PARENTS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺ WERE MU'MIN AND ARE IN PARADISE
The parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were mu'min, of very high status, incomparable, noble, strong, courageous, even-handed and soldierly.
It is a public knowledge, that there are 'Muslims' who propagate that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ''were faithless (kafir) {Ma'az Allah} i.e. they did not have imaan. And for this reason, they will not enter Paradise. {Ma'az Allah}
Such people are insulting the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ''by making such fictitious remarks. Do they know the elevated status of the parents of Prophet ﷺ' ?
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ father's name is Abdullah. The name itself is such that there is no need for any evidence of him being a monotheist or a mu'mim. Abdullah means a devotee of Allah Ta'ala. And a devotee is one who is a fanatical believer in Allah Ta'ala.
Because of the level of devotion, the luminous angels of Allah Ta'ala are mentioned in The Holy Quran:
'Nay they are honoured bondsmen'
(Surah Al-Ambiyaa. verse 26)
Rather, these are favourite and loved devotees of Allah Ta'ala.
However, this name (Abdullah) is given only if the person has faith (imaan) in Allah Ta'ala. The name Abdullah, in itself is a certification that the father of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 'was a mu'min.
Hazrat Ubaadah(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that he went to Hazrat Anas bin Maalik(Radi Allaahu Anhu). Hazrat Anas bin Maalik(Radi Allaahu Anhu) asked his maid- servant to bring the table cloth (dastarkhwan). Then, he asked her to bring a handkerchief. The handkerchief was a little dirty so Hazrat Anas bin Maalik(Radi Allaahu Anhu) put the handkerchief in the stove fire. When he took the handkerchief out of the fire, it had become clean and exceptionally white. When Hazrat Anas bin Maalik(Radi Allaahu Anhu) was asked about this handkerchief, he replied that Prophetﷺ had once wiped his blessed face with this handkerchief. Ever since, this handkerchief is put in the fire for cleaning. The fire became haraam on the handkerchief that touched the blessed face of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Then, how can it be possible that whoever's biological systems the noor of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ''was transferred through would end in hellfire?
Hence, we learn that the parents of Prophet Muhammadﷺ were mu'min and Allah
Ta'ala has granted them glorious importance.
It is proven from The Holy Quran and hadith, that anyone who becomes affiliated with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , becomes excellent and the best from the rest. Any Muslim reciting the kalima, cannot disagree on this issue. Whoever touched the blessed body of Prophet ﷺ ''became flawlessly clean, holy, perfumed, pure, and righteous. These beautiful people became honourable and magnificent, and by becoming affiliated to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ' 'they became glorious and respected.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Indeed, I swear by this city (Makkah)'
(Surah Al-Balad. verse 01)
Why did Allah Ta'ala swear by the city of Makkah?
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'As (O Beloved Prophet) you dwell in this city'
(Surah Al-Balad. verse 02)
O beloved, I have taken oath of this city because you have walked about on the roads of this city, because your blessed footsteps have touched the beauty of this city. This is the status reached because of establishing a relationship with Prophet ﷺ.
This is an example, but there are many more verses in The Holy Quran in regards to this.
When taking an oath, we, the creation of Allah Ta'ala don't take oath of ordinary things, but of things of distinction. Imagine the honour and the status of the things of which Allah Ta'ala takes oath.
Thus, it is proved that any item that established a relationship with Prophet ﷺ, became clean, pious and sinless; be it a stone, stick, animal or a human being. These items became distinguished, unprecedented and unparalleled. The wind that touched the virtuous body of Prophet ﷺ ''became unprecedented, the water that touched the pure body of Prophetﷺ became unprecedented, the soil that had been touched by the blessed footsteps of Prophetﷺ became unprecedented, the animals on which Prophetﷺ went on-board for rides became unparalleled, the clothes that touched the blessed body of Prophet ﷺ became unprecedented, the women who came into nikah with Prophetﷺ'' became unparalleled. And all the people who became companions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ became distinguished, unprecedented and unparalleled.
So, the person who became the father of Prophetﷺ became unequalled and the woman who became the mother of Prophet ﷺ became unmatched. This is the blessing obtained by any item or person that established a relationship with Prophet ﷺ.
The earth, the water, the stove, the clothing and anything that touched the blessed body of Prophet ﷺ became unprecedented and distinguished. Then, imagine the dignity and the status of the mother in whose virtuous womb Prophet ﷺ stayed for nine months, the mother who embraced Prophet ﷺ, the mother who fed milk to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
This relationship with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is proven from The Holy Quran, hadith, and anecdotes (riwayat), and cannot be denied.
In The Holy Quran, it is mentioned that Hazrat Yakub(alaihis salaam) was separated from his son Hazrat Yusuf(alaihis salaam). Hazrat Yakub(alaihis salaam) wept so much that he lost his eyesight.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Ah woe on the separation of Yusuf, and his eyes were whitened with grief'
(Surah Yusuf. verse 84)
When Hazrat Yusuf(alaihis salaam) came to know about this, he took off his shirt and gave it to his brothers and said:
''Go with this shirt of mine, put it on my father's face, he shall recover his sight, and bring all your family together'
(Surah Yusuf. verse 93)
This is Quran. The shirt that touched the body of Hazrat Yusuf(alaihis salaam), got blessed with such greatness that it brought back the eyesight of Hazrat Yakub(alaihis salaam).
Now, picture the greatness of the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , whose body touched the purest body of Sayed-Ul-Ambiya ﷺ .
The Mufassireen and the Muhadditheen agree that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ'' were Muslim, mu'min, virtuous, innocent, and are jannati.
The belief of the Ahlus Sunnah Wa Jama'ah is that, all those, from the parents of Prophet ﷺ dating back to Hazrat Adam(alaihis salaam) and Hazrat Hawwa(Radi Allaahu Anha); through whose loins Prophet Muhammadﷺ passed through, were pure and clean. They all were sincere and obedient servants of Allah Ta'ala. They all were Muslims, they all were mu'min, and they all are in Paradise.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And by your father and his progery'
(Surah Al-Balad. verse 03)
The oath is on your father and on your descendants.
In the commentary (tafseer) Mazhari, Hazrat Qaazi Sanaullah Paani Patti(Rahamatullah Alaih) writes that in this verse of The Holy Quran, Allah Ta'ala has taken oath of all the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, from Hazrat Adam(alaihis salaam) to
Hazrat Abdullah(Radi Allaahu Anhu).
This is the greatness of a father whose oath Allah Ta'ala takes.
If this is the greatness of the father, then picture the greatness and the respect of the mother.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And rely upon Him who is the Mighty, Merciful'
'Who sees you when you stand'
(Surah Ash-Sho'ra. verse 217, 218)
O Prophet ﷺ, have trust in the plan of Allah Ta'ala, who is the Mighty and Merciful, and sees you when you stand.
'And your movements among those who offer prayer'
(Surah Ash-Shora. Verse 219)
And Allah Ta'ala has been seeing you passing through the loins of all sajideen-who have been offering prayer and prostrating in the worship of Allah Ta'ala.
Imam Fakhruddean Raazi(Rahamatullah Alaih) in his commentary of this verse writes that the noor of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has passed from one sajideen to the another sajideen; all of whom who used to perform sajda. This is a testimony that the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were Mu'min.
In this verse of The Holy Quran, Allah Ta'ala has clearly stated that the noor of Prophet ﷺ passed through the loins of all those who were sajideen.
The father and the mother of Prophet ﷺ were sajideen. They were not idolaters, they were not polytheists, and they were not mushrikeen.
This is Quran. But where does the Wahabi Mulla get his propaganda?
Allah Ta'ala says that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were sajideen, but the Wahabi Mulla says that they were kafir- {Ma'az Allah}.
Whom would you believe? Allah Ta'ala or the Wahabi Mulla?
'laqad jaa'kum rasoolum-min anfusikum'
'Surely there has come to you a Messenger, from among yourselves'
(Surah At-Tauba. verse 128)
In Saahib e Tafseer, Roohul Bayaan, a hadith is narrated whereby Hazrat Ali(Radi Allaahu Anhu) is reported to have said that he once heard Prophet Muhammad ﷺ reciting this verse as, 'laqad jaa'kum rasoolum-min anfaasikum'
The pronunciation of this verse is of two ways: anfusikum and anfaasikum. This verse can be recited in both ways because Prophet ﷺ recited in these two ways.
If the verse is recited the second way, there is a change of a word: 'anfaa', which means elegant, dignified and distinguished.
This verse would now mean:
'Surely there has come to you a Messenger, from all those dignified and distinguished among yourselves'
Hence, we come to know that the noor of Prophet ﷺ passed through the loins of all those who were elegant, dignified and distinguished. The ancestors of Prophet Muhammadﷺ were elegant, dignified and distinguished.
Allah Ta'ala is saying that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are anfaa's i.e. they are exquisite, perfect and magnificent.
And those who exclaim the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as jahannami, I swear that these people are morally corrupted by sin, are wicked, worthy of hatred, and impure (khabees tareen).
Prophetﷺ said, 'no doubt Allah Ta'ala chose the descendants of Ismail(alaihis salaam) from the tribe of Kinaana, and chose Quraysh for the descendants of the tribe Kinaana, and Allah Ta'ala chose me from Bani Hashim, one of the tribes of Quraysh'. So, I have been passed through the loins of the chosen ones by Allah Ta'ala i.e. the sajideen. (Muslim).
Therefore, we come to know that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were chosen by Allah Ta'ala. In view of this, Does Allah Ta'ala chooses the idolaters and the polytheists? Does Allah Ta'ala chooses the mushriks and the kafir?
Prophetﷺ said, 'I swear by Allah Rab'Ul Izzat that from Adam(alaihis salaam) leading up to me, I have always been transferred through the clean and pure loins. My ancestors were pure and clean of any noxious, erroneous or impurity. I have always been the better of the rest'.
To all those morally corrupted by sin, wicked and impure people, who claim that the parents of Prophet Muhammadﷺ were polytheists (mushrik and kafir) {Ma'az Allah Thuma Ma'az Allah}:
'Know that the polytheist are altogether unclean'
(Surah At-Tauba. verse 28)
But, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that his parents were holy, pure and righteous.
The Holy Quran states that polytheists are unclean.
Therefore, we come to know that Prophet ﷺ'' has declared that his parents were holy, pure and righteous. He ﷺ has proved that his parents were pure, mu'min and jannati.
In regards to the imaan of the parents of Prophet ﷺ, the glorious scholars and experts in the knowledge of hadith of Ahle Sunnah have issued three statements.
Firstly, one has to fully understand the basic affair that the parents of Prophet ﷺ belonged to ahl-ul-fitrah (zamaana e fitrat). This is the period in which no prophet brought the message of Allah Ta'ala, the message of monotheism (tauheed) to the community or a nation. No prophet declared his prophethood.
Second is the as haab e fitrat i.e. in the locality of Hijaz e Muqadas (the holy land of Islam), where no prophet came before Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Therefore, the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are from the zamaana e fitrat.
'Thirdly, the scholars of the ummat are in agreement that people of zamaana e fitrat will not face any torment (azaab).
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And We do not torment until We have sent our Messenger'
(Surah Bani Israel. verse 15)
Allah Ta'ala says that no one is tormented until a Messenger is sent. And the parents of Prophet ﷺ are from the zamaana e fitrat. And this is enough for their pardon, and not face torment. They are not jahannami as propagandized by the deviant sects. They have faith (imaan) in Allah Ta'ala. This is proven by the fact that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ father's name is Abdullah and Abdullah means a devotee of Allah Ta'ala. The parents who chose this name also had imaan in Allah Ta'ala, and they believed in the tauheed of Allah Ta'ala.
Prophet ﷺ mother's name is Amina. Amina means faithful-one who has imaan.
To those merciless people who claim the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ' were kafir {Ma'az Allah}:
You call the father Abdullah, and also call him a kafir
You call the mother Amina, and also call her be-imaan
You shameless tyrants, you call her Amina and then say she is not a mu'mina. You call him Abdullah and then say he is not a jannati.
If he is Abdullah, then he is a jannati. If she is Amina, then she is a mu'mina.
The opinion of the scholars of the Ahle Sunnah is that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and their ancestors were on the Deen of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam).
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was an upright Muslim, totally separate from every falsehood and was not at all of polytheists'
(Surah Ale-Imraan. verse 67)
Thereby, we come to know that Deen e Ibrahim is Deen e Islam, and in this verse of The Holy Quran, Allah Ta'ala has called Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam) as 'Haneefam-Muslima'. Thus, by being on the Deen of Ibrahim(alaihis salaam), the parents of Prophetﷺ 'were Muslims, monotheist and mu'min. The parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had faith in the Prophethood of Hazrat Ibrahim(alaihis salaam).
Shah Abdul Haqq Muhaddith(Rahamatullah Alaih) narrates that Hazrat Aa'isha(Radi Allaahu Anha) said, 'after the Farewell Hajj (hajjatul wida), Prophet ﷺ took me to the resting place of his parents. He ﷺ asked me to sit down and said he would be back soon. He ﷺ was sad when he left, but when he ﷺ came back, he ﷺ was smiling. Prophet ﷺ' said that he ﷺ made dua in the court of Allah Ta'ala to wake up his parents from dead so that he ﷺ could make them recite his kalima. And he ﷺ said that Allah Ta'ala accepted his supplication. Allah Ta'ala brought his parents to life again and they met each other. He ﷺ said that he ﷺ made them recite his kalima, and they became his ummah. And then Allah Ta'ala made them dead again'.
In light of this hadith, it is proved that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made his parents mu'min, made them his ummah, companions (sahaabi)(Radi Allaahu Anhum), and jannati.
Another misconception propagandized by the rude and disrespectful deviants about the parents of Prophet ﷺ needs to be corrected. The corrupted and immoral deviants are propagandizing that Prophet ﷺ said that he ﷺ sought permission of Allah Ta'ala to make supplication for the forgiveness of his parents, but was refused by Allah Ta'ala. They further propagandize that the permission was not granted because the parents of Prophet ﷺ will not be pardoned. This is deceptive, their misbelief, their misinterpretation, and mischief.
The reason for the refusal is that the supplication for forgiveness is made for those who are in doubt of being forgiven. As for those who are already forgiven, there is no need for supplication for their forgiveness.
For example, in the janaza prayer, we make dua for the forgiveness of a mu'min by reciting 'Allahummag fir li hayyina wa mayyitina' 'Oh Allah forgive those of us who are alive and those who are dead'.
But for an infant, we don't make supplication for forgiveness, but we recite 'Allahummaj-alhu lana 'ajraw wa zukhraw-wa shaafiaw-wa mushaffa'a'. This is not a supplication for forgiveness, but is the supplication for intercession. There is no need for supplication for the forgiveness of an infant as they are already pardoned. Consequently, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not granted permission to make dua for the forgiveness of his 'parents, as they were already pardoned.
Another argument against this deceptive propaganda is that this event of Prophet ﷺ not being granted permission to supplicate occurred before the event of Prophet ﷺ' supplicating to Allah Ta'ala to wake up his parents from dead, making them recite his kalima, and making them his ummah. Therefore, this later event revokes any other prior events in relation to this. Hence, the later occurrence becomes the proof of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ parents being mu'min. And till the day of judgement, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ parents will be remembered as mu'min and jannati.
One might now ask as to why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made his parents recite the kalima for their forgiveness. Was their pardonably not known to Prophetﷺ?
The answer is that they were already pardoned from beforehand because they believed in Deen e Ibrahim(alaihis salaam). They were already mu'min, they were already monotheist, and they were already jannati. But by making them recite his kalima, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made them his companions (sahaabi)(Radi Allaahu Anhum) and ummati.
If any unblessed person has any doubts on how the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ became alive again, they would need to be reminded that if Allah Ta'ala can make dead alive on the hands of Isa(alaihis salaam), then Allah Ta'ala can also make the dead alive on the supplication of Sayed Ul Ambiya ﷺ.'
Surah Lahab was revealed in condemnation of Abu Lahab, an infidel. There is a narration that on Mondays, there is a reduction in the torment Abu Lahab goes through. In a response to Hazrat Abbas(Radi Allaahu Anhu), Abu Lahab said that he is provided with water through his index finger, the finger he used to point to his slave girl to free her on the joy of the birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.' (Bukhari)
If there is reductions in the punishment for Abu Lahab, for expressing happiness on the birth of Prophet ﷺ, then, how can the mother in whose blessed womb Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was for nine months, go through the anguish of hellfire?
In the Masjid Nabawi, there is an area called 'Riaz Ul Jannah'. Narrated by Abu Hurairah(Radi Allaahu Anhu), the Prophet ﷺ said, 'between my house and my pulpit (mimber), there is an area of the garden of Paradise'. (Bukhari).
The Muhadditheen have pronounced that this area of Masjid Nabawi is jannah because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ' used to walk on this area, from his sacred chamber to the pulpit. The path Prophet ﷺ walked becomes a garden of Paradise. Thus, the mother in whose blessed womb Prophet ﷺ was for nine months is unquestionably a jannati.
Prophet ﷺ is the beloved of Allah Ta'ala, he ﷺ is the master, distinguished, and the best of all the Prophets of Allah Ta'ala. The systems and the establishments of Prophet ﷺ, the law established by Prophet ﷺ, his constitution, and his authority are splendid and the finest. The name and the position of Prophet ﷺ, his family and his tribe are also splendid and the finest. If everything associated with Prophet ﷺ is splendid, then, certainly the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are also splendid in the court of Allah Ta'ala.
Hazrat Muaaz(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet ﷺ has said, 'whoever recites The Holy Quran and lives his life on the teachings of The Holy Quran; their parents will be crowned on the day of the judgement. The brightness of this crown will be greater than the brightness of the sun'. (Abu Dawood)
If this is the status of the parents of Muslims who recite The Holy Quran and live their life on the teachings of The Holy Quran, then, imagine the status of the parents on whose son the Holy Quran was revealed. Prophet ﷺ is the best reciter and the best memorizer of The Holy Quran. He ﷺ is the best role model living on the teachings of The Holy Quran. By the teachings and blessings of Prophet ﷺ, tens of millions of Arabs started living their life on the teachings of The Holy Quran. Now, imagine the status of the parents of such esteemed, distinguished and unparalleled Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Allaahu Akbar.
The parents of Prophet ﷺ were the finest in their behaviour, exquisite in beauty with superb names, and had authoritative positions. Picture the dignity, gracefulness and the marvelousness of the parents in whose house Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born?
When Hazrat Amina(Radi Allaahu Anha) gave birth to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, there was happiness and joy and the universe got illuminated. What an honour for his ﷺ parents? How virtuous and exquisite they were.
Prophets are always born from exquisite and virtuous people.
Hadith proves that, from the time of Nuh(alaihis salaam), there was never a time when there were no virtuous people on the earth. It is also proven from hadith that the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were dignified and distinguished. They were exquisite, perfect and magnificent and that is our belief.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And soon your Lord shall give so much that you (O beloved Prophet) shall be well pleased'
(Surah Adh Dhuha. verse 05)
In the commentary of this verse, Hazrat Ibne Abbas(Radi Allaahu Anhu) writes that the pleasure of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is in that his holy family do not go to hellfire.
In a hadith, Imran bin Haseen(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that Prophet ﷺ said, he will ask Allah Ta'ala that his holy family do not go to hellfire, Allah Ta'ala will accept his ﷺ request.
Thus, it becomes undoubtedly clear that the family of Prophet ﷺ'' will not go to hellfire, including those to whom the Deen of Allah did not reach, but with the exception of those who received but rejected the message of Deen of Allah Ta'ala.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And those who believe, and whose children follow them with faith. We shall join them with their children, and shall not diminish anything from their deeds. All men are pledged in their deeds'
(Surah At-Toor. verse 21)
Allama Ismail Haqqi(Rahmatullah Alaih) in his commentary of this verse in Roohul Bayan,' writes that the word faith (imaan) in this verse is with passionate. No doubt, the level of faith may not be the same, the deeds may not be of same level, but faith in itself will be sufficient for the children to be kept with their parents in paradise.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has said that Allah Ta'ala will give the children of the mu'min the same positions as their mu'min parents, despite the flaws in their deeds. Allah Ta'ala will do this for the coolness of the eyes, and for the excitement and happiness of the mu'min parents.
For the coolness of the eyes of the jannatis, Allah Ta'ala will join them with their children in Paradise, despite the bad deeds of the children. And the Ulma consent the same opinion for the parents of the jannatis.
Will Allah Ta'ala not provide for the coolness of the eyes of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Will Allah Ta'ala not join his ﷺ parents with him?
In Hadith e Qudsi, Allah Ta'ala has told Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: 'O beloved! If I didn't intend to create you, I would not have created the sky, nor I would have declared my lordship'
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the beloved Prophet of Allah Ta'ala. Will Allah Ta'ala not provide for the coolness of the eyes for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Allah Ta'ala will provide for the coolness of the eyes of Prophet ﷺ, and Allah Ta'ala will provide for the excitement and happiness of
Prophet ﷺ.'' Allah Ta'ala will join his blessed parents with him in Paradise.
And, since Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will have the highest rank in Paradise, his parents will also be in the highest rank in jannah with him.
Alhamdulliah, our imaan is that the parents of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were mu'min and are jannati.
**
This article is an abridged English translation of an Urdu sermon delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
