THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NAATH SHAREEF

[Attari.Rafique]

 

Naath is the name given to the poetry that has been written in praise of Rasoolullah . Many Blessed Companions (Sahaaba) were skilled in the art of writing poetry

in praise of Rasoolullah . The Holy Prophet asked his Sahaaba if anyone of them were prepared to do Jihad with the tongue,

against the disbelievers and Hazrat Hassaan bin Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) volunteered for

this. He would then stand and recite naaths whilst Rasoolullah and

other Sahaaba would listen.

Hazrat Aisha Siddiqa (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha) narrates that Rasoolullah would place a Mimbar (pulpit) in Masjid-e-Nabawi Shareef for Hazrat Hassaan bin

Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), so that he would stand upon it and recite poetry in praise of

Rasoolullah , or defend Rasoolullah in

reply to the accusations of the kuffaar. The Beloved Rasool made the

following Dua for him, “O Allah, assist Hassaan through Hazrat Jibra’eel Alaihis Salaam.”

[bukhari Shareef; Shamaail-e-Tirmidhi ] Rasoolullah further stated,

“Hazrat Jibra’eel (Alaihis Salaam) is with him (Hazrat Hassaan) while he answers the slander of

the kuffaar against me, through poetry.” [Zarqaani, Vol. 3]

A’la Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) states in the love and respect of

Hazrat Hassaan bin Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh):

Karam-e-Naath Ke Nazdeek Tho Kuch Door Nahi

Ke Raza-e-Ajami Ho Sage Hassan Arab

Rasoolullah used to listen to Naath Shareef and used to bless Hazrat

Hassaan bin Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) with his kindness in such ways that sometimes

Rasoolullah gave him his shawl, sometimes he prepared the Mimbar

for him and sometimes he blessed him with his Duas. This means that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu

Alaihi Wasallam) becomes pleased when he hears his Naath being recited. A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu

Ta’ala Anh) says that no one is remote from the kindness of Rasoolullah and hence makes a request in this verse saying that may Rasoolullah fix him, the non-Arab as the dog of Hazrat Hassaan bin Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala

Anh), the Arab. [sharha Hadaaiqe Bakhshish]

Below is one of the beautiful and well-known verses recited by Hazrat Hassaan bin Thaabit

(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh):

Wa Ahsanu Minka Lam Taraqattu 'Aini

My eyes have never seen anyone more handsome than you

Wa Ajmalu Minka Lam Talidin Nisaa'u

Nor has any woman ever given birth to a more beautiful child than you

Khuliqta Mubarra am Min Kulli 'Aibin

You have been created free from all faults and imperfections

Ka Annaka Qad Khuliqta Kama Tashaa'u

It is as if you have been created as you desired to be created

From this couplet we can see that the Sahaaba believed that Rasoolullah is perfect, yet we have misled sects in Islam today that claim to be Muslims but they

insult Rasoolullah and try to find faults in him in every way. May

Allah Ta’ala destroy such insolent people and keep us away from them.

Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reports that when Rasoolullah

went to Makkah for Umratul Qaza, Hazrat Abdullah ibn Rawahah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh),

throwing his sword over his shoulder and holding the reins of the camel of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah

, was walking ahead of him reciting these couplets, “O non-believers,

clear his path and leave today. Do not prohibit Sayyiduna Rasoolullah from entering Makkah as you had done last year for today we shall smite you. We will

take such action against you that we will separate the brain from its body. And we will make a

friend forget a friend.” Hazrat Umar (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) stopped him and said, “O Ibn

Rawahah, in the presence of Rasoolullah and the Haram Shareef you

are reciting poetry?” Rasoolullah replied, “Leave him O Umar, these

couplets are more forceful than showering arrows onto them.” In another Hadith, Sayyiduna

Rasoolullah has also stated, “A Mu’min makes Jihad with a sword

and also with the tongue. This Jihad of the tongue is also like showering arrows. [shamaa’il-e-

Tirmidhi ] It is concluded from these Ahadith that poetry is also a form of Jihad. From this we can

understand that A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) was doing nothing but acting on these

Ahadith and following the Sunnah of the Blessed Sahaabah when he wrote numerous Naaths in a

time when Wahabism was rife and the Munafiqeen were trying to slander the blessed personality

of Rasoolullah .

The Glorious Qur’an itself is full of the praises of Rasoolullah . If one

has to look at the Holy Qur’an closely, volumes could be written on how Allah Ta’ala honours

and praises Rasoolullah in His Words. However, a few verses in

honour and praise of Rasoolullah are being presented here.

· “And We have exalted for you your remembrance” [surah 94, Verse 4]

· “And We sent you not, but as a mercy unto all the worlds.” [surah 21, Verse 107]

· “Whoso obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah” [surah 4, Verse 80]

· “Undoubtedly, you have the best in the following of the Messenger, for him who hopes

for Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.” [surah 33, Verse 21]

· “We are seeing the turning of your face towards heaven repeatedly; necessarily then We

will turn you towards that Qiblah which pleases you.” [surah 2, Verse 144]

· “O believers! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet and speak not aloud in

presence of him as you shout to one another, lest your works become vain while you are

unaware.” [surah 49, Verse 2]

· “Assuredly there has come to you a messenger from among yourselves, heavy upon him is

your suffering; ardently desirous of your welfare, and to Muslims is most Kind and

Merciful.” [surah 9, Verse 128]

· “And he is not miserly as to the disclosing of the unseen.” [surah 81, Verse 24]

It is for this reason that A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radiallahu

Ta’ala Anh) states in one of his naaths:

Ay Raza Khud Sahib-e-Qur'an hain Maddaahe Huzoor

Tujh se Kab Mumkin hain phir Midhat Rasoolullah Ki

In this verse A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) says, “O Ahmad Raza, no matter how much you

praise Rasoolullah you will never be able to duly and properly praise

him because when his Rabb Himself has praised him, who then can do justice in praising

Rasoolullah ?” In fact his name itself is Muhammad which means the one who is excessively praised. [sharha Hadaaiqe Bakhshish]

When Rasoolullah reached Madina Shareef, the people of Banu

Najaar stood on the roofs of their homes and the children welcomed Rasoolullah by greeting him with the following verses of poetry:

Tala'al Badru Alaina Min Thaniyyatil Wadaa’i

A crescent-moon dawns upon us from the valley of Wadaa

Wajaba Shukru Alaina Mada'a Lillaahi Daa’i

Gratitude to Allah is necessary upon us for as long as the supplicator to Allah supplicates

[Zarqaani, Vol. 1]

Hazrat Imam Zainul Aabideen (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) who is the son of Hazrat Imam Hussain

(Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) and was one of the greatest Aabids of his era said a few stanzas of Naath

Shareef when he was returning to Madina Shareef after the Battle of Karbala. Two of those

stanzas are presented here:

Innilti Ya Reehas Saba Yauman Ilaa Ardil Haram

Balligh Salaami Rowdatan Feehan Nabiyyul Muhtaram

O Winds! If someday you pass by the sacred land, then pass my Salaams before the Rauza-e-Aqdas

where the most exalted Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) rests

Ya Rahmatallil Aalameen Adrik li Zainil Aabideen

Mahboosi Aydiz Zaalimeen fil Maukabi wal Muzdaham

O Mercy unto all the Worlds! Assist Zainul Aabideen

Who is standing alone and in difficulty amongst the tyrants

[Tazkira-e-Mashaaikh-e-Qadriya Razviya]

Apart from this incident further showing the permissibility of Naath Shareef, we see also the

belief of Hazrat Imam Zainul Aabideen (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) that it is permissible to ask

Rasoolullah for help. Yet we get ignorant people today that say it is

Shirk to ask Rasoolullah for anything.

Balaghal Ula Bi Kamaalihi

He reached all heights through his perfection

Kashafad Duja Bi Jamaalihi

He removed all darkness through his beautiful reflection

Hasunath Jamee’u Khisaalihi

Perfect was his each and every action

Sallu Alaihi Wa Aalihi

Send benedictions on him and his family

When Shaikh Saadi (Rahmatullah Alaih) was writing these verses, he had no idea about what to

write as the fourth line. Sayyiduna Rasoolullah then appeared to him

in a dream and ordered him to write “Sallu Alaihi Wa Aalihi” as the fourth line. Again we see

here the approval by Rasoolullah of poetry written in his praise and

we also see the blessings that one receives from them.

Mere Ash’aar he you laa’iq tehseen ay Khushtar

Ke har misra he haasile naath me qand mukarrar ka

This is a couplet written by the Qutub of Mauritius, Fakhrul Islam, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad

Ibrahim Khushtar Siddiqui Qadri Razvi (Rahmatullah Alaih), and he states here that the only

reason his poetry is deserving of acclamation is because every line has been written in praise of

Rasoolullah . In other words it is only because of the fact that those

verses have praised Rasoolullah that they have become

praiseworthy.

From the proofs presented above we can therefore see that to listen to Naath Shareef is the

Sunnah of our Beloved Master Muhammad Mustafa and to listen as

well as to recite Naath-e-Paak is the Sunnah of the Blessed Sahaaba.

Finally, Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Qur’an, “And We have exalted for you your remembrance”

[surah 94, Verse 4] When Allah Ta’ala Himself has exalted the remembrance of Rasoolullah

who on earth then will have the power to lower it? The Munafiqeen

can try as much as they want to lower the dignity and remembrance of Rasoolullah but they will never succeed. And to answer them we will present an apt couplet

from a naath written by A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) in which he writes:

Khaaq Ho Jaaye ‘Adoo Jal Kar Magar Hum Tho Raza

Dam Main Jab tak Dam hain Zikr Unka Sunaate Jaayenge

O the enemies of the remembrance of Rasoolullah ! You can burn

and be reduced to ashes but as long as there is life present in my body I will continue to make the

remembrance of my Master Muhammad Mustafa . [sharha Hadaaiqe

Bakhshish]

May Allah Ta’ala guide us in the footsteps of the Blessed Sahaaba and like A’la Hazrat (Radiallahu

Ta’ala Anh) requested in his naath, may we also be considered as the dogs of Hazrat Hassaan bin

Thaabit (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh), Ameen