A translation, with critical introduction of Shaykh al-'Alawi (al-risalah al-qawl al-ma`ruf fi al-radd `ala man ankara al-tasawwuf ) a kind word in response to those who reject sufism. by Mogamat Mahgadien Hendricks. A
thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of
Magister Artium in the Department of Foreign Languages, University of
the Western Cape.
ABSTRACT
The main focus of the thesis is the
translation of an original defence of Sufī practice titled the
al-Risālah al-Qawl al-Ma`rūf fī al-Radd `alā man Ankara al-Tasawwuf (A
Kind Word in Response to those who Reject Sufism) by the Shaykh Aḥmad
ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī . This book was written in defence of Sufīs and
Sufism. I will endeavour to provide some notes on the life, spiritual
heritage and writings of the Shaykh al-`Alāwī in conjunction with a
critical introduction to complement the translated text. In addition, I
review the Shaykh's methodology applied in his ijtihād to validate and
defend the Sufis and their practices. This sheds a new perspective on
the Shaykh's life and works. The translation of the al-Risālah and other
texts of the Shaykh will provide a clearer picture of this. The
translation will additionally have a critical introduction to place the
Shaykh and his works in its historical context. Finally, the thesis is a
tribute to the great Sufi, independent legal expert Shaykh Aḥmad ibn
Mustafā al-`Alāwī .
DECLARATION
I declare that this translation of
Shaykh al-`Alāwī’s al-Risālah al-Qawl al-Ma`Rūf fī al-Radd `alā man
Ankara al-Tasawwuf (A Kind Word in Response to those who Reject Sufism)
is my own work, that it has not been submitted before for any degree or
examination at any other university and that all the sources I have used
or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged as complete references.
Mogamat Mahgadien Hendricks 14 th of November 2005
Signed: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First, my heartfelt thanks to the murīds
of the `Alāwiyah Tarīqah in Cape Town and abroad, who all continue to
be the inspiring source of enlightenment in my life. Their presence in
my life, sharing all that is placed in my path, often make the up-hills
on life’s journey seem easy. Their wisdom inspires me … their love fills
me … their acceptance of me serve as the force that drives me everyday …
every moment.
These murīds have so selflessly
sacrificed their time, resources and expertise to assist with this
momentous task of translating the writings of the Shaykh Ahmad ibn
Mustaphā al-`Alāwi (may Allāh sanctify his secret) - writings that
signify with every word deep and hidden meanings.
Then, I thank my wife, children and
immediate family who had to endure so much in this process. And who also
have to continue enduring me in who and what I am, or in who and what I
am not … please forgive me … accept me … and know that my heart is full
with the love for you.
My deep gratitude goes to my supervisor,
Professor Yasien Mohamed, who has guided me so ably and professionally
throughout this whole process. I have grown with this and taken much
from you … thank you very much.
My whole heart goes to Sidi Ahmad Badr
al-Din al-`Alāwi ibn Murād (may Allāh sanctify his secret and illumine
his tomb) for having been mentor, spiritual guide and Shaykh to me and
all of us. It is through his inspiration and concern that we have
benefited enormously and continues to benefit through his successor,
SidiRāshid al-Mansouri (may Allāh sanctify his secret).
Lastly, I feel myself being blessed by
the sheer opportunity to receive from the ancient wisdoms and knowledge
that the writings of the Shaykh al-`Alāwi (may Allāh sanctify his
secret) has presented in this work of al-Risālah al-Qawl al-Ma`rūf. May
every breath be breathed, every moment be lived as a never-ending prayer
of gratitude in service of Truth, Amin.
TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTION
The objective of this thesis is the
translation of an original defence of Sufī practice titled al-Risālah
al-Qawl al-Ma`rūf fī al-Radd `alā man Ankara al-Tasawwuf (A Kind Word in
Response to those who Reject Sufism) by the ShaykhAḥmad ibn Mustafā
al-`Alāwī . By translating this text it is hoped to affirm the principle
that Sufism is the result of ijtihād (legal reasoning) rather than
bid`ah (innovation) and that it therefore forms part of Sunnah.
This chapter provides our introduction
to the translated text. Section One reviews classical works in defence
of the Sufis, as well as secondary sources relied upon by the
translator. Section Two provides a description of the life and works of
ShaykhAhmad ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī . Section three discusses the legacy
of the Shaykh, including the contemporary state of the `Alawiyah Tarīqah
. Section Four provides a short analysis of some of the written works
of the Shaykh. Section Five evaluates the methodology of the Shaykh as a
method of ijtihād. Section Six introduces the translated text that
follows this chapter. Section Seven outlines the translation strategy
that is followed. It also highlights unique problems encountered during
translation, such as words with unique meanings and words with nuances
and meanings different to that implied by the author.
Section One: Literary works in defence of the Sufis
Classical works
Sufism has been defined by Junayd (may
Allāh be pleased with him), ‘that God makes thee die to thyself and
resurrected in Him’ (Eaton, 1985:218). Sufism is equated with sincerity.
Sufism has been described as dhawqī 1 (tasting and experiencing). Gai
Eaton says that ‘Sufism is not so much to keep the truth in mind as to
experience it existentially, in other words to taste it.’ (1985: 218).
According to him the idea of personal tasting in Sufism is what has
great appeal to the modern man. Thus, contemporary Muslims and
non-Muslims are drawn to Sufism for this tasting. Yet, there remain
fierce opponents to Sufism. One of the most contentious issues
surrounding those who oppose Sufism are the criticisms from critics like
the salafis 2 who say that Islam is but only the Book of God and the
Sunnah of God’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him).
The Shaykhal-`Alāwī’s thoughts reflects
those of the early Sūfī writers like Abū Nasr al-Sarrāj al-Tūsī (died
988 c.e.) 3 , Abū Talīb al-Makki (died 996 c.e) in his Food for the
Hearts (Qūt al-Qulūb) and al-Sulamī (died 1021 c.e) which was followed
by the work of al-Qushayri (died 1074 c.e). The latter`s work is
considered the culmination of early Sufism literature (The Muslim
Almanac, 1996). Al-Sarrāj considers the Gabriel narration as the
fountainhead for explaining the exoteric and esoteric dimensions of the
Islam. He also portrays the Sufis as being those scholars who apply the
injunctions of the Qur’ān and Sunnah both exoterically in the form of
the law and esoterically in the form of the purification of the self.
Although the practicing of the law contributes to the purification of
the self through acts of worship like fasting,salāh (prayer),h ajj
(annual pilgrimage to Makkah), etc. it is the sincerity of this worship
that is the domain of Sufism. He even defends the statements of the
Sufis and their practices and tries to give positive interpretations to
their statements and practices. Similarly, the Shaykhal-`Alāwī's defence
of the Sufis is aimed at explaining the meanings of certain Sufi
statements and practices for the uninitiated. This indicates that Sufism
has its own technical terms and conceptual landscape and that many
criticisms are levelled against it, because people are not familiar with
this terminology or cannot understand it since they cannot fathom these
concepts. This is similar to the lay person, who tries to understand
the intricate details of a medical condition that specialist doctors
have spent years trying to understand and treat, or it is like trying to
explain to the blind person the colour red. Can the understanding of
the two groups be the same?
Another great scholar who defended
Sufism as the spiritual path of Islam is the famous scholar al-Ghazāli
(died 1111). Al-Ghazāli's major contribution lies in religion,
philosophy and Sufism. Al-Ghazāli also encountered in his time a number
of Muslim philosophers who had been following and developing several
viewpoints of Greek philosophy which had lead to conflict with several
Islamic teachings. He also found that the movement of Sufism was being
tainted by charlatans. Based on his unquestionable scholarship and
personal mystical experience, al-Ghazāli sought to rectify these trends,
both in philosophy and Sufism. In mysticism, he clarified Sufism and
re-established the authority of the orthodox Sunni perspective. He
stressed the importance of genuine Sufism, which he maintained was the
path to attain to the Absolute Truth. His acceptance of Sufism, as a
scholar whose research was profoundly extensive and demonstrated in his
books, stands as a testament to the validity of the Sufi path as a means
of the realization of Ih sān (excellence of worship). Al-Ghazāli’s
acceptance of Sufism came after his extenbsive study and research of the
doctrines of theology and philosophy and these were not able to satisfy
his desire for the ultimate Truth. As he says about himself,
‘When I had finished my examination of
these doctrines I applied myself to the study of Sufism. I saw that in
order to understand it thoroughly one must combine theory with practice.
The aim which the Sufis set before them is as follows: To free the soul
from the tyrannical yoke of the passions, to deliver it from its wrong
inclinations and evil instincts, in order that in the purified heart
there should only remain room for Allāh and for the invocation of His
Holy Name. I saw that Sufism consists in experiences rather than in
definitions, and that what I was lacking belonged to the domain, not of
instruction, but of ecstasy and initiation.’ (al-Ghazāli, 2004) 4.
According to Abū Nasr al-Sarrāj al-Tūsī,
it is because of the spiritual and metaphysical nature of this
knowledge that there is sure to be misconceptions and criticism. The
Shaykhal-`Alāwī also says in al-Risālah, (1986: 9),
One cannot deny the existence of critics
and adversaries among the Ahl al-Sunnah 5 of every age who would oppose
certain individual Sufis. As for rejecting the doctrine of Sufism in
essence, the Ahl al-Sunnah have never displayed such a view. Sufism is
considered within the framework of orthodox religion, it has received
the approval of ijmā` (consensus of the community).’
Imāmal-Qushayrī in his book al-Risālah
al-Qushayriyyah writes in defence of Sufism. He explains the principles
of Sufism and its origin within the Qur’ān and Sunnah. His main purpose
was to clarify Sufism for those who blindly oppose it without knowing
the reality of its principles. He makes clear the errors which have
appeared from the pseudo Sufis and addresses the Shat ah āt [ecstatic
expressions in a state of spiritual drunkenness]. Al-Qushayrī reminds us
that the blind opposition to the doctrine is a problem that exists with
every school of thought and doctrine (al-Qushayrī, 1990).
Al-Qushayri also intended to make people
understand that the Sufis are following one and the same Truth and that
the true people of this path follow the method of the Qur’ān and Sunnah
of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him). They have
not deviated from it, not even one iota. They are upon the path of the
pious ancestors in their faith, belief and conduct. He also addresses
the people of Sufism explaining to them the true path and the deviation
and falsehood that has entered it. He shows them the right path so that
they do not go astray, nor be led astray. The editors of the al-Risālah
al-Qushariyyah in their introduction to the al-Risālah says,
Sufism is not something new added to the
Qur’ān and Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
Nay, it incorporates a very intrinsic aspect of the religion, which was
neglected as a result of the fuqahā`s (jurists) pre-occupation with fiqh
(Islamic Law) after the era of the al-Salaf al- Sālih(the pious
ancestors). Through their pre-occupation with all branches of fiqh they
neglected the moral and spiritual aspect, which was practiced by the
Prophet’s (blessings and peace be upon him) companions and the pious
successors (may Allāh be pleased with them all) who came after them. If
those people who met the salaf in the first centuries, had followed
their guidance in the way of education, conduct and understanding, the
matter would never have reverted to the Muslims finding a school of
Sufism, separated from the schools of the fuqahā’ and mutakallimūn
(jurists and theologians). The first generation among the salaf followed
Islam holistically, with one education in all its branches. They had as
much fiqh as purification of the soul and God consciousness. They
created a balance between the exoteric and the esoteric sciences
(al-Qushayrī, 1990: 20).
Secondary sources
Martin Lings writes (1991: 88), ‘in
Islam the existence of a large number of very limited individuals who
imagine that the whole religion is within their grasp and that what lies
outside the scope of their own meagre understanding is necessarily
outside the Islam itself. The author of ‘The Mirror’ is a striking
example of the extreme exoterism that any Muslim mystic is liable to be
confronted with. One of his tirades ends off with the words, ‘Islam is
nothing other than the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger’.
To this Shaykhal-`Alāwī replied,
‘Who told you that the Sufis say that
Islam is based on any principles other than those? They say, however,
that in the Book of Allāh there is a doctrine which is beyond most men’s
attainment’ (al-`Alāwi, 1986:52)
Elsewhere the Shaykhal-`Alāwī also
alludes to this when he says, ‘In knowing the outside of the Book only,
he is as one who knows only the shell of the kernel.’ This is similar to
al-Ghazāli’s comments of the adversaries of Sufism,
‘But behind those who believe comes a
crowd of ignorant people who deny the reality of Sufism, hear discourses
on it with incredulous irony and treat as charlatans those who profess
it. To this ignorant crowd the following verse applies, ‘There are those
among them who come to listen to thee and when they leave thee ask of
those who have received knowledge. What has he just said?’ [Sūrah Muh
ammad :16] These are they whose hearts Allāh has sealed up with
blindness and who only follow their passions. Among the number of
convictions which I owe to the practice of the Sufi rule is the
knowledge of the true nature of inspiration (ilhām).’ (al-Ghazāli,
Deliverance from Error, 2004: 9).
Shaykh `Addah bin Tūnis, successor and
closest companion of Shaykhal-`Alāwī writes in (Tanbīh al-Qurrā) 6 on
Sufism, its origin and relation to Islam clarifying certain
misconceptions around it, ‘Among the gnostics (`Arifun 7 ) are those who
have reached their goal (of gnosis) in their journey, they have the
highest degree of human perfection after Prophethood’ (BinTunis,
1983:12).
In my review of the main journals such
as Muslim World and others I have found that there is not much written
about the al-Risālah of the Shaykhal-`Alāwi and his methodology in
defence of Sufism. My aim is to translate al-Risālah in order to
highlight the methodology of the Shaykhal-`Alāwi as well as adding to
the literature on the defence of Sufism.
Section Two: The Life of Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī
Ahmad ibn Mustafā bin 'Alīwah Abū
al-`Abbās al-`Alāwī , was born in Mustaghānim, Algeria, in 1291
a.h./1874 c.e. He had two sisters. Before his birth his mother dreamed
that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) handed her a flower.
The Shaykh ’s father saw this as a sign that they would have a pious
son. The Shaykh never went to school and learnt the Qur’an from his
father, memorising most of it. The Shaykh took up cobbling as a
profession and later turned to managing a shop. His father died when he
was sixteen.
The Shaykh al-`Alāwī was a Sufi, Mālikī
scholar, faqīh (jurist), Quranic exegete and poet. He was also the
Shaykh and renewer of the Shādhilī-Darqāwi Tarīqah , from which he
founded the `Alawiyah order that bears his name. The French orientalist
Emile Dermenghem characterised the Shaykhal-`Alāwi as ‘one of the most
celebrated mystic Shaykhs of our time’ (Esposito, 1995:71). He was born
during a time of concerted French colonisation. Within that context
Sufism was being attacked by the Salafiyyah Movement, which makes his
spiritual renewal even more remarkable. His first encounter with Sufis
was the Īsāwi Tarīqah, but he went on to take attachment to the
celebrated ShaykhMuh ammad al-Būzīdī (died 1909).
Within the lifetime of his Shaykh he was
appointed muqaddam (representative of the Shaykh) by the age of twenty
five with authority to initiate others into the order. The Shaykh was
actively involved in the affairs of the day, reproving those Algerians
who had become naturalised French citizens, and expressed his strong
disapproval of westernisation, secularisation and modernisation. He was
also critical of the Salafiyyah movement and in his weekly newspaper,
called al-Balāgh; he defended Sufism against its critics. This provided
the social context that motivated the Shaykh to defend Sufism. Al-Balāgh
was also a platform to reach out to the Muslim masses and to give
general advice to the heads of the zāwiyahs 8 to practice what they
preach.
His teaching stressed the threefold
nature of the religion (dīn) as mentioned in the Gabrielh adīth 9 ,
Islam, represented by one's inward and outward submission to the rules
of Sacred Law; true faith (imān); and the perfection of faith (ih sān ),
in the knowledge of Allāh. He authored works in each of these spheres,
though his most important legacy is the spiritual way he founded, which
emphasised knowledge of God (ma`rifah) and the invocation (dhikr) of the
Supreme Name (of Allāh). The true measure of a spiritual way, however,
does not lie in books produced by writers, in the wrong or in the right,
but in the hearts it opens to knowledge of divine realities conveyed by
prophetic revelation. In the ShaykhAhmadal-`Alāwi, whose order became
widespread in the Muslim world, we find a true spiritual master.
His Tarīqah spread to Syria, Yemen,
England, France, South Africa and many other Muslim lands and continues
to flourish (Godlas, 2004; Weismann, 2004). The Shaykh is certainly
stands as one of the greatest Sūfī masters of Islamic history. The
Shaykh wrote more than fifteen works and some of his letters and notes
have been compiled into a sizable book. His diwān (Book of Sufi Poems)
has also been published several times and remains widely read with the
gatherings of dhikr of the `Alāwiyah Tarīqah . He died in Mustaghānim in
1353 / 1934 (Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1971:700-701; Esposito, 1995:71;
Lings, 1991)
The Shaykh al-`Alāwī was humble and
self-effacing and has deeply affected those around him. The Shaykh’s
successor described him as being very wise, compassionate and dynamic.
Family bonds were very important to the Shaykh. C aring for the poor and
orphans played an important part of his personal life, with the
Shaykh’s zāwiyah in Mustaghānim always keeping its doors open to
newcomers. When the Shaykh became ill, he gave all that he owned as a
religious bequest (wasiyyah) in the Path of Allāh, his family, those who
have devoted themselves to learning, and the poor and the needy. These
acts were with the intention that his reward remains eternally with
Allāh alone and as gratitude to Allāh. This is based upon the prophetic
narrations from Muslim and al-Bukhāri in which the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘…when a person dies, all his
deeds are severed except three, a perpetual charity, beneficial
knowledge and a pious child praying for him.’
Section Three: The Legacy of Shaykh Aḥmad ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī.
After the Shaykhal-`Alāwi died he was
succeeded by ShaykhSidi `AddahBinTunis, who had been close to the Shaykh
in his lifetime. He continued the legacy of his master until he died in
1952. During the lifetime of Shaykhal-`Alāwi the Tariqah had spread
across the Muslim lands and continued to flourish under his successor.
The ShaykhSidi `Addah kept alive the spiritual legacy of his master. He
republished his books, revived the newspaper the Shaykh had run during
his lifetime and continued to serve the initiates of the tariqah. Many
of the muqaddams of the Shaykhal-`Alawi renewed their allegiance with
ShaykhSidi `Addah, like ShaykhMuh ammadal-Hāshimi 10 in Syria, ShaykhMuh
ammadal-Fayturi in Lybia and others. After Shaykh `Addah’s demise, his
son SidiMuh ammadMahdi binTunis, even though he was not `ārif 11
succeeded him as the official head of the zāwiyah until his death in
1975. He maintained and followed the teachings of his father and the
Shaykhal-`Alawi and did not deviate from their path. He suffered a lot
of persecution at the hands of the authorities and eventually went into
exile in France.
However, it was the `ArifSidi Ahmad Badr
al-Din al-`Alāwi bin Murād and one time murid of Shaykhal-`Alāwi who
was the true successor of the ShaykhSidi `Addah. It was under the
guidance of the Shaykh that he attained to the ma`rifah of Allāh at an
early age. He then received the spiritual training under the guidance of
the Murshid Shaykh Sidi `Addah. He remained in obscurity for many
years. It was only after 1975 that Sidi Ahmad Badr al-Din bin Murād
openly initiated adherents into the path until his return to Allah on
the 13 th of April 2005. During his time as Shaykh the Tarīqah became
even more global and many initiates from countries such as Malaysia,
Indonesia, Turkey, USA, Switzerland, France, Germany, Kashmir, Algeria,
Egypt, South Africa, Lybia and Yemen and other countries joined the
path. Currently, Sidi Rāshid al-Mansouri, based in Oran, Algeria is the
head of the `Alāwiyah Tarīqah . Since the time of the demise of the
Shaykhal-`Alāwi many offshoots have flourished throughout the world all
claiming to represent the Shaykhal-`Alāwi. 12
Section Four: Some of the Written Works of the Shaykh al-`Alāwi
In order to further elucidate the
thought of the Shaykhal-`Alawī it is important to give a brief overview
of some of his books pertaining to Sufism.
Al-Minah al-Qudusiyyah 13
In the first introduction of the book
(al-Minah al-Qudusiyyah ), Shaykhal-`Alāwī speaks about the distinction
of the Sufi’s knowledge compared to the other sciences. He discusses the
source of esoteric knowledge (al-‘ilm al-bātin) compared to the
exoteric knowledge (al-`ilm al-dhāhir). Shaykhal-`Alāwī says in
(al-Minah , 1935: 9), 14
‘…every science falls into dispute,
conflict and differences amongst its masters except for this knowledge
which is free from conflict and distortion because there is no
application of independent reason in the knowledge of the Sufis. Unlike
discursive knowledge which is obtained through dalīl (proof), burhān
(evidence) and transmission, the knowledge of the Sufis is obtained
through kashf (observation) and `ayān (witnessing), nothing else. This
is why conflict and differences do not fall into it, since information
is not like direct observation.’
Al-Mawād al-Ghaythiyyah
The other major work of the
Shaykhal-`Alāwī is the al-Mawād al-Ghaythiyyah. This work is a
commentary on the aphorisms of the ShaykhAbū Madyan (died 1177) who was a
great Sufi master of his time, who was also known as the pole (qutub)
of the West. The Shaykh's commentary is arranged into topics concerning
the path towards the purification of the self (nafs). 15
Al-Bahr al-Masjūr fi Tafsīr al-Qur’ān bi Mahd al-Nur
The thought of Shaykhal-‘Alāwī is
clearly expressed in his partial exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān. The method
in which Shaykhal-‘Alāwī has approached the tafsīr of the Qur’ān is
unique and phenomenal. Shaykhal-‘Alāwī interprets the Qur’ān from four
different perspectives. First, (tafsīr) the general and literal meaning
of the verse and then the laws (ah kām ) derived from it (istinbāt ).
Then Shaykhal-‘Alāwī mentions the esoteric and more specific meaning of
the verse which he refers to as allegory (al-ishāra). And finally the
most specific and esoteric interpretation comprehended only by the most
elite few amongst the scholars, which he calls the Tongue of the Spirit
(lisān al-rūh). He compares his approach to tafsīr as four rivers
flowing into one ocean. Each group of people know their drinking place.
For the Shaykh, the Qur’ān has many
different perspectives and is inexhaustible as attested to by the
Prophetic narration, which says, ‘The Qur’ān will never seize to
manifest its marvels.’ In the Prophetic narration reported by Abū Dardā
that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Never will
your understanding be complete until you see the Qur’ān as having many
interpretations’.
However, what the Shaykhal`Alāwi
considers most important about the Book of Allāh is that we should see
it as if it is fresh, coming to us now from the Divine Presence. The
Qur`ān has a specific message and education for every age. One should
not confine the Qur’ān only to the purpose of revelation or the person
about whom the verse was revealed. The lesson to be taken from the
Qur’ān is the generality of the phrase, not the specificity of cause.
In terms of understanding the Qur`ān,
Shaykhal-`Alāwī is extremely critical about the phrase, which says, ‘The
first generation has not left anything for the latter generation’
(al-Bah ral-Masjur, vol., 1:14), as if they are saying that the first
generations have explained everything regarding the tafsīr of the Qur’ān
and nothing new can be added. He continues, ‘…this is the most harmful
and destructive statement. If such is the case then where is our share
of contemplating the meaning of the Qur’ān when Allāh asks, ‘Do they not
contemplate the Qur’ān?’ [SurāhMuh ammad : 24].
Shaykhal-`Alāwī further argues (al-`Alāwī, 1989, vol., 1: 14),
‘Why would Allāh ask us to ponder over
the Qur’ān except that it contains treasures that are hidden? In every
age there will be those who will hold steadfast to the truth and never
would Allāh abandon the beloved followers of His Prophet’s community.
The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Verily Allāh will
continue to cultivate this religion [with men] whom He will put into His
service with obedience [who will serve Him obediently]’.
In his tafsīrShaykhal-`Alāwī clearly
demonstrates his profound understanding of the principles of tafsīr and
the sciences of Qur’ān.
Al-Ism al-Mufrad (Concerning the Permissibility of Using the Unique Name of Allāh in Dhikr)
The al-Ism al-Mufradis one of many
defences that the Shaykh has made of the practices of the Sufis. In
al-Ism al-Mufrad the Shaykh defends the Sufi practice of invocating the
name of Allāh without the invocative particle. He argues that the
grammarians fail to understand the esoteric dimensions of the Qur’ānic
verses and at the level of ih sān the Sufis have made ijtihād and found
it permissible to express the name of Allāh without the invocative
particle since God is nearer to you than your jugular vein.
Section Five: Methodology of the Shaykh al-`Alāwī
A review of the literature written by
the Shaykh al-`Alāwi and those who wrote about him, shows that the
Shaykh uses ijtihād as his method of defending the Sufis and their
practices. A profile of the Shaykh will illustrate his orientation,
style, thinking and worldview, which is characterised by its
disconcerting unexpectedness and his readiness to meet his critics on
their own ground.
Whenever the Shaykh answered a critic he
would draw his answers from within the worldview of the recipient of
the answer. Thus, when he spoke to the scholars he would draw their
attention to the Prophetic traditions and Islamic jurisprudence. He was
not afraid to make an analogy with a concept within any other science
that the recipient may have had knowledge about. So if the recipient
knew grammar he would use the laws of grammar in his answer making an
analogy with grammatical observations. He would even make analogies to
everyday occurrences like the fact that butter is produced by churning
the milk referring to theh aqīqah (hidden Truth) within the Sharī`ah
(Law). Some times he would quote authorities who were acceptable to his
critics such as al-Ghazālī, Muh ammad ibn `Umar al-Rāzi (died 1209) ,
Ibn `Abd al-Barr (died 1070) and other scholars. The Shaykh would
counter an argument by saying that the contention of the critic goes
against the statements and the opinions of the great scholars who are
recognised authorities. He also sought the repose within the law to
answer his critics for example in reply to the critic who was against
the repetition of the name of Allāh he said,
‘There is proof in the noble law of the
permissibility of repetition of the name of Allāh, and there is nothing
to justify the prohibition of repeating it.’ (al-Ism al-Mufrad )
In ending his answers, the Shaykh always
noted that the view espoused was meant for him – [meaning his ijtihād] –
within the matter and he would not force the critic to follow his view,
so the critic should not force him to follow his. This is in accordance
to the usulī principle that a mujtahid is not bound to the ijtihād of
another but only to his own ijtihād.
Thus, the first part of this section
presents a brief introduction and explanation of the concept of ijtihād,
focussing on the definition history and the issues surrounding its
application. The second part focuses on illustrating from the Shaykh's
books and articles how he uses the ijtihād to defend the Sufis and their
practices. In his criticisms of the opponents of Sufism, he also blames
them for not exercising ijtihād appropriately.
Ijtihād: a methodology for dealing with the revealed texts
The Arabic word for ijtihād literally
means ‘an effort or an exercise to arrive at one’s own judgement’ and in
its widest sense, it means ‘the use of human reason in the elaboration
and explanation of the shariah law. Ijtihād, therefore, is an exercise
of one’s reason to arrive at a logical conclusion on a legal issue done
by the jurists to indicate the effectiveness of a legal precept in Islam
(Doi, 1984: 78).
According to Kamali (1991), ijtihād is
the most important source of Islamic law next to the Qur’ān and Sunnah.
The main difference between ijtihad and the revealed sources of the law,
lies in the fact that ijtihād is a continuous process of development,
whereas the divine revelation and Prophetic legislation discontinued
upon the demise of the Prophet. In this sense ijtihād continues to be
‘the main instrument of interpreting the divine message and relating it
to the changing conditions of the Muslim community in it’s aspirations
to attain justice, salvation and truth’ (Kamali, 1991: 366).
Kamali (1991: 378-379) speaks on the
scope of ijtihād and says, ‘the majority of `ulamā’ have held the view
that once a person has fulfilled the necessary conditions of ijtihād he
is qualified to practice it in all areas of the Sharī`ah’. In modern
times, in view of the sheer bulk of information and the more rapid pace
of its growth, specialisation in any major area of knowledge would seem
to hold the key to originality and creative ijtihad. The broad scope and
divisibility of ijtihād would thus seem to be in greater harmony with
the conditions of research in modern times. The classification of
mujtahidūn (legal experts) into various categories such as mujtahidūn
specialising in a particular school of thought or on particular issues,
takes for granted the idea that ijtihad is divisable and not restricted
to a scholar (Kamali, 1991).
Ijtihād is validated by the Qur’ān,
Sunnah and the dictates of reason (`aql). Of the first two, the Sunnah
is more specific in validating ijtihād. The Prophetic narration reported
by Mu’ādh bin Jabal as al-Ghazāli points out, provides a clear
authority for ijtihād. It is reported that the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him) asked Mu`ādh upon the latter's departure as judge to
Yemen , questions in answer to which Mu`ādh told the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) that he would resort to his own ijtihād in the
event that he failed to find guidance in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah and
the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) was pleased with this
reply (Abū Dawūd cited by Hasan, 1994).
Ibn Taymiyyah is regarded as one of the
scholars who emphasized the importance of ijtihād and went to great
pains to defend the mujtahidun and their ijtihād (2004). Ibn Taymiyyah
(vol. 19) says about ijtihād,
‘The analytic mujtahid whether he is an
Imām, ruler, scholar, investigator or muftī [the one with the authority
to pass legal verdicts in the religion of Islam] if he makes ijtihād and
seeks the proofs while being Allāh fearing to the best of his ability
then this is what Allāh has made him responsible to fulfil towards Him.
He is then considered obedient to Allāh, deserving reward, if he fears
Him to the best of His ability, and Allāh will certainly not punish
him.’
This text confirms that ijtihād is not
confined to the fuqahā’ (Muslim jurists), but is open to all who attempt
to understand and apply the revealed law in all spheres of life.
Shaykh al-`Alawi’s comments on Bid`ah (innovation)
Shaykhal-Alāwi’s definition of bid`ah is
objective and impartial. Many Muslim scholars see bid`ah as
contradicting the tradition (Sunnah) of the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) and confined to a blameworthy act. In the al-Risālah, the
Shaykhal-`Alāwi makes it clear that innovations can be classified under
the five principles in Islamic Jurisprudence. These are the following:
wujūb (obligatory), nadab (desired), ibāh ah (permissibility), karāhah
(offensive) andh arām (unlawful). It is therefore unfair to pass
judgement on a particular action as bid`ah, without first having the
complete knowledge of bid’ah. Shaykhal-`Alāwi says,
‘One ought to first conceive the meaning
of a thing and then pass judgement and not to speak about Allāh
religion with one’s opinion , for you might end up commanding with the
wrong and forbidding from the right’ (al-Risālah, 1986:44).
Shaykhal-`Alāwi argues that the author
of the ‘The Mirror’ does not distinguish between what is bid`ah mustah
sanah (recommended innovation) and a bid`ah that is unlawful, especially
if it relates to recommended actions. Thereafter, Shaykhal-`Alāwi
(p.43) asks, ‘… so do you see in all this anything contradictory to the
religion? Is it not a main support of the religion?’ Shaykhal-`Alāwi
hereby indicates that the concept of bid`ah should not be applied on
every action that was not specifically done in the time of the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him), but rather that the intention behind
the action should be considered. This is so, especially if the
innovation is beneficial, like the compilation of the Qur`ān and the
circles of dhikr.
In his al-Risālah the Shaykhal-`Alāwi
also argues that even if some people consider Sufism as bid`ah, is it
not correct to say it is a bid`ah mustah sanah (good innovation)’ which
is also called Sunnah, taken from the saying of the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him). ‘Whoever institutes a good practice (Sunnah)
will receive its reward and the reward of the one who implements it
until the day of judgement.’ The Shaykhal-`Alāwi commenting on the above
prophetic narration says (al-Risālah, 1986: 44),
‘Let us consider carefully how bid`ah is
called Sunnah. It is also known that the assembling for the Ramad ān
night prayers in the mosques has been innovated by the second Khalīfah
`Umar’s remark about it was, “What a good innovation!” and such an
example does not need any explanation considering that it falls under
worship (`ibādah)’.
Thus, the Shaykh shows us that Sufism is a Sunnah since it is the product of ijtihād and therefore not a bid`ah.
Shaykh al-`Alawi and ijtihād
In terms of classification of the
mujtahidun within Usul al-Fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) the least
we can say is that the Shaykhal-`Alawi was a mujtahīd fi al-masā-il (an
expert in legal matters of religion), even though he has fulfilled the
necessary conditions of ijtihād he was qualified to practice it in all
areas of the Law and `ibādāt (devotional matters). The Shaykh was a
faqīh in the MalikīMadhhāb and also a mujtahīd on particular issues. An
example of the Shaykh’s ijtihād is the application of istinbāt
(inference) in his method of tafsīr since an important aspect of ijtihād
is the interpretation of quranic texts and applying it to new
challenges. By making istinbāt on almost every verse, the Shaykh
demonstrates his application of ijtihād.
Another example of the Shaykh’s ijtihād
is his ijtihād into the modes of dhikr, proving it to be part of the
Sunnah and not an innovation. The Shaykhal-`Alāwi responded to one of
the opponents of the Sufis, who condemned the Sufis specification of
dhikr to certain times and confining dhikr to a specific number. The
Shaykh's opponent argues that it is a forbidden innovation, saying that
he cannot find any proof or any source in the law to prove the
permissibility of such types of dhikr. The Shaykh invites his opponent
to re-examine these objections that he had within the framework of
ijtihād. The Shaykhal-`Alāwī reminds him that he has contravened one of
the main conditions for exercising ijtihād and that is not making a
thorough research of the matter in the Qur’ān and Sunnah texts. The
Shaykh then brings his attention to the clear, authentic and unambiguous
textual evidence from the Qur’ān and Sunnah. In response to his first
objection – the specification of times for dhikr - the Shaykhal-`Alāwī
mentions the verse in which Allāh says to His Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him), ‘… and celebrate the name of thy Lord in the morning
and evening and prostrate thyself for part of the night and glorify Him
a long night through.' [76: 25-26]. Thereafter the Shaykhal-`Alāwi
says,
‘If you just had the one verse at your
disposal it would have sufficed since He (Allāh) has specified these two
times for dhikr and the Sunnah is most certainly replete with what is
similar to that.’ (A`thab al-Manāhil, 1993: 123-124)
In his tafsīr the Shaykhal-`Alāwi also
uses ijtihād to extrapolate insights and derive laws from the verses of
the Qur’ān. First, the Shaykh gives the tafsīr and then he gives the
instinbāt which is more specific. I will furnish an example, which is
pertinent to the practices of the Sufis. The Shaykh notes, from the
verse ‘Remember Me and I shall remember you’ [2: 153] we know that the
slave is commanded by Allāh to make the dhikr and the request of making
it in a group (jamā`ah) is preferred because of the plural pronoun in
the commanding verb (udhkurū). From this verse we know that in all our
worshipping there is nothing more nobler than dhikr, because the result
of it is, that Allāh remembers His slave, and this special
characteristic is not found in any of the other pious deeds.
To illustrate the Shaykh's profound use
of ijtihād, I quote an abridged version of the response of the Shaykh
al-`Alawi to another Sufi antagonist who asked him about the meaning of
the verse ‘… today I have perfected your religion …’ [Sūrah al-Mā-idah:
3] The Shaykh answered after a brief introduction saying, (A`thab
al-Manāhil, 1993: 23-28)
‘I see myself under obligation dear
brother, with the mentioning of a matter which you always refer to in
your correspondence, like some of the modern writers and you have also
brought this up with the intention of using it as evidence against the
innovations of the Sufis which has no connection to the religion at all.
And your greatest support in this is the verse in which Allāh says,
‘…today I have perfected your religion and completed My favour upon you,
and I am pleased with Islam as your religion’ (Sūrah al-Mā-idah: 3).
Your implication with this is that whatever was not considered religion
at that time cannot be considered as part of religion afterwards. This
is something beautiful, if it’s ruling eradicates the Sufis innovations
of appointed adhkār (invocations) and other things …but it is farfetched
for it to be correct, except if you eradicate all the ijtihādāt
(judgments) of the mujtahidūn (jurists) and the sayings of the true
scholars and that would undoubtedly be a decisive decision [cancelling
out] the rest of the laws of Sharī`ah established through ijtihād. The
ruling of it would be that it is not of the religion, the cause being
that it only came after the perfection of the religion and the
completion of His favour upon the Muslims according to the explicit
understanding of the verse. There is no doubt that this article of yours
has brought about a belief which not even a deviant sect of Islam would
profess, let alone the people who follow the Sunnah practice to which
you belong.’ (A`thab al-Manāhil, 1993: 23-28)
The Shaykh is arguing that the meaning
of this verse cannot limit the scope of ijtihād for otherwise we would
not know how to correctly interpret quranic verses and Prophetic
traditions without knowing the circumstances surrounding its revelation.
It shows his profound understanding of the methodology of ijtihād since
he illustrates in his arguments that the writer erred in his
interpretation of the verse, by not following the principles of ijtihād
in his interpretation of the verse.
Section Six: A Kind Word to Those Who Reject Sufism
This work of the Shaykh is the focus of
my thesis. It is one of the Shaykh’s earlier works, which he wrote in
1920. The book is one of the many responses that the Shaykh wrote in
defence of Sufism, but stands out as the most comprehensive. It is
written in prose with almost 120 - A5 size pages. This work was
published during the lifetime of the Shaykhal-`Alāwi in 1920
(Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1971) since the Shaykh wrote it in the form of a
letter to ShaykhSidi `Uthmānibnal-Makkī who criticized the Sufis. The
manuscripts of the Shaykh’s works are stored in Mustaghānim in the
zāwiyah built by the Shaykh. The descendents of the ShaykhSidi `Adda
have published the work three times and this translation will be based
on the third edition printed in 1986.
Extracts of the al-Risālah al-Qawl
al-Ma`rūf fī al-Radd `alā man Ankara al-Tasawwuf have been translated.
Martin Lings (1991) mentions some extracts from the book of al-Risālah
in his publication A Sufi Saint of theTwentieth Century. He translates
these extracts to provide evidence of the Shaykh’s depth of the
understanding of Sufism and as a general and well-grounded response to
the critics of Sufism. The al-Risālah al-Qawl al-Ma`rūf has been
translated and published in French. Many of the other works of the
Shaykh has been translated into English, French and Spanish.
This work of Shaykhal-`Alawi has a
unique approach to the topic of Sufism in Islam and innovation.
Shaykhal-`Alawi uses the primary sources of Qur’ān and Sunnah with clear
texts as proof to justify his arguments together with an approach of
sound logic and an excellent style. The book is written as a response to
criticisms levelled at Sufism and specific Sufi practices in
particular. The book is written in response to a leaflet that was
published by a Tunisian scholar, ShaykhSidi `Uthmānibnal-Makkī, who
derided the Sufis and their practices. Martin Lings (1973: 88) argued
that, although the the pamphlet was ‘petty and childish’ and required no
response, the Shaykhal-`Alāwī’s response was not only at the leaflet,
but was directed at the ‘general hostility’ toward Sufism ‘which could
not be ignored.’
In the introduction of al-Risālah the
Shaykh chastises the author of the ‘The Mirror’ for the lack of ethics
of disagreement in his book and for his sweeping comments and criticisms
against the Sufis. The style or the intent of the al-Risālah is one of
an on-going discourse with the author of the ‘The Mirror’. The book is
intended for all critics of Sufism especially the Salafiyyah movement.
Furthermore, the Shaykh writes in a didactic manner in order to make the
comments more effective.
The book does not attempt to give
detailed explanations of the way of the Sufi path, but rather it is a
vindication of Sufism and establishes Sufism and its practices as an
integral part of the religion of Islam. Therefore, Shaykhal-`Alāwi in
the beginning of the al-Risālah addresses the criticisms against Sufism
as a whole and in the body of the book addresses criticisms on single
aspects, specifically showing that all of the practices are firmly
rooted in the practices within the Qur’ān, Sunnah and legal reasoning
(ijtihād). Shaykhal-`Alāwi goes to great pains to defend even the
smallest aspect of Sufism. Thus, Shaykhal-`Alawi defends taking
allegiance with a Shaykh, the meeting for the purpose of dhikr and the
different modes of dhikr, the gathering of the initiates for mudhākarah
(spiritual education), their performing of dhikr aloud in a group, their
swaying in dhikr and ecstasy when performing dhikr. In the entire book
the Shaykhal-`Alāwi uses verses from the Qur’ān and traditions from the
Sunnah to justify these practices. The Shaykh notes the modes of dhikr
that the Sufis practice are justified, via legal reasoning, using the
principles of usūl al-fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) from
the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. Even though the specific practice was not
practiced during the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon
him), the principle had been established in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah
and some modes of dhikr such as doing a specific wird (litany) is
clearly found in the Sunnah.
The Shaykh uses ijtihād as an important
instrument for interpreting the divine message and relating it to the
changing conditions of the Muslim community and in the Sufic aspirations
to attaining inner peace and enlightenment. Thus, the Shaykh justifies
the innovation of the Sufis as being the product of ijtihād and
therefore a legitimate part of the Law for those who choose to follow
the outcome of a particular ijtihād.
One of the profound arguments in
al-Risālah that illustrates applied ijtihād methodology is provided in
the following example, ‘ijtihād is one of the characteristics of the
Community and one should acknowledge the right of scholars to do
ijtihād.’ (al-Risālah, 1986: 44) That is why the Shaykhal-`Alāwi asks,
‘how is it that you accept the ijtihād of the four Imāms and their like
in the case of 'Islam, and you accept the ijtihād of al-'Ash`arī and
al-Mā’turīdī in belief which is the station of ‘imān, but you do not
accept the ijtihād of Junayd and his group with regard to the station of
ihsān." (al-Risālah 1986: 44-45). Shaykhal-`Alāwi is saying that the
author of ‘The Mirror’ wants the reader to believe that the Sufi path is
an innovation in the religion as if he considers the outcome of ijtihād
as adding to religion. The Sunnah sanctions the ijtihād of the
scholars, because ‘… the scholars are the vicegerents on earth …’ 16 .
There is certainly general ijmā` (consensus) among the scholars about
earlier scholars’ trustworthiness. The Shaykhal-`Alāwi building further
on this idea responds to the author of the ‘The Mirror’ (al-Risālah:
44-45),
‘the least you could have done was to
consider the founder of the doctrine of Sufism to be one of the
mujtahidun of religion for his ijtihād in bringing out the station of ih
sān . He is like al-‘Ash`ari in relation to the station of imān (faith)
and like ImāmMālik and those who resemble him in bringing out the
station of Islam and the total of religion is made up of three levels
(Islam-imān-ih sān ) as related in the most famous Prophetic narration.
(al-Risālah, 1986: 44-45).’
In addition, in a letter to al-`Arabī
ibn Balqāsim the Shaykh defends the Sufis in the following practices,
specification of times for dhikr; confining dhikr to [specified] numbers
and the taking of oath (bay`ah) with the disciples. In many other
letters and responses written by the Shaykhal-`Alawi gathered in A`dhab
al-Manāhil fī al-'Ajwibah wa al-Rasā'il defends many practices of the
Sufis as well as other matters pertaining to Islam. Nevertheless, in
al-Risālah, the Shaykh avoids philosophical arguments and discussions of
mystical doctrine.
Section Seven: Methodology employed in the Thesis
The translation will be done to render
the work in modern English that is easily understandable to the general
reader. This is the first translation of this work, according to my
knowledge, into English. The thesis is an exploratory research into the
thoughts and methodology of the Shaykhal-`Alāwi in his writings on the
defence of Sufism. Ijtihād is the major instrument used by the Shaykh
and the translation of the al-Risālah will attempt to demonstrate this.
Furthermore, there might be other insights into the methodology of the
Shaykh that it could come tio the fore through this translation.
Although other defences have been written on Sufism, the Shaykhal-`Alawi
approach is somewhat unique. This is what I hope to show and the reason
why I have chosen to translate his work al-Risālah.
Translation strategy
All Quranic translations are taken from Yusuf Ali (1934) Islamic Propagation Centre International.
Dolet (1509-1546) was one of the
earliest European writers to write on the methodology of translation.
(Bassnett, 1980:58-59) His five principles have been generally accepted
as essential guidelines for the translator. I will use these principles
to discuss my translation strategy. These principles are as follows;
1. The translator must fully
understand the sense and meaning of the original author, although he is
at liberty to clarify obscurities.
This concurs with what Baker (1992) says
about the importance of acknowledging the fact that cultures differ in
their conceptual construction of reality. This leads us to acknowledge
non-equivalence at word level and above word level between languages.
Thus people from different cultures view the universe from different
perspectives and thus their vocabulary differs. For example at word
level, in English, we use the word date for the date fruit, but in
Arabic the words tamr [ تمر ] and rut b [ رطب ] are two words for dates
but denote the different stage of ripeness of the date fruit. Tamr is
when the date is dried and rut b is when the date in still juicy. In
English the word house has a number of hyponyms which have no equivalent
in Arabic, for example bungalow, cottage, croft, chalet, and hut. In
al-Risālah the Shaykhal-`Alawi quotes verses from the Qur’ān which
contain the names of Allāh that are in the superlative form in Arabic,
for which there is also no English equivalent. Thus I have translated
the name `alīm as the one who ‘has full knowledge’ rather than the
‘knowledgeable’ since there is no word equivalence for most superlatives
used in the names and qualities of Allāh. The text is as follows
(al-Risālah: 47), ‘And Allāh has full knowledge of the wrongdoers…’ as
opposed to ‘And Allāh is very knowledgeable of the wrongdoers…’
2. The translator should have a perfect knowledge of both the source language (SL) and the target language (TL).
I grew up in an English-speaking
environment and attended a school where the medium of instruction was
English. I lived 5 five years in an Arabic environment during which time
I studied the Arabic language as my major. I have been teaching Arabic
to English speaking students for the last 20 years. Furthermore I have
access to some of the best dictionaries including Arabic-to-Arabic,
Arabic-to-English as well as English-to-Arabic. These include the
comprehensive work of Edward Lane, an English-to-Arabic dictionary,
Lisān al-`Arab, an Arabic-to-Arabic dictionary which is considered as
one of the most extensive Arabic-to-Arabic dictionaries. My interest in
Sufism was from a young age, particularly the Shaykhal-`Alāwi and his
works which I have been reading and re-reading for many years.
3. The translator should avoid word for word renderings.
Translation should not be just seen as a
transfer of texts from one language to another since every language
exists within a cultural context. One of the key reasons for avoiding
word for word translation is the concept of collocation. Collocation
refers to the idea that certain words appear and are used in conjunction
with each other, for example, ‘shrug one’s shoulder.’ Although the word
move or shake could also be used but since shrug collocates with
shoulder it is considered correct. In the al-Risālah (1986: 47) the
Shaykhal-`Alāwi uses j`ala which can be translated as ‘make’ or
‘create’, but in English the appropriate word to use would be ‘regard’.
The text is as follows, ‘if you regard the school of the people of
Sufism as one of those sects’, as opposed to translating it as ‘if you
make/create the school of the people of Sufism as one of those sects’.
4. The translator should use forms of speech in common use.
The main aim of the translator is to
avoid ambiguity. The translator should stick to a simple, harmonious,
creative translation and avoid excessive jargon. In keeping with this
principle I will change idioms if they do not make sense in the target
language. For example, the Shaykhal-`Alāwi says in the al-Risālah (1986:
48) inna likulli sāqit lāqīt which can be literally translated as, ‘for
every fallen object there is a gatherer. However, I have translated it
as, ‘whatever is rejected by one person might be accepted by another’.
The expressions aqūlu, I say or fa
aqūlu, then I say, are very common in Arabic. These expressions are
often repeated in the al-Risālah (1986: 18, 20 and 23), which I have
chosen to omit sometimes since it is unnecessary and sounds
inappropriate in English. I have chosen to omit the above expressions
even though I am aware that this might affect the meaning of the
original but I have chosen to appease the reader rather than bore him
with tedious repetitions as discussed by Hatim and Mason (1990: 8-9).
They have said that sticking to the SL conventions might obscure the
‘meaning’ of the text in the TL. They problemitise this issue by asking,
‘to what extent is the translator justified in departing from the style
or manner?’ (Hatim and Mason, 1990: 8) In my translation I constantly
grapple with this issue because there are those (e.g. Meschonnic, 1973
cited in Hatim and Mason 1990: 9) who say that meaning and form cannot
be separated. As translator I do not want to reduce the dynamic role of
the reader by altering the style or form of text by making drastic
changes that will detract from the spirit of the text. I do make certain
adaptations, but the translation must not loose the feel of the
original text.
5. The translator should choose and order words appropriately to produce the correct tone.
‘The translator stands at the centre of
the dynamic process of communication as a mediator between the producer
of a source text and whoever are its TL receivers’ (Hatim and Mason,
1990: 66). They further say that (Hatim and Mason, 1990: 223) ‘(t)he
translator is first and foremost a mediator between two parties for whom
mutual communication might otherwise be problematic.’ The basic word
order in a sentence, however, simple it might appear must be consistent
with the text producer’s intention. The translator generally aims to
facilitate the meaning of the text for the readers. However, the
translator should be careful not to violate the given information for
fear of adding something new to the text.
I acknowledge the limitations and
deficiencies of translating this classical Arabic text into modern
English. However, I am very aware of these shortcomings and I have, to
the best of my ability, tried to be true to the meaning and intent of
the original Arabic text. The intended publication of this thesis will
certainly attempt to refine these shortcomings.
The translation has been divided into chapters and headings in order to facilitate easier reading.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
A Kind Word to Those Who Reject Sufism
It is with the help of Allāh, that we
begin the new edition of this valuable treatise, which continues to be a
shining star, guiding through the darkness of land and sea. This
illuminated treatise appeared when people were in urgent need of a
conclusive answer and a comprehensive explanation for the basis of
Sufism and a clear indication of its sources from the Qur’ān and Sunnah.
The appearance of this all-encompassing
work satisfied the need of its adherents, as an answer to the attacks
from its detractors, and hence its fame and benefits became widespread.
It has since, become the best defence for those who remember and show
gratitude to Allāh, thereby silencing the envious and bringing
contentment to its devotees.
The merits of this work continued to
increase in esteem, and it became increasingly popular, until the first
edition went out of print. The rightly guided started asking about it
again, like the sick person would ask about his cure, and the friend
would ask for his intimate companion and they hence encouraged us to
print a new edition because of its universal benefit. It is the only
book making clear to people that which they have been seeking, offering a
true explanation and providing sound texts, which no person would
reject nor any modernist disapprove of, except the ones who are
arrogant. They are ‘Those who breaks God’s Covenant after it is
ratified, and who rend absunder what God has ordered to be joined, and
do mischief on earth:’ [2:27]
We write these words in tribute to the
author, the honourable Shaykh Sidi Ahmad ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī , may
Allāh sanctify his secret, in support of his splendid works, which
continues to benefit his religion and guide his disciples, until he, may
Allāh be pleased with him, became an important pillar of support for
referring contentious matters. Indeed, he excelled among his
contemporaries through the brilliance of his wisdom until his death,
when his sun set from this world to shine in the other world. ‘It is He
Who creates from the very beginning, and He can restore (life). And He
is the Oft-Forgiving, full of loving-kindness, Lord of the Throne of
Glory,’ [85:13-15].
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
In the name of Allāh, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
All praise is due to Allāh, who has
protected us from the trials that He has placed on many of His creation
and may the blessings and peace be upon the Prophet and his family. What
follows is from this writer, full of sins, the humble servant of his
Lord, Ahmad ibn Mustafā al-`Alāwī , may Allāh confer upon him success
and may Allāh inspire him and the believers to the perfect path.
To the jurist Shaykh Sidi `Uthmān ibn
al-Makkī, a lecturer at the main university in Tunis, may Allāh increase
the university in prosperity and purify it from every rebellious fiend
and may Allāh's peace be upon you, as long as you respect the people who
are attached to Allāh, 17 ‘Whoever honours the sacred rites of God, for
him it is good in the sight of his Lord.’ [22:30].
Reasons for writing this book
I came across a treatise which you so
elegantly titled ‘The Mirror Revealing All Errors’, which I respectfully
took, hoping we could benefit from its knowledge and thanking Allāh for
those who still remained strong in the religion and who, for the sake
of Allāh, did not fear censor from anyone. However, I found the title
very overpowering, as it contained the word 'errors', little knowing
that its content was even more overwhelming.
As soon as I became familiar with some
of its content I was, at the very least, overcome by a deep sense of
disappointment and despondency, and my initial elation was replaced by
extreme sadness. This state of affliction almost led me to say that it
was not permissible to look into any mirror at all, be it to reveal
errors or images, because of the evil contained in your ‘Mirror’, and
its desecration of honour ‘ Almost bursting with fury’ [67:8] and
‘indeed it throws about sparks (huge) as Forts,’ [77:32] at those who
invoke Allāh, openly shattering the majority of the believers. Whenever I
try to absolve the author from [8] what has been written, the tongue of
reality would say that the pen can only express the imagery of the
writer and likewise the vessel will only pour forth what it contains.
Your 'Mirror' was replete with untruths
and you committed the vile act of dishonouring the people of Allāh with
false accusations and slander. Hence, it was my Godly duty as a Muslim,
concerned for the honour of those aspirants you demeaned, that motivated
this written response. Thereby acting on his saying (blessings and
peace be upon him) ‘whoever witnesses a believer degraded and does not
come to his aid whilst he is able to, Allāh will degrade him publicly on
the day of resurrection’ 18 . He also said, (blessings and peace be
upon him) as transmitted by Abū 'Umāmah in Sah īh [al-Bukhārī] , that
‘the person who defends the honour of his brother, Allāh will protect
his face from the hellfire on the Day of Judgement’ 19 . It is further
related from Abū Dardā' that ‘the person who defends the honour of his
brother, it will be a protection for him from the hellfire’ 20 .
These narrations relate to those
upholding the honour of believers in general, but as for those who
invoke, Allāh 21 has taken it upon Himself to protect them. The most
Truthful of speakers says, ‘And He will choose and befriend the
righteous’ [7:196], so whoever contends with them, contends with Allāh
and whoever aids them aids Allāh.
People of excellence will, at all times
defend those attached to Allāh because the Sufis, may Allāh be pleased
with them, always find themselves either being criticised or supported,
‘(Such was) the practice (approved) of God among those who lived
aforetime: No change wilt thy find in the practice (approved) of God’
[33:62].
It is typical that the devotee will
praise and the envious disapprove. Both defamation and criticism appear
in those lacking in religion and those who are overzealous. What he
openly proclaims as false could possibly be the opposite of what he
actually believes. Your general criticism, O Shaykh, against the
respected people of Allāh and your open rejection of their doctrine,
judging it to be false, ignorant and misleading, is something which none
of the other learned scholars of religion have done, except those
marginal groups who deny the existence of the distinguished 22 , as they
are not found in their midst.
People who follow the established way 23
, however, would never criticise, except for those individuals whose
credentials are questionable. Their view and perception of the doctrine
of Sufism is such that they respect and deem high its status and their
speeches offer the most balanced evidence, which have filled many books.
In general, the hearts of the people of the Sunnah are naturally
disposed to love Sufism and its people.
You will find that those who attempt to
denigrate their path will drop in the estimation of the distinguished
and general people, and that is nothing but a sign of their drop in
Allāh's estimation, may Allāh preserve us. Hence, it is said that
whoever opposes the dhākirūn unjustly and wilfully, Allāh will cause him
to be loathed amongst His servants.
CHAPTER TWO: THE DEFENSE OF THE SCHOLARS
I shall proceed with this advice as a
respect for the Divine essence, hoping perhaps that it might restrain
you, ‘But God cautions you (to remember) Himself ’ [3:30]. He says in a
Divine narration, ‘whoever harms My friends I declare war on him’ 24 . I
say, undoubtedly, that whoever is at war with Allāh, his safety
diminishes. He (blessings and peace be upon him) said, there are ‘two
poisoned forests, whoever tries to penetrate them will never be safe,
the people of my household and the saints of my community.'
The sayings of the scholars in this
regard are innumerable. Among them is Abū al-Mawāhib al-Tunisī who
mentioned that his Shaykh Abū `Uthmān (may Allāh be satisfied with them
both), used to say in his public lectures, ‘may the curse of Allāh be
upon the one who rejects the people of this group, and whoever believes
in Allāh [10] and the last day, let him say Allāh's curse upon him’.
Al-Laqqānī 25 (may Allāh be pleased with him) used to say, ‘it is feared
that whoever speaks evil of the Sufis will have a bad ending and his
retribution will be a severe discipline and a long incarceration’. ‘God
doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are
(true) Believers’ [24:17]. This is the wont of every god-fearing
religious leader; fearful of speaking about Muslims in general, let
alone the Sufis.
Had you been oblivious to the affairs of
the Sufis, yet accepting them as being Muslim, then it would have been
imperative for you to respect them and unlawful for you to dishonour
them. Hence, refrain from pursuing their faults and be wary of a severe
admonition from the Lawgiver.
Do not look at your brothers faults
Ibn `Umar (may Allāh be satisfied with
him) narrated from the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him), ‘Whoever searches for the faults of a Muslim, disgracing him by it
unjustly, Allāh will disgrace him with it in the hell-fire on the day
of resurrection’ 26 . If this is in relation to the one who exposes a
fault of one Muslim, what then is the ruling for the one who searches
for the faults of the Muslims in general and their elect, so as to
disgrace them amongst themselves, or among non-Muslims should they come
across it, as you have done, O Shaykh. You have searched for the
smallest fault and you have been excessive in your disapproval, as if
you consider yourself to be the only Sunni in all of existence and that
everyone else is either an ignorant innovator or a feeble adversary.
This is your judgement upon the sons of your creed.
We do not know what Allāh’s judgement is
on you, if you had but searched for the faults in yourself, you would
have realised the error of searching for the faults of others. It is
similar to his saying (blessings and peace upon him) that, ‘one of you
is able to notice a small speck in his brother's eye, whilst oblivious
of a tree-trunk in his own eye.’ 27 You, however, have forgotten about
many tree-trunks, the news of which will soon be disclosed to you.
Perhaps, when it is made evident, you may wish to remove it as best you
can. It’s removal, however, is not possible except through a clear
confession, and confession is only possible by being just. So if you are
a man of justice, then this book is a proof for you and if not, then it
is a proof against you.
But in any case, however you accept it;
have a clear vision and an open mind and a heart that is far from
prejudice. Indeed my correspondence with you is only that I wish that
through it, Allāh saves you from the situation that you are in and that
He saves those like you and whoever else received your message by
looking into your murky mirror, or by sitting in your pathetic
gatherings. I shall mention to you some of the forgotten tree-trunks in
your eyes, unless Allāh perhaps reveals it through your own ‘Mirror’.
In the introduction of your compilation
wherein you dishonour Muslims, you say ‘Praise be to God who hath guided
us to this (felicity): never could we have found guidance if it had not
been for the guidance of God.’[7:43] I was most certainly unaware of
your intention for mentioning this noble verse; was it merely to obtain
blessings or were you indicating that Allāh had guided you to dishonour
the dhākirūn and those like them, believing this to be guidance? If your
intention was the former, then it is good. However, if you intended the
latter, then the purpose of this guidance of dishonouring and
slandering the people of Allāh is not apparent to us, unless it is
guidance belonging to the kind which Allāh mentions when He says, ‘And
Lead them to the Way to the Fire!’ [37:23]; but it does not belong to
this kind.
Then you proceed to title your
compilation ‘The Mirror Revealing All The Errors’, to which I say that
surely you have been correct in its title and you are correct in its
content, because your ‘Mirror’ has reflected that which is hidden [12]
in yourself. If it was not for your ‘Mirror’, who would have known about
your errors? A man's book is a sign of his intellect; whatever is in
him will appear on his tongue.
On Commanding Of Good And Forbidding Evil And Forbearance With It
Shortly after that you had cited some
Qur’ānic text wherein you say in its heading, ‘the introduction to
commanding that which is good and forbidding that which is evil’. In
this you then mention the reason for dishonouring the believers under
the guise of commanding the good and forbidding the evil. However, that
will not avail you against Allāh in anything. Slander by any means
remains slander.
Should we even suppose that you had no
intention other than that of rectifying, then that is proof of your
inability to distinguish between right and wrong. It is an excuse, but
not acceptable for those who undertake to command and forbid. On both
issues therefore, the charge cannot be dropped from you. If you did not
know, then that is a calamity and if you did know then the calamity is
even greater.
If you are unable to differentiate
between good and evil, then how is it possible for you to command this
and forbid that? You ought to understand the meaning of something before
passing judgement, because judgement is dependent on comprehension. If
you do pass judgement, then do not do so except by Allāh’s judgement,
and do not command except by Allāh's command and do not prohibit except
by Allāh's prohibition. Be careful when speaking about Allāh 's religion
using your own opinion and do not reject things as you wish. Allāh most
high says, ‘And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath
revealed, they are (no better than) wrong-doers.’[5:48].
What is your standpoint in relation to
all this, such that you can forbid this and reject that? One party you
consider misguided and the other you accuse of innovation, without
fearing Allāh with regard to His creation nor respecting Muhammad
(blessings and peace be upon him) with respect to his community. You see
yourself commanding the good and forbidding the evil, without [13]
asking yourself whether you have the competence for it or not.
He (blessings and peace be upon him)
said ‘none should command with good and forbid from evil except the one
who is gentle in that which he commands, gentle in that which he
forbids, forbearing in that which he commands, forbearing in that which
he forbids, and possessing knowledge of that which he commands and of
that which he forbids. 28 The gentleness with which he commands
(blessings and peace be upon him) is because of his desire, and Allāh
knows best, not to command except with gentleness and not to forbid
except with gentleness. This is in contrast to the method, which you
adopted in your ‘Mirror’, O Shaykh. The least obligation upon you was
not to present something, until you knew Allāh's judgement with regard
to it. You should do things in their proper manner.
Are you not aware that a youth once came
to the Prophet (blessings and peace and be upon him) and said in a loud
voice, ‘Are you giving me permission to commit fornication, O Messenger
of Allāh?’ The people shouted at him vehemently and the Messenger of
Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Let him settle down! Let
him settle down!’ The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
instructed him to come closer and then said to him with gentleness,
‘Would you like this to be done to your family?’ He (blessings and peace
be upon him) then mentioned to him the womenfolk in his family like his
mother, his sister and his wife to which the man replied, ‘No, I would
not like that.’ He (blessings and peace be upon him) answered, ‘This is
the case with other people who would not like that to be done to their
family.’ The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) then placed his
noble hand on the young man's chest and prayed, ‘O Allāh, purify his
heart, forgive his sin and protect his private part.’ Thereafter,
nothing was more hateful to him than fornication 29 .
Many such happenings occurred during his
life (blessings and peace be upon him) and those of his followers.
Amongst them is the famous story of the Bedouin who urinated in an area
of the mosque for which the companions began to rebuke him sternly. He
(blessings and peace be upon him) threw his cloak over him and commanded
him not to hurry, this after he had prevented his companions from using
their hands on him. Once the Bedouin had relieved himself, he said, ‘O
Allāh, have mercy on me and have mercy on Muhammad and do not show mercy
to anyone else.’ [14] The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace and
be upon him) then answered, ‘You have restricted that which is vast, O
desert Arab.’ 30
Where are we in relation to such
conduct? Gentleness, no matter what the situation, always makes that
thing beautiful and harshness no matter what the situation, makes that
thing ugly. These are but some aspects, which relate to gentleness in
commanding and forbidding.
As for him being forbearing in that
which he commands and forbearing in that which he forbids, it is a
quality no matter how much of it is found in the one who commands, will
in most cases benefit the one commanded, because it necessitates concern
for the guidance of the one commanded. Reference is made to this in the
revelation, ‘ardently anxious is he over you; to the Believers is he
most kind and merciful.’ [9:128]. One of the signs of forbearance, no
matter how much of it is found in the person who has it, is that he
would not want to defend his ego, if his speech is rejected or if he is
harmed, due to the act of commanding and forbidding. Are you not aware
that when his premolar tooth (blessings and peace be upon him) was
broken, he prayed, saying, ‘O Allāh forgive my people for they know
not’. 31
Even if we were to say that you do not
possess the least degree of forbearance, it is your obligation to strive
towards it in adherence to his saying, blessings and peace be upon him
that ‘knowledge is only achieved through learning and forbearance comes
through striving’ 32 .
Did the revelation which speaks about
`Isā (may Allāh be pleased with him), concerning his people who will
come after his passing, not reach you, wherein he said ‘If Thou dost
punish them, they are Thy servants: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art
the Exalted in Power, the Wise.’[5:121] See what an excellent speech and
what gentleness has come from the heart of the speaker, despite the
shirk 33 committed by his people, after his passing. He most certainly
did not say what you said about the community of Ahmad , as mentioned in
your discussion, that they are the worst of creation because they
respected the Sufis, which you considered a sin. This is all due to the
hardness of your heart and your lack of compassion towards the
believers.
It is narrated by Jābir ibn `Abdullah
from the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) that he
said ‘the one who does not [15] show mercy towards people, Allāh will
not show mercy towards him’ 34 . These are some examples that relate to
commanding with good and forbidding from evil, and in his being
forbearing in that which he commands with, and forbearing in that from
which he forbids.
Only with knowledge should one command good and forbid evil
Being knowledgeable in that which he
commands, and in that which he forbids from, is the basis of the issue
and its central support, and it is around this essential factor that the
issue of commanding with good and forbidding from evil revolves. A lack
of understanding of Allāh’s religion could in most cases cause him to
completely distort the issue and it might be that he then commands with
evil and forbids from good. This, O Shaykh is the bad and disgusting
behaviour contained in your ‘Mirror’ toward the religion of Allāh , with
the pretext of commanding with good and forbidding from evil.
You have negated the best of that which
is good; hence there is no affliction greater and more harmful than your
affliction upon the Muslims. If, at the very least, the reader is not
harmed when he looks into your ‘Mirror’, he becomes confused with his
religion, and doubt ensues in his affairs. He may find that which he
thought to be a good deed, by which Allāh is approached, is now in fact a
sin deserving punishment. What damage could be more serious for the
devout worshipper than such damage? ‘To God we belong, and to him is our
return’[2:156].
Has it not, unanimously been confirmed
amongst the general opinion that a sitting in an assembly of dhikr
obliterates several assemblies of evil? The generality and the elect of
the community concur on this tenet. Yet you have now come O Shaykh,
furnishing proofs in your ‘Mirror’, that assemblies of dhikr in its
various forms amongst the dhakirūn are a misguided innovation, and that
it is contrary to the way of the pious predecessors; without mentioning
the recommended way of the assemblies of dhikr, in accordance with
Divine Law.
It is obvious that whoever concerns
himself with your speech, will only become confused. The affliction you
find yourself in is perhaps due to your lack of understanding of Allāh's
religion! It is for this reason that the Prophet (blessings and peace
and be upon him) prescribed conditions for the person commanding good
and forbidding evil. He must have a sound understanding of that which he
commands and a sound understanding of that which he forbids from, so
that he does not command with evil and forbid from good as mentioned
already.
Differences between legal experts on good and evil
Once again I say, it is necessary for
the one who wishes to carry out the duty of commanding with good and
forbidding from evil, that he is first able to comprehend the meaning of
good and evil and to be exact in his definition and to be exact about
the Divine Law, so that he does not stumble into the pitfall of doing
the opposite. It is for this reason that the great scholars refrained
from talking about Allāh's dīn (religion), without a clear text or that
which is similar in clarity.
Yes, the mujtahid (legal expert) will
express his personal opinion where there is no clear text for him,
without imposing his adopted view upon anyone beside himself. He merely
expresses his view and nothing else. It is for this reason that legal
opinions are numerous in the systematic elaboration of Islamic law and
all praise be to Allāh that there is unanimity in the fundamentals
('usūl). All this is due to the ease facilitated in Allāh's religion, as
mentioned in his saying (blessings and peace be upon him) that ‘the
best of religion is that which is the easiest 35 and the best of worship
is sound understanding’. 36 Thus, the one who has no sound
understanding should refrain from commenting on Allāh's religion. Ibn
`Abdul Barr related that `At ā (may Allāh be pleased with them) said,
‘It is not right for anyone to give a legal judgement unless he has
knowledge of the different opinions of the scholars. If he does not know
this then he might reject knowledge that is more reliable than his
opinion.’
Thereafter, all that we have cited of
being cautious [in giving an opinion], relates to where the issue
appears to be doubtful. As for the prohibitions and the obligatory of
the religion that are known by necessity, this is fiqh (jurisprudence).
With regard to it, the commanding with good and prohibiting of that
which is evil, is obligatory upon every Muslim who is knowledgeable of
the permissibility [17] of that matter or its prohibition, even though
he does not abstain or abides by it himself. However, one should be
cautious of such an approach like yours, O Shaykh, of declaring
[matters] unlawful and permissible with your opinion and your envy,
speaking with your instincts and your desires, thinking that good is
that which you know as good and the prohibited is that which you
prohibit from. This is far from you and those like you, as the matter is
but only entrusted to Allāh and His Messenger (blessings and peace be
upon him) and those who are thoroughly versed in knowledge.
That which you may rightfully reject, is
that which by necessity, is obviously known as unlawful in the religion
and you may only command with the good that which is undoubtedly known
as lawful in the religion. Therefore be resolute with yourself in the
rest of the matters and entrust unto Allāh whatever is beyond that. Also
have a good opinion of the views derived through legal reasoning, which
have emanated from the legal scholars amongst the religious leaders,
Sufis and others. Are you not aware that sometimes in an ambiguous
matter, one legal school confirms prohibition while its permissibility
is confirmed in another, or in one it is recommended while in another it
is disliked?
These examples and their like do not
need much clarification, so what is it that the author sees? Does he
have the power to force any of the mujtahidūn to follow the
interpretation of another, unless he is of those who have reached the
heights of blind fanaticism as you have done? You have approached the
madhhab of the majority of the masses in a trivial way, by forcing them
to comply with your tedious sentiments, thinking that the detailed,
prescriptive methods of commanding to good and prohibiting evil has its
support on a weak foundation. Nay, by Allāh, in all of this you have not
done justice to the Sufis, O Shaykh. What must be said to people like
you and those like you is that the most insignificant Sufi is more
cautious about his religion than you are.
As for your seeking justification with
the verse, ‘You are the best of Peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining
what is right, forbidding what is wrong,’ [3:110]. [18] I say, there is
no dispute in that which you have cited from the text, pertaining to the
practice of commanding with good and forbidding from evil, it is
obligatory upon everyone who believes in Allāh , His Messenger
(blessings and peace be upon him) and the Last Day. The dispute only
concerns the ‘evil’ which you have misinterpreted, as demonstrated by
your action of including the circles of dhikr and all Sufi practices
under the domain of evil, which you necessarily want changed. In my
opinion the evil that most requires change, is that which is contained
in your 'Mirror'.
Furthermore, I say, the address in His
saying, ‘You are the best nation’ could either refer to the believers in
general, or it could refer to the distinguished amongst them. If the
reference is to the believers in general, then it is an indication of
them being preferred over the other nations with regard to the duty of
commanding to good and forbidding from evil. For indeed this is the task
of the siddīqūn 37 , the Prophets and the Messengers and then their
commanding and forbidding would be directed toward the other nations,
and the munkar (evil) would be shirk and the like thereof and the good
would be Tawhīd (Divine Oneness) and the like thereof. However, if the
address refers to the elite group amongst them, then the commanding and
forbidding would be for those amongst them. Then munkar (evil) would be
every blameworthy character and its opposite would be every praiseworthy
character.
However, if we employ the pronoun for
the latter, we are then obliged to direct it to those guides 38 who
invite to the Truth, as that is the reality. They are those concerning
whom the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘The earth will
never be devoid of forty men like ‘the friend of the Most Gracious’ by
them will you be given to drink and by them will you be given
sustenance. Anyone of them who passes away will only be substituted by
another.’
Thus, in this way the community of
Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) always had a group whose
hearts were like those of the earlier Prophets. [19] No age is ever
devoid of these groups. It is to them that the address most precisely
relates, as they are most qualified for it through an innate
disposition, with which they have been endowed. The distinguishing
characteristic of ‘commanding with good and forbidding from evil’ exists
naturally in them; and it might be found in others beside them except
that then it is an acquired and transitory trait, not naturally found in
them.
In my opinion the category of people
referred to in the verse are in most cases not to be found except
amongst the dhākirūn who are deeply devoted to the remembrance of Allāh,
in accordance with the forthcoming Prophetic narration that will be
mentioned. The people deeply devoted (al-mustahtarīn) to the remembrance
of Allāh, as mentioned in some narrations, or those who are completely
immersed (al-muwall`) in the remembrance of Allāh, as mentioned in other
narrations, are not found except amongst the Sufis, those whom you have
accused of innovation. As for those other than them, they cannot reach
their level of dhikr, whomsoever it may be, except when they love them
or are of their predecessors or are attached to their spiritual chain.
This excludes those of the first three generations who have been
testified for 39 . However, this is very clear to the one who
understands the meaning of Sufism and knows who the Sufis are.
As for the one who thinks that it refers
to a noisy riffraff group who are amongst the most despicable of
people, he will not be guided by what we have mentioned. He makes an
analogy based on what he knows about them, for that which he has no
knowledge of, using the name [Sufism] as a justification, and thinking
that it is one and the same. What a big difference between that which
you know and that which you do not know. By Allāh! My dear brother,
should Allāh reveal to you the meaning of Sufism and its foundations and
aim, you would have been contented if Allāh had placed you amongst the
Sufis, so that you could take even a morsel from them.
Discord amongst Muslims and breaking down of the Brotherhood
As for your using as proof His saying,
the Elevated, 'The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of
another: they enjoin what is just, and what is evil.' [9:71] [20] You
have taken the latter part of the verse and omitted the former, even
though the former is the basis for the latter, which makes it obligatory
for the believers to protect each other, and to do whatever else to
ensure the sanctity of their wealth, honour and their safety. Prior to
this even, it is necessary that we understand the meaning of imān
(faith), which makes incumbent upon us brotherhood, guardianship
(wilāyah), and mutual assistance among ourselves. I say, it is easy, and
Allāh knows best, according to what the lawmaker has stipulated for us.
It is that we believe in Allāh , His Angels, His Books, His Apostles
and the Last Day. Hence, whoever truly possesses these qualities, then
guardianship (wilāyah) becomes compulsory for him and enmity towards
such a person becomes unlawful (harām).
This is found, and Allāh knows best, in
every individual of the community, despite the variety of their schools
of thought (madhāhib) and their difference in their methods of
extrapolating Islamic laws, which is not harmful as long as the
principles are sound. For this reason, it is necessary for the one whom
Allāh has given the ability to speak [with authority], that he should
not unfold his tongue except for that which complies with the
safeguarding of the Islamic bond and the religious brotherhood, and that
he should not harm the beliefs of the people of the Qiblah. 40 Further,
he should not denounce their beliefs as disgraceful nor pass judgement
on them as being false innovators, so that it becomes a means for
separation, conflict and disharmony amongst the Muslims.
Did it not come to your ears, O Shaykh,
as to why the community had previously come into disarray? The cause of
all this was the extravagance of the overzealous followers of madhāhib.
They defamed one another and would judge each other on their own
beliefs, while in actual fact they are all believers. However, the
sectarian (madhhabi) fanaticism between them led to the breaking up of
the religious bonds of brotherhood which were united by the testimony of
faith (shahādatayn), the establishment of prayer, the giving of Zakāh
(alms), the performance of the Hajj , the fasting of Ramadan, the
recitation of the Qur’ān and other Islamic characteristics [21] which
are very important.
To be preoccupied with that which was
mentioned [of madhhabi fanaticism] is of no benefit. By Allāh, O Shaykh
how could you embark upon destroying the greatest pillar in Islam
[brotherhood] and the firm support upon which Muslims depend, by
inciting fitna (discord) and by taking their hearts away from loving the
Sufis, for whom their hearts have been nurtured to respect.
Consequently they naturally have a high regard for them, venerating
them, and having a good opinion of Sufism and its people. Yet you said,
‘Sufism is idleness, ignorance, and misguidance’ and whatever else you
construe it to be. By Allāh, you have broken many hearts, which would be
difficult for you to restore except through sincere repentance and
apology.
It behoves you not to denigrate a
madhhab until you know who had established it and what its ten
fundamentals are, the knowledge of which you as a scholar have made
conditional for every science. Thereafter you may say whatever you want
to say. In my opinion, either the knowledge you possess is very limited,
or your ability to comprehend is weak or it might be both. If such is
the case then it is obvious that you cannot find someone who can guide
you to the science of Sufism in the introductory texts, which are at
your disposal, like al-Zanjāni 41 and Ibn Ājarrūm 42 . On this premise
which we mentioned of your very limited exposure to the concise
introductory texts then there should be some you could not have missed
like al-Murshid al-Mu`īn on `ibādah (worship) and Al-Jawāhir Al-Maknūn
on rhetoric (al-balāghah). They were of those concerned with the science
of Sufism. The former mentioned it independently and the latter spoke
highly of it, making reference to it in order to draw the attention of
the students to it, may Allāh reward them well. However, I am not sure,
have you rejected the two of them because of your rejection of Sufism
essentially or have you no regard for them?
You have most certainly exaggerated in
your repudiation for otherwise the reputation of Sufism has no need for
presenting testimony in its defence. But nevertheless, [22] should you
have a long life and should you desire to compile something on matters
of knowledge or on religious instruction, then my advice to you is not
to come forward except with the purpose of fostering unity amongst the
community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) meaning that
which will confirm the religious bond and the Islamic brotherhood,
disregarding the different minor aspects. ‘Say, ‘O People of the Book!
come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but
God; that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from
among ourselves, lords and patrons other than God.’ [3:64].
By Allāh, if you had examined closely to
whom this verse was revealed, and the purpose of its revelation; lo
what a beautiful composition! Where are we in relation to what Allāh
most high says? You will most probably say that it was revealed about
the people of the Book, as is explicit in the verse. At the very least
it was your duty then to have accorded to the Sufis the rank of the
people of the Book, neither believing them, nor repudiating them 43 .
This is the least degree of fairness, but where are the men of fairness?
Your seeking justification with that which al-Ghazāli (may Allāh be
pleased with him) has said, is not appropriate because of what your
rules demand, since he is a Sufi and you do not support Sufism.
Degrees of Faith
As for your seeking of proof with that
which Ibn `Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated, ‘Verily the
one who renounces the duty of commanding good and forbidding evil is not
a believer in the Qur’ān 44 ….’; do you think that he (blessings and
peace be upon him) meant by it the complete negation of faith?
Definitely not! For then the entire nation would have been damned. He
merely implied the perfect faith of the rank of the truthful ones
(siddiqun), as borne witness to by many Prophetic traditions. Amongst
them is the Prophetic tradition, ‘The believer will not be a believer
until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself’ 45 .
As for the more general Imān, it has
already been mentioned that it is very simple. [23] The famous Prophetic
tradition of the black woman slave adds to that simplicity. It is
confirmed that one of the companions (may Allāh be satisfied with them)
had imposed upon himself to set free a believing slave woman, so he
brought a black slave girl to the Prophet to test her Imān (faith). He
(blessings and peace be upon him) asked her, ‘Where is your Lord? And
she pointed towards the sky, so the Prophet then said she is a
believer’. Then the companion set her free 46 .
That which testifies to the above, that
the intention of this is not the negation of general Imān, is that which
you have transmitted from Ibn `Arafah 47 as a fard kifāyah 48 . Thus,
with the Prophetic traditions you have built a castle, but that which
you mentioned from Ibn `Arafah, you then destroyed a city. You will be
asked what the purpose of your mentioning the Prophetic traditions were,
which imply generalisation, if commanding with good and forbidding from
evil is for a specific group. If such is the case, then what is the
reason for it being obligatory on you and not on others?
I say to you, the matter is not about
gathering texts if you wish to write. The truth of the matter is that
you place them in their proper context. It is the kind of wisdom, which
He the Exalted says, 'He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; And he to
whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing;' [2:269].
With regard to your seeking of proof
from his saying (blessing and peace be upon him), ‘He is not of us, the
one who does not show mercy to our young ones and does not respect our
elders...’, is intended here as was mentioned earlier about [the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) negating perfect faith of those who
neglect] commanding to good and forbidding from evil. However, what does
relate to this Prophetic narration you mentioned, ‘He who does not show
mercy to our young ones’, is that it includes the general community
because they are immature, even though they might be old in years. Also,
those who are included amongst the elders are the elect of the
community, even though they might be young in years because a human is
considered a human being by spirit and not by body.
Courtesy towards the believers
Based on this you therefore have no
substantiation in the Prophetic narration, because you have not shown
mercy [24] to the young ones, who are the generality of the Muslims,
since you should have addressed them with gentleness and kindness like
the compassion of the grown up father towards the young son. Instead,
you have addressed them with harshness and you have attacked them with
everything at your disposal.
You have also not respected the elders
who are the springs of wisdom, and the pillars of this community's
religion. They have been adjudged to be idle and ignorant, and you have
considered them as enemies, based on the Prophetic narration you
transmitted from Ibn `Abbās, (may Allāh be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘Come nearer
to Allāh through your hatred for sinners…’ You applied it to them. By
Allāh! How astonishing. How is it ever possible that you could apply
these traditions to those who assemble for the remembrance of Allāh and
the like!
On the whole, all the proofs, which you
have mentioned in relation to the obligation of commanding good and
forbidding evil, are not being disputed. The only dispute is in the
meaning of munkar (evil); in order that we do not reject the truth, or
that which is closer to truth than untruth. It is better that you err in
correcting your brothers in faith, than being accurate in pointing out
their faults. Are you not aware that the honour of Muslims, their wealth
and blood is protected by their mere utterance of the shahādatayn 49 ?
Levels of commanding good and forbidding evil
You then continued, quoting Ibn Abī Zayd al-Qayrawānī (may Allāh be pleased with him) from his treatise (al-Risālah),
‘The commanding with good and forbidding
from evil is obligatory upon the one who has authority and upon the one
who is able to change it. If he is unable to do that then he uses his
tongue, and if unable, then in his heart.’
I say that this is the meaning of a
Prophetic tradition; the text thereof perhaps has not reached you. ‘If
one of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, if he is
unable to do so, then with his tongue and if still unable, let him
resent it in his heart and that is the weakest form of faith’ 50 . This
is one of the beautiful methods of commanding good and forbidding evil.
[25]
As for your conveyance of the saying of
Ibn `Arafah that 'commanding good and forbidding evil' is a fard kifāyah
, there is nothing in this statement that supports your resolution for
compiling this treatise. How unfortunate that you did not, in what has
preceded, restrict yourself to only mentioning the previous Prophetic
traditions.
Certainly, the commanding of good and
forbidding of evil is fard `ayn (obligatory upon every individual) who
is able to distinguish right from wrong, [since] the lawful is evident
and the unlawful is evident? In the case of doubt, suspension [of
judgement] is imposed; except that the circumstances for effecting the
change [of evil] varies amongst people and places as well as capability
and incapability.
The one who has the power to change the
evil, like the rulers, for them it is really obligatory. They have no
excuse to abandon it if they have the capability, as mentioned
previously. It is necessary for those among the Muslim scholars who do
not reach this rank to change it with their tongues. The one, who is
unable to do so, because of some hindrance, should change it with his
heart and that is the weakest form of faith as already mentioned in the
Prophetic tradition.
Thereafter you proceeded in poor wording saying,
‘amongst that which is also obligatory,
is to follow the truth, the Prophetic Sunnah of Muhammad and follow in
the footsteps of the pious salaf, may Allāh be pleased with them. Verily
their common practice was to love, trust and venerate the one who
adhered to the Sunnah, but they would abandon, disregard and resent
whoever was unlike that, until he who desires to be elevated amongst
them, those in whom there is no good, would appear to them as if he is
following them until they would trust him.’
As for your saying, ‘amongst that which
is also obligatory is to follow the truth’, it is the obligation of
obligations for those who understand the truth and to whom it [the
truth] is clear. However, the one who is in a state of confusion, struck
with madness by the devil, how will he know the truth? Even if he knows
it he only knows it through the scholars. This does not place him in a
position to follow the truth [by himself], except [26] when Allāh opens
his inner vision and cleans his heart from the evil opinion he has of
the pious people. Imām `Ali (may Allāh bless his face) said, ‘Do not be
of those who know the truth through men, but know the truth in itself
and you will know its people’.
You then mentioned that the qualities of
the pious predecessors were such that they loved those who followed the
Sunnah. However, which believer in Allāh and His Messenger (blessings
and peace be upon him) does not love the Ahl al-Sunnah? Did the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) not say, ‘Behold!
There is no faith for the one who has no love’. Are you not aware that
the Sufis whom you have accused with idleness, ignorance and
misguidance, made love the foundation of their path? But perhaps the Ahl
al-Sunnah you are referring to, are those who are like you and not the
generality of Muslims, and Allāh knows best.
Thereafter you mentioned some of the
practices of the pious predecessors [namely] that they rejected,
disregarded and resented those who were not on the Sunnah, to the end of
your poorly constructed words. Until now it was not clear who you
intended by those contradicting the Sunnah, had you not presented a
profound allegory as to who the aforementioned and adjacent text
referred to when you said ‘like the Sufis of our time’. I can only say
that 'now the foetus of the Shaykh has started to cry’. 51 We then knew
what the abomination was which you alluded to, and what your reason for
compiling this article was. Thus, you regarded ascription to the people
of dhikr as the worst abomination.
What you subsequently mentioned and
indicated of the grave offences was only a digression since the most
important in anything has pre-eminence, except if we say that the writer
of the article gave precedence to the mentioning of the Sufis for the
purpose of receiving their blessings, which I do not think [is the
case]. The essence of the matter is that the abominations, to which you
have referred and the innovations to which you have alluded, are
contained in the mentioning of your simile, 'like the Sufis of our
time’. Thus, now there is not an abomination outside of what the Sufis
do that we might be able to avert. All of this never [27] filled us with
any agitation until you restricted it to the Sufis of our time, if only
you had not proceeded to what al-Tart ūshī 52 mentioned, that the
doctrine of Sufism in totality is idleness, ignorance, and misguidance.
How we only wish that the writings of
al-Tart ūshī had never reached you, then your heart would have remained
clean from slandering those people of guidance who have passed on.
However, Allāh will pass judgement between you and those who were your
contemporaries amongst His servants.
Then you went on to say, ‘In most cases
the situation of the people of this time, those who have immersed
themselves in the melting pot of the people of innovation, is that they
have an aversion to those who forbid them from their innovation and
their blameworthy festivals. These [activities] do not coincide with any
statement of approval even from outside the schools of thought of their
scholars whom they follow’.
Perhaps the meaning of your statement,
'those who become immersed in the melting pot of the people of
innovations,’ are the groups of the fuqarā'. 53 If such is the case,
then what a bold jurist and excellent attentive person you are! The
thoughtless person thinks that part of boldness is a lack of shyness. He
does not know that shyness is a part of faith.
What is even more grievous and bitter is
your statement about their innovation 'that it does not coincide with
any statement of approval even from outside the schools of thought of
their scholars whom they follow'. You have indeed examined and been
brief, may Allāh bless you! So tell me, with Allāh as your witness, what
is the innovation for which you can find no saying of approval? Is it
perhaps the gathering of the fuqarā' for their invocation and
instruction and education (al-mudhākarah) or is it their performing of
the invocation aloud in a group or their swaying in the invocation and
their [expressions of] ecstasy? In all of the schools of thought have
you not been able to find any saying of approval in your research of
these three matters?
In my opinion you have not found a
saying, even that of dislike (al-karāhah 54 ), because the rule is well
known. The existence of something disliked (al-karāhah) does not negate
permissibility. What stops the wheel and makes a woman laugh who has
lost her child (i.e. because of extreme grief) is your reason proposed
for their innovation by your statement, because they either think that
the effective jurist, perhaps a reference here to yourself, has
restrained them or what the instigator of their innovations say is the
truth. Thus this is how you have explained their innovation [28] for
which you cannot find any saying of permissibility. What an amazing
construction and what an unusual style!
Thereafter you said, ‘Perhaps they have
reviled and mocked him’ i.e. the one who forbids them from their
innovation. To this I say, perhaps that is what happened to you, or
something similar to it. It is known that you will meet that which you
dislike, since recompense is of the same type as the act? And that did
not happen to you except due to your lack of understanding the method of
commanding good and forbidding evil and inviting to Allāh. [This is]
because you did not follow what Allāh, The Elevated has prescribed to
His Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) in the way of inviting His
creation according to His saying, ‘Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord
with wisdom and a beautiful preaching; And argue with them in ways that
are best and most gracious:’ [16:125].
Those commissioned with inviting to good and forbidding from evil
Allāh, the Exalted has taught the people
whom He has commissioned for inviting the creation, the method of
reminding and as a result the old, young, as well as the honourable and
the despicable submitted to them. Their speech is acceptable to the
ears, because their admonishment emanates from the heart and not from
the books. Speech, if it emanates from the heart, touches the heart. It
is for this reason that their admonition produced an effect on the
hearts and their counselling pervaded the hearts of the disciples.
They understood from the glorious verse
[of the Qur’ān] that people are in three categories and the Messenger
(blessings and peace be upon him) says, ‘Deal with people according to
their level (i.e. their intellectual and spiritual capacity)’. The first
group amongst these groups are those who do not yield to the one who
reminds except through the wisdom and they are the people of excellence
amongst the servants of Allāh. The second group are those who benefit
from good admonition, accompanied by kindness and gentleness, which is
exercised between [inciting desire (to do good) and (instilling) fear so
that they abandon evil]. The third group are the people of dispute who
tire the people of guidance amongst the Messenger s (blessings and peace
be upon them) and saints (may Allāh be pleased with them). So Allāh,
The Elevated, made it permissible for the Messenger (blessings and peace
be upon him) to deliberate with such people, except that Allāh
restricted it (deliberation) to that which is best. Thus excellence (for
every degree of people). It is for this reason that the sword was
considered to be the last step of propagation. Whosoever fails to follow
this laid-out plan for conveying the reminder, his endeavour in most
cases will be rejected? All this is deduced from his saying (may
blessings and peace [29] be upon him) that ‘The one who commands with
good, then let his commanding also be with good’, meaning with
friendliness and gentleness, so that it might be more conducive for
acceptance, and Allāh knows best.
CHAPTER THREE: PROOF OF SUFISM
Sufism in the first communities
When you concluded your introduction to
commanding good and forbidding evil, you then turned towards that which
you believed to be evil, in order to change what the Sufis do in
assembling for dhikr, salutations on the Prophet (blessing and peace be
upon him) and the recitation of the Qur’ān.
You said,
‘(Chapter) Hasan al-Basri was asked
concerning the gathering of a group of people of Ahl al-Sunnah wa
al-Jamā'ah 55 reading the Qur’ān shahādatayn in someone's house, sending
praises to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and praying
for themselves and the Muslims. He prohibited it in the strongest terms
because it was not the practice of the pious predecessors nor was it
part of religion, for they were indeed more fervent in desire towards
good than these people were. Therefore, if there were any good in it,
they would have practised it themselves.’
If the activities of the Sufis, of
gathering in their houses reading the Qur’ān, praising the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) and praying for themselves and the
Muslims, angered you to the extent that you could not find any saying of
approval for it and if it appeared to you as a sin and inconsistent
with the practice of the predecessors, then I say, 'O Allāh make our
sins and the sins of our friends, nay the sins of the generality of
Muslims of this kind, if the manner of the gathering is what you had
mentioned. However, if it is an error, which has not become clear (to
us), then we pray that Allāh protect you and us from errors.
Verily if this transmission is an
authentic statement from Hasan (may Allāh be pleased with him) then it
still does not indicate to us a general prohibition from gathering in
the manner described. Moreover, if Hasan was exercising his independent
[legal] opinion, then it is likely that another mujtahid in his era also
[exercised his legal opinion]. We might even say [30] from that same
group [of scholars] because the era was the time of the Successors 56
(Tābi`ūn).
Secondly, this event is appropriate as a
proof in favour of the Sufis, not against them, due to the fact that
you have confirmed the gatherings [of dhikr] to have occurred in that
manner during the time of the Tābi`ūn, and the obligation upon us then
is to follow their guidance. So do you think that this blessed group
would have laid their pillars upon a foundation that was not sound?
Do you not know that Hasan al-Basri, the
one from whom you transmitted, was the teacher of this group; as is so
well known in the [spiritual] chain of the Sufis? He was initiated by
Imām `Alī (may Allāh bless his face) and he [Hasan al-Basri] instructed
Dāwūd at-Tā'ī, Yusuf al-A`jamī and others besides them until it reached
Junayd. Through another chain Imām `Alī, instructed his son Hasan, (may
Allāh be pleased with both of them) and he instructed Abū Muh ammad
Jābir , and he instructed As-Sayid Sa`īd al-Qazwīnī, until it reached us
and all praise is due to Allāh.
Perhaps you are ignorant about the
origin of talqīn (initiation and spiritual instruction) in the Divine
Law, based on [your] evidence; otherwise you would not have rejected
Sufism and its people. It is for this reason that I am compelled to
digress in my speech for your sake, either as a need that I fulfil for
you or a proof against you.
Imām as-Sha`rānī mentions in his book An-Nafahāt al-Qudsiyyah fī Bayān al-Qawā`id as-Sūfiyyah as follows,
‘The Shaykhs (Sufi Masters) say, the
secret about the initiation (talqīn) is to link the hearts of the
initiates with their Shaykhs, to the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and
peace be upon him) to Gabriel (Jibrīl) (peace be upon him) and to Allāh
Most High for love and obedience. And it is for this reason that if a
person does not say ‘There is no deity save Allāh ’ in compliance with
the saying of the Messenger of Allāh, ‘Say! There is no god save Allāh
’, then he is not considered a Muslim. This is supported by his saying
(blessings and peace be upon him) ‘None of you truly believes until his
opinion is in compliance with that which I came with’.
Then he [al-Sha`rānī] says,
‘The first thing that happens to the
murīd, when he enters the chain of the folk [31] through initiation is
that whenever a matter unexpectedly overcomes him, or his heart is
confused and troubled, the souls of the saints respond to him from [the
soul of] his closest Shaykh right up to the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) [and] to the Divine presence of Allāh
Most Exalted, and then his grief and worry will disappear. And the one
who does not enter the path of the people through initiation, then no
soul of any of the people of the path will respond to him because he is
not tied to them. Its principle is like that of an iron chain. When one
link moves, then all the other links respond to it.’
And when you have come to know that, I say all success is by Allāh.
It is reported by al-Tabrānī, Imām Ahmad
and al-Bazzār and others beside them through a chain that is sound
(Hasan) that one day the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him) was in a gathering of some of the companions and said, ‘Is there
any stranger amongst you?’ - meaning those amongst the People of the
Book. They answered, ‘No, O Messenger of Allāh,’ whereupon he ordered
that the door be locked, and said, ‘Raise your hands and say La Ilāha
Ill Allāh 57 ’ . Sh addād Ibn Aws said, ‘And we raised our hands for an
hour and we said ‘ La Ilāha Illa Allāh. So the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘O Allāh! Verily You have sent
me with this [kalimah] word, and You have commanded me with it, and You
have promised me Paradise through it. And verily You do not break Your
promises.’ And then he said, ‘Behold! I bring you the glad tidings that
Allāh has indeed forgiven you.’ In this Prophetic narration is a proof
for the Shaykhs in their practice of initiating and teaching the dhikr
to their initiates in a group.
The individual instruction (talqīn) 58
has been reported by al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and al-h āfi ẓ Jalāludīn
al-Suyūtī through many sound (h asan ) narrations. `Alī ibn Abī Tālib ,
(may Allāh be pleased with him and honour his face) said,
‘I asked the Messenger of Allāh,
(blessings and peace be upon him), ‘O Messenger of Allāh! Show me the
quickest way leading to Allāh , Elevated and Mighty is He, and which is
easiest for the slaves and the best in the sight of Allāh.’ The
Messenger of Allāh, (blessings and peace be upon him), responded, ‘O
`Alī! [Practice and] firmly hold on to the remembrance of Allāh softly
and loudly.’ Then he, (may Allāh be pleased with him) said ‘All the
people are dhakirūn [32], but I want you to endow me with something
special.’ Then the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him)
replied, 'Careful! O `Alī, the best that all the Prophets before me and I
ever said was Lā Ilā ha Illallāh. If the seven heavens and the seven
earths were to be placed on one side of the scale and La Ilāha Ill Allāh
on the other side of the scale, then Lā ilā ha illallāh would outweigh
it.’ Then he said 'O `Alī! The last hour will not appear while there
remains on the earth one who says ALLAH! ALLAH!’ So `Alī said, ‘How do I
make the dhikr?’ The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him) said, ‘Close your eyes, listen to me say La Ilāha Ill Allāh three
times, then you say it three times while I listen to you.’
This sense is narrated by some [of the
chains of transmitters]. Moreover, it is the basis of the Sufis. As
mentioned above, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) ordered
that the door be locked before he instructed his companions in a group
and asked them, ‘Are there any strangers amongst you?’ This was to
indicate that the path of the Sufis is founded on secrecy and [founded
on] a suitable occasion when there is no one else, who do not believe in
the path, present beside them. Perhaps they might look upon the path
with disapproval due to the lack of their understanding.
Yūsuf al-Kawrānī (may Allāh be pleased
with him) says that `Alī (may Allāh honour his face) instructed Hasan
al-Basrī [with the dhikr] and he instructed Dāwūd al-Tā'ī and from him
to Imām Junayd who is the Shaykh of the Sufis, and from him it branched
out and thus Sufism spread amongst its people and so forth and it will
not cease until the end of religion. (This is an extract from al-Nusrah
Nabawiyyah).
In Rūh al-Bayān [commenting] on His
saying, ‘Those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight
their fealty to God:’ [48:10] the author says,
‘It is from this that the Prophetic
practice of [pledging] allegiance and giving instruction to the
initiates by the Shaykhs is taken. An expression like this needs no
explanation for its masters since the one who pauses at such at his
verse is not well read!’
So tell me, with Allāh as your witness,
do you have a special chain which links you to Lā ilāha illallāh in
accordance to what the aforementioned Prophetic narration refers to? I
do not think so!
[33] So let us return to the discussion
of assembling [for dhikr], if it is in accordance to what has been
mentioned above. I ask you, with Allāh as your witness, what harm does
it bring to the religion when a small group of Muslims gather in any of
the houses of Allāh , or in any of the houses of the believers, for the
purpose of reciting the Qur’ān and the like thereof? If your doubt is
based only on what you have transmitted about the man who went to Hasan
al-Basrī and informed him about a gathering, whereupon he prohibited it
severely, then this evidence furnishes no argument, if it is authentic,
because it contradicts the authentic traditions and the clear Prophetic
narrations. Even if we should say that there is no text for the
legitimacy of gathering for the purpose of the invocation of Allāh
(dhikrullāh) and whatever is attached to it, it is still not permissible
to oppose it. This is especially since it is correct, according to you,
that it did occur in the time of the Tābi'ūn and this act was practiced
by the religious leaders (Imāms), those whose trustworthiness and rank
in religion has been agreed upon by almost all of the Muslim community.
In my opinion, no one besides you
amongst the scholars of Islam ever risked to say that there is no good
in the dhikrullah in assembly, even if there was not the least evidence
indicating its permissibility. How can that be when so many traditions
[of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and the pious
predecessors] encourage it and when there is consensus in the community
of it being recommended [as Prophetic practice]? By Allāh, how amazing!
How is it that that which was related from Hasan Al-Basrī (may Allāh be
pleased with him) could reach you concerning the gathering for the
purpose of dhikr and his strong rejection of it, yet nothing reached you
concerning what the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), related?
As narrated by Muslim and Al-Hākim, Abū Hurayrah reported Allāh's
Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘Allāh has [groups of] angels roaming
[through the earth] who are free from work, seeking the circles of dhikr
on the earth. So when they find [such an] assembly [in which there is
dhikr, they sit in it and] some of them surround these gatherings with
their wings till the space between them and the sky of the world is
fully covered. [And when they disperse they go upward to the heaven and]
Allāh, the Exalted and Glorious asks them, although He is best informed
about them, ‘Where have you come from?’ They say, ‘We come from Your
slaves [upon the earth] who are glorifying You (reciting Subh ān Allāh )
[34] exalting You (saying Allāh Akbar), praising You (saying al-h amd
lillāh ) and affirming Your Oneness (saying La Ilāha Illa Allāh),
begging you and seeking your protection.’ Then He says, ‘What do they
beg of Me?’ although He is best informed about them. They say, ‘They beg
You for paradise.’ He (Allāh) says, ‘Have they seen it?’ They say, ‘No,
O Lord.’ He says [what would it be then] if they were to see it (i.e.
paradise)?’ He then asks, ‘And what do they seek my protection from?’
while he knows better their state. They (the angels) say, ‘From the
Hellfire.’ He (Allāh) asks, ‘Have they seen it (the fire)?’ They say,
‘No.’ He says, ‘Then how would it be if they saw it’. [They say, ‘They
beg for Your forgiveness.’] Thereafter He says, ‘Be witness that I grant
pardon to them, and confer upon them what they ask for and grant them
protection against which they seek protection.’ They (the angels) say,
‘Our Lord, one amongst them is a slave with many sins [who happened to
pass by] and sat with them. He (Allāh) says, ‘I forgive him too, for he
[sat with] a people, whoever sits with them is never unfortunate.’ 59
May Allāh bless you! Observe this group
about whom the angels have reported to Allāh, Lord of the worlds. Is
this group not similar to the group about whom Hasan al-Basrī was
informed, or if not, we could almost say the group itself, and you said
that his negation was most vehement. What about the generosity of Allāh
(Most Glorious and Elevated is He) towards the dhākirūn, promising them
that which no eye has ever seen, no ear ever heard and what the heart of
a human being has ever desired. However, you requited them with
resentment, whereas Allāh requited them with mercy.
Why have you abandoned that which Allāh
has legalised regarding the people of the assemblies of dhikr, on the
tongue of His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) but [instead]
needed to go beyond that, so you took to comparing the matter with its
opposite? Is this not corruption on your part of the Divine Law of
Allāh? Far be it that you succeeded in fulfilling your intentions of
what you had attempted. The authentic Prophetic narrations have come
forth in praise of the assemblies of dhikr in groups, and the ocean of
Prophetic tradition has burst forth, with wave upon wave.
We will present to you a fragment of it,
which might if God so wills become a cure for your illness. Did it not
come to your ears that he (blessings and peace be upon him) used to
desire to sit in the assembly of dhikr and [desired it to such an extent
that he would] exchange it [35] for the world and whatever it
contained?
Al-Bayhaqī narrates from Anas that the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘To invoke Allāh Most
High with people after the dawn prayer until sunrise is more beloved to
me than this world and all it contains. And to invoke Allāh Most High
with people after the mid-afternoon prayer until sunset is more beloved
to me than this world and all it contains.’
A similar narration is that which Abū Dāwūd related from Anas that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘That I should sit with a people
invoking Allāh from the morning-prayer until sunrise, is more beloved to
me than the freeing of four slaves from the progeny of Ismā'īl. And
that I should sit with a people invoking Allāh after the mid-afternoon
prayer until sunset, is more beloved to me than the setting free of four
slaves from the progeny of Isma'il.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘Allāh has angels who travel about in
the roads searching for the people of dhikr. When they find a group
invoking Allāh they announce [to the angels], ‘Come forward toward [the
fulfilment of] your needs!’ Then they surround them with their wings
till the space between them and the sky of the world is fully covered.
Whereupon Al-Haq , The Glorious, Most High says, ‘I call you as
witnesses that I have most certainly forgiven them.’ One of the angels
says, ‘O Lord! amongst them is such and such a person who has many sins.
He happened to pass by [that assembly] and sat there along with them.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) then said that Allāh the Glorious
and Exalted then replies, ’They are a people; those who sit with them
are not unfortunate.’ 60 . 61
Mu'āwiyah (may Allāh be pleased with
him), said that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), once came
upon a gathering of his companions and said,
‘What has brought you to this
gathering?’ They answered, ‘We have gathered for the purpose of
invocation (dhikrullāh) and praising Him for having guided us towards
Islam, and having favoured us with it.’ The Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) asked, ‘Is it only for Allāh that you have gathered and
nothing else?’ They replied, 'It is only for Allāh that we have gathered
and nothing else!' He said, ‘I most certainly did not ask you to swear
[an oath] because of any suspicion I had about you. However, Gabriel
came to inform me that Allāh Most High boasts about you to the Angels.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘Allāh Most Exalted [36] will say on the
day of resurrection, ‘The people of the gathering (resurrection) will
know who the people of honour, are.’ and it was asked, ‘Who are the
people of honour O Messenger of Allāh?’ He (blessing and peace be upon
him) answered, ‘The people of the assemblies of dhikr.’
And he (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘There is not any group of people who
come together for remembering Allāh, desiring through it nothing but His
Face, except that a caller will announce unto them from Heaven saying,
‘You may depart with His forgiveness. Your sins have been changed into
good deeds.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘Verily Allāh, the Blessed and Elevated,
have angels travelling in search of the circles of dhikr. Therefore,
when they find them, they (angels) surround them.’
And he (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘The booty of the assemblies of dhikr is Paradise.’
And he (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘Allāh has mobile squads of angels who
descend and attend the assemblies of dhikr on earth, so graze in the
gardens of Paradise!’ And they asked, ‘Where are the gardens of
paradise?’ He (blessings and peace be upon him) answered, ‘The
assemblies of dhikr. Therefore go, and relax in the remembrance (dhikr)
of Allāh, and remind yourselves about him.’
And he (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘There is not a people who remember
Allāh (dhikr), except that they are surrounded by angels, covered with
divine mercy and the divine eminence descends upon them and Allāh making
mention of them to those in His divine company.’
Al-Asfahānī mentions in at-Targhīb that
it is reported from Abū Razīn that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and
peace be upon him) said to him,
‘Should I not show you the foundation
upon which every matter rests that which will give you the best of this
world and the life to come (hereafter)?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’ and the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘You must partake in the
assemblies of dhikr, and when you are alone then occupy your tongue
with the remembrance dhikr of Allāh, Most High.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) is also reported to have said,
‘Any people who depart from an assembly
without having remembered Allāh, would be like departing from the corpse
of a donkey and on the day of resurrection there will be grief upon
them.’
He (blessings and peace be upon him) also said,
‘Tranquillity descends upon those who
are in the assemblies of dhikr and the angels surround them and the
Divine Mercy enfolds them and Allāh remembers them.’
Perhaps you were unaware of all this, so
Allāh says to you, ‘… now We removed thy veil, and sharp is thy sight
this Day’ [50:22]. So consider carefully [37] what has come to you from
the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) if you claim to
be of his community. One Prophetic narration should suffice you to act
upon it, with regard to the establishment of the legality of the
assemblies of dhikr. What should increase you in certainty is that the
assemblies of dhikr occurred in the time of the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him).
Imām Ahmad narrates in (al-Zuhd)' from
Thābit who said that Salmān was in a group who were making dhikr of
Allāh, the Elevated, when the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him),
passed by them, so they stopped. The Prophet (blessings and peace be
upon him) said, ‘Verily, I have seen the [Divine] mercy descending upon
you and I wanted to share in it with you.’ Then he said, ‘All Praise be
to Allāh, the One who has provided me from amongst my ummah, those with
whom I have been commanded to content myself (nafs) with.’
Similar to this is the aforementioned
narration of Mu'āwiyah (may Allāh be pleased with him) when the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) came upon a circle of his companions
and asked, ‘What has brought you to this gathering?’ They answered, ‘We
have gathered to remember Allāh and to praise Him for having guided us
towards Islam and having favoured us with it.’ The Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) asked, ‘Is it only for Allāh that you have
gathered and nothing else?’ They replied, ‘It is only for Allāh that we
have gathered and nothing else!’ He (blessings and peace be upon him)
said, ‘ I did not ask you to swear [an oath] because of any suspicion I
had about you, except that the [angel] Gabriel has come to inform me
that Allāh Most High boasts about you to the angels.’
So is this not sufficient for you with
regard to the legality of the assembly of dhikr, during the time of the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)?
Similar to this is the Prophetic
narration transmitted by 'UmarbinKhattab (may Allāh be pleased with him)
that he (blessings and peace be upon him) used to gather the companions
for dhikr until they became tired then he (blessings and peace be upon
him) would instruct them to do something else. This is transmitted in
(Al-Nusrah al-Nabawiyah).
I do not know what it is that has caused
you pain in the matter of Sufism. Is it only the gatherings, or is it
only the dhikr or is it both? Perhaps it is the raising of their voices
in dhikr? For this reason it is supposed that, that which has been
narrated by al-Bukhāri from Ibn `Abbās (may Allāh be pleased with them
both), has never reached you. He said that the raising of the voice in
dhikr at the time when people would leave the fard (compulsory) prayer
used to happen in the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon
him). Thus do I say that it also existed in the time of the Rightly
Guided [Khalīfs].
It is reported that some people were
[38] making dhikr of Allāh towards sunset with raised voices and
whenever their voices would lower, 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab sent someone
with the order that they emphasise the dhikr, meaning, ‘Raise your
voices!’ It is further narrated on the authority of Jābir ibn `Abdilāh
al-Ansārī (may Allāh be pleased with him), that a man once raised his
voice in dhikr and someone else said, ‘If only this person could lower
his voice!’ Whereupon the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
replied, ‘Leave him, because he is lamenting in earnest supplication.’
62
Similarly al-Bayhaqī narrates on the authority of Zayd Ibn Aslam that Ibn al-Awr said,
‘I went out with the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) one night and we passed by a man who had raised
his voice in dhikr, so I said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh perhaps this person
is making a show.’ The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
replied, ‘No, he is lamenting in earnest supplication!’
What is more forthright in its clarity,
while all are authentic, is what Abū Shujā` Ad-Daylamī has narrated in
(Musnad al-Firdaws) on the authority of Ibn 'Umar who said that the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘Whoever says La Ilāha Illā Allāh and
does it with slow measured tones, Allāh will lodge him in the abode of
eminence and endow him with the vision of His face.’
Does this not offer the most profound
proof with regard to the legitimacy of [making] dhikr aloud? Even if we
should say that you have found no text for making dhikr together in one
voice, then it would still be incumbent on you to say what the fuqahā
(experts of Islamic law) say about the mu’adhdhinūn (callers to prayer)
when they make the call together in one voice. They (fuqahā) say, ‘It
certainly travels more rapid through the body of air and its effect is
stronger on the hearts of those who hear it.’
In general, even if there were not the
least evidence to support the assemblies of dhikr and the raising of the
voices in it, it would still not be correct to reject it, because the
great mujtahidūn have sanctioned it. Also, the ijtihād (independent
judgement in a legal or theological matter) of every mujtahid is
acknowledged [and accepted]. Therefore, what still in the case when the
Prophetic traditions are filled with [evidence], explicitly, and by
allusion, in clear and sometimes symbolic expression as mentioned
earlier?
Fuqahā (jurists) on the Sufis and their practices
[39] In summary, that which Sufis
practice of dhikr in assembly, affection and love and other requisites
of the path became widely known to such extent that there is almost
complete consensus of the nation of its authenticity. If your desire is
to obtain information about this and to follow the formal legal opinions
of the skilled fuqahā and practicing scholars, then look at the
commentary of Rā’iyah ash-sharīshī. He has combined all the fatāwā
(formal legal opinions) of the classic and contemporary fuqahā, which is
not easy to accumulate. Also, do not suppose that the ones referred to
are marginalised fuqahā or those who are well-known Sufis, so that you
view them with suspicion, because their doctrine is suspect to you.
Indeed, they are the experts of Imām Mālik'sMadhhab like al-Shabrakhītī
63 and those like him, and amongst the experts of Imām Shāfi'i's Madhhab
like Jalāludīn As-Suyūti 64 and his companions and amongst the experts
of Imām Abū Hanīfah'sMadhhab like Fayrūz Abādī 65 author of ('al-Qāmus')
and his like. In this category there are many more scholars but I would
presume that some [of their] quotes would suffice you.
The author of al-Futūhāt wal-Adhwāq 66
has transmitted from Shaykh`Abdul Ghanī An-Nāblusī al-Hanafī , who was
asked about the Sufi practices of dhikr circles and making it aloud in
the mosques and other places. Before he answered he criticized those
opposing the dhākirūn and he said,
‘I will quote to you what the `Ulamā
have recorded in their books which are reliable, acceptable and well
known amongst Muslims. I convey to you the legal opinions from the four
Madhāhib. And Allāh is the Guardian of success and favours. As for the
raising of the voice (in dhikr), the great muh addith (transmitter of
Prophetic traditions) al-Hāfi ẓ Jalāludīn as-Suyūtī , one of the
distinguished Shafi'i Imāms (may Allāh be pleased with them) has written
a thesis on it called 'Natījah al-Fikr fi 'l-Jahri Bidhikr'. It is the
answer to a question [40] posed to him of whether the practices of some
Sufis who perform dhikr in circles, aloud in the mosques and raising
their voices when reciting the Tahlīl ( La Ilāha Ill Allāh) is disliked
or not? He answered (may Allāh be pleased with him), that it is not
offensive in any way whatsoever, and that there are Prophetic sayings,
which strongly recommend dhikr aloud, and Prophetic sayings, which
strongly recommend dhikr softly, or a combination the two, which varies
in relation to the differing circumstances of people.’
Thereafter he proceeded to cite the opinions of the scholars of the rest of the Madhāhib.
In my mind I have no doubt that you
acknowledge al-Suyūtī’s knowledge of the fundamentals and subordinate
aspects [of religion] as being much greater than yours, in as much as
you also acknowledge al-Shabrakhītī, one of the Maliki masters. I now
transmit to you his text and his fatwā (formal legal opinion),
‘After praising Allāh and pronouncing
blessing and peace upon the Messenger of Allāh, he stated that verily
these gentlemen; their [assemblies of] dhikr is attended and well known.
The scholars and Fuqahā have attended it, century after century from
times of old until now. Therefore, they are in a praiseworthy state and
their path of goodness is well known. So whoever harms them will be
deserving of punishment as mentioned in the Holy tradition ‘Whoever
harms a friend of Mine, I declare war on him.’ And whoever amongst them
is not a saint is still considered to be in the protection of the
saints, due to his love for them and his following their path’. These
are some of quotes that the author of ('Al-Nusrah al-Nabwiyyah')
transmitted from him (al-Shabrakhiti)-.’
As for that which he has been transmitted from Fayrūzabādī, the aforementioned, he said,
‘It is not permissible for anyone to
criticize the people [of Sufism] as being of lowly intellect, because
they have a high degree of understanding and inner vision. And it has
never reached us that anyone of them ever commanded something that would
destroy the religion and neither did they forbid anyone from taking
ablution or performing the prayers or from anything else amongst the
obligations of Islam and its recommended acts. They only speak words
that are beyond the intellect’. He (Fayrūzabādī ) used to say, The Sufis
have reached the stations and degrees of knowledge, and sometimes to
[41] the realms of unknown stations and degrees of science which have
not been explained by the Book nor the Sunnah.’
However, the senior eminent scholars
have traced that back to the Book and the Sunnah in a meticulous way
because of their excellent interpretations and their good opinion of the
righteous. But it is not everyone who exercises restraint when he hears
a speech that he does not understand. Nay, most rush forth without
delay to spurn its author, ‘Man is a creature of haste’ [21:37]. Take
the knowledgeable and brilliant Abū al-Abbas ibn Shurayj who once denied
Sufism and then attended the assembly of Abū 'l-Qasim al-Junayd to hear
what is generally attributed to the Sufis. After he departed he was
asked what he had found. He answered, that he did not understand what he
had said, but found his speech has a powerful effect upon the heart
that was very evident. This pointed to sincerity on the inside and
indicated sincerity on the heart and that his speech was not futile.’
(al-Nusrah al-Nabawiyyah).
Now then, my dear brother, this is not
what we have encountered from your predecessors in Tunis? Their point of
view, which they are renowned for, is their respect for Sufism. In the
time of Shaykh al-Islām Muh ammad Buyrum a request for a legal opinion
reached them concerning the Sufis and their practices.
He responded with a lengthy answer, some of what was said,
‘Verily, this path most certainly has a
chain, which ties up with the bringer of Law, (blessings and peace be
upon him) undoubtedly it (chain) is of the basis and principles of our
strong religion. The scholars have specified in the books of the science
of Hadīth , and the principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, that the chain
of narrators is one of the special characteristics of this noble and
blessed community. The basis of this is what we have presented; to the
point where he said, ‘Verily in this path they raise their voices when
making dhikr and this is generally acceptable.’
It has been quoted in 'al-Durr
al-Mukhtar' as a quote from al-Fatwa l-Khayriyyah, in the [following]
text, which comes forth in a Prophetic narration, that demands making
dhikr aloud like, ‘And if he remembers Me in a company, I will remember
him in a company more excellent than his’ narrated by al-Bukhari and
Muslim'.
Then he said that al-Hamawi quoted from [42] Imām Sha`rani the [following] text,
‘The scholars amongst the former and
latter generations have agreed unanimously upon group (congregational)
dhikr in the mosques and other places, except if their doing it aloud
disturbs one sleeping, praying or reciting (the Qur’ān ).’
The author of (al-Nusrah) has mentioned this in depth.
This and the like thereof is widespread
amongst the `scholars of Tunis in their respect for the Sufis, except
what had happened between the judge Ibn ul-Barra and Imām al-Shadhili
(may Allāh be pleased with him), and their story is well known. However,
Ibn ul-Barra never opposed the doctrine in principle; he only opposed a
specific individual. Due to this, much hatred had befallen him to which
history bears testimony. May Allāh protect us and all the Muslims from
any fault-finding towards Islam and the Muslims.
You then mentioned what Imām Malik said
concerning the following verse in Qur’ān , ‘This day I have perfected
your religion’ [5:4] ‘Whatever was not considered religion at that time
cannot be considered as religion today. Allāh is only to be worshipped
by those laws which He prescribed (Law).’ You then added your speech (to
Malik's statement) saying, ‘This type of assembly [of dhikr] was never
ever legalised and it is therefore incorrect to worship Allāh with it.’
It appears that if a person like yourself is unable to differentiate
between a quote and his own speech, that such a person's knowledge
cannot be trusted.
Imām Ahmad , may Allāh be pleased with
him, was once asked about Ibn Ishaq, if he narrates without
corroborating the narration, do you accept it? He answered, ‘By Allāh ! I
do not accept it, for verily I have seen him narrating from a group,
not distinguishing the narration of this one from another.’ It appears
to me that you want the reader to believe that the entire speech is
Malik's and that which the Sufis follow in their doctrine is part of a
new religion. This is the most extreme slander coming from you. Through
your accusation of the Sufis you desecrate all the other schools of
thought because you consider Ijtihād as an additional religion. And
Allāh forbid! That the community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be
upon him) should come together to substitute the religion of Islam for
something else.
If you had at least paid attention to
one of your proofs, his saying, (blessings and peace be upon him),
‘Follow my way (Sunnah) and the way (Sunnah) [43] of the rightly guided
successors after me’, then you would have known that the ijtihad of the
Mujtahidun is of the Sunnah, because they are the vicegerents on earth.
Indeed there is Ijma` (general consensus) amongst the scholars about
their honesty and faithfulness and the least you ought to have done was
to consider the founder of the doctrine of Sufism to be one of the
Mujtahidin of religion, for his Ijtihad is bringing out the station of
al-lh san .
He is like al-Ash'ari in relation to the
station of Imān (Faith), and like Imām Malik and those who resemble him
in bringing out the station of Islam. The totality of religion is made
up of three levels (Islam-lmān-lhsān) as related in the most famous
Prophetic narration 67 . By this it should become clear to you that the
Sufis and their assemblies of dhikr, are taken purely from the Law. This
is in accordance to the Prophetic narrations, which encourages desire
for the assemblies of dhikr.
Sufism and innovation (bid`ah)
If we were to say that which the Sufis
are following is an innovation, then it is eligible to be called a good
innovation. This is also called a Sunnah taken from the saying of the
Prophet (blessings and peace upon him), ‘Whoever institutes a good
practice will receive its reward and the reward of the one who practices
it till the day of Judgement’. So consider carefully how an innovation
is called a Sunnah.
Has it not come to you that assembling
for the Ramadan night prayers in the mosques had been innovated by
'Umar, which became an observed Sunnah. 'Umar's remark about it was,
‘What a good innovation’. Such an example does not need any explanation,
not withstanding that it falls under `Ibadah (worship).
However, Sufism, falls under `Ibadah
from the perspective of being an integral aspect not from the
perspective of being additional or not additional, since most of it
relates to the purification of the inner, the improvement of morals, the
occupation with dhikr, closeness with the One remembered, and the rest
that is stipulated. . So do you see in that anything contradictory to
the religion, or is it [instead] a main pillar of the religion?
Then you began to vilify innovation. My
opinion is that you do not distinguish between a recommended innovation
which is known in the Sunnah as aforementioned in his narration,
'whoever instituted a good practice...’ [44] and that which is contrary
to it. For this reason is it feared that you would inadvertently vilify
your activities [of teaching] by which you serve your Lord.
The Principles of innovation (bid`ah)
Do you not know that innovation (bid`ah)
falls under the five principles of al-wujūb (obligatory), and al-nadab
(desired), al-lbaha (permissible), al-karaha (offensive), and al-haram
(unlawful)? Izzudin bin Abd Salaam has gone to great length to confirm
this when he gave an example of an obligatory innovation as that with
which one is able to fulfill the obligatory, like the science of Arabic
grammar. Did you not know that this is an innovation? Similar to this
are the sciences, which you have with you, like rhetoric, logic,
prosody, the science of the criticism of the reliability and
non-reliability of the narrators of Prophetic reports, and Hadīth
methodology. I would almost include lecture and lecturing. Nay, the
documentation of knowledge itself is an innovation. So if that is the
case, then what do you say about these innovations? Are these amongst
the misguiding innovations leading towards the Hell? Or are they amongst
the recommended innovations for which there are rewarded? If you say
that they are amongst the latter then why can you not consider the
assemblies of dhikr to be of a similar nature? This is apart from what
the evidence and clear texts refer to, all which requires no
interpretation. However, if fairness silences the tongue of
acknowledgment then lack of knowledge in someone prevents him from
understanding. The scholars (may Allāh be pleased with them) most
certainly understood the meaning of innovation that should be avoided.
Imām Shafi'i said, ‘Innovation is that
which contradicts Qur'an, Sunnah or Ijma (consensus) or any narration
and whatever does not contradict that is praiseworthy'. The
contradiction either explicitly or by implication, results in that which
necessitates prohibition and sometimes karahah (offensiveness). This
.what Ibn Hajar al-Haythami has narrated.
Applying Ijtihad (legal reasoning) to Sufism
I am certain that you accept ijtihad to
be one of the characteristics of this community, and you do know that
the principles of religion are three; Islam, Imān and Ihsan. So why is
it that you accept the Ijtihad of the four Imāms and their like in the
case of Islam, and you accept the Ijtihad of Ash'ari and Maturidi [45]
in belief (I`tiqad) which is the station of Imān, but you do not accept
the Ijtihad of Junayd and his group with regard to the station of Ihsan.
Do you not consider Ihsan to be a principle? No, by Allāh! This is not
my opinion about you, that you should be unmindful of that which is most
important. Our discussion about the meaning of innovation is required
when there is no text until one is able to look into it to see whether
it is amongst the misguiding innovations or amongst the recommended
innovations.
As for that which the Sufis practice of
assembly, it is very clearly part of the Law, except to those who did
not follow the [Prophetic] narrations; or are blinded by fanaticism. His
eyes should fall on that which is in the Qur’ān and Sunnah that will
lead him to that. Some of the Prophetic narrations have already been
mentioned which encourages the circles and assemblies of dhikr. I am
most certain that you are fully acquainted with all this, but I have
only mentioned it in accordance with what eloquent men practice, when
they occasionally address the one who knows as someone who does not
know, like the saying of al-Akhdari,
'Like our saying to the scholar who is unmindful: dhikr is the key to the door of the Presence'.
If that which proceeded concerning the
encouragement of the assemblies of dhikr has convinced you, then tell
me, by Allāh, where are these desirable assemblies found? Is it in a
place other than the earth or [people] other than the community of
Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) or perhaps heard and not
seen?
Status of the Dhākirun
In my opinion you despise the Sufis and
their assemblies of dhikr, or else you would have been envious of what
they do. Are you not aware the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
has described them for you as being a mix of different tribes that came
together for the purpose of dhikr of Allāh and nothing else.
The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘On the right hand side of the Most
Gracious and both His hands are right, there are men who are neither
Prophets nor martyrs, the whiteness of their faces overwhelms the sight
of those who look at them. The Prophets and the martyrs envy them for
their seats and nearness to Allāh [46] Most High. It was asked, O
Messenger of Allāh, who are they’' He answered; they are a combination
of tribes with different inclinations who assemble for the purpose of
dhikr of Allāh. They utter the best of words just like an eater of dates
would select the best of it.’
Is this not, may Allāh have mercy upon
you, one of the most distinct description of the Sufis? Do you not know
that they are from different tribes assembling not because of any
kinship that joins them, nor because of any wealth that wish to acquire.
Are they not the lovers about whom Allāh will say on the day of
Resurrection, calling out to them 'Where are those who loved each other
for Me'? So what is this calamity, which has befallen you, which lead
you to sever the link, which Allāh has commanded you to join and
respect? Do you not know that the love of Allāh is an expression of love
for dhikr and the dhākirūn ? Do you not know that Allāh jealously
guards the people who are attached to Him, even if they are liars?' I
implore you, by Allāh and by the holiness of His Messenger (blessings
and peace be upon him) if you do not refrain from [harming] some of the
people of La Ilāha Illā Allāh, leaving them and their affairs so that
Allāh judge them on the day of resurrection, I certainly fear for you
that La Ilāha Illā Allāh will become your adversary on the day of
resurrection. ‘God cautions you (to remember) Himself;’ [3:28]. Ibn
Arabi Al-Hatimi (may Allāh be pleased with him) says in his admonition,
‘Beware, beware of any hostility towards
the people of La Ilāha Illā Allāh because [these people] have a great
sovereignty from Allāh. They are the friends of Allāh. If they should
err and come with sins as much as the earth and they do not ascribe any
partners to Allāh. He will requite them with the like of it in
forgiveness.’
What bears testimony to this is that Hudhayfah narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘There will come a time upon the people,
when they will not know the prayer (Salah) nor fasting, nor Hajj
(pilgrimage), nor Zakah (alms) except that they will say: we have
noticed our forefathers saying La Ilāha Illā Allāh.Hudhayfah was asked,
‘Of what use will La Ilāha Illā Allāh be to them? He (blessings and
peace be upon him) answered, It will save them from the Fire, it will
save them from the Fire, it will save them from the fire.’
If such is the case, then what will be
the status of the one who prays, [47] fasts, performs Hajj and gives
Zakah? Is it permissible to show hostility to such a person? It is their
right over you, that you should refrain from your hatred for the people
of Allāh and instead show your love towards them. Submitting with all
your heart and tongue saying, may Allāh pardon the past.
Sufis are not misguided
Which sin could be more [abominable]
than applying what has been narrated about the misguided people to the
Sufis? That did not suffice you until you went further to consider them
to be among the people of the Hellfire, using the Prophet's (blessings
and peace be upon him) saying as an evidence: ‘My community will be
divided into seventy and odd groups, all of them are condemned to the
Hellfire, except for one group, and it is the one upon which I and my
companions are.’ It is obvious that you regard the party of the Sufis to
be one of these groups. However, I make Allāh, His Prophet and the
pious believers to judge between you and the Sufis. If you had made the
Sufis one of those groups, it would be difficult for you to find the
entire seventy odd groups, except if you have completed it by including
yourself and those of your kind, because you have restricted the groups
to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa l-jama'a. Why did you not relate the Prophetic
narration, which Ghazali relates in his book known as (Faizal
At-Tafriqa) in which the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said,
‘My community will be divided into seventy odd groups, all of which of
them will be in paradise, except for the heretics.’
However, your eye did not fall upon
that; it only fell upon that which helps you in your judgement against
the rest of the Muslims with the Fire, until paradise will be vacant
just for you and those of your kind and no one else. ‘Say: ‘If the last
Home, with God, be for you specially, and not for anyone else, then seek
ye for death, if ye are sincere.’ But they will never seek for death,
on account of the [sins], which their hands have sent on before them.
And God is well-acquainted with the wrong-doers.’ [2:94-95].
In general one seeks to reconcile two
seemingly [contradictory] [48] Prophetic narrations. In these matters
you will not find anyone who will relieve you from this difficulty
except a Sufi. It is inconceivable that you would submit yourself to
him, because envy prevents fairness and acknowledgment. In any case, we
will still mention what Allāh has endowed [us] with, even if you have no
need for it. For every saying that is rejected by one, will be accepted
by another.
To reconcile the two Prophetic
narrations is easy when you understand the word ‘community’ in the first
Prophetic narration as referring to all people while in the second
Prophetic narration the reference is to Muslims. The meaning will become
apparent when using and quoting the Prophetic narration in full. He
(blessings and peace be upon him) said in a well-known narration, ‘The
Jews were split up into seventy one sects and the Christians were split
up into seventy two sects, and my community will be split up into
seventy three sects, all of them will be condemned to the Hellfire,
except for the one group which I and my companions follow.’
It is clear from the intent of the
sequence that there were seventy creeds. The creed with which Prophet
Mūsā (on him be peace) came with was the seventy first sect. All of them
were condemned to the Fire, except for that which Mūsa and his
companions followed. All these sects are referred to as his community
because he was the Messenger of his time. When `Isa (on him be peace)
was sent with a creed it was the seventy second. All of them were
condemned to the Fire except for that which Īsā and his followers
practiced. When Ahmad (blessings and peace be upon him) was sent with
his pristine creed, it then became the seventy third sect. All of them
are condemned to the Fire except for that which he (blessings and peace
be upon him) and his companions practiced .The word 'community' in the
above narration, refers to all people because the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him) used to say, ‘I am the Messenger of those whom I met
in my lifetime and of those who will be born after me’.
According to the second Prophetic
narration, the creed of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) has
split into seventy odd [49] sects. This is attributed to the many
schools of thought and the different movements. All of them will be in
Paradise except for the heretics. This conforms to the compassion of
Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) and the Divine Mercy, or else
the entire community would be destroyed. If the saved [sect] is one of
the seventy odd parts, then every sect will believe that they will be
saved, since the saved sect is unspecified. I assert that Allāh Most
High is in accordance to the opinion 68 of every believer in Allāh and
His Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) and the Last Day.
However, much he strived for himself
toward that which brings him closer to Allāh, if he is correct he will
be rewarded twice, but if he has erred [in his ijtihad] he will be
rewarded once. So in both cases he is still rewarded whether you like it
or not, because the creation is not tasked with obtaining the correct
answer but they are tasked with what they perceive to be correct. All
this is what the tolerance of Muhammad's (blessings and peace be upon
him) Law expects, which is referred to in His, the Almighty's saying,
‘He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion;’
[22: 78]. What bears testimony to that which was mentioned is what
al-Tabrani narrated from the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be
upon him) who said, ‘Verily my Law has come in three hundred ways,
whoever but follows one of the ways will succeed.’
What is more profound in confirmation
and this is the absolute truth, God willing, is what Suyuti mentioned in
his book (al-Jami As-Saghir) concerning the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) who said,
‘There is not a community except that
some will enter the fire, and some will enter Paradise, except for my
community who will all enter Paradise.’
Why did you not come across these
Prophetic narrations, which are more inclusive, decreeing success upon
the community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him)? Instead you
looked with the eye of fault and provided textual evidence which is to
decree the dhākirūn with destruction. You have not found any evidence
that speaks of destruction, except that you linked it to the dhākirūn
placing them outside the abundant Mercy of Allāh, which encompasses
everything. Do you not see that after you proved them to be innovators,
you said that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him)
said,
‘Allāh refuses to accept the deed of the follower of innovation until he renounces his innovation.’
Your intention with this is that none of
[50] the dhākirūn 's deeds will be accepted until they renounce that
which they practice of dhikr and gatherings, because according to your
claim it is an innovation. Would I knew (what would happen), when the
groups of dhākirūn amongst the majority of Muslims leave that which they
had practiced. Where will they go to, and which assembly have you
chosen for them? Will they disperse into the streets or will they aspire
towards amusement? Are you not aware that people are naturally fond of
assemblies? If so and this is necessary, then what is it that you choose
for the Muslims in general, if they cannot come together for Allāh [in
dhikr] and raise their voices in dhikr? 'then in what exposition will
they believe after [rejecting] God and His Signs?' [45:6] After all this
you besieged them with two Prophetic narrations saying that Abū Na`aym
narrated,
‘The people of innovation are the worst of creation,’
And narrated by others (scholars),
‘The perpetrators of innovation are the dogs of the Hellfire’
When you feared that the reader might
not understand who the people of innovation were since people differ in
their understanding, you made it clear by quoting al-Ustadh Abū Bakr
al-Tartushi who said, ‘Sufism is idleness, ignorance and misguidance.
Islam is only the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him).’ How daring you are towards the
people of Allāh and how sharp is your tongue in eating the flesh of the
Sufis. By Allāh, it is more preferable that you should destroy the
Ka'bah instead of crying out this statement. You have defined Sufism as
being idleness, ignorance and misguidance. By Allāh the scholars of
religion and the sages have a definition of Sufism opposite to yours.
They say that Sufism is an expression of
educating the 'self' in slavehood (ubudiyyah) and submitting it to the
commands of the Lordship (Rububiyyah). Sufism is to free oneself from
all base qualities and the acquisition of all sublime qualities. Abū
al-Qasim al-Junayd (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, 'Sufism is that
the Truth (al-Haqq) should cause you to die within yourself and
resurrect you in Him'. These are some of the definitions, which they
have given of Sufism [51].
As for your saying that 'Sufism is
idleness' this is refuted because they (the Sufis) have stipulated that
the Sufi takes account of himself [with every breath] applying his
saying (blessings and peace be upon him).
‘Take account of yourselves before you will be taken account of’.
So do you see this as idleness?
As for your saying ' Sufism is
ignorance' is also refuted because of the sciences, which they (the
Sufis) have brought forth, which the great masters amongst men are
unable to do. What still about those who are of your kind! The writings
of the Sufis are the most fair evidence.
Are you not aware that Sufism has been
mentioned by some of the great masters in Islamic law like Imām
al-Ghazali and Shaykh al-Sanusi, the writer of al-Aqa'id (beliefs) who
said, ‘it is compulsory (necessary) to strive towards (finding) someone
who is well known by it (Sufism) even if it is without the acceptance of
the parents’. Junayd (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, ‘If there
should be a science beneath the surface of the earth more noble than
that which we speak of with our friends then we would most certainly
have striven towards it.’ Shaykh al-Saqli says in his book (Nur
al-Qulub),
'Every person who attests to this
science is considered amongst the elect. The one who understands it is
considered amongst the elect of the elect. Whoever speaks about it, and
discusses it, is an unreachable star and an unavoidable ocean.’
By Allāh as your witness! Do you
understand anything about their hidden and well-kept knowledge, and
their secret pearls? Indeed not! You are merely like someone who is
behind a veil of iron. It is because of this [veil] that you have become
ignorant. As for your saying that Sufism is misguidance, ‘Verily thy
Lord knoweth best those who stray from His Path, and He knoweth best
those who receive guidance'. [53:30]. I do not deny the existence of
critics amongst the Ahl al-Sunnah in every age who criticize some
individual Sufis because of shortcomings in the critic or the one who is
being criticized. However, as for rejecting Sufism in its entirety, the
Ahl al-Sunnah has never displayed such an attitude. Those who expressed
this view were only some group who had no [52] importance with regard
to the majority, and it was for this reason that their views never
spread. So what is it that you have chosen from those forgotten
doctrines, to have come to the point of aiding their doctrines and
trying to revive their gone and forgotten beliefs? For you have
instilled in the hearts of the sons of the land a bad opinion about
dhikr and the dhākirūn. In my opinion, your assemblies are not devoid of
what you have written about Sufism. If such is the case, we pray that
Allāh protect those who are present in your assemblies, so that they do
not share with you except that which brings benefit to them and that
they leave off everything else.
With regard to your statement, 'Islam is
only the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him)', who has informed you that the Sufis
claim that Islam is other than these two sources? Yes, they do say that
in the Book of Allāh there are sciences, which the masses are unable to
access. The Sultan of the lovers 69 said,
‘Beyond the written word of there is knowledge too subtle for the most advanced intellects to perceive.’
Perhaps the one who is striving to
understand the outer and literal meanings of things, will not find it in
the book of Allāh, except what he perceives through his limited
knowledge and abilities. Hence he denies that which is beyond that. He
is unaware that his understanding about the literal meaning of the Book
is like someone who is only acquainted with the shell of a nut. Whatever
lies beyond that, is what the eye has never seen, the ear has never
heard nor has it ever occurred to the mind of a human being.
Does he think that the understanding,
which he has arrived at, is equivalent to the inner perceptions, which
the companions of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him) had of the Book? Nay! Let him thoroughly examine himself. Then, if
what is hidden in his heart is greater than what he articulates, then he
is on a clear proof from his Lord! If not, then what he does not have
is much more than what he has acquired. He (blessings and peace be upon
him) is reported to have said, ‘There is most certainly a kind of
knowledge that appears to be in a hidden form. None has knowledge
thereof except for the Knowers of Allāh (Gnostics) and when they reveal
this knowledge the people who are mistaken about Allāh, reject it.’
And he also said, [53]
"The hidden (spiritual) knowledge is one
the secrets of Allāh and of His wisdom. He places it in the hearts of
whomever He willeth amongst His servants’.
He also said ‘Knowledge is of two kinds,
knowledge in the heart and this knowledge is beneficial and a knowledge
which is on the tongue, and this knowledge is Allāh's proof against the
children of Adam.’ This certainly proves that the hidden knowledge is
not the same as the acquired knowledge.
Of the well-known sayings of Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) is that he said,
‘I have preserved two vessels of
knowledge from the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him),
the one I have disclosed, as for the other if I were to disclose it,
you would slit my throat’.
Transmitted from Abū 'Umar ibn `Abd al-Barr. It is narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,
‘If I should tell you what I know about
the commentary of His, the Almighty's saying 'Through the midst of them
(all) descends His Command' [65:12] you would either stone me or accuse
me of disbelief. (Sha`rānī mentions this in his book ' Al-Yawakīt Wa
l-Jawāhir').
The following is attributed to Zayn ul-`Ābidīn (may Allāh be pleased with him) who relates,
‘O my Lord there is a jewel of a knowledge,
Should I disclose it, they would accuse me of idolatry
And the Muslims would regard the shedding of my blood as permissible.
And they see the worst of their deeds as good.’
Salmān al-Farisi (may Allāh be pleased
with him) said, ‘If I should inform you of everything that I know you
would say, may Allāh have mercy on the killer of Salmān’. Imām `Ali (may
Allāh honour his face) said, ‘I have a knowledge, should I mention it
you would remove this from this (pointing towards his head and body).’
All this is a proof that in the hearts are hidden sciences.
As for your saying,
‘Islam is nothing but the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him)’.
It is as if you are alluding that this
is what you understand of the Book of Allāh. Are you not aware that the
Qur'an has an outer meaning, inner meaning, [a meaning to] the
restricted boundaries (h add ) and [a meaning to] the opening to the
boundless horizons (mat la` )' as transmitted in the famous Prophetic
narration of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) as
transmitted in 'Tāj al-Tafāsīr' (The Crown of Exegesis). Even if we
should say that you have knowledge of its outer meanings, do you know
anything about its inner meanings? Moreover where are you with regard to
[54] its restricted meanings (h add ) and its boundless horizons (mat
la` ) meanings? That is the share of the Knowers of Allāh and the
knowers of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be
upon him). It is related that Abū Darda (may Allāh be pleased with him)
said, 'You will never comprehend all its meanings until you see that the
Qur’ān has many different meanings.' It is said that this is a
narration of Sh addād bin Aws transmitted by Ibn `Abdul Barr. However,
you see Islam only in the light of what you and those like you follow.
If such is the case, then you have equated your secrets to those of the
companions of Allāh's Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him). Nay!
To the secrets of the Prophets (peace be upon them). This is the highest
form of ignorance.
Do you not know that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said?
‘The earth will never be devoid of forty
men (whose hearts) in accordance with the heart of the intimate friend
of the Most Gracious 70 .’
Do you belong to this group mentioned in
this narration? If you do belong, then it is likely that you will have a
most ample share of knowledge of the secrets of the religion. If you do
not belong, then surrender the knowledge to its masters, because the
signs are clear to those who pursue it, since there are an elect amongst
the community to whom Allāh has revealed the Secrets of the Book and
the Sunnah. In as much as this is true, would the group referred to, be
found amongst any other than the dhākirūn with the distinguishing trait
of complete devotion to Allāh Most High? ‘… men whom neither traffic nor
merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of God,’ [24:37].
Dhun-Nūn al-Misri (may Allāh be pleased
with him)gives an example of such people when he said ‘I met a woman in
one of the travels and asked her, 'Where do you come from?', she
answered 'From a people who ‘forsake their beds of sleep’ [32:16].’ Then
I asked her 'where do you intend to go to?' and she answered 'to men
whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the remembrance of
Allāh'. But, you thought that Sufism referred to a group of people who
gathered for the purpose of dancing and singing poetry and nothing else.
Your example is like the person who went to the shepherd at night
requesting him to donate a sheep. The shepherd granted him permission
[55], whereupon he went to fetch the sheep. Then in the dark his hand
fell upon the watchdog who is usually among the sheep. In the morning he
discovered a dog in his hand. He then accused the shepherd of the
sheep, of being the shepherd of the dogs.
This is the implication of what you have
said since you have confined Sufism to dancing and the like thereof.
Therefore you said, ‘Among the despicable and prohibited innovations is
to dance with dhikr.’ Thereafter you quoted of al-Tartūshi who judged
the elect of the community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon
him), as being idle, ignorant and misguided. However, this did not
suffice you until you coined an eloquent similitude removing them from
the fold of Islam and being Muslims. This statement you transmitted from
one like yourself who either does not fear Allāh, or intended a
specific group (in his statement). ‘As for dancing and ecstasy, the
first ones to innovate this practice were the people of Sāmiri. They
worshipped the calf and danced around it in ecstasy. Thirst is the
religion of the unbelievers and the calf worshippers’.
In my opinion you have transgressed the
bounds in that which you have done, for there is not a path leading to
[defaming] the honour of Allāh's people except that you have traversed
it. If this is your comparison between the fuqara and the calf
worshippers, then there is a similarity to the form that exists between
the two groups in which you have discovered. But have you discovered the
point of similarity between the ecstasies for two objects of worship?
Or in other words have you found the point of similarity between the
calf of the Israelites and the Lord of the dhākirūn? High and Exalted is
Allāh from that which the wrongdoers say! In truth we should not occupy
ourselves speaking about such trivial expressions, because it has been
declared false and refuted from many angles. Others have discussed this
in great length. They mentioned that this has been falsely attributed to
Abū Hanīfah . Far be it that he would say something like that! [56].
I shall speak to you about the ecstasy,
which you mentioned as unlawful (haram), (1) even though that is not
really the aim of the path of the Sufis. The ecstasy is as a result of
fear (wajl 71 ), which you are lacking. Allāh says, ‘ For, Believers are
those who, when God is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, and
when they hear His Signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened,'
[8:2]. So behold! Allāh Himself informs you of the fear and tremor that
overcomes the dhakir. He has made it one of the most distinguishing
characteristics of the believers. Have you not seen how Allāh praised
the people of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) for their states of ecstasy? He
mentioned one of the aspects associated with it as praiseworthy when He
said: ‘And when they listen to the revelation received by the apostle,
thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognise the
truth:’ [5:86]. Is there not in all this proof of a stirring that takes
place on the inside of the believer because of the remembrance of Allāh
and listening to His words? Does Allāh not say, ‘Had We sent down this
Qur'an on a mountain, verily thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and
cleave asunder for fear of God.’ [59:21]. He explained the meaning of
the Qur'an for which the mountains would shake and break asunder and
said, ‘God is He, than Whom there is no other god;-’ [59:22] to the end
of the Most Beautiful Names which He has mentioned.
Why would you not excuse the hearts when
they shake and the bodies when they sway, from something for which the
mountains would break asunder? Your situation is such because you have
never found inside of you what [57] others have found, because Allāh
reminds us that there are hearts which are like rocks or even harder.
Alternately it might be that you have invoked the Divine Names of Allāh
and read the Book of Allāh literally, Are you not aware that Sayyidina
'Umar once passed by a man who recited the verse ‘Verily, the doom of
your Lord will indeed come to pass’ [52:7]. He ['Umar] uttered a loud
cry that was heard in the outskirts of Madīnah, and then he fainted. He
was carried home and remained speechless for two days. Imām Shāfi'i once
heard someone reciting the verse ‘That will be a day when they shall
not be able to speak, nor will it be open to them to put forth pleas’
[77:35-36]. Then he fainted and was carried to his home.
This does not require much explanation,
for fear and the state of ecstasy has resulted in the 'death' 72 of many
of the pious predecessors. Are you not aware of what came to us via the
Sunnah with regard to the assembly of Sayyidina Dawūd (upon him be
peace) when he would start reciting the Zabūr (the Psalms). Or do you
think that the children of Israel were gentler in heart than the
community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him)? However, I am
sure that you do not deny the occurrence of fear (wajl), which causes
the effects of passion and ecstasy. Nay! You approve this state for some
undistinguished individuals, which is an approval of knowledge but not
of taste (dhawq 73 ). For if such was the case whilst knowing that it is
one of the most essential requirements of feeling and emotions, you
would not have assigned it to the religion of the unbelievers, whom
Allāh has described in the ‘They are only like cattle;-’ [25:44]. You
have indeed made them more gentle in heart than the believers who place
their trust in their Lord. Have you made the love of the Israelites for
the calf, stronger than the love of Allāh's people for Allāh? Allāh says
‘But those of faith are overflowing in their love for God.’ [2:165].
‘A people whose hearts are filled with pride for their masters
And the slaves boast of the master according to his status.’
The Israelites were moved by the love
that filled their hearts for the calf, whereas the Sufis are moved by
the love of Allāh that fill their hearts and it is this that led to
their states of ecstasy which you [58] criticized.
The one who is ignorant of something
opposes it. Did the words of the Most High not reach you, ‘For,
Believers are those who, when God is mentioned, feel a tremor in their
hearts’ [8:2]. Are you not aware that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings
and peace be upon him) mentioned, ‘amongst his community there are
people who will enter Paradise. Their hearts are like those of birds’.
This was transmitted in ('Jāmi al-Saghīr). So in the light of this where
are those referred to in [the narration] to be found, if not amongst
the dhākirūn? And in most cases it appears as if you consider yourself
to be one of them.
But by Allāh, I ask you to inform me,
are you of those who remember Allāh with much remembrance? Or of those
‘whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert them from the
Remembrance of God? [24:37] ‘Or of those who remember Allāh standing,
sitting, and lying on their sides? Or those who ‘when Allāh is mentioned
their hearts tremble with fear?’ Or of those who, ‘when they listen to
the revelation received by the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon
him), you will see their eyes overflowing with tears, because they
recognise the truth’? Or of those about whom the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him) says, ‘The deeply devoted and those completely
immersed in d the remembrance of Allāh have superseded’? Or are you of
those who are called mad because they follow the saying of the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) ‘Remember Allāh with much remembrance
until they will say you are crazy’? Or are you considered to be of those
who want to be seen by men following the saying of the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) ‘Intensify the remembrance of Allāh
until the hypocrites will say, ‘You only want to be seen by men’? By
Allāh, tell me to which group do you belong? Are you amongst those who
only speak about the above or are you amongst those who are being spoken
of?
But in general the occurrence of ecstasy
cannot be set aside, save in the case of someone with a harsh nature
and rude manners, just as it would be farfetched for the impotent to
experience the pleasure of copulation. If you did not receive this
favour, then do not deny it in others.
Shaykh Shu'ayb Abū Madyan (may Allāh be
pleased with him) said, [59] Say to the one who prevents the people of
ecstasy from experiencing ecstasy. If you have never tasted the drink of
love in its essence, then leave us. When we are happy and our souls are
joyful and the wine of love consumes us then you would want to
dishonour us.... to the end of what he relates of ecstasy.
By this I am not saying that swaying and
ecstasy are of the necessities of Sufism. They are but outward signs,
which arise from an absorption in dhikr. So let him who has doubt test
it himself, for information is not the same as direct observation. This
is what relates to ecstasy in dhikr and the discussion on swaying will
still follow.
Thereafter I observed that after you had
judged the great majority of the community of Muhammad (blessings and
peace be upon him) as being misguided you began to incite the [Muslim]
rulers to carry out, in your opinion the good deeds. However, your
desire was that they share with you your calamity, when you said, ‘It is
necessary for the ruler or his deputy to prevent them from attending
the mosques and other public places.’
You and those who follow your advice do
not benefit from it, except that you fall under His saying, ‘And who is
more unjust than he who forbids that in places for the worship of Allāh,
His name should be celebrated? - whose zeal is (in fact) to ruin them?’
[2:114] .So you are striving to ruin the houses of Allāh. You have thus
exposed the Muslim leaders to the wrath of Allāh, which is His
retribution of those who do such deeds. However, the people of
government have a broader perception than you, and a stronger love for
dhikr and the dhākirūn than you have.
The rulers in all the Muslim countries,
of former times and the present, continue to honour the people of dhikr
and give high regard to their nobility in all their different ranks.
This is so for no other reason save that the scholars of religion were
persistently in their company. May Allāh reward both parties with good.
As for those other irresponsible scholars who oppose them, they are
insignificant and their [normal legal opinions] are not considered,
because they know that what emanates from their breasts is the result of
a narrow perspective. Alternately because of their lack of knowledge.
You do not [60] even know that those
whom you have ordered to be removed from their mosques are the same
people referred to in the narration of the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) when he was asked as to who are those about whom it will be
said on the day of resurrection ‘The people of gathering (on
Resurrection day) shall know who the people of honour are.’ And he said,
‘They are the people of dhikr in the mosques’ (narrated by Imām Ahmad).
I ask, if you have instructed the rulers
to prevent them from the mosques why did you not restrict yourself to
that point. Instead you instructed them to prevent the people of dhikr
from also assembling in their homes, whereas the case is that they do
not prevent the people of the Book (Ahl al-Kitab) from assembling in
their churches. This conforms to the stipulation of the Law to respect
the Ahl al-Kitab (people of the Book) (who are free non-Muslim subjects
living in a Muslim country enjoying their protection and safety). In the
least you should have considered the people who assemble for dhikr like
them. However you see the assembling (of people) for the purpose of
dhikr of Allāh, or recitation of the Qur'an, of the worst abominations,
which you have confirmed in more than one instance. It is for this
reason that you wanted to instruct the government to change this
'disgraceful abomination', until no one should return to the assembly of
dhikr of Allāh , recitation of the Qur'an and the sending of blessings
to the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), or what is of this
kind. ‘But God will complete (the Revelation of) His Light even though
the Unbelievers detest (it).’ [61:8].
After having judged the assemblies of dhikr and the like as misguided, you then said,
'It is not permissible for anyone
believing in Allāh and the last day to participate with them, and
neither should they support them in their falsehood.'
My God, how amazing! When did this
religion come with a revelation which forbids the participation with the
dhākirūnand merely when in their presence it becomes forbidden. Yet, as
for the case of the one who moves his lips with the dhākirūn , when
saying,La ilaha ill Allāh (There is no God but Allāh ), we do not know
(what you consider) Allāh’s judgement on this. You probably consider him
to be a heretic or the like. By Allāh, you know that I absolve myself,
Islam and Muslims from such beliefs and the like; from your false
accusations and your [61] lying when you said,
'This is also the view held by Mālik, Shāfi'i, Abū Hanifah and Ahmad and others besides them'
You have associated the leaders in
religion with what you have perpetrated. You claimed that the Imāms
concurred with your opinion. God forbid! However, in addition to some of
the legal verdicts of the scholars of the four juristic schools that I
have mentioned, let me cite where these important matters are found. For
us to relate everything unto you is impossible because they are
numerous. However, we will mention to you some of it, taken from those
whose rank in religion you are very much aware of like,Jalāl
al-Dinal-Suyuti, Shabragheti and Fairuz Abādi.
The four imams on Sufism
I shall indeed mention to you now what
has been related from the scholars of the four juristic schools with
regard to their respect for the Sufis. This is in addition to what we
have already stipulated and absolving the Imāms from what you have
ascribed to them, that they reject Sufism. What is well known of the
life of ImāmShafi'i is that he used to frequent, accompany, and respect
the Sufis. When he was asked about this, he answered.
'I have learned from the Sufi Shaykhs
what I have never heard from anyone else. They said, 'Time is like a
sword, if you do not cut with it, it will cut you' 74 . In another
saying, 'Occupy yourself with good, for if you do not you will be
occupied with the opposite'.
He used to accompany Shayban Ar-Ra'i a
distinguished Sufi. One day Imām Ahmad was with Imām Shafi'i, when Imām
Ahmad asked Shayban Ar-Ra'i (may Allāh be pleased with them) about a man
who has forgotten one of the five daily prayers and did not exactly
know which one it was. Shayban answered, ‘This man has been unmindful of
Allāh ; he deserves to be disciplined’. Then he asked him about Zakah,
so he answered him with a very detailed answer. From that time onward
(Imām) Ahmad greatly respected the Sufis. Whenever a sensitive and
delicate issue occurred he would send for Abū Hamza al- Baghdadi –As
Sufi and ask, ‘what do you say about this O Sufi?’ [62] Abū Hamza would
answer with his spiritual intuition. Shaykh Qutbu Dīn bin Ayman also
mentioned that Imām Ahmad used to encourage his son to participate in
Sufi assemblies. He would say they have reached degrees in sincerity,
which we have not reached (quoted by the author of al-Nusrah).
As for the well-known saying of (Imām)
Malik, ‘Whoever practices Sufism without Islamic Jurisprudence is a
heretic and whoever practices Islamic Jurisprudence without Sufism has
deviated, but he who has combined the two has attained to the Reality 75
(truth).’ 76
It is related that Abū Hanifa Nu'man
(may Allāh be pleased with him) was asked about what the Sufis do during
their 'Hadrah' 77 , and what they practices therein and whether they
are truthful or whether they are liars? He answered, ‘Verily Allāh has
men who will enter Paradise with their tambourines and their pipes.’
Then the transmitter said, ‘There was a certain group in our town who
used to sway during dhikr until they would fall to the ground. The Imām
never disapproved of it and used to visit them and respected them. They
would ask him (questions) and he would answer them. Among the questions
the Shaykh (of the Sufis) asked the Imām, ‘What do you say, O Sidi (may
Allāh be pleased with you), about the matter where some people of the
community of Muhammad (some Muslims) entered a church and gathered in a
circle, alternating between themselves the remembrance of the devil from
the morning to the evening. Give us the legal opinion about them, are
they considered to be unbelievers or not?’ And he (may Allāh be pleased
with him) answered, ‘No one among the people of Allāh is considered a
disbeliever through a sin and this is not a sin.’ This has been
transmitted in 'Tuhfat Ahl l-Futuhat Wa l-Athwaq'. In this answer the
Imām guards against speaking about the [63] religion of Allāh by his
opinion or that he should accuse the people of the Qiblah with unbelief
(kufr) and the like. May Allāh grant them the best reward; what a vast
knowledge and great understanding they had!
If such is the case, how could this
absurd statement be attributed to the Imām that they claim he said, ‘It
is necessary that the place where they have gathered for their peculiar
dhikr should have the soil dug up and filled with stones.’ This is
quoted while it is known that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and
peace be upon him) said, about this, ‘Whenever people gather in an
assembly for the purpose of remembering Allāh, they are surrounded by
angels, encompassed by the Divine Mercy and tranquility descends up on
them. And Allāh remembers them among those present in His company.’ Such
a statement should not emanate from an unmindful person let alone that
it should be attributed to any of the great Imāms.These (Imāms) do not
hold the view that a church should be dug up when it is converted to a
mosque in Islam. They also regard the sweat of a living being, its
saliva and mucus to be clean, even in the case of a pig. Has it not come
to the mind of these ignorant people that when the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) wanted to build his mosque there were graves of
the idolaters at the site of the mosque and only the bones were removed.
Then the Prophet built his mosque on the blessed site.
Do you see the Prophet having ordered
that the ground be dug up and its soil removed? Absolutely not! The like
of such information has never reached us and neither have we heard of
it and if such is the case how could the Imām possibly have said that
which has been attributed to him in spite of his understanding and
inspection. Far be it that such a statement should have emanated from
him and the writer of 'Tuhfatul Fatawa' has specified that such a
disgusting statement has been schemed upon ImāmAbū Hanifa and then he
added, ‘How could he have said that, when an aspirant of Sufism came to
him during his time and asked him concerning a group of Jews who stayed
with their wives and children in a masjid for three days, should it be
washed or destroyed or what is the situation? So the Imām replied, ‘If
there has been no specific impurity (Najasah) established beyond doubt
then it is clean.’ Isn't there in this the proof in what has been
falsely attributed to him that he says the ground upon which the Fuqara
make dhikr should be dug up? And Shaykh Abdul Hasan Ibn Mansur al-Junayd
al -Hanafi said, ‘This disgusting statement is not from us, nor from
the Imām of our branch. It has only emanated from the renegades
(Rafidites) because they have rejected the existence of the pious.’
In the same way has Shaykh Abdul Hakim
opposed it repulsively when he said ‘Whoever passes judgement with it is
among the people of segregation (Itizaal)’ and he added, ‘The one who
forged it on the Imām is Ibn Shirhan al-Farazi may Allāh bring him to
ruin (destroy him).’ The Imām is far from all this because he used to
love dhikr, the people of dhikr and he loved music, melodies and
litanies with beautiful sounds. This is some of what was transmitted
from 'An-Nusra'. The astonishment is not about the one who attributes
this statement to the Imām, instead the astonishment is about the one
who portrays it in his mind and established it as a proof for him.
‘Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but the hearts in their
breasts.’ [22:46]. And he, (may Allāh’s blessings & peace be upon
him) said, ‘How many a carrier of Fiqh is not Faqih.’ This is the
conclusion of the discussion with regard to the Imāms on the issue of
the dhākirūn .
CHAPTER FOUR: PERMISSIBILITY OF SPECIFIC PRACTICES OF THE SUFIS
The ruling on dancing
With regard to the dancing, in which you
consider the one who makes it lawful to be a disbeliever, acting in
accordance with evidence from Ibn Wahban when he says, ‘Whoever makes
dancing lawful is considered a disbeliever especially with the playing
of the tambourine (duff) and playing of the flute.’ Then you said in
al-Miyār regarding the issue of a group of Shaykhs, ‘Whosoever mantains a
Zawiyah or anything else for the fuqara of the time, then such a
maintenance would be invalid because it is considered a sin.’ Such is
your affair, no matter what hideous road or disgraceful situation you
have found, you have only attributed it to the dhākirūn in an attempt to
deceive the reader, until the reader’s mind cannot immediately
understand the doctrine of Sufism except for your sheer mentioning of
dancing, amusement and playing of instruments and so forth. May Allāh
(Most High) reward you on behalf of Sufism for what you are worthy.
[65] I return to the ruling on dancing,
even though it has no bearing on the (teachings) of Sufism. So all that
which caused you to reach a prohibition which Allāh (Most High) has made
lawful is either as a result of your lack of studying the principles
(of religion) or your lack of piety. You never knew that the dancing
which is considered unlawful is that which is confined to entertainment
and pleasure, by way of dancing from side to side is characteristic of
the foolish minded.
Prohibition of this and its like does
not need proof, as inherent instinct has disapproved it by necessity
because its motive is self centred frivolity and satanic desires.
Behold! If you take this ruling and start to apply it on everyone you
have seen or heard dancing or who has confessed to dancing, then the
result of your judgement will be based on what your eyes have seen. Do
you not see that, what is with you confirms that the one who makes
dancing lawful is considered to be a disbeliever? So what would you say
if it came to you that the Ethiopians (Habasha) entered the Prophet’s
masjid on the day of Eid in their well known state of dancing and its
like. He (blessings and peace be upon him) watched them whilst A'isha
(May Allāh be pleased be with her) looked closely at them from behind
him, until they were finished with their actions and he did not reproach
them. By Allāh! What do you understand by all this when you say dancing
is absolutely prohibited? Or do you see the Prophet condoning what is
unlawful? Or do you not see a difference between the dancing of the
foolish people and the dancing of Habasha? If this report did not reach
you, or indeed if it did reach you and you were unable to discover in it
a judgment of permissibility due to you lack of perception, then what
do you say about the dancing of Sayyidina Jafar bin Abi Talib (May Allāh
be pleased with him) if it is true in accordance to what is found in
some narration, that when the Prophet said to him, ‘You resemble me in
my appearance and in my qualities.’ As a result he stood up and began to
dance in the presence of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) did not disapprove of it.
Does this not convey to you that this is permissible in its ruling?
[66] Is it correct then to apply the
dancing of Sayyidina Jafar to the dancing referred to in the Qasida of
Ibn Wahban? Do you not know that specification imposes restrictions on
that which is general? So, do you think that the Sufis say dancing is
absolutely lawful, as you have said that it is absolutely unlawful?
Indeed not! For they are certainly more open minded in their vision than
yourself. They do not talk about Allāh’s religion without knowledge and
nor do they obtain text without understanding it. It is the ignorant
who thinks that the one who has gathered some evidence and shamelessly
attaches to it a share is regarded as an expert.
Oh you! Do you not know that the one who
makes the lawful unlawful is the same as the one who makes the unlawful
lawful, as in the narration of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon
him). Allāh (Most High) has indeed exposed you for what you have
gathered. Enough is it for you an abomination that you are unable to
distinguish between the lawful and the unlawful. Do you think that
knowledge is an expression of who carries it? Like ‘that of a donkey
which carries a huge load of tomes’ [62:5]. Nay! Knowledge is only but
an interpretation of light taking place in the senses, which enables him
to see the comprehensive just as he is able to see the tangible with
his eyes. Knowledge is a means of perception not an accumulation of
papers. Allāh (Most High) says to His Prophet (blessings and peace be
upon him), ‘Thou knewest not (before) what was revelation, nor what was
faith; but We guide such of Our servants as we will’ [42:52]. It is for
this reason that it is incumbent upon the expert not to pass any
judgement on dancing before knowing the reason in order not to make
unlawful that which Allāh has made lawful. It is for this reason that
Shaykh Mustafa bin Isma'il Habash said, ‘Even though the external ruling
of the Wahabi is that dancing is unlawful without restriction’ but the
reliable view is what Ibn Kamal Basha has mentioned. The following text
is what Safwa has conveyed,
It is no sin to be in ecstasy if you are true
And there is no objection in swaying if you are sincere
What we have confirmed in this
occurrence is not merely a victory with regard to dancing. Nay, it is a
declaration with regard to the legal judgement and it is a victory for
the Ummah of Muhammad[67] most of whom you have charged with disbelief.
The majority believe in the permissibility of swaying, as for the
disciples (of Sufism) they believe that it should be desired because of
the Prophet's saying, ‘He who does not tremble at the mentioning of the
Beloved is not generous’ (transmitted by the author of 'An-Nusrah'). In a
similar narration the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) says,
‘Travel! For indeed the devoted ones who tremble at the mentioning of
Allāh are ahead’ (This is mentioned in 'Jami as-Saghir'). Do you not
know that the swaying of the Sufis in dhikr could be the trembling as
mentioned in the narration, because swaying is very distinct in the
movement of the dhakir. Due to this reason some of the Sufis see that
trembling at the mentioning of Allāh is as a result of their intense
love for Allāh . ‘But those of Faith are overflowing in their love for
God.’ [2:165]. Every lover trembles naturally at the mentioning of his
beloved. And I am certainly convinced that the proof, which we have
mentioned, does not exist with you because you have never tasted the
love, and should it spread through your limbs you would most certainly
desire to hear the mentioning of Allāh even from a disbeliever. You will
then say what the Sultan ul-Ashiqeen said,
Sweet for me is its mentioning in every form
Even if they mix it with blame and dispute.
Perhaps then you will know the meaning
of fear, then you will see whether or not you have gained control over
your soul. Are you not aware of the story in the Qur'an about those
women who cut their hands when Yusuf (may Allāh ’s blessings be upon
him) appeared before them, ‘they said, ‘god preserve us!no mortal is
this!’ [12:31]. When this happens, the vision of the creation's beauty
appears, so why can't we be brought closer to Him by something that will
make us witness the beauty of the creator in the power of His Grandeur.
I have most certainly seen that you are not afraid in misguiding the
believer or making him to be a sinner or an innovator. Nay, you are not
afraid to make him a disbeliever. All this is easier for you than the
drinking of water, and you have not known the sanctity of the believer
in the sight of Allāh and His Messenger. Do you not know [68] that when
you call a believer a disbeliever, you have indeed made permissible his
life, his wealth and his abiding in the Hellfire? Do you think that this
will please Allāh (Most High) and His Messenger? Are you not aware that
Khidr (May Allāh be pleased with him) considered the killing of a soul
easier than charging a believer with unbelief. Allāh speaks about him in
the Qur’ān when He says, ‘As for the youth, his parents were people of
Faith, and We feared that he would grieve them, by obstinate rebellion
and ingratitude (to God and man).’ [18:80]. Did you not know that the
sanctity of the believer in the sight of Allāh is greater than the
sanctity of the Ka'bah? Its destruction in the sight of Allāh is easier
than passing judgement of unbelief upon the believer who testifies to
the Unity of Allāh (La ilaha ill Allāh ) with sincerity repeating it
with all his breath. By Allāh! I warn you to fear Him with regard to the
people of La ilaha ill Allāh. Do not speak about them with your
opinion, for they are people whom Allāh created for His remembrance and
chose them in His foremost knowledge. So you should in the least treat
them well for fear of Allāh and respect them for the sake of Allāh and
your attachment to them will suffice you. May Allāh inspire you and
guide you. This is the conclusion of the discussion of dancing.
The ruling on poetry
As for the Sama and the singing of
poetry which is practised amongst most of the Sufis, to speak about it
without knowledge is far worse than that which preceded it because the
companions (may Allāh be pleased with them) used to recite poetry in the
presence of the Prophet . The story of Ka'b bin Zubayr is sufficient
for the one who is able to reflect on it. The Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him)listened to his famous Qasida (Bibanat Suad) despite
the fact that it contained words of romantic love and how the Prophet
rewarded him with forgiveness and with his outer garment in addition to
the acknowledgement of his reciting poetry in the presence of the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). In 'Al-Awarif' it is reported
that a man came upon the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) and
found with him some people reading the Qur'an and some reciting poetry,
so he said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh Qur'an and poetry!’ And the Prophet
replied, ‘Once from this and once from that.’
The writer of the Ihya was extensive in
his response to those who say Sama is offensive, or those who say it is
unlawful without restriction. He opposed them with textual proof [69],
which does not bear (require) explanation. It is narrated by Alkami on
the authority of Ibn Maja, who has related from the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) that when he returned to Madina after one of his
battles, a slave woman came to him and said ‘O Messenger of Allāh, I
have made a pledge that, if Allāh returns you safely we will play the
tambourine (daff) and sing in your presence.’ The Prophet replied ‘If
you have made a pledge then you should fulfil your pledge.’ In another
saying of the Prophet, ‘Sing! O Banu Arfada, so that the Jews and
Christians may know that your religion is accomodating.’
In general I would say about poetry what
the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said ‘These are words,
what is good of it remains good, and what is bad of it remains bad.’ But
that which relates to obscenity and abomination is unlawful. It is on
this view that rests all the testimonies declaring it unlawful, and if
the intention is one then both the speaker and listener become
accomplices. Whatever has been composed for the purpose of desire or
fear and the inclination towards the Divine Knowledge, as indicated in
the saying of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), ‘The most
truthful words uttered by the poet is 'Behold! Everything beside Allāh
is futile,’ in which case it falls under the saying of the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) that ‘There is most certainly a share
of wisdom in poetry.’ It is obvious that listening to wisdom is
recommended and we could almost say it is obligatory.
So if you have understood this, do not
compare what the Sufis recall in their assemblies of singing poetry, as
this poetry conforms to the highest of wisdom and contains the ultimate
knowledge. It teaches the disciple how to search for the road towards
his Lord with humility. (Do not compare it) with what the foolish people
recall (in their poetry) praising the physique, the cheeks and the
round breasts, enticing the listener to commit fornication and adultery.
‘God doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if you
are (true) Believers.’ [22:17]
Dhikr in acts of worship
I have once more drawn your attention to
the discussion of dhikr in its origin, because it is the greatest
principle in the religion. Yet, I see that you have been oblivious of
this, since you have [70] condemned the places of gathering for this
reason. By Allāh , I do ask you to inform me as to what is your opinion
of dhikr, is it legislated or not? I am sure that you do acknowledge its
legitimacy in accordance with the words of Allāh , ‘Then do ye remember
Me; I will remember you.’ [2:152] and notwithstanding this (verse),
there is so much more and to enumerate them would not be easy. I would
like to add to your saying ‘legislated’, is that whatever has been
legislated by the laws of Law (Islam) and whatever rituals have been
established, is only for the purpose of upholding the remembrance of
Allāh. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said with regards
to the circumambulation (tawaf) of the Ka'bah, the running between Safa
and Marwa and the pelting of the devils, it has been brought about
exclusively for the purpose of dhikrullah. And Allāh says concerning the
Hajj, ‘Celebrate the praises of God during the Appointed Days.’ [2:203]
and about the prayer He says, ‘And establish regular prayer for
celebrating My praise.’ [20:14]. If you study the Qur'an, you will find
other verses besides these mentioned.
In general, all acts of devotion are
valued in accordance with the strength or weakness of Allāh's
remembrance in it. And this is why when the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) was asked, ‘Which fighter in the path of Allāh will be
greatest in reward?’ He answered, ‘Those who remember Allāh most,’ and
then he mentioned the Prayer (Salah), Alms (Zakah), Pilgrimage (Hajj)
and Charity towards the poor, and to all this, the Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) answered ‘Those who remember Allāh the most.’
Then Abū Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him) said to 'Umar (may Allāh
be pleased with him). ‘The dhākirūn have gone with all the good,’ and
the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) replied ‘yes’ (related on
the authority of ImāmAhmad and transmitted by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzia). So
irrespective of how much its legislation has been confirmed and approved
as already mentioned, has Allāh in any way restricted it in its
legislation to be in secret or in public? So if you say that the
religion strengthens the aspect of dhikr secretly, then I would say, in
the same way does the religion consolidate the aspect of dhikr in
public, so that man may remember Him in all states and conditions.
Amongst such practices is the [71]
Takbir on the day of Eid, the Adhan, the Iqamah and the night prayers,
which are read aloud. Amongst that which awakens this desire, is the
narration which Abū Shuja brings out in his 'Musnad Al-Firdouz' narrated
from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him),
said, ‘Whoever says La ilaha ill Allāh raising his voice, Allāh will
cause him to dwell in the abode of Majesty and He will grant him the
vision of His Face.’ In a similar narration of Bayhaqi, it is narrated
from Ibn Abi Aslam that Ibn Al-Wara said, ‘I went out with the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him), and we passed by a man in the mosque
who raised his voice in dhikr, I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allāh , it
appears as if this man is a hypocrite.’ The Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) replied, ‘No, it is wonderful.’ It is also recorded in
'Bustan ul-Qurra' that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
used to make dhikr aloud with his companions after the prayers.
On the whole, there is no lesser
evidence to make dhikr in public than making it in secret, and making
dhikr aloud in addition is a benefit to the one who listens. What
suffices us in the benefit of making dhikr in public is that Jinn became
Muslim as a result of it. Allāh says with regard to what He revealed in
the story of this Jinn and the reason for his becoming Muslim, ‘They
said, ‘We have really heard a wondrous Recital! It gives guidance to the
Right, and we have believed therein.’ [72:1-2]. That which confirms its
excellence and adds more to our knowledge in detail, is the saying of
the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), ‘To do things inwardly is
better than doing it publicly and doing it publicly is best for the one
who wishes to be followed.’ But I am afraid for the one who takes an
aversion, when listening to dhikr being made loudly, that he may fall
under those whom Allāh describes in the verse, ‘When God, the One and
Only is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in the Hereafter
are filled with disgust and horror;’ [39:45].
It is obvious that the aversion referred
to in the verse cannot be imagined except in the case of dhikr that is
aloud. [72] If it is confirmed that dhikr in public is among the
virtuous deeds then there should be no objection in permitting
gatherings for such a purpose, which conforms with the command of Allāh,
‘Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one
another in sin and rancour:’ [5:3]. This is apart from what has been
mentioned in relation to awaken the desire to attend the assembly of
dhikr, in accordance to the Prophetic narration as already mentioned.
What has been stated makes it obligatory upon you to acknowledge the
permissibility of dhikr in public. Then nothing remains except for you
to explain, how one comes together for dhikr, since you are now aware of
the way in which the pious ancestors would gather in someone’s house to
recite the Qur’ān, to send praises to the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) and praying for themselves and the Muslims. This does not
stand as a proof for you. Nay, you disapproved of them vehemently.
The truth is that you could have at
least made it a good innovation. However, you seemed very upset at the
way the Sufis introduced it. You used, with all your might, the most
repulsive words on them. You raised your confused cries against them.
That did not suffice you, so you attempted to compel the leaders to
banish them from the mosques and other places. So the matter remains
with you to explain how and where the gathering of dhikr should be. We
exhort you with all our might, to satisfy us. Yet in my opinion you will
not be satisfied except when you no longer see dhikr for Allāh. ‘But
God will complete (the revelation of) His Light, even though the
Unbelievers may detest (it).’ [61:8].
Associating Sufism with forbidden actions
Now that you have exerted yourself in
the compiling your treatise, you then decided to appease your heart with
that which is beyond the matters of what Sufis practice. Then you
mentioned all the forbidden actions, which you have transmitted from
'Sahib Al-Miyār'. You included amongst this, that is to say, the
forbidden innovation, which are practiced in the streets and other
places.
‘Women going about showing off their
beauty, [73] their arrogant manner in which they walk, their using of
perfume and their meeting at the graves, Zawiyas and cemeteries. And
places of pleasure, where young boys and men pass by these women. That
which is even more disgusting and reprehensible than this, is the
opening of wine shops and prostitute houses openly in the streets. Then
the relaxed situation of the drunkards when they mix with the people.’
To the point where author said, ‘and
that happens a lot during the blessed month of Ramadan in Tunisia.’ It
appears to me as if your mentioning of these forbidden actions are
merely for the sake of narration, due to the fact that you have not
supported the author of 'Al-Miyar'. You did not even mention a single
narration, in preventing this violation of Divine sanctity. Also, you
did nothing to draw the attention of the authorities to the actions of
these foolish and shameless people, as you have drawn their attention
towards the Sufis, urging them to oppose the Sufis and banish them from
the mosques, etc.
You could at least have urged them to
destroy the forbidden actions, which has spread like the open display of
fornication and the drinking of wine, etc. You should have restricted
your treatise to these aspects and exerted yourself as you exerted
before then you would have received praise from Muslims in general, and
the Tunisian nation specifically. Moreover, the hearts of your foes
would have encompassed you, let alone the hearts of your allies. Instead
you pursued that which is of no avail other than resulting in sheer
hatred for the one harming Allāh through His saints which is in
accordance to a holy narration, ‘Whoever harms any of my friends, I
declare war on him.’
I see that you are not aware of what you
say in that which you have compiled; you act haphazardly, you are like
one, who gathers wood at random in the night, and the wood which he
gathered has harmed him and there is no benefit for him in it. And among
other things is your saying ‘and among which is considered innovation
is the wearing of scanty clothes and they used to hate scanty clothes
and they said scanty clothes is the dress of the inquisitors (sinners).
He whose clothes are scanty, his religion is scanty and among it i.e.
innovation is that one should wear clothes of fame for it has been
reported in a Prophetic narrated, 'Whoever wears a garment of fame,
Allāh will clothe him on the day of resurrection with a garment of
abasement and humiliation and then He will set him on fire.'
So I ask you with Allāh as witness, what
benefit do you intend to receive by quoting these words, and what
benefit does it bring to Islam and the Muslims should they exchange
luxury with asceticism as long as they do not commit any crime, it can
only be a case of bad business and obstruction to industry. What
relevancy is there between what the hearts conceal and roughness or
fineness of the clothes until his fineness is a sign of the fineness of
his religion? If this is the case, then the Bedouin is most successful
and whatever the case may be with the non-Bedouin (urban-dweller) you
will find the Bedouins clothes to be rougher. And should you go to the
extent of compelling (forcing) the people of Tunisia to wear rough
clothes one of them will most certainly say: ‘Say, who has forbidden the
beautiful gifts of Allāh , which He has produced for His servants and
the things clean and pure (which He has provided) for sustenance?’
Say then sincerely with Allāh as your
witness, how will you answer him, and what will be your tone of
expression? Whilst Allāh Himself answers: ‘They are, in the life of this
world, for those who believe, purely for them on theDay of Judgement.’
[7:32] As for their having an aversion for fine clothes, or the
probability that it was never really their custom, what has in actual
fact reached us concerning them, is that they were the most eager
(desirous) of people in confirming their hearts, more than your
eagerness on your clothes. It has not come to our knowledge that the
Prophet S.A.W. has imposed upon any tribe or people to wear fine or
coarse clothes, on the contrary he said: ‘Verily Allāh does not look at
your form (shape) nor your deeds, but instead He looks at your hearts.’
And this is performed with difficulty, while Allāh says: ‘He… has
imposed no difficulties on you in religion’ [22:78]. As for your
mentioning of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) saying:
‘Whoever wears a garment of fame, Allāh will clothe him on the day of
resurrection with a garment of abasement and humiliation and then set
him on fire.’
Do you perhaps regard ‘clothes of fame’
to be fine clothes as you have mentioned? Then I say to you that such is
not the case, because A'isha (may Allāh be pleased with her) said that
the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has forbidden two types of
cloth from wool and silk. And it is also narrated that he has forbidden
two types of garments, extreme in its ugliness and extreme in its
beauty. But on the whole, the best of matters is to take the middle path
since it is Allāh who has forbidden the exceeding proper bound in
religion when He says: ‘Oh people of the Book! Commit no excesses in
your religion: nor say of God aught but the truth.’ [4:171] And then you
went on to say, ‘Among the Bid'a is the taking of a particular food
during the celebrations of the Prophet's (blessings and peace be upon
him) birthday (Milad un-Nabi) and during some other Islamic feast days’.
So even we should say that it is a
Bid'a, what harm will afflict us if we should make use of a particular
food, though we have never considered it to be obligatory (wājib) and
neither have been pressed with food prescribed as Sunnah by any
authorisation of the Law, so that we would break the law if we
substituted it with something else, and I suppose that the Law has never
imposed upon us any particular food, except with slaughtering, without
specifying how it should be cooked, so the matter remained entrusted
with accordance to the custom and tradition depending on the places
without any difficulty. So whoever wants to restrict himself with food,
it is up to him and whoever wants to make additions may do so. And then
you said, ‘The legitimate celebrations are `Id al-Fitr, `Id al-Adha and
the day of `Ashurā, yet it is so, but then you added that any
celebrations beside these are celebrations of innovation (bid'ah). It is
beyond doubt that you are referring by this to the Maulud celebration
of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) we do not know of which
section did you make it. Does it belong to the section of forbidden
bid'ah, which is usually your way of thinking?
I pray to Allāh that you should at least
consider the Ihtifāl (celebration of Maulud) to be a recommended
innovation which I do not think you will do. So I say in reply: The
author of ‘al-Madkhal’ upon whom you depend a lot as a source of
transmission generally did not disapprove of the Ihtifāl (day of
celebrating Maulud), he only disapproved of the abominable acts which
were innovated and which do not conform with the Shari'ah. He even
proved the requirement for respecting that day due to the fact that the
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) respected that [76]day, he
said,
‘The Prophet (blessings and peace be
upon him) pointed out the function (position) of the month of Maulud
when he said in reply to the one who asked him concerning the fast on a
Monday, 'That is the day on which I was born', so to confer honour to
this day implies the conferring of honour to this month in which he was
born and it is therefore necessary that we give it the highest respect.’
And then you mentioned another forbidden
innovation "the celebration of Thabilah, one of the villages in Suf".
In reply I say, The like of such celebration is not considered to be
lawful, and it is therefore the duty of the `Alim (scholar) to point
this out and not to give it any concern at all so that the general
people may follow this example, and this is the situation with the
people of Sufism. You will find that they give concern only to the fixed
celebrations except for Milād al-Nabawiy because of the special place
its companion has in their hearts and because it is widely accepted by
the Islamic world and from this they know that the celebration of Milād
(Maulud) will gain the pleasure of Allāh and His Messenger and that it
is not straying from the right path, because of the Prophet's (blessings
and peace be upon him) saying ‘My community does not get together in
rain’ (My community does not get together in order to go astray). They
have indeed come together for the greatness of that day.
Then you quoted the author of (al-Mi`yār) who said,
‘Amongst the innovations is that the
ignorant people and the insignificant ones dislike marriage and
copulation during the month of Muharram. However, it is necessary that
one should see the good omen in marriage and copulation in this month,
adhering to what Allāh and His Messenger regarded as sacred and bringing
to an end the practices of the ignorant.’
My reply is this quote does not bother
us because it concerns the ignorant and insignificant people. It is
sufficient for this group that they marry according to the Law. How can
it be expected from them to strive for excellent morals and to abandon
all vice?
Then you went on to say that amongst the
innovations is to consider special invitation to weddings for the rich
above the poor. [77] This quality is natural among human beings. It is
not appropriate to consider it an innovation, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) has stipulated this in his saying:
‘The worst of food is that of a banquet, when the one who approaches it
is deprived of it and the one who has been invited to it refuses it, and
he who does not respond to an invitation has indeed disobeyed Allah and
His Messenger.”
Then you said that amongst the
innovations is that some people think nothing of harming animals and
being harsh to them. Making them carry heavy loads which are not easy
for them to bear, etc...’ In reply I say it is far-fetched that this
statement be mentioned among the innovations, because animals are
subject to mankind's mercy and his hard-heartedness. It may be that you
would find a religious person with a hardened heart, burdening men, let
alone animals. Perhaps you find someone other than him showing mercy
towards the weak, and Allāh is merciful to those who show mercy,
‘…according to the pattern on which He has made mankind.’ [30:30]. Mercy
can only be obtained from the possessors of mercy and knowledge from
the learned in compliance to the saying of the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him), ‘Knowledge can only be obtained through learning and
gentleness through practice.’
Thereafter you mentioned that among the
innovations is (upholding) the seven days of the deceased when the
Qur'ān is recited and the food which is prepared on the seventh day.
(You) considered it is prohibited and not permissible to eat. It is
necessary that we ask you to explain the reason why the food which is
made on the seventh day is considered unlawful, even though you have not
asked the author of (Al-Miyar) to explain the reason its prohibition.
You consider the speech which judges the community as ignoble, as if it
was revelation. Because you have considered the food as unlawful and
prevented the poor from eating it, it will be inevitable that they will
remind you of what Allāh says to His beloved Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him), ‘Say : I find not in the message received by me by
inspiration any meat forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it,
unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,-
for it is an abomination- or what is impious, (meat) over which a name
has been invoked, other than God’s' [6:145]. Then you said that an
example of such forbidden food is food portions (prepared) on the
completion [78] of the fortieth day, at the end of a complete year -
which is the practice of the people of Tunisia and those who follow
their reprehensible practices. Even if we should say that the people of
Tunisia have followed your advice and they have all refrained from this
virtue which you have called a reprehensible practice. You would prove
nothing except for depriving the poor who will not find what would
provide them with the food of the rich, some of whose food may never
have been eaten (by them) if it were not for the event of death. Are you
not aware that zakāh has been made lawful in order to take from the
rich to give unto the poor? It is not the eyes that become blind. It
could be that the reckless did something bad whilst desiring to do good.
This is apart from what Mu`ādh ibn Jabal has narrated from the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) who said,
‘There is no error upon the one whom,
whenever he wishes to spend a voluntary charity for the sake of Allāh,
that he should spend it on his parents if they are Muslims.’
Then you continued transmitting from the
author of ‘al-Miyār’ that another innovation is to make dhikr together
with one voice in front of the funeral since the required thing to do
during the carrying of the funeral is silence, contemplation, reflection
and substituting it with something in conformity with the Law. Your
mentioning of the silence and reflection that is required is the best
and most preferred thing to do and one could simply imagine that such
practice would come only from the elect. As for the general public,
dhikr would be best for them since, had they left it off they could be
pre-occupied with what is repulsive, like insignificant conversation for
example. It is for this reason that the Sufis have enjoined upon the
general public to occupy themselves with the dhikr of Lā ilāha illa
Allāh at the funeral, following the saying of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him), ‘Repeat constantly the dhikr of Lā
ilāha illa Allāh at the funeral.’ He did not restrict it to be read
secretly or aloud. A similar saying of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings
and peace be upon him) is: ‘Supply your deceased with the provision La
ilāha illa Allāh.’ So, it is obvious on the basis of these two Prophetic
narrations that the actions are not reprehensible. As for your saying
that to substitute the practice of silence with something else is
lawful, the goal of this statement is that it should be opposite of the
first. You then continue saying, [79]
‘…another innovation is to recite the
Qur’ān melodiously, which is a reprehensible act, therefore the banning
of it is necessary and it is important that the Qur’ān must be kept free
from it, Nay! Even in poetry, melody is disapproved of. So it is
necessary to stay away from and listening to it, what then in the case
of Allāh's verses and His Divine speech.’
I am compelled to tell you about you
mentioning of this statement; your talking on the religion of Allāh
without knowledge is most disgraceful. You are in such a hurry to grab
any text without understanding and should we decide to agree that Allāh
has tested you with a restriction pertaining to the scholars; it would
be your duty not to make him the judge over the Law. You may only make
him a judge over yourself, or over the one who asks you for the legal
opinion of your madh-hab (legal school of thought). You may even say
that it implies disapproval, in accordance to the view of some, not that
it is being disapproved by Law. Such should be your view in all matters
of disagreement. Has it not been confirmed by the Scholars of religion,
that one of the conditions of disapproval is to have knowledge of the
opposing views, So that he may not disapprove of a known issue, which is
confirmed by someone else. You do know that the Law is much wider than
for it to be contained only by the view held by one of the schools. I
see what you are saying is as if you have encompassed the text of all
transmissions and understanding. Your example is like someone who goes
out into battlefield without weapons. Whenever a text occurs to you, it
appears as if a thief has emerged from within you. Have you not
considered your state, when you find in the Law of Allāh, the opposite
to what you have confirmed in your disapproval of the Qur’ān being read
with melodious tunes, etc? You have no option but to say, ‘These are
nothing but tales of the ancients’ [6:25]. I mention to you some of what
I have discovered, should you wish, you may either leave it or act upon
it.
In his book Jalāludin al- Suyuti
mentions some of the traditions of the Messenger of Allāh’s (blessings
and peace be upon him) approval is reading the Qur’ān with a tune.
Briefly this is an adequate sentence in this chapter. [80] Amongst it is
what Anas bin Mālik narrated from the Messenger of Allāh, (blessings
and peace be upon him) who said,
‘There is a decoration for everything
and the decoration of the Qur’ān is a beautiful voice’. Another
narration says, ‘There is a decoration for everything and the decoration
of the Qur’ān is a voice that is beautiful.’ He (blessings and peace be
upon him) also said: ‘Beautify the Qur’ān with your voices, for indeed a
beautiful voice increases the Qur’ān in beauty.’ In another narration:
‘Decorate your voices with the Qur'an.’ and in another tradition:
"Beautify your voices with the Qur’ān.’
You might want to say that the meaning
of beautifying is to give the full value to the recitation, like slow
recitation, etc. I confirm that whatever has been mentioned in this
chapter is that it is very clear and unequivocal about reading the
Qur'ān with a tune. If it is not clear to you, then here is what is even
clearer when al- Suyuti transmitted from Abdullah ibn Mas'ud who said
that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘He
who does not recite the Qur'ān with a tune is not of us.’ In another
saying, ‘Allāh has not given permission to anything like the permission
He granted to a Prophet who could read the Qur'ān aloud with rhythm.’
Narrated from Abū Hurairah, ‘Allāh has
not given permission to a thing like the permission he gave to the
Prophets with a good voice, reading the Qur'ān aloud with rhythm.’
Al-Alqami said, ‘The meaning of this
according to Imām Shafi`i and his followers and the majority of Scholars
of religion is to beautify one's voice in the recitation of the
Qur'ān.’ And that which is more explicit than this, is the saying of the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him), ‘Recite the
Qur'ān with the tunes of the Arabs’. Al-Alqami said, ‘the meaning of
this is to beautify the recitation [of the Qur`ān]. The narration of Abū
Musa al-Ash'ari who said that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon
him) heard his recitation and said, ‘You were given one of the
instruments of the family of Dawud’ and Abū Musa replied, ‘If I had
known that you were listening then I would have embellished it.’ The
commentator said, the words ‘I would have embellished it’ means, I would
have made the recitation more beautiful. (This is taken from the book
al-Jami` al-Saghir).
Now that you know this, do you still
disapprove unexceptionally that the Qur'ān should be recited with a
beautiful voice, after you have found the astonishing clarity of the
texts, which were just mentioned? What is more surprising than this is
your disapproval of a beautiful voice, wherever it might appear, whether
in poetry or otherwise. However this only stems from your impolite
nature and it also proves that there are certain animals that have a
more refined nature than others. Is the camel not moved by a beautiful
sound by which it is inspired? Do birds not draw near to it so that they
may find rest in it? Did it not come to your attention that one of the
distinct signs of Dawud was his beautiful voice with which he used to
read the Psalms (ZAbū r)? Is the beautiful voice not one of the gifts,
which Allāh has bestowed upon His servants? Do you not know that with
regard to the verse in the Qur'ān, ‘He adds to Creation whatever He
pleases:’ [35:1], what is meant by it is a beautiful voice? What
supports this view that this verse appears in another style of reading
(Qira'ah) in which the word (Khalq) is read as Halq. So if intonation
cannot be used in the recitation of the Qur'an and if listening to it is
disapproved by the Law of Allāh , then what is the point of its
specification. It would then be necessary to consider a misfortune from
Allāh and not a gift coming from Him to His servants, except that it is
used in what displeases Allāh and His Messenger .
In brief: You have passed judgment by
this statement of yours contrary to Allāh's judgement, for you have
disapproval of a beautiful voice and you have been vehement in your
disapproval. Even if we consider the Madh-hab does not hold recitation
of Qur'ān with intonation is permissible. I reply: Its proof is not
stronger than the one who holds that recitation of the Qur'an with
intonation is permissible. I might even say it is Sunnah in accordance
to what the aforementioned have pointed out, nay, it is obviously the
strongest. In addition Allāh had never disapproved beautiful sound which
you yourself have disapproved of severely. He has only disapproved the
ugly voice of asses, instead you have preferred misfortune over good
luck and you have taken a lesser thing in exchange for what is better.
Then you said,
‘Among the innovations are the lighting
up of candles and kindling of lamps on the eve of the Prophet’s birthday
(blessings and peace be upon him).’
In reply: Celebrations have requirements
which must most certainly display within an atmosphere of joy, for
example beautification, decorations, happiness and the kindling of lamps
on the night of Mawlud and in other celebrations of its kind. That
which proves to you that celebrations are permissible is what Bukhari
has reported from `Aishah (may Allāh be pleased with her) that Abū Bakr
(may Allāh be pleased with him) once entered her house when there were
two slave girls during the days of Muna who were playing the tambourine
and singing, whilst the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), was
covered in his cloak. Abū Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him) rebuked
them, whereupon the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) uncovered
his noble face and said: ‘Leave them, Oh Abū Bakr, for it is the days of
`Ìd (celebrations) and these are the days of Muna’. Similar to this is
the narration about A'isha from another narration in which she said:
‘Abū Bakr entered my house when there
were two maids with me from the neighbourhood of the Ansar who were
singing in favour of the favourable auspices gained by the Ansar on the
day of Buath. Abū Bakr asked: 'Is Shaytan playing instruments in the
house of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)?' He (blessings
and peace be upon him) answered, 'Leave them! Oh Abu Bakr, because
verily for every people there is a celebration and this is our
celebration' (narrated from Bukhari).
You said with regard to the lighting up of candles:
‘They light it during the day in order to attend the procession of innovation.’
In reply I say: To light it up during
the day is definitely improper and should therefore by rights be called
innovation. It shows no benefit during the day, unlike its appearance at
night. It has never been before that any of the pious ancestors
practiced it.
As for the procession being an
innovation, I wish that Allāh rewards the one who innovated it, in which
case it will comply with the narration of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him), ‘Whoever introduces a good practice,
he shall receive the reward thereof and the reward of the one who
performs it’ What is in it is the attachment and love which the Muslims
show towards their Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him).
Whichever way one considers the coming
together of the Community is only a mercy and it is this that the Sunnah
dictates. Based on this one finds the real innovated to be the one who
strives to oppose (destroy) the gatherings. You also said,
‘Amongst the innovation is the use of a
silver fumigator while the lesson of Prophetic narration is conducted,
which is most certainly unlawful. To use it during a marriage contract
is not permissible, so when that happens, it is not permissible to be
present in such a gathering, so how does one dare to read the Prophetic
narration in a gathering where there is something unlawful. Lo! We
belong to Allāh and unto Him is our return.’
I really do not know what is
particularly the point of your discussing the use of fumigation in
silver during Hadith lessons and during a marriage contract, whereas the
use of containers made from gold or silver is absolutely unlawful. You
said: ‘How does one dare to read the narration of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him), in a gathering where there is
something unlawful?’ This meaning: it is not permissible to read Hadith
in it, but I say: Nay, it is necessary that in such a gathering be read
the proof which forbids the use of one of these two metal containers in
order for the user to be informed about these two metals, since it is
your habit and your persistence to object and pursue arguments and to
condemning at every option, the reference is then generally attributed
to Sufis.
Validity of using a rosary
You wondered about, leaped and stood
upright, deviated and then returned to your most important aim. Then you
exerted your pen to it’s utmost in something that has no connection
with the religion and made it a proof against the Sufis and, because of
it, they are amongst those who are ostentatious. You said,
‘Another disliked innovation is the use
of the rosary which is of Roman origin, carrying it in the hand and the
neck in order to show people that its user is a devoted worshipper who
makes a lot of dhikr, as if he is not aware that he only belongs to
those who displays ostentation. Allāh has promised a severe punishment
for this, because doing things to be seen by men is considered to be one
of the major sins.’
[84] I say: What is implied by this
sentence of yours is that you have passed judgment on everyone who takes
a rosary in his hand or places it around his neck to be among the
people of major sin. Unto whom a severe punishment is promised at the
least. In addition to this your statement also implies that it is a
Roman i.e. Christian practice because he has imitated the Romans by
putting the rosary around his neck. We ask Allāh for protection. In my
opinion I think that if the most extreme sin should be committed, then
such a judgment would not be deserved. Limitless is Allāh in His Glory!
Should not the Scholars of religion themselves be compassionate? How is
it in your case that you could pass judgment on most of the Community of
Muhammad as being lost and misguided? What tells you that the user of a
rosary wants to be seen and praised by men, whilst Allāh alone has
knowledge of the unseen and He alone knows the secrets contained in it.
Even if we should say that the category of people who use rosaries are
not devoid from those who want to be seen, in the same way can we say
that the pious are also not devoid of the same thing.
Based on this what would be our approach
of judgment on all individuals in general. Have you included the
pronouns in totality? What is the intention of every individual who uses
the rosary? It might perhaps be that he has a sincere intention for
making use of it. Do you not know that the intention is called the
spiritual elixir and it can turn people of distinction upside down very
swiftly, for it might be that when you ask the possessor of a rosary as
to why he uses it around his neck, he will say to you: ‘It keeps me away
from mixing with the foolish minded and entering places of suspicion’. I
made it a protection unto myself, because it appears by its expression
as if it wants to say: Remain fearful of Allāh.
How do you compare this with the one who
openly declares sin, if not anything but a righteous intention?
Similarly if you should ask the person who holds it in his hand, he
would perhaps say to you: I use it in order that it may remind me of
Allāh whenever I become unmindful of remembering Him. Because it is
reported in a Prophetic narration extracted from the 'Musnad al-Firdouz'
of al-Daylami that `Ali narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings
and peace be upon him) said, ‘What an excellent reminder the rosary
is!’[85]
Jalaludin As-Suyooti has also mentioned
this in his book called 'AI-Mina Fittikhas Subha' (The benefit of using
the rosary). So, by Allāh as your witness! What would be your response?
Can it be anything other than a sincere intention and the proof of texts
that is evident? In my opinion I find that the severe punishment, which
you have promised its user, is totally undeserving. Yes, and then there
are some people who have no knowledge of the real intention in using
the rosary, they only keep it in their hands for the sake of agreement
and this also in my opinion makes the punishment which you have
determined for the user of a rosary undeserving. Similarly to this is
the one who carries it in order to imitate the pious men with the
intention of being attached to them and this is also a sincere
intention. Then there are few individuals whom you have mentioned as
falling under the description of hypocrites in that ‘They only want to
be seen by men but little do they hold Allāh in remembrance. Thus I say
that it is the likeness of this verse that has compelled the Sufis to
become completely immersed in the dhikr by making it in public and they
make a lot of dhikr in order that they go from the domain of littleness
into the vastness of plenitude so that they are completely detached from
the description of ‘little dhikr’ to which the hypocrites are ascribed.
The extent of the limitation of a lot of dhikr would have been unknown
had it not been for the saying of the holy the Messenger of Allāh
blessings and peace be upon him’make the dhikr of Allāh until the
hypocrites will say, You only want to be seen’. He also said ‘Invoke
Allāh with a lot of dhikr until they will say that you are crazy’. These
two Prophetic narrations have been quoted in al-Jami As-Saghir. So when
they have reached this limit being spoken of as people who only want to
be seen by men according to you and that they are mad according to what
other individuals might say, then only will the souls be contented and
happy knowing that they have gone from the domain of littleness to be
described by the quality of ‘muchness’, in reality they are the true
dhākirūn . By Allāh as your witness did you make such a lot of
dhikrullāh until it could be said about you the same as what is said
about them? Or are you still continuing to endure the doctrine of
littleness? May Allāh inspire us and yourself to make a lot of dhikr for
Him and to have a good opinion of His Awliya. [86]
I say, all that which you have mentioned
concerning Riya, the Sufis are more cautious about what you have warned
them off and they are more fearful of that which you have caused them
to fear. Had it not been that Allāh acquainted them with the doing of
good in order to be followed? Are you not aware of the saying of the
Messenger of Allāh, blessings and peace be upon him ‘Secrecy is better
than openness and publicity is better for the one who wish to be
followed.’ (This is mentioned in the al-Jami of Suyooti).
Then after you have disapproved the use
of the rosary with total condemnation making it an unlawful innovation
you contradicted yourself with that which supports its permissibility or
lawfulness. You mentioned that the Messenger of Allāh, blessings and
peace be upon him, came to one of his wives and saw a light shining in
the arch. He asked, ‘What light is this shining in the arch?’ She
answered, ‘It is my rosary which I use for the purpose of dhikr and
afterwards I leave it over there.’ The Prophet said, ‘Why do you not
have that light on your fingers?’ From this we gather that the rosary
has an origin in the Law and it has a light, which glows from it. If
anyone attires himself with that light in order to put it around his
neck can we blame him? Then you said,
‘This would mean that the rosary is a
light just as it appears to be mentioned in the interpretation of some
Prophetic narration. While it is a light that is hidden in an arch which
is not visible to man and not the rosary which is made from pearls
strung on a rope as some foolish people believe.’
I reply, ‘What foolishness could be
worse than yours, you acknowledging the origin yet denying what branches
from it? So what is the difference between the date pits and the
pearls, which you have mentioned, and other pure things? It has been
confirmed that some of them used to count their dhikr with stones
instead of date pits. Perhaps you deny it just because it is put
together on a rope.
It is narrated that Abu Huraira had a
knotted rope with a [87] thousand knots and he would not go to sleep
until he had completely performed his dhikr with it. Is there not a
close resemblance in this to the well-known and well-arranged rosary? Do
you not see that if Abū Huraira had a well-known litany and that he
would not sleep until he has taken it out according to what is
mentioned? Do you think he will leave his rosary behind when he goes out
on a journey for example? Do you think on seeing Abū Hurayrah carrying
the rope in his hand or placing it around his neck, that the Prophet
would deny him from it after he had already approved for him to make
dhikr with it? I do not think so, but Allāh knows best.
Is it not that the first stage of the
ring was the lawfulness to stamp with it and thereafter putting it on
the finger became a Sunnah? So why can't the rosary be of this kind? Or
perhaps the neck be a substitute for the finger? In my opinion this does
not give a good impression of you because this matter is based on the
following transmission where the writer of 'Al-Madarik' mentions, ‘One
of the companions said, 'I met Sahnun while he had a rosary around his
neck with which he was making dhikr' [i.e. an item used for the counting
of] dhikr. It is clear that this report has reached you, so why did you
not accept it?
Is there not a general conviction that
the requirement to accept a narration is that there be [at least] one
single reliable [chain of] transmission. There is only a radical view
held by the Rafidites [who is a rejected sect amongst the Shi`ites] that
the prerequisite for accepting a narration of the Prophet is that there
be a continuous transmission.
You have rejected this narration because
of your dislike of it, but if this is not sifficient proof, then
perhaps in your case Jalal al-Din Suyuti could take the place of someone
whose narration would suffice you, since he has written a treatise
called 'Al-Minha Fittihadi Subha' (The benefits of using a rosary). In
it he says, ‘al-Dalami narrates in the 'Musnad al-Firdouz' a traceable
Prophetic narration related from `Ali (may Allah be pleased with him),
'What an excellent reminder the rosary is!'‘ And then he said, ‘Abū
Hurayrah had a rope of a thousand knots and he would not go to sleep
until he performed his dhikr. The same was in the case of Abū Darda, and
such was the dhikr of some of the companions and similar to this is
what ImāmSanusi mentions in his treatise named’ (Nusrah al-Faqir [88]
Firradd `ala Abi al-Hasan al-Saghir).
As for the leaders of Sufism, in my
opinion I think that you do not rely on them with regard to this matter,
otherwise the use of the rosary and so forth is of the moral practice
of the people of Sufism. People displayed it already in the time of
Junayd (may Allāh be pleased with him). Ahmad bin Ghilkan mentions in
'Widayah al-A'yan' that he saw Junayd with a rosary in his hand. When he
was asked about it he answered, ‘It is the means with which I have
reached my Lord and I will not part with it.’ And in my opinion I
suppose that you do acknowledge the status of ImāmSharani with regards
to the religion. He has mentioned in his 'TibaqatuSughra', that Sidi
Ahmad alKa'ka-i, who was counted in the sight of the Shaykh among those
whose blessings could be desired, had said, ‘He had a rosary with a
thousand seeds of which seven seeds were stolen. He then saw the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) in a dream, and the
Prophet said to him, 'O Ahmad, so-and-so stole the seven seeds from
your rosary and you will have such and such an amount less the day when
you send blessings upon me.' So he went to this person and on relating
his dream to him the person answered, 'The Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him), has spoken the truth'. He then took it out from his head
and he put it back onto the rosary and said, 'I have never seen a rosary
with such brightness, as if it was shining from the light because of
all the litanies.' Thus the one who depends on proof, a little suffices
him, and I have not requested from you to wear a rosary around your
neck, Nay, neither have I asked you to touch it with your hand. I only
wish that after all the transmissions I have given you, you should at
least say it is accepted and that you not be hasty. Then you mentioned a
Prophetic narration in order that you may, in your opinion, seek
support with it. But I do not know is it for you or against you? You
said, ‘It is narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace
be upon him) came upon a woman who had date pits and pebbles with which
she used to make her dhikr. The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace
be upon him) said, 'I will inform you of a way which is easier and
better than this. [89] Glory be to Allāh inasmuch as the number of what
Allāh created in the Heavens, Glory be to Allāh inasmuch as the number
of what Allāhcreated in the earth, Glory be to Allāh inasmuch as the
number of what is between these, Glory be to Allāh inasmuch as Allāh
remains countless the Creator, and inasmuch, Allāh is the Greatest and
similarly all praise is due to Allāh.’ In the light of that I reply,
What you have just mentioned destroys what you have confirmed. Do you
not oppose the evidence of making tasbih with the fingers? Where are you
from this proof, which calls for the omission of counting altogether?
You have relieved us from counting with the fingers - otherwise, may
Allāh bless you on our behalf, but you still did not confirm anything in
your statement until you said, ‘It is reported that the Messenger of
Allāh blessings and peace be upon him used to make his tasbih with his
right hand, and therefore to make tasbih with date pits and that which
is of the same kind has an origin in the Law, and it is contrary to the
first, but the foremost and best way is to make tasbih with the
fingers’. So I say, Now you have come with the shining truth which is
quite evident, since you have confirmed that making tasbih with date
pits and its like has its origin in the Law, so in this case there is no
dispute.
I also hold your view that the foremost
and best is dhikr with the fingers. But the one who has litanies, find
it difficult to make it with precision on his fingers like the litany of
Abū Huraira for example. Or the one who intends to carry out the saying
of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) in a
Prophetic narration, ‘Verily he who invokes (says) La ilaha ill Allāh
seventy thousand times, Allāh will make forbidden to him the Fire’. So
if this is correct by Allāh as your witness, then treat us justly
because the question is, is it easy to enumerate such a litany with your
hands? Therefore, in this case it is necessary that you use a rosary on
which you could count a thousand, in order that by the grace of Allāh
you might save yourself from the fire. So I say, What you have confirmed
in the statement, is an appropriate saying befitting every righteous
person, but you barely waited for a little while until you gave up your
intention and declared your drink, you said,[90]
‘Making dhikr with the beaded rosary is a
forbidden innovation, because of the obstacles it presents like
carrying it for show and not making dhikr with it, and because it is the
practice of the monks, and it is for this reason that it is triangular
resembling the shape of a cross, because if the two equal sides are made
long then it will appear very evidently. I do not think that any of the
rightly guided scholars of religion would say it is permissible to use
it in accordance to what we have just mentioned. Until now the monks are
still using it, and some of the Sufi uses it in order to show the
traces of worship in himself until people will venerate him, as already
mentioned. In this way he attains to the aim, which is to get money by
means of deceit and being an imposter…’ to the end of what you have
mentioned.
I reply, As for its being an innovation,
we have already mentioned to you the Prophetic narration concerning it,
which suffices for those with insight and you have yourself
acknowledged that it has its origin in the Law. Therefore even if we
should call it an innovation it has never reached the extent of your
extreme description of prohibition because the pious scholars may Allāh
be pleased with them say, ‘forbidden innovation is that which opposes a
transmitted Sunnah or contradicts (Ijma’) consensus,’ and the rosary
does not fall under any of this. As for your information of its
prohibition, in which it is used for show and not dhikr, this depends on
its possessor and his intention with it. There is no occurrence of text
in this event and should we pass judgement on its users to say there is
no dhikr, this would be mere conjecture, ‘Fancy can be of no avail
against Truth’ [10:36] and also because of the Messenger of Allāh’s
(blessings and peace be upon him) saying, ‘Do not confirm anything if
you have doubt.’ So that which deals with the use of the rosary around
the neck and holding it in the hand has already been mentioned.
As for your statement ‘It is a practice
of the monks.’[91] It is more well known to the Alim that the rosary is a
practice of the Sufis and even if we say it is a practice of the monks.
Never did the Law compel us to leave off all the qualities of the monks
except for renouncing the girdle. The community of Muhammad have
denounced it, freeing themselves completely from shirk, and all praise
is due to Allāh. Are there not perhaps qualities found with the monks,
which are not found with people like yourself? Allāh says in praise of
them. ‘Amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have
renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. And when they listen to
the revelation received by the Apostle, thou wilt see their eyes
overflowing with tears, for they recognise the truth’ [5:85-86]. On this
evidence, can we be compelled to denounce the description, which Allāh
ascribes to them? Even if we say, it was something used by the monks, it
is without doubt that the intentions are different. As for its being in
the shape of a cross, I can only say that you are unique in this
aspect. By rights should it be counted as an introduction for your
specialisation, because we have never heard of this from anyone with
insight for most of the community of Muhammad will he seen as people who
carry crosses around their necks, may Allāh preserve us. But this is
Allāh's way of unveiling and exposing the one responsible for such an
opinion. Yet, how amazing! What relevance is there between the pattern
of a rosary and the shape of a cross? (But the eye of resentment brings
out a resemblance). Then it would be necessary for people to abstain
from his food and drink, if it appears to resemble the shape of a cross,
or any visible object resembling the cross, yet the shape of yourself
as a human being is closer in resemblance to the cross than the rosary,
because you said concerning the rosary, ‘If the two equal sides are made
long then it (the cross) will appear very evidently’. However, your
shape is more apparent than that of the rosary, for if you stand upright
and stretch out your two hands you would have no need to look for the
cross in the rosary since you are able to see it in yourself. In such a
case it becomes necessary for you to destroy your existence, or
otherwise avert your eyes from seeing yourself, so that it does not
appear to resemble the cross.
I say, even if Allāh has tested you with
(juristic) reasoning by analogy regarding the question of the rosary,
why did you compare it with the cross or with what the monks do? [92]
You did not compare it with the necklace, which the Arabs used to hang
around their necks. Nor the garlands that marked out the sacrificed
animal, whenever they intended to set out for pilgrimage towards the
Sacred House in order that the one who follows this application becomes
immune from attack or interference. The necklace consists of a rope
braided with rush. Allāh has praised them for that, and He mentioned
their garlands in comparison to thankfulness notwithstanding it were a
practice initiated by the pagans and Islam has acknowledged it. Allāh
says, ‘God made the Ka'bah, The Sacred House, an asylum of security for
men, as also the Sacred Months, the animals for offerings, and the
garlands that mark them’ [5:100]. Ibn Atiyyah in his commentary says
about this verse, ‘The necklace is what people used to wear around their
necks as a protection for themselves whenever they intended to perform
the pilgrimage and Allāh praised them for it in return for their
grateful obligation.’ Qatāda says, ‘In the pre-Islamic times, when the
person would leave his home with the intention of making the pilgrimage,
he would hang a necklace made of rush around his neck so that he became
immune from attack or interference.’ And Sa`id Ibn Jubayr says, ‘Allāh
created these matters like the wearing of a necklace and so on for
people who lived during the pagan era and had no desire for paradise,
nor the fear for the Hellfire.’ Do we not find in this that the rosary
is more similar to the necklace than the cross? But you are not someone
who would search for an excuse. Your only intention is to mislead, ‘And
God will not mislead a people after He hath Guided them, [9:115]. And
then you said,
‘I do not think any of the rightly guided Scholars of religion approved the use of the rosary as we have mentioned.’
My response to that is that this thought
of yours which you entertained concerning your Lord, has brought you to
destruction, and (now) have you become of those utterly lost!’ [41:23].
Have we not already mentioned to you what was transmitted from the
famous Scholars of religion concerning its practice and how they
approved of it as well as those who wrote about it, like Junayd, Sahnun,
Sha`rāni, Sanusi, Suyuti and among many others whose number is
innumerable [93] not to speak of the leaders of Sufism? Does this
aforementioned group not suffice as being a proof for its
permissibility, unless you want to say that they are not of the rightly
guided scholars or religion, but Allāh forbid that you should have a bad
opinion of our worthy ancestors.
This group of people about whom you
said, ‘Some Sufis use it in order to show the traces of worship in
himself until he is venerated by people as already mentioned. In this
way he attains to the aim which is to get money by means of deceit and
being an impostor.’ In reply I say, In all probability that you did not
spare any level of bad opinion about the followers of Muhammad in this
belief, which has exceeded all bounds of evil. May Allāh preserve us
from it and from those who believe in it, because whoever believes in
Muslims pretending to do good deeds in order to access peoples’ money,
as you have mentioned it is then not unlikely that the person will
advance gradually with this vile measure towards the rightly-guided
Khalifahs if not, we could almost say the Prophets and the Messengers
(may Allāh be pleased with them all). But all this irrational talk about
worldly things is what you have found within yourself, and you compared
others with it. You saw nothing but your own description, since the
believer is the mirror to his brother.
By Allāh as our witness, we have most
certainly recognised men who preferred the little wealth above a lot of
wealth, and they sacrifice more than what they receive. Truly they are
those about whom the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him) said, ‘And through them does Allāh send you rain and through them
does He give sustenance’. Then you said, ‘And there are some of them who
have taken a big rosary, the bead is measured according to the
greatness of the person, when he dies it is placed on the tomb of his
grave so that his inheritors could seek after the peoples money which is
better for them than a lofty estate and an orchard (sawani) of olives
and dates. When a visitor of great status come to them they receive him
with veneration and exaltation and they would open the decorated dome
for him, and after completing his prayer they present him with food,
which is an expression of a [94] flat loaf of bread, the measure of the
palm or piece of it. It is the practice of monks, as stated in 'Tuhfat
ul-Arib Firrad Ala Ahli Salib' or they could be given water to drink for
the Barakah and this is all with an intention to deceive the people so
that they must give them money for their visit. If they are of the poor,
then this track is not opened unto him’ to the end of what you have
mentioned of judgement and of your abominable concepts and your poor
style of writing. In reply I say, Allāh will most certainly hold you
responsible for disgracing His friends (Awliya) because they are free
from the idolatry which you have accused them of, whether these Awliya
are dead or alive.
Has the following saying of the
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him), never come to your
ears, ‘Mention the good qualities of your deceased ones and refrain
from mentioning their misdeeds,’ while in another saying, ‘Withhold your
tongues from the Muslims and if anyone among them should pass away,
speak good about him.’ He also said, ‘The Muslim is he whose hand and
tongue is safeguarded from the other Muslims.’ What an imposed
affliction is this upon yourself, pursuing the faults of the Muslims
among those who are dead and alive? Do you not know that the Law has
defined the meaning of slander, which is prohibited unanimously as
follows, ‘Slander is to mention about your brother that which he
detests.’ Abū Huraira (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrates, ‘That
which you hate to speak personally of in front of your brother is
considered as slander.’ It is said ‘Slander is to mention about your
brother that which is found in him, but if you mention something about
him which is not found in him, then you have defamed him (fabricated
lies against him).’ To what section does this belong? May Allāh have
mercy on you. Is this slander or defamation?
The truth is that they belong to both
since you have slandered some of them and defamed others. ‘God doth
admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct) if you are (true)
believers’ [24:17].
After you have scorned the conditions of
the Muslims, ridiculing the sons of the believers and after you have
mentioned most of the faults of your nation's sons, the non-Muslims will
be very contented with it, and by Allāh, should they hear it from you,
you would most certainly have received a beautiful praise from them. You
then concluded the chapter stating, [95]
‘The best of affairs in religion is that which conforms to Sunnah and the worst of affairs are the created innovations.’
In reply I say, Whatever you have
mentioned in this chapter by disgracing the Muslims, exposing the faults
of those attached to Allāh, under what section does this fall? The
section of Sunnah? The Sunnah of the Messenger (blessings and peace be
upon him) of Allāh? Or the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khalifs? So by
the grace of Allāh, inform me, who among the companions and those who
followed them allowed that Muslims should be openly disgraced? You have
even gone to the extent of pursuing to publicise the shamefulness of the
people of Allāh. So I ask you to tell me by Allāh as your witness,
which innovation in this chapter is it that has opposed the Sunnah and
the consensus of the Islamic scholars. Is it the holding of a rosary in
one's hand and its signals as you have mentioned? Yet it is necessary
for the intelligent man to say, Some evils are lesser than others, so
what is it about the sons of Sufism that hurts you, is it that they
pray, fast and read the Qur'ān and observe the characteristics of Islam,
or is it the gifts which they accept, which you intend to consider as
unlawful. Since the ruling of the Law is contrary to this. It says, ‘The
most permissible of lawfulness is the gift offered without request.’ Do
you not know that the sacredness of the pious people passes on to their
sons and the sons of their sons as long as they follow in their traces
as Muslims. Especially if they are descendants of the Messenger
(blessings and peace be upon him) of Allāh, and of his kinship, in
compliance to what the Divine text contains in imposing love towards
them as a duty.
Allāh says,’Say, no reward do I ask you
for this, except the love of those near of kin.’ (42,23). Have you not
heard that Musa and Khidr (may Allāh be pleased with them) freely
rendered their service to two orphans whose father was pious? Which
virtue is more noble than the one towards the sons of the pious? No, by
Allāh! Your saying does not decrease them nor the saying of those who
are of your kind. But my desire for the sons of the pious is that they
should inherit godliness from their fathers. ‘And those who believe and
whose families follow them in Faith,- to them shall We join their
families’ [52:21].[96]
Then you included another chapter which
you called the second chapter, ’And one of the errors is to imitate the
unbelievers and the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has
confirmed this in his saying, 'You will certainly follow the ways of
those who were before you (i.e. Jews and Christians) span by span and
cubit by cubit. So much so that even if they entered the hole of a
mastigure you would follow them, and if anyone of them should have
sexual relations with his wife in public, then you would want to do the
same to the end of what you pursued in this matter.’
Then you mentioned in general some
innovations, specifically imposing caution against it. What you have
mentioned is the clear truth, its rays cannot be hidden from the blind
man let alone the man who can see. But it appears to me that what you
have mentioned is merely as a preparation, in order to afterwards by
your own ability, link it to the graves of the pious, and those who
visit them, which is soon to become evident. Since, if it was your
intention to fight innovations in general, then you would have debated
every innovation separately, but I see the pivot of your skill revolves
only around what is mentioned. If you wanted to make people wary against
imitating the unbelievers, you would have entered into a chapter
specifically imposing caution against its actual diseases, and following
foreign habits and its ability to spread amongst our sons and
daughters, so that we may preserve our Islamic practices and Arab
morals. Instead, you have in most cases brought forward that which is of
no use, except for causing conflict in accordance to what is evident.
Do you not see that after you have
transmitted Sidi Ali Al-Ajhuri's statement, which speaks about the
veneration, of the graves until the common people would have almost
worshipped it, you said, ’If it had been in our present time, then he
(Al-Ajhuri) would have said they are worshipping the graves, and not
'almost', for their actions and sayings clearly point towards this.’ By
Allāh! How amazing, when did the community of Muhammad (blessings and
peace be upon him) renounce their faith in order to worship graves? Why
have you not paused at the saying of Al-Ajhuri and left a choice to
yourself and the muslims? And since you have conveyed this peculiarity
unto them, God forbid! It would have been more eloquent for you to have
referred to it indirectly rather than stating it bluntly. How courageous
of you! By Allāh![97]
No believer would be so bold to revile
anyone with apostasy, let alone confirming it, passing this verdict upon
the choicest of the Community's servants. There is no one among the
adherents of the Sunnah (Ahl al-Sunnah) except that they would venerate
the pious people of the Community and find it a blessing to visit their
graves and have recourse by their side regarding important matters. They
have no other intention except that they should mediate on their behalf
unto Allāh Most High. When you were explicit in what has just been
mentioned, I was afraid that the expression would not be consistent,
meaning it would not be understood. In view of the fact that the people
of this time are apostates worshipping the graves, you came with what
guarantees with conformity, you said ‘It is recorded in an authentic
narration from A'isha (may Allāh be pleased with her) that Ummu Habiba
and Ummu Salama, remembered a church with images in it, which they saw
in Abyssinia. They mentioned it to the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and
peace be upon him), and the he said 'Verily among those people, when a
pious man dies, they would build a mosque over his grave and create in
it those images. On the day of Resurrection they will be the most evil
of creation in the sight of Allāh.' and the people of this age have
followed them in this, they are the evil ones among creation.’ In reply I
say may Allāh, on behalf of the Muslims, reward you with what you are
worthy of [in the Eyes] of Allāh. The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and
peace be upon him) would not be contented to hear someone speaking about
his Community as the most evil among the creation and the creatures.
Does it not suffice you to make their practices repulsive and
diminishing their beliefs, until you have placed them in the lowest
level of the Hell-fire comparing them with the idol-worshippers?
The aim of the Law is to speak about
them as the most evil of creation (because the Law would in the utmost
degree refer to them (idol-worshippers) as the most evil of creation).
But you speak about the sons of your own faith saying they are the most
evil of the creation and creatures. Even if we say that the generality
of the community resembles that which has been mentioned, does the one
who resemble have the same strength as the one resembled to? So when the
Law has passed the judgment on the 'resembled' (i.e. idolaters) that
they are the most evil of creation, is it then not imperative
(necessary) for the resembler, to be the most evil of creation, just
like (the resembled) let alone being the most evil of creation and the
creatures.
Do you not know that what the Prophet
mentioned was as a form of caution unto his community? ‘With this doth
God warn off His servants’ [39:16] [98] since the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) was very confident about his
community's certainty, did not waiver in any way. Why should he, when he
himself testified to this certainty, according to what Ibn 'Umar has
narrated about the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him)
saying, ‘No community has been given a more excellent certainty than
that which was given to my Community’. It is also narrated from him that
the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘there
is not a community except that some of them will go to hell and some
will go to heaven, except for my Community, they are all in paradise’,
transmitted from ('al-Jāmi` al-Saghir).
So where is your testimony for the
Community, from that of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be
upon him) and what evidence of certainty is there which you have
furnished for the Community? Do you think that it is different in the
case of exaltation towards the pious men considering the fact that it is
Allāh Himself who exalts them. Yes, then there are those individuals
who have exceeded the normal bounds of exaltation, but whatever the case
may be they have never gone as far, in exalting the pious, compared to
what you have described them with. Have you no other road to take in
your reminder and your admonition than this callous road which you have
chosen and which is of no use other than revealing your ill-natured
faith? Have you not come across the saying of Allāh in the Qur'ān
‘Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and good admonition’
[16:125]? To which section does this treatise of yours belong? Is it to
the section of wisdom or of beautiful admonition?
Even if we say you have followed the
Wahabi teachings, which advocates absolutely the prohibition of visiting
the tombs of the pious, you still require a style more graceful than
this in order to plant this belief in the hearts of those firmly
believing and trying to destroy what is in their hearts. The Community
is less likely to repeatedly drink from that faith which is in the same
cup. Then you said, ‘Let us return then to the discussion of visiting.
As for the woman, it is not permissible for her to visit the graves, as
agreed by general consensus and known in the books of Fiqh. The
Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'Allāh has
cursed the female visitors of the graves and those who have taken it for
mosques'.
As for the man [99]whose belief is
strengthened with faith and knowing with certainty that the Giver and
the Depriver is Allāh and that benefit and harm comes from none but Him
Most High, that there is no lawful restriction in the place like women,
for example, and the exposition of silk, its flag, silver vessels and
statues, the visit of them becomes permissible for him. Otherwise if the
matter is not so it becomes unlawful. In any case, staying away is best
as a precaution because of the weakness of faith in this age. So when
the person wants to ask Allāh anything, he asks in any place or at any
time, so the matter is about intention and in the manifestation of the
slavehood.’ That which you have mentioned in this sentence pertaining to
the laws of visiting, you were right in one way and in another way you
erred excessively. After a while I will inform you about the error, but
first as for that which is right in this sentence is when you said
‘visiting is permissible if there is no lawful restriction’.
Then you said,
‘Let us return then to the discussion of
visiting. As for the woman, it is not permissible for her to visit the
graves, as agreed by general consensus and known in the books of Fiqh.
The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) said, 'Allāh
has cursed the female visitors of the graves and those who have taken it
for mosques'. And as for the man [99]whose belief is strengthened with
faith and knowing with certainty that the Giver and the Depriver is
Allāh and that benefit and harm comes from none but Him Most High, that
there is no lawful restriction in the place like women, for example, and
the exposition of silk, its flag, silver vessels and statues, then the
visit of them becomes permissible for him. Otherwise if the matter is
not so, it becomes unlawful. In any case, remoteness is best as a
precaution because of the weakness of faith in this age. So when the
person wants to ask Allāh anything, he asks in any place or at any time,
so the matter is about intention and in the manifestation of the
slavehood’.
That which you have mentioned in this
sentence pertaining to the laws of visiting, you were right in one way
and in another way you erred excessively. After a while I will inform
you about the error, but first as for that which is right in this
sentence is when you said ‘visiting is permissible if there is no lawful
restriction’.
As for the error, it is explained from
the prohibitions which you have mentioned. You mentioned that one of the
prohibitions are decoration of silk, flags and silver vessels, as if
you are saying whenever these matters are found at a tomb, it is
unlawful to visit it. So, if the obligation of this statement is binding
then you are saying that the visiting of the Sacred House of Allāh and
of the grave of the Prophet Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him) is
prohibited, as in these two Holy Sanctuaries are found the silk and
silver which the eye has never seen and the ear has never heard. Are you
not aware that the covering of the Ka’bah is made from pure silk? and
in the two holy sanctuaries there are golden and silver vessels of which
the value is inconceivable. If what has been mentioned, is part of the
lawful restrictions, then you have just eliminated the Hajj from the
followers of Muhammad. Indeed the usage of silk has been made unlawful
according to what is mentioned, but looking at it has never been
prevented by the Law, as in the case of it being a decoration on the
wall or the covering of the Ka'bah.
If the prevention is related to
something like this, it goes back to the person who makes use of it, not
[100] the one who looks at it. This is what I have known from the Law,
before Allāh pointed out to me your perceptions.
After you have established that visiting the tomb is permissible, in accordance to the conditions which you confirmed, you said
‘But in any case, remoteness is best as a
precaution because of the weakness of faith in this age. So when the
person wants to ask Allāh anything, he asks in any place, at any time,
since the matter is about intention and the manifestation of slave
hood’.
The exception here is inappropriate,
because if the conditions which you have established are found, then
visiting the graves is recommended, according to the existence of the
command which is testified in the Prophetic narrations. But if the
conditions are lacking then prohibition is obligatory as you have
mentioned. Until now I still say, distance is best as a precaution for
the possible mixing of women with men, or if the person believes firmly
that he is able to secure himself from this, and they are but few,
distance is more appropriate. For this reason it is necessary upon the
leaders that should they permit women to visit the graves, they should
restrict it to a specific day and their reward is with Allāh. You then
produced one of the most important principles of the religion
responsible for bringing together any disagreement between two
contenders. This principle only escaped you when you had to associate it
with all the criticism which you have established against the Sufis
when you said, ‘the matter is about intention’.
Based on this acknowledgement, it is
necessary upon you not to distort any aim, considering that the
intention of the person is sincere and purely for the sake of Allāh. In
accordance with the authentic narration of the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him), ‘Actions are but by intention, and
every man shall have but that which he intends.’ Thus, he whose
migration is for Allāh and His Messenger ......’ It is also reported in
the narration of Abu Huraira (may Allāh be pleased with him), ‘People
will be resurrected according to their intention’ and with this
principle it becomes very clear to us, what the objective of a question
in all matters of interpretative judgement [101] and controversial
issues is. There is not a believer except that he tries his utmost in
that which can bring him closer to Allāh Most High. The matter is about
intention, as you have mentioned. Then you mentioned this in a number of
Prophetic narrations, containing the pure tawhidof Allāh, like the
saying of the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) ‘And
when you ask, ask Allāh and when you seek help, seek help from Allāh.’
It is this Prophetic narration and
others similar to it upon which the axis of Sufism turns. I have not
seen anyone more protective over the pure tawhid than the Sufis. Their
writings are the most just proof and the one who has not become immersed
in their sciences will never be completely free from a faith that is
tarnished. It is for this reason that the Imām of this order (Abū
al-Hasan Al-Shadhili) said, ‘The one who is not immersed in this
knowledge dies on the brink of major sin’.
Then you mentioned the main reason why
the Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon him) prohibited the
visiting of graves during the early period of Islam saying,
‘Some of the scholars of religion say
that the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) prohibited the
visiting of graves during the early period of Islam, because the pagan
Arabs used to exalt the graves and possibly worshipped them. Therefore
he (blessings and peace be upon him) safeguarded the faith of the
believers through prohibition and when the situation was stabilized, he
(blessing and peace be upon him) made visiting permissible.’
This is a probability and to me there
has appeared another probability, that the Messenger of Allāh (blessings
and peace be upon him) prohibited the visiting of graves during the
early period of Islam, because none of the idolaters’ graves were worth
visiting. When the graves became over crowded with Muslims and their
martyrs, he (blessings and peace be upon him) then made it permissible
in order for them to find their blessings and stand at their tombs,
seeing it as a reflection and a reminder and Allāh knows best.
Then you started with the establishment of a new rule when you said,
‘And since ignorance has become
prevalent, nothing is left of knowledge except for the name and the
faith has become weak because of the belief that the (deceased) Shaykh
who is visited is able to cause harm and bring benefit. So the visiting
of these graves in general is prohibited, because the cause [102] goes
with the effect in the case of existence and non-existence. What adds to
that is the meeting of males and females and many a times this becomes
the intended purpose.’
This is a declaration coming from you,
making it permissible to change the law from 'recommended' to
'prohibited' and the like. This is a means which creates the fear that
the religion of Allāh should become a target in the hands of those who
want to manipulate it. They change the law when an uncertainty arises,
either by a negative or positive cause. By Allāh as your witness, have
those Sufis whose deeds you have quoted, ever expressed the
permissibility of a lawful to become unlawful or an unlawful to become
lawful? Yes they say so, but a matter that is less significant than that
is when they make the assemblies of dhikr permissible and the loud
reading of La ilaha illa Allāh and what is of its kind. You have
classified them amongst the group of misleading innovations. The truth
is that what you have established with regard to this case is more
deserving of being called innovation.
As for your justification with regard to
the prohibition of visiting, because of the fact that the general
people believe the (deceased) Shaykh who is visited is able to give and
deprive and so on. You have already mentioned this in the beginning
regarding that which is forbidden. I certainly do not think that the
like of such beliefs could be found among the general public
individually. The muslims in general only believe in the existence of
intermediaries between them and Allāh, Most High. They refer to them in
the important matters because they have not yet reached the station
where mediation is omitted, like in the case of your station which you
have reached as you claim. It is for this reason that they do not seek
intercession except with that which can bring them closer to Allāh.
Mixing of the sexes
As for your saying ‘… and what adds to
this is the mixing of males and females …’ your duty is to make this the
only reason for the prohibition of visiting the graves, but not an
absolute prohibition other than the restriction of the meeting. This is
certainly the most harmful thing that needs attention, because the
meeting of males and females is obviously harmful. The mixing of women
particularly cannot be condoned, let alone generally. Then you sought
the evidence that visiting is non-beneficial,[103] in the quotation of
Ibn `Arabi al-Hātimi where he says, ‘The dead cannot benefit you because
benefit arises from deeds and his deeds are severed’. So it is evident
from this that your prohibition from visiting is not due to the lack of
fulfillment of conditions but, it is only your belief that the dead
cannot benefit at all. Otherwise you would not have quoted the saying of
Ibn `Arabi.
I do not say he is wrong, but what I do
say is the wrong understanding of what is meant by Ibn Arabi's saying,
that no benefit can be derived from the dead as with regards to that
which concerns the education of the disciple and his traveling in the
path of Allāh. Therefore it is made conditional that the murshid, whom
he accompanies, should be a Knower of the Path, and the stipulation of
life is a condition for the companionship. This benefit is not
attainable except from the one who is alive. But as for the benefit
which is an expression of mediation and intercession towards Allāh Most
High through the elect of His creation, seeking blessings through their
obedience, is an acknowledgement of the Law. Nay, the Law has permitted
us to seek blessings, in order to obtain access to Allāh Most High
through that which has absolutely no life like the Black Stone and the
Sacred House for example, and that of its kind. Let alone that it should
prohibit us from seeking intercession and blessings through the pure
souls and the illuminated bodies. I caution you indeed that you should
interpret the saying of Ibn Arabi to be, ‘absolutely non-beneficial in
the case of seeking intercession and blessings through every dead
being’, since it would include the generality of those whom Allāh has
favoured among His Prophets, the Sincere (Lovers) the martyrs and the
righteous.
Do you not see that Allāh has revealed
unto the one who was at the summit of the most distinguished among them
‘Truly thou wilt die (One day) and truly they (too) will die (one day)’
(39:30). Thus do you see me finding you generalising a statement without
considering that to which your statement is legally binding. But this
statement of yours is inadequate to the minds of the Ahl al-Sunnah
because the successors (Khalaf) of the Ahl al-Sunnah will never seize to
take the example from their worthy ancestors (As-Salaf) and seeking
blessings through their honour except when there will be no one left on
the face of the earth who will say Allāh! Allāh![104] according to the
Prophetic narration. In any case you continued going to great lengths in
defaming the Sufis, proving that there is no benefit in their meetings
during their lifetime, cautioning from being in their company and
proving ill benefit in their meeting during their lifetime. You feared
that it might be suspected that visiting them after death, they might
bring benefit, so you quoted the saying of Ibn Arabi, ‘Verily the dead
cannot benefit you’. It has however become clear, from what you have
gathered, that there is no benefit in them during their lifetime or when
they are dead, and this is the judgment which you have passed, but
Allāh will judge what is beyond that.
Then you mentioned one of the unlawful
innovations ‘the shaving of the beard or clipping it to the skin and
leaving the moustache’. So I say, as for your mentioning of shaving the
beard, it ought to be called an innovation because it clashes with a
transmitted Sunnah, which is 'the hanging of the beard and the trimming
of the moustache' in the Prophet's command in more than one Prophetic
narration. If the doer of such an act understands, he will know of his
own accord that he has committed a innovation because he has no text at
hand which he could rely on. I sincerely wish that our scholars of fiqh
should pay attention to matters like these, because if such an act is
generally abominable, then it is more abominable exclusively.
I then see that you have been
uninterested in mentioning that snuff, which is popularly used in our
times, is an innovation. In my opinion nothing has prevented you from
determining the text on this issue, unless you have considered it as
approved, or that you have found for it a support in the Sunnah, God
forbid! Or else you would have condemned the user with the strongest
condemnation, meaning it in every painful statement and it might
hopefully be that way, if by Allāh's will life becomes prolonged. After
it would be confirmed that it is a blameworthy innovation, because I see
that you take great care in guarding the Sunnah - acting in accordance
with the saying of the Messenger of Allāh blessings and peace be upon
him[105]’You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided
Khalifs and cling stubbornly to it.’ I do not know what it is with
regards to that which your tongue has uttered in ripping apart the
honour of the Sufis and seeking to discover their faults. Is it the
Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh blessings and peace be upon him or of
the rightly guided Khalifs? Allāh forbid!
Allāh says, scaring away the believers
from mentioning their brothers with evil, ‘Would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead Brother? Nay, ye would abhor it… ’ [49:12]. But
you allowed yourself to be seduced, or should we say that your devil
inspired you to commit this vice, claiming that you are alerting people
and warning them against being deceived by the Sufis, because Allāh has
revealed unto you their secrets. So you found them to be opposite to
what they outwardly display. Even if we should consider this belief to
be confirmed in the heart of the one who accepts your belief. Having a
bad opinion of those attached to Allāh, or pretending to be righteous
whoever he might be, until all its characteristics has been fulfilled in
this despicable state among the latter followers. Then it would not be
unlikely that such a believer incline towards the ancestors.
What is certain is that if this was in
the time of the Prophets and the Messengers, his view on them would
never increase his view on the pious people of his time. It is not
unlikely that he would be among those who said about the Messenger of
their time ‘they are nothing but liars’ and so forth. I thank Allāh for
your sake that the era of the Messengers has passed, otherwise you would
be amongst the losers. After you insinuated, spoke frankly, alluded to
and then expounded, the goal in all this is only to prohibit people from
being Sufis and associating with them during their lifetime, or
visiting them when they are dead. After you have exerted yourself
vehemently, you then mentioned a section cautioning in it people who
might want to imitate them. You said,
‘The third chapter - Imitating the pious
people, is amongst the misleading actions]’ Up until now I do not
understand the meaning of this construction,[106]except that I do know
that it is a very unusual style since you first mentioned a chapter on
‘Imitation of disbelievers are amongst the misleading actions’, and now
you mention ‘Imitation of the pious which is amongst the misleading
actions’.
By God, this is amazing! What are all
these misguidance which have encompassed the Muslims? That which we know
is the good with which the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
came ‘He who imitates people is considered to be of them’, even though
he has never reached their degree and it is for this reason that the
poet said,
‘ So imitate the pious even if you are not like them.
Verily, the imitation of the distinguished ones, is salvation’.
I wish I knew what the practice of the
instructed Sunnah is, if not to be an expression of imitating pious
ancestors in their words, actions and states. That which might have
prevented you from the true meaning of the wording is your poor
expression. It might have wanted to say, appearing to be pious with a
wicked intention is amongst the misleading acts. Good arrangement of
expression failed you, just as having a good opinion escaped you.
Otherwise the concept of imitating the pious as being amongst the
misleading actions, has never been said by anyone besides you. As for
your transmission of the saying of the author of ‘al-Madkhal’, in
accordance to what will follow, is in non-conformity to your translation
of the chapter and neither does it correspond to your belief of the
doctrine of Sufism. You have distorted it from its very source while the
writer of ‘al-Madkhal’ is opposed to that. He has acknowledged it with
full acknowledgement and his rejection relates only to what is ascribed
to that and it might in fact be the contrary in the same matter.
Has he not documented a chapter prior to
the chapter which you have transmitted from him, in which he says ‘Know
that the path of the People is pure’ and from this can be gathered that
he has honoured the doctrine of Sufism with great honour. He has only
rejected the people of his time who did not fulfill the conditions
required by their contemporaries and it is not unlikely that there will
be intruders and innovators in every age.
CHAPTER FIVE: PROTECTING THE DOCTRINE
All this can be gathered [107] from his
saying ‘…some of them...’ to the end of what he mentioned about the
conditions which he considered to be nothing but misrepresentation.
What helps us to know that he has
acknowledged the Sufis is, when he mentions in one of his statements, ‘…
no person would think that what he mentioned is a rejection of any
pledge to be taken from its people for themselves with its condition.
Since the pious ancestors (Salaf), may Allāh allow us to benefit from
them, followed the same way’. He continued by saying, ‘… neither do I
reject any association towards the Shaykhs with its condition.’ After an
overall discussion he mentions some of the morals of the people of
Sufism as follows, ‘So these were their states and excellent conduct and
they are an example for those who will come after them and cling to
their path. I ask Allāh not to turn us away from their state.’
This is some of what (al-Madkhal)
contains, which is a proof that its author had a regard for the doctrine
of Sufism, like other great scholars beside him. He is innocent from
that which you have ascribed unto him, since you have purposely and
selectively quoted in order to harmfully mislead the one who has no
knowledge of the author of (al-Madkhal). Had it not been for his book
bearing testimony in his favour, it would have been assumed that he
followed your belief in the condemnation of Sufism. Your example is like
that which has been narrated from Abū Darda, where he says that the
Messenger of Allāh said, ‘The example of the one who sits and listens to
wisdom and only speaks bad of what he has heard from the speaker, is
like a man who goes to a shepherd asking,‘ Shepherd, donate unto me a
sheep from your herd.’The shepherd tells him, ‘Go and take by the ear of
the best sheep.’ He then goes and takes by the ear of a sheepdog.’ In
this Prophetic narration is the clearest comparison of what you did with
the author of (al-Madkhal) and others from whom you have transmitted.
The sufis, saints or charlatans
As for that which Tartusi and others
mentioned, according to what is understood from his transmitted
chapters, this is not his true belief about Sufis. This is the very
chapter you relied on when you said,
‘He says in (al-Madkhal) ‘the chapter
which mentions some of those who imitate the Shaykhs, and [108] people
of power and this is a wide and diverse chapter. Whilst it is almost
impossible to encompass all of it due to its vastness, we shall refer to
some of it. Amongst them are some who claim to be pious and religious
and that they are of the people of union (with Allāh). He relates the
stories of some of the great men who have passed and then decorates his
own speech with it. In this way he would claim these states upon
himself, claiming that he has a part in it and amongst them are some who
confer on themselves miracles, breaking through the usual course of
nature, while being deprived of it by the characteristic which opposes
it. Then there is the one amongst them who claims to have seen Khidr who
confirm it with an oath so that its acceptance could be more
convincing. Then there are some who, when he wishes to set forth an idea
in order to camouflage the masses into believing his speech and that he
is amongst the pious. He places before them the quotation of evidence
from the Book of Allāh, 'On the day of Judgement wilt thou see those who
told lies against God;-, Their faces will he turned black' [39:60]. He
would also swear by Allāh to this evidence and that he definitely has
seen and he was addressed through his heart.’
In reply I say that I do not reject the
existence of misrepresentation of certain individuals amongst the pious
for such is Allāh's way with His creation. Some people have even claimed
Prophethood and there is no dispute in all this. The only dispute is
your rejection of the doctrine of Sufism and your degrading and accusing
of heresy the groups of dhākirūn whichever group they may belong to.
What the author of (al-Madkhal) has mentioned is a probability, since
what is it that tells you or him that there cannot be sincere ones
amongst the individuals referred to, whereas that which is hidden
belongs to Allāh. The Messenger of Allāh (blessings and peace be upon
him) has said, ‘Allāh has hidden three in three things…’ and one of
these is, the Wali hidden in His creation. For this reason the having of
a good opinion is one of the most important qualities of this religion.
Shaykh Abdul Wahab Sharani says in book (Al-Minan), ‘One of the
blessings which Allāh has bestowed upon me, is the veneration of
everyone upon whom I see the appearance of the Sufis and the
characteristics which they display.'[109] ‘This and its like can only
appear from someone who believes in the existence of piety within those
who are attached to Allāh Most High and not from those who removethe
good from the Community in general. Then you said,
‘A man has already claimed all that
which has been discussed, but I will add more to his long citation. Some
feebleminded and those who are knowledgeable have been deceived by him.
He claims that he has a perfect state, but Allāh has exposed all of
them so that they would be an example for those who reflect.’
We have always found you to be careless
in what you have transmitted, but as for attributing this shame to the
one who claims all this, is correct if it happened according to what you
have mentioned. But to ascribe it to the one who believes all this,
then no, because Allāh has left him to deceive himself.
'Umar Ibn Abdul 'Aziz (may Allāh be
pleased with him) said,’The one who has deceived us with Allāh has only
deceived himself.’ Yes, a liar cannot deceive the one who has a bad
opinion, just as he cannot benefit from someone who tells the truth. He
is in actual fact deceived by Satan, the supreme liar, since he has
caused him to have a bad opinion of the dhākirūn . Yet, he did not know
that the sign of the love of Allāh is the love for HIS dhikr and the
sign of the love of His dhikr is the love for the dhākirūn . Are you not
aware that the dhikr is a testimony to the faith of the person in any
case and the one who opposes dhikr, will testify to the hypocrisy of
such a person. We do not know what sin you have committed, but its
punishment would be for you, because of your attacking the honour of the
dhakirun.
Then you started to attach all that
which is outside of their doctrine to the people of Sufism, when you
quoted from the author of (al-Madkhal),
‘… and amongst them are those who claim
to enter the fire not burning in front of peoples eyes.’ Should this be
true, it is considered a reprehensible innovation since the condition of
a miracle is to disclose it and to challenge with it. A charismatic
gift is the opposite of that, because when he discloses it to people,
[110] it is no longer karamah. They say by Allāh, unless it is in the
case of a legitimate necessity, which requires disclosure. Some of them
disclose their karamat by seizing and charming snakes. Whatever is in
all of this is a contradiction to the noble law and deceiving the
Community with that which has no reality, since many people do it for
their livelihood. So how can it be considered a karāmah? And some of
them eat snakes while they are still alive, which is forbidden, because
its eating is not permissible, except if it is slaughtered in the manner
prescribed by the law. This is according to those who hold the view
that it is permissible to eat bearing in mind that it has no reality
because it falls under magic and sorcery. Sorcery is forbidden
unanimously, so how can he be a saint notwithstanding that he has
committed the acts that are forbidden? Amongst them are also some who do
not take off anything from their body. This is ugly and abominable,
because it resembles the practice of the monks. It is also dirty and
spreads disease as well as the fact that it is prohibited. There are
those of them who wear the fibre and things that do not cover the
private parts.’
In my opinion, whatever you have
gathered in this section has no aim other than defaming the honour of
the Sufis and defiling their character. Your intention is also to affirm
that which you have placed in the mind of the reader that this is the
Sufi’s character. Far be it that the one who has regard for the
principles of Sufism, knowing its laws, to believe that this is the
legality of the Sufis or that which they rely on. Their writings have
the most adequate proof if they have ever said that or instructed it and
whoever invents something will bear its punishment. Sufism will always
remain a sun that will never be darkened and a full moon that will never
sink, as long as the Sunnah is acted upon and the protected. Provided
the Law governs over the Sufis and others. The Sufis have more knowledge
about Allāh's religion than you and your kind. I could almost say that
they are the most knowledgeable servants of Allāh concerning Him and His
laws. The doubts will be removed [111] on the day when man will be
gathered before Him!
In the end what you have implied by way of allusion, you sanctioned the opposite by you yourself saying,
‘… and amongst them are those who wear
patched clothes which the Commander of the Righteous 'Umar bin Khattab
(may Allāh be pleased with him) prohibited from wearing known to us as
Bu-Darbalah, to the point that some of the general people named their
children Bu-Darbalah which has the meaning of piety. This is amongst the
disgusting nicknames in the Law.’
In reply I say that it is your nature to
reject things and then affirm it with mere opinion without considering
Allāh’s judgment in it, as you have mentioned the prohibition of the
wearing of patched clothes attributing it to Sayyidina 'Umar bin Khattab
(may Allāh be pleased with him). That which is more widely known, is
contrary to it since he made use of it himself. The reports have
recurred from a number of sources and one of it is the narration of Anas
Bin Malik (may Allāh be pleased with him) who said, ‘I saw 'Umar ibn
Khattāb circumambulating the Sacred House of Allāh wearing a coat in
which there were twelve patches, one of which was from tanned skin.’
Thus, what you have mentioned about Umar’s prohibition of wearing a
patched garment is farfetched, whereas it is confirmed that he wore it
himself. So is it correct for him to prohibit a moral and then carry out
the like of it? Especially when the law-giver has made it permissible
according to a narration in which he (blessings and peace be upon him),
said to Áishah (may Allāh be pleased with her), ‘ If you want to follow
me, do not shed a garment until you have patched it.’ And there are more
examples of this kind, but we do not know what it is that you have
attributed to Sayyidina'Umar (may Allāh be pleased with him). Is it
merely falsification on your part or a weakness in the narration or a
restricted prohibition?
Wearing patched clothing
He would not prohibit that which is
allowed by the Law nor make it permissible except for a reason that
would restrict certain individuals, if that was the case. In any case,
you do not ascribe the words of its narrator to his narration nor a
transmitter to his transmission. This is from the point of view of what
relates to the prohibition of wearing patched [112] garments.
As from the point of view which relates
to your poor style of expression which you have constructed in this
sentence, it requires that the argument be avoided. One of the qualities
of the incompetent person is that the truth cannot be obtained from
falsehood, so what is this useless roaring without any results? What is
the benefit of your saying, ‘… to the point that some of the general
people give their children the name Bu-Darbalah’? If it was a surname
(kunyah) having before it a name, then especially with regards to what
you have said that the meaning of Bu-Darbalah is piety, then from where
have you taken this explanation? Oh, how far is it from its true
meaning! Why do you not say that its meaning is possessor of patches?
And then you said it is amongst the ugly nicknames (laqab) in the Law.
Is it not a kunyah then? So what is the matter with you to call it a
laqab? Then you restricted it to being ugly according to Law. How
amazing is it not of people who, by their nature, make things ugly and
then attribute it to the Law! Which Law has made that word ugly and
which text is it in our Law that has defined Bu-Darbalah as one of the
ugly nicknames? From which matter have you derived its ugliness, is it
from the surname of Abū Hurairah (father of kittens), or is it from the
surname Abū Turab (father of dust) which the Messenger of Allāh
(blessings and peace be upon him) gave to `Ali bin Abu Talib?
What difference is there for example
between the names cats, patches and dust until some of them are
considered to be amongst the ugly words? It is very strange for you to
say that the meaning of Bu-Darbalah is piety and then you said that it
is one of the ugly names. In my opinion there is an enormous difference
between ugliness and piety. They cannot be combined in one word, but if
you had shown respect to the Law, you would not have been in such a
hurry to ascribe any judgment without knowledge. Have you not heard his
saying (blessing and peace be upon him), ‘Whoever passes judgment on
people without knowledge is cursed by the angels of the heavens and the
earth’? So what is it in this word that you should commit this crime
with it compelling you to describe it as ugly according to the Law? I
think [113] that you embarked boldly upon this in order to gain access
to the defamation of those whom you are not ashamed to defame and this
is what you said,
‘And from what is told, is that some of
them would say to the Sufi, '… sell me your cloak …' and he would
answer, '…when a hunter sells his net, with what will he hunt?' and if
you look at the Sufis of our time possessing the characteristics
according to what we have mentioned, you will find them to be the
hunters of the people of shirk and confusion. Aside from the masses,
people of knowledge have often fallen into shirk, as we have seen and
heard. The masses in most cases do not fall into their abyss, except
after those educated people have fallen into it. With that
pseudo-ascription they are able to plunder the people's wealth with
falsehood thereafter becoming rich after having been poor. Often they
rely on those in authority, so that every one of them could attain to
his goal.’
This is the cause that their weapons
strengthens and their authority becomes manifest and this is the
intended purpose of their actions. They are more harmful to the Muslims
than the enemy and the people of usury (riba), because the usurer pays a
little money in order to gain much from it. You know what is mentioned
about the usurer in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah. The Shaykh of the Tariqah
does not pay anything at all, while he takes the people's money using
the religion. If such are his characteristics, then how can he still be
considered as one of Allāh's saints?’
I can only say that I have never
benefited anything from what you have mentioned in this statement more
than what I know about your shamelessness and your lack of manliness.
Modesty is a part of faith and he who is not modest in front of man, is
not modest in front of Allāh. Have you not heard what Allāh has
threatened the slanderers with? Has Allāh not prohibited you when He
says, ‘Nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you
like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it’
[49:12]. Is this not amongst the major sins? Hasan al-Basri (may Allāh
be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (blessing and
peace be upon him) said, ‘amongst the major sins is for a man is to
display arrogant behaviour towards the [114] honour of his brother. Ibn
'Umar narrated that the Messenger of (blessing and peace be upon him)
said, ‘Whoever harms a Muslim has harmed me and whoever harms me has
harmed Allāh .’ (al-Jami` al-Saghir).
In any case, I think that you do
acknowledge to the Islam of the Sufis. If so, then why all these
afflictions which has committed you to your cause of defaming their
reputation, since you have defiled them in every form and referred to
them by every vice. If you had excluded anyone amongst them then he
would have interceded for you regarding my correspondence to you. In
this you have generalised by saying, ‘The intended purpose of their
deeds is only to gain access in accumulating the world…’ and other
things with which you have referred them with. Are you not aware of
their asceticism, mortification of appetites and their turning away from
the world, until they have become a proof against people of your kind,
now and in the future?
Have you ever seen the one in whose
heart the love of the world has become firmly established and mixed with
his marrow, that he is able to cut himself off from the pleasures of
the world of today in order to gain mastery over it in the future? This
is one of the most obvious absurdities for the one who is able to use
his reason. How is it possible to leave off something for the purpose of
gaining access to it, even if we should say that their deeds were for
that purpose. Would you have been able to do what they did, sincerely
for the sake of Allāh so that you may be an example if you claim to be
of those who are sincere. Nay ‘It is indeed hard, except to those who
are humble…’ [2:45].
I have scrutinised carefully that which
you have mentioned and found, Allāh knows best, that which you bear is
only envy. In it is some kind of objection that you have towards Allāh
in His allotment. Since He has bestowed upon them and deprived you and
this is Allāh's allotment. Neither they nor you have any access to it.
Do you not know that the company of the dhākirūn who are advanced to the
foremost in guidance, Allāh has promised them the like of that.
Allāh says, ‘God has promised, to those
among you who believe and do righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety
grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to
those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion-
the one which He has chosen for them; [115] and that He will change
(their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security
and peace’ [24:55]. And they have indeed become princes after they were
poor. ‘For God bestows His abundance without measure on whoms He will’
[2:212].
We have most certainly, by Allāh, given
up the world, yet you summoned us, and we became unmindful of it, yet
you attached us, and we will continue to resist it with our hearts,
while she (world) still comes after our track, thus she is one of our
followers and you are one of her followers, ‘That is the decree of
(Him), the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing’ [36:38] whether you like
it or not. But I wish that Allāh pardons you and forgives you before you
quiet down soon, because death is near and that which you have pursued
is difficult. Then, after you presented your slander in detail, you said
with the aim of advice to the Muslims so that they may adhere to your
abominable belief about the dhakirun,
‘So become aware and alert, and do not
become like the misled and deceived ones who have become immersed in
their vessel and we do not speak with them except those of them whom
Allāh has assisted by His Grace and His Honour, and we only speak with
those who have never become immersed in their impure and evil vessel.’
In reply I say: Enough is all this by
which you are occupied in defaming the honour of the dhākirūn, who have
attached themselves to Allāh Most High, and all this is due to lack of
faith, otherwise it would have prevented you from laying attacks on the
dhākirūn and you would have contented yourself with their dhikr whatever
the case may be, because it testifies to the Imān (faith) of its
possessor, just as opposing the dhākirūn would testify to the hypocrisy
of its opponent.
I ought not to prolong the discussion
with one having this description, because some wise men were asked
regarding those like you, ‘Why do you not admonish so and so?’ And they
would say, ‘He has a lock on his heart and its key is lost.’ But I hope
and pray to Allāh that the benefit of what we have written should not be
lost whether it reaches (returns to) you or others beside you, so in
whoever's hand our letter falls, [116] nothing stops him from comparing
between the two speeches and then he lay down one of the books in
respect of the other. I do not absolve myself (of blame), I am only
absolving the doctrine from what you have attributed to it of ignorance,
misguidance and idleness, until the one who has a clear mind is not
deceived by the falsehood which your letter contains, and the
shamelessness that you have pursued in it, with the purpose of deceiving
the servants of Allāh and depreciating what Allāh has elevated, but the
caravans are not hindered by the barking of the dogs.
‘But God will complete (the Revelation of) His Light, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).’ [61:8].
You said in one of your arguments (statements) which you have falsified,
‘Verily for the one who wishes for the
safety and security of his religious and worldly affairs, it is
incumbent on him to observe Allāh 's Holy Book, the sunnah of His
Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the path followed by the
worthy ancestors (may Allāh be satisfied with them all). It is the one
and only path leading towards Allāh , he should also refrain from all
the innovations introduced by the innovators’
This is a word of truth and an authentic
statement, however your intention with it was wrong, namely your
statement, ‘and to refrain from all the innovations introduced by the
innovators’
By this you implied that they are the
Sufis, as well as that which they enjoined upon those whose wish it is
to belong to them, and for the attachment, and for the companionship of
the Murshid etc., Then you referred to yourself as a firm adherent of
the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him),
and assuming the character of the ancestors in word and deed.
What a difference between the two
groups! Like the difference between doubt and certainty. Here I am going
to clear the clouds for you so that you may be just to yourself if you
are of those of reason. By Allāh, what knowledge do you have of Allāh's
Book? Where as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke about
it when he said,
‘Verily the Qur'an has an outer and an inner meaning, and restricted boundaries and boundless horizons.’
In another narration,
‘Verily every verse has an outer and
inner meaning, restricted boundaries and boundless horizons, from seven
to seventy interiors.’
So, have you acquired any of these inner
meanings? Nay! You have never even encompassed its outer meaning, so
where are you from [117] its inner meanings, its restricted boundaries
and boundless horizons. Where is your understanding from the companions’
understanding of Allāh 's Book? Abdullah ibn Abbas has said,
‘If I should tell you what I understand
about the commentary (Tafsir) of the verse in which Allāh says 'Through
the midst of them (all) descends His Command.' [65:12], you would either
stone me or call me a disbeliever (kufr)’
(Shar’ ani mentions this in his book (
Al-Yawakit Wa l-Jawahir).) And most certainly do I say that the meaning
of some of the verses in the Qur'an which has escaped you is much more
than what you have obtained from the entire Qur'an. Such is the aim
(goal) amongst the elect of the Sufis, whom you claim to be your enemy.
This is some of what relates to the Book of Allāh .
As for that which relates to the
sunnah's of Allāh 's Messenger , I say: Verily the Sunnah is an
expression of the way the Prophet was in his speeches, his acts and his
states, and to sum it up: Whatever he spoke was wisdom, his silence was
contemplation, his vision was a education, and his acts were obedience.
As for his state, he was constantly with Allāh. He spent the night with
his Lord, who gives to eat and drink. Where are you from these beautiful
qualities? Do you think that the Sunnah is merely a movement of the
tongue, or an expression of patched clothes? Nay, it is an expression
(means) of following him in his sayings, his acts and his states.
As for the sayings and the acts, some of
these were made possible by implication, and by showing the form
outwardly. As for the (spiritual) states, these can only be obtained
through companionship with the people of spiritual states, whom the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) referred to in his saying,
‘Frequent those whose faces will remind
you of Allāh, whose speech will increase you in knowledge, and whose
acts will awaken your desire for the Hereafter.’
The Sunnah in general is an expression
of exalted morals and spiritual states, resembled in the Prophet. It is
like a magnet for the one in whom it is found, attracting unto it
special virtues, like the character of the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) which used to attract those who were in front of him, until
everyone who associated with him (blessings and peace be upon him)
adopted his character without being aware.
If you had your share (of it), you would
have refined the followers [118] with your character. You would have
trained them, like yourself, to be much silent; illuminated their inside
by your radiance, until the spiritual state emanating from you would be
enough as a form of education. Because it is purer and more eloquent
than the speech of the tongue, in the sight of the people with the
spiritual state.
However, everything is acquired from the
people of its kind. So if you were to frequent the Sufis for a very
short period of time with a special character of slave-hood, which is
the intrinsic requirement, derived from the verse in the Holy Qur'an ‘O
ye men! It is ye that have need of God: but God is the One Free of all
wants, worthy of all praise’ [35:15]; then their exhortation (eminence)
would have touched you, and their state (citation) would have made you
happy, and your qualities would have been transformed. ‘God will change
the evil of such persons into good’ [25:70], They did not obtain those
exalted states, except through their application of the Prophetic Sunnah
and following the way of the pious ancestors, until they were the
worthy ancestors in every community for those who came after them.
Shaykh Abū Madyan (may Allah be pleased with him) says in praise of
them,
‘A people of distinct character wherever they dismount
There the traces of their perfume is left behind’
Furthermore, I wish to inquire from you:
Do you think that your inner state possesses that which the companions
of Allāh’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) possessed of the
Divine sciences and hidden secrets? If so, the distinction of the
community of Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) would be lost.
If the hidden secret of revelation were to circulate in the minds of the
general people, there would be no benefit in occupying oneself
exclusively with Allāh and turning one’s face towards Him. No exalted
mind would hold this view. Everyone knows that what the secrets of the
elect encompass of Divine Knowledge, is unlike that which is circulated
by the general people and this is why Zainul Abidin said,
‘O My Lord! A jewel of knowledge, if I were to proclaim it
They would accuse me of being an idol worshipper.
The muslims would declare my blood permissible.
And they would consider the worse things done to me as beautiful.’[119]
And similar to this is what the Sultan of the lovers has said,
‘And beyond the words of the text lies a knowledge too subtle
To be grasped by sound intelligence
I obtained it, from and through my soul did I take it
And it was my soul that stretched out towards the gift’
Were it not for this and its like, there
would be no need for a spiritual guide in the path of Allāh, whom you
have rejected according to what is understood by your statement.
You said,
‘As for their saying, 'He who has no Shaykh, Shaytan is his Shaykh'.
What is meant by Shaykh here is an
expert and a knower of Allāh , who teaches people the matters of the
religion, so that they do not acquire knowledge by themselves, and form
their own opinions. What is meant by Shaykh is not the ignorant Shaykh
of the path, to whom the Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him)
referred to when he said,
'At the end of time there will be ignorant worshippers and sinful reciters of the Qur'an.'
This is a most outrageous lie. If you say that what is meant by their saying,
‘He who has no Shaykh, then Shaytan is his Shaykh’,
What they mean by it is the Shaykh who
is a teacher, because everyone acknowledges to the falseness of your
statement; even the teacher himself will tell you, what they mean by the
Shaykh is the Shaykh who guides towards the special knowledge of Allāh .
He is the one through whose companionship the disciple benefits, from
whom he learns refinement of character. His inward is illuminated by his
radiance. He is the one who connects the disciple to Allāh by his
glance. The Shaykh is the one who takes the disciple from the darkness
of associationism towards the light of faith, from the light of faith
towards the secret of certainty, from the secret of certainty towards
the occurrence of witnessing and from the occurrence of witnessing, to
being non-existent in creation. Here it is when the ‘Truth’ becomes his
ears, his eyes, his hands and his feet, as mentioned in the authentic
Prophetic narration. This is the aim of proximity (to Allāh ). The slave
becomes extinct from the proximity (of his being) to the ultimate
proximity.
This is sometimes given the expressions
of concealment, extinction, annihilation and effacement, amongst other
terminologies of theirs. Such are the fruits of Sufism that are unknown
to you. It is with this definition that Imām Junayd defined [120]
Sufism, when he was asked about it,:
‘Sufism is that the Truth (Al-Haqq) should cause you to die within yourself and resurrect you in Him.’
So tell me, in the name of Allāh, do you
have a share in that which we have mentioned? You are classified in
accordance with your adherence to that which we have presented of the
(spiritual) ranking.. If such is your case, their saying: ‘he who has no
Shaykh, Shaytan is his Shaykh ‘, implies you. In my opinion, your
remoteness from this is inversely proportionate to the desired nearness.
It is outright rejection. This is what concerns us about your
situation. However, if you have denied the ecstacy of the one who has
this description, the matter would have been much easier. If we were to
give you advice in particular, it would be said to you: strive sincerely
and you will find a guide (murshid); become a companion for a short
while, then you may refute this matter. If you say there is no need for
the well versed, in the exoteric sciences, to seek the companionship of
someone to guide him to that which is hidden from him of the Divine
Secrets, then we say, the story of Musa with Khidr (may Allāh's peace he
upon them) is a proof against you and those of your kind. What we have
compiled is sufficient for the one who is rightly guided. ‘And seeing
that they guide not themselves thereby, they will say, ‘This is an old
falsehood!’ [46:11].
KEYWORDS
A TRANSLATION OF SHAYKH AL-`ALAWI’S AL-RISĀLAH AL-QAWL AL-MA`RŪF FĪ AL-RADD `ALĀ MAN ANKARA AL-TASAWWUF M. M. HENDRICKS
A TRANSLATION OF SHAYKH AL-`ALAWI’S AL-RISĀLAH AL-QAWL AL-MA`RŪF FĪ AL-RADD `ALĀ MAN ANKARA AL-TASAWWUF M. M. HENDRICKS
`ārif, bid’ah, dhikr, Hadrah, Haqīqah,
`ibādah, ijtihād, Islām, imān, Ihsān, Ma`rifah, Murshid, Muqaddam, Nafs,
Shaykh al-`Alāwī, Sufīsm, Sufī practices, Sufī thought, Revealed Law,
Tarīqah al-`Alawiyah, Zāwiyah.
GLOSSARY OF ARABIC TERMS
- adhkār (pl.) Dhikr (sing.) remembrance and invocation of the name of Allāh. Every action or utterance made for the sake of Allāh can be regarded as dhikr.
- ahkām Sacred Principles and Laws of Islamic legislation
- Ahl al-Sunnah Followers of the example of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him)
- `ajzā’ A portion of the Divine Book revealed to Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him)
- al-`ibādah Worship and devotion to Allāh
- al-ishāra Allegory
- al-karāhah Offensive
- al-nadab Desired
- al-wujūb Obligatory
- `ārif Knower of Allāh. Lives in the Divine Presence
- `ayān Witnessing
- bid`ah Innovation.
- burhān Evidence
- dalīl Proof
- dhākirun (pl.) Dhākir (sing.). Those who remember and invoke Allāh much.
- dhikr see adhkar (pl.) above
- dhikrullāh Frequent remembrance and invocation of Allāh.
- Din The religion of submission to Allāh.It implies a return to man’s inherent nature.
- diwan A collection of spiritual poems
- `Id Festival, celebration
- fard Compulsory, obligatory
- fard kifāyah A duty which is imposed on the whole Muslim community.
- If this duty is discharged by some, the rest are exonerated.
- If not, the whole community bears responsibility and blame, e.g. protecting the community.
- fatāwa (pl.) fatwa (singular). Legal opinion or judgement of jurists andreligious scholars.
- Fuqahā’ Muslim jurists
- hadith (sing.) Ahadith (pl). Documented traditions of the teachings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), recorded by his Companions and Family.
- hadrah Sacred dance of the Sufis
- harām Unlawful
- hajj Sacred pilgrimage to Mecca
- haqiqah The enduring essence of religion which transcends time. Divine Truth is unchanging. This esoteric knowledge is also called Sufism.
- Ibādah Worship, prayer and devotion to Allāh.
- ihsān One of the three stations of Islam. A striving for excellence and perfection of faith which is rooted in a constant awareness of Allāh. When asked about ihsan the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) said, ‘…that you worship Allāh as if you see Him for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.’
- ijma` The consensus of the Muslim community which gives legitimacy to legal decisions.
- ijtihad The striving and effort of scholars to arrive at a judgement
- The “independent” reasoning and research used to apply Islamic legislation to contemporary conditions. During the fourteenth century the “gates of ijtihad” were declared closed and scholars were expected to rely on the legal decisions of past authorities instead of using their own insights.
- ilhām Inspiration
- imān Faith based on knowledge. Firm belief and trust in Allāh.
- ishara isharāt (pl.). Allusion, allegory
- Islam Religion of submission to the oneness of Allāh. Monotheism.
- istinbāt Derivations, deductions.
- Jibril The Archangel Gabriel
- Jamā`ah A group
- Ka`bah A cube-shaped structure in Mecca. The first house of worship for mankind.
- kashf Raising a curtain or veil-unveiling. Essential knowledge. Direct intuition
- Khalaf The later followers.
- Khalifah The Rightly-Guided Companions and Successors of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace on them all).
- Lā ilāha illallāh There is no deity except Allāh, no reality except The Reality
- ma’rifah Knowledge which brings one closer to Allāh
- madhāhib (pl.) Madh-hab (sing.).In fiqh it refers to schools of thought, which one follows as far as Islamic legislation is concerned.
- Marwa A hill in Mecca which forms part of a sacred rite in the pilgrimage. Brisk walking/running from Safa, another hill to Marwa is a historical re-enactment of Hajar’s search for water for the baby Ismail. She was the wife of Prophet Abraham (on whom be peace).
- mu’adh-dhin Those who announce and call the congregation to prayer.
- muhaddith A transmitter of Prophetic traditions.
- mujtahid (s) Mujtahidun (pl).One who exerts himself,strives and makes an effort . A religious scholar who does research.
- munkar Evil. The wrong action.
- muqaddam Represents the murshid /spiritual guide
- murāqabah Fear of Allāh. Watchfulness and vigilance
- murid Disciple of a spiritual guide and a member of a spiritual order
- Murshid A spiritual guide in a Sufi order.
- nafs The soul which is different from the Spirit (ruh) or Intellect (aql)
- qasidah An ode
- qirā’ah Reading
- Qur’an : The Divine Book revealed to Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him).
- qutub In Sufism it is the Pole of a spiritual hierarchy.
- rububiyyah Lordship
- Safa see Marwa above.
- salaf Predecessors
- salaf al-sālihPious predecessors
- sahih An authentic tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), compiled by Imām Bukhari and Imām Muslim (may Allah be pleased with both of them).
- samā` Audition. Hearing. Sessions of spiritual music.
- sanad Reliable chain of transmitters
- shadātayn The witnessing or declaration of faith that there is no deity but Allāh and Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) is His final Messenger.
- Shari `ah Sacred revealed law. Each Messenger brought new laws according to the epoch and people they were sent to.Shari`ah (exoterism) varies but haqiqah (esoterism / Divine Truth) prevails and transcends time.
- Sunnah Sacred practices established through the example of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), and the deeds of others which he condoned. It was documented by his Family and Companions and integrated into Islamic Law.
- tābi’un Followers of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be on them all).
- tafsir Exegis. The explanation and analysis of verses of the Quran and a study of the historical context of the Revelation (sabab al-nuzul. Levels of interpretation of verses.
- talqin To instruct, inculcate, to inspire or teach. Spiritual initiation.
- tariqah A spiritual order. A road, a path, a way to draw closer to Allah.
- tartil Slow recitation
- tawaf Circumambulation around the House of Allāh - the Ka’ba in Makkah
- tawhid The Divine unity of Allāh. Muslims strive to integrate their personal and social lives their priorities and institutions to reflect this Oneness and the and the sovereignty of Allāh.
- `ubudiyyah Slavehood
- wajl A state resulting from the extreme consciousness of Allāh, Where the subject is fearfully wary of the Divine Presence.
- Waliyy Saint. Friend of Allāh
- Zabur Psalms of Prophet Dawud. (may Allah be pleased with him).
- Zakāh Purity. The term used for a fived tax proportionate to capital and income which is paid by Muslims to aid the poor. It is also used to support religious and social institutions.
- Zāwiyah Meeting place for Sufi gatherings and circles of Remembrance.
NOTES
- 1 This is an experience that is tasted on a deeply spiritual plane.
- 2 This applies to the first generation of Followers (Tābi`īn) who came immediate after the Companions / contemporaries of the holy Prophet Muhammad (blessing and peace be upon him).
- 3 I will only be giving the Christian era dates from this point onwards without using c.e.
- 4 Al-munqidminal-Dalāl, Deliverancce from Error
- 5 This is a term used to refer to the Sunni Muslims in general and are the followers of the perfect example of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him)
- 6 Stimulation for the Readers
- 7 those Sufis who have attained to the Knowledge of Allāh.
- 8 Meeting places of the Sufi gatherings
- 9 This is the famous authentichadith reported in al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
- 10 In the appendix of the edition of one of Shaykhal-`Alawi’s books, which we had reprinted, he acknowledges the ShaykhSidi `Addah as the successor of the Shaykhal-`Alawi.
- 11 One who lives within the Divine Presence and attained to the Divine Knowledge of Allāh.
- 12 See the following websites Ahmed Ben Mostapha Ben Aliwa dit al-Alawi - Les Amis du Cheikh Ahmed al-Alawi and http://www.uga.edu/islam/sufimorders.html#Shadhili ] for more information on the various offshoots of the Tarīqah `Alāwiyah.
- 13 The Divine Gifts
- 14 Date of publication is given as 1355 a.h. which we have converted to 1935 c.e.
- 15 O n his forbidding of keeping company with the worst of people, on his forbidding accompanying people who make claims, introducing the Shaykh of instruction, on useful knowledge, on dhikr and sitting with the people of dhikr, on fear and watchfulness (murāqabah), on surrender and committing one's affairs to God, on dependence on God, on need and its virtues, on surrender and contentment, on sincerity, on love and longing, on the appearance of tawh ī d and the annihilation of the slaves, on the states of the people after their annihilation, on their sayings after their annihilation, on their actions and their constancy, on obscurity and its virtues. This shows that the Shaykh had a great depth of understanding concerning the spiritual path.
- 16 Narrated by Abū Dāwud, Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, Ahmad , al-Hākim and Ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh on the authority of Abū Dardā'
- 17 This refers to those attached to a Sufi order.
- 18 Narrated in Musnad al-Imām Ahmad and by al-h abrānī on the authority of Abū 'Umāmah from his father Sah l ibn Hunayf (the companion)
- 19 Narrated in al-Tirmīdhī and Musnad al-Imām Ahmad on the authority of Abū al-Dardā'
- 20 Narrated by al-Tirmīdhī and al-Bayhaqī in his Sunan.
- 21 The Arabic word is dhākirūn. It can either be translated as invoker or rememberer of God. I have chosen the former
- 22 These are people who have arrived to the Knowledge of Allāh (Sufis).
- 23 The Sunnah
- 24 Narrated in al-Bukharī and Musnad al-Imām Ahmad with slight differences in wording
- 25 His name is Ibrahim ibn Al-Laqqāni
- 26 Narrated by al-Bayhaqī in Shu`ab al-'Īmān on the authority of AbūDharr
- 27 Narrated in Musnad al-'Imām Ahmad , al-Quāī and al-h ilyah by Abū Nu`aym on the authority of Abū Hurayrah.
- 28 A similarh adīth is narrate by al-Bayhaqī in his book Shu`ab al-'Īmān (Branches of Faith)
- 29 Musnad al-Imām Ahmad and al-Tabrānī
- 30 Narrated by al- Bukhārī and Muslim and others
- 31 Narrated by al- Bukhārī and Muslim
- 32 Narrated by al-Dārqutnī in al-Afrād, by al-Tabrānī in al-Kabīr and by al-Khatīb in al-Tārīkh on the authority of both Abū Hurayrah and Abū al-Dardā
- 33 Ascribing partners with Allāh
- 34 Narrated by al-Tabrānī on the authority of Ibn `Abbās and in Musnad al-Imām Ahmad on the authority of Jarīr ibn `Abdullah ibn Jābir, al-Bukhāri, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abū Dāwūd narrate it with a slight difference in wording.
- 35 ImāmAhmad narrated this first part in his Musnad with a sound chain
- 36 Narrated by Ibn Abdul Barr on the authority of Anas with a weak chain. The second part is narrated by Al-Tabrānī also with a weak chain of narrators. The above verdicts are taken from al-`Ajlūni in his encyclopedia on popular narrations titled Kashf al-Iltibās.
- 37 The literal translation is 'the truthful ones'. However here it refers to the `arifūn according to Ibn `Ajibah in his tafsir of surah 4: 69 . This is taken from Ibn Ajibah book al-Bahr al-madid fi tafsir al-majid.
- 38 This refers to the spiritual guides in Sufism (Murshid)
- 39 Referring to the Prophetic narration, ‘the best of you are those who are from my time, then those who follow them, then those who follow them’. Narrated by al- Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, al-Timidhi and Al-Nasā-i on the authority of `Imrān ibn Husayn.
- 40 This refers to Muslims in general.
- 41 He wrote an introductory text on Arabic morphology or word construction. His name is `Izzudīn Ibrahim ibn `Abdul Wahab. He died after the year 655 hijri (notes from Kashf al-Thunun under the topic of sarf).
- 42 Introductory text on Arabic grammar.
- 43 This text is an injunction of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) as related by al- Bukhārī on the authority if Abū Hurayrah.
- 44 Narrated by al-Khatib in his Tarikh on the authority of Zayd Ibn Arqam (Kanz al-Ummaal).
- 45 Narrated by al- Bukhārī and Muslim
- 46 Narrated by Muslim, Tirmidhi,Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasā-i and others
- 47 He is Muh ammad ibn `Àrafah al-Dussuqi al-Māliki (d 1230 hijri /1815 c.e). One of the great Maliki scholars of his time. He wrote ah ashiyah supercommentary on the commentary of Ahmad Dirdir al-`Adawi on the Mukhtar al-Khalil.
- 48 This is an obligation, which is binding on all members of the Muslim community, but if some do it then the rest are absolved from it.
- 49 An Arabic expression for the two articles of faith; La ilaha illa Allāh and Muh ammad Rasul Allāh .
- 50 Narrated by Muslim , Abū Dāwūd and others.
- 51 Meaning his [Makki’s] real intent has been exposed.
- 52 An author who wrote a treatise on Bidàh (innovation)
- 53 The adherents to the Sufi paths.
- 54 Al-Karāhah (disapproval) refers to the jurists definition of a deed which is considered disliked by the lawgiver even though it is permissible.
- 55 Those who followed the pure doctrine of what Islam as brought by the Prophet and also carried on by the pious predecesors
- 56 People who have met the companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
- 57 There is no deity save Allāh
- 58 Refers to a method of learning by repetition; rote-learning.
- 59 Imām Ahmad in his Musnad has also narrated this Prophetic narration.
- 60 Unfortunately ‘shaqiyyī ‘ also means the one who is lost, i.e. they will gain the Divine satisfaction (ridā)
- 61 Narrated by Imām al-Bukharī and others
- 62 Narated by Ibn Mājah
- 63 He is Ibrahim ibn Mar`i ibn `Atiyyah as-Shabrakhiti the Egyptian and Maliki scholar. He died 1106 hijri. One of the foremost scholars of Egypt in his time. He studied under Shaykh Al-Ajhūri. He wrote a momentous commentary on the mukhtasr al-khalil [the standard Maliki text on fiqh] and a commentary on the forty Prophetic narrations of al-Nawawi as well as other works. al-Dussūqi included excerpts of al-Shabrakhiti's comments in his super-commentary of mukhtasr al-khalil.
- 64 Abdurrahman ibn Abū Bakr al-Suyuti al-Shāfi was the foremost scholar of his time and a prolific writer. His is the author of over 500 books in almost all sciences. He spent the last two decades of his life in seclusion busing himself with studying and writing. He died 911 hijri.
- 65 Muh ammad ibn Ya`qub ibn Muh ammad Al-Fayruzābādi , Abū al-Tahir. Born in 729 ah in Kāzrun. He studied the Arabic language intensely until he became the best of his contemporaries. He went to Sham after 750 ah and many students came to study under him. He traveled to various Muslim cities. He was appointed the chief judge in Yemen.
- 66 The full name of the book is Tuhfah Ahl Al-Futūhāt wal-Adhwāq whose author is al-Bunāni.
- 67 Prophetic narration from al-Bukhāri and Muslim.
- 68 The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said, I am in accordance to the opinion that my slave has of me.
- 69 Ùmar ibn-Farid
- 70 In reference to Prophet Ibrahim
- 71 A more complete meaning of the term (wajl) would be to describe it as a state resulting from extreme consciousness of God, where the subject is fearfully wery of the Divine Presence.
- 72 This term probably refers to a state of physical death. This might also refer to swooning.
- 73 Dhawq is normally referred to by the Sufis as a spiritual experience.
- 74 This means if you do not use it constructively it passes you by and you lose the opportunities it afforded. Perhaps a similar English idiom refers ‘Procrastination is the thief of time
- 75 The reality here refers to the Knowledge of God.
- 76 This is the text quoted by Ibn Ajiba in his commentary on 'al-Mabahith Asliyyah'.
- 77 This is what is referred to as the sacred dance of the Sufis.
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