In a previous rebuttal (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/16/dawagandist-mohammed-hijab-admits-that-his-god-allah-worships-like-muslims-do/), I quoted Muhammadan Mohammed Hijab’s admission that the Arabic word used in the Quran to describe Allah praying, namely, salah, actually means du’a:
“And the word actually salah means du’a. This is the root word.” (Trinity or Tawhid?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrNMc0VTDUA&t=37s)
I then cited specific narrations where his prophet reportedly stated that du’a is the very essence of Islamic of worship:
296. The excellence of supplication
712. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “Nothing is dearer to Allah than supplication.”
713. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said, “The noblest ACT OF WORSHIP is supplication.”
714. An-Nu’man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet said, “Supplication IS WORSHIP.” Then he recited, “Call on Me and I will answer you.” (Aisha Bewley, Al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Bukhari, XXX. Supplication http://bewley.virtualave.net/adab4.html#supplicate; capital and underline emphasis ours)
3372. An-Nu‘man bin Bashir narrated that the Prophet said: “The supplication, IS WORSHIP.” Then he recited: And Your Lord said: “Call upon me, I will respond to you. Verily, those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hell humiliated.” (SAHIH)
[Abu ‘Eisa said:] This Hadith is Hasan Sahih. Mansur and Al-‘A‘mash narrated it from Dharr, and we do not know it except from the narration of Dharr. [He is Dharr ‘Abdullah Al-Hamdani, trustworthy, the father of ‘Umar bin Dharr.]
Comments:
Supplication IS WORSHIP IN ITSELF, and for proof the Prophet recited the Verse of Surat Ghafir, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Verily, those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hell humiliated.” This Verse shows that not begging His favors is a sign of scorn. As supplication IS THE ESSENCE OF WORSHIP, and without its essence, the supplication is nothing but lifeless utterances. (English Translation of Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi, Compiled by Imam Hafiz Abu ‘Eisa Mohammad Ibn ‘Eisa At-Tirmidhi, From Hadith no. 3291 to 3956, translated by Abu Khaliyl (USA), Ahadith edited & referenced by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair ‘Ali Za’i [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, First Edition: November 2007], Volume 6, 45. The Book Of Supplications From The Messenger Of Allah, pp. 102-103 https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/48/3; capital and underline emphasis ours)
This is where Hijab’s woes begin. In the debate, David Wood had stated that Muslims actually pray to Muhammad every time they perform their daily prayers, since the latter commanded his followers to perform what is typically referred to as Tashahhud:
Ibn ‘Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah used to teach us tashahhud just as he used to teach us a Sura of the Qur’an, and he would say: All services rendered by words, acts of worship, and all good things are due to Allah. Peace be upon YOU, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In the narration of Ibn Rumb (the words are): “As he would teach us the Qur’an.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 004,Number 0798 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=004&translator=2&start=0&number=0788)
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az-Zubayr from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari that he heard Umar ibn al-Khattab say, while he was teaching people the tashahhud from the mimbar, “Say, Greetings belong to Allah. Pure actions belong to Allah. Good words and prayers belong to Allah. Peace on YOU, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and on the slaves of Allah who are salihun. I testify that there is no god except Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger.”
‘At-tahiyatu lillah, az-zakiyatu lillah, at-tayibatu wa’s-salawatu lillah. As-salamu ALAYKA ayyuha’nnabiyyu wa rahmatu’llahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadi’llahi s-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa ‘llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.” (Malik’s Muwatta, Book 3, Number 3.14.56 https://www.searchtruth.com/book_display.php?book=3&translator=4&start=0&number=3.14.56)
Here is what Hijab said in response in their first rebuttal period:
“There is a hadith in Bukhari which said that whenever one person does salla on the nabi, which means blessings and praise on the prophet–blessings on the prophet–the angel will carry that and give it to him! It doesn’t mean that he’s hearing it everywhere! The angel is moving it around! This is from the will of Allah, and if you didn’t know that, now you do.”
Suffice it to say, this doesn’t answer the actual objection but merely compounds the problem for this dawagandist.
In the first place, this doesn’t address the issue of why Muslims are praying to a dead man in their salat when this is supposed to be the heart of Islamic worship.
In fact, Muhammad went as far as to exhort his companions to continue praying for him even after his death, since he claimed that Allah would enable him to see and hear their supplications. Muhammad further promised to personally greet that person and invoke Allah on his behalf.
The following narrations are all taken from Riyad as-Salihin, The Book of Supplicating Allah to Exalt the Mention of Allah’s Messenger (https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/15). All capital, italicized, and/or underline emphasis shall be mine:
Aus bin Aus reported:
The Messenger of Allah said, “Among the best of your days is Friday; so supplicate Allah more often for me in it, for your SUPPLICATIONS will be DISPLAYED to me.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allah! How will our blessings be DISPLAYED to you when your decayed body will have mixed with the earth?” He replied, “Allah has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets.”
[Abu Dawud].
Sunnah.com reference: Book 15, Hadith 3
Arabic/English book reference: Book 15, Hadith 1399
Abu Hurairah reported:
The Messenger of Allah said, “Do not make my grave a place of festivity, and supplicate Allah for me, for your SUPPLICATION reaches me wherever you are.”
[Abu Dawud].
Sunnah.com reference: Book 15, Hadith 5
Arabic/English book reference: Book 15, Hadith 1401
Abu Hurairah reported:
The Messenger of Allah said, “Whenever someone greets me, Allah returns the soul to my body (in the grave) and I return his greeting.”
[Abu Dawud].
Sunnah.com reference: Book 15, Hadith 6
Arabic/English book reference: Book 15, Hadith 1402
And:
Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger of Allah said, “Whenever anyone greets me with peace, Allah will return my soul to me so that I can return the greeting.”
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba mentions that Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger of Allah said, “I WILL HEAR whoever blesses me at my grave. If someone is far away and blesses me, that is also conveyed to me.”…
Ibn ‘Umar said, “Do a lot of prayer on your Prophet every Jumu’a. It is brought to him from you every Jumu’a.” One version has, “None of you blesses me but THAT HIS PRAYER IS SHOWN TO ME when he finishes it.”
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali said that the Prophet said, “Bless me wherever you are. YOUR PRAYER will reach me.”
One of them mentioned that the name of someone who blesses the Prophet IS SHOWN to the Prophet when he does it.
Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali said, “When you enter the mosque, greet the Prophet. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Do not make my house a place of ‘Id and do not make your houses graves. Bless me wherever you are. YOUR PRAYER will reach me wherever you are.'”…
Sulayman ibn Suhyam said that he saw the Prophet in a dream and asked him, “Messenger of Allah, do you recognise the greeting of those who come to you?” He replied, “YES, AND I ANSWER THEM.” (Qadi ‘Iyad Ibn Musa al-Yahsubi, Kitab Ash-shifa bi ta’rif huquq al-Mustafa (Healing by the recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One), translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley English [Madinah Press, Inverness, Scotland, U.K., third reprint 1991, paperback), pp. 262-263; capital and underline emphasis ours)
Pay careful attention to the words of Muhammad that the supplications and prayers of his followers are shown to him, since this confirms that Muslims aren’t merely greeting a dead man (which is bad enough), but are in fact praying directly to him!
That’s not all. Islamic scholars argued on the basis of Q. 4:64 that Muslims can even visit Muhammad’s grave in order to personally ask him for his intercession! And according to some reports, this is exactly what some Muslims did:
It is just as necessary to have esteem and respect for the Prophet after his death as it were when he was alive. This means to show it whenever the Prophet, his hadith or sunna are mentioned, when anyone hears his name or anything about his life or how his family and relatives behaved. It includes respect for the People of his House (ah al-bayt) and his Companions…
Abu Humayd said, “Abu Ja’far, the Amir al-Mu’minin, had a dispute with Malik in the Prophet’s mosque. Malik said to him, ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, do not raise your voice in this mosque. Allah taught the people how to behave by saying, ‘Do not raise your voices above the Prophet’ (49:2) He praises people with the words, “Those who lower their voices in the presence of the Messenger of Allah.” (49:3) He censures people, saying, “Those who call you…” Respect for him when he is dead is the same as respect for him when he was alive.”
“Abu Ja’far was humbled by this. He asked Malik, ‘Abu Abdullah, do you face qibla when you supplicate or do you face the Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, ‘Why would you turn your face from him when he is YOUR MEANS and the means of your father, Adam, to Allah on the Day of Rising? I face him and ASK HIM to intercede and Allah will grant his intercession. Allah says, “If, when you wronged yourselves, they had come to you.“‘” (4:64) (Qadi ‘Iyad, pp. 237-238; capital and underline emphasis ours)
And:
Although, this verse (64) was revealed in the background of a particular incident relating to hypocrites, yet its words yield a general ruling which stipulates that anyone who presents himself before the Holy Prophet and he prays for his forgiveness, he will be definitely forgiven. And ‘the presence before the Prophet,’ as it would have been during his blessed life in this mortal world, HOLDS THE SAME EFFECT EVEN TODAY as the visit to the sacred precincts of the Mosque of the Prophet and the act of ‘presenting’ oneself BEFORE THE BLESSED RESIDENT OF THE SANCTIFIED MAUSOLEUM FALLS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THIS RULE.
Sayyidna ‘Ali has said: “Three days after we all had finished with the burial of the Messenger of Allah a villager came and fell down close to the blessed grave. Weeping bitterly, he referred to this particular verse of the Qur’an AND ADDRESSING HIMSELF TO THE BLESSED GRAVE, he said: ‘Allah Almighty has promised in this verse that a sinner, if he presented himself before the Rasul of Allah, and the Rasul elects to pray for his forgiveness, then he will forgive him. Therefore, here I am, presenting myself BEFORE YOU so that I may be blessed with YOUR prayer for my forgiveness.’ People personally present there at that time say that, in response to the pleading of the villager, a voice coming out from the sanctified mausoleum rang around with the words… You have been forgiven.” (al-Bahr al-Muhit) (Mufti Shafi Usmani, Maariful Quran, Volume 2, p. 486 file:///Users/samshamoun/Downloads/English-MaarifulQuran-MuftiShafiUsmaniRA-Vol-2-Page-451-505%20(1).pdf; capital emphasis ours)
Finally:
“Allah is instructing the sinners when they commit a sin to come to the messenger of Allah and ask forgiveness in his presence and then they ask him to request forgiveness. And certainly if they did that, Allah would relent towards them and have mercy on them, and for that reason He said “they would have found Allah Oft-Returning, Merciful.”
And Shaykh Mansur as-Sabbagh recollected in his book “The Perfections” (ash-Shama’il) the well-known (famous) transmission from ‘Utbi:
“I was sitting by the grave of the Prophet and a Bedouin came and said: ‘Peace be upon you O Prophet of Allah. I heard Allah say: “And if they had come to thee when they had wronged their souls, and asked forgiveness of Allah, and if the Messenger had also asked forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah Oft-Returning with compassion and Merciful.” And I came to you asking forgiveness for my sin, taking you as intercessor to my Lord.’
“Then he started reciting verses: ‘O You best of those whose bones are buried in al-Qa’a from the sweet scents of those bones the whole area of al-Qa’a and Akamu became perfumed. My self I sacrifice to the grave that you live in it is purity and in it is incredible generosity.’
“Then the Bedouin departed and sleep overcame me. And I saw the Prophet in my sleep and he said: ‘Ya ‘Utbi, follow the Bedouin and give him the glad tidings that Allah has forgiven him.’” (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir of Qur’an al-Adheem [Dar al-Fikr, Beirut, 1992/1412], Volume 1, p. 643)
Hence, Muslims not only pray to a dead man but they also pray to that dead man at his grave!
Therefore, seeing that the five daily prayers are the very heart of Islamic worship, and since invocation is supposed to be the very essence of prayer, this means that Muslims are in fact worshiping Muhammad when they speak to him in their salat, and whenever they personally invoke his intercession. This is especially true when they visit Muhammad’s grave to speak to a man that has been dead for approximately fourteen hundred years!
Now what about Hijab’s response that it is an angel that carries the Muslims’ prayers to Muhammad while he is in his grave?
The following narration seems to corroborate Hijab’s claim:
13 The Book of Forgetfulness (In Prayer)
(46) Chapter: Sending salams upon the Prophet
It was narrated that Abdullah said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah has angels who travel around on Earth conveying to me the Salams of my Ummah.'”
Grade: SAHIH (Darussalam)
Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 1282
In-book reference: Book 13, Hadith 104
English translation: Vol. 2, Book 13, Hadith 1283 (sunnah.com https://sunnah.com/nasai/13/104; capital emphasis ours)
There are a few problems with this canard. First, as the narrations cited above plainly state, Muhammad both sees and hears all the prayers that are directed to him. Therefore, in order for the angels to enable Muhammad to both HEAR and SEE the people that are praying to him, they must be omniscient and omnipresent. Otherwise, how could they display these prayers to Muhammad?
Thus, instead of solving the problem Hijab has only managed to confuse matters even worse, since he has essentially ascribed (albeit unwittingly) exclusively divine attributes to spirit creatures and is therefore guilty of the unpardonable sin, namely shirk! (cf. 2:22; 4:48, 116)
This brings me to my next point. How could Muhammad be able to see and hear all these prayers at the same time, if he himself weren’t omniscient and omnipresent? After all, Allah must still endow him with the divine capacity to see and hear every individual prayer, which the angels present to him.
Hence, David Wood’s initial argument still stands. Since Muhammad is personally observing and hearing over one billion Muslims the world over praying to Allah and to himself, this means that the Islamic prophet has all of a sudden become omniscient and omnipresent.
Hijab has to now contend with the fact that his own supposed authentic sources leave him with the problem of finite creatures, such as Muhammad and the angels, possessing unique divine attributes that are supposed to belong only to Allah, in clear violation of his pet Salafi doctrine of tauhid al-asma wa-sifaat!
Finally, Hijab is still left with the dilemma of worship being given to a dead man. Keep in mind that prayer (salah) is worship, and that du’a (invocation/supplication) is supposed to be the essence of prayer/worship. Therefore, whenever Muslims like Hijab pray to and/or invoke their dead prophet, they are rendering to him the very heart of Islamic worship!
I’ll break this down for Hijab and his cronies so they finally get the point that Wood was trying to communicate to them:
1. Praying (salah) is worship that is to be given to Allah alone.
2. Invocation/Supplication (du’a) is the heart of Muslim worship, which is why only Allah is to be invoked/supplicated.
3. Over one billion Muslims pray to Muhammad in their five daily prayers, speaking directly to a man who has been dead for roughly fourteen hundred years.
4. Muslims also invoke Muhammad, and even visit his grave in Medina till this very day, to personally seek his intercession.
5. Therefore, Muslims are offering a dead man the exclusive worship, which is to be given to their god alone.
6. As such, Muslims have turned Muhammad into a demigod, another ilah (deity) alongside the Muslim god.
It is clear that this debate has become a major embarrassment for this Muhammadan, since his claims and objections are backfiring against him. His agreement to debate David Wood has turned out be a career ending decision, one of the worst mistakes of his short dawagandist life.
Further Reading
The Prophet of Chaos and Idolatry Pt. 1 https://answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/chaos_idolatry1.html
IHS
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