Is Allah the Giver and Prophetﷺ the Distributor of Blessings?

Hadith and its Explanation

Allah is the Giver, and he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the Distributor

Mufti Hassan Raza Attari Madani

The holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated: اِنَّمَا اَنَا قَاسِمٌ وَاللَّهُ يُعْطِي, which means, “I am only the distributor, and it is Allah Who is giving.”^[1]

In this blessed hadith, it is not clearly stated what the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم distributes. In such a case, according to the principles, the meaning will be that the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم distributes every single blessing. No one can receive anything without his mediation.

The great jurist of India, Mufti Muhammad Sharīf al-Ḥaqq al-Amjadī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه says:

No one in the creation can receive anything without the mediation of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. There is an authentic hadith in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and other collections that states: اِنَّمَا اَنَا قَاسِمٌ وَاللَّهُ يُعْطِي. The associated words for قَاسِمٌand  يُعْطِي are omitted, which gives the benefit of generality. This means that whatever Allah gives to the creation—whether it is a physical or spiritual blessing, or whether it is seen or hidden—He gives it all through the hands of the merciful Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. For this reason, Imam Aḥmad al-Khaṭīb al-Qasṭallānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, the commentator of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, stated in the book al-Mawāhib al-Ladunniyyah, and Imam Muhammad b. ꜤAbd al-Bāqī al-Zurqānī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه also maintained this:

ھُوَصَلَّی اللہ ُتَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ خِزَانَۃُ السِّرِّ وَمَوْضِعُ نُفُوْذِالْاَمْرِ فَلَا یُنْقَلُ خَیْرٌ اِلَّا عَنْہُ وَلَا یَنْفُذُ اَمْرٌ اِلَّا مِنْہُ صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ

This means that the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the treasury of secrets and the locus of the enforcement of commands. Therefore, every good thing is passed on only from the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and every command is fulfilled only through him.^[2]

Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khan al-NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه says:

From this, we learn that Allah gives all religious and worldly blessings, such as knowledge, faith, wealth, and children, while the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم distributes them. Whatever anyone received, they received it through the hands of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. This is because there is no limit to what Allah gives and no limit to what the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم distributes. Therefore, it is a wrong idea that he only distributes knowledge. If this were true, it would mean that Allah also only grants knowledge.^[3]

While explaining this hadith, some scholars have only mentioned “knowledge” regarding the distribution. However, this distribution is not limited only to knowledge. Many leading scholars have kept this distribution general. They believe that whether it is knowledge or wealth, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم distributes every blessing.

A scholar from the fifth century AH, the commentator of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Imam Ibn Baṭṭāl al-Mālikī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه says:

This statement of the final Prophetاِنَّمَا اَنَا قَاسِم   :صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , shows that the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not keep any wealth for himself. Instead, he would distribute it among the noble Companions  رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم. This statement was made to comfort the people — meaning that if someone receives more or less, it is the bestowal of Allah. If I (the Prophet) give more to someone, it is because Allah has decided it, and if I give less to someone, it is also because Allah has decided it.^[4]

The great scholar of Hadith, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar al-Haytamī al-Makkī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, who passed away in the tenth century AH, states:  

The holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the greatest vicegerent of Allah. Allah has placed the treasures of His grace and the banquets of His blessings in the hands of the holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم may give whatever he wishes to whomever he wishes.^[5]

For more details, it would be highly beneficial to read the following books of Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه: al-Amnu wa al-ꜤUlā^[6] and Tajallī al-Yaqīn^[7]