Clarifying misconceptions
What Is The Islamic Ruling About The Use Of Alayhissalam For Others Than Prophets?
Question: (1) Apart from the companions (Allah be pleased with them), what is it like to say the words of ‘radiyAllah ta’ala anhu’ along with the names of imams, mujtahids, martyrs and righteous people, especially the perfect saints and pious scholars? Should it or should it not?
(2) What is the Islamic statement about pronouncing the names of the prophets, messengers, angels and the pious with ‘alayhissalaam’ (on whom be peace) and ‘radiyAllah ta’ala anhu’ (Allah be pleased with him) with the names of the companions, and ‘rahmatullahi alayhi’ (Allah’s mercy be upon him) with the saints and the learned? Are these words specified for each or can you say it with any name you want?
Sender: Muhammad Akbar Ali Sahib from Hyderabad Deccan in India
Answer: (1) RadiyAllah ta’ala anhu will be said just to the noble companions (Allah be pleased with them). It can also be said for imams, saints and religious scholars. This is stated in Kitab-i Mustatab, Bahjat al-Asrar sharif and all works of Imam Arif Billah Sayyidi Abd al-Wahhab Sha’rani and more. It says in Tanwir al-Absar:
یستحب الترضی للصحابۃ والترحم للتابعین ومن بعدھم من العلماء والاخیار وکذا یجوز عکسہ علی الراجح
It is desirable (mustahab) to use radiyAllah anhu for the companions, and to use alayhirrahma for the tabi’in, and those after them among the scholars and honourable people, as well as it is permissible to reverse it according to the most correct position.
(2) The sending of salat and salam (peace and blessings) is for sure, except for the prophets and the angels (peace be upon them) for no one else. However, in combination, it is allowed such as,
“Allahumma salli wasallam ala sayyiduna wa mawlana Muhammad wa ala aali sayyiduna wa mawlana Muhammad.”
O Allah, peace and blessings be upon our Master and our Leader Muhammad and with the descendants of our Master and our Leader Muhammad.
And radiyAllah anhu can also be said for the companions (Allah be pleased with them). Using rahmatullah ta’ala alayhim (i.e., Allah’s mercy be upon them) or quddisat asraruhum (i.e., may their secret be sanctified) to Awliya and scholars or even radiyAllah anhum then there is still no problem. Just as it has passed in Tanwir, and Allah knows best.
al-Imam Ahmad Raza Khan al-Qadiri al-Barelvi
13-Muharram-1337 || ≈ 19-Oct-1918
al-‘Ataya al-Nabawiyyah fi’l-Fatawa al-Ridawiyyah: vol. 23, p. 390, #151
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