Seeing the Prophet (s.a.w.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Taj ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Atha’illah as-Sakandari (q.s.), in Latha’if al-Minan, narrated from his teacher, Shaykh Shahab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn ‘Umar al-Mursi (q.s.) that his teacher, Imam Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ash-Shadzili (q.s.) said, “If I stopped seeing the Prophet (s.a.w.) for even one moment, I would consider myself no longer a Muslim.” 

Imam Shihab ad-Din Abu al-Fadhl Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalani (r.a.), Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi (r.a.), and others all agree that no one possessed of a heart and mind can object to standing for the sake of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and that this is desirable and recommended not only in the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.) but until the end of time.  Hafizh Abu Musa al-Asbahani (r.a.) passed away in 581 AH, more than five centuries after the time of the Prophet (s.a.w.), and yet stood for him in the present tense and mentioned seeing him. 

This seeing of the Prophet (s.a.w.) by the pious believers both in a sleeping and a wakeful state is an attested fact in the shari`ah which has been mentioned by the scholars, amongst them, Imam Shibab ad-Din Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hajr al-Haytsami (r.a.), in his Fatawa al-Haditsiyyah, was asked, “Is it possible to meet the Prophet (s.a.w.) while awake in our time?” 

He replied, “Yes, it is possible.  It has been asserted as part of the miracles of saints by al-Ghazali, al-Barizi, Taj as-Subki, and al-Yafi’i among the Shafi’iyyah, and by al-Qurthubi and ibn Abu Jamrah amongst the Malikiyyah.” 

It has been narrated that one of the awliya’ was sitting in the assembly of a faqih, jurist, while the latter related a hadits, whereupon the wali said, “This hadits is false.” 

The faqih asked, “How do you know that?” 

The wali replied, “The Prophet (s.a.w.) is standing right next to you, and he is saying, ‘I never said this.’” 

When he said this, the sight of the faqih was unveiled and he could see the Prophet (s.a.w.).