Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Argument with one of the Wahabi ulema

My friend, the Tunisian teacher, told me that his Saudi friend would come the next day to debate with me in scientific argument. He told me that he had invited a group of teachers to participate in the argument so that everyone might make use of it. He told me that he had served lunch for the invitees. He said to me, “Today is the weekend holiday and we have enough time. How much we are eager to such meetings! We want you to be victorious; so do not disappoint us, because this Saudi man often talks and talks alone without giving us a chance to talk.”

At the appointed time, the teachers came and with them was the Wahabi scholar. We were nine - seven invitees, the host and me. After the meal, we began our argument whose subject was “Tawassul (supplicating to Allah by means of a prophet or a saint) and the intercession between a servant and his God”

I said that I believed in tawassul to Allah by means of His prophets, messengers and righteous saints. I said that man’s supplication might be repelled because of his many sins and business with the pleasures of this life and then he might seek the intercession of the beloveds and saints of Allah.

The Wahabi scholar said, “This is polytheism and Allah does not forgive the association of anyone to him.”

I said, “What is your evidence that this is a kind of polytheism?”

He said, “Allah says -

‘And that the mosques are Allah’s, therefore call not upon any one with Allah.’ Qur'an, 72:18

This is a clear verse that prohibits the supplication to anyone other than Allah. Whoever calls upon other than Allah makes a partner to Him that benefits and harms, whereas the benefiting and harming one is Allah alone.”

One of the attendants approved his speech and wanted to support him, but the host stopped him, saying, “Take it easy! I have invited you not for dispute and competition, but I have invited you to listen to these two scholars. As for this Tunisian man, I have known him since long ago, but I was surprised when I discovered recently that he is a Shia, following the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and this is our Saudi friend that all of you know and know his beliefs. We have just to listen to them both and see their arguments and evidences, until they have finished their debate. After that, it is our time to participate in the discussion, and every one can give his opinion if he wants.”

We thanked him for his kindness and polite way, and we kept on with our arguments.

I said, “I agree with you that Allah the Almighty is alone the Benefactor, the One who can harm, and not one of Muslims disagrees with you on this, but our disagreement is on tawassul. The one, who supplicates to Allah by means of the Messenger of Allah (S) for example, knows well that Muhammad (S) neither benefits nor harms, but his (Muhammad) supplication is accepted and responded to by Allah. If Muhammad (S) asks Allah, saying, ‘O my Lord, have mercy on this servant, forgive that servant, or enrich this one’, surely Allah will respond to him.

The true Prophetic traditions narrated in this context are too many. For example, one day one of the companions who was blind, came to the Prophet (S) and asked him to pray Allah for his sight to be restored to him. The Prophet (S) ordered him to perform wudhu’ and offer a two-rak’a prayer for Allah, and then to say, ‘O Allah, I beseech You by means of your beloved Muhammad that You restore my sight.’ After doing so, his sight was recovered.

One day, Tha’laba, who was a destitute companion, came to the Prophet (S) and asked him to pray to Allah for him to become wealthy, because he liked to be benevolent to help the poor and give charities. The Prophet (S) prayed Allah for him, and he became so wealthy that his livestock were uncountable, but then, he stopped coming to the mosque to offer prayer, and he did not give zakat…and this story is famous to most of people.

One day, the Prophet described to his companions the bliss of Paradise, and what Allah had prepared to its inhabitants there. Ukasha asked the Prophet (S), ‘O Messenger of Allah (S), pray Allah for me to make me one of them (the inhabitants of Paradise)’!

The Prophet (S) said, ‘O Allah, make him one of them!’ Another one got up and said to the Prophet (S), ‘And to me, O Messenger of Allah (S)!’ The Prophet (S) said, ‘Ukasha has preceded you to that.’

In these three traditions, there is clear evidence that the Messenger of Allah (S) made himself the means between Allah and His servants.”

The Wahabi interrupted me, saying, “I argue by the Holy Qur’an and he argues by weak traditions that neither fatten nor avail against hunger.”

I said, “Allah says in the Holy Qur'an,

O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and seek means to Him. Qur'an, 5:35”

He said, “The ‘means’ refers to a good deed.”

I said, “The verses, concerning good deeds, are many and clear. Allah says:

And convey good news to those who believe and do good deeds, Qur'an, 2:25

But, in this verse He says - ‘Seek means to Him’ - and in another verse, He says,

‘Those whom they call upon, themselves seek the means to their Lord.’ Qur'an, 17:57

These two verses indicate that the seeking of a means in supplicating to Allah has to be with piety and good deeds. Do you not see that Allah says:

‘O you who believe, be careful of (your duty to) Allah’ -

in that He mentions faith and piety before the seeking of a means?”

He said, “Most of scholars interpret “means” as good deed.”

I said, “Keep us away from interpretation and the sayings of scholars! What then if I prove ‘intercession’ by the Qur'an itself?”

He said, “This is impossible, except if it is in another Qur’an that we do not know!”

I said, “I know what you mean, may Allah forgive you! But I will prove that from the Qur’an that all of us know. Allah says,

They said: O our father, ask forgiveness of our faults for us, surely we were sinners. He said: I will ask for you forgiveness from my Lord; surely, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful, Qur'an, 12:97-98

Why did our lord Jacob, the prophet of Allah, not say to his children: you yourselves ask Allah for forgiveness and do not make me intercessor between your Creator and you? He did accept that intercession and said: I shall ask my Lord to forgive you. Thus, he made himself a means to Allah for his children.”

The Wahabi felt it difficult to repel these verses that could not be doubted or misinterpreted. He said, “What do we do with Jacob who was from the children of Israel and whose religion was abrogated by the religion of Islam?”

I said, “I will give you evidence from Islam, from the religion of Muhammad the Prophet of Islam (S).”

He said, “We are listening.”

I said,

‘In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful…and had they, when they were unjust to themselves, come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah and the Messenger had (also) asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Oft-returning (to mercy), Merciful’, Qur'an, 4:64

Why did Allah order them to come to the Prophet (S) to ask for Allah’s forgiveness near him, and then the Prophet (S) would ask Allah to forgive them? This is clear evidence that the Prophet (S) was their means to Allah and that Allah would not forgive them except by him (the Prophet).”

The attendants said, “This is clear evidence that cannot be refuted.”

The Wahabi, feeling defeated said, “Yes, this was right when the Prophet was alive, but the man had died fourteen centuries ago.”

I said with astonishment, “How do you say about the Messenger of Allah (S) ‘the man had died’? The Messenger of Allah (S) is alive and not dead.”

He laughed mockingly at my saying, and said, “The Holy Qur'an said to him,

‘Surely you shall die and they (too) shall surely die,.’ Qur'an, 39:30’

I said, “And the Qur'an itself says,

‘Reckon not those who are killed in Allah’s way as dead; nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord,’ Qur'an, 3:169

and,

‘Do not speak of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead; nay, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive.’ Qur'an, 2:154”

He said, “These verses talk about martyrs who were killed in the way of Allah, and they have nothing to do with Muhammad.”

I said, “Glory be to Allah, and there is no power save in Allah! You demote the Prophet Muhammad (S) who is the most beloved to Allah, lower than the rank of a martyr! As if you want to say: Ahmed ibn Hanbal had died a martyr and he is alive near his God, but the Messenger of Allah (S) is dead like any other dead one.”

He said, “This is what the Holy Qur'an says.”

I said, “Praise be to Allah Who has uncovered to us your nature and made us know your reality by your own tongues. You have tried your best to wipe out the signs of the Prophet (S) to a degree that you tried to remove his tomb, as you had removed the house in which he was born.”

At this moment, the host intervened, saying to me, “Let us not go out of the circle of the Qur'an and the Sunna. We have agreed on this.”

I apologized and then said, “What is important is that our friend has acknowledged ‘intercession’ during the Prophet’s life and denied it after his death.”

The attendants all said it was so, and they asked him again, “Did you agree that ‘intercession’ was permissible during the Prophet’s life?”

He replied, “It was permissible during his life, but it is not permissible now after his death.”

I said, “Praise be to Allah! For the first time, the Wahabis acknowledge ‘tawassul’, and this is a great victory. Please, allow me to add that tawassul was permissible even after the Prophet’s death.”

The Wahabi said, “By Allah, it is not permissible. It is from polytheism.”

I said, “Take it easy! Do not be hasty and swear that you may regret it after that.”

He said, “Give evidence from the Qur'an!”

I said, “This is not possible, because the Revelation stopped by the death of the Prophet (S). We have to rely on the books of Hadith.”

He said, “We do not accept any tradition, except that it is true. What the Shia narrate is of no value to us.”

I said, “Do you trust in the Sahih al-Bukhari which is the most reliable book to you after the Book of Allah?”

He said astonishedly, “Does al-Bukhari say that tawassul is permissible?!”

I said, “Yes, he says that, but unfortunately, you do not read what there is in your Sahihs, and despite that, you resist out of fanaticism to your opinions.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih that Umar ibn al-Khattab asked Allah for rain by means of al-Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib when there was famine. He often said, ‘O Allah, we beseeched You by means of our prophet, and You sent down to us rains, and now we beseech You by means of the uncle of our prophet. So send down rain to us!’ Al-Bukahri says, ‘And they had rains’.1 ”

Then I said to him, “It is Umar ibn al-Khattab, who is to you the greatest of companions, and you have no doubt in his loyalty, strong faith, and good beliefs. You say that if there would be a prophet after Muhammad, he would be Umar ibn al-Khattab. Now, you are between two things with no third; either you acknowledge that tawassul is from the essence of Islam and that the saying of Umar ‘O Allah, we beseeched You by means of our Prophet, and You sent rains down to us, and now we beseech You by means of the uncle of our Prophet. So send rain down to us!’- is an acknowledgment of tawassul during the Prophet’s life and after his death, or you say that Umar ibn al-Khattab was a polytheist because he made al-Abbas as his means to Allah. It is well known that al-Abbas was neither a prophet, nor an imam and not even from the Ahlul Bayt from whom Allah has kept away uncleanness and purified with thorough purification.

Besides, al-Bukhari, who is the master of traditionists to you, has mentioned this tradition acknowledging its reliability and adding, ‘and they had rains’, which means that Allah responded to them. Thus, al-Bukhari and the narrators from the Prophet’s companions, who narrated this tradition, are all polytheists in your view!!!”

He said, “If it is proved that this tradition is true, it shall be an argument against you.”

I said, “How is it an argument against me?”

He said, “Because our master Umar did not supplicate to Allah by means of the Prophet because he was dead and he supplicated by means of al-Abbas because he was alive.”

I said, “The doings and sayings of Umar are not evidence and have no value to me. I just mentioned this narration to prove the subject of our discussion, which is the denial of tawassul by you and all your ulema and that you consider it as polytheism.

I am astonished why Umar did not supplicate to Allah, during the absence of rains, by means of Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), who was to Muhammad (S) as was Aaron to Moses. No one of Muslims ever said that al-Abbas was better than Ali (a.s.). However, this is another subject that does not concern us in this debate. I just say that you now acknowledge tawassul by means of living people and this is a great victory to me. I thank Allah Who has made our argument prevailing, and your argument vain. Since it is so, now I will use tawassul in your presence.”

I got up from my seat, turned toward the qibla, and said, “O Allah, we call upon You and supplicate to You by means of Your righteous servant Imam Khomeini.”

Suddenly, the Wahabi leapt and shouted with denial, “I seek Allah’s protection! I seek Allah’s protection!” He left hastily.2

The attendants looked at each other, saying, “How strange he is! How often he criticized and refuted us! We thought that he was full of knowledge, but it has become clear that he is emptier than the heart of Moses’ mother!”

One of them said, “We are Allah’s and to Him we shall return! O Allah, I turn to You in repentance.” He turned to us and said, “How much I was influenced by his sayings. Until today, I believed as he believed - that tawassul is a kind of polytheism. If I was not with you today, I would remain misled. Thanks to Allah, and to you.”

And say: The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished; surely falsehood is a vanishing (thing). Qur'an, 17:81

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 209 , Chap. The virtues of Ja’far ibn Abi Talib.

2. The Lebanese al-Bilad Magazine mentioned in a report on Bosnia, “We have met with a teacher of Arabic Language and Holy Qur'an in one of the mosques of the city, and he expressed his worry about the actions of some Muslim countries. The teacher Janiti said that a Tunisian volunteer, whose name was Ahmed, asked him to give a lecture on Wahabisim, and when he refused to do that, he threatened to kill him and said that whoever did not embrace Wahabism would be in Fire.” Refer to al-Bilad Magazine, vol. 191, p.35.

The Prophet refutes the Wahabis and their misleading

There is no doubt that the Holy Qur'an has acknowledged intercession and tawassul between Allah and His people, and not prohibited that nor prevented His messenger from it. Rather, the Qur'an has made it permissible and recommended it.

The Qur'an has made the Prophet’s deeds, sayings, and approving of others’ deeds an example for us to follow in our lives, when saying:

Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah (S) an excellent exemplar. Qur'an, 33:21

On this basis, we will take the Prophet’s doings and sayings as our evidence. We shall not derive our evidence from the books of the Shia nor from any of the books of the Sunni, for that shall be uncountable. We shall be satisfied with what al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih alone, so that the answer to the Wahabis shall be by the knockout that they may not argue with it, if they are fair. Otherwise, their obstinacy and blind fanaticism shall expose them to all Muslims.

After we have proved the permissibility of tawassul from the Qur'an and the Prophetic Sunna, we discuss what to the Wahabis is more defamed and more deniable than tawassul; it is the asking the blessing of and wiping one’s body against holy shrines and sacred places.

The Wahabis have reached an extent that they beat the hajjis for doing so and accuse them of polytheism.

The companions seek the blessing of the Prophet’s hair

It is worth mentioning to say that the deeds of the Prophet’s companions are an argument against the Wahabis, because they believe that all the companions are totally just and honest. They claim that they follow them. They call themselves as Salafis meaning that they follow the “pious ancients” and that all the companions were pious and righteous in their view.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih that Malik ibn Ismaeel narrated from Israel ibn Aasim from Ibn Sirin who said, “Once, I said to Ubaydah, ‘We have some of the Prophet’s hair. We have got it from Anas or the family of Anas.’ He said, ‘If I have one hair from him, it shall be more beloved to me than the world and all that is there in it’.”1

Al-Bukhari also mentioned a tradition narrated by Muhammad ibn Abd ur Raheem from Sa’eed ibn Sulayman from Etad from ibn Sirin that Anas said, “When the Messenger of Allah (S) had his hair cut, Abu Talha was the first one to take from his (the Prophet’s cut) hair.”2

Since Anas ibn Malik, the famous companion, kept the Prophet’s hair and gave from it to his relatives and friends, and since a companion said, “If I have one hair from him, it shall be more beloved to me than the world and all that is there in it”, (I swear) by my life, this is the clearest evidence that the companions sought blessing in the belongings of the Prophet (S) and everything related to him. And, by my life, this refutes the Wahabis who beat the hajjis who seek blessing in the Prophet’s belongings.

In my book ‘Then I was Guided’, I have mentioned the nice story of the Shia scholars who offered a copy of the Holy Qur'an wrapped in leather as gift to the Saudi king at that time. The king kissed the Qur'an and put it on his forehead as a kind of honoring. The Shia Scholar said to the king, “Why did you kiss the leather and honor it?”

The king said, “When I kissed the leather, I intended to kiss what was there inside the leather, which is the Holy Qur'an.”

The Shia scholar said, “And so do we! When we kiss the window of the Prophet’s room (inside which he has been buried), we know that it is iron, which neither benefits nor harms, but we mean what is beyond the iron, and it is the Messenger of Allah (S).”

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1 p. 51.

2. Ibid

Companions and caliphs seek blessings in the Prophet’s belongings after his death

Through my research on this subject, I have found more than twenty traditions in the six Sahihs (the Sunni books of Hadith) showing that the companions in general and the caliphs especially, sought blessing from the Prophet’s belongings. However, as I have promised, I shall only mention one or two traditions from al-Bukhari who seems to be strict in such traditions.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih in a chapter “on what was narrated about the Prophet’s armor, stick, sword, drinking-vessel, ring and what the caliphs used of that after him… and from his hair, shoes, and vessels by which his companions and others sought blessing after his death.”1

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih that az-Zubayr said, “On the Day (the battle) of Badr, I met Ubaydah ibn Sa’eed ibn al-Aas (in fighting), who was heavily armed and nothing was seen of him except his eyes, and who was surnamed as Abu Thatil Karsh. He said, ‘I am Abu Thatil Karsh.’ I attacked him with my iron-tipped stick. I hit him in his eye and he died.” Hisham said, “I was told that az-Zubayr said, ‘I put my leg against him and stretched myself and with effort I could take spout (the stick) - where its ends were bent.”

Urwa said, “The Messenger of Allah (S) asked him (az-Zubayr) to give it to him, and he gave it to him. When the Messenger of Allah (S) was taken away in death, he (az-Zubayr) took it back. Then, Abu Bakr asked for it, and he gave it to him. When Abu Bakr died, Umar asked for it, and he gave it to him. When Umar died, he took it back, and then Uthman asked for it, and he gave it to him. When Uthman was killed, it became in the possession of Ali’s family, and then Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr asked for it, and it was with him until he was killed.”2

A necessary note

We notice from this tradition that the Messenger of Allah (S) himself sought blessing in that stick, which az-Zubayr had and with which he had fought heroes in the wars. With this stick, he fought Ubaydah ibn Sa’eed ibn al-Aas who was heavily armed and armored that only his eyes were seen. Despite that, az-Zubayr struck him with this stick in his eye and killed him, and then he took it out with difficulty. It was really a wonderful stick, and it might be from the kind of stick that Moses had, with which he had split the sea for the Children of Israel.

Allah says:

Then We revealed to Moses: Strike the sea with your staff. So it had cloven asunder, and each part was like a huge mound. Qur'an, 26:63

And when Moses prayed for drink for his people, We said: Strike the rock with your staff So there gushed from it twelve springs. Qur'an, 2:60

It is no wonder then that the Messenger of Allah (S) asked az-Zubayr to give him that iron-tipped stick to seek the blessing in it, or it could be to teach people that seeking blessing is permissible in Islam. This possibility is too strong, especially when we know that all the caliphs after the Prophet (S) had asked for this stick, which moved from one to another until finally it came to Abdullah ibn az-Zubayer, for it was his father’s heritage.

We find in the Holy Qur'an many references to seeking blessing in things that were related to prophets and messengers. It has been said in the Qur'an:

He said: What was then your case, O Samiri? He said: I perceived what they perceive not, so I seized a handful from the footsteps of the messenger, and then threw it in. Thus, my soul commended to me. Qur'an, 20:95-96

Perhaps Samiri perceived what the rest of companions, did not perceive when he seized a handful from the earth that the Prophet had stepped on, or which might have achieved some miracles. So he thought that Moses was a great magician and the miracles he showed to people were just magic that whoever had means to do it, could do.

Therefore, he threw the handful of earth and his soul incited him to take the Children of Israel back to worship the calf. The story confirms what we have said that he showed some charismata and miracles to the Israelites until they were deceived and they followed him.

We find other references in the Holy Qur’an to the seeking of blessing and cure by the belongings of the prophets. Allah says in the Sura of Yousuf:

Take this my shirt and cast it on my father’s face, he will (again) be able to see, and come to me with all your families. And when the caravan had departed, their father said: Most surely I perceive the scent of Yousuf, unless you pronounce me to be weak in judgment. They said: By Allah, you are most surely in your old error. So when the bearer of good news came, he cast it on his face, so forthwith he regained his sight. He said: Did I not say to you that I know from Allah what you do not know. Qur'an, 12:93-96

What is understood from these verses is that the Prophet Jacob (S) was blind and that his son Yousuf sent him his shirt and asked the one who brought good news to wipe his father’s face with the shirt in order to recover his sight, and this actually happened.

Despite our deep faith that Allah the Almighty is able to make the Prophet Jacob (S) recover his sight without the shirt of Yousuf (S), able to make water gush out of the rock, and the sea to split without the stick of Moses and able to restore to life the killed one without hitting him with some pieces of the cow,3 Allah the Almighty has made a means for all that to happen to make people understand what means and intercession are from the law of Allah to His people, and not polytheism as the Wahabis and their followers claim.

Allah says:

This is Our book that speaks against you with justice; surely We wrote what you did. Then as to those who believed and did good - their Lord will make them enter into His mercy; that is the manifest triumph. And as to those who disbelieved: What! were not My communications recited to you? But you were proud and you were a guilty people. Qur'an, 45:29-31

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 46. Chapt. The Prophet’s call for Islam and Prophethood.

2. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5 p. 14. Chapt. The presence of angels in the battle of Badr from the book al-Maghazi (raids).

3. In reference to these verses:

“And when you killed a man, then you disagreed with respect to that, and Allah was to bring forth that which you were going to hide. So We said: Strike the (dead body) with part of the (sacrificed cow), thus Allah brings the dead to life, and He shows you His signs so that you may understand.” Qur’an 2:73

The Prophet admits seeking blessing and teaches it to his companions

Let no one be deceived by the sayings of those who deny - who say that seeking blessing in things is a heresy invented by some companions or some of their successors. They say that out of ignorance or fanaticism to new Wahabism which is itself a heresy that accuses Muslims of polytheism just due to a false doubt the Wahabis themselves have created.

The Messenger of Allah (S) acknowledged on many occasion what his companions did, seeking blessing in certain things and he recommended them to do that. After that, the companions competed among themselves to do it

Al-Bukhari in his Sahih has mentioned a tradition narrated by Adam from Shu’bah from al-Hakam that Abu Juhayfah said, “The Messenger of Allah (S) went out with us at midday. He was brought some water and he performed wudhu’ with it. People began taking from the remaining water of his wudhu’ and wiping themselves with it. The Prophet (S) offered the Noon Prayer in two rak’as and the Afternoon Prayer in two rak’as, and there was a stick in front of him. Abu Musa said, ‘The Messenger of Allah (S) called for a vessel of water with which he washed his hands and face and ejected (from his mouth) in it and said to them (his companions), ‘Drink from it and pour on your faces and necks.’”1

Al-Bukhari mentioned another tradition in his Sahih clearer than the previous one. He mentioned that Abu Musa (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “Once, I was with the Prophet (S) while he was in al-Ja’rana (a place) between Mecca and Medina, and Bilal was there with him. A nomad came to the Prophet (S) and said to him, ‘Would you not carry out to me what you have promised?’

The Prophet said, ‘Be delighted!’

The nomad said, ‘How much you said to me - be delighted (with good news)!’

The Prophet (S) came to Abu Musa and Bilal while somehow angry, saying, ‘He rejected the good news. You both come to me!’

They came to him. He called for a vessel of water. He washed his hands and face in it, and then rinsed out his mouth in it and said, ‘Drink from it and pour on your faces and necks and wait for good news!’ They took the vessel and did so. From behind a curtain, Umm Salama (the Prophet’s wife) called out, ‘Leave some of it for your mother!’ And they left some to her.”2

These true traditions on seeking blessing do not show that the Prophet (S) approved of the matter, but rather it was he who ordered his companions to do it after he had washed his hands and face and rinsed out his mouth with the water. Then, he asked them to drink and pour on their faces and necks from that water. He gave them good news that they would receive goodness by the blessing of that water with which the Prophet washed his hands, face, and mouth and Umm Salama (the Prophet’s wife) asked to leave some of that water for her to be blessed with. So where are the Wahabis from these facts? Or are there locks on their hearts!

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1 p. 55.

2. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5 p. 103.

Muhammad is a human not like other humans, but as corundum among gems

Another time, we say to all people that the Prophet Muhammad (S) is the best of all creatures and no one from the children of Adam can be compared to him. He is the master of them all. Despite whatever may be said about his human aspect, Allah has purified him from every impurity and vice.

Traditionists have mentioned that he had qualities that no one from the human beings ever had. The examples on that are too many; flies never ever sat on him, a cloud always cast shadow over him, earth swallowed all his excrements, the scent of musk emitted from his holy body was such that Abu Bakr said when he was laid out dead, “May my father and mother die for you! How good you smell whether you are alive or dead!”

When I read these traditions that I have already mentioned and believed in their reliability, I understood from them what others might not understand. I would not deny anyone to drink from the remainder of the Prophet’s washing water, because the Prophet (S) is not like any other human being; he is like corundum among other gems.

Which one of us may willingly drink from water with which someone else has washed his hands, face and mouth? In addition to that, we fear that microbes and diseases that may come from dirt and filth. Our souls detest that, especially when we see with our eyes what is done to the water.

Yet unless we have believed and are certain that the Prophet (S) has been purified from all dirt, microbes, and bad smells and that his body is pure and immaculate, we shall not perceive these traditions. And if the loyal companions did not have that deep faith in these facts, they would not compete with each other to drink the remainder of the used water from Prophet’s washing, to an extent that they struggled for it. In fact, the loyal companions knew the facts about the Prophet (S) that others did not know. The remainder of the washing water in which the Prophet (S) had washed his hands, face and mouth did not suffice for them.

We shall mention here more than that which human souls can bear to heat.

Al-Bukhari has mentioned in his Sahih a long story from which we shall take the theme that concerns our study. He said, “…then Urwa began glancing at the Prophet’s companions and he said, “By Allah, the Messenger of Allah (S) did not expectorate, except that it (his extract) fell in the hand of one of them (willingly) and he (a companion) rubbed it to his face and skin. When he (the Prophet) ordered them, they hurried to carry out his order, and when he performed the wudhu’, they quarreled with each other to get (the remainder of the water of) his wudhu’…”1

Al-Bukhari also mentioned a tradition narrated by Urwa that al-Musawwir and Marwan which said that the Prophet (S) came out to them at the time of Hudaybiyya… and he mentioned the tradition, “the Messenger of Allah (S) did not expectorate, except that it (his extract) fell in the hand of one of them (willingly) and he rubbed it to his face and skin…”.2

This leads us to say that the great companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would not do that, unless the Prophet (S) kept silent when they did it, or rather approved it for them.

There is no doubt that the companions saw charismata because of this act, such as recovering health and soundness, goodness, prosperity and cure of diseases; otherwise, they would not massage their faces and skins with Prophet’s pituitrin.

To confirm what we say, we quote this tradition from Sahih al-Bukhari, to show people the falsehood of Wahabism. The tradition reads, “Once, the Messenger of Allah (S) went out in the midday to the desert. He performed wudhu’ and offered the Noon Prayer in two rak’as and the Afternoon Prayer in two rak’as, and in front of him there was a stick…Awn added that his father Abu Juhayfa said, “Passers passed behind it (the stick). And then people got up and began taking his (the Prophet) hands and massaging with them their faces. I took his hand and put it on my face. It was colder than ice and better (in its scent) than the scent of musk.”3

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3 p. 180.

2. Ibid., vol. 1 p. 66.

3. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 165.

Seeking healing by the Prophet’s blessing

There is no doubt that the Prophet Muhammad (S) cured patients by his touching, water of wudhu’, saliva and other things.

Muslim has mentioned in his Sahih and al-Bukhari as well that Sahl ibn Sa’eed (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “On the Day (battle) of Khaybar, the Messenger of Allah (S) was heard saying - ‘I will give the banner to a man at whose hands Allah will grant victory. He loves Allah and His messenger, and Allah and His messenger love him.’

That night people remained in suspense, wondering to whom among them the Prophet (S) would hand the banner. They all looked forward to it. Next day he (the Prophet) asked where Ali (a.s.) was, and it was said to him that he had sore eyes. The Prophet (S) spat in Imam Ali’s eyes and he recovered as if he had never suffered any pain. Then the Prophet gave the banner to Ali who said, ‘Should I fight them to be like us (Muslims)?’ He (the Prophet) said, ‘Go on until you arrive in their field, and then invite them for Islam and tell them of their obligations. By Allah, if Allah guides by you one man, it is better for you than to have red camels (abundant wealth)’.”1

Al-Bukhari has said too, “I heard as-Sa’ib ibn Yazid saying, ‘Once, my aunt took me to the Prophet (S) and said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allah (S), this son of my sister has fallen.’ He rubbed my head and prayed Allah to bless me. Then, he performed wudhu’ and I drank from the water of his wudhu’…’”2

He also said, “I heard Jabir saying, ‘One day, the Messenger of Allah (S) came to visit me when I was ill of insanity. He performed wudhu’ and poured on me from the water of his wudhu’ and I became sane. I asked him, ‘O Messenger of Allah (S), with whom shall my inheritance be with, for I have neither parents nor children?’ Then, the verse of obligations (inheritances) was revealed.”3

Surely, the Messenger of Allah (S) was in such a position to Allah that he made a blind man recover his sight by his saliva and a mad one recover his sanity by the water of his wudhu’ and that his companions massaged their faces and skins with his pituitrin seeking health and soundness.

It has been mentioned in traditions that Huthayfa ibn al-Yaman had a pouch with which he cured patients and that whomever he put the pouch on was cured. People were very influenced by him until his news reached the Prophet (S) who sent for him, asking, “Are you seditious O Huthayfa?” He replied, “Certainly not O Messenger of Allah (S), but I have kept the stone that once had harmed your foot. I put it in a piece of cloth, and now I cure patients by it.”

The Prophet (S) said to people, “If you trust in a stone, it shall benefit you.”4

We do not mean by these traditions that we place trust in jugglers and swindlers, or that we do not believe in scientific medicine. How would that be when we always depend on the Prophet’s saying, “Bring a physician to him, because Allah has created the disease and created the cure to it”?

And this does not mean that Muslims only depend on supplication, amulets, the Qur'an, blessing and other things that are familiar in all Muslim countries for treatment. We quote these evidences just to argue against the Wahabis who deny all these things and consider whoever believes in them as a polytheist.

Surely, the companions had their justification in seeking blessing and tawassul in the Prophet (S), because they lived with him and saw his miracles and charismata which astonished them and filled their selves with reverence and hope.

Biographers, who were interested in the Prophet’s miracles, have mentioned all the miracles mentioned in the Qur'an of the prophets who had preceded him, such as healing the patients, the blind and the lepers, giving life to the dead, the coming down of food from the heaven, talking with animals and many other signs.

We shall mention only one or two traditions from al-Bukhari and let researchers themselves read what scholars have written on this matter.

Qatada narrated that Anas said, “A vessel was brought to the Prophet (S) while he was in az-Zawra. He put his hand inside the vessel and water began gushing out from between his fingers. All people performed wudhu (from that water)”. Qatada said, “I asked Anas how many men there were and he said that they were three hundred or about three hundred men.”5

Jabir ibn Abdullah narrated, “On the day of al-Hudaybiyya, people felt thirsty. There was a pot before the Prophet (S). He performed wudhu’. People hurried towards him, and he asked, ‘What happened to you?’ They said, ‘We do not have water to perform wudhu’ or drink, except this water before you.’ He put his hand in the pot, and water began gushing out between his fingers like springs. We drank and performed wudhu’.”…I asked how many ones they were and he said, ‘If we were one hundred thousand, the water would be enough. We were fifteen hundred men.”6

Alqama narrated that Abdullah said, “One day, we were with the Messenger of Allah (S) on a travel. We ran out of water. He (the Prophet) said, ‘Bring me a little of water.’ They brought him a vessel having a little water. He put his hand inside the vessel and said, ‘Come on to the pure, blessed (water) and blessing is from Allah!’ I did see water spring between the fingers of the Messenger of Allah (S)…and we did hear the glorifying (tasbeeh) of food while it was being eaten.”7

Notes

1. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 20.

2. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1 p. 56,57.

3. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 1 p. 56,57.

4. I do not remember the source of this tradition, but I have heard it from our teachers in Tunisia.

5. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 170; chapter - The signs of prophethood in the book “The beginning of creation”.

6. Ibid

7. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4 p. 170-, chapt. the signs of prophethood in the book “the beginning of creation”.