Is Placing a Circle Around "Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ" Disrespectful? A Shari'ah-Based Clarification
Extracted from: Fatawa Muhammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 226
What do the esteemed scholars and muftis say regarding the following issue?
I am a religious scholar, preacher, imam, and a firm believer, as well as a schoolteacher. During a class session, I observed that a student had written โYa Rasool Allah ๏ทบโ on every page of his agriculture notebook.
As a teacher, I advised the student, explaining that such words should not be written on notebooks because they might eventually be discarded as scrap, which would constitute disrespect to the sacred name of the Messenger of Allah ๏ทบ.
I then encircled the words Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ to emphasize the point. I swear by Allah as a Muslim that I had no intention whatsoever of disrespecting the Prophet ๏ทบ, nor did any such thought enter my mind. Rather, I made the circle out of pure love, reverence, and respect for the Messenger ๏ทบ.
I am a Salafi-minded Ahl-e-Hadith, firmly adhering to my creed, in which even imagining disrespect towards the Prophet ๏ทบ is regarded as disbelief and apostasy.
Yet some people have objected to my action. Please explain in the light of Qurโan and Sunnah whether there is any aspect of blasphemy in what I did.
Questioner: Muhammad Yahya Sabir, Bazidpur, Tehsil & District Kasur
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
If the question is accurate and the inquirer truly placed a circle or cross around Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ to teach a student about the etiquette and reverence due to the Prophet ๏ทบ, then interpreting this act as blasphemy is absolutely unjustified.
Since the action was done with the intention of protecting the honor of the Messenger ๏ทบ (to prevent disrespect if the notebook were discarded), there is no basis for objecting or labeling it as blasphemous.
The Sahabahโs love for the Prophet ๏ทบ was unmatched and their hearts overflowed with devotion. However, at times they committed actions that may outwardly appear disrespectful, yet they were not, in reality, such.
When writing the treaty, Ali (RA) wrote: โMuhammad Rasool Allah ๏ทบ.โ
The disbelievers objected: โIf we accepted you as the Messenger, we wouldnโt be fighting you!โ
The Prophet ๏ทบ then instructed Ali (RA) to erase the words โRasool Allahโ, but Ali (RA) refused out of love and reverence.
The Prophet ๏ทบ then erased it himself without reprimanding Ali (RA), thereby acknowledging that his refusal stemmed from love, not disobedience.
Narration:
ยซููุชูุจู ุนูููููู ุจููู ุฃูุจูู ุทูุงููุจู ุจูููููููู ู ููุชูุงุจูุงุ ููููุชูุจู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ููููุงูู ุงูู ูุดูุฑูููููู: ูุงู ุชูููุชูุจู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ูููู ููููุชู ุฑูุณููููุง ููู ู ููููุงุชูููููุ ููููุงูู ููุนูููููู: ุงู ูุญูููุ ููููุงูู ุนูููููู: ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูุงูููุฐูู ุฃูู ูุญูุงููยป
He sought permission to kill the Jewish enemy Kaโb ibn Ashraf and asked if he could use misleading words about the Prophet ๏ทบ to trick him.
The Prophet ๏ทบ permitted him to do so.
He told Kaโb: โThis man (i.e., the Prophet ๏ทบ) has burdened us with demands for charity.โ
Narration:
ยซููููุงู ู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุจููู ู ูุณูููู ูุฉู ููููุงูู: ููุง ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ุฃูุชูุญูุจูู ุฃููู ุฃูููุชูููููุ ููุงูู: ููุนูู ูุ ููุงูู: ููุฃูุฐููู ููู ุฃููู ุฃูููููู ุดูููุฆูุงุ ููุงูู: ููููุ ููููุงูู: ุฅูููู ููุฐูุง ุงูุฑููุฌููู ููุฏู ุณูุฃูููููุง ุตูุฏูููุฉูุ ููุฅูููููู ููุฏู ุนููููุงููุงยป
Outwardly, these words might seem disrespectful, but the intention was purely strategic and based on religious necessity, thus not blameworthy.
From the above incidents, it becomes clear that only those statements or actions qualify as blasphemy which stem from malice and ill-intent. Actions done with sincere intention or out of religious necessity cannot be labeled as blasphemous.
โChapter: Deeds are by Intentionsโฆโ
Hadith:
Narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the Prophet ๏ทบ said:
ยซActions are judged by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended. Whoever migrated for Allah and His Messenger, his migration is for Allah and His Messenger. But whoever migrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman, his migration is for what he migrated toward.ยป
This Hadith is foundational in Islam and determines the validity of all deeds based on intention.
Since the questioner swears by Allah that he placed a circle around Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ only to educate the student and protect the sanctity of the Prophetโs ๏ทบ name, then declaring him a blasphemer or issuing a verdict of disbelief (kufr) is completely unjustified.
โIf an act has ninety-nine interpretations indicating disbelief and one indicating faith, it must be interpreted as an act of faith.โ
ฺพุฐุง ู
ุง ุนูุฏูุ ูุงููู ุฃุนูู
ุจุงูุตูุงุจ
Extracted from: Fatawa Muhammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 226โ The Question:
What do the esteemed scholars and muftis say regarding the following issue?
I am a religious scholar, preacher, imam, and a firm believer, as well as a schoolteacher. During a class session, I observed that a student had written โYa Rasool Allah ๏ทบโ on every page of his agriculture notebook.
As a teacher, I advised the student, explaining that such words should not be written on notebooks because they might eventually be discarded as scrap, which would constitute disrespect to the sacred name of the Messenger of Allah ๏ทบ.
I then encircled the words Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ to emphasize the point. I swear by Allah as a Muslim that I had no intention whatsoever of disrespecting the Prophet ๏ทบ, nor did any such thought enter my mind. Rather, I made the circle out of pure love, reverence, and respect for the Messenger ๏ทบ.
I am a Salafi-minded Ahl-e-Hadith, firmly adhering to my creed, in which even imagining disrespect towards the Prophet ๏ทบ is regarded as disbelief and apostasy.
Yet some people have objected to my action. Please explain in the light of Qurโan and Sunnah whether there is any aspect of blasphemy in what I did.
Questioner: Muhammad Yahya Sabir, Bazidpur, Tehsil & District Kasurโ The Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
If the question is accurate and the inquirer truly placed a circle or cross around Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ to teach a student about the etiquette and reverence due to the Prophet ๏ทบ, then interpreting this act as blasphemy is absolutely unjustified.
Since the action was done with the intention of protecting the honor of the Messenger ๏ทบ (to prevent disrespect if the notebook were discarded), there is no basis for objecting or labeling it as blasphemous.
โฟ Precedents from the Lives of the Sahabah (Companions)
The Sahabahโs love for the Prophet ๏ทบ was unmatched and their hearts overflowed with devotion. However, at times they committed actions that may outwardly appear disrespectful, yet they were not, in reality, such.
โ The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
When writing the treaty, Ali (RA) wrote: โMuhammad Rasool Allah ๏ทบ.โ
The disbelievers objected: โIf we accepted you as the Messenger, we wouldnโt be fighting you!โ
The Prophet ๏ทบ then instructed Ali (RA) to erase the words โRasool Allahโ, but Ali (RA) refused out of love and reverence.
The Prophet ๏ทบ then erased it himself without reprimanding Ali (RA), thereby acknowledging that his refusal stemmed from love, not disobedience.
Narration:ยซููุชูุจู ุนูููููู ุจููู ุฃูุจูู ุทูุงููุจู ุจูููููููู ู ููุชูุงุจูุงุ ููููุชูุจู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ููููุงูู ุงูู ูุดูุฑูููููู: ูุงู ุชูููุชูุจู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ูููู ููููุชู ุฑูุณููููุง ููู ู ููููุงุชูููููุ ููููุงูู ููุนูููููู: ุงู ูุญูููุ ููููุงูู ุนูููููู: ู ูุง ุฃูููุง ุจูุงูููุฐูู ุฃูู ูุญูุงููยป
โ The Case of Muhammad ibn Maslamah (RA)
He sought permission to kill the Jewish enemy Kaโb ibn Ashraf and asked if he could use misleading words about the Prophet ๏ทบ to trick him.
The Prophet ๏ทบ permitted him to do so.
He told Kaโb: โThis man (i.e., the Prophet ๏ทบ) has burdened us with demands for charity.โ
Narration:ยซููููุงู ู ู ูุญูู ููุฏู ุจููู ู ูุณูููู ูุฉู ููููุงูู: ููุง ุฑูุณูููู ุงููููููุ ุฃูุชูุญูุจูู ุฃููู ุฃูููุชูููููุ ููุงูู: ููุนูู ูุ ููุงูู: ููุฃูุฐููู ููู ุฃููู ุฃูููููู ุดูููุฆูุงุ ููุงูู: ููููุ ููููุงูู: ุฅูููู ููุฐูุง ุงูุฑููุฌููู ููุฏู ุณูุฃูููููุง ุตูุฏูููุฉูุ ููุฅูููููู ููุฏู ุนููููุงููุงยป
Outwardly, these words might seem disrespectful, but the intention was purely strategic and based on religious necessity, thus not blameworthy.
โ The Importance of Intention
From the above incidents, it becomes clear that only those statements or actions qualify as blasphemy which stem from malice and ill-intent. Actions done with sincere intention or out of religious necessity cannot be labeled as blasphemous.
Imam Bukhari titled a chapter in his Sahih:
โChapter: Deeds are by Intentionsโฆโ
Hadith:Narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA), the Prophet ๏ทบ said:
ยซActions are judged by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended. Whoever migrated for Allah and His Messenger, his migration is for Allah and His Messenger. But whoever migrated for worldly gain or to marry a woman, his migration is for what he migrated toward.ยป
This Hadith is foundational in Islam and determines the validity of all deeds based on intention.
โ Conclusion:
Since the questioner swears by Allah that he placed a circle around Ya Rasool Allah ๏ทบ only to educate the student and protect the sanctity of the Prophetโs ๏ทบ name, then declaring him a blasphemer or issuing a verdict of disbelief (kufr) is completely unjustified.
โ Quote of Imam Malik (ุฑุญู ู ุงููู):
โIf an act has ninety-nine interpretations indicating disbelief and one indicating faith, it must be interpreted as an act of faith.โ
ฺพุฐุง ู
ุง ุนูุฏูุ ูุงููู ุฃุนูู
ุจุงูุตูุงุจ