Salafi Disease of Literalism

Is It Shirk To Believe That Rasul'allah[saww] Can Also Benefit/help Us, Along With Allah?

Unfortunately, the disease of Literalism has compelled our Salafi friends to make a lot of amendments in Islamic Sharia by declaring a lot of things Haram.

For example, we believe that Rasool Allah [saww] can also benefit us (Muslims) along with Allah (by His permission).. But for our Salafi friends, all this is nothing than worshipping Rasool Allah [saww] by making him a partner of Allah in His attributes.

[Yusufali 6:71] Say: Shall we call on that besides Allah, which does not benefit us nor harm us.

Mr. Khidr from Ansar.org represents this belief of Salafi in the following words:

Ansar.org states:"It should be borne in mind that mankind, can neither inflict anybody with harm nor confer benefit to him whatever their ranks and prestige may be in the sight of God Almighty. For Only God Almighty can cause harm or bring benefit to us."

And Abu Aminah Bilal Philips (one of the most respected Salafi 'ulama) represents this belief of Salafi in the name of "Tauheedul Ebadah" in the following words:

Bilal Philips states:"The confirmation of Tawheed al-'Ebaadah conversely necessitates the denial of all forms of intercession or association of partners with Allaah ..And, Allaah, Most Great and Glorious, said:

[Yusufali 21:66] (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good (benefit) to you nor do you harm?" Please note that above mentioned verse is only meant for Kuffar and their idols. But Salafi want to apply all these types of verses to Muslims and Rasool Allah [saww] .

There are other verses of Qur'an and several Ahadith, which confirm that Rasool Allah [saww] has been given the power to benefit the Muslims. But Salafi, in order to defend their doctrine, completely neglect those parts of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Let us seek more guidance from Qur'an and Sunnah in this regard.

Ummul Momineen Aisha and Asma bint Abu Bakr used to seek cure against diseases through Shirt/(jubba/robe) of Rasool Allah[saww] Sahih Muslim, 1st Chapter of book of Clothing:

Abd Allah, the freed slave of Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr, the maternal uncle of the son of Ata', said: . She (Asma bint Abu Bakr) said: "Here is the cloak (jubba) of Allah's Messenger," and she brought out to me that cloak made of Persian cloth with a hem of (silk) brocade, and its sleeves bordered with (silk) brocade, and said:

"This was Allah's Messenger's cloak with A'isha until she died, then I got possession of it. The Apostle of Allah used to wear it, and we washed it for the sick so that they could seek cure thereby."

Can anyone still deny the witnesses of Ummul Momineen Ayesha and her sister Asma bint Abu Bakr that even the jubba of Rasool Allah [saww] was also able to benefit and cure the sick?

Did Ummul Momineen Hadhrat Ayesha and her sister Sahabia Asma bint Abu Bakr made that jubba of Rasool Allah [saww], a partner to Allah by seeking benefit through it?

Why didn't they asked Allah DIRECTLY for the cure from sicknesses?

Did they really sought help from that jubba in a Literal Sense that it had Absolute power to benefit them. Or they actually sought help from Allah, but from seeking help from jubba, they only meant that Barakah of Rasool Allah [saww] also includes in their request to Allah?

Very Important Rule Literal Approach vs. Hidden Intention Even if the name of Allah was not mentioned by Aisha and Asma bint Abu Bakr, when they sought help from jubba of Rasool Allah [saww], but still all (including Salafi) believe that they didn't commit Shirk.

There are 2 ways to understand these kind of actions:

Literal Approach, which shows the Apparent (Dhahir) meaning, i.e. help was sought by the jubba. Hidden Intention, which tells that asking of help by jubba was only in allegorical sense. But in reality, they were seeking help from Allah. And hidden intention is a thing, which always have to be given preference over literal approach. Salafi Double Standards: Even our Salafi friends suffer with the disease of Literalism, but still they are able to understand the Hidden Intentions of Ayesha and Asma bint Abi Bakr in this case.

But when it comes to our asking for help from Rasool Allah [saww] in allegorical sense (and in reality, we are asking from Allah), they are simply denying the existence of any such "Hidden Intention". And they start coming up with all the verses of Qur'an which are actually referring to Kuffar and their idols.

And if they think that they are the Truthful Ones, then why don't they paste their favourite verse upon Aisha and her sister Isma bint Abu Bakr:

1:5 "You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help" And why don't they paste all the verses of Qur'an in which Allah says that beside Allah, no one can benefit or harm them:

[Yusufali 21:66] (Abraham) said, "Do ye then worship, besides Allah, things that can neither be of any good (benefit) to you nor do you harm?" Is this not a double standard?!

According to Qur'an, Even the Shirts of Prophets (as) can benefit / help us

Allah testifies in Qur'an that even the Shirt of Prophet Yousuf (as) was able to benefit the others, and had the power of giving sights to the blind.

[Yusufali 12:93-96] "Go with this my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father: he will come to see (clearly).Then when the bearer of the good news came, He cast (the shirt) over his face, and he forthwith regained clear sight.

With this verse in mind we would like to pose some questions to the Salafi:

Can anybody still deny the witness of Qur'an and say that it is associating partners to Allah, when we say that the shirt of Yusuf (as) also got the power to benefit others?

Did Prophet Yaqoob (as) commit shirk by seeking the benefit/help from the Shirt of Yusuf (as), instead of asking it DIRECTLY from Allah?

If simply the shirt of 'a' Nabi (a material possession 'non-living') has the power to restore one's eyesight, then by the same token why is it Bidahto seek blessings / cure by touching the grave of Rasulullah (s) who was after all the Chief of all Prophet's?

Would touching a shirt have greater healing powers than touching the grave of Rasulullah (s)? If the Salafi claim that Rasulullah (s) is DEAD, then what about a Shirt is that a living organism?

Umm Salama used to seek help / benefit from Hairs of Rasool Allah [saww] against Diseases and against the Evil Eye Bukhari narrates in his Sahih in the Book of Clothing, under the chapter entitled "What is mentioned about gray hair:

Uthman bin Abd Allah ibn Mawhab said, "My people sent me with a bowl of water to Umm Salama." Isra'il approximated three fingers indicating the small size of the container in which there was some hair of the Prophet. Uthman added, "If any person suffered from evil eye or some other disease, he would send a vessel (containing water) to Umm Salama (and she would dip the Prophet's hair into it and it would be drunk). I looked into the container (that held the hair of the Prophet) and saw a few reddish hairs in it."

Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 784

Can anyone still deny that Rasool Allah [saww] can benefit us?

Did Umm Salama become a Mushrik for not asking Allah DIRECTLY for health against disease and protection against evil eye? Can anyone deny the existence of this rule? (Salafi don't deny it in case of Umm Salama and don't label her a Mushrika, but do deny it in our case and issue the fatwa of shirk against us)

Anas said: "When the Prophet shaved his head (after pilgrimage), Abu Talha was the first one to take of his hair." Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 2991

Anas also said: "The Prophet threw stones at al-Jamra, then sacrificed, then told the barber to shave his head right side first, then began to give the hair away to the people."

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 2992 Anas said: "Talha was the one distributing it."

Sahih Muslim Book 007, Number 2993

Rasool Allah [saww] used to benefit the newborns by reading upon them and by giving his [saww] blessed breath and saliva in the mouth of newborns The Prophet had everyone in Madina bring their newborn, whom he would read upon and into whose mouth he would do nafth and tifl (breath mixed with saliva). He would instruct their mother not to suckle them that day until nightfall. He did the same later in Mecca. Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 248

The names of over 100 of the Ansar and Muhajirin who received this particular blessing have been transmitted with isnads, and are found in the main books of biographies.

Can anyone still deny that Rasool Allah [saww] has been given with no power to benefit us, and can anyone believe that we worship him by seeking Benefit from him?

Tabarrukat of Aale Musa and Aale Haroon benefited Bani Israel Allah says in Qur'an:

[Pickthal 2:248] And their Prophet said unto them: Lo! the token of his kingdom is that there shall come unto you the ark wherein is peace of reassurance from your Lord, and a remnant of that which the house of Moses and the house of Aaron left behind, the angels bearing it. Lo! herein shall be a token for you if (in truth) ye are believers.

Ibne Kathir says in his Tafseer, that in that ark, there were Tabarukkat of Musa (as) and Haroon (as), like their shoes, turbans and other things. Bani Israel were ordered to put an arch in front of them during the wars. And due to the barakah of that arch, they defeated their enemies. Now question is why didn't Allah (swt) place the "SAKINA" (i.e. comfort / tranquillity / peace of reassurance) directly into the hearts of Bani Israel Rather than do this He (swt) placed it into that Arc (which contained the Tabarukkat of Aale Musa and Aale Haroon).

But for Salafi, it is still worshipping and Shirk to believe that Rasool Allah [saww] can benefit us along with Allah (by his permission). Rasool Allah [saww] thought that his [saww] Shirt, Breath and Saliva could benefit the people Narrated Jabir:

The Prophet came to (the grave of) 'Abdullah bin Ubai after his body was buried. The body was brought out and then the Prophet put his saliva over the body and clothed it in his shirt.

Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 360 Is the witness of Rasool Allah [saww] not enough that even his [saww] Shirt, Breath and Saliva can also benefit the others from the punishment of grave?

Did Rasool Allah [saww] really commit shirk by believing that there are some things (other than Allah) that can confer benefit?