𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦- 𝐒𝐡𝐢’𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
Something which some people of innovation and misguidance specialize with, is this fanaticism towards their leaders or a doctrine to the point of declaring their scholars or leaders as equal or even superior to the Prophets peace be upon them.
This evil belief exists among the Shi’a imamites today more than any other group, but it can be found among other groups as well.
This belief isn’t only an evil innovation and misguidance but major disbelief, the classical scholars did ex-communication based upon this only in the past, al-qadi ‘iyad al-maliki al-ash’ari (476H-544H) did excommunicate the Shi’a Rafidah based upon this in his masterpiece al-shifa.
𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐢’𝐚 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬’ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
Shaykh al-Mufid stated:
“A group of Imamite Shi’is have agreed about the superiority of the Imams of the House of Muhammad peace be upon him over all prophets and messengers except our Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and the other group have stated their superiority over all prophets and messengers except the five great ones.” [Awa’il al-Maqalat, page 70].
al-Sayyed Ni’matullah al-Jaza’iri stated:
“Know that there is no disagreement among our companions may Allāh be pleased with them, about the superiority of the Prophet Muhammad over other prophets because of mass transmitted narrations [that reached us], the disagreement is only about the superiority of the chief of believers and the pure Imams over other prophets except their grandfather Muhammad.
A group said they are better than all other prophets except the five great ones as they are better than the Imams, another group said they were equal, and the majority of our late scholars agreed on the superiority of the Imams (as) over Ulil-`Azm and this is the correct opinion.” [al-Anwar al-Nu’maniyyah, vol 1, page 22].
al-Hurr al-Amili has a chapter in his book “al-Fusoul al-Muhimmah fi Usool al-A’immah” titled a chapter:
“Chapter 101: The Prophet and the twelve Imams are better than all other creations from prophets and past successors and angels, and that the prophets are better than the angels.” Then he brought narrations under it to prove this. [al-Fusoul al-Muhimmah fi Usool al-A’immah, vol 1, page 403].
Shaykh ibn Babaweih al-Saduq in his book “Uyoun Akhbar al-Rida” has a section called:
“The superiority of the Prophet and the Imams over the angels and the prophets.” [Uyoun Akhbar al-Rida, vol 1, page 294].
Baqir Al-Majlisi stated:
They (Imams) are superior to all Prophets and Awsiya (legatees) except our Prophet(saws). [Bihar al-anwar, vol 26, page 82].
Similarly, Baqir al-Majlisi stated at another place:
Our Imams are superior than the rest of the prophets. [Bihar al-anwar, vol 26, page 297].
Grand Ayatullah al-Khomeini stated:
It is from the necessities of our Madhab, that our Imams have a rank that no angel or prophet can reach. [al-Hukumat al-Islamiyyah, page 52].
Classical scholars on this deviant belief:
Sheikh Al-jama’a al-qadi ‘iyad al-maliki al-ash’ari (476H-544H) said regarding this matter:
“Likewise, we declare the fanatical Shi’is as disbelievers, those who claim that their Imams are superior to the prophets.” (al-shifa by Al-qadi’iyad, Page 365)
Imam Nawawi (631H-676H), a major jurist, scholar of narration and a linguistic, has quoted Imam Ibn Hajar haytami who had mentioned and confirmed this statement of al-qadi ‘iyad:
“This (to deem non-prophert superior to the Prophets) is open disbelief.”
In another contemporary Hanafi work we see:
“The statement quoted from some Karamites that it is possible for a saint to become greater in status than a prophet – is clear disbelief, deviancy, irreligious-ness and ignorance.” (Exegesis of Fiqhe Akbar Page 146 by Hanafi publications)
in the exegesis of Aqeedah Nasafiyyah, Tareeqah-e-Muhammadiyyah and in Hadeeqah-e-Nadiyyah:
“Deeming a saint to be greater than any of the prophets, whether he is a Noble Messenger or not, is disbelief and deviancy; and why may it not be such? For this is equal to degrading a prophet in comparison with a saint and this is also against the consensus, for it is well known that all Muslims have unanimously agreed upon the superiority of the prophets above all Others including saints.” [Published by Matba’a Qadim, Page 65]
Imam Abu Ja’far al-Tahawi (239H-321H) stated:
“We don’t give superiority to any of the saints over any of the Prophets, upon them be peace. We say that a single Prophet is superior than all the Saints put together.” [Tahawi creed by Imam al-tahawi, page 30 – 31].
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (773H-852H) stated:
“A Prophet is superior to a saint, and this matter is categorical by intelect as well as revealed knowledge. And whoever goes against it is a disbeliever, because this is such a matter that it is known to be from the Necessities of Islamic law. [Fath al-Baari, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, vol 1, page 221].
Qur’anic evidence regarding superiority of Prophets over non-prophets:
وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـٰتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِۦ دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًا ۚ وَكُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
And that was our argument which we gave Ibrahim against his people, we raise by degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And we gave to Ibrahim, Ishak and Ya’qub – all [of them] We guided. And Nuh, we guided before; and among his descendants, dawud and souleiman and Ayoub and Yousuf and Mūsa and Haron.
Thus, do We reward the doers of good. And Zakariya’ and yahya and ‘isa and Ilias – and all were of the righteous. And Isma’il and Yasa’ and Younes and Lut – and all [of them] We preferred over the worlds.
Imam al-Razi in his Commentary, clarifies the reason for this, is that the word used in the Qur’an is “al-’alamin”, which refers to every existent thing apart from Allah. This includes Saints as well, since there is no proof that they are exempted from the general purport indicated by the word “al-’alamin” within this verse.
Imam al-Razi stated:
{ وَكُلاًّ فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ } وذلك لأن العالم اسم لكل موجود سوى الله تعالى، فيدخل في لفظ العالم الملائكة، فقوله تعالى: { وَكُلاًّ فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ } يقتضي كونهم أفضل من كل العالمين. وذلك يقتضي كونهم أفضل من الملائكة، ومن الأحكام المستنبطة من هذه الآية: أن الأنبياء عليهم السلام يجب أن يكونوا أفضل من كل الأولياء، لأن عموم قوله تعالى: { وَكُلاًّ فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ } يوجب ذلك.
{and all We preferred over the worlds} and that the word used “al-’alam”, refers to every existent thing apart from Allāh, this word “al-’alam” includes the Angels. So, the statement of Allāh {and all We preferred over the worlds} implies their superiority over all of the worlds, and that implies that they are superior to the Angels.
And it is from the rulings derived from this verse, that the Prophets must be superior to all of the saints, because the general statement of Allāh {and all We preferred over the worlds} necessitates that.
Prophetic narrations indicate the superiority of the prophets over non-prophets:
Mus’ab bin Sa’d narrated from his father that a man said: “O Messenger of Allāh! Which of the people is tried most severely?”
He said: “The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them. A man is tried according to his religion; if he is firm in his religion, then his trials are more severe.
And if he is frail in his religion, then he is tried according to the strength of his religion. The servant shall continue to be tried until he is left walking upon the earth without any sins.”. [Jami’ al-Tirmidhi #2398, vol 4, page 414; Grading: Hasan].
Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri said: “I entered upon the Prophet when he was suffering from a fever, I placed my hand on him and felt heat with my hand from above the blanket. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how hard it is for you!’ He said: ‘We (Prophets) are like that. The trial is multiplied for us and so is the reward.’
I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?’ He said: ‘The Prophets.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, then who?’
He said:
Then the righteous, some of whom were tested with poverty until they could not find anything except a cloak to put around themselves. One of them will rejoice at calamity as one of you would rejoice at ease.’” [Sunan Ibn Majah #4024, vol 5, page 226; Grading: Hasan].
the narrations like the one above and below clearly show that the Prophets are the most superior of all people as affliction has been made commensurate to one’s superiority in the religion.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet peace be upon him said that his Lord said: “It does not befit a slave that he should say that he is better than Jonah bin Matta (a Prophet). [Sahih al-Bukhari, vol 9, page 387, #7539; Sahih Muslim #2377].
Allah knows Best.