Issue of the Life of the Prophet ﷺ with Quranic and Hadith Evidences and Barelvi Doubts

The Issue of the Life of the Prophet ﷺ in the Light of the Quran

Hafeez-ur-Rahman Qadri Barelvi Sahib writes that the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the pious saints (may Allah have mercy on them) are alive.

Respected readers, the issue of the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has unnecessarily become a cause of dispute and discord. The Barelvis insist that the Prophet (peace be upon him), saints, martyrs, and other Prophets (peace be upon them) are still alive in this worldly life.
On the other hand, the Ahl-e-Hadith group says that such a belief is against the explicit texts of the Quran and Hadith and the established beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah. First, I will present the issue of the life of the Prophets (peace be upon them) from the Quran and Hadith, which is the belief of Ahl-e-Hadith. At the end of the chapter, answers to the doubts of the Barelvi scholars will be given. I request the readers to read the arguments of both sides with an open mind, remove the glasses of stubbornness and prejudice, and consider carefully what the truth is and decide for themselves.
Thus, Allah Almighty says:

كُل نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ

Every soul shall taste death.
At another place, it is stated:

إِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَإِنَّهُم مَّيِّتُونَ

(O Prophet, peace be upon him) Surely you will die, and they too will die.
At a third place, He said:

وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ أَفَإِن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ

We have not made immortality to be for any human before you (O Prophet, peace be upon him). If you die, will they live forever?
At the fourth place, He said:

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ

And Muhammad (peace be upon him) is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels?
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not only a messenger, meaning his distinction is the attribute of prophethood; it is not that he is above human characteristics or endowed with divine qualities so that he would not face death. One of the reasons for the defeat in the Battle of Uhud was that the disbelievers spread the rumor that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been killed. When this news spread among the Muslims, some of them lost courage and retreated from the battle. Upon this, the verse was revealed that the killing or death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) at the hands of disbelievers is not something new. Previous Prophets (peace be upon them) also faced killing and death. If the Prophet (peace be upon him) also (hypothetically) faces this, will you then turn away from this religion?

At the fifth place, He said:

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلَاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are for the Lord of the worlds.”
If the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not to die, then what is the meaning of “my death”? Reflect on this yourself.
At the sixth place, He said:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

And We sent before you only men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
Further, He said:

وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ

And We did not make the prophets’ bodies incapable of eating food, nor were they immortal.
At another place, it is stated:

كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

Everyone is going to perish, and there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor.
Allah Almighty says:

كُلُّ شَيْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُ

Except His Face, everything will perish.
Also, He said:

وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ

And those whom they invoke besides Allah create nothing, and they themselves are created. They are dead, not alive, and they do not know when they will be resurrected.
From these verses, it is proven that death is inevitable for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and all humans. Similarly, Allah Almighty has decreed death for other Prophets (peace be upon them) as well.
Thus, regarding Sayyiduna Yaqub (peace be upon him), it is stated:

أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ

Were you present when death came to Yaqub (peace be upon him)?
If the word “death” was an insult to the Prophets (peace be upon them), Allah would not have used the word “death” in the Quran for the Prophets (peace be upon them).
Similarly, regarding Sayyiduna Sulaiman (peace be upon him), it is stated:

فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ

Then when We decreed death for him, there was no apparent cause for his death except a little worm of the earth.
All humans will surely die. Allah Almighty says:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ

It is Allah who created you, then provided for you, then will cause you to die, then will give you life.
Death is an inevitable reality; no enemy of Allah, no disobedient, nor any obedient person except the Most Merciful لا يموت can escape it. Everyone must drink the cup of death one day or another. Death is not a cause of insult for anyone; otherwise, the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the righteous would never have died.

The Death of the Prophet ﷺ in the Light of Hadith :.

At the time of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) passing, Sayyiduna Siddiq Akbar (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed his belief as follows:

وقال الا من كان يعبد محمدا فان محمدا قد مات

Listen, the person who worshipped Muhammad (peace be upon him) has indeed passed away.
Sayyiduna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted this after hearing Abu Bakr Siddiq’s (may Allah be pleased with him) sermon.

It is clear that there is a consensus among all the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has passed away. Accordingly, Umm al-Mu’minin Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has passed away.

Elsewhere, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) states that whenever a Prophet (peace be upon him) falls ill, he is given a choice between this world and the Hereafter.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) chose the Hereafter over this world, meaning that after his passing, his life is an afterlife or barzakh (intermediate) life.
In another place, Umm al-Mu’minin (may Allah be pleased with her) says:

لقد مات رسول الله

Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has passed away.
There are many evidences on this issue. From these authentic and mutawatir hadiths, it is clear that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has passed away. Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said about his prayer that it was the same until the Prophet (peace be upon him) left this world.

Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said: خرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من الدنيا that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left this world.

Consider this: if the Prophet (peace be upon him) had not died but, according to some, was still alive, then some people would surely question how the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) could have dug a grave and buried their living Prophet (peace be upon him). What greater disrespect could there be than burying someone alive? This would be handing a weapon to the enemies of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who would then say: Were those who buried the Prophet (peace be upon him) alive truly his sincere companions?

The Issue of the Life of the Prophet ﷺ and Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi

Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi states that the true life of the Prophets, peace be upon them, is sensory and worldly; death for them is merely a momentary occurrence, after which they are immediately granted life again in the same manner.

It is unclear how long Ahmad Raza Khan Sahib’s moment is, since the passing of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, occurred on Monday and the burial was on Wednesday. How did the family arrange the shrouding and burial? The other companions, may Allah be pleased with them, made a wise decision regarding the future Islamic caliphate at Saqifah Bani Sa’idah. More than one hundred thousand companions, may Allah be pleased with them, performed the funeral prayer of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Individually, the companions did not feel the worldly life of the Prophet, peace be upon him. On the third day, with tearful eyes, they buried the living Prophet, peace be upon him. Neither the wives, may Allah be pleased with them, nor the children, nor daughter Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, could comprehend this life.
The moment did not end in three days. If you cannot bury even a lowly man alive, then how did the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and the Ahl al-Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them, tolerate burying the Prophet, peace be upon him, alive?
According to Khan Sahib, if the Prophets, peace be upon them, have worldly life, then instead of burying them in the earth, they should have remained above the ground as usual.
If one accepts worldly life, hundreds of such questions will arise, and Islamic history will remain a mystery: the martyrdom of Hazrat Hussain, may Allah be pleased with him; the treaty of Hazrat Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him; the cunning of Mukhtar Thaqafi; the atrocities of Hajjaj bin Yusuf; the Abbasid revolution; the fall of Baghdad; the atrocities of the Turks; the Qadiani claim of prophethood—yet nowhere was it felt necessary for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to intervene, to be restless over the death of a mosque servant, to perform funeral prayer at the grave, or to come for condolences on the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman, and Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with them. Intelligent and conscious people will ask you: why is this so?
In reality, the life of the Prophets, peace be upon them, and the noble martyrs, may Allah be pleased with them, is not worldly but an intermediate, hereafter life. This is the truth. The cleric is strange: he accepts the grave and shrine of the Prophet, peace be upon him, but does not accept his death.
Hazrat Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that during the severe illness of the Prophet, peace be upon him, his restlessness greatly increased. Hazrat Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “Oh, how restless my father is.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, “After today, your father will no longer be restless.” Then when the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away, Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, used to say, “Alas, father, you have gone to your Lord’s call. Alas, father, you have gone to your place in Jannat al-Firdaws. We informed Jibra’il, peace be upon him, of your death.” Then when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was buried, Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “Anas, how did your heart become ready to put soil on the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him?”

Hazrat Aisha Siddiqah, may Allah be pleased with her, states that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away, he was resting his head between her breasts.

The explicit texts of the Quran and Hadith have proven that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has passed away. When he is no longer present, who else will remain forever alive? The worldly life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, was 63 years, and this is agreed upon by all.
Hundreds of robbers roam around in the attire of the present time.
If you want to live in this world, then create some identity.

First Argument and Its Answer:

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَن يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَشْعُرُونَ

Do not say of those who are killed in the way of Allah that they are dead; rather, they are alive, but you do not perceive it.

Answer:

Respected readers! When someone trains for jihad, he is called a mujahid. If he survives the battlefield of jihad, he is called a ghazi. To be a martyr, it is necessary to die in the way of Allah. One must be killed, slain, then he will be a martyr; otherwise, he cannot be called a martyr. The disbelievers used to consider death merely as non-existence or absolute annihilation. The Quran denied this conventional meaning of death in favor of the martyrs. This is correct, but it acknowledged the separation of body and soul under the term killing. They thought that after death, in the state of annihilation, no reward would be assigned for those deeds. The Quran negated this meaning and announced provision and a new life after departing from this world, which will be different from worldly life, so different that the people of this world cannot even comprehend it. This is absolutely correct, but denying death as the separation of the soul is entirely wrong. Then if this life was only worldly, why was it said لا تشعرون? The Holy Quran has used the word “killing” for the martyr.

We say that the meaning of killing includes death. From the creation of humanity until today, no one has ever heard that so-and-so person was killed but did not die. He was killed but is alive, eating and drinking. You surely read newspapers daily, but you have never read such a ridiculous news that three people were killed in such and such country or city but did not die. When we consider such news ridiculous and absurd from a worldly perspective, then should we expect Allah to tell us such things that whoever is killed in My way does not die? In fact, this verse forbids calling one who dies by being killed in the way of Allah “dead” in the sense that the disbelievers used to say. This verse describes the greatness of those killed in the way of Allah. Although everyone knows that the martyr also becomes lifeless. You must have seen many martyrs’ funerals. If the martyr’s life is worldly, then why does the martyr’s wife marry again while her husband is alive? Why are the children of the martyr called orphans? Why is the inheritance of the martyr divided? Why is the martyr buried? If someone’s beloved was alive, would he bathe him, shroud him, and bury him alive in the ground?

If the martyr were alive with worldly life, then why did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) desire life after martyrdom?

The last part of the long hadith of Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) is as follows: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

والذي نفسي بيده لوددت ان اقتل فى سبيل الله ثم احيا ثم اقتل ثم احيا ثم اقتل ثم احيا ثم اقتل

By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I certainly wish to be martyred in the way of Allah, then brought back to life, then martyred again, then brought back to life, then martyred again, then brought back to life, then martyred again.

Respected readers! Read this hadith and ponder repeatedly that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself, in his worldly life, swore by his own self that he desired martyrdom to be fulfilled by Allah repeatedly granting him martyrdom in the way of Allah, then worldly life again, then martyrdom again. It is understood that death indeed befalls the martyr as well.

Understand its example like this: You bought two animals; one animal you slaughtered in the name of Allah, and the other animal died a natural death. Both lie in one place; neither can move, neither can speak, nor do they eat fodder. But you call one animal dead because the Quran says dead animals are forbidden for you, and you do not call the other dead, although both are dead. But the one slaughtered in the name of Allah is not called dead; it has virtue. Similarly, the martyr is forbidden to be called dead despite dying; this is his virtue.

As for the issue that they are alive and help us and relieve our difficulties, there is no evidence for this from the Quran and Sunnah. Those who become martyrs were not helpers in worldly life either. Even after drinking the cup of martyrdom, they can never rise from their funeral, nor do they have the strength to wash themselves. It is an observed fact that they need help even in cleaning themselves; they cannot remove their own clothes, nor can they wear the shroud themselves, but depend on living people. They do not have the strength to walk to the cemetery; they depend on people even to be taken to the graveyard. After being buried in the grave, how do they become helpers and fulfillers of needs for people?

These are undeniable facts. Many people who emphasize worldly life and say they are alive actually want to keep their business alive. The reality is also that the souls of the martyrs have gone far away from the benefits and hardships of this world, but in the Barzakh (intermediate realm), they are given other bodies, green birds, etc., from which they freely benefit. This is their Barzakh life, which Allah Almighty mentioned in the Holy Quran.

What the Prophet (peace be upon him) says is the standard of truth. The words themselves become a form and prove true.

Hafizur Rahman Qadri’s Second Argument and Its Response:

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ

“Do not think of those who are killed in the way of Allah as dead; rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision.”

Response:

Actually, when the life of the martyrs is with Allah, how can worldly sustenance reach there? If you do not believe, then present some food in front of someone who is about to become a martyr and see whether they eat it or not. If this refers to the life in the Barzakh (intermediate realm), then this sustenance cannot be evidence for the worldly life. Arguing life based on sustenance is meaningless for worldly life.

Arguing life based on such sustenance is completely wrong. Sustenance is given not only to the Prophets, martyrs, and noble ones but also to the faithful deceased in Barzakh, as Allah Almighty says, consider carefully:

وَالَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قُتِلُوا أَوْ مَاتُوا لَيَرْزُقَنَّهُمُ اللَّهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

And those who emigrated for the cause of Allah and were then killed or died, Allah will surely provide them with a good provision. And indeed, Allah is the best of providers.

In this blessed verse, the promise of sustenance is made for both death and killing. So sustenance is given even to those who die a natural death, hence arguing life based on sustenance is not correct; otherwise, according to your views, it would imply that no one actually dies and the word “death” would be meaningless in the dictionary. Actually, the life of the martyrs is indeed real, not metaphorical, but its awareness is not with the people of this world because it is not worldly life but Barzakh life. Calling martyrs dead is for their honor and respect; this life is the life of the Hereafter, which we are incapable of understanding. This life is possessed by believers and even disbelievers. The soul of the martyr and, according to some narrations, the soul of the believer also roams in the chest or the body of a bird in Paradise wherever it wishes.

The souls of the martyrs are in Paradise, and they are alive near their Lord. They are given sustenance. It is narrated from Hazrat Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) that we asked Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) about the mentioned verse of Surah Aal Imran, and he said that we asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about this verse, and he said that the souls of the martyrs are in the form of green birds inside lanterns hanging from the blessed Throne, and they eat and roam in Paradise wherever they wish. Then they return to those lanterns. Once their Lord looked at them and asked if they desired anything. They said, “What would we desire? We eat and roam in Paradise wherever we wish.” The Lord asked again, and then a third time. Seeing that they would not be released without asking, they said, “O our Lord, we wish that our souls be returned to our bodies so that we may be killed again in Your cause.” When the Lord saw that they had no other desire, He released them.

From this blessed hadith, it is proven that the souls of the martyrs are not in their original bodies but in other forms. If the soul were returned to the original body, the person would become alive in worldly life. But Allah did not fulfill this wish of the martyrs; their souls are kept in Paradise in the form of birds. The concept of their life in this world cannot even be imagined.

It is understood that the life of the martyrs is related to the realm of Barzakh. The people of this world do not even have awareness of this life. It is unknown who told Qadri Sahib that it is permissible to ask the living for supernatural things.

They should be asked: What Quranic verse or hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) proves asking from the grave of martyrs, offering gifts in their name, covering their graves with cloths, or holding fairs in their name? Were these practices done during the blessed era of the Prophet and the companions (may Allah be pleased with them)? Please present the Shariah evidence for this. Religious matters and beliefs are not established merely by playing with words. Did the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the companions not know this philosophy? Actually, at present, the graves of martyrs have been turned into commercial centers.

The unique martyr of the Greater Jihad, Qadri Sahib, writes a fragment of a narration that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: We have turned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad, meaning that struggling against the self (nafs) is the greater jihad. If one is killed in the lesser jihad, he is alive, and if one is killed in the greater jihad, meaning he spent his whole life struggling against the self and was killed, his life is even higher than the life of the noble martyrs.

Answer:

First of all, after narrating the tradition, they have given the reference of Maulana Rumi, which is not a book of Hadith but a book of Sufism and anecdotes, and it is without chain of narration.
Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani says that the Sufis call it a Hadith, but Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani (may Allah have mercy on him) states that Imam Nasai (may Allah have mercy on him) has attributed it to the words of Ibrahim bin Ailah. The coarseness of the words is a strong indication that this could not be a saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), nor is it found in the books of Hadith. As Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlvi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote similarly, the judgment of Hadith will be made according to the principles and rules of the Muhaddithin. The poor Sufis, who are dominated by good opinion, do not have the opportunity for critical investigation. No saying will be proven to be a Hadith of the Messenger of Allah merely by their good opinion.

In fact, this ideology has, in subtle words, caused great harm to Islamic Jihad. It has erased the original concept of Jihad from people’s hearts and as a result of self-invented adhkar and wazaif, these people have become completely oblivious to Jihad. Some have even considered striking blows while sitting in a hut as Jihad, and fabricated traditions stating that fighting the disbelievers is Jihad Asghar (lesser Jihad) and the struggle against the self is Jihad Akbar (greater Jihad).
Whereas fighting the disbelievers cannot happen without the Jihad of the self. If this Jihad of the Sufis was the greater one, then why did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) remain engaged in the lesser Jihad their entire lives? There is not a single verse or Hadith in the entire collection of Hadith or the Holy Quran that calls those dervishes and mendicants who strike blows and cut people as martyrs.
Now the only task left for Muslims is to remain busy in the Jihad against the self. In short, due to the policy of these people, the disbelievers of the whole world are very happy. Even America, a rogue and Islam-hostile country, tells Pakistan to promote Sufism and they are ready to provide aid. Because this Jihad is according to their wishes, in which there is no need to fight, no need to die, no need to be wounded. The Mujahid sits peacefully in his homes, shrines, and dargahs, busy in his Jihadi play, receiving offerings and sacrificial goats, enjoying himself thoroughly.
Such Jihad will be acceptable to almost everyone, but whoever fights Jihad against the disbelievers will be deprived of these things. Therefore, Qadri’s philosophy is a play on words and has no connection with reality.

The Second Argument from the Lives of the Prophets (peace be upon them) and the Pious Saints (may Allah have mercy on them) and Its Response:

In Surah Al-Fatiha, we present our supplication before Allah Almighty.
Guide us on the straight path,
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, the blessed individuals. Allah Almighty Himself has indicated:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا

And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favor — namely the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. What excellent companions these are.
The above verses mention the favored individuals; first are the Prophets (peace be upon them), second are the truthful ones, i.e., the Awliya Allah (friends of Allah), third are the martyrs, and fourth are the righteous. You yourself can estimate that if the third category is alive, then what status would the lives of the first and second categories hold?

Response:

Respected readers! This blessed verse has no connection whatsoever with Hayat-un-Nabi ﷺ or Wali Rahimahullah. The conclusion drawn by Qadri Sahib has no evidence and is not even remotely related to the issue itself. It is unclear why these people deceive the public. This verse does not mention companionship in this world, rather it speaks of companionship in Paradise, as mentioned in the blessed Hadith. Love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is part of every Muslim’s faith, indeed it is the very essence of faith. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself said that no one can be a believer until he loves me more than his children, parents, and all other people.

A companion, may Allah be pleased with him, came to the noble presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I love you more than my life, wealth, and family. When I am at home with my family and the desire to see you becomes restless, I rush to see you and find peace. But when I remember my death and your death and think that you ﷺ will be in the highest ranks in Paradise with the noble Prophets, and even if I go to Paradise, I will not be able to reach you and will be deprived of seeing you, I become restless.” In response to this, Allah Almighty revealed this verse, which Qadri Sahib unsuccessfully tried to use as evidence for Hayat.

In response to the companion’s expression of love, Allah Almighty revealed a verse about obedience to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, making it clear that if your love is true and you want to have constant companionship with your Prophet ﷺ, the only way is to obey and follow the commands of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This relates to companionship in Paradise. How then did the lives of the noble saints and Prophets prove this?

Qadri Sahib writes about physical power and spiritual power:
Remember that Allah Almighty grants spiritual power to the Prophets and the noble saints, may Allah have mercy on them all. They assist spiritually, just as Solomon عليه السلام commanded his courtiers, “Who among you can bring the throne of Queen Bilqis before she arrives?” Then Asif bin Barkhiya, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “I will bring it before you can blink,” and he brought it and said, “This was by the grace of my Lord.”

Who was this person who presented the throne before Prophet Solomon عليه السلام? What book was this? What knowledge was this claim based on? There are different opinions among the commentators, and even the name differs. As in Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Imam Mujahid, may Allah have mercy on him, said his name was Astum, but Balikh is also narrated. His title was Dhul-Noor.

Answer:

Allama Nasafi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes in his famous Tafsir Nishapuri that Asif bin Barkhiya, may Allah have mercy on him, prayed, and the throne disappeared from its place and then appeared before the assembly of Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) in the land of Sham purely by the power of Allah Almighty, moving before him and visible to him, with slight variations in wording.

This was merely a miracle of Asif bin Barkhiya, may Allah have mercy on him; the power and strength belonged to Allah Almighty. No one has control over miracles and karamat (miraculous gifts).
As stated in the Holy Quran:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْآيَاتُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Say, “The signs are only with Allah. And indeed, I am only a clear warner.”
At another place, it is stated:

وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

And it was not for any messenger to bring a sign except by permission of Allah.
The polytheists asked, “Then bring us a sign openly before us.”

The Prophets, peace be upon them, replied:

وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

And it is not within our power to bring you a sign except by permission of Allah.
Qadri Sahib, by presenting the incident of Asif bin Barkhiya, may Allah have mercy on him, has given the impression that the Awliya Allah (friends of Allah), may Allah have mercy on them, have control and authority. Our question is: wherever there are great Pirs (spiritual leaders) in India, Pakistan, or anywhere in the world, bring us that elder; we will give him one month to bring Vajpayee’s throne to Pakistan or the throne of America to Pakistan, and then we will leave our sect and become disciples of that Pir again. If they cannot do this—and certainly no one can—then stop presenting this incident for the Pirs.
In Kashmir, such oppression is happening against Muslims; if all the Sajjadah Nashins (custodians of shrines) united, they could bring the throne of India to Pakistan within a year to save the Muslim children and women of Kashmir from oppression, but no one is ready to do this.
In reality, karamat and miracles are names for such acts that are completely contrary to apparent causes and ordinary matters and occur only by the power and will of Allah Almighty. Therefore, neither personal strength is astonishing nor is there a need to trace the knowledge of it mentioned here, because this is merely the introduction of the person through whom this act was visibly performed; in reality, it is the divine will that is at work. Prophet Sulaiman (peace be upon him) was also aware of the reality, so when he saw the throne present, he described it as فضل ربي, meaning all these acts were accomplished by the grace of my Allah alone.

Qadri Sahib’s Third Argument and Its Response:

He writes that when a person dies, the body dies but the soul does not die. When the body dies, physical strength ends, but since the soul does not die, how can spiritual strength end? The strength of an ordinary person increases after death. It is mentioned in the blessed Hadith that when the deceased is buried and people return, the deceased can hear the sound of footsteps.

Response:

From Allah’s side, only the sound of shoes is heard by the deceased as a lesson, which brings about a feeling of regret and sorrow from this event. That is, when the dear relatives bury the deceased and leave, the deceased is made to realize that those dear relatives because of whom you used to roam around freely, not even distinguishing between lawful and unlawful, are now leaving you alone. Therefore, only the footsteps of those leaving are heard, not those coming, nor is the conversation of the people present at the grave heard by the deceased, and neither can he hear it. One should have faith only in what is mentioned in the Hadith and not try to support their self-made religion by mixing stories and tales from their own side. Hearing this sound is not for any particular saintly elder but for every good and bad, common and special person. And it is not mentioned in any Hadith that they hear your prayers and accept them or relieve your difficulties, because Allah Almighty has clearly stated in the Holy Quran, O Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ

And you (O Prophet) cannot make those in the graves hear your speech.

Consider, if according to the Quran, the Prophet (peace be upon him) cannot make those in the graves hear, then people say we tell our words to the dead and they hear. The Quran says you cannot make them hear. Now should we believe the Quran or the people?