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:

is saying yaa mohammed right or wrong. give proofs from quran and haddis. 

(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:

Saying ‘Ya Mohamed’

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The Arabic term ‘Ya’ is synonymous to the English term of address ‘O’, and it would be only grammatically correct and accurate when it is used when one is in direct correspondence or conversation with someone, assuming the one being addressed can hear and respond to his call.

Allah Subhanah is indeed the One Who is All-Hearing and Ever-Living, and thus when one calls upon Him there is absolutely no harm in stating: ‘Ya Allah…..’. If one uses the term ‘Ya (so and so)….’ while addressing someone whom one is in direct conversation, there is absolutely no harm.

But to address someone who is not in direct conversation with the term ‘Ya (so and so)…..’, like someone who is far away or someone who is dead would be a grammatically incorrect usage of the term!

To address someone who is far away or one who is dead with the term ‘Ya (so and so)….’, and assumes that the person has the power to hear them and respond to their call would be to share an Exclusive Attribute of the Majestic Lord of being the ‘All-Hearing’ with someone in His creation; and that would constitute a manifestation of the abomination of ‘shirk’!

The Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) was a human being, and after living his blessed life on earth for an appointed time, tasted death and was buried in his blessed city of Madinah. When he (saws) was alive and his companions wanted to call his attention or were in direct conversation with him, they would address him ‘Ya Rasool Allah (saws)….’. But there is never any record of any of his noble companions invoking the Prophet (saws) after his death by addressing him as if in direct conversation by using the term ‘Ya Rasool Allah (saws)…..’!!!

It would be gramatically incorrect usage of the Arabic term ‘Ya….’ to call upon someone with whom one is not directly in conversation with, or is dead; and if one uses this term of address ‘Ya (so and so)….’ and believes that the person buried in his grave can hear or respond to their invocation, then they would be guilty of sharing an Exclusive Attribute of the Majestic Lord of being the All-Hearing with one in His creation, and thus guilty of the abomination of ‘shirk’!

The Noble Messenger of Allah (saws) is dead and cannot hear or respond to our invocations, thus it would be absolutely inappropriate and incorrect to address him (saws) by using the term of address ‘Ya Mohamed (saws)’ or ‘Ya Rasool Allah (saws)’!

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