Prophets and Awliya Are Alive: Seeking Help from the Pious and Blessings of Facing the Qiblah

Prophets are alive

If this is the attribute of the martyrs, then how can one cast a doubt about the fact that the Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلُوةُ وَالسَّلام who are much higher in status than the martyrs, are also alive! Sayyiduna Imam Bayhaqi عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ الْقَوِى has written a booklet about the life (Hayat-ul-Anbiya) of the Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلُوةُ وَالسَّلام and has written in Dalaail-un-Nubuwwah that Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلُوةُ وَالسَّلَام are alive like the martyrs and are with Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

(Al-Haawi lil Fatawa lis-Suyuti, vol. 2, pp. 263; Dalaail-un-Nubuwwah, vol. 2, pp. 388)

Awliya are alive

Shah Waliyyullah Muhaddis Dihlvi عَلَيْهِ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ الْقَوِى has stated about the high status of Ghaus-e-Azam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْه in chapter 11 of Ham'aat: That he is Sayyiduna Muhyuddin 'Abdul Qaadir Jeelani قُدِّسَ سِرُّهُ الرَّبَّانِي and he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ has the authority in his blessed grave like the living (i.e. he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ is authoritative just like the living).

(Ham'aat, pp. 61)

Anyhow, the Prophets عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلُوةُ وَالسَّلام and the saints رَحِمَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى are alive and we do not ask for help from the dead but from the ones who are alive and we believe them to be helpers by the grace of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. Without the bestowal of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ the Prophet or saint can neither give anything nor can they provide any sort of help.

Imam-e-A'zam asked help from the Holy Prophet

The Imam of millions of followers of the Hanafi School of thought, Sayyiduna Imam-e-A'zam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ makes an entreaty for help in the court of the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم in Qasidah-e-Nu'man:

يَا أَكْرَمَ الثَّقَلَيْنِ يَا كَنْزَ الْوَرَى

جُدْلِي بِجُودِكَ وَ أَرْضِنِي بِرِضَاكَ

أَنَا طَامِعُ بِالْجُودِ مِنْكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ

لِأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ فِي الْأَنَامِ سِوَاكَ

Translation: O the one! Who is better than all humans and jinns and who is the treasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ please give me from what Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has bestowed on you and make me happy like Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has pleased you. I am a candidate for your shower of generosity. There is no one for Abu Hanifah in the entire creation except you.

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيبِ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Imam Buseeri asked for help

Sayyiduna Imam Sharafuddin Buseeri رحمةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ has requested for help from the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم in his well-known 'Qasidah Burdah and said:

يَا أَكْرَمَ الْخَلْقِ مَا لِي مَنْ اَلُوْذُبِهِ

سِوَاكَ عِنْدَ حُلُوْلِ الْحَادِثِ الْعَمَمِ

Translation: O You, the best of the Creation! I do not have anyone else except you, in whom I may get refuge, in the times of trouble.

(Qasidah Burdah, pp. 36)

Imdadullah Muhajir Makki رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيه has requested in his book of poetry entitled Nalah-e-Imdad:

Laga takyah gunahaun ka para din raat sota hoon

Mujhay ab khuwab-e-ghaflat say jaga do Ya Rasoolallah

I remain asleep day and night resting on pillow of sins

Wake me up from the dream of heedlessness Ya Rasoolallah

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

5. Ewer turned towards Qiblah

Once, a group of saints رحمهم الله تعالى from Jeelan visited the blessed court of Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-Azam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ and saw that his ewer (pot used for ablution) was not pointing towards the Qiblah (so they informed Ghaus-e-Azam رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ about that). He رحمةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ cast a wrathful glance at his servant who could not bear the severity of Ghaus-e-A'zam's look and consequently fell to the ground and trembled to death. Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-A'zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ then looked towards the ewer and ewer itself turned towards the Qiblah.

(Bahjat-ul-Asraar, pp. 101)

صَلُّوا عَلَى الْحَبِيْب صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى مُحَمَّد

Keep the ewer facing towards the Qiblah

O devotees of Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-A'zam! Undoubtedly, love par excellence is to follow each and every action of those we adore and admire. Therefore, if possible, we should always keep the ewer used for Wudu pointing towards the Qiblah. Muhaddis-e-A'zam Pakistan Maulana Sardar Ahmad Sahib رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ used to keep his ewer and his slippers facing the Qiblah. الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ Sag-e-Madinah (author) make an ardent effort to follow the footsteps cast by both of these saints by keeping the ewer and the slippers facing the Qiblah. In fact, I wish to place everything facing the Qiblah.

An account regarding the one who sat facing the Qiblah

Dear Islamic brothers! If possible, we should also develop a habit of facing the Qiblah because there are many blessings of doing so. Sayyiduna Imam Burhanuddin Ibraheem Zarnooji رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ reported: Two students travelled abroad to seek religious knowledge. Both of them were in the same grade, when they returned home, one of them had become a very knowledgeable religious jurist, whereas the other remained ignorant.

The eminent scholars of the city began pondering over the reason. When careful observations of their ways of learning, manners of revision, conversation, manners of sitting etc. were taken into account, they surprisingly came upon the fact that the student who returned as a religious jurist had a habit of facing the Qiblah whenever he sat while the other student always sat with his back towards the Qiblah. Therefore, the respected scholars and jurists unanimously agreed that the fortunate one has become a jurist due to the blessings of facing the Qiblah as it is Sunnah to do so.

(Ta'leem-ul-Muta'allim, pp. 68)