USING THE 'HARF-E-NIDAA' WHEN RECITING SALAWAT AND SALAAM

USING THE 'HARF-E-NIDAA' WHEN RECITING SALAWAT AND SALAAM

The 'Harf-e-Nidaa' means - to use the pronoun for addressing the
second person - who is present (ie. using the word 'YA' which means
'OH !', when addressing the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)
eg. 'Ya Nabi !, Ya Rasool !')

The words 'Ya' and 'Ayyu' are for addressing. The one who is addressing
is called Munadee and the addressee is called Munadaa. If the Munadaa
has the quality of hearing then the addressing would be 'Real',
like calling a person who is present: Ya Zaid !, and if the Munadaa
cannot hear then the addressing will be metaphorical, like : Oh
sky! Oh earth! Oh mountain!

In the book Sharh Jami,
which is a set book for the Maulvi Degree, it is written : Munadaa
means to address or call the attention for real, like: Oh Zaid!
or metaphorically, like Oh Sky! Oh Earth! Because the person or
the thing is established which can be addressed then the word of
address is affixed to it. By this general law of Arabic grammar
is known that it is not necessary for the addressed to hear, to
permit the addresser to use the word 'Ya'.

So it is seen that
we are allowed to address even inanimate things. Rasoolullah (sallallahu
'alaihi wasallam) on the other hand, is alive, and hears the Salaam
and so it is obvious that he can be addressed using the Nida'.

Some individuals say
that it is Shirk (attributing partners to Allahu Ta'aala) to use
words like Ya Nabi ! and Ya Rasool! They say this because they believe
that the Prophet (sallallu 'alaihi wasallam) cannot hear and is
not presentso one should not call to him as if he can hear and is
present. (This is answered in this chapter and next)

Others, say that it
is permissible to say so only out of love for the Prophet (sallallahu
'alaihi wasallam) but not with the belief in mind that he can hear
you.

If the 'Harf-e-Nidaa'
was not permissible then why is it present in the Salaah that we
read five times a day, when every worshipper salutes the Holy Prophet
(sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), "Ayyuhannabiyyu" (Oh Prophet
!) ?

Some individuals state
that, one does not have the intention of calling to the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) in the "Attahiyaat", rather
one is merely repeating the story of M'iraj. This opinion is without
basis. The religion of Islam has never commanded us to recite any
Dhikr, without pondering on its meaning. Therefore, when we are
reciting the "Attahiyaat", we should not possess this
belief, rather we should believe that we are directly addressing
the Holy Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) and sending Salaams
to him, upon oneself and upon all the pious of the Ummat. 

Moreover, in the famous
book of Jurisprudence, Durr ul-Mukhtar, Volume 1, Page 228, is explained:

"The 'Tashahud'
(Du’a read in the sitting position of Namaaz) must be read
in the present and not as the repetition of an event such as took
place during the Mi'raj when the 'Tashahud' was revealed. In fact,
one must know and read 'Tashahud' and recite Allah's Praises then
make present (haazir) the Prophet (peace be upon him) and say 'Assalamu
alaika ayyahannabiyu ...', then the Salaam upon the present congregation
and the pious peoples, and then the testament of the Oneness of
Allah and the Messengership of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam).
This then constitutes the 'Tashahud'."

Words of similar effect are also found in the books of Jurisprudence,
Fatawa Alamgeeri (also see Chapter on Haazir and Naazir for testimonies
of the 'Ulama regarding the Attahiyyaat).

Allah Ta'aala orders
us not to call upon the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) in
the same way as we call upon each other : “Make not the summoning
of the Messenger among yourselves, like one calls the other among
you.” (Surah al-Furqan, Verse 63)

i.e. When we call upon the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)
it must be with utmost respect and not like how we call each other.
This Ayat is sufficient evidence, because besides making it permissible,
Allah Ta'aala also shows us the etiquette when calling Rasoolullah
(sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam).

Imam Bukhari (radi
allahu 'anhu) in his Kitaabul Adaabul Mufrad, Imam Ibnus Sinni and
Imam ibn Bashkool (radi allahu 'anhuma) have recorded that, Hadhrat
Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (radi allahu 'anhu) once suffered from a cramp.
Someone advised him to remember the person whom he loved the most.
The great companion then proclaimed loudly, "YA MUHAMMADAH".
It is recorded that he was immediately relieved.

Imaam Nawawi (rahmat
allahi 'alaih) in his commentary of the Sahih Muslim, including
in his book, Kitaabul Azkaar, records that some individuals were
sitting in the company of Hadhrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (radi allahu
'anhu), when suddenly one of them suffered from cramps. The great
companion advised the man to remember the person whom he loved the
most. The man proclaimed, "YA MUHAMMADAH". He was immediately
cured. There are in fact many Ashaab who narrate incidents of similar
import.

Substantiating this,
Allama Shahaab Khafaaji Misri (radi allahu 'anhu) states in his
Naseem-ur Riyaaz, a commentary of the Shifa by Imaam Qadhi 'Iyad
(radi allahu 'anhu), that it is indeed an established practice of
the people of Madina Shareef to proclaim, "YA MUHAMMADAH"in
times of difficulty and anxiety.

A blind man came to
the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) and said: "Invoke
Allah for me that he help me." He replied: "If you wish
I will delay this, and it would be better for you, and if you wish
I will invoke Allah the Exalted (for you)." He said: "Then
invoke Him." The Prophet said to him: idhhab fa tawadda', wa
salli rak`atayn thumma qul -- "Go and make an ablution, pray
two rak`at, then say: "O Allah, I am asking you (as'aluka)
and turning to you (atawajjahu ilayka) with your Prophet Muhammad
(bi nabiyyika Muhammad), the Prophet of mercy; O MUHAMMAD (YA MUHAMMAD),
I am turning with you to my Lord regarding my present need / I am
asking my Lord with your intercession concerning the return of my
sight (inni atawajjahu bika ila rabbi fi hajati hadhih -- another
version has: inni astashfi`u bika `ala rabbi fi raddi basari) so
that He will fulfill my need; O Allah, allow him to intercede (with
You) for me (allahumma shaffi`hu fiyya)."

It is related by Ahmad
(4:138 #17246-17247), Tirmidhi (hasan sahih gharib -- Da`awat Ch.
119), Ibn Majah (Book of Iqamat al-salat wa al-sunnat, Ch. on Salat
al-hajat #1385), Nasa'i (`Amal al-yawm wa al-laylat p. 417-418 #658-660),
al-Hakim (1:313, 1:526), Tabarani in al-Kabir, and rigorously authenticated
as sound (sahih) by nearly fifteen Hadith masters including Ibn
Hajar, Dhahabi and Shawkani. Even the non-conformist, Ibn Taymiyya
relates it.

1. The Prophet's (sallallahu
'alaihi wasallam) order, here as elsewhere, carries legislative
force for all Muslims and is not limited to a particular person,
place or time; it is valid for all generations until the end of
time unless proven otherwise by a subsequent indication from the
Prophet himself, peace be upon him.

2. The Prophet (sallallahu
'alaihi wasallam) was not physically present at the assigned time
of the invocation, since he said to the blind man: "Go and
make ablution," without adding: "and then come back in
front of me."With regard to physical absence, the living and
the dead are exactly alike, namely: absent.

3. Despite the Prophet's
(sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) physical absence, the wording (sigha)
for calling upon his intercession is direct address: "O MUHAMMAD."
Such a wording -- "O So-and-So" -- is only used with someone
present and able to hear. It should also be noted that Allah forbade
the Companions from being forward or calling out to the Prophet
in the ordinary manner used with one another (49:1-2). The only
way, therefore, that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him,
could both be absent and at the same time be addressed as if he
is present is that it should be understood that he is absent in
the physical sense but present in thespiritual sense.

The above invocation
was also used after the Prophet's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)
lifetime, as is proven by the sound (sahih) Hadith authenticated
by Bayhaqi, Abu Nu`aym in the Ma`rifa, Mundhiri (Targhib 1:473-474),
Haythami, and Tabarani in the Kabir (9:17-18) and the Saghir (1:184/201-202)
on the authority of `Uthman ibn Hunayf's nephew Abu Imama ibn Sahl
ibn Hunayf: A man would come to `Uthman ibn `Affan for a certain
need, but the latter would not pay him any attention nor look into
his need, upon which he complained of his condition to `Uthman ibn
Hunayf who told him: "Go and make ablution, then go to the
mosque and pray two rak`at, then say (this Du’a)," and
he mentioned the invocation of the blind man, "then go (to
`Uthman again)." The man went, did as he was told, then came
to `Uthman's door, upon which the door-attendant came, took him
by the hand, and brought him to `Uthman who sat him with him on
top of the carpet, and said: "Tell me what your need is."
After this the man went out, met `Uthman ibn Hunayf again, and said
to him: "May Allah reward you!Previously he would not look
into my need nor pay any attention to me, until you spoke to him."
He replied: "I did not speak to him, but I saw the Prophet
when a blind man came to him complaining of his failing eyesight,"
and he mentioned to him the substance of the previous narration.

It is written in the book Hisn-ul-Hasin, Rasoolullah (sallallhu
'alaihi wasallam) declared, "Any person who has lost his animal
should say, 'O Allah's slaves ! Help me ! And may Allah Ta'ala help
you !'”

Shah Wali-Allah Muhaddith Dahlawi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) in Atyabun
Naghm Fi Madahi Sayyidil Arab wal Ajam, Page 22 addresses the Prophet
(sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as "O, the best of all creations,
the blessing of Allah be on you,..."

It was the practise
of the Shah Wali-Allah (rahmat allahi 'alaih) to emulate and remember
daily, the practises of Shaikh Muhammad Ghawth Gawalyary (rahmat
allahi 'alaih) after seeking permission from his teachers Mawlana
Abu Taahir Madani and Shaikh Muhammad Sa'eed Lahori (rahmat allahi
'alaih). In this (practise) is recorded the following : “Call
on Ali whose life is an open miracle. When you invoke him, he will
help dispense all your difficulties." (Al Intibah Fi Salaasil
Awliya Allah, Page 138)

Hadhrat Mawlana Shah Abd al-Azeez Muhaddith Dahlawi (rahmat allahi
'alaih) says that if one knows that although all help comes from
Allah, to call upon another for help is allowed. He says that Awliya
and Prophets also sought help in this way. Thus if one asks for
help from another, he is infact, asking for help from Allah. (Tafseer
Azeezi, Page 10)

Imam Allama Khairudeen
Ramli (rahmat allaih 'alaih) states in Fatawa Khayria, "People
who proclaim, Ya Abdul Qaadir (are merely emulating) a call. What
therefore, is the reason for it not to be permissible".

It is recorded in the
Fatawa of Hadhrat Shahaab Ramli Ansari (rahmat allahi 'alaih), whether
it was permissible for the people to invoke the names of Prophets,
Saints and 'Ulama in times of difficulty as they normally did. The
great scholar replied, "Undoubtedly, it is permissible to seek
the assistance of great Prophets, Saints and 'Ulama. They do, in
fact, assist after they have departed from this world." 

Ibn Khateer (rahmat
allahi 'alaih) in his book Al bidayah wa al-Nihaaya states that
during the Yamamaexpedition the call of the Muslims was "Ya
Muhammada". Hadhrat Hajee Imdaadullah Muhaajir (rahmat allahi
'alaih) says, "O Muhammad Mustapha (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)!
I have a complaint,....."(Naala-Imdaa Ghareeb, Page 26)

What the Ulema of Deoband
have to say

Molvi Qasim Nanotvi,
founder of Darul Uloom Deoband, says, "Help me! Oh kindness
of Ahmed, for besides thee, There is none helper for Qasim, the
helpless!” (Qasaid Qasimi Deobandi, Page 8) Moulvi Ashraf 'Ali
Thanawi in an Arabic quartet says, “O intercessor of the servants
(of Allah)! help me, you (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) are my last
hope. Besides you there is none to listen to my complaints, O my
Master, listen to my complaints, I am encompassed by difficulties
..." (Nasharut Teeb, Page 232)

In Munaajaat-e-Maqbool Qurbat indallahi wa Salawaatir Rasool, Page
230, he again says, “O Messenger of Allah help me, for I am
in great loss, ..."

Important note to learn and read quran online

 

Learn Quran Online is one of the contemporary styles of reading and learning Quran online. If you have been facing issues in teaching Quran to your young ones, you have your problems solved now learning Quran online is easy for yourself as well and at the same time, your kids can also benefit from it. and listen to quran online from online quran reciter and practice to learn holy quran online with the tajweed and be perfect to reading quran online its not a wonder now its on your door step just a click away and you are there