Knowledge International University Final Assignment

Course Name: Aqeedah III Course Code: AQD III Instructor: Shaykh Abu Salman Deya ud Deen Eberle

Student Details Name: Hassan Basarally Student ID: 1120020 Batch: Semester: 3 (Spring 2013)

Assignment Question: Discuss three of the arguments for and against praying to the Prophet (pbuh) and the saints. (Maximum 1200 words)

 Amongst the Muslims today are many who claim that it is permissible to pray to the Prophet Muhammad, , and the saints or Awliya. Amongst the reasons that are given for this belief are since the Messenger, , and the Awliya have Mujizah (miracles) and Karaamah (supernatural acts) this makes supplication to them having a greater chance of being accepted. Another reason is that their piety allows them to intercede for people. Finally, it is believed that some of the Awliya have knowledge of the unseen and can help people who supplicate to them. However, this act is not in accordance with the Islamic creed and impermissible in the Shariah because having Karaamah does not make one a Wali, any worship that is directed to human beings means that one is giving those human beings attributes that belong only to Allah, , and finally, intercession is only from Allah, .

A few points must be mentioned firstly about the Messenger, , and the Awliya. Imam Tahawi states about the Messenger, : He is Leader (Imam) of the Pious, He is Chief of the Messengers and He is very dear to the Lord of the Worlds. A Muslim affirms all these characteristics and it is supported in many places in the Quran and Sunnah. For example, Allah, , says: () 3:31. Say (O Muhammad to mankind): "If you (really) love Allh then follow me (i.e. accept Islmic Monotheism, follow the Qur'n and the Sunnah), Allh will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

It is evident here that love for Allah, , is equated to obedience and following the Messenger, . The superiority of and nearness of the Messenger, , to Allah, , is seen in the following verse: () 17:55. And your Lord knows best all who are in the heavens and the earth. And indeed, we have preferred some of the Prophets above others Imam Ibn Abi Al Izz explains that the Messenger, , has the highest form of love from Allah, . This is called kullah, which is a love that fills the heart of the lover. 1 However, this does not afford him, , any ability to answer supplications. In fact he, , directed all supplication to Allah, alone as seen in the following Hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurairah, : " " " "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."2 The Messenger, , is nothing but a man who Allah, selected to be a prophet, who called people to Tawheed or the sincere worship of Allah alone. Allah, says: ) " " ( 18:110. Say (O Muhammad ): "I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your Ilh (God) is one Ilh (God i.e. Allh). So whoever hopes for the meeting with his

1 2

Ibn Abi Al Izz, Sharh Al Aqeedah At Tahawiyyah, Translated by Muhammad Abdul Haqq Al Ansari, Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, p. 92 Sahih al-Bukhari 6307

Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord."

Regarding the Awliya, a distinction must be made between the true Awliya and those who claim to be so. In fact, it is those who falsely claim to be Awliya who encourage people to supplicate to them. Allah, , describes the true Awliya as: () 10:62. No doubt! Verily, the Auliy' of Allh [i.e. those who believe In the Oneness of Allh and fear Allh much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden), and love Allh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear shall come upon them nor shall they grieve. Obviously such people mentioned in this verse would not commit Shirk (associating partners with Allah, ) . Shaykh Ibnu Saalih al Uthaymeen describes the Awliya as the pious believersthose who believe in Him and are devout to Him. They love what He loves and hate what He hates, are pleased with what pleases Him and are angered by what angers Him. They command what He commands, they prohibit what He prohibits, they provide for whom He loves to be given and they deprive those whom He loves to be deprived 3 Therefore one must understand that the Messenger, , and the true Awliya never called for worship to be directed towards anyone beside Allah and are free from what the modern day grave worshippers try to ascribe to them. This in itself is the simplest argument against directing supplication to them. The first argument that those who claim that it is permissible to pray to the Prophet, , and the Awliya is that Mujizah of the Prophet, , and the Karaamah of the
3 Muhammad Ibnu Saalih Al Uthaymeen, The Explanation of the Six Foundations, IIIN Publications, Philadelphia, U.S.A., p. 55

Awliya show the exalted station of them hence one can pray to them. They say that such supernatural phenomena are only given to the most beloved of Allah; hence, they have a special station making supplication to them permissible. They go to extreme in showing love for them. This type of love is ishq, a type of love that blinds the lover making one go to extremes in professing and demonstrating love. In the case of the Messenger, , the Mujizah given to him was Allah, , showing the people the truth of his Prophethood. On the other hand, the Karaamah of the Awliya does not mean that the person to whom it is given to is beloved to Allah. Imam Ibn Abi al Izz divided the people into three categories regarding Karaamah: those who are given honour by them, those who are exposed to Allahs, , punishment by them and those where it is like any other good.4 So Karaamah can be a blessing or a test, one can misuse it and be punished. Look at the case of Musa, : () 20:65. They said: "O Msa (Moses)! Either you throw first or we be the first to throw?" () 20:66. [Msa (Moses)] said: "Nay, throw you (first)!" Then behold, their ropes and their sticks, by their magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast. () " 20:67. So Msa (Moses) conceived a fear in himself. () 20:68. We (Allh) said: "Fear not! Surely, you will have the upper hand. ()

Ibn Abi Al Izz, Sharh Al Aqeedah At Tahawiyyah, Translated by Muhammad Abdul Haqq Al Ansari, Al Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, p. 463

20:69. "And throw that which is in your right hand! It will swallow up that which they have made. That which they have made is only a magician's trick, and the magician will never be successful, no matter whatever amount (of skill) he may attain." So here, one can see Musa, , being given a miracle, the magicians were also able to conjure some supernatural sight in the court of Firawn, but this did not mean that they were righteous; in fact they were from the worst of people at that time. Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote it is not permissible that whosoever performs such feats is a Wali of Allah, rather the standard of judging them to be the Awliya is by comparing their attributes, actions and states to the Book and the Sunnah5

Another argument used is that the Prophet, , and the Awliya are used as intermediaries in front of Allah because they are so righteous. It is believed that supplicating to them will increase the chance of ones supplication being granted. Regarding this doubt, there are some things to bear in mind, only Allah, grants intercession: () 2:255. Who is He that can intercede with Him except with his Permission? There is the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurairah, : " " " "For every Prophet there is one invocation which is definitely fulfilled by Allah, and I wish, if Allah will, to keep my that (special) invocation as to be the intercession for my followers on the Day of Resurrection."6

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Ibn Taymiyyah, The Decisive Criterion Between The Friends of Allah and The Friends of Shaytan, Translated by Abu Rumaysah, Dar us Sunnah Publishers, Birmingham U.K., p. 180 Sahih al-Bukhari 7474

It is seen here that intercession is for specific to Prophets on the Day of Judgements, not to Awliya. Also, intercession is only to whom Allah, , wills from the Muslims: () 21:28. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for Him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him.

A third reason why people justify supplicating to the Messenger, and the Awliya is that they believe that they have knowledge of the unseen. This is partly due to the Mujizah and Karaamah given to them and also their piety. Shaykh Ehsaan Elahi Zaheer gives some examples of what the Bareilawi claim, There is nothing in this world kept hidden from the Prophet, .7 and A servant of Allah is acquainted with the realities of things and the unseen8. Though these statements may be to an extreme, the excessiveness of such claims are common place. Imam Tahawi states We do not believe in diviners and fortune-tellers, nor do we believe in those who expound ideas incompatible with the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah. The statement nor do we believe in those who expound ideas incompatible with the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah refers to the so-called Awliya who claim knowledge of the unseen. This so called knowledge is from the Shayateen from the Jinn. The true Awliya follow the Prophet, , and hold that knowledge of the unseen of for Allah alone: () 49:18. Verily, Allh knows the unseen of the heavens and the earth. And Allh is the AllSeer of what you do.

7 8

Ehsan Elahi Zaheer, The Reality of Bareilawiism, The Orthodox Press, p. 78 Ehsan Elahi Zaheer, The Reality of Bareilawiism, The Orthodox Press, p. 88

() " 72:26. "(He Alone) the All-Knower of the Gh'ib (unseen), and He reveals to none his Gh'ib (unseen)." If fact what is actually happening, is that those who make such claims are stripping attributes of Allah and giving them to human beings. Imam Tahawi said about Allah, , There is nothing like Him. So they take knowledge of the unseen and give it to humans. We cannot make the human being comparable to Allah: () 42:11 there is nothing like unto him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

They also take Tawheed al Ibadah and give it to humans because instead of supplicating to Allah, , they supplicate to the Prophet, , and the Awliya. Allah, , says: () 1:5. You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). Since there is no Wilayah except by following the Prophet, , how can one supplicate to other than Allah, , who revealed the above verse to His Messenger, . Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah wrote about the Wali Each time he attains some increase in guidance and the Religion of Truth then it is via the medium of Muhammad.9 Some use the Mujizah and Karaamah as reasons to supplicate to human beings, however as seen in the story of Musa someone displaying Karaamah does not mean that person is a Wali. Also Mujizah and Karramah by the righteous do not give them any ability to answer supplication. Others say that they are intercessors, but intercession is decided only by Allah, . And
9 Ibn Taymiyyah, The Decisive Criterion Between The Friends of Allah and The Friends of Shaytan, Translated by Abu Rumaysah, Dar us Sunnah Publishers, Birmingham U.K.., p. 206

yet another claim is that the Awliya and Prophet, , have knowledge, this is making the creation similar to Allah, . Hence, supplicating to such human beings brings no benefit and is an act of Shirk.