Sequential Answers to Hafizur Rahman Barelvi Qadri’s Arguments
① Is saying Ya Rasul Allah (O Messenger of Allah) Shirk (polytheism)?
It is written that once a man came to me who was very distressed. He said, “Hafiz Sahib, last night before the Adhan, I recited Durood and Salam الصلوة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله, then someone said that you have become a polytheist. Your deeds are ruined. I was worried all night. Now what should I do?” Because someone had told him that the letter “Ya” is exclusive to Allah Almighty, and if used with anyone else, you become a polytheist. Hafeez-ur-Rahman Qadri Sahib, after writing this self-made story, presents Quranic evidence for “Ya.”
Allah Almighty said:
قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
And We said, “O fire, be cool and safety upon Ibrahim.”
The second evidence is that on the Day of Judgment, the Master of the Two Worlds, the Manifest Light, peace and blessings be upon him, will appear at Maqam Mahmood and will prostrate for the intercession of the Ummah. Then the Lord of the Worlds will say:
يا محمد ارفع راسك سل تعط وشفع
“O Muhammad, raise your noble head; whoever asks will be given, and whoever you intercede for will be accepted.”
✔ The Answer
Who was the one who was supposed to be worried, whose whereabouts are unknown? Secondly, from which hadith is it proven to recite الصلوة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله before the Adhan? Among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, which Mu’adhdhin started this practice before the Adhan? Please provide evidence and also mention in which book of hadith this reference is found. Kindly ask Hafizur Rahman Qadri Sahib and inform us as well so that we do not miss out on this good deed. If this issue is self-invented, then there is no need for us to act upon it. If this act is a sign of love for the Prophet, peace be upon him, then also explain why the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, who loved the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not do this throughout their lives. If they did, then present evidence; otherwise, fear Allah and repent from spreading such self-invented matters and innovations among people.
Secondly, the claim that this is exclusively for Allah alone is something only an ignorant person can say. The Quran mentions many places where Allah addresses the prophets and messengers by their personal names. For example, Allah said:
When addressing all the prophets and messengers, He used their personal names, such as “O Adam”
, “O Noah”
, “O Abraham”
, “O Moses”
, “O Zakariya”
, “O Yahya”
, “O Dawud”
, and “O Isa”
.
But when Allah addressed the Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, the Imam of the Prophets, Muhammad Mustafa, peace be upon him, He did not use his personal names Muhammad or Ahmad but addressed him by his attributes such as يا ايها الرسول
“O Messenger,” يا ايها النبى
“O Prophet,” ياايها المدثر and sometimes يا ايها المزمل.
Dear respected ones, carefully consider: if you read the entire Quran from beginning to end, you will not find a single verse in which Allah addresses the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, by his personal names Muhammad or Ahmad.
Calling out to the Prophet, peace be upon him, after his death is against reason. Even during the Prophet’s life, calling him by “O Muhammad” was prohibited. The Quran states:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِن وَرَآءِ ٱلْحُجُرَٰتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ صَبَرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
Indeed, those who call you from outside the private chambers are most of them heedless. And if they had been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Regarding the occasion of revelation, Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that some villagers gathered and said, “Let us go to the one who claims prophethood; if he is a prophet, then we are most deserving of his blessings, and if he wants to be a king, we will live under his wings.” I presented all this to the Prophet, peace be upon him. Then those people came and stood outside the private chambers calling out “O Muhammad, O Muhammad.” Then Allah revealed this verse condemning those who call the Prophet from outside the chambers by his name, calling them mostly foolish. The Prophet, peace be upon him, grabbed my ear and said: “O Zaid, Allah has confirmed your words.”
Many prominent commentators have recorded this incident in their books.
Believers, reflect deeply: the moment to ponder is that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was alive and resting in his home, those who ignorantly called him from outside by his name were severely reprimanded by Allah, who called them foolish and advised them to refrain from such disrespect in the future. Now, after the Prophet’s death, when he has passed away, those who still call him by his name and persist in this despite explanations, stubbornly saying and writing “O Muhammad, O Muhammad,” how can there be any doubt about their foolishness, disrespect, and ignorance?
If you do not believe our words, for your reassurance, we present some references from your senior scholars, commentators, and muftis as a gift to the readers and viewers, hoping it will soften their hearts.
They know the truth but do not accept it.
Stubbornness, respected Sheikh Taqaddus Ma’ab.
◈ The Fatwa of Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi of the Barelvi sect:
Here it is arranged that addressing this blessed Ummah by taking the pure name of this Noble Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is declared forbidden:
قال الله تعالىٰ لَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ دُعَآءَ ٱلرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَآءِ بَعْضِكُم بَعْضًۭا
Calling the Messenger ﷺ among themselves should not be like calling one another as: O Zaid, O Umar, rather it should be said:
يا رسول الله يا نبي الله يا سيد المرسلين يا خاتم النبيين يا شفيع المذنبين صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى الك اجمعين
Abu Nu’aym is a narrator of the interpretation of this verse from Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه.
قال كانو يقولون يا محمد يا ابا القاسم فنهاهم الله عن ذلك اعظاما لينيه صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم فقالوا يانبي الله يا رسول الله
Meaning, it is said O Muhammad ﷺ or Abu al-Qasim. Allah Almighty forbade this out of respect for His Prophet ﷺ since the Companions رضي الله عنهم used to say O Prophet of Allah or O Messenger of Allah.
Imam Bayhaqi رحمه الله, Imam Alqama رحمه الله, Imam Aswad رحمه الله, Abu Nu’aym رحمه الله, Imam Hasan Basri رحمه الله, Imam Saeed bin Jubair رحمه الله are narrators of the interpretation of the mentioned noble verse:
لا تقولوا يا محمد والكن قولوا يا رسول الله يا نبي الله Meaning Allah Almighty says do not say O Muhammad but say O Prophet of Allah or O Messenger of Allah. Similarly, Imam Qatadah رحمه الله, a student of Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه, stated this. Therefore, scholars explicitly state that it is forbidden to call the Holy Prophet ﷺ by his name directly, and indeed it is a matter of justice that if the Owner, the Master, the Blessed and Exalted does not call His servant by name, what room is there for the servant to transgress the etiquette. Rather, Imam Zainuddin Maraghi رحمه الله and others, the researchers, said that if this word occurs in a supplication which the Prophet ﷺ himself taught, such as يا محمد اني توجهت بك الى ربي, however, in this place it should be said O Prophet of Allah or O Messenger of Allah, although in supplication changes are not made as far as possible.
◈Fatwa of Hakim-ul-Ummat Maulvi Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi of Barelvis:
It is forbidden to address the Prophet (peace be upon him) with words of equality such as “O Muhammad,” or “O father of Ibrahim,” or “O brother,” or “O father,” etc. If called with the intention of disrespect, then one is a disbeliever.
◈Fatwa of Maulana Noor Muhammad Qadri Barelvi:
It is obligatory upon the Ummah to honor and respect the noble name of their beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, because the Lord Himself commands us to show respect and reverence for His name.
لَا تَجْعَلُوا۟ دُعَآءَ ٱلرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَآءِ بَعْضِكُم بَعْضًا
Meaning, do not call the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in the same manner as you call one another.
That is, do not say “O Muhammad” or “O Ahmad” to my respected Prophet, peace be upon him, but rather say “O Messenger of Allah,” or “O Prophet of Allah,” or “O Beloved of Allah,” remembering him with beautiful and excellent titles. The Almighty Lord Himself has called His beloved Prophet with honor, sometimes saying: يا ايها الرسول, sometimes saying يا ايها النبي, sometimes saying يا ايها المزمل, يا ايها المدثر.
◈Fatwa of Maulana Muhammad Saleh Naqshbandi Qadri Chishti:
Initially, people used to call the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, either Muhammad or Aba al-Qasim, that is, by name and kunya according to custom. Allah Almighty forbade calling him by name out of respect for His Prophet. Since then, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, began to say Ya Nabi Allah or Ya Rasul Allah. The intention is to call with humility and neediness, which shows respect and honor for the Prophet, peace be upon him.
◈Fatwa of Maulana Iftikhar Ahmad Qadri Barelvi:
It is written that the Lord of Glory, while condemning those who call the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, by saying “O Muhammad” or “Muhammad,” says:
“Indeed, those who call you from outside the chambers—most of them do not use reason. And if they had been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
A delegation from the tribe of Bani Tamim came to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, at exactly noon. The Prophet, peace be upon him, was resting inside the noble house. They began calling out from outside the chambers, saying “O Muhammad” or “Muhammad.” The Prophet came out, but Allah Almighty did not tolerate such disrespect towards His beloved and revealed a stern command that those who do so are lacking in intellect. Then He taught the etiquette that when people reach the door of wealth (the Prophet), they should not call out to him but wait for him to come out. When the Lord commands respect for His beloved in such a manner, do not equate calling the Prophet among yourselves as you call each other.
◈Fatwa of Allama Syed Mahmood Ahmad Razavi Barelvi:
It is written that calling the Prophet ﷺ like ordinary people is forbidden. Under the heading, it is stated:
“Do not address the Noble Messenger as you address one another.”
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه says that initially, people used to call the Prophet ﷺ by the words “O Muhammad” or “O Aba al-Qasim,” but Allah Almighty forbade calling His Messenger in this manner out of respect and reverence for him. Since then, the Companions رضي الله عنهم began addressing the Prophet ﷺ as “O Messenger of Allah” or “O Prophet of Allah.” It is clear from this verse that calling the Prophet ﷺ by name or mentioning him in writing or speech like ordinary people is prohibited and forbidden. When calling or mentioning the Prophet ﷺ, it is necessary and obligatory to do so with honor and respect, using honorable titles.
◈Fatwa of Maulana Muhammad Shafi Okarvi Barelvi:
He states that Allah Almighty has commanded the Ummah of His Prophet ﷺ not to call each other in a manner that is common among ordinary people. That is, when you are called, do not call by personal names or by Muhammad or Ahad in a casual way, but rather call with respect, reverence, and honor by saying Ya Nabi Allah, Ya Rasul Allah, Ya Habib Allah, etc.
Summary of all references:
➊ Calling the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, by saying “O Muhammad” is disrespectful and offensive.
➋ In the beginning, when people addressed him, peace be upon him, they used to say “O Muhammad,” but Allah Almighty forbade calling him in this manner, and after that, the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, stopped doing so.
➌ The mentioned references also state that he, peace be upon him, should not be called from a distance because when the command of prohibition was revealed, people called him from behind stones, and Allah Almighty said to be patient and call him when he comes to them. But we should also consider that we call the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, “O Muhammad” hundreds of years after his death. Are we wise? When Allah says “O Muhammad,” the Prophet, peace be upon him, will be present, so this calling will not be absent because Allah is the Owner and the Creator of the Prophet, peace be upon him. The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to address the Prophet, peace be upon him, by saying “O Messenger of Allah.” The real difference is in calling him in absentia; the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, did not use “O Messenger” for addressing him in absentia.
② Barelvi Arguments for Calling from a Distance
Hafizur Rahman Qadri Sahib presented the argument for calling from a distance, saying that if calling from afar is shirk, then Hazrat Farooq-e-Azam (may Allah be pleased with him) called Hazrat Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) during the sermon in the Prophet’s Mosque and said: يا سارية الى الجبل O Sariyah, turn towards the mountain. Whereas Hazrat Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was not present there but was leading the army at the location of Nahavand.
✔ The Answer:
The first answer is that this narration is mursal (stopped) and not a Prophetic hadith.
The second answer is that this incident, along with all its chains of transmission, is weak and not reliable. The details are that Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in
that Ibn Wahb (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Ayyub ibn Ayyub (may Allah have mercy on him) from Ibn Ajlan (may Allah have mercy on him) from Nafi‘ (may Allah have mercy on him) from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). This chain is weak due to two major defects.
Despite being truthful, Muhammad ibn Ajlan (may Allah have mercy on him) is a mudallis (one who practices tadlis) as Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in
, Hafiz Alai (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned in
, etc. The principle in hadith methodology is that a mudallis narrator’s narration using the word ‘an’ (from) is considered defective unless he explicitly states ‘sami‘tu’ (I heard), ‘akhbarana’ (he informed us), ‘haddathana’ (he narrated to us), or a trustworthy follower is found. Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in
that when a mudallis narrator narrates using ‘an’, it is unanimously not considered reliable. This is also accepted by Barelvi scholars. Imam Ahmad Raza Barelvi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
‘An‘anah (narration using ‘an’) by a mudallis is rejected by the majority of hadith scholars and is considered unreliable and rejected.’
Maulvi Muhammad Abbas Razavi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote that the an‘anah of a mudallis is unanimously rejected. Tadlis is a defect, and if it is proven that he practices tadlis, his narration should never be accepted.
Therefore, based on the agreed principles of both parties, this narration is weak due to the tadlis of Muhammad ibn Ajlan (may Allah have mercy on him).
The second major defect is that Muhammad ibn Ajlan (may Allah have mercy on him) shows confusion in narrating from Nafi‘ (may Allah have mercy on him).
and this narration is from Nafi‘ himself, so the chain is not reliable.
Ibn Ajlan (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Iyas ibn Mu‘awiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) from Ibn Qarah
, this narration is mursal.
Hafiz ‘Iraqi (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the mursal narration was rejected by the majority of critics due to the ignorance of the narrator who was omitted in the chain.
Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) said that our original statement and that of the narrators is not considered proof.
Therefore, these narrations are not considered proof by the hadith scholars due to being mursal. Allama Ibn al-Athir al-Jazari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Furat ibn al-Sa‘ib (may Allah have mercy on him) from Maymun ibn Mihran from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
.
Regarding this, Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said it is a munkar (rejected) hadith.
Ibn Mu‘in (may Allah have mercy on him) said it is merely weak. Imam Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him) and others declared it abandoned. Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) said it is weak. Ibn ‘Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) said its narrations are not reliable and its narrations from Maymun are munkar.
And this narration is from Maymun ibn Mihran (may Allah have mercy on him) himself, so it is munkar.
Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) in
and Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) in
narrated from Waqidi (may Allah have mercy on him) through his teachers, but this Muhammad ibn Umar Waqidi (may Allah have mercy on him) is abandoned and a liar. Ibn ‘Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) said he narrates unreliable hadiths. Imam Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him) said he fabricates narrations. Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said there is consensus on his abandonment.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him), Imam Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him), and others declared him a liar.
Imam Shafi‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said all Waqidi’s books are lies.
Saif ibn Umar (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from his teachers
.
Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said he is unanimously abandoned.
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) said he narrates fabricated narrations.
Imam Ibn Mu‘in (may Allah have mercy on him), Abu Hatim Razi (may Allah have mercy on him), Abu Dawud (may Allah have mercy on him), Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him), Darqutni (may Allah have mercy on him), Ibn ‘Adi (may Allah have mercy on him) declared him weak, abandoned, and a fabricator.
Imam Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: ‘And Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Lalkai narrated it from Malik from Nafi‘ from Ibn Umar’
.
Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Lalkai (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Malik from Nafi‘ from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but then he said regarding its authenticity from Malik’s hadith there is doubt, and this is not present in Abu al-Qasim al-Lalkai’s book Sharh Usool I‘tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah, so this might be Ibn Kathir’s error or referring to another book.
Hafiz Abu al-Qasim al-Lalkai (may Allah have mercy on him) also narrated this incident through the chain of Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn Mukhlad ibn Matar (may Allah have mercy on him) who said: ‘Abu Tubah said: Muhammad ibn Muhajir narrated from Abi Balaj Ali ibn Abdullah.’
The conditions of Hisham ibn Muhammad and Abi Balaj Ali ibn Abdullah are unknown.
In the benefits of Abu Bakr ibn Khalad, through the chain of Ayyub ibn Khut from Abdur Rahman al-Sarraj from Nafi‘
, but in this chain also Ayyub ibn Khut is an abandoned narrator.
Imam Bukhari, Imam Ibn Mu‘in, Imam Nasai, Imam Darqutni, Imam Umar ibn Ali al-Fallas, Imam Abu Hatim, Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Hakim, Abu Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them) all consider him weak and abandoned.
Imam Baji said there is consensus among scholars on his abandonment. He narrated false narrations and is not proof in rulings or anything else.
Source: From ‘Aap ke Masail aur unka Hal’ by the honorable Sheikh Mufti Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (may Allah have mercy on him)
The third answer is that many scholars have described this incident as a karamah (miraculous favor) of Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). A miracle or karamah is not proof forever because the one who has karamah or miracle does not have the authority to show it at will, as Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ وَإِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ نَذِيرٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ
Say, ‘The signs are only with Allah. And indeed, I am not but a clear warner.’
At another place, He says:
وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ
And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign except by permission of Allah.
At a third place, He says:
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ
And it is not for us to bring you a sign except by permission of Allah.
From these references, it is clear as daylight that the incident of Saraya has no reality. How can a structure of belief be built on such a weak statement? May Allah grant Muslims the correct understanding of the belief in Tawhid (Oneness of Allah). Ameen.
③ Barelvi accusation against the Saudi government that they use verses about idols for argument
Hafiz ur-Rahman Qadri Sahib says that large boards have been placed on the gates of the blessed cemeteries of Jannat al-Mu’alla and Jannat al-Baqi, on which the verses revealed concerning idols are written, and in the translation it is written: “Do not call upon the dead; they do not hear your call nor can they help you.” The purpose of writing these verses is to say do not call upon the people in the graves, and see their ignorance. Right below this, it is written that the Master of the Two Worlds, the Manifest Light, peace be upon him, when he used to visit the cemetery, used to recite this prayer.
اسلام عليكم يا اهل القبور
O inhabitants of the graves, peace be upon you.
✔ The answer:
The main point is that those people who have made graves their source of livelihood always invite people towards the graveyard, saying, “Go and ask from the dead; the dead fulfill your needs, they listen to your prayers, they bring you closer to Allah.” Perhaps the person has never read the Quran, where Allah Almighty says about the dead:
وَمَا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَحْيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلْأَمْوَٰتُ
And neither the living nor the dead can be equal.
Rather, the dead do not share any status with the living, except in some exceptional case for which there is no evidence. Therefore, the dead do not share hearing with the living, so they are not worthy of being asked for prayers. The Quranic text is clear.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ
Allah makes whom He wills hear, and you (O Prophet) cannot make the dead hear.
Meaning, none of you addressed can make the dead hear, while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself cannot make the dead hear. Who else is greater than him who can make the dead hear?
It is stated:
فَإِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ
You cannot make the dead hear, nor the deaf, when they turn away while they are going away.
When we cannot make the dead hear any speech, then how can we ask them for prayers? And how will they hear us and pray for us? Some people interpret this to mean the disbelieving dead, but there is no specification in Allah’s words; the dead, whether disbelievers or Muslims, are all meant. Once I went to give a speech on the topic of Tawheed and presented these verses explaining that the dead do not hear your speech nor can they respond. After the speech, a man sat beside me and said, “You said that you cannot make the dead hear. Actually, this refers to the dead hearts.” I said, “Whoever has a dead heart cannot hear, so how can one who is completely dead hear?” Then he said, “I believe the dead hear and respond.” I said, “Brother, have you ever heard the dead respond?” He said, “No, we cannot hear.” I said, “You said well that the dead hear our speech, but we, the living and conscious, cannot hear their voice. So the dead are better than us whose hearing has become sharper after death than the living. This means hearing is the work of the dead, not the living.” I said, “You came to prove the hearing of the dead and are denying the hearing of the living. For Allah’s sake, reflect a little.”
إِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ
There is no doubt that you cannot make the dead hear, nor the deaf, when they turn their backs, but you can hear the voice.
Allah Almighty has clearly stated: O Prophet, you cannot make the dead hear, so we cannot say the dead hear. If the dead hear, if someone’s father dies and the son says, “Father, how are you?” then why does he not respond? They will say he hears. But he does not speak. There is a principle: even if eyes are closed and the tongue is silenced, but the ears continue to hear, what is the use of one who does not speak? The dead are lying near you; you should listen to the one who speaks, and the one who hears should also speak. Either say the dead see and speak, which you will not say because they know people will see this. If you say the dead speak, they will call and see; if you say they see, they will look up to see if the respected person is watching. Understand the point, so say only that they hear but do not speak so that people do not understand. Even if they understand, it is then said that this is a matter of spiritual knowledge; what will you understand? Silence is better. My brothers, instead of falling into these circles, we should worry about the time about which Allah Almighty has said:
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ وَمَا يَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ فَيَقُولُ أَأَنتُمْ أَضْلَلْتُمْ عِبَادِي هَٰؤُلَاءِ أَمْ هُمْ ضَلُّوا السَّبِيلَ ﴿١٧﴾ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ مَا كَانَ يَنبَغِي لَنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ مِن دُونِكَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءَ
And the Day He will gather them and those who worshipped others besides Allah and will say, “Did you mislead My servants or did they themselves stray from the way?” They will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for us to take besides You any protectors. But You provided comfort to them and their fathers until they forgot the reminder and became a lost people.”
Reflect on this verse where Allah is questioning those idols, which cannot mislead anyone. The famous Barelvi commentator Maulana Naeemuddin Muradabadi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote in his Tafseer Khazain al-Irfan Tafseer al-Quran that they will respond, “How could we command others to take gods besides You? We are Your servants.”
Elsewhere, the Lord of the Worlds says:
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُوا۟ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُۥٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَآئِهِمْ غَـٰفِلُونَ
And who is more astray than one who calls upon those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware?
Hafizur Rahman Qadri complained about the graveyards of Madinah Munawwarah that verses about idols are written there. I have not written verses about idols but verses about the dead.
As for the issue of why the vocative particle “O” (Ya) which is used for addressing was used, the answer is that it is a greeting of peace, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) is greeted with Salaam in prayers or as a letter writer addresses with “Assalamu Alaikum.” The response to this greeting is immediate, but giving a response is not necessary at the time the letter is being written. When addressing someone with “Assalamu Alaikum,” does the addressee immediately respond? Sometimes they do, sometimes they do not. The proof is that the Salaam sent upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) is not heard by him directly but is conveyed through angels. Then how is it possible that the Salaam sent to ordinary Muslims reaches them and they hear it themselves, while the Quran clearly states that you cannot make the dead hear your speech?
For example, when Hazrat Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the Black Stone:
انى لاعلم انك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع ولولا أني لرايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبلك ما قبلتك
I know well that you are a stone; you neither harm nor benefit. If I had not seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.
Can this be proof that stones hear? If they do not hear, then why address them? Another point: when we read the Quran alone at home, we repeatedly say يا ايها الذين آمنوا and address it. Are all the believers hearing our vocative “O”? This applies to Muslims, but when we read the Quran in prayer in the mosque and no disbeliever is present, we say قل يا ايها الكافرون. Are disbelievers hearing our speech? If not, then what is the need for addressing? Whatever your answer here, the same answer will be there for us there.
Thirdly, these supplicatory words are not specific to any particular saint, elder, or righteous person but apply to every good and bad person, whether a thief, adulterer, drunkard, cheater, or liar. If they are Muslim, then prayers and greetings are made at their graveyard. If everyone hears and responds, then what is the virtue of saints and faqirs? All are equal. My brothers, a grave is such a place that even if a living person is buried in it and many loads of soil are poured on him, then if a greeting is made from above, the poor living person cannot hear it, so how can the dead hear? This fight should end right there when the dead lie on the bier. At that time, greet and observe whether the dead hears or responds; the issue will resolve itself.
Consider that the dead become completely helpless, no matter how righteous an elder he is. He cannot even shoo away a fly sitting on his face but depends on the living to do so. It is a matter of observation that when a righteous or wicked person dies, others perform his cleaning (istinja) because he cannot do it himself; he is helpless. If a man of honor has strength, he will never tolerate someone else cleaning him. Usually, the dead person’s clothes are torn off with great difficulty; even a righteous person is helpless in removing sinful clothes. He does not have the strength to do this. Then he is washed (ghusl); this elder does not have the power to wash himself and depends on the living. After washing, if the elder is not shrouded (kafan), he cannot wear it himself because he lacks the strength to do so. After that, he cannot walk to the graveyard himself; he has no power in his legs to walk, so he depends on the living. People carry his funeral on their shoulders and then place him in the grave with their own hands; he cannot descend into the grave himself; he is helpless. After all these tasks and burial six feet underground, we say, “Until now, you were dependent on us, but now we are dependent on you. Whenever we face difficulty, we call upon you.” This is our understanding; we do not think. We say, “Wherever someone is engaged, it is fine.” Look, calling absolutely is not shirk, just as we call our children or call a friend or call someone from afar; this is not shirk nor is this calling disputed. The disputed form of calling is when people call the buried saints in a supernatural way, such as “O Sheikh Abdul Qadir, may Allah protect you,” etc. This calling falls under shirk because the caller believes that despite thousands of miles, this deceased elder hears his voice, is fully aware of his condition, is present and watching, and has control over everything in the universe. Therefore, the person offers vows and sacrifices in the elder’s name, cooks and distributes food in his name, covers his grave with cloths, and fears his displeasure. He believes that if he does not give the eleventh day (of mourning), the elder will be angry and cause loss in his business. However, the Knower of the unseen, the One who causes benefit and harm, is present and watching and has control over all affairs only by Allah Almighty’s authority.
All these attributes are exclusive to Allah, who has no partner. But the one who calls Sayyidina Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyidina Abdul Qadir Gilani (may Allah have mercy on him), or other elders, implicitly attributes all these divine attributes to these elders. Just as human hearing is limited and vision is limited, Allah’s hearing and vision are unlimited. If one considers the hearing and vision of elders to be unlimited, this is shirk in attributes. This is the difference: asking elders for prayers is also shirk because prayer is worship, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
الدعاء هو العبادة
Calling is prayer and worship.
This proves that supplicating to any being other than Allah is worship of that being; therefore, it is shirk.
④ Examination of the Barelvi Argument of the Ant in Justification of Polytheistic Beliefs
One argument given is that an ant said to other ants, “O ants! Go to your homes lest Solomon (peace be upon him) and his army unknowingly crush you”
✔ The Answer:
This cannot be a Barelvi argument because the ant used the letter or word that the ants had with it at that time. It was not meant to call out in absentia; no one disagrees with calling out like that. The ant had even said that Solomon and his army should not unknowingly crush them. The ant also believes that the Knower of the unseen is only Allah.
Allah Almighty granted Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) dominion over all creatures. Accordingly, Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) prayed to his Lord:
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْلِى وَهَبْ لِى مُلْكًۭا لَّا يَنۢبَغِى لِأَحَدٍۢ مِّنۢ بَعْدِىٓۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
O my Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.
In response to this prayer, Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was granted such dominion that he understood the language of birds and all creatures present before him; this was his special attribute. However, he was not aware of matters occurring in absentia without revelation.
As mentioned in the Holy Quran:
وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ ﴿٢٠﴾ لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿٢١﴾ فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ
And when he inspected the birds, he said, “Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he among the absent? I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization.” But the hoopoe stayed not long and said, “I have encompassed something you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.”
This incident about the ants is not a proof for Hafizur Rahman Qadri Sahib, nor is it related to the unseen except through Allah. May Allah grant everyone the ability to accept the truth. The real matter is as stated in the Holy Quran:
تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ
Those messengers—some of them We caused to exceed others. Among them were those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some in degree. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Holy Spirit.
The greatest virtue of the Prophets and Messengers is that Allah Almighty granted them prophethood and messengership; in this regard, there is no difference among them. This is what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Do not give me superiority over any prophet, and also said: Do not give superiority of one prophet over another, even over Yunus bin Mati.
As for partial virtues, Allah Almighty granted some messengers certain virtues and others different ones. For example, in this verse, Allah Himself mentions the virtues of some prophets. Here, virtues mean special characteristics or specific miracles not granted to others. For instance, Allah spoke directly to Moses (peace be upon him) in this world and on this earth, which He did not do with anyone else. Jesus (peace be upon him), by Allah’s command, revived the dead and fashioned birds from clay and breathed into them, and they flew, etc. Similarly, Allah Almighty granted Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) his own virtues.
⑤ Barelvi Doubt Regarding the Words of Salaam Inside Salah
Hafizur Rahman Qadri Sahib presented an argument about calling out inside Salah:
السلام عليك ايها النبى ورحمته الله وبركاته
“O Prophet, peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah.”
Here, the letter “kaaf” in “Alaika” is used as a singular present tense pronoun for the addressee. The meaning is that unless we call upon the Prophet ﷺ in Salah as if he is present and witnessing, our Salah is not valid.
✔ First Response:
In prayer, السلام عليك ايها النبي is recited, which apparently seems like an address, but it does not contain the belief of addressing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him); rather, it is a narration being recited. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself used to recite it in prayer. Obviously, having received Allah’s command, he used to recite these words in At-Tahiyyat; otherwise, to whom would the actual address of the Prophet (peace be upon him) be directed? Which prophet was his addressee, whom he considered present and addressed?
If this greeting were an address, then a response would also be necessary. But obviously, during the blessed life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to recite this greeting in At-Tahiyyat, yet the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not respond because he was listening, and neither was it the intention of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to make him hear or to have him respond, nor was it their belief. Now, after his passing, how can this belief be correct? In any case, this greeting is a supplication whose purpose is to pray for the Prophet (peace be upon him). This method is also the one taught to us by the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is not our self-invented method.
Just as it was recited in prayer at that time, it is still recited now; it is not called out.
✔ Second Answer :
If the pronoun of the address is considered to mean that the one being addressed definitely hears, then consider that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the Black Stone.
إني لاعلم انك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع ولولا أني لرايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقبلك ما قبلتك
I know well that you are a stone; neither can you harm nor benefit. If I had not seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.
Can addressing be taken as evidence that the stone also hears and responds? If it does not respond, then why was it addressed? This shows that not every addressee necessarily hears or responds. In the Holy Quran, it is stated: قل يا ايها الكافرون Say, O disbelievers, throughout the entire Surah we address the disbelievers.
When we recite the Quran in our mosque or home and say, O disbelievers, those whom you worship, I do not worship, at that time there is no disbeliever present in our house or mosque, so then what kind of address is this?
✔ Third Answer :
The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, started reciting السلام على النبي after the passing of the Prophet. The narrator of this hadith is Abdullah bin Masood, may Allah be pleased with him.
Similarly, other Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, also recited علي النبي. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, used to recite السلام على النبي in Tashahhud.
Ibn Abdul Razzaq, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated اخبرنا ابن جريج اجزاني عطاء ان الصحابة كانوا يقولون والنبي حي السلام عليك ايها النبى فلمامات قالو اسلام على النبى, meaning Ata, may Allah have mercy on him, said that the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, said that when the Prophet was alive, السلام عليك ايها النبي, and after his death, they used to say السلام على النبي.
It is established that the belief of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, was not that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard it, and from these hadiths it is also proven that: ايها النبي and علي النبي both ways of reciting are permissible. The correct view is as Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlawi, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that on the night of Mi’raj, these words were addressed to you.
If the purpose of this calling was that, then it is worth considering why the Prophet, peace be upon him, would call out to any other prophet. Therefore, its purpose is only supplication, not addressing, and it cannot be used as evidence for the stated position. In any case, this is a salutation and supplication whose purpose is to pray for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and this method of supplication is the same as the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us; it is not a self-invented method. Therefore, neither can this Sunnah salutation justify a self-invented salutation, nor can it prove seeking help or assistance from the dead.
Just as it was said at that time, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, used to say it in the same way as we recite in prayer inside our mosque. قل يا ايها الكافرون What does “O disbeliever” mean? Were disbelievers present in our mosque whom we were addressing? No, this was the situation at that time when disbelievers were being addressed, so we also address with the pronoun of the addressee in the same way. In this way, salutations are sent upon the Prophet, peace be upon him.
As it appears in the Holy Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
“O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his soldiers crush you while they perceive not.”
Consider, here too we say “O ants!” Are these ants still hearing our address? The ants that were present in the time of Prophet Solomon, peace be upon him, are they still present? If not, then certainly not, because this was the situation at that time when the ants were present, and one ant said this. We still recite in the same way because it was the situation at that time, not today. Similarly, when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was present, he was addressed by saying السلام عليك ايها النبي. This was the situation at that time, but we still recite in the same way today. The belief that he is present is absolutely incorrect. May Allah grant us the understanding to comprehend. Ameen.
