Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani's Stance Against Bid'ah Hasanah

[SeekerOfGuidance]

The Blessings of Amr-i maruf (enjoining good), Nahy-i-anil-munkar (forbidding evil) and Jihaad.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that the revival and Jihaad efforts of the Mujaddid at a critical juncture in the history of India, played a significant role in preventing the reversion of the whole subcontinent back to polytheism (Shirk). In accordance with the authentic Hadiths which state that the best Jihaad is the word of truth in front of an oppressive ruler, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani practised this supreme Jihaad throughout his life, and he pursued incessantly Amr bil Maruf wa Nahy anil Munkar at every level of society, from the laypeople and ulama, to the governors and rulers. The Mujaddid’s work is an example of the manifestation of the Hadiths which indicate that the rulers are merely a reflection of the people, and that if the people change what is within themselves, Allah will transform the hearts of oppressive rulers, or replace them with just rulers. This is exemplified by the transformation of the rulers during the Mujaddid's era, culminating in the advent of one of the great emperors of India, Hadhrat Aurengzeb, who veered the nation towards the pure Shari’ah, under the guidance of the successors of the Mujaddid.

Volume 1, Letter 65

Letter to Khan-e-Azam:

“It was declared in a hadith, "Unless a person is said to be mad, his iman will not be complete!" At the present time, Junun (madness), which is the symbol of love for Islam and Islamic zeal, appears in your pure soul. Thanks to Allahu ta'ala, who has given this blessing! Today is such a day that a few actions [words or writings] will be immediately accepted and many rewards will be given for them. The reason why the Ashab-i kahf 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihim' gained so much value and fame was only because they migrated. When the enemy attacks, a few actions by the cavalrymen become very valuable. In peacetime, very delicate or hard drills cannot receive as much value.

The Jihaad which you perform through words today is the greatest Jihaad. Appreciate the value of this blessing which falls to your lot. Do your best to disgrace the enemies of religion and tell the truth. Believe that the Jihaad done with a preaching is more profitable than the Jihaad done with a sword. We people whose hands are not writing and whose tongues are not speaking are deprived of this blessing."

Volume 4, Letter 29

This letter was written to Mirza Ubaidullah by Muhammad Mathum. It emphasizes the necessity of Amr bil maruf, Nahy anil munkar, and Jihaad.

“Some people suppose that Tasawwuf means to care for one's own business, not to interfere with others and not to deal with anybody. This is not true. This kind of thinking causes the religion to be wounded. I wonder whom he remembers, when he talks like this about men of tasawwuf and sufis? If he means the great men who were attached to Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq 'radi-Allahu anh', (we would give the answer that) it is written in their books that the way of these great people was to cling to the Sunnat-i saniyya [the Shariat] and to abstain from bidats. But, Amr-i maruf and Nahy-i munkar and Bughd-i fillah and Jihad-i fisabilillah are the sunnats of our Prophet; that is, they are of the fards and wajibs of the Shariat. Then, to abandon Amr-i maruf means to abandon the way of those great people.

As a matter of fact, Imam-i Muhammad Bahaaddin-i Bukhari 'quddisa sirruh', who was one of them, said, "Our way is to cling to the Urwa-i wusqa, that is, to follow the way of Rasulullah and of his Ashab." For this reason, an insignificant deed on this way gives birth to a great profit. He who abandons this way falls into great dangers. If tasawwuf meant that you abandon Amr-i maruf, Muhammad Bahaaddin-i Bukhari 'quddisa sirruh' who was one of the chiefs of tasawwuf, would not have performed Amr-i maruf to his own master, Sayyid Amir Kulal. While it was incompatible with manners to warn his master, he still did Amr-i maruf. Gathering the savants of Bukhara, he proved in the presence of them all that it was not acceptable in the Shariat to repeat Allahu ta'ala's name loudly, thus explaining to his master the importance of stopping it. Being very pious and in love with a true word, his master admitted it and stopped doing it.

Men of tasawwuf wrote thousands of books in order to communicate the things that will cause men to attain salvation and those things which will draw them to annihilation. What are these works of theirs, if not Amr-i maruf? Khwaja Muiniddin-i Chashti, one of the great men of tasawwuf, was told by his master, "The darling's way is very subtle and dangerous. Advise everybody and inform them of the danger!" Why did Shaikh-i-Akbar Muhyiddin-i Arabi 'quddisa sirruh' prohibit the sufis in his time from playing music and dancing, while it was he who spread Wahdat-i wujud all over the world? Some of them obeyed him and stopped doing so. And others did not obey him and did not stop it. But eventually they confessed their fault.

Gaws-i Samadani Sayyid Abdulqadir-i Geilani performs Amr-i maruf in detail in his book Gunyat-ut-talibin. He says, "It is permissible for a person to prevent a sinner from sinning when it is probable that he will be harmed. Yes, it is, as far as we are concerned. In fact, it is very valuable. He will be rewarded as if he warred against disbelievers for Allah's sake. Especially if it is intended to rescue the victims from the oppression of cruel authorities or to spread iman when disbelief invades one's country. Savants advise to perform Amr-i maruf at such times." If great ones among the Awliya and the leaders of sufis had neglected Amr-i maruf and Nahy-i munkar, would they have written these in heir books or paid that much attention to them? Hadrat Abdulqadir-i Geilani says: "Things that are compatible with the Qur'an, hadiths and reason are called 'Maruf', and things that are incompatible with them are called 'Munkar.' Each of them is of two types. The marufs and munkars of the first type are obvious; savants and those who are not savants know them. It is Maruf, that is fard to perform namaz five times each day, to fast in the month of Ramadan, to give zakat, to go on a pilgrimage (hajj) and things of this type; and it is Munkar, that is haram to commit adultery, to drink alcohol, to steal, to pick somebody's pocket, to charge or pay interest when lending or borrowing money, to snatch away others' property and things of this type. Every Muslim has to command or prohibit these things.

The second type is known only by savants, such as kinds of facts to be believed in concerning Allahu ta'ala and how to believe them. Muslim savants command and prohibit things of this type. If a savant has communicated them, those who are not savants may communicate them, too, if they can. The munkars of the second type comprise mostly aberrations pertaining to iman and creed. Every Muslim should cling to the Ahl as-sunnat creed, and abstain from aberrant belief, that is, from deviation and from bidat in creed. One who is not learned in religious knowledge should not dispute with performers of bidat, but the should keep away from them and should not greet them. He should not visit them on religious feasts, at times of happiness, should not perform namaz in their funerals, and nor should he pity them. Since their creed is corrupt, he should deem it as an act of worship not to like them. Rasulullah 'sall-Allahu alaihi wa sallam' declared in a hadith, "If a person looks at another person harshly for Allah's sake because there is bidat or aberration in his iman or worship, Allahu ta'ala will fill his heart with iman and will protect him against fear."

Fudayl bin Iyad, one of the great men of tasawwuf says, "Allahu ta'ala does not accept the worships of those who love the people who commit bidat in their words and deeds, and He takes their iman away from their hearts. Even if he who dislikes the performer of bidat prays a little, I hope that Allahu ta'ala will forgive him. If you meet a performer of bidat on your way, change your way." Again, he says, "I have heard Sufyan bin Uyayna say that Allahu ta'ala becomes angry with the person who attends the funeral of a performer of bidat until he leaves the funeral." Our Prophet declared, "If a person makes up a bidat or commits a bidat, may Allahu ta'ala and angels and all people curse him! Neither the fard nor the supererogatory worships he performs will be accepted." Abdulqadir-i Geilani's words are concluded here.

If the way of the great sufis were to not interfere with anybody, one of them would not have said, "When the Niqar, that is, performing Amr-i maruf and Nahy-i munkar, among the sufis stops, they are no longer of any use." Shaikh-ul-Islam-i Hirawi Abdullah Ansari said that Amr-i maruf and Nahy-i munkar were called Niqar among the sufis. Those who slander the great sufis by saying that they did not interfere with anybody, do they not think why the Qur'an and hadiths are full of descriptions describing the rewards and torments in the next world? Will not the person who believes in the vehement torments that are said to be prepared for the sinners want to save his Muslim brother from this danger? If there is a well or a fire in front of a blind man, or if a person is about to fall into another worldly danger, they will certainly let him know of it and show him the way to safety. They will not leave him alone. Then, why shouldn't they let him know of the torment in the next world, which is more dismal and more impetuous and endless, and show him the way to salvation? It means that he who does not let others know or show them their mistakes does not admit or believe in the torment in the next world, and does not have iman in the day of the Last Judgement.

If Allahu ta'ala did not want to interfere with anybody, He would not have sent prophets, He would not have declared the Shariats, He would not have invited people to the Islamic religion, and He would not have let us know that the other religions were wrong and aberrant, nor would He have annihilated those who disbelieved the earlier prophets by tormenting them. He could have left everybody free and alone; He could have not commanded anybody to do anything, nor would He have tormented those who disbelieved Him. Why did Allahu ta'ala order Muslims to perform jihad against disbelievers. Whereas, in jihad there is torment and death not only for disbelievers, but also for Muslims. For what reason were the virtues and blessings of jihad for those who perform jihad and for martyrs declared in the Qur'an and hadiths? Why was it commanded to attack evil people, to harass them, and to destroy those creatures of Allah's? As a matter of fact, He also commands man to feel hostility towards his own nafs, and explains that the nafs is at odds with Allahu ta'ala.

To perform jihad against the nafs was called the Jihad-i Akbar (the greatest jihad). Why did Allahu ta'ala associate his approval and appreciation to this jihad? Why didn't Allahu ta'ala leave the nafs alone? It means that it is Allah's enemy. Allahu ta'ala wants His enemies to be punished. Owing to His infinite mercy, Allahu ta'ala first sent prophets 'alaihim-us-salatu wattaslimat' as messengers, and then later He sent the Awliya and the savants in their place. By declaring His rewards and torments through their tongues, He did not give an occasion for an excuse or pretext. No one can change Allah's decree and laws. The world's order cannot be rearranged in accordance with the opinions of those who do not know or see what is right. If Allahu ta'ala wished, He could guide everybody to the righteous way and could put everybody into Paradise. But He wanted in eternity to fill Hell with people and genies. A person who realizes the greatness of Allahu ta'ala cannot ask Him the reason why.

Who can say anything against Him, save fear;
What should be done, except giving oneself up.

He who follows the Prophet will also follow him in inviting people and in performing Amr-i maruf and Nahy-i munkar. He who does not do these has not adapted himself to him. If disbelievers were not Allah's enemies, it would not be fard to feel hostility towards them. It would not be the first of the things to bring a man closer to Allahu ta'ala. It would not be an important part of or an additive to iman. It would not cause the Wilayat (the grade of Awliya) to be attained and Allah's consent and love to be gained. Our Prophet (sall Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, "The best of worships is to love Muslims because they are Muslims and to dislike disbelievers because they are disbelievers." When Allahu ta'ala asked Hadrat Musa, "What did you do for Me?" he answered, "O my Allah, for you I performed namaz, fasted, gave zakat, and mentioned your name very much." Upon this, Allahu ta'ala declared, "O Musa! Your prayers (namaz) are documents for you. Your fastings are a shield against Hell. The zakat is a shade that protects you against the heat of the day of the Last Judgement. Your mentioning my name very much is a light that will illuminate you in the darkness of the grave and the Resurrection. That is, all these are useful for you. What did you do for Me?" Hadrat Musa entreated, "O my Allah! Tell me the worship which is for Thee!" Allahu ta'ala declared in an ayat al-karima, "O Musa! Did you love those who loved Me for My sake, and did you feel hostility towards My enemies for My sake?" So, Hadrat Musa realized that the good deed done for Allah was to love for His sake and to be hostile for His sake.

Love necessitates that you love the friends of your darling and be at odds with the enemies of the darling. This love and this enmity are not within the power of faithful lovers; they cannot help themselves. This happens by itself without striving, without taking pains. The friend's friends seem beautiful, and His enemies seem ugly and evil. Also, the love that occurs within those who are seized by the pretty appearance of the world requires this same process. Unless the person who says that he loves keeps away from the enemies of his darling, he is not regarded as a man of his word. He is called a hypocrite, that is, a liar. Shaikh-ul-Islam Abdullah Ansari 'quddisa sirruh' says, "One day Abul Husain bin Sam'un offended my teacher Husri. Since that day my heart has been feeling unfriendly towards him." It will be appropriate here to mention a famous saying of the great, "If you are not offended by the one who offends your master, a dog is better than you are." These two principles of love are declared in the Qur'an and hadiths. As it is understood from these ayat al-karimas, it causes a man to be away from Allahu ta'ala if he loves he enemies of Allahu ta'ala. Unless there is enmity, there will be no love.

But this enmity should not cause one to deviate into the way of disliking the Ashab-i kiram, as some people do. Enmity is to be felt towards the enemies. Hostility felt towards friends, as in the example of Rafidis and Shiites, is rejected. Because all of the Ashab-i kiram were honored with attaining our Prophet's presence and company and his blessed looks, which were nourishment for the heart and soul, they loved one another and felt hostility towards disbelievers. They all were darlings of the Messenger of Allah. Can it ever be a principle of love for Rasulullah to feel hostile even towards one of them! Don't those who say so show their enmity instead of their love?”

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Samaa' (Religious singing sessions) and Raqs (Full bodily rhythmic movements)

The Mujaddid states that the object of Sufi Tariqah is nothing but to produce conviction in the beliefs of the Shari'ah and to facilitate the observance of its rules, and that the unlawful means such as Samaa' and Raqs, are a kind of temptation with which Allah tests men. The Mujaddid's strictness on the Shariah, and his intolerance of opinions that he deems to be contrary to the Shariah, is also quite evident here:

Vol 1, Letter 266

"After one has acquired right beliefs and subjected oneself to the rules of the Shari'ah, one should, if Allah so wills, enter the path of the Sufis. But one should not pursue it in order to get something over and above the beliefs and the practices of the Shar', or acquire something new. The purpose of following the Sufi way is to gain a conviction in the objects of faith that cannot be weakened by the doubts of a sceptic or shaken by the remarks of an objector. The conviction which is founded on arguments is not firm, and one who pursues reasoning does not attain certitude.

'Know that it is through the remembrance of Allah that one acquires the peace and satisfaction of the heart.' This is the object of the Sufi tariqah regarding belief. Regarding the practices of the Shar', the object is to make their performance easy and spontaneous, to remove sluggishness, and to subdue the carnal self. Likewise, the purpose of the Sufi Suluk is not to see the forms and images of transcendental realities, or behold colours and lights; they are nothing more than play or fun. Material forms and physical lights are not less interesting if one wants to have fun; why should one leave them and run after spiritual forms and lights, and take up austere and difficult practices for that purpose? Forms, these or others, and lights, physical or spiritual, are all created by Allah. He transcends them altogether; they are nothing but His signs and proofs.

What should I say about Samaa (hearing recitals), or performing Raqs (full bodily rhythmical movements), or entering into a trance, or inducing Wajd (ecstasy)! All the states and experiences which are produced by unlawful means are, in my view, a kind of temptation with which Allah tests men. People whom Allah gives latitude in this way, undergo these states, experience union, and have revelations and visions in terms of the forms of this world. The mystics of Greece and the Brahmin saints of India had all these experiences. The sign of the validity of an experience is, first, that it agrees with the doctrines of the Shari'ah and second, that in order to have it one does not commit anything which is forbidden or which is doubtful. Know that Samaa' and Raqs are but frivolous games...

One day I was in the presence of my Shaykh in a meal gathering. Shaykh Kamal, who was one of the sincere ones of my Shaykh, uttered "Allah" loudly at the beginning of the meal in His Eminence's presence. This severely displeased His Eminence to the degree that he reproached him harshly and said that he should be asked not to come to the meal gathering. And I have heard our Shaykh saying that Hazrat Khwajah Naqshband went to the Khanqah of Hazrat Amir Kulal with a group of the ulama of Bukhara in order to prevent him from doing the loud zikr. The ulama told him that loud zikr is a bid'ah and that he should shun it. He answered that he would not do it any more. When the great ones of this path make so much exagerration in preventing the loud zikr, then what can be said regarding the Samaa (hearing religious singing), Raqs (full bodily rhythmic movements), wajd (ecstasy) and tawajud (raptures). The states and ecstasies that stem from means contrary to the Shariah, to the Faqir, fall under the category of Istidraj (divine deception) that lead step-by-step to ruin. States and longings (ahwal va adhwaq) come in the hands even for the people of istidraj or people who practice occult that lead them step-by-step to ruin. They see the unveilings of tawhid (kashf-i tawhid). And they see [God] unveiled in the mirror that is the forms of the world and they also identify Him with those forms.

The philosophers of Greece and the Yogis and Brahmans of India share these experiences. The criterion of the authenticity of the states is conformity with the knowledge of the Shariah along with abstaining from the perpetration of unlawful and doubtful matters. Know that Samaa and Raqs fall in reality under amusements and fun. The verse: "And among men is such a one who buys frivolous tales." [31:6] has been revealed in order to forbid singing (Ghinaa). Hence, Mujahid, the student of Ibn Abbas, and one of the great Tabi'ees said that what is intended by 'frivolous tales' is singing. And it comes in Madarik that 'frivolous tales' means nightly talks and singing. Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas'ud would swear that these mean singing, and Mujahid said that the words "And those who bear not false testimony," [Qur'an 25:72] of Him Azza Wa Jal, refers to those who do not attend singing sessions.

And it has been related by the Imam of guidance Abu Mansur al-Maturudi that whoever says "well recited" to a Muqri (professional reciter of the Qur'an) of our age, has committed Kufr, his wife becomes separated from him, and Allah nullifies all his good deeds. It is related by Abu Nasir al-Dabusi on the authority of Qadhi Zahiruddin al-Kharzami that whoever hears a song from a professional singer, or someone other than him, or watches an unlawful act, while considering it good, with or without conviction, becomes apostate immediately due to invalidating a dictate of the Shari'ah - and he who nullifies a dictate of the Shari'ah does not remain a believer according to all the Mujtahids, and Allah does not accept his good deeds and renders naught all his good deeds. We seek refuge in Allah from that.

The verses of the Qur'an, Ahadeeth, and rulings of the jurists regarding the unlawfulness of singing and hearing songs are too many, to such an extent that counting them is burdensome. If a person brings forth an abrogated tradition or an anomalous narration regarding the permissibility of singing, then he should not be relied upon - since no jurist has in any time and age given the ruling of permissibility of singing, or has regarded Raqs (full bodily movements) and foot-pounding as lawful, as has been mentioned in the treatise Multaqat by al-Imam al-Hammam Dhiya Uddin Shaami.

No practice of any Sufi is an argument to decide that which is lawful or unlawful. Will it not be sufficient that instead of reproaching them we pass over their actions and leave them to the judgement of Allah Ta'ala? This is a matter in which the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yousuf or Imam Muhammed should be considered authoritative rather than the practice of Abu Bakr Shibli or Abul Hasan Nuri. The half-baked Sufis of our day have taken Samaa and Raqs as an accepted religious rite and raised it to the level of divine service. These are persons who have taken their religion for sport and pastime"

From the foregoing reports it becomes apparent that he who considers an unlawful deed commendable, exits the Muslim community and becomes apostate. Then it should be realised what an enormity it is to show respect towards a gathering of Samaa or Raqs, rather even considering them acts of virtue and worship. Praise and thanks be to Allah, that our seniors were not afflicted by such things and kept us followers free from the following of such matters."

[Abu Hamza Deccani]

Samaa' (Religious singing sessions) and Raqs (Full bodily rhythmic movements)


No practice of any Sufi is an argument to decide that which is lawful or unlawful. Will it not be sufficient that instead of reproaching them we pass over their actions and leave them to the judgement of Allah Ta'ala? This is a matter in which the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yousuf or Imam Muhammed should be considered authoritative rather than the practice of Abu Bakr Shibli or Abul Hasan Nuri. The half-baked Sufis of our day have taken Samaa and Raqs as an accepted religious rite and raised it to the level of divine service. These are persons who have taken their religion for sport and pastime"
From the foregoing reports it becomes apparent that he who considers an unlawful deed commendable, exits the Muslim community and becomes apostate. Then it should be realised what an enormity it is to show respect towards a gathering of Samaa or Raqs, rather even considering them acts of virtue and worship. Praise and thanks be to Allah, that our seniors were not afflicted by such things and kept us followers free from the following of such matters."
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[SeekerOfGuidance]

Saviours Of the Islamic Spirit

From Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi’s excellent work on the revival effort of Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani (Volume 3; pages 203-218)

The Islamic concept of Sufism

The method employed for attaining proximity to Allah and avoiding worldiness through perfection of morals, which later came to know as tasawwuf or mysticism, was identical with tazkiya (purification) and Ihsan (sincere worship) in the Quranic and hadith terminology. It was, in fact, one of the four objectives of the prophethood of Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as explained in this verse of Qur'an:

"He it is who hath sent among the unlettered ones a messenger of thier own, to recite unto them revelations and to purify them , and to teach them the scripture and wisdom , though heretofore they were indeed in error manifest" (Q.LXII:2)

The task of maintaining a judicious balance between the rituals and the spirit of religion, safeguarding the revelatory fountain to which the faithful returned again and again to refresh his spiritual vision was performed by the successors of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the rightly guided ulema. They took care to protect and develop not only the external frame of theological discipline of the muslim society but also helped in promoting the spiritual health of its members which linked them with the intuitive consciousness of the prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

In the beginning the emphasis was more on the inner nature and vital principals of faith rather than on its amplification or finding new channels for its practical experience. However, with the expansion of the muslim rule over vast areas, accretion of great numbers of adherents of widely diverse spiritual and intellectual capacities and influx of wealth and riches and the means of comfort, new and embarrassing issues began to crop up which threatened to transform the religious thinking of the muslim community. With the increasing distance of time from the days of the Holy prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) the new ideas started posing problems in the shape of spiritual and moral infirmities or novel concepts and philosophies, as of, in accordance with the Quranic dictum: And the term was prolonged for them , so their hearts were hardened. It was then , with the increasing range of intellectual activity that Tazkiyah and Ihsan were institutionalised under the name of Tasawwuf into a spiritual discipline.

Another development of a similar nature could be seen in the fields of Arabic grammar and the rhetoric formerly grounded in the instinctive appreciation of the Arabic language by the indigenous people, which were stimulated by contact with non- Arabs and then compiled into elaborate sciences complete with experts, schools of Grammarians and their distinctive syllabuses, each of which attracted a large number of students desirous of learning all about these rules.

During the initial period of Islamic era, Tazkiyah or Ihsan or the method of spiritual purification with deep and real spiritual experiences was based upon the concrete injunctions of the Qur'an and Sunnah, and on following the Holy prophet's (Allah bless him and grant him peace) example. But, as the contact with non-arabs increased through their acceptance of Islam in large numbers, mysticism and gnosticism of the new converts to Islam stimulated mystical ascetical attitudes in devotional exercises. Undue deference came to be paid to those admired as godly persons and a number of unauthorised rites and customs began to be introduced in those circles until some of the mystics accepted what could be called blatantly un-Islamic thoughts.

Trust in the philosophies professing to attain to the knowledge of Allah through spiritual ecstasy, direct intuition and excessive supplications gave birth to the view that earnest and assiduous devotions along with strict observance of all the obligatory and commendatory services enjoined by the Shariah and Sunnah helped in attaining a stage of knowledge which made a traveller of the path of spirit independent of the obligations of Shariah meant for the common man. It was the stage known as Suqut-i-takhf or cessation of religious obligations. Those who entertained this belief adduced in their support the Qur’anic verse : “And serve thy lord till there cometh unto thee the conviction”. Yet, it was a mischievious doctrine destructive of the Shariah and the religious values of Islam, for it encouraged an attracted devotee to brush aside the divine services and mandatory obligations.

It seems that these innovations and aberrations had started emerging perceptibly from the beginning of the fourth century when the Abbasid power was at its zenith and the urban centers in the muslim world were thriving as fleshpots of luxury and culture.

The first book on tasawwuf was kitab-ul-lum’a written by Shaikh Abu Nasr Sarraj (d.378/998). A portion of this work is devoted to the methods of following the lead of the last Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). Thereafter Sayyid Ali Hujiri (d.465/1072) warned in Kashf-ul-Mahjoob that the ‘attainment of reality was impossible without following the law …Mystic reality without law was hypocrisy’. Imam Abul Qasim Qushayri (d.465/1072), a comtempory of Hujiri, wrote Risalah Qushayriyah which became the principal manual of mysticism. In it he laments the antinomian tendencies of the sufis of his time in these words:

“Sanctity of the shariah has fled from their hearts; indifference to religion has been taken by them as a course safe and dependable; they attach no importance to the performance of devotions; and make little of prayers and fasts.” (Risalah Qushayriyah. Cairo, 1319 A.H.p.1).

The Risalah Qushayriyah opens with the emphasis on faithful adherence to the shariah and then Qushayri proceeds to illustrate his views by a series of brief biographies of the prominent sufis and saints of old who had faithfully complied with the dictates of shariah and followed the practice of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). In the last chapter of his book entitled ‘Testament for disciples’, Qushayri writes that ‘This affair (mystical enlightment) depends upon adherence to religious laws.’

Among the religious scholars and mystics of conspicuous sincerity, holiness and intuition upholding the supremacy of shariah, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Al-Jeelani occupies a distinguished place. His teachings were firmly based on the Qur’an and Traditions; his life set an example of walking steadfastly on the straight path of the holy law as well as attaining a state of proximity to god. His Ghunniyat-ul-Talibeen consolidated the bond of mysticism with the religious law of Islam. His other work, Futuh-ul-Ghaib lays emphasis on betaking the example of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and avoiding every innovation in religious practices.

The second lecture of his work opens with the exhortation: ‘Follow example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and never give way to any innovations’. He occupied the place of a renovator of faith in as much as he delivered up the keys of Tasawwuf to the shariah. He commended that one should first observe what has been made obligatory by the shariah and then comply with the sunnah and voluntary observances; performance of an act of secondary importance in place of the primary one was, by the same token , denounced by him as self-conceit and foolishness.

The Awarif-ul-Ma’arif by Shaikh Shihabuddin Suharwardi (d.632/1234) was the most authoritative and popular compendium on mysticism which has ever since been esteemed as the principal study in the seminaries of the sufis. The second part of this book expounds the secrets and wisdom of the shariah and reckons tasawwuf as the means “of taking after the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and grant him peace) example in speech, actions and bearings; for, the firmness of a sufi on this path sanctifies his soul, lifts the curtain lying over reality and enables him to follow the Prophet (PBUH) in the minutest detail“. (For a detailed description see tasawwuf-i-Islam by Maulana Abdul majid Daryabadi).

In the ninth century of Islamic era when the mystical and gnostic currents were spreading out into the muslim world with a lightning speed, Shaikh Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi and his diciples transformed tasawwuf into a philosophical discipline and took over a number of symbols and terminologies pertaining to Hellenistic philosophy and metaphysics. Wahdat-ul-Wujood (Unity Of Being), accepted by them as the basic principle of sufism, came to be admired both in sufi hospices and seats of learning. Indifference to the scripture and the sunnah coupled with unfamiliarity with the science of hadith gave rise to a number of irreligious practices in the monasteries of the mystics which could neither be approved by the fundamental theological thought of Islam nor was known to the earlier muslims.

India had been a centre of Yoga and ascetism for thousands of years. The muslim mystics came into contact with the Yogis who had developed their telepathic and occult powers through constant yogic exercises and holding of breath. Some of the mystics even learnt these arts from the yogis. The country was, by that time, unaquainted with the Sihah Sittah and other authentic books of hadith. It was only in Gujrat that the contact with the scholars of Arabia had kept people conscious of this branch of Islamic learning.

Ali Muttaqi of Burhanpur and Muhammad Tahir of Patan had kept the torch of Traditions lighted in that part of the country and endeavoured to discredit innovations in religious thought and usages. But the orientation of life in all its aspects as dictated by the authentic sayings and practices of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), attempted by the scholars in Gujrat , was unknown to other parts of the country , nor did the people know anything about the Sihah Sittah or about the scholars who had devoted their lives to the study of Hadith and rebuttal of unsound norms and usages.

The Jawahir-e-Khamsa by a celebrated Shattari mystic, Shaikh Muhammed Ghouse of Gwalior , offers the best example of the then sufi thought which was permeated with the indigenous theosophic doctrines and practices. The articulate structure of sufi precepts and cults propounded in this book are based entirely on the supposed utterances of the earlier mystics or the personal experiences of the author who, it seems, did not consider it necessary to deduce his precepts from any authoritative collection of Ahadith or any book dealing with the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and grant him peace) life and character. Being a collection of orisons for special occasions and specific purposes, it includes supplications for offering Namaaz-e-Ahzaab ( Prayer of the confederates), Salaat –ul-Aashiqin (Prayer of the lovers), Namaaz Tanvir-ul-Qabr ( Prayer for the grave’s illumination) and a number of other devotions and supplications meant for different months of the year that cannot be traced to any saying or doing of the Prophet of islam (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

The second part of the book gives a list of asma-i-akbariyah (great names), coined by the shaikh, which are really names of the angels in Hebrew and Syriac with words normally prefixed to vocative names as if beseeching their help instead of Allah’s. There is another hymn in the praise of certain beings, in the language of ancient jews, with vocative prefixes and known as Dua-i-Basmakh. These mysterious appellations, which constitute the essential core of propitiating the so-called divine attributes, have even agents which are supposed to be cognizant of the secrets and significances of their principals. Similarly, the alphabets have implicit meanings and agents. It includes even a litany entreating Caliph Ali, as the worker of miracles.

Thus, when the Mujaddid took up his reformatory task, it was a period of exaggerations and eccentricities displaying an admixture of the Sunnah and the bid’ah (innovations), theology and philosophy, Islamic mysticism and Yoga - all intermingled indiscriminately. The Mujaddid has given a graphic description of the then obtaining situation in one of his letters to Khwaja Muhammed Abdullah. He writes :

“Innovations that hit the eye these days are numerous enough to make one think that a river of darkness and gloom is surging on all sides, while the lamp of Sunnah is quivering in this pitch-black darkness like the fireflies gleaming in a night shrouded with darkness” ( Maktubaat , Vol. II, No.23 to Khwaja Muhammed Abdullah)

It was the time when Islam was imperilled in India. The Muslim kingdom was trying to strike at its roots, the cloisters of mystics were paying scant regard to the sayings and doings of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the Shariah and the Tariqah (mystic path) were presented as two distinct disciplines having different codes and prescriptions, and if anybody ever summoned up the courage to know the theological sanction for any mystical formulation the answer given to him was:

Drench thy Prayer mat with wine if the revered bartender so directs,
For the traveller is not ignorant of the runs and sounds of the track.

This was the time when Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi (Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani) thundered forth:

“Tariqah ( the path) is subservient to and follower of the shariah; to be perfect in law is much more desirable than to attain the spiritual raptures and ecstasies and perceptions through the eyes of the heart. Observance of even one commandment of law is more edifying than a thousand years of spiritual exercises: taking of a brief nap following the practice of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is more salutary than the night-long vigil. The practices of the mystics provide no authority to decide what is permissible or impermissible for these things require the testimony of the scripture and the sunnah and the books of jurisprudence. Strivings of the soul by those who are misguided take them away from God instead of bringing nearer to Him. Visions and auditions of the mysterious world are just a means of amusement and recreation and they do not absolve anyone from following the commandments of the shariah.”

Shaikh Ahmed expounds the matters discussed here in these letters:

“Shariah is the guarantor of all the felicities of this world and next. There is not even one objective for the fulfilment of which one may require anything else besides the shariah. The tariqah (the path) and the haqiqah (reality), which form the distinctive marks of the mystics are subservient to the shariah i.e. nothing more than the means of obtaining the state of ikhlaas (sincerity). Thus, the only purpose served by the tariqah and the haqiqah is to actualise the inner spirit of the shariah and not to achieve any objective lying beyond its reach. The mystical states and stations, ecstatic transports, intuitive knowledge and spiritual insights gained by the mystics during the course of their spiritual journey are not the ends; they are simply images and ideas meant for cheering up and inspiring hope in the novices of the spiritual path so that they move onward and reach the state of Rida (resignation) which is the goal of sulook and Jadhbah (i.e. the complaince of the shariah).” (Maktubat,Vol.I, No.36, to Haji Mulla Muhammed of Lahore.)

In the same letter he further writes :

“Those who are undiscerning take the states and stations as goals of the spiritual journey and its observations and manifestations as significations of reality with the result that they become prisoners of their own imaginations and mental creations, and remain unblessed by the quintessence of the shariah.“ Dreadful for the idolaters is that unto which thou callest them. Allah chooseth for himself whom he will and guideth unto himself who turneth (towards him).” (Q.XLII:13)

In another letter he explains the ascendancy and precedence of obligatory observances over those voluntary in these words:

“The actions from which proximity to God ensues are either obligatory or voluntary, but the voluntary observances never make the grade of obligatory ones. Fulfilment of an obligatory observance at its due time and in all sincerity is preferable to performance of voluntary ones for a thousand years”. (Maktubat, vol.I, No.29 to Shaikh Nizam of Thanesar).

That cleansing of the self and healing of the souls can be easily brought about through compliance with the commandments of shariah than by means of penance and purgation is forcefully advocated by the Mujaddid in one of his letters in which he writes:

“Discharging a commandment of the shariah is more efficacious for cleaning the self of its baser instincts than the strivings and exertions of a thousand years undertaken on ones own initiative. These troubles and pains not undertaken to meet the requirement of the shariah can rather whet the appetite of the self and increase its indulgence. The Brahmins and Yogis have not left a stone unturned in taxing their energies in travails but these have not proved of any benefit to them except in making them even more self-indulgent and immoderate”.

In one of his letters the Mujaddid explains the significance of the shariah’s accomplishments in these words:

“A majority of people live in fools paradise, well contended with the illusory almonds and walnuts. What do they know of the perfection of shariah and the reality of tariqah and haqiqah? They consider the shariah as the shell and the haqiqah as the kernel, but they are not aware of the inner realities. They have been duped by the superficial talk of the mystics and bewitched by the stages and stations of the spiritual journey”. ( Maktubat, Vol.I, No.40 to Shaikh Muhammed Chitri).

The merits of living up to the precepts and practices of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) have been thus delineated by the Mujaddid in another letter:

“Excellence lies in conforming to the sunnah of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the honour in abiding by the dictates of the shariah as, for example, taking a nap during daytime with the intention of living up to the Prophet’s (Allah bless him and grant him peace) sunnah is better than keeping vigils during innumerable nights. Similarly, giving away a farthing in satisfaction of Zakaat is more meritorious than expending a hillock of gold of ones own accord”. (Maktubat,Vol.I, No. 114 to Sufi Qurban).

In yet another letter he writes:

“Immature mystics trifle with the obligatory and commendatory devotions and give greater attention to the fikr (contemplation) and dhikr (remembrance). In a like manner they take to ascetic exercises but neglect the congregational and Friday prayers. They do not know the performance of even one prayer with the congregation is more rewarding than a thousand rounds of sacraments. The fikr and dhikr with due deference to shariah are undoubtedly essential and meritorious. There are also misguided scholars who are hard at work in popularising the voluntary observances even at the cost of neglecting those that are obligatory”. (Maktubat, Vol.I, No.260 to Shaikh Muhammed Sadiq )

In one of his letters addressed to Mir Muhammed No’man, Shaikh Ahmed criticises the misguided mystics in these words:

“There is a group among them which has not cared to acquaint itself with the reality of prayers and their characteristic excellences. They want to remedy their ills through alternative recipes which, in their opinion, can fulfil their heart’s desire. There are some among them who even assume that the prayer, founded on the relationship between the divine and the devotee, is of little use to them. They consider fasting as more propitious than the prayer since the former is held by them as expressive of the divine attributes of eternity. And, then, there is a multitude who seeks to assuage its troubled soul through melody and tune and considers whirling and dancing as consummation of spiritual experience. Have these people not heard that God has not endowed the things impermissible with the properties necessary to work a cure. Had they known even a bit of the accomplishments of prayers, they would not have gone after musical recitations or ecstatic sessions”. ( Maktubat, Vol.I.No.261 to Mir Muhammed No’man).

Shaikh Ahmed discusses, in one of his letters, the purification of inner self sought by the non-Muslim ecstatic who develop certain occult powers despite their indulgence in wickedness and immorality. He writes:

“Real purification depends on adherence to righteousness as approved by God, and this rests upon the teachings of the prophets as already explained by me. Thus purification of self and heart cannot really be attained without the help of Prophethood. The purification attained by the infidels and the wrong doing people is the expurgation of self and not of heart. The cleansing of self alone, however, does not increase anything but waywardness. The mysterious and magical powers sometimes developed by the infidels and wrong doing people through expurgation of the self are surely Istidraj (illusory magical power) which leads them by degrees to hell and destruction”. (Maktubat, Vol.I, No. 266 to khwaja Abdullah and Ubaidullah).

The Mujaddid held that the antinomian tendency of brushing aside the authority of established religious institutions and observances was extremely dangerous. Dismissing these thoughts as misguided and unsound he writes in a letter addressed to Mian Shaikh Badi’uddin:

“Immature mystics and inconsistent disbelievers desiring to get rid of the shariah’s obligations maintain that its observance is meant for the commonality. They hold the view that the elite is required to attain gnosis just as the kings and rulers are duty-bound to administer justice to others. Their argument is that since the end of shariah is attainment of gnosis, when one attains the knowledge of reality the obligations of shariah automatically wither away. They bring this verse of the Qur’an in their support: “And serve thy Lord until there cometh unto thee the certainty.” (Q.XV: 99)” (Maktubat, Vol.I, No. 276 to Mian Shaikh Badi’uddin )

The actions of the mystics can never be taken as standard, according to Shaikh Ahmed, for deciding the things made permissible or prohibited by the shariah. He makes out this point in another letter in which he says:

“No practice of any mystic is authoritative enough to decide which is lawful or unlawful. Will it not be sufficient that instead of reproaching them we pass over their actions and leave them to the judgement of God? This is a matter in which the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Abu Yousuf or imam Muhammed should be considered authoritative rather than the practice of Abu Bakr Shibli or Abul Hasan Nuri. The half-baked mystics of our day have taken to dancing and whirling as an accepted religious rite and raised it to the level of divine service. These are persons who have taken their religion for sport and pastime.“ ( Q.VII : 51. ; Maktubat, Vol.I, No. 266 to Khwaja Abdullah and Khwaja Ubaidullah)

Such is the Mujaddids’s approach to whole hearted affirmation of every commandment of shariah that whenever he is told about any practice or doctrine of the mystics which is incompatible with the proper Islamic beliefs or which seeks to prove any unsound dogma on the authority of any seer or saint rather than placing reliance on upon the book of God or example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), it becomes difficult for him to hold his pen from denouncing and assailing the non-conformist view. Once, when an unsound utterance of a mystic Shaikh ( Abdul Karim Yamani ) was related to him by one of his disciples, Shaikh Ahmed could not tolerate the erroneous remark and expressed his disapproval to it in a very forceful and poignant style.

“My Lord! This meek-spirited is not accustomed to endure such observations which stir his Farooqi blood and do not allow him to think out any explanation by stretching their sense. Such things might have been acceptable to Shaikh Kabir Yamani or Shaikh Akbar Shami, but what we require is the testimony of Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and not those of Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi, Sadr-ud-din Qunawi or Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Kashi. We require Nass , and not Fass. The conquest of Medina has made us independent of the conquest of Mecca“. (Maktubat, Vol.II, No.100 to Mullah Hasan of Kashmir).

(Fass - i.e Fusus Al Hikam by Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi. Nass – nusoos; conquest of mecca- the allusion is to Futuhat-i- Makkiyah by Muhiyuddin Ibn Arabi.)

Vigorous defence of the sacred law of Islam leads Shaikh Ahmed to hold that every action in compliance with the shariah can be classified as dhikr or remembrance of God. He writes to explain his viewpoint in one of his letters to Khwaja Muhammed Sharaf-ud-din Hussain:

“One should continually engage oneself in the remembrance of God. Every action in accordance with the shariah comprises dhikr, even though it be of the nature of sale and purchase. In every action and behaviour the dictates of Shariah should be kept in view so that each one of these actions qualifies to be reckoned as dhikr. The dhikr is basically meant for putting away mental inadvertence and thus when one is heedful of legal doctrines of the lawful and unlawful in every act, one automatically becomes absorbed in God’s remembrance who is ultimate lawgiver. This would by itself save one from remises and bestow the wealth of perpetual engrossment in God“. ( Maktubat, Vol.II, No.25 to Khwaja Muhammed Sharaf-ud-din Husain)

It was on the basis of absolute superiority of shariah, as preached by the Mujaddid, that he severely criticised Sajdah-i-Ta’zimi (prostration of Honour) which had come into vogue in the circle of certain mystics. On being informed that some of his disciples were not cautious enough in this regard, the Mujaddid warned them against that practice. (Maktubat, Vol.II, No.92 to Mir Muhammed No’man and Vol.I, No.29 to Shaikh Nizamuddin of Thanesar)

Similarly, he refuted and condemned such polytheistic customs and usages, taken lightly in those days, as rendering honour to paganistic rites, seeking help of beings other than God, participating in festivals and customs of the infidels, vows and obligations in the names of saints and keeping of fasts to propitiate the blessed saints or daughter of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). In a letter ( Maktubat, Vol.III, No.41 to Saliha) to a female disciple, the Mujaddid has mentioned a number of such unsound practices which had come into vogue among the muslim masses in those days.

The restoration of sound and authoritative Islamic beliefs and practices and refutations of all innovations containing antinomian and polytheistic elements constituted a distinguishing feature of the great movement of revivalism and reform initiated by Shaikh Ahmad after a long time in India. These unislamic practices stimulated by contact with non-Muslim majority in the country and gaining strength with the passage of time were then threatening to misdirect the religious life of the Indian Muslims by corrupting the whole level of Islamic religious thought and action in the country. The reformatory endeavour of the Mujaddid was brought to consummation by the later mystics of the Mujaddidi–Naqshbandi school like Shah Waliullah (1114-1176/ 1702-1762) and his sons.

(Among whom the efforts of Shah Muhammed Ismail Shahid (d.1246/1831), the grandson of Shah Waliullah, deserves to be mentioned. See Sayyid Ahmad Shahid brought out by the academy, for the heroic struggle launched for the revival of faith in the nineteenth century.)

And finally by Sayyid Ahmad Shahid and his disciples who built up one of the strongest movements in history for the propagation of Islamic teachings through popularising the translations of Qur’an and hadith in local languages as well as exemplified Islamic behaviour through their personal conduct.

Ultimately , this torch of Islam was handed down to Hazrat Haji Imdadullah Muhajir makki (rahmatullahi alayhi) and his worthy disciples Hazrat Maulana Rasheed Ahmed Gangohi (rahmatullahi alayhi), Hazrat Maulana Qasim Nanotawi (rahmatullahi alayhi), Hazrat Maulana Yaqub Nanotawi (rahmatullahi alayhi) to climax into being founding stones of one of the strongest fortress of Islam – The Darul uloom Of Deoband. Which produced not just individuals but singular institutions of Islamic learning ranging from Tafseeer, Hadith, Fiqh,Tableegh, Jihad and Tasawwuf.

[SeekerOfGuidance]

The Status of Cursing Others

The Mujaddid explains that cursing others is not the way of the believers, and that if cursing was permissible and encouraged in Islam, then preference would have been first given to cursing those who had directly abused the most beloved of Allah's creation (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Volume 2, Letter 36

"Hadrat Ali, who was mercy from head to foot, never cursed any Muslim, let alone his having cursed our Prophet's Sahaba, particularly Hadrat Muawiya, over whom he (Rasulullah) had pronounced benedictions various times. Hadrat Ali said about Muawiya and those who were with him, "Our brothers disagree with us. They are not disbelievers or sinners. They have acted upon their own ijtihad." This statement of his keeps disbelief and sinfulness away from them. Could it ever be the case, then, that he cursed them!

It is not an act of worship in Islam to curse anybody, nor even a disbeliever. While it is necessary to send prayers after each of the five prayers of namaz each day, could he ever have uttered maledictions because of his personal enmity instead of praying? Do they think Hadrat Ali's nafs, which had reached the highest grade of Fana (a state of complete absorption in Allah) in tasawwuf and the end of itminan (a state of complete contentment and satisfaction) and which had gotten rid of personal desires, was steeped in a grudge, stubbornness and enmity, like their own nafses? They slander that very exalted person so basely. Hadrat Ali had reached the highest grades of Fana-fillah and muhabbat-i Rasulillah (love for Rasulullah) (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and had sacrificed his life and property for his 'sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam' sake.

Why at that time of prayer didn't he curse Allahu ta'ala's and His Messenger's 'sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam' enemies who had tormented our Master, the Prophet, the sultan of both worlds, by all methods of tormenting, but would curse his own enemies, instead? In actual fact, Hadrat Ali's statement, "They have acted upon their own ijtihad," shows that he was not their enemy. Essentially, those wars and combats did not originate from enmity or a grudge. They originated from ijtihad, from knowledge of the din. Blame whatsoever, therefore, is out of place, let alone cursing them. If slandering a person or cursing him were an act of worship, it would be one of Islam's requirements to curse Iblis-i lain (the Devil), Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab, and the furious disbelievers of the Quraish, who hurt, tormented and tortured our Master, the Prophet 'sallallahu alaihi wa sallam', and who were hostile, perfidious and perversely against Islam..."


Mufti Shafi' in Ma'riful Qur'aan explains that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) only cursed certain people due to his certain knowledge of their damnation in the hereafter:

"Cursing an individual is not permissible

From the words of the text, "and died while they were disbelievers", commentators al-Jassas, al-Qurtubi and some others have formulated the view that it is not permissible to curse an infidel about whom it is not certain that he is to die in a state of infidelity. Now that we have no way of finding out for sure that a person will die in a given state, we are bound to obey the ruling that it is not permissible to curse an infidel by name. That the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has cursed some infidels by name is explained by the fact that their death in a state of infidelity was divinely revealed to him. As far as the infidels as a whole are concerned, including the tyrants and the unjust, it is technically correct, if cursed without any particularization.

From this we also find out that the act of cursing is so grave that it has been disallowed even if the target be an infidel about whom it is not certain that he is going to die as one. If so, how can this become permissible if the target is a Muslim or, even if it is directed at an animal? Common people in Muslim societies seem to neglect this aspect of standard Muslim behaviour, specially our Muslim sisters who are prone to use very hard language about those they do not like among the circle of their acquaintances. It should be clearly understood that the act of cursing becomes effective not only by using the word, 'curse' but all synonyms used are subject to the same ruling. The word 'La'nah' (curse) means: 'to remove away from the mercy of Allah Almighty'. Therefore, all damnatory swearing and cursing, whatever the shade, circumstance or language, falls under the purview of "la'nah" or 'curse'."

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Ahlus Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah, the Middle Path

Mujaddid Alf-e-thani states that the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah is defined by those who follow Allah, the way of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the way of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum). Following the way of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) is obeying the Prophet's command to follow them. And following the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is obeying Allah's command to follow him (on him be peace and blessings). Those who attempt to differentiate between the obedience of the Sahabahs, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and Allah ta'ala, have gone astray:

Volume 1, Letter 152

"Allah says: "One who obeys the Prophet in fact obeys Allah" [4:80]

Thus Allah considers obedience to the Prophet, His own obedience. Therefore, the obedience to Allah which is different from the obedience to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is not obedience to Allah. To underline this point, Allah has used the word qad ('in fact' or 'verily'), lest an ill-motivated person differentiate between the two obediences, or choose one against the other. At another place, Allah condemns the people who differentiate between them:

"They try to differentiate between Allah and His prophets, and say that they would believe in some and would not believe in others, or try to find a course in between: they are disbelievers in the real sense." (4:150)

Volume 1, Letter 80

"May Allah ta'ala grant (us) a firm hold on the path of the Shari'ah Muhammadiyah (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

(Poetry) This is the task and all else is naught

Each one of the seventy three sects claim to be the followers of the Shari'ah and are certain of its deliverance and (believe that the verse): "Each party is rejoicing in that which is with it." [30:32], is referring to them, but the sign which the Truthful Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) has given to distinguish the one group which would enjoy deliverance from amongst the numerous sects is, "Those people who are upon what I and my Sahabah are upon." i.e. that one group who will gain deliverance is the one whose practice is like that of mine and that of my Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum).

After mentioning himself, the owner of the Shariat did not need to mention the Sahaba (ridwanullahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain); yet his mentioning them may come to mean that my way is the way which my Sahaba follow. The way to salvation is only the way which my Sahaba follow as (in the same way) Allah said: "He who obeys my Messenger has certainly obeyed Allahu ta'ala." [4:80] Hence obedience to the Messenger is obedience to Allahu ta'ala, and disobedience to him is disobedience to Allahu ta'ala. Those people who consider the obedience to Allah ta'ala different from the obedience to the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace), Allah ta'ala informs (us) of their condition and brands them as disbelievers when he says: "And they seek to differentiate between the way of Allahu ta'ala and the way of His Messenger, and they say, 'We believe some of what you say but we do not believe other aspects.' and seek to choose a way in between. Such are disbelievers, in truth."

What therefore, we are after is that the claim of following the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) while being opposed to the following of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) is a false claim. Rather, this kind of following is in reality disobedience to the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). What room for salvation is there in this contradictory position. The verse: "And they think that they have some standing. No, indeed! They are but liars." (58:18), describes their state. There is no doubt that the group who firmly follow the example of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) are the Ahlus Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah; who are indeed the saved group.

"...Now we turn to the real subject and give a more explicit answer to their objections (by answering) that the following of all the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) is obligatory in the principles of the religion, because they absolutely did not have any disagreement in the fundamentals. If there was any disagreement, it was only in the peripherals. Whoever degrades some of them, is deprived of the following of all of them. Their word is one. The wretchedness that proceeds from the denial of the grandees of the religion is the cause of conflicts and prevents unity. Denial of the reporter leads to the denial of his reportage.

The Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) together are the transmitters of the Shari'ah as has been mentioned previously. The Sahabah (radhiyallah anhum) are all pious, and from each one a part of the Shari'ah has reached us. The Qur'an as well has been compiled by obtaining one verse or more from each of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum). Therefore, denial of any of the Sahabah (radhiyallahu anhum) is the denial of what he has transmitted, and the acquirement of the entire Shari'ah is thus not verifiable in the case of the denier, what then of salvation and success. Allah ta'ala says: "Do you then believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in a part thereof; what shall then be the recompense of such among you who do that but disgrace in the life of this world and on the Day of Judgement they shall be consigend to the most grievous chastisement." [2:85]

"...The discord that appeared amongst the Sahabah (radhiyallah anhum) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not due to egoistic desires since their noble souls had attained (supreme) purity, and had risen from the state of agitation to the state of tranquility. Their desires had become (completely) subordinated to the Shari'ah. The discord was due to Ijtihad and the desire to uphold the truth. The ones who erred (in their ijtihad) amongst them will deserve a measure or reward from Allah ta'ala, whilst the ones who were successful (in their ijtihad) will deserve twice that measure. Hence, the tongue should be prevented from any audacity towards them, and all of them should be remembered with beautiful words. Imam Shafi'i said, 'Allah ta'ala has kept our hands clean from their blood, so we should keep our tongues clean (also)."'


The Middle Path

What transpires from the teachings of the clearly accepted Mujaddids (revivers of the religion sent by Allah), such as Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani, is the fact that there is a patently distinct path treaded by the Ulama-e-Haqq (the authentic scholars), which runs between two extremes the Ummah tends to veer towards. These two extremes are represented today by the various shades of pseudo-traditionalism and pseudo-salafism that appear to exist throughout the world, each of which appear to perpetuate their excesses imperceptibly, causing the other to entrench themselves further into their extremism.

Examples of issues that portray this phenomenon vividly include the fact that while one group perpetrates acts of extreme veneration at the graves, the other perpetrates acts of extreme desecration; while one group propagates the idea that the Auliyah are freely roaming about controlling the universe at their own discretion, the other propagates the belief that even the Prophets are dead, and displays a clear allergy to belief in Karamah (miracles); while one group justifies newly added acts of worship in the religion, under the guise of bid'ah hasanah (good innovation), the other denies the Sunnah status of even those acts initiated or accepted by the Khulafa-e-Rashideen (the rightly-guided Caliphs); and there are many such examples. Both groups, however, appear to share the same trait of swarming around and leeching onto isolated anomalies that exist in our tradition, and then subjecting the Qur'an and Sunnah to mutilation in order to wrest the desired meanings from them. Mujaddid Alf Thaani (rahmatullah alayh) mentions the fact that the Ahlul bid'ah use Qur'an and Sunnah to justify their deviances:

“Because every bid`atee (innovator) and deviate substantiates his concocted belief from the Kitaab (Qur'aan) and Sunnah, in accordance to his concocted desire.” (Volume 3, Letter 193)

The very purpose of the Mujaddid sent by Allah, is to delineate clearly where the middle path lies. Naturally both extremes will tend to find this middle path confusing and contradictory, and will tend to view it as a milder form of the other side.

[SeekerOfGuidance]

The Importance of Abstaining from Doubtful Matters

Throughout his Maktubaat, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani emphasizes the necessity of staying away from doubtful practices, avoiding bid'ah, and holding fast to the Sunnah:

Volume 2, Letter 23

"Also, today's men of tasawwuf should come to reason and, realizing that Islam is so weak and invented matters have been turned into faith and worships, they should not imitate those actions of their master Darwishes which are not suitable with the Sunnah. They should not adopt those things that are not in the din as faith and worships for themselves only because their masters did them.

Holding fast to the Sunnah will certainly rescue you and will make you attain blessings and happiness. Imitating the things other than the Sunnah will lead you to dangers and disasters. Our duty is to inform you of what is right. Everybody may do what he likes, and will get the deserts of what he has done.

May Allahu ta'ala greatly reward our superiors who educated us in order to protect us, the ignorant, against bidah. They did not lead us, who were following them, to dark dangers or an abyss. They did not show us any way other than the Sunnah. They guided us to no way but that of obeying the owner of the Shariat and avoiding even the doubtful acts as well as the harams.

For this reason, the blessings of these great people are considerable. The grades which they attained to are very high. They did not even turn to singing (ghinaa) and dancing (raqs), nor did they pay any attention to raptures (wajd) and ecstasies (mawajid). They deemed the hals, which others saw and found through the heart and considered great, as far from the purpose and other than what is desired; they expelled and refused the fancies which others fell for. Their deeds are not the kind which can be understood by seeing, finding or learning. They are above knowledge, fancy, tajallis, zuhurs, kashfs and views…"

Volume 2, Letter 81

"Hamd be to Allahu ta'ala and salam to the people whom He chooses and loves! I am afraid that my dear friends might have been deceived by the decorated and ornamented sins of the world. I get worried thinking that they might fall for its pretty and sweet appearance, like children. I feel anxious that with the prodding of the accursed devil and the human satans they may cease from what is mubah (permitted) and do what is dubious or dive into the haram, thus falling down to a shameful state in the presence of our Owner. It is necessary to repent and ask for Allah's pardon and entreat Him. Things that are haram or dubious should be known as fatal poisons.

In short, what is there to tell you but,
You are a child, and the way is dreadful.

Being very bounteous, generous and merciful, Allahu ta'ala made many things mubah (permissible) for His born servants; He gave us permission to do many things. So wretched and poor are those who, not being satisfied with the mubah because of their sick souls and corrupt hearts, exceed the borders of Islam and go as far as to do the dubious or haram things, leaving off so many inexhaustible mubah choices. It is necessary to observe the borders of Islam and not to go beyond it.

There are many people who perform namaz and who fast customarily and habitually. But those who observe the borders of Islam and who pay attention so as not to fall into the haram and dubious activities are very few. The distinction that differentiates those who worship correctly and sincerely from those who worship habitually and insincerely is observing the commandments of Allahu ta'ala. The sincere namaz and fast are outwardly the same as those that are done insincerely. Our prophet declared: "The basic pillar of our religion is wara." He declared in a hadith: "Nothing can be compared to wara."


The true Sufis throughout the ages have emphasized the same matters. For example, Shaykh Abdul Qaadir Jilaani states:

"Abstinence from unlawful things is incumbent on you otherwise the rope of destruction is coiled round you. You can never get out of its tangle unless God covers you with His mercy. There is an authentic report of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that the foundation of religion is abstinence from unlawful things and its destruction is in greed, and that whoever goes round a protected pastureland is only too likely to help himself to it as cattle pasturing freely by the side of a cornfield are only too likely to stretch their mouth towards it. It is unlikely that the cornfield would remain safe from them.

Umar Ibn Khattab (may God be pleased with him) is reported to have said: "We used to abstain from nine-tenth of lawful things in the fear lest we should fall in the zone of unlawful things."

It is reported of Abu Bakr Siddiq (may God be pleased with him) that he said: "We used to avoid seventy doors of permissible things for fear of getting involved in sin."

These exalted personages did so just to be away from any proximity to unlawful things; and in doing so they acted on the saying of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Beware! verily every king has a protected pasture-land and the pasture-land of God is His forbidden things.""[35th discourse, Futuh al-Ghaib]

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Exaggerations regarding Shaykh Abdul Qaadir Jilaani

Assalam o 'alaykum,

There has not been more exaggeration and excessiveness in this Ummah about any other personalities more than Sayyiduna 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir Jaylani (may Allah have mercy on him). Rawafid went into extreme regarding Sayyiduna 'Ali and Ahl al-Bid'ah went into extreme regarding Shaykh Jaylani.

This was something also noticed by Mujaddid Alf al-Thani Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (may Allah have mercy on him). He writes in his Maktubat:

"A group of 'Abd al-Qadir's disciples had excessive reactions (ghullu) to him and in their love for him they went beyond acceptable limits. This is like the exaggerated lovers of Sayyiduna 'Ali [i.e. Rawafid]. Allah Almighty bless his face. From the words of this group [of 'Abd al-Qadir's exaggerating disciples], it is clear that they consider 'Abd al-Qadir to be more excellent than any other protégés of Allah, before or after his time. Other than the prophets it seems as if they give the greatest preference to 'Abd al-Qadir. This is from excessive love.

What if it said that more miracles appeared from 'Abd al-Qadir than anyone else, and therefore he should be given preference? We say that the number of miracles is no proof of preference. It can be said that a person who has performed no miracles is more preferable than one who has manifested miracles.

The shaykh of shaykh (Abu Hafs al-Suhrawardi in his 'Awarif al-Ma'arif, after mentioning the miracles of shaykhs, says, "All miracles are a gift of Allah almighty which manifest to some people through unveilings. They share these and [appear to be] superior to others [who do not have the same experiences.] They receive nothing [in terms of spiritual growth] from performing these miracles, which are for strengthening a person's certainty. One who is given certainty does not need miracles. Other than remembrance in the heart and in the Essence, there is no need for miracles."

Performing many miracles to demonstrate one's excellence is like trying to show the preference of Sayyiduna 'Ali over Sayyiduna Abu Bakr mentioning Sayyiduna 'Ali's many excellence and virtues." (Maktubat, 1:293 - Revealed Grace, p. 215-216)

Mujaddid compares the bid'atis with Rawafid.

Bida'tis were deceived by many miracles of Shaykh Jaylani. This led them to attribute the qualities of 'ilm al-ghayb, hadir nadir, etc. to him. Then they attributed false quotes to him and started to call him for fulfillment of their needs.

May Allah save us from this excessiveness.

[SeekerOfGuidance]

http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...l=1#post806673

The Blessings of Amr-i maruf (enjoining good), Nahy-i-anil-munkar (forbidding evil) and Jihaad.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that the revival and Jihaad efforts of the Mujaddid at a critical juncture in the history of India, played a significant role in preventing the reversion of the whole subcontinent back to polytheism (Shirk). In accordance with the authentic Hadiths which state that the best Jihaad is the word of truth in front of an oppressive ruler, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani practised this supreme Jihaad throughout his life, and he pursued incessantly Amr bil Maruf wa Nahy anil Munkar at every level of society, from the laypeople and ulama, to the governors and rulers. The Mujaddid’s work is an example of the manifestation of the Hadiths which indicate that the rulers are merely a reflection of the people, and that if the people change what is within themselves, Allah will transform the hearts of oppressive rulers, or replace them with just rulers. This is exemplified by the transformation of the rulers during the Mujaddid's era, culminating in the advent of one of the great emperors of India, Hadhrat Aurengzeb, who veered the nation towards the pure Shari’ah, under the guidance of the successors of the Mujaddid...

A good talk on Hazrat Alamgir Aurangzeb by Shaikh Dr. Muhammed Musa Al Shareef (assistant professor in the Department of Islamic Studies, King Abdul Aziz University, saudi arabia)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVrNpYt5g-Y

[adam talha]

Salam

Brother could you give a reference for the following excerpts from the maktubat of imam sirhindi rahmatullah 'alayh? A letter to his shaykhs sons, Khawaja Baqi billah rahmatullah 'alayh says:

"“The acquisition of tasfiyah and tazkiyah (spiritual purification) are connected to completing righteous actions which are for the pleasure of Allah Most High. This is also dependent on the sending of the prophets. Hence, without their sending, he acquisition of the reality of tasfiyah and tazkiyah is not possible. As to that purification (safa) which is acquired by the unrighteous (ahl al-fisq) and disbelievers, then this is in reality purification of the soul and not the purification of the heart; the purification of the soul only leads to deviancy and loss. The unveilings (kashf) of some unseen matters that are experienced by the disbelievers and unrighteous in the state of purifying the soul is istidraj (Istidraj is opposite to karamat and can be best described as miraculous powers gained by a sinner on account of mujahada and purification of the soul (not the heart). The extraordinary physical or supernatural feats carried out by sadhus and practitioners of yoga fall into this category. Muslims should not be overawed by such occurrences, as they do not serve as a yardstick in measuring ma’rifah (translator)…)""

(1) With regard to fasiqs and disbelievers and the purification of the "soul", is nafs intended?

(2) And is there any other references from imam sirhindi rahmatullah 'alayh, like this excerpt? And also, from other ulama? Could you provide them?


***

Also:

"“Then, after correcting the beliefs, there is no escape from learning fiqh rules. It is necessary to learn the fard, the wajib, the halal, the haram, the sunnah, the mandub (preferable), the mushtabah (doubtful) and the makruh (disliked). It is likewise necessary to act according to the demands of fiqh. After having acquired the two wings of correct beliefs and actions, then — if a person has divine accordance (tawfiq) — the next step is traversing (suluk) the Path of the Sufis. This traversing is not to acquire something that is extra or new in beliefs and actions. Its purpose, rather, is to gain such firm conviction and assurance in those beliefs that the firm conviction and assurance do not disappear if a person was to place a doubt in it, and nor become obsolete by the coming of a doubt. In addition, the other benefit of Suluk is that it makes the performance of actions easy, and removes the laziness and rebelliousness which results from a soul that enjoins evils (al-nafs al-ammarah bi ‘l-suw). The purpose of treading the Path of the Sufis is not to view unseen images and forms, and lights (anwar) and colours; these are all useless play and entertainment (lahw and la’ib). What are the shortcomings of tangible forms and colours that one leaves them and undertakes mujahadah and riyadah with the hope of seeing unseen forms and lights? This is because these tangible forms and those unseen forms, and these lights and those lights are all created; they are signs bearing witness to Allah Most High’s existence.”"

(1) could you explain this excerpt?
(2) has he said similar things elsewhere?
(3) have other ulama said the same?

References would be useful.

Wasalam