Re: Kissing one's eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
^-- for one, it is definitely not fashionable to criticize things as bid'ah :) The purpose is simply this: When Allah (swt) tells us that Islam is complete, and the Prophet (saws) warns us against introducing things in religion, people ought to get the message. For me standing upside down during salah may not be biddah, but it is simply because it introduces into the deen of islam.
The principal regarding religious activities is that everything is considered prohibited UNLESS a proof exists from the Quran or Sunnah. Announcing the adhaan for salaah can not be considered biddah simply because the religious activity remains the same- announcing the time for salaah, i have not put in something new like new words in the adhaan etc, which WOULD be a biddah.
I dont understand your argument about collecting the quran.. i'm not sure which activity Abu bakr (ra) introduced into islam? Do we not still recite the quran, understand it, try to implement it, etc? Or are we doing something new and innovated regarding the Quran?
Re: Kissing one's eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
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Some imams said that on listening to the name of the holy prophet, one should kiss his eyes while others said that its meaningless. Your views please i'll wait for the reply.
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I will say it is a Biddah. Allah ordered us to pay Durood-u-Salaam not kissing our thumbs.
So if you hear his name, say "Sal-Allah-u-Aleyhay-Wasalam" or "Peace be Upon Him".
Re: Kissing one’s eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
Quran was not written down completely on scrolls, till the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr’s khilafat (Peace be upon him). The Prophet (Peace be upon him) could have done it in his lifetime, if he had chosen, but never did. It was done later, and initially Hazrat Abu Bakr was not comfortable with the idea on exactly the same grounds as you are claiming about bi’dah. That this may be akin to introducing an innovation into Islam i.e. to write down Qu’ran, which the Prophet never did it. He changed his mind, because he realized that Qu’ran should be written down to ensure it is safe, even if it is indeed an innovation. In Prophet’s time, people memorized entire Qu’ran, and they continue to do it ever since, but writing down entire Qu’ran was a fantastic innovation (introducing a new act in Islam) and continues with modern printing and publishing of Qu’ran in many countries.
Now coming back to the original topic of this thread. Showing love and respect for the Prophet was never prohibited by the Prophet. People have different ways of showing their love for the Prophet, and as Islam spread to all corners of the world, the way of showing love and respect for the messenger of Islam is also influenced by culture and traditions in different parts of the world. The basic act of showing love and respect for the Prophet was never prohibited by the Prophet, then how come you call it bi’dah?
Many times it is just discouraging to see how much time and effort is spent by muslims to disagree on such issues, when we can spend the same amount of time in understanding the meaning of Islam and improving our lives and chances for success in the hereafter.
Re: Kissing one’s eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
Faisal Uncle, This is beautiful. Fighting over useless and inconsequential and meaningless garbage. As if Allah :swt: is going to ask you on the day of the judgment whether or not you kissed your fingers, or licked you finger and rammed it up your eyes. I can just imagine how some of these GS Molvis will tell Allah that he is wrong and they are right.
I agree with you, that as Islam reaches in all corners of the world, some of the local customs are to become part of it. Which is only natural. In Pakistan, people place their Quran on the highest mantel in their house. I was shocked to see copies of Siparahs and Quran lying on floor in the basement of a colleague’s house (in Saudi Arabia). Upon talking to him, he explained that “it’s just a book” and what is important is the message and not the paper it is written on. (He also said that Pakistani people should take Madina and bring it to Pakistan). In Saudi mosques I saw people walking with their shoes on, and would place them in front when praying.
So yeah, what you are saying is true. Every place/culture places it’s own values to beliefs, and some people are way too inflexible and don’t hesitate to put halal/haram labels on everything.
Re: Kissing one's eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
Faisal,
i feel that you're forcefully calling it an innovation.. all the talk about "initially Hazrat Abu Bakr was not comfortable with the idea", "He changed his mind, because he realized that Qu'ran should be written down to ensure it is safe, even if it is indeed an innovation" needs to be backed up... where are you getting this from?
Anyway, I wont drag this much further.. i feel the best/safest path to traverse is that of the Prophet (saws), his noble companions (raa) and the scholars that followed them.. looking into history, it is easy to see that such innovations were rejected by them.. COMPLETELY. I could go on for hours with examples, but i doubt it'd make a difference.
We have been given enough to do i think, and a great pattern to live.. it seems unthankful, to say the least, and arrogant, to add to what the Prophet brought.. to not be content with what we've been told to do and consistently add stuff to it...
I agree with your last paragraph, there are other important issues out there, but that does not mean this is to be disregarded as being petty.. Scholars have dedicated time to it because of the warning in the Prohpet's hadith, which i'm sure you're aware of, and of the general order of ordering with the good and forbidding the wrong..
Showing love is different in different cultures, but to claim that they're a part of islam (check up on ramyssysIX's post up there) is wrong..
Re: Kissing one’s eyes when hearing the name of the Prophet (SAW)
depends what you mean by “not written down completely on scrolls”
if you mean not all of the Qur’an was recorded in writing - some parts were only put into memory, others written - then i’d say you are wrong… all of the Qur’an was dictated and written during the Prophet (saw)'s lifetime, albeit on separate writing materials, parchments or whatever
if you mean the Prophet (saw) never collected and bound the entire Qur’an into a single book… then i’d say your statement “The Prophet (Peace be upon him) could have done it in his lifetime, if he had chosen” is incorrect… revelation was a continuous process throughout the Prophet (saw)'s lifetime… verses were being sent down and inserted amidst other verses and surahs were added… under these circumstances it wasn’t really possible to put it together as a completed book as it was still a fluid, expanding revelation…
This is beautiful. Fighting over useless and inconsequential and meaningless garbage. As if Allah :swt: is going to ask you on the day of the judgment whether or not you kissed your fingers, or licked you finger and rammed it up your eyes. I can just imagine how some of these GS Molvis will tell Allah that he is wrong and they are right.