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     | Sunday, February 18, 2001 - 06:07 am Imam Hamza Yusuf Tasawwuf/Sufism in Islam a talk sponsored by CAIR Stanford University, May 4, 1997 Imam Hamza Yusuf, sometime khatib at the Muslim Community Association of Santa Clara, California, spoke on Sufism in Islam, directly following a lecture by Dr. Anne-Marie Schimmel, former Harvard professor of Oriental Studies. Imam Hamza began by noting that the architecture of Stanford is modeled after traditional Andalusian, Moroccan and North African universities. He said that Islamic architecture and civilization was once great as was its scholarship, but unfortunately the Muslim ummah has fallen behind in these spheres. Imam Hamza continued: "The fundamental and underlying message in the tradition of Islam I think personally is that it does not and refuses to create this dialectic in which a person's inward and their outward become split. [In non-Islamic systems] people are either forced to become esoterists or they are forced to become exoterists. "In fact what Islam is trying to do and what most of the other spiritual religions and in fact from the Muslim perspective all of them have failed to do is to join these two elements in a harmonious and balanced way and this is why in the tradition of Islam Sufism has always been part of the traditional Islamic curriculum in every single Muslim university. I know of no period in the Islamic tradition in which Sufism was not taught in the universities and not seen as an important and fundamental aspect of the tradition of Islam. "Sidi Ahmad Zarruq wrote a great book called the principles of Sufism in which he clarified traditional and orthodox Sufism says in his principle number 208, 'there are five reasons for repudiating the Sufis the first of these is with reference to the perfection of their path. For if the Sufis latch on to a special dispensation or if they misbehave or are negligent in a matter or if a fault manifests itself in them, people hasten to repudiate them.' Because they are people who have traditionally been the most strongest and fierce adherents to the sacred teaching of Islam and they have been the ones also that have never inclined toward easy ways out on terms of the shariah or the sacred law. "They have been the strictest adherents to the sacred law, but they have a wonderful principle: that is be hard on yourself and be gentle with other people. Unfortunately, the disease of this age amongst many Muslims is be easy on yourself and be hard on everybody else. So I think this is where the real crises of rejecting Sufism as one third of Islam has had really devastating results in much of the modern Islamic phenomenon. {Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq] said 'this is because no servant is free of fault unless he is granted infallibility or protection by God.' "The second reason [for people to repudiate Sufis] is the sensitivity of the observer. [The observer's] criticism of the Sufis and their knowledge and states occurs as much as the ego, nafs, hastens to deny knowledge it does not posses. Imam Sayyidina Ali was known for saying, 'Whoever is ignorant of a thing is its natural enemy.' "The third reason [to reject the Sufis] is the existence of many who fall short of their claims and those who seek [worldly] gain through the guise of religiosity. This has been an affliction within the Muslim ummah. It is well known of the people claiming to be Sufis, putting on the garments of Sufis, and tricking simple followers and worshippers; getting them to give them their money, to slavishly serve them, and these type of things. This has happened historically in the Muslim world. The [pious] imams have always been the strictest at trying to prevent this deception, because there is nothing worse than deceiving somebody in religion. Give me a mafia gangster any day over a fraudulent religious observer--really! This is the reason for denying any claim that they might make even though there is proof of it. Because it is found doubtful. "The fourth reason is fear for the generality that they might be lead astray by following esoteric doctrines without upholding the letter of the law as happens to many ignorant people. So ignorant people might hear some statement which is said by a Sufi and they completely misunderstand it. And Abu Yazid al-Bistami put in Imam Dhahabi's tabaqat is considered a faqih (jurisprudent). Imam Dhahabi is considered a student of Ibn Taymiyya and he considers Abu Yazid al-Bistami a reasonable and sound source of hadith. Yet Abu Yazid al-Bistami is the one who is noted for saying 'Subhanee' which means 'Glory to Me!' This is known in the technical vocabulary of the Sufis as a shatha, an ecstatic utterance. If a person says it in a state in which their self is absent they are not taken to account for it We have proof of it in Sahih Bukhari about a slave in the middle of a desert in which the Prophet (s) says that because he finds his lost beast he shouts out in joy 'Allah you are my slave and I am Your lord!' The Prophet explained that that slave made a mistake in his ecstatic state after finding his animal. This is someone who finds their animal, so how much greater for someone who has found his Lord?! What about his state of ecstasy? "The fifth reason [to reject Sufism] is the covetousness some people have for the ranks of Sufism. In traditional Muslim society the Sufis were held up as literally the highest people in the society; they were the shaykhs. Imam Nawawi was a great Sufi, [Qadi] Iyad was a great Sufi, Ibn Hajar Asqalani was a great Sufi, Imam Ibn Jawzi was a great Sufi. All of these great imams were known to be Sufis of great stature. Abu Hamid al Ghazzali who is given the title Hujjat al-Islam is probably the greatest example. People wanted to be like them, and the Arabs are notorious in their understanding if you are not like noble people pretend to be like them because even that is a type of nobility. "Finally [Sidi Ahmad Zarruq] said, 'Thus people are inclined to become inflamed with the Sufis, more so than with any other group.' People in official positions exert pressure on them more than anybody else. This was a traditional area in which the government would try to influence the Sufis because they knew that they had such a vast amount of power over the common people The Sufis were traditionally the most distant and furthest people from the governors or the government unless they were righteous rulers like Nizam al Mulk who Imam Ghazali actually helped to build the Nizamiyya system of teaching. And anyway [Sidi Ahmad Zarruq] says, 'Anyone who falls in any of these categories except for the last is either rewarded or excused and Allah knows best.' "I was asked to make a du`a and I would like to make the du`a of the people of North Africa which I heard many, many times in North Africa and was always very impressed by it; it is called Salat Tunjiyya--the prayer that saves people: "Allahumma salli ala Sayyidina Muhammadin salatan tunjina biha min jami al ahwali wal afat wa taqdi lana biha jami`a al hajjat wa tutahiruna biha min jami`a as-sayyiat wa tarfauna biha `indaka ala darajat wa tubalighuna biha aqsa al ghayat min jami`a al khayrat fil hayati wa bad al mamat wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim tasliman kathira" O Allah pray on our Master Muhammad a prayer by means of which we will be saved from every awe-inspiring harmful thing, and that will take care of all of our needs, and purify us by means of it from all of our ugly qualities and characteristics and raise us and purify us by means of it from all of our ugly qualities and characteristics and raise us up by means of it in Your Presence to the highest of degrees, and cause us to reach by means of it the extremes of all goodness in our life and after our death and this prayer be upon his family and his companions and may he be given safety and much salaam. "I would like to thank on behalf of CAIR and the Muslims in this area everybody for attending this lecture. Thank you very much."
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| | Sunday, February 18, 2001 - 05:39 pm © Nuh Ha Mim Keller 1995 HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THE CLAIM THAT SUFISM IS BID'A? I would respond by looking to see how traditional ulama or Islamic scholars have viewed it. For the longest period of Islamic history--from Umayyad times to Abbasid, to Mameluke, to the end of the six-hundred-year Ottoman period--Sufism has been taught and understood as an Islamic discipline, like Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), hadith, Qur'an recital (tajwid), tenets of faith (ilm al-tawhid) or any other, each of which preserved some particular aspect of the din or religion of Islam. While the details and terminology of these shari'a disciplines were unknown to the first generation of Muslims, when they did come into being, they were not considered bid'a or "reprehensible innovation" by the ulema of shari'a because for them, bid'a did not pertain to means, but rather to ends, or more specifically, those ends that nothing in Islam attested to the validity of. To illustrate this point, we may note that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) never in his life prayed in a mosque built of reinforced concrete, with a carpeted floor, glass windows, and so on, yet these are not considered bid'a, because we Muslims have been commanded to come together in mosques to perform the prayer, and large new buildings for this are merely a means to carry out the command. In the realm of knowledge, books of detailed interpretation of the Qur'an, verse by verse and sura by sura, were not known to the first generation of Islam, nor was the term tafsir current among them, yet because of its benefit in preserving a vital aspect of the revelation, the understanding of the Qur'an, when the tafsir literature came into being, it was acknowledged to serve an end endorsed by the shari'a and was not condemned as bid'a. The same is true of most of the Islamic sciences, such as ilm al-jarh wa tadil or "the science of weighing positive and negative factors for evaluating the reliability of hadith narrators", or ilm al-tawhid, "the science of tenets of Islamic faith", and other disciplines essential to the shari'a. In this connection, Imam Shafi'i (d. 204/820) has said, "Anything which has a support (mustanad) from the shari'a is not bid'a, even if the early Muslims did not do it" (Ahmad al-Ghimari, Tashnif al-adhan, Cairo: Maktaba al-Khanji, n.d., 133). Similarly ilm al-tasawwuf, "the science of Sufism" came into being to preserve and transmit a particular aspect of the shari'a, that of ikhlas or sincerity. It was recognized that the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was not only words and actions, but also states of being: that a Muslim must not only say certain things and do certain things, but must also be something. The shari'a commands one, for example, in many Qur'anic verses and prophetic hadiths, to fear Allah, to have sincerity toward Him, to be so certain in ones knowledge of Allah that one worships Him as if one sees Him, to love the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) more than any other human being, to show love and respect to all fellow Muslims, to show mercy, and to have many other states of the heart. It likewise forbids us such inward states as envy, malice, pride, arrogance, love of this world, anger for the sake of ones ego, and so on. Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi relates, for example, with a chain of transmission judged rigorously authenticated (sahih) by Ibn Main, the hadith "Anger spoils faith (iman) as [the bitterness of] aloes sap spoils honey" (Nawadir al-usul. Istanbul 1294/1877. Reprint. Beirut: Dar Sadir, n.d., 6). If we reflect upon these states, obligatory to attain or to eliminate, we notice that they proceed from dispositions, dispositions not only lacking in the unregenerate human heart, but acquired only with some effort, resulting in a human change so profound that the Qur'an in many verses terms it purification, as when Allah says in surat al-Ala, for example, "He has succeeded who purifies himself" (Qur'an 87:14). Bringing about this change is the aim of the Islamic science of Sufism, and it cannot be termed bid'a, because the shari'a commands us to accomplish the change. At the practical level, the nature of this science of purifying the heart (like virtually all other traditional Islamic disciplines) requires that the knowledge be taken from those who possess it. This is why historically we find that groups of students gathered around particular sheikhs to learn the discipline of Sufism from. While such tariqas or groups, past and present, have emphasized different ways to realize the attachment of the heart to Allah commanded by the Islamic revelation, some features are found in all of them, such as learning knowledge from a teacher by precept and example, and then methodically increasing ones iman or faith by applying this knowledge through performing obligatory and supererogatory works of worship, among the greatest of latter being dhikr or the remembrance of Allah. There is much in the Qur'an and sunna that attests to the validity of this approach, such as the hadith related by al-Bukhari that: Allah Most High says: "....My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him (Sahih al-Bukhari. 9 vols. Cairo 1313/1895. Reprint (9 vols. in 3). Beirut: Dar al-Jil, n.d., 5.131: 6502)--which is a way of expressing that such a person has realized the consummate awareness of tawhid or "unity of Allah" demanded by the shari'a, which entails total sincerity to Allah in all one's actions. Because of this hadith, and others, traditional ulama have long acknowledged that ilm or "Sacred Knowledge" is not sufficient in itself, but also entails amal or "applying what one knows"--as well as the resultant hal or "praiseworthy spiritual state" mentioned in the hadith. It was perceived in all Islamic times that when a scholar joins between these aspects, his words mirror his humility and sincerity, and for that reason enter the hearts of listeners. This is why we find that so many of the Islamic scholars to whom Allah gave tawfiq or success in their work were Sufis. Indeed, to throw away every traditional work of the Islamic sciences authored by those educated by Sufis would be to discard 75 percent or more of the books of Islam. These men included such scholars as the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin, Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria al-Ansari, Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, Imam al-Izz Ibn Abd al-Salam, Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Sheikh Ahmad al-Sirhindi, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Bajuri, Imam al-Ghazali, Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi, Imam al-Nawawi, the hadith master (hafiz, someone with 100,000 hadiths by memory) Abd al-Adhim al-Mundhiri, the hadith master Murtada al-Zabidi, the hadith master Abd al-Rauf al-Manawi, the hadith master Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, the hadith master Taqi al-Din al-Subki, Imam al-Rafi'i, Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Zayn al-Din al-Mallibari, Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, and many many others. Imam al-Nawawi's attitude towards Sufism is plain from his work Bustan al-arifin [The grove of the knowers of Allah] on the subject, as well as his references to al-Qushayris famous Sufi manual al-Risala al-Qushayriyya throughout his own Kitab al-adhkar [Book of the remembrances of Allah], and the fact that fifteen out of seventeen quotations about sincerity (ikhlas) and being true (sidq) in an introductory section of his largest legal work (al-Majmu: sharh al-Muhadhdhab. 20 vols. Cairo n.d. Reprint. Medina: al-Maktaba al-Salafiyya, n.d., 1.1718) are from Sufis who appear by name in al-Sulamis Tabaqat al-Sufiyya [The successive generations of Sufis]. Even Ibn Taymiyya (whose views on Sufism remain strangely unfamiliar even to those for whom he is their "Sheikh of Islam"  devoted volumes ten and eleven of his Majmu al-fatawa to Sufism, while his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya wrote his three-volume Madarij al-salikin as a detailed commentary on Abdullah al-Ansaris Manazil al-sairin, a guide to the maqamat or "spiritual stations" of the Sufi path. These and many other Muslim scholars knew firsthand the value of Sufism as an ancillary shari'a discipline needed to purify the heart, and this was the reason that the Umma as a whole did not judge Sufism to be a bid'a down through the ages of Islamic civilization, but rather recognized it as the science of ikhlas or sincerity, so urgently needed by every Muslim on "a day when wealth will not avail, nor sons, but only him who brings Allah a sound heart" (Qur'an 26:88). And Allah alone gives success. © Nuh Ha Mim Keller 1995
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| | Monday, February 19, 2001 - 05:54 am Defining Tasawwuf: Abu bakr al-Kitaaniy said in defining tasawwuf, that it is manners and whomever increase on another in manners thus has more clarity and abul-Hasan an-Nawawi said, tasawwuf is not a set of rules or knowledge but manners, because if it was rules, then it would have been acquired through hard training, and if it was knowledge then it could have been achieved through studying. but it is through copying the manners of Allah. And the Shebly has defined it as its beginning is knowing Allah and its end is declaring his oneness. And the general definition is what Abu bakr al-katani said: " Tasawwuf is clarity and observation. And Tasawwuf had started immediately with Islam and that is because it is of refined manners and a direction towards Allah in the easy parts of the deeds and the tough ones. And from the first of the Sufis after the Sahabas and the followers are Ibrahim bin Adham and al-Fadil bin `Iyad. And because of the confusion between the people in distinguishing between an ascetic and a worshipper and a Sufi, we say: The ascetic: The one who shuns away from the temptations of this world and its pleasures. The worshipper: The one who is steadfast in the acts of worshipping like awaking in the night and prayer and so forth The Sufi: The one who is the ascetic and the worshiper, because the Sufi dispense with little from this world because he abstain from having anything distract him from Allah. And the Sufi is a worshipper because of his firm and continuous connection with Allah the exalted. He worships Allah because he is worthy of worshipping and not for desire or fear. Rabe`a al-`Adawiyya (may Allah be pleased with her): Oh my Lord, if I worship you for fear of your hell fire then throw me in it, and if I worship you in greed for your heaven then forbid me from having it and if I am worshipping you for your generous face [an Arabic expression that means for no direct or indirect benefit] then forbid me not from seeing you. FATAWA al-Imam Abdul Haleem Mahmoud Page 334, Vol 38 - Dar al-Ifta' al-Masriyya
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| | Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - 06:09 am The Station of Muraqabah From: The Steps of the Followers, by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya Muraqabah is knowing that Allah is watching over us. Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says, "And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him." [2:235] "And Allah is Ever a Watcher over all things." [33:52] "And He is with you wherever you may be." [57:4] There are many other similar verses stating the same concept. In the hadeeth of Jibreel, when he asked the Prophet (s) about ihsan (goodness and excellence), the Prophet (s) replied, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, but since we do not see Him we should know that He sees us at all times." (Bukhari and Muslim) The meaning of this hadeeth is the definition of muraqabah. Namely, the endurance of the servant's knowledge and his conviction and certainty that Allah is watching over his internal and external affairs. To have this knowledge and certainty at all times is called muraqabah. It is the fruit of the servant's knowledge that Allah is his Watcher, Over-seeing him, Hearing his utterances, and Observing all of his deeds at all times. Al-Junaid said, "The one firm in muraqabah fears the waste of even a moment for other than his Lord." Dhun-Nun said: "The sign of muraqabah is to favor what Allah has sent down (of the revelation), to glorify what Allah has glorified, and to despise what Allah has despised." Ibraheem Al-Khawass said: "Muraqabah is the sincerity of both the internal and external to Allah." It has been said that "The best that man may cling to on this road to Allah is muhasabah (reckoning of the self), muraqabah, and governing his conduct with knowledge." The people of true knowledge have unanimously agreed that having muraqabah for Allah in one's hidden thoughts is a means for it to manifest in the deeds and the behavior externally. So, whoever has muraqabah for Allah in secret and internally, Allah will preserve him in his actions and behavior, both internally and externally. One of the finest definitions for muraqabah is the following: muraqabah of Allah is being on the way to Him at all times with over-whelming glorification, inciting nearness and urging joy. The overwhelming glorification is to have the heart filled with glorification of Allah. Such a state makes the servant unconcerned with glorifying others or paying attention to others beside Allah. A servant should always have this state, especially when he is remembering Allah. To be with Allah provides one with intimacy and love. If these are not associated with glorification, they may take one outside of the limits of servitude. Any love that is not associated with glorification of the Beloved One is a reason to distance him away from the Beloved and lose His respect. The overwhelming glorification includes five components: walking towards Allah, constantly walking towards Him, presence within the heart for Him, glorification of Him, and being overwhelmed by His glorification to be concerned with others. The inciting nearness is the closeness to Allah that incites the servant to have these five components. This closeness makes him glorify Allah in a manner that he pays no attention to himself or others. The closer the servant becomes to Allah, the more he glorifies Him and the less mindful he will be for others. The urging joy is happiness and glorification. It is the delight one finds in this nearness. There is nothing in this world comparable in any way to the joy and happiness of the heart and the delight of the eye with Allah and His closeness. This is one of the states in Paradise. A knowledgeable person said, "There are times when I would say that if the people of Paradise can be in a state like this, they are indeed living a good life." This joy, no doubt, urges him to be constant in walking to Allah and oing his best to seek Allah's Pleasure. If one didn't achieve this joy or even a portion of it, then one should doubt their faith and deeds. Faith has grace and sweetness. If one has not tasted it, then one should go back and achieve the true faith and its sweetness. The Prophet (s) mentioned the sweetness of faith in many ahadeeth, including: "...tasted the taste of faith, those who take Allah as their Lord, Islam as their religion and Muhammad as a Messenger." (Muslim and Ahmad) He also said: "Whoever possesses the following three qualities attains the sweetness of faith: To have Allah and His Messenger dearer to him than anything else, to love a person only for the sake of Allah, and to hate to returne to kufr after Allah has rescued him from it like he hates to be thrown into fire." (Bukhari & Muslim) I heard Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah saying: "If you don't find sweetness and joy in the deed you perform, then doubt its sincerity, for Allah is Shakur (Most Appreciative and Rewarding)." He meant that Allah will certainly reward His servant for his deeds in this world as long as the servant is delighted and happy with his deeds. But if he doesn't find the delight and the joy in his heart, then his deed is imperfect, defective. This imperfection and defectiveness is the reward of what the servant receives for his deeds. Deeds have consequences and effects that return to the servant that performed them, affecting his life and all of his affairs. Salah, for example, prevents the servant from unlawful and evil deeds. It also refines his morals and brings him up in the best manner that Allah loves. Siyaam strengthens his will and enlightens self-reproach and insight, so the person may see the straight path and become among the righteous. Such are all the good and righteous deeds, they have a reward that affords prosperity in all of man's affairs. As a result, family life and the society become joyful and prosperous. The evil deeds have their consequences as well. Allah said, "For those who have done good is best (reward)." [10:26] and "The evil was the end of those who did evil." [30:10] The opposition in people is of three kinds. Only those that Allah protects are free from these. The first kind is the opposition to His Names and Attributes by presenting false and unclear matters. These falsities are negated because of what Allah and His Messenger have ascribed for Him. These people have ascribed to Allah what He negated for Himself. By doing so, they became loyal to His enemies and enemies to His Allies. They changed the words from the correct status and have abandoned, as a result, a great part of what was sent to them. They are those that have divided their religion into differing sects with each group rejoicing in its belief. The only thing that protects from this is the pure submission to the wahy (Divine inspiration). When the heart submits to the wahy (revelation), it will witness its soundness, realize intellectually and in the light of fitrah (sound nature) that it is the truth. Such a submissive person submits by way of hearing, the mind, and the fitrah. This is the most perfect faith. The second type of person is the one who is in opposition to His Message and Command. These people can vary slightly and can be further categorized. Some may oppose with their opinions and analogies. They make lawful what Allah has made unlawful, and make unlawful what Allah has made lawful. They void what Allah has made obligatory and make obligatory what Allah has voided. Another type amongst these people are those that oppose the facts of faith and the Message with their visions, personal experiences, and false devilish inspirations. These compose a religion that Allah has not allowed, invalidate the religion that Allah sent to His Messenger, and oppose the facts of faith using the devil's tricks. These people have religions to worship other than Allah's religion and placce these before Allah's religion. Because of their analogies, opinions and personal experiences, the entire world could have been ruined and the pillars of the religion destroyed. But Allah has preserved this religion and promised to protect those that will preserve and protect it from the plots of these plotters. Another group of those in opposition are those that oppose the Law of Allah with their unjust rules. They put their rules before the rules of Allah and His Messenger (s). Thus they suspend Allah's Law, justice and His Hudood (legislated punishments). The third type of opposition is of those who oppose Allah's actions, decrees and ordinances. This opposition comes primarily from ignorant people. It has many forms, some are clear and some are not. This kind of opposition exists within many souls. If we were to contemplate our utterances, actions and desires, we would see this clearly. Most of us have some kind of opposition to Allah's decree and His portioning of livelihood. The ones that are free of this type of opposition are those that know Allah with a true knowledge and accept Him with complete satisfaction. credits: al-Jumah
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| | Tuesday, February 20, 2001 - 09:51 am Assalam Alaikum. Every single person that placed information on the above topic did a copy and paste, i know cause i read the same article elsewhere on the web..try to be original..Don't push sufism at a time when most people don't even know the obligations of wudu...People should only practice what our prophet (pbuh) taught us to practice, nothing more: don't add to the deen...I am neither a sufi,Salafi,tablighi, or loyal to any other group. I am just muslim .Simply put, if people practiced the numerous authentic suunah relating to ibadah (fardh, dhikr, nawafil), one would be so busy that he/she wouldn't have time to do non authentic acts (also know as: Bid'a hasana or just bid'a to the sufis and salfis respectively.)..So my brother and sisters in islam, lets just learn what is authentic first, and stick to the authentic ibadat. May Allah guide us to the correct understanding of his deen, and protect us from the fitnahs of this dunya...
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 04:31 am ON TASAWWUF Ibn Taymiyya His admirers cite this jurist and hadith master of the Hanbali school as an enemy of Sufis, and he is the principal authority in the campaign of "Salafis" responsible for creating the present climate of unwarranted fanaticism and encouragement to ignorance regarding tasawwuf. Yet Ibn Taymiyya was himself a Sufi. However, "Salafis" are careful never to show the Sufi Ibn Taymiyya, who would severely hamper their construction of him as purely anti-Sufi. Ibn Taymiyya's discourse on tasawwuf is riddled with contradictions and ambiguities. One might say that even though he levelled all sorts of judgments on Sufis, he was nevertheless unable to deny the greatness of tasawwuf upon which the Community had agreed long before he came along. As a result he is often observed slighting tasawwuf, questioning his Sufi contemporaries, and reducing the primacy of the elite of Muslims to ordinariness, at the same time as he boasts of being a Qadiri Sufi in a direct line of succession to Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani, as we show in the lines that follow. It should be clear that the reason we quote the following evidence is not because we consider Ibn Taymiyya in any way representative of tasawwuf. In our view he no more represents tasawwuf than he represents the `aqida of Ahl al-Sunna. However, we quote his views only to demonstrate that his misrepresentation by Orientalists and "Salafis" purely as an enemy of tasawwuf does not stand to scrutiny. Regardless of the desires of one group or another, the facts provide clear evidence that Ibn Taymiyya had no choice but to accept tasawwuf and its principles, and that he himself not only claimed to be a Sufi, but also to have been adorned with the cloak (khirqa) of shaykhhood in the Qadiri Sufi Order. We have already mentioned Ibn Taymiyya's admiration for `Abd al-Qadir Gilani, to whom he gives the title "my Shaykh" (shaykhuna) and "my Master" (sayyidi) exclusively in his entire Fatawa. Ibn Taymiyya's sufi inclinations and his reverence for `Abd al-Qadir Gilani can also be seen in his hundred-page commentary on Futuh al-ghayb, covering only five of the seventy-eight sermons of the book, but showing that he considered tasawwuf essential within the life of the Islamic community.1 In his commentary Ibn Taymiyya stresses that the primacy of the Shari`a forms the soundest tradition in tasawwuf, and to argue this point he lists over a dozen early masters, as well as more contemporary shaykhs like his fellow Hanbalis, al-Ansari al-Harawi and `Abd al-Qadir, and the latter's own shaykh, Hammad al-Dabbas:The upright among the followers of the Path - like the majority of the early shaykhs (shuyukh al-salaf) such as Fudayl ibn `Iyad, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Ma`ruf al-Karkhi, al-Sari al-Saqati, al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, and others of the early teachers, as well as Shaykh Abd al-Qadir, Shaykh Hammad, Shaykh Abu al-Bayan and others of the later masters -- do not permit the followers of the Sufi path to depart from the divinely legislated command and prohibition, even were that person to have flown in the air or walked on water.2 Elsewhere also, such as in his al-Risala al-safadiyya, Ibn Taymiyya defends the Sufis as those who belong to the path of the Sunna and represent it in their teachings and writings:The great shaykhs mentioned by Abu `Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami in Tabaqat al-sufiyya, and Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri in al-Risala, were adherents of the school of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a and the school of Ahl al-hadith, such as al-Fudayl ibn `Iyad, al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, Sahl ibn `Abd Allah al-Tustari, `Amr ibn `Uthman al-Makki, Abu `Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Khafif al-Shirazi, and others, and their speech is found in the Sunna, and they composed books about the Sunna.3 In his treatise on the difference between the lawful forms of worship and the innovative forms, entitled Risalat al-`ibadat al-shar`iyya wal-farq baynaha wa bayn al-bid`iyya, Ibn Taymiyya unmistakably states that that the lawful is the method and way of "those who follow the Sufi path" or "the way of self-denial" (zuhd) and those who follow "what is called poverty and tasawwuf", i.e. the fuqara' and the Sufis:The lawful is that by which one approaches near to Allah. It is the way of Allah. It is righteousness, obedience, good deeds, charity, and fairness. It is the way of those on the Sufi path (al-salikin), and the method of those intending Allah and worshipping Him; it is that which is travelled by everyone who desires Allah and follows the way of self-denial (zuhd) and religious practice, and what is called poverty and tasawwuf and the like.4 Regarding `Abd al-Qadir's teaching that the salik or Sufi wayfarer should abstain from permitted desires, Ibn Taymiyya begins by determining that Abd al-Qadir's intention is that one should give up those permitted things which are not commanded, for there may be a danger in them. But to what extent? If Islam is essentially learning and carrying out the Divine command, then there must be a way for the striver on the path to determine the will of Allah in each particular situation. Ibn Taymiyya concedes that the Qur'an and Sunna cannot explicitly cover every possible specific event in the life of every believer. Yet if the goal of submission of will and desire to Allah is to be accomplished by those seeking Him, there must be a way for the striver to ascertain the Divine command in its particularity. Ibn Taymiyya's answer is to apply the legal concept of ijtihad to the spiritual path, specifically to the notion of ilham or inspiration. In his efforts to achieve a union of his will with Allah's, the true Sufi reaches a state where he desires nothing more than to discover the greater good, the action which is most pleasing and loveable to Allah. When external legal arguments cannot direct him in such matters, he can rely on the standard Sufi notions of private inspiration (ilham) and intuitive perception (dhawq):If the Sufi wayfarer has creatively employed his efforts to the external shar`i indications and sees no clear probability concerning his preferable action, he may then feel inspired, along with his goodness of intention and reverent fear of Allah, to choose one of two actions as superior to the other. This kind of inspiration (ilham) is an indication concerning the truth. It may be even a stronger indication than weak analogies, weak hadiths, weak literalist arguments (zawahir), and weak istisHaab which are employed by many who delve into the principles, differences, and systematizing of fiqh.5 Ibn Taymiyya bases this view on the principle that Allah has put a natural disposition for the truth in mankind, and when this natural disposition has been grounded in the reality of faith and enlightened by Qur'anic teaching, and still the striver on the path is unable to determine the precise will of Allah in specific instances, then his heart will show him the preferable course of action. Such an inspiration, he holds, is one of the strongest authorities possible in the situation. Certainly the striver will sometimes err, falsely guided by his inspiration or intuitive perception of the situation, just as the mujtahid sometimes errs. But, he says, even when the mujtahid or the inspired striver is in error, he is obedient. Appealing to ilham and dhawq does not mean following one's own whims or personal preferences.6 In his letter to Nasr al-Manbiji, he qualifies this intuition as "faith-informed" (al-dhawq al-imani). His point is, as in the commentary to the Futuh, that inspirational experience is by nature ambiguous and needs to be qualified and informed by the criteria of the Qur'an and the Sunna. Nor can it lead to a certainty of the truth in his view, but what it can do is give the believer firm grounds for choosing the more probably correct course of action in a given instance and help him to conform his will, in the specific details of his life, to that of his Creator and Commander.7 Other works of his as well abound in praise for Sufi teachings. For example, in his book al-ihtijaj bi al-qadar, he defends the Sufis' emphasis on love of Allah and their voluntarist rather than intellectual approach to religion as being in agreement with the teachings of the Qur'an , the sound hadith, and the imja` al-salaf:As for the Sufis, they affirm the love (of Allah), and this is more evident among them than all other issues. The basis of their Way is simply will and love. The affirmation of the love of Allah is well-known in the speech of their early and recent masters, just as it is affirmed in the Book and the Sunna and in the agreement of the Salaf.8 Ibn Taymiyya is also notorious for his condemnation of Ibn `Arabi. However, what he condemned was not Ibn `Arabi but a tiny book of his entitled Fusus al-hikam, which forms a single slim volume. As for Ibn `Arabi's magnum opus, al-Futuhat al-makkiyya (The Meccan divine disclosures), Ibn Taymiyya was no less an admirer of this great work than everyone else in Islam who saw it, as he declares in his letter to Abu al-Fath Nasr al-Munayji (d. 709) published in his the volume entitled Tawhid al-rububiyya of his Fatawa:I was one of those who, previously, used to hold the best opinion of Ibn `Arabi and extol his praise, because of the benefits I saw in his books, such as what he said in many of his books, for example: al-Futuhat, al-Kanh, al-Muhkam al-marbut, al-Durra al-fakhira, Matali` al-nujum, and other such works.9 Ibn Taymiyya goes on to say he changed his opinions, not because of anything in these books, but only after he read the Fusus. We now turn to the evidence of Ibn Taymiyya's affiliation with the Qadiri Sufi Way and to his own acknowledgement, as related by his student Ibn `Abd al-Hadi (d. 909), that he had received the Qadiri khirqa or cloak of authority from `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani through a chain of three shaykhs. These are no other than the three Ibn Qudamas who are among the established authorities in fiqh in the Hanbali school. This information was brought to light by George Makdisi in a series of articles published in the 1970s.10 In a manuscript of the Yusuf ibn `Abd al Hadi al-Hanbali entitled Bad' al 'ilqa bi labs al khirqa (The beginning of the shield in the wearing of the Sufi cloak), Ibn Taymiyya is listed within a Sufi spiritual genealogy with other well known Hanbali scholars. The links in this genealogy are, in descending order: `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani (d. 561) Abu `Umar ibn Qudama (d. 607) Muwaffaq al Din ibn Qudama (d. 620) Ibn Abi `Umar ibn Qudama (d. 682) Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728) Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyya (d. 751) Ibn Rajab (d. 795)(Both Abu `Umar ibn Qudama and his brother Muwaffaq al-Din received the khirqa directly from Abd al-Qadir himself.) Ibn Taymiyya is then quoted by Ibn `Abd al Hadi as affirming his Sufi affiliation both in the Qadiri order and in other Sufi orders:I have worn the Sufi cloak of a number of shaykhs belonging to various tariqas (labistu khirqata at tasawwuf min turuqi jama'atin min al shuyukhi), among them the Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir al Jili, whose tariqa is the greatest of the well known ones.Further on he says:The greatest Sufi Way (ajall al-turuq) is that of my master (sayyidi) `Abd al-Qadir al Jili, may Allah have mercy on him.11 Further corroboration comes from Ibn Taymiyya in one of his own works, as quoted in his al Mas'ala at tabriziyya:labistu al khirqata al-mubarakata li al Shaykh `Abd al-Qadir wa bayni wa baynahu ithanI wore the blessed Sufi cloak of `Abd al-Qadir, there being between him and me two shaykhs.12 Ibn Taymiyya thus affirms that he was an assiduous reader of Ibn `Arabi's al-Futuhat al-makkiyya; that he considers `Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani his shaykh -- he even wrote a commentary on the latter's Futuh al-ghayb; and that he belongs to the Qadiriyya order and other Sufi orders. What does he say about tasawwuf and Sufis in general? In his essay entitled al-Sufiyya wa al-fuqara' and published in the eleventh volume (al Tawassuf) of his Majmu`a fatawa IbnTaymiyya al Kubra, he states:The word sufi was not well-known in the first three centuries but its usage became well-known after that. More than a few Imams and shaykhs spoke about it, such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Sulayman al Darani, and others. It has been related that Sufyan al-Thawri used it. Some have also mentioned that concerning Hasan al Basri.13 Ibn Taymiyya then goes on to deduce that tasawwuf originated in Basra among the generations after the tabi`in, because he finds that many of the early Sufis originated from there while he does not find evidence of it elsewhere. In this way he mistakenly reduces tasawwuf to a specific place and time, cutting it off from its links with the time of the Prophet and the Companions. This is one the aberrant conclusions which gives rise, among today's "Salafis," to questions such as: "Where in the Qur'an and the Sunna is tasawwuf mentioned?" As Ibn `Ajiba replied to such questioners:The founder of the science of tasawwuf is the Prophet himself to whom Allah taught it by means of revelation and inspiration.14 By Allah's favor, we have put this issue to rest in our lengthy exposition on the proofs of tasawwuf in the pages above. Ibn Taymiyya continues:Tasawwuf has realities (haqa'iq) and states of experience (ahwal) which the Sufis mention in their science... Some say that the Sufi is he who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who becomes full of reflection about the hereafter, to the point that gold and stones will be the same to him. Others say that tasawwuf is safeguarding of the precious meanings and leaving behind pretensions to fame and vanity, and the like. Thus the meaning of sufi alludes to the meaning of siddiq or one who has reached complete Truthfulness, because the best of human beings after prophets are the siddiqin, as Allah mentioned in the verse:Whoever obeys Allah and the Apostle, they are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the truthful saints, the martyrs and the righteous; ah, what a beautiful fellowship! (4:69) They consider, therefore, that after the Prophets there is no one more virtuous than the Sufi, and the Sufi is, in fact, among other kinds of truthful saints, only one kind, who specialized in asceticism and worship (al-sufi huwa fi al haqiqa naw`un min al-siddiqin fahuwa al-siddiq alladhi ikhtassa bi al zuhdi wa al '`ibada). The Sufi is "the righteous man of the path," just as others are called "the righteous ones of the `ulama" and "the righteous ones of the emirs"...[Here Ibn Taymiyya denies the Sufis' claim that they represent Truthfulness after the Prophets, and he makes their status only one among many of a larger pool of truthful servants. This stems from his earlier premise that tasawwuf originated later and farther than the Sunna of the Prophet. We have already mentioned that this premise was incorrect. All of the Sufis consider that the conveyors of their knowledge and discipline were none other than the Companions and the Successors, who took it from none other than the Prophet himself. In this respect the Sufis and the great Companions and Successors are not differentiated in essence, although they are differentiated in name, by which precedence is given to the Companions and the Successors according to the hadith of the Prophet. Then Ibn Taymiyya arbitrarily separates Sufis and scholars into two seemingly discrete groups, whereas we have seen that all the Sufis were great scholars, and that many of the greatest scholars were Sufis. Al-Junayd anticipated such high-handed distinctions in his famous statement: "This knowledge of ours is built of the Qur'an and the Sunna." Also addressing this important mistake in his Tabaqat al-kubra, Sha`rani quotes al-Junayd and goes on to state:Every true Sufi is a scholar is Sacred Law, though the reverse is not necessarily true.15]Some people criticized the Sufis and said that they were innovators and out of the Sunna... but the truth is that they are exercising ijtihad in view of obeying Allah just as others who are obedient to Allah have also done. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness (al-sabiq al-muqarrab) by virtue of his striving, while some of them are from the People of the Right Hand... and among those claiming affiliation with them, are those who are unjust to themselves, rebelling against their Lord. These are the sects of innovators and free-thinkers (zindiq) who claim affiliation to the Sufis but in the opinion of the genuine Sufis, they do not belong, for example, al-Hallaj.[Here Ibn Taymiyya's inappropriate citing of al-Hallaj is far more symptomatic of his own misunderstanding of tasawwuf that it is illustrative of the point he is trying to make. In reality, as `Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi said of al-Hallaj, "his case (among the Sufis) is not clear, though Ibn `Ata' Allah, Ibn Khafif, and Abu al-Qasim al-Nasir Abadi approved of him."16 Furthermore, we have already mentioned that major scholars in Ibn Taymiyya's own school rejected the charges leveled against al-Hallaj, and even considered him a saint, such as Ibn `Aqil and Ibn Qudama. Can it be that Ibn Taymiyya was unaware of all these positions which invalidate his point, or is he merely affecting ignorance?]Tasawwuf has branched out and diversified and the Sufis have become known as three types: Sufiyyat al haqa'iq: the Sufis of Realities, and these are the ones we mentioned above; Sufiyyat al arzaq: the funded Sufis who live on the religious endowments of Sufi guest-houses and schools; it is not necessary for them to be among the people of true realities, as this is a very rare thing Sufiyyat al rasm: the Sufis by appearance only, who are interested in bearing the name and the dress etc.17 About fana' -- a term used by Sufis literally signifying extinction or self-extinction -- and the shatahat or sweeping statements of Sufis, Ibn Taymiyya says:This state of love is characterize many of the People of Love of Allah and the People of Seeking (Ahl al irada). A person vanishes to himself in the object of his love -- Allah through the intensity of his love. He will recall Allah, not recalling himself, remember Allah and forget himself, take Allah to witness and not take himself to witness, exist in Allah, not to himself. When he reaches that stage, he no longer feels his own existence. That is why he may say in this state: ana al haqq (I am the Truth), or subhani (Glory to Me!), and ma fi al-jubba illa Allah (There is nothing in this cloak except Allah), because he is drunk in the love of Allah and this is a pleasure and happiness that he cannot control... This matter has in it both truth and falsehood. Yet when someone enters through his fervor a state of ecstatic love (`ishq) for Allah, he will take leave of his mind, and when he enters that state of absentmindedness, he will find himself as if he is accepting the concept of ittihad (union with Allah). I do not consider this a sin, because that person is excused and no one may punish him as he is not aware of what he is doing. The pen does not condemn the crazed person except when he is restored to sanity (and commits the same act). However, when he is in that state and commits wrong, he will come under Allah's address:O Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make mistakes (2:286), There is no blame on you if you unintentionally make a mistake.18 The story is mentioned of two men whose mutual love was so strong that one day, as one of them fell in the sea, the other one threw himself in behind him. Then the first one asked: "What made you fall here like me?" His friend replied: "I vanished in you and no longer saw myself. I thought you were I and I was you"... Therefore, as long as one is not drunk through something that is prohibited, his action is accepted from him, but if he is drunk through something prohibited (i.e. the intention was bad) then he is not excused.19 The above pages show the great extent of Ibn Taymiyya's familiarity with the broad lines of tasawwuf. Such knowledge was but part of the complete education of anyone who had a claim to learning in his day and before his time. It did not constitute something extraneous or foreign to the great corpus of the Islamic sciences. And yet, similarly to his case in `aqida which we have unravelled in the previous pages, Ibn Taymiyya's misunderstanding of tasawwuf massively outweighed his understanding of it. This point was brought to light with quasi-surgical precision by the great Sufi Shaykh Ibn `Ata' Allah in the debate he held with Ibn Taymiyya in the mosque of al-Azhar in Cairo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 The commentary is found in volume 10:455-548 of the first Riyadh editionof the Majmu` fatawa Ibn Taymiyya. 2 Majmu` fatawa Ibn Taymiyya 10:516. 3 Ibn Taymiyya, al-Safadiyya (Riyad: matabi` hanifa, 1396/1976) 1:267. 4 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu`at al-rasa'il wa al-masa'il (Beirut: lajnat al-turath al-`arabi) 5:83. 5 Majmu` fatawa Ibn Taymiyya 10:473-474. 6 Ibid. 10:479. 7 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu`a al-rasa'il wal-masa'il 1:162. 8 Ibn Taymiyya, al-Ihtijaj bi al-qadar (Cairo: al-matba`a al-salafiyya, 1394/1974) p. 38. 9 Ibn Taymiyya, Tawhid al-rububiyya in Majmu`a al-Fatawa al-kubra (Riyad, 1381) 2:464-465. 10 George Makdisi, "L'isnad initiatique soufi de Muwaffaq ad-Din ibn Qudama," in Cahiers de l'Herne: Louis Massignon (Paris: Editions de l'Herne, 1970) p. 88-96; "Ibn Taimiya: A Sufi of the Qadiriya Order," in American Journal of Arabic Studies I (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1974) p. 118-129; "The Hanbali School and Sufism," in Boletin de la Asociacion Espanola de Orientalistas 15 (Madrid, 1979) p. 115-126. 11 Ibn `Abd al Hadi, Bad' al 'ilqa bi labs al khirqa, ms. al-Hadi, Princeton Library Arabic Collection, fols. 154a, 169b, 171b 172a; and Damascus University, copy of original Arabic manuscript, 985H.; also mentioned in at Talyani, manuscript Chester Beatty 3296 (8) in Dublin, fol. 67a. 12 Manuscript Damascus, Zahiriyya #1186 H. 13 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu`a al-fatawa al-kubra 11:5. 14 Ibn `Ajiba, Iqaz al-himam p. 6. 15 al-Sha`rani, al-Tabaqat al-kubra 1:4. 16 `Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, Usul al-din p. 315-16. 17 Ibn Taymiyya, Majmu`a al-fatawa al-kubra 11:16-20. 18 Op. cit. 2:396 397. 19 Op. cit. 10:339. Reproduced with permission from Shaykh M. Hisham Kabbani's The Repudiation of "Salafi" Innovations (Kazi, 1996) p. 354-366. Blessings and Peace on the Prophet, his Family, and his Companions
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 06:00 am ON TASAWWUF Hujjat al-Islam Imam Ghazali "The Proof of Islam" Abu Hamid al-Tusi al-Ghazali, the Reviver of the Fifth Islamic century, scholar of usul al-fiqh, and author of the most well-known work on tasawwuf, Ihya' `ulum al-din (The revival of the religious sciences). He says in his autobiography, al-Munqidh min al-dalal (Deliverance from error): The Sufi path consists in cleansing the heart from whatever is other than Allah... I concluded that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way, and their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run, carrying knowledge of Allah.1 As Ibn `Ajiba mentions in his Iqaz al-himam, al-Ghazali declared tasawwuf to be a fard `ayn or personal obligation upon every legally responsible Muslim man and woman, "as none but Prophets are devoid of internal defects and diseases."2
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 02:06 pm Allahu ALLAH! (SPIN)...ALLAHU ALLAH! (BUMP INTO THE LADY NEXT TO YOU)...ALLAHU ALLAH! (JUMP UP AND DOWN) UH-UH-UH (SCRATCH BOTH ARMPITS LIKE A MONKEY), LA-ILAAHA ILLA ALLAH! (DO TEN PUSH UPS!)...SAY MOHAMED AL RASULLALLAH (DO 13 JUMPING JACKS FOR GOOD LUCK).....SCREAM: YA RASOUL YA KARIM! YA RABBA AL RAHMAN(THEN CHANGE YOUR PARTNER AND EXCHANGE CLOTHING WITH THEM....SAY: AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! (EVERYBODY COMES TOGETHER AND HOLDS HANDS IN A CIRCLE)...THE SHEIKH COMES AROUND AND TOUCHES PEEOPLES HEADS SAYING DUCK, DUCK, DUCK, THEN GOOSE... THE GOOSE CHASES THE SHEIKH AROUND WHILE EVERYONE SINGS QURAN IN THEIR MOST BEUTIFUL VOICE...AFTER THAT...THE DISCO BALL LOWERS OVER THE MUSSALAH AND EVERYBODY JUST STARTS DOIN THE MOONWALK, JAZZ SPLITS AND GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE.... NOW SUFI WEIRDOS...wouldn't it be easier to pray a few rakcats!?! LOL@U GUYS...
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 04:23 pm I agree with saif-uddeen.
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 04:32 pm Somalilander, have a control over yourself and watch your language. do you realize you are making fun of Allah's name? It is kufr if you didn’t know, don't make the same mistake again. This is my advice to you.
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 05:20 pm Subhanallah,,,I think as muslims we need to stop following groups (i don't mean madhabs) and just practice islam..Don't call yourself sufi or salafi or any other name..I have been with so many groups,,the sufis told me to hate the salafis,,the salafis told me to hate the sufis, and the ahabash(based in lebenon) told me to hate the sufis and salafis and don't even pray with either of them, cause their qibla is wrong...I got so confused,,i even stopped praying with my freinds at school...So, please take my advice and don't attach yourself to any group,,they all have their goods and vices,,take from them what is good, and reject what is abviously not from the authentic sunnahs of our beloved prophet peace be upon him...I love you all my brothers and sisters...may Allah guide us.. Salam
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 05:22 pm MM you are mistaken. Somalilander is only repeating what the Sufi say every day. That is how they worship Allah. Listen to them on this link http://www.java-man.com/Sound/naqshbnd.wav. They sound like dogs. sorry to be rude but this is the sufi way. I can see why a kafir like you supports the sufi way. The Sufis and you are good friends enough said!
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 05:30 pm SUFI PEOPLE...this is exactly what you people do...so don't blame me. Did any of you know that I've been to your "Mecca" Damscus Syria. Did you know that WALLAHI I have studied under Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Sheikh Ramadhan, and many others, and seen them with my own eyes (not video), heard them with my own ears (not tape)...I've slept in the same house as some of them and also been their guest. You know what my opinion of them is? They are very smart for helping lead all of you SUFI IDIOTs the shaitans way. They are missguided as you people are, please go back up and check my other message if you are SUFI and want to receive guidance that I received from my fingertips that came out of no where! Like your SHEIKHS DO! DUMMYS!
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| | Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - 09:28 pm Somalilander! If you understand this, our prophet peace be upon him said "Allahumma barik lana fii shamina wa fii yamanina" and when they ask to pray your “macca” Najd Oh litle wahabi, the prophet refused to pray for Najd! Instead he said the horn of Satan will rise from there. Enjoy your wahabism/salafism/Satanism, I’m not going to waste my time with you any more. I think you will follow any Satan comes from Najd without even asking his name. Then your friend Satan will reveal to you like he revealed to Mohamed Abdil-wahab that all the Muslims are mushriks and only you somalilander and other litle Satans of wahabis are the followers of the kitab and sunnah! Then you can invade muslim towns like Boosaaso and Garbo haaray and kill everybody in the name of sunnah because that is what your sheikh Satan loves.
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| | Thursday, February 22, 2001 - 04:09 am ON TASAWWUF Imam Nawawi One of the great Sufi scholars, strictest latter-time hadith masters, and most meticulous of jurists, Shaykh al-Islam Imam Muhyiddin Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi is with al-Rafi`i the principal reference of the late Shafi`i school. His books remain authoritative in the methodology of the law, in Qur'an commentary, and in hadith. His commentary of Sahih Muslim is second only to Ibn Hajar's commentary of Sahih Bukhari. Allah gave his famous compilation of Forty Hadiths more circulation and fame than possibly any other book of hadith, large or small, and has allowed Nawawi to be of immense benefit to the Community of Islam. Nawawi was considered a Sufi and a saint, as is evident from the titles of some of his works and that of Sakhawi's biography entitled Tarjamat shaykh al-islam, qutb al-awliya' al-kiram, faqih al-anam, muhyi al-sunna wa mumit al-bid`a Abi Zakariyya Muhyi al-Din al-Nawawi (The biography of the Shaykh of Islam, the Pole of Noble Saints, the Jurist of Mankind, the Reviver of the Sunna and the Slayer of Innovation... al-Nawawi). Nawawi writes in his short treatise entitled al-Maqasid fi al tawhid wa al-`ibada wa usul al-tasawwuf (The purposes in oneness, worship, and the foundations of self-purification): The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five: 1-to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; 2-to follow the Sunna of the Prophet by actions and speech; 3-to keep away from people and from asking them; 4-to be happy with what Allah gave you, even if it is less; 5-to always refer your matters to Allah.
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| | Thursday, February 22, 2001 - 08:47 am LOL...I am now labelled a shaitan by Sufi people... that is what I expect. You claim that you have no time to talk with shaitan people, so keep talking with me instead of your shaitan sheikhs then. I'm sorry for insulting you, I know it is wrong, but it is a natural reflex. I know how it feels to be under Tassawuf influeces like you are. I was once one of you. What bad do you have to say about Al-Najd? Lemme guess, Prophet Ibrahim built Jama Abu Noor not the Ka'ba right? Also, which direction do you pray to (if you guys pray, or do you only dance?)? To the Ka'ba or Jama Abu Noor. I wish that you could go to syria for yourself and see how it is there, until then, you are speaking without knowledge, without cause, and without the "sensation" of what you claim is true...When you finish making your pilgramage there, come back and talk to me. I have seen, you have heard...
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 03:58 am NO Nadji CRAP!!! please
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 05:37 am asalamu Aleikum warahamatulahi. You (MM) shall be held accountable for what you put up on this page. Why do you mislead the people about this hadith (Nadj hadith)? You offer you own explanation to this hadith while ignoring what scholars like al Khattaabi al-Kirmaanee, al-Aynee, an-Nawawee, ibn Hajr have to say about the hadith. Nadj is a location in the middle east and means a raised Plateau If you (MM) are a man of honesty longing, for the love of Allah, you shall correct yourself based on what the scholar and other variations of the same hadith state. The other versions leave no doubt that nadj refers to Iraq. When we have hadith there is no need to interpret using geography and opinions. If you have a problem with saudis fight them with strong evidence not cheap shot. It is clear that abu Hurarah loved beni tamim (people of Arabia) and that the rasool in The hadeeth of Ikrimah from one of the Companions reported in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and in it occurs, "do not say of Bani Tameem anything but good, for indeed they are the severest of people in attacking the Dajjaal." I hope you follow this advice of the rasool and ask Allah for forgiveness. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Shaam. O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Yemen." The people said, "O Messenger of Allaah, and our Najd." I think the third time the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "There (in Najd) will occur earthquakes, trials and tribulations, and from their appears the Horn of Satan." Reported in al-Bukhaaree [Book of Trials, Chpt. ‘The afflictions will come from the East’ 9/166 no. 214 Eng. Trans] A hadeeth, which has some controversy surrounding it due to obvious sectarian reasons. A hadeeth, which has been (deliberately) misunderstood by certain groups of people in order that they may spread their misguidance and deceive ignorant Muslims. This because upon research and investigation and looking to the words of our early scholars we find that this hadeeth does not refer to the Najd that is famously known in Saudi today, but rather it refers to Iraaq. About two years ago I read a book entirely devoted to this hadeeth entitled, "an-Najd Qarnu ash-Shaytaan" [I cannot remember the author as I do not have the book on me anymore.] I will quote in general from what I remember from this book, and refrain from mentioning precise quotes except from those references that I have on me. Amongst the scholars that are mentioned who referred this hadeeth to Iraaq were: al-Khattaabee, al-Kirmaanee, al-Aynee, an-Nawawee, ibn Hajr and others. The reasons behind this are numerous and clear: 1.The generality of the hadeeth pertaining to the fitna coming from the east. Al-Bukhaaree includes this hadeeth in the chapter: "The affliction will appear from the East" From the father of Saalim: The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, stood up besides the pulpit (and pointed towards the east) and said: "Afflictions are there! Afflictions are there! From where appears the horn of Satan" or he said, "the horn of the Sun" From ibn Umar that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alyahi wa sallam, saying while facing the east: "Indeed Afflictions are there, from where appears the Horn of Satan." The hadeeth of Najd under discussion. Similar hadeeth can be found in Saheeh Muslim (volume 4 no.'s. 6938+). Hadeeth that give the same meaning can be found in Saheeh Muslim (volume 1 no.'s 83+) 2) That the generality of the early trials and tribulations arose from the east, many of them actually in Iraaq itself. Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee said after quoting the words of al-Khattaabee explaining the meaning of Qarn (horn), "and others have said that the People of the East were disbelievers at that time and the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, informed us that the trials and tribulations would arise from that direction and it was as he said. And the first of the trials that arose, arose from the direction of the east and they were the reason for the splitting of the Muslim ranks, and this is what Satan loves and delights in. Likewise the innovations appeared from that direction." [Fath al-Baaree 13/58 in commentary to the hadeeth of Najd] Amongst the trials that arose in Iraaq and the east was the martyrdom of Alee, the martyrdom of the grandson of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, the first battle between the Muslims occurred in Iraaq, and many more. Imaam Nawawee mentions that one of the greatest trials to appear from the East will be the appearance of the Dajjaal. [Sharh Saheeh Muslim 2/29] From the innovations that appeared in the east and specifically Iraaq, was many of the early deviant sects amongst them the Qadariyyah (as the first hadeeth in Muslim shows), the Jahmiyyah and their offshoots etc… 3.That at the time of the Prophet, sallaahu alayhis wa sallaam, there were 13 places known as Najd [according to ‘Najd Qarnu ash-Shaytaan’] depending on where one was. This because Najd linguistically means a raised/elevated land. Therefore the Arabs referred to lands that were elevated with respect to them as Najd. One of the most commonly referred to areas at that time as Najd was Iraaq. 4.The Najd for those people living in Madeenah in the direction of the East would be Iraaq. Ibn Hajr said: "al-Khattaabee said: ‘the najd in the direction of the east, and for the one who is in Madeenah then his Najd would be the desert of Iraaq and it’s regions [baadiya al-Iraaq wa Nawaaheehaa] for this is to the east of the People of Madeenah. The basic meaning of Najd is that which is raised/elevated from the earth in contravention to al-Gawr for that is what is lower than it. Tihaamah [the coastal plain along the south-western and southern shores of the Arabian Peninsula] is entirely al-Gawr and Mecca is in Tihaamah.’" Ibn Hajr continues, "by this [saying of al-Khattaabee] the weakness of the saying of ad-Daawodee is understood that ‘Najd is in the direction of Iraaq’ [min Naahiya al-Iraaq] for he suggests that Najd is a specific place. This is not the case, rather everything that is elevated with respect to what adjoins it is called Najd and the lower area called Gawr." [Fath al-Baaree 13/58-59] Al-Mubaarakfooree endorses these words in his commentary to Sunan at-Tirmidhee (10/314 no.4212) 5.The hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim [4/1505 no.6943] Saalim bin Abdullaah bin Umar said: O people of Iraaq, how strange is it that you ask about the minor sins but commit the major sins? [The killing of al-Husayn] I heard my father, Abdullaah bin Umar narrating that he heard the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying while pointing his hand to the east: "Indeed the turmoil would come from this side, from where appear the horns of Satan and you would strike the necks of one another…" 6.The variations in wording of the hadeeth of Najd that leave no doubt whatsoever as to what it refers to. a.The hadeeth of ibn Umar Reported by Abu Nu’aym in al-Hilya (6/133), "O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Madeenah, and bestow your blessings on our Mecca, and bestow your blessings on our Shaam, and bestow your blessings on our Yemen, and bestow your blessings in our measuring (fee saa’inaa wa muddinaa)." A person said, " O Messenger of Allaah and in our Iraaq" and so he turned away from him and said, "there will occur earthquakes, trials and tribulations and there will appear the horn of Satan." Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut declares it’s isnaad to be saheeh as in his footnotes to ‘Sharh as-Sunnah’ (14/206-207 fn. 2) and he too endorses the words of al-Khattaabee quoted above. b.The hadeeth of ibn Umar reported in at-Tabaraanee in ‘al-Awsat’ that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam prayed Fajr and then faced the people and said, "O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Madeenah, O Allaah bestow your blessings in our measuring, O Allaah bestow your blessings in our Shaam and our Yemen." A person said, "And Iraaq O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "from there arises the horn of Satan and the trials and tribulations would come like mounting waves." Ibn Hajr al-Haythamee says in his ‘Mujma az-Zawaa’id’ (3/305 – chapter ‘collection of du’aas made for (Madeenah)’): ‘its narrators are trustworthy and precise.’ [This hadeeth could possibly considered to be the same as b) above, but I have included it separately due to the slight difference in wording. Allaah knows best.] c.The hadeeth of ibn Abbaas reported by at-Tabaraanee in ‘al-Kabeer’ that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, supplicated and said, "O Allaah bestow your blessings on our Shaam and Yemen." A person from amongst the people said, "O Prophet of Allaah and Iraaq?" He said, "indeed there is the Horn of Satan, and the trials and tribulations will come like mounting waves, and indeed harshness/coarseness is in the east." Al-Haythamee says: "it’s narrators are trustworthy and precise." (ibid.) 3.The virtues of Bani Tameem Bani Tameem constitute the majority of the inhabitants of the Najd that is in Saudi Arabia. a.The hadeeth of Saheeh Bukhaaree reported by Abu Hurayra (RA): "I have loved the people of the tribe of Bani Tameem, ever since I heard three things the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said about them. I heard him saying, ‘these people (of the tribe of Bani Tameem) would stand firm against the Dajjaal.’ When the Saddaqat from that tribe came, the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "these are the Saddaqat (charitable gifts) of our folk." Aa’ishah had a slave girl from that tribe, and the Prophet , sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said to Aa’ishah, ‘manumit her as she is a descendant of Ismaa’eel, alayhis salaam.’" [Hadeeth no. 2543, 4366 of al-Fath] Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee said, "this hadeeth also contains a clear mention of the excellence and superiority of Bani Tameem." [Fath 5/217] b.The hadeeth of Ikrimah from one of the Companions reported in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and in it occurs, "do not say of Bani Tameem anything but good, for indeed they are the severest of people in attacking the Dajjaal." Al-Haythamee says: "its narrators are those of the Saheeh." [Mujma 10/48 chpt: What is reported concerning Bani Tameem] It is not strange that Bani Tameem would be the most severe against the Dajjaal, because the tools required to combat him are none but a correct and firm belief and proper beneficial knowledge. Alhumdolillaah many of the scholars of Saudi are from the most noble and skilled scholars on the face of this earth today, firmly upon the way of our noble Messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. And our Lord Most High Knows best. So dear sufi friends, A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! in the case of the Sufi, that would be no knowledge or the Absence of knowledge or dhikr all night long all night (with knowledge) is a dangerous thing! MM stay with the Sufis and you will loose your mind>
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 04:57 pm III. QUESTIONS ON TAWASSUL Is it true, as some people say, that tawassul or "seeking means" through the Prophet and the awliya', such as seeking their intercession, is not necessary nor a priority in Islam, because Allah says that He is near and answers whoever calls Him directly? What about the statement in al-Wala' wal-Bara' According to the `Aqeedah of the Salaf that among the "ten actions that negate Islam" is "relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah when seeking intercession"? What about Albani's claims that tawassul is not through the person of the Prophet after his time, but through his du`a and only in his lifetime? And what about those who compare tawassul and asking intercession to the Christian worship of Jesus and the saints, those who reject tabarruk bi al-athar -- getting blessings from the Prophet's relics -- as being outside Islam, and those who put limitations on invoking salawat -- blessings and peace -- on the Prophet? Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace of Allah upon His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad, his Family and all his Companions. There is not one single act of worship in Islam that is not a tawassul (seeking means to Allah), therefore it is inadmissible to say that tawassul is not an integral and central part of Islam. Tawassul is the very heart of Islam, and the shahada contains a declaration of belief in tawassul, for one cannot be a Muslim unless one recognizes the messengership and prophethood of Muhammad, blessings and peace upon him, and of all Prophets, although the goal is Allah alone Who said: "I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me" (51:56). Therefore this is seeking an obligatory means to an obligatory end. The pillars of Islam similarly all consist in actions which are means before Allah for one who performs them. Intercession is the greatest means as it will be only through intercession that the people of the Fire will enter Paradise, and Allah even called Himself "Intercessor" in the verse: "You have not, beside Him, a protecting friend or mediator" (32:4) and in the long hadith narrated by Muslim wherein the Prophet said: Allah will say: "The angels have interceded. The Prophets have interceded. The believers have interceded. There does not remain except the Most Merciful of the merciful ones."[1] The Prophet also called the Qur'an an intercessor, declared that people were intercessors, and gave as an example the intercession of children for the parents who lost them in their infancy. We ask for the intercession of the dead person every time we pray janaza, when we say: allahumma la tuhrimna ajrahum which means "O Allah, do not prevent their benefit from reaching us." Allah declares that the best people are the Prophets, then those who are absolutely truthful (siddiqin) and these are the great saints, then the martyrs (shuhada), then the righteous (salihin), and the Prophet declared that every person will be making intercession on the Day of Resurrection, but with an order of priority among them, just as Allah gives precedence in this world to those who are closest to Him. All this is a great blessing of Allah to the worlds and the reason why we are greatly blessed on this earth despite our sins. For the earth is never empty of the true worshippers and there is still someone left saying "Allah." If you realize this, you will never harbor doubts about Muslims availing themselves of the blessings and guidance that Allah sends to them in the persons of the anbiya' and awliya'. Nor do we believe that the friendship with Allah established in nubuwwa and wilaya stops with death. We strenuously reject the heresy of those who claim that the Prophet is dead and gone after delivering his message. Hasha, wa ta`ala Allahu `amma yasifun. He is alive and fed, our greetings reach him, our actions are shown to him, he intercedes for us, and the dust of his grave is the most blessed spot on earth for which no show of love and honor is too great. No-one who has love in their heart approaches it without adab. It is the responsibility of every Muslim to ascertain what is correct from what is wrong, and tawassul is correct, recommended, and one of the greatest means of drawing close to Allah, first and foremost through the Prophet. This is the position of the overwhelming majority of the scholars until our own time, opposed by a handful of dissenters. Tawassul is not a luxury for the rich, and its validity is not determined by circumstance, analogy, or personal feelings but by solid, known legal proofs and the practice of the righteous early generations. It is not a matter of procedure and scholarship but one of sound belief. Dislike for asking for the Prophet's help displays arrogance against Allah's greatest mercy, dislike for the Prophet, and a diseased heart. May Allah protect us from it at all times, especially in our time which is the time of fear of declaring love for our Prophet and that of rampant disaffection towards him. As for tawassul with the saints, no one can claim that they know Allah better than the Prophet, just as no one can claim that they know the Prophet better than the Friends of Allah. What then is the status of one who would stop seeking their company and asking for their help and guidance? THE PROOFS FOR INTERCESSION (SHAFA`A) IN ISLAM In Islam every action of a believer is an intercessor, and the Prophet has told us that the Qur'an also will intercede for us on the Day of Resurrection,[2] while he himself is the greatest intercessor other than Allah. The position of the Prophet as the Intercessor between creation and the Creator is illustrated by his position as the one whom Allah consults with regard to his Community. This is established by the following authentic hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad: · Hudhayfa said: The Prophet was absent and he did not come out until we thought that he would never come out anymore. When he did come out, he fell into such a long prostration that we thought that his soul had been taken back during that prostration. When he raised his head he said: My Lord sought my advice (istasharani) concerning my Community, saying: "What shall I do with them?" I said: "What You will, my Lord, they are Your creation and Your servants!" Then He sought my advice again (fa istasharani al-thaniya), and I said to him the same thing, so He said: "We shall not put you to shame concerning your Community, O Muhammad." Then He informed me that the first of my Community to enter Paradise will be seventy thousand, each thousand of whom will have seventy thousand with them [4,900,000,000], and none of them shall incur any accounting. Then He sent me a messenger who said: "Supplicate and it will be answered to you. Ask and it will be given to you." I said to His messenger: "Will my Lord give me whatever I ask for?" He replied: "He did not send me to you except to give you you whatever you ask for." And indeed my Lord has given me whatever I asked for, and I say this without pride: He has forgiven me my sins past or future while I am still alive and walking about; He has granted me that my Community shall not starve, and shall not be overcome. And He has given me al-Kawthar, a river of Paradise which flows into my Pond; and He has given me power and victory over my enemies, and terror running in their ranks at a month's distance from my Community; and He has granted me that I be first among the Prophets to enter Paradise; and He has made spoils of war lawful and good for me and my Community, and He has made lawful much of what He had forbidden those before us, nor did He take us to task for it." Narrated by Imam Ahmad, and Haythami said in Majma` al-zawa'id (10:68) that its chain was fair (hasan). According to Shari`a even the good action of the greatest apostate intercedes for him and profits him, as established by what is related in Bukhari whereby Abu Lahab freed his slave Thuwayba on the day the Prophet was born and that subsequently his punishment in the grave is diminished every Monday. Scholars have quoted this hadith to highlight the importance of praising the Prophet in that even non-believers benefit from the intercession of their own actions that denote his praise -- even unintentional. Two examples of such scholars are the hafiz of Syria and supporter of Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr al-Qaysi, known as Nasir al-Din al-Dimashqi (777-842) in his several books on the praiseworthiness of Mawlid, among them Jami` al-athar fi mawlid al-nabi al-mukhtar (The compendium of reports concerning the birth of the Chosen Prophet), al-Lafz al-ra'iq fi mawlid khayr al-khala'iq (The shining expressions for the birth of the Best of Creation) and Mawrid al-sadi bi mawlid al-nabi al-hadi (The continuous spring: the birth of the Guiding Prophet) and the hafiz Shams al-Din al-Jazari in his book `Urf al-ta`rif bi al-mawlid al-sharif (The beneficient communication of the Noble Birth of the Prophet). Another principle of that hadith is that the benefit of intercession takes place before Resurrection. Whether persons other than the Prophet are intercessors as well the answer is: yes, since the Prophet has explicitly declared it in many sound hadiths which quote below, among them the following: "More people than the collective tribes of Banu Tamim shall enter Paradise due to the intercession of one man from my Community." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah, is it other than you?" He said: "Other than me."[3] The belief in the Prophet's intercession and that of other than him is obligatory in Islam. It is stated clearly in the `Aqida tahawiyya of Imam al-Tahawi, in Ghazali's al-Iqtisad and the chapter on `aqida in his Ihya', in the works of al-Ash`ari, and even in the `Aqida wasitiyya of Ibn Taymiyya. These intercessors are a mercy from Allah and it is an obligation and an order for mankind to seek out Allah's mercy. The seeking of intercession has two effects: one is immediate, in increasing the faith of the person and availing him all sorts of benefits in the world; the other is delayed until Resurrection. About the statement in al-Wala' wa al-bara' that among the "ten actions that negate Islam" is "relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah when seeking intercession,"[4] then the deceptiveness of the statement is obvious, since the meaning of intercession is intermediary. How can one at the same time seek an intermediary and refrain from relying on him? This would not be the act of a believer but of a duplicitous person. Besides language and logic it is clear in the hadith of the Great Intercession in Bukhari and Muslim that the people will seek intercessors in vain among all the Prophets until they come to the Seal of Prophets seeking to rely upon him for intercession, and he confirms that he is able to fulfill their request. This is one of the matters which the Prophet boasted about in the hadith "I have been given five things..." What then is the import of reducing it to an "action that negates Islam" other than to reduce the status of the Prophet himself and of his intercession? Allah has created intercession as He has created everything else, out of mercy; He also said: "My Mercy encompasses all things" (7:156). No doubt His greatest Mercy is the Prophet, concerning whom He said: "We did not send you save as a Mercy to the Worlds" (21:107). Belief in the Prophet's intercession is tied to the witnessing to the truth he brought and the recognition by the believers of his right as Allah's greatest Mercy. The angels intercede according to Qur'an, yet the Prophet is nearer to Allah than the nearest among them. No-one will speak on the Day of Judgment except those who have permission, and it is related in authentic hadith that Allah gave permission to the Prophet. The Prophet will not be saying "I and Myself" but will be saying "ummati, ummati (My Community)" and that is intercession which, unless it is reliable, cannot be hoped for nor looked forward to, as the "Salafis" try to suggest. Allah said in Surat Yunus: Is it a matter of wonderment to men that We have sent Our revelation to a man from among themselves? that he should warn mankind and give the glad tidings to the Believers that they have with their Lord a truthful foothold/forerunner. But the unbelievers say: This is an evident sorcerer. (10:2) The following is one of the authoritative explanations for the expression "a truthful foothold/forerunner" (qadama sidqin): "A truthful foothold/forerunner": Bukhari in his Sahih [book of Tafsir for Surat Yunus, ch. 1], Tabari in Jami` al-bayan, Qurtubi in al-Jami` li al-ahkam, Ibn `Uyayna in his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir, Suyuti in al-Durr al-manthur and al-Riyad al-aniqa, Abu al-Fadl al-Maydani in Majma` al-amthal, Abu al-Shaykh, Ibn Mardawayh in his Tafsir, Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, and others said, on the authority of the Companions: `Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, and the Tabi`in: al-Hasan, Qatada, Mujahid, Zayd ibn Aslam, Bakkar ibn Malik, and Muqatil: "It is Muhammad, blessings and peace upon him." Qurtubi said: "It is Muhammad sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, for he is an intercessor whom the people obey and who precedes them, just as he said: I will be your scout at the Pond (ana faratukum `ala al-hawd). And he was asked about its meaning and said: It is my intercession, for you to use me as a means to your Lord (hiya shafa`ati tawassaluna bi ila rabbikum)." Ibn Kathir mentioned the latter meaning in his Tafsir (2:406, 4:183) as well as al-Razi in his (8:242). al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi said: "Allah gave him precedence (qaddamahu) with the Praiseworthy Station (al-maqam al-mahmud). Qurtubi mentioned it. Suyuti said: "Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Abu al-Shaykh narrated that al-Hasan said: It is Muhammad blessings and peace upon him, who is an intercessor for them on the Day of Rising; and Ibn Mardawayh narrated from `Ali ibn Abi Talib through al-Harith and from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri through `Atiyya: It is Muhammad blessings and peace upon him, he is an intercessor in truth on their behalf on the Day of Rising." Intercession in no way diminishes the fact that everything is under Allah's sovereignty. However, Allah created secondary causes and means, and He has said: "Seek the means to Allah" (5:35). Intercession is but one of those means and not the smallest. The fact that the Prophet said that to utter la ilaha illallah from the heart guaranteed his intercession, implies that there is immense good in his intercession; what would we wish for in addition to the benefit brought by uttering the kalima, if it were not to be prized immensely? That is why sincere love of the Prophet and of pious people is of a tremendous benefit, as one hopes thereby to be loved back. The Prophet said to the Arab who had prepared nothing for the Final Hour other than love for Allah and His Prophet: yuhshar al-mar' ma` man ahabb, "One is raised in the company of those he loves," and the Companions who were present said this was the happiest day of their lives for hearing this promise.[5] All this implies reliance, and contradicts the assertion of the book al-Wala' wal-Bara' that "relying on an intermediary between oneself and Allah when seeking intercession negates Islam." The asking of intercession from the intercessor, as the asking of du`a from a pious Muslim, in no way implies that the person who asks believes any good can come apart from Allah. In effect he is asking Allah, but he is using the means that Allah put at his disposal, including the intercession of those who may be closer than himself to Allah. To refuse to believe that other may be closer than us to Allah is the sin of Iblis. Imam Ghazali said in the section on doctrine of his Ihya': It is obligatory to believe in the intercession of first the prophets, then religious scholars, then martyrs, then other believers, the intercession of each one commensurate with his rank and position with Allah Most High.[6] A contemporary scholar wrote the following explanation of the meaning of intercession: What is the meaning of Intercession? al-shafa`a (intercession) is derived from al-shaf` which means "even" as opposed to odd, since the interceder adds his own recommendation to the plea of the petitioner; in this way the number of pleaders becomes even, and the weak plea of the petitioner is strengthened by the prestige of the intercessor. We are accustomed in our social and communal life to seek others' intercession and help for fulfilling our needs. We resort to it to get an advantage or to ward off a disadvantage. Here we are not talking about an advantage or a disadvantage, a benefit or a harm that is caused by natural causes, like hunger and thirst, heat or cold, illness or health; because in such cases we get what we want through natural remedies, like eating and drinking, wearing clothes, getting treatment and so on. What we are talking here about is the benefit and harm, punishment and reward resulting from the social laws made by civil authorities. From the nature of the relationship of mastership-and-servitude, and for that matter, between every ruler and ruled, rise some commandments, orders and prohibitions; one who follows and obeys them is praised and rewarded, and the one who disobeys is condemned and punished; that reward or punishment may be either material or spiritual. When a master orders his servant to do or not to do a thing, and the servant obeys him he gets its reward; and if he disobeys he is punished. Whenever a rule is made, the punishment for its infringement is laid down too. This is the foundation which all authorities are built upon. When a man wants to get a material or spiritual benefit but is not suitably qualified for it; or when he desires to ward off a harm which is coming to him because of his disobedience, but has no shield to protect himself, then comes the time for intercession. In other words, when he wants to get a reward without doing his task, or to save himself from punishment without performing his duty, then he looks for someone to intercede on his behalf. But intercession is effective only if the person for whom one intercedes is otherwise qualified to get the reward and has already established a relationship with the authority. If an ignorant person desires appointment to a prestigious academic post, no intercession can do him any good; nor can it avail in case of a rebellious traitor who shows no remorse for his misdeeds and does not submit to the lawful authorities. It clearly shows that intercession works as a supplement to the cause; it is not an independent cause. The effect of an intercessor's words depends on one or the other factor which may have some influence upon the concerned authority; in other words, intercession must have a solid ground to stand upon. The intercessor endeavours to find a way to the heart of the authority concerned, in order that the said authority may give the reward to, or waive the punishment of, the person who is the subject of intercession. An intercessor does not ask the master to nullify his mastership or to release the servant from his servitude; nor does he plead with him to refrain from laying down rules and regulations for his servants or to abrogate his commandments (either generally or especially in that one case), in order to save the wrong-doer from the due consequences; nor does he ask him to discard the canon of reward and punishment (either generally or in that particular case). In short, intercession can interfere with neither the institution of mastership and servantship nor the master's authority to lay down the rules; nor can it effect the system of reward and punishment. These three factors are beyond the jurisdiction of intercession. What an intercessor does is this: he accepts the inviolability of the above mentioned three aspects. Then he looks at one or more of the following factors and builds his intercession on that basis: He appeals to such attributes of the master as give rise to forgiveness, e.g., his nobility, magnanimity and generosity. He draws attention to such characteristics of the servant as justify mercy and pardon, e.g., his wretchedness, poverty, low status and misery. He puts at stake his own prestige and honour in the eyes of the master. Thus, the import of intercession is like this: I cannot and do not say that you should forget your mastership over your servant or abrogate your commandment or nullify the system of reward and punishment. What I ask of you is to forgive this defaulting servant of yours because you are magnanimous and generous, and because no harm would come to you if you forgive his sins; and/or because your servant is a wretched creature of low status and steeped in misery; and it is befitting of a master like you to ignore the faults of a slave like him; and/or because you have bestowed on me a high prestige, and I implore you to forgive and pardon him in honour of my intercession. The intercessor, in this way, bestows precedence on the factors of forgiveness and pardon over those of legislation and recompense. He removes the case from the latter's jurisdiction putting it under the former's influence. As a result of this shift, the consequences of legislation (reward and punishment) do not remain applicable. The effect of intercession is, therefore, based on shifting the case from the jurisdiction of reward and punishment to that of pardon and forgiveness; it is not a confrontation between one cause (divine legislation) and the other (intercession). By now it should be clear that intercession too is one of the causes; it is the intermediate cause that connects a distant cause to its desired effect. Allah is the ultimate Cause. This causality shows itself in two ways: First: in creation: every cause begins from Him and ends up to Him; He is the first and the final Cause. He is the real Creator and Originator. All other causes are mere channels to carry His boundless mercy and limitless bounty to His creatures. Second: in legislation: He, in His mercy, established a contact with His creatures; He laid down the religion, sent down His commandments, and prescribed suitable reward and appropriate punishment for His obedient and disobedient servants; He sent prophets and apostles to bring us good tidings and to warn us of the consequences of transgression. The prophets and apostles conveyed to us His message in the best possible way. Thus His proof over us was complete: "and the word of your Lord has been accomplished with truth and justice, there is none to change His words" (6:115). Both aspects of causality of Allah may be, and in fact are, related to intercession: 1. Intercession in creation: quite obviously the intermediary causes of creation are the conduits that bring the divine mercy, life, sustenance and other bounties to the creatures; and as such they are intercessors between the Creator and the created. Some Qur'anic verses too are based on this very theme: "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His; who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission" (2:255); "Surely your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six periods, and He is firmly established on the throne, regulating the affair; there is no intercessor except after His permission" (10:3). Intercession in the sphere of creation is only the intermediation of causes between the Creator and the created thing and effect in bringing it into being and regulating its affairs. 2. Intercession in legislation: intercession, as analyzed earlier, is effective in this sphere too. It is in this context that Allah says: "On that day shall no intercession avail except of him whom the Beneficent God allows and whose word He is pleased with" (20:109); "And intercession will not avail aught with Him save of him whom He permits" (34:23); "And how many an angel is there in the heavens whose intercession does not avail at all except after Allah has given permission to whom He pleases and chooses" (53:26); "... and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves ..." (21:28); "And those whom they call upon besides Him have no authority for intercession, but he who bears witness of the truth and they know (him)" (43:86). These verses clearly affirm an intercessory role for various servants of Allah, both men and angels, with divine permission and pleasure. It means that Allah has given them some power and authority in this matter, and to Him belongs all the kingdom and all the affairs. Those intercessors may appeal to Allah's mercy, forgiveness and other relevant attributes to cover and protect a servant who otherwise would have deserved punishment because of his sins and transgressions. That intercession would transfer his case from the general law of recompense to the special domain of grace and mercy (it has already been explained that the effect of intercession is based on shifting a case from the former's to the latter's jurisdiction; it is not a confrontation between one law and the other). Allah clearly says: "... so these are they of whom Allah changes the evil deeds to good ones" (25:70). Allah has the power to change one type of deed into another, in the same way as He may render an act null and void. He says: "And We will proceed to what they have done of deeds, so We shall render them as scattered floating dust" (25:23); ... "so He rendered their deeds null" (47:9); "If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden, We will expiate from you your sins" (4:31); "Surely Allah does not forgive that any thing should be associated with Him, and forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases" (4:48). The last quoted verse is certainly about the cases other than true belief and repentance, because with belief and repentance even polytheism is forgiven, like any other sin. Also Allah may nurture a small deed to make it greater than the original: "These shall be granted their reward twice" (28:54); "Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it" (6:160). Likewise, He may treat a nonexistent deed as existing: "And (as for) those who believe and their offsping follow them in faith, We will unite with them their offspring and We will not diminish to them aught of their work; every man is responsible for what he has done" (52:21) . To make a long story short, Allah does what He pleases, and decrees as He wills. Of course, He does so pursuant to His servants' interest, and in accordance with an intermediary cause, and intercession of the intercessors (e.g., the Prophets, the Friends of Allah and those who are nearer to Him) is one of those causes, and certainly no rashness or injustice is entailed therein. It should have been clear by now that intercession, in its true sense, belongs to Allah only; all His attributes are intermediaries between Him and His creatures and are the channels through which His grace, mercy and decrees pass to the creatures; He is the real and all-encompassing intercessor: "Say: Allah's is the intercession altogether" (39:44); ... "you have not besides Him any guardian or any intercessor" (32:4); ... "there is no guardian for them nor any intercessor besides Him" (6: 51). Intercessors other than Allah only get that right by His permission, by His authority. In short, intercession with Him is a confirmed reality in all cases where it does not go against the divine glory and honour.[7] PROOF-TEXTS OF INTERCESSION IN THE QUR'AN AND HADITH 1. Linguistic definitions Shafa`a is the Arabic noun for intercession or mediation or asking forgiveness from Allah for someone else. The word is used also in laying a petition before a king,[8] interceding for a debtor,[9] and in judicial procedure: "Whoso makes a righteous intercession shall partake of the good that ensues therefrom, and whoso makes an evil intercession will bear the consequence thereof" (4:85); "He who by his intercession invalidates one of Allah's hudud (laws concerning transgressions) is challenging (tahadda) Allah" (Bukhari, Anbiya' ch. 54). He who makes intercession is called shfi` and shaf`. 2. Statement of the Doctrine of Intercession in Islam and the Obligations of Belief Therein Hujjat al-Islam Imam Ghazali said: It is obligatory to believe in the intercession of first the prophets, then religious scholars, then martyrs, then other believers, the intercession of each one commensurate with his rank and position with Allah Most High. [Cf. "Allah Himself is witness that there is no God save Him. And the angels and the men of learning too are witness" (3:18) and "Whoso obey Allah and the Messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah has shown favor, of the Prophets and the saints and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!" (4:69).] Any believer remaining in hell without intercessor shall be taken out of it by the favor of Allah, no one who believes remaining in it forever, and anyone with an atom's weight of faith in his heart will eventually depart from it.[10] 3. Proofs of intercession and mediation in the Qur'an In the Holy Qur'an intercession is: a) negated in relation to the unbelievers, b) established categorically as belonging to Allah, c) further defined as generally permitted for others than Allah by His permission, d) further specified as permitted for the angels on behalf of whomever Allah wills, e) explicitly attributed to the Prophet in his lifetime, f) alluded to in reference to the Prophet in the afterlife, and g) alluded to in reference to the generality of the Prophets and the believers in the afterlife. 3.a) The Day of Judgment is described as a day on which no intercession will be accepted from the Children of Israel (2:48) or the unbelievers generally speaking (2:254), or the idolaters (10:18, 74:48): - 2:48: "And guard yourselves against a day when no soul will avail another, nor intercession be accepted from it"; - 2:254: "O believers, spend of that wherewith We have provided you before a day comes when there will be no trafficking, nor friendship, nor intercession. The disbelievers, they are the wrong-doers." - 10:18: "They worship beside Allah that which neither hurts nor profits them, and they say: These are our intercessors with Allah." - 74:48: "The mediation of no mediators will avail them then." 3.b) In absolute terms intercession belongs to Allah alone: - 39:43-44: "Or choose they intercessors other than Allah? Say: What! Even though they have power over nothing and have no intelligence? Say: the intercession belongs to Allah." 3.c) A further definition that "intercession belongs to Allah" is that intercession is actually permitted to others than Allah but only by His permission: - 2:255: "Who should intercede with Him, except by His permission?" - 10:3: "There is no intercessor save after His permission." - 19:87: "They will have no power of intercession, save him who has made a covenant with his Lord." - 43:86: "And those unto whom they cry instead of Him possess no power of intercession, except him who beareth witness unto the truth knowingly." 3.d) Angels are permitted to intercede for whomever Allah wills, specifically among the believers: - 21:26-28: "And they say: the Beneficent hath taken unto Himself a son... Nay, but honored slaves [angels]... and they cannot intercede except for him whom He accepteth, and they quake for awe of Him." - 40:7: "Those who bear the Throne, and all who are round about it... ask forgiveness for those who believe." - 42:5: "The angels hymn the praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on the earth." 3.e) The intercession of the Prophet in his lifetime is explicitly and frequently established: - 3:159: "Pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs." - 4:64: "And if, when they had wronged themselves, they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah forgiving, merciful." - 4:106-107: "And ask forgiveness of Allah (for others). Allah is ever forgiving, merciful. And plead not on behalf of those who deceive themselves." - 8:33: "But Allah would not punish them while thou wast with them, nor will He punish them while they seek forgiveness." - 9:80, 84: "Ask forgiveness for them (the hypocrites) or ask not forgiveness for them; though thou ask forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will not forgive them... And never pray for one of them who dieth, nor stand by his grave." - 9:103: "Pray for them. Lo! thy prayer is an assuagement for them." - 9:113: "It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it hath become clear that they are people of hell-fire." - 24:62: "If they ask thy leave for some affair of theirs, give leave to whom thou wilt of them, and ask for them forgiveness of Allah." - 47:19: "Know that there is no god save Allah, and ask forgiveness for thy sin and for believing men and believing women." - 60:12: "Accept their [believing women's] allegiance and ask Allah to forgive them." - 63:5-6: "And when it is said unto them: Come! The Messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you! they [the hypocrites] avert their faces and thou seest them turning away, disdainful. Whether thou ask forgiveness for them or ask not forgiveness for them, Allah will not forgive them." 3.f) The intercession and mediation of the Prophet on the Day of Judgment has been established by the consensus of scholars (ijma`) and is an article of belief in Islam as stated in section 2. The Mu`tazili heresy rejected it, as they held that the man who enters the Fire will remain there forever. The consensus of scholars is based on the principle of permission (see the verses in section 3.c above), on the allusive verses in the present section, and on the more explicit hadiths quoted further below: - 17:79: "It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a Praised Station." - 93:5: "And verily thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou wilt be content." 3.g) The intercession of the generality of the Prophets as well as the believers has similarly been established by the verses of sections 3.c and 3.e above, i.e. based on permission, and also because Prophets have made a covenant with their Lord (33:7, 3:81) and do bear witness unto the truth knowingly. The latter is true also of the elite of the believers (3:18: "Allah, the angels, and the men of learning" . There are also the following verses concerning the Prophets' intercession in their lifetime: - 12:97-98: "And they said: O our father! Ask forgiveness of our sins for us for lo! we were sinful. And he [Jacob] said: I shall ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. He is the forgiving, the merciful." - 19:47: "He [Abraham] said: Peace unto thee. I shall ask forgiveness of my Lord for thee." - 60:4: "Abraham promised his father: I will ask forgiveness for thee, though I owe nothing for thee from Allah." There are also the following verses concerning the believers' intercession in their lifetime: - 9:113: "It is not for the Prophet, and those who believe, to pray for the forgiveness of idolaters even though they may be near of kin (to them) after it has become clear that they are people of hellfire." - 59:10: "And those who came after them say: Our Lord! forgive us and forgive our believing brothers who lived before us." 4. Proofs of intercession/mediation in the hadith In the hadith the power of intercession is emphasized as given: a) to the Prophet exclusively of other prophets; b) to special members of the Prophet's Community, such as saints and scholars; c) to the common believers of the Prophet's Community. 4.a) Intercession of the Prophet: 4.a.1) In his lifetime for those who passed away: - All the authentic traditions concerning the Prophet's prayer and takbir over the graves of the believers. - Muslim (jana'iz): Abu Hurayra narrates that a dark-complexioned woman or young man used to sweep the mosque. When that person died, no-one told the Prophet until he enquired about it and then went to pray over the grave. He remarked: "Verily, these graves are full of darkness for their dwellers. Verily, Allah Mighty and Glorious illumines them for their occupants by reason of my prayer for them." - Muslim (jana'iz): `Awf ibn Malik said that after he heard the words of the Prophet's prayer over a dead person, he earnestly desired that he were that dead person. - Muslim (jana'iz): Muhammad ibn Qays narrates from `A'isha that the Prophet on every night that he was with her used to quietly get dressed and leave at the end of the night, and she once followed him surreptitiously until he reached Baqi` [the graveyard of the believers] where he prayed for the dead. Later he told her that Jibril had come to him and said: "Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi` and beg forgiveness for them." 4.a.2) In the afterlife: - al-Daraqutni, al-Dulabi, al-Bayhaqi, Khatib al-Baghdadi, al-`Uqayli, Ibn `Adi, Tabarani, and Ibn Khuzayma in his Sahih, all through various chains going back to Musa ibn Hilal al-`Abdi from `Ubayd Allah Ibn `Umar, both from Nafi`, from Ibn `Umar: "Whoever visits my grave, my intercession will be guaranteed for him." Ibn Hajar al-Haytami said in his commentary on Nawawi's Idah fi manasik al-hajj: Ibn Khuzayma narrated it in his Sahih but alluded to its weakness. Ibn al-Kharrat and Taqi al-Subki declared it sound (sahih). Daraqutni and Tabarani also narrate it with the wording: "Whoever visits me with no other need than visiting me, it is my duty to be his intercessor on the Day of Judgment." One version has: "It is Allah's duty that I be his intercessor on the Day of Judgment." Ibn al-Subki declared it sound. Although declaring all the chains of this hadith imperfect (layyina), Dhahabi nevertheless said that they strengthened each other and declared the chain jayyid (good) as narrated, in Mizan al-i`tidal, (4:226): That is, the hadith is hasan. Sakhawi confirmed him in the Maqasid al-hasana, while al-Subki declared it sahih in Shifa' al-siqam (p. 12-13) and Samhudi in Sa`adat al-darayn (1:77). Imam Lucknawi in al-Ajwiba al-fadila (p. 155) said: "And this [declaring it authentic] until today is the custom of the people who have reached mastery of this science." About Musa ibn Hilal, Dhahabi in his Mizan (3:220) said: "Huwa salih al-hadith" which means: "He is good enough in his narrations." Ibn `Adi said in al-Kamil fi al-du`afa" (6:2350): "He (Musa ibn Hilal) is most likely acceptable; other people have called him unknown (majhul) and this is not true... He is one of the shuyukhs of Imam Ahmad and most of them are trustworthy." Lucknawi said in al-Raf` wa al-takmil (p. 248-249): "Abu Hatim [al-Razi]'s saying whereby Musa ibn Hilal is unknown is rejected, because it is established that those who are trustworthy narrated hadith from him." Even Albani declared him thabit al-riwaya (of established reliability) in his Irwa' (4:338). About `Ubayd Allah ibn `Umar al-`Umari: Dhahabi calls him saduq hasan al-hadith (truthful, of fair narrations) in al-Mughni (1:348); Sakhawi says of him salih al-hadith (his narrations are good enough) in al-Tuhfa al-latifa (3:366); Ibn Ma`in said to Darimi about him: salih thiqa (good enough and trustworthy) in al-Kamil (4:1459). al-Lucknawi also said about this hadith in his book Zafr al-amani (p.422): "There are some who declared it weak, and others who asserted that all the hadiths on visitation of the Prophet are forged, such as Ibn Taymiyya and his followers, but both positions are false for those who were given right understanding, for verification of the case dictates that the hadith is hasan, as Taqi al-Din al-Subki has expounded in his book Shifa' al-siqam fi ziyarat khayr al-anam." Among those who fall into the category of "Ibn Taymiyya and his followers" on this issue: Ibn `Abd al-Hadi who wrote al-Sarim al-munki in an attempt to refute Subki's book Shifa' al-siqam on the great merit of visiting the Prophet; the Saudi author Bin Baz who said: "the ahadith that concern the desirability of visiting the grave of the Prophet are all weak, indeed forged" (kulluha da`ifa bal mawdu`a) in the 1993 edition of Fath al-bari (3:387); Nasir al-Din Albani, who claimed that the visit to the Prophet ranks among the innovations in Talkhis ahkam al-jana'iz (p. 110) and elsewhere in his writings; and Nasir al-Jadya`, who in 1993 obtained his Ph.D. with First Honors from the University of Muhammad ibn Sa`ud after writing a 600-page book entitled al-Tabarruk in which he perpetuates the same claim (p. 322). One will find such books printed and distributed far and wide, while the classical books of Ahl al-Sunna are deliberately ignored and made unavailable to Muslims at large. Despite the claims of Wahhabis and "Salafis," the hadith "Whoever visits my grave is guaranteed my intercession" is one of the proof-texts adduced by the ulama of Islam to derive the obligation or recommendation of visiting the Prophet's grave and seeking him as wasila (intermediary/means), as will be seen further down, in the chapter on visiting the Prophet's grave. Sakhawi said in al-Qawl al-badi` (p. 160): The emphasis and encouragement on visiting his noble grave is mentioned in numerous hadiths, and it would suffice to show this if there was only the hadith whereby the truthful and God-confirmed Prophet promises that his intercession among other things becomes obligatory for whoever visits him, and the Imams are in complete agreement from the time directly after his passing until our own time that this [i.e. visiting him] is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah. - Muslim: "Whoever repeats after the words of the mu'adhdhin, my intercession will be guaranteed for him." - Tirmidhi (hasan gharib) and Ibn Hibban: "Those closest to me in the hereafter are those who invoked blessings upon me the most (in dunya)." - The Prophet said: "My intercession is for those people of my Community who commit major sins." It is narrated by Tirmidhi (hasan sahih gharib), Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, and `Abd al-Haqq Ibn al-Kharrat al-Ishbili cited it in Kitab al-`aqiba. Ibn Hajar in Fath al-bari specified the following meaning of this hadith: "He did not restrict this to those who repented."[11] - In Bukhari, from `Imran ibn Husayn, whereby the Prophet said: "A people will come out of the Fire through the intercession of Muhammad, and will enter Paradise. They will be called the Jahannamiyyun." - In Muslim's Sahih: `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As narrated that the Prophet recited the prayer of Ibrahim: "My Lord! Lo! They have led many of mankind astray. But whoso followeth me, he verily is of me. And whoso disobeyeth me -- Still Thou art Forgiving, Merciful" (14:36). Then he recited the saying of `Isa: "If Thou punish them, lo! they are Thy slaves, and if Thou forgive them (lo! they are Thy slaves)" (5:118). Then he raised his hands and said: "My Community, my Community!" and he wept. Allah said: "O Jibril, go to Muhammad and ask him what causes him to weep." When Jibril came and asked him he told him, upon which Jibril returned and told Allah -- Who knows better than him -- and He said: "O Jibril, go to Muhammad and tell him: We shall make thee glad concerning thy Community and We shall not displease you." (A reference to 93:5) - Tirmidhi (hasan sahih) and Ibn Maja: Abu ibn Ka`b narrated that the Prophet said: "On the Day of Judgment I shall be the Imam of Prophets and their spokesman and the owner of their intercession and I say this without pride" (a reference to 4:41). - Tirmidhi (hasan gharib): From Anas, similar to the one before but applying to all people not only to Prophets. - Tirmidhi (hasan gharib sahih): Abu Hurayra narrates that the Prophet said: "I shall stand before my Lord Glorious and Mighty and I shall be adorned with a garment from the garments of Paradise, after which I shall stand to the right of the Throne where none of creation will stand except myself." - Tirmidhi (gharib): Ibn `Abbas narrates: "Some people close to the Prophet came and waited for him. When he came out he approached them and heard them saying: What a wonder it is that Allah Almighty and Glorious took one of His creation as His intimate Friend -- Ibrahim -- while another one said: What is more wonderful than His speech to Musa, to whom He spoke directly! Yet another one said: And `Isa is Allah's word and His spirit, while another one said: Adam was chosen by Allah. The Prophet said: I heard your words, and everything you said is indeed true, and I myself am the Beloved of Allah (habibullah) and I say this without pride, and I carry the flag of glory on the Day of Judgment and am the first intercessor and the first whose intercession is accepted, and the first to stir the circles of Paradise so that Allah will open it for me and I shall enter it together with the poor among my Community, and I say this without pride. I am the most honored of the First and the Last and I say this without pride." - Bukhari and Muslim: Jabir narrated that the Prophet said: "I have been given five things which no Prophet was given before me: I was made victor over my enemies through fear struck in their heart; I was permitted to take the booty of war; The whole earth was made a place of prostration for me and its soil ritually pure, so when the time to pray comes upon anyone of my Community, let him pray there and then; I was given shafa`a (intercession/mediation with Allah); Every Prophet was sent to his people in particular and I was sent to all peoples. - Tirmidhi (hasan) and Ibn Maja: Abu Sa`id al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet said: "I am the leader of human beings and I say this without pride. I am the first whom the earth will give up when it cleaves, and the first intercessor and the first whose intercession is accepted. I hold the flag of glory in my hand, and under it comes Adam and everyone else." - Bukhari and Muslim: Anas and Abu Hurayra respectively narrate that the Prophet said: "Every Prophet has a request that is fulfilled, and I want to reserve my request of intercession for my Community for the Day of Judgment." - Ahmad and Tabarani (hasan): Burayda narrates that the Prophet said: "Verily I shall intercede on the Day of Judgment for more men than there are stones and clods of mud on the earth." - Bukhari and Muslim: Abu Hurayra narrates a long hadith wherein the Prophet intercedes and his intercession is accepted when all other Prophets are powerless to intercede. In al-Hasan's version in Bukhari, the Prophet intercedes and is accepted four times: For those who have a grain of faith in their heart; For those who have a mustard seed of faith in their heart; For those who have less than that of faith in their heart; For those who ever said: la ilaha illallah. 4.b) Intercession of special members of the Prophet's Community: 4.b.1) In their lifetime for the living - Bukhari [Istisqa']: Annas narrated: Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar ibn al-Khattab used to ask Allah for rain through the mediation of al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib. He [`Umar] used to say: "O Allah! We used to ask you through the means of our Prophet and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask You through the means of our Prophet's uncle, so bless us with rain." And it would rain. 4.b.2) In the afterlife - Tirmidhi (hasan), Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim: Abu Umama narrated that the Prophet said: "More men will enter Paradise through the intercession of a certain man than there are people in the tribes of Rabi`ah and Mudar," and that the elders considered that this was `Uthman ibn `Affan. - Tirmidhi (hasan sahih), Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim (sahih): Abu Abi al-Jad`a narrated that the Prophet said: "More men will enter Paradise through the intercession of one man than there are people in the tribe of Banu Tamim." They asked him: "Other than you?" He said: "Other than me," and it was said Uways al-Qarani was meant. 4.c) Intercession of the common believers among the Prophet's Community: 4.c.1) In their lifetime for those who passed away - Muslim (jana'iz): `A'ishah reports the Prophet as saying: "If a company of Muslims numbering one hundred pray over a dead person, all of them interceding for him, their intercession for him will be accepted." - Muslim (jana'iz): Ibn `Abbas said: "I have heard the Prophet say: If any Muslim dies and forty men who associate nothing with Allah stand over his body in prayer, Allah will accept them as intercessors for him." - Abu Dawud (Book 20, Number 3194): Narrated Abu Hurayra: `Ali ibn Shammakh said: I was present with Marwan who asked Abu Hurayra: Did you hear how the Prophet used to pray over the dead?... Abu Hurayra said: O Allah, Thou art its Lord. Thou didst create it, Thou didst guide it to Islam, Thou hast taken its spirit, and Thou knowest best its inner nature and outer aspect. We have come as intercessors, so forgive him. - Ahmad [4:79, 4:100] and others: In many traditions the number of acceptable intercessors in the funeral prayer is reduced to three rows of men, even if the number is under forty. Nawawi says the scholars of usul al-fiqh adduce these traditions also. 4.c.2) In the afterlife - Tirmidhi (hasan), al-Bazzar: Abu Sa`id al-Khudri and Anas respectively narrate that the Prophet said: "One will be told: Stand, O So-and-so, and make intercession, and he will stand and make intercession for his tribe and his family and for one man or two men or more according to his works." - The du`a that is recited in the funeral prayer of a non-adult: "O Allah, make him/her our forerunner, and make him for us a reward and a treasure, make him one who will intercede (shafi`an) and whose intercession is accepted (mushaffa`an)." In this du`a we are clearly asking for intercession from a person who has passed away, in fact we are asking for intercession from a child who has not done any deeds in this world at all. A version of it mentioning intercession is in Nawawi's Adhkar, in the chapter of the du`as over the dead, and it is translated in Nuh Keller's Reliance in the section on Funerals. In fact every janaza prayer contains a request for the intercession of the deceased in the phrase wa la tahrimna ajrahu which means "and do not prevent his reward from reaching us." Bukhari related that the Prophet also said: "He whose three children died before the age of puberty, they will shield him from the Hell-Fire, or will make him enter Paradise."
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 05:03 pm Saalamu aleykum Its really funny the one who wrote the article ibn Tayyimah was sufi... Well One time a brother I know said we say to these people, Ok you SAY IBN TAYYIMAH WAS SUFI LETS FOLLOW the Creed and way of Ibn Tayyimah... Then you will know ? ==================== The Articles you posted contains things which are true, and not true,.... If you mean Sufism to purify the heart... Good manners, Action of the hearts, Zuhud... purfying intention,... this we take it from you.. This was the teaching of Prophet Muhammed bin Abdullah...You call it Tasawuf we Call it purfication of Soul...or Ahsan.. Science of Sulook... I mean if person implements every Hadith in Riyad Salheen... is enough for his daily life... And if you Learn all the Saheeh Athkar,....Like Husun Muslim and Athkar by Imam NAsee ... and Athkar Imam Nawai..(the Saheeh one) This is enough job for him, I mean Is there here any one, who memorized these Athkar... so Why all this problem,.... If you mean Tawasuf thsese thing then I take it.. this I call it Zuhud and Ahsan as prophet Called it.. But if you mean Tasawuf as making pledege and biya to Tariqa...blind following Sheikh... or you mean Tasawuf circle Thiker and Dance, And Saying HoWA HOWA HOWA HOWA and jumping around.... or you mean Tawsawuf reading all the innvatoed athkar and leaving the Athkar of the prophet peace be upon him.. than we will not take it from you... Or beliving that there is Qutub..... who knowns the Universe and controls it... =================================== Imam Ahmed got upset when he heared that Ibrahim bin Adham says to stay away from marriage.. Also Imam Ahmed Used to resepect one of sufi Imam his time, for his Zuhud he heared that he said: " when Allah created alif the Ba made sujood to it" (this is metioned by Imam IBN JOZEE) Imam Ahmed said make the people to stay away from him... What do you think if he heared todays one... Also Imam Ahmed spoken Against One of the early scholar when he started writing about Tasawuf to the extent only four people pryed Janzah behind him, The word Tasawuf it self there is iktalaf between the sufi them self.. what it's orgin.. they don't agree with each other... It has its own madahab everything...thats why Ibn Jozee refuted one of the scholars for making Some of Salaf from the Sufi, If you going to teach us how to purify our self according Quran and Sunnah, welcome This islam... or else look for someone like you. I mean I wonder what do you guy think of Imam Ahmed, Imam Shafi and abu Hanifa... are they not scholars of Zuhud and taqawa... Some of the Sufi say that Imam Ahmed and scholars of figh are people of Tahir( meaing they only known thing by outside such tafseer etc) they consider them self people of Batin( inside) So they say for example scholars of figh didn't know the meaning of many Ayat except by it's outside meaing... they these people say we know batin... thats why one of their scholars had written book for them, you will suprise .. tafseer sulamee which contains statements of their scholars... And Allah knows best... -----------------------
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 06:55 pm Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saffarini al-Hanbali (d. 1188) relates in his Ghidha' al-albab li-sharh manzumat al-adab from Ibrahim ibn `Abd Allah al-Qalanasi that Imam Ahmad said about the Sufis: "I don't know people better than them." Someone said to him: "They listen to music and they reach states of ecstasy." He said: "Do you prevent them from enjoying an hour with Allah?" Imam Ahmad's admiration of Sufis is borne out by the reports of his awe before al-Harith al-Muhasibi, although he expressed caution about the difficulty of the Sufi path for those unprepared to follow it, as it may not be for all people to follow the way of those about whom Allah instructed His Prophet: "And keep yourself content with those who call their Lord early morning and evening, seeking His Countenance..." (18:28).
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 07:55 pm LOL! Did you people listen to this? http://www.java-man.com/Sound/naqshbnd.wav LOL! It sounds like a gay orgy! LOL! LOOOOOOOOL! It sounds like some guy is getting tore up! Listen for yourself if you don't beleive me! I only wish they wouldn't add Allah's beautifull name to this sick ritual they are performing. Near the end, one guy is trying to get a crank callers attention by screaming "ALLO?" on the phone, or at least it seems. This is funny for real though. Make Sure you listen to it! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL.... http://www.java-man.com/Sound/naqshbnd.wav LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! The person sounds like they're getting raped! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!
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| | Friday, February 23, 2001 - 08:34 pm Anonymous. Misquoting the imams won't father your twisted cause and bid'ah. Even if we take what a great Imam has said(accepting it as right), There is the prophet of islam that has the final authority on matters of islam. So, we tell everyone to live upto the standards of the prophet of islam pbuh. He is the one to follow and look upto. Sheikh fulan said this sheikh fulan said that doesn't make an innovation SUNNAH. I was surprised when you said "They were listening to music and Imam ahmed said let them enjoy the rememberance of Allah". That is really A BIG LIE TO ME. Isn't music HARAM according to the Quran?. I think as always, fabrication of lies against the Imams and sheikhs is a way to legalize what is forbidden. The good thing is though, islam has two resources, from which everybody must use. Al-quran and Sunnah of the prophet pbuh. Allah Almighty says in the Quran(the interpretation): "6.153 Verily, this is My Way, leading straight: follow it: follow not (other) paths: they will scatter you about from His Path: thus does He command you, that you may be righteous." Earlier muslims followed that way without innovations and they were successful in all. At the end of the verse, we are told that righteousness comes about following only that way and no other way. That was the COMMAND OF ALLAH had given to muslims. May be, in their cofusion, the sufis and those who innovate, THEY TAUGHT ALLAH DIDN'T GIVE THEM ENOUGH and thus felt the neccessity to invent. Funny they say "neccessity is the mother of invention". Sufis and ahlu-bidac had the need to invent so they invented. Another verse says: "12.108 Say thou: "This is my Way: I do invite unto Allah,- with certain knowledge, - I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah, and never will I join gods with Allah!" . What was the result of innovations?. Not only did they invite people to a different way other than the way of the prophet, but they invited people to WORSHIP OTHER THAN ALLAH. Calling out to their sheikhs when they need something while Allah almighty ruled that to be polytheism and disbelief. Christians do ask forgiveness prophet jesus pbuh, they worship his mother, they worship their saints. So, what is the difference?. I remember back home this book that some sufi sheikh read in our house every WEDNESDAY. The book is called "AL-MUNAQIB" they claim it is about the KARAMA OF SHEIKH ABDULQADIR JEYLANI. It was the copy of the bible word for word but I didn't know it untill later time. Later, when I was read the towhid, I realized how seriously at risk I was listeneing to what I didn't understand. The sheikh himself didn't understand what he was reading. I asked him after sometime to translate some of the poems in the book and he told me "HIS KARAMA DIDN'T REACH YET THE POSTITION OF TRANSLATING WHAT HE WAS READING IN THE HOUSE EVERY WEDNESDAY". I told him that I could translate for him some of the poems. He told me I was influenced by WAHAABIS since I was enquiring about the translation. Needles to say the book was total disbelief and in . I used to tease my sufi friends to call upon their sheikhs so that I don't eat my dinner because their sheikhs had to stop me from doing that. They feared they would die on the spot if they spent few minutes with me because of what I was saying to them as a challenge. It was strange and somewhat comical how someone feared a human being really while he didn't care what Allah almighty could do to him. They got the whole thing VISE VERSA. 43.64 "For Allah, He is my Lord and your Lord: so worship you Him: this is a Straight Way." 19.36 Verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord: Him therefore serve ye: this is a Way that is straight. The best of the people is prophet Mohammed pbuh and he himslef could do nothing for himslef and for others let alone some sheikh whose stutas Allah knows best. Share with me this Question and answer from www.islam-qa.com Question: forgive me, I have more than 1 question. 1. Is the Prophet Sallalahu Alaihe Wasallam or any other being apart from Allah Omnipresent? 2. Can we call on anyone in times of need ie. a dead saint or Hazrat Ali Radialahahu anhu etc? Please could you quote the relevent Hadith and Qur'an Ayahs. Answer: Praise be to Allaah. First of all, we must comment on your saying in your question, “or any other being apart from Allah…” We must point out that this wording is wrong, because it may be taken as meaning that you think that Allaah is a created being; but we are sure that you do not believe that. Firstly: Allaah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die, and verily, they (too) will die” [al-Zumar 39:30] And Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): “Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)?” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:144] “And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you die, would they live forever? [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:34] Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, in his speech after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had died, “Whoever used to worship Muhammad, Muhammad has died, but whoever used to worship Allaah, Allaah is Alive and will never die.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari). This and similar evidence indicates that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a human being like all other human beings, who died as they die, and will never be immortal just as no one before him was immortal. Whoever wants to put the Prophet beyond the human realm and claim that the Prophet is present in all places, is the one who should be asked to produce evidence (daleel). How does he know that the Prophet is omnipresent at all times? Moreover, those who make the same claim with regard to Allaah (should know that) this is kufr, deviation and misguidance. This belief implies that Allaah is present even in dirty places like bathrooms etc. – Glorified be Allaah far above what they say. Secondly: You have to read the book Fath al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Hasan. Know that du’aa’ and asking for help are forms of worship, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” [Ghaafir 40:40] And according to a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.” So it is not permissible to offer du’aa’ to or call upon anyone except Allaah. But the evidence indicates that it is permissible to ask another person for some things, but that is subject to two conditions : 1- That it should be something possible and the person should be able to do it, such as asking a person to give you money when you are in need of it. But if it is something that he is not able to do, then it is not permissible for you to ask him, such as asking a man to let you be one of the people of Paradise, because he is not able to do that even if he is a righteous and pious man. 2- The person who is asked should be capable, such as one who is alive. It is not permissible to call upon the dead, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you [Faatir 35:13-14] Shaykh Sa’d al-Humayd . (www.islam-qa.com)
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| | Sunday, February 25, 2001 - 12:16 pm salam, i don't know a lot about what the sufi's get up to like some of the brother's and sister's in the discussion, but from what i have seen and heard it looks pure bid'ah. wasalam.
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| | Sunday, February 25, 2001 - 05:13 pm Assalam alaykum I begin with the Name of Allah: Inshallah when we learn our deen, we don't give our ear to any "speaker" out there. As ibn taymiyyah said: "don't make your heart like a sponge that it catches everything you give it." So inshallah when we learn our deen, as ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah said:"Knowledge(of Islaam) is what Allah said, what the prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa-sallam said what the companions said without any ambiguity to it..." Ten Points Concerning Manhaj By Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee Translated by Abdulillah Ibn Rabah al-Lahmami as-Salafi THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE SALAFEE METHODOLOGY All praise is due to Allaah We praise Him and seek His aid and forgiveness from the evil of our selves and from our evil actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever Allaah leaves unguided then there is none that can guide. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in His slave and Messenger. After which then the best speech is the speech of Allaah and the best guidance is that of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The worst of the affairs are the newly invented matters and the every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance leads only to the fire. This manhaj is based upon the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the Ijmaa‘ (consensus) of the scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah (the People of the Sunnah). [1] WHO ARE THE SALAFUS-SAALIH (Pious Protecesors)? Allaah the Exalted says: "The first to embrace Islaam from the Emigrants (Muhaajiroon) and the Helpers (Ansaar) and those that follow them upon righteousness, Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him." [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:100] This verse shows that the Salaf are the Companions of the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The first to embrace Islaam (Saabiqoon) does not refer to a group amongst the companions. It refers to all of them. So the Salaf are the companions and those that followed them upon righteousness. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "The best of people is my generation and then to come after them and them to come after them then lies will be widespread." [1] They are the best people. [2] THE SUPERIORITY OF THE SALAFUS-SAALIH Allaah the Exalted said: "You are the best nation that has come out to the people, you enjoin that which is good and forbid that which is evil and you believe in Allaah." [Soorah aali-‘Imraan 3:110] Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree (radiyallaahu ‘anhu) said: "The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said ‘Do not revile my Companions, for I swear by the one who holds my soul that if you were to give charity as much as mount ‘Uhud in gold, you would attain even a mudd (handful) of one of them or even half of it.’" [2] The meaning of ‘Do not revile my companions…’ is that not to mention them in an evil and bad way. Do not to put yourself in front of them. Do not prefer yourself to them. It was said between a disagreement between Khaalid Ibnul-Waleed and ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn ‘Awf, that Khaalid Ibnul-Waleed who came into Islaam later after the Conquest of Makkah said to ‘Abdulrahman Ibn ‘Awf: ‘ It is not but a few days that you have proceeded us by!’ He made similarities between himself and ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn ‘Awf. So Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn ‘Awf brought this news to the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) so he said this hadeeth. So, if later Companions were not allowed to put themselves in front of the earliest amongst themselves then no doubt the later people should obviously not put themselves in front of them. Especially in terms of: Knowledge (‘ilm) Piety (taqwaa) Abstinence from the world (zuhd) Actions (a‘maal) Etiquette (sulook) Understanding (fahm) They cannot claim to be better than Allaah and His Messenger in any of these things. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: "If the qadr (Pre-Decree) is mentioned then withhold and if the companions are mentioned then withhold." [3] Footnote: [1] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 2652) and Muslim (no. 2533). [2] Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 3362) and Muslim (no. 2541). [3] Related by at-Tabaraanee, it was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albaanee in Silsilatul-Ahaadeethus-Saheehah (no. 34). haqq@canada.com
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| | Sunday, February 25, 2001 - 05:57 pm ON TASAWWUF Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami was a student of Zakariyya al-Ansari. As mentioned before, he represents the foremost resource for legal opinion (fatwa) in the entire late Shafi`i school. He was once asked about the legal status of those who criticizes Sufis: Is there an excuse for such critics? He replies in his Fatawa hadithiyya:It is incumbent upon every person endowed with mind and religion not to fall into the trap of criticizing these folk (Sufis), for it is a mortal poison, as has been witnessed of old and recently.1 Among many others on the same topic, he gave an important fatwa entitled: "Whoever denies, rejects, or disapproves of the Sufis, Allah will not make his knowledge beneficial." We transcribe it below in full: Our Shaykh, the gnostic (`arif) scholar Abu al-Hasan al-Bakri (d. 952) told me, on the authority of the shaykh and scholar Jamal al-Din al-Sabi verbatim -- and he is one of the most distinguished students of our Shaykh Zakaria al-Sabiq (al-Ansari), that al-Sabi used to reject and criticize the way of the honorable Ibn al-Farid. One time al-Sabi saw in a dream that it was the Day of Judgment, and he was carrying a load which made him exhausted, then he heard a caller saying: "Where is the group of Ibn al-Farid?" He said:I came forward in order to enter with them, but I was told: "You are not one of them, so go back." When I woke up I was in extreme fear, and felt regret and sorrow, so I repented to Allah from rejecting the way of Ibn al-Farid, and renewed my commitment to Allah, and returned to believing that he is one of the awliya -- saints and friends -- of Allah. The following year on the same night, I had the same dream. I heard the caller saying: "Where are the group of Ibn al-Farid? Let them enter Paradise." So I went with them and I was told: "Come in, for now you are one of them." Examine this matter carefully as it come from a man of knowledge in Islam. It appears -- and Allah knows best -- that it is because of the baraka or blessing of his shaykh Zakariyya al-Ansari that he has seen the dream which made him change his mind. Otherwise, how many of their deniers they have left to their blindness, until they found themselves in loss and destruction! If you ask: "Some eminent scholars, like al-Bulqini and others, the latest being al-Biqa`i and his students, and others under whom you yourself (i.e. al-Haytami) have studied, have disapproved of the Sufis, so why did you prefer this way over another? I answer: I have preferred this way for a number of reasons, among them:* What our shaykh has mentioned in Sharh al-rawd on the authority of Sa`d al-Din al-Taftazani (d. 791),2 the truthfinder of Islam, the knight of his field, the remover of the proofs of darkness that the latter said, responding Ibn al-Muqri's statement: "Whoever doubts in the disbelief (kufr) of Ibn al-`Arabi's group, he himself is a disbeliever": "The truth is that Ibn al-`Arabi and his group are the elite of the Umma, and al-Yafi`i, Ibn Ata' Allah, and others have clearly declared they considered Ibn `Arabi a wali, and that the language which Sufis use is true among the experts in its usage, and that the gnostic (`arif), when he becomes completely absorbed in the oceans of Unity, might make some statements that are liable to be misconstrued as incarnation (hulul) and ittihad (union), while in reality there is neither incarnation nor union."* It has been clearly stated by our Imams, such as al-Rafi`i in his book al`Aziz, and al-Nawawi in al-Rawda, al-Majmu`, and others: "When a mufti is being asked about a certain phrase that can be construed as disbelief, he should not immediately say that the speaker should be put to death nor make permissible the shedding of his blood. Rather let him say: The speaker must be asked about what he meant by his statement, and he should hear his explanation, then act accordingly." Look at these guidelines -- may Allah guide you! -- and you will find that the deniers who assault this great man (Ibn `Arabi) and positively assert his disbelief, ride upon blind mounts, and stumble about like a camel affected with troubled vision. Verily Allah has removed their sight and their hearing from perceiving this, until they fell into whatever they fell into, which caused them to be despised, and made their knowledge of no benefit.* Their great knowledge and utter renunciation of this world and of anything other than Allah testify to their innocence from these terrible accusations, therefore we preferred to dismiss such accusations, because their statements are true realities in the way they expressed them. Their way cannot be denied without knowing the meaning of their statements and the expressions they use, and then turning to apply the expression to the meaning and see if they match or not. We thank Allah that all of their deniers are ignorant in that kind of knowledge, as not one of them has mastered the sciences of unveilings (mukashafat), or even smelled them from a distance; nor has anyone of them sincerely followed any of the awliya, so that he could master their terminology. If you object saying: I disagree that their expressions refer to a reality rather than being metaphorical phrases, therefore show me something clearer than the explanations that have been given? I say: Rejecting that is stubborness. Let us assume that you disagree with what I have mentioned, but the correct way of stating the objection is to say: "This statement could be interpreted in several ways," and proceed to explain them; not say: "If it meant this, then and if it meant that, then "3 and state from the start "This is kufr"  That is ignorance and going beyond the scope of nasiha or good advice that is being claimed by the critic. Don't you see that if Ibn al-Muqri's real motivation were good advice, he would not have exaggerated by saying: "Whoever has a doubt in the disbelief of the group of Ibn al-`Arabi, he himself is a disbeliever"? So he extended his judgment that Ibn al-`Arabi's followers were disbelievers, to everyone who had a doubt as to their disbelief. Look at this fanaticism that exceeds all bounds and departs from the consensus of the Imams, and goes so far as to accuse anyone who doubts their kufr. "Glorified are You, this is awful calumny!" (24:16) "When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah, it is very great" (24:15). Notice also what his statement suggests that it is an obligation on the whole Nation to believe that Ibn `Arabi and his followers are disbelievers, otherwise they will all be declared disbelievers -- and no one thinks likes this. As a matter of fact, it might well lead into something forbidden which he himself has stated clearly in his book al-Rawd when he said: "Whoever accuses a Muslim of being a disbeliever based on a sin committed by him, and without an attempt to interpret it favorably, he himself commits disbelief." Yet here he is accusing an entire group of Muslims of disbelief. Moreover, no consideration should be paid to his interpretation, because he only gives the kind of interpretation that goes against those he is criticizing, for that is all that their words have impressed upon him. As for those who did not think of of the words of Ibn `Arabi and the Sufis except as a pure light in front of them, and believed in their sainthood -- then how can a Muslim attack them by accusing them of disbelief? No one would dare to do so unless he is accepting the possibility to be himself called a disbeliever. This judgment reflects a great deal of fanaticism, and an assault on most of the Muslims. We ask Allah, through His Mercy, to forgive the one who uttered it. It has been narrated through more than one source and has become well-known to every one that whoever opposes the Sufis, Allah will not make His Knowledge beneficial, and will be inflicted with the worst and ugliest (diseases/illnesses), and we have witnessed that happening to many deniers. For example, al-Biqa`i (d. 885) may Allah forgive him, used to be one of the most distinguished scholars, with numerous acts of worship, an exceptional intelligence, and an excellent memory in all kinds of knowledge, especially in the sciences of exegesis and hadith, and he wrote numerous books, but Allah did not allow them to be of any kind of benefit to anyone. He also authored a book on Munasabat al-Qur'an in about ten volumes, about which no one knows except the elite, and as for the rest, they have never heard about it. If this book had been written by our Shaykh Zakariyya, or by anyone who believes (in awliya), it would have been written with gold, because, as a matter of fact, it has no equal: for "Of the bounties of thy Lord We bestow freely on all, these as well as those: the bounties of thy Lord are not closed to anyone" (17:20). [Al-Biqa`i is the author, among others, of a vicious attack on tasawwuf and Sufis entitled Masra` al-tasawwuf aw tanbih al-ghabi ila takfir Ibn `Arabi wa-tahdir al-`ibad min ahl al-`inad (The destruction of tasawwuf, or: The warning of the ignoramus concerning the declaration of Ibn `Arabi's disbelief, and the cautioning of Allah's servants against the People of Stubbornness).] Al-Biqa`i went to an extreme in his denial, and wrote books about the subject, all of them clearly and excessively fanatical and deviating from the straight path. But then he paid for it fully and even more than that, for he was caught in the act on several occasions and was judged a disbeliever (kafir). It was ruled that his blood be shed and he was about to get killed, but he asked the help and protection of some influential people who got him out of it, and he was made to repent in Salihiyya, Egypt, and renew his Islam. On the latter occasion he was asked "What exactly do you disapprove of in Shaykh Muhiyyiddin (Ibn `Arabi)?" He said: "I disagree with him on certain passages, fifteen or less, in his book al-Futuhat." Consider well this individual who contradicts his own books, where he mentions that he opposes many parts of al-Futuhat and other books and declares that they constitute disbelief: is there any reason to this other than fanaticism? He had some distinguished students who listened to his words and believed in them, among them some of my shaykhs, but they did not gain any kind of true knowledge from it, because some of them did not succeed in writing any books, while some wrote books on the art of fiqh equal to the books of Sa`d al Din al-Taftazani and others in their eloquence, the beauty of their style and the excellence of their diction, but no one paid any attention to them or even noticed them, on the contrary: people ignored them. It happened to me with one of those, that while I was studying under him, he started to have difficulties breathing, and I did not know at that time that he opposed the Sufis. In one of his sessions, the name of Shaykh `Umar Ibn al-Farid, may Allah sanctify his secret, was mentioned, and he was asked: "What do you think about him?" He said: "He is a great poet"; then he was asked, "and what else after that?" He said "He is a kafir." Then I had to leave, then I came back later to read something to him and I examined carefully to see if he had repented, but I found him seriously ill and oppressed in his breathing to the point that he was almost dying. I said to him: "If you believe in Ibn al-Farid (i.e. in his Friendship with Allah), I guarantee that Allah will cure you of your illness." He said: "I have had this condition for years." I said: "Even so." He said, "All right, then I will," after which he began to feel better and better. One day, while I was walking with him, trying to correct his doctrine (`aqida), he said to me: "As far as that man is concerned, I do not judge him to be a kafir, but as far as his discourses are concerned, they do include kufr." I said: "One evil deed out of two," after which I quit studying under him, and that illness stayed with him, but relatively better than before. One of the students of al-Biqa`i, the scholar Shaykh Nur al-Din Al-Mahalli, also used to say "As far as the man is concerned, I don't judge him to be a kafir, but as far as his discourses are concerned, they do include kufr."[This resort to "one evil out of two" is characteristic of many of today's "Salafis," who do not hesitate to brand Sufis with disbelief, both on the whole and individually, then when they are admonished for their reprehensible act, they answer: "I do not judge them to be kafir, but their words do include kufr" As Haytami said, criticizing the Sufis is a mortal poison and a pitfall from which one does irremediable damage to one's belief, and we ask Allah's protection.] If you ask: Has not Allah made the knowledge of some of the deniers of Sufis beneficial? I say: There are two groups of deniers: in the case of those we mentioned, their intention was not to show pure good counsel to Muslims, but pure fanaticism, which is why they believed whatever they believed. They were overcome by a kind of envy and the desire to be different from others in their time, in order to be distinguished from them by means of these unusual things and to gain the reputation that they disapprove of any reprehensible matter without fearing anyone, and the like of such corrupted intentions which contains not the slightest portion of sincerity.4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Fatawa hadithiyya (Cairo: al-Halabi, 1970) p. 331. 2 Sa`d al-Din Mas`ud ibn `Umar al-Taftazani, one of the great mujtahid polymaths of the Shafi`i school, he authored books in tafsir, kalam, usul, fiqh, `ilm al-mantiq (logic), grammar, rhetoric, and philology. 3 An allusion to Ibn Taymiyya, who predicated his judgment of Ibn `Arabi on the constant obnoxious assumption that he understood his terminology and meanings. 4 al-Haytami, Fatawa hadithiyya p. 52-54.
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| | Sunday, February 25, 2001 - 06:57 pm Assalam alaykum, Ya akhi fil Islaam "Ahl-Sunnah. Where is Allah? Pls answers as concise as possible and with proofs. Jazakallahu khairan. haqq@canada.com
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| | Thursday, March 01, 2001 - 03:30 am Salamalikum I like Brother Saifuddin's comments, and I wish there were more brothers for us sisters like him. Whatever your husband's views on Islam have a deep and profound affect on girls, especially who agree with Brother Saifuddin's views.
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