Waraqah ibn Nawfal – Biographies of the Salaf

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Was Waraqah ibn Nawfal a Companion of the Prophet Muhammad (SWS)

There is a difference of opinion as to whether Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza ibn Qusayy al-Qurashi al-Asadi – the paternal cousin of Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – was one of the Companions.

Some of the scholars listed him among the Companions, such as at-Tabari, al-Baghawi, Ibn Qani‘, Ibn as-Sakan and others, as it says in al-Isabah (6/607)

az-Zarkali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Among the historians are some who regarded him as being one of the Companions . Al-Baghdadi said: Abu’l-Hasan Burhan ad-Din Ibrahim al-Biqa‘i wrote a book about Waraqah’s belief in the Prophet and his being a Companion of his, which he called Badhl al-Nus-h wa’sh-Shafaqah li Ta’rif bi Suhbat as-Sayyid Waraqah.” (Al-I‘lam, 8/115)

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“What appears to me to be the case – and Allah knows best – is that he is to be regarded as a Sahabi, so one should say “Radiya Allahu ‘anhu (may Allah be pleased with him)” when mentioning him.”

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan was asked:

What is more appropriate with regard to Waraqah ibn Nawfal if mention is made of him? Can we say “Radiya Allahu ‘anhu (may Allah be pleased with him)”?

He (may Allah preserve him) replied:

“Undoubtedly, yes, he is a Sahabi and we should say “Radiya Allahu ‘anhu (may Allah be pleased with him).”

According to this view, Waraqah ibn Nawfal was the first man to believe in the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Hence we say: The first woman to believe in him was Khadijah and the first man to do so was Waraqah ibn Nawfal.” (Majmu‘ Fatawa wa Rasail Ibn ‘Uthaymin (8/613)

Some of the scholars say that he was not a Sahabi, but he believed in the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and died during the cessation of revelation .

Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“We have noted above that Waraqah ibn Nawfal believed in the revelation that existed at his time, and died during the cessation of revelation, may Allah be pleased with him.” (Al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah (3/25)

Adh-Dhahabi quoted the hadith of ‘Urwah, according to which he said:

“Waraqah ibn Nawfal passed by Bilal when he was being tortured; his back was on the hot sand and he was saying, “One, One.” Waraqah said: “One, One, O Bilal. Patience, O Bilal. Why are you torturing him? For by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you kill him, I will surely pray for mercy for him.

Then adh-Dhahabi said: This report is mursal. If Waraqah lived until this time, then he would be regarded as one of the Companions . But the man died during the cessation of revelation, after Prophethood began but before the message was proclaimed, as it says in as-Sahih.” (Siyar A‘lam an-Nubala (1/129)

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after quoting the hadith about the beginning of creation:

“The apparent meaning of this report indicates that he affirmed his Prophethood, but he died before the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to call people to Islam. So he is like Buhayra, and the issue of describing him as one of the Companions is subject to discussion.” (Al-Isabah 6/607)

Some of the scholars refrained from taking a stance, and mentioned the difference of opinion.

Ibn Mandah said:

“There is a difference of opinion as to whether he became Muslim. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas narrated from him, but I do not know of anyone who said that Waraqah became Muslim. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not definitively say that he became Muslim, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas did not hear from him.” (Tarikh Dimashq 63/4)

Al-Karmani said:

“If you were to ask me, what do you say about Waraqah? Do you deem him to have been a believer? I would say that he was undoubtedly a believer in ‘Isa (peace be upon him). As for whether he believed in our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), it is not known whether the religion of ‘Isa had been abrogated at the time of his death or not. If it is proven that it had been abrogated at that time, then the more correct view is that faith is to believe and he believed, and he did not say anything to contradict that.” (‘Umdat al-Qari 1/168)

Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about Waraqah ibn Nawfal and whether he is to be regarded as a Sahabi or one of the people of the interval between Prophets?

The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) replied:

“If it is proven that he became Muslim at the time of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he is a Sahabi. But his words “It is an-namus al-akbar (i.e., Jibreel)” do not clearly indicate that he became Muslim, because he said, “If I live until your time,” and he did not live until that time.” (Fatawa ash-Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaq ‘Afifi p. 313)

What is more likely to be the case – and Allah knows best – is that he was a believer and a monotheist, but he is not regarded as one of the Companions, because he died during the cessation of revelation, after Prophethood began but before the message was proclaimed.

Al-Hakim (4211) narrated from `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:

“Do not revile Waraqah, for I saw that he will be in the Garden (Paradise), or will have two gardens.” Al-Hakim classed it as sahih according to the conditions of the two shaykhs [al-Bukhari and Muslim]. It was also quoted by al-Albani in as-Sahihah (405). Ad-Daraqutni thought it most likely to be mursal, as it says in al-‘Ilal (14/157)

If it is sahih, then this may indicate that the Companions were not certain that he was to be regarded as one of the Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). If he had been a Sahabi, there would have been no need to tell the people not to criticise him (may Allah have mercy on him).

And Allah knows best.

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Did Waraqa Ibn Nawfal Teach The Prophet?

Waraqa is one of the four men who left the pagan faith of Mecca as mentioned in this article in search for the Hanifite roots ( the religion of Abraham^(P)) and returned as a Christian. Even he was claimed to be the source of the Qur’ân. Some missionaries depended on hadîths narrated in Sahih al-Bukhârî:

Narrated ‘Aisha^(R): Volume 4, Book 55, Number 605:

“..The Prophet returned to Khadija while his heart was beating rapidly. She took him to Waraqa bin Naufal who was a Christian convert and used to read the Gospel in Arabic Waraqa asked (the Prophet), “What do you see?” When he told him, Waraqa said, “That is the same angel whom Allah sent to the Prophet) Moses. Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly.”

The other hadîth is:

Narrated ‘Aisha^(R): Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3

Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad bin ‘Abdul ‘Uzza, who, during the pre-Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, “Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!” Waraqa asked, “O my nephew! What have you seen?” Allah’s Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, “This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out.” Allah’s Apostle asked, “Will they drive me out?” Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, “Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.” But after a few days Waraqa died.

Waraqa was an old man and died shortly after Muhammad^(P) had received the revelation of the Qur’ân; as clearly can be read from the above hadîth. While the revelation of the Qur’ân continued for more than twenty years after the death of Waraqah bin Nawfal, the Prophet^(P) was receiving the revelation in different places and even while he was among his Companions. Also, he was answering direct questions raised later by the Jews in Madinah. In addition, the Jews and the disbelievers of Mecca would be very pleased if they knew for sure that there was a knowledgeable person who was teaching Muhammad^(P) the Qur’ân.

And finally Waraqa himself announced in all of the hadîths reported in Sahih al-Bukhârî that he would support Muhammad^(P) strongly if he lived long enough:

“Should I live till you receive the Divine Message, I will support you strongly.”

“if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly.”

It is not surprising to see that when these points are brought together, Christian missionaries start to take refuge in the excuses that Waraqa was a heretic or on whose authority he said that he would support Muhammad’s^(P) prophethood?