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Ibraaheem al-Khaleel (peace be upon him) is the best of the Prophets after our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and he has nothing to do with any polytheists

Question: 241787

When was hinduism born? I heard that after the disappearance of prophet Idrees, her wife and children were given a statue by Shaytan and told to worship that statue. Since that time, the number of mushrikeen started to increase. Is it true?

Also, has the Brahmins anything to do with Prophet Ibraheem and is it true that Prophet Ibrahim was the second greatest creature ever after Propher Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

Hinduism is a name given to a highly varied religious legacy
that developed in India during the last three thousand years. Currently it
represents the beliefs and practices of more than five hundred million
Hindus, most of whom live in India and represent eighty percent of the total
population.

Variation is the key to understanding the religious life of
Hindus, because Hinduism is not a monolithic religion and it does not have a
founder or a single set of beliefs or a single religious text that is
accepted by all followers, and it does not have a single moral code or
clergy system that all follow, or a single concept of God that forms the
foundation of the religion. Rather it is a huge collection of traditions,
practices and beliefs. End quote.

Mu‘jam al-Adyaan,
ed. by John R. Henleys, (p. 306f).

For more information on Hinduism and its beliefs, please see:
Mawsoo‘at al-Adyaan al-Hayyah, vol. 2, Adyaan Ghayr as-Samaawiyyah
(2/52f); Adyaan al-Hind al-Kubra by Dr. Ahmad Shalabi.

On this website we have previously given a brief description
of this man-made, polytheistic religion. Please see the answer to question
no. 126472.

Secondly:

Brahmanism derives its name from two things:

1.    

It is named
after Brahma, their god whom they worship; he is regarded as the supreme
power and ultimate reality of this universe.

2.    

The status of
the priestly caste, the Brahmins, who are the highest social caste in
Hinduism.

See: al-Mu‘taqadaat ad-Deeniyyah ‘inda ash-Shu‘oob, by
Jeffrey Barindar (385-386).

There is no connection between the Close Friend of the Most
Gracious (Khaleel ar-Rahmaan) Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and the Hindu
Brahmins or any other polytheistic people, for Hinduism is a man-made
religion, therefore it is to be included under the heading of religions that
were not divinely revealed (non-Abrahamic religions).

See: Mawsoo‘at al-Adyaan al-Hayyah, R. S. Zeiner, vol.
2

They do not believe that Allah is the Lord of the Worlds, or
that He sent down Books to mankind or that He sent Messengers to them,
whether Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) or any other Messenger. So how can
they be named after the Close Friend of the Most Gracious (Khaleel
ar-Rahmaan) Ibraaheem (peace be upon him)?

Moreover, the adjectival form derived from the name of
Ibraaheem is Ibraaheemi (Abrahamic), not Brahmin.

Thus it is clear that this attribution is wrong, both in
terms of the meaning and in terms of the history of this religion, first of
all, and in terms of the linguistic root of the word.

Ash-Shahrastaani (may Allah have mercy on him) pointed this
out a long time ago, when he said:

There are some people who think that the Brahmins are named
after Ibraaheem (peace be upon him), but that is wrong, for these people in
particular deny the Prophets and Prophethood completely, so how can they
believe in Ibraaheem (peace be upon him)?

End quote from al-Milal wa’n-Nihal (2/1270), Fathullah
Badraan edn.

Allah protected His Prophet Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) and
raised him in status lest any polytheists be associated with him or he with
them, even by way of lying, just as He declared him to have nothing to do
with any disbelieving nation, and He chose him for Himself, to be His Close
Friend (Khaleel). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Ibrâhim (Abraham) was neither a
Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanifa (Islâmic Monotheism –
to worship none but Allâh Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:67]

“Indeed there has been an
excellent example for you in Ibrâhim (Abraham) and those with him, when they
said to their people: ‘Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship
besides Allâh, we have rejected you, and there has started between us and
you, hostility and hatred for ever, until you believe in Allâh Alone’”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:4].

Thirdly:

What the questioner mentioned about the Prophet of Allah
Idrees (peace be upon him) disappearing, and that the Shaytaan made a statue
of him and commanded his wife and children to worship it, is a comment for
which there is no basis, as far as we know.

The Holy Qur’an does not tell us the details of the message
of Idrees (peace be upon him), or any details of his life; rather it only
tells us that he was one of the Prophets of Allah. The Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) met him in the fourth heaven during his
Night Journey (Isra’). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And mention in the Book (the Qur’ân) Idris (Enoch).Verily!
he was a man of truth, (and) a Prophet.

And We raised him to a high station”

[Maryam 19:56, 57].

See also question no. 136890

What is well-known is that shirk first appeared on earth
among the people of Nooh (peace be upon him). It was narrated from Ibn
‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said concerning the verse
(interpretation of the meaning),

“And they have said: ‘You shall
not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwâ’, nor Yaghûth, nor
Ya’ûq, nor Nasr (these are the names of their idols)’”

[Nooh 71:23]:

These were the names of righteous men among the people of
Nooh. When they died, the Shaytaan inspired their people to set up idols in
the place where they used to gather, and call them by their names. So they
did that, but those idols were not worshipped then, until those people died
and knowledge was forgotten and lost, then they were worshipped.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4920).

With regard to what the questioner mentioned, we do not know
of any basis for it.

Fourthly:

Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) is the best of the Prophets and
Messengers after our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

The best of the Prophets after Muhammad (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) is Ibraaheem al-Khaleel, as is proven in Saheeh
Muslim from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is “the best of mankind.” The
scholars said likewise, including ar-Rabee‘ ibn Khuthaym who said: I do not
give precedence to anyone over our Prophet, and I do not give precedence to
anyone over Ibraaheem after our Prophet. End quote.

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(4/317)

See also: question no. 149310

And Allah knows best.

Source

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