Answered by Not Assigned
I am writing this letter from Kerala, one of the states of India where many Muslims of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`ah live. I went to listen to a sermon (khutba) by one of the notable Shafi’i scholars who also represented India in an international Islamic conference in Cairo. So, when the scholar stood at the podium, all the people stood up and started chanting, “Allahu Akbar, O Prophet, peace be upon you, O Messenger, peace be upon you. What I am wondering is, “Is this permissible in Islam?”
It is plain that if these people had intended the scholar as the Prophet and a Messenger, then this is disbelief (kufr), but I am almost convinced that this was not their intention. This is because this is the same form [s. of prayer] that is sung in mawlids and people’s gatherings where they send blessings on the Prophet, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.
So since this was a great scholar, as the questioner indicated, and that scholars are the inheritors of the prophets, as is mentioned in a rigorously authenticated hadith, these people may have rushed to honor the scholar by letting him hear this prayer, without intending to describe him with prophethood or messengerhood. If this was the case, then their action would not be described as disbelief or anything haram, but I still think that it is best to refrain from this action and Allah knows best.
Amjad Rasheed
[Translated by Sr. Shazia Ahmad]
Editor’s Note: In such cases, we highly recommend asking reliable local scholars about what exactly is being done, and why.