Question Summary:
I have heard a hadith wherein it is mentioned that Hadrat Ali [ra] missed his asr salah because Nabi [saw] was sleeping on his lap….What has Imam Ahmad Raza mentioned that is shirk? Did Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi consider him [Imam Ahmad Raza] to have been a great aalim?

Question Detail:

1. I have heard a hadith wherein it is mentioned that Hadrat Ali [ra] missed his asr salah because Nabi [saw] was sleeping on his lap. He began to cry and on awakening the Nabi [saw] brought back the sun so that Hazrat Ali could read his asr. Is this authentic?
2. What has Imam Ahmad Raza mentioned that is shirk? Did Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi consider him [Imam Ahmad Raza] to have been a great aalim?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
1. The Hadith is as follows:
Asma Binte Umais narrates: “Revelation was sent to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) while his blessed head rested on the lap of Ali (radiyallaahu anhu). The sun had set and Ali (radiyallaahu anhu) did not perform his Asr salaat. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said to Ali (radiyallaahu anhu): Did you perform Asr salaat? He replied: No! TheProphet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: O Allah, verily Ali was in your obedience and the obedience of your Messenger, so return the sun for him. Asmaa Binte Umais says: I saw the sun set, then raise after setting.”
The above Hadith is established and has some basis as explained by a group of Muhadditheen including Imaam Tahawi, Allamah Suyuti and Qurtaaji. (Al- la’ali al-Masnoo’h, vol 1, pg 308, Ilmiyya) / Tanzeeh Al-Sharee’h, vol 1, pg 378, Ilmiyya)
2. We do not have the books of Ahmad Raza Khan available to us to know whether he mentioned anything that was Shirk. However, Allamah Sa’eed Ahmad Qadri states in his book Ahle Sunna wa Ahle Bid’a Ki Pehchaan:
“Mawlana Ahmad Raza Khan has documented in his Fatawaa Razviah:
‘One maintaining the doctrine of trinity is not a polytheist (mushrik)”. (Fatawaa Razviah,vol 1, pg 738)
The above mentioned fatwa is against the following verse:
لقَدْ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَاثَةٍ
“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: Allah is the third of the three”
3. We have no knowledge of Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi considering Mawlana Ahmad Raza Khan as a great Aalim. However, we have information that Mawlana Ahmad Raza Khan considered Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thaanwi as Kaafir. (Fatawaa Raheemiyya, vol 2, pg 50, Ishaa’t – ref to Tajaanib Ahlis Sunna, pg 237)
صرح جماعة من الأئمةوالحفاظ بأنه صحيح قال القاضي عياض في الشفاء أخرج الطحاوي في مشكل الحديث عن أسماء بنت عميس من طريقين أن النبي صلى اللّه عليه وسلم كان يوحى إليه ورأسه في حجر علي فذكر هذا الحديث. قال الطحاوي وهذان الحديثان ثابتان ورواتهما ثقات وحكى الطحاوي أن أحمد بن صالح كان يقول لا ينبغي لمن سبيله العلم التخلف عن حفظ حديث أسماء لأنه من علامات النبوة انتهى ما في الشفاء.(اللآلي المصنوعة)
ثم الحديث صرح بتصحيحه جماعة من الأئمة والحفاظ منهم الطحاوى وللسيوطى جزء فى تتبع طرق هذا الحديث(تنزيه الشريعة)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Talha Desai,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah