Question:

ASSALAM-U-ALAIKUM Dear Sir, i belong to “MA-TURIDI” School in Beliefs and HANAFI in FIQH and “QADRI” in TAREEQAH. The Question is about Hadith Jabir which states that our Prophet is the first creation created from light. We read some books for Ahmad Reza that says that the Prohpet was the first creation, can you Please explain. * Question rephrased.

Answer:

بسم الله الحمد لله وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد رسول الله وءاله وصحبه وسلم

Let it be clear that our Prophet peace be upon him is the best of all the creations and the last of the Prophets. He’s created from clay just as all humans are beginning with Prophet Adam. Everything is created from water. And the FIRST thing that Allah created is water as clearly stated in al-Qur’an and Hadith.

As for Hadith jabir here’s an expalanation regarding it:

1. Firstly, scholars affirmed that hadith jabir is not in Musannaf Abdur-Razzaq. And scholars such as Hafidh al-Ghummary and Muhaddith Sheikh Abdullah al-Harariy and other scholars of HADITH detected for it and followed it’s chains and found no Isnad to it. And enough said that Imam al-Hafidh as-Syutiy affirmed that this hadith to be fabricated and without Isnad.

2. Secondly, what’s more important is that the hadith has contradiction in its content since it says “The first light is the light of Muhammad (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam), it was created from Allah’s light (another light)” so how is it the first light?? And Allah created the light and darkness, he is not a light nor a darkness and He is not part of something and nothing is part of Him Subhanahu.

3. Thirdly it belies the clear text of al-Qur’an for many reasons:

3a: Allah said and al-Qur’an: وجعلنا من الماء كل شىء حي. which means [Allah created from water every living thing].

3b: And As-Suddiy narrated that the Prophet said: “Nothing was created from the creations of Allah before water”.

3c: And Al-Bukhariyy, al-Bayhaqiyy and Ibn al­-Jarud related that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said which means: “Allah existed eternally and there was nothing else.” This hadith proves that Allah was alone in al-‘azal, (the status of existence without a beginning,) i.e., before creating any of the creation. There was nothing with Him: no place, no space, no sky, no light, and no darkness. It is determined in the rules of the Religion and the judgments of the sound mind that Allah, the Exalted, does not change. Hence, it is impossible that after having been existing without a place, He would become in a place, because this is a development, and the development is a sign of needing others, and the one who needs others is not God.

3d: Scholars of Islam interperted the word “Noor” when applied to Allah or to the Prophet as “Hidayah” or guidance, and cannot be taken literally. Among those great scholars are Imam Qurtubiy in his Tafseer, al-Qadi ^Iyad al-Malikiy, and many astute scholars of Islam.

4. Fourthly, there’s a sahih Hadith about Adam making tawassul by the Prophet (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam) which is narrated by al-Hakim, but it does not say that our Prophet (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam) existed before the creations or before Adam or the first creation, rather his name existed and the angels knew that he will be coming and would be the best of the Prophets. And yes, our Prophet is a reason (sabab) for the existence of the world because he is the most beloved creation to Allah and the best of all creations. But this does not mean we exaggerate and claim that our Prophet (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam) is part of Allah or not a human or created from light or the first Prophet or first creation as all this belies al-Qur’an and Hadith and opposes scholarly consensus (Ijma^).

5. Even if that statement was ever found in Musannaf it could be inserted into it because Abdur-Razzaq would not belie al-Qur’an nor hadith. And we hope that Ahmad Reza never said that our Prophet (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam) is created from light as some say because that opposes the Ijma^ of the Muslims.

All Musims believe that our Prophet (Sallallahu ^Alayhi Wa Sallam) is a normal Bashar like us, but he is the best of the creations. We urge everyone to stick to al-Jama^ah and be warned from the Firqah.

We ask Allah to keep us stead fast on the true aqeedah of Ahlus-Sunnah, and Allah knows best.