B i s m i l l a a h i r R a h m a a n i r R a h e e m Using Salutations & Praises Composed by People
By `Abd al-Rahmân al-Barrâk, Professor at al-Imaam Islamic University There are numerous supplications, salutations, and praise-poems that have been composed by people who go to extremes in their veneration of the Prophet Muhammad (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). The supplications that they concoct are typified by clear exaggerations and extreme tendencies in expressing love for the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), which sometimes reaches the level of major polytheism. They often take these supplications that they author with their own hands and recite them morning and night as ritual remembrances. Sometimes, they prefer chanting these remembrances of their own invention over the recitation of the Qur'aan. They take these salutations written by their sheiks - and they often name these salutations after their authors - and confer upon them virtues higher than the virtues that are established for the recitation of the Qur'aan. The Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) taught his Companions how we are supposed to convey our salutations to him. They asked: "O Messenger of Allaah, teach us how to greet you and how to salute you in our prayers." The Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) replied: "Say: O Allaah! Bestow your blessings upon Muhammad and upon his family as you have bestowed your blessings upon Abraham and his family. Indeed You are praiseworthy and glorious." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3370) and Sahîh Muslim (405)] Here is an example of such an innovated supplication: "O Allaah! Bestow your most perfect blessings and your most perfect peace upon our master Muhammad, through whom difficulties and calamities are relieved and through whom needs are fulfilled, aspirations attained, and the best outcomes are achieved, and through whom the clouds deliver their rain by virtue of your Noble Countenance. And bestow (such salutations and peace) upon his family and his Companions. Do so for every moment that lasts the duration of the flickering of an eye or the drawing of a breath, and do so to the number of everything that is known to You." There are different version of this supplication, all of which are similar in their basic wording. It is a false supplication that contains heretical and false meanings. The supplication alleges that the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is the one "through whom difficulties and calamities are relieved and through whom needs are fulfilled, aspirations attained." If the meaning intended here is that the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) is the one who does these things, then it is a clear case of major polytheism, since such attributes belong to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala alone. Allaah is the only one who brings about the best outcomes. In Allaah's hands alone is the Dominion. Allaah alone is the dispenser of all good and of all providence. Allaah alone removes calamities and difficulties and fulfills the needs of His creatures. Allaah guides whom He pleases to a path that is straight. If, by contrast, the meaning intended in the supplication is for the supplicant to seek Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala's beneficence in these matters through the virtue of the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his status with Allaah, then this is not polytheism. However, it still constitutes an innovation without any basis for it in Islamic Law. We should know that seeking nearness to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala by way of the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) can mean one of four things: 1. To seek nearness to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala on the strength of one's own faith in the truth of Prophet Muhammad (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam), the love that one has for him, and the obedience one shows in complying to the teachings that he brought. This is one of the greatest means of seeking nearness to Allaah in our supplications. 2. Seeking nearness to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala by having the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) supplicate on one's behalf. This is like what 'Akâshah b. Muhsin did when he went to the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and said: "Beseech Allaah that I will be among them." To which the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) replied: "You are among them." [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6541) and Sahîh Muslim (220)] The Companions used to go to the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and request from him to supplicate on their behalf. In times of drought, they would ask him to beseech Allaah on their behalf for rain. However, after the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) died, no one would go to his grave and request from him to supplicate to Allaah on their behalf. When they were stricken with drought, they turned instead to his uncle 'Abbâs and asked him to beseech Allaah for rain on their behalf. This took place in the year of famine during 'Umar's reign. 'Umar declared the following: "O Allaah, we used to seek nearness to You with the Prophet, and You -, O Allaah - would send the rains. Now we will seek nearness to You with our Prophet's uncle. So send the rains, O Allaah!" Then 'Umar asked the Prophet's uncle to supplicate on their behalf. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (1010)] 3. Seeking nearness to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala with the Prophet's (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) noble position and the status that he enjoys with his Lord. It is an innovation in religious practice for one to seek nearness to Allaah in one's supplications by invoking Allaah's love for the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and the honour in which Allaah holds him. No doubt, the status and honour of the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) with his Lord is great. However, the benefit of this is only for those whom he supplicated for while he was alive. After his death, we do not seek supplications from him, as we have already discussed. Therefore, the supplication mentioned in the question is contrary to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sall Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam). It is unlawful to use a composed supplication such as the one we have mentioned above, since its meaning, at worst implies polytheism, and at best, is an innovation. May Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala protect us from both. And Allaah knows best. http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=868 K a r i m a --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
