Answer with the help of All knowing Allah subhanahu wa taala.
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa bar- akatuhu,
We ahle sunnat wa Jamat, do not claim that the Holy Prophet of Allah Almighty is present every where with his material body. But we say that the sun of prophet hood Muhammad (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) is present in Madina sharif with his holy material body as well as He (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) with his spiritual power, knowledge and light, is present every where. As the sun is found in the sky with his material body, but presents on the earth, every where, due to his light. Inspite of it we use the word Hazir and Nazir for his (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) spiritual presence by his knowledge and light. Because “Hazir and Nazir” is a specific terminology of Fiqah. The scholars generally use word “Hazir” (The one who is present) for an “Alim”(The one who has knowledge).
As Allama Ibne Abdin Shami (Rahmatullah Alaih) says : “And to say “Ya Hazir, Ya Nazir” is not kufur (atheistism) because “Al-Hazoor”(to be present) is commonly uses in the meaning of “ILM”(to know) so the words “Ya Hazir” and “Ya Nazir” stand for the one who knows and one who observes.”
(Fatawa Shami, Vol.3, Page 337 (Published by Maktaba-e- Majidiya)
You can see a similar statement about the meaning of Hazir and Nazir in the famous book “Hidayah” in volume 3, on page 13 published by H.M saeed.
Now I am writing the proof of the spiritual presence of the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him), everywhere through Quran and trustful commentary books.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
“O Prophet! The communicator of unseen news, no doubt, We have sent you as a present beholder and bearer of glad tiding and Warner”
(Sura Al-Ahzab, Part 22, Verse 45)
This Holy verse shows that the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) would be a bearer. The commentators of the Holy Quran says in the light of this and others verses as well as many other narrations, that he would bear the witness of the vices and witnesses on the day of judgment. It is clear that no one can bear about us except who knows us and our deeds.
Now I quote various famous and trustful commentators. Hazrat Shaikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi (Rahmatullah Alaih) says:
“Bearer means that the Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) knows and observes the state of the affairs of his ummah, their success and destruction and their testimony and rejection of Islam.”
(Madarij-e- Nabuwat, Vol 1,page 260)
Allama syed Mahmood Aloosi, the commentator of the Holy Quran Abu Saood and the writer of afseer-e- Jumal say: “Bearer means that you would be witness of those whom you have been sent towards. You see their conditions and observes their actions and heads. And you are being a witness upon what is being done by them regarding testifying Islam and its rejection. You observe the people, either they are on the path of guidance or misguidance. You would bear this all on the Day of Judgment. And this evidence would be accepted for the Ummah and against the Ummah.”
(Tafseer Rohul Ma’ani, Vol. 22, Page 45 Tafseer Abu Saeed, Vol. 7, Page 107 Tafseer Jumal, Vol. 3, Page 442).
Allama Aloosi further says: “Some highlighted saints indicated that Allah Almighty has, already awarned his Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) about actions and deeds of the Ummah and he knows them this is why he has been named as bearer. Allama Jalaal-ud-Deen Roomi said that “The Places and grades of the people were in his sight so Allah Almighty called him the bearer (Shahid).
(Tafseer Roh hul Mani, Vol. 22, Page 45)
The author of Jalalain says: You are witness of those to whom you have been sent.
(Tafseer-e- Jalalain with Baidavi, Vol.2, Page 248)
You are bearer of the testimony and falsification, salvation and misguidance of those to whom you have been sent.
(Baidavi with Jalalain, Vol. 2, Page 248)
The author of Al Bahrul Muheet says: “you are witness of the testifying and falsifying of those to whom you have been sent.
(Tafseer Al Baharul Muheet, Vol. 7, Page 238)
Hafiz Ibne Kahteer says: “You are witness of the oneness of Allah Almighty and that there is no God except Allah. You will bear evidence about the actions and deed of whole mankind on the day of judgment.
(Tafseer Ibne Katheer, Vol. 3, Page 497)
In short all of the commentators of the Holy Quran confirm that the Prophet of Allah Almighty Muhammad (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) is “Hazir” and “Nazir”. Let us come to an other verse. Allah Almighty says: “And this we made you exalted among all nations that you may be witnesses to the people and this messenger your guard and witness. ” ( Al Baqara, Part II,Verse 143)
Allama Ismail Haqqi (Rahmatullah Alaih) says in its commentary “It means that the apostle of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) knows each religious person, who acts upon the commandments of religion, and his grade near Allah Almighty through the light of Haq. He knows the reality of his religion and the veil (hindrance) which stops him in getting higher degree of the spirituality. Therefore the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) signifies the vices of the ummah, their vices, virtues, sincerity and hypocrisy of the ummah.
(Tafseer Ruhul Bayan, Vol. 1, Page 248)
Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlvi explains this verse in these words: “Because the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) knows, by the light of prophet hood, the grade of his follower which he has been attained and also knows the reality of his faith and the hindrance which has stopped him in getting progress. So the Apostle of Allah Almighty signifies your vices, grades of your belief, your virtues, your sincerity and hypocrisy
(Tafseer-e- Azizi, Vol. 1, Page 518)
He further says: Therefore the prophet (Allah’s Grace & blessings be upon Him) for his ummah will bear witness according to their state of affairs.
(Tafseer-e- Azizi, Vol.1, Page 521)
Imam Mulla Ali Qari says: “The Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him)is aware of you and he is seeing your actions and will purify your deeds.
(Mirqat-Shrh-e-Mishkat, Vol 10, page 264)
Shaikh Abu Al Qasim Muhammad bin Ahmad Al Jazri in 741 of Hijra writes: “It means that the prophet of Allah would bear witness about your actions.”
The well known companions of the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (May Allah well Pleased with Him) says: “The Prophet will bear witness of what you have done.”
(Tafseer-e- Ibne Jareer, Vol. 1, Page 6)
It comes to know from the above quotation that the companions of the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) also believes in his bearing witness of actions so consequently, it confirms that the prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) is “Hazir” and “Nazir” according to its particular meaning.
There are many other verses in the Holy Quran which proves that the last Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) is hazir and nazir but I do not want to make it too lengthy to read it. This is why I finish it hear. Now I present some narrations of the Holy Prophet (Allah’s Grace & Peace beupon Him) in this regard. I am writing here it in brief due to the same cause that I have mentioned above. Syedna Abdullah Ibne Masood (May Allah well Pleased with Him) narrates from the Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) .The Prophet of Allah says: “My life is excellent for you whatever you ask it is answered you and my demise in also excellent for you because your actions are presented before me so I praise when I see your good deeds and ask forgiveness for you when I see your bad deeds.” This narration has been narrated by bazzar and all of its narrators are the men of Bukhari.
(Majma uzzaqaid, Vol.9, Page 27)
From Hazrat Thouban (Allah well pleased with Him) The Prophet of Allah (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) says: “Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty rolled up the earth for me so I observed the east and west (all of the four sides) on the earth.
(Muslim Shareef, Vol. 2, Page 290)
The Prophet of Allah says: “Undoubtedly, Allah Almighty has brought before me the whole world so I am watching it and that is happening till the day of resurrection as I am seeing my palm.”
(Kanzul Ummal, Vol. 11,Page 420)
Allah Almighty says in a hadith-e-Qudsi:
“Whenever I make someone my beloved so I become his power of listening by which he listens to and his sight by which he sees.”
(Bukhari Sharif, Vol. 2, Page 963)
Imam Fakhruddin Razi (Rahmatullah Alaih) explains this narration in these words: “When the light of Allah Almighty becomes his listening power he hears from near and from distant places and when the light of Allah Almighty becomes his sight so he sees from near and distant places.”
(Tafseer-e- Kabir, Vol.21, Page 91)
The whole discussion clearly proves that the Prophet of Allah Almighty (Allah’s Grace & Peace be upon Him) is spiritually present everywhere in the universe through his knowledge and listens to whatever is said him. This is why we have been taught to say “Salam”, in the prayers, by addressing word ‘O’ Prophet the peace of Allah be upon you. May Allah keep us on the right belief of Ahle Aunnat wa Jamaat. Aameen!
Allah subhanahu wa taala knows, the most
Written by Mufti Abubaker Siddiq Ash-Shazli Sahab