Question:

My question is regarding the Barelwis. Can you please provide me with ahadith and Quranic verses in which the following beliefs of the Barelwis are condemned:

1) They believe that the Prophet (SAW) is noor (light) and not bashar (human)
2) They say that the Prophet (SAW) is mukhtar e kul
3) They say that the Prophet (SAW) is Alim ul ghaib (knower of the unseen)
4) They say that worshipping the grave and prostrating to it is permissible.

JazakAllah khair

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

1) Allah Ta’ala says:

 

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ

 

Say (O Muhammad): I am only a man (bashar) like yourselves. (Quran 18:110)

 

In the Quran where Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has been called noor (light), it refers to his role as a deliverer from darkness, ignorance and misguidance, and it does not mean to suggest that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was not a human. The verse itself explains this:

 

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِمَّا كُنْتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ (15) يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ (16)

 

 

O followers of the Book! indeed Our Apostle has come to you making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book and passing over much; indeed, there has come to you light (noor) and a clear Book from Allah. With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path. (Quran 5:15-16)

 

2) Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran:

وَلَا يُشْرِكُ فِي حُكْمِهِ أَحَدًا

 

And He does not share His Command with any person whatsoever. (Quran 18:26)

 

قُلْ لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

 

Say (O Muhammad): I do not control any benefit or harm for myself except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe. (Quran 7:188)

 

When the son of Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), Ibrahim (radiyallaahu anhu), passed away, it caused great grief to Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and tears fell down his eyes. Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Indeed tears fall from the eyes and the heart is sad. However we do not say anything except what pleases our Lord. We are indeed grieved by your loss O Ibrahim.” (Bukhari, hadith 1220). If Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was mukhtaar e kul, then wouldn’t he have chosen not to let his son die?

 

Similarly, Rasulullah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) yearned for the acceptance of Islam by his uncle Abu Taalib till he was on his death bed. However, Abu Taalib did not accept Islam. If Rasulullah was mukhtaar e kul, would not he have chosen guidance for Abu Taalib?

 

3) Allah Ta’ala says:

 

قُلْ لَا أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِي نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لَاسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِيَ السُّوءُ إِنْ أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ وَبَشِيرٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

 

Say (O Muhammad): I do not control any benefit or harm for myself except as Allah please; and had I known the unseen I would have had much of good and no evil would have touched me; I am nothing but a warner and the giver of good news to a people who believe. (Quran 7:188)

 

قُلْ لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ

 

Say (O Muhammad: I do not say to you, I have with me the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel; I do not follow anything except that which is revealed to me. (Quran 6:50)

 

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ (59)

 

And with HIM are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but HE. And HE knows whatsoever is in the land and in the sea. And there falls not a leaf but HE knows it; nor is there a grain in the deep darkness of the earth, nor anything green or dry, but it is recorded in a clear book. (Quran 6:59)

 

وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا الْغَيْبُ لِلَّهِ فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ (20)

 

And they say, `Why has not a Sign been sent down to him from his Lord ? Say, `The knowledge of the unseen belongs only to ALLAH. So wait. I am with you among those who wait ?' (Quran 10:20)

 

قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ (65)

 

Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised. (Quran 27:65)

 

Allah Ta’ala had given the Holy Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) the knowledge of some things of the unseen such as knowledge about the conditions of the grave, the resurrection, paradise, hell etc. However, because of this knowledge, the Holy Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is not called ‘Aalim ul Ghaib’ (knower of the unseen). Only Allah Ta’ala is Knower of the unseen. The Holy Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) merely received knowledge of these things through revelation (wahi) from Allah Ta’ala. Allah Ta’ala says:

 

تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ (49)

 

Such are some of the news of the unseen, which We have revealed to you; before this, neither you nor your people knew them. So persevere patiently: for the End is for those who are righteous. (Quran 11:49)

 

ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ (102)

 

This is of the news relating to the unseen (which) We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they resolved upon their affair, and they were devising plans. (Quran 12:102)

 

4) Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said, “May Allah destroy the Jews. They made the graves of their Prophets places for prostrating (i.e. they prostrated before the graves of their Prophets).’ (Bukhari, hadith 418; Muslim, hadith 824)

 

Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said in his sickness in which he passed away, “Allah’s curse be upon the Jews and Christians. They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostrating.’ (Bukhari, hadith 1244; Muslim, hadith 823)

 

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Faizal Riza
Darul Ifta Australia
www.fatwa.org.au

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