DID THE HOLY PROPHET POSSESS A

SHADOW ?

"When a Faber reaches the stage of inner mortality, then like the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) his shadow disappears."Maulana Jalaaludeen Rumi(RA)

1. Hazrat Hakeem Tirmidi(RA) in his book "Nawaa Da Rul Usool" narrates a tradition
from Hazrat Zakwaan (RA). "The shadow of the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) could not be seen in the brightness of the sun, nor in moonlight."

2. Seyedena Abdullah Ibn Mubarak and Haafiz Ibn Jouzi narrate from Hazrat Abdullah
Ibn Abbas(RA) "The Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not possess a
shadow, neither in the brightness of the sun, nor in the brightness of a light, but His
brightness used to overpower the brightness of the sun and the brightness of a light."

3. Imaam Nasafi in his Tafseer Madaarik Shareef narrates from Hazrat Usman Ibn
Uthman(RA) Hazrat Usman said to the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) that
"Almighty Allah does not let your shadow fall on the ground, so that no man's foot can be
placed on it."

4. Hazrat Imam Suyutwi(RA) in his "Khasaai's Kubra" narrates from Ibn Saba "Ibn Saba
has stated that this is also a unique feature of the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) that his shadow should not touch the ground, because he was Nur, and when
he used to walk in the sunshine his shadow could not be seen. Some scholars have said
that this phenomenon proves the tradition in which the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallam) once supplicated to the Almighty Allah: "O Allah make me Nur(light)" The
above traditions quite categorically prove that the belief that the Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not have a shadow is not mere here say but a fact proven
from tradition. Indeed there will be some who will completely refute the traditions, but
we should remember that this belief is an accepted fact in every generation of the
scholars of Islam as we shall shortly see.

The Belief of the Preceding Great Scholars

1. Imaam Jalaludeen Suyutwi(RA)states: "The Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi

Wasallam) shadow should not fall on the ground, neither could it be seen in the
brightness of the sun for the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was nur, his
light(nur) used to overpower everything."
 2. Imaam Zamaam Qaazi Ayaaz(RA)states: "The statement which has been made
about the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) not possesing a shadow, even in
the brightness of the sun or in the moonlight, the reason thereof being that he was
nur(light).

3. Allama Shahabudeen Khafaaji(RA)states: For reasons of respect and greatness of

the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) shadow should not touch the ground,
although it is in the shadow of the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) that all
mankind sleeps, what is more startling than this. Indeed for this the Quranic injunction is
sufficient which states that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is a
perspicious light and indeed by not having a shadow it does not mean he is not also bashr
(a human being).

4. Imaam Allama Ahmed Qastalaani states: "It has been stated that the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not posses a shadow in the brightness of the
sun or in the moonlight as narrated by Tirmidi stated by Ibn Zakwaan. Ibn Saba has
stated that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was nur(light) when he used
to walk in the sunshine or moonlight his shadow did not appear.

5. Allama Husain Ibn Muhamed Dayaar Bakri states: "The Holy Prophet(Sallal
Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) shadow should not appear on the earth neither was it seen in the
sunshine nor in the moonlight."

6. Imam Allama Ibn Hajar makki(RA) states: "To substantiate that the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was nur, is that his shadow should not appear in
the sunshine nor in the moonlight. For indeed shadow emanates from that which is dense
and the Almighty Allah created him from all that is pure of density, he was created as
pure nur(light) because of which his shadow should not appear."

7. Allama Sulayman Jamal(RA) states"The Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi

Wasallam) shadow should not appear in sunshine nor in the moonlight."

8. Imaam Rabbani Mujaddid Alif Saani(RA) states:"The Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu

Alaihi Wasallam) did not posses a shadow. The reason being that in the Aalme Shahaadat
everything's shadow is much more lighter than that material, and it is the greatness of the
Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) that nothing is lighter than him so how can
he have a shadow."

9. Allama Shaikh Mohamed Tahir states:"Among the names of the Holy

Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) one is also nur and its uniqueness is that his
shadow should not appear when he used to walk in the sunshine or moonlight."Imamul
Aarifeen Moulana Jalaaludeen Rumi(RA) states:"When a fakir reaches the stage of inner
mortality, then like the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) his shadow
disappears."We implore the people to re-read the words of the traditions and the words of
the great scholars of Islam. The only reason the weak ones in the community have of
disbelieving that the Prophet (SAW) had now shadow is that they say he was merely a
bashr(ordinary human being), the question we would like to ask them is that did not the
great scholars of Islam also know this, indeed they knew this, and they still said that the
Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not have a shadow.

After reading all this can we still say that to believe that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallam) had a shadow is merely innovation of a senseless society. We cannot of
course force the people to believe, but at least in the face of so many traditions and
opinions of so many great scholars we see that this belief is not based on whim and fancy.
This belief has been accepted from the generation of the companions and cannot be
merely disregarded because of a few individuals who have made disrespect to the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) their ambition, aim and object although claiming
to be "Muslims."

10. Sheikh Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlvi states in MADARIJIN NUBUWAH: "The
Holy Prophet's Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim shadow did not appear in sunshine
nor in moonlight".

Argument of the Disbelievers

The point that is emphasised by the disbelievers in disbelieving that the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not have shadow, is that he is "bashr" (an
ordinary human being). They have quoted their assumptions on the following
paragraph."They who say that only a dense object possesses a shadow and the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) is from head to foot nur(light) they forget that the
Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) was injured physically in Taif and the
Battle of Uhud. Can blood emanate from something which is light. So it becomes
apparent that a dense object can only injure a dense object and not light."(Monthly: Tajali
Deoband No. 39)

We accept that the Holy Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam) possessed humanly
attributes but these only became apparent on a few occasions, like when he used to eat,
rest with his wives, but he also possessed attributes of nur like when he used to go on for
months without eating, or changing two pieces of stick into light for his companions so
they could see clearly in the dark, or on his journey for Meraaj when he could see the
caravans in the desert but they could not see him, or when he came in front of the
Almighty Allah at all these times he was completely nur(light). We are not like those so
called "Modern Muslims" who only accept the human aspect and disregard the "light
aspect" we accept both believing them to be an integral part of the nature of the Holy
Prophet(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallam).