In the Name of Allah, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, his Family and all his Companions.

What Is the Na’layn/ Nalain Shareef?

The Nalain (Na’layn) Shareef are the Sandals of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which were used by the Prophet   ﷺ in His life. An original pair of the Prophet’s ﷺ ‘Nalain As Shareef’ have been kept and safeguarded in the Famous Topkapi Palace Museum the in Istanbul, Turkey.

The significance given to the Holy Prophet’s ﷺ Feet

• Imam Qastalani in his book “Mawahib al-Ladunniyah” has quoted very authentic sources from the biographies of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and presented some irrefutable evidences in his other book “Al-Murtaja bil Qubul” that whenever the Holy Prophet ﷺ walked on stones, they turned soft below his feet leaving deep imprints of his blessed foot.
• Hazrat Numan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) in his famous eulogy “Rahmatur Rehman” has described this miracle in the following words:

If you walk on soft earth your foot leaves no trace

But on hard stone, your foot leaves deep traces.

• One of the wonders of the heels of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is that when Uncle Abu Talib complained of severe thirst at Zul Majaz, the Holy Prophet ﷺ struck his heel against the earth. The water came gushing from the earth. Abu Talib says: I never saw such a spring neither before nor after it. When Abu Talib was saturated, the Prophet ﷺ struck again and the spring disappeared. (Khasaes Kubra).
• Tirmidhi has reported that Hazrat Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) fell seriously ill and lost hope of survival. The Holy Prophet ﷺ passed by him. He struck him by his toe and said O My Lord! Cure his disease and give him speedy recovery. Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: After that I never complained again of that disease.
• Hazrat Abu Hurairah and Hazrat Abu Omamah (may Allah be pleased with them) have reported that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ walked on a stone, his feet have engrossed in it (Baihaqi and Ibn Asakir). It means that stones become soft below his blessed feet in order to facilitate his easy walk.
• Hazrat Allamah Imam Shehabuddin Khafaji has reported that when the Holy Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam) walked bare footed on the stone, it became soft leaving the foot embossed in it. Many people have preserved these holy stones for blessings. A number of such stones are still found in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jerusalem and some other countries. A large number of people visit, offer their respects and take blessings from these stones (Nasim al- Riyadh and other books).

The significance of the Holy Sandals

The practice of honouring relics (tabarruk) was common among the Companions of Messenger ﷺ.  Lots of attention has been given to the blessed Sandals of the Holy Prophet ﷺ by the companions and is mentioned repeatedly in authentic traditions and many narrations have been transmitted from the Companions giving exact descriptions of the noble sandals of the Prophet ﷺ. The first generations, from the Companions of Messenger ﷺ, were the first to give them attention and importance, such that some of them were known to have distinguished themselves with serving the Noble Sandals.

• On the night of ascent to heaven, Angel Jibrail had awakened the Holy Prophet ﷺ by touching his sole with his cheek. After his arrival to the sanctum empyrean the Holy Prophet ﷺ remembering that Allah (AWJ) had told Moosa (A.S.) to take off his shoes near Mount Sinai, intended to take off his shoes, but Allah (AWJ) told him to proceed with the shoes on.
• Bukhari and Tirmidhi narrate from Qatada: “I asked Anas to describe the sandals of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and he replied: Each sandal had two straps”; and from `Isa ibn Tahman: “Anas took out a pair of shoes and showed them to us. They did not have hair on them.” (The remark refers to the Arabian practice of not removing the hair from the leather from which shoes were made.) Bukhari, Malik, and Abu Dawud relate that `Ubayd ibn Jarih said to `Abd Allah ibn `Umar: “I saw you wear tanned sandals.” He replied: “I saw the Prophet wearing sandals with no hair on them and perform ablution in them, and so I like to wear them.”
• It has been reported by Ibn Saad that Anas bin Malik was the keeper of the sandals of Messenger. Imam al-Salihi,  who was a student of Imam Jalaludin Suyuti,  reported in his work, Subul al-Huda wa’l Rashad (8:318) that Abd Allah ibn Masud R.A used to get up as soon as Messenger (sal Allahu alayhi wasallam)  sat down, and would take off the Beloved Messenger’s   sandals, and place them under his arms. Then, when the Messenger ﷺ would get up, he would put them on his Blessed Feet. Imam Qastalani too mentions this in Mawahib al-Laduniyya.  Abd Allah ibn Masud R.A was often called ‘the Caretaker of the Sandals, Couch and Water Bag’.

Depictions of the Nalain

Motifs and symbols of the Nalain Shareef are used by many Muslims as a way of expressing and increasing their love of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

The depiction of the Nalain has had a special place in the hearts of Muslims since it points to one of the needs of their tremendous Prophet ﷺ.  The depiction inspires in them the utmost humility towards lofty status of Prophet ﷺ. Because of this, they took care to record this depiction, and to draw it, and they sometimes even placed it under or on their turbans, to feel their complete subservience to the tremendousness of this Most Noble Messenger ﷺ.  They also hung this depiction in their houses, seeking blessing from it. Writers and poets wrote eloquently in praise of the Noble Sandals, and in describing the feelings of ecstatic love for that King ﷺ who wore them.

• Al-Munawi and al-Qari mentioned in their commentary on Tirmidhi’s Al-Shama’il that Ibn al-`Arabi said that the sandals are part of the attire of Prophets ﷺ, and the people only left them due to the mud in their lands. He also mentioned that one of the names of the Prophet ﷺ in the ancient books is sahib Al-Na`layn or “The Wearer of the Two Sandals.”
• Imam Jazuli, the author of the famous Dala’il al-Khayrat, includes the image of the blessed sandal in his Dala’il al-Khayrat out of reverence for it and as a means of seeking Allah (AWJ’s) blessings.
• Out of this same love and devotion, Imam al-Zarqani states, “If possible, kiss the dust that has been touched by the sandals, otherwise, kiss an image of the sandals.” [Sharh al-Zarqani ‘ala’l Mawahib, 5:48]
• Imam Qastalani narrates a beautiful verse in honour of the blessed sandals, composed by Imam Qurtubi who says: “I concentrated on the waves of light that emanated from the blessed sandals and as long as we bow down before them (in humility), we will be honoured. Hence, keep it above the head as it is in reality a crown, though apparently a sandal.” [al-Mawahib al-Ladunniya, 2:470]
• Imam ibn Asakir wrote an entire volume on the image of the blessed sandals entitled Timthalu Naal al-Nabiyy or A Sketch of the Sandal of the Prophet.

The above reports are all crystal-clear demonstrations of love and submission towards the Beloved Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, through honouring the depiction of his blessed Nalain Shareef

Blessings of the Nalain Shareef

The Nalain Shareef or an impression together with a description of the blessings is often used to obtain blessings. There are many blessings for a person to keep a picture of Na’layn Shareef with him or displayed in their home or place of work:

• Imam Qastallani that, Sayyidina Abu Ishaq al-Zuhri who was one of the Tabi’een, reports that Sayyidina Qasim ibn Muhammad (ibn Abu Bakr Siddiq) said, “Of the proven blessing of the likeness of the Prophet’s ﷺ sandal is that, whoever has it in his possession for tabarruk will be safeguarded by it from the sedition of rebels and the mastery of enemies, and it will be a barrier against every devil and the evil eye of the envious. If a pregnant woman holds it in her right hand during labour, her delivery will be easier by Allah’s Power.”
• Al-Qastallani also said that Abu al-Yaman ibn `Asakir wrote a volume on the image of the Prophet’s ﷺ sandal, and so did Ibn aHajj al-Andalusi. He relates the account of a pious shaykh by the name of Abu Ja`far Ahmad ibn `Abd al-Majid: I cut the pattern of this sandal for one of my students. He came to me one day and said: “I saw a wonder yesterday from the blessing of this sandal. My wife was suffering from a pain which almost took her life. I placed the sandal on the spot of her pain and said: O Allah, show me the blessing of the owner of this sandal. Allah cured her on the spot.”
• As Imam Yusuf Nabhani says: Verily I serve the image of the Sandal of Mustafa ﷺ so that “I may live in both worlds under its protection”.
• Shaikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani informs us: Shihab al-Din Ahmad al-Muqri wrote a book on this which he named Fath al-muta`al fi madh al-ni`al (The opening of the Most High in the praise of the Prophet’s ﷺ sandals).

It may be said that it the Prophet’s ﷺ sandal has countless qualities. The `ulama have experienced it many a time. One is blessed by seeing the Holy Prophet ﷺ in one’s dreams; one gains safety from oppressors and every heartfelt desire is attained.

The Blessings and Benefits of carrying and displaying the Nalain Shareef

The Great Muslim theologians have listed many benefits and blessings in keeping and venerating a copy of the Nalain Shareef. Some of these are listed below.

• The person will be safe from the harms of the cruel, wickedness of the Satan and from the bad sight of the enviers.
• The pain of childbirth will be eased for eased for the woman who keeps it with her at the time of delivery.
• The person who always keeps a copy of it with him will have respect in the sight of creation.
• He will have the opportunity to see the Blessed Green Dome – Ghumbad-e-Khizra in Madeena Shareef.
• He will have the honour in seeing the Holy Prophet ﷺ in his dream.
• His property or wealth will be safe in a place where the Nalain Shareef is kept.
• A person’s needs will be met when he prays through the waseela of the Nalain Shareef.
• A person who keeps the Nalain Shareef for a particular reason will have his wishes fulfilled.
• The person will be safe from thieves, calamities and dangers such as drowning.
• The disease and ailments go away when the Nalain Shareef is placed over the affected part.
• Success and deliverance were gained through the Nalain Shareef in oppressive times.

The Blessings are not limited to the list above and will be fulfilled by the will of Allah Azza Wa Jal through love and devotion of the Holy Prophet ﷺ