Is saying “Narah Tahqeeq” correct?

Question:

Is saying Narah Tahqeeq correct? Some people say that you should say “Haq Sab Yaar”? Because Imam Hasan is missed out in “Haq Chaar Yaar”, they also say that “Narah Tahqeeq” was started by wahabis, is there any proof on this? Can we say it? If one person stops “Narah Tahqeeq”, what can we say about such a person?

Answer

It is perfectly permissible to proclaim “Haq Chaar Yaar” for surely the four greatest companions (Allah is pleased with them) according to definite research are upon the truth (Haq). Imam Hasan (Allah is pleased with him) also without doubt is upon the truth and so are many and many other companions. However, missing the name of any of them does not affect the permissibility of proclaiming one, two, three or four of them are upon the truth. This is simply because one does not intend to limit the truth for those he proclaims are on the truth.

If the proclamation is for the Al-Khilafah Al-Raashidah, then verily it is wrong to miss out the name of Imam Hasan for surely without his eminence, that Khilafah is not complete. However, it is clear that the proclamation “Haq Chaar Yaar” is not for the Al-Khilafah Al-Raashidah but for the closest friends of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This is clear in the word, “Yaar”. The great Imam Qadi Ayad of Spain in his Al-Shifa records from Ibn Mas’ood that the Messenger of Allah said, “Allah has chosen four of them for me”. These are the four friends for whom the proclamation is made. The great Muhaddith and Jurist, Imam Ahmad in his Musnad narrates from Anas that the Messenger of Allah said that the love of four will not gather in the heart of a hypocrite. They are Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman and Ali (Allah is pleased with them all). This is the reason for the proclamation.

A person who stops such proclamation can not be accused until his intention is known. Maybe he has mistaken the proclamation to be for Al-Khilafah Al-Raashidah or for limiting the truth for them four. If that is the case then he is not accused by the Shari’ah. Or maybe he has been misguided to believe the four are not upon the truth. If he does not believe the four great companions to be on the truth then either he is a Shi’ah who believes that the Shaykhayn (Abu Bakr and Umar) are not upon the truth or a Wahhabi who believes that Ameer Al-Mumineen Ali Ibn Ab Taalib was wrong against Ameer Mu’awiyah (Allah is pleased with them both). I mention these two reasons according to our era and verily Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) know best.

Whether this proclamation was innovated by the Wahhabies or not has no relevance to its permissibility. This is simply because it is not from the types of resemblance that is prohibited by our Law. It is not a sign of a Wahhabi. Bukhari, Muslim and Abu Dawud have recorded from Ibn Abbas that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Madinah, he saw that the Jews fasted on a specific day, the 10th of Muharram. He (peace be upon him) asked the Jews why they fast on that day. They said that the day is of great importance for us, on this day our Prophet Musa (upon him be peace) was relieved from fir’awn (pharaoh). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “We have more right (to celebrate the success) of the Prophet Musa (upon him be peace). Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) fasted on that day and also ordered (the companions) to fast on that day”. According to another narration a companion objected that this is the way of the Jews and the Prophet (peace be upon him) said we shall fast for two days. In the same way, we are the correct Ahl Al-Sunnah Wa Al-Jama’ah and we have more right to proclaim the fact that our Prophet’s (peace be upon him) most beloved four companions are on the truth and verily Allah knows best.

Zahid Hussain Al-Qadri
(Beggar at the doorstep of scholars)