It is mentioned in
Saheeh al-Bukharee,
narrated Jubair Ibn
Mutin, ‘Once, a
woman approached
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
with some worldly
need. Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
ordered her to
return and come back
to him again. She
said, “What if I
came and did not
find you?” as if she
wanted to say, “If I
found you dead?” The
Prophet said,
“If you should not
find me, go to Abu
Bakr.”[1]
This Hadeeth shows
that Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
and his Sahabah
(radhi allahu anhum)
believed that death
overcomes everyone.
The Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
did not interrupt
the woman when she
said, “What if I
came and did not
find you?”
thereby proving that
the woman’s belief
that Messengers die
like everybody else
was correct.
Else, he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
would correct her,
as he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
corrected the small
girls who were
singing, “There is a
Prophet amongst us
who knows what will
happen tomorrow.”
The Messenger of
Allah forbade them
from attributing the
knowledge of the
Unseen to him.”[2]
This Hadeeth also
shows that after his
death the Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) cannot be
sought for
assistance, and
therefore the woman
was advised to
approach Abu Bakr
as-Sideeq (radhi
allahu anhu).
The attitude of the
Sahabah (radhi
allahu anhum)
towards Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
after his death is
the most apparent
proof that he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
cannot be sought for
help.
The Sahabah agreed
upon Abu Bakr (radhi
allahu anhu) as the
Khalifah to succeed
the Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam).
Choosing the
successor (Khalifah)
was neither
permissible, nor
needed in the
presence of a living
Messenger… the
Perfect Ruler and
Guide. The Sahabah’s
selection of a
successor for the
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
shows that in death,
he (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
can no longer be
sought for help,
advice, or
leadership.
Differences rose
among the Sahabah
(radhi allahu anhu)
after the death of
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
like, where the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
should be buried?
Who should succeed
the Islamic State?[3]
After the martyrdom
of the third Caliph
Uthmaan (radhi
allahu anhu),
political
differences lead to
much bloodshed among
the Muslims. But
even during these
days of trial, the
Sahabah (radhi
allahu anhu) did not
try to consult the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam).
Neither did they
approach his grave
nor sought his
assistance! People
used to approach
Aa’ishah (radhi
allahu anha), the
wife of Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam),
for guidance in
matters of the
religion, but they
never directed any
question to Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
who was buried in
her house.
Umar Ibn Khattab
(radhi allahu anhu),
the second Khalifah,
always regretted
that he could not
ask the Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
about certain issues
of Riba and
inheritance. Once,
he said in his
sermon, while on the
pulpit of Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam),
“I wish Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
had not left us
before he had given
us definite verdicts
concerning three
matters, which are,
how much a
grandfather may
inherit? The
inheritance of Al-Kalala
(the deceased person
among whose heirs
there is no father
or son), and various
types of Riba
(usury)”[4]
During the lifetime
of Allah’s Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam), the
people would
approach the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
and ask him to
supplicate to Allah
for rain. However,
after the death of
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam),
the Sahabah (radhi
allahu anhu) did not
approach the grave
of Allah’s Messenger
(sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) to ask
him for
supplication.
Narrated Anas Ibn
Malik (radhi allahu
anhu) from Umar Ibn
al-Khattab (radhi
allahu anhu) that
when the people
suffered from
drought he used to
ask al-Abbas Ibn al-Mutallib
to pray for rain for
them. He (Umar Ibn
al-Khattab) would
say: “O Allah, We
used to request our
Prophet (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) to
supplicate to You
for rain and You
would bless us with
it. Now, we ask the
uncle of our Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam) to
supplicate to You,
so grant us rain.”[5]
If the Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
could be approached,
the Sahabah (radhi
allahu anhu) would
have never
substitute him (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
for his uncle.
Conclusion …
The Sahabah (radhi
allahu anhu) did not
perform any actions
that could suggest
that Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
lives is his grave
with a life similar
to his 63 year old
life on this earth.
Nor did they try to
benefit from him
after his death.
Their actions are
proofs that in the
Barzakh, Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
can neither be
contacted nor
beseeched for any
assistance. These
actions were the
collective actions
of the Sahabah
(radhi allahu anhu)
about which the
Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)
said:
“Indeed, Allah will
never unite this
Ummah upon
misguidance and the
Hand of Allah is
upon the Jamaah (the
collective body of
the Muslims).”[6]
After claiming that
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) in
Barzakh is aware of
this world, can
communicate with the
living and help and
advice them, the
Deobandis extend all
these qualities to
their dead Shaikhs
and scholars as
mentioned in their
books. They consider
them to be capable
of giving guidance
and advise.
Moulana Zakariyah
says: “He (Moulana
Shaikh Khwaajah
Muhibbullah
Ilahabadi) went to
the grave of Hazrat
Khwajah Qutbud Deen
Bakhtiyar Kaki in
Delhi, and sat there
in meditation. By
spiritual
communication,
Hazrat Qutbut Deen
instructed him to
join the Saabiriyyah
Silsilah of Shaikh
Abu Saeed in Gangoh.”[7]
Moulana Zakariyah
says: “Among the
Tasarrufat
(spiritual actions)
of Hazrat Ahmad
Abdul Haqq is that
50 years after his
demise he attended
to the Tarbityat
(spiritual training)
of his insignificant
entity (i.e. Abdul
Quddus) by means of
his Ruhani Faidh.[8]
