This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal Kilani's book "Al-Wala Wal Bara".
There is no doubt that all Muslims are commanded to love the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) more than their own lives, parents, spouses, children, relatives, and everything in the world. However, according to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah, the foremost and greatest love of the believers should be for Allah Almighty, then for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and after that for other believers. Allah Almighty says: [وَ مَنۡ یَّتَوَلَّ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا فَاِنَّ حِزۡبَ اللّٰہِ ہُمُ الۡغٰلِبُوۡنَ] Translation: Whoever takes Allah, His Messenger, and the believers as friends, then know that the party of Allah will be victorious.
Reference: (Surah Al-Ma'idah:56)
In this verse, Allah Almighty has clarified the order of allegiance (love). First and foremost is love for Allah Almighty, second for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and third for the believers. However, some people exaggerate so much in their love for the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that they equate his status and rank with Allah Almighty, which is not permissible. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) himself forbade this.❀ The Prophetic saying is: [لا تطرونی کما اطرت النصارٰی ابن مریم فانما انا عبدہٗ فقولوا عبداللٰہ و رسولہٗ] Translation: Do not exaggerate in my praise as the Christians exaggerated in the praise of Jesus, son of Mary (and made him a partner with Allah). Indeed, I am only a servant, so call me the servant of Allah and His Messenger.
Reference: (Bukhari:3445)
❀ If anyone exaggerated in praising the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in his presence, he would immediately stop them. A companion said during a conversation, "Whatever Allah wills and whatever you will." The Prophet (peace be upon him) immediately stopped him and said, "Have you considered me a partner with Allah?"
Reference: (Musnad Ahmad:1839)
❀ A companion wanted to pray for rain and said, "We make Allah an intercessor with you and you an intercessor with Allah." The color of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) face changed and he said, "Alas! You do not know how exalted the status of Allah is. He cannot be made an intercessor before anyone."
Reference: (Abu Dawood:4726)
Alas! Today, Muslims have also taken the same path of exaggeration in the love of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, which the Prophet ﷺ himself forbade. It is needless to mention the naat poetry of common poets; even well-educated scholarly poets have not been able to adhere to the teachings of the Book and Sunnah in this matter.
Consider a few examples:
This couplet is often recited in praise of the Prophet ﷺ:
ادب گا ہیست زیر آسماں از عرش نازک تر
نفس گم کردہ می آید جنید و بایزید ایں جا
Translation: Under the sky, there is a place of etiquette more delicate than the Throne, where great saints like Junayd Baghdadi and Bayazid Bastami hold their breath and come.
In this couplet, the grave of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is declared superior to the Divine Throne. It is an established fact that the virtue of a place is due to its occupant. If the blessed resting place of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is superior to the Divine Throne, it means that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself is superior to Allah Almighty, معاذ اللہ!, which is a severe blasphemy against Allah Almighty.
A similar couplet is currently popular:
I do not deny the greatness of the Kaaba
But the Kaaba of the Kaaba is the beloved Prophet’s grave
This couplet also contains the same kind of exaggeration and shirk as the previous one.
Consider a couplet by Maulana Rumi:
You are the First and the Last, You are the Manifest and the Hidden
You are the pride of the world, King, peace be upon You
In the Holy Quran, the attributes of First and Last, Manifest and Hidden are clearly ascribed to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He. The Divine command is: [ہُوَ الۡاَوَّلُ وَ الۡاٰخِرُ وَ الظَّاہِرُ وَ الۡبَاطِنُ] Translation: He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.
Reference: (Surah Al-Hadid:3)
To associate the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with this attribute of Allah Almighty is outright exaggeration and shirk. This mistake was also made by Allama Iqbal, may Allah have mercy on him. His couplet is:
In the gaze of love and intoxication, the same first and the same last
The same Quran, the same Furqan, the same Yaseen, the same Taha
Maulana Ahmad Raza Khan, while describing the status of the Prophet ﷺ in his qasida, wrote:
The great deputy of the All-Powerful
Whose color do they show?
Every key is in his hand
He is called the Owner of All
The word "Kun" (Be) is an attribute of Allah Almighty through which all matters are accomplished, whereas in this couplet it is attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Similarly, the owner of the entire universe is only Allah Almighty, but in this couplet the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is called "Owner of All." Both statements are exaggerations in the status of the Prophet ﷺ and holding such beliefs is shirk.
❀ Hakim al-Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote such couplets in his book "Nashr al-Tayyib fi Dhikr al-Nabi ﷺ":
لیس لی سواک اغثنی
مسنی الضر سیدی و سندی
Translation: O my leader and support! I have no one except you, O Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). I am in distress; please help me.
The only Being who helps in distress and calamity is Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty says: [وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ اللّٰہُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا کَاشِفَ لَہٗۤ اِلَّا ہُوَ ؕ وَ اِنۡ یَّمۡسَسۡکَ بِخَیۡرٍ فَہُوَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ] Translation: If Allah afflicts you with any hardship, there is none to remove it except Him; and if He intends any good for you, He is capable of all things.
Reference: (Surah Al-An'am:17)
Therefore, seeking help from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in distress and calamity is an exaggeration and shirk (associating partners with Allah) in the status of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Regarding the status of the Messenger,Here are two couplets by Haji Imdadullah Sahib, please observe:
O Muhammad Mustafa, it is a plea
O beloved of the greatest, it is a plea
I am caught in severe difficulty these days
O remover of my difficulties, it is a plea
These couplets also contain the same exaggeration as in the first couplet.
Observe a Punjabi couplet based on exaggeration:
No one can free from Muhammad’s grasp
Free yourself from God’s grasp, then free Muhammad
Translation: If someone is caught by Muhammad ﷺ, no one can rescue him, and if someone is caught by Allah Almighty, Muhammad ﷺ can rescue him.
❀ In this couplet, the status and rank of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is clearly elevated above Allah Almighty, which is extreme exaggeration and shirk.
A couplet by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, may Allah have mercy on him:
Do not fear God and His punishment, but
Fear the gaze filled with the anger of the Prophet
Fear (beyond causes) is included in the worship of Allah Almighty. All the Prophets, peace be upon them, who came, gave this command to their people: [فَاتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوۡنِ] Translation: Fear Allah and obey me.
Reference: (Surah Ash-Shu'ara:126)
❀ The Holy Prophet ﷺ himself said: [و اللٰہ انی لاخشاکم للٰہ] Translation: By Allah! I fear Allah the most among you.
Reference: (Bukhari:5063)
Therefore, being indifferent to the fear of Allah Almighty and instead having the belief to fear the anger of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is exaggeration in the praise of the Prophet ﷺ.
In these beliefs, on one hand, there is exaggeration in love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and on the other hand, there is disrespect and insolence towards Allah Almighty, which is completely against the doctrine of loyalty (Wilayah). Allah Almighty is unique and unparalleled in His essence and attributes; He has no partner. Exaggerating in love and reverence for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the extent of giving him the status equal to Allah Almighty or associating the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the attributes of Allah is major shirk (polytheism), from which every Muslim should protect themselves. [فَتَعٰلَی اللّٰہُ عَمَّا یُشۡرِکُوۡنَ] Allah Almighty is above such shirk committed by people.
Reference: (Surah Al-A'raf:190)
Just as some people, in their love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), exaggerate and elevate his status and rank to be equal to Allah Almighty, similarly, some people, in their love for their favorite personalities such as the noble Imams and great saints, exaggerate and elevate their status and rank to be equal to or even higher than that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This exaggeration is as impermissible as exaggeration in love for the Prophet (peace be upon him). Just as shirk ruins all of a person's deeds, similarly, such exaggeration in love and reverence for any follower, in which the follower's status and rank become equal to or exceed that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), also nullifies a person's deeds. Allah Almighty's blessed command is: [یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تُقَدِّمُوۡا بَیۡنَ یَدَیِ اللّٰہِ وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ]،[ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَرۡفَعُوۡۤا اَصۡوَاتَکُمۡ فَوۡقَ صَوۡتِ النَّبِیِّ وَ لَا تَجۡہَرُوۡا لَہٗ بِالۡقَوۡلِ کَجَہۡرِ بَعۡضِکُمۡ لِبَعۡضٍ اَنۡ تَحۡبَطَ اَعۡمَالُکُمۡ وَ اَنۡتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُوۡنَ]Translation: O you who have believed! Do not go beyond Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. O you who have believed! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or speak loudly to him as you speak loudly to one another, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive it not.
Reference: (Surah Al-Hujurat:1-2)
In the noble verse, Allah Almighty has clearly warned that elevating the status and rank of any sect above that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will result in the ruin of all good deeds.
❀ The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said in a hadith: By the One in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad ﷺ, if today Moses (peace be upon him) were to come and you start following him instead of me, you would go astray from the straight path. If Moses (peace be upon him) were alive and lived in my time, he too would follow me.
Reference: (Darimi:449)
But it is regrettable that some people, out of love and devotion for their favorite personalities, go to such extremes that they equate their status with that of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ or even elevate it above his rank.
Consider a few examples:
In the famous Hanafi jurisprudence book "Durr-e-Mukhtar," it is written, "May the curse of our Lord be upon the person who rejects the statement of Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him."
Reference: Durr-e-Mukhtar: Volume 1, Page 26
This claim shows extreme exaggeration in the love of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him. This status and rank belong only to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, that the one who rejects the blessed sayings of the Prophet be cursed. The statement of Allah Almighty is: [وَ مَنۡ یَّتَوَلَّ یُعَذِّبۡہُ عَذَابًا اَلِیۡمًا] "And whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, Allah will punish him with a painful punishment."
Reference: (Surah Al-Fath:17)
A devotee of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar, in excessive love for him, wrote this couplet:
Like a thorn in Medina and a fortress in Kot Mithan, the House of Allah
In the apparent is Pir Farid, in the inner is Allah
In this couplet, by equating the city of Chachr with Medina, not only has there been disrespect towards the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but by calling Kot Mithan the House of Allah, there has also been disrespect towards Allah Almighty, and by giving Pir Farid a status equal to Allah, the major shirk (polytheism) has been committed. [نعوذ باللٰہ من ذٰلک]
Similarly, a devotee of Pir Jamaat Ali Shah, out of excessive love for his Pir Sahib, wrote this couplet with exaggeration.
Medina is also pure
Alipur is also sacred
It is good to go there
It is good to go there
Consider carefully! If the virtues of Medina and Alipur are the same, then the virtues of the people of Medina and the people of Alipur are also the same, which is outright exaggeration and misguidance.
A disciple of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated an incident of his dream before the Maulana that in his dream he tried to recite the Kalima Tashahhud correctly, but every time [لا الٰہ الا اللٰہ اشرف علی رسول اللٰہ] came out of his tongue. After waking up, he tried to recite Durood Sharif to correct the mistake in the Kalima Tayyiba, but still the words of [اللہم سیدنا و نبینا و مولانا اشرف علی] came out of his tongue. Upon hearing this dream, Maulana Ashraf Ali said: There is reassurance in this incident that the one you turn to is, by Allah’s help, a follower of the Sunnah.
Reference: Risala Al-Imdad: p.35
This incident teaches extreme exaggeration in love for one’s spiritual guide, which is outright misguidance.
Observe the expression of devotion by a devotee of Maulana Ahmad Raza Khan:
Difficulties surround me on all sides, but in one,
O my remover of difficulties, Ahmad Raza,
Protect the honor of my outstretched hands,
O my fulfiller of needs, Ahmad Raza
Reference: Ni'mat al-Ruh: by Ismail Rizvi: p.44, reference: Barelviyat: p.138
In this couplet, the spiritual guide is not only elevated to the status of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but is even given a rank equal to Allah Almighty, which is outright major shirk (polytheism). To have such excessive reverence for any imam, scholar, saint, or spiritual guide that it surpasses the love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is tantamount to destroying one's faith and deeds, from which every Muslim should seek refuge with Allah Almighty. After the love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is obligatory for every Muslim to love all the believers in a graded manner. This includes the Muhajirun, Ansar, the Ashra Mubashra, the companions of Badr, the companions of the tree, the Tabi‘in, the Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and then all other scholars, virtuous people, jurists, and martyrs of the Ummah. Just as it is forbidden to exaggerate in love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and it is forbidden to exaggerate in love for any follower after him, similarly, it is also misguidance for a believer who professes the kalima to prefer a disbeliever or to belittle a Muslim who professes the kalima and to honor a disbeliever.
❀ Allah the Exalted says: [وَ لِلّٰہِ الۡعِزَّۃُ وَ لِرَسُوۡلِہٖ وَ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ وَ لٰکِنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ لَا یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ] Translation: Honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.
Reference: (Surah Al-Munafiqun:8)
❀ And regarding the disbelievers, it is stated: [اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یُحَآدُّوۡنَ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗۤ اُولٰٓئِکَ فِی الۡاَذَلِّیۡنَ] Those who oppose Allah and His Messenger are indeed the most humiliated.
Reference: (Surah Al-Mujadila:20)
No matter how much apparent honor the disbelievers gain in this world, it is all unreal and temporary, whereas the honor attained by the people of faith is true and everlasting. Therefore, under the doctrine of Al-Wala wal-Bara, an ordinary Muslim is far more respected and honored than the most distinguished disbeliever. The conclusion is that friendship and love for Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and the believers should be in accordance with their status and rank as explained in the Book and Sunnah.
