Election of Abu Bakr رضى الله عنه (Part 2)

نحمده ونصلى ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتّقين

 

In a previous entry we looked at the election of sayyidina Abu Bakr al-Siddiq^RA as the Prophet’s first khalifa (successor). I put forward the notion that while outwardly Abu Bakr^RA was elected through means of consultation and discussion among the Prophet’s senior companions, in reality, it was Allah Most High who inspired the hearts of those companions to gather around Abu Bakr^RA and recognize him as the Prophet’s rightful successor.

In this entry I would like to present an explicit proof for this doctrine from the mouth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself. In fact, I had already presented it as a footnote to another previous entry on this blog of mine concerning the divine wrath and destruction that visited the opponents of the Prophet ﷺ, namely, Amir b. Tufail and Arbad b. Qays:

“It is reported that when Aamir b. al-Tufail asked the Prophet ﷺ to make him his successor, the Prophet said:

 

لا, ليس ذلك إليَّ إنما ذلك إلى الله تعالى يجعله حيث يشاء

"No, that is not up to me; that is up to Allah, exalted is He, and He appoints whoever He wills" (Asbab-al-Nuzul of Wahidi; Sura 13:13) Contrary to the view of the Shi'a, this demonstrates that the Prophet ﷺ did not appoint anyone to succeed him but rather left the matter to Allah, knowing that Allah would make, from whomsoever He desired, one to succeed him, and that person ended up being the Prophet's most senior disciple Abu Bakr. At the same time, this saying establishes the fact that the matter of Khilafa is ultimately given by Allah Himself, but through the agency of the elders and learned ones of the community who consult among themselves but reach their decision through guidance from the Holy Spirit. Therefore, while apparently it seems that the Khalifa is appointed through consultation, the reality is that Allah Himself makes the Khalifa through the agency of those who are consulted.”

Now in this entry I shall merely paste the scanned page from al-Wahidi’s Asbab-al-Nuzul p.278:

Ibn 'Abbas said: “This verse and the verse before it (Sura 13:12-13) were revealed about 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl and Arbad ibn Rabi'ah. These two men went to see the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, and, as they were coming, one of the prophetic Companions said: 'O Messenger of Allah, here is 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl coming toward you'. He said: 'Leave him, Allah will guide him if He wants good for him'. He proceeded along until he stood in front of the Prophet and said: 'O Muhammad, what do I get if I become Muslim?' He said: 'You get what the Muslims get and you suffer what they suffer'. He said: 'In that case put me in charge after you die'. He said: 'No, that is not up to me; that is up to Allah, exalted is He, and He appoints whoever He wills'.

 

 

In summary, the Prophet ﷺ explicitly stated that it was not his prerogative to designate his own successor for after his death – a manifest repudiation of the Shi’ite doctrine – but rather Allah Himself would appoint whomsoever He wishes as the Prophet’s successor.

Mansur al-Hallaj and the Devil

 

نحمده ونصلى ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتّقين

 

Mansur al-Hallaj and the Devil

 

 

Sufism represents the mystical aspect of Islam and is a religious movement that focuses on establishing a living and dynamic relationship between the Lord God Allah and the worshiper, through purification of the heart and intensity of worship. This tendency was present in the very early days of Islam and produced thousands upon thousands of saints and ascetics through whom the religion of Islam spread largely among the non-Arabs.

Nevertheless, with the passage of time, popular Sufism became corrupt due to innovations and heresies. One can pinpoint this deviation from the true spirit of Sufism with individuals like Mansur al-Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, and others, who deviated in the realm of ideas far away from the firm principles of Islam.

With respect to Mansur al-Hallaj, many of his Sufi contemporaries opposed him because of his deviations. Tragically, Mansur is considered a martyr and saint by contemporary so-called ‘Sufis’ and both the Deobandi and Barelwi sects. They defend Mansur’s apparent heresies and attempt to interpret them with far-fetched interpretations and conceal their real purport.

 Among the scandals of Mansur al-Hallaj was his apparent defense of Iblis (the devil) and attempt to portray the latter as a true monotheist and lover of God معاذ الله

“Moses met Iblis on the slope of Sinai and said to him: ‘O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating?’ He said: ‘That which prevented me was my declaration of a Unique Beloved, and if I had prostrated I would have become like you, because you were only called upon once to ‘look at the mountain’ and you looked. As for me, I was called upon a thousand times to prostrate myself to Adam and I did not prostrate myself because I stood by the intention of my declaration. Moses said: ‘You abandoned a Command?’ Iblis said: ‘It was a test. Not a command.’ Moses said: ‘Without sin? But your face was deformed.’ Iblis replied: ‘O Moses, that is but the ambiguity of appearances, while the spiritual state does not rely on it and does not change. Gnosis remains true even as it was at the beginning and does not change even if the individual changes.’ Moses said: ‘Do you remember Him now?’ ‘O Moses, pure mind does not have need of memory - by it I am remembered and He is remembered. His remembrance is my remembrance, and my remembrance is His remembrance. How, when remembering ourselves, can we two be other than one? My service is now purer, my time more pleasant, my remembrance more glorious, because I served Him in the absolute for my good fortune, and now I serve Him for Himself.’ ‘I lifted greed from everything which prevents or defends for the sake of loss as well as gain. He isolated me, made me ecstatic, confused me, expelled me, so that I would no mix with the saints. He put me far from others because of my jealousy for Him alone. He deformed me, because He amazed me, and amazed me because He banished me. He banished me because I was a servant and put me in a forbidden state because of my companionship. He showed my lack of worth because I praised His Glory. He reduced me to a simple robe of ihram because if my hijya. He left me because of my union, He unified me because he cut me off. He cut me off because He had prevented my desire. By His Truth I was not in error in respect to His decree, I did not refuse destiny. I did not care at all about the deformation of my face. I kept my equilibrium throughout these sentences. If He punishes me with His fire for all of eternity I would not prostrate myself before anyone, and I would not abase myself before any person or body because I do not recognize any opposite with Him! My feclaration is that of the sincere and I am one of those sincere in love.” (Tawasin)

Reality of Demonic Possession

نحمده ونصلى ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

والعاقبة للمتّقين

 

Reality of Demonic Possession

 

Presently many educated Muslims have begun to doubt the reality of demonic possession and consequently the validity of exorcism in Islam. The heavy influence of materialism and atheism has pushed the educated class of Muslims toward greater skepticism. It is true that Islam has an overall negative view of ‘superstition’, and on this very blog I have written extensively against many of the evil superstitions and folk beliefs prevalent in the Muslim world, such as magic, astrology, necromancy, fortune-telling, etc. Nevertheless, Islam is one of those few religions which emphasizes the real existence and danger of Satan and the demons. Orthodox Christianity too emphasizes the real danger of devils and demons, because it is well known that the promised Messiah of Nazareth (peace be upon him) was a faith-healer and exorcist, with a great part of his ministry expended in driving out demons from possessed persons and waging spiritual war against all kinds of devils. A true Nazarene is therefore someone who zealously seeks to emulate the work done in the ministry of the Messiah and travel about the land waging war with demons and exorcising evil spirits from possessed persons. Regarding demonic possession, Allah Most High says in His Holy Quraan:

 

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ

 

Those who consume Riba [usury] will not be resurrected except as one resurrected who is being driven insane from the touch of Satan

(Sura 2: 275)

 

In other words, a person who commits the grave sin of consuming usury will be in the same condition and position on Judgment Day as a person who died in a state of demonic possession. This is to illustrate the gravity and extreme wickedness of the sin of consuming usury, by equating one who does so with being as doomed as someone who died in a state of demonic possession!

 

Admittedly, the detail regarding demonic possession, as held in popular imagination, is not explicit from the text of the Holy Quraan. The idea of demons or evil Jinn entering into the human body and taking ‘possession’ of it can best be backed by certain Hadith or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Unlike the case of Jesus of Nazareth, it is not as well known that our beloved Prophet ﷺ likewise engaged in spiritual warfare with demons and evil spirits, exorcising them from possessed persons and teaching his companions and disciples various prayers in order to safeguard themselves from demonic afflictions.

 

Uthman b. Abul Aas^RA narrates:

 

لَمَّا اسْتَعْمَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَلَى الطَّائِفِ جَعَلَ يَعْرِضُ لِي شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِي حَتَّى مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُصَلِّي فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ رَحَلْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَاصِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا جَاءَ بِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَرَضَ لِي شَىْءٌ فِي صَلاَتِي حَتَّى مَا أَدْرِي مَا أُصَلِّي ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ ذَاكَ الشَّيْطَانُ ادْنُهْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَدَنَوْتُ مِنْهُ فَجَلَسْتُ عَلَى صُدُورِ قَدَمَىَّ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَضَرَبَ صَدْرِي بِيَدِهِ وَتَفَلَ فِي فَمِي وَقَالَ ‏"‏ اخْرُجْ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْحَقْ بِعَمَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ فَلَعَمْرِي مَا أَحْسِبُهُ خَالَطَنِي بَعْدُ

 

“When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) appointed me as governor of Ta’if, I began to get confused during my prayer, until I no longer knew what I was doing. When I noticed that, I travelled to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he said: ‘The son of Abul-‘As?’ I said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘What brings you here?’ He said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I get confused during my prayer, until I do not know what I am doing.’ He said: ‘That is Satan. Come here.’ So I came close to him, and sat upon the front part of my feet then he struck my chest with his hand and blew in my mouth and said: ‘Get out, O enemy of Allah!’ He did that three times, then he said: ‘Get on with your work.’” ‘Uthman said: “Indeed, I never felt confused (during my prayer) after that.” (Sunan Ibn Maja: H. 3548)

 

Yaala b. Murra^RA narrates:

 

لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثًا ، مَا رَآهَا أَحَدٌ قَبْلِي ، وَلَا يَرَاهَا أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي ، لَقَدْ خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ فِي سَفَرٍ حَتَّى إِذَا كُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ مَرَرْنَا بِامْرَأَةٍ جَالِسَةٍ ، مَعَهَا صَبِيٌّ لَهَا ، فَقَالَتْ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، هَذَا صَبِيٌّ ، أَصَابَهُ بَلَاءٌ ، وَأَصَابَنَا مِنْهُ بَلَاءٌ ، يُؤْخَذُ فِي الْيَوْمِ ، مَا أَدْرِي كَمْ مَرَّةً ، قَالَ : " نَاوِلِينِيهِ " . فَرَفَعَتْهُ إِلَيْهِ ، فَجَعَلتْهُ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ وَاسِطَةِ الرَّحْلِ ، ثُمَّ فَغَرَ فَاهُ ، فَنَفَثَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثًا ، وَقَالَ : " بِسْمِ اللَّهِ ، أَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ، اخْسَأْ عَدُوَّ اللَّهِ " . ثُمَّ نَاوَلَهَا إِيَّاهُ ، فَقَالَ : " الْقَيْنَا فِي الرَّجْعَةِ فِي هَذَا الْمَكَانِ ، فَأَخْبِرِينَا مَا فَعَلَ " . قَالَ : فَذَهَبْنَا وَرَجَعْنَا ، فَوَجَدْنَاهَا فِي ذَلِكَ الْمَكَانِ ، مَعَهَا شِيَاهٌ ثَلَاثٌ ، فَقَالَ : مَا فَعَلَ صَبِيُّكِ ؟ فَقَالَتْ : وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ ، مَا حَسَسْنَا مِنْهُ شَيْئًا حَتَّى السَّاعَةِ ، فَاجْتَرِرْ هَذِهِ الْغَنَمَ . قَالَ : " انْزِلْ فَخُذْ مِنْهَا وَاحِدَةً ، وَرُدَّ الْبَقِيَّةَ " . قَالَ : وَخَرَجْنَا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِلَى الْجَبَّانَةِ ، حَتَّى إِذَا بَرَزْنَا قَالَ : " انْظُرْ وَيْحَكَ ، هَلْ تَرَى مِنْ شَيْءٍ يُوَارِينِي ؟ " قُلْتُ : مَا أَرَى شَيْئًا يُوَارِيكَ إِلَّا شَجَرَةً مَا أُرَاهَا تُوَارِيكَ . قَالَ : " فَمَا قُرْبُهَا ؟ " قُلْتُ : شَجَرَةٌ مِثْلُهَا ، أَوْ قَرِيبٌ مِنْهَا . قَالَ : " فَاذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِمَا ، فَقُلْ : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُكُمَا أَنْ تَجْتَمِعَا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ " . قَالَ : فَاجْتَمَعَتَا ، فَبَرَزَ لِحَاجَتِهِ ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ ، فَقَالَ : " اذْهَبْ إِلَيْهِمَا ، فَقُلْ لَهُمَا : إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُكُمَا أَنْ تَرْجِعَ كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْكُمَا إِلَى مَكَانِهَا " . قَالَ : وَكُنْتُ مَعَهُ جَالِسًا ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ جَاءَ جَمَلٌ يُخَبِّبُ ، حَتَّى ضَرَبَ بِجِرَانِهِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ، ثُمَّ ذَرَفَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ، فَقَالَ : " وَيْحَكَ ، انْظُرْ لِمَنْ هَذَا الْجَمَلُ ، إِنَّ لَهُ لَشَأْنًا " . قَالَ : فَخَرَجْتُ أَلْتَمِسُ صَاحِبَهُ ، فَوَجَدْتُهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ ، فَدَعَوْتُهُ إِلَيْهِ ، فَقَالَ : " مَا شَأْنُ جَمَلِكَ هَذَا ؟ " فَقَالَ : وَمَا شَأْنُهُ ؟ قَالَ : لَا أَدْرِي وَاللَّهِ مَا شَأْنُهُ ، عَمِلْنَا عَلَيْهِ ، وَنَضَحْنَا عَلَيْهِ ، حَتَّى عَجَزَ ، عن السِّقَايَةِ ، فَأْتَمَرْنَا الْبَارِحَةَ أَنْ نَنْحَرَهُ ، وَنُقَسِّمَ لَحْمَهُ . قَالَ : " فَلَا تَفْعَلْ ، هَبْهُ لِي ، أَوْ بِعْنِيهِ " فَقَالَ : بَلْ هُوَ لَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ : فَوَسَمَهُ بِسِمَةِ الصَّدَقَةِ ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ بِهِ

 

I saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ do three things which no one before or after me saw. I went with him on a trip. On the way we passed by a woman sitting at the roadside with a young boy. She called out, 'O Messenger of Allah, this boy is afflicted with a trial, and from him we have also been afflicted with a trial. I do not know how many times per day he is seized by fits.' He said, 'Give him to me.' So she lifted him up to the Prophet ﷺ. He then placed the boy between himself and the middle of the saddle, opened the boy's mouth and blew in it three times, saying, 'In the name of Allah; I am the slave of Allah. Get out, enemy of Allah!' Then he gave the boy back to her and said, 'Meet us on our return at this same place and inform us how he has fared.' We then went. On our return, we found her in the same place with three sheep. When he said to her, 'How has your son fared?' she replied, 'By the O ne who sent you with the truth, we have not detected anything [unusualJ in his behaviour up to this time.” (Musnad Ahmad)

 

In another narration, though with a slight weakness, Ibn Abbas^RA narrates:

 

أَنَّ امْرَأَةً جَاءَتْ بِوَلَدِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَقَالَتْ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، إِنَّ بِهِ لَمَمًا ، وَإِنَّهُ يَأْخُذُهُ عِنْدَ طَعَامِنَا ، فَيُفْسِدُ عَلَيْنَا طَعَامَنَا , قَالَ : " فَمَسَحَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَدْرَهُ ، وَدَعَا لَهُ " , فثَعَّ ثَعَّةً ، فَخَرَجَ مِنْ فِيهِ مِثْلُ الْجَرْوِ الْأَسْوَدِ ، فَشُفِيَ

 

“A woman once brought her son to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ my son is affected with some type of madness/sickness which affects him when we are eating and he ends up spoiling our food. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) wiped his chest and made du’a for him, the boy vomited and something like a black puppy came out, he was then cured’.” (Musnad Ahmad)

 

Shaikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyya^RA brings forth a narration from the Imam of Ahlus Sunna, Ahmad b. Hanbal^RA affirming the reality of demonic possession:

 

Abdullah reported that when he asked his father, Ahmad bin Hanbal, “there are some people who claim that the jinn cannot enter the body of a human.” His father replied, “O my dear son, they are lying; for that is one [jinni] speaking with his tongue.”

 

Reference: Idah al-Dilala fi ‘Umum al-Risala, p.6

Jesus is "Dead" "Lifeless" (Sura 16:20-21)

Allah Most High says:

وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ لَا يَخْلُقُونَ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ ۝ أَمْوَاتٌ غَيْرُ أَحْيَاءٍ ۖ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ۝

And those whom they invoke besides Allah cannot create anything but they are themselves created.

(They are) dead, lifeless. Nor are they aware of when they shall be raised up.

(Sura 16: 20-21)

The above cited passage from the Holy Quraan is a strong and compelling proof that the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth (peace be upon him) is deceased, contrary to the popular folk belief among many Muslims that he is alive with a bodily life in the heavens for the past two millennia.

The ‘mullas’ of our time, stubbornly clinging to fables, insist on ignoring the transparent and manifest Verses of Allah’s Revelation (Quraan) and refuse to acknowledge the fact that the Messiah son of Mary is deceased. They argue that the passage of the Holy Quraan which I have cited is only in reference to the inanimate idols worshiped by the pagan polytheists and there is no mention whatsoever, either explicit or implicit, of the Messiah son of Mary (peace be upon him).

Now the fact of the matter is that in this Verse Allah Most High is speaking of all those people who are invoked (worshiped) besides Him. Hence it is general and there is no indication of the Verse being specifically about inanimate idols. The phrase مِن دُونِ الله has been used elsewhere in the Holy Quraan with reference to Jesus of Nazareth:

 

وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّـهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ

And when Allah will say: O Jesus son of Mary, did you say to the people “Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah”?

(Sura 5: 116)

 

اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّـهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ

They have taken their rabbis and their monks as lords besides Allah, and [likewise] the Messiah son of Mary

(Sura 9: 31)

 

In explanation of the Ayah (Sura 16: 21), Allama Mahmud al-Alusi (1802-1854) has written in his exegesis that by declaring the objects of worship apart from Him as “dead”, Allah refers to the likes of Ezra, who was alive and then died, and also the likes of Jesus and the Angels, peace be upon them, to whom death will eventually come in the future:

{ أَمْوَاتٌ } عموم المجاز ليشمل ما كان له حياة ثم مات كعزير أو سيموت كعيسى والملائكة عليهم الصلاة والسلام

 

Reference: Ruh al-Maani: v.14, p.120

 

 

Admittedly, Mahmud al-Alusi has revealed his personal belief that death is yet to come to Jesus of Nazareth, nevertheless, the point is that he did not exclude the Messiah Jesus from the meaning of this Quraanic passage. His argument that the word أموات ‘deceased’ doed indeed apply to Jesus of Nazareth, but that it has been used in a metaphorical sense to indicate Jesus’s mortality and not that he has already dead, is without solid basis but rather based on his preconceived notion that Jesus is alive.

 

In the well-known polemical work Talash-i-Haq of the Ahlul Hadith subsect in the Indian subcontinent, Maulana Irshad Ullah Maan likewise admits that in this Verse (16: 20), the Prophets invoked besides Allah are meant and not merely idols:

 

یہ آیات فوت شدہ مخلوق کو پکارنے کی صاف نفی کر رہی ہیں لیکن یہاں اس بات کا ذکر تک نہیں اور محض بتوں کا ذکر کیا گیا ہے جو سراسر تحریف ہے۔ تیسری بات یہ ہےکہ ان آیات میں يَدْعُنَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ وارد ہوا ہے یعنی اللہ کے سوا جن کو پکارتے ہیں۔ ہم مِنْ دُونِ الله سے مراد باب میں نہایت تفصیل کے ساتھ بیان کر چکے ہیں کہ احمد رضا خان قرآن ہی میں مِنْ دُونِ الله سے مراد ساری مخلوق ہے، جس میں انبیاء بھی شامل ہیں لیکن یہاں مِنْ دُونِ الله کی تفسیر میں بت لکھ دیا گیا ہے۔ اللہ تعالی تو آیات میں ساری مخلوق کی نفی فرما رہا ہے لیکن یہ صاحب صرف بتوں کی نفی کر رہے ہیں جو واضح تحریف ہے۔

 

“These Verses are clearly negating the invocation of the deceased creation, but this has not been mentioned, and only mention of idols has been made, which is a sheer distortion. In these Verses (Yad’una min Doonillah) has been stated, that is, whomsoever they invoke besides Allah. In this chapter we have explained in extreme detail that Ahmad Rida Khan in his translation of the Quraan translates (Min Doonillah) as all of the creation, in which the Prophets are also included. But in this instance (Sura 16:20), he has written (Min Doonillah) as ‘idols’ in his exegesis. Allah Most High, in these Verses, is negating the entire creation, but this man [Ahmad Rida Khan] merely negates the idols, which is a clear distortion [of the Quraan].”

 

Reference: Talash-i-Haq, pp.194-195

 

 

In fact, it can be strongly argued that the inanimate idols are not at all the subject under discussion in this Quranic passage, but rather only the deceased mortals from among the Prophets and other human beings that are worshiped besides Allah. This is because Allah states regarding the false objects of worship invoked by the polytheists that apart from being dead and lifeless “they are unaware of when they shall be raised up” (16:21). Now it is quite obvious that the inanimate objects will not be resurrected at all nor are they buried in graves, hence this passage must necessarily be speaking of the objects of worship from among deceased human beings and not inanimate idols. Some exegetes have attempted to interpret this statement to mean that the idols and false gods do not know when their worshipers or devotees will be resurrected from the graves. However, this interpretation is weak because an inanimate idol does not know anything at all. It makes no sense to negate a specific piece of knowledge for the idols when an idol, being inanimate, does not possess any knowledge whatsoever nor has any awareness whatsoever. However, the objects of worship from among the deceased human beings do possess knowledge and awareness, though Allah is negating for them the specific knowledge and awareness of when they themselves shall be raised up from the graves.

 

In another Verse, Allah Most High says:

 

قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ ۚ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ۝

 

Say: None in the Heavens and in the Earth know the unseen, except Allah. Nor are they aware of when they shall be raised up.

(Sura 27: 65)

 

Now it is obvious that the creatures dwelling in the Heavens and in the Earth, being the subject under discussion in this Verse, are being denied knowledge of when they themselves shall be resurrected. There is no specification of objects of worship in this Verse so it cannot be argued here that “they are not aware when their worshipers will be resurrected”, it must necessarily be admitted that all living creatures in the Heavens and the Earth are unaware of when they themselves will be resurrected.

 

Hence, the identical phrase used in 16:21 has to be translated and interpreted upon the same pattern, i.e., that the objects of worship that are invoked besides Allah are unaware of when they themselves shall be resurrected from the graves. So we logically deduce that the objects of worship that are under discussion in the passage of Surat al-Nahl Verses 20 and 21 are not inanimate idols but mortal human beings.

 

The great exegete, Imam al-Baidawi (d. 685 H), has admitted the possibility of this meaning:

 

{ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ } ولا يعلمون وقت بعثهم، أو بعث عبدتهم

 

(And nor are they aware of when they shall be raised up) “And nor do they know the time they themselves shall be raised up, or when their worshipers shall be raised up”

 

Reference: Tafsir al-Baidawi; v.3, p.223

 

And in fact, these two meanings which Imam al-Baidawi has ellucidated, are not mutually exclusive, for indeed, the deceased human objects of worship, including Jesus of Nazareth, lack knowledge of both things: 1. When they themselves will be resurrected from the graves, and 2. When those who worship them will be raised from the graves.

 

The fact of the matter is that the Messiah Jesus of Nazareth (peace be upon him) is worshiped the most by humanity besides Allah throughout history. There is no possibility of his being specifically excluded from the category of “those whom they invoke besides Allah” (16:20). Hence he too is “dead” and “lifeless” (16:21)

Election of Abu Bakr (R.A) as the Prophet’s Successor

In the Name of Allah; the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

 

Salutations of Peace and Blessings upon Our Prophet and Master Muhammad ﷺ and upon His Family and Progeny

 

The standard view of Sunni Muslims, also known as Ahlus Sunnati wal-Jamaa (ASWJ) is that the Prophet ﷺ did not appoint a successor intentionally, and that after his death his senior companions gathered at the Saqifa (shed) of Banu Saaida in Medina and elected sayyidina Abu Bakr^RA as the first caliph, or successor, of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Apart from Saad b. Ubada^RA and a few other isolated individuals, all of the Prophet’s companions accepted the election of sayyidina Abu Bakr^RA and gave their Baya (pledge of allegiance) to him, including sayyidina Ali b. Abi Talib^RA, though the latter’s pledge was not immediate.

 

The Imamiya Shia, however, claim that the Prophet ﷺ designated his paternal cousin and son-in-law, sayyidina Ali^RA as his successor and the first Imam (leader) of the Muslims after him. But this claim is dismissed by serious and impartial scholars of Islamic history, for example:

 

“Western historians largely reject as fabrications of history Shi'i claims that Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor and say there is no evidence that Muhammad appointed anyone as his successor.” (Valerie J. Hoffman, The Essentials of Ibadi Islam, p. 6)

 

My own view on this controversial matter is generally in accord with that of the orthodox Ahlus Sunna sect, though it is somewhat more nuanced. From a historical point of view, there can be no doubt that the Prophet ﷺ did not designate anyone to succeed him or lead the Muslim community after him, though of course he made certain prophetic statements which indicated that he would be succeeded by his most senior companion and right-hand man, Abu Bakr^RA, and furthermore insisted that Abu Bakr^RA lead the prayers in his Mosque in Medina during his final illness. But from a theological perspective, it is my contention that because the election of Abu Bakr^RA was sudden and extraordinary, this is a proof that Allah Most High inspired the hearts of the Prophet’s Companions through the Holy Spirit, particularly sayyidina Umar^RA and then those others present at the Saqifa of Banu Saaida, to discover sayyidina Abu Bakr^RA and immediately pledge their allegiance to him. Hence, while the election of Abu Bakr^RA as the Prophet’s first successor was, in the apparent, brought about through the consultation and discussion among the companions present at Saqifa, the reality is that the decision to elect Abu Bakr^RA was through divine inspiration to those Companions, which explains why Abu Bakr’s election was so sudden. Recounting the event that unfolded at Saqifa, sayyidina Umar^RA stated:

 

فَلاَ يَغْتَرَّنَّ امْرُؤٌ أَنْ يَقُولَ إِنَّمَا كَانَتْ بَيْعَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَلْتَةً وَتَمَّتْ أَلاَ وَإِنَّهَا قَدْ كَانَتْ كَذَلِكَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ وَقَى شَرَّهَا، وَلَيْسَ مِنْكُمْ مَنْ تُقْطَعُ الأَعْنَاقُ إِلَيْهِ مِثْلُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ

 

One should not deceive oneself by saying that the pledge of allegiance given to Abu Bakr was given suddenly and it was successful. No doubt, it was like that, but Allah saved (the people) from its evil, and there is none among you who has the qualities of Abu Bakr. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

 

In other words, Allah actively intervened to ensure that Abu Bakr’s caliphate was established and recognized by those present at Saqifa and subsequently the rests of the Prophet’s companions, in order to prevent the evil of fragmentation and chaos within the community. Consider the fact that the companion Bashir b. Saad al-Ansari^RA bolted towards sayyidina Abu Bakr^RA spontaneously to be the first to pledge allegiance at his hand, even before sayyidina Umar^RA. Thereafter, the rest of the people began rushing toward Abu Bakr^RA all at once, trampling over their chieftain Saad b. Ubada^RA who was lying down wrapped in a blanket due to illness, such that it was rumored that the latter had been killed because of the stampede.

 

After his election at Saqifa, sayyidina Abu Bakr^RA proceeded to the Prophet’s Mosque, where sayyidina Umar^RA stood up to address the people, saying:

 

وإن الله قد جمع أمركم على خيركم ; صاحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وثاني اثنين إذ هما في الغار ، فقوموا فبايعوه . فبايع الناس أبا بكر بيعة العامة بعد بيعة السقيفة

 

“Verily, Allah united your affair upon the best of you, Companion of Allah’s Apostle, peace and blessings be upon him, and second of the two when they were in the cave. Therefore stand, all of you, and pay homage to him!” So the people pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr with a general pledge after the pledge of Saqifa.

 

The Prophet ﷺ said:

 

مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ ، وَلَا اسْتَخْلَفَ مِنْ خَلِيفَةٍ إِلَّا كَانَتْ لَهُ بِطَانَتَانِ : بِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ ، وَبِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالشَّرِّ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ ، فَالْمَعْصُومُ مَنْ عَصَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى

 

“Allah never raised up a Prophet or gives the Caliphate to a Caliph but that he (the Prophet or the Caliph) has two groups of advisors: A group advising him to do good and exhorts him to do it, and the other group advising him to do evil and exhorts him to do it. But the protected person (against such evil advisors) is the one protected by Allah Most High.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

 

In other words, the Caliph or Successor of a Prophet is in fact granted his position by Allah Himself, though it may be through the medium of consultation of the elders of the community, whose hearts are guided to the person whom Allah wishes to clothe with the robe of Caliphate.