Are the Prophet ﷺ present and witnessing everywhere? Guidance from the Quran and Hadith

The Issue of Presence and Observation

Hafizur Rahman Qadri Barelvi Sahib writes: Is considering the Prophet ﷺ as present and observing shirk? The Master of the Two Worlds, the Manifest Light ﷺ, is alive in his illuminated shrine and is observing the entire universe, and can physically go wherever he wishes, indeed he can be present in multiple places at the same time.

Answer:

Respected readers! You have observed Qadri Sahib’s belief and viewpoint. He himself says that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is alive in his grave and can go wherever he wishes. The clear meaning of this is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not present everywhere; otherwise, what would be the meaning of “he can go wherever he wishes”? If he were already present and observing everywhere, then why would there be a need to go from one place to another? According to his belief, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is present and observing everywhere, so it must be accepted that wherever he goes, he was not present there before; otherwise, what would be the meaning of going there?

Logical consequence of being present and observing

The meaning of present and witnessing is being existent and seeing. If the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is present with everyone, then everyone would become a companion (Sahabi) because anyone who sits in the company of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a state of faith is a companion, whether they saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) or not. Many companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were blind; they did not see the Prophet (peace be upon him) but became companions simply by sitting in his gathering.
For example, Hazrat Abdullah bin Umm Maktum (may Allah be pleased with him) and others. This proves that whoever sees the Prophet (peace be upon him) in a state of faith also becomes a companion. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) is present and witnessing everywhere, then every Muslim would become a companion. This would nullify the distinctive virtue of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) over other Muslims.

The Argument of Makki and Madani Attribution

Also consider that in the Holy Quran there are only two types of Surahs, some are Makki and some are Madani. The Surahs revealed when you, peace be upon him, were in Makkah are Makki, and the Surahs revealed after you migrated to Madinah are Madani. If you, peace be upon him, were present everywhere in the world, then why is there no mention of Surahs from other places? Why are you, peace be upon him, only called the Makki Madani Prophet? Why are you, peace be upon him, not attributed to Chinese, Hindi, Sindhi, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, or other cities of the world, while you are present everywhere, a resident of every city? Then why are you, peace be upon him, called Muhammad, the Arab?
Why are you, peace be upon him, not called Ajami (non-Arab) while you are present and residing everywhere in Ajam as well? Why was your language only Arabic while you are present in all cities of the world, then why did you not speak the language of every country and every region?

The Question of Visiting Medina and Other Cities

Why do the poets of praise only praise Mecca and Medina in their poems, and not other cities of the world, while the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was present and witnessing in every city of the world and, according to him, is still present today? Why do people travel with devotion and love towards Mecca and Medina when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is present in every city of Pakistan, every city of India, and even in Lahore? Then what is the need to undertake such a long journey to Mecca and Medina?

The Philosophy of Coming and Going and the Verses of Praise

Those who recite praise say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has come, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has come. No one asks these servants of Allah that the Master was already present here, witnessing and observing, so from where did he come? Those who come are the ones who were not present before. What kind of strange philosophy is this of yours?

Blind Devotion and the Search for Reality

Some naat reciters say that they have heard that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) visits the house of every lover, so may there also be illumination in my house, O Messenger of Allah. This implies that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had not visited that lover’s house before. I wonder from whom they heard this? This is also false. I used to recite this too, but I had not heard it from anyone. Then the noteworthy point is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) is present only in the houses of lovers, not in the houses of non-lovers or non-Muslims? If he is present everywhere, then what is the meaning of visiting? When a person removes stubbornness, prejudice, and enmity from his heart and reflects on the truth, the reality becomes as clear as daylight. But the veil of blind devotion is a great obstacle in understanding. I myself was very opposed to the Ahl al-Hadith on this issue, but when I removed the veils of devotion from my eyes and looked, the reality was something else. When I researched the Quran and Hadith, Allah Almighty granted understanding.

The Migration of the Prophet ﷺ and the Issue of Presence

Consider that the entire Ummah agrees that the Noble Prophet ﷺ migrated from Mecca to Medina. Migration means leaving one place and going to another. Even a beginner student of the early community knows well what migration means. At the time when the people of Mecca forced you ﷺ to migrate and you ﷺ had to leave your ancestral homeland.

Love for Mecca and the Reality of Migration

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) addressed Makkah and said: “How pure and pleasing you are, O city, and how beloved you are to me. If my people had not expelled me, I would not have left you to settle anywhere else.”

Consider this: if the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was present and observing everywhere, then why was there a need to address Makkah and say this? If he (peace be upon him) had never left Makkah, then denial of the Prophetic migration (Hijrah) becomes necessary because when he was in Makkah, he was not in Madinah, and when he went to Madinah, he was not in Makkah. So how could he be present everywhere?

The Siege by the Polytheists and the Absence of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

On the night of Hijrah, the polytheists surrounded the house of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ according to their plan. At this most delicate moment, the Prophet ﷺ entrusted the polytheists’ valuables to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), gave his cloak, and ordered him to sleep on his bed, assuring that the disbelievers would not be able to harm him.

If the Prophet ﷺ had been present everywhere, the polytheists would not have needed to surround only one house; rather, they would have surrounded every place in the world. But since the Prophet ﷺ was present in only one house, that place was surrounded. It is also worth pondering why he ordered Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) to sleep on his bed. The Prophet ﷺ himself could have been on his bed, could have been in Medina, could have personally returned the valuables to the polytheists, and Hazrat Ali would not have had to leave his place. This is clear evidence of the Prophet ﷺ’s absence from his bed in Mecca, but only for the wise to understand.

The Reality of Allah’s Presence and Being Witness

Allah Almighty says:

مَا يَكُونُ مِن نَّجْوَىٰ ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ رَابِعُهُمْ وَلَا خَمْسَةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ سَادِسُهُمْ وَلَا أَدْنَىٰ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْثَرَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَعَهُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كَانُوا ۖ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

There are not three who consult together but He is their fourth, nor five but He is their sixth. Nor are they fewer or more than that, but He is with them wherever they are. Then He will inform them of what they did on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, Allah is, of all things, Knowing.

Among three persons, Allah Almighty is the fourth; among five persons, Allah is the sixth. Whether fewer than three or more than five, the countless presence of Allah Almighty indicates His witnessing and knowledge of every deed of creation on the Day of Judgment. If the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, were present and witnessing every person, then why would Allah not have said that when there are three, the fourth is My Prophet, and when there are five, the sixth is Me, and when there are five, the sixth is My Prophet and the seventh is Me? In this blessed verse, Allah Almighty clearly negates the presence and witnessing of the Prophet, peace be upon him. This attribute of knowledge and power belongs solely to Allah Almighty.

Proofs of Allah’s Vastness of Knowledge

At another place, Allah Almighty says:

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And to Allah belongs the east and the west, so wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.
At another place, Allah Almighty has said:

وَمَا تَكُونُ فِي شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُو مِنْهُ مِنْ قُرْآنٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ إِلَّا كُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُودًا إِذْ تُفِيضُونَ فِيهِ

And wherever you are, whether you recite from the Qur’an or do any other work, when you are engaged in it, We are before you.
The definite statement of Allah Almighty indicates that at all times, in terms of knowledge and power, only Allah’s Being is present and observing; none among the creation possesses this attribute.

News of the Unseen and the Statement of Non-Presence

Allah Almighty said:

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

These are the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they cast their pens to decide who would take care of Maryam, and you were not with them when they disputed.

At that time, the soul of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was in the world of spirits; he had not yet been born in this world. When the dispute over the guardianship of Hazrat Maryam (peace be upon her) occurred and the decision was made through the casting of pens, Allah Almighty informed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through revelation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was neither present nor a witness to this event.

Absence of Previous Prophets at Certain Occasions

Allah Almighty says:

إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ

At one place, Allah’s statement is:

وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنْتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ

And you were not on the western side of the mount when We commanded Musa (Moses), nor were you among the witnesses.

Synthetic and Rational Summary of the Prophetic Eras

Allah Almighty addressed the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and said that at the time when We revealed the revelation to Musa (Moses) عليه السلام and bestowed prophethood, you ﷺ were not present on Mount Tur. These verses make it clear as daylight that your ﷺ blessed soul was in the world of spirits; it was not present and witnessing everywhere at all times. This was the period before your ﷺ birth. The second period: after being born in the house of Hazrat Bibi Amina رضي الله عنها, you ﷺ spent 63 years of life in this mortal world. The third period: after departing from this mortal world, calling death لبيك, the soul reached the world of Barzakh, the highest levels, and your ﷺ pure body was laid in the grave in the chamber of Aisha رضي الله عنها by the noble companions رضي الله عنهم. In none of these three periods were you ﷺ present and witnessing everywhere at all times. If you ﷺ were present and witnessing everywhere, then what curiosity would there be in going to Madinah?

1) Proof of Shortening Prayer and Travel

عن يحيى قال سألت أنس بن مالك عن قصر الصلاة فقال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا خرج مسيرة ثلاثة أميال أو ثلاثة فراسخ صلى ركعتين

Yahya narrates that I asked Hazrat Anas bin Malik (RA) about the shortened prayer, and he said that when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) traveled a distance of three miles or three farsakhs, he would shorten the prayer, praying two rak’ahs.
Consider, if according to the Barelvi belief, the Prophet (PBUH) is present and observing everywhere, then what is the philosophy of traveling such a distance that he would shorten the prayer after traveling three farsakhs? Would he be a traveler there? If the Prophet (PBUH) is present everywhere, then he is resident everywhere, and not a traveler anywhere, so what is the logic of shortening the prayer? He would always pray four rak’ahs.

2) Proof of the Prophetic Journey and Absence

In the second blessed hadith: Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) says that I accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on a journey, but he did not pray more than two rak’ahs.

From this blessed hadith, it is proven that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to travel frequently and was not present everywhere at all times.

3) The turns of the Mothers of the Believers and the question of attendance

The blessed Hadith is:

عن عائشة أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يستأذن فى مرضه الذى مات فيه أين أنا غدا أين أنا غدا يريد يوم عائشة فأذن له أزواجه يكون حيث شاء فكان فى بيت عائشة حتى مات عندها

It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), during the illness in which he passed away, used to ask, “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” When it was the turn of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), the other wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave permission that he could stay wherever he wished. Accordingly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) began to stay at the house of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) until he passed away there.

Respected readers! Reflect carefully: if the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present everywhere and with everyone at the same time, what was the need to assign turns? He would have been present with all his wives simultaneously. When during his lifetime he was not present with all his eleven wives at the same time, then how is it that after his passing he is present everywhere with every follower? How can he be present simultaneously in millions of graves after death?

For God’s sake, leave aside prejudice and ponder these facts. After all, one day we must leave this world and answer for every one of our deeds.

4) The Prophetic I’tikaf ﷺ and Restricted Presence

In another noble hadith:

عن عائشة قالت كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يعتكف العشر الأواخر من رمضان حتى توفاه الله ثم اعتكف أزواجه من بعده

It is narrated from Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet ﷺ used to observe I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan until his passing, after which his wives observed I’tikaf.
If the Prophet ﷺ was present and witnessing everywhere, then how was I’tikaf possible? In Abu Dawood, there is a hadith where the Prophet ﷺ said that I’tikaf is only in the mosque. If he was present and witnessing every moment and every place, then how did the Prophet ﷺ perform I’tikaf? I’tikaf means staying only in the mosque where one sits for I’tikaf, no permission to go to every street, market, or home, only being in that mosque constitutes I’tikaf.

5) The Pause of Jibreel Al-Amin and Proof of Lack of Knowledge

There is a noble hadith that states that Jibreel (peace be upon him) had promised to come to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but he did not come because there was a dog under the Prophet’s bed.

فقال يا عائشة متى دخل هذا الكلب ههنا

O Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), when did the dog enter this place?

فقالت والله ما دريت

She said, “By Allah, I do not know.”
Jibreel (peace be upon him) said, “We do not enter a house in which there is a dog.”

If the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was present everywhere and all-seeing, Jibreel (peace be upon him) would have met him elsewhere, but the Prophet was only present in that house, not present or witnessing anywhere else. Even if he were all-knowing, the Prophet would have known when the dog entered, but even the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) did not know when the dog entered.
It is noteworthy that this dog was also from Medina. May Allah not make us a dog of any city, but keep us human and make us servants of the one wrapped in the cloak (peace be upon him). آمين

6) Getting up from bed and seeking the Prophet

فقدت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة من الفراش فالتمسته

One night I found the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, missing from the bed and I started searching for him.
In another blessed hadith, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, says that one night we were with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and suddenly we found him missing. We searched for him in the valleys and ravines, then we said perhaps jinn or humans had mysteriously attacked him. We spent that night in extreme distress and agony. When morning came, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, returned from the Cave of Hira. We said, O Messenger of Allah, peace be upon you! We lost you and kept searching but could not find you anywhere, so we spent the entire night in great distress.

From the above two hadiths, it is as clear as daylight that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was not present and witnessing everything everywhere at all times. Otherwise, Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, would not have needed to search for him from the bed; the Prophet, peace be upon him, would have been present on the bed of Umm al-Mu’minin, may Allah be pleased with her, and would not have disappeared. The second hadith also shows that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to the Cave of Hira, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, searched a wide area for him and spent the entire night in distress. If the Prophet, peace be upon him, was present and witnessing everywhere, then why was he not present with the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them? Why was he not present in the area where they kept searching? Because the Prophet, peace be upon him, was in the Cave of Hira and not present anywhere else. These are clear proofs that he was not present and witnessing everywhere, but there is no cure for stubbornness and obstinacy. From this, it also becomes clear that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did not know the knowledge of the unseen; if they had known, they would not have been distressed by not finding the Prophet, peace be upon him, but would have known that he was in the Cave of Hira and would not have searched for him.

7) The Incident of Cave Hira and the Search for Companions

Another blessed hadith is:
Sayyiduna Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم found some people lost during a prayer.

8) Death of the Mosque Servant and Lack of Notification

أن امرأة سوداء كانت تقم المسجد أو شابا ففقدها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فسأل عنها أو عنه فقالوا مات

A black woman or young girl used to sweep the mosque. When the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not see her, he inquired about her. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said that she had passed away.
If the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present everywhere and aware of everything, then why did he not know about the death of the mosque’s caretaker? There were witnesses present, so why did the Prophet (peace be upon him) not see the funeral happening right before his eyes? Some people say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) visits every Muslim’s grave, so why did he not visit her grave? If he did visit, then why was he not informed of her death? This is a matter worthy of consideration.

9) The Disappearance of Thabit bin Qais

In a noble hadith, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lost Thabit bin Qais (may Allah be pleased with him). Someone said, “O Messenger of Allah! I will inform you about him.” That person came and saw him sitting with his head bowed in his house.

10) Relieving oneself and being concealed

Another noble hadith is narrated by Sayyiduna Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him):
I was traveling with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and he said, “Mughirah! Take the water vessel.” I took the vessel, then the Prophet (peace be upon him) walked on until he hid from me and relieved himself.

11) General evidences: absence and practical life

From these blessed hadiths, it is proven that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was not present and observing everywhere during his blessed life. Sometimes the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, would lose sight of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and sometimes he would lose sight of them. If he were present everywhere, how could he be lost? Can a being who is so distant from others that he becomes invisible to their eyes be present and observing everywhere? It is also logically impossible and inconceivable that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would be present and observing everywhere because “everywhere” includes filthy and dirty places, as well as private places of people and such places that even an ordinary Muslim does not like to see. How is it possible for a Muslim to carry out all the affairs of his life while the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is present and observing him? There are many legitimate matters that a Muslim may do in private but cannot do in front of another Muslim brother, let alone do them in the presence of the noble person of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. Some even felt uneasy performing acts of worship in the presence of the Prophet, peace be upon him. When it was discovered that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, was leading the congregation, he began to step back from the prayer because the Prophet, peace be upon him, had arrived.

12) The Quranic Principle of Prophetic Leadership (Imamat)

And today’s clerics, despite knowing that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is present, still lead the congregation themselves.
Whereas Allah Almighty Himself has stated in the Holy Quran:

وَإِذَا كُنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَأَقَمْتَ لَهُمُ الصَّلَاةَ

And O Beloved, when you are among them, lead them in prayer.
In this blessed verse, Allah Almighty commands the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that when you ﷺ are present among them, you should lead the prayer. Then what is the reason that although they acknowledge the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, they do not let him ﷺ lead the prayer, and why does the Messenger of Allah ﷺ not lead the prayer Himself in accordance with Allah’s command?

13) Periods of the Prophetic Biography and Presence or Absence

Respected readers! Reflect carefully and review the circumstances and events from the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) until his passing: his birth, going to the wet nurse Halimah (may Allah be pleased with her) for breastfeeding and then returning, living with his grandfather and then under the guardianship of his uncle, traveling for trade and then returning, going to the Cave of Hira and then coming back home after some time, climbing Mount Safa to proclaim monotheism and then being imprisoned in the Valley of Abu Talib as a consequence of proclaiming divine monotheism, preaching in many houses and closed rooms, traveling to Ta’if and then returning, the night of Isra and Mi’raj leaving Mecca to go to Jerusalem and then leaving Jerusalem to ascend to the heavens, going from the first to the second, then from the second to the third heaven until reaching the seventh heaven and attaining the stages of closeness to Allah, leaving Mecca to go to various regions and appointing someone in his place for leadership, going to the mosque for prayer and then returning home, building separate houses for the pure wives (may Allah be pleased with them) and visiting them in turn, being unable to go to the mosque due to illness and appointing Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) to lead the prayer in his place, and then the Prophet (peace be upon him) passing away and meeting the Highest Companion. In short, every event negates the attribute of being present everywhere for the Prophet (peace be upon him). If there is no prejudice in the heart, the issue of being present everywhere can be well understood from these events. One who is present everywhere does not go and come from any place; one who goes and comes from places cannot be present everywhere. From these matters, it is understood that being present everywhere is by no means an attribute of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

14) The Incident of Ifk and the Lack of Knowledge of the Unseen

When the accusation was made against Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha رضي الله عنها, the denial of her presence at that event is as clear as daylight. Accordingly, in the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْكُمْ

Indeed, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you.
The chief exegete Barelvi, while interpreting this, writes that the “great slander” refers to the accusation made against Hazrat Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha Siddiqah رضي الله عنها.

15) Evidences from the Battle of Bani Mustaliq

When the caravan stopped near Medina on the return from the Battle of Bani Al-Mustaliq, Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Aisha Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) went to a corner for a need, and there her necklace broke. She became busy searching for it. Meanwhile, the caravan moved on, and her noble litter (howdah) was tied to a camel, with the thought that Umm al-Mu’minin (may Allah be pleased with her) was inside it. The caravan departed, but she came and sat where the caravan had been, thinking that the caravan must have returned looking for her. There was a man who used to pick up things that fell behind the caravan; at that moment, Hazrat Safwan (may Allah be pleased with him) was performing this task. When he came and saw her, he loudly called out إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون. She covered herself with her clothes, and he set his she-camel for her. She mounted it and reached the army. The hypocrites with black hearts spread corrupt suspicions and began to slander her honor. Some Muslims also approached them and uttered inappropriate words. Umm al-Mu’minin (may Allah be pleased with her) became very ill and remained sick for a month.

At that time, she was unaware of what the hypocrites were saying about her. One day, she learned this news from Umm Musṭaṭh, which worsened her illness. She cried so much from this shock that her tears did not stop in front of the Prophet (peace be upon him), nor did she sleep even for a moment.

In this state, revelation descended upon the Master of the Worlds (peace be upon him).

Barelvi friends! Think carefully and answer: When the Prophet (peace be upon him) went for the Battle of Bani Al-Mustaliq, did he lead the prayer for both the warriors and the worshippers in the Prophet’s Mosque, or did he only lead the prayer for the caravan of warriors while someone else was the deputy imam in the Prophet’s Mosque? When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present in Medina, then what does “near Medina” mean? When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was present everywhere and was All-Knowing of the unseen, then why did he not inform about Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) breaking her necklace, searching for it, being left behind, and the empty litter departing?

Why did they not deny and declare false the slander fabricated by the hypocrites by saying, “We ourselves were with Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her), why do you slander?”

If the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) considered the Prophet (peace be upon him) present and All-Knowing of the unseen, then why would the true Muslim Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) fall into the trap of the hypocrites? Rather, the hypocrites would not have dared to make such a great slander.

16) Statements of the Founders of the Barelvi Sect

Barelvi friends! Citing from the pens of your sect’s founders, this is a sincere request to please be wise, do not ruin your fate by falling into the deception of false preachers, it is time to think, reflect calmly, and do not let stubbornness and obstinacy come near.
Either do not place your foot in the destination of Yusuf, O seeker,
Or do not make the condition that there be no wolf or desire there.

17) Examples of Hindu Practices and Barelvi Arguments

Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi also believed that Hindus could be present and witnessing in many places simultaneously. Accordingly, he was asked: Do saints have the power to be present and witnessing in multiple places at the same time? He replied: If they wish, they can accept invitations in ten thousand cities at ten thousand places simultaneously.

The second question was: It is thought that the world of images (Alam-e-Mithal) and the ideal bodies (Ajsam-e-Mithaliya) are subject to the saints because the same person appears in multiple places at the same time. If this is so, then there is doubt because a likeness is not the original thing; the existence of likenesses is not the existence of the thing itself, and the existence of these bodies would not be the existence of that body. He replied: If they exist, then they are bodies, and their pure soul will manage all these bodies, and in terms of soul and reality, the same one entity is present everywhere. This is also evident; otherwise, in Sab’a Sanabil Sharif, it is written that Hazrat Syedi Fateh Muhammad Qudus Sirrah al-Sharif attended ten thousand gatherings at one time, and someone asked how it is possible that the Prophet promised to be present in ten places at one time? He replied that Karsh Ghania was a disbeliever and was present in several hundred places at one time; if Fateh Muhammad was present in a few places at one time, then it is not surprising. After mentioning this, he said: What do you think, was the Sheikh present in one place and the rest were just images? Far from it, the Sheikh himself was present everywhere.

Barelvi friends! Honestly say, is taking the presence of Karsh Ghania as evidence Hinduism or not? If this is pure Islam in your view, then prove from the Quran and Hadith that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or the Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) led five congregational prayers simultaneously in the mosques of Makkah and Madinah on a battlefield, made decisions, and gave rulings, etc.

There is no respect for the words of Ahmad Mursal
Now everywhere the saying of the Murshid or the method of the Pir prevails

18) Spectator Sheikh and Shameless Disciple

By giving the example of Krishna Ghaniya, Ahmed Raza Khan Sahib actually intended to prove that his spiritual guides and mentors are present everywhere and witness everything. Therefore, Ahmed Raza Khan Sahib presented another example as follows: Abdul Aziz Dabbagh, may Allah have mercy on him, your spiritual guide, said that Ahmed Alam, may Allah have mercy on him, had two wives. Syed Abdul Aziz Dabbagh, may Allah have mercy on him, said that at night you had intercourse with one wife while the other was awake, which is not appropriate. It was said, “Sir, she was sleeping at that time.” He replied, “She was not sleeping; you put life into sleep.” It was asked, “How do you know?” He said, “She was sleeping, but there was another bed.” It was said, “Yes, there was one empty bed.” He said, “I was on that bed, so you are never separated from your Sheikh and Murid; he is always with you.”

Respected readers, consider what greater shamelessness could there be than that Barelvi people have intercourse in front of their elders, and the Pir Sahib watches the entire incident as a spectator, because according to Khan Sahib, one is never separated from the Sheikh and Murid; he is always present.

Barelvi friends! Are these shameful issues and actions the essence of Islamic teachings?

Accordingly, it is also narrated elsewhere in Malfoozat:

In the pure graves of the Prophets, their pure wives are presented. They spend the night with them.

The religion by whose proof all other religions were defeated,
Now every critic is attacking this religion.

The question arises that if the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is present everywhere and witnessing everything, then what is the need to present the pure wives, may Allah be pleased with them, in the graves? Barelvi friends! If this is an Islamic issue, then show from authentic books of Hadith, Seerah, and Tafseer that after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, any of the pure wives, may Allah be pleased with them, who lived for some time, ever appeared inside the blessed grave in the presence of the Prophet, peace be upon him? There is absolutely no evidence for this in Islamic teachings. The reality is that the beliefs and thoughts of Barelvis are beyond reason and human understanding. Among these beliefs is the belief that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is present everywhere and can be in several places at the same time with his blessed body.

In reality, this belief is not only in clear contradiction to the Quran and Sunnah but is also devoid of reason, intellect, and understanding. There is no place for such self-invented beliefs and ideas in Islamic Shariah. There is a vast contradiction between their beliefs and the Quran and Hadith. The perspective and approach of Islamic Shariah and Barelvi thoughts are different. There is no compatibility between the two. May Allah grant everyone the ability to be guided and the knowledge of the truth. آمين

① The First Argument and Its Response:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

We have sent you as a mercy to all the worlds.
Qadri Sahib writes that in this one blessed verse, many issues are resolved, such as how Allah Almighty is Rabb al-‘Alamin, meaning the Sustainer of all worlds. He provides sustenance to everyone. Now this is in the case that Allah Almighty is also near and has authority. Alhamdulillah, our belief is that Allah’s mercy is present everywhere and is providing sustenance to everyone. Thus, by the grace of Allah Almighty, His beloved Prophet ﷺ is Rahmatul-lil-Alamin (mercy to the worlds).

Response:

The reality is that Qadri Sahib has mixed minor and major issues well, but his self-made religion is by no means proven from this blessed verse. If you look at all the Quranic exegeses of the early centuries, neither was this belief that of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, nor of his noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them. No Muslim exegete has interpreted it this way. Rahmatul lil Aalameen (Mercy to the worlds) is an attribute of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. The presence of the attribute of mercy in someone does not necessarily mean that they are present everywhere and at all times.

Similarly, Allah Almighty has said:

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

The Quran is a mercy for the believers.
And the Torah is also called mercy.

And likewise, the mitigation in Qisas (retribution) is also called mercy.
So, does every thing upon which Allah Almighty has applied the term mercy become all-encompassing and present everywhere?

Regarding the believers, it is said:

فَسَيُدْخِلُهُمْ فِي رَحْمَةٍ

So Allah will admit them to His mercy.
If mercy is all-encompassing, then what do you think about the believer who is in the midst of mercy? Will he also become all-encompassing and present everywhere?

Allah has also used the word mercy for rain, as He said:

بُشْرًا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْـمَتِهٖ

Who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy.
If the word mercy is applied to rain, does rain fall everywhere at all times? Whereas it rains in some places and not in others.

The argument that Rahmatul lil Aalameen means being present in all worlds is not correct because the purpose of being mercy to all worlds is that following the teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, is a cause of mercy. If the purpose of mercy is taken to mean being present in all worlds, then what about what Allah Almighty said about the House of Allah in the Quran:

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

Indeed, the first House established for mankind is the one at Bakkah; blessed and a guidance for the worlds.
The House of Allah is a center of guidance for all worlds, so does that mean the House of Allah, which is located in Mecca, is present in all worlds? Whereas it is only present in Mecca and there is no existence of the House of Allah in any other city of the world, yet it is هدي للعالمين. Similarly, the Prophet, peace be upon him, is buried in his blessed grave in Madinah Munawwarah, but his teachings are mercy for all worlds.

② Hafizur Rahman Qadri’s second argument and its answer:

Qadri Sahib writes that Hazrat Azrael (peace be upon him) is one, and he seizes the souls of several people at the same time. Allah Almighty has said:

قُلْ يَتَوَفَّاكُم مَّلَكُ الْمَوْتِ الَّذِي وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ

Say, “The Angel of Death, who is set over you, will take your souls; then you shall be returned to your Lord.”
Hazrat Azrael (peace be upon him) is a creation of Allah Almighty, and it is established that he is present in different places at the same time. So if this is the status of the chief of the servants, then what will be the status of the servants themselves?

Answer:

The name Azrael is not proven by any authentic hadith nor by the Quran. Qadri Sahib has written this verse to prove the Angel of Death as an eyewitness, which is just an attempt to rehash the chewed-up morsels of Mufti Ahmad Yar Barelvi. He himself has not studied the Quran with an open mind but has repeated the same specific rehearsed statements that Barelvis have been making before. If he had studied the Quran, he would have known that the soul is not taken out by a single angel but by numerous angels.

As stated in the Holy Quran:

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ

Until, when death comes to one of you, Our angels take his soul, and they do not fail in their duty.

In this verse, the plural form رسل is used, and later وهم لا يفرطون, which is also plural, meaning they do not fail.

At another place, Allah Almighty says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ

Indeed, those who wrong themselves, when the angels take their souls.

At another place, it is stated:

فَكَيْفَ إِذَا تَوَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ

Then how will it be for them when the angels take their souls, striking their faces and their backs?

From these verses, it is understood that there are many angels of death, and there is no doubt that Allah Almighty has given the angels great power and the ability to fly, but they are not omniscient or present everywhere at once. If they are on the earth, they are not in the sky; if they are in the sky, they are not on the earth. I do not understand why these people, to prove the Prophet ﷺ as an eyewitness, sometimes run to the devil and sometimes give examples of Azrael. My advice is, why do you stumble so far in darkness? Just present one argument from Allah’s Quran that the Prophet ﷺ was present in so many places simultaneously during his blessed life, and we will accept it. Or present one authentic explicit hadith of the Prophet ﷺ that he was present in so many places at the same time, and we will immediately accept it. If not, then fear Allah.

③ Qadri Sahib’s third argument and its answer:

There are three questions asked to a person in the grave, one of which is:

وما كنت تقول فى حق هذا الرجل

So what did this man used to say about it?
هذا قريب It indicates that the Prophet appears in the grave and the one in the grave is questioned. Now, how many people die at one time?

Answer:

When a person completes their time in this mortal world and reaches the embrace of the grave, one of the questions asked by Munkar and Nakeer is also about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is not mentioned in any hadith that the Prophet ﷺ himself comes, nor is there any mention of this in the Holy Quran.

Qadri Sahib has argued from the demonstrative pronoun that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is present near the grave, which is not correct. Because there are two types of presence: one is mental presence and the other is physical presence. Here, mental presence is meant, not physical. This was written by Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi in

.

Besides this, there are many examples in the Holy Quran and books of hadith where the demonstrative pronoun هذا is used in the sense of distance, and it is not necessary that the one indicated by هذا is physically near. In the Holy Quran, when the angels came to destroy the people of Lot (peace be upon him), they first appeared to Abraham (peace be upon him). When he asked the reason for their coming, the angels said:

قَالُوا إِنَّا مُهْلِكُو أَهْلِ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ ۖ إِنَّ أَهْلَهَا كَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ

We are going to destroy the people of this town because they are wrongdoers.

Lot (peace be upon him) and Abraham (peace be upon him) were in Palestine; the town of Sodom was not nearby, but the angels used هذا as a reference because Sodom was in the minds of Abraham (peace be upon him) and the angels (peace be upon them). Similarly,

narrates that when Heraclius of Rome asked Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Jerusalem, he said:

ايكم اقرب نسبا بهذا الرجل

Who among you is more closely related to this man by lineage?

Here also, the demonstrative pronoun هذا was used for the Prophet ﷺ, and this was mental presence.

The distance from Jerusalem to Medina is approximately 710 miles; it must be accepted that this was mental presence, not physical, because the Prophet ﷺ was not physically present at the time of the conversation.

Similarly, during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, Budail bin Warqa came as an envoy from the polytheists of Mecca to negotiate the terms of the peace treaty and after the discussion returned to Mecca, he said:

انا قد جئنا كم من عند هذا الرجل

We have come to you through this man.

Likewise, in another place in Sahih Bukhari, when Sayyiduna Abu Dharr Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) heard about the prophethood of the Prophet ﷺ, he sent his brother to investigate and said:

اركب الى هذا الوادى فاعلم لى علم هذا الرجل

So ride towards that valley and gather information about that man.

There are many such examples in the books of hadith where the demonstrative pronoun هذا is used for distance and mental presence. Similarly, questions are asked about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the grave, and the word هذا is used, which is also for mental presence.

There is no explicit statement in any authentic hadith that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is physically present at the grave of any deceased person; rather, there is evidence that he is not present. As narrated in a hadith, Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a black man or woman used to sweep the mosque, and when he or she died, the Prophet ﷺ was not informed of their death. One day, the Prophet ﷺ remembered and asked about him/her. People said he/she had died. The Prophet ﷺ asked why they had not informed him, and after some explanation, he asked them to show the grave. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that then the Prophet ﷺ led the funeral prayer at the grave.

Consider this: if the Prophet ﷺ were physically present at the grave, he would have known about the death of the mosque’s servant or servant woman, and the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not have complained or asked about the grave because they were present at the time of questioning. Then why was it necessary to ask where he/she was and why they had not informed him? It is clear as daylight that the Prophet ﷺ is not physically present at anyone’s grave. If he were present everywhere, then when the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) led the funeral prayer of that mosque servant, why was he not present? If he was, then why did he say, “Why did you not inform me?” This shows that Qadri Sahib’s argument from the demonstrative pronoun هذا about presence is not proven at all, nor does the demonstrative pronoun هذا have any relation to it. This pronoun is used for both near and far in the Quran and Hadith.

Dear readers, we request you to consider the above arguments carefully and then decide for yourselves whether the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is present and observing everywhere or not, and whether this belief is correct or incorrect. May Allah grant all Muslims the ability to understand and adopt the correct belief. آمين