Whenever I see pictures of Islamic art, I notice that the Kaba is placed slightly above the Green Dome of the Prophet Muhammed Salal lahu Alayhe wasallam. This ‘image influences’ me or seems to send out a message that the Kaba is greater than the Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam’s dome—that the Kaba is associated with Allah and the Green dome is associated with the Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam—that Allah is in one place and the Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam is in another.
Although this may seem like a trivial issue, it is not so. After all a picture, they say, paints a thousand words. Pictures and movies are used to influence people.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Ameer Ul Mumineen, Hazrath Umare Farouk (RA) once addressing the Black Stone said; “O Hajre Aswath, You are just a black stone. If my Nabie Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam did not kiss you, I would never kiss you.”
Although the Kaba is the Qibla “direction” for all Muslims to face when they pray, it is not Allah. The Kaba only received the status that it has today because of our Nabie Muhammed Mustafa Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam.
When prayer was first made obligatory the Muslims used to face Masjidul Aqsa in Jerusalem. The Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam used to face this direction (Jerusalem) whenever he prayed. Jerusalem was the Qibla for 34 months.
The change of Qibla did not come as an order from Allah at first. Our Nabie, Muhammed Mustafa Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam felt like changing it and he turned to Allah for help. Allah changed the Qibla to a direction that would please the Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam.
“We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the heavens: now shall we turn thee to a Quibla that shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the sacred mosque.” 2:144
The mere fact that there used to be another Qibla and it was changed to suit the Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam shows that the Kaba or the Qibla in itself is not important to Allah SWT when compared to the happiness of Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Islam does not separate the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam from Allah, but instead shows that the path to Allah is through the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam. The ‘Kalima Shada’ does not have an “and” between Allah and Muhammad. “there is no god except Allah Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” There are so many verses of the Holy Quraan that state that the order of the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam is the order of Allah. (Al Quraan 4:80.) Then there are verses that state that pledges made to the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam are actually pledges to Allah. (Al Quraan 48\10). Even when it comes to getting the love and forgiveness of Allah we have to go to the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe wasallam.
“Say (O Muhammed Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam) “If you do love Allah then follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.” 3:31
The fact that the Quraan was revealed to the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam alone with no other witnesses shows that Allah communicated to mankind His final revelations through the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe wasallam.
No one can bare witness to Allah SWT giving the Quraan to the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam, but as Muslims, we have to take the Prophet’s Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam word or “shahadath” for granted and as the truth.
As Muslims, we believe that there is Allah and there is none higher than Him or like Him. We did not see Allah to make this declaration but we make this declaration based on the fact that the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam has seen Allah and he has made this declaration based on what he has seen. (Sahih Muslim, Book of Imaan, Chapter 78).
“..so it is those who believe in him (Muhammed Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam), honor him, help him and follow the light that is sent down with him, it is they who will prosper.” 7:157
Just these facts alone make the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam our only link to Allah. These facts make it impossible for a Muslim to believe in Allah without basing his belief on the “Shahadaath” of the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
To a Muslim, these facts make the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam the most important of all of Allah’s creations, more important than the Kaba, the “Arsh” and even the Holy Quraan.
Believing or praising the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam in this way can never be shirk because we believe in him and praise him in the context of him being created by Allah and being subordinate to Allah and being the messenger of Allah.
It is knowledge like this that has led to our great poets to say things like “While the Kaba of my head is in Mecca, the Kaba of my heart is Medina.”
Doctor Allama Iqbal says: “Take yourself to the feet of the Holy Prophet Salal lahu Alayhe Wasallam, for he alone is all religion – the whole religion! If you cannot become a true lover of him then all your prayers and deeds taken together makes of you an Abu Lahab and not a Muslim.”
It seems that not only painters have the ability of putting a thousand words into one picture, but poets too have this ability of painting a whole scenario within a single couplet.
Peace and Blessings be upon the Prophet Salallahu Alayhe Wasallam.
Note: The Kaba is the first place of worship on the earth’s surface. The Prophet (SAW) said that prayer or any good deed receives the most rewards when it is done in Mecca. End
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi 2009.
Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA, (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saib RA).
Author: Mohammed Hassan Gaffoor Contact him on +27849101486.