Bab Dhikr al-Anbiya min al-Ibadah

The Mention of Prophets is Worship; Mention of the Righteous is an Expiation

"لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ" ("If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor].") Allah Almighty's very great favor upon us is this (meaning the coming of His Presence ﷺ). He Himself proclaims that "I have sent a Messenger among you, it is Our actual great favor." Therefore, for this reason, we acknowledge the favor of Allah Almighty and repeatedly describe it. We hold gatherings, we adorn our gatherings with the mention of the bounty of Allah, we will not lead our hearts astray.

Those in whose minds the ghost of Bid'ah (innovation) is established, those poor souls are helpless. They see the gatherings of Milad as Bid'ah. We stand up out of the fervor of love. This too, according to them, is a Bid'ah. Let them think of it as Mubarak (blessed/congratulations on their view). But from our souls, the love of the Prophet ﷺ will not depart. The world of love is different. Here intellect is not allowed in. It is also remembered that love is not rational. Some raw lovers say that when making the mention of Milad, the attention of the Prophet, the mercy of both worlds, is also directed. They have doubt in this. In this doubt... Idhar khayal bandha aur udhar chali Laila Ae jazba-e ishq teri kya baat / Laila bahar nikal hi aayi Chale aayen ge dil ko thame huay / Yeh nalay kahin be-asar jayen ge (I bound my thoughts here, and there walked Laila / Oh the passion of love, what a thing you are / Laila came out / They will come holding their hearts / Will these laments go without effect anywhere?)

Yes! But to see this beauty, one needs world-seeing eyes. The eye that does not see anything, what will it see? Laila ra ba chashm-e Majnun bayad deed (Laila must be seen with the eyes of Majnun). And the one who is blind here will remain blind there too. May God bestow such eyes on someone that they may see a glimpse of this beauty of the world. And after seeing it, this speech flows on their tongue without constraint: "Yak bar deedam dobara hawis" ("I saw once, I desire to see again.") To see again and again is my desire.

بَابٌ : ذِكْرُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مِنَ الْعِبَادَةِ وَ ذِكْرُ الصَّالِحِينَ كَفَّارَةٌ وَّ ذِكْرُ الْمَوْتِ صَدَقَةٌ وَّ ذِكْرُ الْقَبْرِ يُقَرِّبُكُمْ مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ (فرعن معاذ - كنز - ج ۶) *The mention of the Prophets is from worship, and the mention of the righteous ones (pious people) is an expiation (for sins), and remembering death is charity, and the mention of the grave brings you closer to Paradise.*

(Daylami narrated this hadith in Musnad Firdaus from Hazrat Mu'adh (RA). And it is in Kanz al-'Ummal). Vocabulary:- *Far*: means Daylami, who narrated this hadith in Musnad Firdaus.

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَنْهُ : أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنَ الْيَهُودِ قَالَ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ اٰيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِكُمْ تَقْرَؤُنَهَا لَوْ عَلَيْنَا مَعْشَرَ الْيَهُودِ نَزَلَتْ لَا تَّخَذْنَا ذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ عِيْدًا - قَالَ أَيُّ اٰيَةٍ هِيَ ؟ قَالَ " الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِيْ وَرَضِيْتُ لَكُمُ

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الْإِسْلَامَ دِيْنًا "- فَقَالَ عُمَرُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَا ذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْمَكَانَ الَّذِي نَزَلَتْ فِيْهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بِعَرَفَةَ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ - (البخاري تجرید ۳۶ ج ۱) *Translation:- Hazrat Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) narrates that a Jew said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful! There is a verse in your Book (meaning the Qur'an) which you recite. Had it been revealed to us, the community of Jews, we would have taken that day (the day on which that verse was revealed) as a day of Eid (festival)." The Commander of the Faithful Hazrat Umar asked, "Which verse is that?" The Jew replied, "Al-yawma akmaltu lakum deenakum wa atmamtu alaykum ni'mati wa radheetu lakumu-l islama deena" (This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion). Hearing this, Hazrat Umar said, "Undoubtedly, we know that day and that place where it was revealed upon the Prophet ﷺ. At that time, you were standing in 'Arafah' and it was the day of Friday." (Meaning what is the need to establish a new Eid? Since it was a double Eid in itself. One was Friday (the Eid of the believers) and the other was Arafah).*

O friends! From this hadith it is apparent that upon the revelation of this verse, Sayyiduna Umar (RA) did not deny celebrating Eid on its joy, rather he said that this day was naturally a double Eid. Friday is the day of Eid for Muslims, and the 9th of Dhul Hijjah is also an Eid day in Hajj. With us, the day the Prophet is born is also an Eid. And the day of the revelation of divine verses is also an Eid day. Therefore, on such occasions we celebrate Eid. Alhamdulillah.

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَدِمَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَرَأَى الْيَهُودَ تَصُومُ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ مَا هٰذَا قَالُوا يَوْمٌ صَالِحٌ هٰذَا يَوْمٌ نَجَّى اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَصَامَهُ مُوسٰى - قَالَ فَأَنَا أَحَقُّ بِمُوسٰى مِنْكُمْ فَصَامَهُ وَ أَمَرَ بِصِيَامِهِ - (تجرید البخاری جلد ۱) *Translation:- Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) says that when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he saw the Jews fasting on the day of Ashura. Seeing this, he asked, "What is the reason that you keep the fast of Ashura?" Those people (the Jews) said, "This is an excellent day. Meaning, this is the day when Allah Almighty delivered the Children of Israel from their enemy. Therefore, Hazrat Musa fasted on this day." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Then I have more right to Musa than you." Thus, you fasted on that day and ordered others to fast. (This ruling of yours was before the obligation of fasting in Ramadan).*

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