❖ What Does Ḥāḍir wa Nāẓir Mean?
The term ḥāḍir means present, and nāẓir means watching or observing. These are attributes of absolute presence and awareness, and in the Qur'an, they are attributed solely to Allah. However, some Muslims attribute these divine qualities to other beings, such as the Prophet ﷺ or saints. Let us now examine what the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah say regarding this belief.❖ Qur'anic Evidence that Only Allah is Ḥāḍir wa Nāẓir
① Surah Al-Ḥadīd (57:4)“He is with you wherever you are, and Allah sees what you do.”
② Surah Yūnus (10:61)
“And you are not (engaged) in any affair, or recite any of the Qur’an, but We are witness over you when you are involved in it.”
③ Surah Al-Mujādilah (58:7)
“There is no private conversation among three but He is their fourth, nor among five but He is their sixth.”
④ Surah Al-Qaṣaṣ (28:88)
“Everything will perish except His Face. His is the decision, and to Him you will return.”
⑤ Surah Ar-Raḥmān (55:26-27)
“Everyone upon it [the earth] will perish. And the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honor, will remain.”
⑥ Surah Al-Baqarah (2:115)
“To Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you turn, there is the Face of Allah.”
❖ Allah Alone Possesses Eternal Awareness
⑦ Surah Al-Anbiyā’ (21:34-35)“We did not grant eternal life to any human before you; then if you die, would they be eternal?”
⑧ Surah Āl-ʿImrān (3:144)
“Muhammad is but a Messenger. Many Messengers have passed before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels?”
⑨ Surah Az-Zumar (39:30)
“Indeed, you will die, and they [too] will die.”
⑩ Surah Yūsuf (12:102)
“This is from the unseen that We reveal to you; you were not with them...”
❖ Prophet ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) Denied Omnipresence
In Surah Al-Mā’idah (5:116-117), Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus) will say to Allah:“I was a witness over them as long as I was among them. But when You took me up, You were the Observer over them.”
This proves that even a prophet like ʿĪsā عليه السلام does not possess eternal presence; it is a unique attribute of Allah.
❖ Misinterpretation of the Word “Shahīd”
In Surah Al-Aḥzāb (33:45), the Prophet ﷺ is described as a shāhid (witness). However, shāhid in Arabic means a witness, not someone who is omnipresent. As proven in Surah Al-Mā’idah, the Prophet's ﷺ witnessing was limited to his lifetime presence among the people.Likewise, in Surah Al-Baqarah (2:143), the word “shuhadāʾ” (witnesses) is used for the Muslim Ummah—this certainly doesn’t mean the Ummah is omnipresent.
❖ Hadiths Clarifying the Prophet’s ﷺ Limited Awareness
① Abū Dāwūd reports that the Prophet ﷺ said:“When someone sends peace upon me, Allah returns my soul to me so that I may respond to the greeting.”
② Al-Nasā’ī and Ad-Dārimī record:
“Allah has angels roaming the earth to deliver the salutations (salām) of my Ummah to me.”
These narrations confirm the indirect conveyance of salām—not that the Prophet ﷺ is present and hears everyone directly.
❖ Prophetic Farewell Sermon – No Mention of Omnipresence
During the Farewell Sermon, the Prophet ﷺ instructed:“Let those present convey this message to those who are absent...”
Had the Prophet ﷺ been omnipresent, he would have said: “I will deliver the message myself”, which he did not.
❖ Statements of the Companions (Ṣaḥābah)
① Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه said after the Prophet's ﷺ death:“Whoever worships Muhammad ﷺ, then Muhammad is dead. But whoever worships Allah, then Allah is Ever-Living.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]
② ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه said at the Prophet’s ﷺ grave:
“The grief of your passing is beyond what we can bear. Your loss is greater than all other losses.”
[Nahj al-Balāghah]
❖ The Issue with Salām in Tashahhud
The phrase in Tashahhud:“As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuhā al-nabiyy...”
This was taught by the Prophet ﷺ during his life. After his passing, some companions used the phrase:
“As-salāmu ʿalā an-nabiyy...”
“Peace be upon the Prophet...”
to reflect the change in status from present to absent.
This change further reinforces that the Prophet ﷺ is not present everywhere.
❖ Qur’anic Use of “Yā” (O)
The Qur'an frequently uses "Yā" (O) to address people, prophets, and even inanimate beings, e.g.:- “Yā Yahyā” (O John) – Surah Maryam: 7
- “Yā Ibrāhīm” (O Abraham) – Surah Maryam: 46
- “Yā ahla al-kitāb” (O People of the Book) – Surah Āl-ʿImrān: 70
These are linguistic forms of address in narration—not evidence of the addressed being present.
Conclusion
The attributes of ḥāḍir wa nāẓir (absolute presence and awareness) are exclusive to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ, the companions, and righteous predecessors never claimed or believed in the omnipresence of anyone besides Allah. Misinterpreting the terms shāhid, shahīd, or phrases in supplications and greetings to mean omnipresence is against the clear Qur'anic teachings.Let us emulate the best generation—the Prophet ﷺ and his companions, who believed in and worshipped only the One who is ever-present, ever-watching—Allah.
