Is it permissible to pray to drink from the Prophet’s hand at al-Hawd (the Cistern)?

 

Is it permissible to pray to drink from the Prophet’s hand at al-Hawd (the Cistern), a refreshing drink after which one will never thirst again?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The Cistern of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is called al-Kawthar, and its
location is before the Siraat, according to the more correct opinion. Its
water comes to it from the river of al-Kawthar in Paradise. His Cistern is
square, and its length and breadth are the distance of a month’s travel by
camel. Its water is whiter than milk, its fragrance is more pleasant than
musk and its taste is sweeter than honey. The number of its vessels is like
the number of stars in the sky, and even more. Whoever drinks from it will
never thirst again after that.

For more details concerning
the Cistern, please see the answer to question no.
48995

Secondly:

Many people believe that the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the one who will give
people to drink from the water of that Cistern, hence we hear and see them
say in their du‘aa’: “Give us to drink from his (the Prophet’s) noble hand a
drink after which we will never thirst again”! But this belief is mistaken,
for several reasons:

1.    
That is not proven in any of
the reported hadeeths about the Cistern.

2.    
It is proven in al-Saheeh
that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that
whoever comes to the Cistern will drink from it. Thus we see inn the hadeeth
that drinking is connected to coming to the Cistern, not to being given the
drink by the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

3.    
The Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the number of its vessels is like
the number of stars in the sky. This indicates that everyone who comes to it
will drink by himself. 

Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh
(may Allah preserve him) said:

Its vessels, as described by
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the hadeeth of
‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas and others, are as numerous “as the stars in
the sky”. From this we may understand two characteristics:

1.    
That they are numerous, because
their number is like the number of stars in the sky. This indicates that
there will be ease and comfort in drinking from it, and that there will be
no pushing and shoving around its vessels, or that the people will drink
from their hands.

2.    
That its vessels – or cups or
jugs, etc – will be like the stars of the sky in brightness, splendour and
light. 

The stars of the sky are
numerous, and have the characteristics of light and brightness.

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah
al-Tahhaawiyyah
(tape no. 14)

Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may
Allah preserve him) said:

There is nothing in these
reports to suggest that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) will give the people to drink from his noble hand, as some people claim
and say “O Allah, give us to drink from his (the Prophet’s) noble hand a
refreshing drink after which we will never thirst again” This is not
narrated in any of the reports that I have examined. This is as far as the
text is concerned.

If we examine the issue from
a rational point of view, it is as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) alone will give those people to drink from his noble
hand, despite this huge number of people and the great vastness of the
Cistern. Moreover this is not appropriate to the status of Prophethood; it
is as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is no more
than a water carrier who will give them water to drink! Even though the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is the first one who will
come to it and the Cistern is his.

The fact that he has been
given the Cistern does not imply that he will give the people water with his
own hand; rather he is the one who will precede his ummah, then he will
rejoice when he sees them drinking in such large numbers, and they will come
and drink from this great bounty that Allah has bestowed upon him and with
which He has honoured him, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) will feel sad when he sees people being turned away from the
Cistern.

So he will not give them to
drink, because what is clearly stated is that they will come and will drink,
and others will be excluded and driven away.

 

http://www.alhawali.com/index.cfm?method=home.SubContent&contentID=4624
[in Arabic]

Based on that, praying that
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) will give the
supplicant to drink on the Day of Resurrection with his noble hand from his
Cistern is something that should not be circulated. There is no report to
indicate that that will happen on the Day of Resurrection. Sticking to what
is mentioned in the reports is greater in blessing and will protect one
against making mistakes in knowledge and action.

If a person hopes that Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted, will honour him by causing him to be given
to drink from the hand of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him), that may happen. Allah knows best what will happen on the Day of
Resurrection, to him and to others.

And Allah knows best.