Claiming a false miracle to defend insults against the Prophet

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

No this is not acceptable. Islam does not allow us to make such claims without it being mentioned in Quran and Sunnah. Also, there is no revelation after our blessed Prophet ﷺ so how could that be possible. Worst of all, some of the people saying this are using it to excuse an insult against the Prophet.

Explanation

عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِعُمَرَ: ” انْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَى أُمِّ أَيْمَنَ نَزُورُهَا، كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَزُورُهَا، فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيْنَا إِلَيْهَا بَكَتْ، فَقَالَا لَهَا: مَا يُبْكِيكِ؟ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ خَيْرٌ لِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَقَالَتْ: مَا أَبْكِي أَنْ لَا أَكُونَ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ خَيْرٌ لِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَكِنْ أَبْكِي أَنَّ الْوَحْيَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، فَهَيَّجَتْهُمَا عَلَى الْبُكَاءِ. فَجَعَلَا يَبْكِيَانِ مَعَهَا “

(Sayidina) Anas said, after the passing of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Abu Bakr (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said to Umar: Come with us to visit Umm Aiman, like the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to visit her. When we came to her, she wept. They said to her: What makes you weep? That which is with Allah (Most High) is better for His Messenger ﷺ. She said: I do not weep because I am ignorant of the fact that what is with Allah is better for His Messenger ﷺ. Rather I weep because the revelation from the heavens has ceased. This moved them to tears and they began to weep along with her. (Sahih Muslim 2454 – 103).

The fact that revelation ended with the blessed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is beyond dispute. Therefore, it is unacceptable to claim that the speech of Allah (Most High) came to Dunya afterwards. To assert that a Wali had a miracle in which Allah (Most High) spoke from his mouth, is to claim a new revelation (Wahi). What makes it even worse is that some people claim this false miracle to justify an insult against the blessed Prophet ﷺ.

عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، يَقُولُ: إِنَّ أُنَاسًا كَانُوا يُؤْخَذُونَ بِالوَحْيِ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَإِنَّ الوَحْيَ قَدِ انْقَطَعَ، وَإِنَّمَا نَأْخُذُكُمُ الآنَ بِمَا ظَهَرَ لَنَا مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ، فَمَنْ أَظْهَرَ لَنَا خَيْرًا، أَمِنَّاهُ، وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ، وَلَيْسَ إِلَيْنَا مِنْ سَرِيرَتِهِ شَيْءٌ اللَّهُ يُحَاسِبُهُ فِي سَرِيرَتِهِ، وَمَنْ أَظْهَرَ لَنَا سُوءًا لَمْ نَأْمَنْهُ، وَلَمْ نُصَدِّقْهُ، وَإِنْ قَالَ: إِنَّ سَرِيرَتَهُ حَسَنَةٌ

Abdullah bin Utbah said, I heard Umar bin al-Khattab (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) say: Indeed people were judged by revelation during the era of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. But now revelation has stopped. So we judge by your apparent deeds. Whoever makes good apparent to us, we will feel secure and draw him close. We have nothing to do with his inner reality. Allah (Most High) will call him to account for his inner reality. But whosoever makes sin apparent, we will not feel secure from him. Nor will we believe him. Even if he says that his inner reality is good. (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2641)

In the narration above, we find Sayidina Umar mentioning that revelation has stopped. He said this in passing. Meaning, he mentioned it whilst speaking about something else. This is often done with matters that are agreed upon. Thereafter, he explained that we cannot use revelation to judge after the Prophet ﷺ, since there is no new revelation.

The people trying to justify blasphemous statements by saying Allah (Most High) spoke from the mouth of the Wali, must take note. Revelation has stopped. We cannot claim it is present and use it to explain people’s actions. Such a claim is also an attack on the finality of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. He ﷺ was the final Prophet, after him there is no revelation.

Speech is revelation (Wahi)

The people making such claims about a person they believe to be a Wali do not stop to think. Astonishingly, some people are so zealous about covering up the blunders of Shaykhs they admire, they go beyond all limits. To the extent that they violate agreed upon matters of creed (Aqeedah).

The person in question said: My flag will be greater than the flag of Muhammad (on the day of judgement). They excused this extreme blasphemy by saying, it was not the Shaykh speaking, rather Allah (Most High) was speaking through his mouth.

Instead of rushing to the defence of our beloved Prophet ﷺ, they rushed to the defence of their Shaykh. How can such people claim to love the blessed Prophet ﷺ after such disloyalty.

How did these people fail to recognise the enormity of their claim? The speech for Allah (Most High) is Wahi. Meaning it is revelation. It is one thing to claim a person heard the speech of Allah (Most High) in a dream. But to unequivocally state that the Speech of Allah Most High literally emanated from a person whilst awake, is shocking.

The Aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah

مَا اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ الْمُجْتَهِدُونَ مِنْ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ فِي عَصْرٍ عَلَى أَمْرٍ فَهَذَا مِنْ خَوَاصِّ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ فَإِنَّهُ خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ فَلَا وَحْيَ بَعْدَهُ. (التوضيح)

Whatever matter the Mujtahid scholars from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ have agreed upon, in an era, (is accepted). This is one of the unique traits of the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ for he is the seal of the Prophets, and there will be no revelation (Wahi) after him. (Imam Ubaydillah bin Ma’sood al-Mahbubi 719H, al-Tawdeeh).

الأفضل أن يُبهم الرجلُ إحرامه تأسِّياً برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثم لا وَحيَ بعده، ولكن كل إنسان يتفكر بعد إحرامه، ويعلم ما هو الأرفق به والأوفق له. (نهاية المطلب في دراية المذهب)

It is better for a man to conceal his Ihram, following the example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Also, there is no revelation (Wahi) after him ﷺ, but every individual should think after Ihram and understand what is best for him and most appropriate for him. (Imam al-Haramayn al-Juayni 478H, Nihayatu al-Matlab).

The fact that there is no revelation (Wahi) after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, is such a basic tenet of our creed (Aqeedah) that scholars mention it in passing when discussing other matters. They do not feel the need to delve into it or prove it. So how could these people claim it for their Shaykh? How could they present a false miracle to justify an insult against our beloved Prophet ﷺ?

False Karaamah

As Sunni Muslims we believe in Karamaat of the Awliyah. However, there are limits to Karamaat. A person cannot claim a Karaamah that contradicts our creed. Revelation has ended with our beloved Prophet ﷺ. He was the final Prophet ﷺ. There is no Prophet after him ﷺ and there is no revelation after him ﷺ. Any claim that violates this fundamental fact, contradicts the belief of the Muslims.

واعلم أَن كثيرا من المقدورات يعلم اليوم قطعا أَنَّهُ لا يَجُوز أَن يظهر كرامة للأولياء وبضرورة أَوْ شبه ضرورة يعلم ذَلِكَ، فمنها حصول إِنْسَان لا من أبوين وقلب جماد بهيمة أَوْ حيوان وأمثال هَذَا كثير. (الرسالة القشيرية)

Know that many of the things that are conceivable, it is known today with certainty, that they cannot appear as Karamaat of the Awliyaa. This is known by necessity or that which resembles necessity. Amongst them is the birth of a person without parents, the transformation of something inanimate to an animal or animal, and there are many other similar examples. (Imam Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri 465H, al-Risaalah al-Qushariyah).

In the Nass above, Imam al-Qushayri explains that there are limits to Karamaat. Undoubtedly, revelation cannot be a Karaamah because that is only for Prophets (peace be upon them). However, the Imam excluded other matters too. Amongst them bringing inanimate things to life. Imam al-Subki explained the limitations to Karamaat further.

وَهُوَ حق لَا ريب فِيهِ وَبِه يَتَّضِح أَن قَول من قَالَ مَا جَازَ أَن يكون معْجزَة لنبى جَازَ أَن يكون كَرَامَة لولى لَيْسَ على عُمُومه وَأَن قَول من قَالَ لَا فَارق بَين المعجزة والكرامة إِلَّا التحدى لَيْسَ على وَجهه. (طبقات الشافعية الكبرى)

It is a truth regarding which there is no doubt. It clarifies that the statement of those who said, ‘Whatever is possible as a prophetic miracle is possible as a Karaamah for a Wali,’ is not encompassing. And the statement of those who said, ‘There is no difference between a prophetic miracle and a Karaamah except the challenge,’ is not literal. (Imam Tajj al-Deen al-Subki 771H, Tabaqaat al-Shafi’yah al-Kubrah).

Conclusion

When a Muslim comes across an insult against our blessed Prophet ﷺ, there is only one acceptable response. It must be unequivocally condemned. It is extremely abhorrent to attempt to justify it or defend it in any manner. This is what Islam obliges. And it is what our deep love for the Mubarak Prophet ﷺ dictates.

The people being discussed in this article have not only failed in this basic obligation, but they have also exceeded all limits. Not only do they defend the insult against the beloved Prophet ﷺ, but they also elevate the insult by considering it a miracle (Karaamah). How shameless must a person be to take such a position.

However, they do not stop there. This false miracle to justify the insult intrinsically clashes with the Aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah. So it would be wrong even if it were not used to justify blasphemy. That is because it claims revelation (Wahi) after our blessed Prophet ﷺ.

This is the humiliation people face when they oppose our beloved Prophet ﷺ. They end up making such extreme errors that they contradict the foundational matters of creed (Aqeedah). It is embarrassing to find ourselves in a situation where we must ask Muslims to stop excusing insults against the Mubarak Prophet ﷺ. And stop violating the Aqeedah of the Muslims.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (02.08.24)