Can we say “Yaa Rasool Allaah?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

It’s not allowed to say “Yaa Rasool Allaah” in the sense of “calling out” to the Prophet ﷺ  for help or asking him for anything, thinking that he hears us or knows about our situation, etc. 

All that is major shirk. 

🍃 Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:

‎وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا  

“And the masaajid are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah.” (Surah Jinn 72:18)

🍃 And Allaah said:

‎وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَائِهِمْ غَافِلُونَ

‎وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمْ أَعْدَاءً وَكَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَافِرِينَ

“And who is more astray than one who calls (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them?

And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and will deny their worshipping.”

(Surah al-Ahqaaf 46:5-6)

🍃And Allaah said:

“And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over thedate stone).

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them.

And none can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the All‑Knower (of everything)”

(Surah Faatir 35:13-14)

In these Aayaat, Allaah clearly tells us that it is kufr and shirk to call on others besides Him.

🍃 And the Prophet ﷺ said to Ibn Abbaas Radhi Allaahu anhumaa:

“If you ask (i.e. supplicate), then ask Allaah. And if you seek help, then seek help from Allaah.”

(Saheeh Al-Jaami 7957)

🍃 And the Prophet ﷺ also said:

“Supplication is an (act) of worship.” (Saheeh Al-Jaami 3407)

So no one can make duaa to anyone or call upon them except calling upon Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.

That’s because saying ‘Yaa’ in Arabic is a form of addressing someone who’s alive and standing in front of you etc. 

And the Prophet ﷺ has passed away. 

Yes he’s ‘alive’ in his grave but his ‘life’ is not like the life that you and I have. 

His life is the life of 

‘al-Barzakh’ and only Allaah knows what that life is like. 

He ﷺ does not hear us, or see us or know of our situation. 

The only thing we know is that when we send peace and blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, our salaams are sent to him through an angel. 

And that’s a “special” situation.

It’s NOT the norm. 

🍃 Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: 

“Whoever regards the angels and Prophets as intermediaries whom he calls upon, puts his trust in and asks them to bring that which will benefit him and ward off harmful things, such as asking them to forgive sins, guide them, relieve them of distress and meet their needs, is a kaafir, according to the consensus of the Muslims.”

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 1/124)

🍃 Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

“The kinds of shirk include asking the dead for one's needs, or seeking their help, or turning to them. This is the essence of shirk.”

(Fath al-Majeed, p. 145)

🍃 Someone asked Shaykh Ibn Baaz:

“Is it shirk if someone says in any place on earth, Yaa Muhammad Yaa Rasool-Allaah, calling him?”

He said:

“Allaah has stated in His Holy Book and on the lips of His Messenger ﷺ that worship is the right of Allaah alone and no one else has any share of it, and that du’aa’ is a kind of worship, so if a person says in any place on earth, Ya Rasool-Allaah, Ya Nabi Allaah or Ya Muhammad, help me, or save me, or support me, or heal me, or support your ummah, or heal the sick Muslims, and guide their misguided ones and so on, then he is making him a partner with Allaah in worship (SHIRK!)

The same applies to those who do the same thing with regard to other Prophets, angels, awliya’ (“saints), jinn, idols or any other created beings, because Allaah says:

“And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone)”

[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56] 

“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allaah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious” [al-Baqarah 2:21]”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz 2/453)

🔺EXCEPTION

However one may say “Assalaamu Alaika Yaa Rasool Allaah” if a person is standing in front of the grave of the Prophet ﷺ.

🍃 Ibn ‘Umar radhi Allaahu anhu used to say:

“Al-salaamu ‘alayka yaa Rasool-Allaah, al-salaam ‘alayka yaa Aba Bakr, al-salaamu ‘alayka yaa abati (O my father),” then he would go away.

(Saheeh by al-Hafiz ibn Hajar)

🍃 Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said explaining what a person should go when he visits the grave of the Prophet ﷺ:

“He should stand in front of the grave of the Prophet ﷺ, facing the grave and with his back towards the qiblah, and say:

“Al-salaamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allaahi wa Baraakaatuh”

“Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy and blessings of Allaah.”

(Manasik al-Hajj wa’l-‘Umrah wa’l-Mashru’ fi’l-Ziyarah, p. 107, 108) 

And “some” of the scholars say that one may say “Yaa Rasool Allaah” if they’re NOT calling upon him or asking him anything or making any kind of duaa to him. 

Rather you’re “missing” him, or out of “love” for him, as Fatima radhi Allaahu anhaa said when the Prophet ﷺ passed away, out of grief and love for her father, Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

🍃 When he ﷺ died, she said: 

“O my father [Yaa abataah], who answered the call of his Lord. O my father, whose abode is Jannat al-Firdaws! 

O my father, to Jibreel we announce the news of his death!”

(al-Bukhaari 4462)

But the ulama say it’s best to AVOID saying “Yaa Rasool Allaah” even in this sense of missing him or loving him because it “may” open the door to shirk. 

And Allaah knows best.