we recently had a discussion at work after jummah with fellow Muslim colleagues, the discussion was centered around ‘is rasoolallah PBUH alive?’ it started with the salami topic.
i have to be honest, i am a simple Muslim, read my jummah and keep my Roza etc, but don’t go too in depth. i go to marlboro masjid as it is centrally situated, but havent seen anyone stand for salami there. anyway here is what happened in brief
One of my fellow colleagues, said that rasoolallah PBUH is alive and that he is given sustenance is his resting place. He stated further that he can see his Ummah and knows of their actions and that Allah SWT has given him the knowledge of the unseen. He went on to say that rasoolallah PBUH will intercede for the righteous people in the ummah and for those that love rasoolallah PBUH. He said further things regarding believing in aeliyah (freinds of allah) ?
on the other hand, another colleague said that rasoolallah PBUH has passed away and no longer lives. he said that the Quran says “every living object has to taste death.”
then the previous colleague said that, The emphasis on that verse of the Quran is “taste” not “remain”. he then quoted another verse that something to the effect “amongst you lives the messenger”, and said that rasoolallah PBUH only tasted death but then was brought back to life.
then the discussion turned to the topic of meraaj ? from what i have read on the net so far, meraaj is the ascension that rasoolallah PBUH went on and reached the point where no creation has ever been before and saw Allah SWT? is this true ?
This discussion that happened really confused me and i wish to get some sort of clarification. my uncle said i should mail you.
please can you clarify if rasoolallah PBUH is alive, can he really see the ummah and knows the unseen ?
and also if this meraaj incident is true ? if it is true when did it happen how did it happen ? did rasoolallah PBUH really see allah SWT ?
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
At the outset, we must caution against delving into the issues of the Sharī’ah, especially matters of ‘Aqīdah, without adequate knowledge. Having said that, the following are the answers to your questions:
1. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is alive in his grave and our deeds are presented to him.
والموتى وإن كانوا كلهم أحياء لاتصال أرواحهم بأجسامهم لكن الشهداء أكمل حياة من غيرهم والأنبياء أكمل حياة من الشهداء وهي ثابتة للذات والروح جميعا فهي حياة حقيقة (حاشية الإمام البيجوري على جوهرة التوجيد، ص 310؛ دار السلام)
Even though all the deceased are alive in the sense that their souls are attached to their bodies, the martyrs have a more complete life that others, and the Prophets have a more complete life than the martyrs… (Hāshiyah al-Imām al-Baijūrī)
حدثنا محمد بن يوسف ثنا سفيان عن عبد الله بن السائب عن زاذان عن عبد الله بن مسعود قال قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : ان لله ملائكة سياحين في الأرض يبلغوني عن أمتي السلام (سنن الدارمي 2/409؛ عربي)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Verily, Allāh has angels that travel the Earth and convey my ummah’s salutations to me (al-Dāramī)
عن ابن مسعود أيضا عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: (حياتي خير لكم تحدثون ويحدث لكم ووفاتي خير لكم تعرض علي أعمالكم فما رأيت من خير حمدت الله وما رأيت من شر استغفرت الله لكم) رواه البزار بإسناد جوده الحافظ العراقي وصححه الحافظ الهيثمي والجلال السيوطي والشهاب القسطلاني (الأحاديث المنتقاة، ص 91؛ جوامع الكلم)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “My life is good for you [since] you commit acts and its verdicts are given to you [through me]. And my death is [also] good for you [since] your deeds are present to me. I praise Allāh for the good I see and I ask Him for your forgiveness for the evil I see” (al-Ahādīth al-Mutaqāh)
أعمال الأمة تعرض على نبيها في البرزخ فليستح عبد أن يعرض على نبيه من عمله ما نهاه عنه (لطائف المعارف، ص 127؛ دار الحديث)
The deeds of the ummah are presented to its Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the barzakh (life of the grave). Therefore, one should feel shy that such actions of his are presented that were prohibited by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (Latāif al-Ma’ārif)
2. On the Day of Judgement, he will first intercede for all of humanity and then specifically for the ummah.
وفي كلام المصنف إشارة إلى واجبات ثلاثة: فالأول كونه صلى الله عليه وسلم شافعا والثاني كونه مشفعا أي مقبول الشفاعة والثالث كونه مقدما على غيره (حاشية الإمام البيجوري على جوهرة التوجيد، ص 305)
The author indicates towards three facts: The Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم intercession, the acceptance of his intercession, and his being the first to intercede (Hāshiyah al-Imām al-Baijūrī)
(وشفاعة نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم) أي خصوصا في المقام المحمود واللواء الممدود والحوض المورود (للمؤمنين المذنبين) أي من أهل الصغائر المستحقين للعقاب (ولأهل الكبائر منهم) أي من المؤمنين (شرح ملا علي القاري على الفقه الأكبر، ص 94؛ قديمي)
The intercession of our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم…is proven for the sinful believers… (Sharh Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī)
(و) نقول (الشفاعة) العظمى لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوم القيامة في كافة الخلق لإراحتهم من الموقف (شرح العقيدة الطحاوية، ص83؛ ابن عبد الهادي)
And we say that the Major Intercession is for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on the Day of Judgment for all of creation for the purpose of relieving them from the Mauqif (Sharh al-‘Aqīdah al-Tahāwiyyah)
واعلم أن مراد شفاعة أهل الخير محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وجميع الرسل والأنبياء عليهم السلام والعلماء والصالحين وهم يشفعون لأهل الكبائر (شرح بدء الأمالي، ص 272؛ العلمية)
Know that intercession of the pious refers to [the intercession of] Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, all the Messengers and Prophets عليهم السلام, the ‘ulamā’, and the pious people. They will intercede for the major sinners (Sharh Bad’ al-Amālī)
3. There is a consensus amongst the ‘ulamā that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ascended to the heavens during Mi’rāj and reached where no creation had ever reached before. You can read the details of what occurred on that night in the books of tafsīr under the first ayah of Surah al-Isrā’.
(وخبر معراج) أي بجسد المصطفى صلى الله عليه وسلم يقظة إلى السماء ثم إلى ما شاء الله تعالى من المقامات العلى (حق) أي حديثه ثابت بطرق متعددة (شرح ملا علي القاري على الفقه الأكبر، ص 111)
The narration of Mi’rāj is true. It was with the body of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in a state of conciousness to the heavens and all the lofty places where Allāh wished to take him (Sharh Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī)
(و) نقول (المعراج) لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (حق) أي ثبت بالخبر المشهور (شرح العقيدة الطحاوية، ص 78)
And we say that the Mi’rāj of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is true (Sharh al-‘Aqīdah al-Tahāwiyyah)
واعلم أن المعراج حق…ومن قال لا أدري عرج أم لا يكفر وكذلك من قال إنه في المنام (شرح بدء الأمالي، ص 272)
And know that the Mi’rāj is true. Whosoever [doubts the incident and] says, “I do not know whether the Mi’rāj took place or not,” he has committed kufr. Similar is the ruling of one who says it was in a state of sleep (Sharh Bad’ al-Amālī)
(والمعراج لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في اليقظة…حق أي ثابت بالخبر المشهور (النبراس، ص 292؛ إمدادية)
And the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Mi’rāj in a state of conciousness…is true (al-Nibrās)
4. There was a difference of opinion amongst the Sahābah on whether the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw Allāh Ta’ālā or not. Majority of the ‘ulamā believe that he did, in fact, see Allāh Ta’ālā on the night of Mi’rāj.
قوله: (وللمختار دنيا ثبتت) أي: وقعت رؤيته تعالى في الدنيا ليلة الإسراء للمختار الذي هو نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم…والراجح عند أكثر العلماء أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم رأى ربه بعيني رأسه وهما في محلهما خلافا لمن قال حولا لقلبه؛ لحديث ابن عباس وغيره، وقد نفت السيدة عائشة وقوعها له صلى الله عليه وسلم، لكن قدم عليها ابن عباس لأنه مثبت، والقاعدة أن المثبت مقدم على النافي (حاشية الإمام البيجوري على جوهرة التوجيد، ص 195-196)
The vision of Allāh occurred in the world on the night of Isrā’ for the chosen one, our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. The dominant opinion according to the majority of the ‘ulamā’ is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw his Lord… (Hāshiyah al-Imām al-Baijūrī)
والصحيح أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم إنما رأى ربه بفؤاده لا بعينه كما في شرح العقائد وغيره (شرح ملا علي القاري على الفقه الأكبر، ص 123)
The correct view is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw his Lord… (Sharh Mullā ‘Alī al-Qārī)
وكان في يقظة لا في النوم ورأى ريه بعين القلب لا بعين الرأس (شرح بدء الأمالي، ص 271)
And [the Mi’rāj] was in a state of consciousness, not in sleep, and he saw his Lord… (Sharh Bad’ al-Amālī)
5. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has only that knowledge of the unseen that has been granted to him by Allāh Ta’ālā.
العلم بالغيب أمر تفرد به الله تعالى لا سبيل للعباد إليه إلا بإعلام منه (النبراس، ص 343)
The knowledge of the unseen is something specific to Allāh. No one can achieve it except if Allāh informs him of it (al-Nibrās)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam u Alaikum
Ml. Abrar Mirza,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah