Matchless Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
’I am not like you!’
Kashif Shahzad Attari
O devotees of the Prophet! Allah Almighty has made His most beloved and last Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم superior to all His creation by bestowing many virtues and distinctions on him. Refresh your faith by reading about at two of the innumerable distinctions and unique characteristics of Mustafa صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:
1. Continuous fasting
Sawm-e-Wisaal (i.e. fasting continuously without Sahari and Iftar) is a unique characteristic of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Mawahib-ul-Ladunniyyah, vol. 2, p. 265)
Sadr-us-Shari’ah, Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes: ‘Sawm-e-Wisaal, i.e. not to do Iftar after keeping a fast and then having a fast the next day again, is Makruh-e-Tanzeehi (for the Ummah).’ (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, p. 966)
I am not like you
The renowned Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to the people لَا تُوَاصِلُوا ‘Do not keep Sawm-e-Wisaal (Continuous fasting)’. The people said, ‘But you keep Sawm-e-Wisaal’. He صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:
لَسْتُ مِثْلَكُمْ اِنِّیْ اَبِيْتُ يُطْعِمُنِیْ رَبِّیْ وَيَسْقِينِیْ
‘I am not like you. I spend the night in such a way that My Lord grants me food and provides me with drink.’ (Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 505, Hadees: 7299)
Dear Islamic brothers! It is said, in this Hadees, that Allah Almighty grants food and provides water to His Beloved صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Scholars have given two meanings to this glorious saying.
1. The food for the King of Madinah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم used to come from Paradise (which he used to eat) and the fast does not break by eating the food from Paradise.
2. It means Allah Almighty gave the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم the strength which comes from eating and drinking. (Khasaais-e-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 418)
Important Explanation
O devotees of the Prophet! Some pious predecessors also used to fast continuously without proper Sahari or Iftaar, but they used to consume a small amount of food or water to avoid it falling into a disliked act. The commentator of Bukhari, Mufti Shareef-ul-Haq Amjadi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says that for the purposes of spiritual devotion, the Shuyukh order the seekers (i.e. the religious leaders order those who are under their training) to keep Sawm-e-Wisaal (continuous fast), but they are allowed to take a sip of water or something very small, such as a few raisins, pieces of dry bread, etc., to ward off it being considered a disliked act. Mujaddid-e-A’zam, A’la Hadrat Imam Ahmad Raza رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه once ate and drank nothing but a sip of water in twenty-four hours for forty or forty-five days.
Despite this, there was no difference in his routine of writing, compiling, writing fatwas, attending congregational prayers in the masjid, instructing and teaching, meeting with visitors, etc., nor did any signs of weakness appear in him. (Nuzhat-ul-Qaari, vol. 3, p. 311)
2. He saw Allah, the Exalted
The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw his Lord twice. (Kashf-ul-Ghummah, vol. 2, p. 54)
Mufti Amjad Ali A’zami رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says: ‘In the life of this world, seeing Allah Almighty is exclusively for the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.’ (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 1, p. 20)
Dear Islamic brothers, many blessed verses of the Holy Quran, Ahadees of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the sayings of many Companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُم, Mujtahids[1], commentators and narrators have proved that the special guest of Mi’raaj صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw his beloved Allah Almighty with his physical eyes in the state of wakefulness on the night of ascension.
Mention of seeing Allah in the Holy Quran
The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم seeing Allah on the night of Mi’raaj is mentioned in Part 27, Surah Najm, verses 11 to 17 of the Holy Quran. And according to the preferred view, the intended meaning here is seeing Allah Almighty. For details, read Siraat-ul-Jinaan, Volume 9, Pages 553 to 558.
In Surah An-Najm, Verse 17, Allah Almighty says
مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَ مَا طَغٰى(۱۷)
The eyes (of the Holy Prophet) did not turn aside, nor exceed the limit.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 27, Surah Al-Najm, Verse 17)
Sadr-ul-Afadil, ‘Allamah Maulana Sayyid Na’eem-ud-Deen Muradabadi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه says about this verse that it shows the perfection of the strength of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم that he stood firm at a place where the minds are in astonishment and he was blessed with the sight of the Noor that he intended to see. He was neither distracted by anything left or right, nor did he faint like Sayyiduna Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, rather he stood firm in this exalted place. (Khazain-ul-‘Irfan)
Three sayings of Mustafa صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
1. رَاَیْتُ رَبِّیْ تَبَارَکَ وَتَعَالٰی ‘I saw my Lord Almighty; (Musnad Imam Ahmad, vol. 1, p. 620, Hadees: 2634)
2. اِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالٰى اَعْطٰى مُوْسَى الْكلَاَمَ وَاَعْطَانیِ الرُّؤْيَةَ ‘Indeed, Allah Almighty bestowed on Prophet Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام the honour of conversing with Him and granted me the honour of seeing Him.’ (Kanz-ul-Ummal, Juz 14, vol. 7, p. 191, Hadees: 39200)
3. ‘My Lord said to me نَحَلْتُ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ خُلَّتِیْ وَكَلَّمْتُ مُوْسٰى تَكْلِيْمًاوَ اَعْطَيْتُكَ يَامُحَمَّدُ كِفَاحًا 'I bestowed my friendship on Ibraheem, spoke to Musa, and O Muhammad! I granted you the honour of seeing Me' (i.e. You have seen my pure beauty without a veil)’. (Tareekh-e-Ibn-e-Asakir, vol. 3, p. 517; Majma Bihar-ul-Anwaar. vol. 4, p. 24; Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 30, p. 638)
Two Sayings
Read two of the many sayings of the Companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُم and the pious predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـه:
1. The cousin of the Beloved Prophet, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما said:
اَمَّا نَحْنُ بَنُوْ هَاشِم فَنَقُوْلُ اِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ رَاٰى رَبَّهٗ مَرَّتَيْنِ
‘We Banu Haashim, the Ahl-e-Bayt of the Prophet, say that Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw his Lord twice.’ (Al-Shifa, vol. 1, p. 196)
Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُما specifically mentioned Banu Haashim because they are close to the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and know his situation better, especially before the migration, (and the event of Ascension also took place before migration). (Naseem-ul-Riyaz, vol. 3, p. 144)
2. Shihaab-ul-Millah Wad-Deen, ‘Allamah Ahmad Bin Muhammad Khafaji Misri رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه writes: The more correct and preferred statement is that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم saw his Glorious Lord with his physical eyes. This is the position of most of the Companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُم. (Naseem-ul-Riyaz, vol. 3, p. 144)
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