Full Moon in Refutation of Shadow

We are living in a world of uncertainty and misconceptions. Man is beginning to question the very roots of his beliefs regarding Allah Almighty and the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam, to create doubt in the minds of the simple and unsuspecting Muslims. A brother in Islam provided me a link where some lunatics were trying to accuse the magnificent personality of Syeduna Rasoolullah Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam having a shadow like any other human!! (Na'udhu Billahi min dhalik)
Indeed, our Master, the selected splendid Moon and brilliant Star Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam, did not have a shadow. This is clearly proven by the Hadith Sharīf and consensus of the illustrious Ā'immah of Dīn. Those who dispute this are not even fit to qualify as students of these great ‘Ulamā, let alone understand their works. It is recorded in authentic books from generation to generation with unbroken chain sequence and consensus that the beloved Nabī Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam did not have a shadow. To this day it cannot be proven that any ‘Ālim of Dīn has ever dared to dispute this agreed fact. But how unfortunate is it that suddenly some fool is born who rejects this undisputed fact and intends to enslave himself with the chains of Nafs and ignorance. This rejection makes transparent such peoples ignorance, insolence and disrespect for our Master and compassionate Rasūl Sallallaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam.

Surely, it is out of the many unique attributes of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) that HE did not possess a shadow. He didn't have a shadow in the radiance of sunlight nor did he have a shadow in the illumination of the moon. This is the `Aqeedah (Creed or belief) of the SaHaba, Tabi'een and the Ulama al-Islam. We shall now proceed and contemplate upon the `Aqeedah of the pious predecessors.

 

 

The `Aqeedah of Sayyiduna Uthman al-Ghani and Imam Nasafi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anhum Ajma'een
 

Allamah Imam Nasafi (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) writes that Hadrat Uthman (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) came to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) and said,

قال عثمان رضی الله تعالٰی عنه ان الله ما اوقع ظلک علی الارض لئلایضع انسان قدمه علی ذٰلک الظل
"Allah did not put your shadow on the Earth in case someone trod upon it". [Tafseer-e-Madarik, Dar al-Kutb Arabi , Vol. 3, Page 135]

From this hadith it is evident that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) did not possess a shadow and the `Aqeedah of Hadrat Uthman (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) is vivid. The Glorious Prophet (Sallallahu'Alaihi Wasallam) listened to what Uthman (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) had said and did not disagree with him. Also the `Aqeedah of Imam Nasafi (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) is seen.

The `Aqeedah of Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas, Son of Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mubarak and Hafidh Allamah Ibn Jauzi Radi ALLAHu Anhum Ajma'een
 

Syeduna Abdullah bin Mubarak and Allama Jauzi in his Kitab al-Wafa narrates a hadith from Hadrat Abdullah ibn Abbas (the cousin of the Holy Prophet Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) and Son of Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas:

قال لم یکن لرسول الله صلی الله تعالٰی علیه وسلم ظل ، ولم یقم مع شمس قط الاغلب ضؤوه ضوء الشمس ، ولم یقم مع سراج قط الاغلب ضوؤه علی ضوء السراج
"Allah's Rasul had no shadow, not while standing in the sun, but the brilliance of his Noor surpassed the rays of the sun; nor while sitting before a burning light, but his luminous Noor excelled the lustre of the light". [Al-Wafa, Chapter 29, Vol. 2, Page 407]

The `Aqeedah of Hadrat Zakwaan Tabi'ee and Hadrat Hakeem Tirmidhi Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
 

Hadrat Hakeem Tirmidhi narrates from Hadrat Zakwaan Tabi'ee (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho):

فقد اخرج الحکیم الترمذی عن ذکوان ان رسول الله صلی الله تعالٰی علیه وسلم لم یکن یرٰی له ظل فی شمس ولا قمر
"The shadow of the blessed Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) didn't show in the sun nor did it became apparent in the moonlight" [Khasa'is al-Kubra, Vol. 1, Page 68]

The `Aqeedah of Imam Qadi Iyad al-Maliki
Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
 

Allamah Qadi Iyad (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) writes:

وما ذکر من انه کان لاظل لشخصه فی شمس ولا قمر لانه کان نوراً
"The narration that the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) did not possess a shadow in the sunlight nor the moonlight is true because the blessed Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) was made of Noor (light)." [Ash-Shifa, Dar al Kutb Ilmiyah , Vol. 1, Page 225]

 

 

The `Aqeedah of Imam Jalal al-Din as-Suyuti
Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho
 

Imam Suyuti set aside a whole chapter in `Khasaais al-Kubra' about the shadowless Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) and calls it, "In honour of the miracle that the shadow of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) was not seen."

Thereafter, Allamah Suyuti (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) quotes the hadith of Hadrat Zakwaan Tabi'ee (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) which has been mentioned above and then cites another hadith as follows:

قال ابن سبع من خصائصه صلی الله تعالٰی علیه وسلم ان ظله کان لایقع علی الارض وانه کان نورا فکان اذا مشٰی فی الشمس اوالقمر لاینظر له ظل قال بعضھم ویشھد له حدیث قول صلی الله تعالٰی علیه وسلم فی دعائه واجعلنی نورا
"Ibn Saba' said that it is a uniqueness of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) that he did not have a shadow because he was made from Noor. And when he used to walk in the light of the sun or the moon, his shadow was not apparent. Various scholars have said that this unique attribute of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) is clear proof of another hadith in which the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) prayed to Allah to make him Noor" [Khasais al-Kubra, Vol. 1, Page 68]

Note: When the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) asked Allah to make him a Noor, this does not imply that the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) was not already a Noor. This du'a was recited so that Allah may make the blessed Prophet (sallallahu 'alahi wasallam) an even greater Noor and so that every one of his blessed features may became a source of light for the believers in terms of knowledge and also a Noor on the Day of Judgment. For example, when the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) read Sure Fatiha in salah and recited (Guide me along the straight path), this, obviously, does not mean that he was not already upon the straight path, it is simply a means of thanking Allah for keeping him upon it. In the same way, the Du'a-e-Noor was a token of thanks to Allah for making the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) noor.

From the above narration, the `Aqeedah of Imam Jalal al-Deen Suyuti (Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho) and Imam ibn Saba' is clear that the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihi wa Sallam) was made from Noor and was not only a mere Bashar (man) like us. He was a bashar but he was also Noor.
A diamond is a stone but a stone like no other,
Muhammad is a man but a man like no other

 

The Aqeedah of MuHammad bin Yousuf al-SaliHi al-Shami Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anho