A critical look at Gibril Haddad’s Review of Taqwiyat al-Iman‏

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Mawlana Manzur Nu'mani (1905-1997), a student of 'Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri, wrote a book in defence of Shah Isma'il called Hazrat Shah Ismail Shaheed Aur Mu‘anidin Ahle Bid'at Ke Ilzamat (Shawwal 1376 H/1957 CE) in which he addressed many of the common accusations against Shah Isma'il [the book is available here].

The final accusation made against Shah Isma'ill which Mawlana Nu'mani discusses is that he denied intercession (shafa'ah) (pp. 82-102) and Gibril Haddad regurgitates this claim in his review. Naim al-Din al-Muradabadi claimed in his Atyab al-Bayan that Shah Isma'il's denial of intercession was more severe than the denial of the Mu'tazilis as they accept intercession for the elevation of ranks in paradise but not for the pardoning of sins, whereas Shah Isma'il denied intercession altogether. The reality, however, is that Shah Isma'il did not deny intercession in its true form but rejected those types of intercession that are inadmissible for Allah.

In the third section (fasl) “ishtirak fi al-tasarruf” he elaborates on the issue of intercession. For an accurate translation of the section in question, see Mir Shahamat’s translation here from pages 338-41.

Shah Ismai'il first quotes some verses of Sura Saba’ which includes the verse, “No intercession can avail in His Presence, except for those for whom He has granted permission.” (34:23)

He then goes on to describe three types of intercession or commendation (safarish) that are known and practiced, and he says the first two are inadmissible for Allah while the third is what is meant by intercession when it appears in Qur'an and hadith:

The first is “intercession by status” (shafa‘at al-wajaha) where the king desires to punish a criminal but because a high-ranking officer interceded on his behalf, fearing the loss of such a valuable officer, the king suppresses his desire to punish the criminal and pardons him.

A second type he discusses is “intercession from affection” (shafa'at al-mahabba) where the king suppresses his desire to punish because of his love for the one who interceded on behalf of the criminal like his wife, son etc.

The third and final type of intercession is that the criminal is deserving of forgiveness because although he committed a crime it was uncommon for him and he was truly repentant and remorseful, and seeing the desire of the king to forgive, a minister comes forward with the king’s approval to intercede on his behalf and seemingly because of his intercession, he pardons him. This is “intercession with permission” (shafaa bi l-idhn).

The first two are impossible with respect to Allah because Allah can never be forced or pressured into acting against His will or His desire because of affection or fear of losing a high-ranking servant, as ultimately all before Him are servants while He is the King of Kings with no need. The Qur'an says "O men! You are they who stand in need of Allah, and Allah is He Who is the Self-sufficient, the Praised One. If He wills, He can be rid of you and bring [instead of you] a new creation, and that is not a hard thing for Allah." (35:15-7)

The third type is the type of intercession which will occur in the afterlife. Shah Isma'il explicitly mentioned that this is what is meant by the intercession mentioned in verses of the Qur’an and hadiths.

Mawlana Nu'mani after quoting the passage from Taqwiyat al-Iman, comments that no Muslim can deny that what Shah Isma'il said is undeniably true as Allah is completely independent of all creation (ghani) and in absolutely no need of them (samad). It is clear from the passage of Taqwiyat al-Iman that Shah Ismail only denies the first two types of intercession which no Muslim can possibly support, while he accepts the last type.

Mawlana Nu'mani says: wherever in the Qur’an intercession is mentioned in the affirmative, it always qualifies this with the condition “with permission” (bi al-idhn), the very type that Shah Ismail shows to be the only type of intercession possible with respect to Allah. It is also clear from the hadiths that without permission not even the closest servant can come forward to Allah to intercede for anyone. Mawlana Nu'mani then goes on to offer proofs from the Qur'an, its commentaries, and the hadiths and their commentaries, some of which are provided below:

Allah says: “Who is he that intercedes in His presence except with His permission?” (2:255) Al-Nasafi says in its commentary: “It is not [possible] for anyone to intercede in His presence except with His permission, and this is a demonstration of His sovereignty and His greatness, and that no one has the ability to speak on the Day of Resurrection except when He gives him permission to speak.”

ليس لأحد أن يشفع عنده إلا بإذنه وهو بيان لملكوته وكبريائه، وأن أحداً لا يتمالك أن يتكلم يوم القيامة إلا إذا أذن له في الكلام

Allah says: “There is no intercessor except after His permission” (10:3) Al-Baghawi says: “Its meaning is that the intercessors will not intercede except after His permission.”

معناه: أن الشفعاء لا يشفعون إلا بإذنه

Khazin says: “Meaning, no intercessor will intercede in His presence on the Day of Resurrection except after He gives permission to him to intercede.”

لا يشفع عنده شافع يوم القيامة إلا من بعد أن يأذن له في الشفاعة

Alusi says in his tafsir of this verse: “I.e. there is no intercessor interceding on behalf of another in any one time except after His (Almighty) permission based on [His] manifest wisdom, and that is when the intercessor is from the chosen [servants] and the one interceded for is deserving of intercession.”

أي ما من شفيع يشفع لأحد في وقت من الأوقات إلا بعد إذنه تعالى المبني على الحكمة الباهرة وذلك عند كون الشفيع من المصطفين الأخيار والمشفوع له ممن يليق بالشفاعة

Allah says: “On that day shall no intercession avail except of him whom the Beneficent allows and whose word He is pleased with.” (20:109) Nasafi: “I.e. the intercession will avail none except the intercession of the one the Beneficent allows i.e. the intercessor He allows to intercede.”

أي لا تنفع الشفاعة إلا شفاعة من أذن له الرحمن أي أذن للشافع في الشفاعة

Alusi says there are two possible interpretations of the one who the Beneficient “allows,” either the intercessor or the one interceded for. On the second possibility he writes: “The sum meaning of this is intercession will avail none except one who the Beneficent allows to be interceded for while he was a believer.”

وحاصل المعنى عليه لا تنفع الشفاعة أحداً إلا من أذن الرحمن في أن يشفع له وكان مؤمناً

Allah says: “Say: Unto Allah belongs all intercession” (39:44) Alusi says: “The meaning is that Allah is possessor of all intercession. No one can intercede unless the one interceded for is approved [by Allah] and the intercessor is allowed [by Allah to intercede].”

والمعنى أنه تعالى مالك الشفاعة كلها لا يستطيع أحد شفاعة ما إلا أن يكون المشفوع [له] مرتضى والشفيع مأذوناً له

Khazin says: “None intercedes on behalf of another except by His permission so busying oneself with His worship is worthier, because in reality He is the Intercessor and He allows intercession from whoever of His servants He wishes.”

أي لا يشفع أحد إلا بإذنه فكان الاشتغال بعبادته أولى لأنه هو الشفيع في الحقيقة وهو يأذن في الشفاعة لمن يشاء من عباده

Mawlana Nu'mani comments: This is precisely what Shah Isma'il said in the section of Taqwiyat al-Iman in question.

He then quotes the hadith of intercession from Bukhari which shows the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) only interecedes with Allah’s permission and he mentions specifically in this hadith: “He places boundaries for me [i.e. for my intercession]” under which al-'Asqalani said quoting from al-Tibi: “He shows to me in every stage of the intercession a boundary I must stay within and not trespass e.g. He says: I allow you intercession for those who were deficient in congregational [prayer], and then those who were deficient in prayer, and then those who drank wine, and then those who committed adultery, and in this fashion.”

قَوْلُهُ فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا يُبَيِّنُ لِي فِي كُلِّ طَوْرٍ مِنْ أَطْوَارِ الشَّفَاعَةِ حَدًّا أَقِفُ عِنْدَهُ فَلَا أَتَعَدَّاهُ مِثْلَ أَنْ يَقُولَ شَفَّعْتُكَ فِيمَنْ أَخَلَّ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ ثُمَّ فِيمَنْ أَخَلَّ بِالصَّلَاةِ ثُمَّ فِيمَنْ شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ ثُمَّ فِيمَنْ زَنَى وَعَلَى هَذَا الْأُسْلُوبِ كَذَا حَكَاهُ الطِّيبِيُّ

http://hadith.al-islam.com/Page.aspx...D=33&PID=12026

[akabirofdeoband]

Mawlana Tahanwi(alayhi rahmah)-rahmatun WAASIYA!
Said

People give husn e dhaNN and make ta;wil of the statements of Hallaj!
Why dont they make tawil for sayyid sahibs statements

I think its a really good point

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Gibril Haddad answered a question regarding a few of the posts above here:

Question:
Assalamualaykum Shaykh Gibril,
The Deobandis have recently wrote answers in English to several of the accusations of error in their books, and claim Imam Ahmad Rida told lies. See the following:
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post639252
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post639652
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post643764
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post641474
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post641668
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post642584
http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post642773
What is your opinion on these answers, and are they correct and justified?
Jazakumullah
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Those who painstakingly gathered and translated the apologetic evidence in defense of Shah Ismail deserve credit because they have brought to light material from the sources that was unavailable before, and my feeling is they have tried to be fair in their translations. After a quick perusal of a few issues I am satisfied that on the one hand Shah Ismail is blameless on the issue of sarf al himma, but not on that of ‘mixing with the earth’ despite Mawlana Gangohi’s attempt to make it sound acceptable to use an ambiguous expression. Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi and here as elsewhere we stand with athar. Nor is Shah Ismail’s position that more Muhammads can be created other than tanqis of Prophet posing as ta’zim of Allah Most High. Those who ask for such discussions must therefore sift the chaff from the good and give each its due. In the end we repeat it is best to leave it alone, make peace, worship Allah and bless the Prophet.
Hajj Gibril Haddad

Notice, he makes no apology for the false claims he propagated, even the one he admits where he says "I am satisfied that on the one hand Shah Ismail is blameless on the issue of sarf al himma" when previously he said: "Ismā.īl Dihlawī is also notorious for affirming in his purported Straight Path. (al-Sirāt al-Mustaqīm) apparently co-authored with his close associate Sayyid Ahmad Barelwī that becoming absorbed (s.arf-e-himmat) in the Prophet Muhammad, were it to occur during Salāt, is much worse than to become absorbed in the thought of an ox or adonkey. It goes without saying that such a statement constitutes clear disparagement of the Prophet, which is passible of death in all four Sunnī Schools." So before he was deserving of the death penalty but now he is blameless? Why does he not admit such major distortions and errors, and acknolwedge that he based his review on biased sources which he should now accept as unreliable? Instead he brushes it off as though nothing was said or written.

Haddad says: "But not on that of ‘mixing with the earth’ despite Mawlana Gangohi’s attempt to make it sound acceptable to use an ambiguous expression. Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi and here as elsewhere we stand with athar." To anybody with some sense, this makes no sense. The phrase "mixing with the earth" (which simply means "was buried") was used as an explanation of a hadith; it was not said as a prophetic attribute. See this post above. On the other hand, when Gibril Haddad says the Prophet is "omnipresent" (see his article here) [while no athar states the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) is present in all places], his assertion "Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi and here as elsewhere we stand with athar" is clearly proven false.

He says: "Nor is Shah Ismail’s position that more Muhammads can be created other than tanqis of Prophet posing as ta’zim of Allah Most High"

Shah Isma'il doesn't exactly say "more Muhammads can be created." Rather, his exact words in Taqwiyat al-Iman are:

Iss Shahinshah ki to yeh shaan he keh ek aan meh ek hukm “kun” se chahe to kororoh nabi or wali or jin wa firashte jibra’il aur Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam ki barabar peda kur dale aur ek dam meh sara ‘alam ‘arsh sey farsh tuk alat pulut kur dale aur ek aur hi ‘alam is jagah qaim kureh

Translation: "The nature of this King of Kings is such that if He wished, then [merely] with the order “Be,” He can create millions of prophets, saints, jinn and angels equal to Jibra’il and Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) in one moment, and in one second He can turn upside-down the entire creation from the Throne to the earth and put another creation in its place."

The context in which Shah Isma'il said this was to reject what he refers to as the popular misunderstanding of prophetic intercession as "shafa'ati wajahah" which was discussed in an earlier post. He explains that Allah is utterly independent of His creation, and has no need for them whatsoever.

The second part of the translated sentence above is a paraphrase of the Qur’an: Allah says: “O mankind! You are the poor in your relation to Allah. And Allah! He is the Independent, the Praiseworthy. If He wills, He can be rid of you and bring (instead of you) some new creation. That is not a hard thing for Allah.” (35:15-17) & He said: “Allah is the Independent, and you are the poor. And if you turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)

The first part of the sentence, which is the section in question, is also the implication of some verses of the Qur'an: For example, under the verse which says, "Had We wished, we would have sent a warner to every village." (25:51); after explaining how this verse elevates the position of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), al-Razi writes: "The verse implies a mix of gentleness with harshness because it illustrates the power [of Allah] to send a warner like Muhammad to every village, and that the Divine Presence has no need at all for Muhammad."

الآية تقتضي مزج اللطف بالعنف لأنها تدل على القدرة على أن يبعث في كل قرية نذيراً مثل محمد، وأنه لا حاجة بالحضرة الإلهية إلى محمد ألبتة

Is this disrespect and tanqis posing as ta'zim of Allah?

Slightly later in the same context, Shah Isma'il says “No one can harm Him or benefit Him.” In his footnote to this comment, Sayyid Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali al-Nadwi quotes the hadith qudsi from Sahih Muslim, “Were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you, to be [as pious] as the most pious heart of any one man of you [which is the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam), as Mubarakpuri said in his commentary of the same hadith from Tirmidhi], that would not increase My kingdom in anything..."

Gibril Haddad ends his answer by saying: "In the end we repeat it is best to leave it alone, make peace, worship Allah and bless the Prophet." In that case, why write such a baseless review and attack Shah Isma'il on false charges?

[mujahid7ia]

Excellent posts Shaykh, jazak Allah.

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Haddad says: "But not on that of ‘mixing with the earth’ despite Mawlana Gangohi’s attempt to make it sound acceptable to use an ambiguous expression. Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi and here as elsewhere we stand with athar." To anybody with some sense, this makes no sense. The phrase "mixing with the earth" (which simply means "was buried") was used as an explanation of a hadith; it was not said as a prophetic attribute. See this post above. On the other hand, when Gibril Haddad says the Prophet is "omnipresent" (see his article here) [while no athar states the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) is present in all places], his assertion "Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi and here as elsewhere we stand with athar" is clearly proven false

GF Haddad wrote this article several years ago on the "Omnipresence of the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam," in which he attempts to prove the Barelwi doctrine of “Hazir Nazir.” http://sunnah.org/aqida/haadir_wa_naadir.htm

A brother asked me to reply to GF Haddad’s “proofs,” as the belief that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is omnipresent (i.e. present in all places) is a belief that opposes the clear verses of the Qur’an, statements of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) and the established beliefs of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa l-Jama‘ah.

It should be remembered, firstly, that GF Haddad is unreliable in his unsupported claims and assertions (of which there are many). See for example here.

Secondly, it should be understood that the mark of the people of innovation (ahl al-bid‘ah) is that they rely on ambiguous evidences (mutashabihat) instead of clear evidences (wadihat). So you will see them relying on some farfetched interpretations of verses, coupled irresponsibly with statements of some scholars and isolated hadiths taken out of context, and so on. Imam al-Shatibi discusses this characteristic of the people of innovation in-depth in the fourth chapter of his brilliant work, al-I'tisam. Towards the end of this chapter he says: "Likewise, it is possible for every person who follows the ambiguous evidences or distorts the applications [of the evidences] or interprets verses in a way they were not understood by the pious Salaf or holds fast to weak hadiths or takes evidences on face value to draw support for every action, statement or belief that agrees with his objective from a verse or hadith that did not intend that at all. The proof for this is that every sect that has become famous for its heresy (bid‘ah) draws support from verses or hadiths." (al-I'tisam, 2:125)

The belief that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is omnipresent, meaning present and seeing in every place, is an innovated belief that is in violation of the clear evidences of the Shari'ah. In the following reply to his evidences, Haddad's comments are indented.

GF Haddad said:

Ibn Khafif al-Shirazi said in his al-‘Aqida al-Sahiha (§48):
[The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, ] is knower of what is and what shall be and he gave news of the Unseen (wa [ya‘taqidu] annahu al-‘âlimu bimâ kâna wa mâ yakûnu wa akhbara ‘an ‘ilmi al-ghayb).

Al-Baghawi relates in his Tafsir (under verse 55:3-4) from the eminent Tabi'i, Tawus ibn Kaysan (d. 106), that he said: "He (Allah) created man, meaning Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and taught him the description, meaning the description of what was and what will be, as he would describe [accounts of] the earlier peoples and the later peoples and the Day of Recompense."

وقال ابن كيسان: { خَلَقَ ٱلإِنسَـٰنَ } يعني: محمداً صلى الله عليه وسلم { عَلَّمَهُ ٱلبَيَانَ } يعني: بيان ما كان وما يكون لأنه كان يبين عن الأولين والآخرين وعن يوم الدين

Thus, it is clear that what is meant by this usage with respect to the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is the knowledge he brought of the earlier people, the later peoples and of eschatology. Such knowledge is also found in the Qur'an, which is why, for example, Ibn Kathir says about the Qur'an: "Indeed the Qur'an contains every beneficial science, of the description of what came before and knowledge of what is to come..."

إن القرآن اشتمل على كل علم نافع؛ من خبر ما سبق، وعلم ما سيأتي

The "knowledge of what was and what will be" when used with respect to the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) and the Qur'an, therefore, refers to the limited knowledge of the past and future documented in the Qur'an and hadith. They do not mean all-encompassing knowledge.

However, when it is used with respect to Allah, this phrase means all-encompassing knowledge.

Strangely, it appears GF Haddad concedes this:

Meaning, in the sense of being imparted by Allah whatever He imparted to him. Our teacher the Faqîh Shaykh Adib Kallas said: “Note that Ibn Khafif did not say ‘He knows all that is and all that shall be.’”

But Ahmad Rida Khan, who it seems Haddad is defending in this article, said exactly this in al-Dawlat al-Makkiyyah and other works: that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) was given knowledge of literally "all that was and will be" (جميع ما كان وما يكون). Does Haddad therefore accept that he was wrong?

But, apparently going back on this caveat to Ibn Khafif’s statement, Haddad then quotes his teacher saying:

"The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, possesses knowledge of all that is and knows the created universes in the same way that one knows a room in which one sits. Nothing is hidden from him."

As proof he says:

There are two verses of the Holy Qur’an that affirm this, [But how (will it be with them) when we bring of every people a witness, and We bring you (O Muhammad) a witness against these](4:41) and [Thus We have ap¬pointed you a middle nation, that you may be witnesses against man¬kind and that the messenger may be a witness against you] (2:143) nor can the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, be called to witness over what he does not know nor see

The above evidence is confirmed by the authentic Prophetic narration from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri in the Sahih, Sunan, and Masanid:

The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “Nuh and his Community shall come <also: ‘shall be brought’> and Allah Most High shall say: ‘Did you convey [My Mes¬sage]?’ He shall say, ‘Yes, indeed! my Lord.’ Then He shall ask his Com¬munity, ‘Did he convey [My Message] to you?’ and they shall say, ‘No, no Prophet came to us.’ Then Allah shall ask Nuh, ‘Who is your witness?’ and he shall reply, ‘Muhammad, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his Community.’ Then we shall bear witness that he conveyed [the Message] indeed, and this is [the meaning of] His saying, [Thus We have ap¬pointed you a middle nation (ummatan wasatan), that you may be witnesses against man¬kind] (2:143), al-wasat meaning ‘the upright’ (al-‘adl).”[2]

Ibn Hajar in his commentary of the above narration in Fath al-Bari said that another same-chained, similar narration in Ahmad and Ibn Majah shows that such witnessing applies to all the Communities and not just that of Nuh,`alayhis salaam:

The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “One Prophet shall come on the Day of Resurrection with a single man [as his Community]; another Prophet shall come with two men; others, with more. The nation of each Prophet shall be summoned and asked, ‘Did this Prophet convey [the Message] to you?’ They shall reply, no. Then he shall be asked, ‘Did you convey [the Message] to your people?’ and he shall reply, yes. Then he shall be asked, ‘Who is your witness?’ and he shall reply, ‘Muhammad and his Com¬munity.’ Whereupon Muhammad and his Community shall be sum¬moned and asked, ‘Did this man convey [the Message] to his people?’ They shall reply, yes. They shall be asked, ‘How do you know?’ They shall reply, ‘Our Prophet came to us and told us that the Messengers have indeed conveyed [the Message].’ This is [the meaning of] His say¬ing, [Thus We have appointed you a middle nation] – He means upright (yaqûlu ‘adlan) – [that you may be witnesses against man¬kind and that the messenger may be a witness against you] (2:143).”

In short, he is using the description of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) in the Qur'an as a "witness" as proof that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) knew and saw all that is and was. This, however, ignores the explanation of "witness" in the recognised Tafsirs and from the explanations of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) himself.

According to the Tafsirs, there are two possible meanings of "witness" when used in these verses (4:41, 2:143 and others), as Ibn al-Jawzi mentions in Zad al-Masir (although, he divides them into four):

1. He bears witness that he conveyed the message based on his knowledge of himself, and he witnesses that the earlier prophets conveyed the message based on the knowledge he received from revelation. This interpretation is consistent with other verses of the Qur'an (7:6, 28:85 and others) which show the Prophet will bear witness that he conveyed the message. This ummah will bear witness that the previous prophets conveyed the message, and it is clear this "witnessing" is not by means of having seen Nuh (‘alayhissalam) and the other Prophets, but by the knowledge this ummah has received from revelation. The narration above, which Haddad quotes, clearly states this is the kind of "witnessing" that is meant. If this interpretation is taken, it cannot possibly be used to mean that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is omnipresent.

2. A second interpretation is that he witnesses over his ummah in terms of their acceptance or rejection of him. However, this meaning is applicable only for as long as he lived amongst them (i.e. only for the Sahabah and the disbelievers of his time), but when he passed away this type of "witnessing" ended, as explicitly mentioned by the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) himself in the explanation of this verse:

In the commentary of 4:41, al-Tabari narrates with a sound chain from the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) that he said after this verse was recited to him by 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, quoting the statement of ‘Isa (‘alayhissalam):

شهيدا ما دمت فيهم فلما توفيتني كنت أنت الرقيب عليهم وأنت على كل شيء شهيد

"I was a witness over them for as long as I was among them, and when You took me (i.e. when I passed away), You was the Watcher over them. You are Witness over all things." (Qur’an 5:117)

[Chain: 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Zuhri, thiqah acc. to Abu Hatim and al-Nasa'i - Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah, undisputed hadith master - 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Utbah al-Mas'udi, thiqah acc. to many hadith critics - Ja'far ibn 'Amr ibn Hurayth, a narrator in Sahih Muslim, declared thiqah by al-Dhahabi - Sahabi, 'Amr ibn Hurayth]

This narration is also found in Sahih Muslim.

A narration found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim mention that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) in fact repeats this statement of ‘Isa (‘alayhissalam) on the plains of Resurrection when he is told that he has no knowledge of what some people from his ummah innovated after him.

This is, therefore, clear proof from the words of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) himself in authentic hadiths that if we take the meaning of witnessing the response of his ummah from the characteristic of “witness” it only applies to his companions, those with whom he directly interacted, and it does not extend beyond them.

In explaining verse 4:41, al-Razi said:

واستشهدك على هؤلاء يعني قومه المخاطبين بالقرآن الذين شاهدهم وعرف أحوالهم ثم إن أهل كل عصر يشهدون على غيرهم ممن شاهدوا أحوالهم وعلى هذا الوجه قال عيسى عليه السلام: وكنت عليهم شهيدا ما دمت فيهم

"Allah will make you [the Prophet] witness over these, meaning his people that were addressed by the Qur’an who he saw and knew of their conditions. Furthermore, the people of every age will bear witness over other than them from those whose conditions they saw. Based on this, 'Isa, peace be upon him, said: I was a witness over them for as long as I was among them.'"

Al-Qurtubi says of this verse that the intent is that he will be witness over the Kuffar of Quraysh. Then he said "it was said: the demonstrative noun is for the whole ummah," but he alludes to this being a weak view by using the phrase "it was said." Also he presented as proof of this view a narration that is clearly weak (as there is a majhul narrator in the chain, and it is maqtu‘ anyway).

Hence, although Qurtubi presents the interpretation Haddad asserts as the interpretation of this verse, it is prefaced by an indication that it is weak, and it is demonstrably supported by weak evidence.

So the notion that "shahid" implies the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is aware of the deeds of the entire ummah is supported by weak evidence and clearly contradicts the stronger evidences.

Moreover, there is clear evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) did not know how all of his ummah responded:

First, the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam)’s repetition of 'Isa's statement for himself both in this world and in the afterlife, as explained above.

Second, verse 5:109 of the Qur’an indicates according to some interpretations that the prophets (all of them) are unaware of the full details of the conditions of their peoples' response to them, which is why they said "We have no knowledge." In fact, Mulla 'Ali al-Qari said in the exact place where Haddad quotes him from his commentary of Mishkat:

"This [witnessing] does not negate His statement: “the day when Allah will assemble the messengers and will say to them, “How were you responded to?” They will say, “We have no knowledge. Surely You alone have the full knowledge of all that is unseen” because response is different to conveying, and it (i.e. the response of their peoples) requires details the essence of which is comprehended only by Allah, as opposed to conveying itself which is from obvious necessary knowledge."

Third, the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is told about some of the innovators from his ummah on the plains of Resurrection by the angels إنك لا تدري ما أحدثوا بعدك and لا علم لك (“You do not know” and “You have no knowledge of what they innovated after you”), as recorded in the Sahihs of Bukhari and Muslim, which is clear evidence that even after death and on the plains of resurrection, he is unaware of the actions of some of his ummah. This is also proven by the hadiths from Bukhari and Muslim which say he will only recognise his ummah by the white marks on them (ghurran muhajjalin) from the traces of wudu' (and not from his previous knowledge of them).

Fourthly, in a hadith al-Tirmidhi said is "sahih," he narrates the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) said: لا أراكم بعد عامي هذا (Perhaps I will not see you after this year of mine).

Fifthly, with respect to the earlier peoples, there are many verses of the Qur’an which explicitly say the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) was NOT present where certain significant events happened to earlier peoples and prophets:

“And (O prophet,) you were not there at the Western side (of the mount Tur) when We delegated the matter to Musa, nor were you among those present... And you were not dwelling among the people of Madyan, reciting Our verses to them, but it is We who do send messengers. And you were not at the side of (the mount) Tur when We called (Musa)” (28:44-5)

"Nor were you among those present" - the word used for present here is "shahid." So this verse clearly negates the meaning of shahid as being present and witnessing. And when it affirms "shahid" for him in other verses it is either according to another meaning of "witness" or restricted to those he interacted with.

Ibn Kathir says under the commentary of this verse:

أي وما كنت حاضرا لذلك ولكن الله أوحاه إليك

“You were not present (haadir) at that [event], but Allah inspired it to you.”

As Ibn Kathir mentions under the commentary of this verse, this is in fact proof of the Prophethood of the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) as he was not present amongst earlier peoples, and yet related their tales. Ibn Kathir quotes similar verses:

“You were not with them when they were casting their pens (to decide) who, from among them, should be the guardian of Maryam, nor were you with them when they were quarrelling.” (3:44)

“You were not with them when they determined their object, and when they were planning devices.” (12:102)

Hence, the verses of the Qur’an explicitly state that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) was not present with Musa (‘alayhissalam), Maryam (‘alayhassalam), Shu‘ayb (‘alayhissalm) and Yusuf (‘alayhissalam) at significant events in their lives. Hence, he was not a witness over them in the meaning GF Haddad would like us to believe.

Haddad quotes Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari saying:

Al-Qari said in commentary of the narration of Nuh, `alayhis salaam, cited in Mishkat al-Masabih:

“And he shall reply, ‘Muhammad and his Community’” means that his Community are witnesses while he vouches for them, but his men¬tion came first out of reverence (li-t-ta‘zîm). It is possible that he, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, too witnesses for Nuh, since it is a context of help and Allah Most High said [When Allah made (His) convenant with the Prophets] until He said [you shall believe in him and you shall help him] (3:81). In this there is a remarkable warning that the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, is present and witnessing in that Greatest Inspection (wafîhi tanbîhun nabîhun annahu sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallama hâdirun nâzirun fî dhâlika al-‘ardi al-akbar), when the Prophets are brought, Nuh being the first, and the latter’s witnesses are brought, namely, this Community.[3]

Haddad in fact missed out a sentence in between which makes the above paragraph unclear as to the intent of Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari when he says, “In this is a remarkable warning...”

After he quotes verse 3:81, Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari goes back to the original hadith, which states: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘Then you (the ummah) will be brought.’” And then Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari explains, “In this there is a remarkable warning...” But Haddad missed out the quotation of the hadith and moved straight onto this commentary.

When Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari says "hadir nazir" with respect to the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), he is using it in the very obvious sense that is indicated by this phrase from the hadith. The hadith says the ummah will be brought to the place where Nuh (‘alahissalam) was, at the place of "the greatest inspection." This shows the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alahi wasallam) was already present there as he was not "brought" there. All this means is that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) was present at the place where this "inspection" was happening. It does not mean he is “omnipresent”!

Haddad says:

There are other verses that affirm that the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, hears and sees the deeds of human beings. Allah Most High said: [And know that the Mes¬senger of Allah is among you] (49:7). In the verses [Allah and His Messenger will see your conduct] (9:94) and [Act! Allah will behold your actions, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers] (9:105), the Pro¬phet’s, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, percep¬tion is put on a par with that of the Lord of the worlds Who sees and encom¬passes all on the one hand and, on the other, that of all the living believers.

Again, Haddad uses unclear and weak interpretations of verses to prove his belief. The Qur'an says: "Those in whose heart is deviation, they follow what is unclear from it [i.e. the Qur'an], seeking discord." (3:7) As for the true meanings of these verses:

"The Messenger is among you" (49:7) was said with respect to a particular situation amongst the Sahabah. The address is clearly to the Sahabah. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari says in the explanation of this verse:

يقول تعالى ذكره لأصحاب نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: واعلموا أيها المؤمنون بالله ورسوله أن فيكم رسول الله

"He (Exalted is His Mention) says to the companions of the Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace): Know, O believers in Allah and His Messenger, that the Messenger of Allah is amongst you."

This is also clear from the following part of the verse, "Had the Prophet obeyed you..." The Prophet obviously cannot obey those after the Sahabah, so the address is clearly to the Sahabah.

As for verse 9:94, it is talking about the munafiqun who stayed behind from battle, that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) will see if these munafiqun repent or not. Haddad also quotes a similar verse which clearly disproves his claim: "Allah and His Messenger and the Believers will see your conduct" (9:105) - so do the believers hear and see the deeds of all human beings as is being implied here of the Messenger?!

Even though this verse clearly disproves the interpretation Haddad is trying to take from it, he still attempts to salvage this belief by saying the Prophet's way of seeing is like that of Allah (!), and he uses words that are almost polytheistic in nature and certainly disrespectful of Allah:

"the Pro¬phet’s, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, percep¬tion is put on a par with that of the Lord of the worlds Who sees and encompasses all"

Whereas, no such thing is done. Instead, the verse is making a simple observation that eventually the munafiqun will be exposed and all will see them for what they are.

Then Gibril Haddad quotes three hadiths to "prove" the doctrine of hazir nazir and omnipresence:

The above is further confirmed in the Sunna by the following evidence:

(1) Ibn Mas‘ud’s authentic narration of the Prophet’s, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, witnessing of all the deeds of the Umma from his Barzakh:

The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “My life is a great good for you, you will relate about me and it will be related to you, and my death is a great good for you, your actions will be exhibited to me, and if I see good¬ness I will praise Allah, and if I see evil I will ask forgiveness of Him for you.” (Hayâtî khayrun lakum tuhaddithûna wa yuhad¬dathu lakum wa wafâtî khayrun lakum tu‘radu a‘malukum ‘alayya famâ ra’aytu min khayrin hamidtu Allâha wa mâ ra’aytu min shar¬rin istagh¬fartu Allâha lakum.)[5]

This hadith does not mean the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is aware of all the actions of his entire ummah. Firstly, Mawlana Manzur Nu'mani points out in his Bawariq al-Ghayb that this hadith is clearly talking about the ummat al-ijabah only. There are two usages of "ummah": one, all the people to whom the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) was sent, believer or otherwise - this is “ummat al-da'wah”; and second, those who responded to the message and accepted it - this is “ummat al-ijabah.” The reason it is clear the hadith is only talking about the latter is that the Prophet says: "if I see evil I will ask forgiveness of Allah for you." Seeking forgiveness is not permitted for non-Muslims, so this only refers to Muslims. Therefore, all murtaddin, kuffar, munafiqin and zanadiqah are excluded from this hadith, which is a large proportion of people. Therefore, it certainly does not prove the Barelwi doctrine of Hazir Nazir or Haddad's doctrine of "omnipresence."

Furthermore, in order to harmonise this narration with the earlier stronger and more authentic narrations, it must be understood as a "general presentation" ('ard ijmali) and not a "detailed presentation" ('ard tafsili). Meaning, the actions are presented in a general way, without there necessarily being specification of the time, place, nature, doer etc. of the action.

In this way the hadith is consistent with the other more authentic and stronger Prophetic sayings: “I was a witness over them for as long as I was amongst them...” (which he says both in this world and the next) and that he will be told: “You have no knowledge of what they invented after you” and "Perhaps, I will not see you after this year of mine."

(2) The authentic narration of “the Supernal Company” (al-mala’u al-a‘lâ) from Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (RA) and others
The Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “My Lord came to me in the best form” – the narrator said: “I think he said: ‘in my sleep’” – “and asked me over what did the Higher Assembly (al-mala’ al-a‘lâ)[6] vie; I said I did not know, so He put His hand between my shoulders, and I felt its coolness in my innermost, and knowledge of all things between the East and the West came to me.”[7]

It is not authentic according to the preferred view. See for its grading and explanation here:

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post722743

(3) The staying back of Sayyidina Gibril, `alayhis salaam, at the point the Pro¬phet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, went beyond the Lote-Tree of the Farthermost Boundary (sidrat al-muntaha) and heard the screeching of the pens writing the Foreor¬dained Decree then saw his Lord,[8] although Gibril is the closest of all crea¬tures to Allah U and the angels do see Him according to Ahl-al-Sunna.[9]

How exactly does this prove the Prophet is "omnipresent"? His hearing of the scratching of the pens is also mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim. It is clear Haddad will quote and reference anything to make his article longer and citations appear more impressive so people will think the claim that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) is omnipresent is proven by incontestable evidence.

Haddad then says:

Al-Qari said in his commentary on al-Shifa’: “Meaning, because his soul, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, is present in the house of the Muslims (ay li’anna rûhahu ‘alayhi al-salâmu hâdirun fî buyûti al-muslimîn).”[11]

The Arabic does not say "fi buyuti al-muslimin" but "fi buyut Ahl al-Islam." Of course this doesn't make any difference to the meaning, but it shows Haddad's sloppiness when he pretends to be all careful and technical. Moreover, he appears to accuse Mawlana Sarfraz Khan Safdar of misquoting as he quoted it as "hadiratun" instead of "hadirun" (which mean the same thing), whereas Mawlana Sarfraz Safdar was merely relying on a different edition (as will be shown below)!

Al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’ (2:117).

It's actually 2:118

Haddad says:

What ‘Iyad cited from al-Athram is only narrated by al-Tabari in his Tafsir from Ibn Jurayj, from ‘Ata’ al-Khurasani (d. 135):
Hajjaj narrated to me from Ibn Jurayj: I said to ‘Ata’: “What if there is no-one in the house?” He said: “Give salâm! Say, al-salâmu ‘alâ al-Nabiyyi wa rahmatullâhi wa barakâtuh, al-salâmu ‘alaynâ wa ‘alâ ‘ibâdillah al-sâlihîn, al-salâmu ‘alâ ahli al-bayti wa rahmatullâh.” I said: “This statement you just said about my entering the house in which there is no-one, from whom did you receive it?” He replied: “I heard it without receiving it from anyone in particular.”[12]

‘Ata’ was a pious muhaddith, mufti, and wâ‘iz from whom Yazid ibn Samura heard the statement: “The gatherings of dhikr are the gatherings of [teaching] the halâl and the harâm.”[13] His trustworthiness and/or memory were contested by al-Bukhari, Abu Zur‘a, Ibn Hibban, Shu‘ba, al-Bayhaqi, al-‘Uqayli, and Ibn Hajar, but he was nevertheless declared thiqa by Ibn Ma‘in, Abu Hatim, al-Daraqutni, al-Thawri, Malik, al-Awza‘i, Ahmad, Ibn al-Madini, Ya‘qub ibn Shayba, Ibn Sa‘d, al-‘Ijli, al-Tabarani, and al-Tirmidhi, while Ibn Rajab concludes he is “thiqa thiqa.”[14]

In order to assess the validity of this athar, it is not enough to grade the last person in the chain i.e. 'Ata'. All the narrators in the chain need to be assessed. Al-Tabari's shaykh in this sanad is: al-Qasim ibn al-Hasan who is unknown (Mu'jam Shuyukh al-Tabari p. 407). His shaykh is Husayn ibn Dawud al-Missisi Sunayd, the scholars had mixed views about him; Shu'ayb Arna'ut and Basshar 'Awwad Ma'ruf concluded he is weak. Thus, the chain leading to 'Ata' is weak to begin with, so this narration is not dependable upon.

Now, we move on to where GF Haddad attacks Mawlana Sarfraz Khan Safdar:

Recently, a Deobandi writer forwarded the strange claim that al-Qari’s text in Sharh al-Shifa’ actually stated, “NOT THAT his soul, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, is present in the houses of the Muslims”(lâ anna rûhahu hâdiratun fî buyûti al-muslimîn)

Firstly, this "claim" is not “recent” which I will explain later.

The Arabic which Mawlana Safdar mentioned is “fi buyuti ahl al-Islam” not “fi buyuti l-Muslimin.” It's right there on the page that Haddad references (p. 167 of Ankhoh ki Thunduk).

that is, the diametrical opposite of what al-Qari actually said!:

He [al-Qari] discussed the issue in the Sharh of Shifa, that lâ anna rûhahu hâdiratun fî buyûti al-muslimîn i.e. this notion is incorrect that the soul of our Master Hazrat Mohammed, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, is present in the homes of the Muslims. In some copies the word lâ has been dropped and has with¬out any reason created confusion for some individuals, including Mufti Ahmed Yar Khan sahib (see Jaa al-Haqq p. 142). ... In all his explicit quotes Hazrat Mulla Ali al-Qari himself negates the belief of hâdir wa nâzir. Those who have relied on his brief, indistinct quotes (out of context) are absolutely and definitely wrong.[15]

That one can actually dare to make the above claim is only because of ignorance of the Arabic language since al-Qari prefaces the statement with the word “meaning (ay),” which would be grammatically incorrect if it were followed by a disclaimer such as “not that his soul is present in the houses of the Muslims.” The truth is that no such word as lâ has been dropped because there was no such word there in the first place, and the claim that there was is nothing short of tampering (tahrîf). Furthermore, the word al-Qari used for “present” is hâdir in the masculine, not hâdiratun in the feminine, as rûh can have either gender but the masculine is more appropriate here to refer to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam.

He says this "is diametrically opposite to what al-Qari actually said" but if he looked at the entire section from Aankhoh ki Thunduk, Mawlana Sarfraz Khan Safdar proves clearly from Mulla 'Ali al-Qari’s own writings that the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is not seeing, hearing and present in every place. He quotes Mulla al-Qari from his treatise al-Durrat al-Mudi'ah fi al-Ziyarat al-Mustafawiyyah, saying:

"From the greatest benefits of Ziyarah is that when the visitor sends blessing and peace on him near his grave, he hears it, with a literal hearing, and he replies to it directly, as opposed to the one who sends blessing and peace on him from far, because that does not reach him except indirectly..."

ومن أعظم فوائد الزيارة أن الزائر إذا صلى وسلم عليه عند قبره سمعه سماعا حقيقيا ورد عليه من غير واسطة بخلاف من يصلي وسلم من بعيد فإن ذلك لا يبلغه إلا بواسطة

And then Shaykh Safdar says such explicit quotes cannot be overridden by ambiguous ones. In fact, Mawlana Safdar has a full treatise called “Mulla 'Ali al-Qari aur Mas'alah Ilm al-Ghayb wa Hazir wa Nazir” in which he shows with extensive documentation, mainly from Mirqat al-Mafatih, that Mulla 'Ali Qari definitely did not subscribe to the Barelwi doctrine of "Hazir Nazir".

You can download the treatise here:

http://www.peopleofsunnah.com/downlo...-wa-nazir.html

What Mawlana Safdar ascribed to Mulla Qari is consistent with what he wrote in other places.

Furthermore, in this treatise, Mawlana Safdar explains that if this passage is as it is in the printed edition, it does not make any sense. If it means literally the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) is present because it says to send salam on him when entering the house, it would mean all the prophets and righteous slaves are also present, as the supplication includes all of them, so why specify his soul and not mention theirs? This is why Mawlana Safdar says the manuscripts which have "la li anna" is more plausible, and more consistent with Mulla ‘Ali Qari’s writings both in Sharh al-Shifa and elsewhere.

In Sharh al-Shifa itself, shortly after this passage, Mulla Ali Qari says that the one who recites salawat away from the grave, it reaches the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) through the medium of angels. Did he contradict himself in the same book?

That one can actually dare to make the above claim is only because of ignorance of the Arabic language since al-Qari prefaces the statement with the word “meaning (ay),” which would be grammatically incorrect if it were followed by a disclaimer such as “not that his soul is present in the houses of the Muslims.” The truth is that no such word as lâ has been dropped because there was no such word there in the first place, and the claim that there was is nothing short of tampering (tahrîf).

Note, he says this is "nothing short of tampering," but that would only be the case if Mawlana Safdar did not base his claim on any reliable manuscript evidence. In fact Mawlana Safdar is simply quoting the research of Mawlana Yahya Kandhlewi (d. 1334 H) (the father of Mawlana Zakariyya Kandhlewi, and student of Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi) who wrote a book called “Mas'alah Ilm al-Ghayb” in which he said that he has seen some hand-written copies of Sharh al-Shifa where it says "La li anna ruhahu..."

As for Gibril Haddad saying this is grammatically incorrect: firstly, he has given no proof for this claim from any work of Nahw. It is possible Mulla 'Ali al-Qari meant (as Mawlana Safdar says he meant): "Meaning, not that his soul is present in the houses of the people of Islam, but that it reaches him through the medium of angels" which makes perfect sense. Secondly, in Mawlana Yahya Kandhlewi's description of the manuscript he does not mention "ay," so it may be that the original read: "la li anna ruhahu.." without "ay" at the start; which Mulla ‘Ali al-Qari probably said to clarify that it reaches him by the medium of angels.

When this is possible, the evidence drawn from this passage is negated (إذا جاء الاحتمال بطل الاستدلال), as Shaykh Safdar goes on to say. GF Haddad says:

Furthermore, the word al-Qari used for “present” is hâdir in the masculine, not hâdiratun in the feminine, as rûh can have either gender but the masculine is more appropriate here to refer to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam,

The edition used by Mawlana Safdar (the Azhariyyah edition) has it as "hadiratun" and not "hadirun" (volume 3, page 464). You can download the third volume here:

http://ia600200.us.archive.org/11/it...07/03_9609.pdf

Yes, the edition Haddad used says “hadirun.” But how does he know which it is that al-Qari used?

For more details about the allegation of tampering against Mawlana Safdar, see http://razakhanimazhab.com/home/difa...08-06-10-55-37

Haddad says:

Furthermore, are Hâdir and Nâzir among the Divine Names and Attributes? Imam Ahmad al-Sirhindi was quoted to say: “Allah Most High is aware of each and every minor and major condition and isHâdir and Nâzir. One should feel shame before Him.”[17

However, the Divine Attributes are ordained and non-inferable.[18] Logic, reasoning, analogy, and other forms of interpretation are not used to infer an attribute but only Divine disclosure through the primary two sources of the Shari‘a i.e. Qur’an and Sunna. This is an elementary point of doctrine that is present in most if not all books of ‘aqîda, including the Maturidi classics....As for al-Hâdir it is precluded, because Hâdir in Arabic has the sense of a being physically present at a location, i.e. attributes of the created that are abso¬lutely precluded from the Creator. Therefore Hâdirin relation to Allah Most High, like the attribute of omnipresence, may only be applied figura¬tively to mean that He is All-Knowledgeable, but neither “Omnipresent” nor Hâdir have actually been reported or mentioned among the Divine Attributes in the Qur’an, the Sunna, and the texts of the early Imams. Allah knows best.

Shaykh Safdar explains in detail in what context and based on what evidence "hadir" "nazir" can be said of Allah in the book Haddad supposedly had access to, Ankhoh ki Thunduk.

Mawlana Safdar says on page 15: "There is no doubt that Allah Almighty is not in need of place and location..." He goes on to say Allah's names are not limited to 99 but some scholars counted up to 1000 transmitted names. Mawlana Safdar also explains that it is allowed to translate the attributes into other languages, and there are some Urdu translations where "shaheed" is translated as "haazir" and "baseer" as "naazir". (p. 16) Then mawlana Safdar quotes a number of verses and hadiths in which it states Allah sees using the verb نظر ينظر. And, in fact, the very word "Nazir" is found in a hadith recorded in al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Mustadrak for Allah:

إن الله مستخلفكم فيها فناظر كيف تعملون

Furthermore, regarding "hadir," the Qur'an says "وما كنا غائبين" (We are not absent) and when some Sahabah called out dhikr to Allah in a raised voice, the Prophet said: "إنكم لا تدعون أصم ولا غائبا" (You are not calling a being that is deaf or absent). The implication is clear: Allah is not absent, He is present, which is “hadir” in Arabic. Mawlana Safdar quotes the famous Sufi master, Shaykh 'Abd al-Quddus Gangohi (d. 944 H) that he said: "Allah Almighty is present (haadir) and not absent (ghaa'ib)."

None of what the opponents bring up as supposed proofs actually invali¬dates the use of Hâdir and Nâzir for the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam,

But Haddad himself said as quoted above: "Prophetic Attributes are tawqifi" so how can he attribute these things to the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) without proof? It's not the opposition that needs to bring proof that he is not haadir naazir, but according to his own principle, he is the one that needs to present proof that he is.

In fact there is plenty of proof that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasalam) is not hadir and nazir in the sense Haddad intends it, i.e. omnipresent. Many of these proofs have already been discussed above.

If it comes to scholarly quotations, they should accept that the attributes of Hâdir and Nâzir are applied to the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, by the Ulema of Ahl al-Sunna such as Mulla Ali al-Qari as cited above, and countless others such as the Friends of Allah known to keep company with the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, day and night, among them Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas al-Mursi, Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, and Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Dabbagh, probably also Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi himself – may Allah sanctify their secrets.

He doesn't give any references for the statements of Shaykhs Abu al-'Abbas Mursi, al-Shadhili, al-Dabbagh and al-Sirhindi, and if they did use it, they probably meant "hadir" figuratively to mean "as though he is present."

As for Mulla 'Ali Qari's usage, it was clearly said in the specific context of the "inspection" in which the Prophet will be present and seeing. It is not meant in the meaning Haddad intends it, i.e. omnipresent and seeing everything. This was explained above.

Haddad says:

The reply is: Does this Mufti have knowledge of the unseen and the gift of ubiquity? For he positively affirms that the Prophet, sall-Allahu `alayhi wa sallam, (1) is not present at a given Mawlid function and (2) is not possibly present at any place other than in Madina, in his grave! So then, he allows that the other Prophets can be in Bayt al-Maqdis praying, and in Makka making tawâf, and in the Seven Heavens, but he insists that our Prophet – upon him and them blessings and peace – is confined to his Noble Grave?

The Prophet's (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) blessed body and physical being is confined to his Noble Grave. He may be present in other places only in the sense of a "likeness" (mithal) appearing elsewhere, not his physical being. It is not possible for someone to be in two places at the same time. For more detail, see: http://barelwism.wordpress.com/2012/...s-omnipresent/

So the Mufti was correct when he said: "Rasulullah, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, does not arrive at any “Eid-e-Milad-un Nabee,” function. He is in his Rawdha-e-Mubarak (grave) at Madinah Munawwarah and will emerge from it at the onset of Yawmul-Qiyaamah, or the Day of Judgement"

As for a likeness appearing, that is another matter.

[al_Zayn]

Barak-Allahu Feek for taking your time out Hafiz Sahib.

[a_muslim]

Muzammil Husayn is Zameelur Rahman right??

Are you thinking of putting this critique together in book form, online at least?

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Mawlana Nu'mani says, the original text clearly says will "mix with the earth," (mutti meh milne) and not will "become earth" (mutti ho jane), and in old Urdu "mixing with the earth" means to be buried in the grave (qabr meh dafn ho neh). Then he mentions a couple of Urdu dictionaries which clearly state one of the recognised meanings of "mutti meh milne" is "being buried" (see p. 76 of the book). Mawlana Safdar mentions in Ibarat Akabir that Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi was asked about this passage from Taqwiyat al-Iman, and he replied the phrase "mix with the earth" has both possibile meanings of "disintegration" and "burial," and he says it was the latter that was meant by Shah Isma'il. And such a meaning is clearly consistent with the commentaries of Mulla Qari and Tibi above.

The following couplet written by Shah Isma'il Shahid in his Mathnawi Silk e Nur (on praise of the Prophet sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) should clear all doubts about his views regarding the preservation of the body of the Prophet (sallAllahu 'alayhi wasallam)

ان آنکھوں سے ہڑ چند وہ جسم پاک بظاہر ہوا مختفی زیر خاک

ولے نور ان کا ہے قائم مقام کہ ہر پاک دل میں ہے ان کا مقام

"Although outwardly that pure body is hidden from these eyes beneath the earth,

Nonetheless, its light stands in its place, as there is a place for it in every sound heart."

(Mathnawi Silk e Nur, quoted in Shah Isma'il Muhaddith Dehlawi by 'Allamah Khalid Mahmud, p. 132)

These verses are clear that the "pure body" remains "beneath the earth" even today, and has not disintegrated.

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Another lie/inaccuracy of GF Haddad in this review (http://www.abc.se/home/m9783/ir/d/tqi_e.pdf) is that he claimed Mawlana Rashid Ahmad Gangohi issued a "desperate fatwa" that "the one saying kāfir to Mawlawī Ismāīl Dihlawī, the writer of Taqwiyat al-Īmān, is himself a kāfir!"

Mawlana Gangohi in fact stated the complete opposite! This sentence, "The one saying kāfir to Mawlawī Ismāīl Dihlawī, the writer of Taqwiyat al-Īmān, is himself a kāfir," is found in Fatawa Rashidiyya, but as a question from a mustafti. The questioner asks: "The person who calls Hazrat Mawlana Mawlawi Ismail Sahib Shahid (Allah have mercy on him) a disbeliever and rejected, is that person himself a disbeliever and sinner?..."

In reply, Mawlana Gangohi says: "Those who declare Mawlana Muhammad Ismail Sahib a disbeliever, they do so based on an interpretation (ta'wil), although this interpretation of theirs is erroneous. This is why these people should not be called kafir and should not be treated as disbelievers. This is just as most scholars have not declared the Khawarij and Rawafid disbelievers, even though they say the two shaykhs and the Sahabah and Hazrat 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them all) were disbelievers. Thus because of a false interpretation, the imams avoided doing takfir of them, so by way of greater priority those who do likewise with Mawlawi Muhammad Ismail (Allah have mercy on him) should not be called disbelievers. End. And Allah (Exalted is He) knows best." (Fatawa Rashidiyyah, p 64)

[Muzzammil Husayn]

Haddad quotes Shah Isma'il as follows: "If a person makes a bow or prostration before the grave of a Prophet [or] saint stands in front of them with folded hands kisses a grave or undertakes a long journey to visit graves and other places; lights earthen lamps there or makes arrangements for illuminating them; or puts coverings on their walls or offers a sheet as a covering on the grave asks for the fulfillment of wishes there anyone doing any of the above acts commits a clear and manifest shirk." And then he says: "The above statement shows the extent of irresponsibility of the book, its authors, and those who translate it or propagate it today."

The original Urdu does not state that by committing these acts one "commits a clear and manifest shirk," but merely that this person has committed shirk (اس پر شرك ثابت ہوتا); the Arabic translation of Mawlana Abul Hasan Nadwi says the same (فقد تحقق عليه الشرك) and Shahamat Ali's older English translation says: "he shall certainly be guilty of associating them with God."

Although Taqwiyat al-Iman itself does not make this clear, Shah Isma'il did not believe all of these "acts of shirk" to be at the same level. He differentiated between different levels of shirk.The following is the translation of a fatwa in Farsi by Shah Isma'il which was reproduced in Fatawa Rashidiyyah with an Urdu translation:

Question: In the situation that some polytheistic practices that have been mentioned in the treatise Taqwiyat al-Iman like taking a vow by other than Allah, kissing a grave, draping a cloth over it, taking an oath by a name beside Allah’s, and other matters similar to these, have occurred from Zayd, should Zayd be called a disbeliever, and is his blood and property regarded as lawful, and is it permissible to treat him in the way other disbelievers are treated, or not?

Answer: Regarding Zayd as a complete disbeliever, and to treat him in the way of the disbelievers, based only on those actions included in the question, is not permissible, and that person who treats him, merely due to the occurrence from him of the aforementioned actions, in the way of disbelievers, he is sinful. All that was written in the treatise Taqwiyat al-Iman, its detail is that just as is transmitted in noble hadith that faith is a little more than seventy branches and from all the branches the best is “there is no deity but Allah” and the lowest is to remove anything harmful from the path; and similarly in other narrations it occurs that modesty is a branch of faith; in the same way it occurs in a number of narrations that patience, chivalry, good characteristics are branches of faith, and this is while it has been frequently seen that some of these qualities are also found in disbelievers; for example, many disbelievers are modest and many are well-mannered; thus, due only to finding the trait of modesty in this disbeliever, he cannot be called a believer, nor can he be treated in the way of the believers; but, it should be known that modesty is one branch of faith, and is extremely beloved to Allah, even if this person is not beloved [to Him] because he is a disbeliever; nonetheless, this habit of his is desirable;

Similarly, since shirk is in opposition to faith, it must also have this quantity of branches. Thus, merely for taking an oath by other than Allah, he cannot be declared a mushrik, although this act of his is to be understood as an act of shirk, and this action should be swiftly condemned and humiliated, and the one who does this should be humiliated in a particular way [suited to his condition]; because it is possible that just as this branch of shirk is found in this person, many branches of faith are also present, so because of those branches of faith, he will be accepted by Allah although this action of his is rejected.

From this explanation, it should be kept in mind that it is [applicable] till that time the doer does not openly declare opposition to the noble Shari'ah. However, if he were to begin to reject the Muhammadan Shari'ah – on its bringer the most excellent of blessing and the most complete of greetings and pure salutations -, for example he says that this action is forbidden in the Shari'ah but the Shari'ah is not for him but for others, as his religion is tariqa not Shari'ah, in that situation he will be an absolute disbeliever, and all the branches of faith that were in him will be destroyed, and he will be caught up in divine anger.

Muhammad Isma'il, author of Taqwiyat al-Iman, may he be pardoned, wrote this

Jumada l-Ula, 1240 (December, 1824)

Commenting on this fatwa, Mawlana Gangohi said:

The answer of Mawlana Muhammad Ismail Sahib is absolutely correct, that some polytheistic practices are such that they are pure shirk, and others are such that people do them but interpretation is possible in them. Thus, the first category is like prostrating to an idol or tying a zunnar. By [performing] these actions, one becomes an idolater. And by [performing] the second category of actions, one has acquired major sin, but has not come out of Islam; because some shirk are true shirk and some less, called “shirk less than shirk.” Hence, the second category of shirk is not true shirk. For example, taking an oath by other than Allah has been declared shirk, and ostentation has been declared shirk, naming [a child as the slave] of other than Allah has been declared shirk. Because these actions are in the form of shirk, they have been declared shirk. By doing them one does not become a true mushrik. End. And Allah (Exalted is He) knows best.

The slave, Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, may he be pardoned

1301 H (1884 CE)

(Fatawa Rashidiyyah, 86-8)

This shows both that Haddad used an unreliable (Salafi) translation, and that Shah Isma'il was not in conformity with the Wahhabis (followers of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab) on such questions as whether taking a vow by other than Allah expels one from Islam or not (although they agree it is "shirk").