It has come to my attention that foolish people use disrespectful sentences or terms towards Prophets (upon them peace). Disrespecting a prophet, any of them, is disbelief. How can I say that? The respect of the Prophets is built into Islam and most of the final Prophet (upon them all peace).
Muslims believe that the Quran is word of Allah (Almighty and Majestic) is it uncorrupted and unrivalled in any sacred text, all others survive in forms that are corrupted or incomplete. Let us examine where this is built upon. It is very important to note that we do not disrespect Isa/Jesus (upon him peace) because of the errors of some of his followers who made him an idol to be worshipped.
Proofs
لِّتُؤْمِنُواْ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتُعَزِّرُوهُ وَتُوَقِّرُوهُ
"Believe in Allah and His messenger, support him and respect him." Quran: Fath 48:9
We believe in Allah and his Messenger (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) both because negating one of them is disbelief. With this, believe we support him by supporting the religion of Allah as confirmed by Ibn Ajibah (may Allah show him mercy) and we honour him. This word waqar includes honour, respect and reverence.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلآخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَاباً مُّهِيناً
"Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger have the curse of Allah in the world and for them is [a great many varied] painful punishment."
Clans 33:57
Imam Qurtabi (may Allah show him mercy) said,
وأما أذِيّة رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم فهي كل ما يؤذيه من الأقوال في غير معنًى واحد، ومن الأفعال أيضاً. أما قولهم: «فساحر. شاعر. كاهن مجنون. وأما فعلهم: فكسر رباعِيته وشج وجهه يوم أُحُد، وبمكة إلقاء السَّلَى على ظهره وهو ساجد» إلى غير ذلك. وقال ابن عباس: نزلت في الذين طعنوا عليه حين اتخذ صفية بنت حُيَيّ. وأطلق إيذاء الله ورسوله وقيّد إيذاء المؤمنين والمؤمنات،.
"As for harming His Messenger this is any speech that harms without a meaning, including actions. Verbally it is [by anyone saying] saying magician, poet, soothsayer and insane. In terms of action it is: harming his tooth, cutting the face on the day of Uhud, in Mekkah by putting entrails on his back whilst he is prostrating [acts of pagan Quraysh] and so forth."
No one can harm Allah (the Exalted) because Allah is not like creation. Harm here means disbelief - whoever disbelieves in Allah and His Messenger. This is why I used the word disbelief and not harm in the translation. In this world, the foolish doubt this but in the afterlife there will be no doubt whatsoever about this. Harm includes slander, disrespect and so forth. Then what is the result of a person's disrespect? They are one of the losers in the afterlife and a painful punishment belongs to them. Note that punishment and painful are in the indefinite form meaning that there are many types of different forms of punishment. This type of punishment is only for disbelievers or hypocrites.
Therefore, these are where the argument for the following is built and we see what they say about disrespecting Prophets. Note that Imam Qurtabi (may Allah show him mercy) spoke about respect with action. All we have now is respect by words but the companions had a much higher level of respect by action. So you will rarely find a hadith with them referring to the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) by his first name because it is not befitting in manners. So most hadith have either have the Prophet, the Messenger, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) in them. This shows us how high their regard was for him. Also they followed his (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) speech and commands to the letter. Something we are in dire need of reviving.
The opinions of the scholars
Sheikh Yahya Ibn Abu Bakr Al-Hanafi (may Allah show him mercy) said, "Whoever rejects one prophet or finds fault in something in them or is not happy with the practice of the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him); he becomes a disbeliever." (Fourth chapter: In relation to the Prophets, the scholars and the righteous: Bidyah Al-Itiqad)
Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad Al-Sanusi Al-Hasani (may Allah show him mercy) said in Sharh Al-Muqadimmat, "It is decisively affirmed by the consensus of the people of the truth worthiness of the Prophets and Messengers, upon them all peace, that they are free from all blemishes ['ajub] and sins [itham] and the most superior of them is their master and moreover the master of all of creation is our master, our prophet Muhammad upon him, all his family and companions prayers and peace." (p169)
Imam Sawi's (may Allah show him mercy) commentary of Imam Al-Laqqani's Jahawarah Al-Tawhid, "Unlawful actions do not occur from them by consensus." (P.275) other conditions are truthfulness even when joking (Ibid 276) and intelligence. Elsewhere he says that what is impossible in relation to the correctness of the Messengers is, "Deception, lies, stupidity and concealing [truth]." (Ibid P.279)
In Imam Al-Bajuri (may Allah show him mercy) commentary of the same text, "Forgetfulness is not possible in conveying the message before it is announced, in speech or action." (p.139)
Imam Al-Taftazani (may Allah show him mercy) said in his commentary of Aqaid Al-Nasafi by Imam Al-Nasafi, "All of them [prophets and messengers] are informers and conveyers of Allah the Exalted because this is the meaning of Prophethood and messengership [by being] truthful and giving excellent advice to creation lest the nullification of revelation and messengership. By this indication the Prophets are sinless from lies especially concerning matters of the sacred law, conveying the law, guiding their nation. There is consensus in regard to purposely [not committing sins] and from forcedness according to most of them. They are protected from sins in all errors and especially following passions and they are protected from disbelief, before and after revelation consensus. And similarly from committing major sins." (p.140)
Rather they can do something that is Khilaf Al-Awlaa which is not a sin but it is not done by people in that area, this is to show its permissibility. (Jawharah Al-Tawhid)
Sheikh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Farfur (may Allah show him mercy) said in Al-Risalah Al-Nafiyyah, "Similarly it is impossible for them [Prophets and Messengers] to have human illnesses that move them to have blemish like repulsive illnesses, and blindness is impossible. It did not occur to our master Ya'qub (upon him peace) and it was not illness. Rather it was a covering over the eyes because of sadness. Similarly what occurred to Ayyub (upon him peace) was not a repulsive illness [to say this] is not correct. Because it was a normal illness and not an illness that caused blemish. Similarly, it impossible for them to be dumb, mute, insane and so forth of those things that it is not befitting them to be ascribed to; that causes people to be repulsed from them. And make them distained in their eyes. Yet it was they who were sent to guide and show them the way. " (p.53-54)
Sheikh AbdulKarim Al-Raf'ia (may Allah show him mercy) said in Al-Ma'rifah, "People need prophets in every time and place to rectify those actions that cause felicity for the majority and the individual. If there was no rectification then the people would remain blind in their ignorance. They would be unable to differentiate between guidance, misguidance, harm and benefit." (p.73)
Mulla Ali Al-Qari's commentary of Sheikh Ali ibn Siraj Al-Din Al-Uwasi Daw Al-Ma'ali ala Mazumah Bada Al-Amali, "Prophets are protected from sin and the awliyah are preserved." (p.117)
The prophets are protected from disbelief, major and minor sins. The preserved of the awliyah is just from disbelief. The awliya have no protection from sins.
Mulla Ali Al-Qari (may Allah show him mercy) said in Abu Hanifah's (may Allah show him mercy) commentary on Fiqh Al-Akbar, "The Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) are free of all sins, major and minor, of unbelief, and of all that is repugnant."
Imam Al-Maydani (may Allah show him mercy) in his commentary of Aquida Tahawiyyah said, "Messengers," They are sent to creation to guide them, complete their worldly and afterlife. They are supported miracles that indicate to their truthfulness." (p.105)
Sheikh Abd Al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (may Allah show him mercy) said in the Meaning of repentance, "The exception to this consensus are those who apostated because of one of the Prophets (upon him peace). Meaning, he was Muslim then apostated because of cursing one of the prophets.... He who swears at one of the Prophets (upon them peace) becomes one of those whose repentance is not accepted in the outward aspect of the law. Because he swore at that prophet." (p.20) "He swore at one of the Prophets (upon them peace) and cut off this subtle connection from his heart with the presence of the Prophets (upon them peace). It is not possible to join it after he has left the innateness' of Islam. That is why the repentance is not considered according to the outward of the sacred law." (p.20)
Ahmed ibn Hanbal (may Allah show him mercy) said in report from [his son] Abdullah, "Whoever curses the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) is killed and because he cursed, he has apostatised from Islam; and a Muslim does not curse the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him)." (Masail Imam Ahmed 3/1292)
Ahmed ibn Abdul Karim Al-Sayaj (may Allah show him mercy) said in Al-Wahabiyyin La Yawaqir Al-Nabi, "[Showing] the greatest respect and reverence to the Prophet (may Allah bestow peace and blessings be upon him) is an intrinsic part of faith. He who does not revere him (may Allah bestow peace and blessings upon him) in deference to his rank has apostatised." (p.9)
So, this is a great amount of scholars and not just a few that some can ignore. Ignore these names at your eternal peril!
Speech of fools
The main reason for writing this was to explain to some people that disrespecting any prophet is a crime and an act of disbelief. The results of disbelief are long lasting. I saw a person who has this erroneous belief that disrespecting a prophet is not disbelief. [When we have proven it by the Quran and speech of the scholars.] This person's skin continues to blacken for a unknown reason. His hands and face are getting darker. It is clear to me that his faith has gone.
Such a person should correct his faith, repeat his shahada and renew his marriage. I was sorry to witness an old 'speaker' get asked a question and his speech diverted from answering the question and he was close to disrespect. For it be disrespect it must be clearly disrespect without any interpretation. In Urdu, there are two tones that people use a respectful or disrespectful. In English and Arabic there are respectful, disrespectful and a standard tone - which is neither.
We need to know which one is being used and this is the job of the judge/qadi and not the self appointed hillbilly who makes mockery of the law. His ignorance makes a bad situation worse.
I have written a previous piece on how to deal with slander
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