ummtaalib

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

A sheep is more alert than man. On hearing the call of the shepherd it stops grazing while man ignores the call of Allah for the sake of his desires." - Hasan Basri

SALAAT ON A JOURNEY 1. If a person travels for a few kilometres, no rule of the Shariah changes because of this journey. According to the Shariah, he will not be regarded as a musafir. He will have to do everything in the same way that he would have done at home. He will have to offer four rakaats for those salaats that are of four rakaats. If he is wearing leather socks, he can only make masah for twenty four hours and thereafter masah will not be permissible. 2. The person who sets out with the intention of travelling three manzils is regarded as a musafir in the Shariah. The moment he comes out of the boundaries of his town or city, he is a musafir according to the Shariah. As long as he moves around within the boundaries of his town or city, he will not be a musafir. If the railway station is within the boundaries of the town, it will fall under the rule of the town. If it is out of the boundaries, then upon reaching it, the person will be regarded as a musafir. 3. Three manzils means that most people who on foot, normally reach that place in three days. Presently, this is estimated at being approximately 77 kilometres. [ah: Jamiatul Mufteen South Africa had collectively ruled it to 78kms] 4. If a place is so far that when it is calculated according to the pace of a man or camel it is three manzils, but when calculated according to a hand-driven cart or a horse and cart, one could reach there in two days. Or, if one travels by train, one would reach there in a short space of time - then in all these cases the person will still be regarded as a musafir. 5. If a person is termed a musafir according to the Shariah, he has to offer two rakaats each for the zuhr, asr and esha salaats. As for the sunnah salaats, the rule is that if he is in a hurry, then apart from the sunnah of fajr salaat, it will be permissible for him to leave them out completely. There will be no sin in leaving them out. If he is not in a hurry and does not fear his companions leaving him behind, he should not leave the sunnahs out and should offer them completely. It is not permissible to reduce the number of rakaats (for sunnah salaats). 6. There is no reduction in the fajr, maghrib and witr salaats as well. He has to offer them completely as he normally does. 7. More than two rakaats should not be offered for the fard of zuhr, asr and esha salaats. To offer four rakaats is a sin just as it is a sin to offer six rakaats for the fard of zuhr salaat. 8. If a person mistakenly offers four rakaats, and he had sat down after the second rakaat and recited the at-tahiyyaat, then the first two rakaats will be regarded as fard and the other two rakaats as nafl. He will also have to make sajdah-e-sahw. But if he did not sit after the second rakaat, all four rakaats will become nafl and he will have to repeat his fard salaat. 9. If a person stopped at a place during the course of his journey, he will remain a musafir if he made the intention of staying at that place for less than fifteen days. He will have to continue offering two rakaats for the four rakaat salaats. But if he made the intention of staying there for fifteen days or more, he will no longer be a musafir. Thereafter if he changes his intention and decides to leave before fifteen days, even then he will not become a musafir and will have to offer all his salaats completely. When he leaves that place, he will become a musafir only if that place where he intends to go to is at a distance of about 77 kilometres. If that place is less than 77 kilometres away, he will not be a musafir. 10. A person left home with the intention of travelling 77 kilometres, but before leaving he also made this intention that he will stop over at a particular place for 15 days. He will not be regarded as a musafir. He will have to offer complete salaat throughout his journey. If on reaching that place he did not stay there for 15 days, he will still not be a musafir. 11. A person intends travelling 77 kilometres but his house falls within this distance - even then he will not be a musafir. 12. A woman left with the intention of travelling approximately 92 kilometres. However, the first half of the journey passed while she was in her haid. Even then she will not be a musafir. She will have to have a bath and offer the full four rakaats. However, if she became pure from her haid and there is still a distance of 77 kilometres or more to cover, or, when she left home she was pure and got her haid in the course of the journey, then she will be a musafir and will have to offer her salaat as a musafir. 13. While offering his salaat, a person made the intention of staying for 15 days. He will no longer remain a musafir and will have to offer this very salaat completely. 14. A person stopped at a particular place for two or three days, but due to certain circumstances he does not leave that place. Every day he makes the intention of leaving the following day or the next day, but does not leave. In this way, he stays at that place for fifteen days, twenty days, a month or even more than that. But he never made the intention of staying there for fifteen days. He will remain a musafir irrespective of how many days he stays there. 15. A person left with the intention of travelling 77 kilometres but after travelling some distance, he changes his mind for some reason or the other and decides to return home. From the moment he makes the intention of returning, he will no longer be a musafir. 16. A woman is travelling with her husband. In the course of the journey, she will stop when he stops and will not stop for a longer period than that without him. In such a case, the intention of the husband will be taken into consideration. If the husband intends stopping at a place for 15 days, the wife will not be a musafir as well irrespective of whether she makes the intention of stopping or not. And if the husband intends staying for less than 15 days, she will also be a musafir. 17. A person travelled 77 kilometres and reached his home. He will not be a musafir irrespective of how long he stays there. If it is not his house and he made an intention of staying there for 15 days or more, then too he will not be a musafir. He will have to offer all his salaats completely. And if it is not his house nor does he intend staying there for 15 days, he will be a musafir even after reaching that place. He will have to offer two rakaats for all the four-rakaat fard salaats. 18. A person intends to stop over at several places during the course of his journey: 10 days here, 5 days there, 12 days at another place - but does not have the intention of stopping over anywhere for 15 days - he will still remain a musafir. 19. A person shifted from his home town and became a resident of another place and he has nothing to do with the first place. So now his former home town and any other place will be the same. If that former place of his falls on any journey of his and he intends staying there for a few days, he will remain a musafir. He will have to offer all his salaats as a musafir. 20. A person missed a few salaats of his while on a journey. Upon reaching home he will have to offer only two rakaats when making qada of zuhr, asr and esha salaats. If he misses any salaat such as zuhr before embarking on a journey, and makes qada of it while on his journey, he will have to offer the full four rakaats. 21. After her wedding, a woman began living solely with her in-laws. So now her actual home will be that of her in-laws. If she travels 77 kilometres and goes to her parents home and does not intend staying there for more than 15 days, she will be a musafir. She will have to offer her salaats and keep her fasts according to the rules laid down for a musafir. But if she did not intend staying with her in-laws forever, then that place which was her former home will still be regarded as her original home. 22. A ship is sailing and salaat time has entered. Salaat will have to be offered in that moving ship. If one feels dizzy by standing, one should sit and offer one’s salaat. 23. The same rule applies to a moving train. That is, it is permissible to offer salaat in a moving train. If he feels dizzy by standing or fears that he will fall, he can sit and offer his salaat. 24. While offering salaat, the train turned and the direction of the qiblah also changed. The person will also have to turn in his salaat and face the qiblah. 25. If a woman wishes to travel 77 kilometres or more, then as long as she does not have a mahram from among the males or her husband, it will not be permissible for her to travel. It is a major sin to travel without a mahram. It is not good to even travel less than 77 kilometres without a mahram. Prohibition in regard to this has also been mentioned in the Hadith. 26. It is also not permissible to travel with that mahram who does not fear Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and does not conform to the Shariah. 27. A woman is travelling on a carriage or ox-wagon and salaat time enters. She should get off and offer her salaat in a secluded place. Similarly, if she cannot make her wudu on the carriage, she should get off and make her wudu in a concealed place. If she does not have her head-covering (burqah) with her, she should wrap herself properly with a sheet or something and then get off and offer her salaat. To make very strict purdah whereby she misses her salaat, is haraam. The ruling of the Shariah should be given preference to everything. Even in purdah, the limit which has been specified by the Shariah has to be maintained. To go beyond the limit of the Shariah and to transgress the laws of Allah is a sign of stupidity and immaturity. However, to be unnecessarily negligent in the matter of purdah is also shameful and sinful. 28. If she is so sick that she has to sit and offer her salaat, even then it will not be permissible to offer salaat in a moving ox-wagon. If the ox-wagon is at a standstill, but it is resting on the shoulders of the oxen - even then it will not be permissible to offer salaat on it. The oxen will have to be removed and then salaat offered. The same rule applies to a carriage, i.e. as long as the horse is not separated from the carriage, salaat in it will not be permissible. 29. If a person is excused from standing and offering salaat, it is permissible for him to offer it sitting down even while he is in a carry couch or palanquin. But this will only be permissible if the carry couch or palanquin is placed on the ground. It will not be permissible to offer salaat if it is still resting on the shoulders of those carrying it. 30. If a person fears for his life or possessions by getting off a camel or ox, his salaat will be valid without getting off. 31. A person makes an intention of staying for 15 days at two different places, and the distance between the two places is such that the adhaan of one place cannot be heard at the other place. For example, he intends staying for 10 days in Makkah and 5 days in Mina which is approximately 5 kilometres from Makkah. In such a case he will be a musafir. 32. If in the above mentioned mas'ala he intends spending the night at one place and the day at the other place, then that place where he spends the night will be regarded as his watan-e-iqaamat. It will not be permissible for him to shorten his salaat over here. As for the place where he intends spending the day, if it is at a distance of 77 kilometres from the first place, then by going there he will be a musafir. If it is less than that distance, he will not be a musafir. 33. If in the above mentioned mas'ala, both places are so close that each others adhaan can be heard, then both places will be regarded as one place. He will become a muqeem in both places by intending to stay there for 15 days. 34. A muqeem can follow an imam who is a musafir under any condition, irrespective of whether it is a salaat for that time or for a qada salaat. When the musafir imam completes his salaat, the muqeem muqtadi should stand up and complete his salaat. He should not make any qira'at, instead, he should remain silent. This is because he is regarded as a laahiq. Since this muqtadi is following this imam, the first qa'dah will also be fard on him. Once the musafir imam makes his salaam, it is mustahab for him to inform his followers that he is a musafir. And even better than this is to inform them before commencing with the salaat. 35. A musafir can also follow an imam who is a muqeem as long as it is within the time of that salaat. If the time has expired, then he can follow him for the fajr and maghrib salaats and not for the zuhr, asr, and esha salaats. This is because if the musafir will follow a muqeem, he will also follow the imam and offer the full four rakaats. And the first qa'dah of the imam will not be fard while his will be fard. In this way, the person offering fard salaat will actually be following one who is not offering a fard salaat. And this is not permissible. 36. If a musafir decides to become a muqeem while he is in his salaat, he will have to offer it completely and it will not be permissible for him to shorten his salaat. This is irrespective of whether he makes this intention in the beginning, middle or at the end - as long as it is made before making sajdah-e-sahw or the salaam. If he made this intention after sajdah-e-sahw or the salaam, this salaat will not be offered completely. If he makes this intention after the expiry of the time or while he is a laahiq, this intention of his will have no effect on this salaat. And if this salaat is going to be a four rakaat salaat, he will have to shorten it. Examples: (1) A musafir commenced zuhr salaat. After offering one rakaat, the time for that salaat expired. Thereafter he made the intention of becoming a muqeem. This intention will not have any effect on his salaat and he will have to shorten his salaat. (2) A certain musafir was a muqtadi of another musafir and became a laahiq. He then began offering the rakaats which he had missed. He then made the intention of becoming a muqeem. This intention of his will have no effect on this salaat of his. If this salaat is a four rakaat salaat, he will have to shorten it and offer only two rakaats. Original Article Source: Heavenly Ornaments by Ml. Ashraf Ali Thanvi ilmhub

Inspiring Tips to Memorize the Qur’an Mrs. Iffath Hasan, over 55 years old, is originally from Hyderabad, India. She first moved to Canada with her husband before settling down in Chicago, United States. The mother of two sons has not just memorized the Qur’an, but she also teaches young girls memorization of the Qur’an and the Arabic language at the Institute for Islamic Education in Chicago, Masha Allah! In this interview with Productive Muslimah and Rayhaanah Omar, we talked about how she was inspired to become a Hafidhah. She also shares productive tips that help one stay focused on the goal of memorizing the Qur’an. We hope she inspires you too! Hafidhah Iffath, please tell us when and how did you begin memorizing the Qur’an?I memorized the Qur’an at the age of 37. Generally, during difficult situations in our lives, we happen to connect with Almighty Allah. So this was one of those situations that I was going through, and I really wanted Allah to answer my prayer. I would wake up for Tahajjud and make my heartfelt duas. With the barakah of Tahajjud, Allah granted me my wish. Then I said to myself ‘How can I stop performing Tahajjud, when it was through Tahajjud that Allah granted me my wish?’ Alhamdulillah I was able to continue my Tahajjud. After a couple of months, I felt that night after night I would only reciting the same few long surahs that I knew. So I felt I should memorize three or four juz for some variety in my Tahajjud, and that is how it all got started. Allah Almighty says in His holy book: “It may be that you dislike something that is good for you, and it may be that you like something that is bad for you. God knows and you do not know.” [Qur’an: Chapter 2, Verse 216] In my case, the disliked situation became a source two of the greatest blessings: Tahajjud and hifdh. Who inspired you during your memorization of Qur’an? I have a friend who is a Hafidhah. I always used to admire her, but I had never thought of ever memorizing the Qur’an myself. Then, when I got started she was there to help me, giving me ideas and tips on how to follow the process of memorization. Allah Almighty has promised His special help especially in the matters of deen: “As for those who struggle for Our sake, We will guide them in Our ways. For God is with those who do good” [Qur’an: Chapter 29, Verse 69]. How did you stay focused on your goal? First and foremost I thank Allah Most High from the bottom of my heart for everything. Even though it seems like we did something or we are doing something, it is only through Allah’s grace that we are able to do the things that we do. Secondly the only way to achieve something is to have a goal and seek Allah’s help and work towards achieving it until we get it. That seems to be the only reasonable approach to focus on. We need to have the firm belief that “with Allah’s help nothing is difficult, and without His help nothing is easy”. How did you manage your time? Everything will fall into place when we work towards a goal, which for believers, the goal is seeking Allah’s pleasure in every moment of our lives. When we are focused on achieving this goal, time management becomes easy. We will be able to keep track of time, we will realize that there is no room for haram or makruh things in our lives, and we will only want things that are mubah. Through this, we are also able to sort out important from unimportant, and that is the key to having the barakah in our time. We need to value our free time and make the most of it. Time is our life. When we waste time, we waste our lives. Realisation of the importance of time is very important. We should always remember that this is one of the first things we will be asked about on the Day of Judgment. How long did it take for you to complete the memorization? It took me one year to memorize the first ten juz. Until then, I had not thought of memorizing the whole Qur’an. At that point, I said to myself, ‘Allah has made it so easy for me, how can I stop now?’ Alhamdulillah, I was able to continue with more enthusiasm and was able to complete the hifdh in two years. What were the challenges that you faced during memorization?I had to fulfill my responsibilities as a wife and a mother of two, and run the household smoothly. I had to make the most of my time when I was by myself. People do ask me about how many hours I used to spend during the day for memorization. During the morning hours I had a few hours to myself, but even in between I used to make the most of whatever time I got. And the second challenge was my migraine headaches, which used to be quite frequent in those days. And once I fall sick, there is nothing I can do (i.e. I can’t memorize). Yet, that challenge in itself again became another blessing for me, because it made me really value my time, so I would try to make the most of it when I was not sick. I am sure Allah gave barakah in my time. What / whom motivates you daily?My motivation every single day comes to me through the realization of the great gift Allah has blessed me with. Every single day I weep, because I am out of words to express my gratitude for the best possible gift I am blessed with after iman. With this realisation it becomes easy to do my review every single day, because I know I can’t afford to lose it. Also, I just love doing it. In fact, I look forward to doing it everyday as soon as I possibly can. Let’s talk favourites. Please share with us your favourite: 1) Verse of Qur’an, 2) surah, and 3) Your best memory from the days of memorizing the Qur’an? My favourite verses are many, and one of them is: ‘Those who believe and whose hearts are satisfied by remembrance of God. Oh, it is by remembrance of God that hearts are satisfied!’ [Qur’an: Chapter 13, Verse 28]. My favorite surah is surah Al-Ikhlas [Qur’an: Chapter 112, Verses 1-4]. My best memories from the days of memorizing the Qur’an are two. One is when, after quietly doing it on my own without my husband knowing about it for a year, I told him that I had memorized ten juz. He was really happy for me. The second is during my second year, I was able to persuade my son to start memorizing. He was in eleventh grade at that time, we were both doing it together. And Masha Allah, he was able to complete his hifdh as well when he was in college. And also I was able to make my parents so happy through this! As a Qur’an teacher, how do you feel the challenges of past and present students differ? Masha Allah, I have come across students who are still very eager and anxious to memorize, While there are definitely more temptations to do all sorts of time-wasting things with modern technology, this same technology – when used for good – helps the students achieve their goal with much ease. My students benefit a lot through listening to different Huffadh with their iPods, mp3 players etc. What advise or learning resources would you offer/recommend to those currently memorizing Qur’an?My advice is, first and foremost, to turn to Allah for help and to do it for His pleasure with utmost ikhlas (sincerity). Then we need to commit ourselves just the way we commit for all the other things that we want to achieve in our lives. Finally, we also make the most of all the resources that are available on an individual basis. What advise would you present to those who have completed memorization of Qur’an? As we know this is a unique thing in itself, we need to make a life long commitment to review a portion of the Qur’an regularly every single day. That portion should be one seventh of the Qur’an. I call it a “seven day cycle”. No matter where we are, this shouldn’t get disturbed. And besides that, we should be able to recite a juz or so in our daily salahs. These two things have really helped me and I do emphasize on these when I am asked for advice. What are the different ways that can be used to motivate our sisters to memorize the Qur’an? First we need to fall in love with our Creator. This can be achieved through realizing all the blessings He has bestowed on us, the greatest of which is iman – the key to Jannah. He didn’t just create us, He also gave us a beautiful manual through which we are guided to lead a safe, secure, and peaceful life in this world of corruption and confusion. When Allah’s love becomes intense, it will be expressed through our connection with His Book. We will never have enough of it. We will recite it with love and reverence for this best possible gift for mankind. Then, we will also learn to focus on understanding it, and we will then live our lives in accordance with its teachings. When we are constantly living with the Qur’an in our daily lives, we have made a very strong connection with our Lord. We also know that this is the only book where, when we read one word of it, there are ten hasanat for every letter. How is it then that we will not want to recite it more and more? When this happens, the next stage will follow. We will have an urge to at least memorize some of it, that will In sha Allah lead us to memorizing all of it. We will do it because we want to and not because we have to. My advice to those who want to memorize but feel that they don’t have the time, is to get started even if it is just two lines a day and be consistent with it. Allah will give them barakah and they will be amazed on how much they are able to achieve just through being consistent with whatever little they are able to memorize. The key is doing with sincerity and consistency. Being on wudu (the believer’s weapon against Satan) all the time is a tremendous blessing. Through this we have a special connection with Allah Most High, and we don’t become an easy target for Satan. Also, we are able to reach out for the Qur’an whenever we have any free time. This will In sha Allah speed up the process of memorization. Please tell us more on your published work on “Qur’anic Language Made Easy”?Alhamdulillah I was able to learn the Arabic language with the basic grammar to understand the Qur’an around the same time when I was memorizing the Qur’an. Later on when I started teaching, I didn’t have a textbook. I was teaching from the notes that I took from my teachers. Some of my students at the end of their course insisted that I should get my notes published so that others can also benefit from it. Alhamdulillah I hear that, Masha Allah, more and more people are using “Qur’anic Language Made Easy”. It is basically written for non-Arabic speaking students. This book will In sha Allah be a good start for those who want to learn the basic grammar on their own and who are fluent with their recitation of the Qur’an. What traits or character makes one a Productive Muslimah?A Productive Muslimah is one who takes pride in being a muslimah. She is focused on preaching Islam through her own practice. She loves Allah, her focus in life is Allah’s pleasure, and she loves to do things that bring her closer to her Creator and Sustainer. Her main concern is her success in the akhirah, thus she makes the most of this world as a means to achieve that success. Her iman is reflected through her outward appearance and mannerism, which is a complete submission to the shari’ah. She lives a simple life that takes care of her needs and instead of going after her wants. She has a heart free of love for this world, free of love of leadership, free of bad opinions about others, free of grudges, malice, rancour, greed, envy and all other evil traits. Her tongue is not engaged in haram or vain talk, she thinks before she speaks, she controls her anger. She is a humble person; her goal is to be a better person every day of her life. She doesn’t hesitate to admit when she is wrong and is quick in correcting her wrongs/faults when she sees them. She is neither stingy nor a spendthrift, but she loves to spend generously for those things which will bring her closer to her Creator. Her heart is clean and pure, filled with love and reverence for her Creator: love, compassion, kindness, and forgiveness for the creation. She is full of gratitude for every single blessing, especially for the spiritual blessings, and she is always striving to progress spiritually. She has complete trust and reliance in Allah, and when she goes through difficult or disliked situations, she knows there is good in it for her – both in this world and the next. She loves to be in the company of saliheen (righteous slaves of Allah). She strives to keep her promises and commitments. She is soft spoken but firm in her words and works. She always strives to be a part of solution and not a part of problem. She shows beautiful patience during difficult times, for she realizes things could have been worse, and that these are tests from Allah Who can be called upon and He will answer the duas. And she also has the certainty that, “Indeed, with hardship, there will be ease” [Qur’an: Chapter 94, Verse 6]. She is a living proof of what a muslimah should be, and all this with the utmost sincerity to please her Almighty Lord. Do you have any final words of advice to Productive Muslimah fans? My advice to myself and to everyone is to rejoice in being a Muslim/Muslimah; that we be a true Muslim in deeds and not just in words, for we know the literal meaning of Muslim is “one who submits to Allah’s will and His commands”. We shouldn’t take things for granted. We should take everything with gratitude, for Allah promises us increase for the things that we show gratitude for. We also need to reflect upon the meaning of gratitude, which is to use Allah’s blessings (which include our time, health, sight, hearing, speech, all the latest technology and all other countless blessings) only for the things that He is pleased with. Our gratitude should be even more for the spiritual favours. The best way to show gratitude for them is to know that these are gifts from Allah Most High for which we have no words to express our thanks. Last but not least, we need to be focused on our goal, which is our akhirah. To achieve our goal, we need to be in the company of those who have achieved this focus or are working for it, as we know that the company one keeps has the greatest impact on a person’s life.