Dillu Ram Kausari: The Hindu Poet who Loved The Prophet

Kaal and Zahid sahib-- i think we have basically reached a point where we all agree. Love is--or should be--the driving force which enables one to follow the Quran and the Sunnah--if it doesn't it simply means that the love is not yet perfected.

The Barelvis say one must correct oneself before one tells others to correct themselves. Having said that it is not true that Barelvis are never active. The strongest support for the Pakistan movement came from the Barelvis whereas the Deobandis were strongly opposed to it! Also, the green-turbaned members of Dawate Islami (of which I am a member) are very active in doing dawah all throughout the world.

Re: # 171, 175

Dear Laddu and KaalChakra Sahib,

Laddu Sahib has once again unleashed his anger at the price of becoming irrational. In #174 for instance he said, “Islam is all about fear of the ruthless deity and his prophet”.
The core of his thought is that Islam is solely about the ‘fear’ of God or Muhammed because of his intercessory powers and love doesn’t seem to him as the fundamental element of Islamic thought.

In this regard an interesting observation might be the praying words that every Muslim speaks a number of times daily which could be translated as “In the name of God, the most Merciful and the most Beneficial”. When Muslims speak these words they are not thinking about God’s wrath but about is generosity and love which they wish. According to Islamic theology God’s characteristics of love and generosity surpass those of wrath and anger.

In your book Bhagavadgita, when prince Arjuna was morally perplexed, he was told by Krishna not to leave the fight thinking about the consequences but to do his work for him (Krishna) without thinking about the results which he called Karma Yoga.

“Do your duty to the best of your ability, O Arjuna, with your mind attached to the Lord, abandoning (worry and) attachment to the results, and remaining calm in both success and failure. The equanimity of mind is called Karma-yoga. (2.48)“

If you’ve no problem in believing that a Hindu should do selflessly what Krishna said then what’s wrong if Muslims also love their God and Prophet and try to do what would elevate them spiritually.

Re: # 1731
slavery of a dead man now waiting in netherland to send you to hell if you reject sunnat. Take away the intercessory power and all this crap would fall off.

Re: # 169
more nonsense equating (jihad to) implement sunnat as love.
Islam is all about fear of the ruthless deity and his prophet. there is no love in it.

laddu, many Muslims may not mind the 'slavehood' of Muhammad (I am making up the word slavehood instead of slavery, in order to avoid any unnecessary negative connotations.)

Re: # 165
what nonsense? love to induce certainity through slavish submission out of fear of intercessory power of mohammad?That is not love but submission. It is the certainity induced in a slave of death upon disobedience.

Zahid, we are probably looking at an entire spectrum of Islamic approaches. After all, LOVE doesn't have to be CONFRONTATIONAL; but it definitely has to be DETERMINED, whatever it's flavor. It's possible that in their dermination for Islam, brelvis are behind none.

Naqsh, did we make any progress in understanding you in # 165 and # 169? Let's hear, bro! Thanks in advance.

Re: # 165

KaalChakra, this is perfectly said by you. But that vision is more Iqbali than Brelvi. Probably naqshbandi Sahib could tell us what made the Brelvi thought so inward-looking and derailed it from the path of confronting the outer evil, which is obsessedly done by the Wahabis missing exactly that love.

Equally evil-avoiding or more correctly speaking confrontation-avoiding school of thought is the Tableeghi Jamaat. Strangely, this school is nearer to the Deobandis.

So we we basically GOT IT!

IF we do NOT confuse LOVE for inwardness, chaltahai attitude of acceptance of unIslamic errors and evils,

BUT ACTUALLY JUST THE REVERSE.

That is, even greater DRIVE to implement and enforce the Prophet's example and Allah' word,

or actually creating that impulse where it may be weak for other reasons,

THEN ISLAM IS ONE, whether it is LOVE based on simply faith based!

Naqsh, what do you say?

Dear KaalChakra and Naqshbandi Sahib,

You’ve raised a very important point. That love is indeed the driving and uniting force like the belief in the oneness of God. The Companions of the Prophet were certainly great lovers – or one should use the untranslatable Urdu term “Ashiqeen” – and that love gave them a central and visible figure to look for inspiration and guidance. But I’m unaware of any companion claiming that his beloved Prophet might be hearing him from distant places -- though God could certainly tell His Prophet what He might like.

Coming to the later development of theology one observes that the same love for Muhammed which was for the Companions the source of a greater obedience and confrontation with the outer evil, became the source of inwardness as we see in the Brelvi theology. The obedience of the struggling believer of the old times appears now as the meek spiritual journey amidst evil -- though not confronting it as the Wahabis do, who not only lack exactly that love but actually scorn it.

Leaving aside that issue of outer evil one must accept that this love still helps the believer fulfil his religious duties with devotion and more importantly the promise of intercession for the eternal life is also there. Understandably this intercession could hardly be bestowed upon someone who doesn’t have love for the Messenger of God.

Zahid, # 166 is a great reading of scripture. If the quran does speak of love for the Prophet, can some use the argument made in # 165 to STRENGTHEN AND ENABLE doing Allah's bidding?

Because if we think like that THEN all the sufi arguments of getting on different and elevated "planes" and being close to Allah etc can make perfect sense!

Dear KaalChakra and Naqshbandi Sahib,

As I mentioned earlier there is at least a Christianity-inspired thread of thought here for instance Jesus is reported to have said:

“And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” (Matthew 19:29)

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 19:20)

Certainly love for Muhammed has played and plays a central role in the Islamic spirituality where one of the stages of the spiritual elevation is called Fana fil Rasll beyond which levels come which bring the believer dramatically closer to God with the ultimate goal of communion with God Ser il Allah as has also been correctly indicated by Daniel Berk in his article.

The Brelvis believe that he is hearing them everywhere but the Deobandis with a more restricted love for him or with greater sense of rationality argue that hearing happens within a distance of 40 steps around his grave in Medina.

The question still remains: did Muhammed tell the believers to praise him in this way like Brelvis do? Muhammed never said what Jesus said:

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” (Matthew 28:18)

That gives – if one believes in the Scripture – the believer a very sound reasoning for that esteem or love for Jesus because of the hopes of redemption.

OK, I (think) I might have gotten it, how BOTH naqshbahi and zahid sahib might be making perfect sense and saying the same thing!!

A Eurkea moment. :)


LOVE for the Prophet is NOT, in the least bit, to be mistaken for being inward looking, or for pacifism, or the desire to run away from or accommodate or not confront the evil or the error!

Rather, it may be (for barlvis, if not for others) THE impulse, the justification, the support for being PROACTIVE, FORWARD LOOKING, wading right into the heart of evil and error and confronting it in the most effective manner possible!

(For brelvis, or as they see it) the function, the necessity of LOVE is to remove any doubt, confusion, hesitation, uncertainty about DOING WHAT A MUSLIM IS EXPECTED TO DO!

So there is NO DIFFERENCE in following the message or the Quran itself, but just in whether one needs - or in how much of it one needs - the LOVE of the Prophet in doing what EVERY MUSLIM IS CALLED UPON TO DO.

Nash is saying that you can't really, fully, and absolutely obediently follow the message if you don't love the messanger!

LOVE is not replacement for the message, but its strongest enabler (for some for the sufis/barelvis).

Naqsh, am I getting what you are saying?

by shaykh hisham kabbani --a lebanese muslim and not a 'barelvi':

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6193468372013621425&q =love+of+the+prophet&total=845&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=sear ch&plindex=5

I think my last post has enough proofs from the koran and the hadith and the lives of the sahaba to prove, beyond doubt, that loving the prophet is the sina qua non of islam. it IS the essence of islam--as one of my teachers said: 'ishq e rasool islam ka doosra naam hai!' and the hadiths and koranic verses and examples of the earliest muslims i have provided via qadi iyad's masterpiece prove beyond doubt that, contrary to khushk sahib's beliefs, this is not just a "Barelvi" thing but a Muslim thing. Those who do NOT love the Prophet should seriously examine their iman!

Ash-Shifa' by Qadi 'Iyad

Chapter Two of Part Two

On the Necessity of Loving the Prophet

Section 1: Concerning the necessity of loving him

Allah says, "Say: 'If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear may slump, or any dwelling-places which please you, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and fighting hard in jihad in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His command.'" (9:25)

This is enough encouragement, advice, proof and indication of the necessity of loving him and is sufficient to show that this duty is an immensely important obligation which is the Prophet's due. Allah censures those whose property, families and children are dearer to them than Allah and His Messenger. He threatens them by adding, "Wait until Allah brings about His command." At the end of the verse He considers such people as having done wrong and informs them they are among those who are astray and not guided by Allah.

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father and all people." (al-Bukhari, Muslim & an-Nasa'i) There is something similar from Abu Hurayra.

Anas reported that the Prophet said, "There are three things which cause anyone who takes refuge in them to experience the sweetness of belief - that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else; that he loves a man only for Allah; and that he dislikes the thought of reverting to disbelief as much as he would dislike being cast into the Fire." (al-Bukhari & Muslim))

'Umar ibn al-Khattab told the Prophet, "I love you more than anything except my soul which is between my two sides." The Prophet replied, "None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than his own soul." 'Umar said, "By the One who sent down the Book on you, I love you more than my soul which is between my two sides." The Prophet said, "'Umar, now you have it!" (al-Bukhari)

Sahl said, "Whoever does not think that the Messenger is his master in all states or think that he is under the dominion of the Prophet does not taste the sweetness of his Sunna because the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than himself.'"

Section 2: On the reward for loving the Prophet

Anas said that a man came to the Prophet and asked, "When will the Last Hour come, Messenger of Allah?" , "What have you prepared for it?" he asked? He replied, "I have not prepared a lot of prayer or fasting or charity for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger." The Prophet said, "You will be with the one you love." (al-Bukhari)

Safwan ibn Qudama said, "I emigrated to the Prophet and went to him and said, 'Messenger of Allah, give me your hand.' So he gave me his hand. I said, 'Messenger of Allah, I love you.' He said, 'A man is with the one he loves.'" (at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i) 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and Anas related this statement from the Prophet, and Abu Dharr also has something to the same effect.

'Ali said that the Prophet took Hasan and Husayn by the hand and said, "Whoever loves me and loves these two and their father and mother will have the same degree as me on the Day of Rising." (at-Tirmidhi)

It is related that a man came to the Prophet and said, "Messenger of Allah, I love you more than my family and my possessions. I remember you and I cannot wait until I can come and look at you. I remember that I will die and you will die and I know that when you enter the Garden, you will be raised up with the Prophets. When I enter it, I will not see you." Allah then revealed, "Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets, the men of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And such people are the best of company!" (4:68) The Prophet called the man and recited the verses to him. (at-Tabarani)

In another hadith we find, "A man was with the Prophet, looking at him without turning away. The Prophet asked, "What is wrong with you?" He replied, "My father and mother be your ransom! I enjoy looking at you. On the Day of Rising, Allah will raise you up because of His high estimation of you!" Allah then sent down the verse mentioned above.

In the hadith of Anas, the Prophet said, "Whoever loves me will be with me in the Garden." (al-Isfahani)

Section 3: On what is related from the Salaf and the Imams about their love for the Prophet and their yearning for him

Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Those in my community with the strongest love for me are the people who will come after me. Some of them would give their family and wealth to have seen me." (Muslim and al-Bukhari) There is something similar from Abu Dharr.

The hadith of 'Umar, "I love you more than myself," has already been cited. There are similar things from other Companions.

'Amr ibn al-'As said, "There is no one I love better than the Messenger of Allah."

'Abda bint Khalid ibn Ma'dan said, "Khalid never went to bed without remembering how he yearned for the Messenger of Allah and his Companions among the Muhajirun and Ansar, and he would name them. He said, 'They are my root and branch, and my heart longs for them. I have yearned for them a long time. My Lord, hasten my being taken to You!'"

It is related that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I would be happier if Abu Talib [the Prophet's uncle] were to become Muslim than if Abu Quhayfa [his own father] were to. That is because the Islam of Abu Talib would delight you more." 'Umar ibn al-Khattab told al-'Abbas, "Your becoming a Muslim is dearer to me than al-Khattab becoming a Muslim because it is dearer to the Messenger of Allah."

Ibn Ishaq said that the father, brother and husband of one of the women of the Ansar were killed in the Battle of Uhud fighting for the Messenger of Allah. She asked, "What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?" They said, "He is as well as you would like, praise be to Allah!" She said, "Show him to me so I can look at him." When she saw him, she said, "Every affliction is as nothing now that you are safe."

'Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked, "How was your love for the Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "By Allah, we loved him more than our wealth, our sons, our fathers and our mothers, and more than cold water in a time of great thirst."

Zayd ibn Aslam said, 'Umar went out at night to observe the people and saw a lamp in a house where an old woman was teasing some wool, saying:

"The prayer of the good be upon Muhammad, may the blessed bless him!

I was standing in tears before dawn. If only I knew,when death gives us different forms,

Whether the Abode will join me to my beloved!"

She meant the Prophet. 'Umar sat down in tears.

It is related that once 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar's foot went numb. He was told, "Remember the most beloved of people to you and it will go away!" He shouted, "O Muhammad!" and the feeling returned.

When Bilal was near death, his wife called out, "O sorrow!" Bilal said, "What joy! I will meet those I love, Muhammad and his party!"

It is related that a woman said to 'A'isha, "Show me the grave of the Messenger of Allah." She showed it to her and the woman wept until she died.

When the Makkans drove Zayd ibn ad-Dathima out of the Haram to kill him, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb said to him, "I ask you by Allah, Zayd, don't you wish that Muhammad were with us now to take your place so that we could cut off his head, and you were with your family?" Zayd said, "By Allah, I would not wish Muhammad to be now in a place where even a thorn could hurt him if that was the condition for my being with my family!" Abu Sufyan remarked, "I have not seen any people who love anyone the way the Companions of Muhammad love Muhammad."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "When a woman came to the Prophet (i.e. from Makka to Madina), he made her take an oath that she had not left because of her husband's wrath or desire for a new land and that she had only left out of love for Allah and His Messenger."

Ibn 'Umar stood over Ibn az-Zubayr after he had been killed and asked for forgiveness for him and said, "By Allah, according to what I know you were someone who fasted and prayed and loved Allah and His Messenger."