Fathwa, - Difference in way of life in our marriage

Question:
My problem has been hurting me since I got divorced. My husband and I
have had issues since the beginning of our marriage. We disagreed on
many things getting into the marriage like how big the wedding should
be. If getting a ring was the right thing to do. How big should the
house we're buying going to be. I know these could be very trivial
issues compared to many disasters in the world and I realize this now
but the point is we entered this marriage with many stresses. I know I
wanted more than what he wanted to give but like any girl in my
position I had many suitors ask for my hand with great offers. I
picked one and hoped he will give me what I want. We had nikah right
away after the engagement and it lasted for a year before the wedding.
I felt helpless because I was already married and I wondered had I
stayed engaged , would he have granted me my wishes with much of a
struggle. We have a beautiful child now but we are divorced. We kept
having issues from his mother--incredible interference in all of our
affairs...where we live, when we should have a kid, how much money my
husband should spend on me and so forth. My other issue with my
husband is that I put on hijab right before I met him. We met and got
married. I felt that hijab got me into this mess. Now I'm accepting
the qadar of Allah more that I ever did before and I'm hoping for a
better life. He handled his mother's issues he says but the remaining
issue is how religious I am. I don't and never smoked or drank or
dated. I alhamdullilah am very pretty and I know that I could do all
of that and have fun but I don't want to. Allah's path is better that
any other. I just can't wear the hijab anymore. I emotionally and
physically suffer when I go out with it. I tried personal and family
counseling to fix this problem but we got nowhere we got divorced at a
time of anger. I asked for the divorce and he gave it to me. Now we
both regret it and want to get back together but the deciding factor
is me wearing hijab. He says that he won't expect much from me but he
needs some minimums and hijab is one of them. I really really
understand his point of view and he has every right to feel that way
but I'm really confused. I told him that I always tried to force
myself to do things for him so we won't destroy this marriage but this
time I'm having such a hard time and I am not good at explaining my
feelings. He asked me to stay with my parents until I have figured out
what I will do about hijab and based on that he will decide whether we
should stay together or not meaning divorce if I take it off. I am
lost. I don't want to break this family and I don't want to suffer
everyday. I pray and ask for guidance believe me and I will continue
to do that but for the mean time what do I do? I think sometimes why
couldn't he be more reasonable with me. Out of all of his friends he
one of the most strict ones I've met and yet he enjoys his life too. I
feel that my decision will affect my life, his and our son's and it
won't be pretty. I know I must have confused you already and I swear
I'm much more confused than I ever was. Many women don't wear hijab
but they aren't necessarily not religious. He has no faith in me now
and doesn't trust that I can be a good wife. I went through a lot with
him and what got to me the most is how ready he was to divorce me
whenever we had an issue. I hope your answer will guide me a little.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Dear Sister,
Assalamu alaikum,
Thank you for your question.
Given the seriousness of the situation, I strongly urge you and your
husband to seek marriage counseling.
There are only a few observations I can offer based on what I could
understand of your situation:
1.You and your husband have a child together. You owe it to your child
to consider the impact of a broken home on his future. Are your and
your husband's issues irreconcilable?
2.You seem to be very conflicted about the purpose and status of
hijab. Hijab is a command from Allah Most High. To make the hijab a
bone of contention between you and your husband is a mistake. Are you
really prepared to sacrifice your marriage over hijab?
3.There are obviously deeper issues than whether or not to wear hijab.
You and your husband appear to have some compatibility issues that
absolutely must be resolved before you go any further.
4.There are valuable lessons that can be learned from this situation.
You and your husband need to decide if you can make a fresh start.
(I'm assuming the divorce is non-finalized). You both need to make the
Guidance Prayerand mutually agree to seek marriage counseling to help
you work through these issues.
5.You both need to change the way you handle conflict. Threatening
divorce every time an issue crops up is unhealthy and, from a fiqh
perspective, risky.I pray you can work things out.

Knowledge of Unseen (Ilm ul Gaib)

We, The Ahle As Sunnah, believe that Allah has given the knowledge of
the Ghayb (unseen), to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace], and that it is also permissable to say that our Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace] knows the knowledge of the Ghayb.
However, it is not possible, nor permissable to say that the Prophet's
[May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knowledge of the Ghayb is
equal to that of Allah - or even like the knowledge of Allah, since
Allah's knowledge is His own and the Prophet's [May Allah bless him
and grant him peace] knowledge has been given to him by Allah.
There are some people, who say to hold such beliefs will render that
person a Kafir or an unbeliever. We will prove, with the help of
Allah, that such a notion is not one of kufr.
Belief of the Ahle Sunnah about 'ilm of the Ghayb
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan(Allah have mercy on him) states:-
"Allah has informed His Prophets about certain things from the Unseen.
The knowledge of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)
is more than anyone else's. Nobody can be equal to the knowledge of
the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) knowledge in the
world. The five special things of the Unseen, Allah has informed some
of these parts to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace)".
(See book Ja-alhaq, chapter Masa'la Gaib by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan.)
Proof from the Qur'an that the Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him
and grant him peace] has been given the knowledge of Ghayb
Allah says in the Qur'an,
"These are the tidings of Unseen that We reveal to you in secret".
Surah-Ale-Imran, verse 44.
"Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. But He chooses
of His Apostles (For the purpose)"
Surah-Ale-Imran, verse 179.
"The Knower of Unseen reveals not His secret to anyone. Except to His
chosen Messengers".
Surah-Al-Jinn, verse 26.
"…Allah has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and has taught to you
what you did not know, and great is the grace of Allah upon you."
Surah Al-Nisa, Verse 113.
Imam Tabari writes under this verse:
Allah TA'ALA has told the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace), you must thank Allah TA'ALA Who has informed you of what has
already happened and what will happen in the future and this is a
great grace of Allah upon you.
(Tafsir Tabari under verse 113 of Surah Al-Nisa).
The above Qur'anic verses prove that Allah TA'ALA has given Muhammad
(May Allah bless him and grant him peace) the knowledge of the Ghayb.
Proofs from the Ahadith that Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and
grant him peace] had the knowledge of the Ghayb
We find in a narration from the collection of Imam Bukhari :
Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood up in
one meeting and he started to tell us about events from the beginning
of this world to the end and he told us about heaven and hell and
about the people who were going to hell and who were going to heaven
and what will be their places in heaven and hell. Of course, some
people remember what he told us and some people have forgotten.
(Bukhari, Chapter Bada-Ul-Khalq.)
Imam Muslim writes that:
The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) led the
Fajr prayer and then sat on the pulpit, and until Zuhr he told the
people of the things about the Unseen. After Zuhr, he sat on the
pulpit and continued until Asar, then sat on the pulpit and continued
until Maghrib prayer. He even informed of the dwellers of Paradise and
Hell.
(Muslim chapter on Fadial).
Hafidhh ibn Hajar Asqalani in his famous commentary to Sahih Bukhari
writes that:
What Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) told
in that one meeting is a miracle of the Prophet and this should not be
doubted.
(Fathul Bari chap on Bada-Ul-Khalq).
Imam Bukhari writes:
The Munafiqs (hypocrites- those who were outwardly Muslims but
inwardly unbelievers) made an objection to the knowledge of the
Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Prophet (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood on the pulpit and said,
"Ask me what you will".One person stood up and asked, "What will be my
place in the Hereafter?" The Prophet replied, "Hell". Another person
whose name was Abdullah bin Huzaifa, (people doubted whether he was a
legitimate child), stood up and asked, "Who is my Father?" The Prophet
(May Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, "Your Father is
Huzaifa". (The accusation on Abdullah bin Huzaifa was cleared.) The
Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) repeated, "Ask me,
ask me".
[Bukhari Kitab-ul-I'tisaam Muslim chap on Fadial].
It is evident from this Hadith that the only people who objected to
the knowledge (Ilm-e-ghaib) of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and
grant him peace) were the Munafiqs (hypocrites), and the belief that
Allah informed His Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)
of more knowledge than any one else is the belief of the blessed
companions of the Prophet.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal quotes the following narration which provides
more evidence on the Prophets knowledge :
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, "I have
seen my Lord, He put His hands upon my chest, after which everything
appeared before me and I recognized everything.
[Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol 5, page 243]
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
A shepherd was with his goats. Upon which a wolf came and grabbed one
goat and ran. The shepherd then chased after the wolf to get the goat
back. The wolf then spoke to him and said, "Why do you take what food
(rizq) which Allah has provided for me?" The shepherd was astonished
that the wolf spoke. The wolf again said, "If you are so surprised
that I can talk then go to Madina. You will find the last of the
Prophets, and he can inform you of the Past and the Future". The
shepherd left his goats and went straight to the Prophet (May Allah
bless him and grant him peace) and mentioned his experience. The
Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, "The wolf
spoke the truth" Isnad (chain of narrators) for this hadith is (Jayid)
Authentic.
[Taareekh: Chapter of Miracles of Prophet [May Allah bless Him and
grant Him peace].
We also find the following clear cut hadith without any ambigious
meanings from Sahih Muslim:
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, "Allah
put the earth before me and I saw it from the East to the West"
[Muslim (Chapter of Excellence of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and
grant him peace]
This Hadith is a proof that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant
him peace) was bestowed with the knowledge of the whole world.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir and Ibn Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi write:
Suad bin Qarib recited a poem in front of the Prophet (May Allah bless
him and grant him peace), "I bear witness that there is none worthy of
worship except Allah. Allah has made you the trustee over all the
ghaib.
[Sirat-un-Nabi and Mukhtasar Sirat ul Rasool, Storey on Swad bin Qariq
by Hafidhh ibn Kathir and Ibn Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi]
Shaykh-ul-Islam, al-Hafidhh Ibn Hajar Asqalani writes that:
One of the qualities bestowed upon a Prophet is the quality that he
knows what has already happened in the past and what will happen in
the future.
(Fathul Bari chap on Anbiya).
From all the above Ahadith it is proven that the Prophet (May Allah
bless him and grant him peace) was bestowed with more knowledge, than
any other in the creation by Allah Almighty. It is also clear that he,
(May Allah bless him and grant him peace), has been bestowed with the
knowledge of the past and future and it is therefore permissible to
say that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) is
the trustee of the knowledge of Ghayb.
It is proven from the above narrations that Allah Almighty bestowed
(that is gave) our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)
the knowledge of the Ghayb, so it is permissible to say that he, (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace) knows the Ghayb. Hence if someone
says that they hold the Prophet to know the Ghayb(unseen), he is not
committing Kufr or Shirk by holding such a belief.
Sayyedina Khidr (Alay hissalaam) also knew the Ghayb?
Imam Tabari, Imam Qurtabi and Qadi Shawkani quote the following narration:
Ibn Abbas reported that Khidr was a man who did all his work with the
knowledge of the Ghayb because he knew the Ghayb.
[Tafsir Tabari, Tafsir Qurtabi, Tafsir Fathul Qadir, by Imam Tabari,
Qurtabi and Qadi Shawkani].
The above statement proves from a narration from a Sahabi, which is
accepted by leading and reputable classical authorities, that it is
permissible to say about Khidhr that he knew the Ghayb, so how can it
possibly be wrong to say that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him
and grant him peace) also knows the Ghayb.
Hafidhh ibn Kathir and Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi wrote;
Malik Bin Aouf Nazri has written a Poem about our Prophet (May Allah
bless him and grant him peace) and has written
I have not seen any one like you in this world that I can compare with.
Who always fulfill all that he promises.
There is no one more generous than him,
When you ask him some thing he will inform you of what is going to
happen tomorrow.
[Sirat an Nabi Ibn Kathir and Muktasar Sirat al Rasool chapter Gazwa
Hawazan by Hafidh ibn Kathir and Ibn Shaykh Najdy]
We will now examine some doubts that are raised by the opponents of
the above Qur'anic and Ahadith based beliefs, and then by the grace of
Allah, will answer their doubts so that the truth may become clear,
Insha'allah.
Q) How can you say that Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace) has been given the knowledge of the Ghayb when Allah Almighty
says in the Qur'an that there are five things of which no one has any
knowledge about?
The relevant verse of the Qur'an is as follows:-
"Undoubtedly, Allah has the knowledge of the Hour, and He sends rain
and knows what is in the wombs of the mothers and no soul knows in
what land it will die. Undoubtedly, Allah is the Knower, All Aware".
(Surah Luqman Verse 34)
There are two answers to this:
The word used in this verse in Arabic is Adri, which refers to that
knowledge which someone can attain by guessing. Of course the
knowledge of the Unseen of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant
him peace) was not by guessing. Allah informed this to him.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir (who met and briefly studied with Ibn Taymiyya) has
written in his famous commentary to the Qur'an, 'Tafsir Ibn Kathir',
the meaning of this ayaat, namely, that no-one can find the knowledge
of these things on there own endeavor. Only Allah can give this
knowledge, for example Allah gives knowledge to the Angels whose
duties are to control rain, and therefore on the command of Allah it
rains.
Also Allah commands an Angel who goes into the mother's womb and hangs
a record around the child's neck what he/she will do in their
lifetime. This knowledge is not attained by the Angel but rather it is
given by Allah Himself.
If the literal and direct meaning is taken from the above quoted
ayaat, then it will mean that only Allah knows what is in the mothers
womb but today, we can discover quite easily if the child is a male or
female by modern scanning techniques.
If the Angels have some knowledge on the five Unseen things - given to
them by Allah, why is it strange if the Prophet (May Allah bless him
and grant him peace) also has some of this knowledge - again bestowed
by Allah.
During the battle of Badr, the Prophet mentioned the names of the
kafirs that were to die the next and also described the manner in
which the companions would achieve martyrdom.
These are clear and authentic examples of the Prophet, (May Allah
bless him and grant him peace), informing his ummah about future
events, hidden from all else (ie ghayb), [Taken from Sahih Bukhari
chapter on the Battle of Badr and also Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Surah
Luqman Ayaat 34.]
(Q) Did Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) not
stop people from saying that he [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace] had the knowledge of tomorrow?
On one occasion our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)
went to a wedding. There, the girls were singing about the battle of
Badr. When they saw the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace) coming they stopped singing about Battle of Badr and started to
sing that: "There is a Prophet amongst us that knows about tomorrow".
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) said carry on
singing what you were singing before. [Miskat chapter Nikah]
If he [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knew about tomorrow,
then why did he stop them from singing it?
The Answer to this is:
These poems were written by a Companion [Sahabi], and had it been
incorrect, he [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] would have
instructed them to stop immediately and not to repeat.
This means the poem was right. The reason he told them to stop singing
was because a wedding celebration was taking place and he wanted them
to sing the poem that they were singing before, and secondly he did
not want them to praise him in the presence of himself. That was one
of the beauties of our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace), that he didn't like to be praised.
Everyone knows that our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace) did know about the future events up to the Day of Judgment and
even after, how else could he have told us about the Mahdi, the
Dajjal, the second coming of Jesus, the questions to be asked in the
grave, the bridge over Hell which everyone will have to cross to get
to Heaven, the Meezan (scales) where everyone's actions will be
weighed etc etc.
There are countless more proofs which show without a shadow of a doubt
that the Beloved Messenger of Allah, (May Allah bless him and grant
him peace), had been given the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen) and
ALLAH is the knower of all things!

Hazir o Nazir

We, the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jammat, believe that the Prophet [May Allah
bless him and grant him peace] is Haadhir and Nadhir, which simply put
means that he views our actions and in this way we are presented to
him. He [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is Nadhir, since he
views our actions, both good and bad.
Definition of Hadhir/Nadhir
Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan and Allama Ghulam Rasool Sa'eedi write:
Haadhir Nadhir does not mean that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and
grant him peace] is present. Rather, it means that the Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace] views the actions of his Ummah
whilst he is in his grave. He can go from his grave to other places
where he likes spiritually. He prays for us.
[Tawzeeh-ul-Bayaan Sharh Sahih Muslim vol 1 Chapter on Mi'raj Ja al-Haqq chapter
Al Haadir-u-wannadir by Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan]
Proof of Hadhir/Nadhir
Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'an
"O Prophet! [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] no doubt, We
have sent you as a witness, bearer of glad tiding and a Warner"
[Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 45.]
The Qur'an refers to RasoolAllah [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace] as 'Shahid'(witness) and the witness is someone who sees whilst
being present. [Mufradaat, Imam Raghib, under the word Shahid]
Allah sent the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] as
Shahid. It is for this reason we refer to him as metaphorically being
Haadhir/Nadhir and that he is not Hadhir/Nadhir in the way that are
the Angels Kiraman, Katibeen. (The Angels who are constantly present
on the right and left shoulder of every human being.)
Proof of Haadhir & Nadhir from Hadith
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
Imam Qurtubi writes: The angels present the actions of the Ummah to
the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] every single
day. This is not correct, but the truth is that the actions of the
Ummah are presented not every day but every Friday. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir
Surah Al-Nisa'a under verse 41]
Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim writes:
It is true that our Prophet, [May Allah bless him and grant him peace]
in his grave, is presented with the actions of his Ummah. This is from
un-authenticated Ahadeeth and it is not something to be surprised by,
because when our parents pass away from this world, our actions are
presented to them to view. However, with our Prophet [May Allah bless
him and grant him peace], he is presented with the actions of the all
humans and the Jins. [Qaseedah Nounia 13 by Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim]
Hafidhh ibn Kathir writes: that;
When a parent of a muslim dies, then their children's actions are
presented to them. If the actions are good then they are happy, but if
their actions are bad, then they pray to Allah TA'ALA so that He may
forgive them. [Tafsir ibn Kathir under verse 105 of Surah al Taubah by
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir].
Hafidhh Ibn Rajab: also says on this subject;
Deeds of the humans are presented in front of our Prophet [May Allah
bless him and grant him peace], that is why a person should be ashamed
of themselves from doing bad deeds. [Lataef-ul-Mahrif Hafidhh Ibn
Rajab pg 91]
Some people may have difficulty in comprehending how the Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace] could have so much power to the
extent that he views the actions of his Ummah every day or once a
week. Firstly such a thing can never be difficult for the Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace], and secondly there is nothing to
be surprised by when Allah grants his special servants abilities of
such nature.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
An example of this would be of the Angel Izra'eel Alaihi salaam, who
at all times has the Lawh-e-Mahfooz (guarded tablet) in his sight, and
it is through this he sees the whole world. He even visits every house
on land and under water five times a day. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah
Sajdah, under verse 11. Also in Tareek Ibn Kathir vol.1, Chapter on
Lawh-e-Mahfooz]
Apart from his servants, Allah has even given power to Shaytaan, who
sits on his throne in the sea and sees you wherever you may be. [Surah
Al-'Araaf, under verse 27]
So if Allah can bestow such powers to a Kafir then why is it so
difficult to believe that He can bestow such powers to the most
beloved of his creation - Our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant
him peace]?
The evidence provided above, was to demonstrate that the Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace] is a witness over the whole of
his Ummah - and this is what is meant by Hadhir/Nadhir.
The Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] stated:
"My life is better for you, you narrate Ahadith and Ahadith are
narrated for you. When I pass away it will continue to benefit you
because your actions will be presented before me. If I see a good deed
I shall praise Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala, If I see a bad deed of
yours I shall ask Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala to forgive you.
[Majma-uz-Zwaa'id, vol.9, pg.24]
All this implies, that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace] is Hadhir/Nadhir over our actions.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes: On the Day of Judgment, the Prophet [May
Allah bless him and grant him peace] will be a witness over our
actions and the actions of the previous Ummahs. Even the Ummah of the
Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will bear witness to
the fact that the previous Prophets conveyed the message of Allah
Soobha Nahu Wata'la to their respective Ummahs. To this, the people
from the previous Ummahs will say: 'How can they testify when they
were not present at that time?' The Ummah of the Prophet [May Allah
bless him and grant him peace] will reply: 'We were informed by our
Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] that the previous
messengers had all conveyed the message from Allah Soobha Nahu
Wata'ala.' Then RasoolAllah [May Allah bless him and grant him peace]
will himself bear witness to the fact that all the Prophets before him
had conveyed their message from Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala to their
respective Ummahs. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Baqarah, under verse 143]
On the Day of judgment there will be an objection to the certification
of the Ummahs ,but there will be no objection to the
word/certification of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace]. In fact it will used as a decision, since the certification of
the Ummah would be from what they heard (from Qur,an and Sunnah) but
the certification of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him
peace] will be from what he had witnessed.
Imam Bukhari Rahmatullah states:
The Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] saw all the
previous Prophets and their followers. This is the difference in the
testimony of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] and
that of his Ummah. [Sahih al Bukhari Chptr Al-Manaqib]
From the above, it can be understood that the witness of Prophet
Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will not be
challengable on the Day of Judgement, because his witness will be
observable.

Death of PROPHETS

There are those misinformed people who believe that the Ahl as-Sunnah
Wa'l Jama actually believe that the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless
him and grant him peace) did not die!! What a gross accusation!! The
true belief of the Ahle Sunnah wa'l Jama, is that the Prophet (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace), did die, but he is alive in his
grave.
It is in the grave, that the Prophet Muhammad, (May Allah bless him
and grant him peace), is presented with our deeds, and makes
supplication on behalf of the Ummah. This will be looked into further
in another chapter of the book, Insha Allah. There are also instances,
where the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) will
appear in our dreams and comfort us with good news and glad tidings.
We also believe, that to send Salaam [salutations] to our Prophet (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace), will be met with a reply back.
There are many narrations that support this, which will be discussed
later on in this book.
Blasphemic Belief
A great Scholar of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama, Sayyid Ahmad Sa'eed
Shah Kaazmi, writes:
'The one who states that the Soul of the Prophet, (May Allah bless him
and grant him peace), was not taken and he never died, is a Kafir and
is out of the circle of Islam.
[Hayaat-un-Nabi, p8 by Sayyid Ahmad Sa'eed Shah Kaazmi]
This is the belief of the Ahle Sunnah wal Jammat but the people who
say the Ahle Sunnah believe, that Prophet Muhammad, (May Allah bless
him and grant him peace). has not passed away is a false accusation on
us.
Shaykh ul Makkah, Shaykh Alawi says that the meaning of the Anbiya
(Prophets) passing away, means that they have been taken away from us
and we cannot see them just like the Angels are.
(Mafaheem page 165 by Shaykh Alawi Malki).
Proof that Prophets are alive.
Allah most High says in the Qur'aam,
"…those who have been slain in the way of Allah never think of them as
dead; but they are alive with their Lord, get their subsistence"
[Surah Al-Imran verse 169]
Of course, it goes without saying that the position of the Prophets,
(May Allah bless them and grant them peace) is above and beyond the
status of those who are martyred in Allah's way. This however
implicates, that nevertheless, he (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace) is alive too.
Qadi Shawkawni writes:
In the Qur'an it is mentioned that martyrs are alive and food is
provided for them; The Prophets and Righteous people are a lot higher
in status than them so what will be their place? It has been proven
through Ahadeeth that Prophets are alive in their graves. Both Imam
Tirmizi and Imam Bayhaqi have said that this is an authentic Ahadith.
[Nayl al-Awtar vol 3 page 82 by Qadi Shawkani]
Proof from the Hadith that Prophets are alive in their graves
Our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), said: On the
night of Mi'raj when I passed Prophet Musa's (Alay hissalaam) grave.
He was standing in his grave and offering Salaah.
[Muslim chapter Fadhail Musa]
Qadi Shawkawni writes:
Scholars agree that our Prophet, (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace), is alive in his grave and the earth does not eat the bodies of
the Prophets.
[Nayl al-Awtar chapter Hajj by Qadi Shawkani]
Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim writes:
Our Prophet, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), has said that
on Fridays send as much Blessings as you can on me. If when-one sends
Blessings to me, where-ever he may be his voice will reach me. The
Companions said even after your death, our 'Prophet, (May Allah bless
him and grant him peace), replied affirmative. This is because Allah
most High, has made the bodies of the Prophets haram (forbidden) for
the earth to eat.
[Jala ul Afham page 63 by Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim]
Imam Darimi writes
'Sa'eed Ibn Al-Musayyib says, "In the days of Harrah (When Yazeed
attacked Madina.) For three days in Masjid-e-Nabavi there was no
Adhan, or Iqamah, I was in the Mosque alone. I heard from the grave
our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), grave the
Adhan, and that's how I knew the time of Salaah"
[Darimi Chapter Fadhail Sayedul-Mursalin by Imam Darimi]
Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah says:
A group of people heard the answer of their Salaam. And Sa'eed Ibn Al-
Musayyib in the days of Harrah heard the voice of our Prophet (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying the Adhan, from the
grave. And there are more events like these and they are all true.
[Iqtidah Siratul-Mustakeem page 373 by Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah]
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
Abdullah Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with Him, said that in his
dream he saw the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace),
and upon him there was dust from travelling. In his hand' was a bottle
in which there was blood, I asked him: "what is this?" He replied, "My
grandson Hussain and his companions have been martyred, and I have
collected the blood spilt by them and I shall present this blood to
Allah Ta'ala." This is an authentic narration.
Ummul Mu' mineen Salma states: I saw the Messenger of Allah, (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace), in my dream, there was dust upon
his hair and beard, I asked him: "O Messenger of Allah why is there
dust on you?" He replied: 'I am returning from Kerbala.
[Tarikh Ibn-e-Kathir, chapter Karbala]
The pious can talk after passing away.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
Zaid bin Kharjah was one of the pious that talked after his death.
When he died and was placed in his coffin, he started to talk, and he
said I bear witness that Muhammad is Prophet of Allah and his name
Ahmad was mentioned in the previous scriptures. (Old Testament and New
Testament) and Abu Bakr and Umar were two Caliphs and now it is
Usman's government. Four years have passed and there are two years to
go and conflicts will come and Muslims will become weak. A lot of
scholars verify this narration including Imam Bukhari and Imam
Bayhaqi. There was another pious person who talked after his death.
Abdullah Ansari reports that in the time of Ali's caliphate I was
walking among the martyred and a person spoke: That Muhammad (May
Allah bless him and grant him peace), and
Abu-Bakar and Usman are all true. A group of Scholars says that
talking after passing away is true and these are authentic narrations.
[Tareek Ibn Kathir and Sirat un-Nabi, chapter Al-Mujazaat by Hafidhh
Ibn Kathir. Also Tareekh ul Kabeer, Tareekh Bagdad, Al-Jahrhu-Tadeel,
Tahdeed al Tahdeeb, Usdul Gaba, Al Asabah biography of Zaid bin
Kharjah by Imam Bukhari, Khateeb Ibn abi Hatam, Hafidhh Ibn Hajr
Asqalani, Imam Ibn Atheer].
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
That there was a Tabi'ee called Ribee bin Harraash, and he said I will
not laugh until I know whether I am going to go to Heaven or Hell.
When he died, and was bathed and placed in the coffin, he started to
smile and started to talk. He said, "I met Allah and He was pleased
with me and I asked him to give me permission to go back to the people
and tell them that Allah is pleased with me, and He gave me
permission. I am going back. "This is in accordance with saying of
the, Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), he said that,
there will be a follower and after his death he will speak and he will
be the best among the tabi'een.
[Tareekh Ibn Kathir, Sirat un Nabi chap on Miracles, Tareekh e Bagdad,
Tahdeeb at Tahdeeb, Al Jahr hu wa Ta'deel by Hafidhh Ibn Kathir,
Khateeb Baghdadi, Hafidhh Asqalani, Imam Ibn abi Khatam, biography of
Ribee bin Harraash].
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes: that;
Ata Bin Khalid stated: My Aunt went to the grave of Hamza (May Allah
be well pleased with him) and said, "Asslam u alaikum!" She heard the
answer of the Sallam and the voice was coming from under the earth.
She said, "I recognised the answer of my Salaam, as I recognise that
Allah most High has created me. As I recognise the differences between
day and night, that is how clear it was. Besides my slave and I there
was no other person, which is why I was frightened."
[Sirat un-Nabi chapter War Uhad by Hafidhh Ibn Kathir]
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
A young person used to come to the Mosque for his prayers. One day a
woman with bad intentions invited him to her house, when he was in her
house he recited a verse from the Holy Qur'an loudly and collapsed and
died from the fear of Allah. The people prayed the funeral prayer and
buried him. Umar may Allah be well pleased with him, asked: 'Where is
that young individual who used to come to the Mosque for his prayers?'
They replied: 'He passed away and we have buried him'. Umar May Allah
be well pleased with him, went to his grave and called out to him and
recited a verse from the Holy Qur'an: 'But for him who fears to stand
before his Lord there are two Paradises' (Surah Al-Rahman, verse 46)
The young man replied from his grave 'Indeed Allah has given me two
Paradises'. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir under Surah Al-'Araf, verse 202]
It is proven that our Prophet, (May Allah bless him and grant him
peace), is alive in his grave.Sheikh ul Makkah, Shiekh Alawi says that
the passing away of the Prophets only means that they have been taken
away from us and we cannot see them, just as we cant see the angels.
(Mafahim page 165 Sheikh Alawi Malki)
From the above we can conclude that the Prophets and the Righteous
people are alive and can talk after they have passed away, and they
can answer our Salaams after passing away. They are fully aware of the
worldly matters, through the power that Allah most High, has granted
them. Their life is much better than ours.
Whatever I have said may Allah Ta'ala accept this and if there is any
mistakes may He forgive me. (Amin)