Does the Prophet ﷺ Hear Our Durood From Far Away?
Question:
Does the Prophet ﷺ Hear Our Durood (Salawat) From Far Away?
Answer:
It is the Aqidah of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah that the Holy Prophet ﷺ is able to hear us even from great distances. The distinguished Sahaba of the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to call out to the Prophet ﷺ from great distances even at the time of battles which took place distances away. This was also the manner of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar radiyAllāhu Anhu It is well known that he used to call to out to the Holy Prophet ﷺ during the battles he fought in. This has also been proven by Hazrat Abdullah bin Ab’bas and Hazrat Uthman bin Hunaif radiyAllāhu Anhum.
The Sahaba used to call out to the Holy Prophet ﷺ from both far and near and their problems would be solved. The companions of the Prophet ﷺ called out his Holy Name from great distances to seek his assistance and in doing so; they displayed their belief that he could hear them no matter where they were. It is also the saying of the Holy Prophet ﷺ,
انِّي أَسْمَعُ مَالَا تَسْمَعُونَ
“I hear that which you do not hear.”
[Sahih Bukhari Shareef - Sahih Muslim Shareef - Mishkaat Shareef]
Hazrat Shah Wali Allah Muhadith Delhwi radiyAllāhu Anhu used to say the following concerning Dalail e Khayraat: “I received the authority of Dalail from my Shaykh Abu Taahir; he received it from Ahmad Nakhaa, he received it from Sayed Abdur Rahmaan Idrees, He received it from his father Ahmed, he received it from His grandfather Muhammad, he received it from his grandfather and He received it from the Compiler of Dalail-al-Khayraat Shaykh Sayed Shareef Muhammad bin Sulaiman Al Jazuli radiyAllāhu Anhu [Intibah fis Salasil].
In the very book Dalail-e-Khayraat, Hazrat Muhammad bin Sulaiman Jazuli radiyAllāhu Anhu has quoted this Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has stated,
اسْمَعُ صَلوةَ أَهْلِ مُحَبَّتِي وَأَعْرِفُهُمْ
“I personally hear the Durood of those who love me and I also recognise them”
[Dalail-al-Khayraat Shareef Pg.22]
A true Muslim always trusts the words of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and he will believe that the Holy Prophet ﷺ hears Duas and Durood from both far and near and also recognises the one remembering him. From the above mentioned Hadith it is obvious that the entire world is before the Holy Prophet ﷺ. He sees and recognises everyone and everything. It has been quoted in Tabrani Shareef that the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
اكْثِرُوا الصَّلَوةَ عَلَى يَوْمَ الْجُمْعَةِ فَإِنَّهُ يَوْمَ مَشْهُوْدٌ شَهِدَهُ الملآئِكَةُ لَيْسَ مِنْ عَبْدٍ يُّصَلَّى عَلَى إِلَّا بَلَغَنِي صَوْتُهُ حَيْثُ كَانَ
“Recite Durood Shareef abundantly on Fridays since it is a day of witnesses. Angels present themselves there. When any servant recites Durood, no matter whom and where he is his voice reaches me.”
It is as clear as day from the Hadith that the belief of the Ahle Sunnah Wa Jama'at is true and proper because the Holy Prophet ﷺ has stated that wherever or whoever the person is who recites Durood upon him, the voice of that person reaches him. This means whether a person is far or near, in Madinah Munaw’wara or anywhere else in the world, his voice reaches the Prophet ﷺ.
Those who say that the Prophet ﷺ is not able to hear our Durood Shareef, present the Hadith wherein it is mentioned that the Angels carry the Durood into the Court of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. After presenting this Hadith, they say that this is proof that the Prophet ﷺ does not hear it personally.
The said Hadith is being quoted below: It is mentioned in the Hadith Shareef as follows:
مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ صَلَّى عَلَىّ صَلَوةً إِلَّا عَرَجَ بِهَا مَلِكٌ حَتَّى يَجِْئَ بِهَا وَجْهَ الرَّحْمَنِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيَقُولُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذْهَبُوْا بِهَا إِلَى قَبْرِ عَبْدِي تَسْتَغْفِرُ لِصَاحِبِهَا وَ تَقَرَّبَهَا عَيْنُهُ
“When a person recites Durood Shareef then an Angel ascends with it and presents it before Almighty Allah. Allah Almighty says, ‘Take it to the Holy Grave of my Beloved servant Muhammad ﷺ so that he may make Dua-e-Bakhshish for the person who sent the Durood and he may gain coolness in his eyes.”
From the above mentioned Hadith it is clear that the Durood is first presented in the Divine Court of Almighty Allah and thereafter with the command of Almighty Allah, it is presented in the court of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. The logic of the deobandis is that if the Durood is heard by the Prophet ﷺ then what need is there for the Angels to present it. It should be noted that this argument is not only contradicting the power of hearing of the Holy Prophet ﷺ but it is also contradicting the power of hearing of Almighty Allah since the Durood is first presented in the Court of Almighty Allah.
According to their evidence (Allah Forbid) Will this then not mean that Almighty also cannot hear from distances as well, if not what need was there for it to be presented by the Angel?
Note how corrupt beliefs these people hold that it has even contradicted and opposed one of the attributes of Almighty Allah. May Almighty Allah protect us from such false and corrupt beliefs and groups (Ameen).
Imam Sakhawi radiyAllāhu Anhu in his book Mustataab Al Qaulul Bad’i quotes a narration which is also quoted by the deobandis.
Hazrat Am’maar bin Yaasir radiyAllāhu Anhu reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said,
إِنَّ للّٰهِ مَلَكً أَعْطَاهُ أَسْمَاعَ الخَلاَئِق فَهُوَ عَلَى قَبْرِي إِذَا مِتُّ فَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يُصَلِّى عَلَى صَلَوةً الَّا قَالَ يَامُحَمَّدُ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْكَ فُلانُ بْنُ فُلَانٍ قَالَ فَيُصَلِّى الرَّبُّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عَلَى ذَالِكَ بِكُلِّ وَاحِدَةٍ عَشْرًا
“Verily Almighty Allah has granted an Angel the power of listening to the voices of every creation. That Angel will be standing at my graveside when I leave this world. Thus whoever sends Durood Shareef upon me then he will say, “O Muhammad ﷺ! Certain person who is the son of certain person has recited Durood”. Huzoor ﷺ has stated, “Any person who recites Durood once upon me. Almighty Allah bestows his mercy ten times upon him.”
[Al Qaulul Bad’i Pg.112]
From this Hadith one can understand the respect and status of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. If the reciter of the Durood is far or near, in Arabia or outside Arabia in the East or in the West, the voice (of that person) is heard by the Angel who is standing on duty as a slave and servant at the Rauza-e-Mubaarak of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.
The Angel does not only hear the voice of one single person but he hears the voice of every creation. If this is the hearing power of that Angel who is a servant and a slave of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, that it is able to hear the voice of every creation then what can be said about the hearing power of the Holy Prophet ﷺ who is the leader and Rasool of all the Angels.
Is there any one in their right sense of mind who will believe that the Angel who is the servant of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is hearing the Salaam of every person on the Duniya while standing beside the Rauza-e-Anwar of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and the Master of that Angel who is the Holy Prophet ﷺ cannot hear the Salaam of His Ummah? Definitely not! The Master Muhammadur Rasoolullah ﷺ is aware of our salaam and hears it and all the Angels and the rest of Allah’s creation, are all servants and humble slaves at before the Majestic Court of the Beloved Rasool ﷺ. Another important fact which is present in this narration is that the Angel knows the name of every person sending Durood. He even knows the name of the reciter’s father since in the Hadith it has been stated, certain person who is the son of certain person sends Durood. It is obvious that the person who is reciting Durood does not say his name or his father’s name before reciting the Durood. He does not say that I am certain person the son of certain person.
Now, even though the person reciting the Durood does not give his name or his father’s name, the Angel who is present in Madinatul Munawarah at the Rauza-e-Aqdas of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is aware of the name and the father’s name of the sender of the Durood. Now, If this is the status and knowledge possessed by that particular Angel, then it is obvious that the Beloved of Almighty Allah Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ is definitely aware of the name and father’s name of the person who is sending Durood upon him. Verily our Leader Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa ﷺ is aware of our names and surnames and of our condition at all times.
This is why Hazrat Shah Abdul Aziz Muhadith Delhwi radiyAllāhu Anhu states the following whilst explaining the verse وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًۭا [Surah al-Baqrah 143] “Through the power of Noor-e-Nabuiwat, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is aware and well informed of the condition and status of every follower. He knows of the point where that person has reached in his Deen and what is the condition of his Imaan and due to which veil it is that he is deprived of (spiritual) elevation. Thus he is aware of our sins, intentions and hypocritical plans. This is why according to Shariat his testimony regarding the Ummah in the world and the hereafter will necessarily be accepted” [Tafseer-e-Azeezi]
References:
Surah Baqrah Verse. 143
Sahih Bukhari Shareef, Sahih Muslim Shareef & Mishkaat Shareef.
Tafeer e Azeezi, Hadrat Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith e Dehalwi radiyAllāhu Anhu.
Dalail ul Khayrat Shareef, al-Imam Shaykh Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Jazuli radiyAllāhu Anhu.
Proper sunni beliefs, Mufti Afthab Cassim, Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center, English translation of Ahle Sunnat Wa Jama’at Kaun by Maulana Zia’ullah Qadri
[ English Translation ]
Mufti Afthab Cassim al-Qadri Ridawi Noori,
Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center,
Durban, South Africa.