Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger, or is it not?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner: That is a correct statement.
The Shaykh: Your question is incorrect, my brother. The disagreement is real, but that is not what you are asking. The disagreement is real in the sense that some say it is permissible and some say it is not permissible. So, are you asking whether this disagreement exists or not? That is not your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If you correct your question.
The questioner: Meaning the question is: Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or is it not?
The Shaykh: Yes, you see how the matter changed.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: You asked first about the disagreement, and we told you the disagreement is real. Now I told you I do not think that is your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Finally, you corrected your question: Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or is it not? Before I tell you, and others, that it is permissible or not permissible, we must know a fact about which there is no disagreement: that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has a great status, greater than any status. Our Lord says about Moses:[Al-Ahzab 33:69]. And if Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the master of the prophets, then he is more honored with Allah than Moses. Clear.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Good, so there is no disagreement on this. As for the Muslim saying, "O Allah, I seek nearness to You through the status of Muhammad," this is undoubtedly a point of disagreement. The correct view is that it is not permissible to seek nearness except through one of three types that came in the Sunnah: that the Muslim seeks nearness to Allah by one of the names of Allah, or by one of the attributes of Allah, or by his righteous deed. Anything other than that is not prescribed. The answer is clear.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And the reason is that seeking nearness is worship, and worship is not valid except by following [the Prophet] first, and especially regarding the supplication in which the Messenger (peace be upon him) said:, meaning: that it is the greatest form or state in which the servant displays his servitude and his need for Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). So in this state where the Muslim displays his servitude to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and his need for Him, it is not correct to insert an intermediary between him and Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is because of the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic): [Al-Baqarah 2:186]. So, if He is close to His servants with the closeness described in the authentic hadith that al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated in their "Sahihayn" from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), that he was with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). He said: "So when we ascended a high place, we would say Allahu Akbar, and when we descended into a valley, we would say Subhan Allah, and we would raise our voices." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . The point of this entire hadith is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): Mishkat al-Masabih 2303. So, if He is close to His servants (Blessed and Exalted is He) with this closeness, does he need an intermediary between the servant and Him? The answer is: No, and praise be to Allah. So a person seeks nearness to Allah by what Allah has prescribed: seeking nearness by one of His names, or one of His attributes, or by a righteous deed of his. This is the answer to what you asked.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
The Shaykh: Your question is incorrect, my brother. The disagreement is real, but that is not what you are asking. The disagreement is real in the sense that some say it is permissible and some say it is not permissible. So, are you asking whether this disagreement exists or not? That is not your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: If you correct your question.
The questioner: Meaning the question is: Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or is it not?
The Shaykh: Yes, you see how the matter changed.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh: You asked first about the disagreement, and we told you the disagreement is real. Now I told you I do not think that is your question.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Finally, you corrected your question: Is it permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the status of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or is it not? Before I tell you, and others, that it is permissible or not permissible, we must know a fact about which there is no disagreement: that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has a great status, greater than any status. Our Lord says about Moses:
And he, in the sight of Allah, was distinguished.
وَكَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًاThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: Good, so there is no disagreement on this. As for the Muslim saying, "O Allah, I seek nearness to You through the status of Muhammad," this is undoubtedly a point of disagreement. The correct view is that it is not permissible to seek nearness except through one of three types that came in the Sunnah: that the Muslim seeks nearness to Allah by one of the names of Allah, or by one of the attributes of Allah, or by his righteous deed. Anything other than that is not prescribed. The answer is clear.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: And the reason is that seeking nearness is worship, and worship is not valid except by following [the Prophet] first, and especially regarding the supplication in which the Messenger (peace be upon him) said:
Supplication is worship
الدعاء هو العبادةAnd when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَO people, restrain yourselves [meaning: have mercy on yourselves], for the One you are calling upon is not deaf nor absent. The One you are calling upon is closer to one of you than the neck of his mount.
يا أيها الناس ، اربعوا على أنفسكم - أي : أشفقوا عليها - ، إنَّ مَن تدعونَه ليس بأصمَّ ولا غائب ، إنَّ مَن تدعونه أقرب إلى أحدكم من عنق راحلته إليهHe whom you are supplicating is nearer to each of you than the neck of his riding-beast.
إنَّ مَن تدعونه أقربُ إلى أحدكم مِن عنقِ راحلته إليهThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : And beware of that.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.