Going to extremes concerning the rights of our beloved Prophet
Source: Transcribed lecture from Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ar-Rayyis.
The fifth error people make concerning Tawheed is in going to extremes concerning the rights of our beloved Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam).
The Prophet has a grand and lofty status, and a high standard that is not possible for anyone to reach – not an angel, nor any person, nor one of the jinn. So he is the one who will have the ability to intercede for others and, out of all the Prophets, he will have the most followers on the Day of Resurrection. And his Lord has described him with grand characteristics. From them are what He, subhana, has stated: Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful. (At-Tawbah 9:128)
And from [the Prophet's] zeal for us is his prohibiting us from being excessive and going to extremes concerning him, as has been collected by Al-Bukhari, on the authority of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) said, “Do not be excessive concerning me as the Christians have gone to excessiveness regarding ibn Mariam (Jesus, son of Mary). Certainly, I am an ‘abd (slave). So say ‘Abdullaah wa Rasuluh’ (slave of Allaah and His Messenger).”
So he is an ‘abd and he is not a partner with our Lord in anything that are from His specific rights, such as having ‘ilmul ghaib (knowledge of the unseen) and the likes of these things. So the Messenger (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) conveyed the religion of Allaah, as he has stated concerning himself, “Certainly, I am a man just like you, and I forget just like you all forget.” And this has been collected by the two sheikhs, Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Ibn Mas’ood.
And from the examples of how some of the ignorant fall into extremes concerning him (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) are as follows:
The first example of how some ignorant people go to extremes concerning the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) is: claiming that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) has knowledge of the unseen, and claiming that the dunya – the life of this world – was created because of him. As one of them has stated in some deviant stanzas of poetry: Oh most noble of the creation. Who can I seek refuge in other than you whenever any general calamity occurs? And if I do not find that I can take my provision in my hands, then say o you who have…. Oh certainly, from your excellence (meaning Muhammad) is the dunya in all prosperity, and because of your knowledge of Al-Lauh (meaning the Lauh al-Mahfudh, The Preserved Tablets) and your knowledge of what the Qalam (Pen) has written.
The second example of how some ignorant people go to extremes concerning the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) is: seeking…from him and seeking forgiveness from him, and seeking from the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) himself to allow them to enter the Paradise. These are affairs that are specific to Allaah, subhana. And there is no one who has any portion of this other than [Allaah]. Rather, the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) will hope for himself that he will be entered into the Jannah by the Mercy of Allaah.
As has been collected by Imam Muslim on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) said, “No one will ever enter into the Jannah due to his own actions.” So the companions said, “Not even you, oh Messenger of Allaah?” He (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) said, “Not even me, except that I am enveloped by the Mercy of Allaah.”
The third example of how some ignorant people go to extremes concerning the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) is: seeking intercession from the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam). Like the statement of some of them when they are making tawaaf or when they are in sujud, “Oh Messenger of Allaah, intercede for me.” And this is from Shirk al-Akbar (Major shirk that expels one from the religion). This is making du’aa to other than Allaah, since it is supplicating to other than Allaah, asking one to do things that none has the ability to do except Allaah. And this is ‘ibaada (worship), and worship is specific for Allaah, as He, ta’aala, has stated: And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. (Al-Isra 17:23)
And how many people have those evil scholars deceived, making it permissible for them, permitting the people to do this, to intercede, to seek intercession from the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam), and seeking this intercession from others, claiming that the deceased can hear you. It is as if they do not read the statement of Allaah ta’aala:
And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the datestone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. (Fatir 35:13-14)
The fourth example of how some ignorant people go to extremes concerning the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) is: travelling with the specific intention of visiting his grave. This is something that has been prohibited (made haraam) by total consensus of the…, due to what has been recorded by the shaikhan, Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri that the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) stated, “Do not travel except to three masaajid: Al-Masjid al-Haram, the Masjid al-Aqsa, and this masjid of mine.”
So every area, every place that a person travels to with the specific intention of worship is muharram (forbidden), according to this hadith, except to these three masaajid. And know – my dear, fellow brother in Islam – every hadith that has been collected that refers to the virtues of travelling to [the Prophet's] grave is weak and not authentically reported on the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam), as many of the imams have clearly stated. As for travelling to these places in order to make the salat in one of these masaajid, then this is mustahab (highly recommended).
The fifth example of how some ignorant people go to extremes concerning the Prophet (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) is: their belief that the Prophet’s Masjid has virtue because of the Prophet’s grave being in it. And this is a serious, grave, heavy error, for the Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu ‘alaihiwasallam) mentioned the virtue of praying in the Prophet’s masjid.
Transcribed lecture from Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ar-Rayyis. You can Listen to the Arabic-English Lecture :
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