Beseeching For Help - Istighathah

Beseeching for Help (Istighāthah)

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri

C OMPILED BY

Pr of Iftikhar A. Sheikh ASSISTANCE

M. Far ooq Rana (Minhajian)

Minhaj-ul-Qur’an Publications Lah ore, Pakistan I

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Copyr ight © 2001 by M inha j- ul- Qur’ an Mov ement, L ahore, Pak istan . All r ights re serve d. No pa rt of this book may be use d or rep ro duce d in any manner wh atsoev er witho ut pr ior p erm ission, exc ept in ca se of brief quotation s e m bo die d in cr itica l artic le s an d rev ie ws. è Entir e in come of Prof Dr M uhamma d T ahir- ul-Qa dri’ s book s, r ecor de d a udio/v ideo ca ssettes & CD s of his lect ure s/a ddr esses, is de dicate d fo reve r on h is beha lf to M inha j- ul- Qur’ an Mov ement.

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Co ntents Fore wor d Chapte r 1 P re liminarie s L exical re se arch into the wor d istighā thah Kin ds of istighāthah L ink bet ween interm e diat ion an d appe al for he lp Diff eren ce bet ween app ea l for he lp an d supplic ation Use of the wor d du‘ā ’ in the holy Qur’ ān Se lf-fa bricate d division of du‘ā ’ Sū rah a l-Fā tihah an d the con cepts of isti‘ānat an d istighā thah Chapte r 2 The Me aning of Appe al to the P rophe t ( ) fo r He lp I stighā thah ¾ In the light of tra dition s an d the pr actic e of the Co mpanion s T he Prophet  wie lds a uthority ev en after h is death Se ek his h elp to day Chapte r 3 Justification of Istighāthah afte r de ath Proof of p ur gatorial life T he lif e an d cap acity of the so ul T he de a d a s a so urc e of benef it for the liv in g Lov e of the fr ien ds of Allāh is an inte gr al part of f aith

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1 5 6 8 9 9 13 17

21 23 55 62 65 72 77 79 81 I

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Chapte r 4 Smoothing out the Wrinkles Fir st o bject ion: Appe al for h elp is in it self an act of wor ship Se con d o bje ction: Appea l for h elp is a form of disbelief in sup ernat ura l matter s T hir d o bject ion: Beseech in g someon e other than Go d for h elp sm ack s of his invisible po wer Fo urth o bje ction : T here is no he lper except Allāh Fifth o bjection : Be ggin g an d besee chin g h elp from Allāh a lone is va lid Sixth o bje ction: Ne gation of be se echin g the holy Prophet  for h elp

89 89 92 103 115 118 126

Chapte r 5 Re ligious Le ade rs and Istighāthah

131

Chapte r 6 Line o f De marcation be twee n Be lie f and Disbe lie f P ur gin g disbe lief in M uh amma d's follo wer s Figur ative re lation bet ween be lief an d disbe lief T he la st wor d

145 145 147 152

Glo ssary Biblio graphy In dex to Qur’ ānic Ver se s In dex to Had īth an d A tha r Ge ner al In dex

153 157 169 173 175

Fo rewo rd For almo st t welv e un interr upte d cent ur ie s the M uslim s r ule d the wor ld in glo ry an d sp len do ur . T he ir r ule wa s em be dde d in a r are sense of e ga litar ian ism the world ha d nev er witne sse d before . T he dr ivin g force beh in d the just disp en sation wa s their ov en- warm, una lloy e d fa ith in divine un ity an d the insp ir ation they ha d dra wn fro m the lif e an d the teach in gs of the ho ly Prophet . T here wa s a bso lutely no cha sm bet we en the ir wor ds an d dee ds. What they prof esse d, they implemente d. T he p eople they subjugate d an d r ule d were impre sse d, ev en ov era we d, by the impr e gna ble con sisten cy of the ir beh avio ur . T he M uslim r ule rs we re not a utocr atic bec a use they strongly be lieve d that their po wer did not flo w f rom the barr el of the gun, but it em anate d a s a blessin g o f the omnipotent Lor d. An d it wa s on acco unt of the since rity of the r uler s in partic ular an d the M uslim ma sse s in gener al, that the infidels an d peop le be lon gin g to other cree ds, f lock e d to the fo ld of I slam. In their hey day , the M uslim s amp ly prov e d that I slam h a d not spre a d at the point o f the swor d. What rea lly gav e it wildfir e pop ular ity wer e its conc ept of justice an d its a bsolute lack o f discrim ination bet ween h uman bein gs. Durin g the M uslim c entur ie s, the notion of justice wa s strippe d o ut of its con cept ua l gar bs an d wa s pr esente d to mank in d a s a fle she d-o ut re ality. T he peop le at lar ge ha d nev er exp er ienc e d it be fore an d so th ey we re imme diately attracte d to it. But when the M uslim wor ld fe ll p rey to dec a den ce by diso wnin g the inte llect ual tr a dition an d the cea sele ss st r uggle th at ha d en sure d it s suc ce ss in the pa st, its invio late unity brok e into inn um era ble splinter s an d the III

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M uslim s we re h umiliate d in almo st every field of h uman a ctivity. T he M uslim comm unity that ha d a sp ire d to o ut daz zle the sta rs an d o utsm art the un ive rse t urne d into a ro llin g stone, unancho re d an d unprote cte d. Its identity c r um ble d into the dust of unce rtainty, the v iolent win ds of ch an ge upset it s app le -cart an d, unlike the pro gr essive nation s of the wor ld, well set on the ro a d to gro wth an d pro sper ity, it sk idde d off th e track an d imm er se d itself in pe riphe ra l issue s ¾ the p rover bia l fate of all de ca dent comm un ities. As a re sult, we h ave em bro ile d o ur selve s in ma r gina l disp ute s, a llo win g p lenty of opportun ity to the wo rld to pooh-pooh o ur dr iftin g con dition. Wh ile the wor ld at la r ge is a gain er, th e M uslim s are th e loser s an d th e loss is mo re pathetic than tr a gic : on th e one han d, th e peop le of the wo rld are ca shin g in on the f r uit s of o ur intelle ctua l e fforts an d unp ara llele d sc ientif ic inve stigations; an d on the othe r han d, they h ave ma de I slam an d its follo wer s the butt of the ir in discrim inate r idic ule. T he M uslim s a re st uck in the ir n arro w, unen lightene d groov e s an d th e irony is compo un de d wh en we rea lise that they ar e not even a de quate ly a war e of th eir cr um blin g con dition. Some of them ar e re concile d to the inev ita bility of their dec lin e ¾ a dan gero us con dition a s it disco ur a ge s any attempt at r ecovery an d r ec up eration . Conse quently , disgr ace an d h um iliation seem s o ur imm e diate de stiny. We hav e straye d a way from o ur rea l goa l an d a re hope le ssly trapp e d in the co bwe bs of irre lev ance . T he peop le who we re suppo se d to le a d the wor ld by break in g thro ugh the c r ust of sta le idea s h ave becom e a ho sta ge to the se idea s. M uslim comm un ity ha s lo st its bo unce an d its é lan to spe arhe a d a wo rld who se mor al fibre is in tatters be ca use it is it se lf mor ally shattere d. Its c ultur al her ita ge is a he ap of c in der s; its to wer in g de sign s ar e a f uel of inaction an d impra ctic ality, its idea ls a re a pile of a sh. T he M uslim comm unity is sp littin g h air wh ile the wo lve s of c apita lism ar e honk in g the wo rld. T here is no do ubt that we do not discr im inate a gain st peop le an d treat them

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on the plane of e qua lity, but o ur pr e sent lack of v ision ha s ma de us squint-ey e d an d a s a re sult, we are settin g M uslim s a gain st on e another. We a re em barke d upon a dan gero us co ur se a s we ar e m ea sur in g M uslim s a ga inst un-I slam ic criter ia , an d tho se who do not come p at to the se se lf- style d stan da r ds, we ch uck them o ut a s nonM uslim s. T he re ason is th at we ar e locke d in a vicio us c irc le of menta l slavery , wh ich h a s e stran ge d us from the r eal pro blem s of life by sh utter in g us up in fr ivolo us issues. An d th is ha s be come o ur secon d nat ure. T he blatant irony is that the we stern n ations h ave taken over th e lea din g role, an d the nation that wa s suppo se d to lea d is no w impr isone d in its o wn fa lse e go ism. It ha s sac rif ic e d its un ity to se lf-f a bricate d differ enc es a uthenticate d n either by h istory nor by the c entral me ssa ge of I slamic fa ith. While the we stern nation s, on a cco unt of the inher ent compatibility bet ween the Islam ic t each in gs an d mo dern sc ientif ic inv estigation s, a re dra win g clo ser to the re ligion of n atur e, the M uslim s a re driftin g a way from their r eligion thro ugh sp urio us se lf- incr imin ation. Superf ic ia l dif feren ce s hav e sp lit the M uslim Umm ah into v e sted gro up s who ar e en ga ge d mo re in promotin g gro up intere sts rather th an the intere sts of their faith. In sulate d from the core me ssa ge of I slam, they thriv e on m ut ua l intoler anc e; the ir inc rementa l wran gle s hav e e dge d o ut the substance of their fa ith. I stighā thah ¾ be seech in g fo r he lp ¾ h a s gro wn into a h ighly controve rsia l issue. T he M uslims h ave comp licate d it unn ec essarily an d un de sira bly. It h as div erte d attention from the substance of I slam an d en ga ge d the min ds of the yo un ge r gen eration in an unpa lata ble de bate. In the ir op inion, it h a s becom e the me asurin g ro d of fa ith. T hey dub tho se who be lieve in it a s disbe liever s even tho ugh their ho stile la be llin g go es a gain st the very gr ain of h uman n ature, an d sinc e Islam is the c lose st to h uman nat ure , the ir v ie w c la she s with the sp ir it o f I slamic f aith. T hey ar e in f act fly in g in the fac e of r eality. I slam, be in g a r eligion of h uman ity, enco ur a ge s m ut ua l coope ration

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amon g h uman be in gs a s the pro gre ss an d develop ment of h uman soc iety dep en ds on this kin d of coor din ation. T herefor e, to e quate this kin d of inno c uo us a ctivity with a br each of f aith is nothin g but perv er sity, it is to emph asise the sh ell at the exp ense of the ke rne l; for them the h usk matter s more than the gr ain , the wr appin g mor e than the gift, the skin of the or an ge more than the juic e. T hus the ir attit ude is symptomat ic of a deep er m alaise ¾ the ir incre a sin gly strident disa ffiliation from the tr ue sp irit of their fa ith. M an by n atur e is not a h erm it o r a re cluse. He is a soc ia l anim al an d like s to h uddle with other h um an bein gs in sma ll settlement s or lar ge to wn s. A f ee lin g of se c urity an d coop eration motivate s th e f act of livin g to gether a s no man is an islan d. He lov es to se ek h elp from other s an d to exten d he lp to other s. T h is is in grain e d in h is n atur e, wh ich cannot be chan ge d by the petty intelle ctua l squa bble s of some sk e we re d z ea lots. Even a blunt-he a de d st udent of history an d so cio lo gy kno ws that inter depen denc e an d coor dination are the ba sic fa cts of h uman life. T he n e wborn ch ild cannot support him self ; he ne e ds som eone to f ee d h im. A yo un g man dr a ws on the exp erienc es of se ason e d p eople to e duc ate h imself an d to discrim inate bet we en goo d an d ev il. In o ld a ge ch ildren support the ir par ents. T hus in ev ery pha se of lif e a per son dep en ds on other s an d also serve s a s a p rop fo r other s an d it is th is fa ct of inter dep en den ce, wh ich susta ins th e fa br ic of so ciety. Dur in g disea se , war, ac cidents an d other nat ura l ca lam itie s, h uman bein gs h elp an d conso le one another . T he patient ne e ds a doctor’ s me dic ine, the st udent n ee ds kno wle dge from a teach er, the la bo ur er se eks wa ge s from his emp loyer, th e ne igh bo ur s expect he lp f rom e ach other , the ch ild cr ave s m ilk from its mother an d the o ld m an se eks th e support of h is yo un g ch ildren. In short, all h um an be in gs ne e d someon e’ s he lp in diffe rent ph ase s of the ir liv e s. T he be a uty of h uman c ulture lies in fortify in g m utual re lation s. It is beyon d do ubt that the tr ue h elp er an d supporter is on ly Allāh

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who se gen ero sity kno ws no bo un ds an d who se ma gn anim ity is lim itle ss, but in o ur daily ro utine we he lp peop le an d seek he lp from th em in score s of a ssorte d matter s. T h us the m ut ua l h elp we exten d to ea ch other is not a ne gation of div ine unity but a f ulfilment o f the divine comman d. T o seek he lp from the proph ets, the r ighteo us an d the sa ints is not a v iolation of I slam ic pr inc iples; on the contrary, it is quite comp atible with the tea chin gs of I slam. W e seek he lp from other s on the a ssumption that their po wer is only borro we d, as Allāh a lone po sse sse s a bsolute po wer. T his division of po wer into “ a bso lute” an d “ re lativ e” ha s prompte d some m ischievo us m in ds to cre ate unn ec essary an d un wa rrante d comp lication s in ba sic I slam ic con cept s, in cludin g the con cept of istighāthah . Such an attitude ten ds to sp lit the M uslim comm un ity into gro up s an d sects an d the refor e, ne e ds to be disco ura ge d in the stron ge st possible term s. Historic ally spe akin g, the proo f of h uman gr e gar io usn e ss is fo un d in the mo st pr im itive comm un ities. Centur ie s befor e the da wn of the era of ston e an d m etal wh en m an still live d in jun gle s an d c ave s, wh en the inv ention of the whe el wa s a r emote po ssibility, wh en the conc ept of so ciety an d state wa s only an extracon cept ua l f iction , an d th e notion of k in gship ha d only a ne bulo us ex isten ce, the on ly k in d of a war ene ss that swept ove r h um an conscio usn ess was the distinct re ality of coop eration amon g h uman bein gs. T he tra dition o f h uman r elat ions ba se d on a m utua l sha rin g o f the exper ienc e s of pa in an d plea sure , sor ro w an d joy , a gony an d e csta sy wov e them into an exc eptiona l unity. Che st- beat in g ov er the death of a f ello w be in g still m irror e d h um an identity a s a nat ura l r eaction , m utual help an d assistan ce wa s still the stirlin g c ur rency of tho se dark tim e s, sh ar in g m utua l pa in an d sor ro w, an d ca llin g on e another for h elp in moment s of dure ss an d distre ss is part of h uman n atur e. T he sam e h uman tendency serv e d as an incentiv e in c reatin g h um an settlement s an d liv in g in gro up s. M an is

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born to shar e the pa in o f other s an d those who a re in diff erent to it are har dly h uman . T ime is fre e from a ll kin ds of cha ins an d sh ack le s; it ke ep s mar chin g on in comp lete defianc e of happ enin gs an d surro un din gs. Settlem ents appe ar, so ciety take s shap e, man sets o ut on h is c ult ura l lif e, r ule s an d re gulation s a re fr ame d, n e w interp retation s of the divin e reve lation a re ma de, innovation s an d se lf-cook e d exp lanat ions defa ce r evelatory tea chin gs, an d Islam ic me ssa ge is expo se d to ph ilo sophica l ha ir- splitting. T he ch asm of diff erenc e an d m isun der stan din g widen s when we try to wip e o ut the distin ction bet we en the rea l an d the metaphor ica l an d re ly on self-co ine d ar gum ents an d inte rpretation s to hamm er home the tr uth o f o ur o wn contention s. A litera l tran slation of the un ive rsal te ach in gs of I slam by wr ench in g them from the ir context an d without re latin g them to the Qur'ān ic mo de of n arrat ion an d un der stan din g, sometim e s jo stles a p er son into tho se blin d a lley s of m isguidan ce wh ich block a ll the ret urn ex its an d blen d ev ery po ssibility of reinh alin g f re sh a ir into the dust of do ubt an d susp icion . T he first ef fort to mak e a dent in the unity of I slam wa s m a de by the British imp er ia lists thro ugh the Qā diyān ī movem ent. T hey p atronise d a n um ber of other m isch ief s to disillusion M uslim s o f the subcontinent. T his imper ia list consp ir acy to strip the starv in g M uslims of the la st drop of love for M uh amma d  contin ue s una bate d. Rājp āl’ s sac rile gio us book on the Prophet  wa s part of the Meph istophelean design. Dr Qa dri’ s book un rave ls ne w possibilit ie s of spe c ulat ion an d re search , but at the same t ime it is ma rke d by ex ceptiona l c lar ity in illum inatin g the issue. He ha s disc usse d its var io us asp ects by exten siv ely dra win g on ev iden ce fro m the Qur 'an an d the sunnah . An effort ha s be en m a de to stamp o ut the po ssible do ubt s in the min ds of the re a der on ration al an d intelle ctual gro un ds an d not thro ugh rhetorica l bulldozin g. T his mak es Dr Qa dri’ s expo sition an ex erc ise in san ity an d a comp ulsory rea din g

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for a ll those M uslims who se m in ds are a swin gin g pen dulum bet we en clarity an d woolline ss on the issue so pa in stakin gly e la bo rate d in the book. Dr Qa dri h as r e solv e d the complic ation re lat in g to the issue of “ besee chin g for he lp” by dr a win g a cle ar distin ction bet we en “ a bsolute po wer” an d “ de riv ative po wer” . Wh ile Allāh’ s po wer is a bso lute, the po wer of all other cre atur e s, inc ludin g the prophets, the sa ints an d the r ighteo us is der ivativ e a s it deriv es from the po wer of Allāh. By th is distin ction Dr Qa dr i ha s tota lly e lim inate d the po ssibility of disbe lief, a s it is on ly Allāh’ s pr ero gativ e to grant or re je ct an appe al for h elp. His f avo urite s c an only be se ech Him for help . Sim ilarly , a petit ioner c an only be see ch one of His favo urite s for he lp but h e is conv inc e d that the favo urite lack s the po wer to gr ant h is p etition, it ha s to be grante d by Allāh alon e. Witho ut this conv iction, he is a utomatica lly exp elle d from the fo ld of I sla m. T he act ua l po sition is c le arly an d suc cin ctly summe d up in the wor ds of Dr M uh amma d T ahir - ul- Qa dr i: “ T o ho ld the ho ly Prophet  an d the saint s an d pio us peop le of Allāh in rev eren ce an d to besee ch them for he lp is quite compatible with the ba sic pr inc iple s of I slam ic f aith. But sometim e s the p etitioner s, wh ile a ddre ssin g the se favo ur ite s o f Allāh, e mploy wor ds, wh ich a re r eserve d on ly for Allāh an d, the refor e, a ccor din g to some r eligio us scho lar s, comm it disbe lief. T his con clusion is ba se d on a f un dam ental m isconc eption as th ese scho lar s f ail to dra w the v ital distinction bet we en the liter al an d f igurativ e sense of these wor ds. T hey interpr et the se mo de s of a ddre ss o r the vocativ e form s in a liter al sen se an d th us wr in g a p erver se con clusion from th em. It is an a dm itted fa ct that the se mo de s of a ddre ss are use d only for Allāh in their a bso lute sen se, th erefor e, to use them for any other cr eat ure is o bv io usly disbe lief an d for a M uslim it is simply inconc eiv a ble. T hus a ba sic distin ction m ust be dra wn bet ween the ir lite ral an d figur ative mean in g. T he liter al sen se applie s to Allāh a lone an d no cre atur e,

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wh ether he is a proph et or a saint, can arro gate to him se lf the ex clusive divin e prero gative . T herefore , the petition er is usin g the wor ds only figur ative ly an d it is in this sen se a lone that they are gen era lly interp rete d. T he a lle gation of disbelief a gain st the se p eople is quite misplac e d; it r eflects rathe r the t wiste d conscio usne ss o f those who h ur l such ma licio us alle gation s a gain st them. T h e pet itioner s a re, in f act, imm une to disbe lief.” Dr Qa dr i strike s a diffe rent note in an env ironment that is choke d with inte rpretativ e rigm arole. His appro ach is both con cept ua l an d context ua l. He doe s not ex amin e a con cept in isolat ion but r elates it to it s sp ec if ic context. T his is the re ason his spee che s an d book s en joy a hotm uff in pop ularity e spec ia lly amon g M uslims who lik e to a rriv e at a r ationa l un der stan din g of the f un dam entals of their fa ith. I stighā thah an d its le gal a spect, is high ly r ea da ble a s it app ea ls to one’ s cr itic al as we ll a s a e sthetic sen se ; an d it sho uld be re a d by M uslim s of eve ry strip e to com e to grip s with a ba sic issue that is both delicate in subst ance an d tantalisin g in appea l. Dr Qa dr i deserve s o ur mo st sin cer e comp liments for his schola rly an d luc id expo sition. In the en d I sp ecifica lly appre ciate the sin cere an d pa in stakin g en deavo urs o f M. Faroo q Rana (M inha jian) who a ssiste d m e in the compilation of the book an d he lpe d me co lo ur its mo sa ic with the tile of m etic ulo us c are. P rof Iftikhar A. She ikh Jamādī al -Awwal, 1422

AH.

Chapter 1

Preliminaries Allāh, to whom all hono ur be lon gs, is the Cr eator of the un iver se . He h a s un lim ite d po wer an d His sove reignty exten ds over ev erythin g, liv in g an d non- livin g, e arthly an d etherea l. He is the on ly true He lper . Wh ile a ll other a ids a re bo un d in th e v ic io us ch ain of c a use- an d-eff ect, His tran scen ds the se lim itations. Wh atever take s p la ce in the univ er se, on the earth an d in the heav en s, o we s to the ex erc ise of His will an d po we r. T he wor ld of becom in g an d the world of be in g danc e to His t une s. From Him a lone em anate the eterna l conc epts of r ight an d tr uth. He is th e On e Who ca use s the br ightness o f the day to lap se into the darkn ess of the night an d then the brilliant sun to pop o ut of it s m urky folds an d the who le p roce ss o cc ur s in imper ceptible gra de s an d sha de s that on e is simp ly st unn e d by its invio late pre cision . While h uman c alc ulation fa ils or sho ws unpre dicta ble var iation , div ine c alc ulus rem ain s ste a dy an d v arie d an d is imm une to the “ slin gs an d arro ws”1 o f unpr e dicta bility. He is Un ique in His self-o rientation an d in His attribute s. He h as no pa rtner an d a ssoc iate an d, sin gle-han de dly , He ble sse s billion s of cre atur e s with the gift of lif e, re claim s His ble ssin gs in the flash of a secon d leav in g the liv in g c reat ure a mere bun dle of bone s an d “ a he ap of broken ima ge s”2 an d a dm inister s co untless wo rlds stretchin g to 1. 2.

S hakes peare, Haml et. Eli ot, T he Buri al of t he Dead. 1

2

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

inconc eiv a ble lim its. Each particle in the univ er se carr ie s the stamp of His identity. No other o bject or cre atur e ha s the po wer to po sse ss anythin g of h is o wn fr ee will bec a use h is will is mo ulde d by div ine con sent. Whatev er h e o wn s or po sse sse s is a div ine gift an d not a self-cr eate d a chievem ent. An in div idua l ha s no right of po sse ssion ev en ov er his o wn bo dy. Gain an d loss, lif e an d death an d r esur rect ion afte r de ath ar e not in h uman control. Allāh a lone is dir ectly re spon sible for the act of liv in g an d the a ct of dy in g be ca use He contro ls ea ch bre ath we inh ale, e ach mov ement we m ake an d e ach step we tak e. Human act s m ay be justif ie d by p ure ly h uman motive s in term s of ca use- an d-e ffe ct an d, on ly to this extent, it is supporte d by Islam ic re gulation s an d Qur’ān ic injun ction s. On th is lev el it is po ssible to believ e that a cr eat ure is h imself re spon sible for h is gain an d lo ss an d it is thro ugh h is pe rson al e fforts that he h as attain e d ce rtain po sse ssion s or ach iev e d a spec if ic de gre e of exce llenc e. But to ho ld h im r e sponsible fo r gain an d lo ss fro m the po int of vie w of cre ation, invention, dise a se or a bsolute po wer is in corre ct. If we tak e a deep er v ie w we will r ealise th at any attribution of ga in an d lo ss, life an d death, be lon gin g an d posse ssion to the cre ature s is not r ea l but f igurativ e. All such ph enomen a sho uld act ua lly be a rro gate d to on ly Allāh, a s He a lone de serve s it. But, unfort unate ly, some p eople h ave a chron ic a ddiction to t wist the Qur’ān ic v er se s an d c lamp on them an interpretation that is tailor e d either to the ir p recon ce ive d notion s or ref le cts a k in d o f p erver se self -in dulgenc e. In or der to p ut a ph ilo soph ica l sp in on their distorte d de rivat ions, they re ly on ha ir- splitting an d lo gic chopp in g. But th eir interp retation s are incon sistent with the a ctua l sem antic tenor o f the Qur ’ānic v er se s, an d the se ‘min idev ils’ , in ste a d of dr a win g c lo ser to the m ean in g of the Qur’ān, a re dra wn f urther apart an d like “ vacant sh uttle s we av e the win d. ” But such people a bo un d in the pre sent tim es a s extrem ism h a s elbo we d o ut mo der ation, v ulgarity ha s e dge d o ut mo de sty an d shame h as r eplace d decen cy.

Pr el i mi nar i es

3

T hese p eople have e limin ated the differ ence bet ween the liter al an d figur ative m eanin gs of the Qur’ān ic v er se s an d discar de d the so ber in g inf luen ce of mo deration . T hey con sider it va lid to ba se the ir ar gument s on the rea l me anin gs of the se ver se s. T her efore , they ar e pathetically a ller gic to any metaphor ica l ela boration. T his is the r ea son they hav e t urne d the ir f ac es from the explanation s an d interpretation s off ere d by o ur foref ather s. T hey a re tryin g to c reate p ure ly opin ionativ e exp lan ations an d givin g r ise to unpa lata ble innovation s an d they are busy gen eratin g be liefs, wh ich r un co unte r to the a ctua l tea chin gs of the Qur’ān an d the sunnah. If we ca st an impartial glanc e, we com e acro ss inn um era ble ignoram use s amon g the ma sse s who ar e v ictim s of litera l distortion an d blo w o ut of a ll proport ion the f igur ative dimen sion , thro win g the e lement of mo der ation to the win ds. T heir m isp la ce d enth usiasm is a s ir ritatin g a s the un welcome pr ejudic e of the other s is un settlin g. T hough they ar e f irmly anchor e d to the ir fa ith in divin e unity an d other I slam ic belief s they a re tre ate d a s susp ect s an d pa riah s by tho se who re gar d figur ative interpretation a s a lien to the e ssenc e of Islam . But the fa ct is that tho se who ar e in sear ch of tr uth follo w th e path of balance an d mo de ration ; they sh un extrem ism in any sh ape an d form. T herefor e, if they ke ep in m in d the Qur’ān ic con cept of ba lan ce, they can bridge the cha sm bet ween the t wo extre me s of litera l an d f igurat ive interp retation an d reknit the M uslim s into a more dyn amic unity. It is this sp irit of mo de ration an d cre ative re conc iliation th at can guar antee the se c urity of o ur f aith an d gen erate a san e an d sen sible r espon se to div ine un ity. Im ām I bn T aymiyy ah is r e gar de d a controv er sia l f igure a s fa r a s the interpr etation of Islam ic be lie fs is con cern e d. But this is f ly in g in the f ace of re ality. In f act, h is belief is roote d in balan ce . An d if it re ceiv e s an o bjectiv e an d imp artia l inte rpretation f rom o ur contempo rary scholar s, it can prov ide a link bet ween the t wo extrem e position s. T he pre sent sit uation is that a

4

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

gro up of p eople , on the basis of their limite d un de rstan din g of I slamic belief s, is o ffer in g a se lfcon cocte d v er sion of the t each in gs of Im ām I bn T aymiyy ah to seek en dor sement for th eir o wn f la we d v ie ws, while other s with corre ct I slam ic be lief, a re a cc usin g him of un-I slam ic belief s which is, in fa ct, only a r eflection of their ignoran ce of f acts. T hus, while the f irst gro up is guilty of wilf ul fa lsif ic ation, the secon d gro up is han dic appe d by fa ctual limitation. But a co rrect un de rstan din g of Imā m I bn T aym iyyah’ s vie ws can st raighten o ut the h ump in the ir un der stan din g of I slam ic be lief s an d dra w them clo ser in the proc ess. Im ām I bn T aym iyyah’ s v ie w is the v ie w he ld by all M uslim s: “ Allāh is One ; He ha s no a ssoc iate; He alon e is to be wor shipp e d. W e sho uld pr ay on ly to Him an d seek on ly His h elp . Anyone who re ga r ds non- Go d a s the so ur ce of he lp is a utomatic ally expe lle d from the fold of I slam, a s it is a n e gation of div ine unity. Allāh alon e h as the po wer to re war d o ur goo d dee ds an d con done o ur sin s. Be side s Him, no on e on h is o wn can e ither ena ble someon e to do goo d or avo id ev il. T o seek h elp from the proph ets or sa ints is justifie d on ly on the ba sis of its borro we d status, a s it ha s no in dep en dent existenc e. Its ult imate so ur ce is Allāh a lone .” T his is the corr ect I slam ic be lief an d any dev iation from it amo unt s to entertain in g f alse belief s. I bn T aymiyyah h as disc usse d the v alidity of istighā tah an d ta wa ssul in detail in h is book Qā‘ idah jalīlah fit- ta wassu l wal-wa sīlah . On ce Imām I bn T aym iyyah wa s que stion e d wh ether it wa s v alid or inva lid to dep en d on the m e diation of the Prophet ( ), h e r eplie d: “All p raise fo r Allāh! B y th e con sen su s o f the Mu slims it is quite va lid and p rope r to rely on the means o f fa ith in the ho ly P rophe t () , h is obed ien ce, his remembran ce, h is supp lication and inte rce ssion, simila rly h is d eed s and the de ed s of his fo llo we rs, wh ich th ey ha ve

Pr el i mi nar i es

5

pe rfo rmed in obed ienc e to the P roph et’ s commands. And th e Companion s u sed to dep end on his media tion during his life on ea rth and a fter h is d eath, they d epended on the media tion o f h is unc le, ‘Abbā s a s th ey u sed to re ly on his med iation du ring his ea rthly life. ”1

Lexical research i nto the word ist ighāt ha h T he etymolo gica l compo sition of the wor d istighā thah is ba se d on the thre e letter s: ghayn, waw an d thā (gha wth), wh ich me ans he lp. I stighā thah m ean s “ to seek h elp ”. Im ām Rā gh ib Asfah ānī exp la in s its me anin g in the se wo r ds: Gh a wth mean s h elp and ghayth mean s rain , and istighāthah mean s to call someone for he lp o r to reque st (A llāh) fo r ra in.2 T he wo r d istighā thah h a s be en use d in th e holy Qur ’ān in var io us context s. Durin g the battle of Ba dr the Compan ion s be se eche d Allāh ’s h elp wh ich is explic itly r eferr e d to in sū rah a l-An fā l: Wh en you we re b esee ching your Lo rd ( fo r he lp).3 A fo llo wer of M ūsā   a ske d him for h elp an d the he lp h e exten de d to him is a lso exp la ine d in the ho ly Qur’ān in conjun ction with the wor d istighā thah. Allāh say s in sū rah al-Qa sa s: So th e pe rson who wa s of his v e ry community sough t his he lp aga inst ano the r pe rson who wa s from among his foe s.1

1. 2. 3.

Ibn Taymi yyah, Maj mū‘ fatāw ā (1: 140). R āghi b As fahānī, Mufradāt alfāz al -Qur ’ān (p. 617). Qur’ ān (al -Anf āl, Spoi ls of war) 8: 9.

6

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

T he lexicolo gist s be lieve that the wor ds istighā thah an d isti‘ānat both m ean “ to seek he lp”. Imā m Rā gh ib Asf ahān ī say s: The mean ing o f ist i‘ānat is to se ek he lp.2 T he wor d isti‘āna t is also use d in the ho ly Qur’ ān in a sim ilar sen se , that is, to seek h elp . In sū rah al- Fātihah, the Qur’ān de clare s wh ile groom in g the follo wer s in the etiquette of supplic ation: We se ek h elp only from You .3

Ki nds of i stig hāt hah Accor din g to the interpr etations o f Ar a b lex ico lo gist s an d ex e gete s, the mean in g of the wor d istighāthah is to seek he lp. It expre sse s itself in t wo form s: 1. App ea l by wor d ( istighāthah bil-qa wl) 2. App ea l by dee d ( istighāthah bil-‘aml) If a p er son, trappe d in diff ic ult ie s, app eals for he lp thro ugh wor ds uttere d by his tongue, it is c alle d ‘ appea l by wo r d’, an d if he appe als for h elp on the ba sis of his pr esent con dit ion or situation, it is ca lle d ‘app ea l by de e d’.

1. Appeal by word T he Qur’ān en list s the ex ample o f appea l by wor d in r efer ence to M ūsā’ s exp er ienc e: And we d irec ted Mū sā b y insp iration ( in the way) to strik e h is staff at th e ro ck when h is peop le a sk ed h im fo r water.4

1. 2. 3. 4.

Qur’ ān R āghi b Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(al -Qas as, the Narratives) 28:15. As fahānī, Mufradāt alfāz al -Qur ’ān (p. 598). (al -Fāti hah, t he Opening) 1: 4. (al -A‘rāf, the Hei ght s ) 7: 160.

Pr el i mi nar i es

7

I slam is the r eligion of n atur e (d īn-ul-fitrah) an d it is the r eligion of a ll proph ets, from Adam  to the last Prophet M uhamm a d . T he concept of div ine unity form s the m atrix of their tea chin gs. Accor din g to any sha rī‘ah , in cludin g the sha rī‘ah of M uh amma d , there is no r ea l he lpe r ex cept Allāh wh ile in th is v er se, his fo llo wer s have app ea le d to M ūsā  for help . I f it were a form of disbelief , the m ira cle that a ccompan ie d it wo uld not hav e mate ria lise d, a s there is no link bet ween disbe lief an d a mir ac le be ca use m ira cles h ave divine sanction beh in d them. History is a witne ss that wh enever the proph ets wer e a ske d to p erform an act in vio lation of the divine un ity, they stampe d o ut the appea l f irm ly in or der to pre -empt a ll form s of disbelief in f utur e a s any p ussyfootin g on th is co unt co uld hav e we akene d f aith an d entren che d ev il. T herefore , they strictly for ba de the ir fo llo wer s to in dulge in any such a ctivity. On the other han d, in the ve rse Allāh Him self is empo werin g M ūsā  to pe rform the m ira cle at the appe al of his follo wer s. It mean s that the r ea l he lper is Allāh Him se lf an d He is de le gatin g His po we rs to M ūsā   to p erform the m ira c ulo us a ct. T he ve rse a lso clear ly illustrate s the differ enc e bet we en rea l an d de le gate d po we r. While Allāh’ s po wer is re al, a s it is self-a ctivatin g, M ūsā’ s po wer is dele gate d as it dep en ds on , an d dr a ws its no ur ishment from, the div ine will.

2. Appeal by dee d T o app eal for he lp thro ugh som e spe cific a ct or on the ba sis o f one’ s pre sent p light an d pr e dicament without utterin g a wor d is kno wn as app ea l by de e d. T he Qur ’ān r ecor ds the mir ac le that h appene d to Allāh’ s be love d an d ven era ble proph ets to justify appea l by dee d. Ya‘ qūb  ha d lo st his ey e sight on acco unt of ex ce ssive cryin g when h is son Yūsuf  ha d been sep arate d from him . When Yūsuf  cam e to kno w a bo ut it, h e sent h is sh irt to his f ather thro ugh his brother s a s an appe al for assistan ce. He directe d the brother s to to uch the eye s of h is f ather with

8

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

the shirt, wh ich wo uld h elp h im r e ga in his eye sight. As a r esult o f the act of to uchin g, Ya‘ qūb  re cover e d his v ision. Allāh h a s r efe rre d to this inc ident in the ho ly Qur’ān in the se wor ds: Take th is sh irt of min e, then p lac e it ov e r my fa the r’ s fac e, (and) he will reco ve r h is v ision.1 When his brother s to uch e d the eye s of Ya‘ qūb  with the sh irt, h e re gain e d h is eye sight thro ugh the div ine will. T he Qur’ ān say s: So when th e bea re r of the good ne ws came, h e ca st th e sh irt ov er Ya‘qūb’ s fa ce and fo rth with h e rega ined clear sigh t.2 T he a usp ic io us a ct of Ya‘ qūb , thro ugh wh ich he r e gain e d his vision, was pr actica lly ma de possible with the a ssistanc e of Qur’ ānic examp le of appea l by de e d in wh ich Yūsuf’ s sh irt se rve d a s a m ean s for the recov ery of ey e sight by the divin e will.

Li nk between i ntermedi ati on and appeal for hel p Both interme diation ( ta wassu l) an d appe al for he lp ( istighāthah) h ave a co mmon foc us of me anin g. What differ entiate s the m from e ach other is the n ature o f the de fin in g act. Wh en the act re late s to the he lp- se eker, the a ct is kno wn a s appea l for he lp, an d the virt ua l help er who se he lp is bein g so ught will act on ly a s an a gent or a me an s beca use the r eal h elp er is Allāh Him se lf. T hus Ya‘ qūb’ s act se rve s a s an app ea l fo r he lp an d the shirt serv es a s a m ean s to invoke he lp. On the other han d, when Allāh’ s h elp is be se eche d thro ugh dire ct pray er, He in this c a se act s a s the re al he lper beca use ther e is no gr eater 1. 2.

Qur’ ān (Y ūs uf, J os eph) 12: 93. Qur’ ān (Y ūs uf, J os eph) 12: 96.

Pr el i mi nar i es

9

so urc e than the so urce of div ine assistance . T herefor e, wh ile interme diation is lo a de d with in direct imp lic ation s, app ea l fo r dire ct he lp f rom Allāh ha s a p alp itatin g imme diacy a bo ut it an d elic its a more prompt re spon se. In short, the Qur’ān ic ve rse clear ly e sta blishe s the f act that app ea l for he lp by dee d is prov e d by the p ractice of the proph ets. (A detaile d disc ussion on the conc ept of interme diation is ava ila ble in o ur book I slamic Con cep t o f In te rmedia tion .)

Di fference between suppl icati on

appeal

for

hel p

and

T o se ek he lp in a state of tro uble, gr ief an d pain is c alle d app ea l fo r h elp. When someon e cries for he lp uncon ditiona lly, it is ca lle d supp lication a s it p rec lude s the con dition o f tro uble, gr ief an d p ain. T he re lation bet ween supp lication (du‘ā’ ) an d app ea l fo r he lp ( istighāthah) , in fact, bo ils do wn to the re lation bet ween gen era l an d pa rtic ular. While supp lication is uncon ditiona l, app ea l is con dit iona l; it is sp urre d by some tro uble or pa in. T herefor e, ea ch app ea l is a fo rm of pray er wh ile e ach pr ayer is not a form o f appe al for h elp . An d this is the ba sic distinction bet we en app ea l an d p raye r.

Us e of the word d u‘ā ’ in the hol y Qur’ān T he mean in g of da‘ā, yad ‘ū an d da‘ watan is to c all an d implor e. T he root da‘ā is use d in va rio us sense s in the ho ly Qur’ān. A fe w sign if icant asp ects of the wor d du‘ā’ a re exp la ine d be lo w to illustrate the way the Qur ’ān ha s con cept ua lise d it in var io us context s:

1. an -Nidā’ (callin g) In the Ho ly Qur’ān the wo r d du ‘ā’ is use d in the sen se of n idā’, an d som etime s nidā’ an d du‘ā’ a re inter chan ge a ble. For instan ce, the Qur ’ān say s: And (to ca ll) tho se infide ls ( towa rd s gu idance) is like th e parab le o f a pe rson

10

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

who shou ts a t an (animal) who can listen to no thing bu t calls and c rie s.1

2. at-Tasmiyyah (naming) In the Ara bic lex icon som etime s the wor d du‘ā’ is use d in the sense of nam in g o r c allin g. Im ām Rā ghib Asfah ānī ha s given a very apt ex ample: I named my son Za yd.2 Sim ilarly , the ho ly Qur’ān , stre ssin g the dign ity an d r everen ce o f the Prophet , say s: ( O be lie ve rs,) d eem no t the summons o f the P rophet  among yourse lv e s like the summons of on e of you (ca lling) ano the r.3 In this sacre d v erse, Allāh Him self ha s laid stre ss on the sp ec ia l re spect to be accor de d to the ho ly Prophet. He ha s comman de d the believ ers not to a ddre ss the Prophet  by h is n ame M uh amma d . When ever h e is to be ca lle d, he sho uld be a ddre sse d by the spe cial t itle s of Me ssen ger of Allāh an d Frien d of Allāh . T his is re inforc e d by the vo cativ e for ms use d in the holy Qur’ ān. Allāh Him se lf h as no whe re a ddre sse d h im by h is fir st name : at no p la ce in the Qur’ān He ha s a ddre sse d h im direct ly a s yā Muhammad (O M uhamm a d).

3. al-I stigh āthah (besee chin g for help) T he wor d du‘ā’ h a s also been use d in the Qur’ ān in the sen se of be ggin g an d be see chin g for he lp a s is dec lar e d by Allāh:

1. 2. 3.

Qur’ ān (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:171. R āghi b As fahānī, Mufradāt alfāz al -Qur ’ān (p. 315). Qur’ ān (an-N ūr, t he Light ) 24: 63.

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11

They implo red that you should p ray to you r Lo rd for us.1

4. al-Hath ‘al ā al-qasd (pe rs uasi on) T he wor d du‘ā ’ is sometim es use d to per sua de som eone to do so methin g or to provoke someon e. T he Qur ’ān illustr ates this mean in g in the v er se given belo w: Yūsu f (on h ea ring wha t th e o the rs we re say ing) submitted: O my Lo rd! I love the p rison far too much ove r wha t the y ca ll me ( to do).2 T he wor d du‘ā’ is use d in the sen se of per sua sion in sū rah Yūnu s also : And Allāh ca lls (p eople) to the home o f pea ce (Pa radise) .3

5. at-Talab (de sirin g) T he wor d du‘ā’ in the sen se of de sirin g is fr e quently use d in the Ara bic lex icon. T he Qur’ān of fer s the follo win g ex ample: And you will a lso find wha tev e r you de sire.4

6. ad-Du ‘ā’ (su ppli cation) T he wor d du ‘ā’ is also som etime s use d in the sen se of supplic ation that is sent to the Lor d. T he Qur’ān r ecor ds the pr ayer of His f avo ure d on es in the follo win g term s: And th eir p raye r will end (on th e se wo rds) ¾ ‘a ll p raise is fo r Allāh Who is the Nou rish er of a ll th e wo rld s’.1 1. 2. 3. 4.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:68. (Y ūs uf, J os eph) 12: 33. (Y ūnus, J onah) 10: 25. (Fussi lat, Cl early spel l ed out ) 41:31.

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Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

7. al-‘Ibādah (worshi p) Wor ship of Allāh is a lso c alle d du‘ā’ a s is state d by the ho ly Prophet  : Du‘ā’ is p re cise ly a fo rm of wo rship .2

8. al-Khi tāb (addres s) In a ddition to the se me anin gs, the wor d du‘ā’ som etime s c arr ie s the me anin g of a ddre ss or spe ech. At the occ asion of th e battle of Uh ud, when th e Compan ion s se eme d to lose hea rt an d we re f ightin g in sc attere d gro up s, an d on ly a f e w of them were concentr ate d aro un d him , the ho ly Prophet  ca lle d those who h a d scattere d a way from h im. T he Qur’ān h a s de scr ibe d his wor ds in these term s: Wh en you we re running awa y ( in a sta te o f d isarray ), and ne ve r ca st a back wa rd g lance , and the Me sseng e r , who ( stood stead fast) among th e group beh ind you , wa s add re ssing you.3

1. 2.

3.

Qur’ ān (Y ūnus, J onah) 10: 10. Ti rmi dhī rel at ed this s ahīh (sound) hadī th i n his al -Jāmi ‘us -s ahī h, b. of t af sīr -ul -Qur ’ān (exegesis of t he Qur’ ān) ch. 3, 42 (5:211, 374-5#2969, 3274), and b. of da‘aw āt (s uppli cat ions ) ch. 1 (5:456#3372); Ibn M āj ah, Sunan, b. of du‘ā’ (suppli cati on) ch.1 (2: 1258#3828); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of sal āt (prayer) 2: 76-7 (#1479); Nas ā’ī, T afs īr (2:253#484); Bukhārī, al -Adab-ul -muf rad (p. 249#714); Ahmad bin Hambal, Mus nad (4:267, 271,276); Abū Dāwūd T ayāl isī, Mus nad (p. 108#801); Hākim, al -Must adrak (1:490-1#1802); Abū Nu‘ aym, Hil yat -ul -aw li yā’ wa t abaqāt -ul-as fi yā’ (8: 120); B aghawī, Shar h-us -sunnah (5:184#1384); Mundhi rī, at -T arghī b w at -t ar hīb (2: 477); M i zzī, Tuhf at -ul -as hr āf bi-ma‘rif at -i l-at rāf (9:30#11643); Khat īb Tabrī zī, Mis hkat -ul -mas ābīh, b. of da‘aw at (s uppli cat ions ) 2: 4 (#2230); and ‘ Al ī al -Hi ndī i n K anz-ul ‘ummāl (2: 62#3113). Qur’ ān (Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 153.

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13

T he wor d yad‘ū kum o f the ver se, that is, he wa s a ddre ssin g yo u, cannot be interpr ete d in the sense of wo rsh ip. T his interpr etation bor der s on she er disbe lief, wh ich is simply incon ce iva ble fo r the tr ue believ er.

Sel f-fabricated di visi on of d u‘ā ’ After disc ussin g at len gth the e ight re co gnise d form s of du‘ā’ , we will no w foc us on som e o f the irre levant en croa chments on it s a uthentic fr ame of ref eren ce. Some peop le , in or der to dec lar e appe al for he lp an d interme diation as inva lid acts, have devise d a se lfcon cocte d div ision of du ‘ā’ as the ir n e gation of appe al for he lp is not suppo rte d by any ar gum ent from the Qur’ ān. All o f their a ssumption s ar e ba se d on intellect ua l ha irsplittin g, wh ich is in f act a pro duct of their f la we d r ea sonin g. In or der to esta blish appe al for h elp a s a form of disbelief , they fir st dre ss it in the ro bes of du ‘ā’ an d then deriv e t wo se lf- en gin eere d kin ds of du‘ā’ : 1. Du ‘ā’ a s wor ship 2. Du ‘ā’ a s be ggin g

1. Du‘ā’ as worshi p T he fir st k in d of du‘ā’ is wor sh ip an d a ll k in ds of Allāh’ s wo rsh ip ar e in f act dif ferent form s of supplic ation a s st ate d by the ho ly Prophet : Du‘ā’ wo rsh ip.1

is

th e

e ssen ce

(ke rn el)

of

While , a ccor din g to another tr a dition , du‘ā’ is also e quate d with wor sh ip: 1.

Ti rmi dhī rel at ed it in al-Jāmi ‘-us -sahīh, b. of da‘aw āt (s uppli cat ions ) ch.1 (5:456#3371); T abarānī, al -Mu‘j am-ul aws at (4: 132#3220); Mundhi rī, at -T arghī b wat -tarhīb (2:482); Khat īb Tabrī zī, Mis hkāt -ul -mas ābīh, b. of da‘aw āt (2:5#2231); ‘ As qal ānī, Fat h-ul -bārī (11: 94); and ‘ Al ī al Hi ndī in K anz-ul -‘ummāl (2: 62#3114).

14

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

Du‘ā’ is p re cise ly a fo rm of wo rship .1 Sin ce on ly wor sh ip of Allāh is va lid, the refor e, they e rroneo usly conc lude th at, in conform ity to this m ean in g, any du‘ā ’ attributed to non- Go d is a form of wor sh ip, an d there fore, by virtue of this a sso ciation, a form of disbelief .

2. Du‘ā’ as be ggin g T o be g som eone, to ackno wle dge som eone a s the so lver of yo ur p ro blem an d exten d a be ggin g han d to h im is c alle d du‘ā’ a s be ggin g. T he o bject ion r aise d by the se peop le is that, sin ce Allāh Alone h as the po wer to solve p ro blems, therefor e, He Alone sho uld be imp lore d to so lve them. Sin ce the pe rson’ s act o f be ggin g is an a ckno wle dgement of his c reat ure ly status, therefo re, be seech in g non- Go d for he lp is an ackno wle dgement of servit ude to him an d of be in g h is creat ur es an d th us is a form of disbelie f. Accor din g to them, the per son in dulgin g in this act is a disbeliev er.

1.

Ti rmi dhī rel at ed this s ahīh (sound) hadī th i n his al -Jāmi ‘us -s ahī h, b. of t af sīr -ul -Qur ’ān (exegesis of t he Qur’ ān) ch. 3, 42 (5:211, 374-5#2969, 3274), and b. of da‘aw āt (s uppli cat ions ) ch. 1 (5:456#3372); Ibn M āj ah, Sunan, b. of du‘ā’ (suppli cati on) ch.1 (2: 1258#3828); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of sal āt (prayer) 2: 76-7 (#1479); Nas ā’ī, T afs īr (2:253#484); Bukhārī, al -Adab-ul -muf rad (p. 249#714); Ahmad bin Hambal, Mus nad (4:267, 271,276); Abū Dāwūd T ayāl isī, Mus nad (p. 108#801); Hākim, al -Must adrak (1:490-1#1802); Abū Nu‘ aym, Hil yat -ul -aw li yā’ wa t abaqāt -ul-as fi yā’ (8: 120); B aghawī, Shar h-us -sunnah (5:184#1384); Mundhi rī, at -T arghī b w at -t ar hīb (2: 477); M i zzī, Tuhf at -ul -as hr āf bi-ma‘rif at -i l-at rāf (9:30#11643); Khat īb Tabrī zī, Mis hkat -ul -mas ābīh, b. of da‘aw at (s uppli cat ions ) 2: 4 (#2230); and ‘ Al ī al -Hi ndī i n K anz-ul ‘ummāl (2: 62#3113).

Pr el i mi nar i es

15

Dis tin ction as the purpose of di vi sion is absent T his div ision, even from the v ie wpo int of this gro up , is irre lev ant a s a proof to justify the ina uthenticity o f appea l for he lp. It is both extraneo us an d unne ce ssary. T hey, in f act, hav e dissipate d the ir division by pr e sentin g it in a sem antica lly identical ga r b a s they h ave mer ge d du‘ā’ a s be ggin g into du‘ā’ a s wor ship . What is the point in c reatin g such a div ision when acco r din g to them, both k in ds of du‘ā ’ are for ms of disbelie f? T he f act is that this division is a bso lutely un war rante d. T he r elev anc e of the division is prove d only wh en it lea ds to the form ulation of a dif fer ent set of r ule s an d r e gulation s. Sin ce th ey lack a sep arate identity, the ir division become s superf luo us. T his c an be illustrate d thro ugh a simp le examp le . T he a ct of pro stration is div ide d into t wo k in ds: 1. Pro stration a s an a ct of wo rsh ip. 2. Pro stration a s an a ct of r ever ence . T hese t wo k in ds of pro stration are k ept in t wo sep arate comp artments: prostr ation a s an act of wo rsh ip an d pro stration a s an act of reve renc e do not m er ge. While the f ir st kin d is insp ir ationa l, the se con d k in d is ce remon ial; the f ir st one is an expr e ssion of fa ith in div ine un ity, the se con d is mer ely a rit ua lise d r epre sentation of a c eremony , an d the t wo fold div ision ref le cts the ir differ entiatin g f eature s. T herefore , any attempt at mer gin g the t wo k in ds is a n e gation of div ine un ity. In a ddition, the t wo k in ds ar e differ ent in the ir r e gulatory a spe ct. If the a ct of pro stration is perfo rme d before a pe rson with the intention of wor sh ip, it c le ar ly amo unts to disbe lief ; if it is perfo rme d a s an expre ssion of rev eren ce, it will not con stit ute an a ct o f disbe lief, tho ugh it may be dec lar e d a for bidden a ct. For examp le, if a M uslim dr ink s, comm its a dultery, m ur der s, etc., h e comm its a for bidden (harām) a ct an d is a sinner , v iolator, r a shly extrav a gant, etc. But if he con sider s h is a ct a s la wf ul (halā l), he is committin g disbelief . He is ne gatin g I slam an d will be dec la re d an apo state. It m ean s every for bidden a ct is not disbelie f, but to con sider som e for bidden act a s la wf ul is disbe lie f.

16

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

L et us tak e another ex ample. A wo r d ha s thre e k in ds: no un, v er b an d letter. All the thr ee a re m ut ually incompatible an d any attempt at their m er ger amo unt s to lin guist ic a bsur dity.

Du ‘ā’ is n ot me rely an act of worshi p T he contention th at the wor d du‘ā’ is use d on ly in t wo sen se s is not pra ctic ally ten a ble beca use its eight dif ferent app lication s hav e alrea dy been disc usse d. If we interpret du‘ā’ a s simp ly an a ct o f wor sh ip, an d the act of be ggin g for he lp is a lso m er ge d into the act of wor ship , then the entire soc iety will be p ushe d do wn into the qua gmire of disbelief an d ( Go d for bid) ev en the p rophets will not be imm une to this do wn war d slide. T herefo re, it sho uld be c le arly re co gnise d th at du‘ā’ (ca llin g) is not synonymo us with wo rsh ip in all context s. I f we do not ackno wle dge this diff eren ce bet we en the ir contextua l m ean in gs, it will amo unt to open in g Pan do ra’ s box of disbelief , as no one will r ema in untainte d by it s ramp ant prolifer ation. T he Qur’ān ic v er se itse lf is a witne ss to the f act that the ho ly Prophet  himself also c alle d non- Go d for he lp, an d the Qur’ ān itse lf is acco r din g perm ission to ca ll one another for he lp. If , a s a suppo sition, we interp ret da‘ā, yad ‘ū, tad ‘ū, nad‘ū as wor ship o r a s an act of beseech in g he lp in ev ery context o f sit uation in discr imin ately, wh ich is r e gar de d by some peop le a s an a uxiliary form of wo rsh ip, then it will be quite pro blematic to offer a so un d exp lan ation of the follo win g Qur’ān ic ver se s: 1. And, O my people, what is th is that I ca ll you to th e (path of) salvation and you ca ll me to he ll? 1 2. He said: O my Lo rd! I ca ll my peop le n ight and day ( to the right re lig ion) but my

1.

Qur’ ān (Ghāfi r, t he Forgivi ng) 40:41.

Pr el i mi nar i es

17

ca ll only inc rea sed th eir flight ( from the re lig ion).1 3. And Allāh ca lls (p eople) to the home o f pea ce (Pa radise) .2 4. Call (th e adopted son s) by the name s o f their fa the rs: that is ju st in th e sigh t o f God .3 5. Then, let h im ca ll ( for he lp) his com rade s. We shall a lso, call (our) so ldie rs soon.4 6. Then th ey will ca ll on th em, and th ey will not listen to them.5 7. Wh en we shall call tog eth er a ll fac tion s o f human being s with th eir lead ers.6 8. And if you call them to guidan ce.7

Sūra h al -Fāti ha h and the concepts of isti ‘ā nat and i stig hāt hah Sū rah a l-Fā tihah not on ly conc eptualise s a n um ber of I slamic belief s in the ir quintessentia l form , but it also attract ively pr e sents the con cept o f appe al for he lp. It is st ate d: ( O Allāh!) We wo rship on ly You and we se ek h elp on ly from You.8

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(N ūh, Noah) 71: 5-6. (Y ūnus, J onah) 10: 25. (al -Ahz āb, the C onfederat es ) 33:5. (al -‘Al aq, the Hangi ng m ass ) 96: 17-8. (al -Kahf, t he C ave) 18:52. (al -Isr ā’, the Ni ght journey) 17:71. (al -Kahf, t he C ave) 18:57. (al -Fāti hah, t he Opening) 1: 4.

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Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

It is th is Qur’ān ic ver se that lay s the fo un dation of app ea l for h elp an d a ssistan ce wh ere wor sh ip an d h elp a re ment ione d one after the other. T he fir st p art of the ho ly ve rse ¾ iyyāka na ‘budu ¾ con sists o f the con cept of I slamic wor ship , an d th e se con d p art ¾ iyyāka na sta‘ īnu ¾ explain s the conc ept of h elp an d assistance. It is this ve rse who se super ficia l un der stan din g ha s prompte d some in div idua ls to leve l a lle gation s of disbelie f a gain st the entire M uslim comm un ity. In f act, a super ficial study o f the v er se ha s in duce d in them the ba se le ss ide a that both of it s p arts compr ise sem antica lly identic al wor ds. T he f ir st p art mention s wo rsh ip, wh ich is ex clusive ly r e serve d fo r Allāh, while the secon d part ref er s to he lp an d a ssistanc e. T he use of identic al wor ds gen era lly ref lect s an identica l re ality, an d if on e look s at this re lation sh ip sup erficially, one is like ly to be dec eiv e d by th e surfa ce re sem blan ce an d m ay dr a w an incorr ect infe renc e. T hese peop le a re the v ictim s of a sim ilar dec eption. T hey ignore the contextua l imp lication s of these wor ds an d e quate appe al for he lp an d a ssistan ce with the a ct of wo rsh ip. But if we disp a ssionate ly ana ly se the Qur’ān ic ve rse, we com e to an entire ly differ ent con clusion. T hough the r epetition of similar wor ds cannot be den ie d, the interpolation of th e letter wa w (an d) bet ween the t wo p arts of the Qur’ān ic v er se is not to be ignore d eithe r a s it r eflects a m uch de eper an d more sign if ic ant r eality. If the injunct ion r elatin g to he lp an d wor ship we re identica l, Allāh wo uld nev er hav e in se rte d the letter wa w bet ween the t wo pa rts. T he a ddition of wa w point s to wa r ds a c le arc ut diff erentiation bet ween th e app arent ly sim ilar exp re ssion s. T his dif fer ence in me anin g le a ds to the form ulation of a diff erent in junction for ea ch on e of them. If th e appea l for h elp in iyyāka na sta‘ īnu wer e e quate d with the wor ship of Go d, the Qur’ān wo uld not h ave disa sso ciate d it from iy yāka na ‘budu thro ugh the con junction of sep aration i.e. wa w. T he use of the sep arativ e p artic le clear ly in dicate s that the t wo pa rts of

Pr el i mi nar i es

19

the ho ly v er se ref lect t wo dif fer ent type s of r ea lity. If they we re m eant to po rtray identic al r ea lity, the t wo p arts wo uld not hav e been de link e d by p lac in g wa w bet ween them. T he Qur’ ān is an in imita ble mo del of ver ba l con den sation an d pre cision an d is, the refor e, imm une to the f allac ie s an d distortion s co ine d by lo gician s an d ph ilo sopher s. Ea ch wor d in the Qur’ān car ries a p rec ise an d spe cif ic denotation an d none of it s letter s can be de clare d ir relevant an d super fluo us as it disc ar ds a ll form s of wa ste an d supe rfluity. If Go d h a d me ant to for ge a sem antic coa le sc enc e bet ween th e t wo parts of th e ve rse, He wo uld nev er hav e differ entiate d them semantically thro ugh the a ddition of the particle of separ ation. T he Qur’ān conta in s score s of ex amples to en dor se this dissimilar ity. Where the differ ence is not inten de d, there the distin ction is ma de consp ic uo us by the a bsenc e of any de link in g e lem ent. Sū rah a l-Fātihah, esp ec ia lly its f irst fo ur ver se s, f urnish es a clear p roof of distinction : A ll p raise is only fo r Allāh Who is the Su sta ine r of a ll the wo rld s. He is e xtreme ly Kind and Merciful. He is the Lord o f the Da y o f Judgement. ( O A llāh,) we wo rsh ip on ly You and we see k he lp on ly from You.1 An exam ination of the se fo ur ve rses r eve als that, after a descript ion o f His extrao r din ary nature, fo ur of His attribute s ar e con se c utive ly mention e d. Sinc e they are not m ut ua lly ex clusive an d are sp ec ifica lly de signe d to cr eate a c um ulative impre ssion so that e ach attribute r einfor ce s the other, the separ ative waw is no wher e in serte d bet ween them. But, in the fo llo win g v er se s, wh ere diffe renc e is intende d, the lin guistic p artic le wa w, is in serte d to in dic ate the differ ence . T hus, it prove s that du‘ā’ an d app ea l for he lp an d a ssistance are t wo diff erent re alitie s 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Fāti hah, t he Opening) 1: 1-4.

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Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

an d, ther efor e, de serv e diff erent tr eatment an d r ec eption, an d any attempt to exp un ge the ir sem antic dif fer ence is an exp licit v iolation of the inh erent p urpo se of the Rev elation. An ex clusiv e r elian ce on fla we d h uman r ea sonin g spa wn s var io us form s of disbe lief an d tho se who ar e trappe d in ph ilo soph ica l n uance s an d inn uen doe s dr ift fa r a way from the ir r ea l de stiny . T hey not only cr eate do ubts in the m in ds o f other s but also be come ho stage s to infin ite con f usion an d f uz zin ess.

Chapter 2

The Meaning of Appeal to the Pro phet () fo r Help

Accor din g to so un d I slam ic belief, the ultim ate foc us of be seech in g he lp an d assistan ce thro ugh the prophet s an d sa ints is Allāh Him se lf be ca use He is the on ly tr ue help er an d supporter an d ha s the re al po wer to reliev e a diff ic ult sit uation an d m itigate an intra cta ble ex igen cy. He Him se lf ha s repe ate dly str esse d upon the p eople to implor e Him for h elp an d re lief wh enev er they fa ce an ugly pr e dic ament or are driv en into a t ight corner . T hus, if anyon e sets a side this f un damenta l Qur ’ān ic tea chin g an d r e gar ds someone else except Allāh a s the so ur ce of ga in an d loss, he is sure ly guilty of disbe lief, be ca use it v irtually amo unts to imp lor in g non- Go d fo r h elp an d a ssistan ce. He is a disbe liever whether his r e que st is con ditione d by n atur al c a use s or is en gine ere d by supern atur al fa ctors. On the other h an d, if he be lieve s in Allāh as th e tr ue he lper an d then t urn s to som e other pe rson fo r a ssistanc e, he is not comm ittin g disbe lief be ca use h is a ction is r eligio usly sanction e d. For ex ample, if he con sults a do ctor for treatment or seek s the a ssistan ce of a sa int for supplic ation or some kin d of spirit ua l he alin g, he is op eratin g with in the wellr eco gnise d an d widely ac cepte d p aram eter s of I slam ic f aith. His act conform s to app rove d stan dar ds an d is comp atible with the tra ditiona lly h allo we d pra ctic e of the v irtuo us p eople. Allāh ha s on many o cc asion s in the 21

22

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Qur’ān stre sse d upon the believ er s to he lp on e anothe r. He say s: And h elp one ano the r in (a cts o f) righ teou sne ss and p ie ty , and do no t he lp one anoth e r in ( the ac ts o f) sin and opp re ssion .1 In the Qur’ān ic v erse Allāh is en jo inin g upon the comm un ity of M uslim s to he lp an d coop erate with one another . T his coop eration is pr e dicate d on the fact of discrep ancy bet we en it s m em ber s, a s it is incon ce iva ble witho ut the pre sence of ine quality amon g them. T hus it is po ssible only wh en there ar e t wo cla sse s amon g the be liever s: the aff luent an d the non- aff luent. T he latter a re suppo se d to ask for the he lp of th e form er who a re exp ecte d to exten d this h elp to them . It is o bvio us that this pr inc iple applie s in discr imin ately in mater ia l a s we ll a s spirit ua l matter s; it a lso app lies e qua lly in n atur al an d supern atur al con dition s be ca use Allāh ha s ma de it co llectiv ely bin din g an d no bo dy can c la im exc eption, be ca use a Qur’ ānic in junct ion c annot be limite d by khaba r wāhid (a sin gle sayin g) or an alo gic al rea son in g. T herefor e, if anyone tr ie s to r estr ict it con dit ionally or by the lo gic of comprom ise an d exp e diency, h e is un do ubte dly in dulgin g in an a ct that cla she s with the divine intention. T he injun ction for m utua l cooperat ion is one of the ba sic component s of I slamic tea chin g an d is supporte d by a n um ber o f Qur’ān ic ver se s an d tra dition s. It prov es witho ut re serv ation that the per son whose h elp is be in g cr ave d m ust a ssist the pe rson who is crav in g his he lp; he sho uld re spon d to the app ea l for he lp an d try to a lleviate the suff erin g of h is fe llo w be in gs. T he Qur ’ān ha s f urnishe d in diff erent contexts a n um be r of justif ic ation s for be se ech in g the prophet s an d sa ints for he lp. It is a s va lid to be se ech the ho ly 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Mā’i dah, the F east ) 5:2.

T he Meani ng of Appeal t o t he Pr ophet ()

23

Prophet() for help as the a ct of a Qibtī who besee che d M ūsā ( ) for he lp a ga in st the exce sse s of a tyrant. In r espon se to h is appe al, M ūsā ( ) exten de d he lp to h im an d re lieve d his m isery . Who co uld be a gr eater so urce for the v alidation o f this a ct than the proph ets them se lve s who se p rima ry m ission was to dissem inate the m e ssa ge of divine un ity througho ut the wor ld! Allāh ha s not prono un ce d anyon e of them, Qibtī an d the proph et, a s a disbeliev er on acco unt of this act o f besee chin g he lp from other s. Allāh say s: So th e pe rson who wa s of his v e ry community sough t his he lp aga inst ano the r pe rson who wa s from among his foe s.1 T he Qur’ān h a s a lso de sc ribe d at v ario us junct ure s that the believ ers from former comm un itie s be see che d the ir proph ets an d saint s for he lp. It is similar ly applic a ble to the fo llo wer s of the ho ly Prophet ( ) an d is c lear ly r eflecte d in the pr actic e of the Comp anion s. A n um ber of tra dition s support the va lidity of th is act. T hese tr a dition s fo c us on exten din g he lp to the nee dy an d allev iatin g the pro blem s of the le ss fortun ate.

Istig hāt ha h ¾ In the lig ht of tradi ti ons and the practice of the Compani ons T o support someon e in h is ho ur of tro uble an d to comm iser ate with h im in h is moment of a gony is to fortify the relation ship st eepe d in lov e. T he m e ssa ge of I slam is the me ssa ge o f pea ce an d se c urity an d the lif e of the ho ly Prophet () is pe rmeate d with the pe rf ume of lov e. Ev en wh en he is stone d by the r uff ian s of T ā’ if, on ly the f lo wers o f p rayer blo ssom on h is lip s; there is not a sque ak of complaint a ga inst them . He con done s the acts of those who ar e after his bloo d be ca use h is f aith is e ssentially the interpr etation o f love. Who co uld be a 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Qas as, the Narratives) 28:15.

24

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

gr eater m ean s of re dempt ion than the Prophet ( ) h imself who allev iate d the pa in of other s an d he lpe d them — in the f ulfilment of their n ee ds! On the Day of Judgem ent, wh en p eople will f ace the ir gr eate st calamity an d becom e self -o bsessive, they will rally ro un d the proph ets an d saint s to be se ech their h elp an d interc ession, but a ll will expr e ss their ina bility to he lp them on that day , an d fin ally they will be see ch the ho ly Prophet ( ) for h elp an d re ly on his me diation fo r their sa lvation , an d Allāh will en d their tortur e for the sak e of the ho ly Prophet ( ). Ac cor din g to th e tra dition the Proph et() sa id: ‘peop le will be se ech Ada m ( ) fo r h elp, then M ūsā () an d f ina lly h imself .’ If this is p ermissible on the Day of Judgement, this sho uld be e qua lly perm issible dur in g o ur stay in this wo rld. T his r eflects the k in dhe arte dne ss an d benevo lenc e o f the prophets that the be liever s c an depen d on them a s a mean s of approa ch to the inf inite mer cy of Allāh , whether we ar e on th e e arth or in the Here after. T he text of the tra dition is a s fo llo ws: Na rra ted by ‘Abdu llāh bin ‘Umar tha t the P rophe t  said , “A pe rson con stantly beg s from o the r p eople till he on the Day o f Judg ement ha s no flesh on his face .” He added , “Th e sun will come clo se r to the p eople on th e Day o f Judg ement. I t will be so clo se that half of one’ s ea r will be d renched in sweat. In th is cond ition, peop le will first seek the med iation o f Adam(), then of Mūsā ( ) and fina lly o f Muhammad . ” And ‘Abdu llāh ¾ the sub-na rrato r ¾ add ed, “Lay th na rra ted to me tha t Ibn Abū Ja‘ fa r had na rra ted : He [th e P rophe t ] will in te rc ede with A llāh to judge amongst th e p eople. Th en he will lea ve he re until h e will ho ld the a rc o f the ga te o f Pa radise. On tha t day , Allāh will make h im ascend the glo riou s station

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and a ll th e p eople p re sen t the re will sing h is pra ise s.1 T he tr a dition ha s, th us, f urnish e d a justif ic ation not on ly of the wor d istighā thah but a lso of it s pop ula r usa ge. T he note worthy po int is that wh en it is va lid to be se ech the prophet s an d the sa ints for he lp in the Here after an d a lso to seek the h elp o f the livin g in this ph enomena l wo rld, it is simp ly me anin gle ss an d a bsur d to deny its r elev anc e dur in g the p ur gatoria l ex istence . A n um ber of tra dition s atte st to the fact that the Compan ion s be see che d the ho ly Proph et ( ) for he lp an d a ssistance an d so ught the solution of the ir pro blem s thro ugh his me diation by stre ssin g the ir pen ury , dise ase, suffe rin g, nee d, de bt an d h umility. T his a ct wa s base d on their un der lyin g conviction that the holy Proph et ( ) serv e d on ly a s an interme dia ry in their ga in an d loss an d the r ea l oper atin g for ce behin d all the se ph enomena is on ly Allāh Him self. No one, not ev en His be love d Prophet(), c an encroa ch upon His exc lusive terra in. Given belo w ar e a f e w tra dition s in wh ich the Compan ion s be se ech e d the ho ly Prophet ( ) for h elp :

Abū Hu rayrah ’s appe al for help Abū Hurayr ah ha d a weak retentiv e po wer an d therefor e, co uld not ea sily r emem be r the comman ds of the Prophet(). He be se eche d the Prophet ( ) for he lp who perm anently c ur e d h is t en den cy to for getfulne ss. T his is th e r ea son that he prove d to be the mo st prolif ic na rrator of tr a dit ions. Abū Hur ayrah re late s it in his o wn wo r ds: I said: ‘ O Messenge r of A llāh! I listen to many of you r tradition s and then I fo rge t 1.

B ukhārī, as -Sahīh, b. of z akāt (obligatory chari ty) ch. 51 (2:536-7#1405); Tabarānī t ransmi tt ed it i n al -Mu‘j am-ul aws at (9:331#8720); and Hayt hamī cit ed it in Maj ma‘-uz z aw ā’id (10: 371).

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them.’ Th e P rophe t () sa id: ‘ sp read you r she et.’ So I sp read it. Abū Hu ray rah say s: ‘ then the P rophe t () p ic ked up someth ing ( from the air) with h is hand s and pu t it in ( the sh ee t). Th en sa id: “join it to you rse lf,” so I jo ined it, and afte rwa rds my memory nev e r slipped. ’ 1 T he tra dition in dic ates that the Compan ion s besee che d the ho ly Prophet ( ) fo r he lp in ev ery diff ic ult situation. Who co uld be a gre ater supporte r o f the con cept of div ine un ity than the Compan ion s them se lve s! An d who co uld be a st a uncher c la imant of th e onen e ss of Allāh th an the Prophet () h im self! But, in sp ite of it, Abū Huray rah be seech e d the ho ly Prophet ( ) for he lp an d succo ur an d inste a d o f t urn in g do wn his re que st he so lve d his pro blem for ever . T he rea son is that anyone who be lieve s in div ine un ity, kno ws that the only re al h elp er is Allāh, wh ile the proph ets, the saint s an d other p io us peop le who se h elp is be in g so ught, act only as interm e dia ries. T heir po wer of me diation der ive s from Allāh’ s ble ssin g Who ha s con ferr e d on them this po wer to ea se the pro blems of the be liever s. T he act of me diat ion is, ther efor e, divine ly san ctione d, an d do es not amo unt to a tre spa ss of div inity. Abū Hurayr ah besee che d the Prophet () for he lp who f ulf ille d his ne e d. He n ever told him to p ray to Allāh direct ly an d to rem ain ste a dfa st in h is be lief in div ine un ity. On the contrary, he pick e d up a fistf ul of so methin g 1.

B ukhārī narrat ed i t t hrough di fferent chains of t rans mis si on i n his as -Sahīh, b. of ‘il m (knowl edge) ch.42 (1: 56#119), b. of manāqib (vi rtues ) ch. 24 (3:1333#3448); Tirmidhī in al Jāmi ‘-us -s ahī h, b. of manāqib, ch. 47 (5:684#3835) and graded i t hasan (fai r) s ahīh (s ound); Ibn S a‘d, at-T abaqāt ul -kubrā (2:362; 4:330); T abarānī, al -Mu‘jam-ul -aws at (1:451#815); Ibn-ul -Athī r, Asad-ul-ghābah (6: 314); Hayt hamī, Maj ma‘-uz -z awā’i d (9:362); ‘ As qal ānī, Fat h-ul bār ī (1: 215; 6:633); and ‘ Aynī i n ‘Umdat-ul -qār ī (2: 182; 16: 168).

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invisible fro m the a ir an d p ut it in his sheet an d comm an de d to r ub it on to h is che st. T hus Allāh a ckno wle dge d this act of me diation a s v alid an d f ulf ille d Abū Hur ayrah’ s n ee d. Ev ery sen sible per son who be lieve s in divin e unity kno ws th at supp lication is m a de on ly to Allāh for the f ulfilment o f n ee ds whose po wer span s all the wor lds. T he petit ioner be lieve s that the per son h e is be seech in g to me diate an d interc e de on h is beha lf is clo se r to Allāh Who r espon ds mor e sen sitiv ely an d ur gently to his app ea l for he lp. T her efor e, the appe al proc e sse d thro ugh h im stan ds a gre ater chan ce of imme diate ac ceptan ce. T he petition er kno ws that h is po wer to h elp is only der ivativ e bec a use the re al he lper is Allāh Him se lf an d this is what is c lear ly r eflecte d in Abū Hur ayrah’ s tr a dition.

Qatādah bin an -Nu‘mān’s appe al for hel p Qatā da bin an- Nu‘m ān lost his eye dur in g the battle of Ba dr . T he eye ball was disloc ate d an d dan gle d from his f ace . Ke epin g in v ie w the sev erity of pa in, a f e w Compan ion s a dv ise d him to hav e the optic v ein c ut off to a lleviate the p ain. Befo re act in g on the a dv ice of the Compan ion s, Qatā dah de cide d to brin g it to the notice of the Prophet () . When he ca lle d on the Proph et ( ) an d r elate d to h im h is story, h e did not allo w h im to h ave h is eye oper ate d; r ather, he p lac e d the eye ba ll ba ck at its or igin al pla ce with h is han d, wh ich re store d h is ey e sight. Qatā dah use d to say that the v ision of h is lo st ey e was in no way weake r than the o rigina l one ; it wa s even better than before . T his tr a dition bea rin g on th e va lidity of istighā thah h as been re cor de d in the se wor ds: I t is re lated by Qa tādah bin an -Nu‘mān that his ey e wa s lo st du ring the battle o f Bad r and th e ey eball slid on to h is fac e. The o the r Companion s wanted to cut it off. Bu t when they con sulted the Me sseng er o f A llāh (), he disa llo wed it. Then he p ray ed fo r him and p lac ed the eyeba ll ba ck

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a t its o rigina l pla ce. So Qatādah ’s eye wa s re stored in a manne r tha t it wa s impossib le to say wh ich eye had be en damaged.1

Abs ces s–s tri cken Companion ’s appe al for help It is n arrate d in the book s on tr a dition that str uma app ear e d on the han d o f a Comp anion , wh ich ma de it impossible fo r h im to ho ld the bridle of a horse o r the han dle o f a swo r d. He c alle d on the holy Prophet ( ) an d be se ech e d h im to c ure his dise ase. So Allāh, Who is the re al He lper, c ure d h im thro ugh the Prophet’ s h an d. T his tra dit ion is re late d in the se wor ds: I called on th e holy Me ssenge r () . I had struma on my hand. I said : ‘O p rophe t o f A llāh! I ha ve a struma (on my hand) which make s it pa infu l fo r me to ho ld the b rid le of a ho rse and the swo rd.’ Th e ho ly P rophe t ( ) said: ‘come c lo se to me.’ So I moved clo se r ( to him). Then he op ened that struma and blew his b reath on my hand and pla ced his hand ov e r the struma and k ept on pressing it and when h e lifted his hand, the e ffect o f tha t (struma) had completely van ished.2 1.

2.

Abū Ya‘l ā narrat ed i t in his Mus nad (3: 120#1549); Ibn S a‘d, at -T abaqāt -ul -kubrā (1:187-8); Hākim, al -Must adrak (3:295); Bayhaqī, Dalā’i l -un-nubuwwah (3:100); Abū Nu‘ aym, Dalā’il -un-nubuww ah (p. 540); Ibn-ul -At hī r, As adul -ghābah (4: 371); Ibn Kat hī r, al -Bi dāyah w an-ni hāyah (3:52); Hayt hamī, Maj ma‘-uz -zawā’i d (6: 113; 8: 297-8); and ‘ Asqal ānī in al -Isābah f ī tamyī z-is -s ahābah (3:225). Hayt hamī narrat es it i n hi s Maj ma‘-uz-zawā’i d (8:298) and s ays t hat T abarānī narrat ed it i n hi s al -Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (7:306-7#7215). Hayt hamī does not know the sub-narrator, M ukhall id, and above him whil e ot her narrat ors are s ahīh (s ound). Bukhārī narrat ed it in at -Tārī kh-ul -kabīr [4:250 (2/2/ 250)].

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A blin d Compani on’s appeal for hel p Re storation o f the blin d people’ s ey e sight wa s not only a m ira cle p erform e d by ‘Ī sā (), it was p erform e d by the ho ly Prophet () a s we ll. It is n arrate d that a blin d Compan ion ca lle d on the Prophet () an d besee che d his he lp fo r the r e storation of his eye sight. T he Prophet ( ), inste a d of disco ura gin g h im or con demn in g it a s a form of disbelief , str esse d upon him to supplicate thro ugh h im. T his k in d of supp lication in it se lf is a compo site of me diation an d appe al for h elp, an d if it is offe re d even to day with the same inten sity of sincer ity, it is a patent me dic ine for the ailin g mank in d. Narrate d by ‘ Uthmān bin Hun ayf : That a blind man ca lled on the Ho ly P rophe t  and said to him: ‘ (O Me ssenge r of A llāh ,) p ra y to Allāh to give me so lac e.’ Th e P rophet  sa id: ‘if you wish, I will sta ll it and th is is bette r (fo r you ), and if you wish, I pra y.’ He sa id: ‘you should p ray (fo r me) to Him.’ So h e a sked h im to p erfo rm the ablu tion: ‘pe rform the ab lution tho roughly well and then offe r two c yc le s o f op tional pra ye r and be se ech Allāh with this supplica tion: “O A llāh , I appea l to You, and submit to You th rough the media tion o f th e merciful P rophe t Muhammad (). O Muhammad, th rough you r med iation I submit my se lf to My Lo rd to hav e my n eed g ran ted. O Allāh, ac kno wledge h is inte rce ssion in my favou r. ”1 1.

Ibn Māj ah t rans mitt ed i t i n his Sunan, b. of i qāmat-us -s al āt w as -s unnah fī hā (est abli shing prayer and it s sunnahs ) ch. 189 (1: 441#1385); Ti rmi dhī i n al -Jāmi ‘-us -s ahī h, b. of da‘awāt (suppli cati ons ) ch. 119 (5:569#3578); Ahm ad bin Hambal in hi s Mus nad (4:138); Nas ā’ī, ‘Amal -ul -yaw m w al -

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I bn Mā jah , Hāk im an d Dhaha bī have de clare d it a so un d ( sah īh) tra dition wh ile T irm idhī gra de d it ha san (f air ) sahīh (so un d) gha rīb ( unfam iliar ). Yo u m ust hav e notice d that the introductory senten ce of the supplicat ion in the tra dition is o ffer in g the ho ly Prophet ( ) as an interm e diary be fore Allāh wh ile its se con d sentence , in which the Prophet ( ) is be in g direct ly a ddre sse d, is f urn ishin g not only a justification for se ekin g the h elp of Allāh’ s f avo urite s but a lso issuin g it a s a form of comm an d. If, seekin g h elp thro ugh other c reat ure s ex cept Allāh wer e an inva lid act, the ho ly Prophet () wo uld not hav e issue d it in the fo rm of a comm an d. Wh en the greate st supporter o f divin e unity h imself comm an de d that the be liever s sho uld be seech his he lp, who ar e we to m islea d the M uslims by ca llin g them disbeliev er s when they are follo win g in the Proph et’s foot steps! T ho se who disa ckno wle dge the v alidity o f this a ct in a f it o f m isp la ce d enthusia sm to p urify I slam a re a ctually in dulgin g in an un -I sla mic act beca use the ir e fforts ar e in conf lict with the tr ue I slamic belief s an d the pr actic e of the holy Proph et () . Sim ilarly , another tr a dition n arr ated by Imām Hāk im is co uche d in dif fer ent wo r ds. In this tr a dition, ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf say s that he wa s p re sent in the Proph et’s comp any. A blin d per son c alle d on the Proph et  an d comp la ine d a bo ut the lo ss of his ey esight. He a dde d: ‘O M essen ger of Allāh, ther e is no one to guide me an d I am in gr eat tro uble.’ On h ear in g h is comp la int, the l aylah (p.417#658-9); Hākim, al -Mustadr ak (1:313, 519); Ibn Khuzaym ah, as -Sahīh (2:225-6#1219); B ayhaqī, Dalā’il -un-nubuww ah (6: 166); S ubkī, Shifā’-us -si qām fī z i yārat khayr -il -anām (p. 123); Nawawī, al -Adhkār (p.83); Ibn-ul -At hī r, As ad-ul -ghābah (3:571); M i zzī, Tuhfat-ul ashrāf bi -ma‘r ifat-il -atrāf (7:236#9760); Ibn Kat hī r, al Bidāyah wan-ni hāyah (4:558); Ibn Haj ar Haytham ī, al Jawhar -ul-munazz am (p. 61); and Shawkānī in Tuhf at -udhdhākirī n (pp.194-5).

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Prophet said: ‘ brin g an e arthen pot for a blution , then pe rform the a blution an d o ffer t wo cy cle s of optiona l pr ayer. T hen say: O Allāh, I appea l to You, and submit to You th rough the media tion o f You r me rc ifu l P rophe t Muhammad . O Muhammad, through your med iation I submit my se lf to you r Lord that He should g ive ligh t to my e ye s. O Allāh, ackno wledg e h is in te rce ssion in my fa vour and ac cept my supp lication a lso in my favou r. ‘ Uthmān bin Hunay f sa id: I swea r by A llāh tha t we had ne ith e r left the company no r had we ca rried on a long con ve rsation tha t the man ente red ( with his sigh t fully re sto red ) and it se emed a s if he had n eve r b een b lind.1 In a ddition, a n um ber of othe r tra dition ist s of great r ep ute have reco r de d this so un d tra dition an d th eir n ame s a re given belo w: 1. Na sā’ ī, ‘ Amal-ul- ya wm wa l-la ylah (p.418#660) . 2. Bukhār ī, a t- Tā rīkh -ul- kabīr [6:209-10(3 /2 /209-10)]. 3. Ah ma d bin Ham ba l, Mu snad (4 :138). 4. Bayh a qī, Da lā’il-un-nubu wwah (6 :166-7). 5. I bn- us- Sunnī, ‘Amal-u l- yawm wa l-la ylah (p.202#622). 6. M un dh ir ī, a t-Ta rgh īb wat-ta rhīb (1:473 -4). 7. Subk ī, Sh ifā’ -us-siqām fī ziyāra t khay r- il-anām (pp.123 -4). 8. I bn Kathīr, a l-B idāyah wan-n ihāyah (4 :559). 9. Suy ūt ī, a l- Kha sā’is-u l-kub rā (2:201). 10. Qa stallān ī, a l-Ma wāh ib-u l-ladun iy yah (4 :594). 11. Z ur qānī, Commentary (12 :221-2). 1.

Hāki m graded it s ahīh (s ound) i n al -Must adr ak (1: 526-7) according to the conditi ons of Im ām Bukhārī and i ts authenti ci ty has been acknowl edged by Dhahabī as wel l.

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M ahm ūd Sa ‘īd Mam dūh h as a lso expre sse d his vie ws in his book Raf‘-ul-minā rah (p.123) : “All th e se cha in s are sound wh ich ha ve be en c ertified by pe rson s who ha ve committed th e tradition s to memory . Among the se a re a lso inc luded Imām Tirmidh ī, Tabarān ī, Ibn Khu zaymah, Hāk im and Dhahab ī. ” T his sa cre d tra dition clear ly in dicate s that the cr eature is implo rin g Allāh Who a lone can he lp him an d prov ide r elief to him . He alon e ha s the po wer to transform nonex istence into existen ce, non- entity into entity. But the po int to be note d her e is that the wor ds of th e supp lication a re be in g ta ught by the Ho ly Prophet  h imself in wh ich Go d’s attention an d h elp ar e bein g invok e d fo r its a cc eptance thro ugh h is o wn me diation. It m ay be f urther note d that it is not on ly his p er son that is bein g r elie d upon fo r the a ckno wle dge ment of the supp lic ation, but a lso the quality of his me rcy that h e ha s been v e ste d with thro ugh Allāh ’s k in dne ss. T hus the p raye r bo ils do wn to the fa ct that the p etitioner is sayin g: ‘O Allāh, I app ea l to Yo u thro ugh the me diation of the Prophet  whom Yo u hav e Yo ur se lf ve ste d with inf inite mer cy that Yo u sho uld re store my lo st ey e sight an d ret urn light to my eye s wh ich they hav e lo st.’ Sin ce the supp lication wa s pro ce sse d thro ugh the Prophet’ s me diation, the Lor d’ s mer cy gushe d forth instantly a s it is a ga inst the divine will that some petit ioner sho uld invoke His me rcy thro ugh the me diation of the Holy Prophet  an d his petition sho uld not be gr anted. In this ca se the grant of the supp lication wa s ne ither de lay e d nor was the ph enomenon of ca use- an de ffect a llo we d to interfer e in it s acc eptance . It was the ble ssin g of the Prophet’ s m e diation, wh ich ret urne d the ey e sight in stantly a s if it h a d nev er be en lost.

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C ompanions’ appe al for rain T he book s on tra dition ar e r iddle d with the proof s of be seech in g the holy Prophet ( ) for he lp an d its con firm ation by the pra ctic e of the Compan ions. An un brok en chain of a uthentic tra dition s prove s that wh enev er the Compan ion s fa ce d a pro blem or a c alamity, they came r ush in g to the ho ly Prophet ( ) to be se ech h is he lp. T hey supp licate d befor e Allāh thro ugh his me diation an d be seech e d his h elp fo r the f ulfilment of their ne e ds. As a re sult, Allāh wa iv e d the calamity dan glin g over their h ea ds. Ana s bin M ālik h as re late d: 1. The ho ly P rophe t ( ) was d eliv ering h is se rmon on a Friday that a man went up to h im and sa id: ‘O Me ssenge r o f Allāh! The re is ex treme sca rc ity of ra in. So p ray to Allāh tha t He shou ld b le ss u s with ra in.’ The P rophe t ( ) p rayed fo r it and be fo re we reach ed our home s, th e ra in had sta rted which continued do wn to th e ne xt F rida y. (Ana s) say s that ( the n ex t Friday ) the same pe rson o r someone e lse stood up and sa id: ‘ O Me sseng er o f Allāh! P ray to A llāh tha t He should pu sh th is (ra in) a way from u s.’ The P rophet ( ) p ra yed: ‘O A llāh, it should b e a round u s and no t ove r u s. ’ So I sa w tha t th e c loud s had rolled a way to ou r righ t and left and sta rted pou ring do wn rain and the ra in c ea sed ov e r th e re sid ents o f Medina .1 1.

B ukhārī relat ed i t in as -Sahī h, b. of i sti sqā’ (t o i nvoke All āh for rain at t he ti m e of drought ) ch.7 (1: 344-5#969); M us lim, as -Sahīh, b. of s al āt -ul-ist is qā’ (prayer t o i nvoke All āh for rain at t he t im e of drought ) ch.2 (2: 614-5#10/ 897); B ayhaqī, Dal ā’il -un-nubuww ah (6:140); Ibn Kat hī r, al -Bi dāyah wan-ni hāyah (4:472-3); and ‘ Asqal ānī in Fathul -bārī (2:508).

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2. That a pe rson ente red th e mo sque through th e doo r in front of the pulp it and the Ho ly P rophet (  wa s de live ring the se rmon wh ile stand ing. So that pe rson took a po sition right in front o f him. Th en he said : ‘ O Me sseng er of A llāh , the ca ttle hav e died and th e path s a re d isconne cted. So p ray to A llāh that He shou ld send ra in on u s.’ The Me ssenge r of A llāh( ra ised bo th of his hand s and add re ssed ( Allāh): ‘O A llāh , send u s rain ; O Allāh, send us ra in; O A llāh, send u s ra in.’ Ana s sa id: ‘ By God! We c ould see ne ith er a cloud in th e sk y, no r e ven a fragment of a cloud , and th ere wa s ne ith e r a hou se no r any oth e r bu ild ing be twe en us and the mounta in. Then a p ie ce o f c loud, that wa s the size of a sh ie ld, appea red from beh ind the hill. I t sta rted floa ting in th e sky and then it sp read ou t, and it sta rted rain ing. By God! For six day s we d id no t se e th e sun in th e sky . Th en the ne xt F riday a p erson en te red through the same door wh ile th e P rophet (  wa s de live ring the sermon in the stand ing po stu re. He position ed h imse lf in fron t o f h im and said: “O Me ssenge r o f Allāh, the ca ttle hav e d ied and the path s a re d isconnec ted , so p ray to Allāh that he should stop the ra in. ”’ Ana s re late s tha t the Me sseng e r o f A llāh (  aga in ra ised h is hand s and addressed (A llāh) : ‘O Allāh, ( the ra in) may fall a round u s, and no t on u s; O Allāh, (th e rain) ma y fall on th e h ills, h illock s, va lley s and th e pla ce s wh ere the tree s g ro w.’ Anas say s that the ra in stopped and we came out (of th e mosqu e) and we we re wa lk ing in th e sun shin e. Sha rīk sa id,

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‘I asked Anas: was it the same pe rson who had come be fore?’ He sa id, ‘I don’t kno w.’ 1 3. On ce du ring the time of the ho ly P rophe t ( famine g ripp ed Medina. The P rophe t ( wa s de live ring the F riday se rmon to u s tha t a pe rson stood up and said , ‘ O Me ssenge r of Allāh, the ho rse s and the goats hav e died . So p ra y to A llāh tha t He may send u s rain.’ The ho ly P rophe t(   raised h is ho ly hands and p ray ed. Ana s re la te s that (at that time) the sk y was a s (tran sparent as) cu tgla ss. (Bu t on a ccoun t o f the P rophe t’s p raye r, ) the b re eze blew in stan tly and the cloud s came ov e r. Then th ey g re w qu ite d en se and then the sky opened its mouth wide ( that is, it sta rted rain ing in to rren ts). We came ou t from th e re and (drenched in ra in and) a lmost d ro wning in wa te r, we reach ed ou r home s. The ra in d id no t stop till the nex t 1.

B ukhārī rel at ed i t in hi s as -Sahīh, b. of i sti sqā’ (t o i nvoke All āh for rai n at the t im e of drought ) ch.6, 5,7, 8,9, 10, 11, 20, 23 (1:343-6, 348,349#968, 967,969-73, 983, 986), b. of j umu‘ah (F ri day prayer) ch. 33 (1:315-6#891); M us lim, as Sahīh, b. of s al āt -ul -is tis qā’ (prayer t o i nvoke All āh for rai n at the ti m e of drought ) ch. 2 (2:612-4#8/897); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of i sti sqā’ (3: 154-5, 159-60, 161-3); Ibn M āj ah, Sunan, b. of i qāmat -us-salāt w as -sunnah fī hā (est ablis hi ng prayer and its sunnahs ) ch.154 (1:404#1269); Ahm ad bin Hambal, Musnad (3: 256); M āli k bi n Anas, al -Muw att ā, b. of i st isqā’, ch. 2 (1: 191#3); Abū Ya‘l ā, Musnad (5: 416# 3104); Ibn Khuzaym ah, as-Sahī h, (3: 144,147#1788, 1792); Ibn Hibbān, as -Sahī h (3: 272-3#992); Bayhaqī, as -Sunan-ul kubr ā (3:354-5) and Dal ā’il -un-nubuww ah (6: 139 -40); B aghawī, Shar h-us-sunnah (4: 412-5#1166-7); Zayl a‘ī, N as b-ur -rāyah (2:238-9); Ibn Kathī r, al -Bidāyah w annihāyah (4: 472); Qast al l ānī, al -Maw āhib-ul -laduni yyah (4:265-6); and Zurqānī in hi s Comment ar y (11: 120-5).

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F riday. The same da y the same pe rson o r someone else stood up and sa id, ‘O Me ssenge r o f Allāh, th e hou ses ha ve co llap sed, so p ray to Allāh tha t th is may stop .’ He smiled and then p rayed ( to Allāh) that ra in may fa ll a round u s, and no t on u s. So I sa w tha t the c louds had rolled a way from Med ina (and Medina app ea red) a s if it wa s c ro wned by the sk y. In anoth er trad ition, Ana s re lates tha t A llāh sho ws to the p eople the ble ssing o f His Proph et (  a nd th e a ccep tanc e o f h is supp lication s.1 T he proo f o f appea l for he lp by the pra ctice of the Compan ion s an d the Prophet’ s enco ur a gem ent of the ir pr actic e e stablish es the fact that it is not ta inte d with even a spot of disbe lie f. It is impo ssible that a Compan ion sho uld commit disbelief, an d it is still impossible that the Prophet ( ) sho uld con done h is disbelief . In this c a se the Prophet ( ) is enco ur a gin g them in the ir a ct, wh ich spe aks volum es for its v alidity.

1.

B ukhārī t ransmi tt ed it i n his as -Sahīh, b. of manāqib (virtues) ch. 22 (3: 1313#3389), b. of j umu‘ah (F ri day prayer) ch. 32 (1:315#890), b. of ist isqā’ (t o invoke Al l āh for rai n at t he ti m e of drought) ch.13 (1: 346-7#975), b. of adab (good m anners ) ch.68 (5: 2261#5742), b. of da‘aw āt (s uppli cat ions ) ch.23 (5:2335#5982); M usl im, as -Sahīh, b. of s alāt -ul -i sti sqā’ (prayer t o i nvoke All āh for rain at the t im e of drought ) ch. 2 (2: 614-5#9/897); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of i sti sqā’ (3:165-6); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of s al āt (prayer) 1:304-5 (#1174); Ahm ad bin Ham bal, Mus nad (3: 271); Abū Ya‘ l ā, Mus nad (6: 82#3334); Ibn Khuzaym ah, as -Sahīh (3:145-6#1789); B ayhaqī, as -Sunan-ul -kubr ā (3: 353-4, 356, 357) and Dalā’il -un-nubuww ah (6: 140); Baghawī, Sharhus -s unnah (4:415-6#1168); and Ibn Kathī r i n al -Bi dāyah w an-nihāyah (4: 474).

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Amī r Hamzah ¾ the re mover of trou bles ‘ Abdullāh bin M a s‘ ūd say s that the ho ly Prophet ( ) c rie d so bitterly ov er the martyr dom of his unc le Ham zah in the battle of Uh ud as he h a d n ever cr ie d before . He say s that he p lac e d h is coff in in the direct ion of qib lah an d bur st into tear s until he starte d hicc uppin g. T hen he a ddre sse d Hamz ah an d said: O Hamzah! O the un cle of the Me ssenge r o f A llāh ! O Allāh’ s lion! O lion o f the Messenge r o f A llāh! O Hamzah! O doe r of good de eds! O remove r o f troub le s! O pro te cto r o f th e radian t fa ce o f the Me ssenge r o f A llāh! 1 T he use of the colloc ation yā kā sh if al- kurubā t (O r emover of tro uble s) in this tra dit ion for a de a d man de serve s o ur sp ecial attention. T he artic ulation of the se wo r ds not only va lidate s the act of be see chin g the he lp of the sa ints, but it also v alidate s the a ct o f he lp by th e sa ints in r espon se to th e p etitioner ’s app eal. It also in dicate s that it is quite consistent with tr ue I slam ic be lief that the pe rson who se he lp is be in g so ught sho uld a lso he lp the petit ioner. T hat is why he a ddre sse d Am īr Hamz ah a s the ‘r emover of tro uble s.’ Her e the status of Hamz ah a s help er is only der ivative bec a use the rea l h elp er is Allāh Him se lf. T he fa ct that the Prophet () dec lar e d Am īr Hamz ah a s a he lper an d a ddre sse d h im after h is de ath by the wor d “ yā” ( O) cle ar ly in dic ates that the c la ssification of help er into rea l an d de riv ative is quite le ga l; other wise it wo uld hav e be en incompat ible with the Prophet’s act.

Yā Muh ammadāh ¾ Battle-cry of the C ompanions Im ām I bn Kathīr say s that on the occ a sion of the battle of Yamām ah, yā Muhammadāh ( O M uh amma d, h elp us) wa s 1.

Qast all ānī rel at ed it in al -Mawāhib-ul -l aduni yyah (2: 104); and Zurqānī i n his C ommentar y (4: 470).

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the battle-cry of the M uslims. He a dds th at durin g the wa r, Kh ālid bin a l-Wa līd p icke d up the fla g, an d pa ssin g thro ugh the army po sition s, set o ut to war ds the mo untain of M usaylimah , the Lia r. He wa ite d there for h im to t urn up so that he co uld kill him . T hen he ret urne d an d, st an din g bet we en the t wo arm ie s, h e sho ute d: I am the son o f a l- Walīd. I am th e son o f ‘Āmir and Zayd . I bn Kathīr f urther a dds: Then he raised the battle-c ry curren t among th e Muslims, wh ich wa s ‘yā M uh amma dāh’ ( O Muhammad, he lp u s).1 In th is tr a dit ion the M uslim s are re lyin g on the Prophet’ s mean s an d c allin g h im for he lp, an d the M uslim s who ar e committin g this a ct a re the Compan ion s. T hus to call the Proph et  for he lp an d r ely on his me an s was a p ractice o f the Compan ion s.

Appe al to the hol y Prophet  for forgi veness

Allāh h as hono ure d th e Ho ly Prophet  with the h ighe st stat us amon g His cre atur e s. App ea l to h im an d interme diation thro ugh h is per son wa s va lid durin g his e arthly existen ce an d it is e qua lly va lid after his death. T he t wo pha se s of h is existenc e do not mo dify in any sen se th e qua lity o f app ea l to an d interm e diation thro ugh h im an d ther e is no le gal an d r ationa l ar gum ent that m ilitates a ga in st their v alidity after h is de ath. We sho uld not a lso br ush a side the f act that the co rrect be lief doe s not elevate the inte rme diar ie s to the leve l of Allāh’ s partner s. T hey e ssentially rem ain His cre ature s, an d it is in f act a de ep r ea lisation of the ir cre ature ly status that ha s prompte d th e Cre ator to ra ise them to the super lativ e de gree of ex ce llence amon g His cre ature s. 1.

Ibn Kathīr, al -Bidāyah wan-nihāyah (5: 30).

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T herefor e, ho w c an tho se, who claim to be the h um ble serv ants of the Lor d, ever a sp ire to be His partner s or r iva ls? T h us they ar e n either Allāh’ s p artner s no r His e quals. Allāh ha s no riv al or pa rtner. He is un ique in ev ery r esp ect, both in term s o f His per sona lity an d the attribute s that defin e His p er sona lity. No proph et or sa int, dea d or a liv e, can be His partner bec a use He a lone ha s the po wer to gr ant or turn do wn o ur petition s. T hus in a ll form s of app ea l for h elp an d interme diation, the inter me diary h imself acts as a h um ble serv ant of the Lor d an d he r elie s on the divine mercy a s m uch a s the p etitioner do e s. In no sen se what soev er he tr eat s him self a s His e qua l. As a matter of fact, h is he lp is bein g so ught be ca use h is status a s an interme diary o we s to the divin e f avo ur. Allāh says: ( O b elo ved!) And if th ey had come to you , when th ey had wrong ed their sou ls, and a sk ed fo rg iven e ss of A llāh, and the Me ssenge r also had a sk ed fo rgivene ss fo r them, the y (on th e ba sis o f this means and inte rce ssion) would ha ve su re ly found Allāh the Gran te r o f repen tance , e xtreme ly Me rc ifu l.1 T o r e strict the ef ficacy an d oper ationa l ran ge of this ve rse to the e arthly existenc e of the Holy Prophet , a s so me p eople believ e, is to in dulge in exe getica l m isapplic ation an d re fle cts the ir un a waren ess an d la ck of un de rstan din g. Both the ex e gete s an d the tr a dition ists con sider interme diat ion through an d app ea l to the ho ly Prophet  a s va lid acts whether they were done in his e arthly existenc e or after h is de ath. I bn Kathīr comm ents on the Qur’ ānic ve rse: (In th is Qu r’ān ic ve rse ) A llāh is e xho rting the sinne rs and ev ildoe rs tha t when they commit sin s and erro rs th ey 1.

Qur’ ān (an-Ni sā’, W om en) 4:64.

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should ca ll on the Me ssenge r of A llāh  and a sk fo rgivene ss from A llāh . Th ey should a lso requ est the Me sseng er o f A llāh  to p ray fo r them. When the y do so, A llāh will tu rn to th em and sho w mercy to th em and He will fo rg iv e th em. Tha t is why He u sed the wo rds la- wa ja dullāha ta wwā b- ar-r ahīm ā ( the y (on the ba sis o f this means and in te rce ssion) would ha ve su re ly found A llāh the Gran te r o f rep entanc e, e xtreme ly Me rc ifu l). Many hav e stated this tradition. One of th em is Abū Man sū r as-Sabbāgh who writes the famous na rra tion in h is boo k tha t, ac co rding to ‘Utbī, onc e h e wa s sitting be side the P roph et’ s g rav e when a bedou in came and he sa id: ‘Pea ce b e on you, O A llāh’ s Me sseng er! I have h ea rd tha t Allāh say s, “( O b elo ved!) And if th ey had come to you , when th ey had wrong ed their sou ls, and a sk ed fo rg iven e ss of A llāh, and the Me ssenge r also had a sk ed fo rgivene ss fo r them, the y (on th e ba sis o f this means and inte rce ssion) would ha ve su re ly found Allāh the Gran te r o f repen tance , e xtreme ly Me rc ifu l. ” I have come to you, a sk ing forg iv ene ss fo r my sin s and I make you a s inte rce ssor be fore my Lo rd and I have come to you fo r th is purpo se.’ Th en he re cited the se v erses: ‘O, the most exa lted among the buried p eople who imp roved the worth o f the p lain s and the h illock s! May I sac rifice my life fo r this g rave wh ich is made rad iant by you, (th e Proph et,) the one who is (an embodiment of) me rcy and forg iv ene ss.’ Then th e b edouin went a way and I fe ll a sleep . In my dream I saw the Ho ly Proph et . He sa id to me: ‘O

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‘ Utb ī, th e b edouin is righ t, go and g ive him the good n ews that Allāh ha s fo rg iv en his sin s. ’ 1 We com e to le arn from the wo r ds jā ’ūka fastaghfa ru llāha o f the Qur’ ānic ver se that sinn er s an d wr on g- doer s sho uld a sk Allāh ’s for given ess through the me an s of the Ho ly Prophet  wh ile the wor ds wa stagh fa ra lahum-u r- ra sūlu f urnish a p roof of his interce ssion. In la wa jadullāha tawwāb-a r- rah īmā the proof o f interm e diation is em be dde d in a pre con dition : se ek for giv ene ss through the m ean s of the M essen ger  an d it is c le ar wh en the Me ssen ge r  a sk e d for givene ss for h is fo llo wer, the act of interme diation t urne d into an a ct of interc ession an d thro ugh inter ce ssion the grant of for givene ss itse lf be come s a me ans of for given e ss. So me peop le treat mean s an d inte rce ssion as t wo differ ent thin gs. T here fore, it sho uld be note d that when the Prophet  is elevate d to the off ic e of interc ession, he can c la im it a s h is right wh ile th is v ery a ct serv e s a s a me an s in favo ur of h is follo wer. T he happ enin g of the be do uin h as be en r ecor de d by the fo llo win g: 1. Bayh a qī in Shu‘ab -ul- īmān (3:495-6#4178 ). 2. I bn Qudām ah in al- Mughn ī (3 :557). 3. Na wa wī in al- Adhkā r (pp. 92-3). 4. I bn ‘Asāk ir in Tahdhīb tā rīkh Dimashq al- kabīr pop ular ly kno wn as Tā rīkh/Tahdh īb Ibn ‘A sāk ir a s quote d by Subkī in Shifā’-u s- siqām fī ziyāra t kha y r-il-anām (pp. 46 -7). 5. I bn Ha ja r Haythamī in a l-Ja wha r-ul-munazzam (p.51 ). Be side s, all scho lar s o f rep ute have de scr ibe d in the ir book s, in chapter s on ‘visitin g the tom b of the ho ly M essen ger ’ or ‘the rit ua ls of ha jj,’ ‘Ut bī’s tra dition 1.

Ibn Kathīr, T af sīr -ul -Qur ’ān al -‘az īm (1: 519-20).

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that the v illa ger v isite d th e tom b of the M essen ger  to a sk fo r for givene ss. In a ddition, Imām Qurtubī in h is famo us exe gesis a lJāmi‘ li-ahkām-il-Qu r’ān (5 :265-6) h as r elate d another happ enin g sim ila r to ‘Ut bī’s tra dition . He say s: “Abū Sādiq ha s repo rted it from ‘ Alī. A v illage r came to see u s th ree day s afte r the bu ria l o f th e Ho ly P roph et . He p laced him se lf nea r the P rophe t’ s g rav e, sp rin kled its earth o ve r h is bod y and sa id: ‘ O Me ssenge r o f A llāh, you said and we hav e h eard from you. You rec eived commands from A llāh and we rec eived commands from you , and one of th e se d ivin e commands is wa la w annahum idh zalamū an fusahum. I t is true tha t I ha ve wronged my self, the re fo re, you shou ld p ray for my fo rgiven ess.’ (In re spon se to the v illage r’ s act of implo ring) h e wa s called ou t from the g rav e: ‘the re is no doub t tha t you have been fo rg iven .’” M uh amma d bin ‘ Ala wī al-Mā lik ī ha s repro duce d the se t wo oc c urren ce s in his book Mafāh īm yajib an tu sahhah (pp.157 -8) an d then of fere d a sizz lin g r evie w which is quite r elevant to o ur context. He write s, “T his episo de ha s be en rep ro duce d by Imām Na wa wī in the sixth ch apter of h is famo us book a l-Īdāh, Abū al-Fara j bin Qudāmah in his book a sh-Sha rh-ul-kab īr an d Man sūr bin Yūn us a l- Buh ūtī in his book Ka sh shāf-ul-q inā‘ which is a pop ular book in Ham ba lī school of tho ught.” M uh amma d bin ‘Ala wī al- Mālik ī expre sse s in his r evie w an am biva lent attitude to war ds the tra dition s. He sa id: ‘I cannot po sitiv ely ce rtify the ir a uthent icity, but in spite of the ir la ck of certa inty, mo st of the tr a dition ists hav e re lie d on the ir c re dibility. We may on ly a sk if the se he avy we ights (tra dit ionists an d exe gete s) h ave r epro duce d disbe lief an d in fidelity, o r they h ave

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r epro duce d som ethin g that tempts p eople to war ds ido latry or worsh ip of the grav e s? If (m ay Go d for bid) this happ en s, then it wo uld become a lmo st impossible to sort o ut the gen uin e book s from the sp ur io us on es, lea din g to unman a ge a ble ch aos an d conf usion.’

Appe al to the Prophe t  for rain duri ng ‘Umar’s tenu re M ālik a d-Dā r ha s r elate d: The p eople we re g ripp ed b y famine du ring th e tenu re of ‘Uma r (b in a lKhattāb). Then a Companion walked up to the P rophe t’ s g ra ve and sa id, “O Me ssenge r o f A llāh , please a sk fo r ra in ( from A llāh ) fo r your Community who is in d ire stra its. ” Th en the Companion sa w the P rophe t  in a dream. The P rophe t said to h im, “Go o ve r to ‘ Umar, give him my regard s and te ll him that th e rain will come to you . And tell ‘ Umar that h e should b e on h is toe s, he should b e on h is toe s, (h e shou ld remain a le rt) .” Then the Companion wen t ov er to se e ‘Uma r and pa ssed on to him the tid ing s. On h earing th is, ‘Umar b rok e into a spurt o f c rying . He said , “O Allāh, I ex e rt my self to the fu ll until I am comple te ly e xhau sted .”1 1.

R el at ed by Ibn Abī S haybah in al -Musannaf (12: 312#12051); B ayhaqī, Dal ā’il -un-nubuww ah (7:47); Ibn ‘ Abd-ul -B arr, al -Ist ī‘āb fī ma‘ri fat-il -ashāb (2: 464); S ubkī, Shi fā’-us-si qām f ī z i yār at khayr -il -anām (p.130); ‘ Al ī al Hi ndī, K anz -ul - ‘ummāl (8: 431#23535); and Abū Ya‘l ā Khal īl bin ‘ Abdull āh Khalī lī Qazwīnī in Kit āb-ul -ir shād fī ma‘r if at ‘ulamā’-i l -hadī th (1: 313-4), as quot ed by M ahm ūd S a‘ī d M am dūh in Raf ‘-ul -mi nārah (p.262).

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I bn T aymiyyah ha s en dor se d it s a uthentic ity in his book Iq tidā ’-us-sirāt- il-mustaqīm mukhālifa t a shāb-iljahīm (p.373) . I bn Kathīr h a s conf irm e d the so un dne ss of it s cha in o f tran sm ission in al- Bidāyah wan-n ihāyah (5 :167). I bn Abī Khaythamah n arrate d it with the same ch ain of tran sm ission a s quote d by ‘Asqa lān ī in a l-I sābah fī tamy īz-is- sahābah (3 :484), wh ile the latter write s in Fa th-ul-bārī (2:495 -6): “ I bn Abī Shay bah tran sm itted it with a so un d cha in of t ran smission an d Say f bin ‘Um ar T amīm ī ha s re cor de d it in al- Futūh-u l-kab īr that the dr eame r was a Comp anion kno wn a s Bilāl bin al-Hā rith a lM uzan ī.” Qa stallān ī ha s r emark e d in a l- Ma wāhib-u lladuniy yah (4 :276) that I bn Abī Shay bah h a s narr ate d it with a so un d cha in o f tran sm ission while Z ur qānī ha s supporte d Qa stallān ī in his Commenta ry (11:150-1) . It is quite surpr isin g that som e p eople hav e tr ie d to dub ev en this so un dly tran sm itted tra dition a s we ak an d, there fore, lack in g the sin e ws to fa ce a r igoro usly pro bin g an aly sis, though this is far f rom the truth, they h ave ma rsh alle d in the ir f avo ur the follo win g o bjection s: First obje ction: One of its na rrator s is A‘ma sh who is a do uble-cro ssin g impo stor (mudallis). Re ply: T hough A‘ma sh is an impo stor, h is tra dition is pop ular for t wo rea son s whether its so un dn e ss is prov e d or not: 1. A‘ma sh is r e gar de d a s a secon d- gr a de impostor, an d th is is a cla ss of impo stors from who m o ur re ligio us lea de rs recor de d tra ditions in their a uthentic book s. T herefo re, it is prov e d that this tra dition n arrate d by A‘m a sh is ac cepte d. 2. If we ac cept this tra dition on ly on the basis of it s tran sm ission by A‘ ma sh, a s is th e pr actice in the c ase of thir d- gra de o r even lo wer- gr a de impostor s, even then the tra dition by A‘m a sh is like ly to r etain its pop ula rity a s h e ha s copie d it from Abū Sālih Dh aka wān Sammān. Imām Dh aha bī comment s: ‘ when A‘m ash be gin s a tra dition with the wor d ‘an (fro m; thro ugh) th ere is

T he Meani ng of Appeal t o t he Pr ophet ()

a po ssibility of impost ure an d de ception. But if he r elate s it f rom h is e lder s like I brāh īm, I bn Abī Wā’ il, Abū Sā lih Sa mmān, etc., th en it is pr e sume d to po sse ss so un d linka ge (ittisāl).’ 1 In a ddition, I mām Dh aha bī ha s a lso de scr ibe d h im a s tr ust worthy (th iqah). Se cond o bje ction: Albānī in h is book a t- Ta wassu l, ahkāmuhū wa an wa‘uhū o bserve s, “ I do not a ckno wle dge it a uthentic be ca use the cre dibility an d memory of Mā lik a d-Dār is not kno wn an d the se are th e t wo ba sic cr iteria for any a uthentic na rrator of tr a dition s. I bn Abī Hātim Rāz ī in Kitābu l-ja rh wa t- ta‘dīl [8 :213(4 /1/213)] , while disc ussin g Mā lik a d-Dār, h as not mention e d any na rrator exc ept Abū Sālih who ha s ac cepte d any tra dition from h im, wh ich sho ws that he is unkno wn . It is also supporte d by the fa ct that I bn Abī Hātim Rā zī, who h im self wa s a lea din g figure of I slam an d a m emor iser of tra dition s, h as not ment ione d anyone of them who h a s prono un ce d h im tr ust worthy (th iqah). Sim ilarly M un dh irī ha s r emark e d that h e doe s not kno w him while Haythamī in h is Majma‘-u z- za wā’id , h as supporte d h is o bservation …” Re ply: T his o bjection is r ef ute d by th e bio graph ica l deta ils wh ich I bn Sa‘ d ha s f urnish e d while disc ussin g h im amon g the se con d- gra de Me dinan Suc c e ssor s: ‘M ālik a d- Dār wa s a slav e fr ee d by ‘ Umar bin al-Khattā b. He reporte d tr a dition s from Abū Bak r a s- Siddīq an d ‘ Uma r, an d Abū Sālih Sa mmān r eporte d tra dition s from h im. He wa s kno wn .’ 2 In a ddition, this o bjection is also can ce lle d by Kh alīlī’ s ( d.446 AH ) comm ent on M āik a d- Dār : 1. 2.

Dhahabī, Mī zān-ul -i‘tidāl (2:224). Ibn S ā‘d, at -Tabaqāt-ul -kubr ā (5: 12).

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‘M ālik a d- Dār’ s trust worthin e ss an d re lia bility is gen era lly a ccepte d an d th e gro up of Suc ce sso rs ha s e ulo gise d him.’ 1 Be side s, the bio graph ic al sk etch provide d by ‘ Asqalānī also serve s to ne utr alise this o bje ction: “ Mā lik bin ‘Iyā d, a slav e fr ee d by ‘Um ar, wa s kno wn a s Mā lik a d- Dār . He ha d seen the Ho ly Prophet  an d hear d tra dition s f rom Abū Bakr. He ha s tak en tra dition s from Abū Bakr a s- Siddīq ‘ Umar Fār ūq , M u‘ā dh an d Abū ‘Ubay dah, an d Abū Samm ān an d the t wo son s of this (M ālik a dDār) ¾ ‘ Awn an d ‘Abdullāh ¾ hav e taken tra dition s from h im. “ An d Imām Bukhār ī in a t- Tārīkh -ul- kabīr [7 :304-5 (4/1 /304-5)] , thro ugh r efer ence to Abū Sā lih, ha s ackno wle dge d a tr a dit ion from him that ‘ Umar is reporte d to hav e sa id durin g the p erio d of f amin e: ‘I do not shirk re spon sibility but I m ay be ma de mor e h um ble.’ “ I bn Abī Khaytham ah ha s repro duce d a lon g tra dition alon g with the se wo r ds ( wh ich we a re disc ussin g), .. . an d I hav e copie d a tra dition na rrate d by ‘Abd- ur- Rahm ān bin Sa ‘ īd bin Yar bū‘ M akhz ūm ī with ref erenc e to Mā lik a d- Dār, in Fa wā’ id Dā wūd b in ‘ Umar an d ad -Dab ī co mpile d by Ba gha wī. Mā lik a d-Dā r sa id that one day ‘Um ar c alle d him. He ha d a go ld wallet in h is han d, wh ich ha d fo ur h un dr e d dinar s in it. He comm an de d h im to take it to Abū ‘Ubay dah, an d then he na rrate d the r ema inin g part of the h appen in g. “ I bn Sa‘ d ha s p lac e d Mālik a d-Dār in the f irst gro up of Suc ce ssor s amon g the native s of Me dina an d h a s aver re d that h e ha s taken tra dition s from 1.

Abū Yā‘l ā Khal īl bin ‘Abdull āh Khalī lī Qazwī nī, Ki tāb-ul i rs hād fī ma‘rif at ‘ulamā’-i l -hadī th, as quot ed by ‘ Abdul l āh bin M uham m ad bi n Siddī q al -Ghum ārī i n Ir ghām-ul mubt adī al -ghabī bi -j awāz-it -t awass ul bi an-nabī (p.9).

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Abū Bakr a s- Siddīq an d ‘Umar, an d he wa s kno wn. Abū ‘Ubay dah h as a sserte d that ‘ Umar ha d appo inte d him the guar dian of his f amily. When ‘ Uthmān wa s e lev ate d to the office of the c aliph, he appo inte d him a s the m in ister of f inan ce, an d that is ho w he cam e to be kno wn a s Mā lik a d-Dār (the m a ster of the ho use). “ Ism ā‘īl Qā dī h as r eporte d it from ‘Alī bin M a dīn ī that Mā lik a d-Dār wa s the trea sur er of ‘ Umar. ”1 I bn Hibbān h a s atteste d to the tr ust worthine ss an d c re dibility of Mā lik a d- Dār in Kitāb -uth- thiqā t (5 :384).2 No w if M un dhir ī an d Haytham ī in sist that they do not kno w M ālik a d-Dār, it m ean s that they h ave not asse rte d anythin g a bo ut his cr e dibility or lack of cre dibility. Ho wev er there are tra dition ist s of gr eat rep ute like Imām Bukhār ī, I bn Sa ‘ d, ‘Alī bin M a dīn ī, I bn Hibbān an d ‘Asqa lān ī who kno w h im. ‘ Asqalānī ha s ev en mentione d h im in Tahdhīb-u ttahdhīb (7:226 ; 8:217 ). It is sho ckin g to le arn that Albān ī giv es weight to the opin ion of those who do not kno w M ālik a dDār an d pr efer s them to those who kno w h im. Albān ī ha s disc ar de d the tra dition s of M ālik bin ‘Iy ā d who wa s pop ular ly kno wn by the tit le “ a dDār” wh ile the gr eat Compan ion s appointe d him a s their m inister be ca use they re lie d on his tr ust worthine ss. He wa s even giv en the po rtfolio of f inanc e min iste r — an o ffice that re quir es hone sty, integrity an d a h uge sen se of re spon sibility. On the contra ry, Albānī give s cre dence to the tra dition s of those who en joye d a m uch lo wer stat us than Mālik 1. 2.

‘ Asqal ānī, al -Is ābah f ī t amyī z -is -sahābah (3: 484-5). M ahm ūd S a‘ īd M amdūh, Raf ‘-ul-mi nārah (p.266). Ibn Haj ar ‘ As qal ānī also m enti oned in his Tahdhī b-ut -t ahdhīb (7:226; 8: 217).

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a d-Dā r. T he fo llo win g ex ample s support my contention : 1. He ha s prono un ce d Yahy ā bin ‘Uryān Ha ra wī a s hasan (fa ir) in S ilsila t-u l-ahādīth- is-sah īhah (1 :49). His ar gument is ba se d on the statement ma de by Khatīb Ba gh dā dī in Tā rīkh Baghdad (14 :161) in wh ich h e dec lar es Yahyā bin ‘Uryān Hara wī a s a tra dition ist of Ba gh da d. T his statement is quite tran spar ent. Khatīb Ba gh dā dī ha s a r gue d ne ither in f avo ur of nor a gain st Yahyā bin ‘Ury ān Hara wī. His stanc e is ne utra l, a s he ha s not trie d to e sta blish the stature of h is narr ation s. He ha s not la be lle d them a s a uthentic or in a uthentic. In sp ite of his post ure of ne utra lity, it is quite surpr isin g that Albānī ha s c alle d him fair (ha san). 2. Abū Sa‘ īd Ghif ārī ha s a lso be en prono un ce d a f air n arrator in S ilsila t-u l-ahādīth- is-sah īhah (2 :298). After statin g that h e is no lon ger unkno wn be ca use t wo n arrator s hav e ackno wle dge d tra dition s from h im, he wr ites, “ So he is a Suc c e ssor . A gro up o f tho se who hav e comm itted the tra dit ions to memory h ave ve rif ie d the a uthenticity of his narr ation s. T herefor e, ‘Ir ā qī ha s de clare d the narr ation s attribute d to h im a s a uthentic (isnāduhū jay yid), an d there is no h arm in it. T his gave me a sen se of satisfa ction an d I felt de eply contente d.” T he que stion is why ha s he tr ie d to discrim inate bet we en Abū Sa‘ īd Gh ifār ī an d Mālik a d-Dā r? 3. Sā lih bin Kha wwāt h a s a lso be en prono un ce d c re dible in S ilsila t-ul-ahād īth-is- sah īhah (2 :436) be ca use a gro up of peop le h as re lie d on his tra dition s, an d I bn Hibbān h a s ment ione d h im in Kitāb-u th-th iqā t. While , a ccor din g to o ur re search , ‘ Asqalānī ha s de scribe d him a s an a cc eptable n arr ator in Taqrīb-

T he Meani ng of Appeal t o t he Pr ophet ()

u t-tahdh īb (1:359) an d ha s a lso state d that he be lon ge d to the eighth c atego ry of Succ e sso rs. If an eighth- gr a de na rrator is bein g describe d a s c re dible , wh at just ification is there to prono unc e a f ir st-gra de Suc ce ssor as in cre dible? T he discrim inat ion seem s to be roote d more in pr ejudice than re a son. T herefor e, the silence of I bn Abī Hātim Rāz ī is ha r dly an ar gument a ga in st the unkno wn stature of M ālik a d-Dā r be ca use his silence is ba se d on lack of ev idenc e a bo ut the nar rator. T h us th e a bsence of ev iden ce an d rea son in g doe s not ref le ct the unkno win gne ss of th e na rrator, wh ich h is silen ce ne ither exp la in s nor in dic ate s to war ds any def inite interpretation . On the contrary , it oppo se s any attempt to e sta blish the unkno win gne ss of the na rrator. T her e ar e a n um ber of n arrator s a bo ut who m I bn Abī Hātim Rā zī h as rema ine d silent tho ugh other scho lar s h ave ar gue d a bo ut them an d the book s on tra dition an d relate d issue s a re r iddle d with sim ilar ex ample s. Thir d o bje ction: T here is a susp ic ion of discontin uan ce bet we en Abū Sā lih Dh aka wān Sa mmān an d Mā lik a d-Dār. Re ply : T his suspicion is a fa llacy, a s it h as no ba sis in r eality. In its r ejection, it is suff ic ient to say that Abū Sā lih like M ālik a d- Dār was a n ative of M e din a an d he ha s r eporte d tra dition s f rom the Compan ion s. T herefo re, he is not an impo stor an d a fr a ud. It m ay also be note d that on ly contempo rane ity is an a de quate gua rantee for the conn ection of tran sm ission a s Im ām M uslim ha s ment ione d the con sen sus on it in the Pr eam ble (muqaddimah) of h is a s-Sah īh. Fourth obje ction: T here is no justif ic ation fo r the so un dne ss of this tr a dition bec a use it entire ly dep en ds upon a per son whose nam e ha s not been spe lle d o ut. On ly in the tra dition n arrate d by Sayf

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bin ‘Um ar T amīm ī, h e ha s be en nam e d Bilā l an d Sa yf h a s de clare d h im as a weak narr ator. Re ply : T his o bjection is also gro un dle ss, bec a use justification do es not depen d on Bilāl but on ‘ Umar bin a l-Kh attāb’ s a ct. He did not prevent Bilā l from p erform in g h is a ct; on th e contrary, he a ckno wle dge d it. He rather h im se lf cr ie d an d said: ‘my Creator, I do not sh irk r espon sibility but I may be ma de mo re h um ble.’ T herefor e the per son v isitin g the grav e, whethe r h e is a Compan ion or a Suc c e ssor , do es not aff ect the so un dn ess of the tra dition. T he gist of the disc ussion is that the tra dition re late d by Mā lik a d-Dār is so un d, a s I hav e state d in the ear lier pa rt of my expo sition . M uh amma d bin ‘Ala wī a l-Mā lik ī wr ite s: “All those peop le who ha ve made re fe ren ce to th is trad ition or narra ted it o r rep roduc ed it in th eir book s ha ve ne ve r labelled it d isbe lief o r in fid elity. They ha ve no t que stioned the sub stance o f the trad ition and it has b een mentioned by a scho la rly pe rson of high le ve l lik e Ibn Ha ja r ‘A sqa lānī who ha s con firmed it a s a soundly transmitted tradition . The re fo re his con firmation n eed s no apo logy in v ie w o f h is h ighly distingu ish ed sta ture among the had īth- scho la rs.”1 T his tra dit ion e sta blishe s the follo win g pr inc iples: 1. Visitin g gr ave s with the intention of me diation an d se ekin g h elp . 2. It is va lid to v isit the gr ave of a p io us dea d per son dur in g the pe rio d of one’ s tria ls an d tribulation s to 1.

M uhamm ad bi n ‘Al awī al-M āli kī, Mafāhī m yaj ib an t us ahhah (p. 151).

T he Meani ng of Appeal t o t he Pr ophet ()

se ek he lp from him bec a use if this a ct we re invalid, ‘ Umar wo uld sure ly hav e for bidden that pe rson to do so . 3. T he Prophet’ s appea ranc e in the dre am o f the pe rson who v isite d h is gr ave an d to giv e him goo d tidin gs, ar gues in f avo ur of the f act that it is quite va lid to se ek help from non-Allāh an d the dea d be ca use if it were inva lid, it wo uld have been impossible for the Proph et  not to h ave for bidden that per son to do so. 4. Va lidation of the mo de of a ddre ss “ O Me ssen ge r of Allāh (yā ra sūl A llāh)” ev en after the M essen ger’ s de ath. 5. Ca ll for h elp an d th e a ct of interme diation date s ba ck to the e arly a ges. 6. T he ho ly per sona lity of the Prophet  is a fo unta in of guidan ce even after h is de ath. 7. T he hea d of the state is r espon sible for a dm in istrat ive m atters. T he Ho ly Proph et, in spite of be in g the ch ief o f prophet s, did not br eak the state chann el an d, a s a visible demon stration of h is sen se of discip line, he comman de d the man v isitin g h is grav e to see the he a d of the state. 8. T he man visitin g the grave implo re d his he lp thro ugh the instr um entality o f the Ummah. T his sho ws the Prophet’ s im mea sur a ble lov e for the Comm un ity of his fo llo we rs. 9. Just ification for m akin g th e Ummah as a so urce for se ekin g h is he lp. 10. Just ification fo r mak in g non-prophet a m ean s of he lp in the pr e senc e of the Prophet . 11. Anyon e who stren gthens his link with the Ho ly Prophet  is r e war de d by h is sight an d is sho were d with h is ble ssin gs. 12. T he Ho ly Proph et , even afte r his death, is a war e of the we akne ss of h is Ummah or anyone of it s r ulers an d he issue s diff erent comman ds for r emovin g the se fla ws.

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13. T o seek guidan ce f rom Allāh’ s f avo urite s. 14. T he a ckno wle dgement of th e Prophet’ s comman ds by the Compan ions after h is death a s just an d tr uthful. 15. Impo sition of comman ds rec eiv e d in dre ams on other s. 16. When interm e diation wa s disc usse d in the pre sen ce of ‘ Uma r bin al-Khattā b, h e did not fo r bid it; r ather he cr ie d an d r espon de d to it ackno wle dgin g it a s va lid. 17. ‘ Umar bin al- Khattā b’ s love fo r the Ho ly Prophet that h e in ce ssantly crie d a s som eone ment ione d the Holy Prophet .

Appe al to the Prophet ( ) du rin g ‘Uth mān ’s ten ure T he f amo us tra dition n arr ate d by ‘Uthmān bin Hun ayf with r efer ence to th e Prophet’ s life wa s disc usse d in detail in wh ich a blin d m an submitte d his petit ion to the Ho ly Prophet  an d his ey e sight was re store d thro ugh his me an s. No w we wo uld like to exp la in that this mo de wa s not conf ine d to his lif e on earth alon e, but the Compan ion s re lie d on it even a fter his death. It is cle ar from T a bar ānī’ s tra dition that a pe rson v isite d ‘Uthmān bin ‘ Affān on a per sona l erran d. ‘ Uthmān bin ‘Aff ān not on ly wa s in differ ent to h im but also turn e d a deaf e ar to h is ne e d. T hat per son met ‘Uthmān bin Hun ayf an d lo dge d h is complaint a ga in st it. ‘ Uthmān bin Hun ayf sa id to him : ‘f etch an e arthen pot an d perfor m the a blution , then go to the mo sque an d of fer t wo cyc le s o f pray er an d say : O A llāh, I be seech you and submit my se lf to you th rough the med ia tion o f ou r P rophe t Muhammad , a me rc ifu l P rophe t. O Muhammad! I submit to my Lord through you r means so tha t He shou ld fulfil my ne ed.

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An d then m ention yo ur n ee d.’ T he man went a way an d he did a s he wa s to ld to do. L ater when h e arr ive d at ‘ Uthmān bin ‘Aff ān’ s door , the porter c a ught him by his han d an d took h im to ‘Uthmān bin ‘ Affān who m a de h im sit be side h im on the m at an d a ske d h im : ‘ wh at is yo ur ne e d?’ He m entione d the n ee d an d the ca liph f ulfille d his ne e d an d sa id to h im: ‘ why haven ’t yo u ment ione d yo ur ne e d so fa r?’ He told h im f urther: ‘ do com e to me wh enev er yo u hav e a p ro blem?’ When the m an left his p lac e, he met ‘Uthmān bin Hun ayf an d said to him: ‘ May Go d ble ss yo u! He n either gave any tho ught to my n ee d nor t urne d h is attention to m e until yo u re commen de d me to him .’ ‘ Uthmān bin Hun ayf r eplie d: B y God ! I d id no t talk to h im, but once I wa s in th e company o f th e Me ssenge r o f A llāh  tha t a blind man came ove r to se e h im and compla ined to him abou t the loss of his ey e sigh t. The P rophe t  a sk ed him to b e patien t, but h e said: ‘O Me ssenge r o f Allāh! I don’t ha ve any gu ide and I am in g rea t trouble.’ The P rophe t said: ‘ fe tch an ea rthen po t and p e rfo rm th e ab lution, then offe r two c yc le s of p ray er and implo re A llāh with the se p ray ing wo rd s.’ Then ( ‘Uthmān) b in Huna yf said: ‘By God! We had ne ithe r gone ou t far a way from the m ee ting no r had the con ve rsation among u s stretched ou t tha t the man came to u s a s if h e had n ev er b een b lind. ’ 1

1.

R el at ed by T abarānī i n al -Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (9:31#8311) and al -Mu‘j am-us -s aghīr (1: 183-4); B ayhaqī, Dal ā’il -unnubuww ah (6: 167-8); Mundhi rī, at -Targhī b wat -tarhīb (1:474-6); S ubkī, Shif ā’-us -siqām f ī zi yārat khayr-il -anām (p. 125); Hayt hamī, Majma‘-uz -zaw ā’id (2:279); and Suyūtī

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‘ Uthmān bin Hun ayf taught him the supplic ation that ha d been use d a s the so urc e o f the Prophet’ s he lp an d suc co ur after his death. T he point to be noted is that the pe rson wa s un der the illusion that h is n ee d ha d been f ulfille d on acco unt of ‘Uthmān bin Hunayf’ s r ecommen dation to the ca liph. So ‘Uthmān bin Hun ayf instantly sh e d his illusion an d re late d to him the tra dition he ha d h ear d f rom the Prophet  an d h a d him self p ut to te st to prov e that his n ee d was f ulf ille d beca use h e ha d r elie d on th e me ans of the Proph et  by ca llin g on h im an d seek in g h is he lp. He swor e by Go d an d convin ce d h im that he ha d not re commen de d him to the c aliph but it ha d a ll happ ene d thro ugh the ble ssin g of the Proph et’s me diation . Ibn Taymiyyah’s endorse me nt I bn T aym iyyah h as re late d a story in th e pe rsp ectiv e of this tra dition that I bn Abī Duny ā h as nar rate d a tra dition in his book Mujāb ī ad-du‘ā’ that a p er son cam e over to se e ‘Abd- ul-M alik bin Sa ‘īd bin Abjar . ‘Abd- ul- Malik pr esse d his belly an d told him that he wa s suff erin g from an inc ur a ble disea se . T he man a ske d h im: ‘ what is it?’ ‘ Abd- ul- Ma lik rep lie d that it was a kin d of ulc er that gro ws inside the be lly an d ult imately k ills the man . It is sa id that the patient turn e d ro un d an d then h e sa id: A llāh! A llāh ! A llāh is my Lo rd. I rega rd no one a s His riva l or pa rtn e r. O Allāh! I be seech You and submit my se lf to You through th e med iation o f You r P rophe t Muhammad , the m erciful P rophe t. O Muhammad! Th rough you r mean s I submit my se lf to you r and my Lord tha t He shou ld take mercy on me in my state of illn e ss.

i n al -Khas ā’is -ul -kubrā (2: 201-2). M undhirī graded i t s ahīh (s ound).

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It is said th at ‘Abd- ul-M alik pr e sse d h is be lly a ga in an d sa id: ‘yo u ar e c ure d, yo u ar e no lon ger suffer in g from any dise ase.’ I bn T aymiyyah after re cor din g the who le incident in h is book, comment s: I sa y tha t this and o the r fo rms o f supplica tion ha ve been tak en o ve r from ou r p red ece sso rs.1 T he note worthy po int is that I bn T aymiyy ah h a s also en do rse d it that (1 ) it is an act of o ur pr e de ce sso rs, an d (2) it is quite va lid to r ecov er from dise ase thro ugh this act. P roof of ritualistic assignme nt T he t wo tra dit ions a lso m ake it clear that the p ractice of r itualistic a ssignm ent by the sa intly p eople to other s is a va lid act be ca use this h as been the pr actice of Allāh’ s f avo urite s in the p ast. T he Prophet  ha d not a ske d ‘ Uthmān bin Hunay f, tho ugh, to pa ss it to other peop le.

The Prophet  wiel ds authori ty even after his death So me peop le, on acco unt o f the ir ignoran ce an d p a uc ity of kno wle dge, expre ss the v ie w that the Holy Proph et  a fter h is death wields no a uthority an d he c an n either he ar us nor can he p ray fo r us. May Allāh guar d the be liever s a gain st such a perv er se v ie w! No M uslim with so un d be lief c an eve r conc eiv e such a po ssibility. Appe al to an d interme diation thro ugh the Ho ly Prophet  a re e sta blishe d fact s suppo rte d by evidenc e from the Qur ’ān an d the sunnah an d they are a proof of h is stat ure an d distin ction. T ho se who do not believ e in c allin g him or interme diation thro ugh the Prophet  after h is death do not un de rstan d his exception al stat us.

1.

Ibn Taymi yyah, Qā‘i dah jalīl ah fit -t awass ul w al -wasīl ah (p. 91).

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It is p art of the belief of Ah l- us- Sunn ah wa l- Jamā ‘ah that a dea d per son c an h ear, po sse sse s a waren ess, benef its from the v irt uo us de e ds of the liv in g an d is dist ur be d by their wicke d dee ds. T he point that clamo ur s fo r attention is that this be lief h a s been e sta blishe d through the exp erienc e of an or din ary m an. Wh en an or dinary per son c an exerc ise such po wer, ho w can we po ssibly deny it to the Prophet  who is the mo st supe rior p er son amon g Allāh’ s cre atur es? Var io us a uthentic tra dition s te stify to the r ea lity that the Prophet  is alive ev en afte r his de ath. It so un ds like a par a dox to p erve rse e ars but in his c a se it is a s tr ue a s the da ily sunrise . He returns o ur gr eetin gs, the aff air s of the Umm ah are r eporte d to h im, he a sks for givene ss from Allāh over the evil de e ds of the Ummah an d pra ise s an d glor if ie s Him ov er h er goo d de e ds. It is state d in a n um ber of tr a dition s that on ce M ar wān sa w Abū Ayy ūb a l-An sārī ly in g do wn ove r the Prophet’ s grav e an d a ske d h im wh at h e was doin g. Abū Ayy ūb a l-An sārī gav e a fa ith-fre sh enin g rep ly. T he tra dition is re cor de d belo w: I t is a ttributed to Dā wūd b in Abī Sālih. He say s: ‘on e day Ma rwān came and he sa w tha t a man wa s ly ing do wn with his mouth tu rned clo se to th e P rophe t’ s g rav e. Then he (Ma rwān) sa id to h im, “Do you kno w wha t a re you doing? ” Wh en he mo ved towa rd s him, h e sa w that it wa s Abū A yyūb a l-An sā rī. (In reply) he said, “Ye s, (I kno w) I have come to the Messenge r o f A llāh  and not to a stone. I hav e hea rd it from the Me ssenge r o f God  not to c ry o ve r re lig ion when its guard ian is compe ten t.

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Ye s, sh ed tea rs ove r re lig ion when its gua rdian is incompetent.’ 1 Hākim de clare d th at it f ulf ils the re quir ements of a uthentic tra ditions a s dem an de d by Bukhār ī an d M uslim, wh ile Dhaha bī h as a lso ca lle d it sah īh ( so un d).

Appe al to the Prophet   on the Day of Ju dge ment On the Day of Judgem ent the Ho ly Prophet  will act a s a me ans o f for givene ss for the be liev er s. T he Qur ’ān st ates: O ou r Lo rd! B le ss us with all tha t you hav e p romised u s th rough you r me ssenge rs and do no t humilia te u s on the Day o f Judg ement. Surely You do no t go bac k on Your Wo rd.2 In the light o f this ver se , the div ine promise m a de to a ll the prophet s is her e actin g a s a m ean s. All the re war ds prom ise d to other proph ets c arry spec ia l sign ificanc e for the follo wer s of the Holy Prophet  thro ugh his me an s. On the Day of Judgement, gr ille d by the un be ara ble h eat, the entire mankin d will ra lly ro un d the proph ets but ea ch proph et will te ll th em to mov e on to some othe r prophet until the whole mank in d will rally ro un d the Ho ly Prophet . T he follo win g is an a gre e dupon tra dition :

1.

2.

R el at ed by Ahm ad bin Hambal wit h a s ound chain of t ransmi ss ion i n his Musnad (5: 422); Hākim, al -Must adrak (4:515); Tabarānī, al -Mu‘jam-ul -kabīr (4: 158# 3999), al Mu‘j am-ul -aws at (1:199-200#286; 10:169# 9362); S ubkī, Shi fā’-us-si qām fī zi yārat khayr -il -anām (p.113); Hayt hamī, Majma‘-uz -zaw āi ’d (5:245); ‘Alī al -Hindī in K anz-ul ‘ummāl (6: 88#14967). Qur’ ān (Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 194.

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The Holy Proph et sa id: ‘ wh en it is the Day o f Judgement, peop le, out o f ne rvousn ess, will call on on e ano the r. F irst o f a ll, they will call on Adam  and requ est him to interced e on the ir behalf be fo re Allāh but he will turn down th eir requ est b y say ing tha t today it is beyond his po we r to he lp th em out and he will adv ise them to call on Ib rāhīm  b ecau se h e is the Friend of A llāh. So p eople will ca ll on Ib rāh īm  who will also ex cu se him self by sa ying tha t he is no t in a po sition to he lp them, the re fore, the y shou ld go to Mūsā   be cau se he is A llāh’ s inte rlocu to r. The y will go to Mū sā   and he will a lso e xpress h is inability to he lp them and adv ise them to see ‘Ī sā  be cau se he is th e sou l c rea ted by A llāh and His wo rd. They will go to ‘Ī sā  and he will a lso tell them tha t he is no t able to he lp th em, the re fore, th ey should go to Muhammad  (be cause he is the be lov ed o f God) . So a ll human be ing s will rally round m e and I will tell them: ‘ ye s, ( today) I hold th e o ffic e o f in te rc ession.’ I will seek p ermission from my Lo rd and I will be g ranted the pe rmission. Th en He will insp ire me to p raise and g lo rify Him with su ch p ra ises, wh ich I cannot de sc ribe a t this time. (In sho rt,) I will pra ise and g lorify A llāh with tho se p ra ise s and p ro strate myself be fore Him. Then I will be told: ‘O Muhammad, ra ise you r radian t head , sp eak and you will be hea rd, demand and you will be blessed with it, and inte rcede (on beha lf o f you r peop le ), you r inte rce ssion will b e gran ted .’ So I will imp lore: ‘O Lo rd! My Ummah, my

T he Meani ng of Appeal t o t he Pr ophet ()

Ummah!’ God shall command: ‘go and ta ke h im out of th e He ll, who soe ve r is le ft with faith e ven a s small a s th e g rain of ba rle y.’ So I will go and do so (I will take all such peop le out of He ll). Then I will re tu rn and p raise and g lo rify Him with tho se p raise s and I will p ro stra te myself b efo re Him. So I will be commanded: ‘ O Muhammad, ra ise you r rad ian t head , spea k and you will be hea rd, beg and you will b e b le ssed with it, inte rcede (on b ehalf of you r p eople) and you r inte rce ssion will b e g ranted.’ I will imp lore: ‘O Lo rd! My Ummah, my Ummah!’ I will b e commanded: ‘go and take him out of Hell too, whoso ev er is left with fa ith e ven a s small a s th e tin y g ra in o f ry e.’ So I will go and do so . Then I will re tu rn and p raise and g lorify Him with the same p raise s and I will aga in p ro stra te my se lf b efo re Him. So I will b e commanded, ‘ O Muhammad, ra ise you r rad iant h ead, spea k and you will be h eard , b eg and you will be b le ssed with it and inte rced e (on beha lf o f your peop le) , your in te rce ssion will be g ran ted.’ I will implo re: ‘O Lo rd! My Ummah, my Ummah!’ I will be commanded: ‘go and ta ke him out (o f Hell) who soev e r is le ft with th e tin ie st faith, e ven sma lle r than a g ra in o f rye. Take such a pe rson ou t of He ll.’ Ac co rding ly I will go and do so (I will take them ou t o f He ll). ( Hasan has add ed a fe w more word s to the trad ition narra ted by Ana s. The ho ly P rophe t  sa id:) ‘I will retu rn the fourth time, and I will p ra ise and g lo rify the Lo rd in the same wa y, th en I will p ro strate my se lf b efo re Him. So I will be commanded: ‘O Muhammad, ra ise you r

59

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radian t head, and sp eak, you will b e hea rd, beg and you will b e blessed with it, and inte rcede (on beha lf o f you r peop le ), you r inte rce ssion will b e gran ted .’ At that time I will implo re th e Lo rd tha t I shou ld be a llo wed to tak e ou t a p e rson from He ll who ha s rec ited lā ilāh a illallāh u ( the re is no de ity ex cept A llāh ) e ven once in h is life ( from the co re of his hea rt) . The Lo rd will rep ly, I swea r by My honou r, g lory, g rea tne ss and sup remity that I will libe ra te a pe rson from th e fire o f He ll who ha s e ven onc e rec ited lā ilāha illa llāh u ( the re is no de ity exc ept Allāh).1 T his tra dition h as prove d, witho ut any p artic le of do ubt, that on th e Day of Re surr ection the proc e ss of 1.

R el at ed t hrough di fferent narrators by Bukhārī in his as Sahīh, b.of t awhīd (Is lami c m onotheism ) ch.36 (6: 27278#7072), b. of ī mān (faith) ch.32 (1: 24-5#44), b. of ambi yā’ (prophets ) ch.5, 12 (3:1215-6, 1226#3162,3182), b. of t afs īr (exegesi s of the Qur’ ān) ch.3, 203 (4: 1624-5, 1745-7 # 4206, 4435), b. of ri qāq (s oft eni ng of heart s) ch.51(5:2401# 6197), b. of t awhīd, ch.19,24,37 (6:2695-6, 2708-9, 2730#6975,7002, 7078). Muslim, as -Sahī h, b. of ī mān (fai t h) ch.84 (1: 182-4# 193); Ti rmi dhī, al -Jāmi ‘-us -s ahīh, b. of sif at -ul -qi yāmah (t he des cri pti on of Dooms day) ch. 10 (4:622-4# 2434). Ahm ad bin Ham bal has recorded it in his Musnad (1: 4-5, 281-2; 2:435-6; 3:116, 244,247-8) i n s ix di fferent cont exts t hrough di fferent narrat ors and al l t hes e cont exts are l inked t hrough a sound chain of t rans mis si on. Dārimī narrat ed it i n hi s Sunan (2: 234-5#2807); Abū Dāwūd T ayāl isī, Musnad (pp. 268-9#2010); Abū ‘Awānah, Musnad (1: 171-4, 183-4); Ibn Abī S haybah, al -Musannaf (11: 444-51#11720-1,3); Abū Ya‘l ā, Musand (1: 56-9#59); Ibn Hibbān, as-Sahī h (14: 377-9, 393-7# 6464,6467); B ayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān (1:285-6#308-9); B aghawī, Sharh-us -s unnah(15:157-60#4333); Haythamī in Mawār iduz -z am’ān (pp. 642-3#2589) and Maj ma‘-uz -z awā’id (10: 373-4).

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judgement an d a cco unta bility will be initiate d through the me diation of the Prophet’s pr ayer, pr aise an d glorification of the Lor d. An d on a cco unt of the Prophet’ s m e diation, the p roce ss of acco unta bility will start with his Umm ah so that they do not h ave to stay lon ger than ne ce ssary in the scor chin g heat o f the Day of Resur rect ion. T he Qur’ān ha s a lso exp la ine d in the context of the Day of Judgement: (I t will be the day ) when A llāh will d isg ra ce n eithe r His P roph et no r the peop le who embrac ed fa ith along with him. (On that day ) the ir light (o f fa ith ) will k eep sp rin ting ahead of them and on the ir righ t sid e.1 T he Qur’ān ic ver se sp ells o ut in unm istak a ble term s that Allāh will not h umiliate the follo wer s of the L ast Prophet  thro ugh the mean s of h is blessin g; on the other han d, He will a llo w the m to enter Pa ra dise, with all the glo ry an d sp len do ur a sso ciate d with such an o cca sion. A visible proof of the div ine conce ssion will be the env elop in g light to wh ich they will be entitle d th ro ugh the me an s of Allāh’ s Proph et .

Mutual relation be tween appeal in terme diati on an d inte rcession

for

hel p,

Anothe r point worth notin g in the context of istighāthah is that wh en we ca ll someon e for he lp, it also seem s to support the re lev anc e of the re late d con cept s of interme diation an d interce ssion. T he fo llo win g Qur’ān ic ve rse clear ly link s the thr ee conc epts by explain in g the ir m ut ua lly rein forc in g ro le : ( O b elo ved!) And if th ey had come to you , when th ey had wrong ed their sou ls, and a sk ed fo rg iven e ss of A llāh, and the Me ssenge r also had a sk ed fo rgivene ss fo r 1.

Qur’ ān (at -Tahrī m, P rohi bit ion) 66:8.

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them, the y (on th e ba sis o f this means and inte rce ssion) would ha ve su re ly found Allāh the Gran te r o f repen tance , e xtreme ly Me rc ifu l.1 T his Qur’ ānic ver se clear ly ar gue s in f avo ur of interme diation. It m ean s when peop le hav e committe d sin, an d th ey se ek the m e diat ion of the holy Proph et  in their supplic ation to Allāh an d th e Prophet  also pr ays for the ir for given ess, then th ey will f in d Allāh Compa ssion ate an d Mer cif ul. Fa stagh faru llāh ar gues for interce ssion. When Allāh con don e d their sin thro ugh the interce ssion of the Me ssen ger , it mean s that interce ssion is v alidate d by the Qur’ ānic t ext. An d the thir d con cept of istighāthah is in fa ct a proof of seek in g someon e’ s a ssistanc e. Wh en a man r eturn s to the ho ly Prophet  fo r the for givene ss o f h is sin s, it c lear ly me an s that he is a skin g for h is interc ession: “ O M essen ger of Allāh , I am a sinner . Have m ercy on me an d interc e de for me befor e Allāh so th at He may con done my sins.” T his desir e of the sinne r, in fa ct, amo unts to istighā thah ( se ekin g h elp from other s) while the Prophet’ s re a dine ss to implor e Allāh for the for given ess of h is sin s is interce ssion.

Seek his hel p today T he gist of th e disc ussion is th at it is a f utile ex erc ise to prov e ar gument s a gain st appe al to the Prophet  for he lp an d to e sta blish a uthentic tra dit ions a s weak an d invalid thro ugh self -conco cte d strate gie s Accor din g to the Prophet’ s o wn statement, the ben ef it of h is ble ssin gs is st ill a tan gible r ea lity a s it wa s dur in g his e arthly life ; his de ath ha s not chan ge d this re ality. An d it is f urther r einfor ce d by the tra dition with an impe cca ble ch ain of

1.

Qur’ ān (an-Ni sā’, W om en) 4:64.

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tran smission that on the Day of Judgement, the proc ess of a cco unta bility will be in itiate d on his r ecomm en dation. L et’s briefly spec ulate on the Day of Judgement. T he he at an d warmth will be at its climax . T he peop le will fa ce de ep distress. T h e Lor d will be pr e sent in His cha ir. T he Ho ly Proph et  will a lso hono ur th e gather in g with h is pre sen ce an d all the p rophets will accomp any h im. T he e arlie r be liever s an d the later on es will also form p art of the a udienc e. In this scenar io, wh en these p eople, pr esum in g Adam   a s the first ance stor, will c all on h im an d re quest him to h elp them o ut of the ir trouble , but he will sen d them on to I brāh īm  , who will r efer them to M ūsā  , who will dir ect them to se e ‘Ī sā  an d f ina lly he will sen d a ll of them to th e Prophet M uh amma d, the interce ssor of mankin d. Durin g the who le proc e ss, non e of the hono ur e d proph ets will say : ‘ what disbelief a re yo u pe rpetratin g an d wh at have yo u com e to us for ? Allāh Him se lf is ther e, why don’t yo u go to Him ?’ On the other han d, they will de spatch them willin gly an d exp ectantly to the Ho ly Prophet  so that he may inte rce de on their beh alf befo re Go d. T hus we com e to re alise that appea l for he lp an d interm e diation is a contin uo us pro ce ss, uninterr upte d by the ex igenc ie s of spa ce an d tim e an d una ffecte d by the la ws of phy sica l ex istence , an d on the Day of Judgement a con sen sus amon g the proph ets will em er ge on the con cept ua l an d pr actic al re lev ance of istighāthah . T he subtle point to note is that when the fir st per sona lity in the wor ld of h umanity comm itte d error, he off ere d to the Lor d the me diation of the Ho ly Prophet  an d a s a re sult his er ror wa s con don e d. T he Proph et’s me diation r eliev e d him of the a gony h e h a d been suff erin g from as a conse quen ce of his e rror. Sim ilarly on the Day of Judgem ent wh en life on e arth will come to an en d an d th e p eople will exper ien ce the a gony of wa itin g in un certa in antic ipation of the pro ce ss of a cco unta bility, they will ca ll the ho ly Prophet for h elp an d will be liberate d from the ir tortur e on ly through the mean s of the Holy Prophet .

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It is no w tran spar ent from th ese examp le s that the f irst man in the world of h uman ity wa s re lieve d of his a gony thro ugh the me diation of the Proph et  , an d the wor ld is dra win g to a c lo se an d m ankin d is p assin g thro ugh the tortur e of waitin g in a superh eate d env ironment, they will a lso be r eliev e d of the ir or dea l thro ugh the m ean s of the Prophet  . Fort unate are the p eople who even to day ho ld on to th is be lief an d will a lso witne ss this scenar io on the Day of Judgem ent. All these tra dition s an d proo fs re inforc e the r ea lity of istighā thah an d interme diation an d en dor se th em a s valid r eligio us con cept s, an d not a s f igment s of the fr enz ie d ima gination. If, in sp ite of the se ir ref uta ble in dicator s, someon e still tr ie s to r ef ute them, he is liv in g in a wor ld of fanta sy an d self- fa br icat ion beca use they rema in un supporte d both by ar gument an d pre ce dent.

Chapter 3

Justificatio n of Istighāthah after Death So me p eople, in sp ite of th eir a waren e ss of the in junction s of Qur’ ān an d sunnah an d the pra ctic e of th e Compan ion s, be lieve that it is po ssible to h elp one another in the e arthly wo rld an d therefor e, it is v alid to seek an d exten d he lp, but afte r de ath the cr eat ure h a s no control ov er h is bo dy, so ho w can he lp be so ught from h im? Since it is beyon d h is control to he lp other s, se ekin g he lp from him is a form of disbe lief. T his p ig-he a de dne ss nee ds a t wofo ld ela boration . First of all, it is an e sta blishe d fa ct that the cre ature, whether he is a liv e or re stin g in his grav e, h a s a bso lutely no control ove r h is bo dy in both c ases. T he se po we rs a re on ly con ferr e d on h im by Allāh, which we ex erc ise dur in g o ur wo rldly ex isten ce to han dle a v ariety of m atters. It, in f act, is Allāh ’s ble ssin g on the creat ur e an d, if Allāh de cides to with dra w it from h im dur in g his earth ly lif e, he will be dep riv e d ev en of the cap ac ity to p ull a stra w. So, just as in th is world of ca use- an d-ef fect, Allāh ha s a bso lute control ove r all the po we rs of the c reat ur e, an d yet it is not a kin d of disbelie f to seek he lp f rom h im, sim ilar ly Allāh doe s not con demn it a s disbe lief if someon e se eks he lp f rom another cr eat ure after de ath. Just a s in lif e it is disbelief to r e gar d the cre atur e as the rea l he lper but his h elp can be deriv ative ly invok e d, similar ly it is quite va lid to re gar d the proph ets an d sa ints, a s de rivat ive h elp er s a fter de ath an d to be see ch them for he lp. Disbelief wh ether it is assoc iate d with a liv in g 65

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pe rson or a dea d pe rson r ema in s disbe lief. But to seek he lp from som eone in h is de riv ative cap ac ity wh ether he is dea d or a liv e is quite v alid an d doe s not amo unt to disbelief . I slam do e s not be lieve in do uble stan dar ds that an act is a form of belie f if yo u pe rform it in a mo sque an d it t urn s into disbe lief if yo u perform it in a t emple. I slam ic injunct ions an d the con se quence s that fo llo w f rom them disp lay a con sistent p attern. T hus, if we treat a me dica l exp ert a s the tr ue h elpe r an d se ek h is assistance , it will be con sider e d a form of disbelief. On the other h an d, if we r e gar d Allāh a s the true he lper an d seek the he lp of a v irtuo us p er son a s a form of tre atment, it is quite valid an d is in no way incon sistent with I slamic sha rī‘ah . T he re al p urpose of a man’ s life is to be inc lude d amon g the f avo urite s of Go d an d to a c quir e a s m uch kno wle dge of the div ine spr in gs of Po wer a s is con sistent with h um an limitation s. T herefor e, to re alise this p urpose, h uman bein gs r ely on the sa ints an d the virt uo us peop le be ca use they not on ly them se lve s hav e c ultivate d div ine con scio usne ss but a lso develop it in tho se who ar e clo se ly a ssoc iate d with them . T his is the r ea son we f in d I br āhīm( ) pray in g to Go d to inc lude h im amon g His f avo urite s so that h e co uld pe rsua de h is fo llo wer s to p ur sue a similar goal: O my Lo rd! Make me pe rfec t in kno wledg e and conduc t and inc lude me among those whom You hav e rewa rd ed with Your nea rne ss.1 Here , the wor d hukman m ean s the a cme of h uman c apa city fo r kno wle dge an d con duct. Qā dī T hanā ’ ullāh Pān īpatī say s: That is, to bring kno wledg e and conduc t to such a climactic po int tha t one dev elop s the complete ability to rep re sen t the sublime o ffic e o f div in ity and to p rov ide 1.

Qur’ ān (as h-Shu‘arā’, t he Poet s ) 26:83.

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un fla wed guidanc e and po litical leade rsh ip to humanity.1 Im ām Rā zī write s: “Wh en a cquisition o f kno wledge as the meaning o f hu kman ha s b een e stablished, it is equally e stablished a t the same time tha t he ( the P rophe t Ibrāh īm) p ray ed to Allāh for the kind o f kno wledg e tha t gua ranteed h is tota l ab sorp tion in th e divin e qualitie s and a ttributes, a kno wledge who se pu rity se rv es a s a se lf-ad ju sting filte r to d riv e ou t a ll impuritie s. ” He f urthe r comm ents: And th is kno wledg e p ro ve s that the d ivin e knowledg e or consciou sne ss de ve lops in th e hea rt o f a c rea ture by A llāh’ s will and Ibrāh īm’s supp lica tion ¾ and inc lude me among those whom You hav e re ward ed with You r nea rne ss ¾ is a po inte r to th e fa ct that fo r a c rea tu re to be sain tly o r v irtuou s is exc lu sive ly the ou tcome o f A llāh’ s will.2 T herefor e, the ac quisition of divin e kno wle dge is ma de po ssible only by m ean s of th e v irt uo us an d pio us peop le . T o be a ssoc iate d with them an d to ac quire div ine kno wle dge through the ir me diation ha s be en the pr actice of the prophet s. An d any cr eat ure who de sir e s the f avo ur of Allāh thro ugh the m ean s of the p io us an d the sa intly peop le , nev er f ee ls fr ustrate d an d his p rayer is inva ria bly gr anted, an d he is include d amon g the virt uo us p eople. T hen he attains div ine con scio usne ss a s is dec la re d by Allāh:

1. 2.

Qādī T hanā’ull āh P ānī patī, at -Taf sī r-ul -mazharī (7:72). R āzī, at -Tafsī r -ul -kabī r (24:148).

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And su re ly (e ven) in the He rea fte r, th ey will be in the ran ks of the righteou s.1 T here is ir ref uta ble evidenc e of re lianc e on the se r ighteo us peop le for the f ulf ilment of the ir n ee ds an d the r elief of the ir p ain s an d tro ubles. In it s support, the Qur’ān ic ver se in which Allāh is comm an din g the be liever s to a ssoc iate themselv e s with the righteo us is quite sufficient an d conclusive. Allāh say s: O be liev ers! Fea r Allāh, and remain in ( the company of) th e tru thfu l.2 In this v er se, Allāh, on the one han d, is in str uctin g the be liever s in the uniquene ss an d imm uta bility of His Po we r; on the other han d, He is en join in g upon them to a dopt the company of the truthf ul in or der to elevate them se lve s to a po sition which the tr uthf ul h ave alr ea dy attain e d. At another p la ce, Allāh say s: And follow the path o f the (p erson) who turn ed towa rd s Us.3 Sim ilarly , the proph et Yūsuf’ s supplicat ion is also r ecor de d in the holy Qur’ ān: Take my sou l a t dea th a s a Muslim and un ite me with the righteou s.4 T he holy Prophet  him se lf pr aye d to Allāh usin g sim ilar wor ds.5 So me peop le might o bje ct to the a uthenticity of the tra dition, pickin g o ut fla ws in its ch ain of tran sm ission or com in g o ut with some other fr ivo lo us rem ark s, but no 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Qur’ ān (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:130. Qur’ ān (at -Taw bah, R epent ance) 9: 119. Qur’ ān (L uqmān, Luqm ān) 31: 15. Qur’ ān (Y ūs uf, J os eph) 12: 101. Ahmad bin Hambal trans mitt ed it i n hi s Mus nad (5: 191); Hāki m, al -Mustadr ak (1:516); T abarānī, al -Mu‘j am-ul kabī r (5: 119,157 #4803, 4932); and Hayt hamī in Maj ma‘uz -z awā’i d (10: 113).

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be liever can deny the cre dibility of the supp lication by Yūsuf  a s it is r ecor de d in the holy Qur’ān wh ich is nothin g but a bso lute tr uth. T hus it is e sta blishe d th at it ha s be en the pr actice of th e prophet s to me diate the ir supplic ation s thro ugh the virt uo us an d th e r ighteo us. T he r ecor din g of the se form s of supplic ation in the Qur’ān is mo st pro ba bly inten de d to p er sua de th e be liever s to fo llo w the pr actice of the prophet s. I bn- ul- Fir ā sī n arrate s that Firā sī said to the Prophet : ‘O M essen ger of Allāh! Sh all I be g yo u for somethin g?’ He r eplie d: No, and if you can’t he lp begg ing, then you shou ld be se ech th e piou s and the righ teou s ( fo r he lp).1 So me peop le be lieve that the supp lication of the pio us an d the v irt uo us is gr ante d durin g the ir lif etime , but after de ath they cannot h elp anyone, a s they them se lve s a re he lple ss. T hey believe that the righteo us a re a so ur ce of he lp but only dur in g the ir e arthly existen ce, an d it is disbelief to re ly on them fo r he lp a fter their de ath. T he supporter s of this v ie w ar e v ictim s of a gr ave m isun der stan din g be ca use the rea lity is just the r ever se . It is tr ue as the gr een of the gra ss an d the blue o f the sky that Allāh is the only so urce of ble ssin g an d no cr eature c an a rro gate th is exc lusiv ely div ine prero gative to h imself . If he do es so , he is co mmittin g una ba she d disbelief . T her efore , to think that the supplic ation is me diate d thro ugh on e of His favo urite s in his lif e an d He t urn s a cold sho ulder to his supp lication wh en he is dea d sma cks of a self-contra diction , as it ten ds to identify the sa int with Allāh a s the so urc e of h elp . T he f act is th at Go d 1.

Abū Dāwūd narrat ed it in hi s Sunan, b. of z akāt (obli gat ory chari ty) 2: 122 (#1646); Nasā’ ī, Sunan, b. of zakāt (5:95); Ahmad bin Ham bal, Musnad (4:334); B ukhārī, at -Tār ī khul -kabīr [7:138 (4/ 1/138)]; B ayhaqī, as -Sunan-ul -kubrā (4:197); Ibn ‘ Abd-ul -B arr, at -Tamhīd (4:107); and ‘Alī al Hi ndī in K anz-ul -‘ummāl (6: 502#16721).

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Alone ha s the po wer to f ulfil the ne e ds o f the cr eat ure s thro ugh the me diation of the sa ints whether they are dea d or alive . T hose who o bje ct to mak in g sa ints an d the p io us a s me an s of h elp an d assistance after death a re o bv io usly in the wron g groove . T hey ar e on ly f um blin g in the dark an d sma sh in g the ir c luttere d he a ds a ga in st the slippery wa lls of an un lighte d t unne l, wh ich le a ds into an ev en dark er dun geon . T heir o bje ctions a re gro un de d in the m isconc eption that r elian ce on the saint s an d the pio us for the a c quisit ion o f Allāh ’s ble ssin g is contin gent on the ir man if est lif e wh ile Allāh’ s disp ensin g of His ble ssin gs to His cr eat ure s thro ugh the sa ints an d the p io us is a bso lutely unre late d to the f act of th eir bein g de a d or a liv e. T he tra dition s an d the quote s of the Comp anion s that fo llo w are p urporte d to e lim inate the do ubt s r aise d by the se denier s. A wide spe ctrum of ev iden ce is mar sh alle d to prove the fact that it is not only valid to re ly on the sa ints an d the pio us for h elp after their death but it ha s a lso been the pr actice of the proph ets an d Allāh’ s f avo urite s. T he se are the peop le who can tr uly guide us an d lea d us to o ur sa lvation . I bn T aym iyyah sum s up the controve rsy at the en d of his book al-‘Aq īdat-u lwā sitiyyah : Ah l-u s-Sunnah wa l-Jamā‘ah a re aligned ( cling) to th e faith of I slam, guard ing themselv e s g inge rly again st a ll fo rms o f doc to ring . This includ e s the tru th ful, the marty rs and th e p ious (ac co rding to th eir g rade s). It also inc lude s th e peop le who a re the source o f guidan ce and th e mina ret o f ligh t. The se are the p eople who ha ve ach ie ved d istin ction on th e basis of a con sisten tly v irtuou s mode of living. The Sub stitu te s and th e Imāms o f dīn also be long to th is catego ry who ra llied the Muslims to ( the path o f) the ir gu idanc e. This is th e g roup who re ce ived d iv ine

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pa tronag e to remain ( truth ful) and it wa s abou t this g roup tha t th e ho ly P rophet had sa id: ‘a g roup o f my Community, who hav e be en div ine ly gu ided to stic k to the pa th o f tru th, will no t c ea se to ex ist till the Da y o f Judgemen t, and those who oppo se them o r deg rad e them will n eve r b e able to do them any harm.’ 1 T he se con d po int r evolve s aro un d the o bje ction that the dea d la ck the cap acity for he lp. T his conc lusion is also ba se d on p erver se re ason in g. Allāh Him self ha s refe rre d to the p ur gatorial lif e of His favo ur ite s at var io us p la ce s in the Qur’ ān. T here is no dif feren ce of op inion amon g the fo llo wer s of any ideolo gy or r eligion a bo ut the life of the ma rtyrs. What lux ur ie s m ust gra ce the p ur gatoria l life of the Prophet  who se most lo wly follo wer is gua rantee d not only life till the Day o f Judgement if he die s a ma rtyr but who a lso re ce ive s all the re quisite div ine ble ssin gs! T here fore, by re gar din g the Proph et  as a de rivat ive he lper, it is quite v alid to seek his he lp an d a ssistan ce after his death a s it was va lid dur in g h is e arthly ex istence . Rather, his p ur gator ia l life is a s act ive an d dynam ic a s h is other life beca use h is follo wer s a re sen din g sa lutation s on h im in a sp irit o f m atchle ss devotion an d an ge ls hav e be en appo inte d to conv ey the se me ssa ge s of since rity an d deep attachment to the Prophet. T his symphony of so un d an d vo ic e, wh ich h is follo wers play every secon d an d eve ry min ute is a liv in g p roof o f the ble ssin gs Allāh h a s confer re d on h im ev en in his p ur gatorial life. If the a cts of inter ce ssion, be seech in g the Proph et’s he lp an d his m e diation were act s of disbelief , then they sho uld be in discr imin ately prono unc e d a s form s of disbelief ev ery wh ere ; they sho uld app ly e qually to his e arthly ex istence, p ur gatoria l life an d h is life in the 1.

M uhamm ad Khalīl Harās, Shar h al -‘Aqīdat -ul -w ās iti yyah (p. 153).

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Here after, be ca use disbe lief is con demn e d by Allāh in ev ery colo ur an d h ue . But the fa cts po int in the oppo site direct ion: I slamic tea chin gs unam biguo usly rev eal that the Compan ion s be se eche d th e Prophet  f or help an d r elie d on his m e diat ion at v ario us o cca sions in their life an d be so ught h im for h elp an d they will a lso se ek h is he lp an d inter ce ssion even on the Day of Judgement, an d a s a r esult o f th is r elian ce on his m ean s an d app ea l for he lp, the Proph et  will r e war d h is fo llo wer s by interce din g be fore Allāh for their salvat ion. T hus, wh en it is valid dur in g the earthly lif e an d after- life of the Proph et  ho w can it be de clare d inva lid an d a form of disbe lief dur in g h is p ur gatorial life ?

Proof of purg atori al li fe T he te ach in gs of Qur’ān an d sunnah prove the rea lity of lif e a fter de ath or lif e in th e gr ave as c lea rly a s they depict the re ality of r esurre ction o f the de a d on the Day of Judgem ent. Allāh say s in the ho ly Qur ’ān : Ho w can you reje ct the fa ith in Allāh? Se eing that you we re withou t life, (and) He gav e you life; then He will cau se you to d ie and will aga in b ring you to life; th en aga in to Him will you re turn .1 T he Qur’ ānic v er se mak e s an explic it refe renc e to t wo k in ds of de ath, t wo k in ds of lif e an d fin ally the r eturn of a ll mank in d to Allāh on th e Day of Judgement. In the light of the holy ver se , the f ir st kin d o f de ath wa s o ur state of non- existenc e wh en we ha d not stepp e d into the wor ld of ex istence . T he lif e that fo llo we d this state is o ur life on e arth. T hen de ath will ov erre ach us an d peop le will a ccor din gly per form o ur f uner al rite s an d bury us. T he life that will follo w is c alle d the p ur gatorial lif e, which is given to man in the gr ave or in h is cap acity a s a dea d pe rson . T he an ge ls interro gate him an d open a win do w in 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:28.

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the gr ave le a din g eithe r to Para dise or He ll. After the se con d lif e, we will be r eturn e d to Go d Almighty on the Day of Resur rect ion. T hus the p ur gatoria l lif e span s the a rriv al of the an gels in the grav e for inter ro gation an d the divine breath blo wn into the dea d bo die s for the ir r esur rect ion. T his relate s to the p ur gatoria l life o f an or dinary h uman be in g whether he is a be liever or a nonbe liever . No w let us exam ine another ve rse a bo ut the life of the ma rtyrs: And sa y no t of tho se who a re slain in the way o f Allāh tha t th ey a re dead , (th ey a re no t dead ) but the y a re living though you are no t con sc iou s (o f their life).1 T he same theme is expr e sse d in differ ent wor ds: And tho se who a re sla in in the way o f A llāh , do no t (e ven) thin k o f th em a s d ead. Bu t they live in the pre senc e o f th eir Lo rd, they find the ir su stenan ce (in th e b le ssing s o f Pa radise).2 T he fo llo wer s o f a ll re ligio us se cts believ e in the life of the martyr s. Ho wever, be side s the Qur’ān ic ver se s, a n um be r of tra ditions dr a w o ur attention to the fact that there is life after de ath even for the non- believ er s an d infidels an d they are en do we d with the c apac ity to re spon d to the wo r ds of the livin g. For ex ample, after the battle of Ba dr , the Prophet  himself ca lle d the sla in infidels by the ir n ame s an d a ske d them : Su re ly, we found the promise of ou r Lord ab so lutely true . (O infide ls and nonbe liev ers! ) Did you also find the p romise o f you r lo rd tru e?

1. 2.

Qur’ ān (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:154. Qur’ ān (Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 169.

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At this junct ure ‘Um ar bin a l-Kh attāb said to the Prophet : ‘O Prophet! Yo u are a ddr essin g bo die s wh ich hav e no so ul in them. ’ T o mak e it clear , the Prophet a ddre sse d the Compan ions: I swear by the Po we r Who ha s in His con trol the life o f Muhammad! The wo rd s I am sp eak ing to th ese ( infide ls and nonbe liev ers) , they fa r e xce l you in the ir po we r to listen to th em.1 T his a gre e d- upon tra dition attest s not only to the p ur gatoria l lif e after death of the inf ide ls an d nonbe liever s, but it a lso attests to the ir po wer of listenin g wh ich exc els even that of the Compan ions. Sim ilarly , the Prophet  ta ught every per son pa ssin g by a gr aveya r d of the M uslim s to a ddre ss the r esident s of the grave by the p artic le “ yā (O) ” an d sen d sa lutation s on them. T his is the re a son that M uslim s te ach their children to say a s- sa lāmu ‘ala ykum yā ahl-al-qubū r ( O re sidents o f grav es, pea ce be on yo u) whenev er they pa ss by a gr aveya r d. When the life of the inf ide ls an d non- believ er s, the life of the or dinary be liever s, an d the life of the ma rtyrs an d the sa ints have been conf irme d by the Qur’ān an d the sunnah, ho w is it po ssible to deny the life of the prophet s, pa rtic ular ly the life of the ho ly Prophet ? E spe cially, wh en he him se lf h a s rep eate dly an d explic itly dec lar e d: A llāh ha s dec la red it fo rb idden fo r the ea rth to eat the bodies of the proph ets. So 1.

B ukhārī narrat ed it i n his as -Sahī h, b. of maghāzī (mili t ary expediti ons l ed by t he P rophet ) ch. 7 (4: 1461#3757); M us lim, as -Sahīh, b. of jannah wa sif at na‘ī mi hā wa ahli hā (P aradi s e, at tribut es of i t s and nati ves ) ch. 17 (4:2203#77/ 2874); Ahm ad bi n Hambal, Mus nad (3: 145; 4:29); T abarānī, al -Mu‘jam-ul -kabīr (5: 96#4701); B aghawī, Sharh-us -s unnah (13: 384#3779); Ibn Kathī r, al -Bi dāyah w an-nihāyah (1:210); ‘ As qal ānī, Fath-ul -bārī (7: 301); and Hayt hamī in Maj ma‘-uz-zaw ā’i d (6: 90-1).

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the p rophe ts are liv ing and they regula rly re ceive the ir su stenance .1 T his sah īh ( so un d) tr a dition conc lusive ly prov es that the a bso lute an d in compar a ble po we r of Allāh keep s the proph ets alive in the ir grav es. Anothe r tra dition r ecor ds that the affa ir s of the Umm ah ar e re gular ly pre sented to the Proph et  who expr e sses h is grat itude to Allāh for their goo d dee ds an d pr ays to Allāh to for give the ir m isdee ds. T he wor ds of the tra dition are a s fo llo ws: Your deed s a re presented to me . I f th ey a re good, I exp re ss my g ra titude to Allāh, and if th e de eds are no t good, then I p ray to A llāh fo r your fo rgiven ess.2 1.

2.

Ibn M āj ah narrat ed t hi s sahī h (sound) hadīt h i n hi s Sunan, b. of j anā’iz (funerals ) ch. 65 (1: 524#1636-7), b. of i qāmat us -s alāt w as -s unnah fīhā (est ablis hi ng prayer and i ts s unnahs ) ch.79 (1: 345#1085); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of s al āt (prayer) 1:275 (#1047); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of j umu‘ah (F ri day prayer) 3:92; Ahm ad bi n Ham bal, Musnad (4: 8); Ibn Hibbān, as -Sahī h (3: 191#910); Dārimī, Sunan (1:307#1580); Ibn Khuzaym ah, as -Sahīh (3: 118#1733); Ibn Abī Shaybah, al -Mus annaf (2:516); Hākim, al -Must adrak (1:278); T abarānī, al -Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (1: 217#589); and B ayhaqī i n as -Sunan-ul -kubrā (3:249). Hayt hamī t rans mitt ed it in Maj ma‘-uz-zawā’i d (9: 24) and s aid t hat that t radi tion had been report ed by B azzār (in his Musnad) and i ts sub-narrators are all of sahīh (s ound) hadīt h. ‘ Irāqī has confi rm ed t he s oundnes s of i t s chain of t ransmi ss ion i n hi s book Tarh-ut -tathrīb fī s harh-i t -taqr īb (3:297). Ibn S a‘d has recorded i t i n at -Tabaqāt -ul -kubrā (2:194). Qādī ‘ Iyād has inscribed t his t raditi on in ash-Shi fā (1:19); and Suyūt ī, recording it in al -K hasā’i s -ul -kubrā (2:281) and Manāhil -us -s ifā fī takhrīj ahādīt h ash-Shi fā (p. 3), has comm ent ed that Ibn Abī Us ām ah in hi s Musnad has reproduced it through B akr bi n ‘ Abdul l āh al-Muzanī and B azzār in his Musnad who have rel ied on it s narrati on by ‘ Abdull āh bi n M as‘ūd with a s ound chain of t ransmi ss ion. It has been endors ed by Khafājī and M ull ā ‘ Alī Qārī i n t hei r com m ent ari es on ash-Shi fā, i. e. Nas īm-ur -

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T he Lor d, who ha s the po wer to give lif e an d sust enanc e to the whole mankin d both in this wor ld an d the Here after, also ha s the po wer to k eep the proph ets a liv e in the gr ave s an d giv e them sustenan ce . T he unnat ura l an d un scientific Gr eek ph ilo soph ica l disc ussion s, wh ich hav e per colated into I slam ic liter atur e, a re no m atch to the n atur al an d imm uta ble p rinc ip le s of I slam. T he injun ctions of I slam c le arly exp lain dif ferent k in ds of life an d the mo de s o f a ddre ssin g people in the ir p ur gatoria l lif e an d dec la re cate gor ica lly that the prophet s, ma rtyrs, sa ints an d or dina ry M uslim s, ev en infidels an d non- believe rs, are a liv e in their gr ave s. As far as the ma rtyrs are con cern e d, the Qur ’ān itself is a witne ss that they r e gular ly re ce ive the ir sustenan ce. T he refor e, tho se who a ckno wle dge app ea l for h elp an d interm e diation in the earthly ex isten ce a s v alid but tre at it a s inva lid, even a s a form of disbelief after de ath, sho uld re mem be r that de ath is the taste of a moment, wh ich pa sse s a way. Accor din g to I qbāl, de ath is “ a m essa ge o f a waken in g beh in d the smok escre en of dream .” P ur gatorial lif e is a midway ho use bet we en the e arthly lif e an d the life after de ath, wh ich will be conferr e d on peop le on the Day of Judgement. Just a s it is va lid to be seech the he lp of a per son dur in g h is earth ly life an d dur in g h is lif e after death, it is a lso an e qua lly va lid act to r i yād (1:102) and Shar h as h-Shif ā (1:36) respectively. Hadīt h-s chol ar Ibn-ul-J awzī has reproduced it in al -Wafā bi -ahwāl-il -mus taf ā (2:809-10) from B akr bi n ‘ Abdul l āh and Anas bi n M āl ik. S ubkī has copi ed thi s t raditi on in Shi fā’-us-si qām fī zi yār at khayr -il -anām (p. 34) from B akr bin ‘ Abdull āh al -Muzanī, and Ibn ‘ Abd-ul -Hādī in as Sār im-ul -munkī (p.266-7) has aut henti cat ed i ts veraci ty. B azzār’s t raditi on has als o been recorded by Ibn Kathī r in al -Bi dāyah wan-ni hāyah (4:257). ‘ As qal ānī narrat ed it t hrough B akr bin ‘ Abdull āh al-Muzanī i n al-Mat āli b-ul ‘āli yah (4:22-3#3853). ‘ Alī al-Hi ndī copi ed Ibn Sa‘ d’s t raditi on in Kanz -ul -‘ummāl (11:407#31903) and from Hārit h (#31904). Nabhānī rel at ed it in Huj jat ull āh ‘al al ‘ālamī n fī mu‘j az āt sayyi d-il -mursalīn (p.713).

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be seech h is h elp an d to r ely on his me an s in his p ur gatoria l lif e. T his doe s not bor der on disbe lief, bec a use in a ll the thre e kin ds o f life , ea rthly, ete rna l an d p ur gatoria l, Allāh is the r ea l Helpe r an d the cr eature who se he lp is be in g so ught is the der ivative he lper . T his is in con son ance with th e I slamic te ach in g an d doe s not even r emotely sma ck o f disbe lief. T o tre at the cr eat ure a s the r eal h elp er in a ll the thre e cate gor ie s of lif e is tantamount to disbe lief. It sho uld be note d that the ca use of disbe lief is not lo cate d in the cate go rie s of life but in the div ision of rea l an d der ivativ e.

The li fe and capacity of the s oul After a lo gic al an d cate gor ic al proof of the rea lity o f the p ur gatoria l lif e of h uman so ul, it is shee r ir rationa l st ubbo rnne ss to deny the r ea lity o f se ekin g he lp from other s after their de ath. T o be se ech he lp an d a ssistan ce from th e so uls of the prophet s an d the saint s is a s justif ie d a s to seek he lp from liv in g per son s or the an ge ls. When we se ek he lp from a livin g bein g we ar e, in fa ct, seek in g he lp from his so ul. T he h uman bo dy is the dre ssin g of the r eal m an ¾ so ul. After de ath, when the so ul is liberate d from the mater ia l con stra ints of the bo dy an d, on acco unt of its fre e dom from imp urities of the fle sh, th en, lik e the an gels, even mo re than them, it ha s the po wer to pe rform non-m aterial act s. T he so ul is in depen dent o f the r ule s an d r e gulat ions of the phenom ena l world be ca use her wor ld ¾ the wor ld of comm an d ¾ is diffe rent f rom the ca use- an de ffect wo rld of the bo dy. Allāh h ighlights this re ality in the ho ly Qur’ān : And the se ( infide ls) ask you que stion s abou t the soul. Te ll them that th e sou l is by the command of my Lo rd.1 T he so uls are ble sse d with a gr eater c apac ity of action an d p erform ance in their p ur gatorial lif e than they ha d 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Isr ā’, the Ni ght journey) 17:85.

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en joye d in con junction with their bo die s. T hey liv e in the wo rld o f comm an d an d can come more ea sily to the a ssistan ce of tho se who imp lore them for h elp. If be seech in g the proph ets an d sa ints for he lp is conf ine d on ly to a str in g of sen sation s an d o bservation s, it will be in conf lict with the spir it of f aith an d mer ely an exp re ssion of ph ilo soph ica l sp ec ulation. Old ph ilo soph ica l r eflection s c annot lea d us to the sec rets of f aith bec a use they op erate within entir ely ration al groove s an d hope le ssly lack th e sp irit ua l appreh ension. T he unfoldin g of the secr ets o f fa ith re quire s love an d deep emotiona l con cern . It is not just to scratch the surf ac e but to de lve into the a by ss. It may be note d that the prophet s an d the sa ints pray to Allāh for the p etitione rs, an d in r espon se to their supplicat ion, Allāh f ulfils the ne e d of the conce rne d pe rson . T he p ro blem is that tho se who deny life to the r esident s of the grave s be lieve that the dea d ar e not in a po sition to pray. But the tr ue I slamic be lief is that they a re a liv e an d r eco gn ise their v isitor s in p roportion to the ir con scio usne ss an d un de rstan din g. T he so ul’ s a warene ss gro ws even more ac ute after it ha s been sep arate d from the bo dy, an d by jettison in g it s phy sica l inhibition s, it is m a de ev en mor e po werf ul. Anothe r way to un der stan d the me anin g o f seek in g he lp from other s is that the po wer who se he lp is be in g so ught is Allāh. But the p etitioner says th at h e cov ets Allāh’ s he lp through the m e diat ion of the ho ly Prophet for the f ulfilment of h is n ee d. He imp lore s Allāh thro ugh His favo ur ites. He say s to Allāh : ‘ I am from amon g th e favo ur ites of the se sa ints, th erefo re, sho w spe cia l m ercy to me a s I am very clo se to them an d love them imm ensely .’ T h us Allāh con done s his sin s for the sak e of the ho ly proph ets an d a lso on ac co unt of his c lo se a ssoc iation with the saint s an d f ulf ils his n ee d. T he p eople who gather to offe r the f un era l pray er of a pe rson pray for his for givene ss by Allāh on a sim ilar ba sis. T hey, in fa ct, se rve a s a m ean s of for giv ene ss for the dea d p er son an d also act a s h is he lper s.

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The dead as a s ource of benefi t for the li vi ng T he fin al shot fir e d by the se denier s of seek in g he lp from the saint s an d the p io us is that the de a d cannot benef it the liv in g bec a use they lack the po wer even to shoo a way a f ly sittin g on the ir bo dy. Ho w is it po ssible that a dea d pe rson , shorn of phy sica l po wer , can he lp the liv in g an d that the liv in g turn to him for he lp? T his hypothetica l o bje ction is act ua lly base d on the ir una war ene ss of the Prophet’s tra dition s an d tea chin gs of the r eligio us le a der s. As we have alrea dy explain e d, the peop le who die an d leav e this wor ldly life , do not in fact die, but enter another lif e (p ur gatorial life) . T ho ugh they a re dea d in o ur eye s, they ar e not act ually dea d, on ly the ir mo de of life h a s ch an ge d a s they have been t ran sfer re d from one k in d of existen ce to another kin d of ex istence . T his can be exp la ine d by another examp le . Suppo se there ar e t wo tube lights in a room. One of them is white an d the other is blue. T he light of the white tube is spre a din g all aro un d wh ile the blue t ube is o ff. No w what will happen if th e off - button of th e white t ube is pre sse d an d pr ec isely at that moment the on - button of the blue t ube is also pr e sse d? T he room is th e same, all the thin gs in it ar e in the ir prop er p lac e, its door s, win do ws an d c urtain s, etc., are a lso inta ct, but there is a ch an ge in the inner am bience o f the room, that is, in the ear lier state, ev erythin g appe are d in the white light in its or igina l co lo ur, an d no w ev erythin g in the room app ear s to we ar a differ ent complexion on a cco unt of the co lo ur ra diate d by the blue t ube. No w the que stion is: ‘ha s the co lo ur of ev erythin g in the room r ea lly chan ge d? Ha s the mate ria l compo sition of the o bject s chan ge d?’ T he an swer is in the ne gative . Every o bje ct is pr esent in its or igin al state. T he differ enc e lies only in o ur per ception. T he sam e applie s to the dea d peop le. Wh en the light of the ir wor ldly life is p ut o ut, we think they ar e dea d, while , in re ality, the t ube light of the ir p ur gatorial life is p ut on. Just a s the sa ints an d the p io us are re lie d upon dur in g the ir ea rthly life ¾ wh ile the re al so ur ce of h elp is Allāh ¾ similar ly, they

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c an be re lie d upon a s a me ans of h elp to f ulf il o ur n ee ds an d to seek the ne arne ss of Allāh even wh en they h ave left this m aterial wor ld. Suy ūt ī h as cop ie d in h is book Sharh -us-sudū r bi- sha rh hā l-il-mawtā wal-qubū r (pp.257-9) f ifteen tr a dition s be arin g on this them e, an d f urn ishin g a proof of the rea lity of p ur gatoria l life , h e ha s aff irm e d that the dea d can ben efit the livin g. I bn- ul-Qayyim h as wr itten an exh a ustive book on “ the so ul” which is the mo st a uthentic book on this subject. At one p lac e h e ha s reporte d from ‘Abdullāh bin M ubā rak that Abū Ayy ūb al- Ansār ī sa id: The de eds o f th e living a re p re sented to the d ead. If th ey see virtuou s (d eed s), th ey a re p lea sed and rejo ic ed, and if the y see ( evil) d eed s, they sa y: ‘O Allāh! R etu rn them.’ 1 Narr atin g another tra dition , I bn- ul-Qayyim wr ite s: “ ‘I bā d bin ‘I bā d calle d on I br āhīm bin Sā lih an d at that tim e I br āhīm bin Sā lih wa s the r uler of P alestin e. ‘ I bā d bin ‘I bā d said to him : giv e m e some a dv ic e. I brāh īm bin Sā lih said: Wh at should I adv ise you? Ma y God make you a p ious man! I have rec eived the ne ws tha t th e d eed s of the liv ing a re p re sen ted to the ir dead re lativ es. No w you just re flect on you r deed s which a re p re sen ted to the Messeng e r of Allāh . After r elatin g this, I brāh īm bin Sā lih c rie d so bitterly that his bear d bec ame wet.”2 In a ddition , there are m any other tra dition s wh ich prov e that the de e ds o f the livin g a re pre sente d to the de a d. T herefo re, p eople , who are the v ictim s of do ubt, sho uld st udy th em to corre ct their fa ith wh ich , accor din g 1. 2.

Ibn-ul -Qayyim, Kit āb-ur -r ūh (p. 13). Ibn-ul -Qayyim, Kit āb-ur -r ūh (p. 13).

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to I bn T aymiyy ah, is the faith of Ah l- us- Sunn ah wa lJam ā‘ah a s h as a lre a dy be en explain e d, which lea ds one to the straight path an d brin gs one incr ea sin gly clo ser to the p lea sur e of the Lor d. Exc lusive re liance on rea son can prov e disa stro us a s re ason is a de ceptiv e cham eleon an d p uts on a var iety of guise s to dec eive its o wn follo wer s; it is totally un dep en da ble an d those who r ely on it for tr ue en lightenm ent, can n ever be blesse d with guidanc e a s m isguidan ce is their de stiny. Ac cor din g to I qbā l:

Move beyond reason because this light is only the candle on the way; it is not the destination.

Love of the friends of Al l āh is an i ntegral part of faith We se ek he lp from the prophets, the righteo us an d the sa ints an d off er them a s a me an s of ac ce ss to Allāh on a cco unt of o ur limit le ss love an d devotion for them. T he cho ic e of m ean s is justif ie d on ly by the pre sence of lov e. It is a lso an esta blish e d fa ct that to love tho se who a re ne ar an d dear to Allāh is in itself a virtuo us act an d this is o bv io usly an ar gum ent, which cannot be r e butted by any other ar gument, no matter ho w subtle or e la bor ate or tantalisin g it may be.

1. Love of Allāh ’s favouri tes is a vi rtuou s dee d T he p etitioner is a ctin g fo r h im self beca use he love s tho se who m Allāh love s. He is in fa ct say in g: ‘ O Lor d, I love Yo ur f rien d, the holy Prophet , an d I love the ortho dox Caliphs, the Compan ions, the Succ essor s an d their fo llo wer s, the sa ints an d the r ighteo us. I off er this love to Yo u a s m ean s so that Yo u grant my pr ayer an d f ulfil my nee d.’ It me an s lov e of Allāh’ s favo ur e d one s be come s a m ean s of the supp lication ’s a cceptan ce. T here is no do ubt that lov e of Allāh’ s f avo urite s is not on ly the f ulfilment of a divin e com man d but is a lso a gr eat v irtuo us de e d. It is nar rate d by Abū Hurayr ah:

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A llāh’ s Me ssenge r () said: when A llāh lov e s some p e rson , He send s fo r J ib rīl and commands h im: ve rily, I lo ve such and su ch pe rson ; you shou ld also lo ve h im, so Jib rīl lo ve s h im a s well. Th en Jib rīl p roc laim s in the hea ven s that A llāh lo ve s such and su ch pe rson ; you shou ld also lo ve h im. Then the re siden ts o f th e hea ven s lo ve h im as we ll. Then his lo ve is sent do wn to the earth ( the wo rld).1 Fir st of a ll, Allāh e lev ate d His Own o be dient servant to the stat us of His belov e d, then He comm an de d Jibrīl an d a ll other an ge ls that they sho uld lov e His servant. T he an gels, fo llo win g the div ine comm an d, also ma de h im their belov e d. In this all the h eaven ly cr eat ure s sh are d the divine love for His be love d servant. But the matter doe s not en d her e. Allāh de sc en de d this love for His servant do wn on this earth an d then cre ate d a n ich e for the love an d pop ular ity o f His serv ant in eve ry h eart an d ev ery c reat ure f ell in love with him. It follo ws that to lov e tho se who are love d by Allāh is a divin e comman d. From this po int o f v ie w th is a ct of lovin g is in itself a v irt uo us a ct in wh ich Allāh is not on ly Him se lf in clude d but He ha s also include d His an ge ls as well a s the cre atur e s of the earth. When th is a ct is en do rse d not on ly by the p ractice of the proph ets but a lso a pop ular a ct perfo rme d by the cr eat ure s

1.

M us lim t ransm itt ed it in his as -Sahīh, b. of bi rr w as -s il ah w al -ādāb (vi rt ue, joi ni ng of t he ti es of rel at ions hip and good m anners) ch. 48 (4: 2030#157/ 2637); B akhārī narrat ed i t at three pl aces i n his as-Sahī h: b. of bad’-ul -khalq (begi nni ng of creat ion) ch. 6 (3:1175#3037), b. of adab (good m anners ) ch.41 (5:2246#5693), and b. of t awhīd (Isl ami c m onotheism ) ch.33 (6: 2721#7047); Ahm ad bin Hambal i n Mus nad (2:413); M ālik bin Anas i n al -Muw at tā, b. of s ha‘ar (hai r) ch.5 (2: 953#15); and Khat īb T abrī zī in Mi shkāt -ul -masābī h, b. of ādāb (good m anners ) ch. 16 (3:74#5005).

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of the e arth an d the heav en s, then what co uld be a better v irtuo us act in favo ur of the p etitioner .

2. Re ci procal nearnes s of l ove r an d bel ove d on the D ay of Ju dgement T rue love is th at v irt uo us act which dra ws th e lov er incre a sin gly clo ser to the belov e d. It is n arr ated by Ana s bin Mā lik: A pe rson ca lled on the P rophe t  and said to him: ‘ O Me ssenge r of Allāh, when is the Hour ( the Day o f Judgemen t)?’ The Holy P rophe t  stood up fo r p ray er. A fte r p erfo rming the p raye r he said : ‘ whe re is the pe rson who had a sked abou t th e Hou r?’ Tha t pe rson rep lied: ‘O Me ssenge r of A llāh, I am he re. ’ He sa id: ‘ wha t prepa ration hav e you made fo r tha t ( Hour)?’ He submitted: ‘O Me ssenge r o f A llāh , I hav e o ffered n eithe r many p raye rs no r kep t many fa sts, bu t I kno w tha t much that I lov e A llāh and His Messeng e r .’ On hea ring this, A llāh’ s Me ssenge r  commented tha t (on th e Da y of Judgemen t) a p e rson will be with him whom he lo ve s and you will be judged a long with him. It is repo rted tha t, a fte r a cc epting I slam, this made the Muslim s happ ie r than anyth ing e lse had made th em in the pa st.1 1.

Ti rmi dhī narrat ed i t i n al -Jāmi ‘-us -sahī h, b. of z uhd (pi ety) ch. 50 (4: 595#2385), and graded it sahīh (sound); Ahm ad bin Hambal i n Mus nad (3:104, 168, 178, 200); Ibn Hibbān, as -Sahīh (1:182, 308-9#8,105; 16:345#7348); B aghawī, Sharh-us -s unnah (13: 60-4#3475-9). Bukhārī als o narrat ed i t wit h di fferent words in his as -Sahīh, b. of f adā’il -us s ahābah (m erits of t he Companions ) ch.6 (3: 1349#3485), b. of adab (good m anners ) ch.95, 96 (5:2282-3#5815-9), and b. of ahkām (judgem ent s ) ch. 10 (6:2615#6734); Mus lim in as -Sahīh, b. of bi rr w as -sil ah w al -ādāb (vi rtue, joini ng of

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T his tra dition p rove s that wher ea s pray er, f ast, zakā t an d ha jj are v irtuo us a cts an d the ir pe rforman ce entit le s a man to a set of re war ds, similar ly lov e is a lso an act of v irtue, which re sults in n earn ess to h is be love d. T he wor ds of the tra dition themselv e s en dor se love a s a v irt uo us act. When th e Ho ly Prophet  ask e d the p etitione r: ‘ what pr eparat ion hav e yo u ma de for th e Day o f Judgem ent?’ He r eplie d: ‘O Me ssen ger of Allāh! My acts do not inc lude big-tick et de e ds like pray er an d f a st, but the act of lov in g Allāh an d His M essen ger  is one o f my dee ds.’ T he Prophet  rep lie d that a s each act h as a r e war d, sim ilar ly the a ct of lovin g h a s a lso a re war d. A p er son will be judge d a lon g with the man h e lov es an d yo u will be judge d on th e Day o f Judgem ent alon g with th e m an yo u love.’ It me ans th at this m an, simply on a cco unt of his love for the Ho ly Prophet , will be judge d with h im. He will be in the Proph et’s comp any an d this is a prom ise ma de by the Prophet  h imself an d this is Allāh’ s prom ise a s we ll. Be side s, this p romise is not r e strictiv e; it ha s a genera l applic ation; it app lie s to the Compan ion s, the Succ essor s, the ir fo llo wer s, even the entir e M uslim comm un ity. Lov e of Allāh’ s M e ssen ger  is an act, wh ich not on ly earn s the lover a n um be r of ble ssin gs through the a gency o f his belov e d on this earth but a lso brin gs h im c lo ser to h is be love d in th e next world. Sinc e the wor d hubb ( love) h ere is use d in a gene ric sense, it e qually app lie s to all form s an d gra de s of lov e. Its litmus test is t he ti es of rel ations hip and good m anners ) ch. 50 (4: 2032-3# 161-4/ 2639); Ahm ad bin Ham bal in Mus nad (3: 110,165, 167,172, 173,207, 208,255, 276); ‘Abd-ur-R azzāq, al Musannaf (11:199#20317); Hum aydī, Mus nad (2: 502# 1190); Ibn Abī Shaybah, al-Mus annaf (15:169#19407); Abū Ya‘ l ā, Mus nad (5:144#2758; 6: 36,256#3280-1, 3557); Ibn Hi bbān, as -Sahī h (2: 323-4#563-5); Tabarānī, al -Mu‘j am-ul kabī r (3: 183#3061); B ayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul -īmān (1: 380,387 #462, 498; 2: 130-1#1379); and Khatī b Tabrī zī i n Mishkāt ul -mas ābīh, b. of adab (good m anners ) ch. 16 (3:75#5009).

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sin cer ity a s in sinc ere lov e is a trave sty of tr ue lov e an d, there fore, not on ly r ep ulsiv ely hideo us but a lso mo rally r evoltin g. T his comment is v in dicate d by the wor ds of An a s bin Mālik that after acc eptin g I slam, h e ha d nev er fo un d the M uslim s h appier than he fo un d them on hear in g this explan ation. T his tr a dition con clusive ly prove s that the love of Allāh’ s favo ur e d peop le serv e s a s a me ans fo r div ine ble ssin gs. An d when the serv ant pr ays to Allāh, he , in f act, is say in g: ‘my Ma ster, th e love I h ave for Yo ur be love d Prophet  , an d the love I hav e for the Compan ion s, the Succ essor s an d the righteo us on acco unt of Yo u, I of fer this act o f love a s me diation to Yo u an d r e que st Yo u to grant my such an d such ne e d for the ir sak e.’ T he servant’ s love for Allāh’ s favo ur e d on es is an a ct that enjoy s Allāh ’s blessin gs an d this very act be come s a mean s for the se rvant.

3. Love for Allāh ’s l ove rs is the cau se of di vine l ove T he servant, fo llo win g the div ine comman ds, per form s all k in ds of worsh ip : he offer s p raye r, ke ep s fa st, p erform s ha jj an d pay s za kāt. In short, he f ulfils all h is o bligation s. T hese act s have t wofo ld sign ificanc e: on the one h an d, he is imp lement in g the div ine comman ds; on the other h an d, he e arn s the re war d for the se a cts. T he r an ge an d scope of the se re war ds inc lude a p lac e in Para dise for h im. But the h ighe st an d the mo st ch erish e d p rize is the p le a sure of Allāh. T o se c ure th is prize, he sp en ds eve ry moment of his lif e in div ine love. An d he doe s not r e strict his r emem br ance of Allāh on ly to a sp ec ific sch e dule or tim etable but it stra ddle s h is entir e lif e. No m atter whe re he is, or what he is do in g, h e neve r for get s the Lor d. T he fo c us of his love o r enm ity is Allāh alon e. T he follo win g tra dition is a bo ut such lover s o f Allāh: It is n arrate d by M u‘ ā dh bin Ja ba l that h e he ar d the M essen ger o f Allāh  sayin g: A llāh the Exa lted and A lmighty sa id: ‘ My lo ve ha s b een made ob liga to ry fo r those two pe rson s who lov e each o the r on

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My count and spend time toge the r fo r My sak e, and see each o the r for My sa ke and g ive mon ey to each o the r gene rou sly fo r My sak e.’ 1 No w a petition er lov e s the holy Proph et , mem ber s of the Proph et’s fam ily , the Compan ion s, the sa ints an d the r ighteo us p eople simp ly bec a use the ba sis of his love is the lov e of Allāh. By lov in g the se peop le, he h imself in r eturn is lov e d by Allāh. T hus all the se form s a re va rio us link s in the cha in of love, wh ich is ultim ately the love of Allāh , an d the se expr essions an d a cts o f love ev entually dra w him clo ser to Allāh an d he a c quir e s a f avo ure d status. T h us the petition er’ s a ct o f lov e is r e gar de d by Allāh a s a virtuo us a s we ll a s a f avo ur ite act an d it is gr a de d h igher than other virt uo us act s main ly be ca use in this act the Lor d Him self is one of the pa rtic ipants an d it is unc ertain whether the other a cts will f in d div ine ac ceptanc e o r not. But lov e o f the sa ints an d the favo urite s of Allāh is an act, wh ich tran sform s the petit ioner into Allāh’ s be love d. In th is way its a cceptan ce is guar antee d.

4. Love for the sake of Allāh res ults in highe r grades Lov e of the servant s of Allāh brin gs on e not only nea rer to Him but a lso he lp s one in sec ur in g h igher gra de s. It is narr ate d by ‘ Umar bin a l-Khattā b that the Prophet said: Among A llāh’s se rvan ts the re a re some who a re ne ith e r p rophe ts no r marty rs bu t 1.

Thi s s ahīh (s ound) hadīt h narrat ed by M ālik bi n Anas in al Muwat tā, b. of s ha‘ar (hair) ch.5 (2:954#16), and Ibn ‘Abdul -B arr s aid i ts chain i s good. Ahm ad bi n Ham bal al so t ransmi tt ed i t i n hi s Musnad (5:233); Hākim i n al Must adr ak (4: 169), who graded it s ahīh, and al so confi rm ed by Dhahabī ; B aghawī i n Shar h-us -sunnah, (13: 49-50#3463); Khatī b T abrīzī in Mi shkāt -ul -masābī h, b. of ādāb (good m anners) ch.16 (3: 75#5011).

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on th e Day of Judgemen t the p rophe ts and the ma rtyrs will en vy the ir g rade s. The Companion s asked: ‘ O Me ssenge r of Allāh, tell u s, who a re tho se peop le?’ He rep lied: ‘ tho se a re th e peop le who lo ve one ano the r on A llāh’ s count. The y are ne ith er rela ted to on e anoth er no r do th ey hav e any p rope rty to ex change. I swea r on A llāh tha t they will hav e face s of light, the y will be on pu lpits o f light. They will no t have an y fea r when o the rs will be a fra id, the y will no t hav e any g rie f when o the rs will be agg rieved .’ Then h e rec ited the ve rse: B ewa re! No doubt, the re is no fea r fo r the friend s of Allāh nor sha ll th ey be sad and so rro wful. [Qu r’ān ( Yūn us, Jonah ) 10:62.] 1 T he tra dition ha s c lear ly e sta blishe d the fact that peop le who lov e on e another simply be ca use they love Allāh de serve high re war ds an d gra de s on the Day of Judgem ent an d they will re ce ive the se pre cio us gifts thro ugh the me diation o f Allāh’ s f avo urite s bec a use the ir love of the se intimate fr ien ds is ba se d f un damentally on their lov e of Allāh from which ba sic so ur ce it dra ws its st ren gth an d inf luenc e.

5. Love of Allāh ’s frien ds is the cause of Allāh ’s love Lov e of ho ly m en an d sa ints is an a ct wh ich e arns the serv ant not only the love of Allāh but a lso dra ws h im c lo ser to Him . It is repo rted by Abū Hurayr ah that the Me ssen ger of Allāh  sa id:

1.

Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of ij ār ah (wages ) 3:288 (#3527); B ayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul-īmān, (6:486#8998,8999); Khat īb T abrī zī, Mi shkāt -ul-mas ābī h, b. of adab (good m anners ) ch. 16 (3: 75-6#5012).

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I f two p erson s love each o the r on A llāh’ s coun t, and if on e o f th em is in the ea st and th e o the r in the west, A llāh will b ring th em tog eth er on th e Day o f R esu rre ction and He will sa y: ‘ this is the man you lov ed on my count. ’ 1 It is no w esta blish e d that interm e diation thro ugh the proph ets, the ho ly p er son s an d the saint s an d to seek he lp from them is quite va lid whether it is by invokin g the ir nam e in praye r, or by phy sica l pr esenc e in the ir comp anion sh ip or thro ugh expre ssion s of love for th em. T hese acts of istighāa thah an d inte rme diation are co rrect an d le ga lly p ermissible.

1.

B ayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul -ī mān, (6: 492#9022); Khatī b Tabrī zī, Mi shkāt -ul -masābī h, b. of ādāb (good m anners ) ch. 16 (3:77#5024); ‘ Alī al-Hi ndī, Kanz -ul -‘ummāl (9:4#24646).

Chapter 4

Smoothing out the Wrinkles T hough be seech in g the p rophets, the sa ints an d the ma rtyrs for h elp an d a ssistance is quite approp riate an d is prov e d both by the Qur’ ān an d the sunnah, some of its den igrator s hav e ca stigated it a s an act of disbelief on the ba sis of se lf- concocte d re ason s. In this chapter we propo se to r evie w the se o bject ions one by on e an d re but the m on the ba sis of proo fs f urn ishe d by the Qur’ ān an d the tra dition s.

Fi rst objecti on: Appeal for hel p is i n i tsel f an act of wors hi p In o r der to de clare appe al for he lp to someon e other than Allāh a s a fo rm of disbelief , they , f ir st of a ll, identify it with worsh ip. Sinc e it is an act o f disbelief to worsh ip anyon e ex cept Allāh, ther efore , to appe al to som eone ex cept Allāh for he lp an d a ssistanc e is a k in d of disbe lief. T hey p ut fo r wa r d a battery of ar gument s to prov e the ir contention : 1. Ra the r, who is the one who g rants the supplica tion of a pe rson in d istre ss when he ca lls Him and relie ve s th e troub le? 1 2. And tho se whom the se (po ly the ists) wo rsh ip be side s A llāh can c rea te noth ing and have themselve s b een c rea ted . ( The y) a re d ead, lifele ss, and th ey do not kno w 1.

Qur’ ān (an-N aml, the Ants ) 27: 62. 89

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( even this much) a s when (people) will be raised up. 1 3. And tho se you in vok e be side s Him, th eir po we r is e ven le sse r than the skin of a dateston e. Ev en if you invok e th em, the y will no t b e able to listen to you r ca ll, and if (a s a suppo sition) th ey do listen, they canno t an swe r your ca ll and on th e Day o f Judg ement they will den y you r pa rtn ersh ip, and will not te ll you any n ews like the One Wh o is acquain ted with all thing s. 2 4. And who is more a stray than th e one who invo ke s, be sid es God , such (god s) a s will no t answer h im to the Da y o f Judg ement and who in fac t a re un consciou s o f th eir call. 3 5. That (pe rson) ca lls on such deitie s, be side s God , a s can n eithe r hu rt nor pro fit h im.4 6. No r wo rship b e side s A llāh an y (ido ls): such will neithe r pro fit you no r hurt you. Then if you d id so , you will ce rta inly be among tho se who do wrong. And if God hu rts you, th ere is non e ex cep t Him who can remove it.5 7. He wo rsh ip s h im who se hurt is nea re r than his p ro fit.6 T hey r ely on the se Qur’ ānic v er se s an d a ssert that anyon e who invok es any other p er son be side s Allāh 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(an-N ahl, the B ee) 16: 20-1. (Fātir, t he Originat or) 35:13-4. (al -Ahqāf, t he S and-dunes) 46:5. (al -Haj j, Pil grim age) 22:12. (Y ūnus, J onah) 10: 106-7. (al -Haj j, Pil grim age) 22:13.

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sho uld be con demne d. T hey ar gue on this basis that invokin g h elp an d seek in g a ssistan ce is r eserve d only for Allāh. T her efore , any app eal for help to anyon e e lse be side s him is a fo rm of disbelief. T his k in d of re ason in g is act ua lly ba se d on misconception an d p erver se lo gic . In the fo llo win g pa ge s an attempt is m a de to p ick o ut fla ws in this mo de of r ea son in g an d to pr esent a so un d an d cle ar p icture of the tr ue po sition.

Each appe al for help is not an act of worshi p In the se Qur ’ān ic v erse s the wor d du‘ā’ ha s be en use d in the sen se of wor ship. But the holy Qur ’ān doe s not interpret the wo r d du‘ā’ as wor sh ip in all context s, other wise m in ds which have gon e a stray will not r efra in from c a stin g stone s even on the proph ets an d will mar sha l a ssorte d eviden ce in a f utile ef fort to prov e their point of v ie w. Allāh say s in the ho ly Qur’ān : 1. Say : Come! Let u s call (tog eth er) ou r son s and you r son s. 1 2. Then (afte r a little wh ile) a (g irl) ou t o f the two came to him who was wa lk ing with mode sty. Sh e said : ‘my fa the r is ca lling you to remune rate you fo r the (labou r) you ha ve done fo r u s b y feed ing wa te r ( to) ou r (goa ts).’ 2 3. Then (afte r slaughte ring th em), put a po rtion of them on e ve ry h ill and call to them, th ey will come to you with spe ed.3 4. Wh en we shall call tog eth er a ll fac tion s o f human being s with th eir lead ers.4

1. 2. 3. 4.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 61. (al -Qas as, the Narratives) 28:25. (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:260. (al -Isr ā’, the Ni ght journey) 17:71.

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T he comm ents ma de by ‘ Abdullāh bin ‘Abbās on this Qur’ān ic v er se are a s fo llo ws: He re the leade r o r Imām mean s the pe rson who se inv ita tion th e peop le ha ve follo wed, wheth e r this in vitation lead s them to e vil o r gu idance . 1 It me ans th at each comm un ity will gather aro un d its lea der who se comman ds it follo we d durin g its e arthly sojo urn an d Allāh will call them by th is spe cif ic la be l: ‘O fo llo wer s o f such an d such le a der , yo ur fate will be de cide d a lon g with h im.’ In short, if we interpr et the wor d du‘ā ’ in these ver se s a s wo rsh ip, we are mor e like ly to open the win do w of disbelief r ather than c lo se it. T herefor e it se em s lo gica l to con clude that if the wor d du‘ā’ is link e d with an infidel or a non- be liever , it will m ean an act o f wo rsh ip, other wise it s mean in g will chan ge with the ch an ge of context. In the ve rses c ite d a gain st the justif ic ation of appea l fo r he lp a s a r guments th e wor d du ‘ā’ is directe d at the inf ide ls, there fore, in these sit uation s it will me an an act of wo rsh ip, but they do not disackno wle dge the va lidity of app ea l for he lp be ca use th e f avo urite s of Allāh whose he lp is be in g so ught are not entitle d to be wo rsh ippe d.

Second objecti on: Appeal for hel p is a form of dis belief in supernatural matters T his o bjection is ba se d on a p artic ular div ision. Matte s a re gen era lly div ide d into t wo c ate gorie s on the ba sis of c a use s: 1. Or din ary matter s 2. Extraor dina ry matter s Accor din g to this division , it is va lid to se ek the he lp of other s in or dina ry matter s be ca use they fa ll un der nat ura l c a use s but it is inva lid in extraor dinary m atters be ca use th ey f all un der supern atural c a use s an d th erefo re 1.

B aghawī narrat ed it in Ma‘āli m-ut -tanzī l (3: 126).

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is a form of disbe lief. Matter s of c a use-an d-eff ect a re gen era lly h an dle d on this leve l, but if this pattern is discar de d an d app ea l is ma de thro ugh other ca uses, it is c alle d appe al for he lp thro ugh supern atur al ca use s, an d if r elianc e is m a de only on ca use -an d- effe ct, it is c alle d app ea l for he lp thro ugh nat ura l ca use s. T he mean s for he lp a dopte d in th is c ase a re gener ally comp atible with the matter s for whom help is bein g imp lore d. It sho uld be kept in min d that in their opin ion it is app ea l for h elp thro ugh nat ura l ca use s to cooper ate with one another in worldly matter s, an d there fore it is a va lid a ct a s Allāh say s: And h elp one ano the r in (a cts o f) righ teou sne ss and pie ty .1 T hough they tr eat app ea l for he lp thro ugh nat ura l c a use s in o r din ary m atters a s a v alid act, they deny its va lidity in extraor dinary matter s.

In tellectual settle ment of the obje cti on First point: T he division into appe al for he lp thro ugh nat ura l an d supe rnat ura l ca uses ( relatin g to o r din ary an d extrao r din ary m atters) de clare s the latter as an inv alid act, wh ile the holy Qur’ ān m ake s no ref erenc e to this distin ction tendin g to justify one an d con demn the other. T his is a self -fa br ic ate d div ision an d is the r e sult of spe cio us lo gic an d f la we d r ea sonin g. No Qur ’ān ic v er se c an be c ite d to suppo rt this div ision. We sho uld a lso k eep in min d that extraor din ary matter s a re en gin eere d by fa ctors wh ich can be exp la ine d by som e leve l o f r ea sonin g. But , with the except ion of kun fayakūn ( be ! an d it is) no event is motiv ated by supern atur al ca use s. Since the ca use s of som e phenom ena a re not appa rently kno wn to us, we ten d to explain them thro ugh supern atur al ca uses. Se cond point: T he v erse in sū rah a l-Fā tihah , which is r e gar de d a s the f un dam ental link in the ir rea son in g, m ake s 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Mā’i dah, the F east ) 5:2.

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no mention o f the ca use s un der wh ich th is div ision ha s be en for ge d, while the wor ds iyyā ka na sta’ īnu ( we seek he lp only f rom Yo u) a re be in g use d in the a bso lute sense. T he r ule is that the a bso lute ha s a contin uo us sway in its a rea of app lication, that is, the a bso lute c annot tolerate any fluctuation in its r an ge of r efer ence . T his is what f un damentally differ entiate s the a bsolute from the r elat ive, the rea l from the contin gent, the cate gor ica l from the con dition al. T he refor e we c annot c lamp on it se lfinvente d me anin gs. We cannot say : ‘ O Allāh! W e seek Yo ur h elp only in extr aor din ary o r supern atura l m atters be ca use no on e else except Yo u can he lp us in the se matter s. As f ar a s or dinary o r wor ldly m atters a re con cern e d, we have no n ee d to seek Yo ur h elp bec a use there ar e co untless othe r so urce s which co uld be t appe d for the ac quisition of h elp.’ A div ision on the se line s is nothin g but a ref le ction of th eir lack of kno wle dge an d st up idity an d is a on e- way ticket to disbelief . T hus the ir o wn p erver se re ason in g boomer an gs on them; they them se lve s are guilty of the disbe lief o f which th ey h ave a cc use d others. Thir d point: All div ision an d cla ssif icat ion pre suppo se differ entiation . But the que stion is that in the ca se of iyyā ka na sta‘īnu th ere is no ne e d for such diff erent iation a s the a bso lute is cate gor ic al an d in div isible . Any effo rt to divide it is se lf-fr ustratin g. T hey hav e div ide d it de spite the glar in gly o bvio us f act that it is both unjustifie d an d un warr anted. Beside s, it c lea rly rev ea ls that the ir o wn the sis is mark e d by an inher ent contra diction a s they justify app ea l fo r he lp thro ugh n atural c a use s while deny in g it through sup ernat ura l ca use s. It is, in f act, nothin g but a high ly distorte d re fle ction of their o wn squint-ey e d vision. T he div ision c an be v in dic ate d only if we th ink of the dichotomy in terms o f rea l he lp an d de rivat ive h elp , which in r ea lity, amo unts to no division. If a ll he lp de riv es from th e a bso lute, then th e po wer o f the de rivat ive so ur ce o f he lp is on ly cont in gent, an d it a c quir e s substance only thro ugh the willin gn e ss of the rea l

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he lper . T hus the only sen sible way is in term s of r ea l an d de rivat ive an d not wh ether one kin d o f app ea l for h elp is justifie d an d the other is unjustif ie d. In the wor ds of iyyā ka na sta‘ īnu the creat ur e is implor in g Allāh . He is, in f act, sayin g: ‘O Allāh! No matter wh ich extern al so urce we tap for the r elie f of o ur imme diate n ee d, we do not re gar d this so urc e of re lief an d he lp a s the r eal h elp er. We tr eat on ly Yo u a s the true an d r eal Help er bec a use, if Yo ur support an d willin gne ss is lack in g an d if Yo ur con sent is missin g, no on e else ha s the po wer to h elp us o ut of o ur trouble .’ T his is the un waver in g co re of o ur fa ith wh ether we ar e r ecover in g thro ugh the me dic ine of a do ctor or thro ugh the supplic ation o f a sa int; we do not con sider them the rea l he lper s. T here fore in any ca se an d un der all c irc umstan ce s, Allāh alon e is o ur re al He lper bec a use the a ssistan ce of a ll other s is pre dicat ive, that is, it is pr e dic ate d only on Allāh’ s plea sure an d willin gn ess. For us both the me dic ine an d the supplic ation, the do ctor an d the sa int, ar e only mean s an d this is th eir on ly sign if ican ce bec a use Allāh alone is the rea l He lper. Fourth point: In some c a se s, ho wever, it appea ls to o ur common sense to upho ld the div ision bet ween nat ura l c a use s an d supern atur al ca use s, an d its r elevanc e is fo un d on ly in t erm s of th eir app lication an d not on th e ba sis of their inherent diff erentiation. Some act s are re solv e d by nat ura l me ans while a supern atur al solut ion h a s to be exp lore d fo r other acts. T he c a use s are pr esent in both c a se s. T he on ly differ enc e is that in the ca se of nat ura l a cts, the c a use s are v isible wh ile in the c a se of supern atur al act s the ca use s are gene ra lly inv isible. T he nat ura l ca uses m ay be ca lle d externa l an d m aterial while the supe rnatura l c a use s may be ca lle d intern al an d spirit ua l, an d this cla ssif icat ion so un ds mor e appropriate. T hough mater ia l ca uses are discar de d in the ca se of supern atur al act s, their pre sen ce, ho wev er, cannot be den ie d. It me ans that act s are not sup ernat ura l in the a bso lute sen se. T he only diffe renc e is that the ca use s of

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nat ura l acts are externa l which ar e visible to the common man or perc eiv a ble by him, wh ile the ca uses of supern atur al act s, on a cco unt of the ir non-mate ria l comp lex ion, are not visible to the common eye. When the prophet s, the saint s, the p io us people or any other in dividual is implor e d for help within the scope of the world of c a use-an d-eff ect, the wor ds use d a s a m ean s of he lp will po sse ss r ea l m ean in g but even in this ca se the r eal he lper will be Allāh a lone. But when h elp is be in g implor e d in a wor ld beyon d c a use- an d-eff ect, the wor ds use d for h elp will h ave on ly deriv ative va lue bec a use even in this situation the re al he lper is Allāh alon e, that is, in both c ase s, the re al mean in g is lack in g. T he on ly differ enc e is that the use of wor ds in the n atural context wa s ba se d on f act wh ile in the sup ernat ura l context, the enterta inment of rea l mean in g was o bjection a ble, there fore, th e wor d it self was sho rn of r ea l me anin g. In short, both in t erm s of semantic s an d f aith, the wor d rea l is exc lusiv ely re serv e d for Allāh .

Di vi sion between re al an d de ri vati ve is ine vitable A gro up, who den ie s the re levan ce of be se ech in g he lp from any quarter be side s Allāh , ho weve r, believ es that it is va lid in natura l m atters, while there is no ne e d to stre ss it s re al an d der ivative components. No w we wo uld lik e to a sk th ese p eople that if appea l for h elp thro ugh nat ura l me an s an d th e division bet ween th e r eal an d th e de riv ative is disa ckno wle dge d, then who will be the r eal he lper in nat ura l m atters? I s the r ea l he lper the doctor who is pr escribin g m e dica l tre atment for the patient o r Allāh? If the an swe r is th at ev en in worldly affa ir s the re al he lper is Allāh, th en why sho uld we reta in the distinction bet ween the natura l an d the supernat ur al me ans or so urce s of he lp? Why sho uld it be allo we d thro ugh the op eration of nat ura l c a use s an d de clare d a kin d of disbelie f when it op erate s thro ugh sup ernat ura l ca use s? Ho w is it po ssible to re so lve the contra diction bet we en be lief in Allāh a s the t r ue he lper an d seek in g he lp from other s be side s Allāh,

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witho ut ackno wle dgin g the dist inction bet ween the rea l an d the der ivativ e? T he Qur’ān say s: And our Lo rd is infinite ly Me rc ifu l and His he lp alon e is sought aga in st the ( vex ing) word s (O non-b elie ve rs,) you u tte r.1 On th e other han d, if the an swe r is th at in or din ary matter s the tr ue he lper is not Allāh but man , it c reate s dua lity, wh ich is a ne gation of be lief that the help er in or dinary matter s is the cre atur e but the h elp er in extrao r din ary m atters is the Cr eator. On the basis o f this dua lity, if we a dm it the cr eat ure as the tr ue h elp er, it will amo unt to the same kin d of disbelief a s wa s p ractise d by the infidels of Makkah th at in or dinary affa ir s they r elie d on men a s h elp er s an d in other aff airs be se ech e d Allāh for he lp. I f it is a dmitte d that Allāh is a lso the He lper in wo rldly a ffa ir s, then ho w is it corre ct to seek the he lp of someon e who is not- Go d. T he conc lusiv e ar gument is that Allāh is the on ly Help er even in or dinary m atters, an d h elp from the c reat ure s is imp lor e d on ly in the deriv ative sen se , not in the rea l sense ¾ then the que stion arises if beseech in g other s for h elp be side s Allāh in or din ary m atters is valid wh ere it is on ly de rivat ive, then ho w c an it be de cla re d invalid in extraor dinary matter s wher e its der ivative st atus is esta blish e d beyon d do ubt. T he contra diction is simp ly incompr ehen sible.

Justi ficati on of hel p from de ri vati ve s ou rce in su pe rn atural matte rs Re liance on the deriv ative so urc e of he lp in sup ernat ura l matter s is justif ie d in the sen se that, tho ugh appar ently, the so ur ce is other than Go d, a ctually it is Go d whose he lp is bein g covete d. In a ddition, the wor d h elp is use d in its de rivat ive sen se at m any p la ce s in the Ho ly Qur’ān . T he 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Ambi yā’, t he P rophet s ) 21:112.

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fr e quency with which it is use d is ama zin g. In the fo llo win g pa ge s, a f e w examp le s fro m the Qur’ān will be given to wash o ut the m isconc eption in the m in ds of the be liever s an d to brin g ho me to them th e dire con se quen ce s if the distin ction bet ween the re al an d the de riv ative is blotted o ut: Alle gation of disbelie f against Jibrīl  ? When Jibrīl  , with Allāh ’s con sent, app ear e d befo re M aryam (Mary ) in th e shape of a h uman bein g to convey to her the ne ws of the birth of ‘ Īsā , he sa id: I hav e only been sen t by you r Lo rd. (I hav e come b ecau se) I should ble ss you with a pu re son .1 In th is Qur’ān ic ver se th e statement by Jibr īl  bor ders on the supern atur al bec a use the birth o f a son witho ut mar ital con summ ation is impossible in the wor ld of ca use-an d- effe ct, an d, to convey the n e ws of the birth of a son to a cha ste, unm arr ie d woman is a graph ic Qur’ān ic illustration of h elp in supern atur al matter s, wh ich is simp ly incon ce iva ble witho ut the interpo lation of mate ria l ca use s. T he po int to be note d is that if a p er son be see che s a sa int or one of Allāh’ s f avo urite s for he lp on ly a s a m ean s, some of o ur ignorant fr ien ds in stantly clamp on him the a lle gation o f disbe lief, while if so me non- Go d ¾ Jibrīl ¾ says, “ I ble ss yo u with a p ure son,” an d Allāh Himself ment ions it in the ho ly Qur’ān , why don’t they c all it disbe lie f bec a use both sit uation s a re subst antia lly identica l? In the c a se of besee chin g he lp the petit ioner is e ssentially a h uman be in g an d rem ain s so un de r a ll the c irc um stanc es, but the statem ent “ I ble ss yo u with a p ure son” is an en croa chment on the divine po wer s if it is not interprete d de rivat ively ; if it is interpr ete d in the re al sen se , then the an gel ac quire s the stat us of Go d 1.

Qur’ ān (Mar yam, M ary) 19:19.

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wh ich is nothin g but disbe lie f. T o ble ss som eone with a ch ild is a divin e act an d th e duty of a c reat ure is only to se ek His ble ssin g. If a p er son’ s act o f be see chin g he lp from non- Allāh is an act of disbe lief, then the statement by a non-Allāh that “ I ble ss yo u with a p ur e son ” amo unts to ev en a high er for m of disbe lief. T he quest ion is that Jibrīl  did not commit disbelief de spite his statement app arently bo r der in g on disbe lief; rather h is statement prov e d tr uthf ul. T hen ho w co uld we v in dic ate his st atement that appar ently se eme d to defy the po wer s of divin ity, a s no bo dy ha s dare d c all h im (may Go d for bid) a disbeliev er? T hough the statem ent, “ I ble ss yo u with a p ure son ,” app arently be lon gs to Jibrīl , but the “ son” act ually r efer s to the son Allāh is a bo ut to ble ss her with, an d the an gel is only a ca use, a m ean s fo r the act which is, in e ssen ce, div ine . T hus the Qur ’ān ic v er se (19:19) em bo die s on ly an act of he lp which is rea lly an act o f inte rme diation on ly an d is a sup er b ex ample of de rivat ive he lp f urn ishe d by the Qur’ ān it se lf. So me p eople r aise o bjection a ga inst the tr anslat ion of the ver se . T hey op ine that the subject of the ver b li-ahaba (I sho uld ble ss) is Allāh Him se lf an d Jibr īl   sa id it r eporte dly. Wh ile in another r ec itation of the v er se the ve r b is li-yahaba ( He (Allāh) sho uld bless) . T he denier s acc ept the se t wo translat ions be ca use they c ater to their temper ament an d pamp er the ir moo d. An d they re ject the pref erre d one th at is in th e ho ly Qur’ān an d r ecite d a ccor din gly. So wh at hin dr ance rem ain s th ere to a cc ept the prepon derant rec itation an d me anin g of the ve rse that ha s a lso be en narr ate d by the exe gete s of great r ep ute? T he sam e m ean in g that we n arrate d is pr inte d in the tran slation of th e holy Qur’ ān in Ur du p ublish e d by Sh āh Fah a d Qur ’ān Kar īm Comp lex, Sa udi Ara bia. Alle gation of disbelie f against ‘Īsā  ? When ‘Ī sā  artic ulate d the div ine tr uth p ublicly an d trie d to invite the m em ber s of h is comm unity to div ine

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un ity an d dissua de them f rom comm ittin g disbe lief, he sho we d a n um ber of m ira cle s to them. His invitation ha s be en phr ase d in the ho ly Qur ’ān in the se wor ds: Su re ly, I hav e come to you, with a sign from your Lo rd that I mak e fo r you, out o f c lay , th e ( figu re of a) b ird, and b reath e in to it and it be comes in stantly a fly ing b ird by God ’s leave . And I hea l tho se born blind, and the lepe rs, and I qu ic ken the d ead by God ’s lea ve, and I d ec lare to you (all) tha t you ea t, and that you sto re in you r hou se s. Su re ly in tha t th e re is a sign fo r you if you a re b elie ve rs.1 T his Qur’ān ic ver se r elate s fiv e m ir acle s p erforme d by ‘Ī sā : 1. to mak e a fly in g bir d o ut of clay 2. to he al a pe rson who is born blin d 3. to he al lepro sy 4. to quicken the dea d 5. to rev ea l ne ws from the unseen Allāh ha d ble sse d ‘Ī sā  with f ive mir ac le s wh ich he use d to op enly de clare h is f aith an d wh ich have been en do rse d by Go d Him se lf in the Ho ly Qur’ ān. In this Qur’ān ic v er se, ‘Ī sā   say s: ‘I h ave come to yo u, with a sign from yo ur Lor d that I m ake for yo u, o ut of clay, the (f igure of a) bir d.’ T he wor d a khluqu (I cr eate) ha s been use d inste a d o f the wo r d a j‘a lu (I make ). A little r eflection will sho w yo u that the who le de bate revo lve s a ro un d the distinction bet we en re al an d der ivative , the po wer that is se lf- generate d an d the po wer that is gen erate d by the other’ s will, the non-cont in gent an d the contin gent. In this Qur’ ānic ver se , the r ea l h elp er is not ‘ Īsā , but Allāh Him self. T he de bate is, in f act, ver bal bec a use the wor ds h ave be en use d not in the ir e ssentia l m ean in g, 1.

Qur’ ān (Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 49.

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but only in their bo rro we d sen se. T hough the mo de of a ddre ss is voc ative, the rea l He lper is Allāh Him se lf an d wh at the Prophet   is p erform in g ha s the div ine san ction beh in d it. T his is a f ine examp le of the ver ba l distin ction bet ween the re al an d the non -re al f urn ishe d by the Qur’ān . On e can say that the entir e episo de re late s to the m ira cle p erform e d by ‘Ī sā  an d a mir ac le is irre levant to a disc ussion of appea l for he lp. T he simple an swer is that “ the mirac le is the h ea lin g of the sick an d not the a rro gation of divin e po wer s to him se lf. ” T he f act is that the supern atur al act s perfor me d by the Prophet  po sse ss on ly a deriv ative me anin g bec a use both dise a se an d its recov ery a re fro m Allāh. When it is an imm uta ble f act that Allāh a lone hea ls a leper an d a p er son who is born blin d, then why did Īsā   say , “ I h ea l.” In pr inc iple, he sho uld have sa id that ‘though I c a st my han d ove r a lep er an d a blin d per son, I do not he al them ; it is, in fact, Allāh who he als them.’ It wo uld not hav e re duce d the imp act of the mir ac le in any sen se but h e on ly de rivat ive ly arro gate d it to him se lf. T he fo urth statem ent he m a de wa s “ An d I quicken the de a d, by Go d’s le ave. ” T his is re ally an extr eme c a se. He is not sayin g: ‘yo u brin g a dea d p er son, then I sha ll p ray to Allāh an d He, on acco unt of my pr ayer, sha ll br in g h im to life .’ But he sa id, “ I br in g the de a d to life by Go d’ s leav e.” It m ean s that the use of wor ds an d the spec if ic mo de o f a ddr ess are on ly der ivativ ely attributed to the c reat ure , an d not in the r ea l sen se. It is quite va lid in the c a se of ‘Ī sā   bec a use it is bein g use d only in a r eflectiv e sense through the wor ds b i- idhn Allāh ( by Go d’s leave ) he is de clarin g only Allāh a s the tr ue He lpe r. T he fifth statement m a de by h im say s, “ An d I de cla re to yo u (all) that yo u eat, an d that yo u store in yo ur ho use s. ” He doe s not say that h e is doin g so bec a use he ha s been informe d by Go d; on the other han d, he say s, “ I give yo u th e n e ws.” T he se wor ds c le arly em bo dy an a sp ect of kno wle dge of the un se en bec a use infor mation

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a bo ut what someon e ha s eaten f alls within the re alm of the un se en an d is kno wn to Allāh alon e. ‘Ī sā  doe s not say, “ Go d infor ms m e, ” though the fact is th at it is Allāh Who is info rmin g him but he ha s not expr e sse d it in his wo r ds an d ha s only der ivativ ely attribute d it to him se lf wh ich c le ar ly r eve als that the kno wle dge of the un seen c an be deriv ative ly claim e d by non- Allāh, an d it is valid other wise a Me ssen ger of Allāh wo uld nev er h ave comm itte d such an a ct. T he statem ent p ublicly ma de by ‘Ī sā  m ust bor der on disbe lief in the eye s of o ur mo de rn scho lar s who do not tir e o f tr ump etin g their f aith in divine un ity. Such a mo de of th inkin g will not even exempt the prophet s f rom the st igma of disbelief . No sane believe r will subscr ibe to their distorted point o f v ie w beca use to acc use the proph ets o f disbelie f is in itse lf a kin d of disbe lief. T herefor e, th is t ren d o f spe c ulat ion may prove ha zar do us for the entir e wor ld of Islam a s it will not even spa re the proph ets who devote d their live s to win Allāh’ s p le asure an d favo ur . Alle gation of disbelie f against Allāh? T he sp ec ific v er se of sūrah Ā l ‘Imrān r ecor ds the wor ds uttere d by ‘Ī sā  , “ I brin g the dea d to life by Go d’ s leav e an d I br eathe lif e into the f igure s of bir ds ma de o ut of clay, etc, ” but in the fo llo win g ver se , Allāh Himself is supportin g h is wo r ds: And when you, by My leav e, made ( the figu re) lik e tha t o f a bird out of kn eaded c lay . 1 Allāh h a s not de clare d: ‘ O ‘ Īsā! I ma de fo r yo u bir ds of c lay an d bro ught them to life, for yo u I gave sight to the per son s born blin d an d hea le d the leper s. ’ Allāh co uld hav e done so for the sak e of His favo ur ites bec a use He kne w that nothin g co uld sh ake them in the ir belief in Him . 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Mā’i dah, the F east ) 5:110.

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It is an a dm itted fa ct that breath in g lif e into so methin g an d m akin g it a live is ex clusive ly an act of the Creator of the un iver se . But for ‘Ī sā  He Him self dec lar e d: Then you b reath ed in to it, so ( the figu re) be came a bird by My lea ve, and when you hea led the pe rson s bo rn blind and th e lep ers by My lea ve, and when you by My lea ve made the dead (alive b y) taking th em ou t (o f th eir g rav e s and) made them ( stand up ).1 T he ver se make s it clear that the se wo r ds are on ly de rivat ive ly applie d to non- Allāh an d th is mo de of app lication is v alid. T he se wor ds wer e uttere d by Allāh Him se lf an d were a lso use d by the proph ets tho ugh the re wa s no comp ulsion for them to make use of such wor ds. T heir der ivative use in the Holy Qur’ ān by Allāh is not on ly the gr eate st justification of their dele gate d mean in g but is also an atte station of the ir v alidity. T his disc ussion also f urnish es a spec if ic co de for interna l an d extern al ca use s, th at is, in sup ernat ura l c a use s, even tho ugh the wor ds ar e direct ly attribute d to the cre ature, the r ea l dr ivin g for ce beh in d the se wor ds is Allāh Him se lf bec a use He is th e only re al He lper an d supporter.

Third objecti on: Beseeching s omeone other than God for hel p s macks of his invisi ble power Be se ech in g som eone other than Go d is a form of disbe lief be ca use to se ek he lp from a r emote distanc e fa lls un der supern atur al ca uses, an d this is the thir d re ason in the ir a rmo ury of ar gument s. Sin ce the p er son who se help is be in g implo re d appe ar s to be at an inv isible distanc e, we inve st h im with sup ernat ura l po wer, wh ich is only Allāh’ s pr ero gativ e. T hrough th is act, we also inve st him with a bso lute po wer. Sin ce only Allāh po sse sse s a bsolute 1.

Qur’ ān (al -Mā’i dah, the F east ) 5:110.

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po wer, it is a form of disbelief to inve st not- Go d with such po wer. T his, in fact, amo unt s to cre atin g partner s for Allāh, which is a glarin g ne gation of div ine un ity an d there fore, in con flict with the mo st f un damenta l art icle of o ur fa ith which proc la im s divin e in divisibility.

Re bu ttal of the self-con cocte d belief Se lf-con cocte d theorie s m ake the conf usion wor se con fo un de d an d ther efore , a sk for the ir instant e liminat ion. T his is entir ely wron g that such per son s po sse ss po wer of the un seen . It is, in fact, a kin d of spirit ua l quality, wh ich Allāh con fer s on His cho sen c reat ure s. T o ca ll this sp ir itual po wer, wh ich Allāh Him se lf ha s given to His spe cia l peop le, a bso lute is to c reate disco r d amon g th e be lieve rs. Be side s, even the nonbe liever s seem to po sse ss this kin d of po wer an d this doe s not tran sform the m into go dh ea ds. If the non- be liever s can c la im this virt ue , why sho uld the be liever s be depr ive d of it s ben efit who h ave a greater claim on Allāh’ s f avo ur s. T he r efer ence to internet, which is th e late st sym bol of mo de rn sc ientif ic pro gre ss, seem s to be the most app ropriate way to illustrate o ur point. In th is scientif ic wo rld of m aterial pro gr e ss, wher e the h uman con cept of a glo bal villa ge ha s no w be come a r eality, distan ce s h ave shr unk in the comp uter wor ld. T he internet h as re duce d the world to the leve l of a gr ain o f rye . T he state of pro gr ess a llo ws man to sit in a clo se d room an d to be in to uch with the late st deve lopment s in the o ut side wor ld. T he quest ion arise s: ‘ do the intern et an d the comp uter s linke d with it po sse ss the po we r of th e un seen ?’ T his r evea ls the f un dam ental contra diction in their line of r ea sonin g. T hey do not la be l the comp uter s an d th eir mo de of work a s a form of disbe lief, but it is diff ic ult for them to swallo w the op eration s of the spir itual po wer, wh ich Allāh ha s giv en to His favo ur ite peop le, an d they dub it una sh ame dly a s a form of disbelie f. If the o utcom e of sc ientif ic pro gre ss h a s ma de the impo ssible a s po ssible an d giv en birth to instant comm un ication wh ere an event

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happ enin g in on e corne r o f the wo rld is instantly spla she d a cro ss the who le world, an d it do e s not c la sh with the con cept o f divin e un ity, then ho w can an expr e ssion an d man if estation of sp irit ua l ca use s be ta gge d a s a kin d of disbelief . If the invent ions of the disbeliev er s an d the infidels, an d the inv isible po wer s they se em to pro ject, do not a mo unt to disbe lief, then why sho uld the sp ir itua l po wer s enjoye d th ro ugh div ine con sent by th e prophet s, the pio us an d the sa ints be e quate d with disbelief. T his, in f act, is th e h ighe st form of p erver sion. W e do not den igrate th e mo dern invention s an d the po wer with wh ich they have inve ste d m ankin d, but they ar e no m atch for the spirit ua l po wer an d en lightenment with which Allāh ha s ble sse d His o wn favo urite s; th e prophet s, the sa ints an d the r ighteo us. T his spir itual po wer ha s be en expr e sse d by Sh aykh ‘ Abd- ul-Qā dir Jīlānī in the se wor ds: I see all the coun trie s of Allāh simultaneou sly as if th ey are like a g ra in o f ry e on my pa lm (in my ey e).1 So me people suff er from the do ubt that when we c all someon e f rom a distance, it me ans that the one who is be in g ca lle d kno ws who the ca ller is, that is, he , in f act, kno ws the c aller ve ry we ll. On this ba sis, he se em s to po sse ss kno wle dge of the un se en, an d sin ce kno wle dge of the un se en a lso imp lie s a bso lute po wer, ther efor e, on a cco unt of th ese t wo in gr e dients, it is a k in d of disbe lief a s well as an ille ga l act. T he an swer to this perv er se r ea sonin g is quite simp le . In this a ge of scientif ic pro gr ess, both these a spe cts ar e p re sent in the h uman kno wle dge deriv e d from mo dern inv ention s, while Qur’ ān, the Wor d of Go d, h a s alrea dy antic ipate d an d confirme d it, but be in g divin e in or igin , it is free from a ll pollution. T he Qur’ān carr ie s inform ation a bo ut remote kno wle dge an d the po wer ov er act s an d pheno mena . Sulaym ān () sa id dur in g the dia lo gue with h is co urtier s: 1.

S haykh ‘ Abd-ul -Qādi r Jīl ānī, Qasīdah ghawt hi yyah.

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You ch ie fs! Wh ich of you can b ring me he r th rone be fore they come to me in submission.1 T he throne of queen Balqīs wa s at a distan ce of 900 m iles from Sulaym ān’ s co urt which non e of th e co urtier s ha d seen . In spite of it, non e o f them a ske d him : ‘O Prophet, the thron e is at a distan ce of h un dr e ds of m ile s, p lac e d beh in d an invisible c urtain an d yo u ar e deman din g that it sho uld be bro ught to yo u imme diate ly. Do yo u enterta in the be lie f on o ur beha lf that we, sittin g her e, po sse ss kno wle dge of r emote o bject s?’

C an creatu res h ave remote k nowle dge? If Sulaym ān  h a d believe d th at his co urtier s h a d no kno wle dge o f the lo cation of the throne place d at a distan ce of 900 mile s an d o f c arry in g it over such a v ast distan ce, he wo uld nev er h ave a ske d who wo uld brin g it. On the contrary , h e wo uld hav e implo re d Allāh : ‘O Allāh! Se n d to me the throne of queen Ba lqīs beca use Yo u a re the on ly one who po sse sse s a bso lute po wer. ’ In sho rt, we lea rn from th e Qur’ān th at kno wle dge of distant o bjects do es not con stit ute disbe lief. Sula ymān  did not commit disbe lief bec a use h e wa s ex erc isin g the invisible po we rs dele gate d to h im by Allāh Him se lf. Sim ilarly , if the pre sent-day M uslims a dopt the be lief that ‘Alī Hujwīrī, ‘ Abd- ul-Qā dir Jīlānī, Sultān Bāh ū an d th e other sa ints an d v irtuo us peop le kno w us a n d po sse ss the Go d- given po wer to h elp us o ut of o ur pro blem s, they cannot be guilty o f p erpetratin g an a ct of disbelief an d ar e not o ut of the fo ld of I slam. Just a s it wa s not disbelief in the c ase of Sulaym ān , similar ly, it is a bsolute ly v alid in the ir ca se , beca use the saint s a re a s divine ly in sp ire d a s were the co urtier s of Sula ymān , more p artic ula rly Āsif bin Ba rakhyā . In both c ases, the se spe cial p eople ar e ble sse d by Allāh to

1.

Qur’ ān (an-N aml, the Ants ) 27: 38.

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po sse ss these po wer s, an d the ex erc ise of the se po wers is divine ly sanction e d. When Allāh a lone ha s the a bsolute po wer, His la ws ar e eterna l an d cannot be mo dif ie d by the va garie s of tim e an d spa ce or sele ctive ly app lie d on the ba sis of in dividual f luctuation or chan ge in c irc um stan ce s. If they wer e app lie d in the p ast, they can be applie d even no w. I f they did not con stit ute disbelief dur in g the time of Sula ymān , ho w c an they do so in th e mo dern tim e s? Human po wer wav er s but Go d’ s po wer is a bso lute. ‘ Umar Fā rūq’s inspiration T he unkno wn is reve ale d to the cho sen peop le of Allāh who m He ha s inv este d with sp ec ial sp irit ua l po we rs. It wa s a p roof of the se sp ir itual benef its that the Compan ion s dire ctly groome d by the holy Prophet  h imself co uld issue in struction s directly to the ir comm an der s in the battlef ie ld ove r a distanc e of tho usan ds of mile s witho ut usin g m aterial me ans. On ce, th e I slam ic a rmy wa s array e d in battle a ga in st their en emies un de r the comm an d of Sā riy ah bin Ja ba l. T he enemy m a de a clev er tactica l move an d the Islam ic forc es we re completely be sie ge d by them . Pre cise ly at that time , ‘ Umar Fār ūq wa s de liv er in g the Fr iday sermon from the p ulp it at M e din a. On a cco unt of his sp irit ua l concentrat ion, the battle sc enar io wa s r ight befor e his ey e s. Dur in g the sermon , he pro cla ime d lo udly: O Sāriyah ! Go behind th e mountain ! 1 1.

Abū Nu‘ aym narrated it i n Dal ā’il -un-nubuww ah (p. 507); Khat īb T abrī zī, Mi shkāt -ul -masābī h, b. of f adā’il (vi rt ues ) ch. 8 (3: 318#5954); Ibn ‘ As āki r in T ahdhī b tārī kh Di mas hq al -kabīr generally known as T ār ī kh/T ahdhīb Ibn ‘Asāki r; Ibn Kathī r i n al -Bidāyah wan-ni hāyah (5:210-1) and decl ared i ts chai n of aut hori ti es as excell ent and fai r (j ayyid has an); ‘ As qal ānī graded it s chain of t rans mis si on has an (fai r) i n al -Isābah fī tamyī z-is -s ahābah (2: 3); ‘Alī al Hi ndī, Kanz -ul -‘ummāl (12: 571,572, 573 #35788-91); ‘ Ajl awnī, Kashf -ul -khifā’ w a muz īl -ul-ilbās (2:514#3172); and Albānī i n Sils ilat -ul -ahādī th-i s -sahī hah (#1110).

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After say in g this, he re sume d delive rin g the sermon. He wa s perfo rmin g t wo acts sim ultaneo usly : he wa s de liv er in g the Fr iday se rmon at the Proph et’s Mo sque, an d at the same t ime he wa s dir ectly issuin g in str uction s to his comm an der at the battle field. He ne ither po sse sse d the r a dar sy stem no r the mo bile phone , wh ich co uld inform h im a bo ut the event s at the battlef ie ld. It wa s a mir ac le of the spirit ua l po wer Allāh h a d blesse d him with, wh ich he lpe d h is inne r eye to surv ey a ll that wa s happ enin g at such a v a st distan ce. Sā riyah bin Ja ba l a ctually re ce ive d the m essa ge f rom ‘ Umar Fā r ūq an d imm e diately le d his for ce beh in d the mo unta in an d ach iev e d v ictory over the en emy. T he enemy attack f iz zle d o ut, an d when the I slamic for ce s h it back , the en emy wa s tro unce d. Diffe re nce be twe en spiritual inspiration and knowle dge of the unse en Anothe r m isconc eption n ee ds to be remov e d which ten ds to con f use in spir ation with inv isible kno wle dge. T he t wo phenom ena are , in f act, po le s apart. As oppo se d to kno wle dge of the un seen , div ine insp ir ation is a k in d of r evelation ; it me an s to un rave l som ethin g that is con ce ale d; it is a c urta in-ra iser as it lift s the c urta in on somethin g that is h idden , an d it applie s only to the c reat ure s. Allāh tran scen ds the se re servation s a s He em bo die s in Him se lf the kno wle dge o f the unseen. Sin ce nothin g is hidden from Him, the que stion of raisin g the c urtain o r liftin g th e ve il doe s not arise in His c a se. It is the prero gative of the sa ints of Allāh, wh ich He Him se lf ha s a war de d to them. It is by virt ue of this po wer that the se crets of h idden th in gs are rev ea le d to them an d this kno wle dge doe s not a mo unt to disbelief bec a use it come s a bo ut in exer cise of th e po wer confe rre d on them by Allāh Him se lf. T he c urtain is r aise d on hidden th in gs for the sa ints an d Allāh lifts their v eils an d this strike s the sa ints with the fo rce of r eve lation. Here th e t wo po wer s mer ge : the dir ect an d or igin al po we r of Allāh an d the in dire ct an d r eflecte d po wer of the saint, but the me r ger cannot be

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wille d by the saint a s it can be san ctione d by Allāh alon e. T his is what the conc ept of divine unity bo ils do wn to. T he a lle gation of disbelief can be justif ie d on ly if we a rro gate the attributes of Allāh to not-Allāh. T here is nothin g in the depth s of the e arth an d the imm en sities of the he aven s that is h idden to Allāh. He kno ws ev erythin g that is unkno wn to His cre atur e s, an d He kno ws all that is r evea le d to them too. T he Lor d say s: Su re ly, the re is no thing on th e earth and in the h eaven s tha t is h idden to Allāh! 1 T his Qur ’ān ic v er se expre ssly state s that to attribute insp irat ion to Allāh who is the so urce o f a ll insp ir ation is to lim it the div ine po wer s an d to conf ine kno wle dge of the un se en within na rro w groov e s, which ce rtain ly vio late s the con cept of divin e un ity beca use ka shf mean s to unr avel what is h idden wh ile nothin g is h idden to Allāh. Sin ce thin gs a re conce ale d to h um an be in gs, Allāh con ferr e d on His cho sen p eople, a s a ma rk o f the ir distin ction, the po wer of insp ir ation, wh ich r eve ale d to them the nea r an d distant o bje cts. [ For a deta ile d st udy of the un seen, plea se ref er to o ur Ur du book ‘Aq īdah ‘ ilm ghayb (Do ctrine of the Kno wle dge of the Unseen) .] The P rophe t’s que stion is an a rgume nt for the po we r of the que stione d In the ev ent re late d in the ho ly Qur’ ān, Sulaymān  ha d conveye d h is wish to the co urtier s to br in g to him the throne of queen Ba lqīs, an d qualif ie d it by the con dition “ before they com e to me in submission.” Queen Ba lqīs an d a n um ber o f other people alon g with h er h a d alr ea dy set o ut to v isit Sulaymān’ s co urt with a v ie w to e m brac in g I slam, but h e wa s insistin g that the throne m ust be bro ught to him befor e the ir ar riv al. If Sulaymān  ha d not po sse sse d the be lief in the kno wle dge of distant thin gs for not-Allāh an d the re quisite 1.

Qur’ ān (Āl ‘Imrān, t he F amil y of ‘ Im rān) 3: 5.

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po wer to tran sfo rm this kno wle dge into r eality, h e wo uld nev er hav e a ske d such a quest ion. T he co urtier s wo uld a lso h ave spok en o ut: ‘O Prophet! Ho w is it po ssible for the c reat ure s to per form such an act? Yo u turn to Allāh an d besee ch Him for he lp a s He alon e ha s the po we r ov er this supe rnat ura l m atter.’ But none of the co urtier s da re d a sk the que stion, but in re spon se to the quest ion, one of the jinn s stoo d up an d sa id: I can b ring it to you be fore you rise from you r p lac e and indeed I am po we rfu l ( to b ring) it (and) I am tru stwo rthy.1 It m ay also be note d her e, ho w can somethin g that is va lid for the jinn s, turn into an artic le of disbe lief for the f avo urite peop le o f Allāh who con stantly bo w be fore Him. Disbe lief is a ctua lly pre dic ate d on tho se attributes an d qua lit ie s spec if ica lly a ssoc iate d with Allāh an d are not av aila ble to other s. It will be disbelief on ly if they attribute to themselv e s these sp ec ific div ine qualitie s wh ich is o bvio usly in conc eiv a ble for a tr ue be liev er be ca use it is e quiv alent to a ne gation of their fa ith. Sula ymān  did not acc ept the offe r m a de by that jinn. T hen one amon g th e men stoo d up who po sse sse d kno wle dge of the Book . He wa s amon g the kno wle dgea ble an d the spirit ua lists. He sa id to Sulaymān  while st an din g: I can b ring it to you be fo re you r e ye re tu rns to you (th is is, in th e twink ling o f an eye ), then wh en (Su laymān) found tha t ( th rone) pla ced befo re h im, he said: ‘ this is by th e g race of my Lo rd.’ 2 T he den igrator s say th at Sulaymān  wa s the pe rson who bro ught the throne. Wh ile the c ele brate d an d we ll-kno wn vie w is that it wa s his writer or min iste r who

1. 2.

Qur’ ān (an-N aml, the Ants ) 27: 39. Qur’ ān (an-N aml, the Ants ) 27: 40.

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bro ught the thron e to Sulaym ān  an d h is n ame wa s Āsif bin Bar akhyā. Im ām Qurtubī wr ite s: Most exeg etes agree upon it tha t su re ly the pe rson who had the kno wledge of the Boo k wa s Ā sif bin Ba rakh yā, and h e wa s tru thfu l. He kn ew A llāh’ s ism- ul-a‘ zam ( exalted name) that wh enev e r he was a sked for some thing h e gave th rough it and when eve r he wa s ca lled he an swe red through it. And ‘Ā’ ishah na rra ted: the P rophe t  sa id, “I sm- ul-a‘ zam o f A lmighty Allāh th rough which Āsif b in Ba rakh yā p rayd is y ā h ayy (O, th e Liv ing!) yā qayy ūm ( O, the Se lf-Sub sisten t!). ”1 Im ām I bn Kathīr, wh ile comm entin g on th e v er se (27 :40) write s: Ibn ‘Abbā s sa id, “And h e wa s Ā sif, the write r of Su laymān  .” And simila rly Muhammad bin I shāq na rrated th rough Yazīd bin Rūmān, “Certa inly h e wa s Ā sif b in Ba rakh yā, and h e wa s tru thfu l and kne w ism - ul- a‘z am. ” And Qa tādah sa id, “He wa s a be lieve r from human b eing s and h is name wa s Ā sif. ” S imila rly, Abū Sā lih , Dahhā k, and Qa tādah said that he wa s a human be ing. Qatādah add ed tha t he be longed to Ban ī I sra el. Mu jāhid said , “His name wa s Ustūm.” And Qa tādah said in ano the r trad ition tha t his name wa s Ba līkhā. And Zuhay r bin Muhammad said , “He wa s a man from human be ing and called Dhū anNū r.” And ‘Abdu llāh bin Lah ī‘ah suppo se s

1.

Qurt ubī, al -Jāmi‘ li -ahkām-il -Qur ’ān (13:204).

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that he wa s Khadir  but (a ssumption) is ex tremely unfamilia r.1

this

I bn Kathīr mention e d the top ic in h is a l-B idāyah wann ihāyah (1 :472) an d sa id: “Th e well-kno wn fac t is that he wa s Ā sif bin Ba ra khyā and he was the cou sin o f Su laymān . And it is also said tha t he wa s a jinn b elie ve r a s it is said about him that he kne w ism-ul-a‘ zam. And it is sa id that h e wa s a schola rly man from Ban ī I srae l and it is a lso sa id tha t he wa s Su laymān  , bu t th is is e xtreme ly un familiar. And Suhay lī weak ened this sta temen t b ecau se it is not ac co rding to the con te xt.” I bn ‘Abbās nar rate d the same point in Tan wīr-u lmiqbā s (p.318 ).2

1. 2.

Ibn Kathīr, T af sīr -ul -Qur ’ān al -‘az īm (3: 364). The foll owing s chol ars als o narrat ed t hat Āsi f bi n B arakhyā had t he knowledge of t he B ook and he brought the throne of Queen B al qīs to S ul aym ān ( ): (i ) Ibn Abī Hāti m R āzī, T afs īr -ul -Qur ’ān al -‘azī m (9: 28856#16376-16381). (ii ) Ibn J arī r Tabarī, Jāmi ‘-ul -bayān fī taf sīr -i l -Qur ’ān (19: 103). (ii i) Ibn-ul -J awzī, Z ād-ul -masī r fī ‘i lm-it -tafsī r (6: 174). (i v) B aydāwī, Taf sīr (3:280). (v) R āzī, at -T afs īr -ul-kabīr (24: 197). (vi) T ha‘ ālabī, Jawāhi r-ul -his ān f ī tafsī r -il -Qur’ān (3: 162). (vii ) Nas afī, al-Madāri k (3:213). (viii ) Khāzi n, Lubāb-ut-ta’wī l fī ma‘ānī at -t anzīl (3: 385-6). (i x) Abū Hayyān Andal usī, T af sīr -ul -bahr-il -muhīt (7:75). (x) Mahall ī, Tafsī r-ul -j al ālayn (p. 320). (xi) Suyūt ī, ad-Durr -ul -manthūr (5:109). (xii ) S ābūnī, Qabas mi n-nūr -il -Qur’ān al -karī m (9:176). (xiii ) Ibrāhīm bi n ‘ Um ar Biqā‘ ī, N az m-ud-Dur ar fī t anās ub-i l-āyāt was-suwar (14:164-5).

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T he Qur’ ānic ver se f urnish es a contra stive st udy of t wo k in ds of cre atur e s: on the one h an d ar e the jinn s who pr ide in their extrao r dina ry po wer, on the ba sis of wh ich he expr esses his sen se of determ ination to br in g to h im the throne p la ce d at a distanc e of h un dre ds of mile s befor e the r isin g of the co unc il; an d on the other han d is be in g de scribe d the glory an d nat ure of the m an of Allāh who po sse sse s the po wer to per form this jo b in the blink in g of an eye . In this situation, Sulaymān  spe aks up: So that He should te st me wh eth er I am g ratefu l or ung ratefu l, and who soe ve r e xp re ssed g ratitude ( to A llāh), so h e o ffe rs g ratitud e fo r h is pe rsonal b ene fit, and who soev e r was ungra te ful, th en my Lord is A ll- Tran scend ing, Merciful.1 T heir goony exp lan ation o f the un se en som etime s take s on a dif ferent conf iguration. T hey say that it is not va lid to deman d from a cr eat ure the p erform ance of an act wh ich is beyon d his cr eat ure ly stat us. In or der to justify their contention they sugge st that to dem an d fro m the proph ets, the saint s an d the pio us so methin g, which is not in their control an d which is on ly in Allāh’s control is an exp re ssion o f disbelief. T he an swer to this quest ion ha s a lre a dy been provide d at len gth. T he f act is that this mo de of rea son in g is ba se d on a m isun der stan din g of the me anin g of the wor d istighāthah. No M uslim , wh en he is

1.

(xiv) Abū S a‘ūd ‘Am ādī, Ir shād-ul -‘aql -is -sal īm ilā maz āyā al - Qur ’ān al -kar īm (6: 287). (xv) Ism ā‘īl Haqqī, T af sīr rūh-ul -bayān (6:349). (xvi ) S hawkānī, Fath-ul -qadī r (4: 139). (xvii ) Qadī T hanā’ull āh P ānī patī, at-T af sīr -ul -maz harī (7:117). (xvii i) Zam akhs harī, al -K ashshāf ‘an haqā’i q ghawāmi d-it t anzīl (3:289). (xix) Khat īb S hurbīnī, as -Sir āj -ul -munīr (3:60). (xx) Ālūsī, Rūh-ul -ma‘ānī (19: 203). Qur’ ān (an-N aml, the Ants ) 27: 40.

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be seech in g the p rophets an d the sa ints for he lp, be lieve s in h is hea rt that o ur h elpe rs (the proph ets an d the sa ints) will h elp us on the ir o wn, but we be lieve that they will serv e on ly as a me an s of f ulfillin g o ur ne e ds before Allāh, a s h as been expla ine d in the c a se of the blin d Compan ion an d the re quest for ra in. T he Comp anion s in the se tra dition s ha d ba se d th eir appe al for h elp on the a bsolute po wer o f Allāh an d m e diate d it through the qualitie s an d attribute s o f the Prophet . An d a s a re sult, the Prophet  who wa s, better groome d in the secr ets of divine un ity, did not disco ura ge them by say in g that in this way they we re comm itting disbelief but pr aye d for them an d, Allāh in re spon se to h is supp lication, f ulf ille d their ne e ds. If besee chin g h elp from not-Allāh ha d been disbelief , then, first, the Compan ion s wo uld nev er have imp lore d the Prophet  to perform this a ct, se cond, the Prophet  wo uld hav e disco ur a ge d them by tellin g them it was disbelief , an d wo uld h ave for bidden them to pr ess h im with such imp lorin g, third, Allāh wo uld have fo r bidden His be love d to he lp them an d protecte d him a ga in st committin g disbe lief. T he Compan ion s, be see chin g the Proph et  for he lp, the a ct of the Prophet  an d Allāh’ s approva l of the act ¾ a ll th ese thre e f actor s co llectiv ely prove that istighā thah is not only va lid, but is a pra ctic e of the Compan ion s an d pop ular with Allāh. Deman d for mirac le s a lso f alls in this c ate gory. When the non- believ ers an d the infidels deman de d from the ho ly Prophet  a m ira c ulo us expre ssion of h is po wer, h e did not ca ll it disbelief . In stea d, he perfo rme d the re quire d mirac le s with h is h an d ( splitting the moon etc). I f these sup ernat ura l a cts ha d be en disbelie f, ho w co uld the Prophet  h ave po ssibly p erpetrate d th em? Wh en the act o f the Prophet doe s not amo unt to disbe lief (even to th ink of it exp els one f rom the fold of I slam), then ho w can the a ct of Ummah, in conform ity to the p ractice of the Compan ion s, be de cla re d a form of shirk (polythe ism).

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T he M uslim s on ly exp ect me diation for h elp from the sa ints an d the prophet s, an d not their he lp beca use Allāh is the only tr ue He lper. T hey can on ly re commen d us to Allāh, they c an’t he lp them se lve s. Wh en they do he lp, it is on ly with div ine san ction beh in d it an d Go d ha s given po wer to His f avo ur ites ov er supplic ation an d r ecommen dation, though this po we r is on ly der ivative ly use d, a s Allāh say s in the ho ly Qur’ān : Pu re is He Who ha s c reated coup le s o f e ve ry thing which th e ea rth cau se s to g ro w.1 Allāh Him se lf in the Qur’ān h as attribute d the gro wth of gra ss to the e arth a lthough to c a use the gra ss to gro w is not in e arth’s po wer beca use in th is act of gro wth it serve s on ly a s an in strument an d a mean s. T his Qur’ān ic v er se prov es that there is no h arm in ref err in g to the me ans or instr ument o f me diation a s subject be ca use it c annot lea d to any m isun der stan din g or conf usion a s both the Qur ’ān an d the tra dition s conta in co unt le ss r efer enc es to the differ enc e bet ween re al an d der ivativ e po wer. Statem ents ma de by the M uslim s in this sen se are a s devo id of disbelief a s ar e the holy Qur’ān an d the tra dition s of the Prophet  .

Fourth objecti on: There is no hel per except All āh T hey mak e the Qur’ ānic v er se s which ne gate the attainm ent of po wer an d v ictory thro ugh not-Allāh a s the ba sis of the ir n e gation of seek in g he lp thro ugh any per son other than Allāh . It is sa id that all po wer an d v ictory f lo w from Allāh alon e an d to tran sfe r what be lon gs only to Allāh to someon e e lse is nothin g but disbe lief a s Allāh ha s r epeate dly de clare d in the holy Qur’ ān: 1. And e xc ept A llāh you hav e ne ithe r a friend nor a he lpe r.1 1.

Qur’ ān (Y āsī n, Yāsī n) 36:36.

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2. And the y sha ll not find an y friend o r he lpe r b e side s Allāh.2 3. And He is th e P rotec tor, wo rthy o f all p raise.3 4. Fo r you the re sha ll be ne ithe r any friend nor any h elp er to gua rd you aga inst A llāh .4 5. And A llāh is su fficien t (a s) Pro te cto r and A llāh is su ffic ien t (a s) He lpe r.5 6. And ( in rea lity ) the re is no he lp from any (oth e r) pla ce ex cep t from A llāh.6 7. And g rant me victo ry and powe r from Your Own side to a id me.7 8. And you r Lo rd is su ffic ien t to gu ide and he lp you.8 In a ll the Qur’ān ic ver ses they give pr efer ence to the f igurativ e m ean in g ove r the rea l m ean in g, an d basin g the ir a r gument on the f igurativ e me anin g they a ssert that in the se v er se s the wo r ds wa lī (fr ien d) , su ltān (po wer), hād ī ( guide) an d na sīr (he lper ) h ave been use d for Allāh, an d to a sc ribe the se attribute s to anyone be side s Allāh is to comm it disbelief.

Fallaci ous re asoni ng If a f e w wor ds ar e expr essly r elate d to Allāh in the Qur’ān, it doe s not imp ly that they c annot be re late d to anyon e e lse a s such a re lation will amo unt to disbelief . A 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:107. (al -Ahz āb, the C onfederat es ) 33:17. (as h-Shūr ā, Cons ult ation) 42:28. (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:120. (an-Ni sā’, W om en) 4:45. (al -Anf āl, Spoi ls of war) 8: 10. (al -Isr ā’, the Ni ght journey) 17:80. (al -Fur qān, t he Crit eri on) 25: 31.

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battery of ex amples can be pro duce d to support this v ie w. So , in the Qur’ ān wh ere th e wo r ds walī an d na sīr h ave be en use d for Allāh , there Allāh ha s use d the se wor ds f igurativ ely for His serv ants. In or der to short-c irc uit the de bate, we will ba se o ur ar gum ent on the v er se s in wh ich the wor ds walī an d na sīr ar e use d, wh ile in a ddition to the se, a n um be r of other div ine qua lities hav e been jo intly use d for Allāh an d His cr eat ure . T he Qur 'ān state s: 1. And ra ise fo r u s from You on e who will p rotec t, and raise fo r us from You one who will he lp.1 2. Ind eed, you r (h elpe r) friend is on ly A llāh and His Me sseng er and ( with them) a re the be lie ve rs.2 3. And if you bac k up each o the r aga inst the Me ssenge r ( if you both b ehave in a manne r that annoy s the P rophet) then ( remembe r tha t) A llāh is h is Pro te cto r ( He lpe r) and J ib rīl and the righ teou s be liev ers and a fter tha t ev en the ang els will a ssist him.3 4. And the m en who be liev e and the women who b eliev e a re each othe r’ s p ro te cto rs and he lpe rs.4 T hese Qur’ān ic v er se s m ake it c lear a s daylight that walī, na sīr an d other similar wor ds which portray the attribute s of Allāh, ar e use d not only for His cr eat ure s with identica l sem antic sha de but is a lso the div ine pr actic e an d to e quate Allāh ’s pract ice with disbe lief is a dev iation from the car dina l pr incip le s o f I slamic teach in g an d I slam doe s not pe rmit it. 1. 2. 3. 4.

Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān Qur’ ān

(an-Ni sā’, W om en) 4:75. (al -Mā’i dah, the F east ) 5:55. (at -Tahrī m, P rohi bit ion) 66:4. (at -Taw bah, R epent ance) 9: 71.

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Fi fth objecti on: Beggi ng and beseechi ng hel p from All āh al one is vali d T o ne gate the v alidity of be se ech in g othe rs than Allāh for he lp is ba se d on a fa llac io us de duct ion from a tra dition na rrate d by ‘ Abdullāh bin ‘ Abbā s as an a r gument in the ir f avo ur in which it is en jo ine d upon the be liever s to be g on ly Allāh for h elp. T he wor ds of the tra dition ar e a s fo llo ws: Wh en you beg you shou ld beg it from A llāh alon e, and wh en you a sk fo r he lp, you should a sk it from Allāh alon e, and no te that even if th e en tire Ummah co llec tive ly wish es to b ene fit you, it canno t do so aga inst wha t is p rede stined . (S imila rly) if the entire Ummah collec tive ly wishe s to ha rm you, it cannot su cc eed aga in st what is p red estin ed (b ecau se) the pen s (o f the write r o f fa te) hav e be en tak en a way and the writing s have dried up .1 We will e la bor ate in the follo win g pa ges that to con clude from th is tra dition that be ggin g an d beseech in g Allāh for h elp is va lid an d be ggin g an d be see chin g notAllāh fo r he lp is inva lid, so un ds perv er se.

Be ggin g for hel p is Allāh ’s comman d T his f alse r ea sonin g is a co mplete ne gation of all that is f un damental to I slam an d is a c lumsy attempt to impo se the pr inc iple s of som e a lien f aith on th e simp le an d 1.

Ti rmi dhī t rans mitt ed it i n al-Jāmi ‘-us -Sahīh, b. of s ifat-ul qi yāmah (the des cription of t he Day of Judgem ent ) ch. 59 (4:667#2516) and graded i t hasan (fai r) sahīh (s ound). Ahmad bin Ham bal narrated i t i n hi s Musnad (1:293, 303, 307); Tabarānī, al -Mu‘j am-ul -kabīr 12:184-5#12988-9); B ayhaqī, Shu‘ab-ul -īmān (1:217#195); Ibn-us -S unnī, ‘Amal -ul-yaw m wal-layl ah (p.136#419); and Mi zzī in T uhf at -ul -as hr āf bi -ma‘ri fat-il -atrāf (4: 382#5415).

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st raight ten ets of Islam ic fa ith. T his kin d o f re ason in g betray s a gla rin g una waren e ss of the Qur’ ān an d the sunnah, la ck o f un de rstan din g o f the p urpose o f r eve lation of the Qur’ ān, an d a supe rficial study of I slam ic tea chin gs. Its pr imary motive is to ac c use the colle ctive M uslim Umm ah o f disbe lie f an d inf idelity. T he a ctua l po sition is that the p urpose of the tra dition is not to dissua de peop le from seek in g he lp from other s except Allāh, a s it appear s at fir st glanc e; but its rea l p urpo se is to de flect the attention of the c reat ur e from the ca use s an d direct it to the Cr eator of tho se c a use s so that the cre atur e, em broile d in the convo lutions of ca use s, may not lo se sight of the rea l Helpe r. So the a ctual me anin g of this tra dition, in the light of I slam ic teach in gs, may be summe d up in the se wor ds: ‘O m an! When yo u be g an d be seech anyone of Allāh’ s cre atur es for h elp an d a ssistan ce, yo u sho uld have co mplete f aith in the glory an d po wer of Allāh , an d be g for h elp re gar din g Allāh a s the re al Help er le st the se se con dary c a use s sho uld divert yo ur attention from the Cr eator an d be come the st um blin g block s fo r yo u.’ T he Prophet , en dor sin g the content s of the tra dition sa id that there is no h elp a ga inst Allāh’ s will but it doe s not ne gate the act of beseech in g someon e’ s he lp to p er sua de Allāh to f ulf il one’ s ne e d. T here is a h uge diff eren ce bet ween a cts, which a re incompatible with Allāh’ s will an d tho se, which a re comp atible with His will. T he la st wo r ds of the tra dition (the p ens h ave been taken a way an d the writin gs h ave dr ie d up) c le ar ly po int o ut that besee chin g not-Allāh for he lp a gain st Go d’ s will is for bidden but it, in no way for bids the act of be ggin g an d be seech in g h elp from other s be ca use se ekin g the h elp of other s h a s been en dor se d by Allāh Him se lf. For examp le : So you shou ld a sk peop le o f kno wledge if you you rse lv es do no t kno w (abou t someth ing).1 1.

Qur’ ān (an-N ahl, the B ee) 16: 43.

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In this Qur ’ān ic ver se the believ ers are bein g ur ge d to a sk those who po sse ss kno wle dge . A lar ge n um ber of other tra dition s support the contents of th is ver se that the wo r ds ‘ wh en yo u be g yo u sho uld be g it from Allāh alon e,’ do not fo r bid the a ct of se ekin g he lp from other s a bso lutely. On the contr ary, it mean s that the be liever s sho uld not be g th e r uler s an d the aff luent, o ut of she er gr ee d, to h elp the m f inanc ia lly or soc ia lly . T hey sho uld be seech Allāh’ s ble ssin gs alon e. T o in fer from this tra dition that it is inva lid to be seech th e h elp of other s than Allāh is an unfa ir inf erenc e. T he se wor ds do not a r gue a ga inst be see chin g th e h elp of other s than Allāh. On the contrary, a lar ge n um ber of tra dition s c lear ly suggest that the Prophet  h im se lf p rompte d the Comp anion s to be g from h im an d then re spon de d to them. (T he deta ils with examp le s h ave a lr ea dy be en giv en in the ear lier pa ge s.) If be ggin g he lp from other s is re ga r de d a s disbelief , then a lar ge n um be r of ro utin e af fa irs wh ich form the ba sis of pr actic al lif e will be dec lar e d for bidden, for examp le, a student a skin g a teach er for explanation , a patient so licit in g treatment from a doctor, a ne e dy per son be ggin g h elp from a per son of mean s an d a cr e ditor dem an din g h is money ba ck from someon e who ha s borro we d it from h im.

As k for some more On e o f the fort unate Comp anion s, Ra bī‘ah bin Ka‘ b, one ev enin g calle d on the Prophet . He f ille d water for h is a blution an d h elp e d him pe rform the a blution. Ple a se d with h is solic itude, the P rophet  sa id to h im: ‘a sk for anythin g yo u want.’ Ov er wh elm e d by such a big o ffer , the Compan ion a ske d for his eterna l compan ion ship , wh ich the Prophet  r ea dily a gr ee d to. Ra bī‘ ah bin Ka‘ b r elate s in h is o wn wor ds: I sp ent a n ight with th e ho ly P rophe t (and to wa rd s the tail-end o f the nigh t) I b rough t wa te r fo r h is ab lution and to ilet. He said: ‘a sk ( fo r) wha te ve r you

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want.’ I said: companion sh ip ‘an yth ing else? ’ He said : ‘th en p ro stration.’ 1

121

‘ I wan t you r ( eterna l) in Pa radise.’ He sa id: I sa id: ‘th is is su ffic ien t.’ he lp me with p len ty o f

In this tra dition the Prophet  him se lf comm an de d the Compan ion to be g from him . If be ggin g for he lp from not-Allāh wer e for bidden, the greate st champ ion of div ine un ity wo uld neve r h ave done it. In the la st wo r ds of the tra dition, the Proph et  h im se lf be gge d h im to he lp h im with gre ater fre quen cy of p rostr ations. T his prove s that be ggin g he lp from som eone other th an Allāh is quite con sistent with the Proph et’s pract ice an d anyone who leve ls a lle gation s of disbe lief a gain st him is him se lf v iolat in g h is be lief in div ine unity. Such r eligio us con cepts are in f act a pro duct of igno ranc e a bo ut the un iver sa l m essa ge of Islam .

Be seechin g hel p from others is Islamic comman d It is Allāh’ s comman d to seek he lp from Him through His f avo urite servant s for the f ulf ilment of n ee ds an d th e re lief of worr ie s an d p ro blems, which con stantly na g one’ s m in d an d cannot be re so lve d by or dinary m ean s or by one’ s pe rson al e fforts. A fe w examp le s from the Qur ’ān an d the Prophet’ s tra ditions ar e giv en be lo w: 1. T he Qur ’ān say s:

1.

M us lim narrat ed it i n his as -Sahī h, b. of salāt, (prayer) ch. 43 (1:353#226/489); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of s al āt, 2:35 (#1320); Nas ā’ī, Sunan, b. of i fti tāh (openi ng) 2:2278; Ahm ad bi n Ham bal, Musnad (4: 59); Bayhaqī, as -Sunanul -kubrā (2:486); T abarānī, al -Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (5:56#4570); B aghawī, Sharh-us -s unnah (3: 149#655); M undhi rī, at -T arghī b w at -t ar hīb (1:249); Khat īb Tabrī zī, Mi shkāt -ul -masābī h, b. of s alāt (prayer) ch.14 (1: 271#896); Hayt hamī, Majma‘-uz -zaw ā’id (2:249); M ull ā ‘Al ī Qārī, Mi rqāt -ul -mafāt īh s har h Mishkāt -ul -mas ābī h (2: 323); and ‘ Alī al -Hi ndī in K anz -ul -‘ummāl (7: 306#19006).

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And se ek (A llāh’ s) pa tien ce and p raye r.1

he lp

th rough

Here it is Allāh’ s comman d to seek he lp an d support by mean s of the virt uo us acts of patien ce an d pray er. T hese a cts a re on ly the me ans bec a use it is Allāh a lone who c an he lp us o ut of o ur tro uble s an d tribulation s. But the act o f be ggin g for help thro ugh the se me an s is be in g issue d a s a div ine comman d. 2. Sim ilarly , her e is another v er se from the Qur’ān in wh ich Allāh comm an ds to se ek help for f ightin g e quipment an d for the prep aration o f jihād: And (O Mu slims!), to (fight) th em you should ke ep read y the fo rc e (o f weapon s and o the r in struments of wa r) a s much a s po ssib le and (a la rg e numbe r of) tied ho rse s.2 3. In a ddition , the Qur’ān is a witn ess to the h elp wh ich Dh ū a l-Qarnayn so ught from his n ation to fight the enemy : You shou ld h elp me with th e migh t o f you r a rm, (tha t is, with labou r and rigo rou s, ha rd wo rk ).3 4. Sim ilarly , it is narr ate d by ‘Abdullāh bin ‘ Abbā s that Allāh’ s M e ssen ger  sa id: Undoub ted ly , th e re a re some of A llāh’ s ange ls on th e ea rth who are in add ition to the gua rdian ange ls. Th ey note down each leaf that falls do wn from a tree. I f an yone o f you is be ing to rtu red in the jungle, you should c ry, ‘O servants o f A llāh, he lp me.’ 4

1. 2. 3. 4.

Qur’ ān (al -Baqar ah, the C ow) 2:145. Qur’ ān (al -Anf āl, Spoi ls of war) 8: 60. Qur’ ān (al -Kahf, t he C ave) 18:95. Hayt hamī narrat es it in Majma‘-uz -zaw ā’id (10: 132) and s ays that i ts m en are t rust wort hy.

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Here , the Prophet  in str ucts the M uslim s to seek an gels’ h elp. He is a dv isin g us not to de link o ur se lve s from those who not on ly believ e in Allāh but a lso pr actice their belief . In ca se there is no h uman figure to com e to yo ur re sc ue, yo u sho uld c all an ge ls for he lp. T hey will f ulfil yo ur ne e d. T his un iver se is not a m ean in gle ss va c uum a s many atheists in the ir ignoran ce ten d to a ssume ; it is f ille d with flights of an ge ls tho ugh they r ema in invisible to the n ake d eye an d whenev er h uman be in gs un der dure ss invoke the he lp o f Allāh , the an gels pr actic ally de monstrate the mer cif ul pr esence of Allāh by me etin g h uman ex igenc ie s. T hus the wor ds falyunād a‘ īnū ‘ ibād Allāh ar e a clear proof that to c all som eone for he lp is perm issible. 5. Sa lāt-u l-kha wf (f ear pray er) also imp lie s seek in g he lp from other s for the elim ination o f fe ar. 6. In a n um ber of his sayin gs, th e Prophet  ha s ur ge d the be liever s to h elp on e anothe r: An yone who is bu sy in fu lfilling the ne ed of his b roth e r, A llāh Himse lf fu lfils h is need .1 7. T he same theme is stre sse d in another tra dition :

1.

B ukhārī narrat ed it i n hi s as -Sahī h, b. of maz āli m (oppres si ons) ch. 4 (2: 863#2310), b. of i kr āh (coerci on) ch. 7 (6: 2550#6551); Mus lim, as-Sahī h, b. of bir r w as -s il ah w al -ādāb (vi rt ue, joi ni ng of t he ti es of rel at ions hip and good m anners ) ch. 15 (4: 1996#58/ 2580); Ti rmi dhī, al Jāmi ‘-us -s ahī h, b. of hudūd, ch.3 (4: 35#1426); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of adab (good manners) 4:273 (#4893); Ahm ad bin Hambal, Mus nad (2:91, 4: 104); B ayhaqī, as -Sunan-ul kubr ā (6:94, 201; 8: 330), Shu‘ab-ul -ī mān (6:104#7614); T abarānī, al -Mu‘j am-ul -kabī r (12:222#13137); B aghawī, Sharh-us -s unnah (13: 98#3518); Mundhi rī, at -T ar ghī b w at t ar hīb (3:389); ‘ As qal ānī, Fat h-ul -bār ī (5: 97; 12:323); and ‘ Alī al -Hi ndī in K anz -ul -‘ummāl (6: 444#16463).

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And A llāh is bu sy in he lping His c reatu re a s long a s he is bu sy h elp ing his b roth e r.1 8. Im ām Hākim ha s r ecor de d a tr a dition in his a lMustad rak (4:270) in which the Prophet  ha s comm an de d th e be liever s to he lp one another an d to r elieve the ne e ds of other s an d then he ha s a lso stre sse d the importanc e of this no ble act : I f anyone o f you go es ou t with his b roth e r to he lp him, it is bette r than the two month s’ se clu sion in my mosque .2 9. Allāh ha s cr eate d a spe cial c la ss of cr eat ure s to he lp the peop le in f ulfillin g the ir nee ds, r eliev in g the ir pro blem s an d he lp in g them in eve ry possible way . T he ho ly Prophet  said: A llāh has c rea ted a cla ss o f c reatu re s for th e fulfilment of peop le’ s need s so tha t peop le tu rn to th em fo r (th e fulfilment o f) 1.

2.

M us lim narrat ed i t i n hi s as -Sahīh, b. of dhi kr w ad-du‘ā’ w at -t awbah wal -ist ighf ār (rem emberi ng (Al l āh), i nvocati on, repentance and s eeki ng forgiveness ) ch. 11 (4:2074#38/ 2699); Ti rm idhī, al-Jāmi ‘-us -sahīh, b. of hudūd, ch.3 (4:34#1425), b. of bir r was-sil ah (vi rtue and j oi ning of t he ti es of rel at ions hip) ch.19 (4: 326#1930), b. of qir ā’āt (recit ati ons ) ch.12 (5:195#2945); Abū Dāwūd, Sunan, b. of adab (good m anners ) 4:287 (#4946); Ibn M āj ah, Sunan, al -muqaddi mah (preface) ch. 17 (1:82#225); Ahmad bin Ham bal, Mus nad (2: 252, 274, 500, 514); Ibn Abī S haybah, al -Mus annaf (9: 85, 86#6617-8); Ibn Hibbān, as -Sahīh (2: 293#534); B aghawī, Sharh-us -Sunnah (1: 273# 127); Abū Nu‘ aym, Hi l yat -ul -aw li yā’ wa t abaqāt -ul -asf i yā’ (8:119); and Mundhi rī i n at -T ar ghīb w at -t ar hīb (3:390). Hāki m narrat ed it i n al -Mus tadr ak (4: 270). Hayt hamī t ransmi tt ed i t wi th di fferent words in his Maj ma‘-uz z aw ā’id (8:192) and s aid, “ Tabarānī narrat ed i t in al Mu‘j am-ul -aws at (8:160#7322) and it s chai n of aut horit i es i s excell ent (is nāduhū jayyi d). ” M undhirī al so narrat ed it in at -Targhīb wat -t ar hī b (3: 391).

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their n eed s. The se creatu res a re immune to A llāh’ s punishment.1 In th is tr a dition , the Prophet’ s wor ds th at ‘peop le sho uld t urn to them for the f ulf ilment of the ir n ee ds’ de serve spe cial attention. T he Prophet  is him se lf r ecommen din g the p eople’ s act of se ekin g he lp from other s. T herefo re, tho se who ca ll it disbe lief app allin gly lack an un der standin g of their o wn r eligion. 10. Anothe r tra dit ion re late d to this them e is a s fo llo ws: A llāh ha s b le ssed His se rvan ts with (a larg e rese rvo ir o f) His b le ssing s. Th e se se rvan ts are engaged in fu lfilling th e n eed s o f th e peop le until th ey a re wea ry of them. And when the y wear ou t, ( the same duty) is a ssign ed from th em to o the rs.2 11. ‘ Abdullāh bin Prophet said:

M as‘ ūd

ha s

n arrate d

that

the

Wh en you lose your m eans of tran sport in a jungle, you should call: ‘ O creatu re s o f A llāh! He lp me, re cove r my tran spo rt! O c reatu re s o f Allāh! He lp me, reco ve r my tran spo rt!’ The re a re many of A llāh’ s c reatu re s on th is earth. Th ey will h elp you re cove r it.3 M ahm ūd Sa‘īd Mam dūh write s in Raf‘ -ul-minā rah (p.225 ): 1. 2. 3.

Hayt hamī narrat ed it i n Maj ma‘-uz -z aw ā’id (8:192); and M undhi rī i n at -T ar ghī b w at -tarhīb (3:390). T abarānī narrat ed it i n al -Mu‘jam-ul-aws at (9:161#8346); M undhi rī, at -Targhīb wat -tar hī b (3:390); and Hayt hamī in Majma‘-uz -zaw ā’id (8:192). T abarānī narrat ed it in al -Mu‘jam-ul-kabīr (10: 217#10518); Abū Ya‘l ā, Mus nad (9:177); Ibn-us -S unnī, ‘Amal -ul -yaw m w al -l aylah (p. 162#502); Hayt hamī, Maj ma‘-uz -z awā’id (10: 132); and ‘Asqal ānī in al -Mat āli b-ul -‘āli yah (3:239#3375).

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“Th e tradition , b eing na rrated from d iffe ren t qua rte rs, transfo rmed itse lf from a wea k tradition into a sound on e wh ich the Muslims hav e inva riab ly fo llo wed .” T he tra dition s prov e that it is quite compatible both with the will of Allāh an d the Prophet  to seek he lp from other c reat ur es an d to h elp other s in the ir ho ur of tro uble an d distr ess wh enever they be see ch yo u for he lp. So wh en Allāh an d th e Prophet  h ave approve d it, who ar e we to disapprove it, an d to la bel it a s a form of disbelief an d con demn it. T he po int to be note d h ere is that the se ve rse s an d tra dition s ar e not only a justification for be see chin g h elp from other s; they are in the n atur e of comm an ds an d the refor e, like other comman ds, they sho uld be strictly fo llo we d by a ll th e be liever s. T hose who not only disre gar d them but a lso con demn the m a s se lff a bricate d innov ation s are a utomat ica lly o ut of the fo ld of I slam.

Si xth objecti on: Neg ati on of bes eechi ng the hol y Prophet  for hel p

Durin g the earthly life o f the Prophet  a hypoc rite use d to tort ure the M uslim s an d spar e d no opport un ity to tea se th em. Abū Bakr sa id to the Compan ion s: ‘let’s co llectiv ely be seech the holy Prophet  for he lp an d a ssistan ce a ga in st this hypoc rite. ’ When the Prophet  he ar d this, he sa id: App eal fo r he lp is not made to me and appea l fo r he lp is made only to Allāh.1 So me peop le h ave m isinterpr ete d this tra dition a s a ne gation of beseech in g he lp from anyone except Allāh on a cco unt o f the ir igno ranc e an d una waren e ss of its ba ck gro un d. Ba sin g the ir conc lusion on a m isun derst an din g of its me anin g, they be lieve that be see chin g he lp

1.

R el at ed by Hayt hamī in Maj ma‘-uz-zawā’i d (10:159).

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from not- Allāh is disbe lie f bec a use the Prophet  h imself ha s con demne d it a s an un-I slam ic act.

C orre ct me aning of the tradi tion If we on ly conf ine o ur selv es to this tra dition an d its de contextualise d m ean in g, then we will hav e to discar d a lar ge n um ber of othe r ver se s an d tra dition s in wh ich both Allāh an d the Prophet  have stre sse d the nee d an d r elev anc e of seekin g th e he lp of other s in tro uble an d distre ss. Be side s, to foc us exc lusive ly on th is tr a dition an d to sweep all other tr a dition s un der the c arpet will vio late the basic prin cip le s of interp retation an d infer ence . It is an e sta blishe d le ga l pr inc iple th at any tra dition n e gatin g what is a ffirme d by othe r tra dition s m ust be p lac e d in pe rsp ectiv e beca use a f ina l inf eren ce is dra wn on ly thro ugh a coor dinat ion an d co llation of their m ean in g an d subst ance to a bro gate the discor dant e lement s. T he same pr inc iple m ust be follo we d her e to brin g o ut the co rrect me anin g of this tra dition. T he tra dition m ean s to aff irm the re ality of div ine un ity a s part of tr ue fa ith. T hat is, it se em s to suggest that the re al Help er is Allāh a lone an d the cr eat ure is on ly a me an s in seek in g he lp f rom Allāh. T he tra dition do es not ar gue in f avo ur of se ekin g he lp on ly from the livin g, a s is erron eo usly suppo se d by some peop le . On the contrary , it doe s not discr imin ate bet ween the liv in g an d the dea d an d stre sse s the f act that it is for bidden to be se ech anyone for help ex cept Allāh a s we hav e alr ea dy disc usse d in the ea rly pa ge s. Imām I bn T aymiyy ah ha s also mention e d it in h is Fa tā wā (1 :110) an d ha s m a de it clear th at som e p eople dr a w wron g con clusions from the div ine in junction s an d the say in gs of the Proph et  when other contexts se em to r ef ute the ir con clusions. T he hypocr ite’ s torment an d Abū Bakr’ s be seech in g the Prophet’ s h elp a gain st h im f all into this c ate gory. If this tr a dition is not exp la ine d a way, it will thro w a n e gative light on other Qur’ ānic v er se s an d tra dition s a s well a s the acts of the Compan ions. It is

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r ecor de d at var io us plac es in book s of tr a dition that the Compan ion s re que ste d the Prophet  to supp lic ate for them, offer e d pr ayer for ra in thro ugh h is me diation an d they exce lle d a ll the other follo wers in be see chin g his he lp in a var iety of sit uation s. ‘ Abdullāh bin ‘Umar’ s st atement is r ecor de d that at many o cc asion s when he looke d at the Prophet’ s f ace , h e use d to rem em ber Abū T ālib’ s v erse which m ean s that whenev er h e pr aye d for r ain, th e r ain wat er starte d flo win g from th e gutters befo re he cam e do wn the p ulpit. T he ve rse is a s fo llo ws: And that hand some (pe rson), by mean s o f who se rad iant fac e, ra in is implo red , and who is the gua rdian o f o rphan s and the suppo rt o f widows.1 T he f act that ‘ Abdullāh bin ‘Um ar h umm e d o ut this ve rse on many occ a sion s sho ws th e Comp anion s’ inten sity of love for the Prophet . Wh enever th ey were in tro uble or f ace d a c alamity, they wer e involuntar ily dr a wn to wa r ds h im to be se ech h is h elp. When the con duct of the Compan ion s is bely in g the content of this dif ferent tra dition, an d it is also in conson ance with the tea chin gs of the Qur’ān an d the sunnah, then ho w c an we a gr ee with the exp lanat ions an d interpr etation s o f the se ignorant fr ien ds as conf irmation s o f div ine unity, which in fact bor der on disbelief . T he Qur’ ānic con cept of divin e unity 1.

B ukhārī narrat ed i t i n his as -Sahīh, b. of i sti sqā’ (to i nvoke All āh for rain at t he ti m e of drought ) ch.3 (1: 342#963); Ibn M āj ah, Sunan, b. of iqāmat -us -s al āt w as -sunnah fī hā (est abli shing prayer and i ts s unnahs) ch.154 (1:405#1272); Ahmad bin Hambal, Musnad (2:93); B ayhaqī, as -Sunan-ul kubr ā (3:352), Dalā’il -un-nubuwwah (6:143); Ibn His hām, as -Sīrat -un-nabawi yyah (1: 281); Subkī, Shif ā’-us -s iqām fī z i yārat khayr -il -anām (p. 127); Ibn Kathīr, al -Bidāyah w annihāyah (4: 471); Mi zzī, T uhfat-ul -ashrāf bi -ma‘r if at -il atr āf (5:359#6775); ‘Aynī, ‘Umdat -ul -qārī (7:29); ‘ Asqal ānī, Fath-ul -bār ī (2: 494); Qast all ānī, al -Mawāhi b-ul l aduniyyah (4: 271); and Zurqānī i n his Comment ar y (11: 140).

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doe s not perm it it that we sho uld foc us on ly on one ex ception al tra dition an d ac c use the entir e Umm ah of disbelief , wh ile ca stin g a side a ll other Qur’ān ic ver se s an d tra dition s which attest to the re ality of be se echin g he lp from other s a s a va lid a ct an d wh ich is exp licitly ur ge d by both the Qur’ān an d the sunnah.

Chapter 5

Religious Leaders and Istighāthah It is an esta blish e d fa ct that on ac co unt o f the dist inction Allāh h as conf erre d on His favo urite s an d the ble ssin gs He ha s sho were d upon them, it ha s be en the pr actice of o ur r eligio us lea ders an d scholar s to re ly on them to re so lve their wor ldly pro blem s, attain salv ation in the Herea fter, mak e their gr ave s an d tom bs the fo c us of the ir supplic ation s an d seek he lp an d a ssistanc e f rom the cho sen p eople of Allāh who are bur ie d in them an d seek their he lp fo r spir it ua l an d inn er ben ef its an d ble ssin gs. T hese a cts, wh ich shap e d the con duct an d mo de of liv in g of the sa ints an d the scho lar s in the pa st, ar e no w the gr anite fo un dation of the con cepts an d be lief s of Ah l- usSun nah wal- Ja mā‘ah . Moreov er, they ha d not mo ulde d their attitude s an d dee ds on a superf ic ia l, un con sc io us or sentim ental ba sis. A gr eat dea l of r eflection an d re ason in g lac e d these mo de s o f con duct an d were fr ame d by comp rehen sive exp er imentation, o bservation an d pra ctica l or ientation. T her efore, on the ba sis of inve stigation , an d not mere sentiment, it c an be a ffir me d that the ir st atements were so un d an d a uthentic an d on ac co unt of their imm unity from do ubt an d am biguity, they f urnish a co gent ar gum ent for a ll tho se be liever s who ar e ble sse d with sufficient wisdom an d intelligenc e to appra ise the depth an d tr uth of these statement s. Re ligio us scho lar s, en lighten e d sa ints an d o ur sp ir itua l lea der s hav e prono un ce d the tom bs o f the se favo ur ites of Allāh as in exha ustible fo unta in-he a ds of light an d ble ssin g wh ere o ur supp lication s are a ckno wle dge d an d ro be d a s 131

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de stin ie s. Re lianc e on the se sanctif ie d pe rson s open s the sh uttere d aven ues of succ ess. T heir attention an d re spon se unr avels the tangle s of the Her eafter an d the ir sp ir itua l he lp serve s a s a so urc e of salv ation fo r o ur worr ie s an d all form s of distre ss. T o c ap it a ll, their statement s a re con sistent with the cr iter ion of exper ien ce an d o bserv ation, wh ich is the ba sis of the mo dern in ductive metho d of all scientif ic pro gr e ss. T herefore , they cannot be br ushe d un der th e c arpet a s me re h ear say an d de se rve o ur positive re spon se a s they ar e gro un de d in fa cts an d prov e d by exp er ienc e. T his wo rld is inha bite d by t wo sets o f peop le. T he f irst set of peop le are tho se who ar e r e bellio us an d diso be dient, an d on acco unt of their la w- br eak in g ten denc ie s, they form a coter ie of per son s who a re he ll- bent to protect an d promote the inter est s o f the dev il an d are a ca use of con stant torture for Allāh’ s cre ature s. On the other h an d, a re tho se who ar e goo d-n atur e d, p ur e, an d well- beh ave d an d with a po sitiv e o utlook an d are determ ine d to promote the welf are of the peop le. Such no ble per son s an d untainte d so uls form the ir o wn fratern ity an d com e c loser to one anothe r through m ut ua l inte raction , follo win g the ax iomatic p rinc ip le that “ bir ds of a feather f lock to gether. ” T hese co ura geo us, h ighly determin e d an d spirit ua lly motivate d p eople, through she er har d work an d con centration , leav e behin d in delible ta le s of sin cer ity an d hone sty, p atien ce an d stea df astne ss, love an d sacr ifice that the r ea de rs ar e simp ly stunn e d by the ir exception al nat ure. T hese holy p er sona ges h ave gr ac e d eve ry per io d of h uman h istory. Out war dly, they live on the side lin e s but they ar e e asily p la ce d on a cco unt of their h a bit s an d mann er s, the ir char acter an d mo de of conv er sation. T he ir love an d con cern for the cr eature s of Allāh is so gush in g that it cannot be contain e d lik e the p erf ume of f lo wer s. T he ch ain of th eir ble ssin g is contin uo us, be ca use it goe s a gain st the div ine gr ain that His cre atur e s are depriv e d of the benef it an d ble ssin g of His cho sen p eople in any era of h uman history. T herefor e, the se favo ur e d servant s of

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Allāh are not on ly a so ur ce of ble ssin g for the people in their m anif e st life but a lso benef it them after de ath; rather their blessin gs ac quire greate r fre quency an d inten sity wh en they a re transferr e d to another mo de of ex isten ce a fter leav in g this phenom ena l wo rld. T hey ble ss the se eker s of their he lp a s effe ctive ly a s th ey did dur in g the ir e arthly so jo urn. T he one who se eks th eir he lp inst inctive ly kno ws that h e ha s been h elp e d by them. T he sec rets of the wor lds of p ur gatory, an gels an d divin ity a re rev ea le d to Allāh’ s saint s in a mann er an d sty le that is denie d to the common r un of peop le . T heir op inion is a uthentic in a ll h uman an d non-h uman fields of a ctivity an d it c an n either be cha llen ge d nor any fla ws fo un d in it s inh erent co gen cy. T herefor e, it is quite r ationa l, an d a re co gnition of h uman lim itation s, to be lieve in th eir opin ion s beca use the ir statement s a re not ba se d on any inan ity or triv ia lity but have been der ive d thro ugh extraor dinary o bse rvation an d supporte d by the ba lla st o f div ine sanction , a s no one can deny that “ wh at is he ar d cannot e qual what is seen. ” In th e context o f istighā thah an d interme diation , we propo se to ca st a c ur sory glanc e at the con duct, exp erienc es an d o bservation s of the se r ighteous peop le who have provide d glimme rs of light an d guidan ce to the c reat ure s of Allāh gropin g in the amo rpho us sh a de s of da rkne ss an d depre ssion :

1. Imām Zayn -ul-‘Ābi dīn Im ām Z ayn- ul-‘Ābidīn supplicate s to th e Ho ly Prophet() for h elp an d interc ession in the se wor ds: O me rc y of the wo rld s! You a re the inte rce ssor fo r the sinne rs. On ac count o f you r in fin ite gen ero sity, me rc y and magnanimity, in te rc ede fo r u s on the Day o f Judg ement. O, who ha s come to all the wo rld s a s a sou rce of me rc y, h elp Za yn-ul- ‘Ābid īn! Who

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is caugh t in trials and tribula tion s b y the pa rty o f th e opp re sso rs (and be seech e s you r he lp).

2. Imām Mālik Im ām Mā lik’ s prom inen ce a s one of the fo ur jur ists of I slam is well- esta blish e d. On ce Ca liph Abū Ja‘far Man sūr v isite d M e din a an d h e a ske d Imām Mā lik : ‘ while supplic atin g, sho uld I turn my fa ce to the pray er niche [ an d turn my back to the Holy Prophet ( )] or sho uld I t urn my f ace to the Holy Prophet [ () an d t urn my back to the pray er n ich e]? ’ On this inter ro gation, Im ām Mālik r eplie d: ‘( O c aliph!) Why do yo u t urn yo ur f ace from the Ho ly Prophet ( ), as he is the me ans for yo u an d for yo ur anc e stor Adam  on the Day of Judgement? Rather yo u sho uld (pr ay an d supp licate by) turn in g to wa r ds the Prophet ( ) an d se ek h is inter ce ssion so that he interc e de s for yo u befor e Allāh on the Day of Judgem ent. Allāh ha s dec lar e d: ( O b elo ved!) And if th ey had come to you , when th ey had wrong ed their sou ls, and a sk ed fo rg iven e ss of A llāh, and the Me ssenge r also had a sk ed fo rgivene ss fo r them, the y (on th e ba sis o f this means and inte rce ssion) would ha ve su re ly found Allāh the Gran te r o f repen tance , e xtreme ly Me rc ifu l.’ 1 T his in cident ha s been nar rate d by Qā dī ‘Iyā d in his a sh-Sh ifā (2 :596) with a so un d cha in of tran sm ission. Be side s, it h a s been re late d by a n um ber of other tra ditionists o f imp ecc a ble cr e dibility. Subk ī in Shifā’-u ssiqām fī ziyā rat kha yr- il-anām, Samh ūdī in Khu lā sat-u lwafā , Qasta llānī in a l-Ma wāh ib-ul-ladun iy yah, I bn Jam ā‘ah in Hidāya t-u s- sālik an d I bn Hajar Haytham ī in a l-Ja wha r-ul-munazzam. 1.

Qur’ ān (an-Ni sā’, W om en) 4:64.

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3. Imām Qurtu bī He h a s ment ione d istighā thah in the interpr etation o f the ve rse 64 of sū rah an- Nisā’ in h is a l- Jāmi‘ li-ahkām-ilQu r’ān (5:265 -6).

4. Qādī ‘Iyād He ha s, in h is book, a sh-Sh ifā (2 :596) narr ate d Imām M ālik’ s statement to the Caliph Abū Ja‘far M an sūr, wh ich we have m entione d be fore. He a lso n arrate d Adam’ s interme diation through the Ho ly Prophet () with the he lp of so un d an d fa mo us tra dition s in a sh-Sh ifā (1 :2278). In a ddit ion, in the chapter s on “ visit in g the Proph et’s gr ave, ” “ virtue s an d m erit s of the Proph et ( )” an d in many other ch apter s in his book h e h a s r efe rre d to the qua lit ie s an d attribute s of the Holy Prophet ().

5. Imām S ubkī He ha s disc usse d at len gth the question of istighā thah an d interme diation in his book Shifā’-u s- siqām fī ziyāra t kha y r-il-anām an d h a s prov e d their re lev anc e a s v ibrant con cepts in Islam .

6. Imām Ibn Kathīr Im ām I bn Kathīr h as co mmente d on v er se 64 of sū rah anNisā’ in his book Tafsīr-u l- Qur’ān al-‘a zīm (1 :519-20) an d ra ise d th e issue of istighā thah. He ha s not lev elle d any o bje ction a ga in st ‘ Utbī’ s tra dition in wh ich a be do uin supplic ates at the Prophet’s tom b for h is interc ession. Im ām I bn Kathīr ha s r elate d in al-Bidā yah wan-n ihāyah (5 :167) the ep iso de o f the man who visits the Proph et’s gr ave an d ca lls him to pr ay for ra in, an d h e ha s prono un ce d this tra dition quite so un d. In a ddition, h e ha s a lso re late d in the same book (5 :30) that dur in g the battle of Yam āmah, th e battle-cry of the M uslims wa s yā Muhammadāh (O M uhamm a d! He lp us).

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7. Hāfiz ‘As qalānī He h as in h is book s a l-I sābah fī tamy īz-is- sahābah (3 :484) an d Fath -ul-bā rī (2 :495-6) n arrate d th e in cident of the man who visite d the Proph et’s grav e for ra in thro ugh his me an s an d ca lle d h im for h elp .

8. Imām Qas tallānī T he qualitie s an d accomp lishm ents of a spe cial gro up of sa ints are r ecor de d in the tra dition s. T he ble ssin g of the ir supplic ation ca use s ra in an d brin gs v ictory an d tr iumph to the M uslim s. Qa stallān ī’ s v ie ws a bo ut them are given be lo w: Wh en o rd ina ry p eople fall into trouble, first of all, th e He rald s supplica te fo r them, then tu rn by turn the Nobility, Substitu te s, the righteou s and th e min iste rs ( supplica te for them). I f th eir supp lication is g ranted, we ll and good, o the rwise, the sa int o f the h ighe st rank — gha wth ( who is a ll the time eng ro ssed in A llāh’ s wo rship ) — supplica te s fo r them, and be fo re h e winds it up, h is p raye r is g ranted. ( This is A llāh’ s spe cia l ble ssing on them.) 1

9. Imām Ibn Hajar Haythamī Ah ma d Sh ihā b- ud-Dīn I bn Hajar Haythamī M akkī, who po sse sse s an emin ent po sition amon g expe rts on I slam ic jurispr udence an d tra dition, ha s prove d on the ba sis of the exp erienc e an d o bse rvation narr ate d by Abū ‘ Abdullāh Quray shī th at Allāh’ s f avo urite s he lp peop le afte r de ath a s they he lp them durin g lif e an d the va lue of their ben efit is not in the lea st re duce d. Pro duce d be lo w is an in cident attribute d to Abū ‘ Abdullāh Quray sh ī:

1.

Qast all ānī, al -Māwāhi b-ul -l aduniyyah C ommentar y (7: 487).

(2: 726); Zurqānī,

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A sever e dro ught ha d enve lope d E gypt in its grip an d the p eople’ s distre ss c a use d by h un ger an d thir st r ema ine d unr elieve d in sp ite of the ir pr ayer s an d supplic ation s: So I jou rney ed to wa rd s Sy ria , wh en I rea ched n ea r A llāh ’s friend (Ib rāhīm’ s) tomb, h e met me on the way . I said to him: ‘ O Me ssenge r o f A llāh ! I ha ve come a s a gue st. You should show you r ho spitality in the fo rm of a supp lica tion fo r th e na tive s o f Eg ypt. ’ He p ray ed fo r them, so A llāh d ro ve their famine a way from them.1 In this extraor dinary r efer ence , the de scription of the f ace-to-f ac e m eetin g with I br āhīm  h a s been comm ente d upon by Imām Yāf i‘ ī in the se wor ds: The sta tement made by Abū ‘Abdullāh Qu ra ysh ī that he had a fa ce- to- face m eeting with the F riend is ba sed on truth . Only an ignoran t p erson can d eny it who is una wa re o f th e mode of living and statu s o f the sain ts b ecau se th e se peop le obse rve the ea rth and the h eav ens and se e th e proph ets in th eir living cond ition.2

10. Imām N abh ānī He h as wr itten an irr ef uta ble book Sha wāh id-ul-haqq fī a listighā thah b i- say yid- il-kha lq an d prove d th e va lidity of app ea l to the Prophet  for h elp.

11. Imām Ālū sī Commentin g on the ear lier ve rse s of sū rah an- Nā zi‘āt, he exp la in s in the se wor ds the justif ic ation of r elian ce on Allāh’ s f avo urite s an d seek in g h elp an d support from them : 1. 2.

Ibn Haj ar Haythamī, al -Fatāwā al -hadīthi yyah (pp. 255-6). Ibn Haj ar Haythamī, al -Fatāwā al -hadīthi yyah (p.256).

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(In the in troduc tory sentence s of this sūrah ,) the sepa ra tion o f the sou ls of piou s pe rson s from the ir bod ie s at th e time o f dea th is d esc rib ed and Allāh ha s swo rn by the se diffe ren t state s o f the souls. Th e se souls have to b e wren ched ou t of th e bod ie s be cau se, on a ccoun t of the ir long and d eep a ssoc iation with the ir bodies, th ey a re d isinc lin ed to leav e them. The rea son fo r this d isin clination is that, in o rde r to ea rn v irtu es, th e body ac ts a s a mean s o f tran spo rt, and it is on th is coun t tha t th e re is a g rea te r possibility o f add ing to the sco re of one’ s virtue s. Then th ese souls fly to the wo rld o f ang els and reach the sanc tua ry o f purity, and on ac count of th eir force and nob ility, the y blend with the e lemen ts that he lp dec ide the de stin ie s o f the c reatu re s, tha t is, the y a re inc luded among the angels, or the y acqu ire admin istrativ e capability. That is why it is said : ‘wh en you a re invaded b y troub le s, you should se ek he lp from th e residen ts o f the tombs, that is, from the favou rites o f A llāh who a re embodiments o f v irtue and pu rity , and those who ha ve le ft us.’ The re is no doub t tha t a pe rson who v isits th eir tombs, re ce iv es sp iritual he lp by virtue o f their b le ssing s, and on many o cca sion s, the kno ts of d ifficultie s un wind th rough the media tion of honou r and reve rence th ey en joy .1 He a dds: (In the se v erse s) A llāh ha s swo rn by the se good-na tu red p eople, who step in to 1.

Āl ūsī, Rūh-ul -ma‘ānī (30:27-8).

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the field of v irtue and sanc tity and try to pu rify bo th th e inn er and the ou te r self through wo rsh ip, pe rsisten t pra ctic e and a con ce rted confronta tion with the ev il and, a s a re sult, a re pe rmeated with immedia te d ivin e con sc iou sne ss. ( The se ve rse s may be app lied to the se ho ly p erson s in th e sen se that) th ey con trol th eir o wn in stinc tive c ra ving s and concen trate all the ir en erg ie s on the wo rld wh ere ho line ss p re vails, and fina lly ach ie ve p e rfe ction a fte r pa ssing through the evo lutiona ry pha se s so tha t they can gu ide tho se who a re stuc k up in their fla wed schedu le s and in ve st th eir live s with a sense o f pu rpose and d irec tion .1

12. S hāh ‘Abd-ul -Haqq Muhaddith Dihlawī Sh āh ‘ Abd- ul-Ha qq M uha ddith Dihla wī comment s in his ex e ge sis of Shaykh ‘Abd- ul-Qā dir Jīlānī’s book Futūh-u lghayb that when the sa ints cro ss into the ar ea of div ine kno wle dge an d con sc io usne ss, which is imm un e to the ex igen cies of morta lity, they are ble sse d with a spe cia l po wer which en a bles th em to pe rform acts unme diate d thro ugh externa l c a use s, an d they are t ran sforme d into em bo diment s of ex ception al light an d co gnizan ce a s they hav e arr ive d from the mortal wo rld into the the world of immortality. In this way they ach iev e that lev el of pe rfect ion wh ich th e common be liever s will re ce ive in Par a dise .

13. S hāh Walī Allāh Muhaddith Dihlawī He wa s one of those gr eat saint s who, on ac co unt of his Go d- giv en v ision an d divin e kno wle dge, co uld se e the inner re ality with his nak e d ey e an d then proc la ime d it p ublic ly. He ha s wr itten a m atchle ss book Fuyūd-u l-

1.

Āl ūsī, Rūh-ul -ma‘ānī (30:28).

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ha ramayn ba se d on o bservation s. T he gist of its ninth an d tenth ch apters is as follo ws. He say s: “ We calle d at Me dina, an d we c le arly sa w with o ur o wn eye s the so ul of the holy Prophet ( ) an d on that day th is r ea lity wa s r eve ale d to us that the p ure so ul can a lso be seen like th e bo dy an d the secr et of the life of proph ets after de ath wa s also disc lose d to us. “ On the th ir d day we ca lle d an d sent salutation s on the Prophet ( ), an d a lso v isite d the grav e s of Abū Bakr a sSiddīq an d ‘Um ar Fār ūq. “ T hen we h um bly subm itted: we h ave calle d on yo u with gr eat exp ectation s to re ce ive yo ur m ercy an d ble ssin g. Hav e me rcy on us.” He a dds: “ T he holy Prophet () expre sse d gre at joy an d I felt that the she et of h is kin dn ess ha d wrapp e d an d cove re d me . T hen h e em bra ce d m e, an d appe are d befor e m e, disclo se d many sec rets an d per sona lly in forme d me an d br ief ly h elp e d m e an d to ld m e ho w I co uld se ek h is he lp for my ne e ds.”

14. Mawl ān ā As hraf ‘Alī Th ān wī M a wlānā Ash raf ‘Alī T hān wī, comm entin g on the ble ssin gs of the ho ly Prophet () in h is book Nash r-u ttīb, wr ites: ‘ it wa s tran spar ently ref le cte d from the for ehea ds of his anc estor s. It was h is univ er sa l light that pe rsua de d Allāh to ac cept Adam’ s rep entance ; a ga in it wa s his light that salv a ge d Nūh  from the te mpe stuo us wa ve s an d tr ansforme d the glo win g coa ls of fir e into the blossom s of flo wer s for I br āhīm  .’ He ha s wr itten a p ane gyr ic in which h e be so ught the Prophet ( ) for he lp in h is trials an d tribulation s an d r e que ste d him to remov e them. He state d: O, th e in te rc esso r o f the p eople, he lp me. You a re the one whom I can trust in c risis.

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I have no sh elte r exc ept you. Help! My maste r, d ifficu ltie s b esieg ed me. O Ibn ‘Abdullāh, pub lic is aga inst me. B e my suppo rter, b ecau se you a re my he lpe r. I hav e no good d eed o r any submission. Bu t I ha ve you r lo ve in my h eart. O Me sseng er o f A llāh! I ha ve on ly you r doo r ( to knock at th e time o f ne ce ssity) . The c loud s of tee thing troub le s ne ve r su rround me. Mor eover h e wrote another pan e gyric in which he disc usse d the theme of callin g the Prophet  for h elp . Be side s, M a wlān ā Ashr af ‘Alī T hān wī, ha s na me d the thirty-e ighth p art o f his book a s “ interme diation thro ugh the Proph et () at the t ime o f supplic ation.” In this part, a fter mention in g a tra dit ion attribute d to ‘ Uthmān bin Hun ayf, h e write s, “ It p rove s that just a s inte rme diation thro ugh someon e’s supp lication is v alid, similar ly, r elianc e on someon e in the supp lication for inte rme diation is also va lid. ” When durin g the pe rio d of ‘ Uthmān bin ‘ Affān , ‘ Uthmān bin Hunayf a ske d a p etitioner to utter the sam e supp lication wh ich the Prophet () h as ta ught to the blin d Compan ion, Ma wlānā Ashra f ‘ Alī T hān wī m ake s it the ba sis of esta blish in g the v alidity of inte rme diation a fter death. In a ddition, he ha s prov e d the re lev ance of interme diation thro ugh someon e other than a proph et  by ‘ Umar’ s interme diation thro ugh ‘Abbās. Ma wlānā T hān wī ha s a lso de cla re d the act of inte rme diation thro ugh the Proph et’s grave dur in g the t ime o f ‘ Ā’ishah a s va lid.1 Finally, after r epro duc in g ‘ Utbī’ s tra dition in wh ich a be do uin ha d ca lle d on the Prophet’s gr ave for the r epentanc e of his sins, a s we hav e exp la ine d in ref eren ce to the 64 th ver se o f sū rah an- Nisā ’, he write s: ‘a s it 1.

F or details of t he t radi tion s ee our book Isl ami c C oncept of Int er medi ati on.

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happ ene d in the ear ly days, an d ther e is no contra diction of it, it ha s a c quir e d the status o f a p roof.’

15. Imām Ahmad bin Zaynī D ahlān A M akkan jurist of M uslim la w, Ahma d bin Zayn ī Dah lān in h is jo urna l F itna t-u l- Wahhāb iy yah, ha s esta blish e d the le ga lity of be se ech in g the proph ets an d sa ints for he lp, interme diation an d inter ce ssion, an d he h a s co gently r ef ute d the do ubts an d alle gation s of those who a re oppo se d to the se perf ectly le gal act s.

16. Imām Muh ammad bin ‘Al awī al-Mālikī A we ll-kno wn contempo rary r eligio us scho lar po ste d at M akkah, M uhamm a d bin ‘Ala wī a l-M ālikī, in his book Mafāh īm yajib an tu sahhah ha s con ducte d welldoc um ente d r esear ch on the concept of istighā thah.

17. S haykh Muh ammad Hish ām Kabbānī He is a f amo us contemporary religio us scho lar an d he ha s wr itten a book, Enc yc loped ia o f I slamic Doc trin e, comp risin g seven volum es on the belief s o f Ah l- usSun nah wal-Jamā‘ ah. In the fo urth vo lume of h is book he ha s justif ie d the be lief in istighāthah on th e basis of a v ast a rray o f historica l an d ration al ar gument s.

A brief s ummary T hese ar e a f e w of the o bse rvation s, exper ienc e s an d say in gs, wh ich sp an c entur ie s o f h uman existen ce. T hey c le arly prove that the grave s an d tom bs of the cho sen peop le of Allāh are a stea dy so ur ce o f div ine ble ssin gs an d ben efit s for mank in d. T he disc ern in g per son s do not treat the se spots of the sa ints as worthless or a s me re h eap s of m ud an d morta r; rather they be lieve that they ar e men of distin ction an d Allāh ha s sp ec ia lly r e war de d them for the ir p iety an d h um an serv ice . Some of the se saint s a re looke d upon as ultra -ma gnan imo us. T here fore, no one sho uld

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enterta in any do ubt or re se rvation a bo ut their p urity an d ex ception al stat us. A p erson , who h im se lf is str ippe d of sp ir itual vision, ha s no r ight to m isguide peop le a bo ut the se favo ur ites of Allāh. He ha s no right to say that the se peop le are de a d, lyin g inert an d lif eless in their gr ave s, an d ther efore , lack the po wer an d the ener gy to h elp anyon e. His statement is comp lete ly ba sele ss an d is just ifie d ne ither by h istor ica l pr ece dent nor by r ationa l a r gument. An important point to be note d in this context is that on ly those re sidents of the tom bs de serve o ur rev eren ce who ha d attain e d acc e ss to the nearn e ss an d the p le asure of Allāh an d who se pio us a cts an d virt uo us de e ds ha d ma de them pop ular durin g the ir liv e s. On ly such per son s a re to be imp lor e d for h elp . T his point h as be en c lar if ie d by Shāh ‘Abd- ul-‘ Az īz M uh a ddith Dih la wī in unm istak a ble term s. He said: Help should be sought on ly from the famous sain ts. a s the p ublic op inion is the litm us te st of the pop ular ity or unpop ular ity of a saint. He h a s also pre scr ibe d a metho d for discove rin g the stat ure of a saint an d for seek in g he lp from him. T his can be looke d up in Fatā wā ‘ Azīzī.

Chapter 6

Line o f Demarcatio n between Belief and Disbelief Purg i ng di s bel i ef i n Muhammad' s fol l owers Allā h h a s c o n f e r r e d in f in it e ble ssin gs o n t h e f o llo we r s o f t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  . On e o f t h e se ble ssin gs is t h e ir im p o ssibilit y t o r e t ur n t o disbe lie f a f t e r e m br a c in g I sla m . I t h a p p e n e d in t h e p a st t h a t t h e f o llo we r s o f a p a r t ic ula r p r o p h e t r e t ur n e d t o t h e ir e a r lie r st a t e o f ign o r a n c e a n d disbe lie f a f t e r h is de a t h . But t h is sh a ll n o t h a p p e n t o t h e f o llo we r s o f t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  . T h e P r o p h e t o f Allā h  in t h e la st da y s o f h is e a r t h ly so jo ur n h a d h im se lf de c la r e d t h a t h e h a d n o f e a r s t h a t h is f o llo we r s will r e la p se in t o disbe lie f a f t e r h is de a t h . As M uslim s, we sh o uld r e f le c t o n h is wo r ds. T h e P r o p h e t  wh o wa s se n t t o t h is wo r ld t o qua sh disbe lie f a n d a ll f o r m s o f im p e r m issible in n o v a t io n , wh o is o ur p r im a r y so ur c e o f guida n c e a n d wh o is o ur ult im a t e m e a n s o f sa lv a t io n , is sa y in g t h a t h e h a s n o do ubt s lur k in g in h is m in d a bo ut o ur st e a dy a n d ir r e v e r sible be lie f , wh ile we a r e h ur lin g a lle ga t io n s o f disbe lie f a t o n e a n o t h e r t o c a t e r t o o ur f a lse se n se o f sup e r io r it y o r t o p a m p e r o ur e go t ism ba se d o n p r e judic e a n d sh e e r st ubbo r n n e ss. W h a t c o uld be m o r e un f o r t un a t e t h a n t h is m ut ua l in c r im in a t io n ? I t is n a r r a t e d in a t r a dit io n : 145

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‘ Uq b a h b in ‘ Ā m ir h a s n a rra te d : Th e P ro p h e t  o n e d a y we n t ( to Uh u d ) a n d o ffe re d p ra y e r fo r th e n a tiv e s ( m a rty rs) o f Uh u d a s it is ( g e n e ra lly ) o ffe re d fo r th e d e a d . Th e n h e re tu rn e d to th e p u lp it a n d sa id : ‘ I a m y o u r fo re ru n n e r a n d I a m a witn e ss o n y o u . B y A llā h ! I a m rig h t n o w se e in g th e b a sin o f m y fo u n ta in ( k a wt h a r ) , a n d I h a v e b e e n h a n d e d o v e r th e k e y s o f th e tre a su re s o f th e e a rth ( o r th e k e y s o f th e e a rth ) . I swe a r o n A llā h , I h a v e n o fe a rs th a t a fte r m e y o u will re tu rn to d isb e lie f b u t I a m a p p re h e n siv e th a t y o u will try to o u td o e a c h o th e r in a c q u irin g wo rld ly g o o d s. ’ 1 T h is is a st a t e m e n t m a de by t h e P r o p h e t  h im se lf . He h a s swo r n o n Allā h a bo ut h is f o llo we r s t h a t t h e y will n o t r e v e r t t o disbe lie f . T h e P r o p h e t ’ s wo r ds c a ll f o r de e p r e f le c t io n a n d se r io us so ul- se a r c h in g. W e br ush a side t h e P r o p h e t ’ s st a t e m e n t wh e n we a c c use o n e a n o t h e r o f disbe lie f . T h is t r a dit io n h a s be e n r e p r o duc e d by I m ā m M uslim 2 a n d I m ā m Ah m a d bin Ha m ba l 1 . Re p e a t e d

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2.

B ukhārī narrat ed t hi s t radi t i on i n hi s as -Sahī h wi t h di fferent words at s i x vari ous pl aces , i . e. b. of j anā’i z (funeral s ) ch. 71 (1: 451#1279); b. of manāqi b (vi rt ues ) ch. 22 (3: 1317#3401); b. of maghāz ī (t he m i l i t ary expedi t i ons l ed by t he P rophet ) ch. 14, 25 (4: 1486, 1498-9 #3816, 3857); b. of r i qāq (s oft eni ng of heart s ) ch. 7, 53 (5: 2361, 2408#6062, 6218); T abarānī , al Mu‘j am-ul -kabī r (17: 278-80#767-70); B ayhaqī , as Sunan-ul -kubr ā (4: 14); B aghawī , Shar h-us -s unnah (14: 39-41#3822-3); and ‘ Al ī ’ al -Hi ndī i n K anz -ul ‘ummāl (14: 416#39122). Narrat ed i n hi s as -Sahī h, b. of f adā’i l (vi rt ues ) ch. 9 (4: 1795 #30/ 2296).

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r e f e r e n c e s t o t h is t r a dit io n by p e o p le o f suc h c a libr e a n d p r e st ige , a n d o ur do gge d de f ia n c e o f it s c o n t e n t s a r e n o t h in g but h a r r o win g un a wa r e n e ss o f t h e r e a l sp ir it o f o ur f a it h . I stig h ā th a h , wh ic h h a s be e n e st a blish e d a s a v a lid a c t in I sla m by c o un t le ss Qur ’ ā n ic in jun c t io n s a n d a ut h e n t ic a n d c e r t if ie d t r a dit io n s a n d wh ic h h a s be e n p r a c t ise d by t h e la r ge m a jo r it y o f M uslim s, is n o w t ur n e d in t o a m a t t e r o f disp ut e a n d c o n t r o v e r sy , a n d is n o w be in g use d a s a c o n v e n ie n t p lo y t o n o t o n ly in dulge in in c r im in a t in g o n e a n o t h e r in disbe lie f but a lso t o giv e v e n t t o o ur p e r so n a l f r ust r a t io n s. I f we c a r e t o r e f le c t o n h is wo r ds a n d st a t e m e n t s, we will c o m e t o r e a lise t h a t t o in sist o n t h e ille ga lit y o f be se e c h in g f o r h e lp , e it h e r a s a do c t r in e o r in so m e o f it s a c t ua l a p p lic a t io n s, e sp e c ia lly wh e n it s le ga lit y h a s be e n c o n c lusiv e ly e st a blish e d bo t h by t h e Qur ’ ā n a n d t h e su n n a h , is n o t h in g but r e ligio us p e r v e r sit y . T e n s o f st a t e m e n t s m a de by t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  a r e wit n e ss t o t h e f a c t t h a t t o c a ll so m e o n e f o r h e lp o t h e r t h a n Allā h is quit e c o n sist e n t wit h Qur ’ ā n ic c o m m a n ds a n d t h e P r o p h e t ’ s st a t e m e n t s. As it is r e p o r t e d by ‘ Am r bin Sh u‘ a y b t h a t h is gr a n df a t h e r sa y s: we we r e p r e se n t in t h e c o m p a n y o f t h e h o ly P r o p h e t  wh e n m e sse n ge r s f r o m Ha wā z in t r ibe c a m e a n d sa id, “ O M uh a m m a d! W e be lo n g t o t h e sa m e o r igin a n d t r ibe , a n d t h e t r o uble we a r e f a c in g is n o t h idde n f r o m y o u, t h e r e f o r e , h a v e m e r c y o n us. ” T h e h o ly P r o p h e t  r e p lie d, “ Op t o n e o f t h e t wo c h o ic e s; e it h e r t a k e a wa y y o ur p r o p e r t y a n d we a lt h o r h a v e y o ur wo m e n f r e e d. ” T h e y o p t e d f o r t h e ir wo m e n a n d c h ildr e n . T h e n t h e M e sse n ge r o f Allā h  a dde d: a s f a r a s m y sh a r e a n d t h e sh a r e o f ‘ Abd- ulM ut t a lib a n d h is c h ildr e n ( in t h e sp o ils) is 1.

Narrat ed i n hi s Mus nad (4: 149, 153-4).

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c o n c e r n e d, I h a v e a lr e a dy giv e n it t o y o u. But wh e n I h a v e p e r f o r m e d t h e n o o n p r a y e r , y o u sh o uld a ll st a n d up a n d sa y : Th ro u g h th e m ea n s of th e Me sse n g e r o f A llā h  we se e k h e lp fo r o u r wo m e n a n d c h ild re n fro m b e lie v e rs ( o r Mu slim s) . 1 T h e n a r r a t o r sa y s t h a t wh e n p e o p le h a d f in ish e d t h e ir p r a y e r , t h e y r e p e a t e d t h e sa m e wo r ds a s t h e P r o p h e t  h a d a dv ise d t h e m . T h e se wo r ds we r e ut t e r e d by t h e sa c r e d t o n gue o f t h e h o ly P r o p h e t  h im se lf a n d h e ut t e r e d t h e m in t h e f o r m o f a c o m m a n d. T h e r e f o r e , t h is t r a dit io n f ur n ish e s a c o ge n t just if ic a t io n f o r t h e a c t o f be se e c h in g f o r h e lp .

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rel ati on

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bel i ef

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T o h o ld t h e h o ly P r o p h e t  a n d t h e sa in t s a n d p io us p e o p le o f Allā h in r e v e r e n c e a n d t o be se e c h t h e m f o r h e lp is quit e c o m p a t ible wit h t h e ba sic p r in c ip le s o f I sla m ic f a it h . But so m e t im e s t h e p e t it io n e r s, wh ile a ddr e ssin g t h e se f a v o ur it e s o f Allā h , e m p lo y wo r ds, wh ic h a r e r e se r v e d o n ly f o r Allā h a n d, t h e r e f o r e , a c c o r din g t o so m e r e ligio us sc h o la r s, c o m m it disbe lie f . T h is c o n c lusio n is ba se d o n a f un da m e n t a l m isc o n c e p t io n a s t h e se sc h o la r s f a il t o dr a w t h e v it a l dist in c t io n be t we e n t h e lit e r a l a n d f igur a t iv e se n se o f t h e se wo r ds. T h e y in t e r p r e t t h e se m o de s o f a ddr e ss o r t h e v o c a t iv e f o r m s in a lit e r a l se n se a n d t h us wr in g a p e r v e r se c o n c lusio n f r o m t h e m . I t is a n a dm it t e d f a c t t h a t t h e se m o de s o f a ddr e ss a r e use d o n ly f o r Allā h in t h e ir a bso lut e se n se , t h e r e f o r e , t o use t h e m f o r a n y o t h e r c r e a t ur e is o bv io usly disbe lie f a n d f o r a M uslim it

________________________________________________ 1.

Nas ā’ ī , Sunan, b. of hi bah (gi ft s ) 6: 262-3.

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is sim p ly in c o n c e iv a ble . T h us a ba sic dist in c t io n m ust be dr a wn be t we e n t h e ir lit e r a l a n d f igur a t iv e m e a n in g. T h e lit e r a l se n se a p p lie s t o Allā h a lo n e a n d n o c r e a t ur e , wh e t h e r h e is a p r o p h e t o r a sa in t , c a n a r r o ga t e t o h im se lf t h is e x c lusiv e div in e p r e r o ga t iv e . T h e r e f o r e , t h e p e t it io n e r is usin g t h e wo r ds o n ly f igur a t iv e ly a n d it is in t h is se n se a lo n e t h a t t h e y a r e ge n e r a lly in t e r p r e t e d. T h e a lle ga t io n o f disbe lie f a ga in st t h e se p e o p le is quit e m isp la c e d; it r e f le c t s r a t h e r t h e t wist e d c o n sc io usn e ss o f t h o se wh o h ur l suc h m a lic io us a lle ga t io n s a ga in st t h e m . T h e p e t it io n e r s a r e , in f a c t , im m un e t o disbe lie f . Fo r in st a n c e : 1 . O, th e m o st re v e re n d ( P ro p h e t) o f a ll c re a tu re s! I h a v e n o o n e e lse a s m y ( h e lp e r) e x c e p t y o u wh o se h e lp sh o u ld I se e k a t a tim e wh e n I a m e n g u lfe d b y tro u b le s a n d c a la m itie s. 2 . Th e re a re fiv e ( frie n d s) fo r m e with wh ic h I e x tin g u ish th e in te n sity o f a le th a l e p id e m ic . ( Th e se a re : ) th e h o ly P ro p h e t Mu h a m m a d  , ‘ A lī, b o th o f h is so n s ( Ha sa n a n d Hu sa y n ) a n d F ā tim a h . 3 . A ll th is is a n e x p re ssio n o f y o u r m e rc y a n d m a g n a n im ity th a t I a m still su rv iv in g in th e m id st o f tro u b le a n d tu rm o il. 4. I b eg th e c h a rity of yo u r m a g n a n im o u s e y e a s th e re is n o o n e e x c e p t y o u to b a il m e o u t in th is h o u r o f d istre ss. 5 . A ll p e o p le h a v e so m e su p p o rt to re ly u p o n wh e n th e y a re d o wn a n d o u t, b u t I h a v e n o o n e e lse e x c e p t y o u to tu rn to wh e n I a m in tro u b le .

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Sim ila r ly , so m e M uslim s in dif f e r e n t sit ua t io n s, wh ile a ddr e ssin g t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  use t h e se wo r ds lik e “ O M e sse n ge r o f Allā h ! W e h a v e n o o t h e r sh e lt e r e x c e p t y o u. ” I f we in t e r p r e t t h e se wo r ds in t h e ir lit e r a l se n se , o bv io usly we wo uld lik e t o c o n c lude t h a t t h e p e r so n usin g t h e m is c o m m it t in g disbe lie f . But t h e f a c t is t h a t a M uslim is n o t usin g t h e m in t h e ir a bso lut e se n se . An y M uslim wh o use s t h e se wo r ds is f un da m e n t a lly m o t iv a t e d by t h e be lie f t h a t t h e p o we r o f t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  is o n ly de r iv a t iv e a s it is c o n t in ge n t o n div in e will. He is in f a c t sa y in g t h r o ugh h is m o de o f a ddr e ss: ‘ a f t e r Allā h , t h e P r o p h e t  is m y p la c e o f sh e lt e r , a n d a f t e r Allā h , it is h is sup p o r t t h a t c a n se r v e a s a m e a n s o f h e lp a n d sa lv a t io n f o r a sin n e r lik e m y se lf . ’ T h us h e is n o t e qua t in g t h e P r o p h e t  wit h Allā h W h o is un ique a n d f r o m W h o se f a v o ur t h e P r o p h e t  de r iv e s h is e x c e p t io n a l st a t us a m o n g t h e c r e a t ur e s o f Allā h . So h e is sa y in g: ‘ I h a v e n o o n e e lse e x c e p t y o u a m o n g Allā h ’ s c r e a t ur e s a n d I h a v e n o e x p e c t a t io n s f r o m o t h e r c r e a t ur e s e x c e p t y o u. ’ T h us h e is n o t e le v a t in g t h e P r o p h e t  t o t h e le v e l o f div in it y , h e is o n ly st r e ssin g h is e x c e p t io n a l st a t us a m o n g t h e c r e a t ur e s. T h o ugh we n o r m a lly do n o t use t h e se a m biguo us wo r ds dur in g in t e r m e dia t io n o r a t t h e t im e o f be se e c h in g h e lp f r o m o t h e r s, n o r do we e n c o ur a ge o t h e r s t o m a k e use o f t h e m t o p r e - e m p t e v e n t h e sligh t e st susp ic io n o f disbe lie f , we a lso r e ga r d it a s n e c e ssa r y t o p r o p o se t h a t a p e r so n usin g t h e se wo r ds f igur a t iv e ly a n d de r iv a t iv e ly sh o uld n o t be a c c use d o f disbe lie f in a f it o f m isp la c e d e n t h usia sm o r a n o v e r p la y o f r e ligio us se n t im e n t . I t is m o r e p e r t in e n t t o r e a lise t h a t we sh o uld n o t e n t e r t a in un n e c e ssa r y susp ic io n s a bo ut t h e in t e gr it y o f t h e ir f a it h ; in st e a d o f m a k in g t h e m h o st a ge s o f o ur c r ude se n se o f just ic e , we sh o uld

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disp la y a r e a so n a ble de gr e e o f o p e n - m in de dn e ss t o giv e t h e m t h e be n e f it o f do ubt . Be f o r e h ur lin g a t t h e m t h e a c c usa t io n o f disbe lie f , we sh o uld t r y t o p r o be in t o t h e ir r e a l in t e n t io n s; be f o r e c o n v ic t in g t h e m , we sh o uld p r e sum e t h e m in n o c e n t a n d r e f r a in f r o m e qua t in g t h e ir f igur a t iv e e x p r e ssio n s wit h lit e r a l st a t e m e n t s. W e a ll k n o w, a n d o n ly a se n se o f p e r v e r sio n c a n c o n t r a dic t t h is gut f e e lin g, t h a t t h e se p e t it io n e r s se e k in g h e lp f r o m o t h e r s be lie v e in div in e un it y , wh ic h is quit e c o n sist e n t wit h t h e ba sic p o st ula t e s o f I sla m ic f a it h a n d a t t e st e d by t h e M e sse n ge r sh ip o f t h e Ho ly P r o p h e t  . T h e y o f f e r p r a y e r a n d p a y za k ā t. W h e n t h e y f o llo w t h e ba sic t e n e t s o f I sla m , n o t a s a n e y e wa sh but a s a de m o n st r a t io n o f c o m m it m e n t , t h e n it will n o t be a n a c t o f wisdo m t o dr iv e t h e m o ut o f t h e f o ld o f I sla m sim p ly be c a use t h e y use a st r in g o f ‘ un de sir a ble ’ e x p r e ssio n s in t h e ir sup p lic a t io n s in a f igur a t iv e se n se . T r uly sp e a k in g, t h e y a r e “ m o r e sin n e d a ga in st t h a n sin n in g” 1 a s t h e p un ish m e n t se e m s t o e x c e e d t h e ir in n o c uo us a c t . An a s bin M ā ik h a s r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e P r o p h e t  sa id: A n y o n e wh o p ra y s lik e u s a n d m a k e s o u r qibla h a s h is qibla h a n d e a ts o u r sla u g h te re d m e a t, so h e is a Mu slim fo r wh o m A llā h a n d His Me sse n g e r  a re b o th re sp o n sib le . So do not b re a k A llā h ’ s re sp o n sib ility . 2 I n v ie w o f t h is so un d t r a dit io n , t h e r e is h a r dly a n y sc o p e le f t t o le v e l t h e a lle ga t io n o f in f ide lit y a ga in st t h e M uslim s wh o use t h e se wo r ds

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S hakes peare, K i ng L ear . B ukhārī narrat ed i t i n hi s as -Sahī h, chs . of qi bl ah, ch. 1 (1: 153#384); and Nas ā’ ī i n hi s Sunan, b. of aymān w a s har ā’i ‘ahū (8: 105).

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f igur a t iv e ly . T h is f igur a t iv e a p p lic a t io n is sa n c t io n e d by t h e Qur ’ ā n a n d t h e h a d īth a n d de m o n st r a t e d by t h e p r a c t ic e o f t h e Co m p a n io n s, n o t sp a r in gly but f r e que n t ly a n d t h e r e f o r e , it s r e a lit y c a n n o t be de n ie d. An d t h e r e is n o h a r m t o de c la r e t h e ir a p p lic a t io n a s a v a lid a c t if a be lie v e r use s t h e m f igur a t iv e ly . Ac c o r din g t o t h e c o r r e c t I sla m ic be lie f , a p e r so n wh o be lie v e s t h a t Allā h a lo n e is t h e Cr e a t o r a n d t h e M a st e r , a n d He a lo n e h a s e m p o we r e d His c r e a t ur e s t o p e r f o r m dif f e r e n t a c t s, a n d He is a bso lut e ly in de p e n de n t o f t h e le a n in gs a n d c r a v in gs o f t h e liv in g a n d t h e de a d, t h a t is, it is t h e e x c lusiv e div in e p r iv ile ge t o gr a n t o r r e je c t t h e wish o f a c r e a t ur e , n o m a t t e r h o w h igh ly p la c e d h e is, suc h a p e r so n is a t r ue be lie v e r a n d a t r ue M uslim . T h is is p r e c ise ly wh a t is m e a n t by div in it y a n d t h is is e x a c t ly wh a t I sla m st a n ds f o r . I t is p r o v e d by Jibr īl’ s dia lo gue wit h M a r y a m ( M a r y ) in wh ic h h e h a d st r e sse d h is de r iv a t iv e p o we r in r e la t io n t o t h e a bso lut e p o we r o f Allā h . I t m e a n t t h a t h is a c t wa s n o t se lf - p r o m p t e d but bo t h sa n c t io n e d a n d sa n c t if ie d by t h e will o f t h e L o r d wh o is On e a n d Un ique . T h e Qur ’ ā n de c la r e s it in t h e se wo r ds: S o th a t I sh o u ld b le ss y o u with a p u re so n . 1 W h e n t h e c h ie f o f Allā h ’ s c r e a t ur e s o f ligh t c a n a t t r ibut e t h e se f igur a t iv e wo r ds t o h im se lf , a n d Allā h Him se lf is r e in f o r c in g t h e m in t h e Qur ’ ā n , t h e n if a c r e a t ur e o f f le sh a n d bo n e a t t r ibut e s t h e m t o t h e h o ly P r o p h e t  , t h e n wh a t c r im e h a s h e c o m m it t e d o r wh a t sin h a s h e p e r p e t r a t e d? W h a t is ur ge n t ly n e e de d is t o un de r st a n d t h e e sse n c e o f t h e Qur ’ ā n it se lf so t h a t t h e M uslim s st o p c o n de m n in g o n e a n o t h e r , in f la t in g o n e se t o f be lie f s wh ile

________________________________________________ 1.

Qur’ ān (Mar yam, M ary) 19: 19.

L i ne of Demar cat i on bet w een Bel i ef . . .

153

de f la t in g o t h e r s, a n d in t h e p r o c e ss giv in g a ba d n a m e t o t h e ir f a it h . T h is is t h e o n ly wa y t o p r e se r v e t h e in t e gr it y o f o ur r e ligio n a n d t o r e t a in t h e p ur it y o f o ur f a it h .

The l as t word He r e , sum m in g up t h e disc ussio n , we wo uld lik e t o r e p h r a se t h e v it a l p o in t st a t e d e a r lie r t h a t , in t h e p r e se n t t im e s, so m e p e o p le h a v e c a st a side t h e ba sic dif f e r e n c e be t we e n t h e lit e r a l a n d f igur a t iv e m e a n in gs in t h e in t e r p r e t a t io n o f Qur ’ ā n ic v e r se s. M o r e o v e r , t h e ir in t e r p r e t a t io n is m a r k e d by im ba la n c e a n d e x t r e m ism , wh ic h bla t a n t ly v io la t e s t h e ba sic p r in c ip le s o f Qur ’ ā n ic e x e ge sis. T h e y p r o p up t h e ir in t e r p r e t a t io n o n t h e lit e r a l se n se a n d a r e n o t willin g t o c o n c e de t h e f igur a t iv e se n se . T h is is t h e r e a so n t h a t t h e ir in t e r p r e t a t io n s a r e de f le c t e d f r o m t h e e st a blish e d a n d a ut h e n t ic c o n se n sus o f t h e t r a dit io n s a n d t h e e a r ly r e ligio us le a de r s a n d sc h o la r s de e p ly c h a r ge d wit h t h e t r ue sp ir it o f t h e ir f a it h a n d m a k e sh e e r o p in io n a n d sp e c ula t io n a s t h e ba sis o f t h e ir c o n c lusio n s. T h is is n o t h in g but in div idua lism go n e h a y wir e . T h e y a r e in t e r je c t in g un de sir a ble in n o v a t io n s in t o o ur r e ligio us f a br ic a n d disf igur in g it s t e x t ur e by t h e ir in se n sible a n d in se n sit iv e de v ia t io n s f r o m c e r t if ie d a n d we ll- do c um e n t e d e x p la n a t io n s. T h e o t h e r gr o up t h a t h a s disc a r de d t h e so be r in g c r ut c h e s o f ba la n c e h a s disp la y e d suc h e x t r e m ism in it s a p p lic a t io n a n d p a t r o n a ge o f t h e f igur a t iv e se n se t h a t it a p p e a r s t o h a v e lo st a ll se n se o f ba la n c e , wh ile ba la n c e is a sin e qua n o n o f a ll sa n e in t e r p r e t a t io n . I f we k e e p in v ie w t h e Qur ’ ā n ic se n se o f ba la n c e , t h e c h a sm be t we e n t h e t wo e x t r e m e s c a n be a br idge d a n d t h e M uslim c o m m un it y will be t r a n sf o r m e d o n c e a ga in in t o a n in div isible un it y . T h is is t h e o n ly wa y t o p r e se r v e

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o ur f a it h a n d t o p e r p e t ua t e a c o r r e c t in t e r p r e t a t io n o f t h e n a t ur e a n d e sse n c e o f div in e un it y .

Glossary a tha r: p l. āthā r. lit. re latin g. Gener ally use d for a hadīth r elate d by one of the Comp anion s, a s distin guishe d from one of the Prophet’ s o wn. da‘ īf: an ina cc ur ate na rration wh ich doe s not qualify to be e ither sah īh ( so un d) or ha san (fa ir), an d h enc e c annot be use d a s a ba sis of an I slam ic op inion . d īn: an Ar a bic wor d for re ligion. It is more spe cifically use d for the r eligion an d reve ale d books of the proph ets an d the me ssen ge rs. It is a compr ehen sive term cover in g not on ly r eligio us r ites an d r ituals but a lso app lie s to all a sp ects of life an d prov ide s guidance in all of its p ur suit s, wh ile madhab (re ligion) is re stricte d to man ’s sp ir itua l lif e an d re gulate s its r elation ship with Go d a lone. dinar: an anc ient gold coin . d u‘ā’: lit. to ca ll som eone ; mak in g supplic ation to Allāh. gharīb: a hadīth or ver sion r eporte d by one r elia ble or unr elia ble na rrator wh ich diffe rs in context with another had īth or ve rsion reporte d by a gro up of re lia ble n arrator s. A gharīb had īth can be sah īh ( so un d) or da‘īf ( we ak). ghawth: lit. on e to whom we can cry fo r he lp. A m e diator; a title given to a sa int of the h ighe st or der . hadīth: p l. hadīth s o r ahād īth . T he sayin gs, pr actice an d app rove d tra dition s of the Prophet M uhamm a d ( ). Hāfiz : lit. a guar dian or protector. (1) one of the nam es of Go d, a l-Hāfiz. (2) a governor , guar dian of the M akkan temp le. (3) on e who h as committe d the who le of the 153

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Qur’ān to memory . (4) one who ha s com mitte d one h un dr e d thousan d hadīth s to memory . hajj: the y ear ly p ilgr ima ge of the M uslim s to Makk ah. hasa n: a had īth , n arrate d by a re lia ble ch ain of tran smission tho ugh not approa chin g the gra de of sah īh ( so un d) hadīth, but r ecor ds a complete ch ain of n arr ators up to the Prophet ( ). Imām: one who le a ds peop le in p raye rs; an e minent I slamic scho lar . ‘ Īsā ( ): nam e of Allāh ’s pen ult imate m essen ger, Je sus. Jibrīl (): the ar chan gel Ga briel who bro ught the r evelation s of Allāh to His me ssen ger s. jihād: the wor d jihād , in term s of the a c quisit ion of a de sira ble an d co mmen da ble o bjectiv e, c arrie s a n um ber of me anin gs. J ihād is striv in g a gain st the ev ils o f the se lf, an d it is also the str uggle wa ge d for the propa gat ion of I slam an d the inte grity of Ummah . For ex ample, to la unch jihād thro ugh ton gue an d p en for the improv ement an d dev elopm ent of the I slamic so ciety; an a rme d str uggle a gain st the exp loit ive for ce s is a lso jihād but this is ‘m inor jihād’ while a perp etual str uggle a gain st the evil wishe s o f on e’s se lf is ‘m ajo r jihād’ . Jihād is on e o f the c ar din al articles of I slam. ka wtha r: lit. a bun dan ce. A pon d in Par a dise . Maryam: the Prophet ‘Ī sā’ s mother ; M ary. ma wd ū‘: a ma wdū‘ tra dition nar rate d by a liar , a n arrator who se a ct of ly in g in r elat in g tra ditions ha s be en prov e d. sahīh: so un d. A had īth with an un broken ch ain of na rrator s ran gin g f rom the Prophet M uh amma d () an d app roach in g an er a thro ugh re lia ble narr ators without be in g shādh (o dd) or mu‘alla l (f a ulty) in bet ween the t wo c ross relater s.

Gl os s ar y

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sha rī‘a h: lit. roa d. It is a le ga l mo dality of a peop le ba se d on the rev elation of their p rophet/m essen ger. T he last sha rī‘ah is that of I slam that a bro gate s a ll pr evio us sha rī‘ah s. sunnah: pl. sunnah s. lit. the p ath, way or a fo rm, the c ustomary pra ctic e of a p er son or a gro up of peop le. It ha s com e to ref er almo st ex clusive ly to the le ga l way o r way s, or ders, statement s an d act s of wor sh ip, etc., o f the Prophet M uh amma d () wh ich hav e become th e mo dels to be fo llo we d by the M uslim s. sūra h: a chapter of the ho ly Qur’ ān. T here are 114 ch apter s in the holy Qur’ ān. Ya ‘qūb (): the prophet Ja co b. Yūsuf () : the proph et Jo seph . zakāt: a y ear ly f ixe d pe rcenta ge of wea lth an d prope rty of the M uslim s lia ble to zakāt to be p aid to the poor an d the ne e dy of the M uslim Comm unity. It is o bligatory, a s it is one of the f ive in disp en sa ble p illar s o f I slam.

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I bn ‘ Abd- ul-Hā dī, M uhamma d bin Ahma d, Ham balī (705744 /1305-1343) 51. as-Sārim-ul-munk ī, Fa isa la ba d, Pak istan: I dār at-uttar jamah wat-ta’līf, n. d. I bn Abī Dunyā , ‘ Abdullāh (208-281/833-894 ) 52. Mu jābī ad-du‘ā’. I bn Abī Hātim Rā zī, Abū M uham ma d ‘ Abd- ur- Rahmān (240-327 /854-938) 53. Kitāb-ul-ja rh wa t-ta ‘dīl, Hy der a ba d, In dia: M ajlis dā ’ir at-ul-m a‘ār if al-‘ Uthmāniyy ah, 1 st e d. n. d. 54. Kitāb -uth- thiqā t. 55. Ta fsīr-u l-Qu r’ān a l-‘a zīm, Sa udi Ara bia : M akta bah Niz ār M ustaf ā a l- Bā z, 2 nd e d. 1419 /1999. I bn Abī Sh ay bah, Abū Bak r ‘Abdullāh bin M uh amma d (159-235 /776-850) 56. al-Mu sanna f, Ka rach i, Pakistan : I dārat- ul-Qur ’ān wa l-‘ ulūm- ul-I slam iyyah, 1406/1987. I bn Abī Usāmah , Hā rith bin M uhamm a d Dāh ir T amīm ī (186-282 /802-895) 57. Mu snad. I bn ‘Asākir , Abū al-Qā sim ‘Alī bin Ha san (499-571 /11051176) 58. Tahdh īb tā rikh Dima shq a l-kab īr, gener ally kno wn a s Tā rīkh/Tahdhīb Ibn ‘A sā kīr, Beir ut, Le banon : Dār- ul-ma sīrah, 2 nd e d. 1399/1979 . I bn- ul-Ath īr, Abū Ha san ‘Alī bin M uhamm a d al- Jazar ī (555-630 /1160-1233) 59. A sad-u l-ghābah, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ul-k ut ub-il‘ ilm iyyah , n. d. I bn Hajar Haythamī, Ahma d, Sh ihā b- ud- Dīn , Makk ī (909973 /1503-1566) 60. a l-Fa tāwā a l-had īth iy yah, E gypt: M atba ‘ah M ustaf ā a l- Bā bī a l-Hala bī, 1356/1937 . 61. a l-Ja wha r-u l-munazzam, Mat ba‘ at- ul-kh ayriyy ah, 1231 AH . I bn Hibbān, M uhamma d (270-354 /884-965) 62. a s-Sahīh , Be ir ut, Le banon: M u’ assisat- ur-r isālah, 2 nd e d. 1414 /1993.

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63. Kitāb -uth- thiqā t. I bn Hish ām, Abū M uha mma d ‘ Abd- ul-Ma lik ( d.213 /828) 64. a s-Sīra t-un-naba wiyyah, Dama sc us, Sy ria : M u’ a ssisah ‘ ulūm- il-Qur’ ān, n. d. I bn Jam ā‘ah , ‘Abd- ul-‘ Az īz bin M uhamm a d (694768 /1294-1366) 65. Hidāyat-us-sā lik. I bn Jar īr T a bar ī, Abū Ja‘f ar M uhamma d (224-310 /839923) 66. Jāmi‘ -ul-ba yān fī tafsīr-il-Qu r’ān , Be ir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-ma‘r if ah, 4 th e d. 1400/1980. I bn- ul- Ja wz ī, Abū a l- Far aj ‘ Abd- ur- Rahm ān (510597 /1116-1201) 67. al- Wa fā b i-ah wāl-il- Mustafā , Fa isa la ba d, Pak istan: a l-M akta bah an- Nūr iyyah ar -Ridwiyyah , 2 nd e d. 1397 /1977. 68. Zād-u l-masīr fī ‘ilm-it-ta fsīr, Be ir ut, L e banon: a lM akta b- ul- Islam ī, 2 nd e d. 1404/1984. I bn Kathīr , Abū al- Fidā’ I smā ‘īl bin ‘Uma r (701774 /1301-1373) 69. a l-B idāyah wan-nihā yah, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ulf ikr, 1419 /1998. 70. Ta fsīr-u l-Qu r’ān al-‘a zīm, Be ir ut, L e banon: Dārul-ma‘r if ah, 1400 /1980. I bn Kh uzaym ah, Abū Bakr M uham ma d bin Ish ā q (223311 /838-924) 71. a s-Sah īh, Be ir ut, L e banon : a l-Makta b- ul-I slam ī, n. d. I bn Mā jah, M uhamm a d bin Yazīd (209-273 /824-887) 72. Sunan, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār Ihyā’ -it-turāth-il‘ ara bī, 1395 /1975. I bn- ul-Qayyim , ‘ Abū ‘ Abdullāh M uhamm a d a l- Ja wz iyyah (691-751 /1292-1350) 73. Kitāb-u r- rūh, Beir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-k ut ub-il‘ ilm iyyah , 1 st e d. 1402/1982. I bn Qudāmah, Abū M uhamm a d ‘Abdullāh bin M uh amma d ( d.620 AH )

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74. a l- Mughnī, Riya dh , Sa udi Ar a bia : M akta bah arRiy ā d a l-h a dīthah, 1400/1980. I bn Sa ‘ d, Abū ‘Abdullāh M uh amma d (168-230/784 -845) 75. a t- Tabaqāt-u l- kubrā , Beir ut, Le banon : Dār Be ir ut, 1398 /1978. I bn- us- Sunnī, Abū Bakr Ahma d bin M uh amma d ( d.364 /975) 76. ‘ Amal-ul- ya wm wa l-la ylah, Hy der a ba d, In dia : Dā’ irah m a‘ār if Nizām iyyah, n. d. I bn T aymiyy ah, Ahm a d bin ‘ Abd- ul-Halīm (661728 /1263-1328) 77. al-‘ Aqīda t-ul-wā sitiy yah. 78. Iq tidā’-u s- sirāt-il-mustaqīm mukhālifa t a shāb-iljahīm, L ahore , Pak istan : al- Makta bat- usSa laf iyyah, 1 st e d. 1398 /1978. 79. Ma jmū‘ fa tā wā, M akta bah I bn T aymiyyah , n. d. 80. Qā‘idah ja līlah fit-ta wa ssu l wal-wa sīlah , Lahor e, Pak istan : I dārah ta rja mān- us- sunnah, n. d. I br āhīm bin ‘ Umar Biqā‘ ī, Abū Hasan (809-885 /14061480) 81. Na zm-ud-dura r fī tanā sub-il-āyā t wa s- su wa r, Hy dera ba d, In dia: Ma jlis dā’irah ma‘ā rif a l‘ Uthmāniyy ah, 2 nd e d. 1406 /1986. I qbāl, Dr M uhamm a d (1294-1357 /1877-1938) 82. Ku lliyā t. ‘Ir ā qī, Zayn- ud- Dīn Abū al- Fa dl ‘Abd- ur- Rah īm bin Husayn (725-806 /1325-1404) 83. Ta khrīj ahādīth a l-Ihyā’ . 84. Ta rh-u t- tath rīb fī sha rh- it-taq rīb , Be ir ut, Le banon : Dār Ihy ā’- it-turāth- il- ‘ar a bī, n. d. I smā ‘īl Ha qqī (1036-1137/1653 -1725) 85. Tafsīr rūh-u l-bayān , Quetta, Pak istan: M akta bah I slamiyy ah, 1405 /1985. Jīlān ī, Sh aykh ‘Abd- ul- Qā dir (470-561 AH , 1077 /10781166 AD ) 86. Qa sīdah ghawthiyyah. Kh afā jī, Ahm a d Shih ā b- ud-Dīn (979 -1069/1571-1659)

164

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87.

Na sīm-u r- riyād, Me dina, Sa udi Ar a bia: a lM akta bat- us- Salafiyy ah, n. d. Kh atīb Sh ur bīnī 88. a s-Sirā j-u l-munīr, Beir ut, La banon: Dār- ulma ‘rif ah, 2 nd e d., n. d. Kh atīb Ba gh dā dī, Abū Bakr Ahm a d bin ‘Alī, (392463 /1002-1071) 89. Tā rīkh Baghdad, Beir ut, Le banon : Dār- ul-k itā b-il‘ ara bī, n. d. Kh atīb T a br īzī, M uh amma d bin ‘ Abdullāh 90. Mishkā t-ul-ma sābīh , Be ir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-f ikr, 1 s t e d. 1411/1991 . Kh āz in, ‘Alī bin M uh amma d bin I br āhīm (678-741 /12791340) 91. Lubāb -ut- ta’ wīl fī ma‘ān ī a t-tan zīl, Be ir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-ma‘r if ah, n. d. M aha llī, Jalā l- ud- Dīn M uha mma d bin Ahma d (791864 /1389-1459), Suy ūtī, Ja lā l- ud- Dīn ‘ Abd- urRahm ān (849-911 /1445-1505) 92. Ta fsīr-u l-ja lā layn, Ka rach i, P akistan : Qa dīm ī k ut ub khān ah, n. d. M ahm ūd Sa‘ īd M am dūh 93. Raf‘-ul-minārah , Ca iro, E gypt: Dār - ul- Imām T irm idhī, 2 nd e d. 1418/1997 . M ālik bin An as (93-179 /712-795) 94. a l-Mu wa ttā , Beir ut, L e banon: Dār Ihy ā’-it-t urāthil-‘ ara bī, 1406 /1985. M ansūr bin Yūn us al- Buh ūtī, I bn Sa lāh a d-Dīn (10001051 /1591-1641) 95. Ka sh shāf-ul-q inā‘. M iz zī, Yūsuf, I bn ‘ Abd- ur- Rahm ān (654-742 /1256-1341) 96. Tuhfa t-ul-ash rā f b i-ma‘rifa t- il-a trāf, Be ir ut, L e banon : a l-M aktab- ul- Islām ī, 2 nd e d. 1403/1983. M uh amma d bin ‘ Ala wī a l-M ālikī 97. Ma fāhīm ya jib an tusahhah , 10 th e d. 1415 /1995. M uh amma d Hish ām Ka bbān ī 98. Enc yclop edia of Islamic Do ctrin e, USA: a s- Sunna Fo un dation o f Am erica P ublication s, 2 nd e d. 1992 .

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M uh amma d Kha līl Har ās 99. Sha rh al-‘Aqīda t-u l- wā sitiyyah, Dār- ud- da‘ wat-isSa laf iyyah, 1992 AD . M ullā ‘ Alī Qār ī, I bn Sult ān bin M uhamm a d ( d.1014 /1606) 100. Sharh ash-Sh ifā, Ca iro, E gypt: 1309 AH . 101. Mirqāt-ul-mafā tīh sha rh Mish kāt-u l-masāb īh, M ultan, Pak istan: Makta bah Im dā diyyah, n. d. M un dh ir ī, ‘Abd- ul-‘ Az īm bin ‘Abd- ul-Qa wī (581656 /1185-1258) 102. a t-Ta rgh īb wa t- tarh īb, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār ihyā’- it-tur āth-il-‘ar a bī, 3 rd e d. 1388/1968 . M uslim, I bn- ul-Hajjā j Qush ayrī (206-261/821 -875) 103. a s-Sah īh, Be ir ut, L e banon : Dā r Ihyā’ -it-turāth-il‘ ara bī, n. d. Na bhān ī, Yūsuf bin I smā‘ īl (1265-1350/1849 -1932) 104. Hujja tullāh ‘a lal- ‘ālamīn fī mu‘ ja zāt sa yy id-ilmursa līn, Faisa la ba d, Pak istan : al- Makta bah anNūriyy ah ar -Ridwiyyah , n. d. 105. Sha wāhid -ul-haqq fī a l-istighā thah bi- sa yy id-ilkha lq, E gypt: M atba‘ah M ustaf ā a l- Bā dī al- Ha la bī, n. d. Na saf ī, ‘ Abdullāh bin Ahma d bin Mahm ūd ( d.710/1310) 106. al- Madā rik, Dār ihyā’ -il-k utub-il-‘a ra biyyah, n . d. Na sā’ ī, Ahma d bin Sh u‘ay b (215-303/830 -915) 107. ‘Amal-ul- ya wm wal- lay lah, Be ir ut, Le banon : M u’ a ssisat- ur-r isā lah, 3 rd e d. 1407 /1987. 108. Sunan, Be ir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-k ut ub-il‘ ilm iyyah , n. d. 109. Ta fsīr, Dār- ul-f ikr, 1 st e d. 1410 /1990. Na wa wī, Abū Z akar iyyā Yahy ā bin Shar f (631-677 /12331278) 110. al-Adh kā r, a l-M atba‘at- ul-khayr iyyah , 1323 AH . 111. al-Īdāh . Qa dī ‘Iy ā d, Abū a l- Fa dl, I bn M ūsā Yahsubī (476544 /1083-1149) 112. a sh-Sh ifā , Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ul-k itā b-il‘ ara bī, n. d. Qā dī M uhamm a d T hanā’ ullāh Pānīp atī ( d.1225/1810)

166

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113. at-Ta fsīr-u l-mazha rī, Quetta, Pak istan: Ba luch istan Book Depot, n. d. Qa stallān ī, Ahma d bin M uh amma d (851-923/1448-1517 ) 114. al-Ma wāh ib-ul-ladun iyyah , Beir ut, Le banon: a lM akta b- ul- Islam ī, 1 st e d. 1412 /1991. Qurtubī, Abū ‘Abdullāh, M uh amma d bin Ahma d (284380 /897-990) 115. a l-Jāmi‘ li-ah kām-il-Qu r’ān, Be ir ut, Le banon : Dār ihyā’ -it-tur āth-il-‘a ra bī, 2 nd e d., n . d. Rā gh ib Asfah ānī, Husayn bin M uh amma d, Abū a l-Qāsim ( d.502 /1108) 116. Mufradā t a lfāz a l-Qu r’ān , Dam asc us, Sy ria : Dārul- qa lam, 1 st e d. 1412 /1992. Rā zī, M uham ma d bin ‘ Umar bin Ha san bin Husayn (543606 /1149-1210) 117. a t-Ta fsīr-u l-kab īr, T ehran, Ir an: Dār- ul-k ut ub-il‘ ilm iyyah , 2 nd e d., n. d. Sā būn ī, M uh amma d ‘Alī 118. Qaba s min-nū r- il- Qu r’ān a l-ka rīm, Beir ut, L e banon : Dār- ul-Qur’ ān a l-k arīm , 4 th e d. 1419 /1998. Sa mh ūdī, ‘ Alī bin ‘Abdullāh bin Ahm a d (844-911 /14401505) 119. Khu lā sat-u l- Wafā . Sa yf bin ‘ Umar T amīm ī ( d.200 /815) 120. al-Fu tūh-u l-kab īr. Sh āh ‘Abd- ul-‘ Az īz M uha ddith Dih la wī (1159-1239 /17461824) 121. Fa tā wā ‘A zīzī, De lhi, In dia: M atba‘ M ujta bā’ ī, 1341 AH . Sh āh ‘Abd- ul-Ha qq M uha ddith Dihla wī (958-1052 /15511642) 122. Sharh Futūh-u l-gha yb, L uckno w, In dia: 1298 AH . Sh āh Wa lī Allāh M uh a ddith Dihla wī (11141174 /1703/1762) 123. Fu yūd-ul-ha ramayn, Kara chi, Pak istan: M uh amma d Sa ‘īd an d Sons, n. d. Sh ake sp eare , Willia m (1564-1616)

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124. Hamle t. 125. King Lea r. Sh a wk ānī, M uhamma d bin ‘ Alī bin M uh amma d (11731250 /1760-1834) 126. Tuh fat-udh -dhākirīn, Dār- ut-tar biyyah, n. d. 127. Fath-u l-qad īr, E gypt: 1383 AH . Subk ī, ‘Alī bin ‘Abd- ul-Kāfī (683-756 /1284-1355) 128. Shifā’-u s- siqām fī ziyāra t khay r- il-anām, Hy dera ba d, In dia: Dā’ irah m a‘ār if Niz āmmiyy ah, 1315 AH . Suy ūt ī, Ja lā l- ud-Dīn ‘ Abd- ur- Rahm ān (849-911 /14451505) 129. ad- Du rr-u l-manthū r, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ulma ‘rif ah, n . d. 130. al- Kha sā’ is-ul- kubrā , Fa isala ba d, P akistan : a lM akta bah an-Nūr iyyah ar- Ridwiyyah, n. d. 131. Manāh il-u s- sifā fī ta kh rīj ahād īth a sh-Sh ifā , n. d. 132. Sha rh-u s- sudū r bi- sha rh hāl- il-mawtā wa l-qubū r, Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ul-ma‘r if ah, 2 nd e d. 1420 /1999. 133. Tafsīr-ul- ja lālayn , Ka rach i, Pak istan: Qa dīm ī k ut ub khan ah, n. d. T a bar ānī, Sulaym ān bin Ahm a d (260-360 /873-971) 134. al- Mu‘ jam-ul-a wsat, Riy a dh, Sa udi Ar a bia : M akta bat- ul-m a‘ā rif , 1 st e d. 1405/1985. 135. a l-Mu ‘jam-ul- kabīr, Ca iro, E gypt: M akta bah I bn T aymiyy ah, n. d. 136. al- Mu‘ jam-ul- kabīr, Mo sul, Ir a q: Mat ba‘ at-uzz uh rā’- il-ha dīthah , 2 nd e d., n . d. 137. a l- Mu‘jam-u s- saghīr, Beir ut, Le banon : Dār- ulk ut ub-il-‘ ilm iyyah , 1403/1983 . T ha‘ā la bī, ‘ Abd- ur- Rahm ān bin M uhamm a d (785875 /1383-1470) 138. Jawāh ir-ul-hisān fī tafsīr- il-Qu r’ān, Be ir ut, L e banon : M u’ assisat- ul- a‘lamī lil-mat bū‘āt, n. d. T irm idhī, M uhamm a d bin ‘Ī sā (210-279/825 -892) 139. a l- Jāmi‘-u s- sahīh, Beir ut, Le banon: Dār ihyā ’-itt urāth-il-‘ ara bī, n. d.

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‘ Umar Ra dā Kahh ālah 140. Mu‘ jam-ul-mu’allifīn , Beir ut, Le banon : Dār ihyā’- it-tur āth-il-‘ar a bī, n. d. Z amakh shar ī, Mahm ūd bin ‘ Umar (467-538 /1075-1144) 141. a l- Ka shshā f ‘an haqā’ iq gha wāmid- it- tan zīl, Ca iro, E gypt: M atba ‘at- ul- istiqām ah, 2 nd e d. 1373 /1953. Z ayla‘ī, Abū M uh amma d ‘Abdullāh bin Yūsuf Hanaf ī ( d.762 /1360) 142. Na sb-u r- rāyah , L ahore, P akistan : Dār n ash r-ilk ut ub-il-I slamiyy ah, 1 st e d. 1357 /1938. Z ur qānī, M uhamm a d bin ‘Abd- ul- Bā qī (1055-1122 /16451710) 143. Commentary (Sharh Zu rqānī ‘a lā a l- Ma wāhib-u lladuniy yah), Be ir ut, Le banon: Dār- ul-k ut ub-il‘ ilm iyyah , 1 st e d. 1417/1996.

Index to Qur’ānic Verses All pra ise is only for Allāh Who is (1 :1-4) 19 ( O Allāh!) W e wor sh ip on ly Yo u (1:4) 17 We seek h elp on ly f rom Yo u. (1 :4) 6 Ho w can yo u re ject the f aith in Allāh? (2:28) 72 T hey imp lor e d that yo u sho uld p ray (2 :68) 11 An d exc ept Allāh yo u hav e ne ither (2:107) 115 For yo u ther e sha ll be n either any (2 :120) 116 An d sure ly (ev en) in the Her eafter, (2:130 ) 68 An d seek (Allāh’ s) he lp (2 :145) 122 An d say not of tho se who a re slain (2:154 ) 73 An d (to ca ll) those in fidels (2 :171) 9 T hen (a fter sla ughterin g them), (2 :260) 91 Sur e ly, ther e is nothin g on the earth (3 :5) 109 Sur e ly, I have come to yo u, with a sign (3 :49) 100 Sa y : Come! Let us c all (to gether) (3:61 ) 91 When yo u were r unnin g a way (3 :153) 12 An d those who are sla in in the way (3 :169) 73 O o ur Lor d! Bless us with all that (3 :194) 57 An d Allāh is suf ficient ( a s) Protector (4 :45) 116 ( O be love d!) An d if they ha d come to yo u an d 39, 40, a sk e d (4 :64) 61, 134 An d ra ise fo r us from Yo u on e who (4:75) 117 An d he lp one another in ( acts of) (5 :2) 22, 93 In dee d, yo ur (he lper ) fr ien d is on ly (5 :55) 117 An d wh en yo u, by My leav e, (5 :110) 102 T hen yo u br eathe d into it, (5 :110) 103 An d we dir ecte d M ūsā by in spir ation (7 :160) 6 When yo u were be see chin g yo ur Lor d (8:9) 5 An d (in re ality) there is no h elp from (8 :10) 116 An d (O M uslim s!), to ( fight) them (8 :60) 122 169

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An d the men who believ e an d the (9:71) O be liever s! Fe ar Allāh, an d r ema in (9 :119) An d their pray er will en d (10 :10) An d Allāh c alls (peop le) to the home (10:25) Be war e! No do ubt, there is no f ear (10:62 ) No r wor sh ip be side s Allāh any (10 :106-7) Yūsuf (on he ar in g wh at the others (12:33 ) T ake this sh irt of m ine, then place it (12 :93) So wh en the beare r of the goo d ne ws (12:96) T ake my so ul at death a s a M uslim (12:101) An d those whom the se (polythe ists) (16:20-1 ) So yo u sho uld a sk p eople of kno wle dge (16 :43) When we sh all c all to gether all (17 :71) An d grant me victory an d po wer from (17 :80) An d these ( infidels) a sk yo u quest ions (17:85) T hen they will ca ll on them, (18 :52) An d if yo u c all them to guidanc e. (18 :57) Yo u sho uld h elp me with the m ight of (18 :95) I h ave on ly been sent by yo ur Lor d. (19:19 ) So that I sho uld bless yo u with a p ur e (19 :19) An d o ur Lor d is inf inite ly M erc if ul (21:112 ) T hat (per son) ca lls on such de itie s, (22:12) He worsh ip s h im who se h urt is n ear er (22 :13) ( O be liever s,) dee m not the summons (24:63 ) An d yo ur Lor d is suff ic ient to guide (25 :31) O my Lor d! Mak e m e perf ect in (26 :83) Yo u ch ief s! Wh ich o f yo u c an br in g (27 :38) I can brin g it to yo u befo re yo u rise (27:39) I can brin g it to yo u befo re yo ur eye (27:40) So that He sho uld te st me whether I a m (27:40 ) Rather , who is the on e who grants (27:62 ) So the pe rson who wa s of his v ery (28 :15) T hen (a fter a little wh ile) a ( girl) o ut (28:25) An d follo w the path of the (per son) (31:15) Ca ll (the a dopte d son s) by the nam e s (33:5 ) An d they sha ll not f in d any fr ien d or (33:17 ) An d those yo u invok e be side s Him , (35 :13-4) P ure is He Who h as cr eate d co uple s (36:36)

170

117 68 11 11, 17 87 90 11 8 8 68 89 119 17, 91 116 77 17 17 122 98 151 97 90 90 10 116 66 106 110 110 113 89 5, 23 91 68 17 116 90 115

An d, O my peop le , wh at is this that (40 :41) An d yo u will also f in d whateve r yo u (41 :31) An d He is the Protector, worthy (42 :28) An d who is mor e a stray than the one (46:5) An d if yo u ba ck up each other (66 :4) (It will be the day) when Allāh will (66:8 ) He sa id: O my Lor d! I c all my p eople (71 :5-6) T hen, let him ca ll (for he lp) his (96:17-8 )

16 11 116 90 117 61 16 17

171

172

172

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Index to Hadīth and Athar A gro up of my Comm unity, who hav e be en A per son will be with h im whom he love s Allāh h as blesse d His servant s with (a lar ge Allāh h as cr eate d a c la ss of cre atur es for the Allāh h as dec lar e d it for bidden for the e arth Allāh the Exa lted an d Alm ighty said: ‘ My love Amon g Allāh’ s serv ants ther e ar e some who An d Allāh is busy in h elp in g His c reat ure a s An d that han dsome (p er son), by me ans of Anyon e who is busy in f ulf illin g the ne e d of Anyon e who pray s lik e us an d mak es o ur App ea l for he lp is not m a de to me an d appe al Ask (for) whatev er yo u want. Come clo se to me. Du ‘ā’ is pre cise ly a form of wor sh ip. Du ‘ā’ is the e ssen ce (k erne l) of wor sh ip. Fetch an e arthen pot an d p erform the a blution Go over to ‘ Uma r, give h im my re gar ds an d Here the lea der or Imām m ean s the p er son His ey e wa s lo st dur in g the battle of Ba dr an d I am the son of a l-Wa līd. I am the son of ‘Ām ir I am yo ur forer unn er an d I am a witness on I swea r by the Po wer Who h as in His control If anyone of yo u go es o ut with h is brother to If t wo per son s love ea ch other on Allāh’ s co unt If yo u wish, I will stall it an d this is better No , an d if yo u c an’t help be ggin g, then yo u Not to c ry over re ligion when its guar dian is O ‘Ut bī, the be do uin is r ight, go an d give him O Allāh, I appe al to Yo u, an d submit to Yo u

71 83 125 124 74 85 86 124 128 123 150 126 120 28 12, 14 13 53 43 92 27 38 146 74 124 88 29 69 56 40-1 29, 31 173

174

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

O Allāh, I be see ch yo u an d submit my se lf to O Allāh, it sho uld be aro un d us an d not ove r O Allāh, sen d us ra in; O Allāh, sen d us r ain O Hamzah ! O the unc le of the Me ssen ger of O Sāriy ah! Go beh in d the mo unta in! O servant s of Allāh , he lp me . Peop le will fir st se ek the me diation of Adam Ra in may fa ll aro un d us, an d not on us. Sp re a d yo ur she et. Sur e ly, we fo un d the prom ise of o ur Lor d T here is no do ubt that yo u hav e be en for given . T hrough the me ans of the Me ssen ger of Allāh When Allāh lov es so me p erson , He sen ds fo r When it is the Day of Judgem ent, peop le, o ut When yo u be g yo u sho uld be g it f rom Allāh When yo u lo se yo ur m ean s of tr ansport in a Wher e is the per son who ha d a ske d a bo ut Yo ur de e ds ar e pre sented to me. If they are

174

52 33 34 37 107 122 24 36 26 73 42 147 82 58 118 125 83 75

General Index ‘ Abbā s, 141 ‘ Abdullāh, 46 ‘ Abdullāh bin L ahī‘ ah, 111 ‘ Abdullāh bin M a s‘ ūd, 75 , 125 ‘ Abdullāh bin M ubārak , 80 ‘ Abdullāh bin M uh amma d bin Siddīq al- Gh umār ī, 46 ‘ Abdullāh bin ‘ Umar , 24, 128 ‘ Abd- ul- Ma lik bin Sa‘ īd bin Abja r, 54, 55 ‘ Abd- ul- M uttalib, 147 ‘ Abd- ur- Rahm ān bin Sa‘ īd bin Ya r bī‘ Makh z ūmī, 46 ‘ Abd- ur- Ra zzā q, 84 Abū ‘Abdullāh Quray shī, 135, 136 Abū Ayy ūb al- An sār ī, 56 , 80 Abū ‘Awān ah, 60 Abū Bakr as- Siddīq, 45, 46 , 47, 126 , 140 Abū Dā wūd, 12 , 14, 36 , 69, 75 , 87, 121 , 123, 124 Abū Dā wūd T ayā lisī, 12, 14, 60 Abū a l-Fara j bin Qudāmah, 42 Abū Hayyān An da lusī, 112 Abū Hur ayrah, 25, 26, 27, 81, 87 Abū Ja‘f ar M ansūr, 134, 135 Abū Nu‘ aym, 12, 14, 28, 107 Abū Sā diq, 42 Abū Sa‘īd Gh ifār ī, 48 Abū Sālih Dhaka wān Samm ān, 44 , 45, 46 , 49 Abū Sa‘ ūd ‘ Amā dī, 113 Abū ‘Ubay dah, 46, 47 Abū Ya‘lā, 28, 35, 36, 43, 60, 125 Abū Ya‘ lā Kha līl bin ‘Abdullāh Kha līlī Qaz wīn ī, 43, 45, 46 175

176

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

Adam ( ), 7, 24, 134, 140 Ah l- us- Sunnan wa l- Jam ā‘h, 56, 70, 81, 131, 142 Ah ma d bin Ham ba l, 12, 14 , 29 , 31 , 35, 36, 57, 60, 68, 69, 74, 75, 82, 83, 84, 86, 118, 121, 123, 124, 128, 146 Ah ma d bin Z aynī Dah lān, 142 ‘ Ā’ishah , 111 ‘ Ajla wnī, 107 Albān ī, 45 , 47, 48 , 107 ‘ Alī, 43, 149 ‘ Alī bin Ma dīn ī, 47 ‘ Alī al- Hin dī, 12, 13, 14, 43, 57 , 69, 76, 88 , 107, 121, 123, 146 ‘ Alī Hujwīr ī, 106 Allāh, 1, 4 , 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 , 12 , 14, 17, 18, 21, 22 , 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 , 29, 30, 31, 32 , 33, 34, 35 , 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 52 , 53, 54, 55, 56 , 58, 61, 62 , 63, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72 , 73, 75, 77, 78 , 79, 80, 81 , 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, 93 , 94 , 95, 99, 101, 102, 103 , 104 , 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 113 , 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 , 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 , 126, 127, 131, 132, 133 , 137, 142, 146, 147, 148, 149, 151 a lle gation of disbelief a gain st Allāh, 102 a gain st ‘Ī sā (), 99 a gain st Jibr īl ( , 98 Ālūsī, 113, 137 , 138, 139 A‘ma sh, 44 ‘ Āmir , 38 Amīr Ham zah the r emover of tro ubles, 37 An a s bin Mā lik , 33, 34 , 35, 76 , 83, 85 , 150 app ea l (for he lp), 61 , 89, 91 , 93 app ea l by dee d, 7 app ea l by wor d, 6 in or dinary an d extrao r din ary matter s, 92 Qatā dah bin an-Nu‘m ān’ s, 27 app ea l to the Prophet ( ) a blin d Compan ion’ s, 29

Gener al Index

177

a bsce ss-str icken Compan ion’s, 28 Abū Hur ayrah’ s, 25 dur in g ‘ Uthmān’ s ten ure, 52 for for giv ene ss, 38 for ra in, 33 for ra in dur in g ‘ Umar’ s ten ur e, 43 on the Day of Judgem ent, 57 Ara bic, 10 , 11 Ashr af ‘ Alī T hān wī, 140 , 141 Āsif bin Bar akhyā, 106, 111, 112 ‘ Asqalānī, 13, 26, 28, 33 , 44, 46, 47 , 48, 50, 74, 76 , 107, 123, 125, 128, 136 ‘ Awn, 46 ‘ Aynī, 26, 128 Ba dr , 5, 27 Ba gh a wī, 12, 14, 35, 36 , 46 , 60, 74, 83, 86, 92 , 121, 123, 124, 146 Ba gh da d, 48 Bakr bin ‘Abdullāh a l-M uzanī, 75, 76 Ba līkh ā, 111 Ba lqīs, 106, 109, 112 Bay dā wī, 112 Bayh a qī, 28, 30, 31, 33 , 35, 36, 41, 43, 53 , 60 , 69, 75, 84, 87, 88, 118, 123, 128, 146 Ba zzā r, 75, 76 be seech in g for he lp Allāh’ s comman d, 118 I slamic comman d, 121 Bilā l bin a l-Hār ith al- M uz anī, 44, 50 Bukhār ī, 12, 14, 25, 26, 28 , 31 , 33 , 35, 36, 46, 47, 57, 60, 69, 74, 82, 83, 123, 128, 146 Dār imī, 60, 75 Day of Judgement, 24, 58 , 61, 63, 64, 70, 72 , 76, 83 , 84, 87, 90, 134 Day of Resurre ction, 61, 73, 88 Dh aha bī, 30 , 31, 32 , 44, 45 , 57, 86 Dh ū a l-Qarnayn, 122

178

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

Diff eren ce bet ween sp ir itual in sp iration an d kno wle dge of the un se en, 108 d īn, 70 division bet we en r ea l an d der ivative , 96 du‘ā’ ,10, 15, 16, 19, 91, 92 a s ad -du‘ā’ ( supp lication), 11 a s a l-ha th ‘a lā al-qasd (per suasion), 11 a s a l-‘ ibādah ( wor ship) , 12 a s a l- istighāthah ( be see chin g for h elp) , 10 a s a l- khitāb (a ddre ss), 12 a s an -nidā’ (ca llin g) , 9 a s a t- talab ( de sirin g) , 11 a s a t- tasmiyyah (nam in g), 10 a s be ggin g, 14 a s wor ship , 13 use in the Qur’ ān, 9 E gypt, 137 E liot, 1 Fātim ah, 149 Go d, 16 , 18, 19, 21, 34, 43, 53, 56 , 58 , 59, 66, 90, 97, 99, 100, 102, 107, 139 Gr eek , 76 had īth, 12, 75, 86 Hāf iz ‘ Asqa lānī, 136 ha jj, 41, 84 Hākim , 12, 14 , 28, 30 , 31, 32 , 57, 68 , 86, 123 ha lāl (la wf ul), 15 ha rām (for bidden), 15 Hār ith, 76 Ha san, 59 , 149 ha san, 30 , 48, 107 , 118 Haythamī, 25, 26, 28, 45, 47, 53, 57 , 60, 68, 74, 75 , 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 136 Hell, 59 , 60 Here after, 68, 72, 76 Humay dī, 84 Husayn, 149 ‘I bā d bin ‘I bā d, 80

Gener al Index

179

I bn ‘Abbā s, 92, 111, 112, 118, 122 I bn ‘Abd- ul- Barr , 43, 69 , 86 I bn ‘Abd- ul-Hā dī, 76 I bn ‘Abdullāh, 141 I bn Abī Dunyā , 54 I bn Abī Hāt im Rā zī, 45, 49, 112 I bn Abī Khaytham ah, 44 , 46 I bn Abī Sh ay bah, 43, 44, 60, 75, 84, 124 I bn Abī Usām ah, 75 I bn Abī Wā’ il, 45 I bn ‘Asāk ir, 41 , 107 I bn Ha jar Haytham ī, 30 , 41, 134 , 136, 137 I bn Hibbān, 35 , 47, 48 , 60, 75 , 83, 84 , 124 I bn Hish ām, 128 I bn Jamā‘ ah, 134 I bn Jarīr T abarī, 112 I bn Kathīr , 28, 30 , 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 , 41, 43 , 74, 107, 111, 112, 128, 135 I bn Kh uz aymah, 30, 32, 35, 36, 75 I bn Mā jah, 12, 14, 29, 30, 35, 75, 124, 128 I bn Qudām ah, 41 I bn Sa ‘ d, 26, 28, 45, 46, 47, 75 I bn T aym iyyah, 3, 5, 44, 54, 55, 70, 81, 127 h is fa ith, 4 me diation of the Proph et (), 4 I bn- ul-Ath īr, 26 , 28, 30 I bn- ul- Fir ā sī, 69 I bn- ul- Ja wz ī, 76, 112 I bn- ul-Qayyim , 80 I bn- us- Sunnī, 31, 118 , 125 I br āhīm , 45 I br āhīm (), 58, 63, 66, 67, 137, 140 I br āhīm bin Sā lih , 80 I br āhīm bin ‘Uma r Biqā‘ī, 112 interce ssion, 31, 41, 62 interme diation, 8, 9, 41, 51, 61, 64, 88, 133, 141 Im ām Ahm a d bin Zayn ī Dah lān, 142 Im ām Ālūsī, 137

180

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

Im ām I bn Ha jar Haytham ī, 136 Im ām I bn Kathīr , 135 Im ām M ālik, 134, 135 Im ām M uh amma d bin ‘ Ala wī a l-M ālikī, 142 Im ām Na bhān ī, 137 Im ām Qa stallān ī, 136 Im ām Qurtubī, 135 Im ām Yāfi‘ī, 137 Im ām Z ayn- ul- ‘Ābidīn, 133 I qbāl, 76, 81 ‘Ir ā qī, 48, 75 ‘Ī sā () , 29, 98 , 99, 100 , 101, 102 , 103 I slam, 15 , 85, 106 , 114 I smā ‘īl Ha qqī, 113 I smā ‘īl Qā dī, 47 isti‘ānat, 6, 17 me anin g, 6 istighā thah, 5, 8 , 17, 25, 62, 63, 63, 65, 88, 113 , 114, 133, 135, 146 Hāf iz ‘ Asqa lānī, 136 Im ām Ahm a d bin Zayn ī Dah lān, 142 Im ām Ālūsī, 137 Im ām I bn Ha jar Haytham ī, 136 Im ām I bn Kathīr , 135 Im ām M ālik, 134 Im ām M uh amma d bin ‘ Ala wī a l-M ālikī, 42, 50 , 142 Im ām Na bhān ī, 137 Im ām Qa stallān ī, 135 Im ām Qurtubī, 135 Im ām Z ayn- ul- ‘Ābidīn, 133 k in ds, 6 M a wlānā Ashra f ‘Alī T hān wī, 140 me anin g, 5 Qā dī ‘Iyā d, 135 Sh āh ‘ Abd- ul-‘Azīz M uh a ddith Dihla wī, 143 Sh āh ‘ Abd- ul-Ha qq M uha ddith Dihla wī, 139 Sh āh W alī Allāh M uh a ddith Dih la wī, 139 Sh aykh M uhamma d Hish ām Ka bbān ī, 142

Gener al Index

181

Jibrīl () , 82, 98 , 99, 151 jihād, 122 Jīlān ī, Shaykh ‘Abd- ul- Qā dir, 105, 106, 139 ka sh f, 109 ka wtha r, 146 Kh a dir () , 112 Kh afā jī, 75 Kh ālid bin a l-Wa līd, 38 Kh atīb Ba gh dā dī, 48 Kh atīb Sh ur bīnī, 113 Kh atīb T a br īzī, 12, 13 , 14, 82 , 84, 86 , 87, 88 , 107, 121 Kh āz in, 112 L ayth, 24 M aha llī, 112 M ahm ūd Sa‘ īd M am dūh, 32, 43, 47, 125 M akkah, 97 M ālik bin An as, 35, 82 , 86 M ālik a d-Dā r, 43, 45, 46, 47, 49 M ālik bin ‘Iy ā d, 46, 47 M ansūr bin Yūn us al- Buh ūtī, 42 M ar wān, 56 M aryam , 98, 151 M e din a, 36, 46, 49, 140 M essen ger ( ), 10, 25, 28, 29, 30 , 33 , 34 , 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41 , 42, 43, 62, 69 , 80, 82, 83, 84 , 85 , 102, 122, 147, 149 M iz zī, 12, 14, 30, 118, 128 M u‘ ā dh, 46 M uh amma d () , 7, 10, 24 , 29, 31, 52, 54, 58 , 74, 147, 149 M uh amma d bin ‘ Ala wī a l-M ālikī, 42, 50 , 142 M uh amma d Hish ām Ka bbān ī, 142 M uh amma d bin I sh ā q, 111 M uh amma d Kha līl Har ās, 71 M ukh allid, 28 M ullā ‘ Alī Qār ī, 75, 121 M un dh ir ī, 12, 13, 14, 31, 45, 47, 53 , 54 , 121, 123, 124, 125

182

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

M ūsā (), 5, 6, 7, 23, 58, 63 M usay limah, the Liar, 38 M uslim (Im ām), 33, 35, 36 , 49 , 57 , 60 , 74, 82, 83, 121, 123, 124, 146 M uslim( s) , 3 , 18 , 22 , 55 , 68, 70, 74, 76, 83, 85, 113, 115, 122, 123, 126, 136, 145, 146, 149, 150, 151, 152 Na bhān ī, 76 , 137 Na sā’ ī, 12, 14, 29, 31, 35, 36, 69, 75, 121, 147 Na saf ī, 112 Na wa wī, 30, 41, 42 Nūh (), 140 optiona l pr ayer , 31 Par a dise , 11, 17 , 24, 73 , 85, 121 Prophet ( ), 4, 10, 11, 16, 21, 23 , 24, 25 , 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 , 33, 34, 35, 36 , 37, 38, 39 , 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 , 56, 57, 58, 61 , 62, 63, 64 , 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 78, 81 , 84 , 85, 86, 101, 111, 114 , 115 , 119, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 126 , 127, 128, 133, 134, 135 , 136, 140, 141, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151 h is mir ac le s, 114 pro stration a s an a ct of r ever ence , 15 a s an a ct of wo rsh ip, 15 p ur gatoria l lif e, 72, 73, 76, 77, 79 Qa dī ‘Iyā d, 75, 134 , 135 Qā dī T hanā’ ullāh Pānīpat ī, 66, 67, 113 Qa stallān ī, 31, 35, 37, 44, 128, 134, 136 Qatā dah, 111 Qatā dah bin an-Nu‘m ān, 27 q iblah, 150 Qibtī, 23 Qur’ān, 3, 5, 6 , 8, 9, 10 , 11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 21, 61 , 65, 74, 76, 77 , 89, 91, 93 , 97, 98, 99 , 100, 103, 109 , 115, 116, 117, 119, 121, 122, 128, 129, 151, 152 Qurtubī, 42, 111 Ra bī‘ah bin Ka‘ b, 120 Rā gh ib Asf ahān ī, 5, 6, 10 Rā zī, 67, 112

Gener al Index

183

Rev elation, 20 Sā būn ī, 112 sahīh , 12, 30 , 31, 75 , 83, 86 , 118 Sā lih bin Kha wwāt, 48 Sa mh ūdī, 134 Sā r iyah bin Ja bal, 107, 108 Sa yf bin ‘ Umar T amīm ī, 44, 49, 50 Sh āh ‘ Abd- ul-‘Azīz M uh a ddith Dihla wī, 143 Sh āh ‘ Abd- ul-Ha qq M uha ddith Dihla wī, 139 Sh āh Fah a d, 99 Sh āh W alī Allāh M uh a ddith Dih la wī, 139 Sh ake sp eare , 1, 150 shirk, 114 sha rī‘ah , 7, 66 Sh ar īk, 34 Sh a wk ānī, 30, 113 Subk ī, 30, 41, 43, 53, 57, 76, 128, 134, 135 Suh ay lī, 112 Sula ymān ( , 105 , 106, 107 , 109, 110 , 112, 113 Sultān Bāh ū, 106 sunnah, 3 , 65, 74 , 89, 128 , 129 supplic ation, 9 , 31, 54 , 115 Suy ūt ī, 31, 53, 75, 80, 112 T a bar ānī, 13, 25 , 26, 28, 32, 52, 53, 57, 68 , 74 , 75, 84, 118, 121, 123, 124, 125, 146 T ā’if , 23 tawa ssu l, 8 T ha‘ā la bī, 112 T irm idhī, 12, 13, 14, 26, 29, 30, 32, 60, 83, 118, 123, 124 Uh ud, 12, 37 , 145 ‘ Umar ( bin al- Khttāb), 43, 45 , 46, 47 , 50, 51 , 52, 74 , 86, 108, 140, 141 h is in spiration, 107 Ummah, 51 , 56, 58 , 59, 61 , 114, 118 , 129 ‘ Uqbah bin ‘ Āmir , 145 Ust ūm, 111 ‘ Utbī, 41, 42, 135, 141 ‘ Uthmān ( bin ‘Affān) , 47, 52 , 53, 141

184

Bes ee chi ng f or Hel p

‘ Uthmān bin Hunay f, 29, 30, 31, 52, 53, 54, 141 Yahyā bin ‘ Uryān Ha ra wī, 48 Yamām ah, 37, 135 yā Muhammadāh, 37, 38, 135 Ya‘ qūb ( ), 7 , 8 yā ra sū l A llāh , 51 Yaz īd bin Rūmān, 111 Yūsuf (), 7, 8, 11, 68, 69 zakā t, 84, 150 Z amakh shar ī, 113 Z ay d, 10, 38 Z ayla‘ī, 35 Z uh ayr bin M uha mma d, 111 Z ur qānī, 31, 35 , 37, 44 , 128, 136