Source: Quoted from Shaykh Abu Hudaifah Muhammad Javed Salafi’s book A’ina-e-Tawheed wa Sunnat, Jawab-e-Shirk Kya Hai Ma’a Haqiqat-e-Bid’ah❖ Response to Hafizur Rahman Barelvi Qadri’s Arguments
① Is Saying “Ya Rasool Allah” Shirk (Polytheism)?
Hafizur Rahman Qadri presents an anecdote:
"Once a man, visibly distressed, came to me and said: ‘Hafiz Sahib, I recited salutation before the Adhan: الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله. Someone told me I became a mushrik (polytheist) and all my deeds were nullified. I was anxious the whole night. What should I do? Because I was told that the particle ‘Ya’ is exclusively for Allah, and using it with anyone else is shirk.’"
After narrating this self-fabricated story, Qadri presents proofs from the Qur'an for the permissibility of using "Ya".
◈ Qur’anic Usage of “Ya” for Prophets and Others
Allah says:
قُلْنَا يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
“We said: O fire, be cool and safe for Ibrahim.”
(Surah Al-Anbiya: 69)
Similarly, he quotes the hadith regarding the Day of Judgement:
يا محمد ارفع رأسك سل تعط، واشفع تُشَفَّع
“O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head, ask and you shall be given, intercede and your intercession shall be accepted.”
(Musnad Ahmad, pg. 25-26, from the book Shirk Kya Hai)
✔ The Response:
◈ Firstly, who was this confused man? There's no identity or credibility mentioned.
◈ Secondly, from which Hadith is it proven that saying الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله before Adhan is permissible?
◈ Thirdly, which Companion or Muezzin ever practiced this? If not found, then there’s no need to act on innovations. If it's out of love for the Prophet ﷺ, then why didn’t the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) do this? Please provide evidence if they did; otherwise, fear Allah and abandon innovations.
◈ Is “Ya” Exclusively for Allah?
Saying that "Ya" is exclusive to Allah is sheer ignorance. The Qur'an uses "Ya" to address many prophets by name:
✔ يا آدم (O Adam) – Al-Baqarah: 33
✔ يا نوح (O Nuh) – Hud: 46
✔ يا إبراهيم (O Ibrahim) – Hud: 76, As-Saffat: 104
✔ يا موسى (O Musa) – Multiple verses (e.g., Taha: 11, 17, 19)
✔ يا زكريا (O Zakariyya) – Maryam: 7
✔ يا يحيى (O Yahya) – Maryam: 12
✔ يا داوود (O Dawud) – Sad: 17
✔ يا عيسى (O Isa) – Aal-e-Imran: 55, Al-Ma'idah: 116
But for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Allah never said: “Ya Muhammad”
Instead, Allah always used titles:
✔ يا أيها الرسول (O Messenger) – Al-Ma'idah: 67
✔ يا أيها النبي (O Prophet) – Al-Ahzab: 28, 45, 50, 59; At-Talaq: 1; At-Tahrim: 1
✔ يا أيها المزمل and يا أيها المدثر – Al-Muzzammil, Al-Muddathir
This shows Allah's unique honor and etiquette toward the Prophet ﷺ.
❖ Qur’anic Prohibition on Calling the Prophet ﷺ by Name
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِن وَرَآءِ ٱلْحُجُرَٰتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ صَبَرُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
“Indeed, those who call you from behind the chambers – most of them do not use reason. If they had only waited until you came out to them, it would have been better for them.”
(Surah Al-Hujurat: 4-5)
Context of Revelation:
Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam رضي الله عنه said:
Some Bedouins came and said: “Let us go to the man who claims to be a prophet. If he truly is, we’ll benefit, and if he seeks kingship, we’ll follow him.”
They stood behind the chambers of the Prophet ﷺ calling out: “Ya Muhammad! Ya Muhammad!”
Allah then revealed these verses condemning them as "ignorant" and warned against such behavior.
Tafsir References:- Tafsir al-Tabari
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir
◈ Summary of Barelwi Scholars’ Own Fatwas
These same scholars affirm:
➊ It is ḥarām (forbidden) to call the Prophet ﷺ by his personal name like "Ya Muhammad".
➋ Even during his lifetime, Companions were instructed to say: “Ya Rasool Allah” instead of “Ya Muhammad”.
➌ After his passing, calling “Ya Muhammad” becomes even more irrational as he is no longer alive in the worldly sense.
Notable Barelwi Scholars’ Verdicts:
✔ Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi:
Stated that calling the Prophet ﷺ by name like common people (e.g., "Ya Muhammad") is ḥarām.
Tajalli al-Yaqeen, pg. 36-37✔ Ahmed Yar Khan Naeemi:
Calling the Prophet ﷺ "Ya Muhammad" or "O father of Ibrahim" is ḥarām. If with disrespect, it leads to kufr.
Jaa al-Haqq, pg. 164✔ Molana Noor Muhammad Qadri:
It is obligatory to honor the Prophet's name and call him with honorable titles like Ya Rasool Allah, not Ya Muhammad.
Mawa’iz-e-Razawiyyah, Vol 4, pg. 162✔ Molana Iftikhar Ahmad Qadri & Syed Mahmood Ahmad Rizvi, Shafi Okaraavi, etc.:
All confirmed the same ruling: Addressing the Prophet ﷺ by name is forbidden and disrespectful.
② Barelwi Argument: Calling in Absence – Sariyah Incident
Claim:
During a sermon in Madinah, Umar رضي الله عنه called out:
يا سارية الجبل
“O Sariyah, [go] to the mountain!”
While Sariyah was far away in Nahawand.
Mishkat, pg. 546✔ The Response:
❶ This narration is Mawqoof, not a Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
❷ All chains of this narration are weak (da’eef) and unreliable:
- Ibn ʿAjlān is a Mudallis – his ‘an’anah (ambiguous narration) renders it unacceptable without explicit hearing.
- Prominent Muhaddithun (Imam Nawawi, Ibn Hajar, etc.) ruled this kind of narration not valid as evidence.
Fatawa Razawiyyah Vol 5, pg. 245 Tahzib al-Tahzib, pg. 1220 Al-ʿIlal by Ibn Abi Hatim Al-Kamil by Ibn Adi Mizaan al-I’tidaal Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil➌ Some regarded it as karāmah (miracle) of Umar رضي الله عنه. But miracles are not proof for legal rulings or beliefs, as they are not in human control.
Qur’anic Evidence:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ
“Say: Miracles are with Allah alone.”
(Al-Ankabut: 50)
وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ
“No Messenger could bring a sign without Allah’s permission.”
(Ghafir: 78)
وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ
“It is not for us to bring you any authority except by Allah’s command.”
(Ibrahim: 11)
③ Barelvi Allegation Against the Saudi Government Using Polytheism-Related Verses
Claim by Hafizur Rahman Qadri:
He states that at the gates of the sacred graveyards Jannat al-Mu‘alla and Jannat al-Baqi‘, large boards are placed displaying Qur'anic verses which, according to him, were revealed concerning idols. These boards also contain translations such as:
“Do not call upon the dead. They do not hear your call nor can they help you.”
He alleges that these verses were revealed about idols, but the Saudis apply them to the deceased.
Right beneath these verses, he points out, it is also written that:
"The Prophet ﷺ, when visiting the graves, used to recite the following supplication:"
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ
“Peace be upon you, O inhabitants of the graves.”
(Mishkat, Hadith 156, referenced on page 26)
✔ Response:
The truth is: Those who have made graves their source of income constantly urge people to go to graveyards, claim that the dead fulfill their needs, hear their calls, and bring them closer to Allah.
Apparently, Hafizur Rahman Qadri has never read the Qur'an, where Allah says:
وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَحْيَاءُ وَلَا الْأَمْوَاتُ
“The living and the dead are not equal.”
(Surah Fatir: 22)
Dead cannot be likened to the living in any attribute. Even if an exceptional case were to exist, it requires solid proof. Since no such evidence exists, the dead are not eligible to be asked for prayers or invoked for help.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۖ وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِي الْقُبُورِ
“Indeed, Allah causes whom He wills to hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear.”
(Surah Fatir: 22)
Even the Prophet ﷺ could not make the dead hear. So who else could claim such ability?
فَإِنَّكَ لَا تُسْمِعُ الْمَوْتَىٰ وَلَا تُسْمِعُ الصُّمَّ الدُّعَاءَ إِذَا وَلَّوْا مُدْبِرِينَ
“Indeed, you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they turn their backs.”
(Surah Ar-Rum: 52)
If we cannot make the dead hear, then how can we ask them to pray for us or expect them to listen?
❖ Refutation of Barelvi Misinterpretation: “These Verses Are for Idol Worshippers Only”
Some argue these verses refer only to disbelievers. However, the Qur'an makes no such specification. The term “dead” in these verses applies to all — whether believers or disbelievers.
Anecdote:
The author narrates a debate with a man who claimed that these verses refer to “spiritually dead people.”
He replied:
“If a spiritually dead person can’t hear, how can a completely dead body hear? You say the dead hear and respond, but you’ve never heard their reply. Then what kind of listening is this? How can a dead person hear better than a living, conscious one?”
He sarcastically added:
“It seems listening is for the dead, and not the living! That makes the dead more capable than us!”
This logic contradicts both reality and the Qur'an.
❖ Clarifying the Use of “Ya” in Supplications like:
السلام عليكم يا أهل القبور
“Peace be upon you, O people of the graves.”
Explanation:
This is a supplication, not a literal address expecting a response. Like when one writes a letter beginning with “As-Salamu ‘Alaikum” — the recipient does not hear or reply at that time.
Also, the Prophet ﷺ does not hear our greetings directly. The angels convey it to him, as proven in authentic narrations.
❖ Example: Umar رضي الله عنه Talking to the Black Stone
إني لأعلم أنك حجر لا تضر ولا تنفع، ولولا أني رأيت رسول الله ﷺ يقبلك ما قبلتك
“Indeed, I know you are just a stone — you neither harm nor benefit. If I had not seen the Prophet ﷺ kiss you, I would not have done so.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Did this statement mean the stone could hear Umar? No. It was a symbolic statement.
Likewise, when we recite Qur'an and say:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
“Say: O disbelievers!”
There are no disbelievers present in the masjid to hear us. It’s a recitation, not a real-time address.
❖ Greeting the Righteous & the Wicked in Graves Alike
The du‘a of peace upon the people of graves is made regardless of whether they were righteous or sinful. If every buried soul could listen and reply, then what would distinguish a saint from a sinner?
Even if a living person were buried under soil, he couldn’t hear someone greeting from above — then how can the dead hear?
❖ Helplessness of the Dead — An Observational Proof
- The dead cannot even remove a fly from their face.
- They cannot perform istinja (cleaning after relieving oneself).
- They cannot undress or wash themselves.
- They must be carried to the grave.
- They cannot descend into the grave themselves.
- After being buried, people say:
“Now that you’re buried, we are dependent on you.”
This is illogical.
If the saint could heal, why did he not heal himself from the illness that caused his death?
If he could protect others, why could he not protect himself from death?
❖ The Real Nature of “Calling the Dead” That Becomes Shirk
Calling out to children or friends from afar is not shirk.
But invoking the deceased in their graves by saying:
“Ya Sheikh Abdul Qadir, help me!”
is shirk when believed that:
- The deceased can hear from afar
- Knows the caller’s state
- Is present and seeing (حاضر ناظر)
- Has powers of control over the universe
The person then sacrifices animals in the name of the saint, cooks food (niyaz), fears their anger, and believes they can harm his business if disrespected.
❖ All These Attributes Belong to Allah Alone
Only Allah is:
- All-Hearing,
- All-Seeing,
- All-Knowing,
- Controlling every matter in the heavens and earth.
Believing these attributes for anyone else is Shirk in the Attributes of Allah (Shirk fi al-Sifat).
❖ Seeking Du‘a from the Dead Is Also Shirk
Because du‘a is worship, as the Prophet ﷺ said:
الدعاء هو العبادة
“Du‘a is worship.”
(Mishkat, Book of Supplications, pg. 194)
Thus, directing worship to other than Allah — even in the form of du‘a — is shirk.
Conclusion
The belief in calling upon the dead—whether prophets, saints, or ordinary Muslims—for help, intercession, or the fulfillment of needs, is firmly rejected by the Qur’an, authentic Hadith, and the practice of the righteous early generations.
The core points established are:
① The dead cannot hear or respond to the calls of the living, as clearly stated in multiple verses of the Qur’an (e.g., Fatir 22, Ar-Rum 52, An-Naml 80).
② The Prophet ﷺ himself cannot make the dead hear, which makes it impossible for anyone else to do so.
③ Expressions like "السلام علیکم یا أهل القبور" are supplications, not invocations expecting response.
④ Addressing the Prophet ﷺ in Salah is not proof of him being present or hearing, but a ritual supplication established by the Prophet ﷺ himself.
⑤ Invoking saints with titles like “Ya Abdul Qadir, help me” implies shirk, as it attributes divine qualities (like omnipresence and omnipotence) to other than Allah.
⑥ Du‘a is worship — and worship directed to anyone other than Allah constitutes shirk akbar (major polytheism).
Therefore, writing Qur'anic verses near graves warning people not to invoke the dead is not an insult or misinterpretation, but a clarification of Tawheed.
True Tawheed demands that all forms of du‘a, help-seeking, and worship be directed to Allah alone.May Allah grant us understanding, sincerity in belief, and firmness upon the truth. Ameen.
