Proclaiming Ya Rasool-Allah (Salallaho Alaihi Wasallam)

The sensitive issue of whether or not Muslims can call upon the Holy Prophet(SAW) by proclaiming the words 'Ya Rasulullah' needs to be clarified effectively, sincethis issue divides the Muslim community and causes untold pain and friction among the Muslim communities throughout the world.

There are basically two schools of thought, one that says that calling upon the Holy Prophet(SAW) is 'shirk' and that any Muslim proclaiming 'Ya Rasulullah' in factgoes outside the pale of Islam and becomes a mushrik. Thus, such a person needs to take the 'shahadah' again in order to became a Muslim or he remains a 'mushrik'.

The following statements make clear the beliefs and ideology of this school of thought:

1."Most people call out to the spiritual guides, the Prophets, the Imams, the martyrs, the angels, the devils and the fairies in times of distress and ask them to redress their needs. They also give them offerings for this purpose. Thus they indulge in polytheism.(Taqwiyat-ul-Imaan,P5-6, by Ismail Dehlvi)

2."How can anyone be the redresser of needs, the solver of difficulties and holder of one's hand? People holding such beliefs are out and out polytheist. They cannoteven be allowed to get married to Muslims. And those people who are informed about their evil thoughts and even then do not call them 'apostates and polytheist'are polytheists themselves in the same degree. (Jawaahir-ul-Quraan, P147, by Ghulam Khan, Rawalpindi)

3."He who seeks help from anyone except Allah is, in fact, a thorough polytheist. There is none in the world as bad as he. Curse be upon such a person from all(creatures) in the world." "To ask for fulfilment of ones needs and invoke them(i.e. Prophets & Saints) is the way of the polytheist". (Tazkeer-ul-Akhwaan,P83 &P343, by Ismail Dehlvi).

The above statements belong to the Wahhabi/ Deobandi/ Tabligh Jamaat scholars according to whom it is a great sin to proclaim 'Ya Rasulullah' with the intentionthat the Holy Prophet(SAW) can hear such a call for help. Also seeking the 'waseela'(intercession) of the Holy Prophet(SAW) is deemed as polytheism by this school of thought.

Let us now examine the beliefs of the other school of thought, namely the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, who believe it is permissible to proclaim 'Ya Rasulullah'according to Islamic Law. The following proofs have been forwarded by this school of thought in their support:

1. Imam Bukhari(RA) in his Kitaabu Adaabul Mufrad has written that Hazrat Adullah ibn Omar(RA) once suffered from cramp. Someone advised him to rememberthe person whom he loved most. The great Companion then proclaimed loudly: "Ya Muhammad", it is recorded that he was immediately relieved of the cramps.

2. Imam Tabraani(RA) in his Muh'jam records the following incident: "A person in dire need once visited Ameerul Mu'mineen Hazrat Uthman Ghani(RA). The Caliphthough, due to other work, did not pay much heed to this man. The person thereafter went to Hazrat Uthman bin Hanif(RA) and complained about the matter.

Hazrat Uthman bin Hanif(RA) ordered the man to perform Wudhu, enter the Masjid and offer two rakaats of Nafil Salaah, he was then to recite the following Du'a:

"O Allah, I beg of you and I seek your Assistance, with the Waseela of Your Beloved Prophet(SAW) who is the Prophet of Mercy. O Muhammad!, I turn to Allahwith your Waseela so that my needs be fulfilled!.

The man was then told to mention his need. After completion he and Hazrat Uthman bin Hanif(RA) both visited the august court of the Caliph. The man wassuccessful in his encounter with the Caliph and thanked Hazrat Uthman bin Hanif(RA) for mentioning him to the Caliph. But Hazrat Uthman bin Hanif (RA) repliedthat he had not approached the Caliph at all, he then stated:

THE NOBLE NAMES OF THE PROPHET (Sallal Laahu Alayhi Wa Sallam)

Allah's Name I begin, the Beneficent, the Merciful

THE NOBLE NAMES OF THE PROPHET (Sallal Laahu Alayhi Wa Sallam)

A seventeenth-century Suhrawardi mystic of Ucch (Pakistan) composed a work called Jawahir al-auliya (Jewels of the Saints), that contains an interesting chapter on the virtues and blessing powers of Muhammad's ninety-nine names. The author recounts various traditions connected with their use. The Great saint Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani is reported to have said that a person who recites them once every day and every night will be preserved from all kinds of affliction, and his faith will always remain undisturbed.

According to the author's ancestor, Makhdum Jahaniyan of Ucch, the recitation of these names after the dawn prayer will cause all sins, great and small, open and secret, to be forgiven, and Sultan Sayyid Mahmud Nasiruddin Bukhari is reported to have said that whoever recites them seven times after the noon prayer will never be harassed by birds or beasts. Another Sufi ascribed to their elevenfold recitation after the evening prayer an increase in knowledge, mildness, and gnosis.

But the greatest reward, for someone who recites Muhammad's ninety-nine names twelve times after the night prayer, was revealed to Makhdum Jahaniyan by the Prophet himself during that Sufi's visit to Medina: Muhammad promised that he would definitely bring that person to Paradise, and would not enter it without him.

Many modern printed copies of the Qu�ran enumerate the ninety-nine Divine Names at the beginning and list the ninety-nine names of the Prophet on the final two pages. An annotated list Appendix is on the next page.

Note: The manner of reciting the noble names is as such you recite sayyiduna then the name and finish with sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for example (Sayyiduna Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Sayyiduna Ahmad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Sayyiduna Hamid sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Sayyiduna Mahmud sallallahu alayhi wa sallam�etc).