Respect for Syed family
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's
Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Dear Brother Burhan As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi
wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy
and Blessings be upon all of you, Once again,
thanks to you and your team for providing Muslims and Non-Muslims
with valuable information of Islam and Sharia. I am
sure Allah SWT will reward all of you. I have couple of questions if you can
shade some light on them please.
I have wittnessed some people portraying themselves as family
members of Prophet Mohammad SAW and call themselves Sayeds
and other speritual families. Innocent people who do
not have knowledge of Islam treat them with greater respect even though those Sayeds or Spiritual family members will be the most evil
people, drinking, gambling, committing adulteries etc etc...
The innocent people as a sign of respect kiss their hands and treat them as
they are the real family members of Prophet SAW. Can you please address this
issue wether people should be respecting those people
because of their present action of their family history with Prophet SAW?
(There
may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum
does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from
our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
Respect for Syed
Family
In the
name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness.
Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray,
none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Your Statement: thanks to you and your team for providing
Muslims and Non-Muslims with valuable information of Islam and Sharia. I am sure Allah SWT will reward all of you.
May Allah
Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and
the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in
the propagation of the Truth. We humbly hope, beg,
and pray the Merciful Lord
accepts our humble and weak efforts,
forgives us our shortcomings, and
saves you, us, and all the believers
from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.
Your Question: Can you
please address this issue wether people should be
respecting those people because of their present action of their family history
with Prophet SAW?
There is
absolutely no concept of a particular family being considered ‘holy’ or
‘sacred’ in Islam. The criteria for honor in Islam is laid down by the clear
commands of Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran:
Allah
says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 49 Surah Hujurat verse 13:
O mankind, We created you from one man and one woman, and then divided you into
nations and tribes so that you may recognize one another. Indeed, the most honorable among you in the
sight of Allah is he who is the most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Thus
regardless of what family or lineage one may claim he belongs to; the most
honorable in the sight of Allah Subhanah is the one
who has the most ‘taqwa’ or piety or
God-consciousness! Allah Subhanah does not look at one’s family, or lineage, or wealth,
or looks, etc.; but Allah Subhanah will look at the person’s belief, and his deeds
and his piety.
Thus if
someone claims to belong to the family of the noble Prophet (saws), but is an evil person, and violates the commands and teachings of
Allah and His Messenger (saws); he shall
not be respected and honored by the believers simply because of his links and
lineage to the Prophet’s (saws) family!
Whoever
accepts, obeys, and follows the teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws)
will be respected and honored as a believer;
and whoever denies, rejects, and disobeys the teachings and guidance of
Allah and His Messenger (saws) will have no honor in the sight of Allah Subhanah; regardless
of who and what his family ties are!!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 14 Surah Ibraheem verse 36:
36 (Ibraheem
(a.s.) prayed) "O my Lord! They have
indeed led astray many among mankind: he
then who follows my (ways) is of me, and he that disobeys me, Thou art
indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.
Allah Subhanah Himself describes and narrates the story of the
unrighteous son of one of the greatest Prophets of Allah, Prophet Nuh
(a.s.) in the Glorious Quran. The unrighteous son disobeyed and refused to
follow the guidance of Allah and His Prophet, and subsequently Allah Subhanah drowned him with the rest of the
disbelievers, even though he was the son
of Prophet Nuh!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 11 Surah Hud verses 42-47:
42 So the
43 The son replied: "I will be take
myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water." Noah said:
"This day nothing can save from the Command of Allah any but those on whom
He hath mercy!" and the waves came between them and the son was among
those overwhelmed in the Flood.
44 When the word went forth: "O earth! swallow
up thy water and O sky! withhold (thy
rain)!" and
the water abated and the matter was ended. The
45 And Noah called upon his Lord and said: "O my Lord! surely my son is of my family! and Thy promise is
true, and Thou art the Justest of Judges!"
46 He said: "O Noah! he is not of
thy family: for his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me
that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel lest thou act like
the ignorant!"
47 Noah said: "O my Lord! I do seek refuge with Thee lest I ask
Thee for that of which I have no knowledge.
And unless Thou forgive me and have Mercy on me I should indeed be
lost!"
Thus a
person should be respected and honored for his noble actions and deeds which
are in accordance with the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger
(saws); and not
because of one’s family ties with the Messenger of Allah (saws) or any other
noble and pious personality!
But there
is absolutely no doubt that every believer must love and honor the noble family
of the Prophet (saws), who followed his way.
Whatever
written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance,
and whatever of error is of me. Allah
Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan