“Jo sar pe rakhne ko mil jaaye Naalayn Paak-e- Huzoor To phir kahenge ke haan taajdar hum bhi hein.” ~ If I was granted that theNaalayn Paakbe placed on my head, Indeed, I would proclaim that I had been crowned! IMAM HASSAN RAZA KHAN BARELWI The sandals of the Beloved Messenger of Allah hold a unique place of honour and reverence of Muslims throughout the globe. They are often referred to asNaalayn Paak, orNaal-e-Nabi. A pair of the Beloved Messenger’s sacred sandals is guarded in the famous Topkapi Palace Museum in Turkey, along with many other rare and holy relics collected throughout the Islamic times. Muslims over the centuries have often carried depictions symbolising the sandal of the Beloved Prophet,may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him,as a gesture of love and devotion - much like the image above, which also displays a small image of his blessed footprint embedded in stone. These depictions are sometimes carried in purses, worn as a badge or pin, and also displayed around the home in frames and wall hangings to obtainbarakaand peace from that which it symbolises. This practise stems from the essential belief that attachment and respect towards the belongings of the Beloved Prophet, and that of the pious, contains much blessing and benefit for those seeking the mercy of Allah,glory be to Him. It is a beautiful trait of our Ummah that great emphasis is placed on the Beloved Prophet’s sandals, indicating the utmost love and humility felt for his most honourable personality, and how we deem ourselves unworthy of even the dust beneath his sacred feet. He is indeed the greatest personality to ever grace the Earth, whom Allah has praised and glorified in the Noble Qur’an, and who brought us into the light from the darkness of ignorance. Without a doubt, Muslims throughout the globe are eternally indebted to him, therefore our respect for his sandals are in honour of that debt. “And indeed, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character. ”[Qur ’an 68:5] Honouring the Blessed Sandals as a Relic (Tabarruk) Imam Nawawi states in his commentary of Sahih Muslim, It is recommended to seek blessings through the relics of the righteous and their clothes (istihbab al-tabarruk bi aathaar al-salihin wa thiyabihim).[S harh Sahih Muslim, Book 37, Chapter 2, No. 10] The Muslim Ummah has always been unparalleled in its love for our Leader and Beloved Prophet, since the time of the most honourable Companions,may Allah be pleased with them all.This devotion has resulted in the emulation of his practises, known as the Sunnah, and also extends to revering places, statements and items associated with him. Through these, we are reminded of his perfect example and from this remembrance, we derive great blessings. Indeed regarding this remembrance, the Qur’an addresses the Beloved Prophet saying,“Wara fa’na laka zikrak,”meaning ,“And we exalted for you your remembrance.”[Q ur’an 94:4] The Companion and SalafHonour the Blessed Sandals Imam Qastalani and Imam Salihi, who was a student of Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti, both mention that Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Masud,may Allah be pleased with him,was one of the servants of the Beloved Prophet whose sandals he would cary. When the Prophet rose, Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Masud would put the blessed sandals on his sacred feet, and when the Prophet sat down, Sayyidina Abdullah ibn Masud would carry the blessed sandals in his arms until he rose again. [Imam Qastalani’s Mawahib al-Laduniyya; Imam Salihi’s Subul al-Huda wal Rashad] Also reported by Imam Qastalani that, Sayyidina Abu Ishaq al-Zuhri who was one of the Tabi’een, reports that Sayyidina Qasim ibn Muhammad (ibn Abu Bakr Siddiq) said, “Of the proven blessing of the likeness of the Prophets sandal is that, whoever has it in his possession fortabarrukwill be safeguarded by it from the sedition of rebels and the mastery of enemies, and it will be a barrier against every devil and the evil eye of the envious. If a pregnant woman holds it in her right hand during labour, her delivery will be easier by Allahs Power.” Mulla Ali Qari mentions in his commentary on Shama’il Tirmidhi, that the great Imam Muhyuddin ibn Arabi said the sandals are part of the attire of Prophets. He also mentioned that one of the names of the Beloved Prophet in the ancient books isSahib al-naalaynor The Wearer of the Sandals. Imam ibn Asakir wrote an entire volume on the image of the blessed sandals entitledTimthal u Naal al-Nabiyyor A Sketch of the Sandal of the Prophet. Imam Jazuli, the author of the famous Dala’il al- Khayrat, includes the image of the blessed sandal in his Dala’il al-Khayrat out of reverence for it and as a means of seeking Allah’s blessings. Out of this same love and devotion, Imam al- Zarqani states, “If possible, kiss the dust that has been touched by the sandals, otherwise, kiss an image of the sandals. ”[Sharh al-Zarqani ‘ala’l Mawahib, 5:48] The above reports are all crystal clear demonstrations of love and submission from theSalaftowards the Beloved Prophet,may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him,through honouring the depiction of his blessedNaalayn Paak. Imam Qastalani narrates a beautiful verse in honour of the blessed sandals, composed by Imam Qurtubi who says: “I concentrated on the waves of light that emanated from the blessed sandals and as long as we bow down before them (in humility), we will be honoured. Hence, keep it above the head as it is in reality a crown, though apparently a sandal.”[al-Maw ahib al- Ladunniya, 2:470] The great Mujaddid, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelwi, describes the status and honour achieved by one who is blessed by theNaalayn Paakin the following couplet: Jisey Teri Saf-e-Niyal se miley do niwaley nawal se Wo bana ke uske ugaal se bhari Saltanat ka udhaar hai Meaning: The one who received two morsels from where you (O Prophet) leave your sandals, Becomes so great, that an entire Kingdom would survive on his mere saliva! Without a doubt, we are of the sameAqeeda (beli ef) with which Imam Yusuf Nabhani states: “Verily I serve the image of the Sandal of Mustafa So that I may live in both worlds under its protection.” Lastly, we conclude this article with a final thought: we have been told that verily,Jannahli es under the feet of our mothers, so what then of the treasures beneath the feet of Allah’s Beloved? The same Beloved who instructed us thus: “None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind.”[Sahih Bukhari, Book 2, Hadith no. 12] May Allah’s eternal peace and blessings be upon our Beloved Master Mustafa, the Prophet of Mercy. May His blessings be upon the Family and the Companions of the Beloved Messenger, and upon the Righteous Ones who follow after them. May Allah the Almighty enable us to emulate their teachings and may He include us amongst them on the Day of Resurrection. Ameen.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 05:52:21 +0000
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