Creation is not a necessity for the Creator; rather, it is a manifestation of His mercy. For the Creator, ‘mercy’ holds the same position as motherly affection does for a mother. If a child refers to a mother’s compassion while asking her for something, then due to her maternal kindness, the mother cannot ignore the child.
Without drawing any improper comparison, the condition of the Creator is the same. When a servant, with true feelings of humility and servitude, invokes his Creator and Master by appealing to His mercy, then the mercy of God cannot bear to reject such a plea; He necessarily grants it acceptance purely out of His mercy. However, this acceptance is not—God forbid—due to any compulsion upon the Creator; rather, it is solely a demand of His infinite mercy.
This very reality has been expressed in a saying of the Messenger (PBUH) in the following manner:
عن سلمان ،الفارسي عن النبي صلی ُۡاللّٰہ علیہ ،وسلم قال’’ : إن َۡاللّٰہ ٌۡحَیي ٌۡکریم یَس تَح یي إذَا َۡرَفَع ُۡالر جل إلیہ ،یدَیہ أن یَرُدَّہما صِف رًا
خَاءِبَتَین.‘‘ It is narrated from Salman al-Farsi (RA) that the Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: “Indeed, Allah is exceedingly modest and exceedingly generous. He feels shy that when a person raises his hands in supplication before Him, He would return them empty and disappointed.” (Tirmidhi, No. 3556; Abu Dawood, No. 1488)
Such a sincere supplication is, in effect, the “Ism-e-Azam” (the Supreme Name of Allah), about which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said that when a person calls upon God with it, He certainly hears his call and accepts it. (Ismillah al-azam, alladhi idha suila bihi uta, wa idha duiya bihi ujaba) Ibn Majah, No. 3858; Abu Dawood, No. 1495). In this regard, consider here a few Prophetic sayings:
:عن ۡأبي ۡأمامۃ ۡرضي ّۡللا ٰۡعنہ ۡقال: ۡقال ۡرسول ّۡللا ٰۡصلی ّۡللا ٰۡعلیہ ۡوسلم’’ًۡإن ّٰۡلل ٰۡملکًۡا ۡموکًلۡۡبمن ۡیقول: ۡیا ۡأرحمۡۡالراحمین. ۡفمن
قالہا ۡثًلثًا، ۡقال ۡالملک: ۡإن ۡأرحم ۡالراحمین ۡقد ۡأقبل ۡعلیک ۡفاسأل‘‘ . Abu Umamah (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Whoever calls upon God by saying “ya arham al-rahimin” (O Most Merciful of those who show mercy), a special angel is appointed by God for him. Thus, when the servant supplicates in this manner three times, saying “ya arham al-rahimin”, that angel addresses him, saying: The Most Merciful of those who show mercy has turned His attention towards you, so now ask (for whatever you wish to ask). (Mustadrak al-Hakim, No. 2040)
عن أنس بن مالک رضي ۡاللّٰہ عنہ قال :مر رسول ۡاللّٰہ صلی ۡاللّٰہ ۡعلیہ وآلہ وسلم برجل وہو یقول :یا أرحم ،الراحمین فقال لہ رسول ۡاللّٰہ
صلی ۡاللّٰہ علیہ وسلم’’ : سَل ۡفقد َۡنظر ُۡاللّٰہ ۡإلیک.‘‘
Anas (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) passed by a man who was supplicating to God, saying: “ya arham al-rahimin.” When the Prophet (PBUH) observed his condition, he said: “Ask, for at this moment the gaze of Divine favor is directed towards you.” (Al-Mustadrak al-Hakim, No. 2039)
Similarly, according to a lengthy narration, Abu Said al-Khudri (RA) reports that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Whoever supplicates to Allah by saying, “O Allah, I ask You by the right that the supplicants have upon You,” then Allah, upon hearing this supplication, turns entirely toward him with His whole essence:
اللٰهُم إن ِي ََأسْأَلُك بِحَق ََالسَائِلِين ََعَلَيْك… ََأَقْبَل َُاللّٰہ َِعَلَيْه َِبِوَجْهِه
O Allah, I ask You by the right of those who ask of You… then Allah turned to him with His Face. (Sunan Ibn Majah, No. 778; Musnad Ahmad, No. 11156)
A major portion of the intellectual and religious framework that emerged in the post-Prophetic era was established upon pure art-worshipping imitation. This is the reason why, under the influence of this alien and ‘non-Sunnah- based’ psychology, some individuals generally consider such narrations to be incorrect; however, according to other scholars, these narrations are valid.
Thus, Hafiz al-Dimyati and Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani have classified this narration as ‘Hasan’, and Hafiz Ibn Khuzaymah, among others, have declared it ‘Sahih’. (Al-Mutajir al-Rabih, Hafiz al-Dimyati, 472; Amali al- Adhkar, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, 1/272; Ibn Khuzaymah, as cited in: Misbah al-Zujajah, Hafiz al-Busayri, 1/99).
In this narration, “Haqq-e-Rahmat” refers to the same concept which has been termed “Wasita-e-Rahmat” in this writing. It is a humble way, in human language, of invoking God’s mercy and drawing it towards oneself. Viewing such natural and subtle matters purely through a legalistic and traditional lens, and conflating them with theological and conventional debates such as “Waseela“, is not appropriate.
This kind of hairsplitting and rabbinic polemics, and that “isr wa aghlal” (Quran 7:157), should always be completely avoided by the believers. In practice, however, due to the post-Prophetic conditionings, this has now become the habitual approach of most of our ‘religious’ individuals. Declaring this method forbidden, Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) have strictly prohibited us from adopting it:
:عن ۡأبي ۡسعید ۡالخدري، ۡوأنس ۡبن ۡمالک، ۡعن ۡرسول ّۡللا ٰۡصلی ّۡللا ٰۡعلیہ ۡوسلم، ۡقال’’ۡسیکون ۡفيۡۡ ،ٌأمتي ۡاختًلف ٌۡوفرقۃ
قوم ۡیُحسنونۡالقیل، ۡویسیؤن ۡالفعلۡ… ۡہم ۡشر ۡالخلق ۡوالخلیقۃ‘‘ۡ . It is narrated from Abu Said Khudri and Anas bin Malik (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: There shall arise division and discord within my Ummah. At that time, there will emerge people who will be skilled in (meaningless) argumentation and disputation, but in action they will be extremely corrupt. Such individuals will be considered the worst of creation among all people and all creatures. (Abu Dawood, Hadith no. 4765)
:عن ۡالمغیرة ۡبن ۡشعبۃ ۡقال: ۡقال ۡالنبي ۡصلی ّۡللا ٰۡعلیہ ۡوسلم’’ًۡإن ّۡللا ٰۡحر م ۡعلیکم ۡعقوق َۡاألمہاتِ، ۡووأد َۡالبناتِ، ۡومنعا وہاتِ، ۡوکرِہ ۡلکم ۡقِی ل َۡوَقال، ۡوکثرة ِۡالسؤال، ۡوإضاعۃ ِۡالمال‘‘ . It is narrated from Mughirah bin Shubah (RA) that the Noble Prophet (PBUH) said: Allah the Exalted has made disobedience to parents, burying daughters alive, failure to fulfill rights, and unjustly withholding wealth unlawful for you. Furthermore, Allah strongly dislikes idle talk, excessive questioning, and the squandering of wealth. (Bukhari, No. 2408 – Muslim, No. 4483)