Question:
I beleive that the parents of hazrat muhammed (peace be upon him) were on the deen-e-ibrahimi. If i’m right then how can i prove it to my relative?
Answer with the help of all knowing ALLAH subhanahu wa taala.
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
There are four saying about the parents of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) that is given as under: –
1) They died whilst following the religion of ibraheem (alaihis salam)
2) They died as infidels (god forbid)
3) They followed nature i.E. Unity of ALLAH taala.
4) They died whilst following the religion of nature but the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) brought them to life as a miracle and granted them the wealth of iman. So that they obtain the status of companions.
From the above mentioned sayings the scholars of islam have rejected the second saying. The scholars have accepted the other three sayings. Whichever one of them is taken to be true there is no harm in it because under these statements they are dwellers of heavens. Many verses of the holy quran and several ahadith bear witness that the parents of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) believed in ALLAH almighty. I will mention a verse of the quran regarding this. ALLAH taala says,
“And rely upon him, who is the mighty, the merciful. Who sees you when stand. And your movements among those who offer prayer.” (Sura Ash- Shuara, Verse 217-219)
In the commentary of this verse syedana abdullah ibne abbas (radi ALLAHu anhuma) a companion of the prophet, (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) says, “Here the word ‘movements’ refers to the transferring of the prophet (noor of the prophet) (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) from the back of one prophet to another. Until the holy prophet muhammad (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) appeared in this ummah.” (Tafseer- Al Khazin, Vol. 5, Page 107)
Another explanation has been narrated by abdullah ibne abbas (radi ALLAH anhuma) in these words, “Movements refers to transferring from one pure back to another pure back.” (Masalikul Hunafa, Page 40)
In this verse the word “sajideen” (refers to the believers. Who offer prayers)
In this sacred verse commentators of the quran have taken the word sajideen as referring to believers. Meaning from hazrat
Adam and hazrat hawa (alaihimus salam) to hazrat abdullah and amina (radi ALLAHu anhuma), the parents of the prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him), every back and womb that the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) passed through all of them were believers. It is in tafseer-e- jumal “o beloved (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) your lord is watching those wombs and backs of those believing woman and men from hazrat adam and hawa (alaihis salam) to hazrat abdullah and amina (radi ALLAHu anhuma) which you passed through. So all your ancestors whether they are male or female, They are believers. (Tafseer-Al-Jamal, Vol. 3, Page 396)
It is mentioned in savi- alal- jalalain,
“Sajideen refers to believers and the verse that ALLAH taala watched the backs and wombs of those believers from hazarat adam (alaihis salam) to abdullah (radi ALLAHu anhu) in which you passed.” (Tafseer Savi- Alal- Jalalain, Vol. 3, Page 287)
This verse proves that all the ancestors of the prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) were believers. Imam fukhrudeen razi writes arguing upon the faith (iman) of the prophet’s parents from the same verse,
“The verse 219 proves that the ancestors of the prophets (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) cannot be deniers of ALLAH taala.” (Tafseer-e-Kabeer)
I will now present a hadith regarding this topic. The prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) himself told about the greatness and purity of his ancestors via his great sayings so that no person would dare to think of their ancestors of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him). It is a saying of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) “when ALLAH taala created his creations he put me in the best group of them. Then made tribes and granted me the best tribe. When he made households he granted me the greatest household of them. I am, in terms of my family and myself, the greatest of all”.(Tirmizi, Vol. 2, Page 23)
This hadith proves that the ancestors of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) were believers because the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) declared them the best. And the quran tells that a kafir (idolater) cannot be better than a muslim even a muslim slave is better than a kafir. As ALLAH almighty says in the holy quran, “A muslim bond man is better than an idolater”.(Sura Al Baqra, Verse 221)
Therefore this proves that the parents of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) were believers otherwise they would not be declared the best household. The holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) also said that ALLAH almighty transferred me from pure backs to pure wombs.
This narration also proves that the prophet’s (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) parents were believers. As he has called them pure. And a kafir (idolater) is not pure, as the holy quran says, “o believers! The associates (kafir) are altogether unclean. (Sura Al Tuba, Verse 28)
According to some other narrations that the parents of the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) were brought to life after the death and accepted islam.
Imam tabrani has narrated from mother of the believers, hazrat ayisha (radi ALLAH anhuma) that at the occasion of hijja tul wada, the holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) went to the grave yard named hajoon and his feelings were that he was very worried and sad, he (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) stayed there according to the will of ALLAH taala. After this he (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) came back to us in the state of happiness. I said o messenger of ALLAH almighty (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) first you were sad but on your return you are looking very happy. The holy prophet (ALLAH’s grace & peace be upon him) said i requested ALLAH almighty regarding my mother, then ALLAH almighty brought her to life for me. She brought faith in me after this she was returned to barzakh (stage between death and resurrection) if someone criticizes this matter of the prophet’s parents being made believers after being brought to life when they already died as muslims. We will reply that undoubtedly they were muslims, but the purpose of bringing them back to life, was to grant them the honorable position of companionship (sahabiat). ALLAH almighty knows the most.
ALLAH subhanahu wa taala knows, the most
Written by: Mufti Muhammad Abubaker Siddiq Ash Shazli