All Praises is due to Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala, Peace and Blessings be upon the most perfect of creations, His Beloved Habeeb, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam his noble Family and the illustrious Sahaba Ridwanullahi Ta’ala Alaihim Ajma’een and all the pious servants of Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala.
I have been writing and reciting Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho whenever the name of the Exalted names of Glorious SaHaba and dignified Awliya Allah Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhum Ajma’een is mentioned following the practice of highly ranked Ulama (Scholars) and Pious people of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. And for the same reason, I have been writing Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anho with names of Awliya and Ulama in my notes. I found few people, sharing with me their confusion over using Radi Alllah Anhu for other than a SaHabi and I also found few deviants, who were creating cofusions in the minds of our unaware Muslims Brothers and Sisters for which I thought to provide them a note proving it to be permissible and a practice of prominent and pious scholars of Islam.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Use of Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for other than a companion of the Beloved Prophet Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him is permissible as written in Durr al-Mukhtar:
1. To use Radi Allahu Ta’ala for a companion is Mustahab and for Taba’een and others, raHmatullahi Ta’ala Alaih is recommended and its opposite, that is , rahmatullahi Ta’ala alaih for a companion and Radi Allahu Ta’ala for Taba’een and others is also permissible. [Durr al-Mukhtar , Vol 5, Page 480]
2. Alla’ma al-Khaffaji in his Naseem ar-Riyadh [Sharah al-Shifa of Qadi Ayad Al Mailki] writes : “It is permissible to use Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Masha’ikh and others.” [Naseem ar-Riyadh, Vol 3, Page 509]
3. Shayh Abdul Haq Muhaddith al Dehalwi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Hadrat Owais al- Qarni, who was not a companion. [Ashi’at-ul-Lama’at, Vol 4, Page 743]
4. Imam Ibn Abideen uses Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Abu Hanifa at many places. [Rad Al-Muhtar, Vol 1, Printed from Deoband, Page 35, 36, 37 and Page 42 , Total Six times]
5. Imam Ibn Abideen has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Shafi’i at seven places. [Page 35, 38, 41, 43] and has also used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Sahl bin Abdullah al –Tustari. [Page 38] [Radd al – Muhtar, Vol 1]
6. Imam Haskafi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Shafi’i and Abdullah bin Mubarak. [Durr al-Mukhtar ,Vol 1 , Page 45]
7. Imam Fakhr al-Din Razi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Abu Hanifa. [Tafsir al-Kabir, Vol 6, Page 382]
8. Imam Ali Al Qari has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafi’i. [Mirqat, Vol 1, Page 3 – Bombay Edition]
9. Sayyid Ahmed Tahtawi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Abu Hanifa. [Tahtawi ‘ala al-Miraqi, Istanbul Edition, Page 11]
10. Imam Al Ghazali has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Malik and Imam Shafi’i. [Ihya al-Uloom al-Deen , Vol 2, Page 7]
11. Imam Hajar al Asqalani has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Bukhari and Imam Shafi’i. [Muqaddima , Fat’h al-Bari , Page 18 and 21]
12. Imam Nawawi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Muslim. [Muqaddima, Sharah Muslim , Page 11]
13. Shayh Abdul Haq Muhaddith al Dehalwi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Shafi’i and Imam Bukhari. [Ashi’at-ul-Lama’at, Vol 1 , Page 9 and 16]
14. Shaykh Al Tibrizi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Baghawi. [Muqadiima , Mishkat al Masabih]
15. Alla’ma Al-Khaffaji has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Imam Qadi Iyad. [Naseem ar-Riyadh, Page 5, Cairo Edition]
16. Shaykh Abdul Haq Muhaddith al Dehalwi has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Sayyiduna Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani al Hasani al Hussaini at more than fifteen places. [Ashi’at-ul-Lama’at, Vol1 , Page 18 and Akhbar al Akhiyar Page 15,16, 18 21, 22, 23, 24 , 209, 210, 211, 212, 213 and 214]
17. Imam Mulla Ali al Qari has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Abdullah bin Mubarak, Layth bin Sa’ad, Imam Malik bin Anas, Dawud Tai’i, Ibrahim Bin Adham and Fudayl ibn Iyaad. [Mirqat, Vol 1 , Page 27]
18. Allama Al-Sa’avi al Maliki has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu for Shaykh Suleyman Jamal, Ahmed Dardeer, Salim Hafnawi, Shaykh Ameer, Imam Abul Hasan Sahykh Saeed Adawi , Allama Mohammed bin Badeeri Dimyati, Nuruddin Ali Shabralsi, Allama Halabi, Allama Ali Ajhori, Burhan Alqi, Shamshuddin Alqami , Imam Ziyaadi, Shaykh Ramli, Shaykhul Islam Zakariyya Anasari, Jalaluddin Muhalli and Imam Suyuti. [Tafsir al-Sawi , Vol 1 , Page 3]
19. Imam al Shatnufi in [Bahjat al-Asraar] has used Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu at many places for other than companions and in Bidaya , Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu has been used for Sahib al-Hidaya by his students at many places.
I hope my effort will be appreciated and my brothers and sisters in faith will surely remember me in their prayers for peace and prosperity, health and happiness and Allah’s SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala Mercy and Favour. May Almighty Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala, through the intercession of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam accept this humble effort; and may He SubHanuhu wa Ta’ala give us the Toufeeq and Hidayah to restore the true rights and respect towards our Ulama and Awliya as dictated by Islam. Aameen!!