Title: I have had regular arguments with the Bidati firqa for addressing Nabi-e-Kareem Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam by saying "YA NABI" or "YA RASOOL". When I tell them that only Allah SWT is everywhere and only Allah SWT can be addressed by "YA" they argue that even Rasool-e-Akram Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam is "Haazir & Naazir" and even he can be addressed as "YA NABI" or "YA RASOOL". When I tell them that Rasool-e-Akram Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam is in Madina and not everywhere they say I am wrong. Please provide with Hawala of authentic books and ahadith from where I can convince them on the usage of "YA" for ALLAH SWT only.

Question: I have had regular arguments with the Bidati firqa for addressing Nabi-e-Kareem Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam by saying "YA NABI" or "YA RASOOL". When I tell them that only Allah SWT is everywhere and only Allah SWT can be addressed by "YA" they argue that even Rasool-e-Akram Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam is "Haazir & Naazir" and even he can be addressed as "YA NABI" or "YA RASOOL". When I tell them that Rasool-e-Akram Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam is in Madina and not everywhere they say I am wrong. Please provide with Hawala of authentic books and ahadith from where I can convince them on the usage of "YA" for ALLAH SWT only.

Answer ID: 22329Posted on: Sep 1, 2020

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim !

(Fatwa: 842/842/M=1431)

It is not lawful to address the holy Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) with words like "Ya Nabi" and "Ya Rasul" having the belief that he is hazir w nazir i.e. omnipresent and omniscient; because all the four Imams and Ulama of Ahl-e-Kalam (theologians) do agree that being hazir w nazir is only the special attribute of Allah. No doubt the holy Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is alive in his holy grave, but he is not omnipresent and omniscient. The Quranic verses and many hadith are clear proof; some of them are as follows:
(1) وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِيِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى الْأَمْرَ وَمَا كُنتَ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ [القصص : 44]
(2) وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ لاَسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ . [الأعراف : 188]
(3) ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاء الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيكَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلاَمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ الخ . [آل عمران : 44]

It is mentioned in hadith:
قال رجل يا رسول الله أي الذنب أكبر عندالله قال أن تدعو لله نداً وهو خلقك (مظاهر حق 1/41).

For more evidence see "Fatawa Rahimiyah" and "Mutalah Barelviyat" etc.