ummtaalib

For no less than 27 years for Umm e Rabaya, that day was not to come. For 27 years she lay in wait for her husband, Abu Abdur-Rehman Farokh who as a pious young man had left her pregnant with his child in the path of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, for close to three decades years she lay in wait, or perhaps given up hope of ever seeing him again, alive. Yet all along, she persevered, she brought up her son in the best manner possible with the resources she had, she proved to be a great wife and a mother, but more than that, she proved to be a greater servant of Deen, a strong and intelligent woman, she well knew what it was to live and sacrifice for a bigger cause. For close to three decades, she didn’t complain about the grievances, or inconveniences caused due to going through the rigors of life and bringing up a kid all by herself, living almost like a widow not knowing whether her husband was alive or dead, she didn’t complain, for she knew Deen didn’t and doesn’t spread by sitting at home, or doing empty talk, or through forums and blogs, for she knew Deen spread through sacrifice of one’s health, wealth and time, by leaving home and hearth, leaving family and relatives you lived with to live and work with total strangers and leaving familiarity and congeniality and embracing change, all for the sake of Deen, for she knew just as the Prophets (Peace be upon them all) did, Deen needed to be spread among the uninformed, the ignorant and even the hostile and for this she knew she had to leave conveniences and adopt inconveniences: Her husband leaving her young and pregnant was a great source of anxiety and inconvenience but she hung on, persevered, showing great patience for she knew this bearing of inconvenience was her sacrifice for the sake of Deen. And more importantly, a lesson for all Muslim women to come until the Last Day. She knew… Inconvenience is Sacrifice. The Heartrending Story of Umm e Rabaya. A Story Of Patience, Perseverance And Suffering for the Sake of Deen. She was the mother of Imam Abu ‘Uthman Rabaya Ar-Rai (RA) (obit: 136 H / 753 AD). She was married to a pious young man Abu Abdur Rehman Farokh, a native of Madinah who was the slave of the Bani Tamim. Imam Rabaya was still unborn when his father Abu Abdur Rehman Farokh had to leave for the campaign of Khurasan. He gave thirty thousand gold coins (in some accounts three thousand) to his wife before he left and told her that the money was all he had. He asked her to keep the money with care. “I have the intention to enter upon business if I return safe from the battle field. You can spend, however, out of this money in my absence if ever it needs as much as you want. When you shall be blessed with son or daughter after me, let the child be brought up nicely.” Saying this, he bade farewell to his wife and joined the Muslim troops in Damascus. A chain of conquests had opened loose for Muslims. One campaign after the other until twenty-seven years passed since he had left his home to participate in J!h@d. During all those years, neither he could return home nor could establish any contact. A son was born to his wife back home who was named Rabaya. Umm e Rabaya was a sagacious and farsighted lady. Though the distance between her and her husband had discolored her life yet she brought up her son excellently. She managed a high standard of education for her promising son until all the money her husband had left was spent. Rabaya turned to be very intelligent and hard working. He memorized the Holy Quran in very early age and within a few years, mastered the learning of Quran, Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and literature. The fame of his erudition spread across Arabia. He was a recognized as an Imam (authority). People called him Imam Rabaya Ar-Rai. Imam Rabaya delivered his discourse daily in Mosque of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) (Masjid e Nabwi in Madinah Munawwarah) and the seekers of knowledge would come from distant places to attend his lectures. Some of those learners later became great Imam’s (leaders of Islam) themselves. The prominent among them were Imam Malik, Imam Sufyan Thori and Imam Awzai !! After a long twenty-seven years, Abdur Rehman Farokh could take leave of J!had and set out for his homeland. After a long journey he entered Madinah Munawwarah with elegance, riding on a thoroughbred horse, the sword fastened along his side and a long spear in his hand. He knocked at the door with the point of spear. Imam Rabaya came out. Both father and the son did not know each other. Farokh’s hasty and un-hesitant entry into the house was checked by his son Imam Rabaya, who said. “Who are you to enter my home without permission?” So asked Imam Rabaya. Abdur Rehman Farokh replied: “I fear, you are not in your senses. I am entering my house not yours. Who are you, poking your nose?!” The exchange of heated words raised their voices. The neighbors gathered to hear the uproar. Each of them was threatening the other to take him to the higher authorities. Some one informed Imam Malik. He immediately reached. He addressed Abdur Rehman Farokh tenderly and asked why he was entering the house of a noble man and why he does not go somewhere else. At that, the stranger introduced himself and said. “I am Abdur Rehman Farokh”. This is my own house. I had gone to J!h@d and now returned after 27 years but no one knows me.“ (Pause here and try to feel the pain in his words^ – Blog author) Hearing the voice of Abdur Rehman Farokh, his wife peeped through the chink of the door and recognized her husband at once. She called in both Imam Rabaya and Abdur Rehman Farokh to tell Imam Rabaya that the elegant stranger was his father. She told Abdur-Rehman that the son was born a few months after his departure. Both the father and son embraced while the eyes of both were wet with tears of joy. After he had dined and taken rest, he asked his wife about the thirty thousand gold dinars he had left. The great lady assured him that all the amount was safe. Meanwhile time came of prayer and the lecture. Imam Rabaya went to Mosque of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as he heard the Azaan (Call for prayer). The wife asked Abu Abdur Rehman to say prayer in the Nabwi Mosque. He went and saw there a graceful young man surrounded by respectful listeners. The speaker was his own son, the great Imam Rabaya but because he was putting on tarboosh on his head, he could not recognize him from the distance. He asked someone who the noble man was? “Do you not know him ?!!” the person said with surprise “He is Imam Rabaya Ar-Rai ibn Abdur-Rehman !!” An un-narratable happiness overwhelmed him to hear this and the tears welled up from his eyes with gratitude to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. He spontaneously said, “Great thanks be to Allah who raised the name of my son.” He came home, delighted and told his wife that the reverence and veneration which was extended to his son, he never observed before anyone else. “Do you prefer the dignity and respect of your son or the thirty thousand gold coins?” the wife put the meaningful question. Abdur Rehman replied “I swear by Allah, the thirty thousands is equal to nothing compared to the honor and obedience accorded to him.” “Then listen, I have spent all that money to educate him and adorn him with these qualities” the wife said. Abdur Rehman Farokh replied: “No better use of the money could be done than this one. You, by spending the money have made my son, The King of the Empire which has no fear of decline and fall.“ The.Ijtema® Conclusion Imam Rabaya is counted among the A’immah Taba’in (The leader Successors to the Companions of the Prophet Muhammed [Peace be upon him]). He was a man of great knowledge. His erudition commanded veneration from most respected scholars, Islamic jurists and even from the kings and queens. He achieved this pride and glory because of the farsightedness, intelligence and most importantly the sacrifice of his mother who did not endear the wealth for the education of her child. Not only this but she proved to be a great servant of Deen, just imagine, 27 years…close to 3 decades spent (pause here and re-read) without the love and support of her husband all through when she was young and middle aged, if Abdur Rehman Farokh had done that today, he’d have a flurry of fatwas against him and who knows, even protests from Women’s Rights Organizations !! People would even ask: “Is this Deen?”. Nay, this is the result of forgetting the Prophetic efforts. YES, this is Deen and not for nothing did Allah – the Sustainer of the Worlds reward them with a son who would go on to become the Imam of Imam’s of Fiqh – No less than Imam Malik himself !! Just look how Allah rabbul izzat, right in this world itself, elevated the status of the slaves who committed to the efforts of Deen with sincerity, patience, and steadfastness. I have seen this happening over and over again in the effort of Tabligh where normal people (slaves of today who are looked down upon by people) and who over generations have never even had a Hafidh of the Quran are now proud parents of Hafidh’s, Qari’s, Aalim’s and Mufti’s – The Imam’s of the Age – Due to the patience and perseverance of the men and more importantly the women of the house – inshaAllah a sign of acceptance. Ameen. Sources: (Taba’in-Ghulaman Islam) Leading Ladies: Women Who Made a Difference in the Lives of Others theijtema.com

The Forgotten History of Madrasah Sawlatiyya (Islamic school) in Makkah Mukarramah. As salaamu alaii kumm wa rahmatullahi wa barakath, Maulana Rahmatullah Kayranvi (may Allah have mercy on him) (1818-1891) – the Indian origin scholar of the Islamic sciences including jurisprudence best known for his magnum opus ‘Izhar ul Huq or The Truth Revealed!‘ was a honorable warrior in the battle for freedom (also known as the Sepoy Mutiny or The 1857 Uprising) from the British occupied India which took place in 1857. The uprising failed due to various reasons, and Maulana Kayranvi who also happens to be a descendant of the third caliph of Muslims, Caliph Usman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) migrated to Makkah Mukarrama via Mocha, Yemen (where he arrived aboard a ship from Bombay, India). He actually walked the distance of about 600 miles (970 kilometers) from Mocha, Yemen to Makkah which took him about 2 years !! After having migrated to the sacred land, he intended to set up an Islamic seminary but scarcity of resources proved to be a real hurdle. Then the help of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala descended. Begum Sawlatunnisa (may Allah have mercy on her), a woman known for her generosity and a descendant of the pious Muslim ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore in South India, Hadrath Tipu Sultan (may Allah have mercy on him) (1750-1799) who fought against the hegemony of the English till his last breath (he died a martyr on the battlefield fighting against them in the fourth Anglo Mysore war) and who is said to be the descendant of the tribe of Quraish of Makkah (the tribe the last Prophet of God, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) belonged to) happened to visit the Holy land (probably for the pilgrimage) around that time. While there, she received news regarding the setting up of the institution. She supported the proposal and donated a considerable amount of 30,000 (currency is not known, even though 30,000 rupees at that time too would have been a lot of money) for the noble cause. It was then that Maulana Rahmatullah Kayranvi attributed the school to her and named it ‘Madrasah Sawlatiyya’ (founded in 1875 / 1292 H) which continues to exist even to this day (a span of 138 years) and tens of thousands have been educated in the Islamic sciences since then. The.Ijtema Conclusion “He who guides to what is good will have a reward equivalent to that of him who acts upon it” (Mishkaat Shariff, No. 209) Maulana Kayranvi passed away 16 years later in 1891. Not much is known about Begum Sawlattunnisa after this, not even her death. Probably, she’ll be nothing more than a mere footnote in the pages of history. Yet, in the light of the Glorious Quran and the above Ahadith among many, I leave it to you to calculate the rewards they have and continue to acquire in the hereafter. References: 1. مسلمان خواتین کی دینی اور علمی خدمات 2. Pg. No. 208, ‘Leading Ladies Who Made a Difference in the Lives of Others’ by Mufti Abdul Qadir. 3. Pg. No. 36, ‘Women and Waqf – A Series of Translations on Philanthropic and Voluntary Work’ by Imam Mohammad Al Humaidan, Dept. of Studies and External Relations (Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation). 4. Wikipedia 5. Image courtesy: Internet. Wa alaii kumm as salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakath theijtema.com

Question I read through the questions and answers regarding the following of the four imams. I still feel confused about this because you gave examples of imam shafi'i's and imam Abu hanifa's teaching about bleeding and wudu. Why is it that we have to follow a single imam? Why can’t we look for the most authentic source and follow that because prophet Muhammad SAWS taught us one way not many ways on a certain aspect. Yes I believe that the four imams were great people and they did follow Qur'an and Sunnah. But why are there different teachings? It should be more or less the same teachings. Imam bukhari quoted from many authentic sources, and many seem to be close to shafi'i teachings. You said mixing and matching is condemned. But all the imams said themselves "if you find anything of that goes against the Quran and Sunnah, then through mine over the wall and follow that". All for imams are correct but shafi'i teaching says to raise hand to level of the shoulder when going ruku and sajda, saying Ameen loudly after surah fatihah, standing ankle to ankle and shoulder to shoulder in salaah. where imam Abu hanifah just says shoulder to shoulder. Also these are to be authentic sources also from imam bukhari's research. So how can all imams be correct if there is different ways of prayer when prophet muhammad SAWS taught us one way? etc etc..... It doesn’t make sense. How does contradiction come into this if there is one teaching and one way? There would be no contradiction. Please sheikh if you can through some light into this for me and many that are on the same boat as me. Jazakallah Khair Answer In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Another Angle of Taqleed We would firstly like to apologize for a much belated reply. Your query consists of the following questions: Why are there differences of opinion? Why do we have to follow one Imam? Why can’t we look for the most authentic views? If a narration is authentic it is my mad’hab? How does contradiction come about? Below we shall discuss the above mentioned questions together with some other important points under separate headings. Why are there differences of opinions? There are many reasons which contribute to why there exist differences of opinion. The nature of the Arabic language, the pronunciation of words, diacritical marks (i’rāb), method of transmitting any narration, the criteria for accepting any narration are just some of the many reasons which leads to differences of opinions. Before proceeding, it is important to understand that one bounty which Allah Ta’ala favoured on this ummah is that differences of opinion are not only allowed but considered as a mercy. If differences of opinion were something bad we would not have found any differences in the golden era of the honourable sahabah رضوان الله تعالى عليهم اجمعينwho were in the company of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. In fact, when we study the noble Quran we find that many places Allah Ta’ala left open for differences. If He wished he could have cleared things right from the inception. Regarding the iddah (waiting period) of a divorcee Allah Ta’ala mentions: { والمطلقات يتربصن بأنفسهن ثلاثة قروء (228)} A divorcee should keep herself for three quroo (2:228) What is the meaning of quroo? Does it mean impure period (menstruation) or pure period (between the menses)? Sahabah رضوان الله تعالى عليهم اجمعينhad differences amongst themselves. Great personalities the likes of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله تعالى عنهand others opine that it is haidh, whereas other great personalities the like of Sayyidatuna Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنهاopine that it refers to the clean period. Had differences of opinion been disliked in the shariah, Allah Ta’ala would have simply changed the word and make the meaning clear. Differences of Opinion Arising from the Understanding of the Noble Qurān: Difference in the tafseer (interpretation) of a word. Above we have discussed an example. There is a difference in the tafseer of the word quroo and therefore difference in the ruling. Could shadh (isolated) methods of recitation be used in establishing a ruling? There are various modes and methods in which the Noble Qurān could be recited. Some methods are well established whilst others are not. Those methods which are not so well established are known as shadh or isolated modes of recitation. Some scholars accept shadh recitations as sufficient enough proof to establish a ruling whilst others stand to differ. Ulamā who accept the usage of shadh methods of recitation as a legitimate means of establishing any ruling would conclude differently from those who do not accept it. An example of this is the ruling regarding keeping fast of kaffārah of breaking an oath; should it be continuous or not. The normal famous Qirā’ah reads as: لا يؤاخذكم الله باللغو في أيمانكم ولكن يؤاخذكم بما عقدتم الأيمان فكفارته إطعام عشرة مساكين من أوسط ما تطعمون أهليكم أو كسوتهم أو تحرير رقبة فمن لم يجد فصيام ثلاثة أيام ذلك كفارة أيمانكم إذا حلفتم واحفظوا أيمانكم كذلك يبين الله لكم آياته لعلكم تشكرون (89) Allah does not hold you accountable for your laghw (ineffectual) oaths, but He does hold you accountable for the oath with which you have bound yourself. Its expiation is to feed ten poor persons at an average of what you feed your family with, or to clothe them, or to free a slave. However, if someone cannot afford a slave, he has to fast for three days. That is expiation for the oaths that you have sworn. Take care of your oaths. That is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may be grateful. [5:89] However, the Qirā’ah of Sayyiduna Ubayy and Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله تعالى عنهماreads as: فصيام ثلاثة أيام متتابعات He has to fast for three consecutive days Those scholars who accept this recitation will conclude that the fast needs to be consecutive whereas those who do not accept this recitation will not conclude so. Differences of Opinion Arising from the Noble Ahādith: Our illustrious scholars have laid down some principles and conditions for accepting a narration. Generally there are five conditions for any narration to be considered saheeh. However, we find that there are differences of opinion in establishing these five conditions. Below are two of these conditions with some examples: Continuous chain of narrators. Some scholars like Imām Bukhāri رحمه الله تعالىand others say that in establishing that the chain is continuous it should be proven that every narrator met with the person he is narrating from. To the contrary, other scholars like Imām Muslim رحمه الله تعالى are of the opinion that the mere possibility of the narrator and the one above him meeting is enough in establishing the continuity of the chain[1]. Based on this difference, if there is any narration where it cannot be proven that two narrators met, then according to those scholars who are of the same opinion as Imām Bukhāri رحمه الله تعالى,such a narration cannot be used to establish any ruling. However, those who hold the same opinion as Imām Muslim رحمه الله تعالىwould consider such a narration to be acceptable. The narrators should all be trustworthy. Under this condition the following different points of contention exists: Is it sufficient that the narrator be a Muslim and no criticism has been made against him? Is it sufficient that he appears to be trustworthy or does it have to be confirmed that he is trustworthy? Is it sufficient for one Imām to say he is trustworthy or is it necessary for two Imāms to testify? Which criticisms are acceptable and which are not? Many narrators have been criticized by some and confirmed as trustworthy by others. Whose opinion do you follow? One narrator might have tens of ahadith. Those who accept him will accept all his narrations as well and those who do not accept him will not accept his narrations. Thus, those who accept these narrations will conclude differently from those who do not accept it, thereby ending with a difference in opinion. Sometimes there are contradictory narrations on a topic and both narrations are authentic. For example, what is the preferred time to perform Fajr salāh; should it be performed whilst it is still dark or should it be delayed a little? Vast majority of scholars accept weak narrations in the absence of any strong narration. In fact they give preference to a weak narration over analogy which is an accepted source of Islāmic Jurisprudence. Those scholars whose accept weak narrations in establishing a ruling will differ with those who do not accept weak narrations as strong enough proof. Another reason why we have differences of opinions is that sometimes there are different wordings of a narration. Different scholars chose different wordings which led to difference in the outcome. It is for this reason that scholars, including the muhaddithoon, prefer those narrations which were narrated by fuqahā (jurists) as they understand the implications of different wordings, and thus are more precautious when narrating any narration. An example of this reason is as follows: A narration appears in the Sunan of Imām Abu Dāwood رحمه الله تعالىregarding prayer upon the deceased. The wordings of different narrations differ resulting in a difference in the juristic ruling derived there from. عن ابن أبى ذئب حدثنى صالح مولى التوأمة عن أبى هريرة قال قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « من صلى على جنازة فى المسجد فلا شىء عليه » سنن أبى داود Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah رضي الله تعالى عنهnarrates that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلمsaid: “Whoever prays over a deceased in the masjid, then there is nothing against him”. Other narrations have the wordings: “Then there is nothing for him”. Those scholars who take the wordings of “then there is nothing against him” permit salāh on the deceased in the masjid, and to the contrary those who take the wording “then there is nothing for him” disapprove of salāh on the deceased in the masjid. In Arabic the difference is between لَهand عَلَيْه. This is one book, one narration, from one Sahābi with the difference of just two letters yet the whole ruling changes. The cause of this is not that anybody changed any narration on their own accord, but this is how the hadith was narrated. From this we can see how intricate the Arabic language is. This leads us to another reason of why we have differences of opinions. The manner of pronouncing or reading the i’rab (diacritical mark) of any word also leads to differences of opinions. If a person slaughters an animal and a foetus comes out from the womb of the mother, does the foetus need to be slaughtered or shall the slaughtering of the mother suffice? ذكاة الجنين ذكاةَ ُامه (مسلم) The slaughtering of the foetus is the slaughtering of the mother. The word ذكاةwhen read with a dhammah gives the meaning that the foetus does not have to be slaughtered separately, whereas when read with a fathah means that it needs to be slaughtered. Will it be correct for a person to open English translations of Qurān and hadith and start deriving laws??? Together with the above there are many other reasons of differences of opinion. For more details refer to the following books: اثر الحديث الشريف في اختلاف الأئمة الفقهاء رضي الله عنهم الشيخ محمد عوامه Which translates as: the effect hadith had in causing the Jurist to differ. اثر الاختلاف في القواعد الاصولية في اختلاف الفقهاء الدكتور مصطفى الخن Which translates as: the effect of principles in causing the Jurist to differ. اثر اللغة في اختلاف المجتهدين عبد الوهاب عبد السلام Which translates as: the effect of linguistics in the differing of Jurist. Why one of four? There were many mujtahids in the past. Why do I have to restrict myself to following one of the four madhāhib? Why can’t I follow any other madhhab? One of the conditions in following a madhhab is that it should continue to develop after the founder of the madhhab. For example, in the Hanafi madhhab the students of Imām Abu Hanifa Imām, Imām Abu Yusuf and Imām Muhammad رحمهم الله تعالىcontinued to build on the foundation laid by Imām Abu Hanifa رحمه الله تعالى. Ulama and scholars who came later on continued to review, codify, explain and expand on the Hanafi madhhab. It is in this manner that we have a fully codified and systemic madhhab. This has been the case with the other three madhāhib also. In contrast to other schools of thought which were not codified, researched and recorded as the above mentioned madhāhib. The views of other mujtahids were passed on as knowledge (i.e. their views were quoted when discussing a mas’alah but it was not accepted as a madhhab to be followed). It is for this reason that some of their views are found scattered in different books. From the above explanation we also understand that the four madhāhib are not the works of a single individual. However, it is the conglomeration of the united efforts of the ulama throughout the ages. Why one madhhab? If all four madhāhab are correct why do I have to restrict myself to only one madhhab? If a person does not confine himself to one madhhab he will ultimately fall prey to the evil of his nafs. He will always be looking for what suits his whims and desires. This will cause a lot of harm to his religion. If someone decides to pick and choose the most prudent view he will be putting himself in difficulty. Therefore there is security and ease in confining oneself to one madhhab. Following one scholar is an established practice from the time of the honourable Sahaba and Tabi’oon رضوان الله تعالى عليهم اجمعين. Imām Bukhari رحمه الله تعالىnarrates on the authority of Ikrimah رحمه الله تعالى: حدثنا أبو النعمان حدثنا حماد عن أيوب عن عكرمة : أن أهل المدينة سألوا ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما عن امرأة طافت ثم حاضت قال لهم تنفر قالوا لا نأخذ بقولك وندع قول زيد قال إذا قدمتم المدينة فسلوا فقدموا المدينة فسألوا فكان فيمن سألوا أم سليم فذكرت حديث صفية رواه خالد وقتادة عن عكرمة – صحيح البخاري 1758 دار الفكر The people of Madina asked Ibn Abbās the ruling of a woman who makes (her first tawāf) of the Ka’ba and thereafter experiences her menses (before she can make her final tawaf). Ibn Abbās told them that she may go home without completing her final tawāf. The people of Madina said, “We will not follow your verdict and abandon the verdict of Zayd.” Ibn Abbās replied, “When you reach Madina then enquire from him…” (Bukhāri 1758) Ibn Shihāb az-Zuhri رحمه الله تعالىcommanded his student Yunus ibn Yazīd al-Ayli رحمه الهه تعالىthat obey him and make wudhu if you eat anything cooked on a fire. Yunus رحمه الله تعالىreplied I will not follow you and leave the view of Sa’eed ibnul Musayyab. Zuhri رحمه الله تعالىkept silent. (Atharul Hadīthish Sharīf 79) Why should I follow an Imām of fiqh? Why do I have to follow an Imām of fiqh? Why can’t I follow an Imām of hadīth? It is unanimously accepted that the Sahīh of Imām Bukhāri is the most authentic book after the book of Allah Ta’ala. Why can’t I follow Sahīh Bukhāri? The sphere of a muhaddīth is different from that of a faqīh. A muhaddīth deals with matters relating to the chain of narrators and the words of a hadīth whereas a faqīh deals with the understanding and the practical implications of a hadīth. Furthermore, the muhaddīthoon do not have a fully codified madhhab. This is accepted fact to which even the muhaddīthoon agree. Whenever Imām Tīrmīdhī رحمه الله تعالى commented on anything relating to the sanad of any narration he always quoted the muhaddīthoon and whenever he related some relating to a fiqhi ruling he only quoted the fuqaha. The great muhaddīth, Imām Suyfān ibn Uyaynah رحمه الله تعالىmentioned: التسليم للفقهاء سلامة في الدين Submitting to the fuqahā is safety in Dīn. (Atharul Hadīthish Sharīf 116) Imām Tirmidhi رحمه الله تعالىsaid: سنن الترمذى - (ج 3 / ص 316 رقم الحديث 990 ) وكذلك قال الفقهاء وهم أعلم بمعاني الحديث The fuqahā are more knowledgeable of the meaning of ahādīth. Shaykh Awwamah حفظه الله تعالىquoting Mawlana Binnorī رحمه الله تعالىexplains that it is important to understand that the muhaddithoon followed certain fiqhi rulings. Based on the rulings they followed they chose which ahādīth to add in their compilations. For example, Imām Bukhāri رحمه الله تعالىopined that a person should do raful yadayn therefore, he added those narrations which prove his viewpoint. So his ahādīth are based on his fiqh and not vice versa. (Atharul Hadīthish Sharīf 152) Our honourable ustadh Shaykhul Hadīth Mawlāna Fadhlur Rahmān حفظه الله تعالىexplains that when our illustrious ulama mention that Bukhāri and Muslim are the most authentic books it does not mean that each and every narration is the most authentic and given preference over other ahādīth. What is meant is that on a whole these two books are the most authentic. (Who are the blind followers? 78) It should also be understood that by default it does not mean that any narration appearing in Bukhāri is given preference. Allāmah Irāqi رحمه الله تعالىmentioned 110 reasons of any narration been given preference. It is only at number 102 that he mentioned if any narration is in Bukhāri or Muslim will it be given preference over other narration. Allāmah Shawkāni رحمه الله تعالى listed forty-two reasons which pertaining to the sanad which could be a means of giving preference to any narration. Only at listed number 41 did he mention that a hadīth appearing in Bukhāri or Muslim could also be a reason of preference. (Atharul Hadīthish Sharīf 150) Why I can’t follow the most authentic view? On what basis will a person determine which view is that most authentic? If he uses his own discretion to ascertain the most authentic view, he is incapable in accomplishing this. If he has reached the stage whereby he is able to determine the most authentic view then there is nothing wrong with this. (Atharul Hadīthish Sharīf 112) However, it is important to note that for a person to reach this position he should be well qualified in all branches of knowledge starting from basic Arabic grammar right up to the intricacies of hadith and tafseer. Furthermore, in determining whether a person is fit for this lofty position or not his personal opinion will not be accepted. If a narration is authentic it is my madh’hab When a narration is established as saheeh then this will be my madh’hab. This has been narrated from all our illustrious fuqaha and in fact it is the maxim of every believer. However, it is important to understand what is meant by this statement and to whom it is addressed. It is important to realize that any hadith cannot be taken on face value, even though it might be saheeh. There are many factors which could affect the status of practicing on any hadith. Our illustrious fuqaha رحمهم الله تعالى have made painstaking efforts in sifting out and clarifying for us which Ahadith should be used and which should be left out. Not every hadith is ma’mool bih (practiced upon). Ibn Wahb رحمه الله تعالى narrates that he heard Imam Malik رحمه الله تعالى say: “Many ahadith could be a means of misguidance.” What did this great Imām mean by saying hadith could be a source of misguidance? He meant that not all ahadith are suitable to be practiced upon. Even though it might be authentic but it could be abrogated, there could be other Ahadith on the topic too, it could be a speciality of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم, or the hadith could be going against other principles of Islam (despite the fact that it is saheeh. An example of this is found in Saheeh Muslim). Ibn Wahb رحمه الله تعالى also explains: “Any person who has hadith but does not have an Imām in fiqh is astray.” Great words from a great personality! This great scholar is pointing to the fact that merely having a lot of narrations is not sufficient. One has to have the understanding of how to apply them. Which narration fits where? How to join the puzzle together? The statement “when a hadith is authentic it is my madh’hab” has been addressed to those people who have reached this level; the level of ijtihād. Furthermore, in trying to attribute any narration as the madh’hab of an Imām, one needs to be certain that the Imām did not know of this narration. It is very possible that the Imām did not act upon this narration despite knowing about it. In order to know if the Imām knew about the narration, one needs to study all the works of the Imām and his students. This is an extremely studious task. Imām Ghazāli رحمه الله تعالىcommenting on one narration says that this hadith did not reach Abu Hanifa. Ibnul Humām رحمه الله تعالىcomments on what Imām Ghazāli رحمه الله تعالىsaid by saying that Imām Abu Hanifa رحمه الله تعالىdid know about it and he mentioned it in his musnad. Even after reading all the books of an Imām we can still not say with certainty that the Imām did not know about it. If a narration is not found in Saheeh Bukhari it does not mean he did not know about it. Similar is the case here. Many great scholars the likes of Ibn Abil Jarood who was a student of Imām Sahfi’i , Abul Waleed an-Nisaburi and Abul Hasan al-Karaji رحمهم الله تعالى tried to follow this statement. However, those who came after them criticized them and showed where they slipped up. It was no ordinary people who tried to apply the above statement. They were great scholars of their times. Therefore, if they erred in their endeavour despite their lofty academic ranks, does it make sense for any laymen like me or you to try to implement this statement??? Above we have seen how scholars of hadith differ in their conditions in classifying a narration as saheeh. According to whose classification of saheeh will we apply the statement if a hadith is authentic? These are just a few glimpses into the intricacies of what taqleed and ijtihād entails. This should be sufficient for a person with sober understanding to realize that: التسليم للفقهاء سلامة في الدين Submitting to the fuqahā is safety in Dīn. And Allah knows best Wassalamu Alaikum Ml. Ishaq E. Moosa, Student Darul Iftaa Checked and Approved by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah Source

Juristic Basis For Taqleed Shakhsi Alone Being Obligatory It is important to elaborate in detail what led to the change in ruling from the permissibility of asking any of the scholars of the four schools to exclusively following one from the four. Originally, both kinds of Taqleed (non-specific and specific) equally shared the status of being obligatory for the layman. The choice was for him to follow one school of to simply ask any scholar he considered a reliable scholar, regardless of his school. This first type of taqleed (taqleed ghayr shakhsi) however, created a danger which with the passing of time became more and more real. The early Muslims were sincere in their following of the Deen (religion) and their simple and pure motivation in going to ask a scholar was to find out what the Deen said about that particular issue. Thier objective was not to compile a portfolio of opinions and opt for what took their fancy. Later on, desires and whims entered the equation and became the motivating force when questioning. People would 'shop' for opinions, and in their pursuit to fulfil their desires, they searched for anyone who would legitimise their desire. The reason why this was an unacceptable development that had to be somehow prevented was the Qur'an prohibiting a person from following his base desires. The Holy Qur'an says: "Have you seen he who takes his desire as a god" (Qur'an 45:23) Based on this, all Muslim scholars consider it absolutely forbidden for a person seeking to do something unlawful to seek justification for it through texts or the opinions of the scholars. Similarly, seeking out easier or favourable views from the scholars to escape the to escape the more difficult view of other scholars, is another form of allowing desires to dicatte one's religion. Restricting a Muslim to following one of the four schools wen far in closing the door of following desires. However, there still remained room for arbitrary following, based on ease that existed in opposing opinions between the four schools. For exampl, a Shafi'i follower might look to the Hanafi school and see that ritual ablution (wudu) does not become invalid by touching the hand of a woman, and thus opt for it. It is clear that being a person who follows the imam but does not appreciate the evidences, his choosing this view was due to ease, a case of following one's desires. The great jurist of the Hanafi school, Imam Ibn 'Abidin (rahmatullahi alaih) records the following eye-opening incident that illustrates the gravity of this problem. There was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullahi alaih) who once approached a hadeeth scholar for his daughter's hand in marriage. The scholar refused and said he would only marry her to him if he started raising his hands (raf al-yadayn) in salah, reciting behind the imam and pronouncing ameen loudly. The student agreed and consequently married the scholar's daughter. When the Hanafi jurist Abu Bakr al-Jawzajani (rahmatullahi alaih) was informed of this, he replied, "As for the marriage it is sound, but I fear that he (the student) may have left the Deen, because he left what he believed to be the truth for his personal desire." Imam Shatibi (rahmatullahi alaih) among other jurists has extensively explained the dangers in leaving fiqh unregulated. He says that ultimately, the very purpose of the Shari'ah - which is taklif (charging people with duties and responsibilities) would become defunct, as laymen created their own desired opinions through caprice and moral corruption. The State We Are In If there was a need for this kind of regulating in the time of Imam Shatibi (rahmatullahi alaih), and as recognised by the majority of Sunni scholars throughout the centuries, we are in need of it now more than ever. We live in an age in which desires and whims are incredibly powerful forces dictating every moment of people's lives. Leave aside mentioning the general Muslim masses who are totally unlearned in the Islamic sciences, we find endless examples of those who have actually devoted much time to learning Arabic and other Islamic sciences, bringing forth opinions unheard of and inimical to the pristine principles of Islam. We have so-called learned people today saying that usury (riba) is permitted, women can lead men in salah, that intermingling between men and women is fine, in fact taught by Shari'ah, and that music and musical instruments are lawful. Of the above is a result of allowing the so-called learned of today to derive laws from the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, one can imagine what catastrophic consequences would result upon this already divided and decaying Ummah if every Muslim was to have the right to derive laws for himself. Thus, reason and necessity demand that there be a system whereby Muslims can be saved from making their Deen a mockery and plaything. Consequently, scholars in their thousands testified that the four schools are the best framework for this. This is for many reasons, among them being that all four imams are considered bu consensus of the entire Ummah to have reached the highest level of taqwa (god-fearingness) and far from becoming swayed be desires and wordly motives, in addition to their unparalleled expertise in the sciences. [understanding Taqleed: Following One Of The Four Great Imams] Source

Non Specific Taqleed (Ghayr Shakhsi) To Specific Taqleed (Shakhsi) As impiety and following of desires became more common, the scholars became more unequivocal of the obligation of following one school exclusively. The historical facts make this explicitly clear and anyone who contends otherwise is frankly out of touch with the reality and is unaware of the countless illustrious jurists who have stated this view. In short, the fact is that by the end of the second century, and also the end of the best generations, there was a shift in the general attitude of people and personal desires started playing a greater role in the opinions being follow. The Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) himself had forewarned of this when he said, "Then falsehood will become widespread." It was at this time that the scholars unanimously agreed that no longer will people be given the option of choosing opinions, rather they must follow one school only, whichever that may be from the four. Imam Shah Waliyyullah (rahmatullahi alaih) states, "After the second century, adherance to specific schools appeared among the Muslims... and this was the obligation at that time." (See Al-Insaf fi Bayan Asbab al-Ikhtilaf, pg.70) [understanding Taqleed: Following One Of The Four Great Imams]

The Majority Of Ulama On Taqleed Shakhsi (Specific Taqleed) As impiety and following of desires became more common, the scholars became more unequivocal of the obligation of following one school exclusively. However, some opponents go to the absurd extremes of considering taqlīd of any kind to be unlawful, saying that it is in fact the duty of every muslim to derive for himself all the detailed rulings from the Holy Qur’ān and Sunna. One of the reasons they succeed in getting people to believe such baseless and outlandish claims is because they falsely give the impression that this is also the view held by most of the great Islāmic scholars in the past. The actual position of the classical scholars of Islām however, as proven by the quotes below, is very diferent to this. Even a greatly relied-upon scholar by such claimants, namely the late Shaykh muhammad ibn Sālih ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) has stated clearly in his Al-Usūl min ʿilm al-Usūl that the layman must do taqlīd of the scholars. In his recorded lectures of the same text, he says that for the average muslim to try to delve into the Holy Qur’ān and Sunna in order to deduce rulings is like a person who has not learnt how to swim swimming in the sea. It will only lead to his destruction. Another view which is not as dangerous as the frst but none-theless problematic is that it is permissible to follow any scholar, be he from outside the four accepted schools. Thus, the quotations gathered below have intentionally not been restricted to proving that taqlīd shaksī is obligatory, although the vast majority of these quotes will establish that most of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna wa ’l-Jamāʿa held taqlīd shaksī in particular to be obligatory. The scholars we shall mention are such authorities in the sacred knowledge of the Dīn that it is not unreasonable to assume that this is also the view of their many eminent teachers, students and learned muslims in general. 1) Imām Dhahabī (رحمه الله) writes in Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalā under Ibn Hazm Zāhirī’s (رحمه الله) comment, “I follow the truth and perform ijtihād, and I do not adhere to any madh’hab”, “I say: yes. Whoever has reached the level of ijtihād and a number of imāms have attested to this regarding him, it is not allowed for him to do taqlīd, just as it is not seeming at all for the beginner layman jurist who has committed the Qur’ān to memory or a great deal of it to perform ijtihād. How is he going to perform ijtihād? What will he say? On what will he base his opinions? How can he fly when his wings have not yet grown?” (vol.18, pg.191) 2) Imām Ibn al-Humām (رحمه الله), author of many unique works in jurisprudence and creed, records the view of the Hanafī scholars in Fath al-Qadīr, his commentary of Al-Hidāya: “(As for the layman) it is obligatory for him to do taqlīd of a single mujtahid…The jurists have stated that the one who moves from one madh’hab to another by his ijtihād and evidence is sinful and deserves to be punished. Thus, one who does so without ijtihād and evidence is even more deserving.” (Fath al-Qadīr, vol.6 pg.360) 3) Imām Nawawī (رحمه الله) says in Al-Majmūʿ Sharh Al-Muhadh’dhab: “The second view is that is obligatory for him to follow one particular school, and that was the defnitive position according to Imām Abū ’l-Hasan (رحمه الله) (the father of Imām al-Haramayn Al-Jawīnī). And this applies to everyone who has not reached the rank of the ijtihād of the jurists and scholars of other disciplines. The reason for this ruling is that if it were permissible to follow any school one wished, it would lead to hand-picking the dispensations of the schools and following one’s desires. He would be choosing between halāl and harām, and obligatory and permissible. Ultimately, that would lead to relinquishing oneself from the burden of responsibility. This is not the same as during the first generations, for the schools that were sufcient in terms of their rulings for newer issues were neither codifed nor widespread. Thus, on this basis it is obligatory for a person to strive in choosing only one madh’hab which he follows.” (Al-Majmūʿ Sharh Al-Muhadh-dhab, vol.1 pg.93) 4) Imām Shaʿrānī (رحمه الله), an undisputed authority in the Shāfʿī school, writes in Al-Mīzān al-Kubrā: “…you (O student) have no excuse for not doing taqlīd of any madh’hab you wish from the schools of the four imāms, for they are all paths to Heaven…” (Al-Mīzān al-Kubrā, vol.1, pg.55) 5) Shaykh Sālih al-Sunūsī (رحمه الله) writes in Fath al-ʿAliyy al-Malik fī ’l-Fatwā ʿalā Madh’hab al-Imām Mālik: “As for the scholar who has not reached the level of ijtihād and the non-scholar, they must do taqlīd of the mujtahid…And the most correct view is that it is obligatory (wājib) to adhere to a particular school from the four schools…” (Fath al-ʿAliyy al-Malik fī ’l-Fatwā ʿalā Madh’hab al-Imām Mālik, pg.40-41) 6) In Tuhfat al-Muhtāj fī Sharh al-Minhāj, Shaykh al-Islām Ahmad Ibn Hajar al-Haythamī (رحمه الله) writes: “The claim that the layman has no madh’hab is rejected, rather it is necessary for him to do taqlīd of a recognised school. (As for the claim: scholars did not obligate following one school), that was before the codifcation of the schools and their establishment.” (Tuhfat al-Muhtāj fī Sharh al-Minhāj, vol.12 pg.491) 7) In the famous twelve-volume mālikī compendium of fatwās, Al-Miʿyār al-Muʿrib ʿan Fatāwā Ahl al-Ifrīqiyya wa ’l-Undulus wa ’l-Maghrib, Imām Ahmad al-Wanshirīsī (رحمه الله) records the fatwā on taqlīd: “It is not permitted for the follower of a scholar to choose the most pleasing to him of the schools and the one that agrees with him the most. It is his duty to do taqlīd of the imām whose school he believes to be right in comparison to the other schools.” (vol.11 pg.163-164) 8) The great authority in usūl, Imām āmidī (رحمه الله) writes in Al-Ihkām fī Usūl al-Ahkām: “The layman and anyone who is not capable of ijtihād, even if he has acquired mastery of some of the disciplines (ʿulūm) related to ijtihād, is obligated with following the positions of the mujtahid imāms and taking their juristic opinions, and this is the view of the experts from the scholars of the principles (al-muhaqqiqūn min ’ l-usūliyyīn). It was the muʿtazilites of Baghdad who prohibited this, except if the soundness of his ijtihād becomes clear to him.” (vol.4 pg.278) 9) Imām Zāhid al-Kawtharī (رحمه الله), Hanafī jurist and senior juridical advisor to the last Shaykh al-Islām of the Ottoman Empire, wrote in an article against the growing modern trend of non-madh’habism, entitled Al-Lā Madh’habiyya Qantarat al-Lā Dīnīyya (Non-madh’habism is a bridge to non-religion): “Those who call the masses to discarding adherance to a madh’hab from the madh’habs of the imāms who are followed, whose lives we briefy mentioned in what has passed, will be of two groups: those who consider that all the derived opinions of the mujtahid are right, such that it is permissible for the layman to follow any opinion of any mujtahid, not restricting himself to the opinions of a single mujtahid whom he selects to be followed. This way of thinking is of the muʿtazilites. The (second group) are the Sūfīs who consider all the mujtahids to be right, in the sense that they seek out the hardest opinions from their positions without confning themselves to following one mujtahid.” (published in Al-Maqālāt al-Kawtharī, pg.224-225) 10) In the commentary of the Shāfʿī text Jamʿ al-Jawāmiʿ, Imām Al-Jalāl Shams al-Dīn al-mahallī (رحمه الله) writes: “And the soundest position is that it is obligatory for the non-scholar or layman and those besides them (i.e. scholars) who have not reached the rank of ijtihād to adhere to one particular school from the madh’habs of the mujtahid imāms (iltizām madh’haban muʿayyanan min madhāhib al-mujtahidīn) which he believes to be preferable over another school or equal to it.” (Kitāb al-Ijtihād, pg.93) 11) Imām Rashīd Ahmad Gangohī (رحمه الله), the great jurist of the 19th century, writes in Fatāwā Rashīdīya: “When the corruption that comes from non-specifc taqlīd (taqlīd ghayr shakhsī) is obvious - and no one will deny this provided he is fair - then when specifc taqlīd is termed obligatory due to an external factor (wājib li-ghayrihī) and non-specific taqlīd is termed unlawful, this will not be by mere opinion, rather it is by the command of Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), for he commanded that removing corruption is an obligation upon every individual.” (pg.205) 13) Imām ʿAbd al-Hayy al-Lakhnawī (رحمه الله) writes in his Majmūʿat al-Fatāwā, afer mentioning the various views of the scholars on taqlīd: “On this subject, the soundest view is that laymen will be prevented from such (choosing) of diferent opinions, especially the people of this time, for whom there is no cure besides following a particular madh’hab. If these people were allowed to choose between their madh’hab and another, it would cause great tribulations.” (vol.3 pg.195) 14)Imām Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalī (رحمه الله) writes in his book, Al Rad ʿalā Man ittabaʿa Ghayr al-Madhāhib al-Arbaʿa: “…that is the mujtahid, assuming his existence, his duty is to follow what becomes apparent to him of the truth. As for the non-mujtahid, his duty is taqlīd.” (pg.6) 15) In the renowned mālikī text, Marāqiʿ al-Saʿūd, it states: “(Taqlīd) is necessary for other than the one who has achieved the rank of absolute ijtihād, even if he is a limited (mujtahid) who is unable (to perform absolute ijtihād)” (pg.39). He further writes: “Every school from the schools of the (four) mujtahids is a means that conveys one to paradise.” 16) In one of the most authoritative juristic commentaries of the Holy Qur’ān, Al-Jāmiʿ li-Ahkām al-Qur’ān, Imām Qurtubī (رحمه الله) writes in commentary of the seventh verse of Sura Anbiyā: “The scholars did not disagree regarding the obligation of non-scholars (al-ʿāmma) to do taqlīd of their scholars, and they are meant in the verse: 'Ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.' The scholars by consensus stated it is necessary for one who is blind to do taqlīd of someone who will inform him of the direction of the qibla if it becomes difcult for him. Similarly, one who does not possess knowledge or insight regarding the teachings of the Dīn, it is necessary for him to do taqlīd of the scholar who does.” (vol.11 pg.181) 17) It is stated in Al-Misbāh fī Rasm ’l-Mufī wa Manāhij al-Ifā that the internationally renowned jurist Mufti Taqi Usmani (حفظه الله) says: “The sound view, by which the majority of the scholars abide, is that it is obligatory for all who have not reached the rank of ijtihād to adhere to a particular school from the four well-known, codifed and defnitively transmitted schools. Tis is in order to regulate a person’s actions and control his worldly dealings in a way that pro-tects from confusion and errors, fulflling the compelling need.” (vol.1, pg. 251-252) 18) Shaykh muhammad ibn Sālih ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) writes in his Al-Usūl min ʿIlm al-Usūl in the chapter on taqlīd: “Taqlīd takes place in two places; the frst is that the person doing taqlīd be a layman, incapable of discerning the ruling by himself, so his duty is to do taqlīd due to the statement of Allāh Taʿāla: Ask the people of remembrance if you know not (Sura Nahl: 43).” (pg.68) Shaykh muhammad ibn Sālih ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) also outlines in the preceding chapter what is required for a person to be capable of deducing rulings from the sacred texts, in other words the prerequisites of ijtihād. He records six conditions, the frst of which is the condition of encompassing all the verses and hadīths on the subject. This would at the very frst hurdle lose most of us who have not learnt, let alone mastered, the Arabic language. Translations can never convey the linguistic intricacies, rhetorical devices and semantic nuances of the original Arabic, and furthermore a vast number of the hadīth collections have yet to be translated into English. (Understanding Taqleed: Following One Of The Four Great Imams, Mufti Muhammad Sajjad) Source

The Reality of Sufism in Light of the Quran and the Sunnah, a booklet against Tasawwuf written by a Salafi, one Ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee, is a portrayal of the ignorance of the author in particular, and in general the ignorance of the Salafis of this era. Since they have confused Tasawwuf (Sufi’ism) with the cults of Bid’ah, they denounce Tasawwuf and proclaim it to be bid’ah, shirk and in conflict with Tauheed. At the outset it is emphasized that any brand of ‘tasawwuf’ or ‘sufi’ism’ which is in conflict with the Shariah or with Tauheed is not Islamic Tasawwuf. On the contrary it is Satanism. Tauheed is the fundamental basis and the pivot of Islam. Minus Tauheed there is no Islam. This is not a contentious issue. In the U.S.A. there is a sect called the Nation of Islam who believes in a man-god – that Allah Ta’ala had settled inside a human being who was the founder of this sect of shirk and kufr. Despite their noxious doctrines of shirk and kufr, they proudly advertise themselves as Muslims and they call their religion Islam. In Pakistan is the Qadiani religion. They believe that Mirza Gulam of Qadian was a Nabi. In addition they entertain other doctrines of kufr. Yet they call themselves Muslims and proclaim their religion to be Islam. Similarly, there are other deviates/kuffaar who regard themselves to be Muslims and who label their religion with the tag of Islam. On account of these sects with their kufr and shirk doctrines, is it intelligent to castigate Islam and proclaim it to be a cult of shirk, kufr and bid’ah? Islam cannot be branded with evil epithets and denounced as a cult of shirk simply because there are people subscribing to shirk and kufr and who have named their religion ‘Islam’. Similarly, it is downright stupid to denounce Tasawwuf (Sufi’ism) on the basis of the shirk, kufr and bid’ah of some communities who have appropriated the designation, ‘Sufi’ism’, for themselves. The author in his ignorance has denounced Tasawwuf without understanding what exactly Tasawwuf is. Just as the western kuffaar attribute all the jahaalat of criminal Muslims to Islam, so too does the author do with Tasawwuf. Although the practices and doctrines of the deviant sects with their cults of shirk have no relationship with Tasawwuf, the author of the booklet has failed to understand this fact. Due to his ignorance, the author states in his booklet: “It (i.e. Sufi’ism) has greatly affected the beliefs of the Muslims and has diverted it from its true course which was laid down in the Noble Quran and pure Sunnah.” Deviates of a variety of hues and persuasions have undoubtedly diverted Muslims from Siraatul Mustaqeem, and they did the diversion in the name of Islam. One such deviate sect which has perpetrated this diversion is the Salafi sect of this era. But neither Islam nor any of its branches such as Fiqh and Tasawwuf may be blamed for the deviation of people. In every age there has been deviant sects and groups who have diverted Muslims from the true path of Islam, and they perpetrate their villainy in the name of Islam. But Islam can not be blamed nor castigated for such deviation. If the author had taken the time and applied some effort and brains to studying the Tasawwuf of the Sahaabah and the Fuqaha, then he would not have been so audacious in his condemnation of Sufi’ism which is tantamount to castigating and denouncing Islam itself. The proper course of action is to explain what is Islamic Tasawwuf and propagate against the bid’ah and shirk which have become attached to the deviant so-called sufi sects which flourish in North Africa, West Africa, Syria, India, Pakistan, etc. The type of Fiqh which orientalists impart in the ‘Islamic’ Studies faculties attached to kuffaar universities, is not Islamic Fiqh. On the contrary, it is a ‘fiqh’ designed to undermine Islam. Shall we now condemn Fiqh and outlaw it? Shall we say that Fiqh is haraam, and Fiqh is not part of Islam? What shall be said is that the ‘fiqh’ which the enemies of Islam teach is not Islamic Fiqh. It is deviation from which Muslims must abstain. True Fiqh is what is being imparted in the proper Islamic institutions of learning – in the Madaaris. WHAT IS TASAWWUF? In the same way, Tasawwuf which is the name for Tazkiyah-e-Nafs (moral purification), and the pursuit of which is Waajib is acquired from authentic Mashaaikh who meticulously follow the Sunnah and the Shariah. The criterion of Haqq is the Shariah. Any diversion from the Shariah is unacceptable to the true Sufis. Explaining the nature (Haqeeqat) of Tasawwuf, Hadhrat Maseehullah Khaan (rahmatullah alayh) who was an authority on Sufi’ism in recent times, stated: “The department of the Shariah which deals with A’maal-e-Baatini (conditions and states of the heart) is called Tasawwuf and Suluk, and that department of the Shariah relating to A’maal-e-Zaahiri (the external dimension such as Tahaarat, Salaat, etc., etc.) is termed Fiqh. The subject matter with which Tasawwuf deals is Tahzeeb-e-Akhlaaq (adornment of moral character). The method of acquiring the Pleasure of Allah Ta’ala which is the objective of Tasawwuf, is complete obedience to the commands of the Shariah. Tasawwuf is the Rooh and state of perfection of the Deen. Its function is to purify the Baatin (the heart and soul) of man from the carnal and bestial attributes of the tongue, anger, malice, jealousy, love of the world, love for fame, niggardliness, greed, ostentation, vanity, deception, etc.. At the same time Tasawwuf concerns itself with the adornment of the Baatin with the lofty attributes of moral excellence, viz., Tauheed, repentance, perseverance, toleration, gratitude, fear of Allah, hope, abstemiousness, trust, love, sincerity, truth, meditation, reckoning, contemplation, etc. By this means (of Tasawwuf) the attention becomes focused on Allah Ta’ala. Man’s bond with Allah Ta’ala is solidified, and this is in fact the objective of life on earth. Thus, it is incumbent for every Muslim to become a Sufi. Minus Tasawwuf, a Muslim can not be described as being a perfect Muslim.” Man is neither only of material substance nor of only spiritual substance. He is a combination of both. In addition, Allah Ta’ala has created an evil nafs in him. Adding to man’s woes, is shaitaan whose presence on earth in pursuit of man’s Imaan and Akhlaaq, was dictated by Divine Wisdom. Casting man into the raging moral and immoral storms of this mundane abode of earth, Allah Ta’ala orders him in the Qur’aan Majeed to arrest the vagaries of his wildly fluctuating bestial nafs: “Shun zaahir sin and its baatin.” (Aayat 120, Surah Al-An’aam). There is complete unanimity of the Ummah on the shunning and abstaining from all kinds of sin, from apparent/open sins, as well as from secret/concealed sins. Among the sins of the Baatin are the bestial attributes of the nafs. Purification of the nafs, known as Tazkiya-e-Nafs is a Waajib objective of Islam. There is no need to present evidence for this self-evident fact. This is the subject matter of Tasawwuf. Besides moral purification and spiritual elevation, there is no other function for Tasawwuf, and no other objective for the Sufi. Rectification of Aqaaid (Beliefs) is of fundamental importance for the Sufi. The entire success of the Sufi is reliant on correct Aqeedah. Expounding this fundamental requisite, Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi (rahmatullah alayh), who was a Mujaddid in the sphere of Tasawwuf, said: “After rectification of Aqaaid and A’maal-e-Zaahiri, it is fardh upon every Muslim to purify (reform) his A’maal-e-Baatin. Numerous Qur’aanic aayaat and Hadith narrations explicitly confirm the fardhiyat of moral reformation.” In Tareequl Qalandar is mentioned: “All authentic principles of Tasawwuf are to be found in the Qur’aan and Ahaadith. The notion that Tasawwuf is not in the Qur’aan is erroneous. This notion is entertained by miscreant ‘sufis’ and the Ulama-e-Khushq (dry, barren Ulama – Ulama who are devoid of roohaaniyat – spirituality). However, both groups have misunderstood Tasawwuf. According to the spiritually arid Ulama, Tasawwuf is baseless since in their understanding the Qur’aan and Ahaadith are devoid of it. On the other hand, the miscreant ‘sufis’ (ghaali sufis) maintain that in the Qur’aan and Ahaadith are found only the zaahiri ahkaam with which Fiqh deals. Tasawwuf, they say, is the knowledge of the Baatin. Thus, according to their misconception, there is no need for the Qur’aan and Hadith – Nauthubillaah! In short, both groups believe that the Qur’aan and Hadith are without Tasawwuf. Conforming to their opinions, one group (the barren Ulama whom the present day Salafis emulate) has shunned Tasawwuf, while the other group (the ghaali Sufis) have shunned the Qur’aan and Hadith.” The author without having understood the meaning of Tasawwuf, its objective and its basis as propounded by the illustrious authorities of this department of the Shariah, has blindly denounced it simply on the basis of the baatil cults of bid’ah and shirk which have been named ‘tasawwuf’ by their proponents. But it is unintelligent to denounce Qur’aanic and Sunnah Tasawwuf simply because miscreants and deviates call their cult-practices tasawwuf and the followers of their cults ‘sufis’. The Imaam of Tasawwuf, the illustrious Sufi, Hadhrat Baayazid Bustaami (rahmatullah alayh) refuting the false claimants of Tasawwuf said: “Do not be deceived if you see a performer of supernatural feats flying in the air. Measure him on the standard of the Shariah. See if he adheres to the prescribed limits of the Commands of the Shariah.” Sayyidut Taaifah, Imaam of Tasawwuf, the great Sufi, Hadhrat Junaid Baghdaadi (rahmatullah alayh), said: “All avenues besides meticulous emulation of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are closed to mankind.” The famous Sufi, Hadhrat Nuri (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Do not venture near to one who lays claim to a (supposedly spiritual) state which brings in its wake transgression of the limits of the Shariah.” Hadhrat Khwaajah Naseeruddin Chiraagh Dehlawi (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Obedience to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) is imperative. This obedience is essential in word, deed and intention because Love for Allah Ta’ala is not possible without obedience to Hadhrat Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Hadhrat Khwaajah Mueenuddin Chishti (rahmatullah alayh) said: “He who adheres to the Shariah, executing its commands and refraining from transgression, progresses in spiritual rank, i.e. all progress (in the spiritual path) is dependent on adherence to the Shariah.” Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Whoever has acquired the wealth of Wusool (the lofty state of close proximity to Allah Ta’ala), has achieved it by virtue of following the Sunnah.” Similar statements have been made by all authentic Sufis whose very first step in the Path of acquiring Divine Proximity is strict obedience to the Shariah and perfect adoption of the Sunnah. The author of the baseless criticism against Tasawwuf, instead of referring to the authorities of Tasawwuf to gain the proper understanding of its meaning, looked at juhhaal who lay claim of Tasawwuf. These frauds and imposters who claim to be Sufis, are totally bereft of Tasawwuf. They are devoid of even a slight fragrance of Tasawwuf. Their ‘tasawwuf’ is a cult of bid’ah and shirk. The shallow-minded author has taken such miscreants to be the authoritative proponents of Tasawwuf. The fact that the author is shockingly unaware of the Tasawwuf Tareeqah of the illustrious Sufis such as Ibraahim Adham, Junaid Baghdaadi, Baayazid Nustaami and countless others, speaks volumes for his own jahaalat. It is gross jahaalat to seek an understanding of Islam from the mushriks of the Nation of Islam or from Gulam Ahmad Qadiani or from these misguided modernist zindeeqs who have acquired their smattering of scrap knowledge from the so-called ‘Islamic’ Studies faculties of kuffaar universities. If anyone wants to know what Islam is, he has to refer to the Ulama-e-Raasikheen. Similarly, knowledge of genuine Tasawwuf can be acquired from only the true Auliya and Sufiya who meticulously follow the Sunnah and submit wholly to the Shariah. Hadhrat Maulana Muhammad Maseehullah Khaan (rahmatullah alayh), in his treatise, Shariat & Tasawwuf, states: “The whole combination of teachings imposed by Islam is known as the Shariah. Both sets of acts (A’maal-e-Zaahiri and A’maal-e-Baatini) are included in the Shariah. In the terminology of the Mutaqaddimeen (the Salaf-e-Saaliheen of the Khairul Quroon era), the term Fiqh was synonymous with the word Shariah. Thus, Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayh) defining Fiqh, said: “The recognition of that which is beneficial and harmful for the nafs.” Later, in the terminology of the Muta-akh-khireen, the word Fiqh referred to that branch of Islam which related to A’maal-e-Zaahirah, while the the branch which dealt with A’maal-e-Baatinah became known as Tasawwuf and its anglicised designation is Suf’ism. The ways and methods of pursuing A’maal-e-Baatinah are called Tareeqat. The notion that the Shariat and Tareeqat are different entities – a notion which has gained prominence among the masses in consequence of the fraud perpetrated by imposters and cranks – is palpably false and baseless. Now that the haqeeqat of Tasawwuf has been clarified, it will be understood that: · Kashf and Karaamaat are not necessary constituents of Tasawwuf. · Tasawwuf does not guarantee success in worldly affairs. · It does not convey the idea that achievements will be made by means of Ta’weez and Amaliyaat nor does Tasawwuf claim that one will be successful in worldly affairs such as court cases, etc. · Tasawwuf does not promise increase in earnings nor cure from physical ailments. · It does not foretell future events · It does not teach that the mureed’s islaah (moral reformation) will be achieved by the Tawajjuh (spiritual focus) of the Shaikh. Supernatural operations are not requisites of Tasawwuf. · Tasawwuf does not contend that the mureed will not be affected by even the thought of sin nor does it claim that he will automatically, without effort, engage in ibaadat. · It does not promise self-annihilation (Fana and Fana-ul-Fana). · Tasawwuf does not promise the experiences of ecstacy and spiritual effulgence in Thikr and Shaghl, nor does it claim that the mureed will experience beautiful dreams and wonderful visions. All these issues are unconnected with Tasawwuf. The objective of Tasawwuf is only to gain Divine Pleasure via the agency of Wara’ and Taqwa.” Only a moron will find fault with this exposition of Tasawwuf. One who follows this unadulterated Tasawwuf of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, is a genuine Sufi. Just as a Qadiani and a Bilalian (a member of the American kufr cult, Nation of Islam), is not a genuine Muslim, so too, one who follows one of the many baatil cults of fabricated ‘sufi’ism’ is not a genuine Sufi. If a satan claims to be a sufi, the Suf’ism of Islam will not be condemned on the basis of the satanic claim. The unwarranted attack on Sufi’ism made by al-Madkhalee is of this moronic kind of refutation. He simply denounced Islam without understanding the meaning of Islam which the genuine Sufis practised. And, among the genuine Sufis were illustrious Fuqaha such as Imaam Abu Hanifah, Imaam Maalik, Imaam Shaafi’, Imaam Ahmad Bin Hambal (rahmatullah alayhim), and innumerable Ulama, Fuqaha and Auliya down the long corridor of Islam’s 14 century history, right from the era of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). In fact, Nabi-e-Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was the first Sufi of this Ummah. Among his primary ashghaal prior to Nubuwwat were Khalwat (Seclusion) and Muraaqabah (meditation) which have perpetually been significant methods of the Sufiya for the attainment of moral purification and spiritual advancement, and this practice of Khalwat in which the Mu’min communes with Allah Ta’ala, was perpetuated by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) even after Nubuwwat in terms of the Qur’aanic command: “And after you have completed (your daytime duties of Da’wat) then stand resolutely (at night in Khalwat), and focus enthusiastically towards your Rabb. (Surah Inshiraah) Without temporary Khalwat (seclusion, physical renunciation of contact with all and sundry), the attainment of the lofty stages of Roohaaniyat is not possible. We thus see that a great Aalim of Imaam Ghazaali’s calibre wandering in the wilderness and secluding himself in total isolation for a long period of nine years. After he had acquired the necessary qualifications in the realm of Roohaaniyat, Allah Ta’ala created the circumstances for him to re-enter society and then everyone is aware how he lay to waste the conglomerates of Shaitaan with his refutations and proclamation of the Haqq. Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayh) – this intellectual Giant of Uloom and Roohaaniyat – was an Aalim with whom Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) vied. In a dream a Wali saw Nabi-e-Kareem (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) presenting Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayh) to Nabi Musa (alayhis salaam) and Nabi (alayhis salaam), and with delight asking them: “Have you such an Aalim in your Ummats?” Both Nabi responded in the negative. Lest the spiritually arid Salafi attempts to scorn the dream, we remind him that Ru’ya Saalihah (the dreams of the Pious Men of Allah) constitute one fortieth of Nubuwwat. Whilst the form of Rahbaaniyat in vogue during the era of Hadhrat Nabi Isa (alayhis salaam) is not a constituent of Islamic practice, temporary Rahbaaniyat (seclusion and isolation) is valid in Islam. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) spent every night of his blessed life in Rahbaaniyat. He did not refute the total Rahbaaniyat of the illustrious Taabiee, Hadhrat Uwais Qarni (rahmatullah alayh) who spent his life in the wilderness and desert fleeing at the sight of people. The Auliya practised various periods of temporary Rahbaaniyat, and the Rahbaaniyat which Allah Ta’ala has devised for the masses is the Masnoon ten-day I’tikaaf during Ramadhaan. All the Fuqaha and Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen during the Khairul Quroon era upheld the style of renunciation and abstinence of the Sufiya of those ages. None of them condemned the Sufiya. Only in the later centuries, spiritually barren Ulama considered it appropriate to criticize the Sufis. Due to their spiritual aridity, these Ulama confused the imposters and fakes with the genuine Sufis, and committed the grave injustice of condemning the entire body of Sufiya-e-Kiraam. THE ATTITUDE OF THE SUFIS TOWARDS THE SHARIAH Hadhrat Fareeduddeen Attaar (rahmatullah alayh) said: “The Math-hab we follow, is the Math-hab of Imaam A’zam Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayh). This is the Math-hab of Rectitude which precludes error. What a wonderful servant of Allah was he! Besides obedience to Allah and following the Sunnat of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), he had no other concern.” It is recorded in Futoohaat: “Every conception which is in conflict with the Shariah is baatil zanaadaqah (baseless heresy). For us (Sufis) there is no Path towards Allah, but the Path of the Shariah. There is no road for us, except what Allah has shown us in the Shariah. Any person who claims that there is any other way unto Allah in conflict with the Shariah, is false. Such a shaikh who lacks adab should not be followed.” “He who lacks knowledge of the Law of Allah, has no status by Him. Allah has not made any jaahil a wali. Hadhrat Fareeduddeen Attaar (rahmatullah alayh) also said: “Those people who have moved away from the ahkaam of the Shariah and fell into deception, tomorrow they will be in Jahannum with the kuffaar. Be firm on the Shariah. For the purification of the Baatin and for salvation there is no medium other than the Shariah.” Hadhrat Khwaajah Naseeruddin Mahmood (rahmatullah alayh) said: “Do whatever Allah and His Rasool have commanded, and refrain from whatever they have forbidden. People have abandoned the Qur’aan and the Hadith, hence they have become corrupt and distressed.” In Khairul Majaalis it is mentioned: “He who adopts a way other than the path of the Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) will never attain the goal. Besides following in the footsteps of the Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), he will not find the correct path.” In short, all these genuine Sufis were meticulous followers of the Sunnah and adhered resolutely to the Shariah. There was not a single true Sufi who did not follow the Sunnah. The Pathway of all Sufiya was only one – the Shariah. Someone said to the great Sufi, Hadhrat Junaid Baghdaadi (rahmatullah alayh) that there are some persons who claim: “We have attained the goal, hence we have no need for Salaat and Siyaam.” Hadhrat Junaid commented: “They have spoken the truth regarding wusool (having reached the goal). However, they have reached Saqar (Jahannum).” Once Hadhrat Sultaan Nizaamuddin Auliya (rahmatullah alayh) during a state of ecstacy uttered: “How lofty is my status!”. Afterwards he repented and said: “I had not uttered correctly. At that time I was a Yahoodi. I now renounce that religion and embrace Islam afresh. Thus I declare: Ash-hadu an laailaha il lallaahu wahdahu laa shareeka lahu wa-ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu”. Hadhrat Sultaanji did not justify the statement he had uttered whilst in a trance or in ecstacy. Observing the Shariah and to safeguard the Imaan of the masses, he renewed his Imaan. Commenting further, Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thaanvi (rahmatullah alayh) wrote in his Shariat & Tareeqat: “Hadhrat Zunnoon Misri, Sirri Saqati, Abu Sulaiman, Ahmad Bin Abil Hawaari, Abu Hafs Haddaad, Abu Uthmaan, Nuri, Abu Saeed Kharraaz, Khwaajah Mueenuddeen Chishti, Hadhrat Abdul Quddoos Gangohi, Abu Taalib Makki (rahmatullah alayhim) and others have greatly emphasized obedience to the Shariah. It is abundantly clear from their statements that in the Path of Faqr, the very first requisite is knowledge of the Shariah, then practical implementation of the Shariah. Without these requisites there will be no progress. The Road of Divine Proximity will not open up. No one has ever attained the status of a Wali by opposing Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and adopting bid’ah. When bid’ah severs and blocks the path, what should be said about kufr and shirk?” All the names mentioned above are prominent and famous Sufis. Hadhrat Nuri (rahmatullah alayh) said: “If you see any claimant of proximity with Allah in a condition which is in conflict with the Shariah, do not approach near to him.” Another great Sufi, Hadhrat Abul Abbaas Deenwari (rahmatullah alayh) said: “People have violated the fundamentals of Tasawwuf, and have ruined its pathways. They have changed its meanings with new fabricated names. Thus they call tama’ (avarice) ziyaadat, and for disrespect, ikhlaas. They designate abandonment of the Haqq as shatah; subservience to lust as mateebah; obedience to base desires as ibtilaa’; return to the dunya as wasal; evil character as soolah; niggardliness as jalaadah; begging as amal; vulgarity of the tongue as malaamat. But this was not the Tareeq of the Nation (of Sufis).” Hadhrat Bandaar (rahmatullah alayh) said: “The companionship of the people of Bid’ah leads to diversion from Allah Ta’ala.” Hadhrat Qiwaamuddeen (rahmatullah alayh) said: “O Durwaish! The basis of this effort (Tasawwuf) is the criterion of Kitaabullah, the Sunnah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the history of the Salaf who were the leaders of the Deen.. ….If anything of the Shaikh is in conflict with the Criterion (of the Shariah), then it is faasid (corrupt). If any statement or action of the Shaikh is in conflict with Kitaabullah, the Sunnah and Ijma’, it will be mardood (rejected). Such a Shaikh is unfit to be a leader. Whoever follows such a shaikh will not attain the goal.” There are thousands of statements of the Sufi Mashaa-ikh which emphasize the strictest obedience to the Shariah and adoption of the Sunnah. It is thus a contemptible slander to baselessly accuse the Sufiya of diverting Muslims from the course of Islam. Just as Islam will not be condemned if miscreants perpetrate haraam, bid’ah, fisq, fujoor, kufr and shirk in its name, so too is it downright stupid and slanderous to denounce Sufi’ism and the Sufiya because of the bid’ah kufr and shirk of the miscreants who lay claim to sufi’ism. Offering naseehat to his son, Hadhrat Sayyid Abdul Qaadir Jilaani (rahmatullah alayh) who is among the most famous Sufiya, said: ”O my son! I admonish you! Fear Allah Ta’ala. Understand the rights of your parents and of all the Mashaa’ikh, for this endears the servant to Allah Ta’ala. In public and in privacy, in all states, defend the Haq. Do not abandon tilaawat of the Qur’aan Majeed, neither with your tongue nor with your heart; in privacy and in public, and recite with concentration and reflection, and with grief and tears. In all the ahkaam (of the Shariah) refer to the Muhkam aayaat of the Qur’aan, for the Qur’aan is Allah’s Proof on the people. Do not step aside from the knowledge of the Shariah. Learn Ilmul Fiqh. Do not be among the masses and the jaahil sufis. Flee from these mercenaries, for they rob Muslims of their Deen. They are highway robbers. Make incumbent on you the Aqaaid of the People of Tauheed and the Sunnah. Abstain from innovations. Every innovation is bid’ah and deviation. Do not associate with lads, females, bid’atis, the wealthy and the masses. By means of such association, your Deen will depart……Do not abstain from Jamaat Salaat……Do not hanker after governmental position. He who seeks governmental position will not succeed….Don’t associate with kings and rulers.” Hadhrat Fudhail Ibn Iyaadh (rahmatullah alayh) was among the Akaabir Sufiya. Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayh) held him in the highest esteem, and would consult with him in difficult Fiqhi masaa-il. Hadhrat Fudhail said: “Allah Ta’ala destroys the deeds of a person who loves a man of bid’ah, and He snatches away the Noor of Imaan. I have firm conviction that Allah Ta’ala will forgive a person who has animosity for a man of bid’ah despite the paucity of his virtuous deeds. If you see a bid’ati walking along a road, then walk on another road. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) cursing the Ahl-e-Bid’ah said: “Allah, His Angels and creation curse a man who introduces a bid’ah or harbours a bid’ati. Neither is his Fardh accepted nor his Nafl.” Refuting the slander (which has always been made by those who bear malice for the Sufis), Hadhrat Khawaajah Muhammad Ma’soom (rahmatullah alayh), who was the son of Hadhrat Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani (rahmatullah alayh), both being very senior Sufis, said: “If the way of the noble Sufiya was abstention from Amr Bil Ma’roof, then why would a great Sufi say: “A day in which there is no Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar among the Sufiya, is indeed an evil day.” Just reflect on those people who do not oppose (evil) nor practise Amr Bil Maroof. Do they in fact believe in the thawaab and athaab of the Aakhirah and the severe warnings in the Qur’aan and Hadith for evil deeds…………. If Allah Ta’ala had loved that people should not be opposed (by means of Amr Bil Ma’roof), then why did He send Ambiya (alayhimus salaam), and why did He command the Call to the Deen of Islam and the negation of all other religions? Allah Ta’ala has established primarily the Ambiya (alayhimus salaam), and secondarily, the Auliya (the Sufiya) to invite to the Deen, and by their medium, He (Allah Ta’ala) forewarned people of Punishment and Reward. Thus, the true followers of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are the the associates of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) in Da’wat and Amr Bil Ma’roof. A person who abandons Amr Bil Ma’roof is not a follower of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Hadhrat Khwaajah Ahraar (rahmatullah alayh) said: : “I have been appointed to disseminate and establish the Deen. Initiating mureeds is not my only function.” This has always been the stance and way of the Sufiya…. The moron Salafi alleges: “Some of them eat soil and sand and choose to drink murky water, avoiding pure and cool water, since they would be unable to give due thanks for it. This is in fact a puny excuse, since would they, by abandoning cool water, be giving due thanks to Allaah for the rest of His blessings upon them?” Again the moron illustrates his compound ignorance. In the first place, how many Sufiya is he aware of who had ate sand and soil and consumed murky water? Then, in an isolated case when the Sufi had consumed these substances, what is the evidence for contending that the reason was the Sufi’s belief of inability to ‘give due thanks’? Madkhalee has made baseless assumptions to hallucinate this reason. The one in a million Sufi who had consumed sand, did so to treat some moral condition of his nafs. Never did a Sufi believe that he was able to fulfil Shukr to Allah Ta’ala for a single ni’mat. No one understands this fact better than the Sufiya. Their humility is incomparable. Their belief of their own contemptibility is to the degree of Ilmul Yaqeen. They believe themselves to be more contemptible than dogs. The question that it had never crossed their minds even in the category of a stray waswasah that they were capable of fulfilling Shukr for all the limitless bounties of Allah Ta’ala except for cold water and delicious food, is the corrupt conjecturing of moron Salafis. If in an isolated or rare case a Sufi had eaten sand, then by what stretch of intelligence and by what norm of justice is it valid to accuse all the Sufiya of having done so? And, on what basis can it be claimed that the rare Sufi had propagated his personal valid idiosyncrasy to be an act to be emulated or that it was a tenet of the Deen? When so much haraam and najis substances are nowadays used as medicine and for medical treatment, the Salafis are dumb. They are silent and have no criticism for the utilization of haraam substances for medical treatment of physical diseases, but when a Sufi had prescribed for himself a taahir substance as a treatment for a spiritual or nafsaani ailment which he has diagnosed in himself, then the Salafis are quick to condemn, not only the isolated Sufi, but the entire million Sufis who had never resorted to the treatment of the solitary Sufi. The noble Sufi who had consumed sand for a spiritual condition which he diagnosed in himself was not a jaahil. He was among the greatest Ulama of this Ummah. His name is Abu Taalib Makki, the author of the famous kitaab, Qootul Quloob on which great Shaafi’ Fuqaha such as Imaam Nawawi (rahmatullah alayh) were reliant. The fact that Imaam Nawawi, Imaam Raaf’i, Zarkashi as well as other Fuqaha and also Imaam Ghazaali (rahmatullah alayhim) cites from Qootul Quloob, is sufficient to confirm the lofty status of this noble ‘sand-eating’ Sufi. No one had ever made any disparaging comment about the noble Shaikh’s ‘sand-eating’.The illustrious Fuqaha of all Math-habs cite Shaikh Abu Taalib Makki and his kitaab occupies a lofty pedestal among the authorities of Islam. Not a single authority of the Shariah has criticized this noble Shaikh, but the moron Salafi deems it appropriate to hurl his jahaalat at this great Waarith (Heir) of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The penances which the Sufiya observed were in the category of treatment for certain moral and spiritual conditions and states. Just as no one finds fault with tadaawi bil haraam (medical treatment with haraam substances) when there is a real need, similarly, there can be no valid objection against a Sufi who devised an ‘extreme’ measure to treat a moral or spiritual condition in him. The Sufi who drank ‘murky’ water did so for some specific reason. If this reason is unknown to the moron Salafi, he has no justification for condemning the Sufi, and to a greater extent is his error for implying that such penances of some Sufis were the norm of all Sufis. In all groups are to be found imposters, fakes and cranks. It is unjust to formulate an opinion regarding the genuine members of a group on the basis of the misdeeds of the fakes. Those who have masqueraded as Sufis for worldly objectives are not the criterion for passing judgment on the Sufiya. Ibnul Jauzee’s criticism in his kitaab, Talbees-e-Iblees, is directed at the frauds (mustaswifeen) who pretended to be Sufis. He never criticized the Auliya. Among the Ulama too there are numerous fakes and villains. No person of any intelligence will condone condemnation of all the Ulama simply because of the villainy perpetrated by the ulama-e-soo’. On this issue, Madkhalee says: “The endurance of self-imposed hardship was found amongst the first Sufis, but as regards later Sufis then they were concerned only with food and drink.” And, we may add to this, even smoking dagga and indulging in adultery in the name of the Deen. But such scoundrels may not be termed Sufis. They do not belong to the noble galaxy of Sufiya who were the embodiments of virtue and morality of the highest calibre. Those whose goal on earth is materialism, food, drink, dagga and vice are not Sufis. They are the progeny of Iblees. They are not Walis (friends) of Allah. They are walis of shaitaan. By what stretch of hallucination does the moron Salafi usher such frauds and villains into the class of the Sufiya-e-Kiraam? What resemblance is there with the self-proclaimed ‘sufis’ who were imposters given to debauchery and the genuine Sufis such as Hasan Basri, Junaid Baghdaadi, Sarri Saqati, Ibrahim Bin Adham and the innumerable illustrious Sufi Masters who strode the firmament of Islamic Roohaaniyat (Spirituality) and Ma’rifat? Painting them all with the same brush displays the compound ignorance of the moron Salafi. In every age the true Sufis had condemned the imposters and had explained the meaning of Tasawwuf, leaving no ambiguity in this concept and proving that it is an integral part of the Shariah. Moral reformation (Tazkiyah Nafs) is Waajib. Any brand of ‘tasawwuf’ which is in conflict with the Shariah is not true Tasawwuf. It is Satanism. In recent times, Hadhrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (rahmatullah alayh) as well as other senior Ulama of Deoband – all Sufis – have thoroughly exposed the fake and ignorant so-called Sufis. What the grave-worshipping so-called ‘sufis’ are perpetrating today is not Tasawwuf, and the Sufiya may not be condemned on account of the kufr and shirk perpetrated by these false claimants of Tasawwuf. Source

Taqleed By Faqeehul Ummah Hazrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi Sahib Rahmatullahi Alaihe Publishers Note Question/Answers Types of Ahadeeth Definition of Qiyas Definition of Ijtihad Definition of Taqleed Types of Masa'il A Doubt Question/Answer Shah Wali Ullah a Muqallid? What should a Muqallid do when a Hadith contradicts the saying of the Imam ? Taqleed for a Muhaqiq Alim! Is it against taqleed for a Hanafi to follow somebody else's view ? interislam.org

Verdict on Taqleed (Adherence) (The necessity of Taqleed from the Shari’ point of view) By a student of Darul Uloom, Holcombe, Bury, U.K. Contents Introduction Definition of Taqleed Taqleed - A Quraanic Command Taqleed in General The Necessity of Taqleed Evils of Discarding Taqleed Taqleed Restricted to the Four Madhaa'hib A Baseless Question Why is it Necessary to Make taqleed of One Imaam Only (Taqleed-us-Shakhsi) Talfeeq and Changiung Madh'habs is not Permissable Madhab of the Convert The Disease of Admut-Talqeed The Sunnah interislam.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHCGhVQriQo Mufti Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf deals with the Fitnah of taking from varrying madhabs.

Q: Could you please guide us on the method of raising funds for Islamic projects in present times. Are activities such as fund-raising dinners, fun walks, etc. acceptable? A. For guidance in this matter, we turn to the Seerah of Nabi (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) for answers. We find that fund-raising for a valid Islamic cause is a thing which was practiced in the very era and times of Rasulullah (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam). On the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk, a general appeal for contributions to the cause of Allah’s mission (Jihad) was undertaken. It is on this occasion that Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) outstripped Hazrat Umar (RA) by giving away all of his possessions for Islam. On another occasion, some poor persons came to Madinah Shareef in a very poverty stricken condition. Nabi (sallallahu- alayhi-wasallam) was visibly moved by their condition and ordered the Sahabah (RA) to render them assistance by making generous contributions to towards their needs. From the above, it is amply clear that the concept of contribution to the cause of Islam is not something new. It has existed from the very early days of Islam and is established from the Sunnah of Nabi (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam). As such, we have a beautiful example to follow and emulate in the way of Rasulullah (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) even as far as this aspect of our Deen is concerned. From the seerah of Nabi (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) it is clear that fund-raising for Allah’s work was done in the most practical and sincere manner, and there is nothing to match the Sunnah way! The approach was simple and straight- forward; Nabi (sallallahu-alayhi-wasallam) would gather the Sahabah (RA) in the Masjid, address them, motivate them, recite the verses of the Qur’an to them regarding spending in the path of Allah and exhort them with various virtues. He would also lead by his own blessed example by contributing generously. This would spur the Sahabah on, young and old, men and women, who would vie with each other in contributing to Allah’s cause and reaping the rewards of the Hereafter. In this simple but effective way, Allah Ta’ala would fulfil the needs of all the missions undertaken. This traditional Sunnah method is the way that Muslims ought to follow and emulate when raising funds for a worthy Islamic cause. The Sunnah method of fund raising will certainly carry the greatest amount of blessing – Barakah. This in turn will cause those funds to ‘s-t-r-e-t-c-h’ so that all the needs could easily be fulfilled. Other forms of fund-raising are found, but these are generally shorn of blessing – Barakah because of not conforming to the Sunnah example and very little work is achieved with such funds. Furthermore, it also has to be understood that donations to the cause of Allah must be motivated solely by the pleasure of Allah and for ‘investment’ in one’s ‘bank account’ of the Hereafter. There must be absolutely no other motive at all. Any other motive or intention will destroy the rewards, nullifying it. If the contribution is given in lieu of any worldly ‘benefits’ such as a ticket for participation in some show or sporting/fun activity, or for a plate of food at some dinner function, then it is not motivated solely by the pure and selfless intention of rewards – Thawaab, but some ‘other reward’ in material form, no matter how small, is also being sought. Sadly, this mentality seems to be more prevalent by the day. The test of this is when such ‘donors’ or people are requested to give donations for a worthy Islamic cause, without any material ‘benefit’ or ‘pleasurable activity’, they are reluctant to fork out even a few notes. Yet when it entails buying a ticket for ‘a dinner’ or a ‘fun-filled event’, in the name of charity, they are willing to pay the price. Why the difference in attitude? This is a clear barometer to gauge the level of sincerity of the intention. A Mu’min is supposed to give only for the pleasure of Allah. He needs no other motivation of food, pleasure or prestige to motivate him to give. When the contribution is motivated by material gains, it is shorn of blessings. Little is achieved with such funds. In essence, the Ummah must go back to the original, the traditional or Sunnah way of fund-raising (as explained earlier). This is the tried and tested method. Other forms of fund-raising contain the dangers of insincerity and being motivated by certain ‘benefits’ rather than for the pleasure of Allah and for the nobility of the cause itself. May Allah Ta’ala grant a clear and true understanding of Islamic ways at all times. Mufti Shafiq Jakhura Iftaa Department, Darul Ihsan Islamic Services Centre I concur with the answer: Mufti Zubair Bayat Ameer, Darul Ihsan Islamic Services Centre

A Letter o­n Taqleed <DIR> The following is part of a letter the Mujlisul Ulama wrote to a brother who queried the Islamic concept of Taqleed. </DIR> (1) It should be remembered that the two senior Imaams, namely, Imaam Abu Hanifah and Imam Maalik were in touch with Sahaabah. They had acquired their Islamic knowledge from Sahaabah as well as from numerous such senior Scholars who had studied under the Sahaabah. Thus, they were in close proximity to the age of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). Secondly, the protection of the Qur’aan and Islam were undertaken by Allah Ta’ala Himself. He declares in the Qur’aan: "Verily, We revealed the Thikr (Qur’aan) and We are it Protectors." Thus the preservation of Islam is a Divine Responsibility. At no stage in the history of Islam was there a time that the full Shariah was not available. Islam was perfected during the time of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). The Qur’aan is emphatic and explicit in making this claim. It is, therefore, Islamically unimaginable that the full and perfect Shariah did not exist with the illustrious Scholars until a couple centuries later when Imaam Bukhaari (rahmatullah alayh) appeared o­n the scene. Imaam Bukhaari appeared about 120 years after Imaam Abu Hanifah and about 200 years after Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). During this period, i.e. during the absence of Imaam Bukhaari, the Deen was flourishing. Every aspect of Islam was known to the Scholars. Nothing was hidden and unknown. It is a ludicrous and a kufr supposition to assume that part of the Shariah was concealed from or unknown to the Salf-e-Saliheen of the first epoch of Quroon-e-Thalathah (The first three noble ages of Islam), and that the supposed ‘unknown’ portion became known o­nly after Imaam Bukhaari (rahmatullah alayh) appeared o­n the scene 2 centuries later. This supposition is kufr because it militates against the Qur’aanic declaration of: <DIR> (1) The perfection of the Deen. (2) The Divine Protection of the Deen undertaken by Allah Azza Wa Jal, Himself. </DIR> Thirdly, Imaam Bukhaari and the other Muhadditheen who compiled the Ahadith in book form did not do so for the benefit of the existing Scholars or for the Scholars before his time. The Scholars before his era were illustrious Fuqaha and Muhadditheen who were the direct students of the Sahaabah or of the Students of the Sahaabah. The Scholars of his time were his (Imaam Bukhaari’s) Ustaadhs and these Scholars were the Students of the Taabieen who in turn were the Students of the Sahaabah. Thus, it was Imaam Bukhaari who benefited from these illustrious Ustaadhs, not the other way around. The compilations of the Muhadditheen were for the benefit of posterity)for the Muslims of later generations. The Scholars before Imaam Bukhaari and those during his time were not at all reliant o­n his compilations. They were completely independent of the Hadith compilations of the later Muhadditheen. The authorities o­n which the Scholars (Fuqaha and Muhadditheen) before Imaam Bukhaari’s time relied were Taabieen and Sahaabah. Their knowledge of Islam was firsthand and did not depend o­n compilations and books. Their Ilm was from the Taabieen whose base of knowledge was the Sahaabah who were Rasulullah’s (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) Students. The nonsense gorged out by the modernist and deviant Salafis of this age who blindly follow the half-baked so-called scholar, Al-Albaani is thus self-evident. Fourthly, it is a well-known fact that the teaching of Imaam Abu Hanifah as well as of the other Imaams (Fuqaha) was that if an authentic Hadith is acquired with which his ruling conflicts, then such a ruling should be discarded and the ruling stated in the Hadith be accepted. It was made clear that the Math-hab of the Hadith was his (i.e. Abu Hanifah’s) Math-hab. Thus, if and whenever any of the Scholars who followed Imaam Abu Hanifah acquired a Hadith which in their opinion their Ustaad did not know of, immediately the ruling of the Ustaad o­n the specific issue would be adjusted to conform to the Hadith. But, this process of adjusting such rulings which could have been in conflict with the Hadith o­n account of all the Ahadith not having reached a particular Imaam, ended long before Imaam Bukhaari presented his compilation. We, therefore, find the Mutakh-khireen (i.e. the Hanafi Fuqaha of the third and fourth centuries) adhering to the rulings which the Hanafi Fuqaha of former times had issued despite them having the knowledge of all Compilations of Hadith prepared by the Muhadditheen. This in itself, is explicit evidence for the fact that the Fuqaha before Imaam Bukhaari were already fully apprized of the various Ahadith which the later Muhadditheen compiled in their Books. Undoubtedly, the Sahaabah had scattered throughout the Islamic empire. But, long before the Hadith compilations of Imaam Bukhaari, the Scholars had already become aware of the Ahadith narrated by the different Sahaabah. The age adjacent to the age of the Sahaabah was an age of intense Islamic learning. The entire Shariah with its jurisprudence (Fiqh) was systematized and codified long before the age of the Muhadditheen. Such systematization and codification are impossible without a total knowledge of Hadith because Hadith is the Tafseer of the Qur’aan. Without Hadith, there can be no Shariah. Thus, the Shariah which the Fuqaha had systematized was the Shariah which the Sahaabah had acquired from Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). Just as the Sahaabah were not reliant o­n written books for the knowledge and recital of the Qur’aan, so too the next group of Scholars (the Taabieen) was not reliant o­n any book of Hadith for the systematization of the Shariah. Just as the Sahaabah had the Qur’aan in their memories, so too did the Taabieen have the Ahadith in their memories. Islamic history bears ample testimony to this incontrovertible fact. The aim of the Muhadditheen was to sift out the narrations and to prepare books of authentic compilations for the benefit of posterity just as was the aim of the Sahaabah when they had compiled the Qur’aan in book form. The aim was not to benefit the Sahaabah because they were not in need of a book or a written compilation of the Qur’aan. They had the Qur’aan in their memories. The Sahaabah had compiled the Qur’aan in book form for the benefit of posterity. From this it should be realised that Imaam Bukhaari’s compilation was not for the benefit of the existing Scholars as they were in fact the instructors of Imaam Bukhaari. It is quite possible that the Fuqaha and Muhadditheen prior to Imaam Bukhaari had greater knowledge of Hadith and had a greater advantage in regard to the knowledge of authentic Hadith. The chain of narrators between Imaam Bukhaari and the Sahaabah is very long. In view of numerous narrators in a chain o­n account of the large time gap, it is possible that a Hadith which was authentic according to Imaam Abu Hanifah or Imaam Maalik became ‘weak’ in terms of the standard employed by Imaam Bukhaari. Imaam Maalik heard a Hadith directly from the lips of a Sahaabi. The authenticity was most perfect. However, the same Hadith could have reached Imaan Bukhaari two centuries later in a slightly different form or in the same form but with a long chain of narrators. Some of the narrators may not have passed Imaam Bukhaari’s strict test, hence he would be compelled to classify the Hadith as ‘weak’ whilst in actual fact it is an authentic Hadith. Thus, if Imaam Abu Hanifah, for example, bases a ruling o­n the strength of a Hadith which according to Imaam Bukhaari is a ‘weak’ narration, the ruling of Imaam Abu Hanifah cannot be rejected o­n the basis of the designation given to the Hadith by Imaam Bukhaari because Imaam Abu Hanifah and all the early Scholars would not formulate rulings o­n suspect narrations nor were they reliant of the type of categorization of Hadith formulated by the later Muhadditheen. (2) It is baseless to claim that the Math-habs came into existence in the middle of the 8<SUP>th</SUP> century of the Christian era. People who lack understanding in the Deen make such preposterous allegations. Since the Scholars taught nothing other than the SUNNAH of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam), it is incorrect to claim that the Mathaahib were later accretions. It is inconceivable that the Fuqaha taught anything which was not taught by the Sahaabah. Yes, new rulings o­n new developments had to be formulated. But, such rulings were based o­n the principles enshrined in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. The Fuqaha simply arranged everything in systematic order. The differences in the various acts of Ibaadat, for example, had all existed during the very time of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). The Scholars did not introduce the different ways we find in the acts of worship of the followers of the Mathaahib. Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaabah had adopted these ways and forms which were passed o­n to the succeeding generation, viz., the Taabieen who in turn passed it o­n to the next generation. The problem the Fuqaha had was to establish which way and which manner of the Holy Nabi (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) and the Sahaabah were the final acts abrogating former acts. In such issues differences arose. Qur’aanic and Hadith interpretations had to be resorted to for finding solutions or the clear-cut rulings of the Sahaabah who had happened to be the Ustaadhs of a particular line of Scholars, were adopted. Whatever had happened and whichever way was adopted, it is absurd to claim that ‘numerous of the Hadith which reached Imaam Bukhaari did not reach the Fuqaha and that the Mathaahib had been formulated o­n the basis of insufficient Hadith narrations’. Such a claim is utterly baseless. In fact, it militates against the explicit Qur’aanic declaration: "This day have I perfected for you your Deen..." When a Scholar acquires the knowledge of an authentic Hadith, he does not dismiss that Hadith simply because the Hadith conflicts with the ruling of the Math-hab he happens to be following. He first examines the standard of the Hadith. If it is established that the Hadith is Saheeh (Authentic), he fully accepts it as being authentic. A man who rejects an authentic Hadith commits kufr. He is not a Muslim. If there are no Qur’aanic and Hadith proofs to conflict with the authentic Hadith which he has acquired, he immediately adopts the ruling of the Hadith and sets aside the ruling of the Math-hab which was earlier formulated o­n the basis of insufficient proof and facts. But, if there is strong and overwhelming Qur’aanic and Hadith evidence conflicting with the authentic Hadith which he had just acquired, he is forced to assign suitable interpretation to the Hadith and while accepting its authenticity, he cannot issue a ruling o­n its basis. But, this process had applied during the age of the Fuqaha)in the age of the Taabieen when the Sahaabah were involved in spreading the Deen. It did not apply to the age after Imaam Bukhaari. It must be categorically stated that the Fuqaha had the knowledge of all the Ahadith which are today found in the various Hadith compilations. In fact, they had greater knowledge in the field of Hadith authenticity and in view of there being hardly any links between them and the Sahaabah. (3) All the Usool of the Mathaahib were formulated o­n the basis of the Qur’aan and Hadith. Those Scholars who followed the Usool of a particular Math-hab were obliged to adhere to the Usool. They could differ in the Furoo’ (details). But, the Furoo’ which they formulated were based o­n the same Usool. Such differences largely pertain to new developments, not to clear teachings which were acquired from the Sahaabah. The Usool were established by the ‘Founding’ Imaams. Their students adopted these principles and formulated rulings for new developments o­n the basis of the principles established by their senior Ustaadhs. (4) While Ijtihaad in the principles is no longer permissible, Ijtihaad in new developments will remain valid until the Last Day. There will always be new developments. The Usool established by the early Fuqaha o­n the basis of the Qur’aan and Sunnah are all-encompassing. It is not possible to create any further Usool because such an attempt will be in conflict with the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Any new attempt will be beyond the confines of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Hence no o­ne has ever ventured to establish new Usool. If today anyone attempts, his kufr will be transparent as the conflict between his conjectured ‘usool’ and the Qur’aan will be conspicuous. Nowadays people simply resort to baseless interpretation (Ta’weel Baatil) to gain acceptance for their Baatil views. (5) New issues and new developments do not require any new Usool. The very same Usool which the early Fuqaha had extracted from the Qur’aan and Sunnah are the o­nly basis o­n which rulings for new issues have to be formulated. Discardence of the USOOL of the Fuqaha is tantamount to discardence of Islam. (6) Yes, Scholars who were students did differ with their illustrious Ustaadhs in matters of Furoo’. While both the Ustaad and the student would argue a certain issue (fara’) o­n the basis of the same principle which the Ustaad had established, they would sometimes come to different conclusions. This is essentially the result of difference in understanding, difference in taqwa, difference in their respective bonds with Allah Ta’ala. And, it could be the result of differences in their respective experience pertaining to the issue. Also sometimes, the Student will differ with the ruling which was issued by the Imaam because circumstances had changed)new facts had come to light which had not existed at the time the Imaam had issued his ruling. In short, there were a variety of factors which determined differences in rulings inspite of the rulings being based o­n the same Usool. Take for example the issue of shrimps. This is a mas’ala pertaining to the Furoo’. All the Hanafi Fuqaha are agreed o­n the principle that of the sea animals o­nly fish is halaal. There is no difference in this principle. However, some Hanafi Ulama have ruled that shrimps are permissible while the overwhelming majority states that shrimps are haraam. Those who say that shrimps are permissible, do not reject the principle. But, in terms of their knowledge they claim that shrimps are fish, hence, halaal. They do not claim the permissibility of shrimps o­n the basis of the principle of another Math-hab. Simply o­n account of their knowledge of shrimps, which they believe to be fish, they state that shrimps are halaal. They thus do not differ in the principles. (7) The Scholars never reasoned that all possible issues were already addressed and that there would be no longer need for formulating rulings o­n later developments. The unanimity is in the closing of the doors of Ijtihaad in respect to the Usool, not to new developments which obviously will come into being from time to time. But, the principles are established already for the formulation of the rulings necessary to categorize new issues and developments. (8) The Shar’i meaning of Taqleed, means to follow a particular Imaam in all matters pertaining to the Shariah. Ittiba’ means to follow in obedience. o­ne may accept the Taqleed of a particular Imaam without applying ittiba’ in practical life. Example: A man making Taqleed of Imaam Abu Hanifah, accepts and believes shrimps to be haraam. But, when he goes to a friend’s home (who may not be a Hanafi), he eats shrimps. He says that he follows (makes Taqleed) of Imaam Abu Hanifah and that he knows the view of Imaam Abu Hanifah is correct and that he accepts this, but simply to appease his friend he eats shrimps. Thus, while making Taqleed, he is not making ittiba’. (9) In all ages there were people of baatil who attempted to subvert the Deen. This process of conflict between Haqq and Baatil will endure as long as the world endures. The conspiracies of baatil are more rife and rampant in our day. Almost every Tom, Dick and harry who has studied some Hadith translations of has a couple of kuffaar university degrees behind his name thinks himself capable of making Ijtihaad in even the Usool. May Allah Ta’ala save us from such deviation. (10) The Fuqaha of the early times did not close the Door of Ijtihaad in respect to the Usool because unqualified persons attempted to make inroad into this domain. The Doors were closed because they were 100% certain that no new Usool can any longer be established since the Usool which they had established were all-encompassing. For such certitude a very high degree of Taqwa and spiritual elevation are imperative. These men were not o­nly men of book knowledge. Their knowledge was true knowledge which is a Noor (Celestial Light). The Islamic definition of Knowledge given by the illustrious Ulama is: "ILM (KNOWLEDGE) is a Noor in the heart of the Mu’min. The Noor is acquired from the lanterns in the Niches of Nubuwwat." True knowledge initiated from the heart of the Nabi and it passed o­n from breast to breast. From the breast of the Sahaabah to the breasts of the Taabieen, and so o­n until it has reached us. Such Noor enters the heart o­nly after the Bond with Allah Ta’ala has been rectified, developed and solidified. (11) A Muqallid who claims to follow the Sunnah while differing with the ruling of his Math-hab deceives himself by believing that he is following the Sunnah. Following the Sunnah is not possible beyond the confines of the Math-hab. The authorities of the Math-hab were fully aware of the Ahadith which allegedly conflict with the rulings of the Math-hab. They had the necessary knowledge pertaining to such affairs. It is, therefore, a shaitaani deception for the Muqallid, especially weak Muqallideen such as us in this belated age, to believe that we are following the Sunnah while we reject the rulings of the Aimmah. (12) The opinions of the Aimmah do not contradict the Hadith. It is our limited knowledge and total inability which make us believe that the opinions of the Aimmah conflict with certain Ahadith. There are valid and Shar’i explanations and interpretations for any apparent conflict. We in this day are not in position to fully understand all the different facets which had produced the opinions of the Aimmah. The reliable Ahadith are not rejected. They are accepted, but the relevant facts pertaining to the reliable Hadith in question are stated. (13) Any difference which the Students of Imam Abu Hanifah had with him o­n issues of detail, e.g. raising the hands, etc., was not in conflict with the Usool. While they were of such standing that they could resort to such differences in view of the o­n-going process of Hadith transmission in their time, we in this time cannot act in the same way o­n the basis of our defective knowledge of Islamic sciences. We simply have to follow the rulings of the Jamhoor of the Math-hab. (14) The incumbent duty of the Muqallid is not o­nly Taqleed, but Ittiba’. We have to make Ittiba’ of the Jamhoor of the Math-hab. If we don’t, we are bound to fall into deviation. The first step into the path of deviation is to abandon Ittiba’. o­nce shaitaan has made us accustomed to abandon Ittiba’, the ground will become fertile to reject Taqleed. The modernist Salafis have fallen into this Satanic trap. (15) It is dangerous for the masses to seek answers from the Books of Fiqh in which appear Ikhtilaafaat (difference of opinion) and Dalaa-il. The masses o­n account of lacking totally in higher Islamic knowledge will become confused. They should adhere to books which teach the masaail for practical purposes. (16) Without following a particular Math-hab, a person is bound to stray into deviation. He will follow his desires. It is, therefore, incumbent to follow a Specific math-hab. (17) Picking and choosing rulings from the different Math-habs, is the product of desire. The nafs constrains a person to adopt such an exercise. No Math-hab permits this. However, when there is a real need for adopting a ruling of another Math-hab, the Ulama will study the circumstances and incorporate such a ruing into the Math-hab o­n the basis of the Usool of the Math-hab. Picking and choosing at random and desire is to trifle with the Deen. Such trifling can lead to the destruction of Imaan. (18) An exercise to unify the Math-habs will imply the initiation of a fifth Math-hab. Since the rulings of the Math-habs are based o­n Dalaa-il and certain Dalaa-il are the product of interpretation, unification is not possible. There are and will always be differences among the Scholars who are Muqallids of the same Math-hab. Furthermore, such an attempt is uncalled for. Differences in the Math-hab never lead to disunity and conflict. Ignorance leads to disunity and conflict. We are taught to respect all the four Math-habs. Although we are followers of the Hanafi Math-habs, we always insist that followers of the other Math-habs adhere strictly to the ruling and teachings of their respective Math-habs. The belief of the followers of all Math-habs is that the Four Math-habs are o­n the Haqq because their basis is the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. While conceding that errors are possible and that errors in opinion have been committed, no Math-hab can be branded as baatil or in deviation. Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) said: "The differences of my Ummah are a blessing." Such differences existed among the Sahaabah also. These differences of the Sahaabah were inherited by the Students of the different Sahaabah, hence the differences in the Math-habs. The Math-habs do not advocate sectarianism or antagonism among the followers of the different Math-habs as the deviant, anti-Math-hab Salafis of this age claim. We see such antagonism o­nly in the ranks of the ignorant o­nes. If the Shaafi performs Witr in his way and the Hanafi in his way, what is the need for antagonism? Some of our friends are Shaafi Ulama for whom we have great respect and love. There is absolutely no ill-feeling. No sectarianism. No antagonism. But, jahl (ignorance) is an evil disease. This letter is a very brief answer to your queries. The Majlis

INCUMBENCY OF TAQLEED Taqleed in the Shariah, as opposed to Admut Taqleed, means to follow the Qur'~n and the Sunnah as understood, interpreted, practised and transmitted to the Ummah by the Sah~bah (Companions) of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). Taqleed which literally means to be fettered; to be tied and to follow, refers to a special and specific type of following in Islam. It refers to the rigid following of the Qur'~n and Sunnah as commanded by Allah Ta'ala Who says: "O People of Im~n! Obey Allah and obey the Rasool....." Numerous Qur'~nic ~y~t (verses) and Hadith narrations command this strict obedience and following which are known as Taqleed in the terminology of the Shariah. The attainment of Allah's Pleasure is possible o­nly by means of obedience and submission to His laws which consist of innumerable details and particulars related to numerous concepts and commands. It goes without saying that the abundance of rules of the Shariah is the product of divine revelation and inspiration to the sole repository of Allah's law, viz. the blessed heart of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). Hence, the Qur'~n says: "He (Muhammad) does not speak of desire (or baseless opinion). It (his speech) is o­nly Wahi which is revealed." Personal opinion has no scope in the determination of the rules pertaining to the transcendental concepts and institutions of Islam. When man abandons Taqleed (following the Qur'~n and Sunnah) he enslaves himself to his personal opinion which is the product of his haw~ (nafs~ni desire). Criticizing the slaves of desire, Sayyiduna Umar (radhiall~hu anhu) said: "Verily, the votaries of opinion are the enemies of the Sunnah." That Taqleed (following) is an Islamic fact and a Qur'~nic command is undeniable. The Qur'~n Majeed says: "Ask the people of Thikr (Knowledge) if you do not know." "Follow the path of those who turn to Him." In the first and foremost instance, the People of Thikr and those who have turned to Allah Ta'ala refer undoubtedly to the Sah~bah (Companions) of Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam). Both the Qur'~n and Hadith are emphatic o­n this assertion. The Qur'~nic verses in this regard cited here glowingly praise the Sah~bah and confirm their rank by Allah. "Those who are ahead, the first o­nes among the Muh~jireen and Ans~r and those who followed them with virtue, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him....." "Verily, Allah became well-pleased with the Mu'mineen (i.e. the Sah~bah) when they gave you (Muhammad) the oath of allegiance (bay't) under the tree....." A famous Hadith specifies that the Path of salvation and rectitude is the way of the Sah~bah. o­nce Rasãlullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) said that of the 73 sects into which his Ummah will be split, o­nly o­ne will be o­n the path of righteousness and salvation. When asked about the righteous sect, Rasãlullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "That Path o­n which I and my Sahabah are." The Qur'an and Hadith categorically state and command that the Ummah adopts the Taqleed of the Sah~bah. Any taqleed (following) which diverges from the Taqleed of the Sah~bah is taqleed of hawa (nafsani desire) and shaitan. It should therefore be understood that those who abandon the Taqleed of the Sahabah are in reality adopting the taqleed of shaitan. Let us now see what this path of the Sahabah is ) the Path, the Taqleed of which the Qur'an and Hadith command, and without which Najat (salvation) in the Akhirah is not possible; without which adherence to the Qur'~n and Sunnah is not possible. THE QUR'AN AND SUNNAH REACH US BY TRANSMISSION Everyone knows that Wahi (Divine Revelation) terminated with Rasãlullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). Thus, the o­nly passage for the transference of the Qur'an and Sunnah to the successive generations of the Ummah is the Golden Chain of Transmission emanating from Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), the very first link being the noble Sahabah. Rasulullah (sallall~hu alayhi wasallam) transmitted Islam to his Sahabah who in turn transmitted it to the next generation, namely, the Tabi-een. The Tabi-een transmitted Islam to the next succeeding generation, known as the Tab-e-Tabi-een. In this manner Islam reach us in the present age by reliable transmission from o­ne generation to another, and in this very same manner will it be transmitted to the end of time. Islam did not reach us by way of books nor by the way of the teaching of geniuses who do not form links in the Golden Chain of Transmission which links up with Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) via the medium of the Sahabah who constitute the link which unites the Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen and Fuqaha with Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). This Golden Chain of Transmission is the Institution established by Allah Ta'ala for the protection and preservation of Islam. Preservation of Islam in its pristine purity is a Divine Promise. The Qur'an says: "We have revealed the Thikr (Qur'an) and verily, We are its Protectors." This Golden Chain of Transmission has been maintained intact by the institution of Taqleed. Enemies of Islam in diverse forms and methods have always conspired to break this sacred Golden Chain by attacking the Islamic practice of Taqleed. o­nce the pernicious aim of these enemies is achieved, the Ummah's link with true and original Islam will be broken. However, since Allah Ta'ala Himself has undertaken to protect Islam, the nefarious plots of the enemies will be thwarted and neutralized by the forces of Haqq. While the followers of the four Math-habs have accepted the entire edifice of the Shariah as inherited from each preceding generation which commenced with the Sah~bah, the first generation or link in the Chain of Transmission, all other sects subject the Qur'~n and Hadith to personal opinion and whimsical interpretation. Thus, while the Muqallideen are following Islam in the form it was aacquired from the Sah~bah, the deviant sects have no hesitation in rejecting any Shar'i opinion if it does not agree with their own understanding of the Qur'an and Hadith. Since their own interpretation of the Qur'an and Hadith plays a dominant part in their acceptance or rejection of the Shariah, they fall beyond the confines of the Ahlus Sunnah whose Shariah is not the product of personal opinion, but is the Shariah acquired from the Sah~bah by way of reliable transmission. Submission to this Shariah is known as TAQLEED. Admut Taqleed is dhalal (deviation). It is in fact the blind following of the lowly nafs. Such blind following which is the result of abandoning taqleed of the Sah~bah is a great deception. A superior Taqleed is renounced for accepting a grossly erroneous and deceptive taqleed, viz. the taqleed of the nafs. "The Majlis" Vol 12 No 3

Wa'alaykumus salaam warahmatullah Brother Arfatzafar Nice surprise to see you here as well. InshaAllah we will all benefit from each other. Welcome! By the way the first few posts will need approving by moderators

Question For the past few days, Shaytaan was putting vein thoughts in my mind regarding the way this noble deen reached us (the authenticity of the narrators) and the Quran and Sunnah. In my mind, knowing that this deen is complete truth, I started thinking about all the miracles of the Quran which prove it to be the complete truth. Is this called falling into doubt, and does this necessitate one to take his shahadah again. If so, does it have to be done in the presence of other people? In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful. Answer Saaiduna Abu Hurairah Rradiallahu Anhu said: “Some of the companions of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam came to him and said, ‘We find in our hearts things that none of us dares utter.’ He said, ‘Do you really find that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is clear faith.’ (Sahih Muslim) The Shaitan only whispers to people of faith; as for those who are non-believers or non-practicing he comes to him however he wants and does not limit himself to waswaas, rather he toys with him however he wishes. In the meantime increase your zikr and remembrance to Allah (SWA) and don’t let these thoughts overtake you. Whenever you feel the doubts and whispers overtaking your concentration in salah then spit dryly three times to your left before you start your salah. Saaiduna Uthman Ibn Abil Aas Radiallahu Anhu said: “The Shaitan was interfering with my prayer and recitation of Qur’an. The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said: ‘That is a devil called Khanzab, so seek refuge with Allah from him and spit dryly to your left three times.’ I did that, and Allah took him away from me.” (Sahih Muslim p.224 v.2) With regards to your question, there is no need for you to repeat your shahadah again. These are satanic whispers trying to stop you from continuing on the straight path. Only Allah Knows Best Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham

Yes that's right Maryam...and also remove the "min" from the du'a after eating. Alhamdulillah we had heard it before from the lessons of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat and had rectified it

Jazaakillaahu Khayran sister amaturrahmaan! Very beneficial MashaAllah. I have taken the liberty of adding the full article here because many times we lose the links provided

Q: Please clarify if the dua for eating has wa ala barakatillah or if it is just wa barakatillah without ala, which one is Sunnah and rewarding? The dua after eating is it wajaalana minal muslimeen or wajaalana muslimeen, which one is Sunnah and rewarding? ​Please write the duas in Arabic with Harakat and reference from Hadith. A: 1. At the time of partaking of meals, one should recite بِسْمِ اللهِ. We have not come across بسم الله وعلى بركة الله (Wa Ala Barakatillah). However the word بسم الله و بركة الله appears in the following Hadith: عن بن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأبا بكر وعمر رضي الله عنهما أتوا بيت أبي أيوب فلما أكلوا وشبعوا قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم خبز ولحم وتمر وبسر ورطب إذا أصبتم مثل هذا فضربتم بأيديكم فكلوا بِسْمِ اللهِ وَبَرَكَةِ اللهِ . (مستدرك حاكم #7084) 2. We have not come across من المسلمين. However وجعلنا مسلمين appears in the following Hadith: عن أبي سعيد قال كان النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم إذا أكل طعاما قال الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِينَ . (ابن ماجة #3283) And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best. Answered by: Mufti Zakaria Makada Checked & Approved: Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

Here is the youtube video of Recitation of Suratul Kahf by Shaykh Huthaify in 32 mins: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDhJZpvXE4Y

Bismillahir-rahmaanir-raheem. There are many virtues regarding the recitation of Surah al Kahf on Fridays’. عن أبي سعيد الخدري أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال : من قرأ سورة الكهف في يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بين الجمعتين (سنن البيهقي الكبرى) “Whoever reads Surah al-Kahf on the day of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will shine from him from one Friday to the next.” (Sunan Al Kubra lil Bayhaqi- Vol: 3- Pg: 353 – Dar ul kutub al Ilmiyyah) عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال من قرأ سورة الكهف ليلة الجمعة أضاء له من النور فيما بينه وبين البيت العتيق (سنن الدارمي) Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri, who said: “Whoever readsSoorat al-Kahf on the night of Jumu’ah, will have a light that will stretch between him and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah).” (Sunan Al Daarami, Hadith: 3407, Darul Kitaabil Arabi) It is preferable to recite Surah al Kahf after Maghrib on Thursday. قوله "قراءة الكهف" اي يومها و ليلتها, و الافضل في اوّلهما مبادرة للخير و حذراً من الاهمال (Raddul Muhtaar, Vol: 1, pg: 164, H.M Saeed Company) muftisays

Anytime Resolutions... By Abu Muhammad Yusuf The Islamic New of 1435 has recently ushered in and people generally begin to think about their life and some even make resolutions about how they will approach this New Islamic Year and their work, health and relationships. As humans and believers we also have ambitions. Instead of making resolutions only about material progression, the resolutions of a believer would and should be about one’s progression on the path of enlightenment and nearness to his or her Creator Allah Ta’ala. In reality we don’t need a New Year or special occasion to make a resolution for doing or achieving good. It can be done instantaneously! Generally people intend doing things to become better off than the year before. Common resolutions include cutting down on chocolate/weight, quit smoking, getting in shape, etc. A lot involves benefits to the health and/or improving their lifestyle. Others include giving more to charity, being closer to family which boosts a personal level of satisfaction etc. But this we as Muslims should be doing regardless. What about us? Have we set a goal or targets for ourselves? If so, was it because it was a New Year? Did you have to wait for the New Year to set it? Is there something about you that you wish to improve? No human is perfect. But Allah Ta’ala gave us human’s intelligence to learn and the means for people to better themselves. And we should aim for perfection. The whole essence of Tarbiya is based on improving ourselves, i.e. self development. While people set goals or targets for the benefit of this world, we as Muslims should ideally be setting goals for not only our material well-being but more importantly for the aakhirah (Life in Hereafter), to maximise reward so we attain Jannah(Paradise) and to avoid the punishment of the Jahannam (hellfire). That is not to say that we should not set goals for this material life , by all means go ahead. But if you intend to do a good deed for the dunya(worldly life) only, your reward will be in the dunya. When you intend to do a good deed for the aakhirah, your rewards will be in both the dunya and the akhira. For example, when you intend to eat so you can have the strength and energy to work so you can maintain and care for your family as it is a Command of Allah Ta’ala to do so, you will be rewarded and receive benefits both in this world and the next. But if you just eat so satisfy your hunger then your reward is just the benefits of eating. Allah Ta’ala mentions in the Holy Quran; “…And I created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me..” (Quran 51:56). Therefore, our intentions and targets should ultimately be aimed at pleasing Allah Ta’ala. We set ourselves certain targets that will help us maximise reward, or to even minimise sinning. For many of us we can start with some simple yet effective, ways which we can improve our character such as to stop backbiting, be more trusting, watching our tongue, not lazing about, etc. Let us look at it another way. Do we ever stop at the end of the day to look back thinking, what have I actually achieved today? It may be a good idea, before the start of each day, to ask yourself, what can I do tomorrow to improve myself? It can even be something small such as learning an ayah of the Quran or giving a loaf of bread in Sadaqah (Charity) or just to smile at somebody. Whatever you wish to improve on, no matter how ambitious or small it is, whether it is for the dunya or the akhirah, one can apply the SMART method. What they stand for is: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. The crucial element here is time, which means you need to set yourself deadlines. Instead of saying, I’m going to memorise the Quran, Insha Allah (If Allah Ta’ala wills), rather say by the end of this month, Insha Allah I hope to have memorised juz(chapter) Amma. Its more direct and you will have set yourself up with expectations. Another way to help is to let others know what you intended to do. This way you will have someone else to give you that extra push. If you and a friend decide to work towards the same target then it makes it much easier, you both can push each other. The Noble Messenger of Allah is reported to have said; “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Hadith:Bukhari and Muslim). There is also the topic of setting a long term goal, but that in itself is another topic, though the principles are similar. Often the lack of motivation is what causes people to stop pursuing their targets. However, if you set your targets with the intention of pleasing Allah Ta’ala and make effort, He will make things easier for you. In Hadith Qudsi Allah says, “if he comes to Me walking, I go running unto him” (Bukhari, Muslim). Allah Ta’ala also mentions that; “…those who strive in Our cause, We will surely guide them in Our Paths. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good.” (Quran, 29:69). Knowing that Allah will reward you both in this world and the hereafter should re-stimulate that motivation that you need to accomplish things. Sometimes it is that extra motivation that you need. So if ever, when working towards something you feel a bit bothered about then just ask yourself again why you are doing this. If it is for Allah Ta’alas cause then He shall make things easier for you. But you need that bit of effort. Have a bit of patience for you will be rewarded for that too. There is indeed no limit to the good a person can intend and indeed according to ones niyyah (intention) one will be rewarded . According to Hadith if a person intends to do a good deed but cannot do it, Allah writes for him a reward of one good deed. If he both intends to do and performs that good deed, Allah writes for him a reward of ten good deeds and increases it up to seven hundred and more. (Hadith Bukhari). Also if a person intends to do a good deed, but is then unable to complete it due to an obstacle in his way, there will still be a reward just for his good intention. Intention is such a magical cure that it turns habits, activities, deeds to worship. And also it is a soul which turns dead circumstances and moods to live worships. Setting goals or targets is an excellent practise. There are good resolutions a person can make and does not need to wait for a New Year. Here are a few tips to get started… 5 Easy Tips To Get You Started… REACH FOR THE STARS! AIM HIGH: So indeed there is no harm in achieving good in both materially and spiritually.The most important is to note that all resolutions, hopes, ambitions and dreams etc are entirely dependent on Allah Ta’ala, The Most Wise, for their fulfilment. So making Dua (asking Allah Ta’ala) is the most essential ingredient for achievement. When making dua “reach for the stars” i.e. ask Allah Ta’ala for the most in fact ask for everything good. Don’t leave out anything. Allah, The Most Wise, says: “Invoke Me, (and ask Allah for anything) I will respond to your (invocation/dua)…………..” (Quran: 40: 60) ELIMINATE SINS: Just like a Shop keeper refuses to grant more credit to a bad debtor or nonpayer, likewise how can we expect Allah Ta’ala to grant us good if we continuously sin and transgress. To get the Help of Allah Ta’ala we need to remove sin from our lives. We are not perfect and as humans we often err. But the least we can do to show our sincerity to Allah Ta’ala is to intend to abandon ALL forms of sins from our lives. Allah is Ar-Rahman, the Most Compassionate, and Ar-Raheem, the Most Merciful. Allah Ta’ala tells man of the greatness of His forgiveness and mercy so that no one would despair due to the amount of sins he may have committed. This is supported by the following verse of the Holy Quran: Say: “O My servants who have transgressed against their own souls, despair not of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Qur’an:Surah az-Zumar 39:53) MAKE ISLAM THE BIGGER CIRCLE: Until now we may have made our material (worldly) desires the Bigger Circle and Deen(Islam) the inner Smaller Circle that occupies a very small insignificant place in the Bigger Circle. Now resolve to make Deen(Islam) the Bigger Circle and make everything else fit into the Bigger Circle. If it does not conform to Deen, no matter what it may be, leave it out of the Bigger Circle! The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him is reported to have said: "None of you can be a true Muslim, unless his desires are subject to the religion that I have brought." (Hadith). Yes set high goals both for our Spiritual and Material progress. The Holy Qur’an says: “Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire” (Quran:Al-Baqarah:201). SET SPECIFIC GOALS: It would be good if specific intentions are made. Also categorise goals. For example ; lets take salaah (prayer): Resolve that henceforth all five prayers will be read punctually and better still for men(if possible) that prayers would be in the Masjid. Qur’an: Aim to memorize more verses of the Book of Allah; Make our children Hafiz of the Quran; Zikr: Increase the amount of Zikr done daily and aim to improve concentration. Sadaqah (Charity): Spend more on the poor and for all other noble causes whether it be victims of natural disasters or contributing to the local Masjid etc. Increase the amount of time one spends volunteering, Spending Time in the Path of Allah, memorize duas for different occasions or Prophetic traditions(Hadith), making quality time to spend with family, making wise career choices for yourself/children, assisting one’s mother and/or father, speaking well with one’s siblings, furthering Islamic knowledge, serving those less fortunate and oppressed and thanking Allah Ta’ala in whatever way for the all blessing and bounties for which He has bestowed upon us.etc etc BE EXTENSIVE AND SYSTEMATIC: Yes let the list be extensive, realistic and systematic. Dedicate time with family to make these resolutions. Make your family part of it and set goals together. In addition, it helps to write down intentions and to regularly review those intentions in order to fulfil those commitments. Finally the most important resolution is that My Creator Allah Ta’ala must be pleased with me. So whatever I desire, do, say, want, etc must be only to please my Lord! May Allah Ta’ala make this Islamic Year 1435 Hijrah the most spiritually rewarding year for the Ummah and may He grant ease and relief to those that are suffering and oppressed throughout the world.…Ameen EISLAM

Sayyidi wa sanadi Mufti Mohammad Taqi Usmani (Allah bless him with a long, healthy and productive life, Amin!) spoke briefly about the common problem of the slips of a sincere seeker on this path (sulook). Below is a discussion on this issue from that discourse and teaching of our pious predecessors, It is often a case that a sincere salik has been trying his best effort and also making supplications to Allah to keep him firm on pious actions and save him from involvement in sinful. But after weeks or months of being successful a dreadful moment comes and he fails and falls into sinful. On realization of his mistake he is perplexed and disheartened. Thoughts like, ‘this path is not for me’, ‘I’m a failure’, ‘Divine help did not come’, ‘all the effort and supplications went wasted’, etc. plague his mind. An individual can be so dejected, especially after multiple such episodes that he abandons all the effort and becomes totally heedless. May Allah save us all from this calamity. Amin! However, a salik consults his Shaikh. He is instructed to repent, reaffirm his determination and move forwards. Moreover, it is emphasized not to ruminate and go into a root cause analysis of the incident. A sincere salik must trust his Shaikh. As a result this slip becomes a stepping stone for further progress. There are many lessons learned from the mistakes of the sincere seekers. They are mentioned below. However, they should not be used for rationalization of sinful activities. This discussion is about those who are sincere in their intention and effort but rarely slip. They include, Their remorse is more genuine, intense and sustained and it leads to immediate repentance The resulting repentance is more sincere It leads to increased connection with Allah There is increased reliance on Allah and being His slave (abdiyet) They appreciate (shukr) the blessing of Allah in giving them an opportunity to acknowledge their mistake and repent They appreciate (shukr) the blessing of Allah in the form of the Shaikh’s guidance who encourages them and pulls them out from depths of despair They see the flimsiness of their own effort and actions so they trust in Allah They become aware of their true self and are not delusional of self piety (ujub) They do not look down upon other fellows or consider themselves to be better (kibr) Their reaffirming of determination and enthusiasm to move forwards is much more Their effort in doing good actions and avoiding sinful is increased (or at least not decreased than before) Their supplications asking Allah for assistance are increased and become more heartfelt leading to further increase in connection with Allah They become more aware and experienced of detecting the hidden traps and deception of nafs and Satan and work to avoid them They excessively seek refuge (istiaza) in Allah from all that leads to Allah’s displeasure And many others. These are the mistakes that sometimes outweigh pious deeds! (Ramadhan 1434, post-dhuhr talks, paraphrased) ashrafiya

The View of Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani In the following letter, Mujaddid Alf-e-Thaani explicitly brands as Shirk, an act that resembles worship of other than Allah, despite the perpetrators maintaining that their intentions were purely for Allah: Volume 3, Letter 41 “Those animals that are offered on the names of the buzrugs [awliya] and they are slaughtered at the grave of the buzrug [awliya], according to the fiqhi [jurisprudent] ruling such acts are included as being amongst shirk [polytheism]. A great deal of discouragement from such acts has been recorded. Such offerings are in the same category as those which are made in the name of some jinnaat. According to the Shariah such acts are prohibited and counted as shirk…Abstinence is also very necessary from such acts which bear resemblance to shirk. There are various ways of taking vows on the name of Allaah Ta`ala. What is the need for slaughtering an animal when taking a vow? Also for combining this slaughter with that which is made in the name of some jinnaat? There is a similarity between this is and the worship of jinnaats… Included in such vows [which are made in the names of other than Allaah Ta`ala] are those rozas [fasts] which women keep, on the names of their peers [shaykhs]. For the iftaar of those rozas [fasts] they stipulate all special types of treats. They even specify a particular day for the roza. They combine their object and desire with the fast. Through the waseelah of these fasts they ask of their needs from their peers [shaykhs]. And they consider their shaykhs to be their helpers and solvers of difficulties [in the time of distress] through these fasts. This is shirk in ibadat… One should clearly understand the gravity of making waseelah in the Ibaadat of anyone other than Allaah Ta`ala. When the evil and iniquity of this heinous sin becomes manifest, then the women aver that they kept the roza for Allah Ta`ala but they intended the thawaab [reward] for the peer [shaykh]. This is a glaring falsity. If they were true to their word, then why do they specify a particular day for the roza? And why do they stipulate all sorts of special and specific food for the Iftaar?” The View of Shah Waliullah Another Mujaddid from the same region who has gained widespread acceptance by the Ummah, Shah Waliullah (rahmatullahi alayhi) , made numerous statements similar to the one above by Mujaddid Alf-e-Thani. Merely changing the intentions behind acts that resemble worship, does not detract from the reality that they amount to abominable transgressions of the Deen. He highlights several times throughout his works, the lamentable state of the Muslims in his time and their involvement in acts of Shirk: Al-Khayrul Katheer “And you should know that seeking to fulfill needs (hajat) through the dead with the belief that they are [merely] a means to fulfillment, is disbelief (kufr) which must be avoided; the Kalimah Shahadah regards it as prohibited, but nowadays people are excessively involved in these things.” (Al-Khayrul Katheer) Al-Tafhimatul Ilaahiyyah “All who go to the land of Ajmer or to the grave of Salar Mas’ud or those that resemble them in order to request [to fulfil] a need, it is indeed a sin more grievous than murder and adultery. Its likeness is not but the likeness of those who worship the creation or like those who call on Al-Lat and Al-’Uzza. However, we do not [unequivocally] declare disbelief [upon them] due to the absence of a text from the Lawgiver in this specific matter. All who assign life to the dead and request their needs from them, ‘his heart is surely sinful’ (Qur’an, 2:283), and [this act] is included in His statement (Exalted is He), ‘that is iniquity’ (Qur’an, 5:3)… The definition of associating (shirk) [partners] with Allah (Glorified is He) in worship is glorifying (ta’zim) other than Allah, intending thereby to come closer to Allah (Exalted is He) and salvation in the Final Abode. One of the greatest diseases in this age of ours is their worship of their shuyukh when [they are] alive or [worship] of their graves when [they are] dead. The ignorant [Muslims] imitate the disbelievers of India [i.e. Hindus] in worshipping their idols [which is] amongst their [ritual] acts. The definition of associating [partners] with Allah in seeking help (isti’anah) is to seek one’s need from another while believing he has the power to accomplish it by applying [his] powerful will (sarf al-iradah al-nafidhah), like curing the sick, giving life and death, giving provision and creating a child, and other things that are contained in the Names of Allah (Exalted is He). The definition of associating [partners] with Allah in supplication (du’a) is to mention other than Allah (Glorified is He) while believing this action of his will benefit him in his afterlife or in coming closer to Allah, just as they mention their shuyukh when waking up in the morning…” Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘You will surely follow the ways of those who went before you, hand span for hand span, arm’s length for arm’s length, until if they were to enter the hole of a lizard, you would follow them.’ We said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! The Jews and Christians?’ He said, ‘Then who?’ Al-Bukhari and Muslim transmitted it. Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) spoke the truth for indeed we have seen men amongst the feeble of the Muslims taking the pious as lords besides Allah and adopting their graves as mosques just as the Jews and Christians would do.” (Al-Tafhimatul Ilaahiyyah) Al-Fawzul Kabeer “If you, dear reader, are hesitant in accepting the accuracy of what was said about the beliefs of the mushrikin and their deeds, look at the superstitious distorters of this age, especially those of them who reside in the borders of the Abode of Islam [i.e. India], what their conceptions of “sainthood” (wilayah) are; for, despite recognising the sainthood of the early saints, they believe the existence of saints in this age is impossible, and they attend the graves and holy places [of the early saints] and are afflicted by all kinds of shirk, bid’ahs and superstitions; and distortion (tahrif) and assimilation (tashbih) have taken root in them and penetrated into their minds until no tribulation amongst the tribulations and no trial amongst the trials contained in the judgement that has come in the authentic hadith, ‘You will surely follow the ways of those who went before you…’ remained but a group from amongst the groups that are Muslims by name plunged into it and became attached to it. Allah (Glorified is He) save us from that.” (Al-Fawzul Kabeer) Al-Budur al-Bazighah “Some of them [Mushrikin] believe that Allah alone is Noble and the Master, and He alone has influence over the world, but [they also believe that] sometimes He grants some servants the garment of highness and majesty and provides them with power and discretion (tasarruf) in certain matters of the world, just like the emperors give some of their slaves the robe of ruling and set them as rulers of some parts of their empires… And this is the illness of the majority of the Jews and Christians, and the idolaters, and some of the extremists of the hypocrites of the religion of Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) in today’s time… People who have been prevailed upon by paralogism [their bad knowledge about Allah]… are like the hypocrites of the Muslim community. They follow the religion of Islam and conceal in their hearts others who they associate with Allah in their worship, as in their asking others besides Allah for help (isti’anah). They have thought that the pleasure of God is confined to the pleasure of His worshipping devotees.” (Al-Budur al-Bazighah) Hujjatullah al-Baalighah “And among that (the occasions where forbidden shirk is present): Surely they seek aid from [people] other than Allah for their needs — including cure for the ill and giving wealth to the poor; and they make vows (nadhr) and hope that their aims are successful on account of those vows; and they recite their [people's] names hoping to gain their blessings. Allah Most High has made it incumbent on them that they say in their prayers, ‘It is only you that we worship and it is only you that we seek aid from.’ Allah Most High says, ‘So, do not call with [the name of] Allah anyone else.’ And the meaning of du’a (supplication) is not ‘ibadah (worship), as the exegetes say, but it is isti’anah (seeking aid), according to the saying of God, may He be Exalted, ‘No, but you call upon Him and He removes the thing because of which you call upon Him’ (Qur’an, 6:41).” (Hujjatullah al-Baalighah) Al-Qawlul Jameel “Explanation of Major Sin: Among the major sins is ascribing partners with Allah in worship and in seeking aid [in a matter that is not established by the natural means (asbab) or established in the Shari‘ah] for livelihood, cure, and other such things. And an indication to repent from these two [ascribing partners in worship and in seeking aid] is His utterance (Exalted be He) ‘It is You we worship and You we ask for help’ (verse five of Surah Fatihah).” (Al-Qawlul Jameel) Note: There are different types of Shirk, not all of which necessarily causes a person to become a Kaafir. Source

Misconceptions About Islam What do you REALLY know? Introduction Have you ever wondered why a nun can be covered from head to toe and she’s respected for devoting herself to God, but when a Muslim woman covers, she’s viewed as “oppressed”? Or why a Jew can grow a beard and he’s just practising his faith, and when a Muslim does that, he’s an “extremist”? People in the west seem to have many misconceptions about Muslims and Islam. Many believe that the western world is advanced, enlightened and liberated, while Islam is just the opposite: primitive, ignorant and oppressed. One reason for this belief is that the media has time and again portrayed the Muslims in a way contrary to Islamic teachings. The key to understanding Islam and Muslims is to resist stereotypes and examine each situation according to Islamic teachings, and NOT some Muslims’ actions. For this reason, we have felt it our duty to address the most common misconceptions. Misconception #1 - "Hijab is oppressive" So what exactly is hijab? To observe the hijab, Muslim women are required to cover their body with modest clothes that don’t reveal their figure in front of male strangers. However, hijab is not just about outer appearances; it is also about noble speech, modesty, dignified and righteous conduct. It goes without saying that these manners are also required of men. There is nothing in hijab that restricts a Muslim woman’s freedom to express her views and opinion, to own property, to have an education and a career, or to choose a husband. The hijab is an act of honour and dignity, an empowerment, and a guarantee that a woman will be judged according to her inner spiritual beauty rather than her outer superficial appearance. The hijab liberates and raises a woman’s status, and demands that she be judged according to her intellect rather than her sexuality. The reason Muslim women observe hijab is simply because Allah (God) made it a compulsory act of worship for them, and Allah knows what is best for His creation. “O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be chaste women) and not abused...”Qur’an 33:59 The hijab gives women the freedom to be active members of society, while maintaining their modesty. The hijab is meant for the public as women do not have to observe hijab when they are at home with their family! The hijab does not symbolize suppression, oppression or silence. Rather, it is a shield guarding against degrading remarks, unwanted advances and unfair discrimination. Of all converts to Islam, 75% are women! Would you enter a religion that oppresses you? So the next time you see a Muslim woman, know that she covers her physical appearance, not her mind or intellect! Misconception #2 - "Islam oppresses women" One of the most disturbing misconceptions is the negative portrayal of women in Islam – namely that Islam degrades and oppresses women. According to the teachings of Islam, the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their level of piety. “Verily the most honourable of you in the sight of Allaah is the most God conscious”Qur’an 49:13 This verse proves that real honour and status is not attained because a person is rich or poor, black or white, make or female but attained through piety and devoutness. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to learn that for every male convert to Islam, four females convert. Some reasons for this overwhelming female conversion rate are due to the following rights enshrined in Islam: total control of their wealth; choose their spouse; keep their own surname when married; own property, operate a business, study, and receive equal pay for equal work; inherit property, and to have their marriage dissolved in the case of neglect or mistreatment; participate in all forms of worship that men participate in. Islam guaranteed these rights, among many others, to women over 1400 years ago – rights that women in the West are still lacking. “Whoever works righteousness whether male or female, while he (or she) is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward (in the Hereafter) according to the best of what they used to do.”Qur’an 16:97 Without doubt, there are Muslim women who are oppressed and not given their rights. However, this is not the fault of Islam. The problem is that in many places in the world, culture and traditions have come to overshadow the teachings of Islam, either through ignorance or harmful cultural practices. While Islam enshrines the rights of women, it also acknowledges the fact that men and women are not identical. Allah says: “...and the male is not like the female...” (Qur’an: 3:36) Islam has therefore ordained different roles for men and women to reflect this undisputable fact. Women have been granted the honour and tremendous responsibility of caring for the family and the household. While Men have been given the responsibility of providing financial support , security and maintenance for the family and the household. In conclusion, the noble position of women in Islam can be summarized by the following saying of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him): “The world and all things in the world are precious, but the most precious thing in the world is a virtuous woman.” Misconception #3 - "Muslims worship a new God called Allah" Some non-Muslims incorrectly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians. This might be due to the fact that Muslims sometimes refer to God as “Allah”. In actuality, Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The word “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for Almighty God - an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God. Allah is also the same word that Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use to refer to God. If you pick up an Arabic translation of the Christian Bible, you will see the word “Allah” where “God” is used in English. However, although Muslims, Jews and Christians believe in the same God (the Creator), their concepts regarding Him differ significantly. For example, Muslims reject the idea of God having any partners or being part of a ‘trinity’, and ascribe perfection only to The Almighty. Misconception #4 - "Islam permits terrorism" This is perhaps the biggest misconception about Islam, especially given the constant stereotyping by the media. The media portrays as a terrorist any Muslim who fights regardless of whether they fight justly or unjustly, or whether they are oppressing others or being oppressed. So the question that comes to mind is: Does Islam encourage terrorism? Certainly not! Islam totally forbids and condemns the misguided acts of vigilantes that target innocent civilians. Of course, Islam does not remain silent in the face of oppression, injustice and humiliation. Any religion or civilization that does, would never survive --- but it certainly does not condone attacks against defenseless men, women and children. Allah says: “Fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. Allah does not love transgressors.”Qur’an 2:190 Even during times of war, Islam lays down strict rules. For example, a Muslim is not allowed to harm or kill those in a peace treaty with Muslims, non-combatants, women, minors, servants, the blind, monks, the elderly, those physically incapable of fighting, and the mentally ill. In fact, Muslims are not even allowed to damage crops and vegetation during times of war! These noble ethics were, and still remain, unheard of in any army. The Qur’an clearly demonstrates the seriousness of killing an innocent person, and emphasises the value of human life. At the same time it also instructs muslims to treat people of other faiths with kindness. “If anyone murders an (innocent) person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the whole of humanity.”Qur’an 5:32 “Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Indeed, Allah loves those who deal with equity.”Qur’an 60:8 How, after reading these clear verses of the Qur`an, can Islam be blamed for what is done by terrorists? Conclusion So many attempts have been made to portray Islam as a religion that is both strange and foreign to people’s normal instincts and values. In deciding upon what to make of Islam, remember this: Who stands to gain from perpetuating such misconceptions and untruths? Have you researched about Islam yourself, as opposed to what you have heard from others and the media? Would millions of people all over the world embrace Islam if it was a harsh and inhumane way of life? Islaaminfo

Science in Islam The Qur’an is the final revelation from God to humanity. Although the Qur’an, (revealed over fourteen centuries ago), is not primarily a book of science, it does contain scientific facts that have been scientifically discovered only recently through the advancement of technological equipment. Moreover, it does not promote an anti-scientific stance, but rather, encourages scientific research. Indeed, studying and understanding the nature of creation enables people to further appreciate their Creator and the extent of His Sovereignty. 40 Days in the Womb Professor Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. Upon studying the following two sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by 40 days...” and; “If 42 nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....” he noted that the first 40 days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. According to modern science, the end of the sixth week (42 nights) is the time where the foetal development of the limbs is at its height. This is the peak of the rapid development that occurs between the fourth and eighth week. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings (peace be upon him). The Two Seas that do not Intermix Regarding the seas, God says: “He has let loose the two seas, converging together, with a barrier between them [which] they do not break through.” Qur’an, 55:19-20. The scientific fact that seas of different properties do not intermix has only very recently been discovered by oceanographers. A physical force called surface tension prevents the waters of neighbouring seas from mixing, due to the difference in the density of these waters. It is as if a thin wall were between them. The Creation of Living Things from Water “Allah created every [living] creature from water. Some of them go on their bellies, some of them on two legs, and some on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Allah has power over all things.”Qur’an, 24:45 Water is the main component of organic matter. Between 50-90% of the weight of living things consists of water. Furthermore, 80% of the cytoplasm (basic cell material) is water. The analysis of cytoplasm took place hundreds of years after the revelation of the Qur’an. Mountains as Stabilisers Mountains play an important role in stabilising the crust of the earth, by hindering its shaking. God has said in the Qur’an: “And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you...”Qur’an, 16:15 Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics agrees that mountains work as stabilisers for the earth. The knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilisers has just begun to be understood by scientists in the framework of plate tectonics. What do Modern Scientists say? Dr Keith L. Moore, Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology, was Associate Dean of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine as well as the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy. He is the author of the book entitled The Developing Human, which has been translated into eight languages and was chosen by a special committee in the United States as the best book authored by one person. During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify statements in the Qur’an about human development. It is clear to me that these statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.” Dr. T. V. N. Persaud, Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Canada, was the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181 scientific papers. He received the most distinguished award presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award, from the Canadian Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Qur’an which he has researched, he stated the following: “You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.” In Conclusion This pamphlet has provided a mere glimpse of the many scientific facts mentioned in the Qur’an. Due to space limitations, topics such as what the Qur’an says about the water cycle, the oceans, astronomy, history, the human anatomy, flora and fauna, could not be included. These scientific facts were revealed over 1400 years ago, when technological equipment and knowledge was inadequate to make such discoveries. This proves that not only these facts but the remaining contents of the Qur’an were divinely revealed from the One True God who created the Universe and all that it contains. Be of those who read and discovers the beauty and truth of the Qur’an, so that you may discover the beauty and truth of this world and the world of the afterlife to come! islaaminfo