muhammad Alusi
al-Baghdadi, wasilah is a means of
imploring in order to gain nearness to Allah through good deeds and abstaining
from sins. For example when it is said "wasala
ila kadha”, it means a thing through which nearness is gained.
What
many fail to realise here is the difference between seeking the nearness of
Allah through the association of idols and through the association of His
Messenger (s.a.w.). The desert Arabs believed in Allah but they also looked upon
their gods as a means of drawing closer to Allah. This is not the prescribed way
revealed by Allah. The prescribed way involves the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
Allah has revealed, “And
thus have We by Our command, sent inspiration to you (O Muhammad). You knew not
what revelation was, and what faith was: but We have made the (Qur’an) a
light, wherewith We guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily you do
guide to the
According
to a narration wasilah is a position
in paradise which is reserved for only one person, and Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.). This is heard every day after the Call
to Prayer has been made in the form of a supplication to Allah. In the
opinion of the Wahabies, it is permissible to seek help from fellow humans, as
during wars and other affairs, if the person or the group who is being asked or
entreated has the power and ability to help but not the deceased. Alusi believes
that appealing to people, making them a wasilah
or means, and requesting them to supplicate Allah is permissible without the
least doubt, provided that the one who is being requested is alive, whether or
not the one who is petitioned is superior than the petitioner, since the Prophet
(s.a.w.) used to say to some of his companions: "O
brother do not forget us in your supplications to Allah." However,
Alusi is of the opinion that if the one who is being petitioned is not alive, it
is not permissible to request him for supplication. But Alusi adds that it is
permissible to supplicate at the shrine of the Prophet (s.a.w.), since the
Companions of the Prophet used to stand beside his shrine and supplicate Allah
using the wasilah of the Prophet (s.a.w.) while facing the Qiblah.
The
scholars of Islam ('ulama') are divided whether or not it is permissible after
the death of the Prophet (s.a.w.) to make him the means of supplication with
such phrases as “Allahumma inni asaluka
bi-Nabiyyika” – “O Allah! I beseech You through Your Prophet”, or “bi-jahi Nabiyyika” – “by the dignity of Your Prophet”, or
still “bi-Haqqi Nabiyyika” –
“for the sake of Your Prophet”. We come across three different opinions in
this regard.
All
jurists including Imam Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanafi and Hanbali scholars are
unanimous on the permissibility of this way of supplication, whether it was in
the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.w.) or whether it is after his passing away.
The Abbasid Caliph, Mansur al-Dawaniqi, once asked the Companion of the Prophet,
Malik Ibnu Anas (r.a.) the founder of the
The
Sunni scholar an-Nawawi in describing the manners and etiquette of making
pilgrimage to the shrine of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), writes, “The
pilgrim should face the shrine of the Messenger of Allah s.a.w., make him a
means tawassul towards reaching Allah and seek his wasilah as intercession, in
the same manner as the Bedouin who visited the Prophet's shrine and standing
beside it said, ‘Peace unto you O Messenger of Allah, I have heard Allah has
said: ...Had they, when they had wronged themselves, come to you and asked
Allah's forgiveness and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would
certainly have found Allah Most-Propitious, Most-Merciful.” – Surah Nisa
verse 64. “Therefore, I have come to you for forgiveness of my sins and
seeking your intercession with Allah”. [Al-Majmu',
vol. 8, p. 274; Fayd al-Qadir, vol. 2, p. 134; and in I'anah
al-Talibiyyin, p. 315.].
The
question that is raised here is whether it is possible to ask the Prophet
(s.a.w.) to seek Allah’s forgiveness when he is no longer alive amongst us?
Some say that is was permissible when the Prophet was alive. Others say that it
still can be done because spiritually the Prophet like everyone else is alive.
What we have here are several situations:
1.
People
do wrong themselves by sinning. They sin against Allah and may have also sinned
against the Prophet (s.a.w.) by slandering his good name intentionally or
unintentionally, by denying him his rights bestowed upon him by Allah.
2.
Had they
come to the Prophet (s.a.w.) seeking Allah’s forgiveness, Allah would have
forgiven them.
3.
And had
they sought the Prophet’s intercession with Allah, they would have been
forgiven by Allah.
This
most certainly reflects the unique position held by the Prophet (s.a.w.). The
question of him being present physically or not is a technical one, because
Islam does not address life in a physical sense only but also in a spiritual
sense, which means that what has been bestowed upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) remains
eternal.
So
we could say that one needs to ask forgiveness from Allah first, because He
reign’s supreme, after which one needs to seek forgiveness from those whom one
may have offended, regardless of them being alive or deceased, and in the case
of the Prophet (s.a.w.) you can seek his supplications to Allah for your
forgiveness. Whether it is granted or not is Allah’s prerogative, but
apparently the Qur’anic verse quoted indicates that it is accepted.
Throughout
the Qur’an we are constantly reminded of the need to submit ourselves to Allah
and to fear Him. This in no way comes into conflict with honouring and
respecting the Prophet (s.a.w.). Whether this is undertaken in moderation or
excessively, it should not lose sight of Allah’s position as the One only
worthy of worship. This is important, especially when we come across excessive
expressions of love for the Prophet (s.a.w.) in a physical material sense, where
a lot of money is spent decorating places during the Prophet’s birthday, which
could be put to better use helping the poor and needy. Such unwanted excesses
has led to the accusation of shirk (idolatry)
and bid’ah (innovation). Love for
the Prophet (s.a.w.) would be better expressed through righteous character,
discipline, servitude etc.
Ibnu
Qudamah Hanbali when defining the manner of visiting the shrine of the Prophet
(s.a.w.) writes in his book al-Mughni:
“Stand beside the tomb of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and say, ‘I have come to you for forgiveness of my sins and to seek your
intercession with Allah”. [Al-Mughni
ma' al-Sharh, vol. 3, p. 588 and al-Sharh
al-Kabir ma' al-Mughni, vol. 3, p. 494.].
The
Shafi'i scholar Imam Ghazali has allotted a special section in his book Ihya'
'Ulumud-Din concerning the manners of pilgrimage to the shrine of the
Prophet s.a.w. in order to repent and seek forgiveness from Allah. He writes: “The
Prophet should be made the means – the wasilah and the intercessor – shafi’,
and with face turned towards the tomb, the pilgrim should implore Allah for the
sake and position of the Prophet with the words: "O Allah, indeed You have
said, Had they, who had wronged themselves, come to you and asked Allah's
forgiveness and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have
certainly found Allah Most-Propitious, Most-Merciful.” [Surah Nisa 4:64].
“O Allah, surely we have heard Your words and we obey Your command, by coming
to Your Prophet to seek his intercession with You for our sins; how burdensome
and heavy are sins on our backs! We repent of slipperiness, we confess our
wrongs and our faults, accept our repentance for his sake, make Your Prophet
intercessor for us, and exalt us for the sake of his position and his rights
with You."
The
jurist Abu Yusuf relates from his teacher Abu Hanifah that it is not right for
anyone to call Allah except through His Names and Attributes, since He has
revealed, "And to Allah belong the beautiful Names, so call on Him
thereby." [Surah A’raf 7:180]. Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad
Shaybani also feel averse in invoking Allah by means of tawassul of the Prophet
and his position, on the assumption that the creatures have no right on the
Almighty Creator, and He showers His mercy on whomever He likes.
Ibnu
'Abidin, however, says in this regard: ‘True,
the creatures have no right whatsoever upon the Creator, but the Creator through
His favours has given rights to mankind. On this basis, he relates a Hadith
concerning the manners of supplication and tawassul: “Allahumma inni asaluka
bi-haqqi al-sa'ilina 'alayk” – “O Allah! I beseech you for the rights that
seekers have upon You.”
Alusi
al-Baghdadi quotes Ibnu 'Abdul Salam as saying that it is permissible to invoke
Allah for the sake of the Prophet (s), since Prophet Muhammad (s) is the leader
of the children of Adam. Alusi bases his reasoning on the hadith (hasan and
sahih) related by both Tirmidhi and Ahmad Ibnu Hanbal on the authority of
'Uthman bin Hunayf, which says that: “Once when a blind man asked the Prophet
(s.a.w.) to pray to Allah to grant him eyesight, he was told to make wudu'
(ablution) and recite the following supplication: ‘O
Allah! I request You and I have turned to
You through Your Prophet, the Prophet
of Mercy; O Messenger of Allah! I have turned to you as a means towards My God
for fulfilment of this wish of mine; O Allah! Accept his (Prophet's)
intercession (shafa'at) for me’.”
Alusi
thus believes that there is no objection in making tawassul to Allah by means of
the dignity (jah) and prime position
of the Prophet (s.a.w.), whether it is in his lifetime or after his death, since
dignity here refers to an attribute which is one of the attributes of Almighty
Allah. Alusi also says that tawassul by means of dignity of a person other than
the Prophet (s) is also permissible, provided that the one who is being
considered a wasilah has a station and position of dignity in the sight of
Allah.
The
famous Sunni scholar of India, Shaykh Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri in his book al-Muhannad
'ala al-Mufannid has collected the fatawa
or legal opinions of 75 leading Sunni scholars from different parts of the
Islamic world on the permissibility of tawassul
to the shrine of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). He writes: “In our opinion and that of our
teachers, pilgrimage to the shrine of the Master of Messengers (my soul be
sacrificed for him) is the most exalted of proximities, the most important of
blessings, and the greatest of means (wasilah) for attaining lofty ranks. It
could be said that it is an enjoinment almost to the degree of obligations, even
if it requires the trouble of a journey to perform it and there is no other
option other than to make efforts with life and wealth.”
Tawassul
to the Prophets, saints, pious persons, martyrs and the righteous during
supplications, whether in their lifetime or after their death, is permissible in
the following manner: “Allahumma inni
atawassalu ilayka bi-fulan an tujiba da'wati wa taqdia hajati” (O Allah! I
beseech you by means of so and so person, accept my supplication and grant my
request). The
point most overlooked here by both supporters and objectors, is the fact that
the final decision lies with Allah. He has the final say. However, we would like
to believe that the supplications of the ‘Friends of Allah’ (Auliyah)
are accepted because of their close proximity with Him and that they are not the
Friends of Satan.
The
individual must personally strive to improve upon his position himself, followed
by supplications seeking the assistance of the righteous through their own
supplications to Allah, as an added means. What we have here is a direct
supplication to Allah for help, followed by additional supplications seeking the
help of those who enjoy closeness to Allah. To purely depend on the
supplications of others without any personal effort would be in conflict with
the Shari’ah, for Allah does not help a person until he does so himself. It
could also lead to shirk (idolatry).
According
to Imam Taymiyyah there are three concepts of tawassul, of which two are deemed
correct, and according to Ibnu Taymiyyah, whoever rejects these two concepts of
tawassul is either an infidel or an apostate.
The
first is to draw close to the Prophet (s.a.w.) to reach Allah is indicative of
faith and love for the Prophet. For example, when we utter, “Allahumma
asaluka bi-Nabiyyika Muhammad”, which means, “O Allah! I beseech you for the sake of your Prophet, Muhammad,”
it indicates “I seek from You on the
basis of the faith and love which I have for Your Prophet.” The Qur’anic
verse, “and seek an approach unto Him", is a means of approaching
Allah by obedience to Him and His Messenger, for the Qur’an does state that “Whoever
obeys the Prophet has indeed obeyed Allah.”
The
second form according to Ibnu Taymiyyah can be found in the actions of the
Companions and their Companions through the example of the Caliph ‘Umar (r.a.)
who supplicated, "O
Allah! Whenever drought afflicted us we made tawassul to You through our Prophet
and now we make tawassul to You through the uncle of our Prophet. Send down rain
for us."
The
third form is rejected by Ibnu Taymiyyah, where he says that making an oath or
invoking Allah by the right of the Prophet (s.a.w.) as a form of tawassul was
neither done during the lifetime of the Prophet nor after him by his Companions.
Abu Hanifah (r.a.) said, “Do
not say asaluka bi-haqqi anbiya'ika - I invoke You by the right of Your
Prophet.”
The
technicality between the second and third form of Tawassul is rather thin
because seeking the Prophet’s intercession with Allah is actually making use
of a right bestowed by Allah upon His Prophet himself. This means that one is in
fact invoking the Prophet’s intercession, which in this case is not shirk,
but a bounty bestowed upon the Prophet and his Ummah. Whether this
permissibility takes place now or on the Day of Judgement has also been debated.
However many believe it exist even now as it does when you visit the Prophet’s
grave at Medinah, for the Prophet himself said that when a person visits him and
offers him salutation after his death, it would be the same as if he visited him
when he was alive.
There
is one particular aspect that deserves some consideration. For example, it is
reported in Sahih Muslim that when the Prophet (s.a.w.) was asked about the fast
on the day of Arafah, he said, “It
expiates the sins of the previous year and that of the following year.”
Initially, one might considered it an opportunity for abuse by those who might
get the notion that they can get away with sin the following year, which means
that there is a need to view things in perspective.
Take the occasion when the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, "Whoever says, ‘There is no god but Allah’, he will enter Paradise ." The person who was told this went around spreading its message to the dismay of Sayyidna ‘Umar (r.a.) who dragged him back to the Prophet, to enquire whether he had said such. The Prophet (s.a.w.) true to his word said that he did, to which ‘Umar (r.a.) expressed his concern because the people might not exert any effort towards improving themselves. The Prophet however di not budge from his stand.
Though
‘Umar (r.a.) was right, it has to be also acknowledged that the fundamental
principle of shirk (attributing a thing to Allah) is an unforgivable sin
mentioned in Surah Nisa 4:48, where “Allah
forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but forgives anything else
to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Him is to devise a sin most heinous
indeed,” does support the Prophet’s statement. So while there is a need
to possess a balanced view, every word uttered remains true to it word.
In
the final analysis one has to be aware that every word of the Prophet (s.a.w.)
is backed by Allah, and though Allah has the final say, the word of His Prophet
enjoys special preference in his sight, regardless of whether you agree or not.
The Prophet’s way was chivalrous and virtuous. He was never aggressive or
belligerent. He fought valiantly with sheer determination. He never fought out
of desire, and is reported to have said to this effect, “Never
seek war but ask Allah for peace. However, should war come then be brave.”
Often many get this notion that fighting for Allah’s cause is something
that every Muslim should look forward to. However, most overlook the fact that
permission has been granted by Allah to those who have been oppressed, forced
out of their homes and land. It is these people who have been granted the right
to wage war against their enemies, to seek them out and to kill, because death
is better than slavery. [Surah Nisa 4:74-76, Surah Hajj 22:39-40]
It
is not a war fought for the sake of waging war but rather it is based on a just
cause, a human right to existence, a desire for peace. As such, Muslims should
never be apologetic about it, nor should they try to rewrite the Qur’an by
interpreting the concept of Jihad as a misplaced one, or that in modern times
the ‘purification of the self’ is a far greater battle than the one fought
at the battle field. Both deserve our attention.
The
true objective of war is peace for Allah’s sake and for peace to survive it
has to exist on love and affection, justice and strength. Only in this manner
can justice be enforced, otherwise, it is a kind of imposition by man upon
mankind in the name of justice. So what Islam projects is a just cause against
oppression and disbelief, because if you had faith in God, you would act justly,
and by not acting justly you observed disbelief.
This
is not all. The Qur’an also requires the halting of all hostilities against
the enemy if the enemy is inclined towards peace. “And
fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails
justice and faith in Allah, altogether and everywhere; But if they cease, verily
Allah does see all that they do.” [Surah Anfal 8:39].
Mankind
has only two choices, truth and justice or falsehood and oppression. You don’t
have to be a Muslim to be on the right side of justice. And there is no way we
can escape from this obligation. Allah has revealed, Say:
“If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates, or your
kindred; The wealth that you have gained; The commerce in which you fear a
decline; or the dwellings in which you delight, are dearer to you than Allah and
His Messenger, or striving in His cause – then wait until Allah brings about
His decision: And Allah guides not the rebellious.” [Surah Tawbah 9:24].
The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was magnanimous in war. Except for a few individuals, the residents of Makkah were spared and treated well. Those who embraced Islam were bestowed gifts, so much so that the Ansar of Medinah felt that they had been neglected. On hearing about this, the Prophet (s.a.w.) assembled them and asked them what would be better, having the Prophet amongst their midst or these gifts. The Ansar immediately sought the forgiveness of the Prophet (s.a.w.). No one could or can even today, discredit the Prophet (s.a.w.) in any way. Allah says, “You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah.” [Surah Ahzab 33:21].
Chapter
Seven
Respecting
the Prophet (s.a.w.)
Allah
the Exalted has revealed, “O you who
believe, do not proceed ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Surely
Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. O you who believe, do not raise your voices
above the voice of the Prophet, and be not loud when speaking to him, as you are
loud when speaking to one another, lest your good deeds become void while you
are not aware. Surely, those who lower their voices before Allah’s Messenger
are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety; for them there is
forgiveness and a great reward. As for those who call you from behind the
apartments, most of them lack understanding. Had they remained patient until you
came out to them, it would have been much better for them. And Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very Merciful”. [Surah Hujurat 49:1-5]
The
words:
“Do
not proceed ahead of Allah and His Messenger” indicates
adab (respect and good manners)
towards Allah and His Messenger. This generally means that one should not speak
ahead of Allah and His Messenger (s.a.w.). One should wait for the Prophet
(s.a.w.) to offer a reply and not interrupt him while he is speaking, or to
speak before he has spoken. Likewise if he is walking, no one should overtake
him. If anyone is sitting in a dinning session, then no one should start to eat
until he has started eating. However, if permission is granted by the Prophet
(s.a.w.) to undertake any of these duties, then it is alright to do so. This is
what the Qur’anic verse generally depicts.
Scholars
in Islam have adopted this adab and
they consider it respectful towards all Islamic Scholars and Spiritual Guides
(Shaykhs) because they are the successors of the Prophet (s.a.w.). This is based
on the argument that one day when the Prophet (s.a.w.) saw Syyidna Abu Darda
(r.a.) walking in front of Sayyidna Abu Bakr (r.a.), he reprimanded him saying, “You
are walking in front of a person who is better than you in this world and in the
Hereafter”. The Prophet (s.a.w.) then added, “The sun did not rise or set on any man better than Abu Bakr in the
world besides the Prophets”. [Ruhul
Bayan, on the authority of Kashful Asrar].
“…Do
not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet and be not loud when
speaking to him, as you are loud when speaking to one another, lest your good
deeds become void while you are not aware”.
This
is another act of adab (etiquette)
that should be observed. When this verse was
revealed the Companions became so mindful that at times the Prophet (s.a.w.) had
difficulty hearing them. Syyidna Abu Bakr (r.a.) said, “By
Allah! O Messenger of Allah, from now on till my last breath, I shall speak to you as if someone is whispering”. [Ad-Durrul Manthur on the authority of
Baihaqi].
When
this verse was revealed Syyidna ‘Umar’s voice became so low that the Prophet
(s.a.w.) had to ask him to repeat what he had said, so that he could be
understood. And when Thabit Ibnu Qays (r.a.), who had a naturally loud voice,
heard this, he became fearful that all his good deeds would be lost and wept in
the Prophet’s presence. [Ad-Durrul
Manthur on the authority of Baihaqi]. Now why would he want to weep? He wept
because all his good deeds would be lost even
if he was not aware that his behaviour was bad! This means that all such
conduct is bad and prohibited. Anyone behaving in such a manner loses Allah’s
support.
“As
for those who call you from behind the apartments, most of them lack
understanding. Had they remained patient until you came out to them, it would
have been much better for them.”
This is another adab (etiquette) for us to follow. At the time in Madinah, the Prophet (s.a.w.) had nine wives. Each one had an apartment, and you would not know in which apartment he was, so you can imagine if someone wanted to see him, he would shout out his name. Respectful people do not.
What has been presented here clearly indicates why you should love the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). The notion that Allah is enough is only valid from a point of conviction of faith and reliance, but from a relationship point of view, its validity become a reality only when Allah's beloved is given due recognition and respect, otherwise you faith would be no different from that of Satan! So put aside your ego, envy and so-called intellect, when you try to reduce the Prophet (s.a.w.) to a common insignificant human being, whose only duty is to receive revelation from Allah, and then to convey it. The Prophet (s.a.w.) is not an office by or peon. He is Allah Messenger. Be mindful of you criticism in your efforts to prove your state of righteousness, for it will incur Allah's displeasure and lead you to Hell.