6) AN EXPLANATION OF THE CHARACTERISTIC OF BEING HAAZIR AND NAAZIR AS ATTRIBUTED TO THE HOLY PROPHET (SALLALLAHU 'ALAIHI WASALLAM)
This Chapter is divided into six sections :
6.1) A general explanation of Haazir and Naazir
6.2) The Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as being a Witness (Shaahid)
6.3) The Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) Seeing and Hearing from afar
6.4) The Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) traveling at high speeds and making himself physically present
6.5) The seeing of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) by the Awliya
6.6) The Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) present in many places at the same time
6.1) A general explanation of Haazir and Naazir
It is not the belief of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa 'l Jamaa'a that Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is "omnipresent". Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is "Haazir" and "Naazir."
"Omnipresent" is not the meaning of the words "Haazir and Naazir". The word "omnipresent", according to the Oxford dictionary means : "present everywhere". When the words "Haazir" and "Naazir" are used for Almighty Allah they mean : "Knower" and "Seeir" and do not mean "present everywhere". (See details in Fatawa Shaami, Val. 3, Page 337).
The meaning of the word "Haazir" in the Arabic dictionary is, "one who can be seen with the naked eye." (for reference refer to "Sarrah", Page 170; "Mukhtaarus Sihaah", Page 159; "Mufradaat Imam Raaghib", Page 372).
The meaning of the word "Naazir" is, "blackness of the eyeball in which the pupil of the eye is". Sometimes, the eye itself is called Naazirah (reference "Mukhtaarus Sihaah", Page 691)
Hence, the words “Haazir” and “Naazir” according to its literal meaning are not suitable for Almighty Allah. Whenever it is used for Allah it is used with Ta'weel (reinterpretation), as explained above. [NB : The Urdu to English or modern Arabic dictionaries are not based on Qur'aanic Arabic and therefore can not be used for this subject matter]. The words "Haazir" and "Naazir" in its literal meaning is never used for Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, in the 99 Names of Allah, one would not find these words. No where in the Qur'aan, Ahaadith and books of Jurist Imams have these words been used for Allah.
Since the words "Haazir" and "Naazir"do not mean "omnipresent", nor are their literal meanings suitable and applicable to Allah, the Ulema have used the words "Haazir" and "Naazir" for Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). Hadhrat Sheikh 'Abd al-Haq Muhaddith Dehelvi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) writes, "Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is Haazir-o-Naazir on the deeds of his Ummah". (Haashiya Akhbarul Akhyaar, Page 155)
The concept of "Haazir" and "Naazir" is summed up in the following passage by Hadhrat Syed Ahmad Sa'eed Kazmi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) : "When the word Haazir-o-Naazir is used for Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam), it does not mean that the physical body of Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is everywhere and that he is present in front of everybody. This in fact means that as the soul exists in every part of the body, similarly, the light filled reality of the soul of both the worlds (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) exists in every atom of the worlds. Based on that, Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) arrives with his spirituality and lightfulness in many places at one time. Many times, the pious observe the beauty of Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) in a state of wakefulness with their physical eyes". (Taskeenul Khawatir fi Mas'alatil Haazir wan Naazir. Page 13, Maktabah-e-Haamdya, Lahore)
"Truly, a light has come to you from Allah and an illuminated book" (Surah al-Maidah, Verse 15) The Qur'aanic verse clearly mentions two things which have been given by Allah to mankind :
(1)A Light (Noor), and
(2)An Illuminated Book (kitabum mubeen)
The first and foremost gift of Allah is the "Light" (Noor) of the final Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). The second gift is the "illuminated book", namely the Holy Qur'aan. Both have come to us from Allah but mark the order in which they are mentioned. The "Light" (Noor) precedes and the "Book" (Kitab) follows. In the order of precedence we notice that Allah has mentioned His Beloved Messenger first.
The Holy Qur'aan is a "guidance for mankind" but it will be effectively understood only by those people, who accept the Last Messenger of Allah as "Light" (Noor). In other words, those people who do not accept the concept of Prophetic light and arrogantly insist on the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) to be only an ordinary man, will not understand the Holy Qur'aan in it's deeper dimension and therefore will regard it as an "ordinary book". Rasoolullah's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)existence is in two forms:
(1) Bashariyyat (Manhood) / Jismaniyyat (Physical Existence)
(2) Roohaniyyat (Spiritual Existence)
It is his Roohaniyyat that is the "Noor" that is described above. This "Noor" which is the essence of Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) was created from the Noor of Allah Ta'ala. And from Rasoolullah's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) "Noor", everything else was created. Rasoolullah's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) "Noor" is still part of his attributes.
It is this spiritual dimension of Rasoolullah's (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) attributes that enables Him to be spiritually present and seeing (Haazir and Naazir). That is : because creation was created from the Noor of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) he is (in a spiritual sense) present in everything and at everyplace.
Hadhrat Sheikh Abd al-Haqq Muhaddith Dahlawi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) the Mujaddid (Reviver) has written,"In Attahiyat, the reason for reciting 'Ayyohannabi' is that Haqqiqat-e-Muhammadi (Reality [light] of the Holy Prophet [sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam]) is present in every little thing. Therefore, it is present in the people praying Salaat, and those performing the Salaat should be fully aware of this fact and should not pay attention to anything except for the Holy Prophet's (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) presence (haaziri)". (Madarijun Nabuwat Vol. 1 part 4 - Zikreh Fazaaileh Nabi)
Shah Wali-Allah ad-Dahlawi (rahmat allahi 'alaih) in his book Fuyoozul Haramain, Page 28, writes, "Certainly all the blooming flowers are filled with the spirit of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) and the blessed spirit blows through them like a wind".
Hujjat al-Islam, Imam Ghazaali (rahmat allahi 'alaih), referring to the position of Tashahudd (sitting), during Salaah and reciting "At -Tahiyyaatu", says that on reciting the words "Ayyuhannabi" (Oh Prophet !) the reciter must behold the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) as Haazir (Present). He says, "And believe in your hearts that the Holy Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is present (haazir) and then say Assalaamu 'Alaika Ayyuhannabi" (Ihya ul Uloom, Vol. 1, Section 3)
There is also agreement of this point from the leading Scholars of Deoband:
Moulvi Qaasim Nanotwi explains the meaning of the verse, "An Nabi Yu Awla Bil Mu'minina Min Anfusihim..." by saying, "Rasoolullah (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) has such nearness with his Ummah that even their souls do not have, because in this verse the word 'Awla' is in the meaning of 'Aqrab' (nearest)."(Tahzeerun Naas, Page 14, Darul Isha'at, Karachi)
According to the explanation of Moulvi Nanotwi, the meaning of the verse will be, "The Nabi (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) is nearer to the Believers than their own lives". Our lives are present. Nobody can deny this fact because if the life is absent then it would mean that we are dead. So if our lives are present, then the one who is nearer to us than our own lives has to be present.
Moulvi Shabeer Ahmad Uthmaani says, regarding the same ayat : If a Believers's Imaan is considered seriously, then it is like a ray from the light of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). On this account, if a Believer ponders about his own reality, then, before he understands the state of his own Imaan, he has to first understand the wisdom of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). On this point it is true that the augustpresence of the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam)is closer to us than our own souls. (Marginal note in the Qur’aan)
Moulvi Rasheed Ahmad Gangohi says, "The disciple must accept that the soul of his Shaikh (Spiritual head) is not imprisoned in one particular place. Wherever the disciple is, far or near, the Shaikh's spirituality is not far. If this is accepted, then the disciple should always remember his Shaikh and keep a cordial link with him and thereby derive benefits at all times … " (Imdaadul Sulook, Page 10)
