Al-Haqiqat al-Muhammadiyya

Qasida Mudariyya

2008-04-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

O Allah, Send blessings upon the Chosen One al-Mukhtar from the tribe of Mudar and upon the messengers and all the prophets that have been previously mentioned.

And send blessings, O my Lord, upon the Guide and his followers,
and upon his companions who spread to maintain the religion.

They fought with him, and strove for Allah,

migrated and sheltered him and were thus victorious.

Imam Sharaf al-Din Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Busairi

Tasliya Ibn 'Arabi

2008-04-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

May Allah's salvation be with Muhammad,
Whose (real) state is not known to us.

Ibn 'Arabi

2008-03-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

2008-03-20T16:03:00.000-07:00

You, when you were born, the earth was lit
And with your light so was the sky

Profetens onkel, Sayyiduna 'Abbas

Kilde: Ghulam-e-Mustafa

Kærlighed og Respekt for den Oplyste By

2008-03-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Imām ash-Shāfi'ī sagde:

Jeg bemærkede nogle heste fra Khorosan uden for Maliks [Ibn Anas] dør. Jeg har aldrig set andre heste der var bedre end dem. Jeg sagde til Malik, "Hvor er de smukke!" Han sagde, "Disse er en gave fra mig til dig." Jeg sagde, "Behold en for dig selv for ridning." Han sagde, "Jeg vil være skamfuld foran Allah over at træde med et dyrs hove på den jord hvor Hans Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) ligger." (Ihya 'Ulum id-Din, bind 1, kapitel 1)

Imam Malik (Allah være ham Nådig) er blot ét eksempel ud af utallige fra de tidligste generationer af folk med en sand og oprigtig kærlighed til Allahs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham). Dette er hvad en af de mest væsentlig ting der mangler blandt muslimer i dag; en oprigtig kærlighed til Allah (Den Ophøjede) og Hans Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham). [Fundet via Muwatta]

Imam al-Qadi 'Iyad al-Maliki ('alayhi al-Rahma) skrev i sit mesterværk, al-Shifa:

»There is no difference of opinion (la khilaf) in that the grave of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) is the most virtuous land on earth.« (al-Shifa’ bi ta’rif huquq al-Mustafa, side 595)

Og må Allahs fred og velsignelser være med vor Mester Profeten Muhammad, hans noble familie og ædle ledsagere.

Kilde: Ghulam-e-Mustafa

2008-03-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

wa shaqqa lahu min ismihi liyujillahu
fa dhul-'arshi Mahmūdun wa hādhā Muhammadu

And He drew out for him [a name]
from His own Name so as to dignify him greatly:

The Owner of the Throne is the Glorious [Mahmūd],
and this is the Praiseworthy [Muhammad]!

Profetens ledsager, Hassan ibn Thabit

Kilde: Ghulam-e-Mustafa

Āl al-Bait

2007-08-28T08:05:00.000-07:00

Min familie er som Noahs ark. Den, som går ombord på den vil blive reddet. Og den som vender sig væk fra den vil gå til grunde.
Hadith Sharif

Foto: © Sheila Sakhi, 2007.
Sayyida Zaynabs maqam, Profetens barnebarn [Allahs fred og velsignelser være med Profeten og hans velsignede familie], Damaskus, Syrien.

Ahl al-Bayt: Profetens Velsignede og Noble Familie

Āl al-Bait

Profetens Velsignede Urin

2007-04-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

An outstanding scholar, mystic and exegete, Isma'il Haqqi al-Barusi says in his exegesis of the Qur'an entitled, 'Ruwh al-Bayan', 'His noble hair is from the vegetation of Jannah, His saliva is from the honey of Jannah and His Urine, as some hukama say, is from the water of Jannah.'

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Den Velsignede Mawlid

2007-03-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

The Blessed Mawlid
Imam Zaid Shakir

One of the most blessed events in the history of humanity was the birth of the beloved Prophet Muhammad on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. The gravity of this day is associated with the magnitude of the one born during it. The following narration should suffice in conveying the magnitude of the Prophet. As related by ‘Irbad b. al-Sariyah al-Sulam, may God be pleased with him, the Prophet said,

"I was ordained by God, in the Preserved Tablet, to be the seal of the prophets, at a time when Adam was still lifeless clay. I am the answer to the prayer of Abraham. I am the glad tiding that Jesus, peace be upon him, gave to his people. I am the fulfillment of the vision of my mother when she witnessed a light emerging from her [at the time of my birth], which illuminated the palaces of Syria. The mothers of all of the prophets witnessed a similar vision..."

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2007-03-27T12:39:00.001-07:00

2007-03-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Round you the universe rotates,
From you I beg a kindly glance.

My knowledge, thought meditation are you,
My boat, ocean and storm are you.

The shrine of your street is my refuge,
hopefully have I run unto you.

Ah! The agony of my body and soul,
A glance of yours is the sovereign remedy.

Like Busiri I beg deliverance from you,
That the day that was may never return again.

Your mercy on the sinners is greater,
In forgiveness it is like mother's love.

'Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Forårets Gave

2007-03-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Spring's Gift
By Hamza Yusuf

I envy the sand that met his feet

I’m jealous of honey he tasted sweet

Of birds that hovered above his head

Of spiders who spun their sacred web

To save him from his enemies

I envy clouds formed from the seas

That gave him cover from the heat

Of a sun whose light could not compete

With his, whose face did shine so bright

That all was clear in blinding night

I envy sightless trees that gazed

Upon his form completely dazed

Not knowing if the sun had risen

But felt themselves in unison

With those who prayed, and fasted too

Simply because he told them to

With truth and kindness, charity

From God who gave such clarity

His mercy comes in one He sent

To mold our hearts more heaven bent

I envy all there at his side

Who watched the turning of the tide

As truth prevailed and falsehood fled

And hope restored life to the dead

Men and Women through him found grace

To seek together God’s noble face

I envy the cup that gave him drink

His thoughts that helped us all to think

To be one thought that passed his mind

Inspiring him to act so kind

For me this world is not one jot

If I could simply be a thought

From him to God throughout the ages

As revelation came in stages

I pity all who think it odd

To hear him say there is one God

Or he was sent by God to men

To hone their spirits’ acumen

It’s pride that blinds us from the sight

That helps good men to see his light

He taught us all to be God’s slaves

And he will be the one who saves

Humanity from sinful pride

Muhammad has God on his side

So on this day be blessed and sing

For he was born to grace our Spring

With lilies, flowers, life’s rebirth

In a dome of green like his on earth

2007-03-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

Muhammad er menneske, dog ej som menneskeheden;
Han er en rubin, hvor andre mennesker er som sten.

Hassan ibn Thabit

The Shimmering Light

2007-03-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

Shaykh al-Habib 'Umar bin Hafidhs Diyâ' al-Lâmi' bi dhikri mawlid al-Nabi al-shâfi': The Shimmering Light in mentioning the birth of the interceding Prophet

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En Bøn for Profetens Umma

2007-03-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, one of the righteous imams of the early Muslims (salaf), said,

"Whoever says,

اللهم أصلح أمة محمد اللهم فرج عن أمة محمد أللهم ارحم أمة محمد

‘Allahumma aslih Ummata Muhammad
Allahumma farrij 'an Ummati Muhammad
Allahumma Rham Ummata Muhammad
[salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam]

(O Allah, improve the state of the Umma of Muhammad
O Allah, grant ease to the Umma of Muhammad
O Allah, have mercy on the Umma of Muhammad), '

ten times every day will be written down as one of the highest of elect believers (abdal)."

[Abu Nu'aym, Hilyat al-Awliya , 8.366]

Why? The Prophet of Mercy (peace and blessings be upon him) said,

"Have mercy on those on earth, and the Lord of the Skies will have mercy on you."

[Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Bukhari in his al-Adab al-Mufrad from Abd Allah ibn Amr (Allah be pleased with him)]

Fundet via Seekers Digest

Mawlid al-Barzanji

2007-03-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

O Allah, scent his grave with an aromatic fragrance of blessings and peace
O Allah, bless him, grant him peace and barakah

Mawlid al-Barzanji

.....

Mawlid al-Barzanji: Arabisk tekst

Mawlid al-Barzanji: Engelsk tekst

Salaam in Mawlid un-Nabi of Imam Barzanji

Dhu al-Faqar

2007-02-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dhu al-Faqar is the name of this sword, taken as booty by the Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Badr. It is reported that the Prophet Muhammad gave the sword to Ali b. Abi Talib, and that Ali returned from the Battle of Uhud covered with blood from his hands to his shoulders, having Dhu al-Faqar with him. Many sources report that this sword remained with Ali b. Abi Talib and his family, and that the sword had two points, perhaps represented here by the two lines ingraved on the blade.

Photograph taken from Muhammad Hasan Muhammad al-Tihami, Suyuf al-Rasul wa 'uddah harbi-hi (Cairo: Hijr, 1312/1992).

Swords of the Prophet Muhammad

Arab News: The Prophet as a Man: Using Weapons

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah: The Prophet's Weapons and Furniture

Shama'il Tirmidhi: The Sword of Rasulallah, peace be upon him

For Thy Sake

2007-02-11T10:57:00.000-08:00

For Thy Sake

The earth and the age are made for thy sake; the dwellers and their abodes are made for thee
the 'why' and 'how' (knowledge) is there for thee; this world and the next are also for thee!

The tongue in our mouth is made for thee; this soul in our bodies is made for thee we came here, were born for thy sake; we rise on that day [hereafter] for thy sake.

Mūsā, Nūĥ, 'Îsā, Ādam, Ibrāhim, Ismā'īl; all the Messengers and all the Prophets ('alayhimu as-salawāt wa-t taslīm)
Abu Bakr and 'Umar; 'Uthmān and 'Ali (rađiyAllāhu 'anhum) praise thee!

It is your light; and your radiance; it is thy sparkle and thy perfume
in the earth and in the heavens; in the stars and the skies [simāk is constellation; samak is the roof or the sky]

For thee is this sun; and thine is the moon; this night and the day; the plants and the trees; the gardens and fruits
For you is the sword, for you the soldier; the crown and the power are all for thee.

These blessings and grants; your favors abound; the world lives on by uttering your name
The world takes thy charity; and all these honors are granted for thy sake!

You sent the clouds of mercy for the world to drink in the water of blessings
You mended the tears in our clothes, and covered our shame, our sins for us.

Billions of bounties; banishing our agony; and wondrous blessings without even asking
All this mercy of the Lord is for whose sake? For thee my master, by the Lord of the Worlds!

Not just men and jinn; but angels too throughout the day [and night] stand in your service
It is not foreheads and heads that prostrate; but our hearts that fall down in reverence for thee!

Gardens in paradise; and in those gardens are groves; and the groves are adorned and in those adornments are beautiful brides!
The fruit of labor is thus rewarded! tranquillity and peace is thus granted for thy sake!

Ibrāhīm, Nūĥ; 'Îsā and Ādam; we went to all of them to help us but they couldn’t
And the entire creation is made to turn towards thee, and this glory is only for thee!

You split the moon with a gesture; you brought back the sun
You restored the day back to evening after it had set; these lights and illumination are all for thee!

The swift breeze blows for the gardens to blossom; the flowers bloom for our days to be pleasing
and under the Standard, may Raza's mouth open only to praise thee, my master!

Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam

Imam Ahmed Raza Khan Barelwi (1272-1340AH/1856-1921AD)

Fundet via Aálâ Hazrat

Hjerternes Medicin

2007-02-11T09:22:00.000-08:00

Dette er en bestemt salāt (lovprisning, hilsen) som man sender over Profeten Muhammad (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) og som hjælper imod depression o.l. tilstande. Den, såvel som andre fredshilsener og lovprisninger af Allāh og Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham), bør reciteres meget, som et middel til at opnå nærhed til Profeten (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) og dermed Allāhs accept og tilfredsstillelse, men også for simpelthen at opnå en indre ro og fred, for Allāhs Nåde omfatter den som benævner og lovpriser Allāhs elskede Profet (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham).

Allāhumma salli 'alā Sayyidinā Muhammad,

Tibbi l-qulūbi wa dawā'iha,
wa Nūri l-absari wa dayā'iha,
wa 'Āfiyati l-abdāni wa shifā'iha,

wa 'alā ālihi wa sahbihi wa sallim.

Og dens betydning:
Oh Allāh! Send fred og velsignelser over vor Mester Muhammad,

Hjerternes medicin og deres kur,
Øjnenes lys og deres oplysning,
Kroppenes velvære og deres helbredelse,

og over hans familie og ledsagere.

Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med vor Mester al-Mustafā, hans rene familie og alle hans ædle ledsagere.

Fundet via Muwatta

2006-10-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Qasidat al-Burda al-Sharif

2006-10-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

Burdah night at Zaytuna Institute:

Part 1
Part 2

Det kræver Quicktime player for at kunne se videoen.

Profeten som Lærer

2006-10-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

An education system is judged by its universality, comprehensiveness, and quality of its students. The Prophet’s students were ready to convey his message throughout the world. The message they conveyed, being universal in nature and valid for all times and places, found a ready acceptance among people of different races, religious backgrounds, intellectual levels, and age differences from modern-day Morocco and Spain to the Philippines, from the Russian steppes to the heart of Africa. Its principles remain valid. Despite numerous upheavals and changes, as well as social, economic, intellectual, scientific, and technological revolutions, his system remains the most unique and original, so much so that it is the hope of the future of humanity.

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En Længsel efter Madina i mit Hjerte

2006-10-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Lyset fra månen skinner
Til månen stjernerne binder
Atter freden, de finder

Tvivlen i vore hjerter svinder
Intet er tilbage end minder
Synet af Profetens by optrapper

En dag i Madina vil jeg sige
O Madina, dig vil jeg altid hige
Aldrig vil jeg fra dig vige
Intet andet sted er dit lige

I Madina vil jeg være hvert øjeblik
Et smukt tilbageblik

Opslugt er jeg af Deres kærlighed
Betaget af Deres dristighed
Gjort skør, af deres ekstreme barmhjertighed

© Maryam Khan

Ya Nurallah

2006-10-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yâ RasûlAllâh, dit Nûr skinner fra dit sted
Dit hellige sted er langt fra os, men du bor i vor hjerter
og vor hjerter bor i Madînat al-Munawwarah

Du er vor mester, du er vor Rasûl, du er menneskehedens forbillede
Du er den barmhjertigste af Allâhs skabninger
Du er vor håb, du er vor elskede Nabiy
Du er lyset, som oplyser Universet-
Håbet som vi har i vor hjerter og sind

Du er den velsignede, den mirakuløse Nabiy [sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallim]
Vor hjerter længes efter dig, yâ HabîbAllâh ['alayhi salâtu salâm]
Vor øjne længes efter at se dit Nûr
Vor hænder længes efter at røre dine velsignede ejendele,
Yâ Nabiy, du er velsignet, du er ophøjet, vi er ej værdige i forhold til dig
Du er os nær, lad os være dig nær

Du er Nûri Allâh og vi er skabt af jord og vand,
Vi er ikke ej værdige til at lovprise, den lovpriste
Men stadig er as-salâm, det vor læber ytre, yâ HabîbAllâh [sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallim]
Når vi lovpriser dig, så bliver vor hjerter varme af den velsignelse,
der kommer fra dit navn; Muhammad [sallallâhu 'alayhi wa sallim]
Du er vor Rasûl , du er i vor hjertet.
Du er det rene îmân - du er den sande muslim
Yâ Nûr Allâh, yâ Habîb Allâh, yâ Murshida Allâh, yâ Imâm al-musalîn

as-salâtu wa salâmu 'alayka yâ Sayyidi yâ Muhammad, yâ RasûlAllâh, yâ HabîbAllâh

© Safaa Chamali og Maryam Khan

The Invocations of Blessings and Peace

2006-10-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Invocation of Blessings and Peace upon the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace.)

Translated by Khalid Williams from ‘Abwab al-Faraj’ by the esteemed Sheikh Muhammad bin Alawi al-Maliki al-Hassani, may Allah forgive and be pleased with him, who died in Makkah in Ramadan, 2004

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Among the greatest means of obtaining ease in times of hardship is invocating blessings and peace upon the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace), which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) himself clarified for us how in a tradition narrated by Ubai bin Ka’ab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said; ‘I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I supplicate often, so how much of my supplication should I devote to you?’ He replied, ‘as you desire’. I said, ‘a quarter of it?’ He said ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ I said, ‘half of it?’ He said, ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ I said, ‘two-thirds of it?’ He said again, ‘as you desire, but if you were to increase upon this, it would be better for you.’ Finally I said, ‘and if I dedicate my supplication in its entirety to you?’ He said, ‘then your needs will be satisfied, and your sins forgiven.’[1]

It is clear that he whom Allah satisfies his worldly needs has been truly blessed with Allah’s kindness and mercy. He also has been given security from all that he fears, and has attained the utmost protection from all harm and evils; indeed he is carried aboard the ship of salvation. This means he is secure from all things which create worries and needs, secure from poverty, debt, subjugation, weakness, disease, fear, and all other calamities and disasters; he has guaranteed that his worldly affairs will be upright and good. . And should he obtain, alongside this, forgiveness from the sins and salvation from the perils of the Day of Resurrection, so that he may enter Paradise in peace, he has most certainly guaranteed that his affairs in the Hereafter will be good and upright, too.

What more could the worshipper require besides this? And all of this is obtained through invoking blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace); with it lies the key to guaranteeing goodness in the affairs of this life, and in the Hereafter.

We will now give mention to some of the benefits of invocating blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace), by way of drawing from the works of the scholars of Islam, namely Sheikh ibn al-Qayyim, and Sheikh ibn Hajar al-Haytami.

1 Responding to the order of Allah, Exalted and Magnificent.[2]

2 Following the lead of Allah, Exalted and Magnificent in the sending of blessings upon His Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace), although the blessings (Salawat) differ, being from us supplication and request, and being from Allah exaltation and ennoblement.

3 Following the Angels in invocation of the Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace), also.

4 The attainment of ten blessings from Allah for the one who invokes one blessing upon His Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace).[3]

5 He who sends blessing upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), Allah raises him by ten degrees.

6 He also has written for him ten good deeds.

7 He also has erased from his record ten bad deeds.[4]

8 The invocation increases the chance of one's supplication being answered if it follows the supplication, as the invocation of blessings upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) lifts those supplications up to the Lord of the Worlds which were stalled between the heavens and the earth. [5]

9 It is a means to receive the intercession of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace), whether or not a specific intercession is sought.

10 It is a means to have one's sins forgiven.

11 It is a means for Allah to satisfy his bondman’s worldly needs.

12 It is a means to draw near to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) on the Day of Resurrection.[6]

13 It compensates for giving charity for those who are too poor to give it.

14 It is a means of fulfilling one's needs (Qada’ al-Hawa’ij)

15 It is a means to receive the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and give him peace) blessings, and the Angels likewise.[7]

16 It is a means of purification for he who invokes it.

17 For one who sends blessings on him (may Allah bless him and give him peace) it is glad tidings in his life that he has been granted his place in Paradise as is mentioned by Al-Hafiz Abu Musa in his book on the matter, for which he brought Hadith as evidence.

18 It is a means of salvation from the horrors of the Day of Resurrection, as also mentioned by Abu Musa with evidence.

19 It is a means for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) to return the blessings and greeting upon he who invokes it.[8]

20 It is a means of ennobling a meeting or gathering and a means to prevent any ill talk or conduct occurring therein, so that it will not return upon its participants as a hardship on the Day of Resurrection.[9]

21 It is a means to remember something which has been forgotten.

22 It is a safeguard against poverty.

23 It saves one from being branded a miser if one were to omit it upon the Prophet’s name (may Allah bless him and give him peace) being mentioned.[10]

24 It saves one from being cursed and disgraced because the one who omits the blessings and prayers upon hearing the Prophet's name (may Allah bless him and give him peace) risks receiving Allah's anger.[11]

25 It keeps the one who invokes it steadfast upon the path to Paradise, and keeps he who neglects it from traveling the path.

26 It safeguards a meeting from turning ill; a meeting without the mention of Allah Exalted and His Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace), and without the praise and glorification of Allah and the invocation of blessings on His Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace) has no blessing nor benefit.

27 It is a cause for the perfection of any speech which begins with the praise of Allah the Exalted and the blessings of His Messenger (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

28 It is a cause for the bondman to find light cast in abundance in his life to guide him on the Straight Path.

29 It refines the worshipper's character and manners.

30 It is a means for Allah to preserve those in the heavens and the earth praising and commending he who invokes it.

31 It is a means of the worshipper to obtain blessing for himself in his work, life and provision.

32 It is a means of obtaining the mercy of Allah.

33 It sustains, increases and multiplies love for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace), which is among the core bases of Faith, without which faith cannot be complete.

34 It earns the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and give him peace) love for the bondsman.

35 It is a means of the worshipper’s guidance, and a source of vitality for his heart.

36 It causes the worshipper’s name to be shown to the Prophet, and the mention of the worshipper to him (may Allah bless him and give him peace).[12]

37 It is a means for the worshipper to find ease upon crossing the pass over the Hellfire.

38 Invoking blessing and peace upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) is an infinitesimal recompense of his right upon us, and of the thanks which we owe for the grace which Allah has bestowed upon us by sending him (may Allah bless him and give him peace), although what he truly deserves is innumerable, either for us to comprehend or to bestow, or even to will. However Allah, because of His Boundless Generosity, is pleased with his bondsmen even with the small amount of thanks they can offer.

39 Invoking blessing and peace upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) in itself contains remembrance of Allah the Exalted, and is an expression of thanks to Him and a recognition of His immense favour upon His bondsmen by sending him (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

Appendix

It is narrated[13] that Abu Ja’far, the Commander of the Believers, asked Imam Malik, ‘O Abu Abdullah! Should I face the Qiblah and supplicate, or face the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) and supplicate?’ Malik replied, ‘and why would you turn your face away from him, and he is your intercessor, and the intercessor of your father Adam (may peace be upon him) on the Day of Judgement? Face him, and seek his intercession, for Allah has said: “If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, come unto you and asked Allah's forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.”’[14]

NOTES

[1] Narrated by Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and Hakim, who declared it to be a rigorously authenticated tradition of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).

[2] Qur’an 33:56; ‘Verily, Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you who believe! Send blessings on him, and salute him with a worthy salutation.’ (check another translation)

[3] Muslim narrated in his Sahih from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘he who invokes blessings on me once, Allah sends ten blessings upon him.’

[4] Al-Nisa’i narrated in ‘Invocations of the day and night’, from ‘Umar bin Dinar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘he of my community who invokes blessings upon me sincerely, Allah will bless him ten fold and raise him ten degrees, and he will have written for him ten good deeds, and erased from his record ten bad deeds.’

[5] Tirmidhi narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said ‘Verily, supplications are stalled between the heavens and the earth, and are not lifted up until the supplicant invokes blessings upon the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace).’

[6] Tirmidhi related from Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘the closest people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who invoked the most blessings upon me.’

[7] Tirmidhi narrated from ‘Amir bin Rani’ah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘he who invokes blessings upon me, the Angels send blessings upon him equal to that which he invoked, so let the worshipper invoke some, or increase upon that.’

[8] Abu Dawood related in his Sunan from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘No-one greets me except that Allah returns my soul to me, so that I may return his greeting.’ He also related, as did Al-Nisa’i and ibn Majah, from Aws bin Aws (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘Verily, your best day is Friday, so invoke blessings upon me in abundance on this day, for your invocation is shown to me.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! How can our invocations be shown to you after your bones have turned to dust? He replied ‘Verily, Allah has forbidden the earth from consuming the bodies of the Messengers.’ Al-Nawawi declared them both rigorously authenticated traditions (in his book 'Al-Adhkar' and elsewhere).

[9] Tirmidhi said that many of the People of Knowledge considered that if a single man invokes blessings on the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) during a meeting, this will be sufficient for the whole meeting (see Al-Adhkar, number 301)

[10] Tirmidhi related from ‘Ali (may Allah beautify his countenance) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘he who, when I am mentioned before him, fails to invoke blessings upon me is a miser.’

[11] Tirmidhi related from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘disgraced (Ar. raghima anf) be the man who, when I am mentioned before him, fails to invoke blessings upon me.’

[12] Al-Nisa’i narrated ibn Hibban, al-Dhahabi, al-Hakim, ibn al-Qayyim, and others, all of whom declared it a rigorously authenticated tradition, that ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) related that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) said ‘Verily, Allah has angels that roam the earth and convey to me the greeting of my Community.’

[13] In al-Sayyid Mustafa al-Bakri’s commentary of the Salawat of Muhammad ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Bakri.

[14] Qur’an 4:64.

Hvorfor nedkalde velsignelser over Profeten?

2006-10-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

Blessed be Mustafa

2006-10-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Blessed be Mustafa, mercy for mankind,
God's light, the right way to find.

Blessed be the highest of the high,
The brightest star of prophecy's sky.

Blessed be the sovereign of Ka'aba and paradise,
Who is compassionate, merciful and wise.

Blessed be the hero on the night of his ascension,
The apple of the people's eye in heaven.

Blessed be the splendour of the next world,
Dignity, justice and grandeur of this world.

Blessed be his noble mind,
The most sublime of its kind.

Blessed be the source of knowledge divine,
Outstanding and the last in the Prophet's line.

Blessed be the point of Life's hidden unity,
And also the centre of its visible diversity.

Blessed be Nature's privileged one,
Who divided the moon and called back the sun.

Blessed be the blanket, rich in mystic quality,
Under which the food increased in quanitity.

Blessed be the sovereign, wise and high,
Whose rule extends from earth to sky.

Imam Maulana Ahmed Raza Khan

Foren Profeten med mig

2006-10-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

A Prayer of Shaykh Ahmad Ibn Idris

Unite him (the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace) with me, just as Thou unites the spirit and the soul of the believer, inwardly and outwardly, awake and asleep; and make him, Lord, a solace for my soul in all life's moments in this world before the End, O God the Great.

R.S. O'Fahey, Enigmatic Saint - Ahmad Ibn Idris and the Idrisi Tradition

Mathnawi Mawlana Jami

2006-10-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Bestow your generous attention, O, seal of the prophets, For greatly bereaved is the world since your demise, O Rasul of Allah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

You who are indeed last of the messengers and their seal. How can you ignore us when drowned in wretchedness and ill of fortune we are?

Through your evergreen freshness, O dearest one, grace now this world, and from your restful sleep awake, to fill us with guiding light.

Lift now your countenance from within your Yemeni shroud, for your blessed face is the very life and light of day.

Turn for us the darkness of our sorrowful night into blessed light of day, and crown for us our day with successful accomplishments.

And now do don your fragrant smelling garments, and on your head the white turban do place.

Let your dark and precious locks of hair hang down, that their shade fall upon your blessed feet.

Wrap your feet in your shoes from mountainous Ta'if and make their straps bind our souls to you.

This entire universe desires to be spread out for your feet, and sincerity wishes for the honour that you tread upon her.

Come forth from your sepulchre into the Nabawi Mosque, that we may kiss and lay our heads on the dust under your feet where you do tread.

O Rasul, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, grant refuge and help for the needy and console the hearts of those filled with love for you.

Sinners are we, drowned in the sea of our iniquity. Yet great is the thirst of our endeavour to follow your way.

You are the rain cloud of mercy and your generosity demands that succour be granted to the thirsty seeker in search of you.

How wonderful would be that day when to your abode I shall come and blacken my eyes with the dust of Medina, (May the Lord hasten that day of my arrival in Medina, to refresh my eyes with the dust of Medina).

How wonderful would be that day, when after prayers of thanks and prostration of thanks, my soul I shall fly midst the holy sepulchre?

When in loving madness, cheering heart and overflowing yearning, I shall walk around your grave and the Green Dome.

How glorious that day when from the clouds of my eyes, raindrops of tears shall sprinkle upon the threshold of your Haram and your grave.

When in joyful bliss I shall feel blessed to sweep away the dust of your Haram. And in ecstacy to remove all dust from around you.

Though dust be hurtful to the eyes, yet will your dust be a light and cure for me, and though litter be of no benefit to wounds, to me the litter of Medina shall be a perfect cure for the ills of my heart.

To your honoured mimbar shall I go and rubbing thereon my face, gone pale of love for you, that golden it shall become.

Then to your musallah and the niche to stand in prayer fulfilling my hearts desires, and standing where you did stand, wash your footsteps in streams of my blood.

Then to every pillar of your Mosque to stand in utmost humbleness. Begging of Allah the faith and rank of the Siddiq.

Indeed will the great hopes and desires of my heart, in extreme pleasure cause every candle on earth to glow most brightly.

And though now my body does not appear in your presence yet, grateful I am to Allah, that my soul is there for me.

O Prophet of Allah, sallallahu 'alahi wa sallam, frustrated have I become, dejected of my selfishness. Help you this helpless soul and turn to him your look of favour.

If your loving kindness be not showered upon us, paralysis would overtake us and vanquished shall we be.

Our ill-fate has turned us from Allah's path of righteousness. Pray you to Him on our behalf for complete guidance.

(This du'â was then said), O Allah, firstly grant us true faith in a goodly, fruitful life. And guide us, Allah, to a steadfast following in the deen.

And, that, when the terrors of Qiyâmat we meet, the Lord of the day of Reckoning shall save us therefrom in honour and dignity.

And that in spite of our numerous heinous sins, Allah shall grant Muhammad, sallallahu 'alahi wa sallam, to intercede for us, for without it we are lost.

And that you shall arrive on the plain of reckoning, while we encircled by our sins, look on as you shall bend your head in prayer, calling out, "Forgive my people, Allah forgive them."

And may through your glorious efforts and the blessings of the holy ones, this Jâmi also be included amongst the accepted and pardoned ones. Âmîn

It is related that Maulana Jâmi, rahimahu Allah, having composed this qaseedah decided to proceed for Hajj. His further intention was to stand before the Rowdha Mubarak and then to recite his poem to Rasulallah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam. When he intended to leave for Medina Munawwarah after performing Hajj, Rasulallah, sallallahu 'alhi wa sallam, appeared in a dream to the Governor of Makka and told him, "Do not allow Mulla Jâmi to enter Medina Munawwarah": The Governor prohibited him from leaving for Medina Munawwarah. However, his love and longing for Rasul, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, was such that in spite of the order, he secretly set off for Medina Munawwarah. Once again the Governor saw a dream with Rasulallah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, telling him, "O Ameer of Makka, that man is coming. Do not allow him to come here". This time the Governor sent some men after him, to bring him back. They caught up with him, treated him most harshly as they arrested him and then cast him into jail. For at third time Rasulallah, sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam, appeared to the Governor scolding and reprimanding him, "He is no criminal. All that he is guilty of is that out of his love for me he had written some lines of poetry that he intended to recite in my presence. If he does that, my hand would have to protrude from the grave in order to shake his hand. Such a thing would cause great confusion. (for this reason I have asked that you stop him from reaching here").

Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi, Virtues of Salaat 'Alan Nabi

Darud al-Taj

2006-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Lovprisning af Profeternes Konge

Invocation of blessing upon the Prophet known as Invocation of the Crown

O Allah, send blessings and Peace upon our Master and Patron Muhammad,

The Owner of the Crown and the Ascent and the Buraq and the Standard,

The Repeller of Affliction and Disease and Drought and Illness and Pain.

His name is written on high, served and engraved in the Tablet and the Pen,

The Leader of All, Arabs and non-Arabs,

Whose body is sanctified, fragrant, and pure,

Illumined in the House and the Haram,

The Sun of Brightness, the

Full Moon in Darkness,

The Foremost One in the Highest Fields, the Light of Guidance,

The Cave of Refuge for Mortals, the Lamp That Dispels the Night,

The Best-Natured One, The Intercessor of Nations,

The Owner of Munificence and Generosity.

Allah is his Protector, Gabriel is his servant.

The Buraq is his mount, the Ascent is his voyage,

The Lote-Tree of the Furthermost Boundary is his station,

Two Bow-Lengths or Nearer is his desire,

His desire is his goal, and he has found his goal,

The Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets,

The intercessor of sinners, the friend of the strangers,

The Mercy for the Worlds,

The rest of those who burn with love, the goal of those who yearn,

The sun of knowers, the lamp of travellers,

The light of Those Brought Near,

The friend of the poor and destitute,

The master of Humans and Jinn,

The Prophet of the Two Sanctuaries,

The Imam of the Two Qiblas,

Our Means in the Two Abodes,

The Owner of Qaba Qawsayn,

The Beloved of the Lord of the Two

Easts and the Two Wests,

The grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn,

Our patron and the patron of Humans and Jinn:

Abu al-Qasim MUHAMMAD Son of 'Abd Allah,

A light from the light of Allah.

O you who yearn for the light of his beauty,

Send blessings and utmost greetings of peace

Upon him and upon his Family.

Længsel efter Medina

2006-10-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

It is we who, like a tulip in the desert of Medina,
Bear in our heart the scar of longing for Medina.
Passionate longing for Paradise may disappear from
the wiseman's head, but
It is not possible that the passionate longing for Medina should leave him...
The Tuba tree that has lifted its head on the apex of the Throne
Is only a branch from the garden-adorning palm tree of Medina.
When you eat dates, kiss their kernels, for
The kernels of the dates of Medina are the beads of the angels' rosary!

Jami

Salat al-Tibbiyya

2006-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Know that the school of the Ahl al-Sunna takes the position that it is obligatory to ascribe all actions to Allah the Exalted. The Quranic text is clear about this when it says, “Allah is the Creator of everything.” “And Allah created you and what you do.” “Say everything is from Allah.”

So the one who creates healing is Allah, the Exalted and no one else. And the one who creates sickness is also Allah the Exalted, and no one else. Every believer must be sure of this principle.

In the blessings that mention the Prophet, peace be upon, as healer of sicknesses, if the intent is to say that he alone can heal, then this is a false belief, as you know. What we have understood from our teachers is that this type of blessing does not denote this particular meaning. Instead, it is a way of imploring the Prophet to ask Allah to heal us. And imploring the Prophet [for intercession] is permissible by consensus of the Ahl al-Sunna according to rigorously authenticated hadiths. For when the one who implores Allah is the Prophet himself, his request is almost always fulfilled because of the esteemed position he holds with his Lord.

So when the Prophet, peace be upon him, is described as such, this description is metaphorical, not literal. And this is not a problem, because what you are doing here is begging Allah to heal your illness through the intercession of the Prophet. By doing so, there is greater cause for this to happen.

There is a well-authenticated hadith from Tirmidhi and others that Ubayy bin Ka’b said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, “I reserve all the blessings I send for you.” The Prophet replied, “Then your concerns will be taken care of and your sins forgiven.” There is no doubt that the sicknesses of the heart and the body cause a person much concern and turmoil. Sending blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, can be a guarantor for relief from that, Allah willing.

Based upon this, sending blessings upon the Prophet is a factor in healing. The particular wording that you have mentioned is not very different from the words of the famous Salat al-Tibbiyya, which says, “O Allah, send blessings on our master Muhammad, the medicine of hearts and their cure, the health of bodies and their healing.”

Amjad Rasheed

[Translated by Zaynab Ansari]

Fundet via Sunnipath

I am the slave of the Master of Prophets

2006-10-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am the slave of the Master of Prophets
And my fealty to him has no beginning.

I am a slave of his slave, and of his slave's slave,
And so forth endlessly,

For I do not cease to approach the door
Of his good pleasure among the beginners.

I proclaim among people the teaching of his high attributes,
And sing his praises among the poets.

Perhaps he shall tell me: "You are a noted friend
Of mine, a truly excellent beautifier of my tribute."

Yes, I would sacrifice my soul for the dust of his sanctuary.
His favor should be that he accept my sacrifice.

He has triumphed who ascribes himself to him!
- Not that he needs such following,

For he is not in need of creation at all,
While they all need him without exception.

He belongs to Allah alone, Whose purified servant he is,
As his attributes and names have made manifest;

And every single favor in creation comes from Allah
To him, and from him to everything else.

Shaykh Yusuf Nabhani (Allah have mercy on him)
Engelsk oversættelse Shaykh Gibril

Mawlud

2006-10-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

Amina Khatun, Muhammad’s mother dear:

From this oyster came that lustrous pearl.

After she conceived from ‘Abdallah

Came the time of birth with days and weeks.

As Muhammad’s birth was drawing near

Many signs appeared before he came!

In the month of Rabi’al-awwal then

On the twelfth, the night of Monday, look,

When the best of mankind was born-

O what marvels did his mother see!

Spoke the mother of that friend: “I saw

A strange light; the sun was like its moth.

Suddenly it flashed up from my house,

Filled with world with light up to the sky.

Heavens opened, vanquished was the dark,

And I saw three angels with three flags.

One was in the East, one in the West,

One stood upright on the Ka’ba’s roof.

Rows of angels came from heaven, and

Circumambulated all my house;

Came the houris group on group; the light

From their faces made my house so bright!

And a cover was spread in mid-air,

Called ‘brocade’-an angel laid it out.

When I saw so clearly these events

I became bewildered and confused.

Suddenly the walls were split apart

And three houris entered in my room.

Some have said that of these charming three

One was Asiya of moonlike face,

One was Lady Mary without doubt,

And the third a houri beautiful.

Then these moonfaced three drew gently near

And they greeted me with kindness here;

Then they sat around me, and they gave

The good tidings of Muhammad’s birth;

Said to me: “A son like this your son

Has not come since God has made this world,

And the Mighty One did never grant

Such a lovely son as will be yours.

You have found great happiness, O dear

For from you that virtuous one is born!

He that comes is King of Knowledge high,

Is the mine of gnosis and tauhid [monotheism].

For the love of him the sky revolves,

Men and Djinn are longing for his face.

This night is the night that he, so pure

Will suffuse the worlds with radiant light!

This night, earth becomes a Paradise,

This night God shows mercy to the world.

This night those with heart are filled with joy,

This night gives the lovers a new life.

Mercy for the worlds is Mustafa,

Sinners’ intercessors: Mustafa!’

They described him in this style to me,

Stirred my longing for that blessed light.”

Amina said: “When the time was ripe

That the Best of Mankind should appear,

I became so thirsty from that heat

That they gave me sherbet in a glass.

Drinking it, I was immersed in light

And could not discern myself from light.

Then a white swan came with soft great wings

And he touched my back with gentle strength.

And the King of Faith was born that night:

Earth and heaven were submerged in light!”

Then begins the great Welcome, which all nature extended to the newborn Prophet, whose coming they had expected with such longing, a welcome to the Friend of God in whose intercession at Doomsday all can trust:

Welcome, O high prince, we welcome you!

Welcome, O mine of wisdom, we welcome you!

Welcome, O secret of the Book, we welcome you!

Welcome, O medicine for pain, we welcome you!

Welcome, O sunlight and moonlight of God!

Welcome, O you not separated from God!

Welcome, O nightingale of the Garden of Beauty!

Welcome, O friend of the Lord of Power!

Welcome, O refuge of your community!

Welcome, O helper of the poor and destitute!

Welcome, O eternal soul, we welcome you!

Welcome, O cupbearer of the lovers, we welcome you!

Welcome, O darling of the Beloved!

Welcome, O much beloved of the Lord!

Welcome, O Mercy for the worlds!

Welcome, O intercessor for the sinner!

Only for you were Time and Space created…

Süleyman Chelebi
Annemarie Schimmel, And Muhammad is His Messenger:The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety

En Brise af Musk

2006-10-05T11:40:00.000-07:00

Was it a breeze of musk or the fragrance of [the Prophet’s] Garden
or was it Layla’s smile that sent her perfume to us?
Was it a flash of lightning or the brightness of her forehead
that released the light when she showed her affection
They both have added joy to my happiness
and swept away my troubles; so my fear has vanished.
The breath of the Living One moves my heart when it comes
to Wadi Al-`Aqiq, and tears cry out.
How often we spent there, in favor,
in junction and intimacy—but time changes
And after junction I am now far from them
and news from them diminish and dwindle away.
Incessantly I think of them—tell me, messenger,
do you not have good news from them that may comfort me?
Thrilled has my heart he whose tomb is in Tayba
by the beauty it encompasses, beyond description.
Passionately loved I him before I knew of worldly love—
ask me not [how much I love him] now that I know it!
I go to sleep in his love and wake up in it
my heart knows him, my mind and my eye.
The beloved—all hearts he captivated, so they grew,
O young man, truly longing for his sight!
He is wrapped in the mantle of beauty, covered;
vestments of beauty are spread over him.
A prophet who led us in guidance on the way
and who let down a curtain indescribable
Upon the faults of those of us who are at fault, out of mercy.
He shows compassion for the disobedient among us, and clemency.
No other apostle resembles him in character and physiognomy;
this is a special grant of favor from his Lord.
If Abraham is distinguished by friendship
as [God’s] friend, [Muhammad] is characterized by love and closeness.
Moses was spoken to on Mount Sinai; Ahmed
on the Throne—above the veils he receives this gift.
The dead spoke to Jesus, Mary’s son;
but Yasin—the pebbles on his right found words.
Supreme is his rank among angels and apostles
and yet he is the most submissive of men to his Lord, the most fearful.
True! All the prophets on [the Day of] Congregation
pass responsibility for intercession to him; he takes it upon himself.
They all say, “Myself!” to mankind;
he calls out, “My community—men and jinn!
Come unto me, all you who are congregated!
The banner of praise flutters with me!”
and he is given what he wishes—so the fearful can feel safe!
God’s peace upon him—God elevated him to a rank
that cannot be surpassed and not described—
From the weak slave Majdhub who
through your rank with God becomes acquainted with you.
God’s blessings upon you, and his peace
Verily, O Apostle of God, I am full of fear!

Shaykh Muhammad Majdhub

Al-salat al-Mashishiyyah

2006-10-05T11:38:00.001-07:00

O my God, bless him from whom derive the secrets and from whom gush forth the lights, and in whom rise up the realities, and into whom descended the sciences of Adam, so that he has made powerless all creatures, and so that understandings are diminished in his regard, and no one amongst us, neither predecessor nor successor, can grasp him.

The gardens of the spiritual world [malakût] are adorned with the flower of his beauty, and the pools of the world of omnipotence [al-jabarût] overflow with the outpouring of his lights. There exists nothing that is not linked to them, even as it was said: Were there no mediator, everything that depends on him would disappear! [Bless him, O my God,] by a blessing such as returns to him through You from You, according to his due.

O my God, he is Your integral secret, that demonstrates You, and Your supreme veil, raised up before You.

O my God, join me to his posterity and justify me by Your reckoning of him. Let me know him with a knowledge that saves me from the wells of ignorance and quenches my thirst at the wells of virtue.

Carry me on his way, surronded by Your aid, towards Your presence.

Strike through me at vanity, so that I may destroy it. Plunge me in the oceans of Oneness [al-ahadîyah], pull me back from the sloughs of tawhîd, and drown me in the pure source of the ocean of Unity [al-wahdah], so that I neither see nor hear nor am conscious nor feel except through it. And make of the Supreme Veil the life of my spirit, and of his spirit the secret of my reality, and of his reality all my worlds, by the realization of the First Truth.

O First, O Last, O Outward, O Inward, hear my petition, even as You heard the petition of Your Servant Zacharia; succour me through You unto You, support me through You unto You, unite me with You, and come in between me and other-than-You: Allâh, Allâh, Allâh! Verily He who has imposed on you the Qur'ân for a law, will bring you back to the promised end

[Qur'ân 28:85].

Our Lord, grant us mercy from Your presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight [Qur'ân 18:10].

Verily God and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who believe, bless him and wish him peace

[Qur'ân 33:56].

May the graces [salawât] of God, His peace, His salutations, His mercy and His blessings [barakât] be on our Lord Muhammad, Your servant, Your prophet and Your messenger, the un-lettered prophet, and on his family and on his companions, [graces] as numerous as the even and the odd and as the perfect and blessed words of our Lord.

Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of Glory, beyond what they attribute unto Him, and peace be on the Messengers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds

[Qur'ân 37:180-2].

Ibn Mashîsh

Husk Profeten

2006-10-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

When becoming humiliated, remember the Prophet in Ta’if.

When being starved, remember the Prophet tying two stones to his stomach in the battle of Khandaq.

When becoming angry, remember the Prophet’s control of anger on the martyrdom of his beloved Uncle Hamza.

When losing a tooth, remember the Prophet’s tooth in the battle of Uhud.

When bleeding from any part of the body, remember the Prophet’s body covered in blood on his return from Ta’if.

When feeling lonely, remember the Prophet’s seclusion in Mount Hira .

When feeling tired in Salaat, remember the Prophet’s blessed feet in Tahajjud.

When being prickled with thorns, remember the Prophet’s pain from Abu Lahab’s wife.

When being troubled by neighbours, remember the old woman who would empty rubbish on the Prophet.

When losing a child, remember the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim.

When beginning a long journey, remember the Prophet’s long journey to Madinah.

When going against a Sunnah, remember the Prophet’s intercession, (Ummati, Ummati, Ummati) (My Ummah).

When sacrificing an animal, remember the Prophet’s sacrifice of 63 animals for his Ummah.

Before shaving your beard, remember the Prophet’s face rejecting the two beardless Iranians.

When falling into an argument with your wife, remember the Prophet’s encounter with Aisha and Hafsa.

When experiencing less food in the house, remember the Prophet’s days of poverty.

When experiencing poverty, remember the Prophet’s advice to Ashaab-e-Suffa (People of Suffa).

When losing a family member, remember the Prophet’s departure from this world.

When becoming an orphan, remember the Prophet’s age at six.

When sponsoring an orphan, remember the Prophet’s sponsor for Zaid ibn Haritha.

When fearing an enemy, remember the Prophet’s saying to Abu Bakr in Mount Thour .

Whatever situation you may find yourself in, remember your role model, the best of creation: Prophet Muhammad.

Whatever you may do, remember that your deeds are presented before our Prophet. Are we pleasing him or displeasing him?

Er det forbudt at sige ''Ya Rasulallah!''

2006-09-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ask Imam :: Fatwa on the Prohibition of “Ya Rasul Allah Madad”

The Question:

I just wanted to get one thing more cleared up. The folks at sunnipath,seem to give the impression that permissibility of using words like “Yarasoolullah madad” is the view of majority of ummah

The Answer:

It is important to understand a fundamental issue regarding substantiations in Shari’ah. The order and sequence of substantiations is as follows: a)Qur’aan, b) Hadith, c) Ijmaa and, d) Qiyaas (analogy)

Majority ruling as a substantiation follows far beyond the four fundamental substantiations. It is only when there are no substantiations preceding that and there are differences of opinion among contemporary Ulama. The issue in reference, saying ‘Yaa Rasoolullah’ and seeking help from Rasoolullah[sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] is clear. Only Allah is Omnipresent and we seek the help of Allah Alone. It is obsolutely incorrect to regard Rasulullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] as Omnipresent and address him as ‘Yaa Rasoolullah’ with that belief. It is also incorrect to seek the assistance of Rasoolullah [sallallaahu alayhi wasallam] and address him as ‘Yaa Madad’. The prohibition of these two issues are clearly in the very first source of substantiations – the Qur’aan. There is no need to consider the issue from an angle of majority view. Consider this – Allah condemns Kufr whereas the majority of the world is in Kufr. Will that make Kufr correct?

Comment: How does that make one different from Salafis?

Imam Taqi al-Din Subki makes clear that tawassul (seeking means) and istighatha (calling upon others) are conceptually the very same, and that they were both permitted by the imams of early and late Islamic scholarship, without noteworthy disagreement until Ibn Taymiyya came along in the 7th Islamic Century.

Imam Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari wrote a brilliant treatise, Mahq al-Taqawwul fi Mas’alat al-Tawassul (see Arabic text), explaining how the permissibility of tawassul is entailed by sound Sunni understanding of Divine Oneness and the difference between means and effects.

Imam Kawthari (Allah have mercy on him) is regarded as an Imam in the Islamic Sciences and the “Sword of Ahl al-Sunna” by the ulema across the Muslim lands was because he truly had [a] mastery right across the Islamic sciences; [b] very wide reading built on that mastery; [c] clear understanding of the way of Ahl al-Sunna; [d] commitment to that way.

As for Istighatha [calling upon the dead], see:

Istighatha: Calling Someone Other Than Allah for Help

Calling on Other than Allah?

Related answers:

Sunni Saint Worshippers? - Shaykh Nuh Keller

Istighatha: Calling Someone Other ThanAllah for Help - Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam

Tawassul Through the Awliya

Tawassul through the pious

Making tawassul through one’s actions

Tawassul of `Umar through al-`Abbas

Al-Shafi`i’s Tawassul with Abu Hanifa

Calling on Other than Allah?

We need to understand a few issues:

a) It is a fundamental belief of Muslims that only Allah benefits or harms; that only Allah gives and takes;

b) It is also a fundamental belief of Muslims that Allah has created means for humans to take;

c) However, the relationship between these created means and their effects is only normative: it is Allah who creates the means, and Allah who creates the results.

This is why Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (Allah have mercy on him), the great spiritual guide and master of the sciences of faith (aqida) from Damascus, explained, “Taking means is necessary, and denying that they are effective is necessary. Whoever negates means is denying the Wisdom of Allah, and whoever relies upon means is associating others with Allah.”

This is the understanding upon which Muslims ‘call upon other than Allah.’

It is no different from taking medicine when sick, or going to a mechanic when your car is giving trouble: if you think that the medicine itself creates the healing, or that the mechanic is the one himself creates the fixing, then you have serious innovation in belief. It is conceptually the same as asking another Muslim in person to make dua for us–we do so understanding that their dua for us is a means, and that it is Allah alone who gives.The sound understanding is that Allah creates the healing when you use the medicine, and He creates the fixing when the mechanic does their job: we affirm these means, but also affirm that it is Allah who created both the means and the resultant effect.

This is pure affirmation of Divine Oneness. How can it ‘smack of shirk’?

A few nice songs:

Ya Imam al-Rusli - Ustadh Mahmoud Faris

Ya Rasul Allahi Ya Sanadi - Maghribi

al-Wadhifa al-Shadhiliyya - Recited by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed. The Wadhifa contains a high understanding of the spiritual reality of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Madad Ya Rasul Allah - Khalid Belrhouzi

Burda I

2006-09-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Our Lord bless and greet ever with peace

Your Beloved the best of all beings created

I

Is it the memory of tents near Dhi Salam that

draws tears wed to blood from your eyes -

the squall from Kazima,

lightning out of Idam’s umber?

And eyes, you say, enough yet they water?

Heart, you say, sense yet it soars?

The lover thinks love is hid?

What, by tears and smoking heart?

If not for longing would you cry in ruins?

Fret mere jaw from high and mighty cypress?

How deny love laid bare

by tears and blood, each a just witness?

Love plowed twin furrows in dry flesh,

yellowed your cheeks, bloodied your face.

Comes nightly, yes. Love, pins lid to brow,

and makes a trial out of joy.

You who fault my passion, pardon.

Were you fair you’d tear a strip off none.

My state you see. My secret’s with

the gossip and the crush only tightens.

You warned. I did not heed.

The lover’s deaf to reason.

Wary of counsel,

though the wise be above suspicion.

Første del af Imam al-Busîris Qasidat al-Burdah.

Engelsk oversættelse © Yusuf Zanella.

Lyt til forskellige recitationer af Qasidat al-Burdah.

Foto © Farah Mahbub

Durud Tunjina

2006-09-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Allâhumma sallî ‘ala sayyîdinâ wa mawlânâ Muhammadin wa ‘ala âli sayyîdinâ wa mawlânâ Muhammadin salâtun tunjînâ bihâ min jamî’il-ahwâli wal-âfâti wa taqdî lanâ bihâ jamî’il-hâjâti wa tutah-hirnâ bihâ mîn jamî’ is-sayyiati wa tarfa-’ana bihâ ‘indaka a’lâd-darajâti wa tuballighunâ bihâ aqsal-ghâyâfi mîn jamî’il-khaîrâti fîl-hayâti wa ba’dal mamâti Innaka ‘alâ kulli shayin Qadîr.

Oh Allâh! Shower blessings on our Master Muhammad and the family of our Master Muhammad such blessings by means of which You may relieve us of all anxieties and calamities. You may satisfy all our needs. You may grant us high position and high rank and status in Your presence. And You may lead us to utmost limit of our aspirations and capacity in whatever is best in this world as well as in the world hereafter, as You have the full power over everything. Âmîn and Âmîn the Most Beneficent.

Amîn wa thumma âmîn yâ Rabb al-’âlamîn, yâ Malik yâ Rahîm yâ Rahmân

Weakness of my mind

2006-09-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

A mind of confusion
A mind of selfish
A mind of disgrace
A mind of weakness

O shaytân, you are weak
You mislead me
through ignorance
distracting my mind from my deen

We are weaker than you
You are strong-willed,
you do as you wish to do
We claim to be guided muslims
we claim to be among the lovers
the lovers of Allah and His Beloved

But all we do
is to follow you
We follow your steps
Disobeying The Great Lord

The soul is confused
Whether to do or not to do
O shaytan, you are everywhere i look
but I have in my mind a sentence
that destroys you;
Allahs is Greater than you
I am a follower of His Beloved
I am a lover of al-Habib
By this I don’t regret my choice
Choice of peace, love and patience
A soul of inner peace

O soul melt into fusion
O my Lord, everything is possible
with Your will and acceptance
Let me be among those
who love You and Your Beloved
Those who follow the footsteps of al-Mustafa (sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
Those who dies in the feet of al-Habib (’alayhi as-salâtu wa as-salâm)
Those who dies saying these words;

La ilâha illallâh Muhammad ar-Rasulullâh
As-salâtu wa as-salâmu ‘alayka yâ Sayyidi yâ RasulAllâh

© Maryam Khan

Durud Awwal

2006-09-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Dûrud Awwal

Allah humma salli ‘ala sayyidina Muhammadin afdala ambiyâika wa akrami asflyâika man fâdat min nûrihi jami’ul-anwâri wa sâhibil mu’jizâti wa sâhibil-Muqâmil Mahmûdi sayyidal-awwalîna wal âkhirîna

Oh Allah! Shower Your beneficence on our Master Muhammad, the most favoured of Your Prophets and the most honoured of Your chosen persons, whose radiant life is the source of all light and who is conferee of miracles and conferee of the most glorious place (al-Maqâm al-Mahmûd) and who is the leader of the previous and the later.

Those who recite this Durûd Sharîf reach the first place before Almighty that is why it is called Durûd Awwal (first). Those who read this Salawât daily are rewarded abundantly and all their bad habits evaporate. This Salawât fetches the reciter nearer and nearer to Allah and brings forth all kinds of delight.

[A book of Salawât]

2006-09-18T10:28:00.000-07:00

If the fragrance of his remembrance radiates in the West
And a sick man resides in the East, he will recover

Ibn al-Fârid

Lovprisning uden ende

2006-09-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

By the gate of your generosity stands a sinner, who is mad with love.

O best of mankind in radiance of face and countenance!

Through you he seeks a means [tawassala], hoping for Allah’s forgiveness of slips;

from fear of Him, his eyelid is wet with pouring tears.

Although his genealogy attributes him to a stone [hajar],

how often tears have flowed, sweet, pure and fresh!

Praise of you does not do you justice, but perhaps,

In eternity, its verses will be transformed into mansions.

My praise of you shall continue for as long as I live,

For I see nothing that could ever deflect me from your praise.

Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalânî, Dîwân

Profetens Afskedskhutba

2006-09-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

Denne prædiken blev holdt den 9. dag i Dhul-Hijjah år 10 i Uranah-dalen i Arafat Bjergene.
Efter at have prist og takket Allah sagde profeten (Gfmh):

“O mit folk! Hør opmærksomt på mig, for jeg ved ikke, om jeg efter dette år er iblandt jer mere. Så hør derfor omhyggeligt på, hvad jeg har at sige jer, og bring disse ord videre til dem, som ikke er tilstede i dag.

O mit folk! Akkurat som I agter disse bjerge, denne dag og denne by som hellig, så agt hver enkel muslims liv som en hellig pligt. Bring det betroede tilbage til dets rette ejer. Gør ikke nogen ondt, så de vil skade dig. Husk at du i sandhed vil møde din Herre og han vil sandelig beregne dine gerninger.

Allah har forbudt rente; derfor skal alle fra nu af give afkald derpå. Din optjente kapital er din egen og kan ikke røres. Du må hverken tildele nogen skade eller selv lide uretfærdighed. Det er Allahs dom, at der ikke må beregnes renter og al forfalden rente til Abbas ibn Abdal Muttalib skal eftergives.

Enhver ret til blodhævn i Islam er fra nu af ulovlig. Den første ret til hævn, som jeg frafalder er for mordet på Rabiah ibn Harith.

O mit folk! De vantro tillader sig at lave rod i kalenderen med det henblik at gøre hvad Allah har forbudt til noget tilladt og prøver at forbyde, hvad Allah har tilladt. Ved Allah, der er tolv måneder, fire af dem er hellige måneder, de tre af dem kommer efter hinanden i rækkefølge. Den fjerde falder mellem Jumada og Shaban.

Vogt jer for Satan for sikkerheden i jeres religion. Han har mistet alt håb om nogensinde at lede jer vild i store sager, så vogt jer for ikke at følge ham i små sager.

O mit folk! Det er sandt, at I har visse rettigheder over jeres kvinder, men de har også visse rettigheder over jer. Husk at I har taget dem til ægte under Allahs tillid og med Hans tilladelse. Hvis de forbliver lydige, så er det deres ret at blive forsørget i venlighed. Behandl jeres kvinder godt og vær venlig overfor dem, for de er jeres partnere og hjælpere. Det er ikke tilladt for dem at oprette venskab med nogle, som I ikke godkender og lad dem ikke gøre noget usømmeligt.

O mit folk! Hør på mig med alvor, tilbed Allah, forret jeres fem daglige bønner, hold faste i måneden Ramadan og giv Zakat af jeres rigdom. Udfør pilgrimsfærden, hvis I har råd til det.

Hele menneskeheden stammer fra Adam og Eva; ingen araber er bedre end en ikke-araber. En hvid er heller ikke bedre end en sort og en sort er heller ikke bedre end en hvid, undtagen i fromhed og gode handlinger.

Husk at enhver muslim er broder til en anden muslim og at muslimerne udgør ét broderskab. Ingen muslim kan lovmæssigt tage noget som tilhører en anden muslim, uden det er givet til ham frivilligt. Begå derfor ikke uretfærdigheder imod jer selv. Husk at du en dag vil stå frem for Allah og svare for dine handlinger. Så vogt jer for ikke at fare vild fra retfærdighedens vej, efter jeg er gået bort.

O mit folk! Ingen profet eller apostel vil komme efter mig og ingen ny religion vil se dagens lys. Vær derfor fornuftig mit folk og forstå de ord, jeg overbringer jer.

Jeg efterlader bag mig to ting: Den hellige Koran og mit eksempel Sunnah, hvis I følger disse to ting, vil I aldrig fare vild.

Alle som har hørt mig skal lade mine ord gå videre til andre og de igen til andre og må de sidste forstå mine ord bedre end dem, som lyttede direkte til mig.

Vær mit vidne O Allah, at jeg har overbragt Dit budskab til Dit folk.

Ya Sayyidi

2006-09-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Muhammad Owais Qadri sætter lyd til Imam Zain al-’Abidins, må Allah være tilfreds med ham, overvældende smukke digt til Profeten, Allahs fred og velsignelser være med ham.

Dokumentar om Qasidat al-Burda

2006-09-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

En virkelig god dokumentar om den fantastiske Qasidat al-Burda af Imam al-Busiri.

Look into your heart

2006-09-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

His face once caused the moon to split in two.
She couldn’t endure the sight of him.
Yet how lucky she was,she who humbly received him.
Look into your heart and see the splitting moon within each breath.
Having seen that vision,
how can you still dream?

Jalal ud-din Rumi

Jalal ud-Din Rumi omtaler vor elskede mester, må Allah overøse ham med de ypperste fred og velsignelselser.

I Profetens Have

2006-09-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Vi er tilstede i Profetens have
i vor higen for velvilje og velkomst
Vi er kommet til dig, åh du den bedste af al tilflugt
bøjede, i ydmyghed, ude af os selv.

Bed Allah at give os enhver hjælp,
så vi må nå vore ønsker, ved tiden hvor alle regninger må betales.

Du er givet en umådelig styrke, uden sammenligning
og et budskab større end nogen budbringers.

Du er døren til Allah i alt godt,
enhver som kommer til dig, høster godkendelse og ligevægt.

Enhver hemmelighed som kom til profeterne
er fra din ædelhed, bekræftet ved overlevering.

Jeg har søgt hjælp ved Profeten, for at trygle Allah
i mine anliggender, for han er den anerkendte mægler.

Enhver, som ender sin rejse ved en gavmilds hus
får hvad han beder om, selv deres mest overdrevne ønsker opfyldes.

Vi har takket Allah hver gang,
Han har givet os evnen til et besøg hos Budbringeren.

Og ligeså for alle ledsagerne der hviler
i Baqi, for alle Fatimas efterkommere.

Og ligeså for enhver hustru og datter og søn,
af menneskets befrier, på dagen hvor gælden forfalder.

Og ligeså for hver martyr i Uhud
og for Sendebudets onkel.

Vi har ved dem bedt om fuldkommen sikkerhed for os
på rejsen til vort land, og når vi betræder det.

Vi har søgt om tilflugt og forløsning på Samlingens Dag,
og sikkerhed fra alle uvidendes fejltagelser.

Vor Herre, velsign Profeten og hans familie og følgere og alle dem der fulgte efter.

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn al-Habîb, Af Hymne til Allah

Al-Qamaru

2006-09-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am looking at the light
Nur al-qamar is showen to me
And it is shining at my face
The Messenger divided it into two pieces
with the power from Our Majesty

No person on the earth could not see this miracle,
O Mercy of All Mankind, no one is to be compared with you
Thoughts are coming into my mind
O Rasûlûllâh, nor is the moon more beautiful than you
Your face shine as the fullmoon,
O Beloved of Allah
O Beloved of Abdullah, Amina and Halîma
O Beloved of the entire mankind
O my Beloved
When will the day come when I will see you?

Ya Rasulullah, what if I loose all my wealth and family?
What if I become blind and deaf?
What if I am taken the blessing of having
my eyes, arms, hands, legs, feet and my body?
When I can’t see you, What can I use all of this for?
Al-hamdu lillah, I thank The Almighty Lord,
For all these blessings;
that I can read about you and see your home with my sight
that I can recite praises for you with my voice
that I can listen the praises with my ears
that I write praises for you with my hands
that I can walk into your home with my feets

My soul has open its doors towards my heart and mind
A bridge has been established to connect them

My soul was reciting
La illaha illallah Muhammad ar-Rasulullâh

Now with the blessing of Allah
My soul, heart and mind is reciting nothing else
but praises to you, HabibAllah

The Moon is invisible now, ya RasulAllah
The shining moon has disappeared
but you, my master, ya RasulAllah
You will never disappear
from the soul of my heart
from the soul of my soul

Even the love wants you O HabibAllah
As long as I’ve got a soul, ya Rasul Allah
Till that day I will be loving you

As-salâtu wa as-salâmu ‘alayka yâ Sayyidi yâ Muhammad ar-Rasûlullâhi al-habîb
O Allah bless our beloved Muhammad, O Allah shower mercy upon his family and companions and those who follows him

Wa sallallahu ta’ala ‘alayhi wa sallim

© Maryam Khan

2006-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Utrolig god Dhikrullah og Dhikr un-Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam).
Hentet fra Masud, som beskriver filen som følgende:

led by Shaykh Abu Bakr [BaBikr] al-Sudani, this excerpt is of the Asma al-Husna and Asma al-Nabi al-Kareem.

Dala'il al-Khayrat

2006-09-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

O God! Bless him for whom the palm trunk wept and longed for when parted.

O God! Bless him whom the desert birds implored.

O God! Bless him from whose hand the pebbles glorified.

O God! Bless him from whom the gazelle sought intercession with the most eloquent speech.

O God! Bless him with whom the lizard spoke while in assembly with his distinguished companions.

O God! Bless him whom the stones greeted.

O God! Bless him to whom the trees prostrated.

O God! Bless him whose light brought forth the flowers.

O God! Bless him by whose baraka the fruits ripened.

O God! Bless him by whose wudu’ water the trees flourished green.

O God! Bless him to whose cloak the wild animals would cling when he walked the arid desert.

Imam al-Jazuli, Dala’il al-Khayrat

Qasida Hassan ibn Thabit

2006-09-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

When I saw his light shining forth,
In fear I covered my eyes with my palms,

Afraid for my sight because of the beauty of his form.

So I was scarcely able to look at him at all.

The lights from his light are drowned in his light

and his faces shines out like the sun and moon in one.

A spirit of light lodged in a body like the moon,

a mantle made up of brilliant shining stars.

I bore it until I could bear it no longer.

I found the taste of patience to be like bitter aloes.

I could find no remedy to bring me relief

other than delighting in the sight of the one I love.

Even if he had not brought any clear signs with him,

the sight of him would dispense with the need for them.

Muhammad is a human being but not like other human beings.

Rather he is a flawless diamond and the rest of mankind is just stones.

Blessings be on him so that perhaps Allah may have mercy on us

on that burning Day when the Fire is roaring forth its sparks.

Kærlighed til Profeten Muhammad

2006-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad

And know that the loftiest of exemplars, the most noble and the greatest and the most binding to all Muslims is the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace: verily he is by unanimous agreement the Greatest Exemplar. And the obligation due to him is the greatest after that of Allah; and the adab with him the most emphasised of the adab and obediences. For whosoever loves him and immensely esteems him, he has indeed loved Allah and whosoever obeys him has indeed obeyed Allah. Says Allah, the Exalted: "Say, if ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. For Allah is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" (al-'Imran: 31). And says the Exalted: "He who obeys the Apostle, obeys Allah" (an-Nisaa: 80). And says the Exalted: "So take what the Apostle assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah; for Allah is strict in punishment" (al-Hashr: 7). And says the Exalted: "Then let those beware who withstand the Apostle's order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous Penalty be inflicted on them" (an-Nur: 63).

And says the Exalted: "Verily, those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their fealty to Allah: the Hand of Allah is over their hands: then anyone who violates his oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and any one who fulfils what he has covenanted with Allah, Allah will soon grant him a great reward" (al-Fat'h: 10). And says the Exalted: "So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him and follow the light which is sent down with him - it is they who will prosper" (al-A'araf: 157). And says the Exalted: "O who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk, as ye may speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds become vain and ye perceive not. Those who lower their voice in the presence of Allah's Apostle - their hearts has Allah tested for piety: for them is Forgiveness and a great reward" (al-Hujurat: 2-3).

And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "One of you does not believe until I become dearer to him than the soul that lies between the two sides".

And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "One of you does not believe until his desire follows what I have come with". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah: "Were Musa and Isa alive, they cannot but follow me". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "Whosoever obeys me, has indeed obeyed Allah and whosoever disobeys me has indeed disobeyed Allah". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "All of you will enter paradise except those who refuse". And they said: "And who refuses?" And said he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "Whoever obeys me enters Paradise, and whosoever disobeys me has indeed refused". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "Who annoys me, annoys Allah and whosoever annoys Allah, He puts him into Hell".

And what goes to perfect love to him and high esteem and beneficient adab towards him, blessings and peace be upon him, is love for the people of his house and his companions, esteem for them and respect. Says Allah, the Exalted: "Say (O Prophet): no reward do I ask of you except the love of those near of kin" (ash-Shura: 23).

And says the Exalted: "The vanguard (of Islam), the first of those who foresook (their home) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) who followed them in (all) good deeds - well-pleased is Allah with them, as they are with Him" (at-Tawbah: 100).

And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace of Allah: "Love Allah for such of His bounties as He nourishes you with, and love me because you love Allah and love the people of my House because you love me". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace to 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: "Iman does not enter the heart of one until they love you for the sake of Allah and for your nearness to me". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace, to Fatima and 'Ali and al-Hassan and al-Husayn, may Allah be pleased with them: "I am at war with those you are at war with and at peace with those you are at peace with". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace, in the hadith of Zayd bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with them: "And my issues are the people of my house. I remind you, in the Name of Allah, about people of my house". And says Abubakr, may Allah be pleased with him: "Have a conscientious regard to Muhammad in the people of his house". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "Uphold me in my companions; do not take them as targets after me; whosoever loves them loves them because of my love; and whosoever is disaffected against them is disaffected against them because of disaffection against me; and whosoever molests them has indeed molested me; and whosoever molests me has indeed invoked the wrath of Allah and whoever invokes the wrath of Allah risks penalty from Him". And says he, upon whom be blessings and peace: "Do not abuse my companions. Verily, in the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is: were one of you to spend the like of the mountain of Uhud in gold he would not attain the rank of one of them, not even half of it".

Let a Muslim who is solicitous about his religion therefore beware of hating a member of the house of the Apostle, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or one of his companions because that harms his religion and his Hereafter. And because of it, he gets counted among those who offend His Prophet and annoy him, Allah bless him and grant him peace. Let him love them and praise them on account of good (in them) in the same manner as Allah has praised them as well as His Apostle.

Imam 'Abdallah Ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad, An All Out Call to Islam and a General Admonition (Ad-Da'wah at-Taammah wat-Tadhkirah al-'Aammah)

In Praise of the Prophet

2006-09-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mohammed is the exemplar to both worlds, the guide of the descendants of Adam.

He is the sun of creation, the moon of the celestial spheres, the all-seeing eye;

The torch of knowledge, the candle of prophecy, the lamp of the nation and the way of the people;

The commander-in-chief on the parade-ground of the Law; the general of the army of mysteries and morals;

The lord of the world and the glory of 'But for thee'; ruler of the earth and of the celestial spheres;

The most loyal of the Prophets, the proof of the Way, the king without a seal, the sultan without a crown.

As a king he reared up a lofty palace, but he followed the principle of 'Poverty is my pride'.

His miracle was 'We have won a victory’ and his banner 'help from God’.

'As thou livest' was the crown on his musk-raining head and ‘have we not opened thy heart’ the adornment of his life.

He is of a surety the crown of all sovereigns, he is in very deed the lord of the Prophets.

He, and only he, is without question the most excellent of mankind; he, and he only, is the confidant of God.

The seven heavens and the eight gardens of paradise were created for him, he is both the eye and the light in the light of our eyes.

He was the key of guidance to the two worlds and the lamp that dispelled the darkness thereof.

His tongue was the interpreter of kingship, his heart the scribe of divine inspiration.

Heaven and earth come under his sway; the two worlds are co-existent with his reign.

The Lord of the Worlds made him His depositary because before divine inspiration he was the most trustworthy man in the world.

Light rose up to heaven because of his beauty, and divine inspiration descended to earth because of his perfection.

Because he walked only in the way of God he was settled in 'an unfruitful valley’.

With his mind he solved the difficulties of all mankind for his mind had seen the first design in Eternity Past.

He came in order that restless souls might quench their thirst every moment in the sea of his Law.

He was the greatest of the Prophets because though he came after he was also before.

When Adam opened his eyes for the first time, he saw from where he lay Mohammed's name inscribed on the empyrean.

He prostrated himself in the dust before his name, but since the dust became Mohammed he fell undefiled.

He was still a suckling when the flood broke over the fire-worshippers.

In every fire-temple, because of the Holy Prophet, the fire was at once utterly quenched.

If fire was quenched for Abraham, it was quenched for the infant Prophet all over the world.

Dost thou not see how so hot a thing as fire flees before a single hair of his head?

So high were his sandals raised by his Faith that they knocked the diadem off the Chosroes' head.

The ringlets of his hair toppled the crown of the Caesar and over-threw with the curls the Emperor of China.

When, in the beginning, he pulled his cloak over his head, the angel Gabriel descended and stood at his door.

He said to him: 'Verily there is a great good hidden beneath that cloak.’

The space of a single brick was absent from the Prophecy—a holy gap, indeed.

The Prophet has said: 'That precious gap was closed by me for all eternity.’

He was indeed the culmination of the Prophets; when he came, the Prophecy was complete.

Hast thou not seen how first the army comes and then the noble King arrives.

The Prophets are like the army; they came only to announce the king.

When the sultan of the Prophecy was born, the Prophecy came to an end for he was the culmination thereof.

When his religion illuminated the world, all other rites were abolished. God is all-knowing.

What becomes of the countless stars when the bright sun shines forth?

When the Prophet called himself a brick, it was as though every brick had become a paradise.

And if that brick was moulded from the seed of Adam, it was because one brick was the foundation of both worlds.

Since the bricks of this world have four sides, so this brick has as its four sides the Four Friends.

When the Companion of the Cave set out with him, the world was filled with light from those two peerless ones.

When he came to the house of Umm Ma‘bad, he saw a she-goat that was unmated and without milk.

The goat gave her soul to him for she saw that the sun had arisen.

When the Master touched her udders milk flowed from them like rain.

His hand was whitened with her milk and thus did Predestination produce the White Hand.

The Prophet was adult whilst he was still a suckling; Adam was plainly but a child beside him.

When, during the Flight, he entered the cave with the Friend, and there appeared the famous spider,

Which built its web across the entrance, weaving the warp and crossing it with the weft.

When the web was finished an enemy arrived and sought to make his way through that screen.

He went proudly up to the spider, saying: 'Remove the screen before these two lovers of the Faith.

Why dost thou make a screen for the lovers? Produce two tricks from behind this closed screen. Sing this song to the tune of truth.’

The spider, realizing the enemy's thought, thus made denial in dumb show:

'Never will a Jamshid or a Faridun fall into a spider's web.

Thou hast not a whit of sense if thou seek a Simurgh in a fly-trap.

The flesh of a fly is enough for me—how should a falcon fall into my snare?

What effect could a talisman produced from a spider's saliva have upon the one Immortal Being?'

If this miracle is not as I have related, my head is attached to my waist like a spider's.

If his enemy were in the seventh earth, the seventh heaven would lay in wait for him; ,

To kill his enemy the sun would smite him in the eye with its sword.

Without love for him the heavens cannot revolve; without their longing for him the angels cannot breathe.

The Faith itself could have nothing without his support; no eye ever saw him knit his brow.

He was pure contentment with no feeling of anger; no eye ever saw him frown.

In the beginning the curves came from his knitted brow but they had all departed into his hair.

The curls in his hair were without number; to seek knowledge in them is the highest task.

When his hair fell in ringlets there sprang from it the seventy-two sects.

When these curls and locks appeared on his shoulders, there appeared out of those sixty these seventy.

Each group coveted a ringlet and made a handle out of it.

None can ever hold back his hand from such a ringlet, for it is the 'strongest handle’.

No one admitted to the Glorious Presence passed beyond self except Mohammed.

Since he passed entirely beyond self all speak for themselves there save only him.

Mohammed was the eternal sun and Jesus the dawn that announced his coming.

Since Jesus brought the glad tidings of the Chosen One, he was born in a single moment without a father.

Aye, since he brought the good news to the people, he was the evangelist and he came in great haste.

As he was the first to bring the good news from God, so he shall return again at the end of time.

There will be but one purpose in his return, to announce Mohammed. O most glorious return!

As his pure heart was the main body of the army, so was the center of his soul the king.

Now at the time of a revelation, the six hundred thousand wings of Gabriel formed the flanks of this main army.

Now, a select throng of angels stood in ranks on either side thereof.

Patience was his buckler and sincerity his sword; his lance cast a shadow over the sky.

He held in his hand the bow of 'the distance of two bow-shots’; he fought with the arrows of ‘when thou didst shoot’.

He is the Prophet of the Sword with the crown of 'as thou livest’, auspiciously mounted upon Buraq.

What though he ruled the realm of the soul? Holy war was his trade, and hence all this.

Wishing to be slave to the Prophecy he asked God for two weeping eyes.

He called himself ‘the son of the two slain ones’, from which it is clear to soul and mind.

That he sought glory of God in annihilation and was never attached even for a moment to any single thing.

Because he placed no hope in existence he was sealed with the seal of ‘his eye turned not aside’.

And when his soul was seething with the turmoil of yearning, sometimes he would say:

'Would that God the Wise, the Just had never brought Mohammed into existence!’

This he said because the Lord of the World had called him his ever-shining light.

Though the wax produces a bright light, yet it is always in pain and suffering without the honey.

At first the wax was absorbed in the honey, and because of their oneness it had no thought of this and that.

Afterwards, when it was taken away and removed from union with the honey,

It whispered these words: 'What have I in common with candles? I have lived in oneness; what have I in common with the crowd?

If I had not become a candle I should still be together with the honey.

When I became a candle and was parted from my beloved, God called me a light; but how long shall I burn?

If I had remained with the honey I should have been saved from all this burning.’

Because he was naked he sat on the sand; because he was hungry he tied a stone to his belly.

These are proofs of his perfect poverty: the poverty of God is a very exalted stage.

Had he had the slightest desire, how should he have been the leader of the poor?

He remained poor because it is ill-mannered to pick up the largesse scattered at one's own wedding.

He had no wish for goods and chattels; one day he ate his fill and the next he went hungry.

What though this nine-chambered palace was raised up for him out of nothing, out of smoke?

Often a month would pass without any one's seeing smoke rise from his nine chambers.

If those nine chambers were created out of smoke, it was because no smoke was to rise from these.

When he returned, with a hundred honors, from his ascension, his face never grew dark.

His stars relate that when he sat like the moon in their company,

He eclipsed that company with a light such as that with which the sun eclipses a candle.

All his Companions, when they were near him, were lost to self because of the awe he inspired.

Faced by the sea, how shall a drop of water retain its separate self?

It was because of the awe he inspired that there was disagreement about those on whom the light shone.

As to whether the eyebrows of that leader of the two worlds were joined or not.

The people of the two worlds could not see his eyebrows, for it is not easy to see at a distance of two bows.

The whole world was spread out like a tablecloth before his eyes,

So that the secrets of the universe were revealed to him and he had knowledge of both worlds.

When the divine mysteries were unveiled to him, because of what he had seen he said: 'Thou art what thou wilt.'

Seeing with the eye that had looked in the mysteries he could look through the wall at Paradise and Hell.

Paradise and Hell concealed themselves behind him; thou knowest then who were the beggars behind his wall.

They preferred their place behind the wall to the Hereafter because thus they could see the sun of his face.

They both of them strayed from the Hereafter because of their longing to gaze on such a sight.

Having met those that had lately been with God he hurried forwards to be received by God Himself.

He went bareheaded before God, for one can approach God (only) when bareheaded.

Blackhearted Satan does not dare to appear in his garb.

His food was barley bread, yet he clove the breast of the loaf-like disc of the moon as though it were a grain of wheat.

The food of his soul came from the table of poverty, but though poverty was his so was glory.

When the light of his poverty shone forth Solomon would come to be his slave.

Now he would sweep the dust of the road out of his house; now he would take his rest in the dust of the road.

Now he would run to and fro with Aisha; now he would fetch bricks and mud to build a mosque.

Now he would stitch at sandals; now he would tell secrets to children.

Now he would take part in a funeral procession; now he would visit the sick.

Now he would collect fodder for the camels; now he would carry a hand-mill in his turban.

Now he would act as cupbearer at a banquet, standing in the place of 'the lord of the people’.

Now in the kindness of his heart he would pretend to be a camel to amuse those two intelligent children.

When that Holy Prophet came into the world, babe though he was he at once prostrated himself in worship.

He came forth from the womb with his umbilical cord already severed; his mother bore him already circumcised.

If he stood among a crowd of men he was taller by a head than the tallest of them.

No one ever saw his excrement: the earth would swallow it up like ambergris.

He could see both in front and behind equally well. Never did a fly settle on his person.

Since his shadow fell on the celestial spheres, how then could he cast a shadow on the ground?

Since his shadow covered the empyrean how then could it fall on the earth?

One night he resolved to ascend into heaven and to rise above the two worlds.

Buraq, who was pining for his master, had long been tethered to the tree called Tuba.

Sniffing the scent of Mohammed he brayed loudly, broke his tether and galloped towards him.

Then Gabriel appeared and said: 'Why art thou still on earth, O Pure One? Ascend into the heavens.

Thou art by right the lord of the empyrean; rise from the earth to its loftiest pinnacle.

Thou art the symbol of mercy in both worlds; thou art the host that dispenses it to both worlds.

Thou hast regaled the earth for a while, and now it is the turn of the heavens.

Make of thy poverty an elixir for the peoples of the earth; make of the dust of thy feet a collyrium for the angels.'

When the Holy Prophet set out upon Buraq he rose with the speed of lightning to the seventh heaven.

He rose, thus mounted, up to the throne of God, for he was lord of Buraq and of the pulpit.

On his right stood the supporters of God’s throne and on his left the guardians of the earth.

Beneath the hooves of Buraq the heavens were as the earth, while Gabriel was as the servant at his door.

He unfurled his banner over the empyrean and took his stand on the 'seat of truth’.

There came a cry from the denizens of the heavens: 'The Lord of the World has come to the trysting-place.

The orphan who followed Abu Talib is now a precious pearl sought by all seekers.’

A hundred thousand lofty souls were brought from the Divine Presence to welcome him.

Jesus passed in front of him as Zulaikha had passed in front of Joseph, and he restored him from old age to youth as Joseph had done to Zulaikha.

From the breath of his spirit Jesus the Pure received, as it were, new life in heaven.

Solomon came and offered him a crown; beggar-like he set a basket in front of him.

Moses, having paid his respects to him, departed in hopes of being received amongst his people.

Abraham brought his all to sacrifice before him, his son.

Noah came from his Ark to meet him and was proud to find him on Mount Judi.

Adam came and made merry; he questioned Mohammed about the secret of man's nature.

Ridwan brought in wine and asked him about his long journey.

Because he had grown thirsty of that journey he brought him a draught from Salsabil;

And because he was heated with the ardor of his love he tempered that draught with camphor;

And because he was affected with the coldness of certainty he tempered it likewise with ginger.

And when his humors were restored to equilibrium he offered him honey tempered with milk.

And because in Ta Ha he had been designated as the Pure One he received 'a drink of pure beverage'.

His drink was 'choice sealed wine’, whereof the seal was known to none but God.

The sky, the master of the sun, had led Buraq that night.

The golden sun was the pommel of the Prophet's saddle; the new moon kissed his feet like a stirrup.

The halo of the moon provided Buraq with barley from Gemini and straw from the Milky Way.

As the Prophet galloped along the road that night Buraq cast one of his shoes upon the sky.

That shoe became the new moon; the sky fixed it in its ear and formed an archway for him.

Arcturus offered him a lance having cleared Medusa's Head from the way.

The houris stood all along the road from the Fish to the Moon.

In that turquoise garden, despite the darkness of the night, thousands of eyes were brightened with the splendor of his face.

For gladness the empyrean reared up a pavilion for him and placed a throne in it.

Taking its support from his two tresses Tuba cast its shadow over Paradise.

When the Dragon's Tail reared up against him, it was docked like Scorpio's from fear of him.

The heavens made Virgo into a broom, then bent to sweep the way for him.

Cancer, recognizing his glory, flung himself headlong into the water.

When Gemini girded his loins as his bodyguard. Libra came and balanced its beam.

Sagittarius unstrung his bow: it had two houses and offered them both to his soul.

Aries and Capricorn were roasted for him and a table laid that stretched from the Moon to the Ox-Fish.

Leo became like a lion painted on his carpet and Aquarius like a wheel rolling after him.

When the Two Sisters beheld his face, they threw back their veils in their longing for him.

The Two Vultures appeared without their attributes in order that there might be no evil omen.

Although the Seven Thrones were revolving around the Pole like the seven men.

When they beheld his manliness and life, they became dead women carried upon a bier.

Each angel came with his censer to burn aloes-wood as a token of sincere love.

Ridwan opened the eight gates of Paradise and washed the nine approaches with the water of Kauthar.

The guardian of Paradise rejoiced the world by displaying a great company of houris.

Awed with his splendor the empyrean ceased to move; it stood as still as the eighth heaven.

When the Preserved Table saw the value of the dust under his feet, he made of it clay tablets such as the Shiites use when prostrating themselves in worship.

When the world of light had been filled with his beauty, the 'Frequented Temple’ fell in ruins out of love for him.

The heavens scattered largesse in very deed, for they offered all they possessed.

Each sphere brought a hundred purses, lawful gifts, for they came from the Sidra tree.

The firmament asked God for a present to offer him, and God adorned it every night with the stars.

And because such was the present offered him the faithful Companions of the Prophets were said to be 'like the stars’.

From the splendid sun that shone that night each star received a new light.

He gave Saturn the charge of the crops of the heavens; by decree he conferred upon Jupiter a cadi’s gown.

He honoured Mars with the office of executioner; with his hair he cast a shadow over the Sun.

On Venus he bestowed sweetness of language while to Mercury he gave supremacy in wisdom.

To the Moon he appeared like Joseph and caused her to cut both hand and orange.

The Sun of the Law rose up with such speed that even Gabriel with his six hundred thousand wings.

Could not catch up with him or discover where he was.

When he had passed through the ranks of the angels he saw another world like one 'level plain’;

A world in which there were none of the marks of a world, no sign of 'level plain' or of'cushions’,

A world devoid of nearness and farness, a 'light upon light’ because of his light.

He found the earth of that world to be patience and all its running water knowledge.

His glory gave grandeur to the heavens, his beauty illuminated the sun.

So did his soul perspire with longing for God that he rent his robe into a hundred pieces.

Aye, since the sky was his robe he rent it all, for that night he could do nothing else.

The proof of this is the Milky Way, which is made up of small pieces of the nine curtains.

Those nine curtains were rent to pieces during his ascension, because he was the intimate of God for ever.

There came a voice from God, saying: 'Master, at last thou hast come to Our door. What is thy wish?

Thy heart is with all sinners, for thou art right when thou sayst: "Walk at the pace of the weakest among you''.'

The Prophet said: 'Lord, Thou knowest how I feel, Thou hast no need to question me.

Thy favors are so continuous that I cannot count them; my tongue is tied.

Nothing is left of my being; all is now sun, the shadow is gone.'

When the Lord of the Two Worlds felt weak. God strengthened his arm with the 'two bows’.

Mohammed was the mightiest man in the world; therefore it is that he holds those bows.

Better bows the black-eyed houris will never see that the 'two bows’.

At that moment when he was immersed in knowledge he had, as it were, two qualities of the arrow:

One of them to stand straight upright and the other to fly through the air like an arrow.

And having in his being these two attributes of the arrow, the 'two bows' are the symbol of his two stations.

When, in the first place, he set out towards God, he sped upwards like an arrow from the bow.

And when, in the end, he was sent back to mankind, he was discharged like an arrow from the bow.

These two flights were from two bows, hence the parable of the 'two bows'.

And since Sagittarius is always in two houses, therefore there are always two parts to that bow.

One thou knowest as that of Ahad, and the other is that of the eternal Ahmad.

The attraction of God shot forth like an arrow and split the mim of Ahmad in two like a hair.

The mim of Ahmad fell out and it became Ahad; and all duality became unity.

In that night the Peacock of the Angels was utterly effaced by the raven of his hair.

See in his two tresses two ravens; see in the almonds of his eyes how they 'turned not aside’.

The 'two bows' are a symbol of his eyebrows; the ends of those bows are his two tresses.

Since his tresses were all light they gave rise to two rainbows.

I know of no one in the world who could wield the 'two bows'.

When the ravens of his tresses grow restless, the Peacock of the Heavens is a fitting quarry for them.

Hurrah for the bow, the thumb and the bow-end! Hurrah for 'is not' and 'what He revealed and 'turned not aside’!

It is because of its envy of the Prophet's 'two bows' that the sky has two arcs around its axis.

God, Who to glorify Adam revealed to him the names of all things,

Revealed to Mohammed the things themselves and therefore made him illiterate and poor.

Going beyond names to the nameless state of things he had no need to read and was therefore illiterate.

Since he went disembodied along the road of God he became from disembodiment absolutely poor.

Impelled by disembodiment and poverty he received from the Archetype of the Book the surname of 'the Illiterate’.

God first of all ordered that there should be fifty prayers a day but for his sake He reduced the number to five.

If that night he passed beyond the whole and the part it was because purging himself of self he became wholly absorbed in God.

O heart, see to the eternal good of thy soul; fasten thyself to this saddlebow.

Gird thy lions before him as his servant so that thou mayst become a great lord.

What more can I say, O Prophet of God? Impotent wretch that I am, I know no more.

Great is Gabriel and yet he is but thy messenger; he does nothing but run thy errands.

When Michael saw that thou wert king he became a purveyor to thy army.

With sword in hand and loins girt Izra’il stands ever ready to act as thy executioner.

The faithful Israfil stands sentry in thy doorway.

Of the angels that guard thy threshold two are the 'illustrious recorders'.

Father Adam is the scribe at thy court; many names has he written down describing thy nature.

Idris, recognizing thee in the stars, established thy worship in Paradise.

Since thy sovereignty embraces the whole world Noah has chosen to be thy pilot.

Salih gladly became thy camel-driver and entertained thee with camel's milk.

When Abraham became thy mason the whole of the Ka‘ba became thy sanctuary.

When Ishmael heard of thy faith, a son was sacrificed with uncut throat.

Jacob was filled with grief in his longing for thee; it was in search of thee that he withdrew into solitude.

Joseph escaped from prison and the well and with a hundred kinds of beauty sought a share of thine.

The noble Khidr waters the end of thy street from his fountain.

Elijah received a renewal of life from thee and so had chosen to guard thy life till Judgment Day.

Jonah became thy friend upon the way and he entered the sea in order to find thee again.

David felt a great longing for thy soul and he gave a hundred lives in his laments for thy love.

Job, seeing thee as the physician of love, dragged his body away from the worms towards his cell.

Solomon, seeing thee as the lord of the world, girded himself like his ring.

John offered his head to thy crown, and Aaron stood at thy door as a herald.

Moses was but thy guide upon the road and Jesus thy Indian slave Mubarak.

Since thou hast such a companion as 'Say: "He is God"’, draw a line through all else than God.

Though the wife of Abu Lahab, filled with annoyance, scattered thorns in thy path,

Thou art a hidden rose: walk cheerfully on, for no rose will bloom without a thorn in its foot.

Some good chance befalls thee every instant, and as a protection against the evil eye it is sufficient for thee to repeat 'Say: "I take refuge in God"'.

The seven celestial spheres have a lamp on every finger, the stars.

They call to thee in pain and anguish, but who would seek the sun with a lamp?

Thou art the sultan of earth and heaven, the lamp of this world and the next.

The sky is always rolling like a ball in order to catch sonic glimpse of thy majesty.

In that gathering in which there is scope for thy majesty the highest heaven is but a shoe-rank,

Although thy majesty is beyond computation, being higher than the nine heavens and hidden behind nine hundred screens,

Yet for envy of it this beautiful vault turns over and over, day and night.

A single beam of thy majesty shone on the heavens and from that one beam the sun and moon received their light.

What more can I say? For thy attributes are such that they would fill a hundred worlds beyond the ken of mind or soul.

Supposing the whole world were full of poppy seeds and there were a panegyrist inside each one of them,

I do not know whether thou wouldst be adequately praised or, if thou wert, whether thou wouldst accept it.

Thou knowest that none of the poets have sung such praise save only I.

This work is a young bride that seeks the protection of thy generosity and wishes for no jewels and adornment but thy acceptance.

If thou accept me my task is done, if not there is an end to my grief-stricken life.

If thou accept these words of mine, I shall with my art rebuild the ancient heavens.

Although thy presence is a mighty sea, yet this drop too is a precious pearl.

For though the ocean has a vast mass of water, yet it also cherishes every individual drop.

Dost thou not see how the boundless sea lovingly assigns its place to every single drop?

What more can I say, O Prophet of God? I have said what I am capable of saying.

Thou art generosity itself and thou knowest all. If thou wouldst bestow a hundred favors on me, it is in thy power.

Shaykh Farid ad-Din 'Attar, Book of God

Muhammad the Purified

2006-09-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

You are like the full moon, nay you are brighter
Your face is like fine water that drips

O Ornament of the World, O Aim of Hopes
Who has ever perceived a face such as yours?

No descendant of Eve from the essence of Adam
And none in the Eternal Heavens is similar to you

Your first is the sun, your second a star
The circular and luminous full moon is your third

And your fourth is camphor, your fifth ambergris
Corundum your sixth, the rest of you gems

Your five fingers refers to five tidings
They aim at the signs, so observe

Your middle finger is Abu Bakr, ‘Umar the ring finger
‘Uthman the smallest finger, ‘Ali the thumb

His forefinger is the seal of the Messengers, Muhammad
And that is none else save a Prophet, purified

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Ka’abah is my Qiblah
My religion is more exalted and honoured than other religions

Mediate for me, Messenger of Allah, Allah is Merciful
There is no god save Allah, Allah is Great

Blessings of Allah for every day and night
Upon Ahmad, the Chosen One, the Purified

Nazam in praise of the Beloved Prophet compiled by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Abdallah as-Suhaimi, may Allah bless him. Originally written in the Arabic Language, this English translation was done by Shaik Abdul Khafid.

Den Bedste Skabning

2006-09-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

The Prophetic Title "Best of Creation"

by Dr. G.F. Haddad

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim One of the names by which the Prophet Muhammad is known - upon him blessings and peace - is Khayru-l-Khalq or "Best of Creation." Other similar names of his with identical meaning are Khayru-l-Bariyya, Khayru Khalqillah, Khayru-l-'Alamina Turra, Khayru-n-Nas, Khayru Hadhihi-l-Umma, and Khîratullah. These titles refers to his high status over all human Prophets and Messengers as well as over the Jinn and angels - upon them peace. The Consensus of Muslims past and present - i.e. Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama'a - over the matter was indicated in Shaykh Ibrahim al-Laqqani's (d. 1041) words, "steer clear of dissent" in his famous poem Jawharat al-Tawhid ("The Gem of Monotheism"):

65. wa afdalu al-khalqi 'ala al-itlâqi
Nabiyyunâ fa mil 'ani al-shiqâqi.

Meaning:

And the best of creatures in absolute terms
is our Prophet, so steer clear of dissent.

Al-Bajuri (d. 1276), Sharh Jawharat al-Tawhid (1971 ed. p. 290): "I.e. among jinn, humankind, and angels, in the world and the hereafter, in all the attributes of goodness."

Al-Sawi (d. 1241), Sharh Jawharat al-Tawhid (1999 ed. p. 295): "This assertion-of-superiority (tafdîl) is by Consensus (ijmâ') of the Muslims, both Sunnis and Mu'tazila, except al-Zamakhshari [in al-Kashshaf (4:712), Surat al-Takwir] who violated the Consensus."

'Abd al-Salam ibn Ibrahim al-Laqqani (d. 1078), Sharh Jawharat al-Tawhid (1990 ed. p. 186): "It is obligatory (wâjib) on every legally responsible person to believe that he (SAWS) is the best of all, and one who denies it commits a sin, is guilty of innovation, and deserves to be taught a lesson."

66. wal-anbiyâ yalûnahu fil-fadli
wa ba'dahum malâ'ikah dhil-fadli

Meaning:

And the Prophets follow him in preferability
and after them the noble angels,

Al-Bajuri (p. 293): "Al-Qadi Abu 'Abd Allah al-Halimi [see on him the introduction to our translation of al-Bayhaqi's al-Asma' wa al-Sifat] together with others, such as the Mu'tazila, considered that the angels are better than the Prophets except our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu 'alayhi wa Alihi wa Sallam. Al-Sa'd [al-Taftazani] said [in Sharh al-'Aqa'id al-Nasafiyya]: 'There is nothing decisive in these issues.' Taj al-Din [ibn] al-Subki said [in Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyya al-Kubra]: 'Safety lies in refraining from speech on this question and to enter it in detail without decisive evidence is to enter into great peril, a ruling over something over which we are incapable of ruling.'"

67. hâdhâ wa qawmun fassalû idh faddalû
wa ba'du kullin ba'dahu qad yafdulu

Meaning:

This said, some [i.e. the Maturidis] narrowed its terms
in preferring some [of the angels and Prophets]
respectively over others [of the angels and Prophets]

Al-Bajuri (p. 295): "And this is surely the more correct position (wa hâdhihi hiya al-tariqa al-râjiha)." Note that he prefers the Maturidi position here over that of the Jumhûr of the Ash'aris although he is Ash'ari, while the author's son, Shaykh 'Abd al-Salam al-Laqqani, said all angels were preferable to all human beings other than Prophets - may Allah have mercy on them and on all Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama'a.

Al-Laqqani (p. 186-187): "It is obligatory to believe the preferability of the better (afdaliyyatu al-afdal) exactly according to whatever ruling was transmitted ('ala tabqi mâ warada al-hukmu bihi): if in detail then in detail, if in general then in general (tafsîlan fil-tafsîli wa ijmâlan fil-ijmâli). And it is not allowed to hasten to specific designation (al-hujûm 'alâ al-ta'yîn) of something which was not divinely ordained (lam yarid fîhi tawqîf)…. Qadi Taj al-Din ibn al-Subki said: 'The preferability of human beings over the angels is not among the matters one is obliged to believe nor harm those who ignore them. If one meets Allah without the least idea about the matter in its entirety, he would not have committed any sin. For people were not tasked to know it. And safety lies in refraining from speech on this question, etc.'""

Al-Sawi (p. 297-298), al-Bajuri (p. 296): "Its conclusion being that our Prophet (SAWS) is the best of creation in absolute terms, then Ibrahim, then Musa, then 'Isa, then Nuh - upon them peace - then the rest of the Messengers, then the non-Messenger Prophets - some of them being superior to others, but Allah alone knows in what detail, then Gibril, then Israfil, then Mika'il, then 'Izra'il, then 'common human beings' ('awamm al-bashar) such as Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, and 'Ali, then the mass of the angels."

Proofs of the Prophet’s Superiority to All Creation
A dear Muslim brother sent the following query: “some brothers even question that the Messenger of Allah was the Best of Creation. Do you have something handy that I can allude to as 'evidence' in this regard?”

“They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) to please you [all], but Allah, with His messenger, hath more right that they should please H/him if they are believers” (9:62).

Do they know any other Prophet or angel-brought-near with whom Allah Most High shared as many of His own Names in the Qur'an as He did with the Prophet (SAWS)? See the end of this post on this.

With respect to his foremost name - Muhammad - sallallahu 'alayhi wa Alihi

wa Sallam, consider the poetic verse of Hassan ibn Thabit (RA):

wa shaqqa lahu min ismihi liyujillahu
fa dhul-'arshi Mahmûdun wa hâdhâ Muhammadu

Meaning:

And He drew out for him [a name]
from His own Name so as to dignify him greatly:

The Owner of the Throne is the Glorious [Mahmûd],
and this is the Praiseworthy [Muhammad]!

Do they know any other Prophet or angel whom Allah addressed directly and by whose life He swore? “By thy life (O Muhammad)!” (15:72); “And who is better in his discourse than he who calls unto Allah and does good and says: I am one of the Muslims?” (41:33) i.e. who is better in speech than the Prophet (SAWS)?

“Lo! those who believe and do good works are the best of created beings” (98:7) i.e. the Prophet (SAWS) is the best of created beings;

“Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct” (49:13) i.e. the Prophet (SAWS) is the noblest of those to whom the Qur'an is addressed in the sight of Allah;

“And lo! thou (Muhammad) art [I swear] of a tremendous nature” (68:4). The reality of this compliment - khuluqin 'azim - can be fathomed only by the Speaker Himself and whoever He wills;

“Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while _some of them He exalted (above others) in degree_” (2:253) i.e. the Prophet (SAWS).

“And we preferred some of the Prophets above others” (17:55) then He said: “It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised estate” (17:79), a Station which the Prophet (SAWS) said none but he would receive. and this is the Station of Intercession at the right of the Glorious Throne as we described at length in the posting "The Seating of the Prophet (SAWS) on the Throne."

“And [have We not] exalted thy fame?” (94:4) Mujahid said: "Meaning, every time I [Allah] am mentioned, you [Muhammad] are mentioned." Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his Tafsir. Al-Shafi`i narrated the same explanation from Ibn Abi Najih and so did Ibn 'Ata' as cited by al-Nabahani in al-Anwar al-Muhammadiyya min al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya (p. 379). Al-Baydawi said in his Tafsir: "And what higher elevation than to have his name accompany His Name in the two phrases of witnessing, and to have his obedience equal His obedience??"

“And My Mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain It for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor due, and those who believe Our revelations” (7:156); and He said “truly the Mercy of Allah is near those who do good”: “Inna rahmat Allahi qaribun min al-muhsinin” (7:56) without putting qaribun in the feminine (qaribatun) although rahma is feminine, because in reality that rahma is the Prophet (SAWS), as explicited in the verse: “wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatan lil-'alamin”: “And We did not send you (Muhammad) except as a Mercy to the worlds” (21:107);

“Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy: therein [alone] let them rejoice. It is better than what they hoard” (10:58). Ibn 'Abbas said: "The bounty of Allah is Knowledge [of Tawhid], and His mercy is the Prophet (SAWS)." Abu al-Shaykh narrated it as stated by al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur (4:367). Al-Alusi in Ruh al-Ma'ani (10:141) and Abu al-Su'ud in his Tafsir (4:156) said that the bounty is general while the mercy is specific and therefore emphasized. Al-Razi in al-Tafsir al-Kabir (17:123) said the command is emphatically restrictive, meaning that a human being should not rejoice in anything else than the mercy.

“Truly, Allah and His angels send praise and blessings [forever] upon the Prophet. O ye who believe! Praise and bless the Prophet with utmost laud and blessing” (33:56);

“That ye (mankind) may believe in Allah and His messenger, and may honor h/Him, and may revere h/Him, and may glorify h/Him at early dawn and at the close of day” (48:9). Al-Nawawi said that the scholars of Qur'anic commentary have given this verse two lines of explanation, one group giving the three personal pronouns "HIM" a single referent, namely, either Allah ("Him") or the Prophet ("him"); the other group distinguishing between two referents, namely, the Prophet (SAWS) for the first two ("honor and revere him"), and Allah for the last ("glorify Him"). Those of the first group that said the pronouns all refer to the Prophet (SAWS) explained "glorify him" (tusabbihuhu) here to mean: "declare him devoid of inappropriate attributes and pray for him."

“And Allah sufficeth as a witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” (48:28-29).

Every Quranic Verse Proof of the Prophet’s Status as ‘Best of Creation’
There are, in fact, 6,666 Qur'anic proofs that the Messenger of Allah - Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Alihi wa Sallam - is (not "was") without doubt the Best of creation, namely, the verses of the Holy Qur'an, since it is the greatest of all revealed Books and their Seal, the only Book that Allah guaranteed to preserve, and the universal Revelation for all creation (including angels, cf. al-Haytami, Fatawa Hadithiyya p. 69, 151-154) as opposed to previous Revelations which were only for the people among whom they were revealed. And this Book was revealed to the heart of the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS): “And lo! it is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds which the True Spirit hath brought down upon thy heart” (26:192-194).

They might be confused by the narrations forbidding the Companions from boasting the merits of one Prophet over the others, or preferring him over Musa, or preferring him over Yunus, Allah bless and greet our Prophet and them. However, these narrations denote humbleness on the part of the Seal of Prophets (SAWS). That is what all the Ulema said in reply to the superficial contradiction between the latter narrations and the verses and narrations that firmly establish his superior status.

Ibn 'Abbas (RA) said: "Allah has preferred (faddala) Muhammad over all Prophets and over the dwellers of the heavens (= the angels)." They said: "O Ibn 'Abbas, how did He prefer him to the dwellers of the heavens?" He replied: "Allah Most High said: ‘And one of them [the angels] who should say: Lo! I am a God beside Him, that one We should repay with hell” (21:29) but He said: ‘Lo! We have given thee (O Muhammad) a signal victory That Allah may forgive thee of thy sin that which is past and that which is to come, and may perfect His favor unto thee, and may guide thee on a right path’ (48:1-2)." They said: "And how did He prefer him over the Prophets?" He replied: "Allah Most High says: ‘And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk’(14:4) but He said: ‘And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save unto all mankind’ (34:28)."[1]

There are many other more or less direct textual proofs to that effect, among them the fact that Allah ordered the angels to learn the names of things from Adam, but He ordered the universes to learn about Allah Himself from the Prophet (SAWS): “The Beneficent! Ask any one informed concerning Him” (25:59); the fact that the Prophet (SAWS) is to witness not only over his own Community but over all others (2:143 and 4:41); the fact that the Prophet (SAWS) alone, of all humankind, jinn, and angels, has been given the Maqam al-Mahmud (17:79) i.e. the Glorious Station (of intercession with Allah Most High) and, in the Sunna, the fact that Allah did not give His intimate friendship to any angel, but He gave it to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) as well as to Sayyidina Ibrahim (AS), and He made the Messenger of Allah the Imam of all Prophets and Messengers when he prayed among them in Masjid al-Aqsa, the intercessor for all the Communities (in the hadith "People shall surge like waves…"), and the Master of Humankind (Sayyidu al-Nas) together with the fact that he was known in the Divine presence as a Prophet while Adam (AS) was still being created, and that the latter sought his intercession because he saw his name written on the Throne.

Adam (as) asks sought intercession and forgiveness with the Prophet’s name
In the chapter concerning the Prophet's superiority over all other Prophets in his great book titled al-Wafa bi Ahwal al-Mustafa', Ibn al-Jawzi states: "Part of the demonstration of his superiority to other Prophets is the fact that Adam (AS) asked his Lord through the sanctity (hurma) of Muhammad (SAWS) that He relent towards him." The most authentic chain for this report is not that of al-Hakim's narration from 'Umar through 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam who is weak (da'îf), but that of the Companion Maysarat al-Fajr who narrates it as follows:

I asked: "O Messenger of Allah, when were you [first] a Prophet?" He replied: "When Allah created the earth ‘Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens’(2:29), and created the Throne, He wrote on the leg of the Throne: "Muhammad the Messenger of Allah is the Seal of Prophets" (Muhammadun Rasûlullâhi Khâtamu al-Anbiyâ'). Then Allah created the Garden in which He made Adam and Hawwa' dwell, and He wrote my name on the gates, its tree-leaves, its domes and tents, at a time when Adam was still between the spirit and the body. When Allah Most High instilled life into him he looked at the Throne and saw my name, whereupon Allah informed him that 'He [Muhammad SAWS] is the liege-lord of all your descendants.' When Satan deceived them both, they repented and sought intercession to Allah with my name."[2]

Another great proof that the Messenger of Allah is the Best of Creation is the Consensus of the Imams and Ulema of Ahl al-Sunna, violating which are three scholars on record: the Zahiri Ibn Hazm; the M'`tazili al-Zamakhshari; and the Mujassim Ibn Abi al-'Izz who was imprisoned for it as related by Ibn Hajar in his Inba' al-Ghumr (1:258-260). Shaykh 'Abd Allah al-Talidi said in his Tahdhib al-Shifa' (p. 162): "The dissent of Ibn Hazm and al-Zamakhshari carries no weight."

Sayyid Abu al-Fadl 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Siddiq al-Ghumari al-Hasani wrote a book titled, Dilalat al-Qur'ani al-Mubin 'ala anna al-Nabiyya Afdalu al-'Alamin ("The Indication of the Manifest Qur'an that the Prophet is the Best of the Universes"), in which he listed the verses to that effect Sura by Sura and in the introduction of which he mentioned the following story:

"Al-Sha'rani in Tabaqat al-Awliya' narrated from [his Shaykh] the Knower of Allah Abu al-Mawahib al-Shadhili that the latter said: 'A dispute took place between me and a certain person in the Mosque of al-Azhar over the statement of the author of al-Burda [Imam al-Busiri]:

Famablaghu al-'ilmi fîhi annahu basharun
wa annahu khayru khalqillâhi kullihimi

Meaning:

The apex of knowledge concerning him is that he is a human being
and that he is the best of all the creation of Allah.

Whereupon that person said: He has no proof for this. I said to him: Consensus (ijma') has formed over this. He did not change his view. Later I saw the Prophet - Sallallahu 'alayhi wa Alihi wa Sallam - and with him were Abu Bakr and 'Umar, Allah be well-pleased with them, sitting at the pulpit of the Azhar Mosque. He said to me: Marhaban bihabibi - Welcome to my dear beloved! Then he said to his friends: Do you know what happened today? They said No, O Messenger of Allah. He said: So-and-so the Wretch (Fulan al-Ta'is) believes that the angels are better than me!… What is wrong with him, disbelieving in the Consensus?'"

Following is a list of works containing proofs from the Qur'an and Sunna of the superiority of the Prophet (SAWS) over all creation:

1. Al-Qadi 'Iyad, al-Shifa' fi Ma'rifati Huquq al-Mustafa (SAWS)
2. Abu Nu'aym, Dala'il al-Nubuwwa
3. Al-Bayhaqi, Dala'il al-Nubuwwa
4. Al-Faryabi, Dala'il al-Nubuwwa
5. Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Wafa bi Ahwal al-Mustafa (SAWS)
6. Ibn 'Abd al-Salam, Bidayat al-Sul fi Tafdil al-Rasul
7. Ibn Dihya, al-Mustawfa li Asma' al-Mustafa (SAWS)
8. Al-'Azafi, Sharh Asma' al-Nabi (SAWS)
9. Ibn al-'Arabi's Chapter on the Prophetic Names in 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi
10. Al-Bayhaqi's Chapter on the Prophetic Names in Shu'ab al-Iman
11. Al-Busiri, al-Burda
12. Al-Busiri, al-Hamziyya
13. Al-Busiri, al-Muhammadiyya
14. Al-Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra
15. Al-Suyuti, al-Bahja al-Bahiyya fil-Asma' al-Nabawiyya
16. Al-Suyuti, al-Riyad al-Aniqa fi Sharh Asma' Khayr al-Khaliqa
17. Al-Jazuli, Dala'il al-Khayrat
18. Al-Fasi, Sharh Dala'il al-Khayrat
19. Al-Sakhawi, al-Qawl al-Badi' fi al-Salat 'ala al-Nabi al-Shafi'
20. Al-Qastallani, al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya
21. Al-Zurqani, Sharh al-Mawahib
22. Al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa'
23. Al-Qari, Sharh al-Shama'il al-Nabawiyya li al-Tirmidhi
24. Al-Munawi, Sharh al-Shama'il al-Nabawiyya li al-Tirmidhi
25. Al-Baghawi, Sharh al-Shama'il al-Nabawiyya li al-Tirmidhi
26. Al-Nabahani, al-Asma fima li Sayyidina Muhammad min al-Asma
27. Al-Nabahani, Wasa'il al-Wusul ila Shama'il al-Rasul
28. Al-Nabahani, Shawahid al-Haqq
29. Al-Nabahani, Nujum al-Muhtadin wa Rujum al-Mu'tadin
30. Al-Nabahani, Jawahir al-Bihar fi Fada'il al-Nabi al-Mukhtar
31. Al-Lahji, Muntaha al-Sul Sharh Wasa'il al-Wusul li al-Nabahani
32. Al-Jamal, Hashiyat al-Hamziyya
33. Al-Haytami, Hashiyat al-Hamziyya
34. Al-Dabbagh, al-Ibriz min Kalam Sayyidi 'Abd al-'Aziz
35. 'Abd Allah al-Ghumari, Dilalat al-Qur'ani al-Mubin 'ala anna al-Nabiyya Afdalu al-'Alamin
36. Al-Maliki, Muhammad (SAWS) al-Insanu al-Kamil (esp. p. 181-213, 4th ed.)
37. Sirajuddin, Sayyiduna Muhammad (SAWS)

Al-Qadi 'Iyad said in al-Shifa', in the section entitled: "On Allah honoring the Prophet (SAWS) with some of His own Beautiful Names and describing him with some of His own sublime qualities":

Know that Allah has bestowed a mark of honor on many of the Prophets by investing them with some of His names, for instance, when He calls Ishaq and Isma'il "knowing" ('alim) and "forbearing" (halim), Ibrahim "forbearing", Nuh "thankful" (shakur), 'Isa and Yahya "devoted" (barr), Musa "noble" (karim) and "strong" (qawi), Yusuf "a knowing guardian" (hafiz, 'alim), Ayyub "patient" (sabur), and Isma'il "truthful to the promise" (sadiq al-wa'd)… Yet He has preferred our Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, since He has adorned him with a wealth of His names in His Mighty Book and on the tongue of His Prophets. We have gathered them together after reflecting on the subject and putting our memory to work since we were unable to locate anyone who had compiled more than two names nor anyone who had dealt with it to any great extent before. We have recorded some of these names… There about thirty of them. [He then proceeds to list and explain them. They are: Ahmad, al-Ra'uf, al-Rahim, al-Haqq, al-Nur, al-Shahid, al-Karim, al-'Azim, al-Jabbar, al-Khabir, al-Fattah, al-Shakur, al-'Alim, al-'Allam, al-Awwal, al-Akhir, al-Qawi, al-Sadiq, al-Wali, al-Mawla, 'Afw, al-Hadi, al-Mu'min, al-Quddus/Muqaddas, al-'Aziz, al-Bashir, al-Nadhir, Ta Ha, Ya Seen.]

May Allah send blessings and peace on the Prophet, his Family, and all his Companions. Even the Christians and Jews of old knew that the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) is the best of creation, as evidenced by some of his names and attributes reportedly found in the Bible, such as "Ikleel = Crown [of creation]" and "Parakletos = Spirit of Holiness."

WAllahu a'lam. Wa SallAllahu wa Sallam 'ala Sayyidina Muhammad. Wal-Hamdu lillahi Rabbi al-'Alamin.

NOTES
[1] Narrated from 'Ikrima by al-Darimi in the Muqaddima to his Musnad with a sound chain according to Shaykh 'Abd Allah al-Talidi (Tahdhib al-Shifa' p. 167), al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwa, 'Abd ibn Humayd in his Musnad, Abu Ya'la in his Musnad, Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir (11:240) with a chain of highly trustworthy narrators according to al-Haythami in Majma' al-Zawa'id (8:254), al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (2:350 = 1990 ed. 2:381) where he declared it sahih and al-Dhahabi concurred, Ibn Marduyah in his Tafsir, al-Qadi 'Iyad in al-Shifa' within the "Sahih and Famous Reports on His Tremendous Status and Rank Before His Lord" (Part I ch. 3), and Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir.

[2] Shaykh 'Abd Allah al-Ghumari cited it in Murshid al-Ha'ir li Bayan Wad' Hadith Jabir and said, "its chain is good and strong" while in al-Radd al-Muhkam al-Matin (p. 138-139) he adds: "It is the strongest Companion-corroboration (shâhid) I saw for the hadith of `Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd" as quoted also by Shaykh Mahmud Mamduh in Raf' al-Minara (p. 248).

Pray for the blessed day will come

2006-09-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Pray for the day, when I will be near the rawda
I am waiting for the day I will be a visitor of the noble lighten city
The day we will be able to say; Yâ Nabî (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
Here we are, Here we are to send peace and blessings upon you
Here we are, ready to die at every moment in Madina

Justly, we are nothing but clay,
you are by Noor -The lighten humanbeing,
The Noor, surely we will not go astray,
as long as we obey Allah and Send Peace and blessings upon you

You are The Hafiz, you are the leader, you are beloved of Allah, Star of Universe, The Unique Star, call upon us, O Leader of Madina
Mercy for mankind-you showed me the lighten way,

Our hearts are lighten when mentioning your name
Our mouths are sweetened by mentioning your praised name

Our hearts long for you, ya RasulAllâh
-every moment, we want to obtain your love

I have my heart in Madina, ya RasulAllah
and surely I shall not bring it back ever.
Let me be a visitor of your home, the blessed place which is higher than ‘arsh

Our eyes are crying by looking at your Qubah (dome)
the view of Madina is fantastic and marvelous
lo! the shining star over the Masjid, praising you,
the praising birds at fajr and maghrib sending peace and blessings upon you.

Everyone is uttering the blessed name of yours, I wish..
I wish I was a bird, and I could be a visitor of Madina at any time, without any responsibilites,
just praising you and obtaining your love.
As jalous I am on the remaining creation -surely they praise you at every moment

i wish i could climb into the past and see you at that time
-i do know i am not worth it, but do come in my dreams, yâ HabîbAllâh

Yâ Nabi, my ship is sinking, do help me,
let me obtain your raised love,
The love of yours is a large ocean,
let me sail upon it

Ya Nabi, don’t let me sink let me be a visitor of your city
and let my heart be refreshned
however my heart is at your place

thousands of visitors are going to Madina, ya Nabi
yâ Madani, do call upon me as well

Surely we aren’t worth to mention your name
-justly we do it,
your name is attached into our hearts

Our hearts were covered with darkness
until the day we began to love Allah and His Beloved

Our hearts were covered with darkness
-and now it’s filled with Noor by the name of Allah and Habib Allah

Let us follow the path of noor, and let us attempt to obtain it

O Allah increase our knowledge and our love for You, The Praiseworthy, The Merciful, The Compassionate, Lord of All the worlds.

© Maryam Khan

Poem: Would that winds of the hijaz…

2006-09-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Would that winds of the hijaz,
Still haunted my sleep,
Bidding me to awake and visit the one,
By whose generosity I exist.

O would that this dead heart,
Could flee back to Medina,
And bow down once again,
Where his blessed feet led prayers.

O pillar of the palm-trunk,
Elevated in station for eternity,
I still hear your weeping in the night,
As it is joined by my own.

Yet while my body drowns in sin,
My soul flies back to the Safe Haven.

Holding on to the rope of Allah,
I find myself in front of his blessed face.

Faqir e ajam

O Kærlighed, O Tayba

2006-09-11T15:56:00.000-07:00

O Kærlighed! Tag mig til Madîna
Mit brænder efter det, jeg længtes efter at kunne se stedet,
hvor RasûlAllâh (Allahs fred og velsignelser være med ham) har gået

O Kærlighed! Du er min nøgle til min Skaber,
Nøglen til Hans Elskede (Allahs fred og velsignelser være med ham).

Du åbner flere døre op for mig, din vej er ren
Du er fundamentet i min imân, hjertets skær

O Allah lad os være Deres Sande elskere og slaver, Aa’shiq-ullah, og lad os være Deres Elskede Muhammad’s (Allah ypperste fred og velsignelser være med ham) sande og trofaste elskere og ummati

Lad os gennemføre denne rejse i vort liv
med denne nøgle som åbner alle døre op for os

© Maryam Khan

Every Desire is for Madina

2006-09-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Every moment, all I see, is Madina and the alleys where I am
And thoughts only of Muhammad (may peace be upon him) in my heart, that’s enough for me

Oh Creator, in Madina, let me meet, meet my end
On that ground, with my head bowed down, separate my body from my soul

At the time when the angles come to question me in my grave
At that time, on my lips will shine, only words of Na’t-e-Nabi [Praises for Allahs Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)]?

Of my Creator am I a servant, Oh fire of Hell you too listen well
How will he, how will he burn, burn if he is servering Madani?

Thoughts of Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is in my heart
O Shaytan! You too listen well,
How shall a lover of Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) neglect his leader?

[Inayet Petker’s cd: Salutations,Track 4]

Profetens Navne

2006-09-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

Explanation of the Names of the Prophet
Answered by Shaykh Gibril Haddad

SHARH ASMA' AL-NABI: Explanation of the names of the Prophet

[1-revised]

EXPLANATION OF THE NAMES OF THE PROPHET,
ALLAH'S BLESSINGS AND PEACE UPON HIM

Excerpted with permission from Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani's _Repudiation of "Salafi" Innovations_ Vol. II (ASFA, forthcoming, insha Allah).

This is the explanation of the Names of the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him, as set forth by Shaykh al-Islam, the last of the major hadith masters, al-hafiz,

Sayyidi Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 911) in his book al-Riyad al-aniqa fi sharh asma' khayr al-khaliqa sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam

edited by the Lebanese hadith scholar Abu Hajir Muhammad al-Sa'id ibn Basyuni Zaghlul and published in Beirut by Dar al-kutub al-'ilmiyya (1405/1985).

Suyuti says: It is my hope that Allah accept this book and that through this book I will gain the Messenger's intercession. Perhaps it shall be that Allah make it the seal of all my works, and grant me what I have asked Him with longing regarding the Honorable One. I have named it "The beautiful gardens: Explanation of the names of the Best of Creation."

One of the commentaries notes that the scholars have said that the multitude of names points to the greatness of the named and his loftiness of rank, because it supposes great care and importance. That is why among the Arabs you will see that the objects with the most names are those who commend the greatest endeavor and effort.

Some have said: The Prophet has ninety-nine names, like the Beautiful Names of Allah. Ibn Dihya, however, avered three hundred names. Imam Abu Bakr Ibn al-'Arabi in his commentary on Tirmidhi ('Aridat al-ahwadhi 10:281) mentions one thousand names, some being mentioned in the Qur'an and hadith while others are found in the ancient books.

I say: Some of his names came to us in the form of a verb or a verbal noun, and a large number of the scholars including al- Qadi 'Iyad and Ibn Dihya include those among the names. This is what the large majority of the scholars, especially those of hadith, have done with regard to Allah's names.

As for the Prophet's saying: "I have five names…" (Bukhari and Muslim):

It does not contradict the fact that he has more than that, because it is one of the rules of the principles (qawa'id al-usul) that the number is not understood exclusively (al-'adadu la yukhassas). How many hadiths have mentioned numbers which are not meant to convey exclusivity, for example: "Seven will enjoy the shade of Allah's Throne" (Bukhari), while other hadiths mention more than that; I have about seventy or more among the more famous ones.

I also consider that the wording "five" needs investigation, and if it is established, then perhaps it comes from the nearest narrator, because most of the narrations have: "I have (many) names" (inna li asma'), and some of the narrations also mention six instead of five, while Jubayr's narration mentions more than that. Ibn 'Asakir addressed this in his Mubhimat al- Qur'an and said:

It is both possible that the mention of the number is not from the Prophet's wording, or that it is from him, in any case this does not necessitate a limit. These five were mentioned specifically either because of the listener's prior knowledge of the other names — as if the Prophet were saying: "I have five particularly meritorious and glorious names" — or because of the fame of these five names — as if the Prophet were saying: "I have five particularly famous names" — of for some other reason. (End of Ibn 'Asakir's words.)

Here now are the hadiths which number his names. We have:

1- The hadith of Jubayr ibn Mut'im
2- The hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah
3- The hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari
4- The hadith of Hudhayfa
5- The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud
6- The hadith of Ibn 'Abbas
7- The hadith of Abu al-Tufayl
8- The hadith of 'Awf ibn Malik.

1- The hadith of Jubayr ibn Mut'im

His son Muhammad narrated it from him as well as Nafi', and al- Zuhri took it from Muhammad, and thence a large number of narrators, among them: Sufyan al-Thawri, Shu'ayb, Mu'ammar, Malik, Muhammad ibn Maysara, and others. [It is found in Ahmad (4:80), Tirmidhi's Sunan ('Aridat al-ahwadhi 10:280), and Tirmidhi's Shama'il (p. 183). Also Muslim from Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanzali and others.]

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad that the Prophet said:

I have (many) names. I am The Praised One (Muhammad). And I am the Most Deserving of Praise (Ahmad). And I am the Eraser (al-mahi) by whom disbelief is erased. And I am the Gatherer (al-hashir) at whose feet the people shall be gathered. And I am the Concluder (al-'aqib) after whom there is no Prophet.

Bukhari in his Sahih and Malik in his Muwatta' narrate it from Mu'ammar without the words "after whom there is no Prophet." This is the last hadith in the Muwatta'. al-Darimi in his Sunan cites it from al-Shu'ayb with the words "after whom there is no-one." Bukhari's version adds:

Mu'ammar said: I asked al-Zuhri: "What is al-'aqib?" He replied: "The one after whom there is no Prophet."

al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-nubuwwa (1:123) narrates it from Muhammad ibn Maysara with the final words:

And I am the Concluder (al-'aqib), that is: the Sealer.

Ahmad in his Musnad (4:80) and Bayhaqi in the Dala'il (1:124-125) also narrate it with the mere mention of the names without gloss, and with the addition of a sixth name:

I have (many) names. I am The Praised One (Muhammad). And I am the Most Deserving of Praise (Ahmad), and the Gatherer (al-hashir), and the Eraser (al-mahi), and the Sealer (al-khatim), and the Concluder (al-'aqib).

As can be seen the Prophet has listed his names above as six, and this indicates that the mention of "five" is not from the Prophet, who only said: "names." Jubayr subsequently remembered whatever he remembered, or he mentioned [some of them] and kept some of them to himself.

2- The hadith of Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah

It is like the hadith of Jubayr but without the mention of al-'aqib and with an addition so that it reads:

I am the Most Deserving of Praise (Ahmad). I am The Praised One (Muhammad). And I am the Gatherer (al- hashir) at whose feet the people shall be gathered. And I am the Eraser (al-mahi) by whom Allah erases disbelief. On the Day of Resurrection the Flag of Glorification will be with me and I shall be the leader of all the Messengers and the custodian of their intercession.

al-Tabarani narrated it in al-Jami' al-kabir and al-Jami' al-awsat. [al-Haythami said in Majma' al-zawa'id (8:248): "Its chain contains 'Urwa ibn Marwan who was said not to be strong (laysa bi al-qawi i.e. he is merely acceptable), while the remainder of its narrators have been declared trustworthy."]

Abu Nu'aym also narrated it in Dala'il al-nubuwwa from al-Tabarani with the wording:

And I am the Gatherer (al-hashir) and the people will not be gathered anywhere else than at my feet.

3- The hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad through Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi that the Prophet said:

I am The Praised One (Muhammad), and the Most Deserving of Praise (Ahmad), and the Final Successor (al-muqfi), and the Gatherer (al-hashir), and the Prophet of Repentance (nabi al-tawba), and the Prophet of Mercy (nabi al-rahma).

Muslim in his Sahih (book of Fada'il Chapter 34 hadith #126) and Abu Nu'aym narrated it in Hilyat al-awliya' (5:99). Ahmad in his Musnad (4:395) narrated it through Waki' without "and the Prophet of Repentance," and through Yazid who retains it but replaces "the Prophet of Mercy" with: "and of the Fierce Battle" (nabi al-malhama).

4- The hadith of Hudhayfa

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad that Hudhayfa said:

I met the Prophet in one of the streets of Madina and he said: I am The Praised One (muhammad). And I am the Most Deserving of Praise (ahmad). And I am the Prophet of Mercy (nabi al-rahma). And I am the Prophet of Repentance (nabi al-tawba). And I am the Final Successor (al-muqfi). And I am the Gatherer (al- hashir) and the Prophet of the Great Battle (nabi al- malhama).

Suyuti said: Ahmad narrates it (Musnad 5:405) and the sub-narrators are all the men of sound hadith except 'Asim ibn Bahdala ("He is thiqa — trustworthy": Haythami in Majma'al- zawa'id 8:284), and the hadith is sound.

5- The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad that Ibn Mas'ud said:

I heard the Prophet say in one of the streets of Madina: I am The Praised One (muhammad), and the Most Deserving of Praise (ahmad), and the Gatherer (al- hashir), and the Final Successor (al-muqfi), and the Prophet of Mercy (nabi al-rahma).

Ibn Hibban narrated it in his Sahih, and al-Haythami cited it in Mawarid al-zham'an (#2090).

6- The hadith of Ibn 'Abbas

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad through al-Tabarani that the Prophet said:

I am the Most Deserving of Praise (ahmad), and the Praised One (muhammad), and the Gatherer (al- hashir), and the Final Successor (al-muqfi), and the Sealer (al-khatim).

al-Tabarani said in his Saghir (1:58) that this hadith is not related from Ibn 'Abbas through any other chain, and Suyuti adds that the chain is missing a link through al-Dahhak and Ibn 'Abbas. [However, Ahmad Shakir, the late editor of Musnad Ahmad says in that book (4:67) that Abu Janab al-Kalbi narrates from al-Dahhak:: "I was Ibn 'Abbas's neighbor for seven years." al-Haythami mentions the hadith in Majma' al-zawa'id but does not say anything about it.]

7- The hadith of Abu al-Tufayl

[This is the Companion 'Amir ibn Wathila ibn 'Abd Allah al-Bakri al-Laythi (d. 110). He related the hadith found in Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Majah in their books of Manasik whereby the Prophet would touch the Black Stone with his camel-prod (mihjan) — while circumambulating on top of his mount — and then kiss it.]

al-Suyuti narrates with his isnad, having heard this from Muhammad ibn Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili and Abu Hurayra `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili and others:

… From Isma'il Abu Yahya al-Taymi, from Sayf ibn Wahb who said: I heard Abu al-Tufayl say: The Prophet said: "I have ten names in the presence of my Lord." Abu al- Tufayl said: I only remember eight, and have forgotten two: "I am The Praised One (muhammad), and the Most Deserving of Praise (ahmad), and the Opener (al-fatih), and the Sealer (al-khatim), and the Father of Qasim (abu al-qasim), and the Gatherer (al-hashir), and the Concluder (al-'aqib), and the Eraser (al-mahi).

Sayf ibn Wahb said: "I related this hadith to Abu Ja'far and he said: "O Sayf al-Mulla! Shall I tell you the two missing names?" I said yes, and he said:

Ya Sîn and Ta Ha.

Ibn Mardawayh in his Tafsir, Abu Nu'aym in his Dala'il, and al-Daylami in Musnad al-firdaws all cited it with their chains through Abu Yahya al-Taymi. Ibn Dihya said: "This is a worthless chain, as it revolves around a forger — Yahya al-Taymi — and a weak narrator — Sayf ibn Wahb."

[al-Zabidi cited it in his Ithaf al-sadat al-muttaqin (7:163). He mentions that Ibn Dihya cited it also in his al-Mustawfa, and that Yahya (or Ibn Yahya or Abu Yahya) al-Taymi is a forger while Ahmad said that Sayf ibn Wahb is weak.]

8- The hadith of 'Awf ibn Malik

Suyuti narrates with his isnad back to Abu Nu'aym that 'Awf ibn Malik said:

One day the Prophet set forth and I was with him. He entered the synagogue of the Jews during their festival day and they disliked it intensely that we should visit them. The Prophet then said: "O nation of the Jews! By Allah, in truth I am the Gatherer (al-hashir), and I am the Concluder (al-'aqib), and I am the Final Successor (al- muqfi), whether you believe or give the lie." Then he left and I left with him.

[2]
THE NAMES OF THE PROPHET THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED

Suyuti said in al-Riyad al-aniqa: al-Nawawi said in his Tahdhib al-asma' wa al-sifat (The emendation of the Names and Attributes):

Most of the Prophet's names mentioned are only attributes, such as the Concluder (al-'aqib), the Gatherer (al-hashir), and the Sealer (al-khatim). To call them "names" is a metaphorical appellation.

We have established a list of three hundred and forty-odd names divided among sections (commentary and referencing of each name follows the list):

I- Names of the Prophet explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an

1. Muhammad: Praised One.
2. Ahmad: Most Deserving of Praise.
3. al-Ahsan: The Most Beautiful. The Best.
4. Udhun khayr: Friendly Ear.
5. al-A'la: The Highest (in all creation).
6. al-Imam: The Leader.
7. al-Amin: The Dependable.
8. al-Nabi: The Prophet.
9. al-Ummi: The Unlettered.
10. Anfas al-'arab: The Most Precious of the Arabs.
11. Ayatullah: The Sign of Allah.
12. Alif lam mim ra: A-L-M-R.
13. Alif lam mim sad: A-L-M-S
14. al-Burhan: The Proof.
15. al-Bashir: The Bringer of Good Tidings.
16. al-Baligh: The Very Eloquent One.
17. al-Bayyina: The Exposition.
18. Thani ithnayn: The Second of Two.
19. al-Harîs: The Insistent One.
20. al-Haqq: The Truth Itself.
21. Ha Mim: H-M.
22. Ha Mim 'Ayn Sîn Qaf: H-M- ` -S-Q.
23. al-Hanif: The One of Primordial Religion.
24. Khatim al-nabiyyin: The Seal of Prophets.
25. al-Khabir: The Knowledgeable One.
26. al-Da'i: The Summoner.
27. Dhu al-quwwa: The Strong One.
28. Rahmatun li al-`alamin: A Mercy for the Worlds.
29. al-Ra'uf: The Gentle One.
30. al-Rahim: The Compassionate One.
31. al-Rasul: The Messenger.
32. Sabil Allah: The Path to Allah.
33. al-Siraj al-munir: The Light-Giving Lamp.
34. al-Shâhid: The Eyewitness.
35. al-Shahîd: The Giver of Testimony.
36. al-Sâhib: The Companion.
37. al-Sidq: Truthfulness Itself.
38. al-Sirat al-mustaqim: The Straight Way.
39. Tah Sîn: T-S.
40. Tah Sîn Mim: T-S-M.
41. Tah Ha: T-H.
42. al-'Amil: The Worker.
43. al-'Abd: The Slave.
44. 'Abd Allah: Allah's Slave.
45. al-'Urwat al-wuthqa: The Sure Rope.
46. al-'Aziz: The Mighty One. The Dearest One.
47. al-Fajr: The Dawn.
48. Fadl Allah: Allah's Grace.
49. Qadamu Sidq: Truthful Ground.
50. al-Karim: The Generous One.
51. Kaf Ha' Ya' 'Ayn Sad: K-H-Y- ` - S
52. al-Lisan: Language Itself.
53. al-Mubashshir: The Harbinger of Goodness.
54. al-Mubîn: The Manifest.
55. al-Muddaththir: The Cloaked One.
56. al-Muzzammil: The Enshrouded One.
57. al-Mudhakkir: The Reminder.
58. al-Mursal: The Envoy.
59. al-Muslim: The One Who Submits.
60. al-Mashhud: The One Witnessed To.
61. al-Musaddiq: The Confirmer.
62. al-Muta': The One Who Is Obeyed.
63. al-Makîn: The Staunch One.
64. al-Munadi: The Crier.
65. al-Mundhir: The Admonisher.
66. al-Mizan: The Balance.
67. al-Nas: Humanity.
68. al-Najm: The Star.
69. al-Thaqib: The Sharp-Witted One.
70. al-Nadhîr: The Warner.
71. Ni'mat Allah: Allah's Great Favor.
72. al-Nur: The Light.
73. Nun: N.
74. al-Hadi: Guidance Itself.
75. al-Wali: The Ally.
76. al-Yatim: The Orphan. The Unique One.
77. Ya Sîn: I-S.

II- Names of the Prophet mentioned in the Qur'an as verbs

[Note: The character denotes a long A or alif.]

78. âkhidh al-sadaqat: The Collector of Alms.
79. al-âmir: The Commander.
80. al-Nâhi: The Forbidder.
81. al-Tâli: The Successor.
82. al-Hâkim: The Arbitrator.
83. al-Dhakir: The Rememberer.
84. al-Râdi: The Acquiescent.
85. al-Râghib: The Keen.
86. al-Wâdi': The Deposer.
87. Rafî' al-dhikr: The One of Exalted Fame.
88. Rafî' al-darajât: The One of The Exalted Ranks.
89. al-Sâjid: The Prostrate.
90. al-Sâbir: The Long-Suffering.
91. al-Sâdi': The Conqueror of Obstacles.
92. al-Safuh: The Oft-Forgiving.
93. al-'âbid: The Worshipful.
94. al-'âlim: The Knower.
95. al-'Alîm: The Deeply Aware.
96. al-'Afuw: The Grantor of Pardon.
97. al-Ghâlib: The Victor.
98. al-Ghani: The Free From Want.
99. al-Muballigh: The Bearer of News.
100. al-Muttaba': He Who Is Followed.
101. al-Mutabattil: The Utter Devotee.
102. al-Mutarabbis: The Expectant One.
103. al-Muhallil: The Dispenser of Permissions.
104. al-Muharrim: The Mandator of Prohibitions.
105. al-Murattil: The Articulate.
106. al-Muzakki: The Purifier.
107. al-Musabbih: The Lauder.
108. al-Musta'îdh: The Seeker of Refuge.
109. al-Mustaghfir: The Seeker of Forgiveness.
110. al-Mu'min: The Believer. The Grantor of Safety.
111. al-Mushâwir: The Consultant.
112. al-Musalli: The Prayerful.
113. al-Mu'azzaz: The Strengthened One.
114. al-Muwaqqar: Held in Awe.
115. al-Ma'sum: Immune.
116. al-Mansur: The One With Divine Help.
117. al-Mawla: The Master of Favors and Help.
118. al-Mu'ayyad: The Recipient of Support.
119. al-Nâsib: The One Who Makes Great Effort.
120. al-Hâdi: The Guide.
121. al-Wâ'izh: The Exhorter.

[3]
Notes:

The character denotes a long EE or Arabic YA'.
The characters and denote a long AA or Arabic ALIF.
The character denotes a long OO or Arabic WAW.

III- Names of the Prophet in the Hadith and the Ancient Books

122. Ajîr: The Saved One.
123. Uhyad: The Dissuader.
124. Ahhad: The Peerless One.
125. Akhumakh: Of Sound Submission.
126. al-Atqa: The Most God-wary.
127. al-Abarr: The Most Righteous One. The Most Pious One.
128. al-Abyad: The Fairest One.
129. al-Agharr: The Most Radiant One.
130. al-Anfar: The One With the Largest Assembly.
131. al-Asdaq: The Most Truthful.
132. al-Ajwad: The Most Bounteous.
133. Ashja' al-Nas: The Most Courageous of Humanity.
134. al-âkhidh bi al-hujuzât: The Grasper of Waist-Knots.
135. Arjah al-nas 'aqlan: The Foremost in Humankind in Intellect.
136. al-A'lamu billah: The Foremost in Knowledge of Allah.
137. al-Akhsha lillah: The Foremost in Fear of Allah.
138. Afsah al-'arab: The Most Articulate of the Arabs.
139. Aktharu al-anbiya'i tabi`an: The Prophet With The Largest Following.
140. al-Akram: The One Held in Highest Honor.
141. al-Iklil: The Diadem.
142. Imam al-nabiyyin: The Leader of Prophets.
143. Imam al-muttaqin: The Leader of the God-wary.
144. Imam al-nas: The Leader of Humankind.
145. Imam al-khayr: The Good Leader.
146. al-Amân: The Safeguard.
147. Amanatu as-habih: (The Keeper of) His Companion's Trust.
148. al-Awwal: The First.
149. al-âkhir: The Last.
140: Ukhrâya: The Last (of the Prophets). His name in the Torah.
141: al-Awwâh: The One Who Cries Ah.
142: al-Abtahi: The One from Bitah between Mecca and Mina.
143. al-Bâriqlît, al-Barqalîtos: The Paraclete. The Spirit of Holiness. The Innocent One.
144. al-Bâtin: The Hidden One (in his station).
145. Bim'udhma'udh: One of his names in the Torah.
146. al-Bayan: The Exposition.
147. al-Taqi: The One Who Guards Himself.
148. al-Tihami: The One from Tihama (the lowland of the Hijaz).
149. al-Thimal: The Protector.
150. al-Jabbar: The Fierce One.
151. al-Khatim: The Sealer.
152. al-Hâshir: The Gatherer.
153. Hât Hât: His name in the Psalms.
154. al-Hâfizh: The Preserver.
155. Hâmid: Praiseful.
156. Hâmil liwa' al-hamd: Bearer of the Flag of Praise.
157: Habib Allah: Allah's Beloved.
158. Habib al-Rahman: The Beloved of the Merciful.
159. Habîtan: His name in the Injil.
160. al-Hujja: The Proof.
162. Hirzan li al-`ayn: A Barrier Against The Evil Eye.
163. al-Hasîb: The Sufficient One. The Highborn One.
164. al-Hafîzh: The Keeper and Guardian.
165. al-Hakîm: The Wise One.
166. al-Halîm: The Meek One.
167. Hammitâya: Guardian of Sanctity.
168. al-Humayd: The Praised One.
169. al-Hamîd: The Praised One.
170. al-Hayy: The Living One.
171. Khâzin mal Allah: Allah's Treasurer.
172. al-Khâshi': The Fearful One.
173. al-Khâdi': The Submissive One.
174. Khatîb al-nabiyyin: The Orator Among the Prophets.
175. Khalil Allah: Allah's Close Friend.
176. Khalifat Allah: Allah's Deputy.
177. Khayr al-'alamin: The Greatest Goodness in the Worlds.
178. Khayru khalq Allah: The Greatest Good in Allah's Creation.
179. Khayru hadhihi al-umma: The Best of This Community.
180. Dar al-hikma: The House of Wisdom.
181. al-Dâmigh: The Refuter (of Falsehoods).
182. al-Dhikr: The Remembrance.
183. al-Dhakkar: The One Who Remembers Much.
184. al-Râfi': The Exalter.
185. Râkib al-buraq: The Rider of the Buraq.
186. Râkib al-jamal: The Rider of the Camel.
187. Rahmatun muhdat: Mercy Bestowed.
188. Rasul al-rahma: The Emissary of Mercy.
189. Rasul al-raha: The Emissary of Relief.
190. Rasul / Nabi al-malahim: The Emissary / Prophet of Battles.
191. Rukn al-mutawadi'in: The Pillar of the Humble Ones.
192. al-Rahhab: The Most Fearful.
193. Ruh al-haqq: The Spirit of Truth.
194. Ruh al-qudus: The Spirit of Holiness.
195. al-Zahid: The One Who Does-Without.
196. al-Zaki: The Pure One.
197. al-Zamzami: The Heir of Zamzam.
198. Zaynu man wâfa al-qiyama: The Ornament of All Present on the Day of Judgment.
199. Sabiq: Foremost.
200. Sarkhatilos: Paraclete (in Syriac).
201. Sa'id: Felicitous.
202. al-Salam: Peace.
203. Sayyid al-nas: The Master of Humanity.
204. Sayyid walad Adam: The Master of the Children of Adam.
205. Sayf Allah: Allah's Sword.
206. al-Shâri': The Law-Giver.
207. al-Shâfi': The Intercessor.
208. al-Shafî': The Constant Intercessor.
209. al-Mushaffa': The One Granted Intercession.
210. al-Shâkir: The Thankful One.
211. al-Shakkâr: The One Who Thanks Much.
212. al-Shakur: The Ever-Thankful.
213. Sâhib al-taj: The Wearer of the Crown.
214. Sâhib al-hujja: The Bringer of The Proof.
215. Sâhib al-hawd: The Owner of the Pond.
216. Sâhib al-kawthar: The Owner of the River of Kawthar.
217. Sâhib al-hatîm: The Lord of the Court Before the Ka`ba.
218. Sâhib al-khâtim: The Owner of the Seal.
219. Sâhibu Zamzam: The Owner of Zamzam.
220. Sâhib al-sultan: The Possessor of Authority.
221: Sâhib al-sayf: The Bearer of the Sword.
222. Sâhib al-shafa'at al-kubra: The Great Intercessor.
223. Sâhib al-qadib: The Bearer of the Rod.
224. Sâhib al-liwa': The Carrier of the Flag.
225. Sâhib al-mahshar: The Lord of the Gathering.
226. Sâhib al-mudarra'a: The Wearer of Armor.
227. Sâhib al-mash'ar: The Owner of the Landmark.
228. Sâhib al-mi'raj: The One Who Ascended.
229. Sâhib al-maqam al-mahmud: The One of Glorified Station.
230. Sâhib al-minbar: The Owner of the Pulpit.
231. Sâhib al-na`layn: The Wearer of Sandals.
232. Sâhib al-hirâwa: The Bearer of the Cane.
233. Sâhib al-wasila: The Possessor of the Means.
234. Sâhib la ilaha illallah: The Teacher of "There is no god but Allah."
235. al-Sadiq: The Truthful.
236. al-Masduq: The Confirmed.
237. al-Sâlih: The righteous one.
238. al-Dâbit: The One Given Mastery.
239. al-Dahuk: The Cheerful One.
240. al-Tahir: The (Ritually) Pure One.
241. Tâb Tâb: Of Blessed Memory. His Name in the Torah.
242. al-Tayyib: The Salutary One. The Fragrant One.
243. al-Zhahir: The Prevailer.
244. al-'âqib: The Last in Succession.
245. al-'Adl: The Just.
246. al-'Arabi: The Arabian. The Speaker of Arabic.
247. 'Ismatullah: Allah's Protection.
248. al-'Azhim: The Tremendous One.
249. al-'Afif: The Chaste One.
250. al-'Ali: The High One.
251. al-Ghafur: The Frequent and Abundant Forgiver.
252. al-Ghayth: Rain. Help (esp. in the elements).
253. al-Fâtih: The Conqueror.
254. al-Fâriq: The Separator Between Good and Bad.
255. Fârqilîta: The Paraclete.
256. Fartt: The Scout.
257. al-Fasîh: The Highly Articulate One.
258. Falâh: Felicity.
259. Fi'at al-muslimin: The Main Body of the Muslims.
260. al-Qa'im: The One Who Stands and Warns. The Establisher.
261. Qâsim: The Distributer.
262. Qa'id al-khayr: The Leader Who Guides to Goodness.
263. Qa'id al-ghurr al-muhajjalîn: Leader of the Bright-Limbed Ones.
264. al-Qattal: The Dauntless Fighter.
265. Qutham: Of Perfect Character. Gifted With Every Merit.
266. Qudmâya: The First (of the Prophets). His name in the Torah.
267. al-Qurashi: The One From Quraysh.
268. al-Qarîb: The Near One.
269. al-Qayyim: The Righteous Straightener (of the Community).
270. al-Kâff: The One Who Puts a Stop (to Disobedience).
271. al-Mâjid: The Glorifier.
272. al-Mâhi: The Eraser (of Disbelief).
273. al-Ma'mun: The One Devoid of Harm.
274. al-Mubarak: The Blessed One.
275. al-Muttaqi: The God-wary One.
276. al-Mutamakkin: Made Firm and Established.
277. al-Mutawakkil: Completely Dependent Upon Allah.
278. al-Mujtaba: The Elect One.
279. al-Mukhbit: The Humble Before Allah.
280. al-Mukhbir: The Bringer of News.
281. al-Mukhtar: The Chosen One.
282. al-Mukhlis: The Perfectly Sincere One.
283. al-Murtaja: The Much Anticipated One.
284. al-Murshid: The Guide.
285. Marhama: General Amnesty.
286. Malhama: Great Battle.
287. Marghama: Greater Force.
288. al-Musaddad: Made Righteous.
289. al-Mas'ud: The Fortunate.
290. al-Masîh: The Anointed.
291. al-Mashfu': Granted Intercession.
292. Mushaqqah / Mushaffah: Praised One.
293. al-Mustafa: The One Chosen and Purified.
294. al-Muslih: The Reformer.
295. al-Mutahhir / al-Mutahhar: The Purifier / The Purified One.
296. al-Muti': The Obedient One.
297. al-Mu'ti: The Giver.
298. al-Mu'aqqib: The One Who Comes Last in Succession.
299. al-Mu'allim: The Teacher.
300. al-Mifdal: The Most Generous.
301. al-Mufaddal: Favored Above All Others.
302. al-Muqaddas: The One Held Sacred.
303. Muqim al-Sunna: The Founder of The Way.
304. al-Mukrim: The One Who Honored Others.
305. al-Makki: The Meccan One.
306. al-Madani: The Madinan One.
307. al-Muntakhab: The Chosen One.
308. al-Munhaminna: The Praised One (in Syriac).
309. al-Munsif: The Equitable One.
310. al-Munib: The Oft-Repentant One.
311. al-Muhajir: The Emigrant.
312. al-Mahdi: The Well-Guided One.
313. al-Muhaymin: The Watcher.
314. al-Mu'tamin: The One Given the Trust.
315. Mûsal: Mercied. (In the Torah.)
316. Mâdh Mâdh / Mûdh Mûdh / Mîdh Mîdh: Of Blessed Memory.
317. al-Nâsikh: The Abrogator.
318. al-Nâshir: The Proclaimer.
319. al-Nâsih: The Most Sincere Adviser.
320. al-Nâsir: The Helper.
321. Nabi al-marhama: The Prophet of General Amnesty.
322. al-Nasîb: The One of High Lineage.
323. al-Naqiy: The Limpid One.
324. al-Naqîb: Trustee. Guarantor.
325. al-Hâshimi: The One of Hâshim's Line.
326. al-Wâsit: Central in Relation To All The Noble Families.
327. al-Wâ'id: The Harbinger of Terrible News.
328. al-Wasîla: The Means.
329. al-Wafi: Holder of His Promise.
330. Abu al-Qasim: Father of Qasim.
331. Abu Ibrahim: Father of Ibrahim.
332. Abu al-Mu'minin: Father of the Believers.
333. Abu al-Arâmil: Father of Widows.

[4]

Notes:

The character denotes a long EE or Arabic YA'.
The characters and denote a long AA or Arabic ALIF.
The character denotes a long OO or Arabic WAW.

IV- ADDITIONAL NAMES
FROM al-JAZULI'S (d. 870) DALA'IL AL-KHAYRAT

334. Wahîd: Unique One.´
335. Sayyid: Master.
336. Jâmi': Unifier.
337. Muqtafi: Imitated One.
338. Kâmil: Perfect One.
339. Safi Allah: Allah's Chosen and Purified One.

340. Naji Allah: Allah's Intimate Friend.
341. Kalîm Allah: Conversant With Allah.
342. Muhyin: Giver of Life.
343. Munajji: Savior.
344. Ma'lum: Of Known Position.
345. Shahîr: Famous.
346. Mashhud: Visible.
347. Misbâh: Lamp.
348. Mad'uw: Called upon.
349. Mujib: Responsive to Requests.
350. Mujab: Whose Request is Granted.
351. Hafiy: Affectionate and Kind.
352. Mukarram: Highly Honored.
353. Matîn: Steadfast.
354. Mu'ammil: Rouser of Hope.
355. Wasûl: Conveyer?
356. Dhu hurma: Sacrosanct.
357. Dhu makâna: Of Eminent Station.
358. Dhu `izz: Endowed With Might.
359. Dhu Fadl: Pre-Eminent.
360. Ghawth: Helper.
361. Ghayyath: Prompt and Frequent Helper.
362. Hadiyyatullah: Allah's Gift.
363. Sirât Allah: The Way to Allah.
364. Dhikrullah: The Remembrance of Allah.
365. Hizbullah: The Party of Allah.
366. Muntaqa: Carefully Selected.
367. Abu al-Tahir: Father of Tahir.
368. Barr: Pious. Dutiful.
369. Mubirr: Who Overcomes.
370. Wajîh: Distinguished In Allah's Sight.
371. Nasîh: One Who Excels At Sincere Advice.
372. Wakîl: Trustee. Dependable.
373. Kafîl: Guarantor. Guardian.
374. Shafîq: Solicitous. Tender.
375. Ruh al-qist: The Spirit of Justice.
376. Muktafi: Does With Little.
377. Bâligh: One Who Has Reached His Goal.
378. Shâfi: Healer.
379. Wâsil: One Who has Reached His Goal.
380. Mawsûl: Connected.
381. Sâ'iq: (Mindful) Conductor.
382. Muhdi: Guide.
383. Muqaddam: Pre-eminent One.
384. Fâdil: Most Excellent One.
385. Miftâh: Key.
386. Miftâh al-rahma: The Key to Mercy.
387. Miftâh al-janna: The Key to Paradise.
388. 'Alam al-iman: The Standard of Belief.
389. 'Alam al-yaqîn: The Standard of Certainty.
390. Dalîl al-khayrât: The Guide to Good Things.
391. Musahhih al-hasanât: The Ratifier of Good Deeds.
392. Muqîl al-'atharât: The Dismisser of Private Faults.
393. Safûh 'an al-zallât: The One Who Disregards Lapses.
394. Sâhib al-qadam: Possessor of The Foothold.
395. Makhsûs bi al-'izz: Alone to Be Granted Might.
396. Makhsûs bi al-majd: Alone to Be Granted Glory.
397. Makhsûs bi al-sharaf: Alone to Be Granted Honor.
398. Sâhib al-fadîla: Possessor of Greatest Pre-Eminence.
399. Sâhib al-izâr: The Wearer of the Loin-wrap.
400. Sâhib al-rida': The Wearer of the Cloak.
401. Sâhib al-daraja al-rafî`a: Possessor of the Highest Degree.
402. Sâhib al-mighfar: Possessor of the Helmet.
403. Sâhib al-bayân: The Spokesman.
404. Mutahhar al-janân: Purified of Heart.
405. Sahîh al-islam: Completer of Islam.
406. Sayyid al-kawnayn: Master of Humanity and Jinn.
407. 'Ayn al-na'îm: Spring of Bliss. Bliss Itself.
408. 'Ayn al-ghurr: Spring of the Radiant Ones. Radiance Itself.
409. Sa'dullah: Felicity Bestowed by Allah.
410. Sa'd al-khalq: Felicited Bestowed Upon Creation.
411. Khatîb al-umam: The Orator to the Nations.
412. 'Alam al-huda: Flag of Guidance.
413. Kâshif al-kurab: Remover of Adversities.
414. Râfi' al-rutab: The Raiser of Ranks.
415. 'Izz al-'arab: Might and Glory of the Arabs.
416. Sâhib al-faraj: Bringer of Deliverance.

AL-JAZULI'S INVOCATION AT THE END OF HIS LIST OF THE PROPHET'S NAMES

O Allah, O our Lord! for the honor of Your elect Prophet and Pleasing Messenger before You, purify our hearts from all the traits that keep us away from Your presence and Your love, and have us pass away following his Way and adhering to his Congregation, longing to meet You, O Possessor of Majesty and Generosity! And the blessings and abundant greetings and peace of Allah be upon our master and liege-lord Muhammad, and upon his Family and Companions.

Amin. [5]

The following are found mostly in the Book of Merits (manaqib) in Tirmidhi's Sunan:

1- Sayyidina 'Ali said: "The Prophet was neither tall nor short. He has thick-set fingers and toes. He had a large head and joints. He had a long line of thin chest-to-lower-navel hair. When he walked he would literally lean forward, as if descending from a higher place to a lower one. I never saw anyone like him before of after him." Tirmidhi said: This hadith is hasan sahih. Imam Ahmad in his narration states: "He was large of head and beard."

2- Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, one of Sayyidina 'Ali's grandchildren, said: 'Ali would say upon describing the Prophet: "He was neither immoderately tall nor particularly short. He was well-proportioned among people. His hair was neither extremely curly nor straight, but slightly waved. He was neither stocky nor plump. There was roundness in his face. He was fair with redness in his complexion.

His eyes were very black and his eyelashes very long. He had a large back and shoulder-joints. His body was not hairy but he had a line of hair extending from the chest to below the navel. He had thick-set fingers and toes. When he walked he would lift his feet with vigor, as if walking down a slope.

When he turned towards a person he would turn with his entire body. Between his shoulder- blades was the seal of prophethood, and he himself is the Seal of Prophets. He was the most generous of people without exception, the most accepting and gracious of manners, the most truthful in speech, the softest of voice, and the noblest of company. Whoever saw him from a distance stood awed by him, and whoever shared familiarity with him loved him. Whoever described him said: I never saw anyone like him before or after him." Tirmidhi said: This hadith is hasan gharib and its chain is not linked back (to 'Ali).

3- Hasan ibn 'Ali said: I queried my maternal uncle Hind ibn Abi Hala, who was skilled at describing the Prophet's appearance, and told him that I longed to hear him describe me something of it to which I could hold on. He said: "The Prophet was magnificent and he was considered magnificent. His face shone pearl-like, similar to the full moon. He was taller than average, but smaller than a tall man. He had a large head. His hair was wavy. If it parted naturally he parted it, otherwise not. It reached past his ear- lobes when he wore it long.

He had a rosy complexion, a wide forehead, beautifully arched, dense eyebrows that did not meet in the middle. Between them there was a vein which thickened when he was angry. He had an aquiline nose touched with a light that raised it so that at first sight it seemed higher than it was. He had a thick, dense beard, expanded, not elevated cheeks, a strong mouth with a gap between his front teeth. There was sparse hair on his chest. His neck seemed (smooth and shiny) like that of a statue moulded in silver. His body was well-proportioned, stout and muscular, of equal belly and chest. He was wide-shouldered, big- jointed. When he disrobed his limbs emanated light.

There was a thread-like line of hair between his chest and his navel, but none on his breasts and belly other than that. There was hair on his arms, shoulders, and upper torso. His forearms were long, his palms wide, his fingers and toes thick-set and extended. The middle of his soles rose moderately from the ground. His feet were so smooth that water rolled off them.

When he walked he lifted his feet with vigor, leaned slightly forward, and tread gently on the ground. When he turned (to look), he turned his whole body. His gaze was lowered and he looked at the ground more often than he looked at the sky. He glanced at things rather than stared. He would ask his Companions to walk in front of him. He would always be the first to greet those he met with salam." Tirmidhi narrated it in his Shama'il but not in the Sunan.

4- Sammak ibn Harb narrated to Shu'ba a hadith he had heard from Jabir ibn Samura and he explained that the Prophet had a wide mouth and wide eyes, and that he had not fleshy heels. Tirmidhi said it is hasan sahih.

5- Jabir ibn Samura also narrated that he once saw the Prophet on a night of full moon wearing a red mantle. He said: "I began to look at him then at the moon. Verily he seemed to me more beautiful than the moon itself." Tirmidhi said: This hadith is hasan gharib. Its chain contains al-Ash'ath, whom some declared weak, however, al- Dhahabi declared him "fair and truthful in his hadith" (hasan sadiq al-hadith).

6- al-Bara' ibn 'Azib confirmed the above by relating: "I have never seen someone whose hair reached to his ear-lobes and wearing red clothing, more handsome than Allah's Messenger. His hair reached his shoulders. He was very broad-shouldered, neither short nor tall." Tirmidhi said: hasan sahih.

7- al-Bara' ibn 'Azib was once asked: "Was the Prophet's face like a sword (i.e. glistening like steel, or elongated)?" He replied: "No; it was like the moon (i.e. shining with light, and round)." Tirmidhi said: hasan sahih.

8- 'Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn Hazm said: "I never saw anyone that smiled more than Allah's Messenger." Tirmidhi said: This hadith is hasan gharib. The same narrator also related: "The Prophet's laughter consisted entirely in smiling." Tirmidhi said: sahih gharib.

9- Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Prophet's two front teeth were slighly spaced in between. Whenever he spoke, something like light would be seen issuing from between them." Tirmidhi narrated it in his Shama'il but not in the Sunan.

10- Anas ibn Malik said: "Allah's Messenger was well-proportioned, neither tall nor short, handsome of body, and his hair was neither curly nor straight. He was of tawny complexion. When he walked, he leaned forward slightly." Tirmidhi related it in the Book of Clothing (al-libas) and said it is hasan sahih.

11- Abu Hurayra said: "The Prophet was fair-skinned, as if he had been moulded in silver (i.e. completely unblemished, shining), and he had wavy hair." Tirmidhi narrated it in al-Shama'il but not in the Sunan.

12- Abu al-Tufayl, the last of the Companions to die, said: "I saw the Prophet and there is no one left on earth who saw him other than myself." Sa'id al-Jurayri said: "Describe him." He replied: "He was fair-skinned, handsome and engaging, and neither corpulent nor thin." Tirmidhi narrates it in his Shama'il but not in the Sunan.

[6] AL-QADI YUSUF AL-NABANAHI'S POEM OF PRAISE OF THE PROPHET, BLESSINGS AND PEACE UPON HIM

1. ana 'abdun li sayyid al-anbiya'i
wa wala'i lahu al-qadimi wala'i

I am the slave of the Master of Prophets
And my fealty to him has no beginning.

2. ana 'abdun li 'abdihi wa li 'abd al-'abdi
'abdun kadha bi ghayr intiha'i

I am slave to his slave, and to his slave's slave,
And so forth endlessly,

3. ana la antahi 'an al-qurbi min
babi ridahu fi jumlat al-dukhala'i

For I do not cease to approach the door
Of his good pleasure among the novices.

4. anshuru al-'ilma fi ma'alihi li al-nas
wa ashdu bihi ma'a al-shu'ara'i

I proclaim among people the teaching of his high attributes,
And sing his praises among the poets.

5. fa 'asahu yaqulu li anta salmanu
wala'i hassanu husna thana'i

Perhaps he shall tell me: "You are a noted friend
Of mine, an excellent beautifier of my greatness."

6. wa bi ruhi afdi turaba himahu
wa lahu al-fadlu fi qabuli fida'i

Yea, I would sacrifice my soul for the dust of his sanctuary.
His favor should be that he accept my sacrifice.

7. faza man yantami ilayhi wa la
hajata fihi bi dhalika al-intima'i

He has triumphed who ascribes himself to him
ٌNot that he needs such following,

8. huwa fi ghunyatin 'an al-khalqi turran
wa hum al-kullu 'anhu duna ghina'i

For he is not in need of creation at all,
While they all need him without exception.

9. wa huwa lillahi wahdihi 'abduhu
al-khalisu mujalla al-sifati wa al-asma'i

He belongs to Allah alone, Whose purified servant he is,
As his attributes and names have made manifest;

10. kullu fadlin fi al-khalqi fa huwa
min allahi ilayhi wa minhu li al-ashya'i

And every single favor in creation comes from Allah
To him, and from him to everything else.

© Author, 2002-2004.
© Copyright 2003-2004, SunniPath, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Profetens Hånd

2006-09-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

The Hand of the Prophet
by Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi

The impulse for writing this article came from a conversation with a colleague who told me that while sitting with other colleagues, he had heard one of them repeat the statement that the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was an ordinary human being like the rest of us, except that Allah had given him the Qur’ān. My friend knew very well that this kind of statement had been deliberately circulated among Muslims to detach them from their Prophet, thus cutting them off from the mercy of Allah that descends upon them through their love for him and close adherence to his teachings. This is part of an overall plan to destroy Islam from within, a plan that, we regret to say, is carried out by ignorant Muslims, misled by crude suggestions of the Devil that to love the Prophet and revere him is to worship him beside Allah. My friend told me he became quite angry and challenged our colleagues to take anything of the Prophet at random and compare it with themselves. He found himself saying, "Take his hand for instance!" Then he started discoursing about the special distinctions of the Prophet’s hand, talking for about twenty minutes, all the time aware that he had never spoken like that before. His colleagues listened silently, then when he was finished, begged him to carry on. These were educated people who already had much of this knowledge in their minds, but who had been too busy with worldly things to assemble and envisage their knowledge from that angle before, or to make the necessary effort in understanding how and why they had previously been misinformed.

It is for people like these, people whose hearts contain much love for Allah and His Prophet and who are honest enough to recognize the truth when they see it, that this article is written. My hope is that it will encourage them to find out more about their leader, teacher, good example, and intercessor. It is certainly not written for the narrow minded followers of the believers in a limited God, a God which they situate in space, located exclusively above the Throne. For such people, the absolute difference between Creator and created is blurred, for they mentally impose limits upon that which is beyond limits. This puts them in the false position of having to belittle the Best of Creation in order to keep Allah in His place as God.

We, the vast majority of Muslims, the Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jamā‘a, know that it is impossible for a Muslim to confuse the Creator with the created, however great the latter may be. We are therefore quite comfortable in our love for the Prophet and our extreme respect and veneration for him.

The Prophet himself has repeatedly said that those who do not love him more than their fathers, mothers, children, wealth, and their own selves, their faith is defective and their works in danger of being rejected by Allah.[1]

It is deceitful to claim to love the Prophet but seek to deprive him of the sublime attributes that Allah bestowed upon him, prior to making him the Master of all Creation.

It is to be hoped that those who read this article will be spurred on to increase and complete their knowledge of our beloved Prophet from the sources, for such knowledge is an obligation upon each Muslim capable of acquiring it.

To begin, Allah, Exalted is He, says: "Those who swear allegiance to you are but swearing allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands." [48:10]

Were those who insist on accepting nothing but the literal meaning of the Qur’ān and refuse all figurative interpretation to take this verse at face value, it would have to mean that the hand that gave allegiance to the Companions was that of Allah not that of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Those endowed with reason, however, will readily understand that because the Prophet is Allah’s representative on earth, swearing allegiance to him is in reality swearing allegiance to Allah, and the Prophet’s hand represents Allah’s Hand, just as the Black Stone represents it, but, in the Prophet’s case, eminently more deservedly.

The result of taking the Prophet’s hand and swearing allegiance to him–for they swore it to him–was that Allah was satisfied with them: "Allah was satisfied with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree." [48:18]

Allah’s satisfaction is in seeing that His slaves are obeying His injunctions, avoiding what He has forbidden them, and being satisfied with His decrees. This was the state of the Companions surrounding the Prophet under the tree in Hudaybiya. Their satisfaction with Allah’s decisions, their extinction of their individual wills in the Divine will made them as Allah says: "Allah was satisfied with them and they were satisfied with Him." [58:22] It was to the Prophet’s everlasting honour and glory that his hand represented Allah’s on this and all other such occasions.

Another such occasion was recounted by Abdal-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf, “We were at the Messenger of Allah’s; nine, eight, or seven of us. He said, ‘Will you not swear allegiance?’ We had sworn allegiance only recently, so we said, ‘We have sworn allegiance to you, O Messenger of Allah!’ He said, ‘Will you not swear allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?’ So we extended our hands saying, ‘To what shall we swear allegiance to you?’ He said, ‘To worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, perform the five prayers, obey,’ then he said something we did not hear, then continued, ‘and ask nothing of others!’ [2]

Physically, the hands of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, were as beautiful and pleasing to gaze upon as everything else about him. They were white and fleshy, with slightly tapering fingers. His boy-servant, Anas ibn Mālik, said on more than one occasion, "I have never touched any silk or brocade that is softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, nor have I ever smelled musk or scent more fragrant than the fragrance of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him."[3]

Wā’il ibn Hajar said, "Whenever I shook hands with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, or my skin touched his skin, I smelled the scent of musk on my hand for three days." [4]

Another Companion, ‘Umayra daughter of Sahl, also a child at the time, recounted how her father once took her to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, asking him to touch her head and pray for both of them for baraka, since she was his only child. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, placed his hands on my head. I swear by Allah that I could feel the coolness of the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, in my liver!" [5]

Jābir ibn Samura said, “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, the first prayer, then he went out and I went out with him. He was met by some children and rubbed their cheeks one by one. As for myself, he rubbed my cheek and I found that his hand was cool and fragrant, as if he had just taken it out of a perfume vendor’s bag."[6]

The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, used his right hand for his ritual purification, food, and beverage, and his left hand for less clean things.[7] "He never touched the hand of a woman," said the lady ‘Ā’isha, "when he accepted their allegiance, he accepted it verbally."[8]

In these hands of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, were placed the keys of the treasuries of the earth. Abū Hurayra said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say, "I was sent with comprehensive speech,[9] I was supported with terror,[10] and, while I was asleep, I was brought the keys to the treasuries of the earth and they were placed in my hand."[11]

Having given him the keys, Allah left it to him to divide things among the people as he pleased. This is why he said, "Allah gives and I am the Divider!"[12]

Allah had said to Sulaymān, may peace be upon him: "This is Our gift, so bestow or withhold without reckoning!" [38:39] And if Sulaymān had freedom to give or withhold at will, then how much more freedom did the Master of all Prophets have?

The baraka of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, radiated powerfully from his hand, so that when he placed it on the sick and the injured they were cured, when he touched food it increased manifold, when he placed it on someone’s chest he removed doubts and disbelief, when he gave his Companions dry, wooden sticks they turned into swords, when he threw gravel or dust at the face of the enemy, it separated into guided missiles striking their targets in the eyes.

When Qatāda ibn al-Nu‘mān was wounded in the eye by an arrow on the day of Uhud, his eyeball was dislodged and hung on his cheek. His companions wanted to cut it off, but decided to consult the Prophet first. He said, "No!" then ordered Qatāda brought to him, pushed his eyeball back into place with his hand, blowing some of his spittle on it then said, "O Allah, give him beauty!" It became Qatāda’s best eye and when the other eye suffered from infection, that one never did.[13]

Abayd ibn Hammāl suffered from an illness that ate at his face. The Prophet passed his hand over his face and it disappeared without leaving a trace.[14]

Shurahbīl al-Ju‘fī said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with a swelling on my palm and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! This swelling has tormented me and it prevents me form holding my sword or the reins of my mount!’ He blew on my palm, then put his palm on the swelling and went on grinding it until it disappeared."[15]

‘Abdallah ibn ‘Atīk went to Khaybar to kill the infamous Jew, Abū Rāfi‘, in the latter’s house. As he was leaving the house he fell and broke his ankle. He bandaged it and hobbled to his companions, then they rode back together to Madina. The Prophet said, “Stretch your leg!” He passed his hand over the broken bones and they mended there and then. [16]

‘Alī ibn al-Hakam jumped his horse over a ditch during an expedition with the Prophet. The horse failed to cross the trench and ‘Alī’s leg was crushed between the horse and the side of the trench. He went to the Prophet who said, "In the Name of Allah!" and passed his hand over it, curing it.[17]

‘Abdallah ibn Rawāha went to the Prophet saying, “O Messenger of Allah, I suffer from a molar tooth that pains me greatly!” The Prophet put his hand on his cheek saying, “O Allah, remove from him the pain he suffers and the distress, by the prayer of Your Blessed Prophet, whose rank is high with You!” He repeated this prayer seven times. Ibn Rawāha left the Prophet’s presence completely cured.[18]

Asmā’, daughter of Abū Bakr, complained one day that her head and face were swollen. The Prophet put his hand on her head then her face, above her veil, repeating three times, “In the Name of Allah! Remove from her the pain she suffers and the distress, by the prayer of Your Blessed Prophet,[19] whose rank is high with You!" The swelling subsided.[20]

‘Amr ibn Hurayth said, "My mother took me to the Messenger of Allah, he passed his hand over my head and prayed for me to remain [well] provisioned."[21]

‘Amr ibn Tha‘laba said, "I met the Messenger of Allah at Sāla and became a Muslim. He passed his hand over my head.” Ibn Tha‘laba lived to be a hundred years old but the place that the Prophet had touched never turned grey.[22]

Al-Sā’ib ibn Yazīd was asked by his servant, ‘Atā, why his beard and part of his head were white. The latter replied, "Shall I tell you my son?" "Indeed!" he replied. "I was playing with other boys," he said, "When the Messenger of Allah passed by. I walked up to him and greeted him, he returned my salām then said, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I am al-Sā’ib ibn Yazīd, son of al-Nimr ibn Qāsit’s sister.’ The Messenger of Allah passed his hand over my head saying, ‘May Allah bless you!’ By Allah! It will never go white and will remain like this perpetually!” [23]

Muhammad ibn Fudāla al-Zafarī said, “The Messenger of Allah came when I was two weeks old. I was brought to him, he passed his hand over my head saying, ‘Call him by my name, but do not call him by my kunya!’[24] I was taken along to perform the Farewell Pilgrimage with him when I was ten years old.” Muhammad ibn Fudāla’s life was long, his hair turned white, but not where the hand of the Prophet had touched it.[25]

Mālik ibn ‘Umayr was present at the conquest of Macca, then at the campaigns of Hunayn and Tā’if. He was a poet. He asked the Messenger of Allah about poetry and was told, “For you to be filled with pus from your throat to your pubis is better than to be filled by poetry!” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, pass your hand over my head!” He did and Mālik never said a verse after this. He lived long, his head and beard turned white, except the place touched by the Prophet. [26]

Bashīr ibn ‘Aqraba al-Juhanī said, “Aqraba went to the Messenger of Allah, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, who said, ‘Who is this with you O ‘Aqraba?’ ‘My son Bahīr,’ he replied. He said, ‘Come nearer!’ I did and sat on his right. He passed his hand over my head. ‘What is your name?’ he asked. ‘Bahīr O Messenger of Allah,’ I replied. He said, ‘No, but your name is Bashīr!’ My tongue was tied, the Prophet blew into my mouth and it was undone. All my hair turned white except where he had put his hand, this part remained black."[27]

The Prophet also passed his hand over ‘Ubada ibn Sa‘d al-Zurqī’s head and prayed for him. He lived to be eighty, but his hair remained black.[28]

Abū Zayd al-Ansārī said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, passed his hand over my head, saying, ‘O Allah, make him fair looking and preserve the fairness!’” He lived until he was well over a hundred years old without any grey hairs appearing in his beard. His face remained smooth until he died.[29]

Al-Wāzi‘ took a son of his who had become mad to the Prophet who passed his hand over his face and prayed for him. Thereafter none was more rational than he.[30]

Jābir ibn ‘Abdallāh said, “The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, visited me in Banī Salima and found me semi conscious. He asked for water, made his wudū’ then sprinkled some of the water over me and I came to."[31]

The Prophet used to pat children on the head, pray for them, joke with them, and sometimes wind a turban round their heads.

‘Abdallāh ibn Bisr said, “My mother sent me to the Prophet with a bunch of grapes. I ate some of them before reaching him. He passed his hand over my head saying, ‘Traitor!’"[32] Later on Ibn Bisr used to show them a mark on his forelocks, saying, "This is where the Messenger of Allah put his hand when he said, ‘He will reach the century!"[33]

Hanzala ibn Juzaym al-Tamīmī was brought to the Prophet by his father. The latter said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have sons with beards, this is the youngest, pray Allah for him!" The Prophet passed his hand over his head, then said, "May Allah bless you!" Thereafter whenever a sick man with a swollen face or an animal with a swollen udder were brought to Hanzala, he blew in his hands, saying, "In the Name of Allah!" then placed his hand on his own head where the Prophet’s palm had touched it, saying, "Where the hand of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was placed," then rubbed the swelling and cured it.[34]

As for Abū Mahdhūra, he had allowed his forelock to grow so long that when he sat down it reached the ground. When they asked him, “Will you not cut it?” He replied, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, passed his hand over it, I am not one to cut it till I die!"[35]

‘Abdallāh ibn Hilāl al-Ansārī said, “My father took me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, pray Allah for him!’ I have not forgotten, the Messenger of Allah placed his hand over my head until I felt its coolness, then he prayed for me and blessed me!” ‘Abdallāh lived long, both his head and his beard turned white, he could hardly comb them because of his age, yet he still fasted by day and prayed all night. [36]

Abū Attiya al-Bakrī was taken by his parents to the Prophet. He was a young man at the time. The Prophet passed his hand over his head. When he was a hundred years old his head and beard were still black.[37]

Al-‘Ā’idh ibn ‘Amr al-Muznī said, “An arrow struck my face as I was fighting before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn. Blood flowed over my face, beard, and chest. The Prophet wiped off the blood from my face and chest down to my breast with his hand and prayed for me.” When ‘Ā’idh died, those who had heard this from him looked at his chest and found the trace of the Prophet’s hand on it. They likened it to the white blaze on a horse’s forehead.[38]

‘Ā’idh’s wife also said that he had once gone to the Prophet to ask him to pass his hand over his face and pray for him for baraka. She added that the Prophet did and since then she saw her husband wake up from sleep [fresh] as if he had rubbed his face with oil. She also remarked that he needed no more than a few dates to sustain him.[39]

Abul ‘Alā’ ibn ‘Umayr said, “I was visiting Qatāda ibn Milhān when he was ill. A man passed by the far end of the house and I saw him reflected in Qatāda’s face [so shiny it was], for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had passed his hand over his face. Whenever I saw him it was as if he had rubbed his face with oil.”[40]

Usayd ibn Abī Unās was one of those whose life the Prophet had declared could be taken with impunity, after the conquest of Macca, when he had accorded immunity to all the Maccans. Usayd came to the Prophet, asking whether he would accept Usayd should he come to him as a Muslim? The Prophet having answered affirmatively, Usayd took his hand saying, "This is my hand in yours, I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah, and I testify that there is no God other than Allah!" The Prophet immediately ordered a crier to announce that Usayd had accepted Islam and was henceforth immune. Then he passed his hand over his face, then placed it on his chest. From then on, whenever Usayd entered a dark house the light radiating from him illuminated it.[41]

‘Utba ibn Farqad had four wives who competed with each other, each seeking to smell better than her companions. One of them said that ‘Utba always smelled better than they, even though he never used perfume. Furthermore, people always remarked on his fragrance, so much so that his wives asked him how this had come to be. He replied, "I suffered from an ailment in the days of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. I complained to him about it. He told me to remove my clothes, which I did, sitting before him with my clothes covering my private parts. He blew into his hand then placed it on my back and belly. This fragrance has been there since."[42]

Two tribesmen brought their sons to the Prophet, asking him to bless them by passing his hand over their faces, which he did. The white mark where he had touched them remained on their faces till the end of their lives.[43]

The mosque of the Prophet in Madina had been built with palm trunks. The Prophet used to stand before or lean on one particular trunk when delivering the Friday sermon. When they made the pulpit for him and he climbed on it, the palm trunk whimpered like a pregnant she-camel. All the Companions in the mosque heard it. The Prophet came down from the pulpit and placed his hand on it, or as related in another version, put his arms around it and it calmed down and stopped crying.[44]

Many years earlier, when the elders of Quraysh realized that they were reaching the limits of what was possible to prevent the Prophet from conveying his Lord’s message, they sat in council and Satan himself joined them in the form of an old Najdi man. Each suggestion they put forward he rejected, until Abū Jahl suggested that if they wanted to murder Muhammad, but were worried about the revenge sure to be exacted by his clan and their allies, then they should choose forty men, one from each clan, to attack him as one man, so that his clan and their allies would find it impossible to exact revenge from all of them and their allies banded together. This proposition was strongly supported by Satan and adopted unanimously by the elders.

Gabriel came to the Prophet, saying, "Sleep not tonight in the bed in which you usually sleep!"

When the night grew dark the assassins gathered before his house, waiting for the Prophet to sleep so that they could rush him. The Prophet saw them and said to ‘Alī, “Sleep on my bed and cover yourself with this, my green Hadrami cloak. Sleep in it, nothing unpleasant will reach you from them!” The Prophet gave ‘Alī the cloak he usually wrapped himself in when he slept.

At the door Abū Jahl was saying, “Muhammad claims that if you follow him you will become the kings of both Arabs and non-Arabs, then you will be resurrected after you die, and gardens will be yours like the gardens of Jordan. But if you do not, he will [one day] cut your throats, then you will be resurrected after your death, then yours will be a fire in which you will burn!" The Prophet came out, took a handful of dust in his blessed hand and said, "Yes I say this! You are one of them!" Allah took away their eyesight so they did not see him. He sprinkled dust over their heads reciting these verses from sūra Yā-Sīn: “Yā-Sīn, and the Wise Qur’ān, you are truly one of the Messengers, on a straight path, a sending down from the August, the Wise…” till "…and We have covered them so that they do not see." [36:9] By the time the Prophet had recited these verses, every one of them had dust upon his head, then he departed. A man arrived and seeing them standing there asked, "What are you waiting here for?" "Muhammad!" they replied. "May Allah make you fail! By Allah, Muhammad has gone out and he left no man among you but he put dust on his head, then he walked away to his purpose, can you not see what has happened to you?" Each of them put his hand on his head only to find it covered with dust.[45]

As for the effects of the Prophet placing his noble hand on someone’s chest, many traditions describe them.

‘Alī, may Allah ennoble his countenance, said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, sent me to Yemen. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you send me, while I am still young, to judge amongst them, and I know not how to judge!’ He struck my chest with his hand saying, ‘O Allah! Guide his heart and strengthen his tongue!’ By He Who split the grain! Thereafter I never doubted how to judge between two people!"[46]

Abū Hurayra said, "I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I often hear you speak but I forget!’ He said, ‘Spread out your garment!’ I spread it out, he [made as if he] scooped [something] with his hand and poured it in it, then he said, ‘fold it up!’ I did and thereafter forgot nothing he ever said."[47]

‘Uthmān ibn Abul-‘Ās said, “I used to forget the Qur’ān, so I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I forget the Qur’ān!’ He struck my chest [with his hand] then said, ‘Come out O Shaytān from the chest of ‘Uthmān!’ Following that I never forgot anything I wished to remember!"

‘Uthmān son of Abul-‘Ās also said, “The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, told me to lead my people in prayer. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I find in myself something!’ [meaning there were things in his heart which prevented him from doing so] He said, ‘Come near!’ He made me sit before him, placed his hand on my chest, then said, ‘Turn around!’ then he placed it on my back between my two shoulders, then he said, ‘Lead your people in prayer! He who leads people in prayer should lighten [the prayer] for among them will be the elderly, the sick, the weak, and he who has something to attend to. But it one of you is praying alone, let him pray as he wishes.’"[48]

After the conquest of Macca, the Prophet was circumambulating the house when Fudāla ibn ‘Umayr decided to kill him. He drew near to him. The Prophet said, “Fudāla?” He replied, “Yes! Fudāla, O Messenger of Allah!” He said, “What were you saying to yourself?” “Nothing!” He said, “I was invoking Allah!” The Prophet laughed then said, “Ask Allah for forgiveness!” Then he placed his hand on his chest and there was peace in his heart. Fudāla used to say later on, “By Allah! By the time he took his hand off my chest, none of Allah’s creation was dearer to me than him! As I was returning to my family I passed by a woman I used to converse[49] with, she said, "Come over!" I said, "No, Allah will not allow it, nor Islam!"[50]

During the battle of Hunayn two further incidents happened. ‘Uthmān ibn Shayba, whose father, uncle, and cousin had been killed in Badr, recounted the first of these thus: “When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was in Hunayn, I remembered my father and my uncle, and how ‘Alī and Hamza had killed them, and I thought, ‘Today I will avenge myself from Muhammad!’ I approached him from behind till all that remained for me to do was to strike him with the sword, when a flash of fire shot like lighting between me and him, I stepped back, he turned around saying, ‘O ‘Uthmān, come nearer!’ Then he placed his hand on my chest, Allah removed the devil from my heart, I looked up at him and he was dearer to me than my hearing and eyesight!"[51]

Shayba ibn ‘Uthmān al-Hajbī recounted the second incident thus: “I went out with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn. By Allah! I had not gone out for Islam, but to prevent Hawāzin from gaining the upper hand on Quraysh! By Allah! As I was standing with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, I said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I see piebald horses!’ He said, ‘O Shayba, only a disbeliever can see them!’ Then he struck my chest with his hand saying, ‘O Allah, guide Shayba!’ This he repeated twice more. No sooner had he taken his hand off my chest the third time that none in Allah’s creation was dearer to me than him!"[52]

Jābir ibn ‘Abdallāh said, “As the trench was being dug I noticed that the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, suffered from severe hunger. I returned to my wife saying, ‘Do you have anything, for I have noticed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, suffers severe hunger.’ She brought out a bag with some barley in it and we had a small sheep in the house. We slaughtered the animal and ground the barley, then I returned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and spoke to him secretly, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we have slaughtered an animal we had and have ground a measure of barley. Please come with a few people!’ The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, raised his voice saying, ‘O People of the Trench! Jābir has prepared some food, you are all welcome!’ Then he said, ‘Do not take the pot off the fire and do not bake your dough until I come!’ When he arrived he proceeded to break the bread, and put the meat on it. He took some food out of the pot and served his Companions, keeping both the pot and the oven covered. He went on breaking the bread, putting the meat on top of it and serving his Companions until they were all satiated, then he said, ‘Eat and give to other people for they have suffered hunger!’"[53]

Wāthila ibn al-Asqa‘ said that he had been one of Ahl al-Suffa. They were hungry and delegated him to go to the Prophet and inform him about it. This he did and the Prophet turned to ‘Ā’isha, “Do you have anything?” he asked. She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing but a few crumbs of bread.” “Bring them!” he said. He emptied the crumbs into a plate and went on arranging them with his hand while they increased until the plate was full. “O Wāthila!” he said, “Go and fetch ten of my Companions, you being the tenth!” Wāthila called his companions. The Prophet said, “Sit and eat in the Name of Allah. Take from the edges and do not take from the top, for baraka descends on the top!" They ate to satiety, then rose leaving the plate as full as when they sat down. The Prophet kept on handling the food then said, “O Wāthila, go and fetch another ten of your companions!” After these ten ate to satiety the whole sequence was repeated once more, after which the Prophet asked, “Anyone left?” “Yes, ten more," replied Wāthila. “Go fetch them!” he said. When these were finished, the plate was still as full as at the beginning, and the Prophet said, “O Wāthila, take this to ‘Ā’isha!”[54]

Abū Talha said, “I once entered the mosque and recognized hunger in the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. I left and went to Umm Salīm, Anas ibn Mālik’s mother, and said, ‘O Umm Salīm, I have recognized hunger in the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. Do you have anything?’ ‘I have something,’ she said, showing her palm [meaning that it was only a little]. ‘Prepare it and do it well!’ I said. Then I sent Anas to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, saying, ‘Speak secretly into his ear and invite him!’ As soon as Anas arrived the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, said, ‘My son, your father has sent you to invite us!’ Then he said to his Companions, ‘Come in the Name of Allah!’ Anas hastened back to Abū Talha saying, ‘Here comes the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with the people!’ I came out and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, at the door, on the landing, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what have you done to us? It is but that I recognized hunger in your face so we prepared something for you to eat!’ He said, ‘Go in and be of good cheer!’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, took whatever was there, he gathered it in the plate with his hand, arranged it, then asked, ‘Is there any?’ meaning fat. We brought him our container, where there may or may not have been something, [meaning that even if there had been something in it, it was insignificant] the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, squeezed it with his hand then poured fat from it saying, ‘Send in ten after ten!’ They all ate to satiety, then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, said about what remained, ‘Eat together with your children!’ So we ate and were satiated.’"[55]

Safiyya, the Prophet’s wife, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, came one day and asked, ‘O Daughter of Huyay, do you have anything, for I am hungry.’ I said, ‘No by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, save two measures of flour.’ ‘Cook it!’ he said. I put it in the pot, cooked it, then said, ‘It is cooked O Messenger of Allah!’ He said, ‘Do you know if there is anything in the fat container of the daughter of Abū bakr?’ I said, ‘I know not O Messenger of Allah!’ He went himself to her house and said, ‘Anything in your fat container O daughter of Abū Bakr?’ ‘Nothing but a little,’ she said. He brought it back, squeezed it into the pot until I saw something coming out. He put his hand [on it] saying, ‘In the Name of Allah, invite your sisters for I know they feel as I do!’ I invited them and we ate until satiated. Then Abū Bakr came and entered, then ‘Umar came and entered, then a man came. They all ate to satiety and some still remained."[56]

Abū Hurayra said, “One night I missed supper with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and also missed being invited by one of our companions. I prayed ‘Ishā’ then tried to sleep but could not. Then I tried to pray, but could not. There was a man standing near the apartment of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. I walked up to him and it was the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, praying. He prayed, then, leaning against the palm trunk he had been praying toward, said, ‘Who is this? Abū Hurayra?’ I said, ‘Yes!’ He said, ‘You missed supper with us tonight?’ I said, ‘Yes!’ He said, ‘Go to the house and say: Bring the food you have!’ [I did and] they gave me a plate in which was a paste made with dates. I took it to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and placed it before him. He said, ‘Call those in the mosque!’ I said to myself, ‘Woe to me, for I can see the food is so little, and woe to me from disobedience!’ I came to men asleep and awakened them saying, ‘Respond!’ and I came to men praying and said, ‘Respond!’ until they all gathered near the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He thrust his fingers into it and pressed around the edge, then said, ‘Eat in the Name of Allah!’ They ate to satiety and I ate to satiety. Then he said, ‘Take it Abū Hurayra and return it to the family of Muhammad, for there is no food with the family of Muhammad that one possessed of a liver [meaning a living being] can eat but this. It was offered to us by one of the Helpers.’ I took the plate and lifted it up, and it was as it had been when I had placed it there, except for the marks of the fingers of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him."[57]

Ziyād ibn al-Hārith recounted how, as they were travelling with the Prophet, morning found them without water. "Any water?" the Prophet asked him. "Only a little that will not suffice you, O Messenger of Allah!" he replied. "Put it in a vessel and bring it!" he said. He put his hand in the water and they saw water gushing from between two of his fingers. He said, "Call my Companions, whoever needs water!" He called them and they came and each took what he needed. [Seeing this] they said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have a well that suffices us with water during the winter, and we gather around it. But in the summer the water becomes scarce and we have to scatter to the surroundings wells. However. Now that we are Muslims, everyone around us is an enemy. So pray Allah for our well so that its water may suffice us, so that we remain gathered around it." The Prophet asked for seven pebbles, rubbed them between his fingers, prayed to Allah, then said, "Go with these pebbles, when you reach the well throw them in one by one, invoking the Name of Allah!" They did and the well remained so full of water that they never saw its bottom again.[58]

Anas ibn Mālik said, “I once saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, when it was time for ‘Asr prayer and people looked for water for their ablutions and found none. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was brought some water, he put his hand in the vessel and told the people to make their ablutions from it. I watched the water gushing from under his fingers while people made their ablutions, till the last one of them had done!"

And in another version of the same incident he said, "I reckoned between sixty and eighty [men], I watched water gushing from between his fingers."[59]

Anas recounted another similar incident thus, “Once when the Prophet of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and his Companions were at al-Zawrā’, and al-Zawrā’ is in Madina near the market and the mosque, he called for a cup partly filled with water, put his hand in it and water started gushing from between his fingers so that all his Companions made their ablutions.” “How many were they, O Abū Hamza?” he was asked. “They were about three hundred,” he replied.[60]

Mu’ādh ibn Jabal said, “We went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, the year of the Tabūk expedition. He joined his prayers so that he prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr together and Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ together. One day when he had thus delayed the prayer he came out, prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr together, then went in, then came out again, prayed Maghrib and ‘Ishā together, then said, ‘Tomorrow, Allah willing, you will come upon the spring of Tabūk. You will reach it only by mid-morning. He who reaches it let him not touch any of its water until I arrive.’ When we reached it two men were already there and in the spring there was little water. The Messenger of Allah asked them, ‘Have you touched any of its water?’ ‘Yes!’ they said. He rebuked them and spoke to them as Allah willed him to speak, then we scooped out little water by little in our palms until some was collected in something [a vessel or a cup] then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, washed his hands and face in it, then returned it into the spring, at which it gushed forth with profuse water, so that the people all took their fill. ‘O Mu‘ādh,’ he said, ‘if your life be prolonged, you will see this place full of gardens!’[61]

Ibn ‘Abbās said, “Morning came upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and there was no water. ‘Is there any water?’ he asked. They said, ‘No!’ ‘Is there a waterskin?’ he asked, so they brought one and placed if before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He placed both hands on it, then spread his fingers and water gushed, as with Moses’ staff, from the fingers of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He said, ‘O Bilāl! Call the people to their ablutions!’ They came and did their ablutions from between the fingers of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, except ibn Mas‘ūd who was more intent on drinking.[62] Having made their ablutions, they prayed Subh, then he sat for the people and said, ‘O people, whose faith is the most wondrous?’ ‘The angels,’ they replied. ‘How can the angels not believe, when they can witness the matter?’ he said. ‘The Prophets, O Messenger of Allah!’ they said. ‘How can the Prophets not believe,’ he said, ‘when revelation alights upon them from heaven?’ ‘Your Companions then, O Messenger of Allah!’ ‘How can my Companions not believe,’ he said, ‘when they are witnessing what they are witnessing? But the most wondrous in faith are people who will come after me, who have faith in me even though they have not seen me, who believe me even though they have not seen me. They are my brothers!’"[63]Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib said, “We were on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. We came upon a well where the water was scarce. Six of us descended into it. A bucket was sent down to us, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, stood at the rim of the well. We filled half or two thirds of it, then it was pulled up to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He put his hand into it saying whatever Allah willed him to say, then the bucket was sent back to us with the water in it. [They poured the water in the well and the water began rising.] I saw the last one of us being dragged out in a hurry for fear of him drowning. Then it flowed [over the ground like] a river."[64]."[64]Anas ibn Mālik said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, sent a force against the pagans which included Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and many other people. He said to them, “March diligently, for between you and the pagans is water, if they outstrip you to this water people will suffer hardship, you will be severely thirsty and so will your animals.” The Messenger of Allah, together with eight men, remained behind. He said to his Companions, "Shall we sleep part of the night then rejoin the people?" "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" they replied. They laid down and were awakened only by the heat of the Sun. He said to them, "Rise and attend to your needs!" When they returned he said, "Does any of you have water?" One of them said, "A small skin with a little water O Messenger of Allah." "Bring it!" He said. He brought it and the Prophet passed both his palms over it, prayed for baraka, then said to his Companions, "Come here and make your ablutions!" He poured water for them until they had done, then one of them gave the Ādhān, then the Iqāma, and the Prophet led them in prayer. Then he said to the owner of the skin, "Look after your skin, it will be of consequence!” He climbed on his mount then said, “How do you think they have fared?” “Allah and His Messenger know best,” they replied, “but they have Abū Bakr and ‘Umar with them and they will counsel them.” The pagans, however, reached the water before the Muslims and the latter became extremely thirsty, so did their animals. When the Prophet arrived he said, "Where is the owner of the skin?" "Here he is O Messenger of Allah!" they replied. He took the skin in which a little water had remained and said, "Come here and drink!" He went on pouring water for them until they all drank, gave their animals, and filled every skin and cup they had.[65]

The baraka of the Prophet’s hand also showed in the animals and plants he touched.

After the Prophet left Macca for Madina in the company of Abū Bakr, the latter’s servant, ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayr, and their guide, ‘Abdallah ibn Urayqit, they passed by the two tents of Umm Ma‘bad of Khuzā‘a. She was a tough, elderly woman who sat before her tent giving people food and drink. They asked her to sell them meat and dates but she had none. The Prophet noticed an ewe near the corner of the tent, "What is this ewe, O Umm Ma‘bad?" he asked." An ewe that is so weak it was left behind by the sheep," she replied. "Does she have any milk?" he asked. "She is too weak for that!" she replied. "Will you allow me to milk her?" he asked. "If you see that she can be milked then milk her!" she said. The Prophet passed his hand over the ewe’s udder, uttered the Name of Allah, prayed for her, then asked for a large vessel. He milked her and milk came out in profusion. He gave Umm Ma‘bad to drink first, until she was full, then his companions, leaving himself for last. Then he milked the ewe again until the vessel was full and left it with her.[66]

Umm Ma‘bad later said that the ewe the Prophet had touched with his hand remained with them till the "year of the famine" in the days of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. They milked her mornings and evenings even though nothing at all grew from the earth. Meaning that she produced milk although there was nothing for her to eat.[67]

Abū Qursāfa recounted that as an orphan he was raised by his mother and her sister and was more attached to his aunt. She had a few sheep which he looked after for her and she often told him about the Prophet, “My son, do not pass by this man, for he will deceive you and lead you astray!” But Abū Qursāfa, leaving his sheep to graze, spent his time listening to the Prophet, then took his sheep home lean, with dry udders. "Why does your herd have dry udders?" his aunt asked. "I do not know!" he replied. He went on listening to the Prophet until he accepted Islam, took his hand, and gave him allegiance. Then he told the Prophet about the state of his sheep. "Bring the ewes here!" the Prophet said, then passed his hand over their backs and udders, and prayed for them to have baraka. The animals swelled with meat and milk. When Abū Qursāfa took them back to his aunt she said, “My son, this is how to graze your animals!” “Aunt, I grazed them at the same place as previously,” he replied, “but I will tell you the story.” His mother and aunt listened to him then asked to be taken to the Prophet. They accepted Islam, gave him allegiance and took his hand.[68]

Salmān the Persian was a slave owned by the Jews. He made an agreement with them for his freedom to plant three hundred palm trees and give them a certain amount of gold. As soon as the palms produced their first dates, he was to be free. He went to the Prophet, asking for his help. The Prophet planted the three hundred trees with his blessed hands. All three hundred grew and produced dates by the end of the year.[69]

The baraka of the Prophet’s hand also showed its effect in many of the inanimate objects that he touched.

Suwayd ibn Zayd recounted how he once saw Abū Dharr sitting on his own in the mosque and thought it a good opportunity to ask him about ‘Uthmān. Abū Dharr said, “I shall never say anything about ‘Uthmān but good, because of something I saw with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. I used to watch for the time when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was all alone so that I could learn from him. One day I went and found that he had gone out. I followed him. He sat somewhere and I sat with him. ‘What has brought you, O Abū Dharr?’ he said, ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ I replied. Then Abū Bakr came, gave salām and sat to the right of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He said, ‘What has brought you Abū Bakr?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he replied. Then ‘Umar came and sat to Abū Bakr’s right. ‘O ‘Umar,’ he said, ‘What has brought you?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he replied. Then ‘Uthmān came and sat to ‘Umar’s right. He said ‘O ‘Uthmān, what has brought you?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he replied. The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, picked up seven or nine pebbles. They glorified [Allah] in his hand, till I heard them buzz like bees buzz. He put them down and they became silent. He put them in Abū Bakr’s hand and they glorified till I heard them buzz like the bees buzz, then he put them down and they were silent. He picked them up and put them in ‘Uthman’s hand and they glorified till I heard them buzz as bees buzz. Then he put them down and they were silent."[70]

The baraka of the hand of the Prophet was also seen clearly in many battles and during the conquest of Macca, again with inanimate objects.

During the battle of Badr three of the Companions broke their swords. ‘Ukāsha ibn Mihsan was given a palm branch by the Prophet. As soon as he brandished it it turned into a fine sword which he made good use of till the end of the battle, and then carried on using, calling it "Al-Qawiy" (the Strong) until he was martyred in Najd during the wars against the apostates.[71]

Salama ibn al-Harish also broke his sword and was given a palm branch by the Prophet who said, "Fight with it!" It turned into a sword which he used until many years later he was martyred on the bridge of Abū ‘Ubayd during the conquest of Iraq.[72]

‘Abdallah ibn Jahsh was the third to be given a palm branch to fight with. It became a sword which they named “Al-‘Urjūn” (the Palm Branch). He died a martyr on the day of Uhud, but the sword remained with his heirs until they sold it.[73]

During the Battle of Badr, but also before that in Macca and after that at Hunayn, the Prophet threw gravel or pebbles at the pagans, hitting them individually in eyes. Allah addresses him thus in the Qur’ān: "You threw not when you threw, but Allah threw," [8:17] for it is humanly impossible to achieve such a feat.

On the first occasion, in Macca, the elders of Quraysh met in the Hijr and swore to each other by Lāt, ‘Uzzā, Manāt, Nā’ila, and Isāf that as soon as they saw Muhamamd they would rise to him as one man and part not from him until they had killed him. Fātima overheard this, she hastened home weeping, and entered upon the Prophet saying, “There were the elders of your people promising each other that as soon as they saw you they would rise as one man to your blood!" "My child," he said, "bring me some water for my ablutions!" He performed his ablutions then headed towards the mosque. When they saw him they said, "Here he is! Here he is!" but they lowered their gazes, hung their chins on their chests, did not look at him, nor did any of them rise toward him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, approached till he stood over them. He took a handful of dust and saying, "Befouled be the faces!" threw it at them. Not one of those who were hit by it on that day escaped being killed at Badr.[74]

On the day of Badr he took a handful of pebbles and threw it at the pagans saying, "Befouled be the faces!" Allah caused these to hit most of the pagans in the eyes, with a sound as if pebbles were falling into a pan. This is when their defeat began.[75]

As for the day of Hunayn, when the Mulims were taken by surprise by the enemy and some chaos ensued, the Prophet found himself on his own on his mule. Salama ibn al-Akwa‘ recounted how he saw the Prophet climb down from his mule, pick up a handful of dust, then throw it in the pagan’s faces saying, "Befouled be the faces!" Their eyes were filled with dust and they retreated in disarray.[76]

Before the siege of Madina, the Battle of the Trench, as the Muslims were digging the trench, they met a rock they could not break. They tried hard but it only broke their picks. They reported this to the Prophet who took the pick from Salman and struck the rock. A light flashed, illuminating Madina from one lava tract to the other, as if it was a lamp lit in a dark night. The Prophet said, "Allahu Akbar!" He struck it again, another flash shot forth, he said, “Allāhu Akbar!” Then he struck it a third time. Again a flash of light shot forth, and again he said, “Allāhu Akbar!” The rock was shattered by the third blow. They asked him about the three flashes of light, and he said, “The first one lit up for me the palaces of Hīra and the cities of Khosroes, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel informed me that my nation is to overcome them. The second one lit up for me the red palaces of the land of the Byzantines, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel informed me that my nation is to overcome them. The third lit up for me the palaces of Sana‘ā, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel told me that my nation is to overcome them!”[77]

When he entered the Sacred Mosque after the conquest of Macca, the Prophet went round the Ka‘ba pointing at the idols with his stick or his bow. There were three hundred and sixty idols on and around the Ka‘ba, their feet fixed with lead, in addition to Isāf and Nā’ila where the pagans slaughtered their offerings. As the Prophet passed by each of the idols, he pointed at it, reciting: "Say: The truth has come and falsehood has vanished; falsehood is ever vanishing." [17:81] When he pointed at them the idols fell on their faces one by one.[78]

The Companions knew well the baraka in the hand of the Prophet; they also knew about its being the symbol of Divine generosity and power. They loved to touch and kiss it, they competed for the water he had dipped it in, and, after his death, those who never saw him were eager to touch and kiss those hands that had touched him.

Both the Jews and the Christians who recognized the Prophet as a Divine envoy also showed their love and respect for him by kissing both his hands and his feet.

Once, after the Prophet’s emigration to Madina, a Jew said to a friend of his, "Let us go to this Prophet!" his friend said, "Say not Prophet! Were he to hear you he would have four eyes!" They came to the Prophet and asked him about nine things which he answered. They kissed his hands and feet, saying, "We testify that you are a Prophet!" "What prevents you from following me?" he asked. "David prayed that there should always be a Prophet from his progeny. We fear, were we to follow you, that the Jews would kill us!"[79]

When the Prophet went to Tā’if to call its people to Islam they mistreated him and wounded both his feet by throwing stones at him. He repaired to a garden belonging to two Qurayshi noblemen, ‘Utba and Shayba, sons of Rabī‘a. They happened to have come down from Macca and to have seen what had happened to him. As they were related to him sufficiently closely in tribal terms to allow themselves to feel some sympathy, they called a Christian slave of theirs named ‘Addās and told him, “Take some of these grapes, put them in this plate, then take them to this man and tell him to eat!” When ‘Addās placed the plate before him and said “Eat!” the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, extending his hand, said, “In the name of Allah!” then began to eat. ‘Addās looked at his face, then said, “By Allah! These words are not what the people of this land say!” “From which land do you hail ‘Addās?" he was asked, "and what is your religion?" He replied, "I am a Christian, a man from Nineveh." "From the town of the virtuous man Jonah the son of Matthew?" asked the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. "How do you know who Jonah the son of Matthew is?” asked ‘Addās. “He is my brother,” he was told, “he was a Prophet and I am a Prophet!” At this ‘Addās rushed to him, kissing his head, hands and feet.

One of the sons of Rabī‘a said to the other, “He has spoiled your slave for you!” Then, when ‘Addās returned to them, they said to him, “Woe to you, O ‘Addās! Why do you kiss this man’s head, hands, and feet?” He replied, “Master, there is no one on earth better than this man, he has just informed me of a thing that only a Prophet knows!” They said, “Woe to you, O ‘Addās! Let him not divert you from your religion, for your religion is better than his!”[80]

Those upon whose heads the hands of the Prophet wound a turban were thereby forever honoured.

Qurayt ibn Abī Ramtha al-Tamīmī, who, in the Caliphate of ‘Umar, conquered Aqaba, was taken along by his father when he emigrated to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. The Prophet took him on his lap, prayed for him to have baraka, and wound a black turban around his head.[81]

The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, decided to send an expedition of seven hundred men to Dūmat al-Jandal, under the command of ‘Abal-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf. On the morning they were to set out, ‘Abal-Rahmān appeared wearing a turban dyed black. The Prophet took it off with his hand and wound it again, leaving four fingers’ length hanging from the back.[82] When the time came for ‘Abdal-Rahman ibn ‘Awf to decide who was to become caliph, ‘Uthmān or ‘Alī, he came out wearing the same turban the Prophet had wound on his head.[83]

Anas said, "Once the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, prayed the morning prayer, the servants of the people of Madina brought him their vessels full of water, he dipped his hand in them, even on cold mornings."[84]

Abū Juhayfa said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, came out in mid-morning. Water for ablution was brought to him and he performed his ablution, then the people took what remained and rubbed it on themselves. Those who could not reach any took the water that dripped from their companions’ hands."[85]

Abū Juhayfa also said that when the Prophet was in Macca and had finished his ablutions, the people crowded around him, taking his hands and rubbing them on their faces. “I took his hand," he said, "and placed it on my face and it was cooler than snow and better smelling than musk!"[86]

Abū Ayyūb said, “We used to prepare supper and send it to him, when it was brought back to us, I and Umm Ayyūb used to look for the mark of his hand and eat from there, hoping for the baraka. One night we sent his supper to him, having put onions or garlic in it, but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, returned it untouched, I saw no trace of his hand in it. I rushed to him in distress, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my father and mother be the ransom! You have returned your supper and I saw no trace of your hand, whereas before, whenever you returned it, I and Umm Ayyūb sought the trace of your hand, seeking the Baraka!’ He said, ‘I found the smell of that plant in it and I am a man who converses, [with Gabriel, as another version adds] as for you, you may eat it!’ So we ate it but never used that plant again!"[87]

When the Prophet fell ill, ‘Ā’isha, in the knowledge that he used to recite the Mu‘awwidhāt, blow in his hands, and rub his body, recited them herself, then took his hand and rubbed him with it, for no palm was as blessed as his.[88]

‘Ā’isha said that whenever the Prophet entered Fātima’s house she rose to meet him and kissed his hand.[89]

Once when Ibn ‘Umar was in a raiding party they retreated before the enemy. They said to each other, "What shall we do now that we have run away from the fight and come under [Allah’s] wrath?" "Let us go to Madina and spend the night," they said, then, "Let us show ourselves to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, it may be that our repentance will be accepted, or else we shall depart." They came to him before the morning prayer. "Who are the people?" he asked, "We are the deserters!" they replied. "No!" he said, "But you are the fighters, and I am your host and every Muslim’s host."[90] Then they approached him and kissed his hand. Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, recited this verse: "or withdrawing to a host," [8:16][91]

When the delegation of ‘Abdal Qays reached Madina, [they had such longing for the Prophet that] they jumped off their camels and rushed to him, kissing his hands and feet.[92]

Ibn ‘Umar used to kiss the Prophet’s hand.[93]

Ka‘b ibn Mālik, one of the three Companions that failed to join the Tabuk expedition, kissed the Prophet’s hand when Allah relented towards the three.[94]

Once Salama ibn al-Akwa‘ said to his companions, "I gave allegiance to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with this hand of mine!" They kissed it and he never objected to this.[95]

The famous Follower, Thābit al-Bunānī, Anas ibn Mālik’s student, said, “Whenever I visited Anas, they told him I was there, he came to me, and I took both his hands and kissed them saying, "My father be the ransom of these hands that have touched the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him!" and I kissed his eyes saying, "My father be the ransom of these eyes which have seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him!"[96]

And whenever Thābit came to visit him, Anas called his servant saying, “Bring me some perfume that I may perfume my hands, for Thābit will not rest content until he has kissed my hand!”[97]

Burayda said, "A Bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have accepted Islam, so show me something that will increase me in certitude!’ He asked him, ‘What do you want?’ He replied, ‘Call this tree, let it come to you!’ ‘Go to her and call her!’ He told him. The Bedouin went to the tree saying, ‘Answer the Messenger of Allah!’ The tree leaned to one side, pulling her roots out, then to the other, pulling her roots out then she went to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, saying, ‘Peace be upon you O Messenger of Allah!’ The Bedouin exclaimed, ‘This is sufficient for me! This is sufficient for me!’ The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, said, ‘Go back!’ so it returned to its place and struck its roots again. The Bedouin said, ‘Permit me, O Messenger of Allah, to kiss your hands and feet!’ He did [kiss his hands and feet], then said, ‘Permit me to prostate myself before you!’ ‘No man should prostate himself before another man!’ he replied."[98]

The wooden pulpit of the Prophet had a knob on which the Prophet rested his hand as he spoke. After the Prophet’s death Abū Hurayra used to stand beside the pulpit and place his hand on the pommel, before the caliph came out to deliver the Friday sermon. Thus standing he would recite a few of the hadiths he had learnt from the Prophet.[99]

As for the other Companions, they used to wait until those in the mosque became few, then rise to the pommel, rub it, and make du‘ā’. So did the Followers and those who came after them.[100] Upon learning of this, ‘Abdallāh, son of Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal, asked his father what he thought of this and of touching the Prophet’s chamber. The Imām answered that he saw nothing wrong there. And the famous compiler of hadith, Imām ibn ‘Asākir, who witnessed the fire that burned part of the Prophet’s mosque, said, "The remaining parts of the pulpit of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, were burnt. Now visitors can no longer touch the pulpit’s pommel, on which the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, placed his noble hand, nor the place where he used to sit, nor the place of his noble feet, for their great baraka."[101]

The Prophet informed us that Allah, Exalted and Majestic is He says, "He who shows hostility to a Walī of Mine, on him I declare war. My slave draws nearer to Me with nothing that I love more than what I have made obligatory on him. And My slave ceases not to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory devotions until I love him. When I love him I become his eye with which he sees, his ear with which he hears, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot on which he walks. When he asks of Me I give him and when he seeks My protection I protect him."[102]

The Prophet, by virtue of being the most perfect of Allah’s slaves, is he in whom the gifts mentioned in this Hadīth Qudsī manifest in the most perfect from. Thus, because he saw and heard by Allah’s power and ability, he was able to see and hear through the earth, down to the seventh nether earth, and through the heavens up to and beyond the Throne. He saw through people’s intentions and heard the whisperings in their breasts. His hand manifested the powers we have spoken about and much more that is known only to Allah. His feet walked the seven heavens and the Throne, and took him into the Divine Presence.

The same attributes, according to this Hadith Qudsī, manifest in the more spiritually gifted among the Prophet’s community, for he must have heirs amongst the Muslims, in each of their generations till the end of time. Only he who knows the saints is able to catch a glimpse of the unassailable rank of Prophethood. Only he who accepts that Allah’s treasury of gifts is infinite and that He gives according to His generosity will begin to understand. Only he who overcomes his skepticism and thinks well of the virtuous servants of Allah will be allowed to witness some of these gifts.

NOTES

1. Bukhari, Kitab' al-Iman. 70. Muslim 1:49.

2. Muslim 2/721, Abu Dawud 2/121, Nisa'i 1/142.

3. Bukhari 2:969, Muslim 4:1815.

4. Majma' al-Zawa'id 7:33.

5. Bayhaqi and ibn 'Asakir. Majma' al- Zawa'id 7:33.

6. Muslim 7:81.

7. Abu Dawud 1:103, Bayhaqi, Sunan, 1:113.

8. Bukhari 2:967, Muslim 3:1489.

9. Comprehensive speech is the ability to state the most profound truths very clearly in few words. Second to the Qur'an themost comprehensive expression undoubtedly belongs to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him.

10. To be supported by terror is Allah's striking terror into the hearts of his enemies so that they are at a disadvantage before the actual confrontation takes place.

11. Bukhari 3:1087.

12. Bukhari, Bab al- 'Ilm ,13, Muslim, Zakat: 100.

13. Bayhaqi in Dala'il 3/252 , al-Hakim, Mustadrak, 3:334.

14. Abu Nu'aym, Dala'il 1:172, Bayhaqi, and ibn Sa'd.

15. Bukhari in Tarikh, Tabarani, and Bayhaqi.

16. Bukhari 4:1483

17. Ibn 'Abdal-Barr, Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat' il Ashab, 3:1415.

18. Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2:291.

19. The Prophet is here doing tawassul with his own blessed self.

20. Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2:290.

21. Majma' al- Zawa'id, 9:405.

22. Majma' al- Zawa'id, 9:405. Baghawi, Bayhaqi.

23. Majma' al- Zawa'id 9:409 ibn Sa'd, Bayhaqi.

24. The kunya is the respectful Arab way of calling their elders Abu Fulan, Father of so and so, in the Prophet's case: Abu'l-Qasim.

25. Bukhari in Tarikh, Bayhaqi, and Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:48.

26. Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:48.

27. Majma'al- Zawa'id 8:54, ibn 'Asakir, and Abu Ya'la .

28. Al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar.

29. Ahmad 5:77, 5:340, Bayhaqi in Dala'il 6:210.

30. Abu Nu'aym, Bazzar.

31. Bukhari 1/87.

32. Majma' al-Zawa'id 9:405.

33. Majma' al-Zawa'id 9:405.

34. Ahmad 5/67, ibn Sa'd.

35. Al-Baghawi.

36. Majma' al-Zawa'id 9:402.

37. Majma' al-Zawa'id 9:401

38. Al-Hakim 3:677, Majma 'al-Zawa'id 9:412.

39. Majma' al-Zawa'id 9:41.

40. Ahmad 5:28 Bayhaqi.

41. Mada'ini.

42. Tabarani, al-mu'jam al-Saghir, 1/77.

43. Ibn Sa'd, Abu Nu'aym, Bukhari in Tarikh, Baghawi.

44. Tirmidhi 3627.

45. Ibn Hisham 1:482.

46. Ibn Maja 2/774 , Ibn Abi Shayba 6/13.

47. Bukhari, manaqib, 38, 1/56.

48. Muslim 1:341.

49. This is the Companion's polite manner of saying he used to have relations with her.

50. Ibn Hisham 2/417.

51. Bayhaqi, Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2/95.

52. Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra 2:93, Bayhaqi and ibn 'Asakir.

53. Bukhari 3/1117 Muslim 3/1611

54. Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:305

55. Majma' al-Zasa'id 8:306

56. Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:308-309

57. Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:307.

58. Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, Suyuti 2:216.

59. Muslim 4: 1783.

60. Muslim 4: 1783.

61. Muslim 4: 1783.

62.Ibn Mas'ud, being one of the earliest Muslims and one of the most knowledgeable, realized what an opportunity it was to drink this most blessed water, to purify himself inwardly with it.

63. Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:300.

64. Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:300.

65. Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:301.

66. Al-Hakim, Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, Baghawi, ibn Shahin, Suyuti 1:466.

67. Ibn Sa'd , Abu Nu'aym, Suyuti 1:469

68. Tabarani in Kabir 3:1, Abu Nu'aym in Dala'il 1:152.

69. Ahmad 5:354.

70. Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:298-299.

71. Ibn Sa'd, 1/188, Bayhaqi.

72. Bayhaqi, Dala'il, 2/370.

73. Abdal Razzaq, al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, ibn Abdal Barr 3/879.

74. Ibn Hibban 14/430.

75. Tabarani in Kabir 3/203 Ibn Hisham .

76. Muslim 3/1402.

77. Ibn Sa'd, ibn Jarir, ibn Abi Hatim, Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym, ibn Ishaq. Suyuti 1:571.

78. Bayhaqi in Dala'il 4/71. Waqidi 2/832.

79. Tirmidhi 5/72 Nisa'i 7:111.

80. Ibn Hisham 1/421.

81. Al-Isaba 5/519.

82. Bayhaqi, Sunan 6/363. Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat 3:124.

83. Tabari, Tarikh.

84. Muslim 4/1812, Ahmad 3/137.

85. Bukhari 376.

86. Bukhari 3553.

87. Ibn Hisham 1:499, Ibn Hibban 5:448.

88. Ahmad 6:104.

89. Al-Hakim, 3:160.

90. The host is the main body of the army towards which one can retreat to regroup and return to the fight.

91. Abu Dawud 3:107 Tirmidhi, ibn Maja, Ahmad.

92. Majma'al- Zawa'id 9:389

93. Abu Dawud 5:393 Majma' al-Zawa'id 8:42

94. Ibn 'Asakir , Tabarani, Majma'al-Zawa'id, 8/42.

95. Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:42

96. Majma'al-Zawa'id 9:325

97. Majma'al-Zawa'id 9:325

98. Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2:200, Bazzar, and Abu Nu'aym.

99. Al-Hakim, 1:190.

100. Ibn Abi Shayba 3:450.

101. Samhudi, Khulasat'al-Wafa 210-211.

102. Bukhari, Riqaq, 38.

O Sweet and Beautiful Madani

2006-09-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

by Aftab Malik

In the name of Allah do I begin.
The Most Merciful, The Most Kind.

For it was Allah, who delivered the Best of Creation,
To the whole of Mankind.

How great is His favour, for us to see.
For Truth has arrived, and falsehood will flee.

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

No sweeter man has there ever been.
None more honest and serene.

Your blessed feet have visited the Arsh.
Thou art Allah’s light upon this darkened Farsh.

Your sweat is sweeter than the scent of a rose. [1]
Upon your honour, do I compose this prose. [2]

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

Your City is the one with grandeur and Light,
And the Imams knew it all to be true, upon first sight. [3]

O sweet and precious Madani, with your Sunna I pray,
I might live in harmony. [4]

I long to see the blessed green dome,
For there resides my heart’s true home. [5]

They called it al Munawwarra – the Radiant abode.
For it was when you O Madani, blessed it with your presence and made it your home.

Our Iman is not complete, till for you we have true love. [6]
How can this not be, for you are more radiant than the whitest of doves.

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

They all flocked to see, from where the light did come,
Upon thy blessed face did they glance, and be overcome.

In jubilation they sang, “The moon rose over us.” [7]
And the reality was there.

“Undoubtedly there has come to you from Allah, a light and a book luminous.” [8]

The Qur’an reminds me, of the moon that rose over us.
For undoubtedly, it is you O sweet Madani, who was that Light. [9]

Delivered to the world, to bring consciousness to a new height. [10] Indeed, it was lady Amina, who also witnessed this light.
So much so that when she was with child, the sky was so bright. [11]

It were the Sahaba who would often recite and set up camp.
And they related to others, your presence overcame both sun and lamp. [12]

Hassan Ibn Thabit, the Ashiq al-Rasul,
Would often declare that your presence even overshadowed the moon. [13]

O sweet Madani, you have turned our darkness into a guiding Light, [14]

So why dear brothers, do we fight and not unite?

For the Sahaba knew best, and did not commit sin.
If only they now saw, the state that we are in. [15]

The Sahaba described well, the light that they saw.
So why do brothers anger when we agree with what went before? [16]

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

You helped me to see, that besides Allah, there is No other Divinity, And for you and yours, I have great affinity.

Without your love, O Madani, my heart is lost, and in a muddle.
Every time I cry, and for thee shed a tear:

I long to see thou, O, to be so near! You have taught me it is Allah I should fear,
But it is only by loving you, O sweet Madani, that we shall draw near. [17]

O Allah! To Thee do I only pray,
And I thank Thee, for showing me the Way.

For I know that when in despair, or I am lost in my way,
I would repeat, what the Pious Predecessors would also say.

‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar and Khalid bin Walid,
Who will dare declare them of any evil deeds?

In numbness and in pain, even after your passing, O sweet Madani.
They cried out “Ya Muhammad !”

So shall it not suffice for a sinner like me? [18]

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

May every moment be spent in saying your Darud. [19]
May I never leave sense, of the Madinan Hadud.

I wish that my destiny, be tied with Madina.
For there is the Prophet, and blessed Sakinah.

May I become a pious servant of Madina.
Fill my heart, O Allah, with the love of the Sayyid of Madina. [20]

For with your love, my heart glides like a kite,
Your radiance has provided me, with a guiding light.

I long to see the day, when I can be near your side.
I will stand and recite Darud.
It will be my honour, and my pride. [21]

Upon you, your ashiqs lavish great praise. [22]
To those who do not understand,
they simply dismiss this as a craze.

I swear by Almighty Allah, that I will never stop,
Reciting your Darud, until the day I do drop. [23]

All praise and worship is for Allah,
For bestowing the honour on me.
Of being from the Umma, of the blessed Madani.

Excuse me if I cry, O Sayyid of Madina.
To behold your radiant face, that the Sahaba used to see.
What an honour it will be, for an unworthy one, such as me.

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

Some may claim that you are like any one of us,
But who can claim, to have visited the Arsh? We say bashr, but respect is also due.
For mankind are like rocks, but a pearl are you. [24]

Why cannot they see, the Magnificence of you, O Madani?
The Imam of the Anbiya, and the Leader of Allah’s Community.

You travelled the Seven Heavens, and your eyes did not lie.
For Jibril could not pass, but you, O Madani, glided by. [25]

How can anyone deny Allah’s love for you, O sweet Madani?
Whose name has He raised above, for all to see? [26]

For it is your blessed name, that is besides Allah’s Majesty.
It has been placed there, for the whole of Mankind to see.

The Lord of the World’s called you Rafun and Rahim. [27]
But still yet, some cannot see,
The majesty and honour, that Allah has bestowed upon thee!

May every blessing be upon thee, O sweet and beautiful Madani.

They call us mad – our love declared a Bid’a [28]
and that which is Something new.
O! If only they understood, what the majnun of Baghdad, Shaykh Shibli knew! [29]

We say to our brothers, who do not know,
That this is the Islam of the Companions, and to this we can show.
How they went at length to show their love and respect.

When the Companions would rush to catch the blessed water,
There would be chaos, and simply no order. [30]

So you see, the Love of Rasul has an exceptional rule -
Love him more than yourself – until then, we are all just fools! [31]

In sha’ Allah, upon us there will be Allah’s Karam,
And you, O Madani, will be our hearts Mehram.

May I one day again, come to your City,
O sweet and precious Madani.
And have true love, like Uways al Qarani [32]

O! Allah, hear the cries of your Ghulam,
Upon Thy blessed, do I send continuous Salam! [33]

May countless blessing be upon thee,

O sweet and beautiful Madani!

Notes

[1] The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slept on a rug in the house of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, and perspired. Anas’s mother brought a long necked bottle into which she put his sweat. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked her about this. She said, “We put it in our perfume and it is the most fragrant of scents” [Muslim & Bukhari]. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I have not smelled amber, musk or anything more fragrant than the smell of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace” [Muslim and al-Tirmidhi].

[2] The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was happy with good poetry, since it is related in Bukhari’s Morals and Manners and elsewhere that he has said, “There is wisdom in poetry.” Jabir bin Samarah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I attended the assemblies of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) more than a hundred times, wherein the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them) recited poetry and related the stories of the Jahilliya. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) silently listened to them [and did not forbid them]. At times he smiled with them.” ‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to put a mimbar in the masjid for Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him), so that he might stand on it and recite poetry on the praise of, and behalf of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), or (that) he used to defend the Messenger of Allah (in reply to the accusations of the Kuffar). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say: ‘may Allah assist Hassan with Ruhul Qudus till he defends or praises, on behalf of the Messenger of Allah.’

[Shama’il al-Tirmidhi, under chapter of poetry]

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said concerning the verse “And as for the poets, only those who are lost in grievous error would follow them” [26:224]: “These verses were abrogated, and exceptions were made to them in the following verse: “Save those who have faith, and do righteous deeds, and remember Allah unceasingly, and defend themselves only after having being wronged” (26:227) [Bukhari’s Adab al Mufrad, Hadith 874]. Sharid said, “The Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked me to recite the poetry of Umayyah ibn Salt for him, and I did so. Then the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) started saying, “More, more!” I ended up reciting nearly a hundred verses to him. At the end, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The man (Umayyah was a pre Islamic poet) was very nearly a Muslim” [Bukhari’s Adab al-Mufrad, Hadith 872].

[3] Imam Malik was asked by the Khalifah, Abu Ja’far al-Mansur, “Shall I face the qibla with my face backwards towards the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when making du’a?” Imam Malik replied “How could you turn your face away from him, when he is the means [Wasila] of you on the Day of Resurrection? Nay, face him and ask for his intercession so that Allah will grant it to you, as He said, “If they had only, when they were wronging themselves, come unto thee and asked Allah’s forgiveness, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft returning, Most Merciful” (4:64) [Qadi Iyad, op cit.].

Imam Ahmad said to Abu Bakr al-Marzawi, “Let him use the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as a means of supplication to Allah.” This is found in Imam Ahmad’s Manasik narrated by his student Abu Bakr al-Marzawi. Hafiz al-Iraqi relates in Fath al-Mutual, that: “Imam Ahmad sought blessings from drinking the washing water of Imam al- Shafi’i’s shirt […]”

Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said that:

When Imam al-Shafi’i was in Baghdad, he would visit the grave of Abu Hanifa, pray two rakats nawafil according to the Hanafi Madhab (out of Ta’dhim to Abu Hanifa), give salam to him, and then ask Allah for the fulfillment of his need through his means (yatwassal ilAllah tala bihi fi qada hajatihi). When my teachers went over this Riwayah, they noted that Imam al-Shafi’i would have a question of Fiqh that he could not conceive, and after leaving the grave of Abu Hanifa, his inquiry would be answered.

This is related in Ibn Hajar al-Haythami’s al-Khayrat al-Hisan.

[4] Allah says, “Believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words. Follow him, perhaps you will be guided.” (7:157) “No, by your Lord, they will not believe until they ask you to judge between them in what they disagree about and then they shall find in themselves no impediment touching your verdict, but shall surrender in full submission.” (4:64) i.e. obey your judgment. Allah also says, “You have a good model in the Messenger of Allah for one who hopes for Allah and the Last Day.” (33:21) Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Tirmidhi said, “To take the Messenger as a model means to emulate him, follow his Sunna and abandon opposition to him in either word or action.” Several commentators said words to that effect. It is said that this was intended as a criticism of those who fail to follow him. Sahl said that the ayat from the Fatiha (Sura 1), “The path of those whom You have blessed,” means to follow the Sunna. Allah promises His love and forgiveness to those who follow the Prophet and prefer him to their own passions and inclinations.

‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did something as an example in order to make things easier for people but some people still refrained from doing it. When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) heard about that, he praised Allah and said: ‘What do you think of people who refrain from anything that I myself do? By Allah, I am the greatest of them in knowledge of Allah and the strongest of them in fear of Allah’” (Muslim and al-Bukhari). It is related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The Qur’an is hard and difficult for anyone who hates it. Whoever clings to what I say and understands it and retains it, then it will be like the Qur'an for him. Whoever considers the Qur’an and what I say unimportant and neglects it loses this world and the Next. My community is commanded to take my words and obey my command and follow my Sunna. Whoever is pleased with my words is pleased with the Qur'an. Allah says, ‘Take what the Messenger brings you’” (59:7) (Abu’sh-Shaykh, ad-Daylami and Abu Nu’aym from al-Hakam ibn ‘Umayr). The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whoever follows me is of me and whoever wants to abandon my Sunna is not of me.”

Al-Hassan ibn al-Hassan said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Doing a little of something which is a Sunna is better than doing a lot of something which is an innovation”(al-Darimi). The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah will bring a man into the Garden by the fact that he clings to my Sunna.” Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “The one who clings to my Sunna when the community is corrupt will have the reward of a hundred martyrs” (al-Tabarani). The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “The Banu Isra'il split into about seventy-two sects. My community will split into seventy-three. All of them will be in the Fire except for one.” They asked, ‘Who are they, Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘Those who base themselves on what I and my Companions are doing today’” (al-Tirmidhi).

‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to his governors telling them to learn the Sunna, the shares of inheritance and the dialects, saying, “People will try to argue with you (i.e. by using the Qur'an), so overcome them with the Sunna. The people of the Sunna have the greatest knowledge of the Book of Allah.” When ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, prayed two rak’ats at Dhu’l-Hulayfa, he said, “I do as I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) doing” (Dhu’l-Hulayfa is the miqat for the people of Madina on their way to Hajj.) [Qadi Iyad, op cit., Section 3: The obligation to follow him and obey his Sunna].

[5] Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said while in prostration: “O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my hearing, light in my sight, light on my right, light on my left, light in front of me, light behind me, light above me, light below me, and make light for me,” or he said: “Make me light.” Salama said: “I met Kurayb and he reported Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) as saying: ‘I was with my mothers sister Maymuna when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came there, and then he narrated the rest of the hadith as was narrated by Ghundar and said the words: ‘Make me light’ beyond any doubt.’” Muslim narrates it in his Sahih, book of Salat al-Musafirin. Imam Ahmad in his Musnad also narrates it with a strong chain, but with the reverse order of the first narration cited above, resulting in the wording “[…] and make me light” or he said: “Make light for me.” Ibn Hajr in Fath al-Bari (1989 ed. 11:142) mentions a narration in Ibn Abi 'Asim's Kitab al-du’a which states: “And grant me light upon light” (wa hab li nuran 'ala nur).

[6] Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that a man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and asked, “When will the Last Hour come, Messenger of Allah?” “What have you prepared for it?” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked. The questioner replied, “I have not prepared a lot of prayer or fasting or charity for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “You will be with the one you love” (al-Bukhari).

[7] The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was met with joy and jubilation as he proceeded to enter Madina from the people of Madina. Al-Bara ibn Azib (a Companion) narrated that: [..] “I had never seen the people of Madina so joyful as they were on the arrival of Allah’s Apostle, for even the slave girls were saying, ‘Allah’s Apostle has arrived!’”[..] Bukhari, volume 5, Book 58, Number 262. Muslim narrates that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “I was sent only as (a) mercy. I was not sent as a punishment.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was greeted with the following invocation:

Talaa al-badru alayna, min thaniyyat al-wada,wajaba al-shukru alayna, ma daa ilillahi daThe full moon has risen over us, from the mountains of al-Wada,The full moon has risen over us, from the mountains of al-Wada,We shall ever give thanks for it, As long as there will be callers to Allah.The full moon has risen over us, from the mountains of al-Wada,We shall ever give thanks for it, As long as there will be callers to Allah.Anta shamsun anta badrun, anta nurun fawqa nur,anta iksiru al-wujud, anat misbah al-sudur.You are a sun, you are a full moon.You are a sun, you are a full moon.You are light upon light, You are the quintessence of existence,You are a sun, you are a full moon.You are light upon light, You are the quintessence of existence,You are the lamp in every breast.You are a sun, you are a full moon.You are light upon light, You are the quintessence of existence,You are the lamp in every breast.Ashraqa al-badru alayna, fakhtafat minhu al-budur,

Mithla husnik ma raayna, qattu ya wajh al-surur

The full moon has risen over us, eclipsing all other moons.

Such as your beauty we have never seen, No never, O face of delight!

Ya habibi ya Muhammad, ya arus al-khafiqayn,

Ya muayyad ya mumajjad, ya Imam al qiblatayn

O My beloved, O Muhammad, O bridegroom of the East and the West.

The one Allah vindicated and exalted, O Imam of the two directions!

[8] Al-Qur’an: 5:15.

[9] There are some Muslims who absolutely refuse to believe that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a “light” sent to illuminate the world, and hold that to believe it is not only spurious but has absolutely no place in Islam. Because of a stigma that is attached to those who affirm that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a ‘light’, many Muslims actually are reluctant to even speak about this. This area often brings up intense heated words and argument, when indeed their need not be any. To those who actually deny any possibility or even reference that the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was a light is an actual negation of the fact that Allah Himself refers to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as “light” in His Glorious Book:

· “From Allah has come to you a Light and a Book manifest.” (5:15)

· “O Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, and as one who invites to Allah by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading Light.” (33:45-46)

This is concurred upon by Imam al-Tabari and Qadi al-Shawkani in their Tafsir’s, who agree that the light was the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti: “It is the Prophet, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).” (Tafsir al-Jalalayn, 139); Ibn Jarir al-Tabari: “By Light He means Muhammad, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) through whom Allah has illuminated the truth, manifested Islam, and obliterated polytheism - since he is a light for whoever seeks illumination from him, which makes plain the truth.” (Jami‘ al-Bayan, 6.161); Fakhr al-Din Razi: “There are various positions about it, the first being that the Light is Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the Book is the Qur’an.” (al-Tafsir al-Kabir, 11:194); al-Baghawi: “It means Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), or, according to a weaker position, Islam” (Ma‘alam al-Tanzil, 2.228); Qurtubi (Ahkam al-Qur’an, 6.118) and Mawardi (al-Nukat wa al-‘Uyun, 2.22) mention that interpreting Nur as “Muhammad” (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was also the position by [the Imam of Arabic grammar Ibrahim ibn Muhammad] al-Zajjaj (d. 311/923). Al-Nasafi in his commentary entitled Tafsir al-Madarik (1:276) and al-Qasimi in his Mahasin al-Ta’wil (6:1921) similarly say: “There has come to you a Light from Allah: this is the light of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) because one is guided by him. Similarly he has been called a lamp (siraj). Imam Ahmad al-Sawi similarly said in his super commentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn (1:258): “There has come to you a Light from Allah: that Light is the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He was named a light because he enlightens the sight and guides it to the correct path; and also because he is the root of every light whether material or spiritual.” Allah said: “O Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a Witness, a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, and as one who invites to Allah by His leave, and as a Lamp spreading Light.” (33:45-46) Ibn Kathir states in his Tafsir: “His saying: and a light-giving lamp, that is: your status shows in the truth you have brought just as the sun shows in its rising and illuminating, which none denies except the obdurate.”

Why do we today shrink from saying that the Messenger of Allah is a ‘light” from Allah when this is the interpretation of the earliest Qur’anic commentators?

Ibn Taymiya (in his Majmu ‘at al-fatawa [11:94, 18:366]) argued that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, could not possibly be made of light on the grounds that human beings are created from earth into which the spirit is blown, while angels alone are created from light. To support his view, he cites the hadith from ‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, in Sahih Muslim whereby the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

The angels were created from light, the jinn from smokeless fire, and Adam from what was described to you (i.e. in the Qur’an).

However, to deduce from the above that a human being can never be characterised as a light contradicts the understandings of the majority of scholars as well as the many reports from the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them all, who often compared the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to a light or a harbinger of light, particularly a sun and a moon, chief among them his poet, Hassan ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him:

tarahhala ‘an qawmin faddalat 'uqulahumWa halla 'ala qawmin bi nurin mujaddadiHe left a people who preferred their minds over himHe left a people who preferred their minds over himAnd he dawned on a people with a light made new. He left a people who preferred their minds over himAnd he dawned on a people with a light made new.mata yabdu fi al-daji al-bahimi jabinuhuYaluhu mithla misbahi al-duja al-mutawaqqidiWhenever his forehead emerged in pitch-black darknessWhenever his forehead emerged in pitch-black darknessIt would shine like the blazing luminary of dark night.Whenever his forehead emerged in pitch-black darknessIt would shine like the blazing luminary of dark night.Bayhaqi narrated the two verses in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:280, 302). The latter verse is also narrated Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in al-Isti ‘ab (1:341) and al-Zarqani in Sharh al-Mawahib (1:91). Hassan, may Allah be pleased with him, also said:Nor has Allah created among his creaturesOne more faithful to his sojourner or his promiseThan he who was the source of our light.he who was the source of our light.Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, described the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus:he who was the source of our light.Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, described the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus:aminun mustafa li al-khayri yad`u ka daw'i al-badri zayalahu al-zalamuhe who was the source of our light.Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, described the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus:A trustworthy one, chosen, calling to goodness, resembling the light of the full moon set off from darkness.

While ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would recite the following:

law kunta min shay'in siwa basharinKunta al-mudi'a li laylat al-badriIf you were anything other than a human being.If you were anything other than a human being.You would be the light in the night of a full moon.If you were anything other than a human being.You would be the light in the night of a full moon.Bayhaqi narrated the above in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:301-302).Al-Zuhri narrated:

‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib was the most handsome man that had ever been seen among the Quraysh. One day he went out and was seen by an assembly of the women of Quraysh. One of them said: ‘O women of the Quraysh, which among you will marry this youth and catch thereby the light that is between his eyes? For verily there was a light between his eyes.” Thereafter Amina bint Wahb ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Zuhra married him, and after he joined her she carried the Messenger of Allah.

Al-Bayhaqi narrated it in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:87). Al-Tabari in his Tarikh (2:243), Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Wafa'’ (p. 82-83, chapter 16 of Abwab bidayati nabiyyina).

There are numerous other instances where the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was described as, and referred to, a “light” which can be found scattered throughout these notes. It should be realised that it were the Mu’tazilis who insisted that the Light in verse 5:15 referred only to the Qur’an and not to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. For those wishing to pursue this topic in greater detail, readers are advised to refer to some on-line sources at:

http://www.abc.se/~m9783/nurn_e.html

http://ds.dial.pipex.com/masud/ISLAM/nuh/masudq7.htm and

http://ds.dial.pipex.com/masud/ISLAM/misc/nuremuhammadi.htm

[10] The issue of when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had existed, has been one that the ‘ulama have had much to discuss about, and of which (specifically) the following hadiths have produced varying opinions:

‘Irbad ibn Sarya relates that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Verily I was written in Allah’s Presence as the Seal of Prophets while verily Adam was still kneaded in his clay.

(Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and al-Hakim in his Mustadrak)

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said: “I was a Prophet while Adam was still between the spirit and the body.” Al-Tirmidhi narrated it and said it hassan sahih, and it is authenticated by al-Hakim 2:609 as sahih, and also narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf 14:292, and al-Bukhari in his Tarikh 7:374.

Imam Taj al-Din Subki said:

It has been said that Allah created the spirits before the bodies, and the Prophet’s reference to his prophecy in the hadith, “I was a Prophet while Adam was still between the spirit and the body” may be a reference to his blessed spirit and to the Reality of Realities (haqiqat al-haqa'iq). Our minds fall short of knowing such a Reality, but its Creator knows it, and also those to whom He extends a madad of light from Him [man amaddahu bi nurin ilahi]. Allah brings to existence whichever of these realities that He likes in the time that He pleases. As for the reality of the Prophet, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) it is most likely that it was before the creation of Adam, and Allah gave it its prophetic attribute upon its creation; therefore already at that time, he was the Prophet.

[Quoted by al-Suyuti in Hawi li al-Fatawi, and by Qastallani at the beginning of his Mawahib al-laduniyya 1:31-32.].

Al Hakim narrated on the authority of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

When Adam, upon whom be peace, committed the sin he said, “O Lord! I ask You in the name of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to forgive me.” Allah Almighty said, “How (do) you know him and I did not create him yet?” Adam said, “O Lord! When you created me with Your hands and breathed into me from Your spirit, I looked up and I saw on the Pillars of the Throne had been written There is No God save Allah, Muhammad (is) the Messenger of Allah, therefore I knew you put your name with the name of the Most beloved one of your creatures to you.” Allah said, “O Adam, you said the truth. He (Muhammad) is the most beloved one of the creatures to Me, you asked Me by his name, so I forgive you, because had it not been for Muhammad, I would not (have) created you. [Imam Abi al-Fidaa Isma’il bin Kathir, Qisaas al-‘Anbiyaa (Adam Publishers & Distributors (Delhi) Revised Edn, 1999) p 21].

The scholars differed regarding the soundness of this report:

Ibn Abd al-Hadi al-Hanbali in his Sarim Almunki and Ibn Taymiya in his fatawa (and his Qaida al-Jaliyya) concluded that there was no evidence to support the authenticity of the above hadith, whereas Imam al-Dhahabi in his Talkhis al-Mustadrak, graded it to be da’if, (weak) due to the weakness of one of the narrators, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd. However, Imam al-Hakim al-Naysaburi in his Mustadrak and Kitab al-Tarikh, declared the hadith of the Intercession of Adam upon whom be peace, to be Sahih, while many other scholars have not only used it for proof, but explicitly declared it to be Sahih as well, such as, al-Bulqini, Qadi ‘Iyad, al-Suyuti, al-Tabarani, al-Haythami, al-Subki (hassan), Ibn Hajar al-Makki and others. Since Ibn Kathir used the hadith as a part of the make up of his Sirat, it would be erroneous to label those who accept this hadith as committing, kufr, shirk or bid’a, since this was also Ibn Kathir’s view who uses this narration as proof. One note about Ibn Taymiya’s view on this hadith - after acknowledging its weakness, he however states that it is, ‘Salih li istishhad,’ which is a terminology used in ‘ulum al-Hadith meaning that the hadith is supported by other evidences [see Majmu’ at al-Fatawa Ibn Taymiya vol. 2, page 150]. Also, different muhaddithin had different conditions for the acceptance of hadith. So one hadith might be sahih according to the conditions of one Imam, while it might not be so for another Imam.

In the chapter concerning the Prophet’s superiority over all otherProphets, in his al-Wafa bi Ahwal al-Mustafa’, Ibn al-Jawzi states:

Part of the demonstration of his superiority to other Prophets is the fact that Adam (upon whom be peace) asked his Lord through the sanctity (hurma) of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that He relent towards him. The most authentic chain for this report is not that of al-Hakim’s narration from ‘Umar through ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam who is weak, but that of the Companion Maysarat al-Fajr who narrates it as follows:I asked: “O Messenger of Allah, when were you [first] a Prophet?” He replied: “When Allah created the earth [Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens] (2:29), and created the Throne, He wrote on the leg of the Throne: “Muhammad the Messenger of Allah is the Seal of Prophets” (Muhammadun Rasulullahi Khâtamu al-Anbiya’). Then Allah created the Garden in which He made Adam and Hawwa’ dwell, and He wrote my name on the gates, its tree-leaves, its domes and tents, at a time when Adam was still between the spirit and the body. When Allah Most High instilled life into him he looked at the Throne and saw my name, whereupon Allah informed him that ‘He [Muhammad] is the master of all your descendants.’ When Iblis deceived them both, they repented and sought intercession to Allah with my name.

[11] Hafiz Ibn Kathir wrote that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I am the prayer of Ibrahim, (upon whom be peace) the prophecy of ‘Isa (upon whom be peace). When my mother was pregnant, she witnessed so much light from her body, that she could see the palaces of Syria” [Tarikh Ibn Kathir, vol. II. Sirat al-Nabawiyya]. The Messenger of Allah’s uncle, al-‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, composed a poem praising the birth of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in which are found the following words, “When you were born, the earth was shining, and the firmament barely contained your light, and we can pierce through, thanks to that radiance and light, and path of guidance.” The text is found in al-Suyuti’s Husn al-Maqasid, p 5; Ibn Kathir’s Mawlid, p 30, as well as in Ibn Hajar’s Fath al Bari. Ibn Kathir, in his Mawlid, p 19, writes, “The Night of the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) birth is a magnificent, noble, blessed and a holy night, a night of bliss for the Believers, pure, radiant with lights and of immeasurable price.”

In another narration of the above poem, we read that al-‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said to him:

O Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) I wish to praise you. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied: “Go ahead - may Allah adorn your mouth with silver!” He said a poem that ended with these lines: “And then, when you were born, a light rose over the earth until it illuminated the horizon with its radiance. We are in that illumination and that original light and those paths of guidance - and thanks to them pierce through.”

Ibn Seyyed al-Nas narrated it with his isnad through al-Tabarani and al-Bazzar in Minah al-Madh (p. 192-193), also Ibn Kathir in al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (ed. Mustafa ‘Abd al-Wahid 4:51), and ‘Ali al-Qari in his Sharh al-Shifa’ (1:364) says it is narrated by Abu Bakr al-Shafi’i and al-Tabarani, and cited by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in al-Isti’ab and Ibn al-Qayyim in Zad al-ma ‘ad. ‘Irbad ibn Sariya and Abu Imama said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim, and the good tidings of my brother ‘Isa. The night I was delivered my mother saw a light that lit the castles of Damascus so that she could see them.

It is narrated by al-Hakim in his Mustadrak (2:616-617), Ahmad in his Musnad (4:184), and Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:110, 2:8). Ibn al-Jawzi cites it in al-Wafa’ (p. 91, ch. 21 of Bidayat Nabiyyina), and Ibn Kathir in his Mawlid and his Tafsir (4:360). Haythami cites it in Majma’ al-Zawa’id (8:221) and said al-Tabarani and Ahmad narrated it, and Ahmad’s chain is fair (hassan).

Shah AbdulRahim (d. 1131/1719), father of Shah Wali Allah Muhaddith Dehlawi (d. 1176/1762), would hold mawlid gatherings annually. On such occasions, he would prepare and distribute meals to the poor (Al-Dur al-Thamin, p. 8 ). This was also the practice of Shah Wali Allah and his son, Shah ‘Abd al-Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi (d. 1239/1834). On every 12th of Rabi al-Awwal they used to invite the masses to their mawlid gatherings, in which they would speak about the auspicious events related to the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) birth. At the end of the celebration, they would distribute food and sweetmeats (Al-Dur al-Munazzam, p 89).

Once, Shah Wali Allah attended a mawlid gathering in Makkah, in which he said that he saw manifestations of light cascading down (Fuyuz al-Haramain, page 80-81). Haji Imdad Allah Muhajir Makki (d. 1317/1899), the shaykh of Rashid Ahmed Gangohi (d. 1323/1905), would hold mawlid gatherings each year as a means of obtaining salvation; during those gatherings, while in a standing position he would recite prayers of blessing and peace for the Messenger of Allah [Faysla-i-Haft Mas’ala (with annotation) p 111]. On the 12th of Rabi al-Awwal of each year, the grand Mufti, Shah Mazhar Allah Dehlawi, would hold Mawlid gatherings in great splendour, continuing all night from ‘Isha prayer until the Fajr prayer at dawn. Salawat and Salam would be recited while standing after which food and sweetmeats would be distributed [Tadhkara-i-Mazhar-i-Mas’ud, pp. 176-177]. The importance of invoking blessings and peace for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace is stated in Holy Qur’an, which is understood as asserting that angels are at all times reciting praise and blessings on the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace [Qur’an, al-Saffat, 37:1]. In Madina at the blessed funeral bed of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the angels, men and women, and even children offered Salawat and Salam in groups, for hours in a standing position [Madarij al-Nabuwwa, volume 2, p 440, and examine Fatawa Ridawiyya volume 4, p 54 Ref: Bayhaqi and al Hakim]. Imam Taqi al-Din al-Subki was in a gathering of learned scholars in which the poetry of Imam Sarsari (d. 656/1258) was being recited. Upon hearing a verse in which the poet fervently urged the audience to stand at the time of the Prophet’s auspicious remembrance, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, all of the scholars stood in reverence [Tabaqat al-Kubra, Egypt, volume I p 208]. Allah the Most High states, “Speak of the bounty of thy Lord!” [Qur’an, al-Duha 93:11], and Imam Bukhari states that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the greatest bounty of Allah [Bukhari, volume 2, p 566], hence he should become the object of most publicity. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself spoke about his blessed birth from the pulpit [al-Tirmidhi, volume 2, p 201]. On his instruction some of the noble companions also described and publicised the Messenger of Allah’s, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, most excellent qualities [Zurqani, volume 1, p 227].

In the year 9AH/630, on the occasion of returning from the battle of Tabuk, al-Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, recited a poem on the birth of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his presence [Ibn Kathir, Milad-i-Mustafa (Urdu translation) pp 29-30, al-Suyuti, Husn al-Maqasid p 5]. On another occasion, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself put the platform (mimbar) on which Hassan bin Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, stood and sang an ode in his praise [Bukhari volume I, p 65, al-Musnad (Beirut, 1983) volume 6, p 72, al-Dhababi, Siyar al-Alam, al-Nubala (Beirut, 1992) volume 2, pp 513-541) Bukhari, chapter 68, volume I, p 264], for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace blessed him with a special prayer.

[12] Ibn al Jawzi al-Hanbali, narrates that the light of the Messenger of Allah would overcome the light of both the sun and lamp [Al Wafa, Chapter al Wilada, Ibn al Jawzi]. Abu ‘Ubayda ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ammar ibn Yasir said: “I said to say to al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu ‘awwadh: ‘Describe for me Allah's Messenger.’ She replied: ‘If you saw him you would say: The sun is rising.’” Bayhaqi narrates it with his isnad in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:200), and Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawa’id (8:280) says that al-Tabarani narrates it in al-Mu'jam al-kabir and al-Awsat and that its narrators have been declared trustworthy.

[13] Ibn Kathir narrates that Hassan Ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the star from which even the moon of the fourteenth night obtains its light” [Tarikh Ibn Kathir, vol. III].

[14] “He will bring you out of the darkness into the light” [5:16]. Ibn Kathir also mentions that Ka’ab Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, recited a poem in the presence of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace of which consisted the lines […] “We have come to you, and you have transformed our darkness into light, and have removed the barriers of ignorance” [Tarikh, and Sirat al-Nabiwiyya, Ibn Kathir, under the heading of “Miracles”]. ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, would recite the following; “ If you were anything other than a human being You would be the light in the night of a full moon.” Bayhaqi narrated the above in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:301-302) and relates that ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, added after saying the above: “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was like this, and no one other than he was like this.”

[15] Contemplate over the preceding sayings of the Sahaba and scholars.

[16] As in 33:46, Allah calls the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sirajun munir, “a shining Lamp,” an expression which Hassan Ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, used to describe the Messenger of Allah as the “light” in [5:15]. Furthermore, in the description of the battle of Badr, he narrated that the Messenger of Allah’s face shone like the full moon of Badr, and in his mournful eulogy for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he also mentions also the radiant light that shone at the Prophets birth; “And he who is guided to the blessed light, is well guided” [Hassan Ibn Thabit, Diwan. Edited by Walid N. Arafat. GMS, n.s. 21. 2 Vols. London: Luzac, 1971. See Diwan, no. 34, line 8; no. 9. Line 21; also see no. 131, line 9]. In the last section of his Sira, Ibn Ishaq quotes the poem of Hassan Ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, which he recited after the loss of the Messenger of Allah:

Tell the poor that plenty has left them With the Prophet who departed from them this morning.

He was the light and the brilliance that we followed.

He was the sight and hearing second only to God […]

He was the source of our light, blessed in his deeds, just, and upright.

O best of men! It was as it were a river without which I have become lonely in my thirst.

[The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s “Sirat Rasul Allah,” Trans. A. Guillaume (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1955) pp. 690 –91]. Ka ‘b ibn Malik said:

I greeted the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and there was lightning in his face. Whenever the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was happy, his face would be illuminated as if it were a piece of the moon.

Bukhari and Muslim narrated it, as well as Ahmad in his Musnad. Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwa (1:301) also relates these descriptions of the Prophet by the Companions and others.

[17] Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah [4:80]. Say: If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you [3:31].

[18] The seemingly sensitive issue of whether or not Muslims can say the words ‘Ya RasulAllah’ needs to be clarified, since this issue divides the Muslim community and causes a great deal of friction among the Muslim communities throughout the world. There are basically two “schools of thought,” over this issue - one contends that stating ‘Ya RasulAllah’ is shirk and that any Muslim proclaiming it in fact goes outside the boundaries of Islam. Contrary to this position, the other School believes that it is indeed permissible to say so, however, they do not insist that one must proclaim this - rather, it is permissible to do so. Unfortunately, the two polar positions have produced two extremities: while one body of Muslims will call shirk to those who profess it, the other body of Muslims will declare those who do not proclaim Ya Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) anything but orthodox. In reality, an absence of the proclamation does not weaken ones Din, while to make the proclamation does not nullify your Din. To blanket condemn everyone who makes this call as being mushriks or people of innovation - reflects ignorance of the accuser. Perhaps these few references will shed some light upon the issue:

Some time after the Messenger of Allah had died, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar’s, may Allah be pleased with him, leg became numb. A man said to him, “Remember the person whom you love the most.” Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “Ya Muhammad” [Imam Bukhari’s Adab al-Mufrad - Book of Muslim Morals and Manners, translated by Yusuf Talal Delorenzo, al-Saadawi Publications, Alexandria, Virginia, 1997, hadith Number 967].

Ibn Taymiya wrote that:

in the same way as ‘Abd Allah ibn Umar’s (may Allah be pleased with him) foot became numb and he remembered the one he loves most, ‘Abd Allah Ibn Abbas’s (may Allah be pleased with him) foot also became numb. Someone also said to him to remember the one who he loves the most. ‘Abd Allah Ibn Abbas said Ya Muhammad! and his foot immediately recovered from numbness.

[Al-Kalim al-Tayyib chapter on Khadirat Rijluhu, Ibn Taymiya].

Imam Nawawi mentions in his Adhkar both the narrations whereby Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, would cry out Ya Muhammad whenever they had a cramp in their leg. The text can be found (amongst other editions) in: 1970 Riyadh edition, p 271; 1988 Ta’if edition, p 383; Makkah edition, p 370; ‘Abd al-Baqi Beirut edition, p 286.

Narrated Abu Hurayra:

I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: “By the one in whose hand is Abu al Qasim’s soul, ‘Isa bin Maryam shall descend as a just and wise ruler. He shall destroy the cross, slay the swine, eradicate discord and grudges, and money shall be offered to him but he will not accept it. Then he shall stand by my graveside and say: Ya Muhammad! and I will answer him.

[Abu Ya’la relates this with a sound chain in his Musnad (Dar al Ma’mun edition 1407/1987) 11:462; Ibn Hajar cites it in al-Matalib al-‘Aliya (Kuwait, 1393/1973) 4:23, under the chapter ‘The Prophet’s life in his grave’ and No.4574; Haythami comments in his Majma’ al-Zawa’id (8:5), under the chapter entitled: ‘Isa ibn Maryam’s Descent’ that: Its sub-narrators are the men of sound (sahih) hadith’]

Al-Haytham ibn Hanash [al-Nakha‘i] said: We were in ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar’s house when he felt a cramp in his leg, whereupon one man said to him: ‘Remember (or mention) the dearest of people to you,” so he said: ‘Ya Muhammad!’ and he seemed relieved of his cramp.

[Narrated by al-Nawawi in al-Adhkar (op. cit.,) Ibn al-Qayyim – without the interjection Ya – in al-Wabil al-Sayyib (1952 ed. p 195) and al-Shawkani’s Tuhfa al-Dhakirin (Cairo ed. pp. 291-292, 1970 Beirut ed. pp. 206-207). This report is narrated by Ibn al-Sunni from Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Bardha‘i who said: Hajib ibn Sulayman [al-Manbiji] narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Mus‘ab narrated to us: Isra’il narrated to us: From Abu Ishaq: From al-Haytham ibn Hanash, as cited by al-Shawkani in the Tuhfa (see below)] A blind man went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said:

Invoke Allah for me that he might help me. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied: “If you wish, I will delay this, and it would be better for you, and if you wish, I will invoke Allah for you.” The blind man replied: “Then invoke Him.” The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to him: “Go and make wadhu’, offer two rakats of prayer, then say ‘O Allah, I am asking you and turning to you with your Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Prophet of mercy: O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I am turning with you to my Lord with your intercession concerning the return of my sight [another version has: so that He will fulfil my need. O Allah, allow him to intercede (with You) for me].

This is related by Ahmad (4:138 No. 17246-17247), Tirmidhi; Ibn Majah; Nasai; al-Hakim; Tabarani (in his al-Kabir) and has received the mark of vigorously authenticated by at least fifteen hadith masters, including Ibn Hajar al Asqalani, al-Dhahabi, al-Shawkani and even Ibn Taymiya.

Despite the Messenger of Allah’s absence, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he still ordered the man to say ‘O Muhammad,’ since the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace did not say: “Go and make wadhu’ and come back to me,” or ‘in front of me.’ For those who will then next say that this was only allowed at the time that the Messenger of Allah was amongst the Sahaba, they need to also realise that the very invocation which the Messenger of Allah gave the blind man, was used after the Prophet’s lifetime, as authenticated as Sahih amongst others: al Bayhaqi, Abu Nu’aym, al-Mundhiri and al-Tabarani in al-Kabir. They relate on the authority of ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf’s nephew, Abu Imama ibn Sahl ibn Hunayf that:

A man would come to ‘Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) for a certain need, but the latter would not pay him any attention nor look at his need, upon which he complained to ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf who told him to ‘go and make wadhu,’ then go to the mosque and pray two rakats, then say this supplication ..’ and he mentioned the invocation of the blind man, ‘then go (to ‘Uthman again).’” The man went, did as he was told, then went to ‘Uthman ibn Affan’s door, to which the door attendant came, took him by the hand and brought him to ‘Uthman ibn Affan who sat with him on top of the carpet and said: ‘Tell me what your need is.’ After this, the man went out and met ‘Uthman ibn Hunayf and said to him: ‘may Allah reward you! Previously he (‘Uthman ibn Affan) would not look into my need nor pay attention to me, until you spoke to him.’ Uthman ibn Hunayf replied, ‘I did not speak with him, but I saw the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when a blind man came to him complaining of his failing eye-sight.’

Hafiz Ibn Kathir, Imam al-Tabari and Ibn Athir wrote that:

During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) there was a battle against the false prophet Musaylima. When the battle commenced, the Muslims lost their footing, at which Khalid bin Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) and the rest of the Companions called out, “Ya Muhammad!” and proceeded to win the battle.

[Tarikh al-Tabari, Tarikh Ibn Kathir and Tarikh Qamil by Imam Tabari and Hafiz Ibn Kathir, under chapter Musaylima kadab] Qadi Shawkani wrote:

If one is in trouble or experiencing some difficulty, they should perform two units of nawafil and then supplicate (to Allah) the du`a […]‘Ya Muhammad!’’ […] and Allah will grant them what they want in that their problems or troubles should go away. The scholars of hadith say that this hadith is authentic and it is recorded by Tirmidhi, Hakim, Nas’ai, Ibn Majah and Tabarani.

[Tuhfa al-Dhakirin chapter on Salat al-Hajah, Qadi Shawkani]

Ibn Sa’d wrote:

After Rasul Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had passed away, Arwa bint Abdul Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with her) recited the following: “Ya Rasul Allah! You were our (place of) hope.

[Tabqat Ibn Sa’ad Chapter: Wafat al-Nabi, Ibn Sa’ad].

Seyyed Mawdudi wrote that:

When Hajaj bin Yusuf levied a new tax on the new Muslims, they left Basra crying with their fuqaha all saying, Ya Muhammad! Ya Muhammad!

[Khilafat wa Malukiyat, Seyyed Mawdudi, p 270 and also recorded in the Tarikh by Ibn Athir]

Some often fail to realise that we are all required to recite the tashahhud during salat – without it the prayer becomes invalid. The part that is of interest is where we recite: as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha al nabi – wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh. The point here is that the saying of ayyuha al nabi is actually the same as saying ya nabi.

It is significant to note that neither Imam Bukhari, Imam Nawawi nor Qadi Shawkani for that matter ever raised such a notion as to say that calling out Ya Muhammad amounted to shirk. This practice is often condemned by observers who look to people that often misunderstand the context within which the calling occurs. Imam al-Suyuti mentions that if a practice is sound and has basis in the Shari’ah and is being polluted by the mistakes of the people – do you condemn the activity, rather than correcting the people? [19] “Allah and His angels are praying on the Prophet, Oh believers, pray on him” [33:56]. Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Gabriel called me and said, ‘whoever prays one prayer on you, Allah prays on him ten times and raises him up by ten degrees’” [Ibn Abi Shayba]. ‘Amir Ibn Rabi’a said that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “The angels will continue to bless anyone who blesses me, as long as he continues to do so, so do a lot, or even a little” [Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani]. Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whenever anyone greets me with peace, Allah will return my soul to me, so that I can return the greeting” [Abu Dawud and al Bayhaqi]. Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “The nearest people to me on the Day of Rising, will be those who have said the most prayers on me” [Al-Tirmidhi]. The Messenger of Allah said, “Dust be upon the face of the man who does not bless me when I am mentioned in his presence” [Muslim, from Abu Hurayra]. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whoever blesses me in a book or a letter, the angels continue to ask forgiveness for him, as long as my name is on it” [Al-Tabarani].

[20] The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called himself the Seyyed of all human beings. In addition he called his grandson al-Hassan a Seyyed in absolute terms. (Inna waladi hadha seyyeduna). He also ordered the Ansar, when he saw Sa`d ibn Mu’adh coming, as related by Bukhari in his Sahih: Qumu li seyyedikum or “Stand up for your master.” The implications of that term on the basis of these narrations are that it entails leadership, rank, and respect. The word ‘master’ is used both in the lofty senses mentioned above, as well as in the possibly lowly senses of ‘sahib’ [owner], as in ‘sahib al-bayt,’ ‘sahib al-kalb,’ the owner of the house, of the dog etc. There are further language usages that taint the word ‘master,’ such as the Western/European concept of the word in the context of slavery, where n the words ‘slave’ and ‘master’ infer abuse and injustice but which are absent from ‘abd, mamluk, and sahib, not to say Seyyed. That is partly why the Christians have "lord" instead of ‘master’ in a similar context, but they also use it for “THE Lord,” and so when it comes to Prophets the doctrinal aberration of ascribing divine lordship becomes too glaring, and so Muslims prefer to use ‘master.’

[21] Those who often argue that standing out of respect for anyone is an act that is prohibited by Islam, (or at the very best, makruh) will often quote the following two hadiths in their favour:

1. ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Abd al-Rahman related that Anas said: “No one was dearer to them (the companions) than Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) yet when they saw him they did not stand up because they knew of his dislike of that.”

[Related by al Tirmidhi].

2. Mahmud bin Ghaylan related that Mu’awiyya came out (from a place) so ‘Abd Allah bin al-Zubayr and Ibn Safwan stood up when they saw him. Mu’awiyya said: sit down for I heard the Prophet say: Let he who is pleased by people standing before him, await his place in Hell.

[Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi]

Al-Tirmidhi cites the first hadith in Kitab al-Adab and asserts that this hadith is hassan sahih gharib min hadha al wajh. This makes us note that this hadith does not relate to ‘aqa’id or ‘ibadat, but to adab. Imam Nawawi comments upon this hadith and points out that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up in respect for some of the Companions and they stood up out of respect for each other in the Prophet’s presence and he did not forbid nor criticised them for it [See Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari fi sharh al-Bukhari (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1993), vol. 12, p 322]. Interestingly, various books and commentaries upon hadiths address the issue of standing up in respect to someone. However, books of fiqh rarely discussed the issue, which is an indication that standing up in respect was not perceived to be a subject of legal inquiry.

As for the hadith narrated in Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi through Abu Mijlaz from Mu’awiyya, this again appears in the section of adab. With this hadith, there is a discrepancy that occurs in the various transmissions. Abu Dawud reports that when Mu’awiyya appeared, Ibn ‘Amir stood up and al Zubayr remained sitting. According to Tirmidhi’s version, both Ibn Zubayr and Ibn Safwan stood up, with no mention of Ibn ‘Amir at all. So there is a disagreement as to who exactly stood up and who remained sitting. Also, most of the transmitted versions go back to Abu Mijlaz, of whom not much is known about him as a transmitter. In a different version of this narration, Ibn Baridah reports that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Whoever likes men to stand before him let him await his place in Hell.’ This version is not accepted by any of the six books of hadiths.

Regarding this hadith, both Imam al-Tabarani and Imam Nawawi explain that the hadith does not actually prohibit standing up or not standing up. Rather, it says that whoever is pleased with people standing up for him is doomed. In other words, the prohibition applies to the person being stood up for, not the person or persons that are standing. The hadith they conclude, calls for the humility of leaders, but says nothing of the followers [Fath al-Bari, op cit., vol. 12, pp 318-322].

If one really wanted to investigate further into this area, one will find that there are in actual fact other hadiths that can be cited as prohibitions of standing:

Abu Dawud narrated that Abu ‘Umamah reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came out to the believers leaning on a cane. Upon seeing him the believers stood up, so the Prophet said: “Do not stand up as the a’jim stand up for each other.” However, Imam al-Tabarani argued that this hadith is weak due to problems in its chain of transmission. Another hadith is related by Jabir, who relates that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, felt ill during prayer so he sat down, but the believers continued to stand. The Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw this and signaled for them to sit down. After the prayer had been completed, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “You were about to do as the Persians and Byzantines do. They stand while their kings sit down. Do not do that!” In another hadith, Anas related that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Those before you have been ruined by the fact that they have glorified their kings by standing up as their kings sit down.”

It is clear from reading the above hadiths that there is a central theme connecting them all – namely the prohibition of standing. There is some appeal to this argument as it can be identified that from the collective memories of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, that they recalled that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, took some issue with them standing up before him. However, in this case, this approach is not reasonable. The problem lies with conflicting evidences which support the contrary. For example:

Usama ibn Sharik narrates:

I went to see the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while his Companions were with him, and they seemed as still as if birds had alighted on top of their heads. I gave him my Salam and I sat down. [Then the Bedouins came in and asked questions which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered ..] The Prophet then stood up and the people stood up. They began to kiss his hands whereupon I took his hand and placed it on my face. I found it more fragrant and cooler than sweet water.

This was narrated by Abu Dawud in his Sunan, al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, Tirmidhi in his Sunan, Ibn Majah in his Sunan and Ahmad in his Musnad.

Tirmidhi narrates that Abu Kurayyab reported that two Jews kissed the Prophet’s hands and feet. Notably, Abu Dawud, al Bukhari, Muslim and al Bayhaqi narrate through a variety of transmissions, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, told the Companions to stand up for Sa’d. According to these reports, after Sa’d’s judgment was accepted by Banu Quraydha (a Jewish tribe), Sa’d returned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Companions upon seeing him, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told the companions to ‘stand up for your master’ (Qumu li seyyedekum) [Shaykh Albani insists that the reason why the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told the companions to stand up, was so that they could assist Sa’d off his horse saddle. He uses a narration that is not found in neither the Adab al-Mufrad nor Fath al-Bari]. It is also narrated by Abu Dawud that Abu Hurayra reported that when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would stand up to leave, the companions would also stand up and remain standing until he left the Mosque. Furthermore, in Fath al-Bari, there is a discussion as to whether the Prophet’s standing up to greet Fathima or ‘Ikrimah bin Abi Jahal or the Prophet’s milk brother could also be related to the issue of standing [Fath al-Bari, op cit., vol. 12, p 321].

It is also reported by Tirmidhi and al-Nisa’i that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would stand up when he would see a passing funeral. In one famous incident, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stood up for a Jewish woman’s funeral. When informed that the deceased was Jewish, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace is reported to have commentated: ‘But isn’t she a soul?’ Nonetheless, the scholars have debated whether this rule on standing up for funerals has been abrogated. Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shaf’i said that the standing has been abrogated, while Imam Ahmad, Ishaq and other Maliki fuqaha have said that it is a matter of personal choice. Imam Nawawi said that standing up for funerals is not preferred. Other Shafi’i scholars (such as Mutwali) said that standing is recommended [Refer to Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, Sharh al-Suyuti ‘ala Sunan al-Nisa’i (Beirut: Dar al Qalam, n p d) vol. 2, pp 43-44].

Returning to the issue of standing, the question then should be, how did the earlier Muslims reconcile the various reports? How did they understand them? The jurists have adopted various positions depending upon how they understood and interpreted the injunctions. Al-‘Ayni, the Hanafi scholar and author of ‘Umdat al-Qari fi Sharh al-Bukhari, said that no set rule was reached by the scholars on the issue of standing because the disagreement over the matter [Badr al Din Ahmad al ‘Ayni, ‘Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, n p d) vol. 11, p251]. ´

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani agreed with this assessment. He concluded that no final rule was reached because of disagreement [Fath al-Bari, op cit., vol. 12, p 317]. However, al-‘Izz Ibn ‘Abd al-Salam and Ibn Hajar further add that if the failure to stand up will result in insult or create a mafsada (corruption) then it becomes forbidden not to stand up (i.e. that they should stand)[Ibid. p 323]. As mentioned earlier, Imam Nawawi held that the prohibition applies to people who demand and who enjoys people standing in their presence. As to the person who is doing the standing, Imam Nawawi relied on the principle that people should be given their rightful place (bi ‘umumiyati tanzili al nasi manazilahim). This means, according to Imam Nawawi that one should stand up before one’s elders and the wise [Ibid p323]. Imam Nawawi demonstrated at length that standing out of respect for scholars is permissible in al Tarkhis fi al – Ikram bi al-Qiyyam, or, ‘The Permissibility of Honouring, by standing up, those whose who possess excellence and distinction among the people of Islam: In the spirit of piousness, reverence and respect, not in the spirit of display and aggrandisement.’ Imam al-Suyuti mentions in his Tabyid al-Sahifa, that when Imam Abu Hanifa visited Sufyan after the death of the latters’s brother, Sufyan stood up, went to greet him, embraced him, and bade him sit in his place, saying to those who questioned this act: ‘This man holds a high rank in knowledge, and if I did not stand up for his science, I would stand up for his age, and if not for his age, then for his godwariness [wara’], and if not for his god-wariness, then for his jurisprudence [fiqh].’ Al-Hakim narrates in Ma ‘rifat ‘ulum al-hadith [p 104] that when al Dhuhuli went to see Imam Ahmad, the latter stood up for him and the people were astounded. Then he told his son and his companions: ‘Go to Abu ‘Abd Allah [al-Dhuhili] and write his narrations.’ Ibn Hajar, al ‘Ayni and others held that it is recommended that one stand up for the leader, a just Imam, and elder or knowledgeable person. Al-Baghawi, in his Sharh al-Sunna, al-Bayhaqi and al-Ghazali said that standing up out of compassion or respect is permissible [Husayn bin Mas’ud al-Baghawi, Sharh al-Sunna (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1994) vol. 7 p 213; Fath al-Bari, op cit., vol. 12, pp 320 and 323].

Imam Tabarani held that the standing depended upon the intention. If one stands up to promote arrogance and conceit, then standing is prohibited. If one is merely showing respect, then it is permitted. Ibn Kathir concluded that what was prohibited was the imitating of the Kuffar; but standing up to one who arrives from travel, or to a governor in his place of governorship is permitted [See Shaikh Muhammed bin Jameel Zaynoo, The Methodology of the Saved Sect, Translated by Aboo Naasir ‘Abid bin Basheer (Invitation To Islam: 1999), pp 181-185. The author adheres to the view of Ibn Kathir, while dismissing any other possibility as ‘The Forbidden Standing’ clearly ignoring any possibility of other than his view. He also alludes to the reason why the companions were told to stand for Sa’d, for the reason to ‘…help him down.’ As mentioned earlier, this version of the hadith does not appear in either the Adab al-Mufrad nor Fath al-Bari (See al Albani, Silsilat al-Hadiths al-Da’ifa, vol. 3 p 637; al Albani, Silsilat al-Hadiths al Sahiha (Beirut: al Maktaba al-Islami, 1972) vol. 1, pp 103-106)].

Ibn al-Qayyim and Ibn al-Hajj disagreed and contested that standing up in all circumstances is reprehensible because one can never know whether the one you stand for is truly pious or knowledgeable or not. Ibn Rushd concluded that standing up is of four types:

1. It is prohibited for one to arrogantly and self-conceitedly want others to stand up in his presence

2. It is reprehensible to stand up to one who is not conceited or arrogant but of whom it is feared that he or she will become conceited or arrogant when people stand in his or her presence

3. It is permissible to stand up as a sign of respect before someone who you do not fear will become arrogant

4. It is recommended that one stand up to greet someone who arrives after travelling

[Fath al-Bari, op cit, vol. 12, p 320; Al Albani in his Silsilat al-Hadiths al-Da’ifa, vol. 3, pp 637-8, discusses the authenticity of some of the hadith on standing. Shaykh Albani vehemently attacks those who endorse standing for anyone, yet he strangely endorses Ibn Rushd’s categorisation, but adds that only the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is immune to arrogance or conceit. Thus he implies, standing is not permissible].

[22] Imam al-Ghazali wrote:

Love is the inclination of one’s nature towards the wishes of the beloved. When it is very vehement, it is termed Ishq. There is a steady increase in this so much so, that the Ashiq becomes enslaved of the beloved for no price. They sacrifice their wealth and treasures and resources their beloved. Take the example of Zulayaka, for example, who sacrificed all her beauty and wealth in the love of Yusuf, upon whom be peace.

[23] “Supplications are suspended between heaven and earth, and nothing from it ascends until you send salat on your prophet” [al-Tirmidhi].

[24] Imam al-Busairi says in his Qasida al-Burda: ‘Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is a human being, but not like humankind; he is a ruby, while people are as stones.’ [25] In his Night journey, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went pass the Lote tree – the furthest boundary, and drew close to Allah [He drew near and hung suspended and was two bows’ lengths away or nearer (53:9)], and a point even where Gabriel could not pass, since he would have been annihilated. [Nor did] “The heart lie about what it saw,” [53:10], and “The eye did not swerve nor sweep away,”[53:16], refers to the immense favour that Allah, Most High, bestowed solely upon the Messenger of Allah – Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

[26] “And [have We not] exalted thy fame?” (94:4) Mujahid said: “Meaning, every time I [Allah] am mentioned, you [Muhammad] are mentioned.” Ibn Kathir mentioned it in his Tafsir. Al-Shafi’i narrated the same explanation from Ibn Abi Najih and so did Ibn `Ata' as cited by al-Nabahani in al-Anwar al-Muhammadiyya min al-Mawahib al-Laduniyya (p. 379). Al-Baydawi said in his Tafsir: “And what higher elevation than to have his name accompany His Name in the two phrases of witnessing, and to have his obedience equal His obedience?”

[27] Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, means praised, and Ahmad means the greatest of those who give praise and the most sublime of those who are praised. Hassan Ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “It is taken for him from His [Allah’s] own name in order to exalt him. The One with the Throne is praised [Mahmud] and he is Muhammad.” Two of Allah’s names are the Compassionate, the Merciful [Al-Rauf, Al-Rahim]. They are similar in meaning. He calls them in His Book when He says, “Compassionate, merciful to the believers.” [9:128]. [28] The linguistic approach in support of ‘good’ innovation

The objection to there being a possibility of existence of a good bid’a stems from the misinterpretation of the term Kullu [“every”, or “all”] in the hadith to be all encompassing without exception, whereas in Arabic, it may mean “nearly all” or, “the vast majority.” This is how Imam al- Shafi’i understood it or else he would have never allowed for any innovation whatsoever to be even considered good, and he considered a hujja [proof] that is, reference without peer for questioning regarding the Arabic language. Imam al-Bayhaqi narrated in his Manaqib al-Shafi’i (2:42-46):

Al Hassan related from Mahmud al Misri and he was one gifted with Eloquence – that Mahmud said; I saw ash- Shafi’i when I was little, and I heard Ibn Hisham – and I never set eyes on one from whom I took wisdom Such as Ibn Hisham: I was al- Shafi’i’s sitting companion for a long time, and I never heard him use a word except that if that word were carefully considered, one would not find [in its context] a better word than it in the entire Arabic language. Mahmud also said; I heard Ibn Hisham say al-Shafi’i ’s discourse, in relation to language, is a proof in itself.” It is also related from al Hassan ibn Muhammad al Za’ farani; A group of the people of pure Arabic [qawmum min ahl al ‘arabiyya] used to frequent al-Shafi’i’s gathering with us and sit in a corner. One day I asked their leader: “You are not interested in scholarship, why do you keep coming here with us?” They said, “We come to hear al-Shafi’i’s language.”

The word Kull, is taken here to mean the part by the whole, what is known as a synecdoche in the English language. This is illustrated by the use of Kull in verse 46:25 of the Qur’an in a selective or partial sense not a universal sense; “Destroying all things by the commandment of its Lord. And morning found them so that naught could be seen save their dwellings.”

Thus, the dwellings were in fact not all destroyed, although “all” things had been destroyed. “All” here means specifically the lives of the unbelievers of ‘Aad and their properties except their houses. The same applies with the hoopee-bird’s expression when Allah says that Balkis has been given in abundance from “everything” in Sura al Naml [27:23], whereas she was not given any power over Sulayman nor any share of his Kingdom. Similarly when Allah says, “Every soul [kullu nafsin] shall taste death,” [3:185] it is understood though that not mentioned, Allah Himself is excluded from the meaning.

There are also other verses in the Qur’an where there are generalisations, such as mentioned in Surat al Najm [53:39], where Allah decrees that “..A man can have nothing, except what he strives for.” Despite this, a Muslim can benefit from his Muslim brethren – such as the prayers of the Angels, the funeral prayer that is read over him, charity given by others in his name, and the prayers of others for him. Again, we are told in Surat al Anbiya [21:98] that, “Verily, you and what you worship apart from Allah are the fuel of hell.” The generalisation here is “what you worship,” because it is well known that ‘Isa, his mother, and angels were all worshipped other than Allah Himself – but will not be the fuel of hell, and so is not meant by this verse. Also, where Allah mentions in Surat al ‘Anam [6:44] regarding the heedlessness of past nations that were sent Messengers, "But when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We opened unto them the doors of everything,” but the doors of Mercy were not opened for them [(Shaykh) Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Bida and Sunnah in The Shari’ah, Qalam International, August 1998, Issue II, vol. I, pp. 5-6].

Hadith evidences alluded to support the existence of ‘good’ innovation

‘Umar bin al Khattab said that his actions of calling the Muslims to congregational Tarawih prayers, in the mosque was an excellent innovation [Sahih al Bukhari, vol. III, ‘Alam al Kutub, Beirut, pp. 97-98]. He did this in spite of the fact that during the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, the Tarawih prayers were performed in their respective houses, because he [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] was worried that if they were performed in congregation in the Mosque, then they might be given an obligatory status. During the time of Abu Bakr, the Tarawih prayers were also performed in their respective houses.

Abu Amana al-Bahili stated that, “Verily Allah obligates you to perform the Ramadhan fast and did not say [for you] to stay awake at night.” The action of staying awake at night as a pious act towards Allah in the Mosque is a noble innovation on the basis that staying awake at night remembering Allah is a worthy act to perform.

Ibn ‘Umar stated that Duha prayers in congregation at the Mosque is a noble innovation. “The best innovation I did is this innovation” [Ibn Hajar al Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, vol. III, Maktaba al Halabi, Egypt, p 795]. Ibn ‘Umar when questioned by Mujahid on the Duha prayers in the congregation, stated that it was an innovation. He confirmed his innovation as a good innovation when questioned by ‘Ali Shaiba [Sahih Muslim, vol. I (Maktaba al-Misriya: Egypt) p 229]. From the tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it is understood that innovation from the viewpoint of the Shari’ah can be divided into good and bad [hassana wa sayyi’a]. This is exemplified by the following four points;

The Prophet told Bilal that whoever lives according to his Prophetic practice [Sunna] will be given a good reward commensurate with his performance. Whosoever innovates a deviation will not be accepted by Allah and His Prophet, and will be made responsible in proportion to the deviation brought about [Sunan al-Tirmidhi (al-Jami al-Sahih) vol. IV, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut 1983, pp.150-151]. It is understood that on one hand, innovation in accordance with the tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is good, while on the other, innovation which is contrary to the tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is bad and contemptible. Jurair bin ‘Abd Allah, reported the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “ Whosoever invents a good regulation then practices it, for him there is a good reward …and whosoever invents a bad regulation and practices it, will be responsible for it ..” [‘Izat ‘Ali ‘Atiyya, al-Bid’a a Thiduha wa al-Islam Minha, p170].

This tradition of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, indicates that innovation exists and that there are two categories, i.e., that which brings about good and that which brings about evil.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whosoever creates his own actions or activities, these will be rejected” [Narrated by Muslim, by ‘A’isha]. Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Whosoever creates his own actions or activities based on ideas not found in the Qur’an and the Prophetic practice, then it is left to Allah (i.e., to His judgment)” [Al-Darimi, Sunan al-Darimi, vol. I (Dar al-Fikr: Beirut) p 53]. Here it is shown that whosoever invents anything that is contravention to the Qur’an and the Sunna, is rejected. However, inventions for which there is no detailed basis in the Qur’an and the Sunna but which are not contrary to them, are permissible.

Both Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahih relate from Abu Hurayra that at the dawn prayer, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Bilal, “Bilal, tell me which of your acts in Islam you are most hopeful about, for I have heard the footfall of your sandals in paradise,” and he replied, “I have done nothing I am more hopeful about than the fact that I do not perform ablution at any time of the night or day without praying with that ablution whatever has been destined for me to pray.” Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani says in his Fath al Bari that the hadith demonstrates the permissibility to use personal reasoning [ijtihad] in choosing times for acts of worship, as Bilal reached this conclusion by himself unaided by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Similarly, is the example in Bukhari about Khubayb who asked to pray two raka's before being executed by the Mushrikin in Makkah. He was the first to establish the Sunna of two rak’as for those who are steadfast in going to their death.

Both Bukhari and Muslim relate that Rifa’a Ibn Rafi said, “When we were praying behind the Prophet [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] and he raised his head from bowing and said, “Allah hears those who praise Him,” a man behind him said, “Our Lord, Yours is the praise, abundantly, wholesomely, and blessedly therein.” When he rose to leave [after the prayer], the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, “who said it?” and when the man replied that it was he, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I saw thirty odd angels each striving to be the one to write it.” Ibn Hajar said in his Fath al Bari, that the hadith indicates the permissibility of initiating new expressions of dhikr in the prayer other than the ones related through hadith texts, as long as they do not contradict those conveyed by the hadith.

Bukhari relates from ‘A’isha that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, dispatched a man at the head of a military expedition who recited the Qur’an for his companion at prayer, finishing each recital with al Ikhlas [112]. When they returned, they mentioned this to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who told them, “Ask him why he does this,” and when they asked him, the man replied, “Because it describes the All Merciful, and I love to recite it.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them, “Tell him Allah loves him.” There are no scholars who hold that to do the above is recommended, since the acts of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, are far superior, though his confirming the above demonstrates his acceptance of various forms of obedience and acts of worship, and show that he did not hold them as reprehensible innovations.

What can be easily seen from the preceding three hadiths, is that they all concern the prayer, of which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Pray as you have seen me pray,” despite which he [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] accepted the above examples of personal reasoning, even though they were not acts initiated by himself.

Bukhari relates from Abu Sa’eed al Khudri that a band of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, departed on one of their journey’s and approached an encampment of some desert Arabs and asked them to be their hosts, but who refused to have them as their guests. A scorpion stung the leader of the encampment and his followers tried everything to cure him, and when all had failed, one said, “If you would approach the group camped near you, one of them might have something.” So they came to them and said, “O band of men, our leader has been stung and we have tried everything. Do any of you have something for it?” And one of them [amongst the Sahaba] replied, “Yes, by Allah. I recite healing words [ruqya] over people, but by Allah, we asked you to be our hosts and you refused, so I shall not recite anything unless you give us a fee.” They then agreed upon a herd of sheep, so the man went and began spitting and reciting the Fatiha over the victim until he got up and walked as if he were a camel released from its hobble, nothing the matter with him. They then paid the agreed fee, which some of the Companions wanted to divide up, but the man who had done the reciting told them, “Do not do so until we reach the Prophet [may Allah bless him and grant him peace] and tell him what has happened, to see what he may order us to do.” They came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and told him what had occurred, and he said, “How did you know it was the words that heal? You were right. Divide up the heard and give me a share.”

The hadith is explicit that the Companion had no previous knowledge or example from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, that the Fatiha can be recited to heal – but did so anyway by means of personal reasoning. However, since his reasoning did not go against the Shari’ah and not contravene anything that had been legislated, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, confirmed this act even though there was no precedent from himself.

Bukhari relates from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that one man heard another reciting al Ikhlas over and over again, so when morning came he went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and sarcastically mentioned it to him. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, it equals one third of the Qur’an.” Despite this not being the practice of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself (restricting himself to this Sura), the Prophet did not find anything in it that was reprehensible and was in the general parameters of the Sunna.

Ahmad and Ibn Hibban relate from ‘Abd Allah Ibn Burayda that his father said, “I entered the mosque with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) where a man was at prayer, supplicating, “O Allah, I ask you by the fact that I testify You are Allah, there is no god but You, the One, the Ultimate, who did not beget and was not begotten, and to whom there is no equal,” and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “By Him in whose hand is my soul, he has asked Allah by His greatest name, which if He is asked by it, He gives, and if supplicated, He answers.” This supplication was spontaneous and was not taught by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but who nevertheless confirmed it since it confirmed to the Shari’ah. [(Shaykh) Keller, Ibid, pp. 6-8]

In conclusion we can learn from the aforementioned hadiths that:

The first is that the word “every” is not absolute nor universal, since there are examples in the Qur’an and Sunna where cases of generalisations are qualified by restrictions.

Secondly, the Sunna of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was his way or custom to accept [new] acts that were not initiated by himself but nevertheless were good and did not conflict with established Shari’ah; and to reject those that were in conflict with the Shari’ah.

And finally, the third point is that new matters cannot be rejected simply because they did not exist at the time of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, but must be evaluated according to the Shari’ah.

The Sunna of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is his way of acting, ordering, accepting and rejecting, and the way of the Khalifah Rashidun who also followed his model in acting, ordering, accepting and rejecting. Newly begun practices therefore, must be examined in the Sunna – in the way that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, accepted or rejected newly begun practices. As have been mentioned, many of the Sahaba initiated new practices through their own ijtihad – practices that were not initiated by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself. The Sahaba did so due to their belief and conviction that they were acts that were good, and were done in accordance to Allah’s command, “And do the good, that haply you may succeed.” [22:77], and the hadith of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “He who inaugurates a good Sunna in Islam earns the reward of it and all who perform it after him without diminishing their own rewards in the slightest.”

[29] Muhammad bin ‘Umar relates:

I was sitting in the company of Abu Bakr bin Mujahid in Baghdad, when Shaykh Shibili came before them, whereupon Abu Bakr bin Mujahid stood up and hugged him, kissed his forehead and sat him by his side. Muhammad bin ‘Umar said I asked Abu Bakr bin Mujahid, “You are the Shaykh, whilst the whole of Baghdad regards Shibli as Majnun [crazy]. Why have you treated him with so much respect?” To this, Abu Bakr bin Mujahid replied, “I have done nothing strange. I have treated him exactly as I have seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, treat him. In my dream, I saw the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) kiss Shibli between his two eyes. I asked the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) “Why did you treat Shibli this way?” To which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “I love him because after every Salah, he recites the last verse of Surah Tawba, after which he recites Sallal Laho ‘alaika Ya Muhammad three times.”

[Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, Jilal al-Afham, p 80]

[30] Bukhari relates from Mahmud ibn Rabi’ that:

When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) performed his ablution, the Companions almost fought over the excess water.

[Al-Misri, Ahmed ibn Naqib, Reliance of the Traveller, translated by (Shaykh) Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Sunna Books 1994, p 930].

Bukhari narrates in his sahih in the Book of Clothing, under the chapter entitled ‘What is mentioned about grey hair,’ that ‘Usman ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Mawhab said:

My family sent me to Umm Salama with a cup of water. Umm Salama brought out a silver bottle that contained one of the hairs of the Prophet, and it used to be that if anyone came under the evil eye or ill health they used to send her a cup of water through which she would pass this hair (for drinking). We used to look into the silver bottle: I saw some reddish hairs. Anas said: “When the Prophet shaved his head (after pilgrimage), Abu Talha was the first one to take his hair”

Anas also said:

The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) threw stones at al-Jamra, then sacrificed, then told the barber to shave his head right side first, then began to give the hair away to the people.” He said: “Talha was the one distributing it”

[Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]

He also said:

When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) shaved his head in Mina, he gave me the hair from the right side and he said: ‘Anas! Take it to Umm Sulaym [his mother].’ When the Companions saw what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave us, they began to compete to take the hair from the left side, and everyone was getting a share from that.

[Ahmad narrated it]

Ibn al-Sakan narrated through Safwan ibn Hubayra from the latter’s father - Thabit al-Bunani said:

Anas ibn Malik said to me (on his death-bed): ‘This is one of the hairs of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). I want you to place it under my tongue.’ Thabit continued: ‘I placed it under his tongue, and he was buried with it under his tongue.’

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

I saw Khalid [ibn Walid] asking for the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) forelock and he received it. He used to put it over his eyes and then kiss it.
It is known that he then placed it in his head cover around which the turban is tied and never faced battle again except he won.

[al-Waqidi (Maghazi), Ibn Hajar (Isaba)].

Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani relates that Imam Malik said:

Khalid ibn al-Walid owned a qalansiyya which contained some of the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) hair, and that is the one he wore the day of the battle of Yarmuk.

Ibn Sirin (one of the tabi ‘in) said:

One hair of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in my possession is more precious to me than silver and gold and everything that is on the earth and everything that is inside it.

[Bukhari, Bayhaqi (Sunan kubra), and Ahmad].

Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari, Volume 10, page 353, said:

They used to call the silver bottle in which the hair of the Prophet, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was kept jiljalan and that bottle was in the home of Umm Salama.

Hafiz al-‘Ayni wrote in ‘Umdat al-Qari, Volume 18, page 79:

Umm Salama had some of the hairs of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in a silver bottle. When some people became ill, they would go and obtain blessings from these hairs and they would be healed by means of their blessings. If a person were struck by the evil eye or any sickness, he would send his wife to Umm Salama with a mikhdaba or water-pail, and she would pass the hair through that water and then drink the water and he would be healed, after which they would return the hair to the bottle.

Imam Ahmad narrates in his Musnad (4:42) from ‘Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn ‘Abd Rabbih with a sound (sahih) chain as stated by Haythami in Majma’ al-Zawa’id (3:19) that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, clipped his nails and distributed them among the people.

Narrated Jabir bin ‘Abd Allah:

I fell ill and Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and Abu Bakr came to visit me on foot. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) came to me while I was unconscious. Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) performed ablution and poured the Remaining water of his ablution over me whereupon I became conscious and said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)! How should I spend my wealth? [Or how should I deal with my wealth?]” But the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not give me any reply till the Verse of the laws of inheritance was revealed.

[Bukhari volume 9, Book 92, Number 412]

In Bukhari and Muslim:

The Companions would compete for with one another for the water of the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ablution in order to wipe it on their faces.

Imam Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim said: “In these narrations is evidence for seeking blessings with the relics of the friends of Allah” (fihi al-tabarruk bi athar al-salihin). The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to heal the sick with his saliva mixed with some earth with the words: “Bismillah, the soil of our earth with the saliva of certain ones among us shall heal our sick with our Lord's permission” [Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had everyone in Madina then Makkah bring their newborn, upon whom he would read and into whose mouth he would do nafth and tifl (breath mixed with saliva). He would instruct their mothers not to suckle them that day until nightfall. Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Bayhaqi (Dala’il), Waqidi, etc. all narrate this.

‘Utban ibn Malik was one of the Companions of the battle of Badr. After he became blind he said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

I would like you to pray in my house so that I can pray where you prayed.” The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went to his house and asked where exactly he would like him to pray. He indicated a spot to him and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) prayed there.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

The version in Muslim reads: “I (‘Utman) sent for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) the message: ‘Come and lay for me a place for worship [khutta li masjidan].’” Imam Nawawi in Sharh Sahih Muslim said: “It means: ‘Mark for me a spot that I can take as a place for worship by obtaining blessing from your having been there [mutabarrikan bi aathaarika]…’ In this hadith is evidence for obtaining blessings through the relics of the Friends of Allah (al-tabarruk bi aathaar al-salihin).”

‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, feared that the taking of the tree of the bay ‘a to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a place of prayer might lead to a return to idol-worship and he had it cut [Bukhari, Ibn Sa’d (1:73)]. It is known, however, that he derived blessings even from walking in the same spots where the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had walked and praying exactly where he had prayed both at the Ka’ba and on his travels, and that he watered a certain tree under which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had prayed so that it would not die [Bukhari and Bayhaqi (Sunan 5:245)]. Suwayd ibn Ghafalah reported:

I saw ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) kissing the Stone and clinging to it and saying: ‘I saw Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), bearing great love for you.’

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with the same chain of transmitters (and the words are):

He (‘Umar) said: ‘I know that you are a stone, nor would I consider you of any worth, except that I saw Abu al-Qasim [that is the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace] bearing great love for you.’ And he did not mention about clinging to it.

[Muslim: 7: 2916]

Qadi ‘Iyad relates in his Shifa’, in the chapter entitled ‘Esteem for the things and places connected with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)” that Imam Malik would not ride an animal in Madina and used to say: ‘I am too shy before Allah to trample with an animal’s hoof on the earth where Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is buried.’ Imam Malik gave a fatwa that whoever said: ‘The soil of Madina is bad’ be given thirty lashes and jailed.

Al-Tabarani in al-Awsat and al-Kabir (4:16), and Imam Ahmad in his Musnad (5:67-68) with a sound chain as stated by al-Haythami in al-Zawa’id (4:211) narrated through Handhalah Ibn Hudhaym that the latter went with his grandfather, Hudhaym, to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Hudhaym said to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): I have sons and grandsons, some of whom are pubescent and others still children.” Motioning to the young child next to him, he said: “This is the youngest.” The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) brought this young child whose name was Handhalah next to him, wiped on his head, and told him, “barakallahu fik,” which means: ‘may Allah bless you.’ After that, people started to bring Handhalah a person with a swollen face or a sheep with a swollen udder. Handhalah would place his hand on that part of his head the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wiped, then touch the swollen part and say Bismillah, and the swelling would be cured.

Ibn Abi Shayba narrated in his Musannaf (4:121), in the chapter entitled: ‘Touching the grave of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,’ with a sahih chain as judged by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, and Qadi ‘Iyad in his book al-Shifa’, in the chapter entitled: ‘Concerning the visit to the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave, the excellence of those who visit it and how he should be greeted:

Yazid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Qusayt and al-‘Utbi narrated that it was the practice of the Companions in the masjid of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to place their hands on the pommel of the hand rail (rummana) of the pulpit (minbar) where the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to place his hand. There they would face the qibla and supplicate (make du‘a) to Allah hoping He would answer their supplication because they were placing their hands where the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) placed his while making their supplication. Abu Mawduda said: ‘And I saw Yazid ibn ‘Abd al-Malik do the same.’

The Tabi’i, Thabit al-Bunani said he used to go to Anas Ibn Malik, kiss his hands, and say: “These are hands that touched the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)” He would kiss his eyes and say: “These are eyes that saw the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).” Abu Ya`la narrated it in his Musnad (6:211) Ibn Hajar mentions it in his al-Matalib al-‘Aliya (4:111) and al-Haythami declared it sound in Majma’ al-Zawa’id (9:325). According to Bukhari in his Adab al-Mufrad, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Razin related that one of the Companions, Salama ibn al-Aku’, raised his hands before a group of people and said: “With these very hands I pledged allegiance (bay’a) to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).” Upon hearing this, all those who were present got up and went to kiss his hand. Another version of this hadith was also related by Ahmad. Abu Malik al-Ashja’i said that he once asked another Companion of the Tree, Ibn Abi Awfa, “Give me the hand that swore bay’a to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) so that I may kiss it.” Ibn al-Muqri related it. Bukhari in al-Adab al-Mufrad also relates that Suhayb saw Seyyedina ‘Ali kiss both the hand and feet of the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) uncle al-‘Abbas, and that Thabit kissed the hand of Anas because it had touched the Prophet’s hand, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

The first hadith that Imam Ahmad related from Anas ibn Malik in his Musnad is:
The whole Community of the people of Madina used to take the hand of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and rush to obtain their need with it.

‘A’isha the Mother of the Believers said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) when he had a complaint, would recite the last three suras of Qur’an, over himself and blow.” She said, “When his pain was great, I would recite it over him and wipe him with his right hand hoping for its blessing.”

Narrated by Imam Malik in his Muwatta’, Book 50, Number 50, 4:10.

Usama ibn Sharik narrates:

I came to see the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) while his Companions were with him, and they seemed as still as if birds had alighted on top of their heads. I gave him my salutations and I sat down [Then Bedouins came and asked questions which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered] … The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) then stood up and the people stood up. They began to kiss his hand, whereupon I took his hand and placed it on my face. I found it more fragrant than musk and cooler than sweet water.

Narrated by Abu Dawud (Number 3855), Tirimidhi (2038 - hassan sahih), Ibn Majah (3436), al-Hakim (4:399), and Ahmad (4:278). Al-Hafiz Imam Bayhaqi cites it in Branch 15 of his Shu’ab al-Iman entitled: The Fifteenth Branch of Faith, Namely A Chapter On Rendering Honour To The Prophet, Declaring His High Rank, And Revering Him (al-khamis `ashar min shu`ab al-iman wa huwa babun fi ta`zim al-nabi sallallahu `alayhi wa sallama wa ijlalihi wa tawqirih) volume 2, p 200 (number 1528). From Safwan ibn ‘Asal al-Muradi:

One of two Jews said to his companion: ‘Take us to this Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) so we can ask him about Musa’s ten signs… [the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied in full and then] they kissed his hands and feet and said: ‘We witness that you are a Prophet […]

Narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba (Book of Adab, Chapter entitled A Man Kissing Another Man’s Hand When He greets Him), Tirmidhi (Book of Adab) who declared it hassan sahih, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah (Book of Adab), and al-Hakim who declared it sahih.

Narrated Usayd ibn Hudayr: AbdurRahman ibn Abu Layla (quoting Usayd ibn Hudayr, a man of the Ansar) said that while he was given to jesting and was talking to the people and making them laugh, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) poked him under the ribs with a stick. He said: ‘Let me take retaliation.’ The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘Take retaliation.’ Usayd replied: ‘You are wearing a shirt but I am not.’ The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) then raised his shirt and the man embraced him and began to kiss his side. Then Usayd said: ‘This is what I wanted, Apostle of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)!’”

Narrated in Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5205. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr relates, in his Isti ‘ab fi Ma’rifat al-as-hab (p. 673), that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after forbidding two or three times the use of khaluq (a kind of perfume mixed with saffron), and finding that Sawad ibn ‘Amr al-Qari al-Ansari was wearing it, nudged him in the mid-section with a palm-tree stalk (jarida) and scratched him. The latter asked for reparation; when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, bared his own stomach to him, he jumped and kissed the Prophet’s stomach, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Ibn Ishaq’s version of a similar account in the Sira, mentions that Sawad was standing in the ranks of the Companions of Badr at the time of this incident. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was arranging the ranks with his miqra‘a and he nudged Sawad’s stomach with it, scratching him inadvertently, with the words: “Align yourself with the others.” Sawad said: “Ya Rasulallah, you hurt me, so give me reparation.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, handed him the tree stalk and said: ‘Take reparation.’ Sawad approached him and kissed his belly. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “What made you do that, O Sawad?” He replied, “Ya Rasulallah, the time has come for what you see, and I loved that my last action in this dunya be to touch you.”

Narrated Buhaysah al-Fazariyyah: My father sought permission from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) then he came near him, lifted his shirt, and began to kiss him and embrace him out of love for him.

Narrated in Abu Dawud, Book 9, Number 1665.

Narrated Abu Burda:

When I came to Madina. I met ’Abd Allah bin Salam. He said, ‘Will you come to me so that I may serve you with Sawiq (i.e. powdered barley) and dates, and let you enter a (blessed) house in which the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) entered?

[Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 159].

Bukhari and Tirmidhi narrate from Qatada:

I asked Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) to describe the sandals of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and he replied: ‘Each sandal had two straps’; and from ‘Isa ibn Tahman: Anas took out a pair of shoes and showed them to us. They did not have hair on them.

The remark refers to the Arabian practice of not removing the hair from the leather from which shoes were made.

Bukhari, Malik, and Abu Dawud relate that ‘Ubayd ibn Jarih said to ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar:

I saw you wear tanned sandals. He replied: “I saw the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) wearing sandals with no hair on them and perform ablution in them, and so I like to wear them.”

Al-Qastallani in his Mawahib al-Laduniyya said that Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the Prophet’s, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, servants and that he used to bring for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, his cushion (wisada), his tooth-stick (siwak), his two sandals (na’layn), and the water for his ablution. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, rose he would put his sandals on him; when he sat he would carry his sandals in his arms until he rose.

Qastallani mentions the following from one of the greatest Tabi’in:

Abu Ishaq (al-Zuhri) said: al-Qasim ibn Muhammad (ibn Abu Bakr al-Siddiq) said: ‘Of the proven blessing of the likeness of the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) sandal is that whoever has it in his possession for tabarruk, will safeguard him from the sedition of rebels and the mastery of enemies, and will be a barrier against every recreant devil and the evil eye of the envious. If the pregnant woman holds it in her right hand at the time of labour, her delivery will be easier by Allah’s change and His might.

Al-Qastallani also said that Abu al-Yaman ibn ‘Asakir wrote a volume on the image of the Prophet’s sandal, and so did Ibn Hajj al-Andalusi. He relates the account of a pious shaykh by the name of Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Majid:

I cut the pattern of this sandal for one of my students. He came to me one day and said: ‘I saw a wonder yesterday from the blessing of this sandal. My wife was suffering from a pain which almost took her life. I placed the sandal on the spot of her pain and said: O Allah, show me the blessing of the owner of this sandal. Allah cured her on the spot.

Al-Munawi and al-Qari mentioned in their commentary on Tirmidhi’s al-Shama’il that Ibn al-‘Arabi said that the sandals are part of the attire of prophets, (upon whom be peace) and the people only left them due to the mud in their lands. He also mentioned that one of the names of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the ancient books is Sahib al-Na’layn or “The wearer of the two sandals.” Ashraf ‘Ali al-Tahanawi wrote a treatise entitled Nayl al-shifa’ bi na’l al-Mustafa (The attainment of cure through the sandals of the Elect One) found in his book Zad al-Sa’eed (Provision for the fortunate).

Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhalwi said in his translation of Tirmidhi’s Shama’il:

Maulana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi has written in his kitab Zaadus Sa’eed a detailed treatise on the barakaat and virtues of the shoes of The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Those interested in this should read that kitab (available in English). In short, it may be said that it [the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) sandal] has countless qualities. The ‘ulama have experienced it many a time. One is blessed by seeing the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace in one's dreams; one gains safety from oppressors and every heartfelt desire is attained. Every object is fulfilled by its tawassul (means, petition, request). The method of tawassul is also mentioned therein.

Imam al-Dhahabi summarises all of the above as manifestations of the Companion’s intense love for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He writes concerning the Sahaba’s actions in Mujam al-Shuyukh (1:73) that:

[…] they enjoyed his presence directly, kissed his very hand, nearly fought each other the remnants of his ablution water, shared his purified hair on the day of the greater Pilgrimage, and even if he spat, it would virtually not fall except in someone’s hand so that he could pass it over his face […] Don’t you see the Companions in their intense love for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked him, ‘should we not prostrate to you?’ and he replied no, and if he had allowed them, they would have prostrated to him as a mark of utter veneration and respect, not as a mark of worship, just as the Prophet Joseph’s brothers prostrated to Joseph, upon whom be peace. [31] ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, told the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, “I love you more than anything except my soul which is between my two sides.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, “None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than his own soul.” ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “By the One who sent down the Book on you, I love you more than my soul which is between my two sides.” The Prophet said, “'Umar, now you have it!” (al-Bukhari)

[32] Imam Ahmad relates in his Kitab al Zuhud, that the Messenger of Allah – may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered people that should they meet Uways, to have him ask forgiveness on their behalf: The Messenger of Allah said:

Uways ibn ‘Amir will dawn upon you with the assistance of the people of Yemen from the tribe of Murad and Qaran. He was a leper and was healed except in a tiny spot. He has a mother whose rights he keeps scrupulously. If you are able to let him ask forgiveness for you, do it. Al-Hassan al-Basri also related: “More people will enter Paradise through the intercession of a certain man from my community than there are people in the tribes of Rabi’a and Mudar.” Al-Basri said, “That is Uways al-Qarani.” [Ahmad, al-Zuhud (Dar al-Kutub al ‘ilmiyya: Beirut 1993) pp 413-16]

The narration concerning ‘Uways is that he embraced Islam in Yemen, and greatly desired to travel to Madina to meet the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. But his old mother wanted him to stay home and take care of her. She gave him permission to go on the condition that as soon as he got to the Prophet's house, he would turn around and would return without going any where else. As the narration unfolds, we are told that the Prophet happened to be out when he reached there. But Uways was obedient to the promise he'd made to his mother, so he never did get to meet the Prophet. For his love for the Prophet and his filial piety, he was raised to the same station as the Sahabah, the Prophet’s Companions. And Allah knows best.

[33] “Invoke blessings upon me abundantly on Friday because it is a day that is (particularly) witnessed and the angels witness it (abundantly). As soon as a person invokes blessings on me his invocation is shown to me until he ends it.” Abu al-Darda’ said: “Even after (your) death?” The Prophet replied: “Verily, Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of Prophets.” Related by Ibn Majah with a sound chain through Abu al-Darda'. Also related with a sound chain from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi by Ahmad, Ibn Abi Shayba, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, al-Darimi, Ibn Khuzayma, Ibn Hibban, al-Hakim (sahih, confirmed by Dhahabi), Tabarani in his Kabir, and Bayhaqi in many places, some with the initial addition of the following: “The best of your days is Friday, for in it Adam was created, and in it his soul was taken back, and in it is the Blowing of the horn, and in it is the universal Seizure, therefore invoke blessings upon me abundantly on Friday,” etc. [see also Jala al-Afham p 145 by Hafiz Ibn-al-Qayyim].

Imam Nasa’i narrates that there are some angels who visit the earth. Their duty is to go to the person who sends salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace and then to take those salutations to the Prophet Muhammad may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Profetens Hilya

2006-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Hilye is the Turkish form of the Arabic word hilya, which has several meanings, including physiognomy, natural disposition, likeness, depiction, characterization, and description. But these dictionary definitions only begin to convey the real meaning of the hilye, which embodies the Prophet’s moral, behavioral, and spiritual qualities as well as physical appearance. Like most Arabic words, hilya carries multiple overtones, making it difficult to translate. It has connotations of ornament, beauty, finery, and embellishment. I like to think of a hilya as a beautiful and significant description.

Overdreven Lovprisning af Allahs Profet

2006-09-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

I Allāhs navn, Den Nådige, Den Barmhjertige,

Imām al-Bukhārī overleverer i sin Sahīh fra Sayyīdunā ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (Allāh være tilfreds med ham), at han hørte Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) sige: »Overdriv ikke i jeres lovprisning af mig ligesom de kristne lovpriste Maryams søn, for jeg er kun en slave. Så, kald mig derfor Allāhs slave og Hans Sendebud« (Sahīh al- Bukhārī, nr.: 3261).

Meningen med denne hadīth er ganske tydelig og simpel, nemlig at man skal undgå overdrivelse, når man lovpriser Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs evige fred og velsignelser være med ham) ligesom de kristne lovpriste Sayyīdunā ‘Isa (fred være med ham). Alt andet ud over dette er implicit blevet tilladt i denne hadīth.

Derfor, er vi nødt til at se på hvordan de kristne overdrev i deres ærbødighed for Sayyīdunā ‘Isa (fred være med ham). De kristne overdrev i lovprisningen af Sayyidunā ‘Isa (fred være med ham) i sådan en grad, at de anså ham for at være enten en Gud, Guds søn eller Guds partner. Derfor, er det fuldstændig ulovligt og vantro at ophøje Allāhs Sendebuds (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) status således, at man anser ham for at være en Gud, Guds søn eller Allāhs partner.

Allāh den Ophøjede er En og unik i Sin essens og Sine attributter, som Imam at-Tahawī (Allāh være ham nådig) stadfæster: »Om Allāhs enhed (tawhīd) siger vi – med Allāhs hjælp – at Allāh er En uden partnere« (al-‘Aqīda at-Tahawīyya, s.5).

Den ansete kommentator af Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Imām Hāfiz Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī (Allāh være ham nådig), fastslår i sin redegørelse af denne hadīth, idet han citerer Ibn al-Jawzī:

»Årsagen bag dette forbud (dvs.: imod overdreven lovprisning af Profeten) skyldtes som nævnt i Mu‘ādhs hadīth, at han (Sayyīdunā Mu‘ādh, Allāh være tilfreds med ham) søgte Allāhs Sendebuds (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) tilladelse til at kaste sig i støvet for ham. Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) forbød dette. Efterfølgende, frygtede Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham), at andre ville overdrive endnu mere, derfor var han hurtig til at forbyde den slags overdrivelse meget eftertrykkeligt. Ibn at-Tīn sagde: »betydningen af ’overdriv ikke i jeres lovprisning af mig’ er, lovpris mig ikke, som de kristne gør det. I sådan en grad, at nogle overdrev og anså ham (Sayyīdunā ‘Isa) for Guds partner. Nogle folk hævdede, at han var Gud selv, hvorimod andre sagde, at han var Guds søn« (Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī, Fath al-Bārī, 12/183-184).

Ovennævnte passage fra en af de største kommentarer til Sahīh al-Bukhārī indikerer tydeligt, at forbuddet gælder imod at tillægge Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) Allāhs rang og status på nogen som helst måde. Han er ikke Gud, ej heller Guds partner eller søn. Han er Allāhs Tjener og Hans elskede Sendebud (evige fred og velsignelser være med ham).

Denne hadīth forbyder på ingen måde megen og umådeholden lovprisning af Allāhs elskede. Vores tilstedeværelse skyldes Allāhs Sendebud. Han er vor mester og vor elskede. Han er den, som vil gå i forbøn for os og han er vores leder. Vi elsker ham højt, mere end noget andet og nogen anden i denne Verden. Derfor, bør vi velsigne og lovprise ham, så meget som muligt. Hvis ikke vi lovpriser Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham), og viser ham ærbødighed, hvem skal vi da lovprise.

Så længe man undgår at betragte Allāhs Sendebud (Allāhs fred og velsignelser være med ham) som Allāh Den Ophøjedes jævnbyrdige og tilskriver ham guddommelighed, er der absolut intet forkert i at overdrive i kærligheden til ham og lovprisning af ham. Som forfatteren til Qasida al-Burda, Imām al-Busayrī (Allāh være ham nådig) så smukt sagde:

»Forkast hvad de kristne hævder om deres Profet.Og beslut dig så for hvad du ønsker at sige i lovprisning af ham (Allāhs evige fred og velsignelser være med ham).«Og Allāh ved bedst.

[Dansk oversættelse © Noura Akhiat 2005]

- Af Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari

2006-09-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

The nightingale burst forth in song of happiness, the freshness of springtime in the garden now prevails.

And in accordance with their grants, to some a leaf and to some a rose, to some a fruit.

Birds of the garden in joyfulness do dance and sing, and the trees - shaking their leaves -, with clapping applaud.

O You Sustainer of all, who the fire to coolness did command, and not even to an enemy kindness does refuse.

So great Your reward for the lowliest of Your lovers, now jubilant, even though with heavy hearts their days they have passed.

The green meadows the rank of Mûsa’s tree have attained. And now the radiance of a special light of Allah reflect.

And thus in the orchard a wealth of colour is seen, as every form of plant life in greenness is clouded.

As the tree of Mount Tûr has no likeness to the tree of Tûba in paradise. So the abode of the beloved has no likeness to the abode of an intruder.

As earth and sky are distant from each other and different, so the earth bears the burden of all, while the sky bears the burden hanging above.

The earth belittles the sun and moon (by night and day), because of the particles of soil surrounding Muhammad’s, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, body.

In the heavens Îsa, ‘alaihi alsalam, and Idrîs, ‘alaihi alsalam, are found, tis true, but here on earth do shine the splendour of Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, the great.

And whether all the heavens are filled they still lack his presence, and even if the earth be empty and Muhammad’s, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, be there, its filled indeed!

O Qâsim, praise him alone and discard your praise for others, whose beauty has his ever freshness in a fragrant garden even in the midst of Spring.

Lord, who is there that can indeed with adequacy praise him? Him for whom Your Being has expressed such infinite love?

Had You not created him then in truth, not this world nor anything in it would have enjoyed the joy of existence.

How can my intellect perceive his exalted rank? How can my limited eyes perceive the light of Allah?

Before the shine of his light the lamp of my reason died off, and my tongue has not the words to express his worthy praise.

Where even the wings of wisdom lag far behind, and so even my imaginative powers, though soaring high.

Yet Allah, if Your holy spirit do guide me, then in humbleness I too in his praise would pen down these lines.

And while Jibrâ’il’s, ‘alaihi alsalam, help do stir my thoughts, I shall say unto him, “O Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, chosen from amongst all men”.

You are the pride of space and time, the glory of this earth, and you are the leader of the host of Prophets, those truly saintly beings.

If we compare the Prophets to a rose, you are the fragrance thereof, and if they are the shining sun of day, you are the rays thereof.

If they are the life of the world, you are the essence of life, and where they are the sense of sight, you are the light of eyes.

Through you has come into existence all that exists, and so be it for you are the first of all creation.

Through you has all been brought from non-existence into being, that life-giving blessing from you did come.

All the excellence of this world in you is found, and except for one of two, your merits are found in none.

Not one Nabi could ever reach to your noble rank, even though among them workers of miracles are found.

And every Nabi shall in future express, belief in your Nubuwwat and a follower of your mission shall he be.

Never would Allah have looked upon Adam, ‘alaihi alsalam, had your appearance not been made at last.

Mûsa, ‘alaihi alsalam, was indeed desirous of beholding the Lord (and failed), and behold with you, Allah Himself was desirous of meeting you.

How can the heights of Mount Tûr compare with the heights of your ascension, has the heavens and the earth ever been traversed as with you?

Never will the beauty of Yûsuf approach your shining countenance, even though Zuleikha had been bewitched thereby.

Your glory had the veil of humanity over it, so none, except Allah could discern your total reality.

Neither prophet nor angel could intrude into your seclusion with Allah, and you are His beloved so all others are mere outsiders.

The moon could not attain to your beauty even for one night, although it went into millions of revolutions.

To my good fortune I have a likeness with you, that in similar measure as you are good, so I am weak.

Never can the sum of my defects be equal to the total of your virtues, O leader of both worlds, and king of virtues ones.

No wonder then that on the day of Judgement, the sins of your followers be counted obedience for your sake.

So high will the sins of your ummat be valued that tons of pardon be lavishly granted to few of them.

So ill-fated and sinful, this Qâsim hopefully relies on you, that through you his sins be changed to an act of obeisance.

When sinners fear the wrath of Allah, Most Great, a mere word of intercession from you, forgiveness and pardon do bring.

Having heard that on behalf of sinners you will intercede, have I gathered piles of sins, to be forgiven.

Out of consideration for you, this favour is granted, that while men do sin, Angels for forgiveness do pray.

So well is Allah disposed to your prayers that even conditional fates voice is stilled.

Sinful, even though I am, yet remain I yours, so I am known, though worthless I am.

It would be insulting to you that your dog should bear my name, but an honour to me to be so connected with you.

While the best of creation you are, the worst am I, and while master of both worlds you are, the lowest am I.

For years have I longed to open to you my heart, if ever at your sepulchre I should reach.

But where even the heaven is lower than your treshold, there is it most difficult for Qâsim to find a way.

The highest rank did Allah graciously grant unto you, and to be chief over all has He elevated you.

If you do not care for us, then who shall? And who save you, can truly console us all?

Indeed does shaytân constantly pursue me like a dog, and my carnal self around my neck like a snake do hang.

In huge waves of hope and fear the boat of my future lies, hoping that I may be counted among the obedient dogs of Medina.

I hope that among the dogs of your holy Haram I shall roam, till the end of my days, and that I be eaten by the ants and snakes of Medina.

And I hope that on having turned to dust at death, the wind shall spread my dust over the Rowdha Mubarak.

Alas, the earthly remains of Qâsim can hardly reach that holy place even in the shape of dust.

About other things I care not much, except that forever my heart be sore with love for Allah and you.

And I wish that such an arrow pierce and break my heart, into a thousand pieces, still delighted while shedding blood.

That my soul be filled with such burning love, which in one blaze burn down the oppressive sky.

May it then be that through my love for you so much I weep, that weak in my body I become, and my eyes be like fountains shedding tears.

Then no aspiration will remain in me to spiritual heights, and for me the adornment of the world will have no charm.

Through a sign from you the moon was cleft asunder, and now we look for a gesture to cleave our heart.

And O Qâsim now compose yourself and step not beyond bounds, and withhold yourself while talking in cautious way.

For this is a spot that silence and respect demands, so silence do give.

Send only salât on him (durûd) and his descendents, that he and his progeny with you be pleased.

O Allah, shower over him and his family such mercy that numbers cannot count.

Maulana Muhammad Qâsim Nanotwi

[Shaikul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kandhlawi, Virtues of Salât ‘Alan Nabi]

Tariqa Muhammadiyya

2006-09-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Meccan scholar, Abu 'l-Baqa' al-'Ajimi said: "This tariqa (tariqa Muhammadiyya) is founded on an inner submergence accompanied by a visible manifestation when you see the Prophet, may God bless and grant him peace, himself. This is the outcome when you try to follow him in your words and deeds, when you busy your tongue with saying the tasliya ["May God bless and grant him peace"] and repeating it at every moment in public and private until the glorification of the Prophet, namely the tasliya, overwhelms your heart and permeates your deepest self, so that you quiver when you hear him mentioned and the vision of him takes hold of your heart and you see his form before your inner eye. Then God will bestow upon you His clemency, outwardly and inwardly. Thereafter, you will see a vision of the Prophet in many of your dreams while asleep as a first step; secondly you will see him unexpectedly while dozing off. Finally, you will see him awake."

R.S. O'Fahey, Enigmatic Saint, Ahmad Ibn Idris and the Idrisi Tradition

My Identity

2006-09-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

I know that I am not sincere
But my heart’s treatment is only Madina

My body is here, but my heart is in Tayba
My identity is praises for you, ya RasulAllah

For me it is a very great present,
We are indeed fortunate, that we all send praises upon you

On this hope my life is passing
any day I will see your city

The city where your feet has touched the ground,
The city where you and your family and companions lived.

I am a beggar of Madinat al-Munawwarah
Let me be a visitor of Madina.

O Allah send Your peace and blessings upon your beloved Nabi Muhammad, and his family and companions and those who follows him.

© Maryam Khan