Question: Maulana Qasim Nanotvi D.B

[mohtashims]

On page 5 of “Tehzeerunnas” (published in Maktaba Fayz Nazd Jami Masjid Deoband), Qasim Nanotvi says: “Prophets are superior to their followers only in knowledge, but in good deeds, followers
sometimes seem equal and occasionally even become superior to them.”

Can I have some examples please ?

[Saad]

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/showthread.php?45144-Ikhtilaf-in-the-Umma-and-The-Straight-Path&p=376135#post376135


Assalam o 'alaykum,

Apparently you have not understood the matter properly. Qasim al-Uloom wal-Khayrat Mawlana Nanowti [may Allah have mercy on him] writes in Tahzeer al-Naas that kamal [paragon] is of two types, kamal ilmi and kamal amali. Mawlana writes that Allah has mentioned four types of groups in the Quran; Nabiyeen, Siddiqeen, Shuhada and Saliheen. Kamal of Nabiyeen and Siddiqeen is ilmi and kamal of Shuhada and Saliheen is amali. Mawlana writes that if Prophets are exalted and distinguished from their followers, then it is because of ilm but in amaal sometimes the followers outwardly/seemingly surpass the Prophets. Mawlana clearly mentions that a follower can never reach the level of a Prophet in status, but outwardly he can surpass a Prophet in amaal. Mawlana also clearly mentions that there is no comparison in reward or status. If a Sahabi gives one date in the path of Allah and we give gold as the size of a mountain, we would not reach the status of that Sahabi nor would we attain as much reward as of that Sahabi. Now outwardly, that individual who gave gold as the size of a mountain surpassed the Sahabi in amal but it doesn’t mean he has reached that status of that Sahabi in any way possible. We know that Imam Abu Hanifa [may Allah have mercy on him] performed more or less 50 Hajj, while Prophet [Allah bless him and give him mercy] performed only one Hajj. Now outwardly, Imam sahib has surpassed the Nabi in this amal. This is the crux of the statement of Mawlana Nanowti which the takfiris have blown out of the proportion. Which sane person can disagree with what Mawlana Nanowti is saying?

This same thing was mentioned by Imam Fakhar al-Din Razi [may Allah have mercy on him] long time before Deoband. He writes:


وقد نجد فى الامة من هواطول عمرا واشد اجتهادا من النبى صلى اللّه عليه وسلم وهو منه ابعد فى الدرجة من العرش الى ما تحت الثرى

"It is possible to find in the Ummah a person who has a longer life that Nabi [sallalahu Alayhi wasallam] and who strives more in ibadah, yet the status of this person from Nabi [sallalahu Alayhi wasallam] would be so far like that between the Arsh and the inner recesses of the earth."

[Tafsir Kabir, vol.2 p.218]

[Tipu Sultan]

JazakAllah brother,