IBN TAYMIYYA OPINION ON TASSAWWUF

Shaykh Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya and the people of hadith in general are
certainly not indiscriminate towards sufism; at times, they are bitter and stated that the
right attitude towards sufism, or any other thing, is to accept what is in agreement with
the Quran and the Sunnah, and reject what does not agree'" [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-
Islam, vol. 10, p. 82].

Ibn Taymiyah applies this principle of judicious criticism to sufi ideas, practices and
personalities.
He divides the sufis into three categories:

In the first category of sufis whom he calls mashaikh al-Islam, mashaikh al-Kitab wa al-
Sunnah and a'immat al-huda, [Majmu'at al-Rasa'il wa al-Masa'il, vol. 1, p. 179, and
Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 516-7 and vol. 11, p. 233] he mentions
Fudayl b. Iyad, Ibrahim b. Adham, Shaqiq al-Balkhi, Abu Sulayman al-Darani, Maruf al-
Karkhi, Bishr ëa-Hafi, Sari al-Saqati, al-Junayd b. Muhammad, Sahl b. Abd Allah al-
Tustari and Amr b. Uthman al-Makki.
Later sufis whom he places in this category are: Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shaykh Hammad
al-Dabbas, and Shaykh Abu al-Bayan. These sufis, Ibn Taymiyah says, were never
intoxicated, did not lose their sense of discrimination, or said or did anything against the
Quran and the Sunnah. Their lives and experiences conformed with the Shariah
(mustaqim al-ahwal) [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 516-7].

The second category consists of those sufis whose experience of fana and intoxication
(sukr) weakened their sense of discrimination, and made them utter words that they later
realized to be erroneous when they became sober [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol.
10, pp. 220-1]. Some of them also did things [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 10,
pp. 382, 557] under intoxication of which the Shariah does not approve, but sooner or
later they became sober and lived well. In this category Ibn Taymiyah mentions the
names of Abu Yazid al-Bostami, Abu al-Husayn al-Nuri and Abu Bakr al-Shibli. But he
condemns what they said or did in that state and offers apology for them on the ground
that they were intoxicated (sukran), and had lost control over reason. [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il
wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 1, p. 168; Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 382, 557].
His criticism is directed to the third category of sufis who have believed in ideas and
expounded doctrines which contradict Islamic principles [ wihdatul woojood and Al-
hulool {incarnation}, or who have indulged in practices which are condemned by the
Shariah.

The first sufi in this group is al-Hallaj [ the aquidah of God incarnate similar to all
mushriks] [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 1, pp. 81, 83; Majmu Fatawa Shaykh
ël-Islam, vol. 11, p. 18]. . . . Next to al-Hallaj the apostate, the sufis who draw strong
criticism from Ibn Taymiyah are the ones who expound the doctrine of One Being or
unity with God (wahdat al-wujud), such as Ibn ël-Arabi, Sadr ël-Din ël-Qunawi, Ibn
Sab'in and Tilimsani. . . . . The apostate Ibn ël-Arabi, who is the central figure in this
context (of wahdat ël-wujud ), Ibn Taymiyah subjects him to detailed criticism.
Ibn Taymiyah does not object to intensification of some approved forms of dhikr, or
reliance on some methods for purifying the soul, with the neglect of others, provided it is
within the limits of the Shariah [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 4, pp. 86-87].

It is worthwhile to note that Al-Hallaj was executed in Baghdad in 922 for saying "Ana
al-Haqq" ("I am the Truth," i.e., God), and his former teacher, al-Junayd, was among
those who gave the verdict that he should die. [See Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, in
Tabakat al-Sufiyya, Edited by Nur al-Din Shariba, Maktaba al-Khanji, Cairo, 1986, pp.
307-8, for details.]

The third category of Sufis which includes two sub-categories, regardless of their
tareeqah, worship others than Allaah, such as Prophets and “awliya’” [“saints”], living or
dead. They say, “Yaa Jeelaani”, “Yaa Rifaa’i” [calling on their awliya’], or “O
Messenger of Allaah, help and save” or “O Messenger of Allaah, our dependence is on
you”, etc.
Also, they believe in wahdat al-wujood (unity of existence). They do not have the idea of
a Creator and His creation, instead they say that everything is creation and everything is
God [ Hinduism, pantheism, etc].

They unscrupulously claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the
mediation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They say,
“Haddathani qalbi ‘an Rabbi (My heart told me from my Lord).”Similarly to Ibn
Taymiyyah and Ibn Al-jawzee (5 AH), Ibn Qayyim Jawziyyah refuted, on many
occasions, the heresy of Al Fanaa (annihilation), which is a key element in the Sufi
thought. Once the Sufi becomes constant in dhikr - remembrance of Allaah (subhaanahu
wa ta’aala), they claim that he acquires sufficient tranquility of heart to experience a
delusion that helps them pass through the various stages described below. First he is
bewildered, then intoxicated with love of the Remembered One, and finally he passes
through the stage of fanaa', or annihilation, in which he becomes fully absorbed to the
point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing
seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his
viewing the Remembered One and nothing else.
This is clear disbelief since Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) says:
"There is none like unto Him; He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower." [42:11]
Like most Sufi tenets, fanaa, as understood by these extremists [the third category], is
mentioned neither in the Qur'aan nor in the Sunnah. It is rather a Sufi gimmick, a way to
fit in Hinduism and a satanic deception.

Another deviation that deserves to be raised is to do with Kashf - Literally means

‘unveiling.’ It is the ultimate end, which the Sufi looks forward to. The Sufi tolerates
seclusion and succumbs to the will of his sheikh precisely to become one of the people of
kashf, who are privileged with Divine manifestation. The Sufi masters claim that through
this state of kashf they perceive and witness all of the realities of existence as well of
those of the al-Ghayb (the Unseen).
That's why they are the ones who work sh'wadhah and sha'badhah.
In Sufi terminology kashf means to expose the heart to metaphysical illumination or
‘revelation’ unattainable by reason. There is supposed to be yet a higher stage beyond
kashf (third stage of kashf) which is called al-tajalli, or Divine manifestation: the
appearance of Allaah to man [astaghfirullaah].
This is nonsensical since no one can see Allaah Almighty including the Prophet
Muhammad sallal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam. Rather, according to Ibn Qayyim Volume 3
page 228, this was alleged by Ibn sayyad [labelled as Dajjal] who disclosed something
that the Prophet didn’t say. As result the prophet sallal Allaahu alaihi wa sallam consider
him as a fortune-teller. Not only was Ibn Sayyad assisted by shayateen but also many
others were, namely Musailimah Al-Kadhaab; Al-Aswad Al-‘insi; Al-Harith Al-
Mutanabbee and others. The real kashf, undoubtedly, is the insight and the sharp
discernment of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (Radhiyya Allaahu Anhum) and other sincere
awliya’.
More enlightenment can be seen at:
http://www.allaahuakbar.net/sufism/index.htm
Praise be to Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) who is high above what these Sufis attribute
to him.

May Allaah guide us to His straight path

TASSAWUF OR SUFISM
The word “Sufism” was not known at the time of the Messenger or the Sahaabah
(companions) or the Taabi’een (Companions of the Companions of the Prophet). It arose
at the time when a group of ascetics who wore wool (“soof”) emerged, and this name was
given to them. It was also said that the name was taken from the word “soofiya”
(“sophia”) which means “wisdom” in Greek. The word is not derived from al-safa’
(“purity”) as some of them claim, because the adjective derived from safa’ is safaa’i, not
soofi (sufi). The emergence of this new name and the group to whom it is applied
exacerbated the divisions among Muslims.

The early Sufis differed from the later Sufis who spread bid’ah (innovation) to a greater
extent and made shirk in both minor and major forms commonplace among the people, as
well as the innovations against which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) warned us when he said, “Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-
invented thing is an innovation and every innovation is a going-astray.” (Reported by al-
Tirmidhi, who said it is saheeh hasan).

The following is a comparison between the beliefs and rituals of Sufism and Islam which
is based on the Qur’aan and Sunnah.

Sufism has numerous branches or tareeqahs, such as the Naqshbandiya, Qaadriya,

Chhishtiya, Saharvardiya, Shaadhiliyyah, Rifaa’iyyah, Rehmaaniya, Rizviya,
Subhaniya, Gausiya, Teejaaniyah, Sanusiyyah, Sahiliyyah etc. the followers of which
all claim that their particular tareeqah is on the path of truth whilst the others are
following falsehood. Islam forbids such sectarianism. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):“… and be not of al-mushrikoon (the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah,
polytheists, idolaters, etc), of those who split up their religion (i.e., who left the true
Islamic monotheism), and became sects, [i.e., they invented new things in the
religion (bid’ah) and followed their vain desires], each sect rejoicing in that which is
with it.” [al-Room 30:31-32]

The Sufis worship others than Allaah, such as Prophets and “awliya’” [“saints”], living or
dead. They say, “Yaa Jeelaani”, “Yaa Rifaa’i” [calling on their awliya’], or “O
Messenger of Allaah, help and save” or “O Messenger of Allaah, our dependence is on
you”, etc.But Allaah forbids us to call on anyone except Him in matters that are beyond
the person's capabilities. If a person does this, Allaah will count him as a mushrik, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And invoke not, besides Allaah, any that will neither profit you, nor hurt you, but if (in
case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers).” [Yoonus 10:106]The Sufis believe that there are abdaal, aqtaab and
awliya’ (kinds of “saints”) to whom Allaah has given the power to run the affairs of the
universe. Allaah tells us about the mushrikeen (interpretation of the meaning):“Say [O
Muhammad]: ‘…And who disposes the affairs?’ They will say. ‘Allaah.’…” [Yoonus
10:31]The mushrik Arabs knew more about Allaah than these Sufis!

The Sufis turn to other than Allaah when calamity strikes, but Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):

“And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and if He touches
you with good, then He is Able to do all things.” [al-An’aam 6:17]

Some Sufis believe in wahdat al-wujood (unity of existence). They do not have the idea
of a Creator and His creation, instead they say that everything is creation and everything
is god.

The Sufis advocate extreme asceticism in this life and do not believe in taking the
necessary means or in jihaad, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“But seek with that (wealth) which Allaah has bestowed on you, the home of the
Hereafter, and forget not your portion of legal enjoyment in this world…” [al-Qasas
28:77]

“And make ready against them all that you can of power…” [al-Anfaal 8:60]

The Sufis refer the idea of ihsaan to their shaykhs and tell their followers to have a
picture of their shaykh in mind when they remember Allaah and even when they are
praying. Some of them even put a picture of their shaykh in front of them when they are
praying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Ihsaan is when
you worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see
you.” (Reported by Muslim).
The Sufis allow dancing, drums and musical instruments, and raising the voice when
making dhikr, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their
hearts…” [al-Anfaal 8:2]

Moreover, you see some of them making dhikr by only pronouncing the Name of Allaah,
saying, “Allaah, Allaah, Allaah.” This is bid’ah and has no meaning in Islam. They even
go to the extreme of saying, “Ah, ah” or “Hu, Hu.” The Sunnah is for the Muslim to
remember his Lord in words that have a true meaning for which he will be rewarded,
such as saying Subhaan Allaah wa Alhamdulillah wa Laa ilaaha illa Allaah wa Allaahu
akbar, and so on.

The Sufis recite love poems mentioning the names of women and boys in their dhikr
gatherings, and they repeat words such as “love”, “passion”, “desire” and so on, as if they
are in a gathering where people dance and drink wine and clap and shout. All of this has
to do with the customs and acts of worship of the mushrikeen. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): “Their salaah (prayer) at the House (of Allaah, i.e., the Ka’bah at
Makkah) was nothing but whistling and clapping of hands…”[al-Anfaal 8:35]

Some Sufis pierce themselves with rods of iron, saying, “O my grandfather!” So the
shayaateen come to them and help them, because they are seeking the help of someone
other than Allaah . Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And whosoever turns
away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allaah), We
appoint for him a shaytaan (devil) to be a qareen (intimate companion) for
him.” [al-Zukhruf 43:36]

The Sufis claim to have gnosis and knowledge of the unseen, but the Qur’aan shows them
to be liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: ‘None in the heavens and
the earth knows the ghayb (unseen) except Allaah…’” [al-Naml 27:65]

The Sufis claim that Allaah created the world for the sake of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), but the Qur’aan shows them to be liars. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “And I (Allaah) created not the jinns and humans
except they should worship Me (Alone).” [al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]Allaah, may He be
glorified and exalted, addressed His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
with the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And worship your Lord until there comes unto the certainty (i.e., death).” [al-Hijr
15:99]

The Sufis claim that they can see Allaah in this life, but the Qur’aan shows them to be
liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):“[Moosa said:] ‘O my Lord! Show me
(Yourself), that I may look upon You.’ Allaah said, ‘You cannot see Me…’” [al-
A’raaf 7:143]
The Sufis claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and in a conscious state (as
opposed to dreams). So are they better than the Sahaabah??

The Sufis claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They say, “Haddathani qalbi
‘an Rabbi (My heart told me from my Lord).”

The Sufis celebrate Mawlid and hold gatherings for sending blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but they go against his teachings by raising
their voices in dhikr and anaasheed (religious songs) and qaseedahs (poems) that contain
blatant shirk. Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) celebrate his
birthday? Did Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, the four imaams or anyone else celebrate
his birthday? Who knows more and is more correct in worship, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Salaf, or the Sufis?

The Sufis travel to visit graves and seek blessings from their occupants or to make tawaaf
(ritual circumambulation) around them or to make sacrifices at these sites, all of which
goes against the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
“Do not travel to visit any place but three mosques: al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah],
this mosque of mine [in Madeenah] and al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem].” (Agreed
upon).

The Sufis are blindly loyal to their shaykhs, even when what they go against the words of
Allaah and His Messenger. But Allaah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allaah and His
Messenger…” [al-Hujuraat 49:1]

The Sufis use talismans, letters and numbers for making decisions and for making
amulets and charms and so on.

The Sufis do not restrict themselves to the specific blessings on the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that were narrated from him. They invented new
formulas that involve seeking his blessings and other kinds of blatant shirk which are
unacceptable to the one on whom they are sending blessings.

With regard to the question of the whether the Sufi shaykhs have some kind of contact,
this is true, but their contact is with the shayaateen, not with Allaah, so they inspire one
another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception), as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies – shayaateen (devils) among
mankind and jinns, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by
way of deception). If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it…” [al-
An’aam 6:112]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… And, certainly, the shayaateen (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind)
…” [al-An’aam 6:121]

“Shall I inform you (O people!) upon whom the shayaateen (devils) descend? They
descend on every lying, sinful person.” [al-Shu’ara 221-222]

This is the contact that is real, not the contact that they falsely claim to have with Allaah.
Exalted be Allaah far above that. (See Mu’jam al-Bida’, 346 –359).

When some of these Sufi shaykhs disappear suddenly from the sight of their followers,
this is the result of their contact with the shayaateen, who may even carry them to a
distant place and bring them back in the same day or night, to mislead their human
followers.

So the important rule here is not to judge people by the extraordinary feats that they may
do. We should judge them by how closely or otherwise they adhere to the Qur’aan and
Sunnah. The true friends of Allaah (awliya’) are not necessarily known for performing
astounding feats. On the contrary, they are the ones who worship Allaah in the manner
that He has prescribed, and not by doing acts of bid’ah.

The true awliya’ or friends of Allaah are those whom our Lord has described in the
hadeeth qudsi narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh (5/2384) from Abu Hurayrah, who
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Allaah said, ‘Whoever shows enmity towards a friend (wali) of Mine, I declare war
against him. My slave does not draw close to Me with anything more loved by Me
than the religious duties that I have enjoined on him, and My slave continues to
draw close to Me with supererogatory (naafil) acts, so that I will love him. When I
love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his
hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask
[something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I
would surely grant him it.’”

And Allaah is the Source of Strength and the Guide to the Straight Path.

SUFISM :ITS ORIGINS

The word Sufi is most likely to be derived from the Arabic word "soof", meaning wool.
This is because of the Sufi habit of wearing woolen coats, a designation of their initiation
into the Sufi order. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat as an
imitation of Isa bin Maryam (Jesus). In reply to this, Ibn Taymiyyah said: "There are a
people who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woolen clothes, claiming that
they want to resemble al-Maseeh ibn Maryam. But the way of our Prophet is more
beloved to us, and the Prophet (s.a.w.s) used to wear cotton and other garments."1

Sufism is known as "Islamic Mysticism," in which Muslims seek to find divine love and
knowledge through direct personal experience of God2. Mysticism is defined as the
experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality, and the belief
that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through
subjective experience (as intuition or insight)3

Both the terms Sufi and Sufism and Sufi beliefs have no basis from the traditional Islamic
sources of the Qur'an and Sunnah, a fact even admitted by themselves. Rather, Sufism is
in essence a conglomerate consisting of extracts from a multitude of other religions with
which Sufi's interacted.

During the primary stages of Sufism, Sufis were characterised by their particular
attachment to zikr (remembrance of Allah) and asceticism (seclusion), as well as the
beginning of innovated practices to 'aid' in the religious practices. Yet even at the early
stage of Sufism, before their involvement in innovated rituals and structured orders, the
scholars warned the masses of the extremity of Sufi practices. Imam Al-Shafi' had the
opinion that "If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he
doesn't come at Zuhur except an idiot". Imam Malik and Ahmad bin Hanbal also shared
similar ideas on this new movement which emanated from Basrah, Iraq.

Although it began as a move towards excessive Ibaadah, such practices were doomed to
lead to corruption, since their basis did not come from authentic religious doctrines, but
rather from exaggerated human emotions.

Sufism as an organised movement arose among pious Muslims as a reaction against the
worldliness of the early Umayyad period (AD 661-750)4. The Sufis exploited the chaotic
state of affairs that existed during the fifth and sixth centuries A.H. and invited people to
follow their way, alleging that the remedy to this chaos was conformity to the guidance of
their order's Sheikhs. Dar al-Majnoon was established during the reign of Khalifah
Ma'moon, where he invited the scholars of the Romans and Greeks to meet with the
Muslims and 'discuss' their respective positions. This provided the perfect breeding
ground for the synthesis between Islam and Pagan theology, to produce the Sufism of the
like of Ibn Arabi.

The Mixing Pot

With the demise of the Companions and their successors, the door became open for the
distortion of Islamic Principles. The enemies of Islam had already burrowed deep into the
ranks of Muslims and rapidly caused Fitnah through their spreading of forged hadith and
subsequently created new sects such as the Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah.
Sufism gained its breeding ground during this period, whereby it gained its support from
the Dynastic Rulers, who had deviated from Islam to the extent whereby magic was used
as entertainment in their courts, even though magic is considered as Kufr in
Islam.5 During this period, Sufism developed its Shi'a flavour, indeed the roots of
contemporary Sufism have been traced back to Shi'a origins (see later).

Sufi ideology and thinking flourished during the times of the likes of Muhyiddin Ibn
Arabi, Jalal Ad Din Rumi, and Imam Ghazali. Their translation of Greek philosophical
works into Arabic during the third Islamic century left an indelible mark on many aspects
of Sufism, resulting in Greek pantheism becoming an integral part of Sufi doctrine. Pagan
practices such as Saint worshipping, the use of magic and holding venerance towards
their Sheikh overtook the Orthodox practices of Islam and had little resemblance to the
Islam left by our Prophet (s.a.w).

By examining the mystic doctrines of Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism and other religions,
it becomes clear how closer Sufism is to these religions than to Islam. In fact, Sufism is
never characterised under "Islam" in any system of catalogue, but rather under
'Mysticism'.

Sharda highlights these unsurprising similarities by stating that: "After the fall of Muslim
orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of
Timur, the Sufi became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted
with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism
and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices
from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic
pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."6

The following comparison demonstrates the non-coincidental similarity that Sufism

shares with other religions:

Concept of validity of all religions

The Sufi doctrine of all religions being acceptable before Allah is derived from the
Mystical beliefs of other religions, and not Islam, for Allah says: "Truly, the religion in
the Sight of Allah is Islam..." [2: 19].

Take for example the Buddhists:

"No Buddhist who understands the Buddha's teaching thinks that other religions are
wrong... All religions acknowledge that man's present state is unsatisfactory. All teach an
ethics that includes love, kindness, patience, generosity and social responsibility and all
accept the existence of some form of Absolute."

The Sufis also believe the same: "Allah does not distinguish between the non-believer
and the Faasiq (wrong doer) or between a believer and a Muslim. In fact they are all
equal to Him... Allah does not distinguish between a Kaffir or a hypocrite or between a
saint and a Prophet."7

In al-Fusoos, Ibn Arabi leaves no doubt as to his conviction in the unity of all religions:
"Beware of restricting yourself to one particular religion and disbelieving in everything
else, so that great good would be missed by you, indeed you would miss attainment of
knowledge of the affair in the form he is following. Rather be ready to accept all forms of
belief. This is because Allah is higher and greater than to be comprehended by one belief
to the exclusion of others. Rather all are correct, and everyone who is correct receives
award, and everyone who is rewarded is fortunate, and everyone who is fortunate is one
with Whom He is pleased."8

Union with the Creator

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'aala is completely distinct from His Creation. He neither

resembles His Creation, nor is He enclosed by it. Sufis however, with their deviant
doctrine of Wahdat ul Wujood, believe contrary to this. Ibn Arabi, the Sufi scholar with
whom which the concept of Wahdat ul Wujood is rightly attributed, asserted that since
Allah's Attributes were manifested in His creation, to worship His creation is similar to
worshipping Him: "So the person with complete understanding is he who sees every
object of worship to be a manifestation of the truth contained therein, for which it is
worshipped. Therefore they call it a god, along with its particular name, whether it is a
rock, or a tree, or an animal, or a person, or a star, or an angel."9

This is how far the Sufis deviated because of their reliance on Greek and Eastern
philosophy, rather than the Qur'an and Sunnah. To them God is not Allah Alone with
whom no one else shares in His Dominion, but rather everything we see around us, and
ultimately our own selves! Glory to Allah, who Stated "There is nothing like unto Him,
and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer" [42: 11]. Looking at where Sufism derived its
understanding from, we find the same ingrained beliefs:

"When you live in the wisdom home, you'll no longer find a barrier between "I" and
"you," "this" and "that," "inside" and "outside;" you'll have come, finally, to your true
home, the state of non-duality."10

"Finally, the experience of realisation matures sufficiently that the [spiritual aspirant]
may rightly utter the startling assertion, 'I am Shiva' (a Hindu deity)".11

"When I am in that darkness I do not remember anything about anything human, or the
God-man.. I see all and I see nothing. As what I have spoken of withdraws and stays with
me, I see the God-man.. and he sometimes says to me: 'You are I and I am you'".12

Corruption of Tawheed in Allaah's Attributes

Sufis totally deny all of Allah's Attributes, such as His Face, His Hands, His Istawaa etc,
using metaphorical meanings to explain His Attributes. Although the Companions and
Tabi'een believed in them without any resemblance to His creation, the Sufi's deem His
Attributes to be a part of His creation.

Ibn Arabi went as far as to say that he saw Allah during one of his ecstatic trances, in the
shape of a young blond boy sitting on a Throne! (see Bezels of Wisdom, London 1980).
Other Sufi Gnostics followed suit in Ibn Arabi's trail: "In the writings of Ibn al-Arabi and
Ibn al-Farid, eternal beauty is symbolised through female beauty; in Indo-Muslim popular
mystical songs the soul is the loving wife, God the longed-for husband." 13

Incorporation of Music in Rituals

Music of all forms is forbidden by the majority of scholars, and remains

attached to forbidden practices such as drinking, fornication and parties.
However, after the Muslim conquest of the Deccan under Malik Kafur
(c. 1310), a large number of Hindu musicians were taken with the royal
armies and settled in the North. The acceptance of the Sufi doctrines, in
which music was an accepted means to the realisation of God, enabled
Muslim rulers and noblemen to extend their patronage to this art.14 At
the courts of the Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan,
music flourished on a grand scale, and Sufi Dervishes used music as a
means to enter ecstatic trances.

Allah's Messenger (s.a.w) said in a lengthy hadith concerning the appearance of vile acts,
"...when singing-girls and stringed instruments make their appearance, wines are
drunk, and the last members of this people curse the first ones, look at that time for
a violent wind, an earthquake, being swallowed up by the earth, metamorphosis,
pelting rain, and signs following one another like bits of a necklace falling one after
the other when its string is cut." [Tirmidhi ].

The deception of Sufism is brought to full light by looking at the lives of their esteemed
leaders, the Sheikhs of whom which they place full trust in heir knowledge and obey their
every command, and by contrasting the Orthodox Islamic teachings against the Sufi
alternative.

Sufi Sheikhs: Role Models or Deviants?

Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami

Bayazid is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet
(s.a.w)"15, and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshibandi Tariqah. Yet his life reeks
of Shirin all aspects.

Bayazid al-Bistami was the first one to spread the reality of Annihilation (Fana'),
whereby the Mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself
or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of
every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of
these states, Bayazid cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!"

Yet this concept is to be found nowhere in the Qur'an, nor Sunnah, nor in the behaviour
in the Salaf us Saalih.

Bistami's belief in the Unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question:
"How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to
God's Divine Presence." Was this the Message of Tawheed which the Prophet (s.a.w)
practised and was followed by the Sahaabah? He attributed the believers to be the same
as the disbelievers themselves, who Allah describes as being worse than cattle (Surah 7,
verse 179) and dogs; the same disbelievers who the Prophet (s.a.w) stated he had been
commanded to fight till they testified that there was no deity but Allah.

The whole life of Bayazid is rife with such contradiction to Eeman. From a young age, he
left his mother stating to her that he could not serve Allah and his mother at the same
time.16 When walking through the streets, he once called out "I am God; why do you not
worship me?" He spent his time sitting with his head resting between his knees, one of
his companions stating he did so for thirty years. But strangest of all was his obedience to
a dog he once came across. The dog had apparently become upset at Bayazid's attempt to
avoid him, to which the dog spoke to him and scolded him. So Bayazid pleaded "O dog,
you are so enlightened, live with me for some time."17

Ibn Arabi

During the late 12th and early 13th centuries, under the influence of speculative
mysticism, Ibn al-Arabi produced a system that created a complete chasm between the
law and Sufism. In societies, such as Islamic India, that had a strong pre-Islamic heritage
of mysticism, this chasm became much wider.18

Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi holds perhaps the highest position amongst all Sufi Schools, and
was pivotal in the permanent split between Islam and Sufism. He claimed to have
received direct orders from the Prophet (s.a.w) himself, including a book of completely
new hadith never seen or heard of before.

Prior to his receiving 'revelation', Ibn Arabi was well known to attend nightly parties in
Seville. During one of these nights, he heard a voice (his drunk inner self?) calling to
him, "O Muhammad, it was not for this that you were created". He fled in fear to a
cemetery, where he claims to have met, and received instruction from, Jesus, Moses and
Muhammad, peace be upon them all. From his books, innumerable forged sayings
attributed to the Prophet (s.a.w) have been used, to the extent that countless of Muslims
consider these to be real.

The following are quotes from Ibn Arabi:

"The man of wisdom will never allow himself to be caught up in any one form or belief,
because he is wise unto himself".19

"All that is left to us by tradition (Hadith) is mere words. It is up to us to find out what
they mean"20. (This reflects his alliance with Baatini (inner) meanings and interpretations)

"He (Ibn Rushd) thanked God that in his own time he had seen someone (Ibn Arabi) who
had entered into the retreat ignorant and had come out like this (knowledge of inner
meanings)- without study, discussion, investigation or reading"21

Junaid

Junaid was the fourth head of the Safavid order who sought to transform the spiritual
strength of the order into political power. What may be unknown to his followers
however was his policies of military adventurism combined with Shi'a and Sufi
piety.22 His son, Haydar, himself established the Safavid dynasty and the Twelver Shi'a
Islam in Iran came under his grandson, Isma'il I.

He was said to have blown a fatal breath at his slave-girl, to which he argued that she was
ruining his forty years of spiritual practices.23

This so-called 'Saint', a supposed friend of Allah, made the following remarks:

"I saw a thief who was being gibbeted. I bowed to him... for being true to the profession
he followed."

"He who fears Allah never smiles".

"One moments forgetfulness of the Lord ruins a thousands years worship".

Mansur al-Hallaj

Mansur is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haq" (I am the Truth), for which he was
executed for apostasy. Yet he is still revered by Sufis even though he abandoned all the
laws governing Tawheed.

He was said to have lived in one cloak for a full twenty years, along with a scorpion
inside. He stood bare-footed and bare-headed for one year at the same spot in Makkah.
During his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing
through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy." He also said "I
denied your religion (Islam) and denial is obligatory on me, although that is hideous to
Muslims."24

Abu Yazid

Abu Yazid once prayed one Juma'a prayer in 24,000 different places. He told the
religious authorities in one place: "I was praying in 12,000 different houses of worship
today." They asked: "How?" He said, "By the power of the Lord Almighty. If you
don't believe me, send people around to ask." They sat and waited until messengers
returned saying that he was seen in so many places. Abu Yazid said later: "I was afraid to
say 24,000, so I only said 12,000." So Abu Yazid clearly lied, when he could have simply
not mentioned anything in the first place.

Are these truly the ones who we are told to receive the knowledge of our religion from?
Do these men reflect the teachings of Islam? A man who left obedience to his mother, to
the obedience of a dog? Are we supposed to follow men who receive revelation in a
cemetery after spending the night at a party? Or a man who kills his slave girl for
'disturbing' his worship? To us, Islam calls smiling a charity, not a deviation from Allah's
Pleasure. Islam forbids prostration to anyone but Allah. The Prophet (s.a.w) used to make
du'a seeking Allah's guidance, not begging for heresy. And Islam teaches us truthfulness,
not lies.

Evidence Against their teachings: their beliefs and practices

Position of the Sheikh and Wali

The Sheikh or Wali is given a similar standing as that of a Catholic Saint, or the Dalai
Lama himself. Complete obedience is enforced on his followers, and any questions are
deemed as a betrayal of trust: "The seeker must submit to the will of the Sheikh and to
obey him in all his orders and advice, because the Sheikh has more experience and more
knowledge in Haqiqat, in Tariqat and in Shari'ah," and "he must agree with the opinion of
his Sheikh completely, as the patient agrees with the physician".25

Yet Muslims believe that any single act of worship must be substantiated by the Qur'an
and Sunnah only. Allah the Exalted says: "Say (to them), 'Produce your proof if you
are truthful'." [2: 111], and the Prophet (s.a.w) said "The created is not to be obeyed
over the Creator."

The Sheikh is given the standing of a deity in Sufism. Attributes which belong to Allah,
are also assigned to their Sheikhs. They seek help from them, whether they are dead or
10,000km away. They believe that their sheikhs know everything their students are
thinking, and that they converse with the Prophet (s.a.w) on a regular basis (in reality).

Distortion of the concepts of Dhikr, hadith, Qur'an

Since the Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith cannot be changed, the Sufi's have reverted to
Ta'weel, a method of changing the apparent meaning of the verse or hadith to have a
hidden one. This provided them with sufficient lee-way to support any concept they
desired, by simply stating that the verse/hadith had an inner meaning which only the
Sheikh himself could know.

In the Bezels of Wisdom, Ibn Arabi presents certain aspects of what he terms "Divine
Wisdom," as he conceives it. But Ibn al-Arabi interprets the relevant verses of Surat
Noah in the most outrageous fashion, since he suggests meanings diametrically opposed
to those accepted by all Muslim scholars. He interprets the "wrongdoe," "infidels," and
"sinners" in Surat Noah as 'saints and Gnostics' drowning and burning not in the torment
of Hell, but rather in the flames and water of knowledge of God. Ibn Arabi regarded the
idols worshipped by Noah's people as divine deities. Allah condemned their deed saying:
"And they (Noah's people) said, 'Do not abandon your gods, neither Wad, Suwa',
Yaghooth, Ya'ooq nor Nasr'. " [71: 23]

On which Ibn Arabi commented:

"If they (Noah's people) had abandoned them, they would have become ignorant of the
Reality ... for in every object of worship there is a reflection of Reality, whether it be
recognised or not."

The act of making Zikr in circles and jumping/moving frantically is also totally
unfounded. Zikr in the true Arabic sense means "Remembrance of Allah." The Prophet's
(s.a.w) method, which Muslims agree to be the best and only acceptable one, of zikr
consisted in reciting Qur'an, discussing religion with his companions, and making
Tasbeeh on his hands. Yet the act of sitting in circles and loudly or silently chanting
"Allah, Allah" was never practised by the Prophet (s.a.w) nor the Salaf, and all hadith
which state that the Prophet (s.a.w) did so (such as when he supposedly went into a room,
told the companions to lift up their hands and chant "La Ilaha Illa Allah" ) are
unanimously agreed upon to be forged. Ibn Taymiyyah stated that this practice opened
the door to Shaytaan, whereby the Shaytaan would enter the gathering (since they were
involved in innovation) and take the form of a pious person. He also stated that the recital
of "Allah, Allah" was forbidden, as it was never declared to be a form of Dhikr, and has
no attached word to complete it (such as Allahu Akbar, Subhaan Allah).26

The stories also of Khidr and his meeting with the 'Awliyaa', the 40 Abdaal's who are
always on the Earth and can be at any place in the wink of an eye, are derived from
Jewish and Christian legends, not Islamic traditions.

Innovation

Imam Malik remarked: "That which was not religion at the time of the Messenger and
his companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, is never to be religion today.
He who introduces a Bid'ah (innovation) in the religion of Islam and deems it a good
thing, claims by so doing that Muhammad (s.a.w.s) betrayed the Message."
The Sufis are to be found indulging in and spending an enormous amount of resources
defending innovated practices, declaring them to be "good innovations." These include
celebrating the death of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) (a practice adopted from the reign of
Fatamids, who began this innovation in order to seek the pleasure of the masses), reading
Qur'an over the dead and seeking blessings form them, and the building of extravagant
mosques (even though our Prophet (s.a.w.s) forbade this. Anas reports that the Messenger
of Allah said: "The Hour will not come to pass until the people vie with each other in
(building) the mosques." [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, anNasa'i, Ibn Majah] ).

Why they still survive Emotional attachment

The Sufi's have become such an integral part of the lives of so many Muslims that
Muslims are finding it difficult to accept that the Sufi path is wrong, and accuse anyone
who pinpoints the errors of Sufism as an extremist or a follower of some 'deviant' sect.

Sufism calls to human emotions rather than intellect and Islamic evidence. For example,
poetry and music were the most popular form during the past hundreds of years, whereby
"Sufi ideas permeated the hearts of all those who hearkened to poetry."27 Today, Sufism
is followed by masses of people who desire to leave behind the complexities of this
world, instead of building the ability to challenge it. Sufism provides the perfect escape,
where its followers can meditate instead of thinking about the other Muslims who are
suffering, let alone help them.

Similarity with pagan beliefs

Sufism is so similar to other religions, and as we noted earlier very tolerant of them, that
a change to Sufism does not involve a complete change of life, as Islam requires. So
Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and mystic Jews and Christians looking for an easy alternative
find solace in Sufism which perhaps only adds another dimension to their previous way
of life, rather than uprooting it and starting afresh

Simplicity

Ibnul-Jawzee says in Talbees Iblees: "Sufism is a way whose beginning was complete
avoidance of the affairs of worldly life, then those who attached themselves to it
became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore the seekers of the hereafter
from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of the
worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also
attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live."

Sufism offers its followers a life carefree from fighting (Jihad), politics, the initiative to
seek knowledge and teach it, the work of Da'wah, and allows a person to indulge in
worldly activities such as music, magic, and other prohibited acts.
The leader of the Naqshibandi Tareeqa in America, was quoted in the media as saying the
following: "You have to be both material and spiritual. Sufis can give people joy in their
spiritual life. Well, Madonna is giving people a kind of joy in their material life... You
cannot say she is wrong. Sufis don't object and criticise - they are accepting everything.
That's why, when my children are looking at Madonna on MTV, I say, 'Let me come and
look also!'"

Support from the governments

Any group which manages to gain the support of an anti-Islamic Government must be
suspicious. During the reign of the tyrant Mustafa Kemal, under whose leadership
thousands of scholars were executed and Islamic practices banned, special permission
was granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowing the Mawlawi dervishes of
Konya to perform their ritual dances. In fact, they have become a regular attraction
nowadays, performing around the world along with their Turkish Mystical Music State
Ensemble. 28

The Sheikh of the Naqshibandi's of America has greeted and received praises from the
President of America Bill Clinton himself. And why shouldn't he, since the 'Islam' he
portrays is one of pacifism and unity with the Kuffar.

Twisting of evidence

Since the Qur'an and Hadith are readily available, and cannot be changed, the Sufis have
resorted to another trick used by other Mystics: Ta'weel, or changing the apparent
meaning of a verse or hadith to a secret inner one which only a certified Sheikh could
explain!

They also rely on providing the mass with forged hadith, such as the one stating the
beseeching of Adam (a.s) in the name of Muhammad when he sinned; the stories of
Khidr; the rising of the Prophet (s.a.w) from his grave so a person could kiss his hand and
so on.

Because of the lack of knowledge the general mass possess on the knowledge of Hadith
and Aqeedah, they believe what they are told, and pass on the stories to other generations,
becoming distorted even more along the way.

Another smart tactic is to attribute forged sayings in support of the Sufi's from the
righteous scholars. For example, Ibn Taymiyyah is attributed to have been a member of
the Qadiri order and had been initiated, and spoken great words on Bistami and his likes.
Yet Ibn Taymiyyah spent the majority of his life fighting against the teachings of Sufism,
was imprisoned because of them, and bluntly stated "...Ibn Arabi who wrote "Al-
Fousous," and other slandering atheists such as Ibn Sab'een and his like. They even
witness that they are simultaneously the worshipers and the ones being worshiped."

The Damage to the Ummah

Sufis distracted the Muslims from the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah towards the
servitude of the Sheikh. Muslims thus became alienated from the teachings of Islam, and
possessed no protection from the innovations and trappings of the deviant sects.
Teachings such as "He (the follower) must not look to any other than his Sheikh" did
nothing to cement the community. Rather, it sent the ball rolling for the wars between the
various Mathabs, which culminated in fighting, rejection of each other faiths, and praying
at different stations in Makkah itself.

The Sufi's have left a lasting impression on the image of Islam, portraying it as one of
peace and apolitical, and anyone who contravenes this is an impostor and considered an
extremist. By relying on forged hadith such as the 'bigger Jihad is Jihad'ul Nafs (i.e.
struggle against the self)' and its like, Muslims have been made to believe that work and
family is the greatest Jihad, rather than establishing Allah's religion on Earth though the
use of the sword.

The Sufi influence undoubtedly contributed greatly to the decline of the Ottoman Empire.
The pacifist views they spread, the lack of Shari'ah knowledge, and their befriending of
the disbelievers, made sure that no one would oppose the vast changes being made to the
Ottoman Laws. By 1880, the Tanzimat period was in full force, where Shari'ah was
replaced by European Laws (except in limited circumstances such as in Hadd
punishments), yet little opposition was heard29. Whilst the masses were busy in the
construction of extravagant mosques and spinning around in circles, the Ottoman Empire
was overtaken by Masons and eventually torn to parts.

Conclusion

Sufism was doomed to destruction from when it first emerged, because of its deviation
from the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. The small excess, the little innovation, led
to the snowball effect, such that it emerged as a movement for well-meant increased
Ibaadah and Zuhd, to Kufr and Innovation.

In truth, Islam is sufficient for us, and it is only Shaytaan who wishes to turn us away
from our religion, to make us exceed the limits, and fall into his trap. The only sure way
to avoid this is to grasp tightly onto what was left to us by our beloved Prophet (s.a.w),
the Qur'an and Sunnah, as understood and believed and acted upon by the best people to
have lived: the Salaf us Saalih, the Companions and those who followed their footsteps.

WHAT IS A SUFI AND WHAT IS SUFISM?

Sufi: a follower of Sufism
Sufism: a sect that has introduced many innovated practices and beliefs into the
religion of Islam while claiming to be mystical

Sufism was not known in the time of the Prophet (may Allah raise his rank and grant him
peace) or his Companions, nor was it well known in the first three generations after them.
It first appeared in Basrah in Iraq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in
avoiding the worldly life, something which is admonished in the Quran:

"The Monasticism which they invented for themselves; We did not prescribe it for
them." Qur'an 57:27

Sufis belong to the Illumist school of philosophy which holds that knowledge and
awareness is brought about in the soul by spiritual exercises. Orthodox Islam holds that
one can achieve true knowledge and awareness through the acts of worship that exist in
the Quran and Sunnah.

Sufism is often, willfully or otherwise, referred to by Sufis themselves, or by orientalists,

as "Islamic mysticism", in order to give the impression that Islam is either wholly or
partly an esoteric religion, with a set of dogmatic rituals to be understood by the elite
alone-in this class, the Sufis! Unfortunately, the lack of any sound critical analysis of the
subject in the English language allows these orientalists to flood the English and North
American book market with literature that stands unchallenged, and dupes naive Muslims
into believing that true salvation can only be attained by pursuing a mystical order. Their
vain goal strips Islam of its Universality. The Sufis have introduced many innovations
into Islam in the name of Tasawwuf and have justified such practises by fabricated
statements and unsound arguments

Although many sects have appeared throughout the ages, none have outlasted as long
and spread their effects into the homes of so many as Sufism has. The emotional
attachment that a countless number of Muslims have towards this sect is so powerful that
any analysis should be purely from an objective perspective; Its conclusions however
leave no doubt as to the alien nature of Sufi teachings that have infiltrated into the
religion that our beloved Prophet (s.a.w.s) left us upon.

True Muslims should be content with the name "Muslims given to them by Almighty
Allah as he says: which means,

"He has chosen you (to conform to His religion) and has imposed no difficulty upon
you in religion, the religion of your father Ibrahim. He named you 'Muslims' both
before (in the preceding Divine Scriptures) and in this Book." (22.78)

Ibn Kathir elaborated on this verse, saying: "Allah has chosen the Muslims,
honoured them, and distinguished them exclusively of other nations by the most
honourable Messenger and the most perfect religion, and He has not overburdened
them with more than they can bear.
Sufis believe that their teachers are also a source for legislation in worship, as they will
order them to carry out acts of worship that have no basis in either the Quran or the
Sunnah. The extremists from amongst them often claim that Allah dwells within His
creation (i.e. in people's hearts, internal organs etc.). Consequently, they ascribe to their
Sufi teachers attributes and powers which only belong to Allah, such as the knowledge of
the unseen.

They often claim that the texts of the Quran and the Sunnah have an outer, apparent
meaning, and as well, an inner, hidden meaning. They hold that the outer, apparent
meaning is known to those who practice orthodox Islam, while the inner and hidden
meanings of the Quran and Sunnah are known only to their teacher and order. These
teachers will often claim that since they have advanced to the inner and hidden meaning
of Islam, they no longer need to pray or fast, something that not even the Prophets were
excused from.

Like many other Sufi doctrines, pantheism is adopted from man-made religions and
philosophies, as confirmed by S. R. Sharda in his book, Sufi Thought

"Sufi literature of the post-Timur period shows a significant change in thought

content. It is pantheistic. After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the
centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, the Sufi became
free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints,
who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely
devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices
from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic
pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."

If Sufis insist that they are Muslims, then what is the sense of identifying themselves with
Sufism rather than with Islam. The word "Sufism" was not familiar to those who lived in
the first and the best three generations of as-Salaf as-Salih (the pious predecessors) who
were commanded by Allah the Exalted and His Messenger Muhammad (s.a.w.s)

Ibn Taymiyyah makes this clear in his 'Majmu al-Fatawa: 'Some people accept
everything of sufism, what is right as well as what is wrong; others reject it totally, both
what is wrong and what is right, as some scholars of kalam and fiqh do. The right attitude
towards sufism, or any other thing, is to accept what is in agreement with the Quran and
the Sunnah, and reject what does not agree'" [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, Vol. 10,
p. 82]

WHO WAS MANSOOR HALLAJ AND WHAT WAS HIS ROLE IN ISLAMIC
HISTORY?

Al-Hallaaj was al-Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj, who was known as Abu Mugheeth, or
Abu ‘Abd-Allaah. He grew up in Waasit, or it was said in Tastar, and he was connected
with a group of Sufis including Sahl al-Tastari, al-Junayd, Abu’l-Hasan al-Noori and
others.
He traveled to many places, including Makkah and Khurasaan, and India where he
learned sihr (magic, witchcraft). He finally settled in Baghdaad, where he was killed.

He learned magic in India, and he was a trickster and cheat. He deceived many ignorant
people thereby, and they were attracted by him, until they thought that he was one of the
greatest awliya’ (close friends or “saints”) of Allaah.

He is liked by most of the Orientalists, and they think that he was killed wrongfully
because, as we shall see below, his beliefs were close to Christian beliefs and he
preached a similar message.

He was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH, because it was proven by his own
confession and otherwise that he was a kaafir and a heretic.

The scholars of his time were agreed that he was to be executed because of the
words of kufr and heresy that were narrated from him.

The following are some of the things that he said:

1- He claimed to be a prophet, then he went further and said that he was God.
He used to say, “I am Allaah,” and he commanded his daughter-in-law to
prostrate to him. She said, “Should I prostrate to someone other than
Allaah?” He said, “There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth.”

2- He believed in incarnation and union with the Divine, i.e., that Allaah was
incarnated in him, and that he and Allaah had become one and the same –
exalted be Allaah far above that.

This is what made him acceptable to the Christian Orientalists, because he shared
their belief in incarnation, for they believe that God was incarnated in Jesus (‘Eesa,
peace be upon him). Hence al-Hallaaj spoke of divine nature and human nature as
the Christians do. Some of the lines of verse that he composed said: “Glory be to the
one Whose human form manifested the secret of His divinity Then He emerged
among His creation in the form of one who eats and drinks.”

When Ibn Haneef heard these lines, he said, “May the curse of Allaah be upon the one
who said this.” It was said to him, “This is the poetry of al-Hallaaj.” He said, “If this
is what he believes, then he is a kaafir.”

3- He heard someone reciting a verse from the Qur’aan, and he said, “I am able
to compose something like that.”

4- Another of his lines of poetry says: “People formed different beliefs about
God, and I believe in everything that they believed.”
These words imply that he approved of and believed in all forms of kufr that the
misguided sects of humanity believe in, but it is a contradictory notion that no sound
mind can accept. How can anyone believe in Tawheed and shirk at the same time?

5- He said things which denied the pillars and basic principles of Islam, namely
prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj.

6- He used to say that the souls of the Prophets had been reincarnated in the
bodies of his companions and students. So he would say to one of them, “You
are Nooh”; and to another, “You are Moosa”; and to another, “You are
Muhammad.”

7- When he was taken out to be executed, he said to his companions, “Do not
worry about this, for I will return to you after thirty days,” He was executed
and he never came back.

Because of these sayings and others, the scholars were agreed that he was a kaafir and a
heretic, and for this reason he was executed in Baghdad in 309 AH. Similarly, most of the
Sufis denounced him and denied that he was one of them. Among those who denounced
him was al-Junayd, and he was not mentioned by Abu’l-Qaasim al-Qushayri in his book
in which he mentioned many of the Sufi shaykhs.

The one who strove to have him executed and who held a council in which he ruled that
he deserved to be executed was Al-Qaadi Abu ‘Umar Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-
Maaliki (may Allaah have mercy on him). Ibn Katheer praised him for that and
said, “One of his greatest and most correct judgements was his ruling that al-
Husayn ibn Mansoor al-Hallaaj was to be executed.” (al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah,
11/172)

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Whoever
believes what al-Hallaaj believed in and agrees with the ideas for which al-Hallaaj
was executed, is a kaafir and an apostate, according to the consensus of the
Muslims. For the Muslims executed him because of his belief in incarnation, union
with the Divine and other heretical beliefs, such as his saying, ‘I am Allaah,’ and,
‘There is a god in the heavens and a god on earth.’ … Al-Hallaaj performed
extraordinary feats and various kinds of magic, and there are books of magic which
are attributed to him. In conclusion, there is no dispute among the ummah that
whoever believes that Allaah can be incarnated in a human being and be as one with
him, or that a human being can be a god, is a kaafir whose blood it is permissible to
shed. On this basis al-Hallaaj was executed.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 2/480)

He also said: “We do not know of anyone among the imams of the Muslims who
spoke well of al-Hallaaj, neither among the scholars nor among the shaykhs. But
some of the people did not comment on him because they did not know about
him.”(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 2/483)
For more information, see Taareekh Baghdaad by al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi, 8/112-
141; al-Muntazam by Ibn al-Jawzi, 13/201-206; Siyar A’laam al-Nubalaa’ by al-
Shihaabi, 14/313-354; al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 11/132-144

And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

WHO WAS IBN ARABI?

He was a prominent Sufi; in fact he was an extreme Sufi. His name was Muhammad ibn
‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Taa’i al-Andalusi. The scholars have told us about him in
response to a question which was put to them. The question was as follows:

What do the imaams of the religion and the guides of the Muslims say about a book
which has been circulating among the people, the author of which claims that he wrote it
and distributed it to people by permission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) which was given to him in a dream which he claims to
have seen? Most of this book contradicts what Allaah revealed in His Books and is
opposed to what His Prophets said.

Among the things that he says in this book are: Adam was called insaan because in
relation to the truth (Al-Haqq), he was like the pupil [insaan] of the eye, the part that can
see.

Elsewhere he said: Al-Haqq which is transcendent is the physical creation which you can
see.

Concerning the people of Nooh he said: if they had turned away from their worship of
[their idols] Wudd, Siwaa’, Yaghooth and Ya’ooq, they would have lost more of Al-
Haqq.

Then he said: Every object of worship is a manifestation of Al-Haqq. Those who know it,
know it, and those who do not know it, do not know it. The one who has knowledge
knows what he is worshipping and in what image the object of his worship is manifested.
These many and varied manifestations are like the limbs of a physical image.

Then he said concerning the people of Hood: They reached a true state of closeness (to
Allaah) and were no longer remote. The heat of Hell no longer affected them and they
gained the blessing of closeness to Allaah because they deserved it. They were not given
this delicious experience as a favour, but because they deserved it as a result of the
essence of their deeds, for they were on a straight path.

Then he denied the idea of the warning against those of mankind against whom the word
of punishment is justified.
Should the one who believes in what he says be denounced as a kaafir, or should we
accept what he says, or what? If the person who listens to him is an adult of sound mind,
and does not denounce him by speaking or in his heart, is he a sinner, or what?

Please explain to us clearly and with proof, as Allaah has taken the covenant from the
scholars on that basis, for negligence [on the part of the scholars] causes a great deal of
confusion to the ignorant. (‘Aqeedah Ibn ‘Arabi wa Hayaatuhu by Taqiy al-Deen al-
Faasi, p. 15, 16).

(The author) mentioned the response of some of the scholars:

Al-Qaadi Badr al-Deen ibn Jamaa’ah said:

The passages quoted, and other similar parts of this book, are bid’ah and misguidance,
evil and ignorance. The religiously-committed Muslim would not pay any heed to them
or bother to read the book to find out more.

Then he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
could never give permission in a dream for something which goes against and
contradicts Islam; on the contrary, this is from the evil insinuations or whispers of
the Shaytaan and a trap whereby the Shaytaan is playing with him and tempting
him.

His words about Adam, that he is the pupil of the eye, and his likening Allaah to His
creation, and his remark that ‘Al-Haqq which is transcendent is the physical creation
which you can see’ – if by ‘Al-Haqq’ he is referring to the Lord of the Worlds – is a clear
statement of anthropomorphism [likening Allaah to His creation] and he has taken this
notion to extremes.

With regard to his denial of what has been narrated in the Qur’aan and Sunnah
concerning the warning: this makes him a kaafir in the view of the scholars of the
followers of Tawheed.

His comments about the people of Nooh and of Hood is vain and false talk which
deserves to be rejected. The best way of dealing with that is to destroy this and all other
similar passages of his book, for it is no more than fancy words, an expression of baseless
ideas and an attempt to introduce into the religion ideas that do not belong to it. The
ruling on this is that it should be rejected and ignored. (Ibid., p. 29, 30).

Khateeb al-Qal’ah Shaykh Shams al-Deen Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Jazari al-
Shaafa’i said:

Praise be to Allaah. His comment about Adam being called insaan is anthropomorphism
[likening Allaah to His creation] and is a lie and falsehood. His belief that the idol-
worship of the people of Nooh was valid is kufr. Anyone who says such a thing cannot be
approved of. His comment that ‘Al-Haqq which is transcendent is the physical creation
which you can see’ is false and contradictory, and it is also kufr. His comment that the
people of Hood had reached a true state of closeness (to Allaah) is a lie against Allaah,
and by saying this, he has rejected what Allaah said about them. His remark that they
were no longer remote and that Hell became a blessing and a joy for them is a lie and a
rejection of everything that was revealed to the Prophets; the truth of the matter is what
Allaah said about that, that they (the people of Hood) will abide in the torment forever.

Concerning those who believe what he says – and he knows what he said – the same
ruling applies to them as to him: that they are misguided kaafirs, if they have knowledge.
If they do not have knowledge, then the person who says that out of ignorance should be
told the truth and taught about it, and should be stopped if possible.

His denial of the warning to all people is a lie and a rejection of the consensus (ijmaa’) of
the Muslims. No doubt Allaah will bring about the punishment. Islam offers definitive
evidence that a group of sinners from among the believers will be punished, and the one
who denies that is regarded as a kaafir. May Allaah protect us from wrong belief and
denying the Resurrection. (Ibid., p. 31, 32).

Ibn Taymiyah said:

The Muslims, Christians and Jews all know something which is a basic principle of
the Muslims’ religion: that whoever says of any human being that he is a part of
God is a kaafir, he is regarded as a disbeliever by all these religions. Even the
Christians do not say this, although their belief is a major form of kufr; no one says
that the essence of creation is part of the Creator, or that the Creator is the creation,
or that Al-Haqq which is transcendent is the physical creation which you can see.

Similarly, his remark that if the Mushrikeen turn away from idol-worship, they will have
turned away from Al-Haqq to the extent that they have abandoned idol-worship, is
obviously kufr according to the basic principle that is common to all the religions. For the
religions are agreed that all the Prophets forbade idol-worship and regarded as
disbelievers those who did that; the believer cannot be a believer unless he disavows
himself of worshipping idols and of everything that is worshipped instead of Allaah. As
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

“Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem (Abraham) and
those with him, when they said to their people: ‘Verily, we are free from you and
whatever you worship besides Allaah, we have rejected you, and there has started
between us and you, hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in Allaah Alone’”
[al-Mumtahanah 60:4]

-- and he quoted other aayaat as proof -- then he said:

Whoever says that if the idol-worshippers give up their idols, they will have turned
away from Al-Haqq to the extent that they have abandoned idol-worship, is an even
worse kaafir than the Jews and Christians, and the one who does not regard them as
kaafirs is an even worse kaafir than the Jews and Christians, for the Jews and
Christians regard idol-worshippers as disbelievers, so how about one who says that
the one who gives up idol-worship has turned away from Al-Haqq to the extent that
he has abandoned idol-worship?! Let alone the fact that he says, The one who has
knowledge knows what he is worshipping and in what image the object of his
worship is manifested. These many and varied forms are like the limbs of a physical
image and the energy in a spiritual image; nothing but Allaah is being worshipped
in everything that is worshipped. He is an even greater kaafir than the worshippers
of idols, for they only take them as intercessors and mediators, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “ [The Mushrikeen say] ‘We worship them only
that they may bring us near to Allaah’” [al-Zumar 39:3]

“Have they taken (others) as intercessors besides Allaah? Say: “Even if they have
power over nothing whatever and have no intelligence?” [al-Zumar 39:43]

They acknowledged that Allaah is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the
Creator of the idols, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And verily, if you ask them: ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ Surely, they
will say: ‘Allaah (has created them)’” [al-Zumar 39:38] (Ibid., 21-23)

Shaykh al-Islam also said:

When the faqeeh Abu Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam came to Cairo and they
asked him about Ibn ‘Arabi, he said:

He is a vile and evil shaykh who says that the world is eternal and does not see anything
haraam in any sexual relationship.

He mentioned the belief that the world is eternal because this is what [Ibn ‘Arabi]
believed, but this is well-known form of kufr and the faqeeh Abu Muhammad denounced
him as a kaafir because of this. At that time Ibn ‘Arabi had not yet said that the universe
was God or the universe was the image and essence of God. This is a greater form of kufr
because those who say that the universe is eternal still believe that there had to be
Someone Who brought it into existence, that from the One Who must exist comes that
which may exist.Those shaykhs who met him [Ibn ‘Arabi] said that he was a liar and
a fabricator, and that in his books such as al-Futoohaat al-Makkiyyah etc. there were
lies which could not be concealed from any intelligent person.

Then he said:

I have not even mentioned one-tenth of what they mentioned about kufr, but people who
do not know about them have been deceived by these ideas, just as they were deceived by
the Baatini Qaraamitah when they claimed to be descendents of Faatimah and said that
they belonged to the Shee’ah, so the Shee’ah began to like them without knowing of their
hidden kufr. So the person who is attracted to them is one of two things: either he is a
heretic and hypocrite, or he is misguided and ignorant. With regard to these pantheists
(ittihaadiyoon), their leaders are the leaders of kufr and must be executed, and their
repentance cannot be accepted if they are seized before they repent, for they are among
the greatest heretics, those who make an outward display of being Muslim whilst
concealing kufr in their hearts, those who conceal their beliefs and their opposition to
Islam. Everyone who follows them, who defends them, who praises them, who admires
their books, who is known to help them, who does not like to speak against them or who
makes excuses for them by saying that we do not know exactly what these statements
mean, who says ‘How can we be sure that he wrote this book?’ and other excuses which
no one but an ignorant person or a hypocrite would come up with, must be punished.

Indeed, it is obligatory to punish everyone who knows about them but does not help to
resist them, because campaigning against these people is one of the most serious duties,
for they have corrupted the minds and religious belief of many shaykhs, scholars, kings
and princes, and they are spreading corruption throughout the world, preventing people
from following the path of Allaah. The harm that they cause to the religion is greater than
that done by those who damage the worldly interests of the Muslims but leave their
religion alone, such as bandits on the highways and the Tatars (Mongols) who took their
wealth but left their religion alone. Those who do not know them should not
underestimate the danger they pose. Their own misguidance and the extent to which they
misguide others defies description.

Then he said:

Whoever thinks well of them and claims not to know how they really are should be
informed about them. If he does not then turn his back on them and denounce them, then
he should be classed as one of them.

Whoever says that their words could be interpreted in such a way that it does not
contradict sharee’ah is one of their leaders and imaams. If he is intelligent, he should
know what they really are. But if he believes in it and behaves like this openly and in
secret, then he is a worse kaafir than the Christians. (Ibid., p. 25-28 – adapted and
abbreviated)

Ibn Hajar said:

Some confusing words of Ibn ‘Arabi were mentioned to our master Shaykh al-Islam
Siraaj al-Deen al-Balqeeni, and he was asked about Ibn ‘Arabi. Our Shaykh al-
Balqeeni said: he is a kaafir. (Ibid., p. 39).

Ibn Khaldoon said:

Among these Sufis are: Ibn ‘Arabi, Ibn Saba’een, Ibn Barrajaan and their followers
who follow their path and their religion. They have many books in circulation that
are filled with blatant kufr and repugnant bid’ahs, trying to interpret clear texts in
very far-fetched and repugnant ways, such that the reader is astounded that anyone
could attribute such things to Islam. (Ibid., p. 41).

Al-Subki said:

These later Sufis, such as Ibn ‘Arabi and his followers, are misguided and ignorant
and beyond the pale of Islam; those among them who have knowledge are even
worse. (Ibid., p. 55).

Abu Zar’ah ibn al-Haafiz al-‘Iraaqi said:

Undoubtedly the famous book Al-Fusoos contains blatant kufr, as does al-Futoohaat
al-Makkiyyah. If it is true that he wrote this and continued to believe in it until he
died, then he is a kaafir who is doomed to eternity in Hell, no doubt about it. (Ibid.,
p. 60).

So how can any sane person say that these brilliant scholars did not understand Ibn
‘Arabi? If they did not understand him, who can?

An incident from which we learn a lesson:

Al-Faasi said:

I heard our companion al-Haafiz al-Hujjah al-Qaadi Shihaab al-Deen Ahmad ibn
‘Ali ibn Hajar al-Shaafa’i say: there were many disputes about Ibn ‘Arabi between me
and one of those who like Ibn ‘Arabi, until I insulted him because of the bad things that
he had said, but that did not make the man change his mind. He threatened to complain
about me to the Sultaan in Egypt with regard to a matter that was different from that
which we were arguing about, just to cause trouble for me. I said to him: the Sultaan has
nothing to do with this! Come, let us make Mubaahalah [call our sons, our wives and
ourselves and pray and invoke the Curse of Allaah upon those who lie – cf. Aal ‘Imraan
3:61]. It is very rare, when people make Mubaahalah and one of them is lying, for that
one to go unpunished. So he said to me, ‘Bismillaah’ [i.e, he agreed]. And I said to him:
‘Say: O Allaah, if Ibn ‘Arabi is misguided, then curse me with Your Curse’ – so he said
that. Then I said, O Allaah, if Ibn ‘Arabi is rightly-guided, then curse me with Your
Curse. Then we parted. Then we met in a park in Egypt on a moonlit night, and he said to
us, Something soft touched my leg, look! So we looked but we did not see anything.
Then he checked his eyes and he could not see anything (i.e., Allaah had afflicted him
with blindness).

This is the meaning of what Al-Haafiz Shihaab al-Deen ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallaani
told me. (Ibid., p. 75, 76).

This is how this man has misguided and deceived those who are seeking the truth and
who want to follow the path of right guidance. He is a heretic who was not ahead of his
time in any way except in misguidance and kufr. He does not possess any light or
wisdom; on the contrary he is in the depths of darkness and ignorance.

We have quoted the words of scholars other than Ibn Taymiyah, to point out the kufr of
Ibn ‘Arabi, so that people should not think that Ibn Taymiyah was the only one who
denounced him as a kaafir. If you want to see other among those Scholars who
decided that Ibn Arabi is a Kafir and who are accordingly not wahabis. As none of
them was alive even at the time of the grand fathers of Muhammed bin Abdul
Wahhab. Nor do they all agree with the teaching of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah Al-
Harrani

UNDERSTANDING IBN AL-ARABI

WHO IS IBN ARABI?

HIS BIO DATA: Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn al-'Arabi al-Hatimi al-Tai -called Muhyi al-
Din ("Reviver of the Faith") by a specific group of Muslims- was born in Murcia in
southern Spain, to an Arab family. Some claim that he had a vision ordering him to
depart for the East where he was to spend the rest of his days. He died in
year 638H. Some also called him "The Greatest Sheikh" (al-Sheikh al-Akbar). Ibn
'Arabi authored many works, including his "Makkan Revelations" and “Beads of
Wisdom”.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Ibn Arabi lived during the end of the 6th century and
the beginning of the 7th century. That era was filled with tribulation, commotion, and
political instability. The Muslim lands were attacked from the east by the Mongols who
captured Baghdad –the seat of the Muslim khalifah- in the year 656H. At the same time,
the Crusaders were invading the Muslim lands from the north and north west. They
captured parts of what is known today as Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Egypt. The rest
of the Muslim world was divided to the point that some cities and towns were considered
independent states. This was the situation of the Ummah when Ibn Arabi and other
figures like Ibn al-Fardh spread their “new thought”.

Before continuing, it is worth mentioning here that some early figures like al-Hallaj had
come up with some foreign concepts as well. Al-Hallaj stated that Allah dwells in
objects, a concept known as “Hulool”. If one applies this concept, one is falsely lead to
believe that all the idol worshippers of the world are sinless. According to this concept,
since Allah dwells in objects, all idol worshippers are actually worshipping Allah. In real
terms, this is an excuse for the greatest Shirk of worshipping anything other than
Allah. Fortunately, Al-Hallaj appeared at a time in which the Muslim state was strong
and knowledge was widespread so scholars at his time exposed his extreme deviant
thoughts and the Muslim governor at that time ordered him to be executed in the year 309
H. This is the prescribed punishment in Islamic Law for apostasy (committing an act that
takes one out of the folds of Islam)
IBN ARABI’S CREED: The concept of Hulool is -in a sense- a stepping stone to the
concept of Oneness of Being or “Wahdat al-Wujud” that Ibn Arabi advocated. In simple
terms, Oneness of Being means that none exists but Allah, so everything one sees is
Allah or a manifestation of Allah and this is the Tawheed (oneness or unity) according to
some extreme Sufis.

WHAT DO THE SCHOLARS SAY ABOUT IBN ARABI?: Some argue that there is
some controversy about Ibn Arabi, but the fact of the matter is that the vast majority of
the scholars considered him a kafir or a heretic and evil to say the least. Many Muslims
scholars had issued fataawa (Islamic rulings) stating that Ibn Arabi’s work is nothing but
plain Kufr (apostasy) and they considered him as a kafir (an apostate). Of special
importance is the work of Imam Burhan al-Din al-Biqa‘i (d. 885). He wrote a book
entitled Tanbih al-Ghabi ila Takfir Ibn ‘Arabi wa Tahdhir al-‘Ibad min Ahl
al-‘Inad (“WARNING TO THE IGNORAMUS CONCERNING THE
DECLARATION OF IBN ‘ARABI’S DISBELIEF, AND CAUTIONING THE
SERVANTS OF ALLAH AGAINST STUBBORN PEOPLE”) in which he quotes
many fataawa (Islamic rulings) by scholars from different madhabs stating that Ibn Arabi
is a kaafir.

Some Sufis argued that the critiques of Ibn Arabi did not understand his work because of
its depth, and hence a reader needs a sheikh to be able to comprehend Ibn Arabi’s work.
This argument is rejected not only because his works testify that his creed is plain kufr,
but also because those who criticized Ibn Arabi and declared him as a deviant are
scholars of high caliber. Among those scholars are:

1. AL’IZZ IBN ABDUL SALAM (d 660 H): He said about Ibn Arabi “An evil liar
sheikh who claims that this world is eternal (i.e. was not created by Allah) and
embraces promiscuity.”

2. IBN TAYMIYYAH (d 728 H): He extensively discussed the arguments of ibn Arabi
and refuted them.

3. AS-SUBKI (d 756 H)

4. IBN KATHEER (d 774 H)

5. ADH-DHAHABI (d 748 H) said: “If Ibn Arabi’s book (Beads of wisdom) does not
contain clear Kufr, then there is no Kufr in the world.”

6. IBN HAJAR (d 852 H)

7. ‘ALA’ AL-DI AL-BUKHARI AL-HANAFI declared that: “The one who does not
consider Ibn Arabi a kaafir (non-Muslim), then he himself is a kaafir!”

To see some of Ibn Arabi’s works visit the following web sites: (or read below)
http://bewley.virtualave.net/fusus.html

http://members.aol.com/heraklit1/Ibnarabi.htm

EXAMPLES FROM IBN ARABI’S WORKS:

The purpose of the following examples is to show beyond the shadow of a doubt what the
creed of Ibn Arabi is. These comments by him can be found
at: http://bewley.virtualave.net/fusus.html

1. HIS SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE: He claims at the beginning of his book Fusus al-
Hikam (Beads of Wisdom) that he got that book from the Prophet SAAWS. He also
claims that he got the knowledge from the “Mother of the Book”. In the Noble Quran
Verse 39, Surah 13, the Mother of the Book is the Preserved Tablet or Al-Lauh Al-
Mahfuz. Ibn Arabi says: There is a seal for each wisdom. So I have condensed these
wisdoms according to what is established in the Mother of the Book, and I compiled with
what was written out for me, and stopped at what was set as a limit for me Worse than
this, he even claims that he speaks to Allah directly.

2. IBN ARABI CRITICIZES NOAH AS A MESSENGER: Found under

section: "The Seal of the Wisdom of the Breath of Divine Inspiration in the Word of Nuh
(Noah)"

Ibn Arabi accused Prophet Noah (AS) of being ignorant of the proper way to convey the
message:

So "there is nothing like Him" unified several matters in one single matter. If Nuh had
articulated something like of this âyat, his people would have responded to him, because
it contains connection and disconnection in a single âyat, rather in half an âyat.

Although Allah SWT clearly states that the people of Noah had belied the messengers
(see for example, Verse 105, Surah 26), Ibn Arabi claimed they answered the call of
Noah. Ibn Arabi said:

Then he said of himself that he called upon them that He might forgive them, not that He
be unveiled to them. They understood that from him. That is why "they put their fingers
in their ears and wrapped themselves in their clothes," (71:7) and this is the form of
veiling to which he called them. So they answered his call by action, not by saying, "At
your service."

Also, he claims that anything that is being worshipped has an aspect from Allah in it.
This is in conformance with his deviant creed according to which nothing exists –in the
whole universe- but Allah. So according to Ibn Arabi, the idols that used to be
worshipped by Noah’s people were in fact a part of Allah and hence deserved to be
worshipped. In this regard he said:
They said in their plotting, "Do not abandon your gods. Do not abandon Wadd or Suwa'
or Yaghuth or Ya'uq or Nasr." (71:22) Then they abandoned them ignorant of the Truth
according to what they left of the idols. Allah has an aspect in every worshipped thing.
Whoever recognizes it recognizes, and whoever is ignorant of it is ignorant among the
people of Muhammad.

To support such a concept, Ibn Arabi misinterpreted Verse 23 in Surah 17 in which Allah
says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him”

The key word here is “decreed” which means in this context “ordered or commanded”.
Ibn Arabi uses it to mean “to write as a divine decree that is bound to be fulfilled so
nothing other than Allah could or ever will be worshipped. Based on this incorrect
understanding, one reaches the false conclusion that whatever idols people might
worship, these idols are manifestations of Allah SWT.

3. IBN ARABI DECLARES THE WORSHIPERS OF THE GOLDEN CALF

WERE NOT COMMITTING SHIRK.

Found under section: "The Seal of the Wisdom of the Imam in the Word of Harun
(Aaron)"

Ibn Arabi talks about the calf that the followers of Moses worshipped:

Musa knew the matter better than Harun because by his knowledge he knew the One the
people of the Calf worshipped since Allah decreed that only He would be worshipped.
When Allah decrees something, it must occur. Musa chided his brother Harun since the
business consisted of disavowal and inadequacy. The gnostic is the one who sees Allah in
everything, rather he sees Him as the source of everything. Musa was teaching Harun
with the instruction of knowledge even though Musa was younger than him in age.

In other words, according to Ibn Arabi, the One the people of the Calf worshipped is not
the Calf but rather it was Allah manifesting Himself in the form of the Calf. This is the
reality of the concept of “Oneness of Being” as understood by Ibn Arabi and other Sufis
like Ibn al-Fardh.

Ibn Arabi discusses the story of the Calf that Samiri made and called the Children of
Israel to worship. Ibn Arabi said: So he [Musa][1]burned it (the golden calf) and then
scattered the ashes of that form in the sea. He told the Samiri, "Behold your god." He
called it a god to alert him in order to teach him that he did know some of the places of
divine tajalli

Ibn Arabi is claiming that Musa admitted that the Calf was indeed a god because it was a
place where God made tajalli i.e. manifested Himself.

4. IBN ARABI DECLARES THE PHARAOH DIED A BELIEVER (MUSLIM)

Found under section: "The Seal of the Wisdom of Sublimity in the Word of Musa
(Moses)"

Ibn Arabi says: The consolation of Pharaoh was with the belief Allah gave him when he
was drowning. So Allah took him pure and purified. There was no impurity in him since
He took him in his belief before he had acquired any wrong actions. Islam effaces what
was before it. He made him a sign of His concern so that none might despair of the mercy
of Allah, for "no one despairs of solace from Allah except for the unbelievers." (12:87) If
Pharaoh been of those who despair, he would not have embarked on belief.

The above statement of Ibn Arabi is a clear contradiction to the following Qur'ânic
verses:

“And indeed We sent Musa with our Ayat and a manifest authority, To Pharaoh and his
chiefs, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no
right guide. He will go ahead of his people on the Day of Resurrection, and will lead
them into the Fire…” (Surah Hud 11:96-98)

WHAT THE ISLAAMIC SCHOLARS HAVE SAID ABOUT SUFISM

Imaam Ash-Shaa'fee on Sufism:

"If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he does not come to
Dhuhur except an idiot." [Talbees Iblees].

"Nobody accompanied the Sufis forty days and had his brain return (ever)." [Talbees
Iblees].

Concerning the famous Sufi leader, Al-Harith Al-Muhasbi, Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbaal
(R) said:

"Warn (people) from Al-Harith (a Sufi leader) the strongest warning!... He is the shelter
of the Ahl Kalaam (people of rhetoric)." [Talbees Iblis].

The famous Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Jaza'iri stated:

"Sufism is a shameful deception which begins with Dhikr and ends with Kufr. Its
outward manifestation appears to be piety, but its inward reality forsakes the
Commandments of Allah." [Illat-Tasawwuf Yaa Ibadallah].

Ash-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Rabee' ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee, a well known teacher at
the Islamic University of Medinah and the son of a well known scholar, brings in his
book "Haqeeqatus Soofiyyah Fee Dau'il Kitaabi Was Sunnah", the following:

Concerning the practice of the Sufiyyah in wearing woolen clothing as a sign of Zuhd
(abstemiousness/disassociation from the worldly life) and in their attempt to mirror the
Prophet 'Isa (AS): "Ibn Taymiyah (R) mentions in Al-Fataawaa (11/7) from Muhammad
ibn Seereen (a famous Tabi'ee who died in 110H) that it reached him that a certain people
had taken to wearing woolen clothes in order to resemble 'Isa ibn Maryam (AS), so he
said: 'There are a people (Sufis) who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woolen
clothes, claiming that they want to resemble Al-Maseeh ibn Maryam (AS). But the way
of our Prophet (s.a.w.s) is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (s.a.w.s) used to wear
cotton and other garments."

Sheikh Al-Madkhalee goes on:

"As regards the first appearance of Sufism, then the word "Sufism" was not known in the
time of the Sahâbah, indeed it was not well-known in the first three and best centuries.
Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (R), mentions that the first appearance of Sufism was in
Basrah in 'Iraaq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the
worldly life, such as was not seen in other lands. [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)]."

Commenting on the reaction of the early Sufis while hearing Qur'an being recited (it was
their practice to fall out and act dumb-struck), Ibn Taymiyah (R) says:

"This was not found to occur amongst the Sahâbah, so when it appeared a group of the
Companions and the Tabi'een such as Asmaa bint Abi Bakr and 'Abd Allah Az-Zubair
and Muhammad ibn Seereen criticised that since they saw that it was An innovation and
contrary to what they knew from the manners of the Sahâbah." [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)].

Concerning the spread of Sufism, Ibn Al-Jawzy said: "Sufism is a way whose
beginning was complete avoidance of the affairs of worldly life, then those who attached
themselves to it became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore, the seekers of
the Hereafter from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of
the worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also
attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live."
[Talbees Iblis].

Shaikh Abu Zahrah (R) said concerning the reason for the appearance of Sufism and
the sources from which it sprung:

1. The first source: Some worshippers amongst the Muslims turned all their attention to
avoidance of the worldly life and to cutting themselves off in order to worship. This first
began in the lifetime of the Prophet (s.a.w.s) when some of the Sahâbah decided to spend
the night striving in Prayer and abandoning sleep. Others decided to fast every day
without fail. Others decided to cease having marital relations with women. So when that
reached the Prophet (s.a.w.s) he said: "What is wrong with a people who say such and
such. But rather I fast and I refrain from fasting, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women.
So whoever turns away from my Sunnah, then he is not from me (Al-Bukhaaree and
Muslim). Furthermore, the innovation of living like monks (monasticism) is forbidden in
the Qur'an. He said:
"...the Monasticism which they invented for themselves..." [57:27].

However, when the Prophet (s.a.w.s) passed on to join the company of the highest angels,
and many people entered into Islam from the previous religions then the number of those
who went to extremes in avoidance of worldly life and its blessings grew and Sufism
found a place in the hearts of these people since it had come across a fertile planting
ground.

2. The second matter which attracted peoples' souls was something which appeared
amongst the Muslims in the form of two ideologies. One of them was philosophical
whilst the other was from the previous religions. As for the first, then it was the view of
the Illumist school of philosophers who held that knowledge and awareness is brought
about in the soul by spiritual exercises and purification of the soul. As for the second
ideology, then it was the belief that the Deity dwells in human souls, or that the Deity is
incarnate in humanity. This idea began to find a place amongst those sects who falsely
attributed themselves to Islam in the earlier times, when the Muslims became mixed with
the Christians. This idea appeared amongst the Sabians and some of the Kaysaamiyyah,
then the Qaraamitah, then amongst the Baatinees, then in its final shape it appeared
amongst some of the Sufis...There is another source from which it took, and which causes
the manifestation of Sufi tendencies, which is the idea that the texts of the Book and the
Sunnah have an outer, apparent meaning and an inner, hidden meaning...it seems clear
that they took this idea from the Baatinees." [Ibn Taymiyah by Abu Zahra].

Ibn Al-Jawzy said after criticising the Sufis for their imposition of hardship upon
themselves and for their going beyond bounds of abstemiousness to the point of self
torture:

"So this self deprivation which went beyond bounds, which we have been forbidden
from, has been turned around by the Sufis of our time, i.e.. the sixth century, so that they
have become as desirous of food as their predecessors were of hunger, and they enjoy
morning meals, evening meals and sweet delicacies, all of which or most of which they
attain through impure wealth. They have abandoned lawful earnings, turned away from
worship and spread out carpets on which they idly recline, most of them have no desire
except for food, drink and frivolous activities. [Talbees Iblees].

Speaking of the false miracles claimed by many Sufi leaders, Ibn Taymiyah said:

"It may also be done with the help of their devils as they are a people who are as closely
attended by devils as they are by their own brothers... These people who experience these
satanic happenings are under a great delusion, in their foolishness they are deprived of all
blessings, they only increase that which is feared, they devour the wealth of the people in
futile acts, they do not order the good, nor do they forbid evil, and they do not fight
Jihaad in Allah's Cause." [Al-Fataawaa].

Futher, Sheikh Al-Madkhalee says:

"Then I return to the point that when I saw that most of the callers were negligent of the
most important aspects of Islam which is the call to Tawheed and the correction and
purification of 'Aqeedah from all Shirk, which takes the form of worshipping the dead,
attachment to the graves and calling upon the dead and the absent, and they remained
silent about the other deviation of the present day Sufi orders which are very widespread
in the lands of the Muslims, and anyone who travels outside this land will see the
predominance that the Sufi orders have over the minds of the Muslims in Egypt, Syria,
Morocco, Africa and India. Whether is is the Rifaa'ee order, or the Tijanis, or the
Ahmadiyyah, or the Qaadiriyyah, or the Burhamiyyah, or the Shadhiliyyah, or the
Khattaaniyyah, or the Darqaawees, or the Naqshabandis or whichever of the large
number of Sufi orders...when I saw this I wished to remind of that which I held to be
something very important. Likewise, I wished to provide my brothers, who study in the
highly regarded Daarul Hadeeth, and they come from various Islamic lands where there
are many Sufi orders, with some knowledge and some protection from the deadly
sickness of Sufism."

As for those authentic and well known books by the 'Ulemah that have refuted Sufism:

1. Al-Fataawaa - by Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah .

2. Talbess Iblis - by Ibn Al-Jawzy .
3. Tanbeebul-Ghabee ilaa Takfeer Ibn'Arabee - by Burhaanuddeen Al-Baqaa'ee .
4. Tahdheerul-'Ibaad min Ahlil-'Inaad bibid'atil-Ittihaad - by Al-Baqaa'ee .

There are many scholars who declared ibn Arabi to be a disbeliever then one of the
Imaams of his time, al-Allaamah Burhaan ad-Deen al-Baqaa`ee [809-885H] authored a
work entirely devoted to this in which he mentions the names and statements of tens of
scholars from the time of ibn Arabi to his time who declared him to be a disbeliever. He
mentions even more who declared him to be a deviant and worse - some of them sufis
themselves. Insha`Allaah I will mention a few of them here and the interested reader can
refer to the aforementioned book for more detail. The name of the book is ‘Tanbeeh al-
Ghabbi ilaa takfeer ibn Arabee’

Ibn Arabi said concerning the worshippers of the cow at the time of Moses (AS) as in his
‘Fusoos’ (pg. 192), "Moses (AS) was more knowledgeable of this matter than Haaroon
because he knew what the Companions of the Cow (truly) worshipped. This is because he
knew that Allaah had decreed that none was to be worshipped save Him Alone and that
when Allaah decrees a thing it must occur. Therefore when Moses censured his brother
Haaroon it was because of Haaroon rejecting (what the Companions of the Cow did) and
his inability to truly comprehend it. For the Gnostic is the one who sees the Truth
(Allaah) in everything, indeed he sees the Truth to be everything."

[Therefore ibn Arabee thought that the action of these people was correct because what
they were worshipping was in reality Allaah!! Refuge is sought with Allaah]

(1). Zayn ad-Deen al-Iraaqee [the teacher of ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee] said, "these words
are disbelief from the one who utters them due to a number of reasons…"
It is known that ibn Arabee believed that Pharaoh was correct when he said ‘I am your
lord most high’ as in Fusoos (pg. 210).

Al-Iraaqee said, "his saying concerning the statement of Pharaoh, ‘I am your lord most
high’ that it was correct for him to say that…there is not doubt that the one who says this
statement, and it is authentic that he said it while possessing his intelligence and not
being coerced then he is a kaafir…"

(2). The son of Al-Iraaqee, Imaam Walee ad-Deen Ahmad al-Iraaqee said under the
twenty first issue of his ‘Fataawaa al-Makkiyyah,’ "there is no doubt in including the
Fusoos that is famous from him amongst the clear and explicit disbelief. The same
applies to his ‘Futoohaat al-Makkiyyah.’ If these books are truly written by him (ibn
Arabee) and he believed in what he wrote when he died then he is a kaafir who will
remain for eternity in Hellfire. There is no doubt concerning this."

(3). Ibn Sayyid an-Naas and ibn Daqeeq al-Eid and other scholars all mention from their
shaykh al-Izz bin Abdis Salaam (who was contemporary to ibn Arabee) that he said about
him, "an evil shaykh, a liar." This was mentioned by adh-Dhahabee via many routes.

(4). Abu Hayyaan [b. 654H] in his famous tafseer under aayah 5:17

(5, 6). Ibn Hajr and his Shaykh al-Balqeenee. Ibn Hajr says in his biography to ibn al-
Faarid in his ‘Lisaan al-Meezaan,’ "I asked our Shaykh Siraaj ad-Deen al-Balqeenee
about ibn al-Arabee and he promptly replied that he was a kaafir."

(7). Al-Haafidh adh-Dhahabee, "and how would it be if the Shaykh (i.e. Sayf ad-Deen
Alee al-Hareeree, the Sufi) saw the words of ibn Arabee which are pure kufr and heresy,
he would say ‘this is the Dajjaal that is awaited.’"

He also said, "if his (ibn Arabees) words are not kufr then there is no kufr in the world."

(8).Ibn Taymiyyah as is well known from him.

These are just some of the statements by scholars, past and present, concerning the
Soofiyyah.

WORSHIPPING ALLAAH OUT OF LOVE, FEAR AND

HOPE
One of the most beautiful this about the concept of worship in Islaam is the truly
unique way in which it incorporates the feelings of love, fear and hope within the
hearts of the worshippers of Allah. Understanding how to combine these three
qualities into the worship ('ibaadah) of Allah is one of the most essential things that
every Muslim must grasp, ,not least because every sect which has drifted from the
Straight Path has strayed in this aspect of worship. The deviation of the other
Religions in this regards is clear for all to see: "God is Love! Jesus is Love!" say the
Christians, denying the fact that God should be feared too. As for the Jews, then
their hearts are filled only with hope - hope in the belief that the Fire will not touch
them since they are the "Promised People".

In Islaam however, no worship is complete without the presence of all three

qualities: LOVE of Allah, Hope in His Mercy and FEAR of His Punishment.
Contemplate the opening Soorah of the Qur'aan - Sooratul Faatihah - and you will
see for yourself.

Aaayah 1: "All Praise [and Thanks] are for Allah, Rabb of all the worlds."

In this opening aayah (verse) of the Qur'aan, we have LOVE of Allah and every time
we recite this aayah we are testifying to our love for Allah. How is that you ask? IT is
because in this aayah, we are acknowledging that Allah is our Rabb and the Rabb of
all the worlds. Rabb is usually translated as 'the Lord', but this translation does not
do justification to this name of Allah and all the meanings that this name carries. In
reality Rabb means that Allah is the Creator of everything; He sustains and nourishes
everything; He gives life and death; anything good which we have is from Him;
everything is dependent on Him and nothing can happen unless He wills it.
Furthermore, for the Muslim He - the Rabb - is the One who has guided us to the
Truth and given us good morals and manners.

Thuis when we testify that Allah is out Rabb, then we are acknowledging that He is
the One who has given us so many blessings - so many that is we tried to enumerate
His blessings upon us, we could not count them. So how could we not love Him?
After all, we know that when someone gives us even a small gift or shows even a
small act of kindness towards us, then we develop so much love for them on account
of that - so imagine then the love we should[1] have for our Rabb who has given us
everything: nice families, shelter, security, food, health, and above all, Guidance to
Islaam and the Sunnah. We should be overwhelming in our love for Him and thank
Him and say: "All Praises [and Thanks] are for Allah, Rabbil-'aalameen."

Aayah 2: "The Rahman [Merciful] and the Raheem [Mercy-Giving]."

In the first aayah of Sooratul-Faatihah, Allah mentioned that He was ar-Rabb. In the
next aayah two more of His beautiful names are mentioned: ar-Rahmaan and ar-
Raheem. Ar-Rahman means that He is the Most Merciful, that is, His Nature or His
Essence is Merciful. Ar-Raheem means that He is the Giver of Mercy, in other words,
His actions are full of Mercy and He shows Mercy to His creation.[2]

When we mention these two names of Allah, then we have HOPE. Since He has
described Himself as so full of Mercy then we have hope that He will forgive out sins,
and no matter how numerous out sins may be, we should never lose this hope,
because Allah has told us: "O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves!
Despair not of the Mercy of Allah verily Allah forgives all sins [except shirk]. Truly He
is the Oft-Forgiving, the Mercy-Giving." [az-Zumar (39):53].

The need to have FEAR in our worship is shown by the next aayah of Sooratul-
Faatihah:
Aayah 3: "King/Master of the Day of Judgement."

When we recite this aayah we are reminding ourselves of the Day of Judgement -
that awful Day, when we shall all stand before Allah, naked, uncircumcised and
barefooted. Some will be sweating so much that it will go seventy arm-length into
the earth. People will appear drunk though they are no. On this Day, every person
will stand before Allah and account for his sins, knowing that not even the smallest
action which he did is hidden from Allah:

"So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And whosoever
does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it." [az-Zalzalah (99):7-8].

So when we recite this third aayah of Sooratul-Faatihah, we remind ourselves of this

Judgement and accountability and that should bring about in us a sense of fear - that
maybe out evil actions will be too great and we will be responsible for it - may Allah
protect us from such a fate.

Then the next verse goes on to say:

"You alone we worship." i.e. we single out Allah for our worship. And how do we
worship Him? With LOVE, HOPE and FEAR. And in order to achieve these qualities,
we need Allah's assistance, so we say then: "We seek Your Aid." [1:4].

STRIKING THE BALANCE

After understanding the need to have love, fear and hope in our worship, the
question that now arises is: in what proportions should these qualities be present in
our worship? Again we turn to the Qur'aan for our answer.

"Call upon Him with Fear and Hope." [al-A'raff(7):56].

And also:

"Their sides forsake their beds, to invokde their Lord in Fear and Hope." [as-
Sajdah(32):16].

So both fear and hope should be present inour hearts in equal proportions. Anas -
radiAllaahu 'anhu - reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam entered
upon a young boy who was dying. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam asked:
"How are you?" The boy replied: "O Messenger of Allah, I am in-between hoping in
Allah and fearing for my sins." The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "The
like of these two qualities do not unite in the heart of a servant except that Allah
gives him what he hopes for and protects him from what he feared."[3]

Therefore, whenever we do a good action, we should have hope that it has been
accepted by Allah, but at the same time we should also have fear that maybe it isn't
enough or that the good deed has not been worthy of acceptance. Likewise when we
sin, we should have hope that Allah will accept out Repentance and forgive us, but
we should also fear that we may be accountable for it.
This balance should also be reflected in out da'wah (which of course is also worship).
So when we invite others to the Truth, we should not give them the impression that
they have "nothing to worry about"; nor do we suggest that they are doomed
forever. Rather, we couple warnings with encouragement. We inform them of the
horrors of the Fire as well as telling them about the bliss of Paradise. Just as we find
Allah telling us in the Qur'aan:

"Verily your Lord is Quick in Punishment and verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Giver of
Mercy." [al-A'raaf(7):167].

And our Righteous Predecessors used to say:

"He who worships Allah with hope only is a Murji'ee. He who worships Him in fear
only is a Harooree [Khaarijee]. And he who worships Allah in love only is a Zindeeq
[e.g. Soofees, Christians]. But he who worships Allah in fear, love and hope is a
Muwahhid Mu'min [a believer upon Tawheed." [4]

The Murji'ah were a sect that emerged within the first century of Islaam. The people
of this sect (known as murji'ees) believe that sins do not affect faith, i.e. no matter
what sins a person commits, his eemaan (faith) is complete and perfect. They
worship Allah only with hope because they belive that as along as one believed and
testified to Islaam, they would enter Paradise regardless of their actions.

Unfortunately, all too often nowadays we find a somewhat similar attitude amongst
the Muslims today, which is why we find that so often when we try to advise
someone to turn to the Deen and abandon sin, they just point to their hearts and
say, "Allah knows what's in my heart", or that "Allah forgives" or something similar.

As for the Khawaarij, they worshipped Allah in fear only because they held that
anyone who committed major sins was a disbeliever and would therefore dwell in
Hellfire forever. This, of course, is gross extremism and a straying from the correct
Path. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "There were two men from
Banoo Israa'eel who strove equally. One of them committed sins and the other
strove hard in worship. And the one who strove in worship continued to see the other
sin and kept saying to him: 'Desist'. So one day, he found him committing a sin and
so said to him: 'Desist'. So he replied: "Leave me to my Lord; have you been sent as
a watcher over me?" He said: "By Allah, Allah will nor forgive you, nor will Allah
admit you to Paradise." Then their sould were taken and they came together before
the Lord of the Worlds. So He said to the one who strove in worship: "Did you have
knowledge of Me, or did you have any power over what was in my Hands?" And He
said to the sinner: "Go and enter Paradise through My Mercy." And He said to the
other: "Take him to the Fire." Aboo Hurairah said: "By Him is Whose Hand is my
soul! He spoke a word which destroyed this world and the Hereafter for him."[5]

Therefore we should never say of anyone that he or she is a 'lost cause' or 'doomed'
or the like since this is a great sin. However, we fear for those who commit major
sins because they have been threatened with punsihment in the Qur'aan. It is up to
Allah whether He chooses to punish them or whether He will forgive them.

The Zanaadiqah - or the heretics - are groups, such as many of the Soofees who
have become like the Christians and reduced the religion to just 'love' and so all their
talk and all their mystical practices are centred around developing more 'love'.
It is thus clear how imbalances in any of the three qualities of worship can lead to
major deviation and straying from the True Guidance, Therefore it is important for
every Muslim to inculcate all three things in his heart properly. As was mentioned
before, the fear and hope should be in equal proportions[6] but as for love, then that
should be uppermost, As Fudayl ibn Iyyaad (d.187H) said: "The love is better than
fear. The fear checks us from sinning, and the love makes us to do what is
prescribed with an open heart."[7]

May Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala grant us what we hope for and protect us from
what we fear. Aameen.

DEVELOPMENT OF SUFI THOUGHT

Sufism is a blend of various thoughts and philosophies. By intermingling a few traces

of Islamic teachings with it, the Sufi thinkers attempted to sanctify their doctrines
and demonstrate its conformity to Islam

Greek philosophy, and in particular the teachings of Neo-Platonists, have left an

indelible mark on many aspects of Sufism. This came about as a result of the
translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic during the third Islamic century.
Greek pantheism became an integral part of Sufi doctrine.

Manicheanism is also one of the mainstreams of Sufism. N. Fatemi observed: "It is

interesting how near to Manichean ideas the Sufis are, remembering that both
Manicheanism and Sufism were nurtured in Persia.

Vedanta, the chief Hindu philosophy, which is an example of pantheism in its

metaphysical strictness, also had a great impact on Sufism following the conquest of
Sindh by Muhammad b. Qasim in the second century A.H.

Sufi occultism, with its host of philosophical and theosophical doctrines, is beyond
doubt antithetical to Islam. Islam proclaims that the matchless entity and essence of
Allah is totally different from that of His slaves, i.e., man. Sufis, on the contrary,
subscribe to the belief that matter, man and God form in effect one single entity and
essence.

Ibn Arabi's doctrine of pantheism was a combination of Manichean, Gnostic, Neo-

Platonic, Vedantic and Christian philosophies and speculations, which he tried vainly
to give an Islamic sanction by relating it to Prophetic traditions.

"Of his main theme," R.W.J. Austin wrote, "the one that predominates over the rest
and to which they are subordinate in the oneness of being (wihdat al-wujood). The
concept of the Oneness of Being is all-embracing one, in that all Ibn al-Arabi's other
concepts are but facets of it, just as he would say that all distinction, difference and
conflict are but apparent of a single and unique reality, the 'seamless garment' of
Being, whose reality underlies all derivatives being and its experience."

Ahlu al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, on the other hand, are agreed that Allah is One
Alone, qualified with all the attributes wherewith He has qualified Himself and named
with all names whereby He has named Himself, without resembling creation in any
respect; that His essence does not resemble the essences of His creatures nor His
attributes resemble theirs. Allah the Supreme says: which means, "There is nothing
like unto Him; He is the Al-Hearing, the All-Seeing."

Muhiyddin Ibn Arabi, one of the leading authorities on Sufi mysticism, who captured
the imagination and the adulation of Sufis around the world, was born in the year
560 A.H. (1165 A.D.), and pursued the study of the occult and the metaphysical
doctrines of the Sufis."Such learning and accompanying practices," R.J. Austin wrote,
"often led Ibn Arabi, even while he was still young man in Seville, to spend long
hours in the cemeteries communing with the spirits of the dead."(!)

He talked about his "cemetry revelations" as matters of fact, and managed to

compile a massive compendium on Sufism entitled Al-Futoohat Al-Mekkiyyah (the
Meccan Revelations). Of this, Ibn Arabi wrote, "Some works I wrote at the command
of God sent to me in sleep, or through mystical revelations."(!)

The other striking impression that Ibn Arabi wanted to leave on the readers of his
Meccan Revelation is that he, too, as a spiritual and mystical figure, experienced the
heaviness of revelation, resembling that of the Prophet (s.a.w.s). He noted that
sometimes the pressure of mystical revelation was so strong that he felt compelled
to finish a work before taking a rest.

Allah the Exalted particularly condemns such claimants, saying: which means,"And
who is more disbelieving than he who forges a lie against Allah, or says, 'It has been
revealed to me,' when nothing has been revealed to him, or who says, 'I will send
down the like of which Allah has sent down.'"

According to the Qur'an, revelation is of two kinds. The first is the revelation that
came from Allah to His Prophets and Messenger through an angel, such as Jibreel
(Gabriel). This cam to an end with the death of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). The
second is Satanic communication, of which Allah says: which means,"Shall I inform
you on whom the Satans descends, on every habitual liar and sinner."

Muslims believe that the Prophet (s.a.w.s) is the last of the Prophets, with whom the
line of Prophethood is closed. Therefore, anyone who claims to be a prophet or a
recipient of Divine revelation is an imposter and an heretic. And besides, it sounds
quite eerie for a young man to spend long hours in cemetries "communing with the
spirits of the dead." The Prophet (s.a.w.s) was told by Allah: meaning, "And you
cannot make those who are in graves to hear. "Indeed, communion of this nature
could very well lead to a theory such as pantheism.

In order to substantiate his theosophical and pantheistic doctrine and make it appear
Islamic, Ibn Arabi resorted to ta'weel, which is giving far-fetched interpretations to
selected verses of the Qur'an or Prophetic traditions from the Sunnah, changing their
apparent meaning to one which falls in line with his beliefs, a technique which was
used before him by all the 'Batini' or secretive sects that strayed away from the path
of Islam. He referred to Almighty Allah as "Creator-Creature," and took pains to
present the Divine Being in a theosophical context, and to convince his readers that
Allah's creation springs from nothing other than His "fundamental being."

Thus, the god that Ibn Arabi believed in is, in reality, all the elements that constitute
the universe: human, animal and every other existing thing. As an example he
depicted his own master, as a divine reality. And to make sure his readers did not
misconstrue his heresy, he further emphasized: "In relation to existence, He (God) is
the very essence of existing things. Thus in a certain sense, relative beings are
elevated in themselves, since in truth they are none other than He who bears the
name Abu Said al-Kharraz."

From this heretical concept of Allah, one may deduce without limit, principles which
contradict the prescripts and fundamental tenets and creeds evident in the Qur'an
and the Sunnah. For example, man, as alleged by "Son of Plato," is nothing less than
God Himself, and since Fir'awn (Pharaoh) was a man, his declaration of being a god
would have been true according to Ibn Arabi's pantheistic doctrine.

Furthermore, if nothing exists in reality but God, then every animal, regardless of its
family, is in reality god also. And since all existing things have one essence, wine is
nothing but water, and every forbidden (haram) thing is lawful or (halal).

There can never be more abhorent heretical belief than pantheism. Allah the Exalted
is far removed from what Ibn Arabi and his followers ascribe to Him. Allah says:
which means, "There is none like unto Him; He is the All-Hearing, the All-
Seeing ."And it does not befit believers to make far-fetched interpretations of the
essence of Allah or His attributes. True Muslims accept them as they are given in the
Qur'an or in the authentic traditions of the Prophet (s.a.w.s).

The above verse is an informative statement which connotes a command from Allah
to the believers not to impute to Him any attribute or name other than those given
to Him by Himself or by His Messenger Muhammad (s.a.w.s) in authentic traditions.
Nor are they allowed to subject Allah to similitudes or examples. There is a clear
warning in Allah's word: which means, "So strike not similitudes for Allah, surely
Allah knows and you know not."

The Sufis, like their masters, would have us believe that their doctrines originated in
the Qur'ânic verses. They interpret certain verses freely, both linguistically and
theologically, to corroborate their beliefs and give them Qur'ânic sanction. Besides
giving Qur'ânic verses different interpretations, they also reduce them to symbols
and codes and juxtapose them in a metaphysical perspective. To give an example of
the seriousness of this perversion of language by the Sufis, the following verse is
cited: which signifies, "O mankind, reverence your Lord Who Created you from a
single person, and created there from his (female) mate, and from them both (Adam
and Eve) scattered countless men and women."

From these straightforward words, one can easily understand that Allah created
Adam first, and, according to numerous verses, He fashioned him from earthly
matter, and subsequently he created Eve from one of Adam's ribs, as stated in the
authentic traditions. In an attempt to substantiate his pantheistic beliefs, Ibn Arabi
gave the above verse the following meaning: "From him (Adam) came forth the
mate and child, who all came from the 'Universal Nature,' that is, God, Who is
manisfested in her (Nature's) many forms in the form of Adam, in the form of Eve
and in the form of the progeny. "The Divine element, according to him, inhabits
every being. "Glory be to God," Ibn Arabi exclaimed, "Who created things, being
Himself their essence."
 STRUCTURE OF SUFI TAREEQAH {ORDER}

This tareeqah and its like are among the innovated ways that go against the Quran
and Sunnah and the way followed by the best generations. All the shaykhs of these
tareeqahs have made up their own wirds (phrases to be uttered as dhikr), hizb
(books of du’aa’ to be read daily by their followers) and ways of worship by which
each of them may be distinguished from the others; this goes against sharee’ah and
divides the ummah.

Allaah has blessed this ummah by perfecting its religion and completing His Favour
upon it, so everyone who comes up with an act of worship or a way that was not
brought by sharee’ah is effectively rejecting what Allaah has said and accusing the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) of betraying the trust.

Along with this innovation of theirs, they may also be lying by claiming that they
received their tareeqah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), or that they are following the path and guidance of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs
(al-khulafa’ al-raashideen).

Sufism presumes a fundamental link between the Sheikh, head of the Sufi tareeqah
(order), Like Naqshbandiya, Qaadriya, Chhishtiya, Saharvardiya,
Khalwatiyyah, Shaadhiliyyah, Rifaa’iyyah, Rehmaaniya, Rizviya, Subhaniya,
Gausiya, Teejaaniyah, Sanusiyyah, Sahiliyyah etc. and the murid (novice),
extending throughout their lifetime and continuing after their death. The murid takes
an 'ahd (oath) of loyalty and swears obedience to the Sheikh, who in turn promises
to solve the murid's problems and deliver him from every dilemma whenever he calls
on his Sheikh for help. The Sheikh also promises to intercede for him with Allah so
that he may be admitted to Jannah

The murid pledges to be conscientious in practicing the set of dhikr (chants) assigned
to him by his Sheikh, to adhere to the rules of the order and to accept its claim on
his loyalty for life over a wide range of behaviour affecting the well-being of the
order. The quality and extent of the Sheikh's hold over the murid is therefore almost
total.

The murid's behavior even outside the order's group setting is expected to conform
to rules laid down by the order. And where conflict with outside obligations arises,
the murid must resolve it by acting as a Sufi and following his order's rules. The
Tijaniyyeh Order makes every candidate for initiation pledge not to visit the grave of
pious personality or visit any living scholar. This is one of the major factors in
widening the rift between one order and another, causing an order to enter into
conflict against his others in an attempt to convert, conquer or annihilate them.

The Mechanism of the order structure in Sufism leads to many evil results:

Division of the Muslim ummah into fractions and orders ruled by deviant and
ignorant Sheikhs, thus making the ummah an easy prey for conquest by non-
Muslims.
Enmity among the adherents of different orders, to the point that they will not
marry into one another's families or cooperate with one another.
Deception on the part of the Sheikh, who falsely claims the ability to deliver the
 murid from difficulties and deadly problems the befall him. The Sheikh even claims
he will be present at the murid's death, regardless of time or place, and
ridiculously enough, will instruct him in his grave on what to tell the two angels of
the grave, and will argue with them on his behalf. Finally, the Sheikh promises to
intercede for him with Allah on the Day of Judgment, and to help cross over as-
Siraat (the bridge over Hell) on that Day, and accompany him to Jannah.
This kind of deception, offering security in the grave as well as in the Hereafter, is
a flagrant lie, not permissible under any circumstance. Sufi Sheikhs lead simple-
minded Muslims to believe in such claims, and the result is shirk (polytheism).
Deceiving Muslims is one of the major sins.
Insulating the murid as far as possible from the world outside the order as to
exploit and manipulate him.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is there any such thing in Islam as the numerous tareeqahs like the Naqshbandiya,
Qaadriya, Chhishtiya, Saharvardiya, Khalwatiyyah, Shaadhiliyyah,
Rifaaiyyah, Rehmaaniya, Rizviya, Subhaniya, Gausiya, Teejaaniyah,
Sanusiyyah, Sahiliyyah etc?If there is such a thing, what is the evidence for that?
What is the meaning of the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other)
paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained
for you that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-An’aam 6:153]

“And upon Allaah is the responsibility to explain the Straight Path. But there
are ways that turn aside (such as Paganism, Judaism, Christianity). And had
He willed, He would have guided you all (mankind)” [al-Nahl 16:9]

What are the ways that separate people from the path of Allaah, and what is the way
of Allaah? What is the meaning of the hadeeth narrated by Ibn Mas’ood, according to
which the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) drew a line and
said, “This is the path of guidance,” then he drew lines to its right and
another to its left and said, “These are other paths and on each path there is
a devil calling people to it”?

They answered:

There is no such thing in Islam as the tareeqahs that you mentioned, or anything
else like them. What there is in Islam is what is indicated by the two verses and the
hadeeth that you quoted, and what was indicated by the hadeeth in which the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Jews split into
seventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects. My
ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in Hell except
one.” It was asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said,“Those who
follow the same path as I and my companions are on today.” And he (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,“A group among my ummah will
continue to follow the truth and to be victorious, and they will not be
harmed by those who forsake them or oppose them, until the command of
Allaah comes to pass when they are like that.” The truth lies in following the
Quran and the saheeh, unambiguous Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). This is the path of Allah, this is the Straight Path. This is the
straight line mentioned in the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, and this is what was followed
by the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (may
Allaah be pleased with them and with their followers among the early generations
(salaf) of this ummah, and with those who follow their path). All other tareeqahs or
groups are the paths mentioned in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“… and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His
path…”
[al-An’aam 6:153] Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/283, 284

SHIRK IN THE NAQSHBANDI TAREEQAH

Yesterday I was invited to visit the Naqshbandi homepage, because it’s great, I was
told. This caused me to take one of their articles and demonstrate once again the
greatest Shirk that we can find in their writings.

The article, "Meded - Asking Support From Grandsheikh", which I include below,
contains several jaahilee concepts, among which:

Du`aa to Allah to derive from the Grandsheikh (Ad-Daghistani) from his

spiritual care even from the grave.

"We derive our spiritual power from his heart center."

"…the breaths of Allah’s Saints give life to their followers, to their spiritual
sons and daughters."

"…a real Grandsheikh always keeps a watchful eye on his followers" [even if
passed away]

Claim that to stand firmly in the face of our enemies: the lower self,
Shaytaan, vain desires and worldliness, "we need his support," and that
"without such a strong support a person will be vanquished."

Their saying, "Therefore, we seek our Grandsheikh’s support by saying:

"Meded Ya Sayyidi", "Support, oh my Master." "You must call upon your
Grandsheikh in such a manner when you are in need of support, then that
support may reach you."

Their claim that guidance reaches to our hearts through the Saints.

Their saying, "you must look for the support of the Saints in a Universe in
which you are totally weak."

This article is useful for explaining how some people fall in shirk in all aspects of
Tauheed:
 Shirk in Tauheed ur-Ruboobeeyah:

Their claim that the Grandsheikh can bring good fortune or remove calamities; he
can govern the affairs of this world and he is believed to have power and influence
besides Allaah, or that Allaah creates creations that can cause harm and benefit to
His creatures. The Grandsheikh is one upon whom we are dependent for guidance
and spiritual strength.

Shirk in Tauheed ul-`Ibaadah:

Directing one’s acts of worship, such as du`aa (supplication), seeking help, tawakkul
(trust and reliance), and hope for good fortune to other than Allaah.

Shirk in Tauheed ul-Asmaa’i was-Sifaat:

Attributing divine power to Allaah’s creation. Attributing to man the power to keep a
watchful eye on his followers, whether alive or dead, the power and ability of guiding
people’s hearts that belongs to Allah alone, and ability to answer prayers of Allaah’s
creation and provide them with aid.

Refutation from the Qur’aan:

Allaah says in the Qur’aan, "And who is more astray than one who calls besides
Allaah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection; and who are
(even) unaware of their calls to them? And when mankind gathered (on the
Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become enemies for them and
will deny their worshipping." (46:5-6)

"You Alone we worship and from You Alone we seek help." (1:5)

"Do they attribute to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves
are created? No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves."
(7:191-2)

"Those on whom you call besides Allaah are only slaves like yourselves."
(7:194)

"Do not worship besides Allaah that which cannot help or harm you." (21:66)

"And those whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a
Qitmir (the thin membrane over the date-stone). If you invoke them, they
hear not your call, and if they were to hear, they could not grant it to you.
And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them.
And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower." (35:13-14)

"And invoke not besides Allaah any that will neither profit you nor hurt you,
but if (in case) you do so, you shall certainly be one of the Dhaalimooon.
And if Allaah touches you with heart, there is none who can remove it but
He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His
Favour which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He will. And
He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (16:107)

Also, "You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent falsehood.
Verily, those whom you worship besides Allaah have no power to give you
provision, so seek your provision from Allaah (Alone) and worship Him
(Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him (Alone) you will be brought back."
(29:17)

Refutation from the Sunnah:

"If you ask in prayer ask only Allah, and if you seek help, seek it only from
Allaah." [At-Tirmidhee, an-Nawawi’s Forth Hadith]

"He who dies while praying to someone as rival to Allaah, the reward for
such a person shall be the Fire of Hell." (Narrated by Al-Bukhaaree)

"O people of Quraish, sell your own souls. I will not be of any help to you
before Allaah; O Abbaas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, I will not be of any help to you
before Allaah; O Safiyah, aunt of Allaah’s Messenger, I will not be of any
help to you before Allaah; O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask of my
wealth what you wish, I will be of no avail to you before Allaah." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaaree)

During the days of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, there was a hypocrite
who used to harm the believers, some of them (the believers) said: "Come
(support) with us while we appeal to Allaah’s Messenger for assistance
against this hypocrite." The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, replied,
"Verily, no one should seek to me for assistance. Indeed, it is Allaah Who is
to be sought for assistance and help." (at-Tabaraanee)

Saying of a scholar, Ibn Rajab, rahmatullaahi `alayhi:

"Know that it is an obligation to invoke Allah Alone in Du`aa, and not His
creation. Invoking entails showing humiliation, destitution, need and
poverty by the one
who is invoking while admitting that the one who is being invoked has
power over delivering such matters as removing hardship, delivering the
need, bringing about benefit and fending off harm. Admitting (and showing)
humility and meekness
can only be revealed to Allaah, Alone, for this is the essence of worship."

Proofs are numerous, since Shirk is crystal clear in their article, "wa laa Hawla wa la
quwwata illaa billaah" (and there is no ability or power save by Allaah).

Their article is found on www.best.com/~informe/mateen/Sufi/meded.html

 Meded - Asking Support From Grandsheikh

Our Grandsheikh is Sheikh Abdullah Al-Faiz Ad-Daghistani, may Allah Almighty

sanctify his blessed soul and draw him ever closer to His Divine Presence. May He
Almighty cause us to benefit from Grandsheikh's blessings and teachings, and from
his spiritual care for us even from the grave. We derive our spiritual power from his
heart center. If he cuts us off we are stranded. Every breath that our Grandsheikh
turns toward us from his spiritual breaths is like a warm spring breeze which blows
on the bare branches of trees, causing buds and blossoms to burst forth.

Like the spring breeze that carries the revival of life within it, so do the breaths of
Allah's Saints give life to their followers, to their spiritual sons and daughters. That
relationship is stronger than the relationship to our parents, as there is only a short
period of time in which they are all and everything to their small children, and,
ultimately, it is very difficult for them to influence their children to follow the way of
life that they would choose for them. Perhaps those children will leave them and go
away to the far corners of the Earth and choose a way of life totally unrelated to that
of their parents. But a real Grandsheikh always keeps a watchful eye on his
followers, whether that Grandsheikh be living in this world or already has passed on
to the existence beyond this world. He never abandons them.

Yes, we are always seeking our Grandsheikh's support, support that will help us act
according to our Lord's commands, and support to help us stand firmly in the face of
our enemies: the lower self, Satan, vain desires and worldliness. For both of these
goals - progress on the right way and avoiding deviation from it completely - we
need his support. Without such a strong support a person will be vanquished.

Therefore, we seek our Grandsheikh's support by saying: "Meded Ya Sayyidi",

"Support, oh my Master." You must call upon your Grandsheikh in such a manner
when you are in need of support, then that support may reach to you. The more you
feel yourself to be weak and in need of support, the more support he will extend to
you. But the more you depend on your own knowledge and your mind's powers, the
less support you will receive, as Grandsheikh will say: "He is self-sufficient, so why
lend him support. Leave him in the hands of his ego."

When the Holy Prophet asked his Lord, "Oh my Lord, don't leave me in the hands
of my ego even for a moment", he was seeking refuge from two undesirable
possibilities: 1) to be left in the hands of his ego's base desires, and 2) to be left
alone to guide himself only by his mind and knowledge. In both these ways the ego
attempts to separate us from true guidance, and in admitting our weakness and
seeking support in the face of the ego's trickery we gain that help.

Divine Guidance and help reached to our Prophet through the Archangel Gabriel who
acted as Allah's representative in carrying His revelation to the Prophets, so that
Divine Help reaches to the Saints via the Holy Prophet, who acted as Allah Almighty's
representative in bringing guidance to his Nation. And ultimately, after the Prophet's
time, that guidance reaches to our hearts through the Saints, his inheritors, as we
have not yet developed the senses with which to listen directly to the Prophet's
guidance. Some foolish people, even among the Muslims, will undoubtedly deny this,
saying that all that remains of the Holy Prophet's guidance is what is written in
books. This point of view, far from being the reality, is a blind man's view, for were
the Holy Prophet to have taken those powers with him upon his death there would
remain no more religion, no more faith, no nothing from Islam. No, that prophetic
power never leaves the Earth; it is only transformed and distributed through the
awareness of the Holy Prophet's inheritors.

Therefore, you must look for the support of the Saints in a Universe in which you are
totally weak. Once you have established a good connection with such a person you
will always be in contact with him: a "wire" will carry current to your heart from his
power source. That aid will make itself felt most in times of need. Now it is daytime
and you don't seek a torch, no need; but at night such a small light will prevent you
from falling into a pit.

THE ABSURDITIES OF THE NAQSHABANDEES

Here is a small offering of extracts from the belief and practices of the modern day
Naqshabandees. There are more comprehensive refutations out there, indeed there
are complete web sites dedicated to such. However it is perceived that if one just
reads the following, the reality of this sect will become apparent without the need to
delve any deeper.

The worshipers of Animals

Ameen Mohammed Barsa, the author of El Mawaahib Essarmadiyya (the eternal

gifts) says: "I have been accompanying Darweesh Khaleel... and then he
ordered me to be at the service of the animals... until when I used to meet a
DOG in my way I stand until it takes its way first so I don't go be- for it, and
I kept on that way seven years, and then he asked me to be at the service of
the dogs of this place (Hadhra, place where Sufis meet) with obedience and
devotion, and ask from them supplies (madad), and he (his sheikh) said: by
serving one of these dogs you will reach a great happiness so I was so lucky
that I got that service that I was giving the best of my- self according to his
will and hoping in his glad tiding. Once I was near one of the dogs so I felt
in its neighbourhood a very delightful pleasure so I stood facing it and I got
crying very warmly, so the dog lied on its back and it raised its four limbs to
the heaven and I heard a gentle weeping and a sad mourning so I raised
humbly my arms and I kept saying: aameen, aameen until it became silent
and raised again on its legs."

And then he says a similar story that happened to him with a camel! [El
Mawaahib Essarmadiyya p. 118-119 El Anwaar El Qudusiyya p.130]

Strange how these Soofees are always praying to dogs and camels or
claiming "wahi" from them. Strange how the Prophet (sal-Allaahu alayhe wa sallam)
warned us of the connection between these animals and the jinn!

Considering it Wajib to look at women

On page 20 of 'Sheikh' Nazim's book, Mercy Oceans: "For every action, you may
find three ways, or positions. These are called wajib, sunnah, and haram.
We will illustrate these terms with some examples: The top class of people
are the Awliya, the Saints. They have, in their eyes, a divine light, a divine
power, that burns away badness in those people upon whom they look.
Because of this divine quality, THEY MAY LOOK EVERYWHERE, AT MEN OR
AT WOMEN. IT HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THEM TO LOOK. THERE IS NO
PROHIBITION FOR THEM TO LOOK. THEREFORE, THEIR LOOKING IS
'WAJIB.' "

The Love of prostitutes

At http://www.al-sunna.org/Stories/Sharani.html Nazim narrates something called

Sharani's prayer: Abdul Wahab Ash-Sharani, a famous 'scholar' and Soofee of Egypt,
was praying to Allah to have Mercy on Prostitutes saying: "Most Merciful Lord,
those Prostitutes are like a huge wall, a great barrier that keeps the honour
of ladies. They put themselves forward as a buffer in front of honourable
ladies, keeping animal-men away from them; if not for those prostitutes,
bad men, like big donkeys, would rush upon honourable ladies also; but
those women make themselves available, putting themselves forward, so
that those men come to them, and thus honour is protected - so please
grant Your Mercy to those women. So many people are carrying such heavy
burdens and we must look at their situations with the eye of wisdom; or
else we will be in the stable with donkeys; if we aren't satisfied being in
that stable, we may climb up, up, up. This is only one drop from the secrets
of the Holy Qur'an, one ray coming from the Sun of Divine Predestination
(Qadr)."

The Givers of Life and Death [Aoudhoubillah]

Ameen Mohammed Barsa says in El Mawaahib p.133, El Anwaar p. 137, Djaami' V 1

p. 146.: "I was once talking with one of my colleagues (called Mohammed)
until we reached the discussion about worshiping and he asked me: "until
where does the worshiping reach ?" I told him "Until when you tell someone
die ! he will instantly die", and then I realised that I had pronounced the
expression "die !" without giving much attention to it, so my friend died
instantaneously and he kept in his death state. I got perplexed for that and
did not feel very comfortable. Then I went back to him and I found him
changed because of the lack of heat in his body, I got then more worried
and then I got the inspiration to say "Mohammed make alive again !" so I
said it to him three times, and then I saw that life began to run gradually
again in him and me looking at him until he recovered his initial state."

THE NAQSHBANDIYA TAREEQAH UNVEILED

Verily all Praise is for Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid and ask for His forgiveness.
We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil of our actions.
Whomsoever Allah guides then there is none who can misguide him, and
whomsoever Allaah misguides then there is none who can guide him. I bear witness
that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, having no partners
and I bear witness that Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) is His slave and
Messenger. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be on the final Prophet
Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), his family, his companions and all those
who follow in their footsteps until the last day. To proceed:
This page is a modest attempt to analyse and expose the teachings and practices of
the Tariqat ul Naqshbandi in the light of the Glorious Qur'ân and Sunnah, and is done
purely in fulfilling our obligation to enjoin the right and forbid the evil. Over the years
many deviant movements have arisen in the Muslim world bent on corrupting the
teachings of Islaam and thereby mislead the Muslims. One of the most dangerous of
the contemporary movements is the group known as the Naqshbandi Tariqat.

Like most deviant groups, they claim that the Muslim masses are ignorant and are
therefore in need of a Sheikh (leader) who is supposed to possess the secret
knowledge of the unseen. They also claim that all religious texts have an obvious
outer meaning known to the masses and a hidden meaning known only to the
Sheikh, and that the masses are unable to contact Allaah on their own and hence are
in need of a intermediary (Sheikh) who will get them close to Allaah if given
unquestionable and unconditional obedience.

The greatest danger of this group lies in the fact that they, while wearing the cloak
of Islaam, are striving to destroy it from within, in a vain attempt to extinguish the
light of Islaam and divert the Muslims from the reality of the religion.

Realizing the grave threat posed by this group, we have undertaken the task of
exposing the falsity of this group, seeking only the pleasure of Allaah (subhaanahu
wa ta`aalaa), we hope that the absurdities, fallacies, and the extremely deviant
nature of this group would be clearly exposed to those trapped in its clutches and as
a timely warning to those contemplating to join them.

The simple method we have adopted in exposing the group’s deviant beliefs is to
quote what Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur’aan and what His
truthful Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) has said in the
authentic Ahadith, and then to quote the group’s beliefs or position vis-a-vis the
same issue, taken from their own publications printed by ‘Arafat Publishing House’,
and where necessary commented upon.

In all firmness to this group we have given the names of the books, along with the
page number from where we have taken these quotes. Reference to the Qur’aanic
Aayaat and authentic Ahadith too have been provided.

Due to lack of space we are compelled to deal with only some of the serious issues of
the group’s beliefs and teachings which are directly in conflict with the pure Islaamic
teachings as revealed in the Glorious Qur’aan and authentic Sunnah.

This booklet is by no means a complete exposition of the entirety of this group’s

deviant beliefs and teachings and all Qur’aanic Aayaat quoted are only translations of
the meanings of the Qur’aan.

We pray this little booklet serves to remove the confusion and ignorance that the
people are suffering from regarding this important issue and that it will save all those
sincere seekers of truth from falling in to Shirk.
1. THE ISLAAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is the Only Truth
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân -

"That is because Allaah - He is the Truth and it is He who gives life to

dead." (Qur'ân, Chapter 22, Verse 6)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Aba Yazid al-Bistami is the Truth

On page 15 of the book ‘The Naqshbandi Way’ it reads -

"Whoever recites this Ayah even a single time will attain a high rank and a great
position, … he will get what the Prophets and saints could not get, and will
arrive at the stage of Aba Yazid al-Bistami, the Imam of the order who said: "I am
the Truth (al-Haqq)."

The above statement ‘I am the Truth’ - is a clear example of Shirk (association) in

the aspect of the Names and Attributes of Allaah, since Al-Haqq in the definite form,
is one of Allaah’s unique attributes and is not shared by any created being or thing
unless preceded by the prefix `Abd meaning "Slave of" or "Servant of". (In fact the
Mystic al-Hallaaj was publicly executed as an apostate for daring to openly claim
divinity in his infamous pronouncement "Anal-Haqq"- I am the Truth.)

2. THE ISLAAMIC BELIEF: None shares with the command of Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân -

"Verily, His (Allaah’s) command, when He intends a thing, is only that he says to it,
"Be! And it is!" - (Chapter 36, Verse 82); and in another place in the Qur'ân, Allaah
says =

"They have no protector other than Him (Allaah); nor does He share His
command with any person whatsoever." - (18:26)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh shares with the command of Allaah

On page 33 of the book ‘Mercy Oceans - Part 1’, it reads "The Power of the wali is
such that he only needs to say Kun (be) and that will be."

The above is another example of Shirk (association) in the aspect of the Lordship of
Allaah, since the Islaamic principle of the Lordship of Allaah states that no created
being can share in God’s attributes and infinite qualities, and any attempt to give the
Divine attributes to creation is referred to as Shirk (association), the antithesis of
Tawheed (singling out Allaah alone for worship).

3. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF:

None could attain the Rank of the Prophets or their Companions

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) has said in a well known
Hadith that, "The best of people are those living in my generation, and then
those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter.....
(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 5, Hadith #3, Arabic-English Trans.)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Certain people could attain a Rank higher

than the Prophets and their Companions.

On page 1 of the book ‘The Naqshbandi Way’ it reads,

"Our master the Sheikh says that a person who manages to act on these principles in
our times will achieve what earlier generations did not achieve … he who attains an
exalted stage and a great rank, such a rank which the Prophets themselves and
the companions were unable to attain."

On page 4 of the book ‘the Naqshbandi Way’ it reads,

"Especially those who hold to the Prophet’s Sunnah, will attain special stations that
weren’t opened to earlier people - not even to the Prophet’s companions.’

The deviant claim of attaining the rank which the Prophets could not is a major
deception of the Naqshbandiya as any Muslim with even the basic knowledge of
Islaam will confirm. As regards the companions (May Allaah be pleased with them
all), the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) in a hadith narrated by Anas bin
Maalik (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said -

"After me, you will see others given preference to you, so be patient till you meet
me."

(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 5., Hadith #137, Arabic-English Trans.)

He (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) also said in reference to his Companions (May

Allaah be pleased with them all),

"For by Him in Whose hand is my soul, if you were to spend the like of Uhud or of
the mountains in gold, you would not reach their actions." (Saheeh Bukhaaree)

4. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is above the heavens

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân -

"Do you feel secure, that He (Allaah), who is above the heavens, will not cause the
earth to sink with you." (Qur'ân, Chapter 67, Verse 16).

And in a long Hadith found in Saheeh Muslim, it is narrated that the companion
Mu`awiyah ibn al-Hakam, (Radhiallaahu Anhu) slapped his servant girl who used to
tend his sheep, and as a result when to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)
and asked what should be done as an atonement for having slapped her. The
Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) replied, "Bring her to me" so Mu`awiyah
brought her to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam). The Prophet (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) then asked her, "Where is Allaah?" and she replied"Above the
Sky" then the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam ) asked her, "Who am I?" and
she replied, "You are Allaah’s Messenger", so the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa
sallam) said, "Free her, for verily she is a true believer." (Saheeh Muslim, Vol 1,
Hadith #1094, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Allaah is Everywhere

On page 13 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"Allaah Almighty is everywhere but specially in the Baitullaah as He has Himself

called it the house of Allaah. For it to be called the house of the Lord, the Lord of the
house must be in it."

The concept of Allaah being everywhere is not Islaamic as the above Qur’aanic Aayah
and the authentic hadith confirm. Indeed if Allaah was everywhere then there would
be no need for the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) to go up through the
seven skies on the night of Mi`raaj to meet Allaah - he would have been in the direct
presence of Allaah in his very own house.

5. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None has the knowledge of the Last Day except
Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân,

"Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allaah (alone)." (31:34)

And according to the well known Hadith, where Angel Jibreel (`alaihis salaam) came
in the guise of man, we quote the part of the Hadith that is relevant to our matter,
after asking about Islaam, Imaan and Ihsaan, Angel Jibreel (`alaihis salaam) asks
Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) "then tell me about the hour
(meaning the last day)", the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)
replied, "The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner."
(Saheeh Muslim, vol 1, Hadith #4, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has the knowledge of the Last Day.
In the beginning of page 19 of the book ‘Mercy Oceans - part one’, it reads -

"These signs have been given us indication that the Last Day is coming is nearly
exactly now …we shall witness that great event within two years."

The above book (Mercy Oceans) was published in 1987 and it I almost nine years
since its publication, but the last day is still not witnessed. How could it be when
indeed Allaah has clearly stated in the Qur'ân,

"Say None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except
Allaah." (Qur'ân, Chapter 27, Verse 65)

6. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Believers and disbelievers are not equal.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân - the likeness of the two parties
(disbelievers and believers) is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer.
Are they equal when compared? Will you not then take heed?" (Qur'ân, Chapter 11,
Verse 24)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Believers and disbelievers are equal

On page 12 of the book ‘the Naqshbandi Way’, it reads ,

"Allaah does not distinguish between the non-believer and the faasiq (wrong doer) or
between a believer and a Muslim. In fact they are all equal to him."

Furthermore, on page 16 of the same book it reads, "Allaah does not distinguish
between a kaafir or a hypocrite or between a saint and a Prophet."

7. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: No intermediary between Allaah and Man

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân,
"And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then
(answer them), I am indeed near (to them in knowledge), I respond to the
invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me." (Qur'ân, Chapter 2,
Verse 186)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh is intermediary between Allaah and Man

On page 23 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"If there wasn’t Mowlana Sheikh Nazim between us and Sayyidunâ Mahdi (Alai), or
between us and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal), or between us and Allaah
Almighty, no one would be able to reach to Divine knowledge… this is because
Maulana Sheikh Nazim is the intermediary between us and these stations."

[It should be known that the practice and belief of having an intermediary between
man and God is a pagan practice, borrowed directly from other religions like
Christianity which believes the Pastor or the church priest to be an intermediary
between man and God and hence confession of one’s sins is done to them and not
directly to God.

8. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF:

No spokesman between Allaah and Man on the Day of Judgment.

Adi bin Hatim (radhiallaahu `anhu) reported that the Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi
wa sallam) said,

"There is none of you but his Lord will certainly talk to with him without any
Spokesman between him and his Lord."
(Sunan Ibn Maajah, Vol 1, Hadith #185, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh will be a spokesman between Man and Allaah
on the Day of Judgment

On page 11 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"When a person takes Bayyat from Maulana, Maulana will be with that person. Even
until he reaches in front of Allaah Almighty will Maulana be with him, when Allaah
Almighty questions this person Maulana shall answer all questions instead of
him."
9. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: (For anything to happen) it is only what Allaah
wills

Once a companion of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) concluded his

statement to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) with the phrase "It is what
Allaah wills and you will." The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) immediately
corrected him saying - ‘Are you making me an equal with Allaah? Say it is what
Allaah alone wills.’
(Collected by Ahmad - Arabic)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: It is what Allaah and the saint wills.

On page 23 of the book "Quthub us Sailan" which is written by the local head of the
group, it reads

"One morning in the newspapers, I read that the wakf board had taken over the
Dewatagaha Mosque seeking the chief trustee at the time, chairman of the welfare
committee and chief trustee, M.I.M. Shaukat came to my place a couple of days later
to find out what he could do in that matter as chief trustee, I told him that if it was
the will of Allaah and the saint, well nothing could be done on his part."

10. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is in charge of creation.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân -"And Allaah is a Wakil

(Guardian) over all things." (Qur'ân, Chapter 11, Verse 12)

And in another place, Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says, "He (Allaah)

arranges (every) affair from the heavens to the earth."(Qur'ân, Chapter 32,
Verse 3)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh is in charge of creation

On page 15 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ it reads,

"Every thing that you know of is under the spiritual control of the Sultan al
Awliya, he is the one who is in charge of all mankind in this universe, he is
also in charge of all the world of Jinns and Angels."

Again the above belief is one of Shirk (association) in the aspect of the Lordship of
Allaah, as has been explained before.

11. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None can change a bad situation except Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân, "And if Allaah touches you with
harm, none can remove it but He…" (Qur'ân, Chapter 6, verse 17)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can change a bad situation.

On page 26 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ in the 2nd paragraph it reads,

"If a bad situation is to come to a mureed of his, Sheikh has the power to
change it."

12. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF:

None can make anyone enter paradise or save from hell, except Allaah.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith -

"O People of Quraysh, secure deliverance from Allaah (by doing good deeds). I
cannot help you at all against Allaah. O sons of Abdul-Muttalib, I cannot help you at
all against Allaah; O (my uncle) Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, O (my aunt) Safeeyah, I
cannot help you at all against Allaah; O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me
whatever you like, but I have nothing which can help you against Allaah." (Saheeh
Muslim, Vol 1, Hadith #402, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can make one enter paradise and save one
from hell.
On page 30 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani, in the 3rd paragraph, it reads -
"Sheikh will not allow any of his mureeds to enter hell, … Sheikh Nazim will make all
the followers to enter into this paradise."

13. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: The Angel of death will take the soul of the dying.

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur'ân,

"Say the Angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, then you
shall be brought to your Lord." (Qur'ân, 32:11)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh will take the soul of the dying

On page 35 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ under the heading ‘No questioning in
the grave’, it reads -

"As for anyone who is related to Maulana Sheikh Nazim as a mureed, the Angel of
Death Israel (Alai) will have nothing to do with him, the soul of this mureed at the
time of his death will be taken by Maulana Sheikh Nazim, he shall look at the
mureed and immediately the soul of that mureed will leave his body. There is
nothing for either the Angel of death or for the Angels of the grave to do with the
mureeds of Sheikh Nazim."

14. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF:

No hidden knowledge in Islaam, everything is given in the Qur'ân and
Sunnah.
The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic hadith -
"I have not left anything which Allaah ordered you with, except that I have
ordered you with it, nor anything that Allaah forbade you, except that I
forbade you from it." (Saheeh, al-Baihaqee 7:76, Arabic)

SEE WHAT ALLAH COMMANDS

"Say None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allaah."
(Qur'ân, Chapter 27, Verse 65)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has hidden knowledge.

In spite of the above clear hadith, the deviant Naqshbandi claim that there is ‘secret
knowledge’ with the Sheikh, for example on page 60-61 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul
Haqqani’ in the 3rd paragraph it reads -

"Vast amounts of hidden knowledge have been communicated to his mureeds by

Maulana Sheikh Nazim in this manner. Questions by these mureeds regarding day to
day life, or questions relating to religion … and also many other subjects have been
answered by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim. When this type of communication has been
granted to a mureed, he no longer needs to resort to books to further his
knowledge."

15. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: When Allaah loves a person… The Messenger of
Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said as narrated by Abu Huraira (radhiallaahu
`anhu) that,

"…Allaah said…the most beloved things with which my slave comes nearer to Me, is
with what I have enjoined upon him, and my slave keeps on coming closer to Me
through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory)
till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense
of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips…"
(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 8, Hadith 509, Arabic - English Trans)

[The above hadith should not be misinterpreted by the reader. What it simply means
is as has been explained by the Scholars of Hadith is that, when Allaah becomes his
sense of hearing means the servant will only hear Halaal speech and will keep away
from hearing forbidden speech. And regarding sight, then it means he will only see
that which is permissible to see and keep away from seeing that which is Haraam
and in the case of the hands then it means he will only touch and use his hands in
that which is Halaal and will refrain from touching and doing Haraam with it.]

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Directly contradicts the above hadith.

On page 62 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ in the last paragraph it reads, "Certain
of the mureeds of Maulana Sheikh Nazim experience that Maulana appears within
them, when this happens, they are no longer conscious of themselves as themselves,
they lose their identity and are conscious of themselves as their Sheikh. They see
through Mowlana’s eyes when the look, they hear through Mowlana’s ears when they
hear, and they speak Mowlana’s words when they speak.."

16. THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can be in any place at the same time.

On page 33 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ it reads, "Mowlana Sheikh Nazim can
also be present in his shape and body in several places at the same time."

Also on page 65 of the same book it reads in the 2nd paragraph, "Sometimes,
mureeds have been transported to other countries and places. For example, they
may be transported in a moment to London…some are known to have visited Mecca,
Medina, London and Baghdad in moments by the power and the grace of Sheikh
Nazim."
THE ISLAMIC POSITION on the above Naqshbandi position
In a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,
"There are three types of Jinn, one type flies through the
air…" (Transmitted by al-Haakim, Tabaraani and al-Baihaqi, Arabic)

And Allaah says in the Qur'an,

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine
among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief."
(Qur’aan, 72:6)

17. THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has two faces.

On page 21 of the book ‘Haqiqat ul Haqqani’ in the first paragraph describing Sheikh
Nazim, it reads -

"He (Sheikh) now has a face towards the creatures and a face towards Allaah
Almighty, therefore he is with Allaah Almighty all the time!"

THE ISLAMIC POSITION on the above Naqshbandi belief

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) rightly said, as reported by

the companion Abu Huraira (radhiallaahu `anhu) who said that Allaah’s
Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,
"The worst amongst the people is the double faced one." (Saheeh Muslim,
vol 4, Hadith #6300 - English Translation)

Also, the companion Ammaar (radhiallaahu `anhu) reported the Prophet (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam) as saying,

"He who is two faced in this world, will have two tongues of fire on the day
of resurrection." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol 3, Hadith #4855 - English
Translation)

From the preceding, concise presentation of the Naqshbandi group’s deviant beliefs,
in shaa’ Allaah, there should not remain even the slightest inkling of a doubt in the
mind of the sincere reader about the group’s deviant nature and falsehood. It is only
the ignorant, grossly biased and dishonest sympathizers of the group who will still
maintain the view that the group’s teachings and beliefs are in accordance with the
Qur'ân and Sunnah, since it has been clearly and decisively proven to be just the
exact opposite.

In the foregoing article, the reader would have noticed that every thing of the pure
Islamic Belief mentioned has been contradicted by this deviant group. In fact the
Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) had warned us about the
appearance of such deviant groups, when he said in an authentic narration reported
by Abu Amir al-Hawdani (radhiallaahu `anhu),

"Indeed those who were before you, from the people of the book (Jews and
Christians) split into seventy sects, and this religion will split into seventy three;
seventy two will go in to the hell fire, and one of them will go to paradise, and it is
the Jamaa`ah." (Abu Dawud, vol 3, Hadith #4580, English Translation)

[The term Jamaa`ah was explained by the companion `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood
(radhiallaahu `anhu) as meaning that which agrees with the truth. He said in his
famous statement, "The jamaa`ah is that which agrees with the truth, even if it is a
single person." (Reported by ibn Asaakir in Tareekh Dimashq - Arabic)]

Then there is no doubt that each of these groups claims for itself that it is the saved
group, and that it is correct and that it alone follows the Messenger (sallallaahu
`alaihi wa sallam), but the way of truth is a single way and it is the one which leads
to salvation, and any other way is one of the ways of misguidance which leads to
destruction as has been clearly explained by the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa
sallam) in another hadith, reported by the companion `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood
(radhiallaahu `anhu), who said,

"Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) drew a line with his hand and
said, "This is the straight path of Allaah." He then drew lines to its right and to its left
and said, "These are the other paths, which represent misguidance and that at the
head of each path sat a devil inviting people to it (path)." He then recited, "And
verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will
separate you away from His path." (Reported by Ahmad, an-Nasaa’ee and ad-
Daarimee and collected in Miskhaat ul-Masaabih, Vol 1, Hadith #166, Arabic-English
Translation)

So the path is to stick to the Book of Allaah and to the Sunnah of His Messenger
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), as occurs in the following hadith. The Prophet
(sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,

"I have left you with two things, as long as you hold to them, you will never go
astray, they are the Book of Allaah and My Sunnah." (Collected by Imaam Maalik,
rahimahullaah, in his Muwatta, the Book of Decree. Hadith #3, Page 434, English
Translation)

So the criterion to judge the claim of any group or individual who claims to be on the
right path, is to see how close its beliefs and teachings are in accordance to the
Qur'ân and Sunnah.

The external deceptive claim of the Naqshbandi group, under the guise of Islaam
should not be a means of confusion to anybody, as to the reality of its deviant
nature. History is a witness to the well-known slogan, "If you cannot beat them, then
join them" - this is exactly what the group is doing. Its aim is to destroy Islaam from
within, wearing the cloak of Islaam.

A serious effort should be made to enlighten those of the group’s followers who may
be genuinely seeking the light of pure Islaam, but as a result of the group’s
brainwashing have fallen into its clutches.

Whatever has been said in this booklet is not to be taken lightly, since this is a
matter that could take a person completely outside of the fold of Islaam into Kufr
(disbelief). This is not mere opinion of laymen but the verdict of the Ulamaa’ of
Islaam, who have pronounced anyone holding such weird beliefs, which contradict
the very fundamentals of Islaamic belief, and continue to persist in such beliefs
even after the evidence has been clearly shown to them, risks falling outside
of the fold of Islaam. It should be kept in mind that the above statements are being
made for conveying knowledge only and not to make declaration of Kufr (disbelief) of
any people.

It is compulsory on the `Ulamaa’ to make an effort to inform the public through all
means available about the group’s deviant nature. Articles exposing the group should
be written and distributed. Many Muslims have passively sat by for a long time,
believing that the group would soon fizzle out and disappear. Instead, its cancerous
growth has continued unabated and unchecked. As for those who in spite of what
they have read, continue to have misgivings about exposing the group due to their
desire to maintain an image of unity with respect to Islaam, then let them reflect on
the following incident, "When some people mentioned to Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
(rahimahullaah) that they felt uneasy about criticizing people (who had deviated in
their beliefs), he replied - "If I were to remain silent, how then would the masses
know truth from falsehood?" (Reported by Imaam Ibn Taymeeyah in Majmoo`ah ar-
Rasaa’il wa al-Masaa’il, vol 4, Page 10, Arabic). According to the unanimous
agreement of Muslim scholars, those who introduce deviant writings and religious
rites, contrary to the Qur'ân and Sunnah have to be exposed and the Muslm nation
warned against them. In fact, when Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah) was
asked if one who fasted, prayed and secluded himself in the Masjid was dearer to
him than one who spoke out against people involved in deviations, he replied, when
one fasts, prays and secludes oneself, he does so for himself alone; but if he speaks
out against deviations, he does so for Muslims in general, which is more noble.

With this we end this article. After having read this article, if you believe it is your
duty and responsibility to Allaah, to warn your brothers and sisters, then please do
not be a silent spectator, spread the truth to the best of your ability. Perhaps you
may save a soul or two from the deviant clutches of the group.

Finally, we ask Allaah to give all of us the taufeeq to recognize the truth, to
understand it, to implement it and to call to it.

Wal hamdulillaahi Rabbil `Aalameen

By Al-Hidaayah

LIES OF THE QAADIRI TAREEQAH

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilaani was one of the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah. He was a
follower of Sunnah, not an innovator, and he followed the path of the righteous Salaf
and, in his writings, encouraged and enjoined following the Salaf. He told people to
give up innovations in religion, and he clearly expressed his opposition to the
scholars of ‘ilm al-kalaam among the Ash’aris and others.

There are some errors in his writings, and some bid’ahs that may be insignificant
compared to his great achievements. To learn more about these matters and the
ways in which he was mistaken, please see the book Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-
Jilaani wa Araa’uhu al-I’tiqaadiyyah wa’l-Sufiyyah by Shaykh Dr. Sa’eed ibn
Masfar al-Qahtaani, 440-476.
The followers of Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilaani have told many lies about him and
attributed to him things that he did not say and would not have approved of, which
go against the way he lived and his call to follow the Salaf and avoid
innovations.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] mentioned in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa

(27/127) some of these lies, when he said:

“There is no doubt that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilaani did not say this or
enjoin it. Whoever says such things is telling lies about him.”

One of these lies is the false attribution of this qaseedah to him, and we know for
certain that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir is innocent of what it says in it.

The Standing Committee was asked about this qaseedah, and they replied:

This qaseedah indicates that its author is ignorant and makes claims for himself that
are all kufr and misguidance. He claims that all the knowledge of the scholars is
derived from his knowledge and are mere branches thereof; and that the conduct of
the worshippers is in accordance with what he has enjoined for them and prescribed
for them; and that he would be able to close Hell by his might, were it not for the
prior covenant of the Messenger; and that he helps the mureeds (devotees) who are
sincere towards him, and that he saves them from calamity and gives them life in
this world and in the Hereafter, and protect them from all fears; and that he will be
present with him on the Day of Resurrection when their deeds are weighed in the
Balance.

These false claims can only come from one who is ignorant and does not know his
limitations, because complete knowledge belongs to Allaah alone and the affairs of
the Hereafter and the control of all affairs belong to Allaah alone, not to any angel
who is close to Him or to any Prophet who was sent, or to any righteous person.
Allaah commanded His Messenger, who was the best of His creation, to recite to the
ummah the following verses (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I possess no power over benefit or hurt to myself

except as Allaah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen), I
should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should
have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto
people who believe’” [al-A’raaf 7:188]

“Say: ‘It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right
Path.’

Say (O Muhammad): ‘None can protect me from Allaah’s punishment (if I

were to disobey Him), nor can I find refuge except in Him’” [al-Jinn 72:21-
22]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined the closest of
people to him and their children to protect themselves from the punishment of Allaah
by believing in Him and following His laws, and he told them that he could do nothing
to help them before Allaah [on the Day of Resurrection]. He told them that Adam,
Nooh, Ibraaheem, Moosa and ‘Eesa will all, on the Day of Resurrection, say, “Myself,
myself,” so how can the Shaykh of the Qaadiri tareeqah or any other human being
possess the means of saving his mureeds and protecting those who fulfil their
covenant towards him and being with them when their deeds are weighed on the
Day of Resurrection? How can he possess the power to close the doors of Hell by his
might? This is an obvious lie and blatant disbelief in the laws of the Lord of
the World.

The author of this qaseedah goes even further in his exaggeration and transgression
of the limits of common sense and sharee’ah, when he claims that he was exposed
to the light of Muhammad before anything was created; and that he was with Jibreel
and Muhammad (peace be upon them both) when they met together; and that he
was with Nooh (peace be upon him) in the ark, and he witnessed the Flood; and that
he was with Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) when he was thrown into the fire, and
that this fire became cool because of his du’aa’; and that he was with Ismaa’eel, and
the ram was only sent down because of his fatwa; and that he was with Ya’qoob
(peace be upon him) when he lost his sight, and his eyes were only healed by his
spitting on them;’; and he is the one who brought Idrees (peace be upon him) to
Jannat al-Firdaws; and that he was with Moosa (peace be upon him) when he spoke
to his Lord, and the staff of Moosa came from his staff; and that he was with ‘Eesa in
the cradle; and that he is the one who gave Dawood the best voice in recitation. And
he made even more outrageous claims that, he claimed that he is Allaah in three
lines of his qaseedah. The most blatant of his claims is when he says:

“I am the One, the Only, the Great in and of himself… I am the one who is
describing Him, the one who is described, I am the shaykh of the tareeqah.”

Exalted be Allaah far above that. What kufr can there be after this? – Allaah
forbid.

It is evil enough for you to listen to this qaseedah. You do not need to know all the
details of the history of the Qaadiryyah when you have heard the lies, kufr and
falsehood in the qaseedah of the shaykh of this tareeqah. Strive to learn the truth
from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and the explanations given by the Sahaabah and those who
followed them of the Qur’aan and the saheeh Sunnah. Please note that we believe
that Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilaani, after whom this tareeqah is named, is innocent
of this qaseedah just as the wolf was innocent of shedding the blood of son of
Ya’qoob; his followers tell many lies about him and attribute to him things of which
he is innocent.

And Allaah is the Source of strength, May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our
Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

And Allaah knows best.

STORY OF THE SUFI SAYYID AHMAD RIFAAI

This is very famous story in the Sufi circle that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) extended his hand from his grave this is narrated
from one of the famous Sufi leaders, al-Sayyid Ahmad al-Rifaa’i, which say that he
visited the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
Madeenah and made du’aa’ at his grave, and the Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) reached his hand out to him and he kissed it? This is a
widespread belief among the followers of his tareeqah and it is a belief they hold
firmly, even though he lived in the 6th century AH.

first of all this is false and has no basis of truth, because the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) died as decreed by Allaah and as Allaah said
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily you (O Muhammad) will die and verily, they (too) will die” [al-Zumar
39:30]

According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “Allaah has angels who travel about in the earth and convey to me
the salaams of my ummah.”

And the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no
one who sends salaams upon me but Allaah will restore my soul to me so
that I may return his salaam.”

And the prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of
your days is Friday, so send more blessings (salaah) upon me on that day,
for your blessings will be shown to me.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, how
will they be shown to you when you (your body) have disintegrated?” He
said, ‘Allaah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the
Prophets.”

And there are many ahaadeeth which say similar things, but it is not narrated
anywhere that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that he
would shake hands with anybody. This indicates that this story is false. What all
Muslims have to do is to fear Allaah and to adhere to His sharee’ah which is indicated
in His Book and in the Sunnah of His trustworthy Messenger, and to beware of
anything that goes against that. May Allaah reform the Muslims and grant them
understanding of His religion and cause them to adhere to His sharee’ah, for He is
the Most Generous, Most Kind.

Majmoo’ Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh

al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have
mercy on him), vol. 9, p. 31

THE IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT

NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI NEGATES ISLAM

All Praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds and Prayers and Peace upon His Final
Messenger Muhammad. To proceed:

The following is a small work compiled by Samir Kadi, an adherent to one of the Sufi
orders other than the Naqshabandi order and Ash'ari in creed. It aims to expose the
lies and expressions and statements of apostacy and disbelief that one of the heads
of the present day Naqshabandis has made. It is highly commendable for someone
to speak out against such blatant opposition to the creed of Islam and the present
treatise does so in a very clear and IRREFUTABLE way - a sign of the author's justice
and regard for the truth - even though we would disagree with the author in some
aspects of his creed [i.e. his Ash'ari beliefs] and some other issues - we commend
his struggle for exposing falsehood. It is unfortunate that in most likelihood, you will
see the Naqshabandis, instead of humbling themselves and returning to the truth,
will - inspite of evidence as clear as daylight - will go on to defend their Shaikh and
Mentor - a clear sign of their misguidance and devilish nature. Deaf, dumb and blind
- so they do not return [to the path]. And refuge is from Allaah alone...

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the One Who protected the Religion by
scholars who implement their knowledge - humble and knowledgeable about Allah.
May Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, his kind Al and Companions, and
those who genuinely follow them. May Allah protect the nation of Prophet
Muhammad from what he fears for them. Thereafter;

Allah, Ta^ala, said:

(Al ^Imran, 31) which means: "Say, O Muhammad, "If you love Allah then follow me
to earn the acceptance of Allah.""

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, warned us against those who
deviate from him in a hadith related by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim:

which means: "There are people whose skin is the same color as ours, who
speak the same language as we speak, they mix correct matters which you
know with bad matters which you denounce [they mix the correct
statements with the deviated ones]. They stand by the gates of Hellfire
inviting others to enter. If one listens to them, they push him in."

It is of utmost importance for the Muslim to look thoroughly at the person from
whom he acquires knowledge. In the introduction of his book, As-Sahih, Imam
Muslim related the saying of the highly esteemed follower of the companions,
Muhammad Ibn Sirin:

which means: "This knowledge contains the rules of the Religion, so look
thoroughly into the person from whom you acquire the knowledge of your
Religion."

In light of this important matter, I seek to expose those who deviate from the path
of the Prophet.

A little over two years ago, in the winter of 1995, I attended a celebration in
Chicago. During that celebration, a man named Hisham Kabbani stood at the podium
and delivered a speech in which he said, "Ar-Rahman is Muhammad." My body
shivered from horror when I heard his words. Not wanting to let his words pass
unchallenged, and as my speech was scheduled to be given immediately after his, I
decided to forgo my original speech to refute his words. I took the platform and
explained that his words contradict the Religion and are blasphemous, may Allah
protect us. Hisham Kabbani heard my speech and was silenced by the truthfulness of
my words based on the proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah. However, he did not
clear himself of his blasphemous saying nor did he show any remorse. I was
astonished by his negligence in this issue, so I inquired about him and was told he
was the deputy of Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi.

I had the determination to check the background of this man. In my endeavors, I

met many People of Truth and Integrity who had met Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi in
Tripoli, Damascus, London, and the United States. Some of them had even met his
sheikh before him. Later on I came across a book authored by his sheikh, ^Abdullah
ad-Daghistani, bearing his portrait. I also found some interviews with him published
by the Lebanese Al-Anwar newspaper. In 1415 AH (1995 RC) I visited France, where
I met a French national who had embraced Islam. He told me he had followed al-
Qubrusi for some time and for a while--until his misguidance was made apparent to
him--had thought he called for guidance. He had stayed in London for a year to learn
from al-Qubrusi. From this man, I obtained some of al-Qubrusi's books.

Later, I received a book authored in refutation of the teachings of Nazim al-Qubrusi

from another Muslim brother, who was living in London. In his book, he mentioned
he had asked al-Qubrusi for an open forum. To this, Nazim Qubrusi did not respond.
Rather, he ordered his followers to threaten this man with physical harm if he did not
quit his insistence on making known his stand against Nazim al-Qubrusi. Later on,
those followers did find our brother alone. They carried out their threat.

From this Muslim brother we listened to some lessons recorded in Nazim's own voice.
Later I saw a newsletter issued by Nazim al-Qubrusi's followers in which they
attribute Nazim al-Qubrusi with praising Britain, the British people, and their prince.
With all this, I found in my hands all I needed to check Nazim al-Qubrusi's
background, inclinations, and situation.

Sheikh Nazim claims to follow the honorable route of the True Sufis and to endorse
the true masters of the Naqshabandiyy order (tariqah). His students say about him:
"He is the Sheikh of His Time," "the Imam of His Era," and "the Sultan of the
Waliyys." So, I decided to weigh Nazim al-Qubrusi's sayings by the scale of the Book
of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet in an attempt to preserve the purity of the
People of Truth from any sediments. Knowing the route of the True Sufis is linked to
the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, one judges that whatever sayings
comply with them are acceptable and whatever opposes them are not.

I wrote these papers seeking the acceptance from Allah and asking for protection
from His torture--for the one who keeps silent from telling the truth in refuting
misguidance is a mute devil. I organized this work in chapters--each one deals with
one of the misguided sayings and convictions of Nazim al-Haqqani (as Nazim al-
Qubrusi is also known) and his sheikh, ad-Daghistani--without attempting to
enumerate all of his strayings. I weighed each of Nazim al-Qubrusi's sayings by the
scale of the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the sayings of the Imams
with whom both Nazim and those who refuted him identify. I did this first by copying
Nazim al-Qubrusi's statement, then by recalling what Allah said in the Qur'an, the
Prophet said in the hadith, and/or what the honorable imams said or reported. I
called this work:

THE IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI NEGATES ISLAM

Prior to compiling this work I read five books written by Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi,
one by his sheikh, ^Abdullah ad-Daghistani, one by his deputy in the United States,
Hisham Kabbani, and several issues of the newsletter published by his followers. I
listened to a tape recorded in Europe in his deputy, ^Adnan Kabbani's voice, giving
instructions to his supporters and followers. I also sat with many of Nazim Qubrusi's
students who met him personally and took from him. I did all of that to shed light on
the truth. Indeed, my reliance is on Allah, the One Who guides to the acceptable
deeds and Who gives one the ability to perform those deeds.

CHAPTER 1: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S FIRST STATEMENT:

"Follow your sheikh and do not object to him--even when he contradicts the
Rules of the Religion."

The first chapter shall serve to expose the methodology Of Sheikh al-Qubrusi based
on his saying:

"One is not entitled to refute or object to any of the matters of his sheikh
even if he contradicts the pure rules of the Religion."

So apparent in the works of Sheikh al-Qubrusi is his methodology based on total

acceptance of all the matters of one's sheikh--whether this sheikh is complying with
the rules of the Religion or contradicting them.

Firstly: I found Sheikh al-Qubrusi does not in the least value the Knowledge of the
Religion nor does he see any merit in acquiring it. Sheikh Nazim says on pages 56-
57 in his book titled Mercy Oceans' Endless Horizons:

This Grandsheikh, Abdul Wahhab ash-Shaarani, once said: "When the Last
Day is announced, Allah Almighty will call one religious scholar forward and
ask him: 'Are you a knowledgeable religious man?' He will answer: 'As You
know, Oh my Lord.' 'By virtue of what knowledge are you claiming to be a
learned person--what did you know in your life?' 'Oh my Lord, I knew all of
the Qur'an by heart.' 'That is your knowledge?' 'Yes.' 'No, you are mistaken,
for the Qur'an is My Knowledge, not yours. So now, tell me, what else did
you know?' 'I knew thousands of the Holy Traditions by heart.' 'That is My
Prophet's knowledge, not yours.' 'Well, I knew so many points of Divine Law
and jurisprudential verdicts.' 'That is the knowledge of the Imams of those
Schools of Law, not yours.' 'I knew many tales from the lives of the great
Sufis.' 'That is also not your knowledge, but theirs. When you quoted Abu
Yazid or Salman or Hasan al-Basri or Imam Ghazzali, it was their
knowledge, not yours, of which you spoke. But what about you, does any
knowledge belong to you?" "Thus does Allah Almighty strip him bare so he
may see that, actually, he had gained no knowledge whatsoever during the
course of his life."

Definitely, the one who accepts such saying will be completely unmotivated to
acquire any religious knowledge. Consequently he will not endeavor to memorize the
Qur'an, learn the hadith, or revert back to one of the sayings of the reputable
scholars--since all of that, according to this false claim, is worthless in the Hereafter.
If the case is as Sheikh al-Qubrusi portrays, then what is the beneficial knowledge?
If we do not study the meanings of the Qur'an and the hadith and what is related to
them among the genuine sciences to learn about our Religion, then what are we
going to study? If we do not follow the madhhabs of Imam ash-Shafi^iyy, Imam
Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, or Imam Ahmad, then who shall we follow?

Moreover, one questions the meaning of the saying he attributed to Allah: "This is
My Knowledge and not yours"--since every knowledge one acquires is known to
Allah. According to his statement, no matter how hard one endeavors, one would not
acquire any knowledge. The mindful person should ask Sheikh Nazim, "Is it possible
one learns a knowledge which Allah does not know?" Answering: "Yes; it is possible
one would learn a knowledge Allah does not know," is clear blasphemy. On the other
hand, answering "No," is negating Sheikh Nazim's own words and opposes his own
saying.

Then, the mindful person would also inquire: "What is the secret behind
demotivating one to acquire the religious knowledge?" Usually, the one who
encourages others to remain ignorant is either an ignorant person himself trying to
hide his own ignorance, or a person seeking to prepare an atmosphere of prevailing
ignorance so he can say whatever he wants without anyone catching his flaws and
inconsistencies.

How does Sheikh Nazim explain the saying of Allah:

(Al-Isra', 9) which means: [This Qur'an guides to what is best.]?

How does he explain the saying of the Prophet, related by al-Bukhariyy:

which means: "The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach
it to others."? How does Sheikh Nazim deal with the saying of the Prophet:

which means: "Maintain studying the Qur'an for, by the One who controls the
soul of Muhammad [Allah], one can lose it easier than losing a loose
camel."?

Moreover, why did the Companions endeavor to memorize the Qur'an? Some
memorized it all. Some memorized half of it. Some less than that, and others more
than that. Likewise is the case of the followers of the Companions and their
followers. Why does the entire Muslim nation hold the consensus regarding the merit
of memorizing the Qur'an and reciting it? Does the mindful person accept that the
guidance of the Prophet and his Companions is invalid? Certainly not!

As a case in point, we do see the followers of Sheikh Nazim stay with him for years
to learn and memorize his sayings. Sheikh Nazim sees this as a merit for them, while
on the other hand, he sees spending their time learning the Book of Allah, the
Sunnah of the Prophet, and the sayings of the Imams of the Religion as a waste of
their time and ignorance on their part.

Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy said: "I only accept those special matters which occur
to me if they conform to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet."
How would the one who does not study the Book of Allah know its
meanings? How would the one who does not study the Sunnah of the
Prophet know its meanings?
Secondly: Sheikh Nazim encourages his followers not to refer back to the scholars
for answers to their questions--rather to look down on them. He says in his book,
Mercy Oceans, page 117:

"So many Alims are denying this or that hadith while Awliya say that those
hadiths are all right. Thus, we take hadiths from those people who have the
light of Iman in their hearts showing them the truth."

As he explicitly indicated in his book more than once, what he means by "those
people who have the light of Imam in their hearts showing them the truth" are
himself and those who are like him--not the People of Knowledge or the Scholars of
Hadith.

A few lines later in the same book someone asked him, "So, until we receive that
higher vision that the Awliya have, we must accept all hadiths as true?" Sheikh
Nazim answered him, "Yes." On that same page, he said:

"Also, if any book has hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him), we
accept it out of respect for the Prophet. If it is an incorrect hadith, there is
no responsibility for us if we accept it. This is a high adab, or good manners.
If someone says, 'This is a hadith,' we believe it out of respect to our
Prophet (peace be upon him) we must believe it."

I say: These statements of Sheikh Nazim are extremely dangerous because they
claim we have to believe anyone who attributes a hadith to the Prophet. Is this not
an avenue for every swindler and enemy of Islam to plant whatever he wants, in an
attempt to pervert our Religion without anyone detecting him? Is this not a vehicle
for anyone who desires to say whatever he wants without having sound criteria to
back his statements--besides the claimed "inspiration and illumination"--something
anyone can claim for himself?

Does being polite with the Prophet and his hadiths mean to mix the authentic hadith
with the weak one, or the straight hadith with the twisted one? Is it not the case that
politeness with the Prophet and his hadiths entails being concerned about anyone
who is fabricating a hadith and attributing it to the honorable person of the Prophet?
Does not being polite with the Prophet and his hadith rather entail protecting the
hadiths of the Prophet from lies, perversion, and fabrications of the swindlers and the
liars? I say, "Yes!" Had politeness with the Prophet been what Sheikh Nazim
mentioned in his book, Mercy Oceans, then why did the Prophet say:

which means: "The one who narrates a hadith about me held as a fabricated
hadith, then he is among the liars." This is a mutawatir hadith narrated by Imam
Muslim. Is it not clear that al-Qubrusi wants us to follow the liars whom the Prophet
warned us against? If politeness with the Prophet had been what al-Qubrusi
mentioned in his book, then why did the scholars of hadith put forth so much effort
and endeavor to establish the rules of the Science of Hadith. Why did they author
books to discriminate between the authentic hadiths and the fabricated ones? Is it
acceptable that the waliyy of Allah, Imam al-Bukhariyy and his student Imam
Muslim, as well as at-Tirmidhiyy, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'iyy, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim,
Ibnu Hibban, al-Bayhaqiyy, Ibnus-Salah, Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy, as-Suyutiyy, az-
Zabidiyy, and others among the scholars of this nation are all astray for setting
precise conditions for the acceptance and implementation of a hadith? This is the
conclusion of the claim of Sheikh al-Qubrusiyy. Moreover, do we take by al-Qubrusi's
claim and conclude that Imam al-Bukhariyy and Imam Muslim troubled themselves
for no reason or benefit when they authored their books of As-Sahih, or when they
authored about the credibility and non-credibility of narrators, or when they authored
about accepting certain hadiths and rejecting others? Would even one Muslim accept
attributing to the aforementioned scholars and hafidhs of hadith "the lack of
politeness" with the Prophet as was defined in al-Qubrusi's book? We do not think
that Sheikh al-Qubrusi claims to be more knowledgeable, pious, or God-fearing than
those scholars.

Rather, it was the Isma^iliyy faction as well as other groups deviant to Ahl us-
Sunnah wal-Jama^ah who made similar statements. However, the one who identifies
himself with them and follows them in their falsehood has only himself to blame on
the Day of Judgment.

Why did Sheikh al-Qubrusi lower the status of the scholars? Allah, the Exalted, said:
(Fatir, 28) which means: [It is the scholars who are the most God-fearing.]

Allah said:(Az-Zumar, 9) which means: [Those who are learned are not equal to
those who are not learned.]

As related by at-Tirmidhiyy, the Messenger of Allah said: which means: "The merit
of the scholar over that of the true worshipper is similar in vastness to my
merit over that of the least among you."

As related by Abu Dawud, the Messenger of Allah said: which means:

"The scholars in knowledge are the heirs of the prophets."

Thirdly: Sheikh Nazim plants the deviant belief among his followers that the
ignorant person is not accountable. He says on page 57 in his book on the teachings
of his sheikh, ad-Daghistani: "We are responsible as our knowledge grows.
There is no responsibility for ignorant people." Such teaching undoubtedly
encourages his followers to refrain from acquiring the knowledge--in order to escape
accountability--as per their claim. Hence, they remain ignorant, unable to
discriminate between the lawful and the unlawful, submitting to the claims of just
anyone, to turn with him which ever way the wind blows.

Moreover, al-Qubrusi's words include belying the Qur'an, the Messenger of Allah, and
the Imams of Guidance. In Surat al-Hashr, Verse 7, Allah, the Exalted, said:

(al-Hashr, 7) which means: [Accept what the Prophet said and refrain from
what he prohibited you from doing.]

So, Allah ordered us to follow the Prophet in what he ordered and forbade. Yet, the
words of al-Qubrusi lead one to believe it is permissible to stay ignorant, and should
one neglect doing what the Prophet ordered or commit what he forbade, it is of no
consequence--for one will not be accountable in the Hereafter because he was
ignorant!!! Certainly such a claim is invalid!!! Had this been the case, then ignorance
would have been better than knowledge, because--according to them--ignorance
guarantees one safety in the Hereafter, whereas knowledge does not!

Discrediting such a statement is easy, since it belies the saying of Allah:

(Az-Zumar, 9) which means: [Those who are knowledgeable are not equal to those
who do not know.]

It also belies the hadith narrated by Abu Dawud: which means: "The judge who
judged out of ignorance shall be in Hellfire." Al-Qubrusi's claim also belies the
hadith narrated by Ibn Majah regarding the injured person who was ill-advised to
perform the purificatory ghusl and died as a result. The Prophet made a supplication
against those who gave that man this wrong advice. He said:

which means : "They have killed him, may Allah destroy them. They should
have asked when they did not know. The cure of being ignorant of
something is to ask about it."

At-Tabaraniyy narrated the hadith of the Prophet:

This hadith means: "O people, learn; for knowledge is acquired by learning,
and the science of jurisprudence is acquired by learning. The one whom
Allah willed for him a lot of goodness, Allah makes him knowledgeable in
the Religion."

Imam ash-Shafi'ee said:

"Seeking the knowledge is better than the supererogatory prayer."

Imam an-Nawawiyy narrated these words from ash-Shafi'ee in the beginning of his
book, "Al-Majmu^."

Let us point out here that if the followers of Sheikh al-Qubrusi neglect acquiring the
knowledge, they will never acquire the scale needed to properly weigh the matters of
the Religion. Consequently, they become an easy morsel for the devilish humans
who will use them for worldly gains and fame--while deluding them that they have
acquired a high status, when in reality they sink them to the lowest status a human
being would reach.

Fourthly: Sheikh al-Qubrusi filled his book with many untrue and unfounded
sayings. He said, "There is a soul to the soul!" He even said, "There is a soul to
the soul of the soul!!" He said, "Allah created the heavens and earth in seven
days" (i.e., instead of six)!!! Then he topped such lies with deviant rulings which
revoke the laws of the Religion and demolish it. Some examples include: canceling
the obligation of prayers; devaluating the issue of fasting; urging to consume what is
unlawful; extensive talk about marriage while perverting its rules and mixing them
with fictitious stories--such as telling the people, "When the man first
consummates the marriage with his wife, all their sins would be
forgiven;" and other bizarre fabrications which render the one who believes them
misguided and which abolish even the facade of worship.

Following this route is very dangerous. He who follows such a route denies the rules
brought by Prophet Muhammad and becomes one who follows the desires of his self,
concerned about satisfying his stomach and his genitals. He becomes one who does
not avoid the unlawful; one who does not protect against the doubtful matters; one
who does not fear the punishment in the Hereafter--especially since Sheikh al-
Qubrusi tells him, "Allah forgives His slaves for all of their sins every
night." He also tells them, "The devil misguides them during the day, and
Allah forgives them for it at night"!!

I say: If the follower reaches this level of negligence--not memorizing the Qur'an and
the Sunnah, not paying attention to ask the scholars or seek their fatwas, believing
prayers and fasting have no significance, and believing whatever sins a person
commits, Allah forgives him for them at night--then such a person becomes an
atheist who turned his back on the Religion of the Messenger of Allah. So, how would
the case be if such a person, over and above that, believes understanding the
religion comes only through his sheikh, Nazim Qubrusi; that the secrets (according
to them) of the religion are attained only through Sheikh Nazim; that Sheikh Nazim
is the head of the waliyys and the leader of the God-fearing ones; that whatever he
says is the Religion and whatever he utters is the truth; that it is not permissible to
object to him; that his deeds are not to be weighed by the scales of the Religion--
rather he is above that; that anyone who dares to weigh the deeds of Sheikh Nazim
by the scale of the Religion is short-sighted, deprived of goodness, failed the test,
and is far from the special visions?? According to such a person, Sheikh Nazim is not
to be objected to, and he is correct--even if he defies the orders of Allah and the
Messenger of Allah. To such a person, the Religion is represented by the sayings and
doings of his sheikh--not what the Prophet conveyed from Allah and ordered to
implement.

On page 108 in his book, Mercy Oceans, Nazim Qubrusi says,

"Our Grandshaykh says that in our time no one from among the Awliya has
been given permission to speak about secret knowledge except him. He may
speak Qur'ânic secrets."

Nazim is his vicegerent, translator, and the conveyer of his thoughts. This means
Nazim is the only one who carries the true meanings of the Religion. It means the
seeker of knowledge has no alternative but to go through him--as repeatedly
declared by Sheikh Nazim on different occasions and in different books.

To that I say: This is totally rejected! It is precisely the saying of the Batiniyyah, who
claim that the Religion is what their imam says, and can only be known through him.
How can Sheikh Qubrusi claim the existence of a concealed knowledge in the Religion
when the Prophet conveyed from Allah all what was revealed to him. In Surat al-
Ma'idah, Verse 67, Allah said:

which means: [O Messenger of Allah, convey what was revealed to you from
your Lord. If you do not then you have failed to convey.]

In his book, "Al-Fasl Fil-Milal-Wannihal," Ibn Hazm explicitly stated the judgment of
blasphemy for he who claims the Prophet conveyed only the literal rules of the
Religion, and that the rules have truly another concealed context. How could such a
claim be other than blasphemy when Allah said:

(Al-Ma'idah, 3) which means: [Today I have completed your Religion for you and
fulfilled My Endowment on you.]
On page 45 in his book, Mercy Oceans' Pink Pearls, Nazim Qubrusi recounts a
statement oftenly told to him by his shaykh: "Oh Nazim Efendi, don't put my
words and actions in a scale and weigh them. Don't say, 'Why is that Sheikh
saying such-and-such or doing so-and-so.'" A few lines later, Nazim Qubrusi
quotes his grandsheikh as saying to him, "In order to follow us you must follow
without judging or objecting." In that regard he classified himself as al-Khadir,
peace be upon him, and ranked himself in the same rank as one of the prophets of
Allah! He even said in the same book, page 47, "As far as the actions of your
Sheikh are concerned, don't try to weigh and evaluate them with your mind,
even if you be the Prophet Moses!"

I say: These are the exact words of the Batiniyyah faction

The fact is, it is an obligation on the Muslims to warn against such deviations. Doing
so entails a reward greater than that of building a mosque because this preserves
the Religion, protects the creed of the Muslims, and fulfills the obligation of ordering
the lawful and forbidding the unlawful. This also conforms to the saying of the
Truthful Prophet of Allah, sallallahu'alayhi wa sallam, related by Abu Dawud: which
means: "The believer is the mirror of his fellow brother."

It is well known that ^Umar used to draw the attention of Abu Bakr--who was the
best of the Companions, to certain matters which he felt would be correct if done
otherwise

The methodology of the Companions and those who came after them among the
scholars and the waliyys, was to quit any mistakes once proven as such by the
proofs of the Religion. They never said, "We are the people of the Batin (inner
secrets) and you are the people of what is apparent."

The one who says today, "I am the only one today who knows all the secrets of the
Religion," is in fact claiming he has a knowledge which Abu Bakr did not claim for
himself and which ^Umar did not claim for himself, and as such, is claiming to be
more knowledgeable than either one of them!! The one who is blinded to such an
extent of arrogance is one with whom you cannot reason. He is, as the poet said:

which means:

"If you are calling upon someone alive, he will hear;

however, the one you are calling upon has no life."

It is a religious duty to warn against

THE IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT

NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI NEGATES ISLAM

All Praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds and Prayers and Peace upon His Final
Messenger Muhammad. To proceed:

The following is a small work compiled by Samir Kadi, an adherent to one of the Sufi
orders other than the Naqshabandi order and Ash'ari in creed. It aims to expose the
lies and expressions and statements of apostacy and disbelief that one of the heads
of the present day Naqshabandis has made. It is highly commendable for someone
to speak out against such blatant opposition to the creed of Islam and the present
treatise does so in a very clear and IRREFUTABLE way - a sign of the author's justice
and regard for the truth - even though we would disagree with the author in some
aspects of his creed [i.e. his Ash'ari beliefs] and some other issues - we commend
his struggle for exposing falsehood. It is unfortunate that in most likelihood, you will
see the Naqshabandis, instead of humbling themselves and returning to the truth,
will - inspite of evidence as clear as daylight - will go on to defend their Shaikh and
Mentor - a clear sign of their misguidance and devilish nature. Deaf, dumb and blind
- so they do not return [to the path]. And refuge is from Allaah alone...

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, the One Who protected the Religion by
scholars who implement their knowledge - humble and knowledgeable about Allah.
May Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, his kind Al and Companions, and
those who genuinely follow them. May Allah protect the nation of Prophet
Muhammad from what he fears for them. Thereafter;

Allah, Ta^ala, said:

(Al ^Imran, 31) which means: "Say, O Muhammad, "If you love Allah then follow me
to earn the acceptance of Allah.""

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, warned us against those who
deviate from him in a hadith related by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim:

which means: "There are people whose skin is the same color as ours, who
speak the same language as we speak, they mix correct matters which you
know with bad matters which you denounce [they mix the correct
statements with the deviated ones]. They stand by the gates of Hellfire
inviting others to enter. If one listens to them, they push him in."

It is of utmost importance for the Muslim to look thoroughly at the person from
whom he acquires knowledge. In the introduction of his book, As-Sahih, Imam
Muslim related the saying of the highly esteemed follower of the companions,
Muhammad Ibn Sirin:

which means: "This knowledge contains the rules of the Religion, so look
thoroughly into the person from whom you acquire the knowledge of your
Religion."

In light of this important matter, I seek to expose those who deviate from the path
of the Prophet.

A little over two years ago, in the winter of 1995, I attended a celebration in
Chicago. During that celebration, a man named Hisham Kabbani stood at the podium
and delivered a speech in which he said, "Ar-Rahman is Muhammad." My body
shivered from horror when I heard his words. Not wanting to let his words pass
unchallenged, and as my speech was scheduled to be given immediately after his, I
decided to forgo my original speech to refute his words. I took the platform and
explained that his words contradict the Religion and are blasphemous, may Allah
protect us. Hisham Kabbani heard my speech and was silenced by the truthfulness of
my words based on the proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah. However, he did not
clear himself of his blasphemous saying nor did he show any remorse. I was
astonished by his negligence in this issue, so I inquired about him and was told he
was the deputy of Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi.

I had the determination to check the background of this man. In my endeavors, I

met many People of Truth and Integrity who had met Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi in
Tripoli, Damascus, London, and the United States. Some of them had even met his
sheikh before him. Later on I came across a book authored by his sheikh, ^Abdullah
ad-Daghistani, bearing his portrait. I also found some interviews with him published
by the Lebanese Al-Anwar newspaper. In 1415 AH (1995 RC) I visited France, where
I met a French national who had embraced Islam. He told me he had followed al-
Qubrusi for some time and for a while--until his misguidance was made apparent to
him--had thought he called for guidance. He had stayed in London for a year to learn
from al-Qubrusi. From this man, I obtained some of al-Qubrusi's books.

Later, I received a book authored in refutation of the teachings of Nazim al-Qubrusi

from another Muslim brother, who was living in London. In his book, he mentioned
he had asked al-Qubrusi for an open forum. To this, Nazim Qubrusi did not respond.
Rather, he ordered his followers to threaten this man with physical harm if he did not
quit his insistence on making known his stand against Nazim al-Qubrusi. Later on,
those followers did find our brother alone. They carried out their threat.

From this Muslim brother we listened to some lessons recorded in Nazim's own voice.
Later I saw a newsletter issued by Nazim al-Qubrusi's followers in which they
attribute Nazim al-Qubrusi with praising Britain, the British people, and their prince.
With all this, I found in my hands all I needed to check Nazim al-Qubrusi's
background, inclinations, and situation.

Sheikh Nazim claims to follow the honorable route of the True Sufis and to endorse
the true masters of the Naqshabandiyy order (tariqah). His students say about him:
"He is the Sheikh of His Time," "the Imam of His Era," and "the Sultan of the
Waliyys." So, I decided to weigh Nazim al-Qubrusi's sayings by the scale of the Book
of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet in an attempt to preserve the purity of the
People of Truth from any sediments. Knowing the route of the True Sufis is linked to
the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet, one judges that whatever sayings
comply with them are acceptable and whatever opposes them are not.

I wrote these papers seeking the acceptance from Allah and asking for protection
from His torture--for the one who keeps silent from telling the truth in refuting
misguidance is a mute devil. I organized this work in chapters--each one deals with
one of the misguided sayings and convictions of Nazim al-Haqqani (as Nazim al-
Qubrusi is also known) and his sheikh, ad-Daghistani--without attempting to
enumerate all of his strayings. I weighed each of Nazim al-Qubrusi's sayings by the
scale of the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the sayings of the Imams
with whom both Nazim and those who refuted him identify. I did this first by copying
Nazim al-Qubrusi's statement, then by recalling what Allah said in the Qur'an, the
Prophet said in the hadith, and/or what the honorable imams said or reported. I
called this work:
THE IRREFUTABLE PROOF THAT NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI NEGATES ISLAM

Prior to compiling this work I read five books written by Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi,
one by his sheikh, ^Abdullah ad-Daghistani, one by his deputy in the United States,
Hisham Kabbani, and several issues of the newsletter published by his followers. I
listened to a tape recorded in Europe in his deputy, ^Adnan Kabbani's voice, giving
instructions to his supporters and followers. I also sat with many of Nazim Qubrusi's
students who met him personally and took from him. I did all of that to shed light on
the truth. Indeed, my reliance is on Allah, the One Who guides to the acceptable
deeds and Who gives one the ability to perform those deeds.

CHAPTER 1: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S FIRST STATEMENT:

"Follow your sheikh and do not object to him--even when he contradicts the
Rules of the Religion."

The first chapter shall serve to expose the methodology Of Sheikh al-Qubrusi based
on his saying:

"One is not entitled to refute or object to any of the matters of his sheikh
even if he contradicts the pure rules of the Religion."

So apparent in the works of Sheikh al-Qubrusi is his methodology based on total

acceptance of all the matters of one's sheikh--whether this sheikh is complying with
the rules of the Religion or contradicting them.

Firstly: I found Sheikh al-Qubrusi does not in the least value the Knowledge of the
Religion nor does he see any merit in acquiring it. Sheikh Nazim says on pages 56-
57 in his book titled Mercy Oceans' Endless Horizons:

This Grandsheikh, Abdul Wahhab ash-Shaarani, once said: "When the Last
Day is announced, Allah Almighty will call one religious scholar forward and
ask him: 'Are you a knowledgeable religious man?' He will answer: 'As You
know, Oh my Lord.' 'By virtue of what knowledge are you claiming to be a
learned person--what did you know in your life?' 'Oh my Lord, I knew all of
the Qur'an by heart.' 'That is your knowledge?' 'Yes.' 'No, you are mistaken,
for the Qur'an is My Knowledge, not yours. So now, tell me, what else did
you know?' 'I knew thousands of the Holy Traditions by heart.' 'That is My
Prophet's knowledge, not yours.' 'Well, I knew so many points of Divine Law
and jurisprudential verdicts.' 'That is the knowledge of the Imams of those
Schools of Law, not yours.' 'I knew many tales from the lives of the great
Sufis.' 'That is also not your knowledge, but theirs. When you quoted Abu
Yazid or Salman or Hasan al-Basri or Imam Ghazzali, it was their
knowledge, not yours, of which you spoke. But what about you, does any
knowledge belong to you?" "Thus does Allah Almighty strip him bare so he
may see that, actually, he had gained no knowledge whatsoever during the
course of his life."

Definitely, the one who accepts such saying will be completely unmotivated to
acquire any religious knowledge. Consequently he will not endeavor to memorize the
Qur'an, learn the hadith, or revert back to one of the sayings of the reputable
scholars--since all of that, according to this false claim, is worthless in the Hereafter.
If the case is as Sheikh al-Qubrusi portrays, then what is the beneficial knowledge?
If we do not study the meanings of the Qur'an and the hadith and what is related to
them among the genuine sciences to learn about our Religion, then what are we
going to study? If we do not follow the madhhabs of Imam ash-Shafi^iyy, Imam
Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, or Imam Ahmad, then who shall we follow?

Moreover, one questions the meaning of the saying he attributed to Allah: "This is
My Knowledge and not yours"--since every knowledge one acquires is known to
Allah. According to his statement, no matter how hard one endeavors, one would not
acquire any knowledge. The mindful person should ask Sheikh Nazim, "Is it possible
one learns a knowledge which Allah does not know?" Answering: "Yes; it is possible
one would learn a knowledge Allah does not know," is clear blasphemy. On the other
hand, answering "No," is negating Sheikh Nazim's own words and opposes his own
saying.

Then, the mindful person would also inquire: "What is the secret behind
demotivating one to acquire the religious knowledge?" Usually, the one who
encourages others to remain ignorant is either an ignorant person himself trying to
hide his own ignorance, or a person seeking to prepare an atmosphere of prevailing
ignorance so he can say whatever he wants without anyone catching his flaws and
inconsistencies.

How does Sheikh Nazim explain the saying of Allah:

(Al-Isra', 9) which means: [This Qur'an guides to what is best.]?

How does he explain the saying of the Prophet, related by al-Bukhariyy:

which means: "The best among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach
it to others."? How does Sheikh Nazim deal with the saying of the Prophet:

which means: "Maintain studying the Qur'an for, by the One who controls the
soul of Muhammad [Allah], one can lose it easier than losing a loose
camel."?

Moreover, why did the Companions endeavor to memorize the Qur'an? Some
memorized it all. Some memorized half of it. Some less than that, and others more
than that. Likewise is the case of the followers of the Companions and their
followers. Why does the entire Muslim nation hold the consensus regarding the merit
of memorizing the Qur'an and reciting it? Does the mindful person accept that the
guidance of the Prophet and his Companions is invalid? Certainly not!

As a case in point, we do see the followers of Sheikh Nazim stay with him for years
to learn and memorize his sayings. Sheikh Nazim sees this as a merit for them, while
on the other hand, he sees spending their time learning the Book of Allah, the
Sunnah of the Prophet, and the sayings of the Imams of the Religion as a waste of
their time and ignorance on their part.

Al-Junayd al-Baghdadiyy said: "I only accept those special matters which occur
to me if they conform to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet."
How would the one who does not study the Book of Allah know its
meanings? How would the one who does not study the Sunnah of the
Prophet know its meanings?

Secondly: Sheikh Nazim encourages his followers not to refer back to the scholars
for answers to their questions--rather to look down on them. He says in his book,
Mercy Oceans, page 117:

"So many Alims are denying this or that hadith while Awliya say that those
hadiths are all right. Thus, we take hadiths from those people who have the
light of Iman in their hearts showing them the truth."

As he explicitly indicated in his book more than once, what he means by "those
people who have the light of Imam in their hearts showing them the truth" are
himself and those who are like him--not the People of Knowledge or the Scholars of
Hadith.

A few lines later in the same book someone asked him, "So, until we receive that
higher vision that the Awliya have, we must accept all hadiths as true?" Sheikh
Nazim answered him, "Yes." On that same page, he said:

"Also, if any book has hadiths from the Prophet (peace be upon him), we
accept it out of respect for the Prophet. If it is an incorrect hadith, there is
no responsibility for us if we accept it. This is a high adab, or good manners.
If someone says, 'This is a hadith,' we believe it out of respect to our
Prophet (peace be upon him) we must believe it."

I say: These statements of Sheikh Nazim are extremely dangerous because they
claim we have to believe anyone who attributes a hadith to the Prophet. Is this not
an avenue for every swindler and enemy of Islam to plant whatever he wants, in an
attempt to pervert our Religion without anyone detecting him? Is this not a vehicle
for anyone who desires to say whatever he wants without having sound criteria to
back his statements--besides the claimed "inspiration and illumination"--something
anyone can claim for himself?

Does being polite with the Prophet and his hadiths mean to mix the authentic hadith
with the weak one, or the straight hadith with the twisted one? Is it not the case that
politeness with the Prophet and his hadiths entails being concerned about anyone
who is fabricating a hadith and attributing it to the honorable person of the Prophet?
Does not being polite with the Prophet and his hadith rather entail protecting the
hadiths of the Prophet from lies, perversion, and fabrications of the swindlers and the
liars? I say, "Yes!" Had politeness with the Prophet been what Sheikh Nazim
mentioned in his book, Mercy Oceans, then why did the Prophet say:

which means: "The one who narrates a hadith about me held as a fabricated
hadith, then he is among the liars." This is a mutawatir hadith narrated by Imam
Muslim. Is it not clear that al-Qubrusi wants us to follow the liars whom the Prophet
warned us against? If politeness with the Prophet had been what al-Qubrusi
mentioned in his book, then why did the scholars of hadith put forth so much effort
and endeavor to establish the rules of the Science of Hadith. Why did they author
books to discriminate between the authentic hadiths and the fabricated ones? Is it
acceptable that the waliyy of Allah, Imam al-Bukhariyy and his student Imam
Muslim, as well as at-Tirmidhiyy, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'iyy, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim,
Ibnu Hibban, al-Bayhaqiyy, Ibnus-Salah, Ibn Hajar al-^Asqalaniyy, as-Suyutiyy, az-
Zabidiyy, and others among the scholars of this nation are all astray for setting
precise conditions for the acceptance and implementation of a hadith? This is the
conclusion of the claim of Sheikh al-Qubrusiyy. Moreover, do we take by al-Qubrusi's
claim and conclude that Imam al-Bukhariyy and Imam Muslim troubled themselves
for no reason or benefit when they authored their books of As-Sahih, or when they
authored about the credibility and non-credibility of narrators, or when they authored
about accepting certain hadiths and rejecting others? Would even one Muslim accept
attributing to the aforementioned scholars and hafidhs of hadith "the lack of
politeness" with the Prophet as was defined in al-Qubrusi's book? We do not think
that Sheikh al-Qubrusi claims to be more knowledgeable, pious, or God-fearing than
those scholars.

Rather, it was the Isma^iliyy faction as well as other groups deviant to Ahl us-
Sunnah wal-Jama^ah who made similar statements. However, the one who identifies
himself with them and follows them in their falsehood has only himself to blame on
the Day of Judgment.

Why did Sheikh al-Qubrusi lower the status of the scholars? Allah, the Exalted, said:
(Fatir, 28) which means: [It is the scholars who are the most God-fearing.]

Allah said:(Az-Zumar, 9) which means: [Those who are learned are not equal to
those who are not learned.]

As related by at-Tirmidhiyy, the Messenger of Allah said: which means: "The merit
of the scholar over that of the true worshipper is similar in vastness to my
merit over that of the least among you."

As related by Abu Dawud, the Messenger of Allah said: which means:

"The scholars in knowledge are the heirs of the prophets."

Thirdly: Sheikh Nazim plants the deviant belief among his followers that the
ignorant person is not accountable. He says on page 57 in his book on the teachings
of his sheikh, ad-Daghistani: "We are responsible as our knowledge grows.
There is no responsibility for ignorant people." Such teaching undoubtedly
encourages his followers to refrain from acquiring the knowledge--in order to escape
accountability--as per their claim. Hence, they remain ignorant, unable to
discriminate between the lawful and the unlawful, submitting to the claims of just
anyone, to turn with him which ever way the wind blows.

Moreover, al-Qubrusi's words include belying the Qur'an, the Messenger of Allah, and
the Imams of Guidance. In Surat al-Hashr, Verse 7, Allah, the Exalted, said:

(al-Hashr, 7) which means: [Accept what the Prophet said and refrain from
what he prohibited you from doing.]

So, Allah ordered us to follow the Prophet in what he ordered and forbade. Yet, the
words of al-Qubrusi lead one to believe it is permissible to stay ignorant, and should
one neglect doing what the Prophet ordered or commit what he forbade, it is of no
consequence--for one will not be accountable in the Hereafter because he was
ignorant!!! Certainly such a claim is invalid!!! Had this been the case, then ignorance
would have been better than knowledge, because--according to them--ignorance
guarantees one safety in the Hereafter, whereas knowledge does not!

Discrediting such a statement is easy, since it belies the saying of Allah:

(Az-Zumar, 9) which means: [Those who are knowledgeable are not equal to those
who do not know.]

It also belies the hadith narrated by Abu Dawud: which means: "The judge who
judged out of ignorance shall be in Hellfire." Al-Qubrusi's claim also belies the
hadith narrated by Ibn Majah regarding the injured person who was ill-advised to
perform the purificatory ghusl and died as a result. The Prophet made a supplication
against those who gave that man this wrong advice. He said:

which means : "They have killed him, may Allah destroy them. They should
have asked when they did not know. The cure of being ignorant of
something is to ask about it."

At-Tabaraniyy narrated the hadith of the Prophet:

This hadith means: "O people, learn; for knowledge is acquired by learning,
and the science of jurisprudence is acquired by learning. The one whom
Allah willed for him a lot of goodness, Allah makes him knowledgeable in
the Religion."

Imam ash-Shafi'ee said:

"Seeking the knowledge is better than the supererogatory prayer."

Imam an-Nawawiyy narrated these words from ash-Shafi'ee in the beginning of his
book, "Al-Majmu^."

Let us point out here that if the followers of Sheikh al-Qubrusi neglect acquiring the
knowledge, they will never acquire the scale needed to properly weigh the matters of
the Religion. Consequently, they become an easy morsel for the devilish humans
who will use them for worldly gains and fame--while deluding them that they have
acquired a high status, when in reality they sink them to the lowest status a human
being would reach.

Fourthly: Sheikh al-Qubrusi filled his book with many untrue and unfounded
sayings. He said, "There is a soul to the soul!" He even said,"There is a soul to
the soul of the soul!!" He said, "Allah created the heavens and earth in seven
days" (i.e., instead of six)!!! Then he topped such lies with deviant rulings which
revoke the laws of the Religion and demolish it. Some examples include: canceling
the obligation of prayers; devaluating the issue of fasting; urging to consume what is
unlawful; extensive talk about marriage while perverting its rules and mixing them
with fictitious stories--such as telling the people, "When the man first
consummates the marriage with his wife, all their sins would be
forgiven;" and other bizarre fabrications which render the one who believes them
misguided and which abolish even the facade of worship.
Following this route is very dangerous. He who follows such a route denies the rules
brought by Prophet Muhammad and becomes one who follows the desires of his self,
concerned about satisfying his stomach and his genitals. He becomes one who does
not avoid the unlawful; one who does not protect against the doubtful matters; one
who does not fear the punishment in the Hereafter--especially since Sheikh al-
Qubrusi tells him, "Allah forgives His slaves for all of their sins every
night." He also tells them, "The devil misguides them during the day, and
Allah forgives them for it at night"!!

I say: If the follower reaches this level of negligence--not memorizing the Qur'an and
the Sunnah, not paying attention to ask the scholars or seek their fatwas, believing
prayers and fasting have no significance, and believing whatever sins a person
commits, Allah forgives him for them at night--then such a person becomes an
atheist who turned his back on the Religion of the Messenger of Allah. So, how would
the case be if such a person, over and above that, believes understanding the
religion comes only through his sheikh, Nazim Qubrusi; that the secrets (according
to them) of the religion are attained only through Sheikh Nazim; that Sheikh Nazim
is the head of the waliyys and the leader of the God-fearing ones; that whatever he
says is the Religion and whatever he utters is the truth; that it is not permissible to
object to him; that his deeds are not to be weighed by the scales of the Religion--
rather he is above that; that anyone who dares to weigh the deeds of Sheikh Nazim
by the scale of the Religion is short-sighted, deprived of goodness, failed the test,
and is far from the special visions?? According to such a person, Sheikh Nazim is not
to be objected to, and he is correct--even if he defies the orders of Allah and the
Messenger of Allah. To such a person, the Religion is represented by the sayings and
doings of his sheikh--not what the Prophet conveyed from Allah and ordered to
implement.

On page 108 in his book, Mercy Oceans, Nazim Qubrusi says,

"Our Grandshaykh says that in our time no one from among the Awliya has
been given permission to speak about secret knowledge except him. He may
speak Qur'ânic secrets."

Nazim is his vicegerent, translator, and the conveyer of his thoughts. This means
Nazim is the only one who carries the true meanings of the Religion. It means the
seeker of knowledge has no alternative but to go through him--as repeatedly
declared by Sheikh Nazim on different occasions and in different books.

To that I say: This is totally rejected! It is precisely the saying of the Batiniyyah, who
claim that the Religion is what their imam says, and can only be known through him.
How can Sheikh Qubrusi claim the existence of a concealed knowledge in the Religion
when the Prophet conveyed from Allah all what was revealed to him. In Surat al-
Ma'idah, Verse 67, Allah said:

which means: [O Messenger of Allah, convey what was revealed to you from
your Lord. If you do not then you have failed to convey.]

In his book, "Al-Fasl Fil-Milal-Wannihal," Ibn Hazm explicitly stated the judgment of
blasphemy for he who claims the Prophet conveyed only the literal rules of the
Religion, and that the rules have truly another concealed context. How could such a
claim be other than blasphemy when Allah said:
 (Al-Ma'idah, 3) which means: [Today I have completed your Religion for you and
fulfilled My Endowment on you.]

On page 45 in his book, Mercy Oceans' Pink Pearls, Nazim Qubrusi recounts a
statement oftenly told to him by his shaykh: "Oh Nazim Efendi, don't put my
words and actions in a scale and weigh them. Don't say, 'Why is that Sheikh
saying such-and-such or doing so-and-so.'" A few lines later, Nazim Qubrusi
quotes his grandsheikh as saying to him, "In order to follow us you must follow
without judging or objecting." In that regard he classified himself as al-Khadir,
peace be upon him, and ranked himself in the same rank as one of the prophets of
Allah! He even said in the same book, page 47, "As far as the actions of your
Sheikh are concerned, don't try to weigh and evaluate them with your mind,
even if you be the Prophet Moses!"

I say: These are the exact words of the Batiniyyah faction

The fact is, it is an obligation on the Muslims to warn against such deviations. Doing
so entails a reward greater than that of building a mosque because this preserves
the Religion, protects the creed of the Muslims, and fulfills the obligation of ordering
the lawful and forbidding the unlawful. This also conforms to the saying of the
Truthful Prophet of Allah, sallallahu'alayhi wa sallam, related by Abu Dawud: which
means: "The believer is the mirror of his fellow brother."

It is well known that ^Umar used to draw the attention of Abu Bakr--who was the
best of the Companions, to certain matters which he felt would be correct if done
otherwise

The methodology of the Companions and those who came after them among the
scholars and the waliyys, was to quit any mistakes once proven as such by the
proofs of the Religion. They never said, "We are the people of the Batin (inner
secrets) and you are the people of what is apparent."

The one who says today, "I am the only one today who knows all the secrets of the
Religion," is in fact claiming he has a knowledge which Abu Bakr did not claim for
himself and which ^Umar did not claim for himself, and as such, is claiming to be
more knowledgeable than either one of them!! The one who is blinded to such an
extent of arrogance is one with whom you cannot reason. He is, as the poet said:

which means:

"If you are calling upon someone alive, he will hear;

however, the one you are calling upon has no life."

It is a religious duty to warn against the one who promotes and spreads such
misguidance

The route of the truly religious people is to humble themselves to the Rules of the
Religion and the believers, and to leave out unfounded claims. They are not
concerned with whether the people aggrandize them or praise them; rather, they are
concerned about being accepted by Allah. They do not see themselves above
receiving advice and are not too arrogant to accept it. They do not consider the
follower who advises them as a 'loser' or a 'misguided person', rather they accept his
advice if it conforms to the Religion. Should they commit a sinful matter, they leave
it out and repent. Arrogance does not lead them to accept remaining sinful; to them,
the rules of the Religion stand as the foundation--and not their own statements and
sayings--contrary to the teachings of Sheikh al-Qubrusi

The intelligent Muslim is the one who accuses himself of short performance and
prepares himself for the life after death. Allah is the One Who guides to the valid
deeds.

CHAPTER 2: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S SECOND STATEMENT "THE ORDERS OF

THE SUPREME SHEIKH ARE THE ORDERS OF ALLAH."

On page 6 in his book, Mercy Oceans, Nazim al-Qubrusi says,

"The orders of the Qutb (supreme sheikh) are the orders of Allah, and his
will is equivalent of Allah's will." His Sheikh, ^Abdullah al-Fayiz ad-
Daghistani says in the book, "Al-Wasiyyah," on page 9: "The other definition
of the Tariqah is for the follower to be ready to receive the order from his
sheikh just as the Prophet used to wait for the Revelation to come from
Allah."

I say: These words are astonishing and include equating some slaves with Allah, the
Exalted. Such words contradict the saying of All:
An-Nur, 21) which means: [Had it not been for the Endowment of Allah and His
Mercy, none of you would have succeeded.]

Such words also contradict Allah's saying:

(At Takwir, 29) which mean: [You only will that which Allah willed for you.]

As well, their saying is refuted by the hadith of the Prophet related by at-Tabaraniyy:
hich means: "You can find correct and incorrect things in the sayings of any
one, save the Messenger of Allah."

Their saying is also refuted by the practices of Abu Bakr and ^Umar. If they
disagreed about a certain matter, they would discuss it. Abu Bakr never told ^Umar,
"My words are like a Revelation," and ^Umar did not have such a conviction about
the words of Abu Bakr. ^Umar's conviction was clearly manifested in the way he
handled himself as soon as the woman reminded him of an ayah pertaining to the
marriage payment (mahr) of the women, as mentioned before.

There are no common denominators between the slave and Allah, the Exalted. No
matter how high a status any waliyy among the followers of the prophets attains, he
is not impeccable as the prophets were impeccable, and he remains, in all cases, a
slave of Allah.

CHAPTER 3: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S THIRD STATEMENT "THE QUEEN OF

ENGLAND IS LIKE ALLAH."

Qubrusi says in his book: Mercy Oceans, p.9:

"Allah Almighty called Muhammad (peace be upon him) to His Divine
presence, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) went as ordered, just as a
dignitary is received by the Queen of England."

I say: These words are very abhorrent! They contain equating the Queen of England
to Allah and likening the Creator to the creation. How dare he draw similarities when
Allah, the Exalted, said:

(An-Nahl, 74) which means: [Do not claim anything similar to Allah.]

I was greatly astonished when I read Nazim al-Qubrusi's words and saw him trying
to squeeze the name of the Queen of England into his writings. These words
reminded me of Ghulam Ahmad al-Qadiyani, and those who activated him, instructed
him, and strengthened him in his attempt to deviate the Muslims from the straight
path of the Religion. We ask Allah to preserve this nation and protect us and end our
lives successfully. Amin.

CHAPTER 4: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S FOURTH STATEMENT "THE CREATION IS

ETERNAL WITHOUT A BEGINNING."

Nazim al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani said in his book Mercy Oceans, p.13:

He [Allah] is a king.And yet you cannot find a king without a kingdom.

Without subjects his kingship has no meaning. Just as there can be no
meaning for a prophet without an ummah (nation). Therefore, Allah was
ready without beginning, and his servants also were ready without
beginning. If there were no people, to whom was He Allah? Was it to
Himself? No! A hadith relates: "I was a secret treasure and wanted to be
known." His people were part of this treasure."

Note: This hadith is not a sahih one--definitely it is fabricated, as determined by the

scholars of the hadith. It is obvious to anyone with a sound mind that it is impossible
for Allah to liken Himself to a treasure, since He attributed to Himself in the Qur'an
that nothing is like Him.

I say: These words of his are explicitly claiming both Allah and the slaves are
eternal. Not only that, such words claim the slaves are parts of Allah. This conviction
is blasphemy by consensus. Allah, the Exalted, said:

(Al-Hadid, 3) which means: [He is the only One Who is eternal, without a
beginning.]

Allah praised Himself in the Qur'an for being "al-Awwal" (the Only One who is eternal
without a beginning.) Had it been the case that someone else shares this attribute of
eternity without a beginning with Allah, He would not have praised Himself with it.

Moreover, Allah made it very clear for us in the Qur'an that it is not permissible for
anyone to claim to be a part of Allah. Allah dispraised the blasphemers for such a
saying. He said in Surat az-Zukhruf, Verse 15:
which means: [They claimed among the slaves is a part of Allah.]
How could the slave, who is in need of rest, drink, and food, and who gets tired, who
perspires, and who defecates, be part of Allah, the Almighty and Powerful?

Allah is One--without a partner. He has no beginning and is not a body or a soul. He

exists and is not similar to other existing things. He is not an origin for others (others
are not parts of Allah), and not offspring from others--just as Allah said:

(Al-Ikhlas, 3-4) which means: [Allah did not give birth to anyone and was not given
birth to. No one is equal to Allah.]

Al-Bukhariyy narrated the Prophet said: which means: "Allah existed [eternally]
and nothing else was existing." Everything other than Allah is a creation of Allah;
it was not existing then it came into existence. Allah brought it into existence from a
state of non existence by His Power, just as Allah said: (Al-Furqan, 2) which means:
[Allah is the Creator of everything.]

The one who belies that has no share in Islam.

On page 82 of the book, Mercy Oceans, it is reported one of Nazim al-Qubrusi's

students said to him,

"You gave us a good lesson, Maulana, when you told us that there is no king
without a kingdom, no prophet without an Ummah, no Creator without
creatures. Allah is uncreated, and servants are also uncreated. But when we
come to this life, we forget." "Yes," replied the Shaykh. "It is enough. You
cannot go too deep without sinking!"

I say: All of this is an explicit declaration of the creed of unity of the slave with the
Creator--undoubtedly NOT the creed of the Muslims. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to
protect us from such a creed. Amin.

CHAPTER 5:
NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S FIFTH STATEMENT "THE FOLLOWERS OF
SHEIKH AL-QUBRUSI ARE BETTER THAN THE PROPHETS."

The people knowledgeable about the Religion and the lay people alike know the
prophets are the best of the creation with no equal to them among the created
things, for Allah said: (Al-An^am, 86) which means: [We gave every prophet
merit over the rest of the creations.]

Yet, I saw in the books of both al-Qubrusi and ad-Daghistani that they raise
themselves and their followers above the status of prophets, may Allah protect us.
On page 13 of his book, Al-Wasiyyah, ^Abdullah al-Fayiz d-Daghistani says about
the verse of Qur'an:

"The one who recites this verse once wins a high degree and a great status,
achieves security and safety in this life and the Hereafter, enters the circle
of safety of Allah, receives all the grades and statuses of the esteemed
Naqshabandi Tariqah and attains that which the prophets and waliyys have
not attained and wins a status higher than the status of Abu Yazid Al-
Bustamiyy"
Ad-Daghistani says in the same book, p. 6:

"...the one who shall win in this existing time that which the previous ones
did not win in their solitude, spiritual exercises and the smaller and greater
jihad, the one who shall win a high degree and a great status that neither
the prophets nor the companions have achieved."

I say: We have shown this statement belies the Qur'an. It also belies the unanimous
agreement of the Muslim nation. The scholars stated the one who favors a waliyy
over one of the prophets blasphemes for that. So, how would the case be when one
favors the entire people of our times over the prestiged prophets--simply for reciting
verse 285 of Surat al-Baqarah:

Al-Qurtubiyy, who is a famous Malikiyy scholar and interpretor of the Qur'an said:
which means: "That the prophet is better than the waliyy is a matter firmly
established intellectually and in the texts. The one who opposes that is a
blasphemer, for it is a matter of the Religion known to both the
knowledgeable one and the lay person."
The hafidh, Ibn Hajar, related this statement in Al-Fath, and agreed with it.

We ask Allah for safety and good ending. Amin.

CHAPTER 6: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S SIXTH STATEMENT "THE BLASPHEMERS

AND THE BELIEVERS ARE EQUAL"

^Abdullah ad-Daghistani says in his book Al-Wasiyyah, page 12:

"If the blasphemer recites the Fatihah even once in his life he will not
depart this world until he is granted part of the divine care, because Allah
does not differentiate between a blasphemer, an enormous sinner, a
believer or a Muslim. Rather all are equal to Allah."

On page 14 of the same book he says:

"Know, my children, if a blasphemer or a hypocrite recites this Surat al-

Inshirah he will receive the high statuses and merits, because Allah does
not differentiate between a blasphemer, a believer, a hypocrite, a waliyy or
a prophet, rather the slaves to Allah are equal since they are included in
Allah's saying: This ayah means: [We have favored the children of Adam.]

Nazim al-Qubrusi says in Mercy Oceans, page 15,

". . . all people are equal in His sight."

I say: No one is permitted to equate between the enemies (hidden or apparent) of

Allah and those waliyys and messengers beloved to Allah. How can the blasphemer
be equal to the believer when Allah, the Exalted, said;(Al-Qalam, 36) which
means: [Do We make the Muslims equal to the blasphemers! How do you
make such a judgment?]

Moreover, how can a hypocrite be equal to a believer when Allah, the Exalted, said:
(An-Nisa', 145) which means: [The hypocrites are in the lower levels of
Hellfire.]

How can the blasphemers be equal to the Muslims when Allah said about the
blasphemers:

(Al-Bayyinah, 6) which means: [Those are the worst of the entire creatures.]

As to the saying of Allah: (Al-Isra', 70) it means that Allah favored the children of
Adam with certain kinds of endowments and specified them with traits (such as the
mind and the like). By virtue of the other verses of the Qur'an, this verse does not
mean: "All the children of Adam are favored in status to Allah." The saying of the
Prophet related by Ibnu Hibban is enough to make our point. The Prophet said:
which means: "Do not swear by your forefathers who died in the Era of
Ignorance. For, by (Allah), the One Who controls the soul of Muhammad,
that (filth) which the beetle rolls with its nose is better than those who
associate partners with Allah."

The Messenger of Allah knows best about the meanings of the Book of Allah. Yet,
Nazim Al-Haqqani claims the contrary on page 32 of his book, Mercy Oceans. He
says,

"All religions teach people the ways of real obedience to Allah Almighty."

I say: Nazim al-Qubrusi's statement equates the Religion of Islam with all invalid
religions, and contradicts Allah's saying: (Al ^Imran, 19) which means: [The only
acceptable Religion to Allah is Islam.]

Allah said: (Al-Jathiyah, 21) which means: [Did those who committed the evil
think We will treat them after death as those who believed and did the good
deeds. How bad is their judgment!]

There is no doubt Allah is the Truthful One. His saying is what is correct. Everything
which opposes it is categorically rejected!

CHAPTER 7: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S SEVENTH STATEMENT "THE WAYS WHICH

LEAD TO HELLFIRE ARE ACCEPTED WAYS TO ALLAH."

In his book, Mercy Oceans, on page 78, Nazim Qubrusi says:

Buddhists, Christians, Catholics, Communists, Confucians, Brahmans,

Negroes; who created them? He created them, all of them, and each one
says, 'We are going on a way that leads to the Divine Presence. So many,
many ways; you cannot know. Therefore, Allah says, "Allay sa'llahu biya
kaymi hajimn.' This means, 'No one may judge for My servants, except Me! I
will judge for My servants. Not any one of you will judge, not Iblis, not even
prophets! They haven't any authority to judge My servants. I am the judge!'
This is the order of our Lord, Allah Almighty."

"Maulana?" asks a disciple, "what about the ways leading to Hell? Do they
lead to Allah, also?"
"Yes," replied the Shaykh. "The ways to Hell are going to Him, also, after
Hell. Hell is cleaning people, cleaning them from sins and bad characters,
and then guiding them to Allah."

"And some stay in Hell always?"

"Yes." The Shaykh paused, and then continued, "Iman is original, kufr is
temporary. With all people, faith is the permanent condition. There may be
one man to be endlessly in Hell, if He so orders, but everyone is going to His
Divine Presence. He is not going to leave His servants to the hands of Satan,
and Satan will not be the judge of His servants either! Do you think that
Satan will win? Satan will never win! Allah Almighty is victorious! His Mercy
is not leaving any to endless Hell.

I say: These words are extremely dangerous! They belie the Religion of Islam and
are an attempt to disintegrate it. Allah said:

(Al-Ahzab, 64) which means: [Allah damned the blasphemers and prepared for
them Hellfire in which they will dwell forever.]

Allah said about the blasphemer : (Taha, 74) which means: [He shall not die in it
(Hellfire) and shall not have a good living.]

The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: which means: "On the
Day of Judgment, death will be brought in the shape of a lamb and will be
slaughtered. Then a caller will call, "O Occupants of Paradise, now it is
everlastingness without death. O Occupants of Hellfire, now it is
everlastingness without death.""

Abu Mansur al-Baghdadiyy and others related the consensus of the nation that
Hellfire is everlasting and the blasphemers remain eternally in it. This is a matter of
the Religion known to the knowledgeable and the lay person alike, hence the one
who belies it blasphemes, may Allah protect us.

Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani is not satisfied by making his deviant statement on this
subject just once or twice. Rather, he makes it repeatedly, using different terms and
different expressions, and always in a way such that one does not find any slim
chance for a different interpretation of his explicit words. His words conform to the
creed of the Batiniyyah faction, and not to the creed of the Muslims.

He says in the same book on page 59:

Therefore, we give good tidings and happiness to people. If we say to

unbelievers, 'You will receive punishment,' will their love for their Lord
grow? Or will good tidings of their Lord's endless mercy for them as they
are cause their hearts to open! So we are giving good tidings to people, not
making them afraid or unhappy. If you were to tell people, for example,
about a good king--so much tolerance, so much justice, so much goodness
and mercy--wouldn't they open their hearts to him, and look to find him?
But if you tell about a bad king--so difficult, stern, giving punishment, all his
prisons are filled up--will people like him or hate him? Allah said to Moses
(peace be upon him), 'O, Moses! Make My people like Me!' This is the order
of our Lord, not hating--liking! Therefore, we give all good tidings for all
people, whether they accept our beliefs or not. It is not important.

I say: These words explicitly belie the saying of Allah : (As-Sajidah, 13) which
means: [Had We willed, We would have guided every soul, however, I
decreed in eternity I shall fill up Hellfire with both humans and jinns.]

His words belie the saying of the Prophet, related by Abu Dawud: which means: "My
nation shall divide into seventy-three (73) factions. All will enter Hellfire--
save one."

Sheikh Qubrusi is not satisfied by that; rather, he said on pages 65 and 66 of the
same book:

"If any of them (the waliyys) have been given permission for 'shafa'a'
(intercession) on the Day of Judgment, they are not going to let even one
person go to Hell!"

Shortly after, when one of his followers asks him about Abu Lahab and his
wife, saying:

"What about that man in Quran, Abu Lahab, and his wife? Doesn't Allah
promise a punishment for them?"

Sheikh Qubrisi's reply is:

That verse (sura Lahab) was sent only as a warning, so that people will not
do like Abu Lahab. Allah Almighty will show each servant what he has done
with his life on the Judgment Day. But He Almighty is free to give mercy as
He likes.

The Ummah, the nation of a prophet, is dearer to that prophet than children
are to their parents. . ." [He continues later] "Therefore, our Prophet (peace
be upon him) will stand by the entrance to Paradise. How can he have
pleasure in Paradise if his nation is in Hell!! How?! He will stand by the
entrance and when Allah Almighty says, 'Enter, O, Muhammad! He will say,
'O my Lord! I cannot enter until my nation enters.' He will then look, 'One,
two, three, four,. . .,' and if any are missing, he will say, 'O, my Lord! I
cannot enter!!!. . ." [A few sentences later, he replies to a question, saying:]
"He Almighty knows. Don't be worried, European people, also are his nation.
American people, also; Russian people, also; Chinese people, also, Hindus,
also, Negroes, also; all are of his nation! The Prophet (peace be upon him)
says, 'If I am given permission, I will not leave one person behind!'... too
many good tidings for us.

I say: These are Nazim's exact words. They are full of matters clearly contradicting
the rules of Islam. It does not take a lengthy explanation to refute him--since his
words clearly reject the saying of Allah : (Al-Ambiya', 28) which means: [They shall
only intercede for the believers];

and his words clearly reject the saying of Allah: (Ghafir, 18) which means: [On the
Day of Judgment the blasphemers will not find one who loves them nor one
to intercede for them who would be answered];

and his words clearly reject the saying of Allah: (Al ^Imran, 32) which
means: [Allah does not love the blasphemers];

and his words clearly reject the saying of the Prophet : which means: "Allah
forgives the slave as long as the veil, or the reason for denying him the
forgiveness is not there. They said, "What is that?" The Prophet answered,
"For one to die associating partners with Allah.""

The Malikiyy scholar, al-Qurafiyy, and the Shafi'ee scholar, Ibn Hajar, among others,
stated the judgment of blasphemy for the one who asks Allah to forgive a dead
blasphemer. Hence, what could the judgment be --other than blasphemy-- for the
one who confirms that all blasphemers in the Hereafter shall be forgiven--such that
no one among them will remain in Hellfire? We ask Allah for protection. Amin.

CHAPTER 8: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S EIGHTH STATEMENT

"Looking to another's unlawful nakedness (^awrah) is something good--

even obligatory on some."

Knowledgeable and lay people alike know that lowering one's gaze from the ^awrah
(unlawful nakedness) is obligatory. No two Muslims differ about that. Lowering one's
gaze from the ^awrah is a matter Allah praised in the Qur'an, and the one who
implements it is praised. Allah said:

(An-Nur, 30) which means: [O Muhammad, order the believers to lower

their gaze.]

The Messenger of Allah warned us against the dangers of gazing at the unlawful
nakedness when he said, as related by al-Bukhariyy: which means: "Most of the
eyes look the forbidden look. The adultery of the eye is the forbidden
look." Although less dangerous than adultery, the Prophet likened gazing at the
unlawful nakedness to adultery--to alert us to keep away from it and to be warned
against it.

The Prophet warned us from such matters, yet I found in the directives of Sheikh
Qubrusi what urges one to gaze at the unlawful nakedness and the claim that doing
so is something good--even something obligatory--for some people.

In his book, Mercy Oceans, page 20, he says:

"For every action, you may find three ways, or positions. These are called
wajib, sunnah, and haram. We will illustrate these terms with some
examples:

The top class of people are the Awliya, the Saints. They have, in their eyes,
a divine light, a divine power, that burns away badness in those people
upon whom they look. Because of this divine quality, they may look
everywhere, at men or at women. It has been ordered for them to look.
There is no prohibition for them. Therefore, their looking is 'wajib.'
I say: These words conflict with the religious texts, some of which we have
mentioned earlier. The one who holds such a conviction is not far from rendering it
lawful for himself to kiss, hug and copulate with women--claiming to purify them by
that--since he believes himself to be the Sultan of the Waliyys and his followers
believe he is loaded with 'Divine Power.'

One cannot help but notice that Sheikh Qubrusi and his followers do not shy from
shaking hands with women and touching their skin openly. I have witnessed this
personally and have been told the same by many others. Yet, the story of al-Fadl
Ibnul-^Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet, who was among the best of the
Companions, is well known to the one who reads the books of hadith or to the one
who only studied the book of al-Bukhariyy. One day, al-Fadl was gazing for a long
time at the face of a beautiful woman when she came to ask the Prophet a religious
question. Although the face of the woman is not an unlawful nakedness, the Prophet
diverted al-Fadl's gaze by turning his cousin's face away from her.

The difference is great between the route of the beloved Prophet, Muhammad,
sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and the route Sheikh Qubrusi calls for--guised in the
name of Islam, or Sufism, or the Naqshabandi Order, (Tariqah). Among Qubrusi's
astonishing statements is one he said in the same book, Mercy Oceans, page 20. He
said,

"Originally, no action was prohibited. Prohibition came only after that action
started leading away from Allah Almighty."

I say: According to this statement it is permissible for any one to do whatever he

wants and claim that this does not take him away from Allah. Hence, no objection to
him is due, and he is not accountable. This tallies with the rules of the school of open
permissibilities, as in communism, but definitely not with the rules of Islam.

CHAPTER 9: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S NINTH STATEMENT

"DO WHATEVER YOU WANT. YOU WILL NOT BE PUNISHED."

It is known that the Christians, or a large number of them, believe that no matter
how many sins one of them commits, it is sufficient to confess before a priest so he
will forgive him, and one's sins will be erased. It is also well known that the Muslims
are very distant from such a concept or anything similar to it. This is why I was
extremely astonished by the saying of Nazim al-Qubrusi in his book, Mercy Oceans,
page 15:

As we said, Allah Almighty looks to this world once a day. The time He looks
is from midnight until the adhan of fajr (the morning prayer). What is the
reason He looks? It is to see what Iblis, the devil, is up to. Allah sees what
dirt Satan has thrown on his servants during the day, and like a mother
catching her dirty child after a day of playing, He washes away their dirt.
With His endless mercy He washes away their bad deeds. Every night, for
the honor of those awake and praying for forgiveness, Allah Almighty gives
His mercy generally to all the sleeping ones.

I say: Nazim Qubrusi's statement is similar to the saying of the Christians, contains
likening the Creator to the creation, and encourages the people to commit sins. He
tells the people, "Do as you like during the day and Allah will forgive you for it at
night!!!" This belies, among others, the saying of Allah: (Al ^Imran, 11) which
means: [The torture of Allah is severe.]

It belies the hadith of the Prophet, related by al-Bukhariyy and others: which
means:
"A women earned Hellfire because she kept a cat locked away from food."

All of that poses serious questions about the intention of Sheikh Nazim for bringing
about such strange opinions--opinions which contradict the Religion, which contradict
the methodology of the True Sufis. Questioned is the truth behind his endeavors, his
school, and what he conceals behind the garment of Sufism. We ask Allah to protect
this nation from all those who mean harm for it. Amin.

CHAPTER 10: THE TENTH STATEMENT

"Prayers are not obligatory on the wives; Do not pray."

The knowledgeable and the lay Muslim alike, whether male or female, know Allah
decreed the five prayers as obligatory. The one who denies its obligation or the
obligation of even one rak^ah of it is undoubtedly judged as a blasphemer, as was
mentioned by Ibn Hajar al-Haytamiyy in his book "Al-I^lam" and others. Allah
said: (Al-Baqarah, 43) which means: [Perform the prayers.]

Imam Ahmad narrated that the Prophet said: which means: "Allah made five
prayers obligatory on the slaves." The nation holds the consensus on that and it
is known by young and old alike.

Despite the explicit texts and the consensus of the nation, when one of Nazim
Qubrusi's students asked him, "What are our wives' responsibilities?" He answered
(page 70-71, Mercy Oceans):

"Three times shahada, every day, and to be clean always. And, for
beginners, one sajdah, five times a day, at the time of the regular prayers.
At each prayer, only one sajdah. It is enough." [A student questioned:]

"What if they want to do the whole prayer; is it all right?"

[He answers:]

"For beginners, one sajdah is enough. As they are stepping forward, they
will ask. This command is from my Grandshaykh. Also, they should love only
believers, not unbelievers. They should sit with believers, and not with
unbelievers."

I say: This is a misguidance beyond any doubt. How could it be anything else? The
Prophet ordered us otherwise in his saying:

which means: "The most important matters of Islam are five: the
Testification of Faith, performing prayers,. . . " Sheikh Qubrusi's words mean
the prayers are not obligatory on the wives. This is something unheard of !!
CHAPTER 11: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S ELEVENTH STATEMENT

"Fasting is not a valued matter; Do not fast."

There are no two Muslims who differ about the obligation of fasting Ramadan, and
that fasting the other days of the year--with the exception of the days the Rules of
the Religion prohibit one from fasting (such as the day of the ^Id)--is recommended
for the one who is not harmed by it, and for whom fasting would not prevent him
(her) from fulfilling a right due on him (her).

Allah, the Exalted, praised those who fast a lot. The Prophet of Allah consistently
fasted Mondays and Thursdays as was related by at-Tirmidhiyy. When the Prophet
was asked about fasting Monday he said: which means: "This is the day on which
I was born and the day on which I was revealed as a prophet."

We have an explicit encouragement from the Prophet to fast as many Mondays and
Thursdays as we can and to be consistent in that. However, I found instead of
encouraging one to fast, Sheikh Nazim Qubrusi devalues the matter of fasting.
Following is an excerpt from his book, Mercy Oceans, page 74:

[One student asked him:]

"Is it all right to fast on the light days of the week?"

"No," replied the Shaykh, "No need. It is enough."

"But we've been fasting, already. Every Monday and Thursday since
Ramadan," a disciple insisted.

"No need," replied the Shaykh. "You may fast from haram looking. You may
fast from anger. You may fast from bad words! Not eating or drinking--that
fast I don't want. It is too easy to go without eating. I don't want that. No
bad speaking, no bad looking, no anger; that is difficult. So many people
fasting, yet they are angry seventy times until maghrib! They say, 'We are
fasting!' How can you be fasting if you are angry!"

These words are against the sayings of the Prophet and against the Rules of the
Religion. We ask Allah for guidance and safety. Amin.

CHAPTER 12: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S TWELFTH STATEMENT

"Eat unlawful (haram) meat."

We all know that the abdomen of the human being is the first part that rots in the
grave. The Prophet said: which means: " Hellfire is more deserving of every
flesh that grew from unlawful consumption."

In his book, Mercy Oceans, page 98-99, Nazim Qubrusi says:

"When I first met our Grandshaykh, " Shaykh Nazim replied, "I was also
very strict, very particular, about my food. But he told me, 'It is not good
manners to be like that. When you are a guest, you must not ask, 'Is this
food clean?' No! You must give your host the benefit of the doubt. When you
know that the food is pork, don't eat it, but say instead, 'I am a vegetarian,'
or something like this. You must have good manners towards everybody. If
you are in doubt as to whether meat (assuming that it is not pork) is halal
or not, you may say, three times, 'Shahada,' and, seventy times,
'astaghfirullah.' Then, as you eat, and you say, 'Bismillah,' Allah Almighty
will make that food clean for you, in the time it takes for you to raise it from
your plate and put it in your mouth!

"When you are buying meat and you think that it has come in contact with
pork, or utensils that have been used to handle and prepare pork, you may
wash it, and repeat the formula we just said. If you can obtain Halal (or
Kosher) meat, of course it is best. But, when you are somebody's guest,
don't ask! Even if it is known to you that they usually cook with lard, you
must assume that, this time, for you, they cleaned their pots and pans and
didn't use it. Only if you are certain that pork or pork products were used
may you refrain from eating."

I say: There is not even one statement of any one of the scholars to that effect; such
meaning is not in the Qur'an; and there is no confirmed hadith which gives such a
meaning. Rather, what is mentioned in the Qur'an and hadith and in the statements
of the scholars is quite contrary to Sheikh Nazim's saying. So, from where did Sheikh
Nazim get his statement!? How did Sheikh Nazim come up with such a statement,
i.e., haram meat would transform to halal if one recites the shahadah and asks
forgiveness? Allah, the Exalted, said: (Al-Baqarah, 111) which means: [Bring
your proof if you are truthful.]

Nazim Qubrusi has no proof for his words. Allah is the One Who guides to the
acceptable deeds.

CHAPTER 13: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S THIRTEENTH STATEMENT

"Do not follow the judgment of the sound mind; Be like mindless sheep."

It is well known the one who is on the straight path and has self confidence does not
fear from the people using their minds in the correct way, because such a person
appreciates the endowment of the mind on us. As to the one who has strayed, he
wants people to follow him without using their minds and to carry out his orders
without asking questions. He wants mindless and senseless people. I found the
words of Sheikh Nazim Qubrusi very strange on page 3 in the introduction of his
book, Mercy Oceans, when he defined the belief as:

"The heart believes what the mind denies. This must be understood first of
all or else there is no Islam. It is useless to base, or balance one's faith on
the level of the mind, which doubts anything that it cannot experience
through the senses."

I say: This is a very strange definition of belief and a very strange opinion regarding
the endowment of the mind!! No Muslim scholar ever said such a statement before
Nazim Qubrusi. It is contrary to the saying of Allah: (Al ^Imran, 190) which
means: [This contains lessons to the people with sound minds]
and the saying of Allah: (Al-Hajj, 46) which means: [Did they not travel on earth
and use their minds to understand?]

How could Nazim Qubrusi be believable when Allah dispraised the blasphemers for
wasting the role of the mind and told us about their situation while in Hellfire in His
saying:

(Al-Mulk, 10) which means: [Had we heard and used our minds (during our
first life) we would not have been among the people of Hellfire (today).]

Does Nazim Qubrusi want us to be mindless sheep or like the people of the other
invalid religions with baseless statements and convictions that do not rely on any
proof?!!

CHAPTER 14: NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI'S FOURTEENTH STATEMENT

"Blasphemy is a temporary condition; Simply by reciting the Fatihah anyone

is guaranteed safety in the Hereafter."

On page 58 of his book, Mercy Oceans, Nazim Qubrusi says:

Allah sent FATIHA first in Mecca. Along with it came endless Rahmah
(mercy). Gabrael, bringing FATIHA to Muhammad (peace be upon him),
said, 'O, Muhammad! Allah Almighty gives you His salaams and says to you,
"Good tidings for FATIHA; if anyone from your ummah (nation) reads
FATIHA even once, in his life, it will be enough, and more, for that servant!"

"He who reads FATIHA will take enough Rahma from one reading to last his
whole life. Even if he is an unbeliever, one reading will bring him to Iman,
perhaps at the last moment of his life. This is because faith is original,
inborn with people. Unbelief is a temporary condition added later. FATIHA
will bring faith even to a doer of bad things.

I say: This is a fabricated hadith and a lie about Prophet Muhammad. What we see
and observe is enough to prove it is untrue. How many people have in fact recited
the Fatihah several times and then died as blasphemers? Al-Bukhariyy related that a
man had memorized Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Al-^Imran and prayed many times
behind the Prophet, yet he apostatized, moved outside the Arabian peninsula to live,
and died as a blasphemer. When the people buried him, the earth spat him out.
Those who witnessed it told about it. The day that man died, the Prophet received a
revelation about his situation. This saying of Sheikh Nazim is contrary to the
confirmed saying of the Prophet, so beware!

We wish that Sheikh Nazim would tell us who narrated this claimed hadith of his? In
which book of the scholars did he find it? Who among the Hafidhs classified it as
sahih? My conviction is that it is his own authoring and the product of his own
imagination. If it was not, let him name the narrator. I believe no one among the
Muslim scholars would accept to soil his book by narrating such nonsense. We ask
Allah for protection. Allah is the One Who strengthens one to perform obedience, and
no one can evade sinning without Allah's protection.
CHAPTER 15: AN EPISODE OF THE SESSION OF NAZIM AL-QUBRUSI WITH
HIS FOLLOWERS

Following is an excerpt from page 91-92 of Nazim Qubrusi's book, Mercy Oceans:

"Some people, most people, most Alims say that Allah Almighty is angry
with us now. Our Granshaykh says that Allah is not angry with us. He is not
stopping his mercy for us. Mercy is coming down; all around is mercy. We
are swimming in mercy oceans."

Someone asked, "But wasn't Allah angry with the people of Israel, for
instance, when they worshipped the golden calf? Wasn't Moses (peace be
upon him) angry?"

"Is Moses (peace be upon him) Allah? said the Shaykh.

"Allah is angry by mouth, not by heart! One of the brothers joked. There
was general laughter.

Then Maulana said, "Allah's anger is not like our anger. If we are angry with
a person, we are cutting all things from him. But, Allah Almighty is sending
mercy. How can He be angry? If He were angry, He would withhold His
Rahmah, His mercy; but He is giving so much! Allah Almighty is angry
toward those people who are judging His servants, yet He still sends His
mercy."

"What about all those He destroyed in the time of Noah?"

Maulana answered, "He destroyed their bodies, not their spirits. His Divine
anger destroyed those bodies which were committing sins. When the body
is destroyed, then the spirit is free and pure--going into mercy oceans and
swimming."

But, Shaykh Nazim, won't they still have their bodies on the Judgment
Day?" [a confused murid asks]

"These will be new bodies," answered the Shaykh, "not bodies that made
sins in this world."

[Now, more confused] A murid said, "But which bodies will go to Hell to be
cleaned?"

[Having no answer, Nazim tries to escape by saying:] "He almighty knows

well which are going to Hell!"

"Do they suffer in the graves?"

"Yes," replied the Shaykh, "it is like a man who falls from a second story
window and breaks his head, his legs, and his neck; he may stay in the
hospital one year, or six months, till he has recovered; then he comes out.
He who makes himself wounded in this life with the spear of Satan will stay,
for recovery, in graves and in Hell. When he is all right, he will go on to
Paradise. What do you think about all those people in hospitals? Are they in
mercy, or in punishment?"

Quickly, one murid said, "Mercy!"

While another said, "Punishment!" Again, we all laughed.

"Yes, agreed Shaykh Nazim. "From one side they are in punishment, and
from the other side they are in mercy. Their imprisonment is not as if they
were in jail. It is mercy for them, as if they were in hospitals. You
understand? Clear? This is from all religions, and all Holy books."

A brother made this observation: "When you make a point, it seems clear
until we ask questions. Then, as the answer unfolds, I realize that the point
I thought I understood is so subtle that I don't get it."

Maulana answered him, "Yes these are all like grains, like seeds. With faith
in your heart, they will grow up. Then, you will see their flowers, and, after
that, you will see their fruits, and then, at last, you will eat! Now, those are
all seeds. Don't be afraid."

I say: What nonsense!

FIRST CONCLUSION

Let it be known, what I have mentioned here are only some of the sayings of Nazim
al-Haqqani al-Qubrusi, his sheikh, ^Abdullah al-Faizi ad-Daghistani, and his student,
Hisham Kabbani. Mentioned here are only a handful of the deviations contained in
two books of the teachings of Qubrusi and one of the teachings of his sheikh, and
these were mentioned to warn the people from them--as stated in the introduction. I
chose to expose only a few of his deviant sayings, yet even these few show the
sayings of Sheikh Nazim Qubrusi, his sheikh, and his student, contain many matters
contradictory to the Rules of the Religion .

The one who goes back to his magazine called An-Nasihah, their pamphlets, tapes,
and press interviews would find other very strange deviations/strayings such as:

* Everything the blasphemer does is unlawful !!

* Claiming the torture of the Muslim is more severe than the torture of the
blasphemer!!

* Claiming Abu Yazid Al-Bustamiyy had asked Allah to magnify his body to
become the same size of the entire Hell and to admit him alone to it such
that there will remain no place for anyone else, and this way he alone gets
the torture and the entire humanity will be admitted to Paradise!!

* Claiming our prophet knew he was the Prophet of Allah since his
childhood--prior to receiving the Revelation!!
* Claiming Nazim Qubrusi is the assistant of the expected Mahdiyy, and that
when the Mahdiyy appears, seven or eight nations will follow him, including
the British nation!!

He said many other sayings--none of which rely on what Allah has revealed--so take
ample warning!

Similar to the sayings of Nazim Qubrusi are the sayings of Bawa Muhyiddin (from
Sirilanka) in his book, Ashsheikh wal Murid, and other writings. Some such sayings
are:

* Allah enters the bodies of humans!!

* Calling Allah "the father" and calling the slave "the son of the Lord"!!

* Claiming the difference in religions are of no importance!!

* Claiming Paradise and its rivers are in one's heart!!

* Claiming Hell to be the bad traits the heart acquires!!

* Claiming the person is a Godly man whereby he acquires the attributes of

Allah and part of Allah resides in him!!!

Allah is clear from all of that!

The followers of the Tijani Tariqah, such as Sheikh Ahmad at-Tijani from Nigeria,
currently living in the United States of America, have also pursued the route of
exceeding the acceptable bounds of the Religion. He said with his own tongue in
Chicago before a large audience, "The Prophet is closer to the slave than Allah"
(meaning the Prophet fulfills his needs faster than Allah!!! This is an explicit belying
of the Religion. I personally heard his words and openly--in the same session--
denounced him for it, as did others in the same session.

It is known that the Tijani books like Bughiat Al-Murid are full of such blasphemous
sayings as:

* All the sins of the one who takes their tariqah would be forgiven
immediately and he would become better than the head of the waliyys
(qutb)--among others!!

* Saying the Fatih Prayer which they recite (claiming to praise the Prophet)
is equivalent to reciting the entire Qur'an six thousand times!!

We seek refuge with Allah from such claims. There are other strange matters being
spread falsely in the name of Sufism. All of that makes it incumbent upon us to warn
against such people who contradict the Religion--out of protecting the Religion,
defending the Book of Allah, and preserving the Religion and the methodology of
Prophet Muhammad. It is not permissible to be negligent in this matter, for the huge
fire results from the tiny sparks, and one drop joins with another and another to
form an eroding flood. The Muslim scholars and the sincere ones are neither
negligent nor loose. They are not cowards, powerlessly leaving the ferocious wolves
to eat the sons and daughters of the Muslims. Allah is the One Who guides to the
acceptable deeds. On Him we rely and from Him we seek the reward.

SECOND CONCLUSION

These are the statements of Nazim Qubrusi, his sheikh, ad-Daghistani, and his
student, Hisham Qabbani, which I chose to bring to your attention and to comment
on briefly--in accordance with the Rules of the Religion. No Muslim would feel
comfortable with the deviant teachings of these men. I see their teachings the result
of a school dangerous to the Religion and dangerous to the nation of Muslims. It is
too far-fetched to believe these statements are fabricated and planted in the books
of Qubrusi. These books are distributed under his supervision and the supervision of
his vicegerent, Hisham Kabbani. Moreover, they have been taped, and trustworthy
Muslims who have met Sheikh Nazim have quoted him as saying these statements.
Whatever the case, these books contain many perversions dangerous to the Religion
and its rules, and the one who accepts them and believes in them becomes among
the atheist Batiniyys-

It is a must to take warning and warn the Muslims at large from their contents. It is
incumbent upon the one who makes such statements to retract them and repent to
Allah. If Sheikh Nazim says these statements are fabricated and planted in his books,
it is incumbent upon him to announce as such and to bring to the attention of the
people the lies contained in his books. If he says these are his statements, it is an
obligation on him to repent in the proper way and to warn the people from them.
Ordering the lawful and forbidding the unlawful is obligatory and it is the course of
the People of Sincerity.

Allah is the One upon Whom we rely. We seek the reward from Allah alone.

Philadelphia - Jumada-l-'ula 1417H.

APPENDIX: What Actually Happened Between Our Master Musa and al-
Khadir, (peace be upon them)

Know, Brother Muslim, the Messenger of Allah does not have two Religions--one
apparent and the other concealed. Rather, his Religion is Islam, with the rules which
Allah revealed to him and which he conveyed to his nation. This is why the al-Jilaniyy
adn ar-Rifa^iyy and others, said: which means: "Every matter claimed to be a
secret matter of the Religion which, in fact, contradicts al-Islam is truly
atheism."

Nazim Qubrusi tried to use what happened between Musa, the Prophet of Allah, and
al-Khadir, another prophet of Allah, to claim that the Religion has a concealed part to
it which contradicts its apparent rules. This endeavor of his is invalid, because what
happened between Musa and al-Khadir conforms to the rules of the Religion inside
and out. At first, and prior to al-Khadir explaining what he did was in conformity to
the rules of the Religion, one might think there was a contradiction. However, if
there had been a contradiction, then Prophet Musa surely would not have remained
silent. Rather, Prophet Musa kept silent after al-Khadir showed what he did was not
contradicting the rules of the Religion.
Moreover, both Musa and al-Khadir were prophets. Allah told us that al-Khadir said:

(Al-Kahf, 82) which means: [I did not do that from my own (meaning it was revealed
to me).]

Moreover, had al-Khadir not been a prophet, Allah would not have ordered Musa to
follow him. It is because he was a Prophet that Allah ordered Musa to benefit from
him in something pertaining to the Religion.

The one who takes what happened between Musa and al-Khadir to back a claim that
the Religion has a concealed part that contradicts the apparent part is a
blasphemer--just as the two masters judged him.

Al-Khadir's actions were in fact, in conformity to the rules of the Religion. The one
who contradicts that falls under the saying of the Prophet: which means: "The one
who does something contrary to our methodology is rejected."

The one who does not apply the rules of the Religion, rather, who leaves them
behind his back and tells the people: "You shall not be harmed if you do not
apply, because the concealed part of the Religion contradicts the apparent
part," is in fact leading the people to blasphemy. The human being does not reach
the truth if he does not apply the rules of the Religion to himself and his followers.
This is the path of the God-fearing ones, the People of the Truthful Guidance, from
the time of the Companions until our days. This is the route of success and winning!!
Allah is the One from Whom we seek help and upon Whom we rely.

By Al-Hidaayah

SAINT WORSHIP

Allaah's Favor: It is a part of man's nature to elevate some human beings

over others. He likes to hold them in high esteem and prefers to follow
them rather than make decisions on his own. This is a direct result of
the fact that Allaah has favored some people over others, in various
ways. Man has been placed over woman socially:

"Men are guardians of women by that which Allaah favored some of them
over others"1

"And men are one level over women."2

And some men have been placed over other men economically:

"Allaah has favored some of you over others with sustenance."3

The tribe of Israel was favored over the rest of mankind by divine guidance:

"Remember, Oh Israel, the blessing which I bestowed on you by favoring

you over all mankind."4
The prophets were favored over all mankind by revelation and Allaah favored some
of the prophets over others:

"Those are the prophets of whom We favored some over others."5

Yet Allaah has told us not to desire the things by which He has favored some of
mankind over others

"Do not wish for that with which We have favored some of you over
others."6

because these favors are tests which carry with them great responsibilities. They are
not a result of man's strivings, and, as such, should not be a source of pride. Allaah
will not give us a reward for having them, although we will be held to account for
how we used them. Thus, Allaah's Messenger advised us, "Look at those below
you and not those above you. It is better for you, so that you do not deny
Allaah's blessings on you."7

Everyone has been placed above others in some way or another, and everyone has
certain responsibilities for which he will be held accountable. The Prophet (saws)
said, "Everyone of you is a shepherd, and everyone is responsible for his
flock." 8 These responsibilities are the basic components of the tests of this life. If
we are thankful to Allaah for His favors and apply them justly, we succeed;
otherwise, we fail. But, perhaps the greatest test of responsibility is that of Allaah's
favoring man over all creation. This favor was confirmed by Allaah's command to the
angels to prostrate to Aadam and the responsibility is twofold:

a. It carries a personal responsibility of accepting Islaam: total submission to Allaah.

b. It also carries a group commitment of establishing Allaah's law throughout the

earth.

Thus, believers are far superior to disbelievers in Allaah's sight because of their
acceptance of their responsibilities. Allaah said:

"You (believers) are the best of nations brought forth for the benefit of
mankind (because) you command the good, prohibit evil and believe in
Allaah."9

Taqwaa:

Among the community of believers, some are superior to others; and this superiority
is a direct result of their own strivings. It is a superiority linked to Eemaan, the
strength and depth of faith. A living faith drives the one who possesses it to shield
himself from whatever displeases Allaah. This shield in Arabic is called "Taqwaa." It
has been variously translated as "fear of God", "piety", as well as "God-
consciousness"; and it carries all these meanings and more. Allaah clearly expressed
the superiority of Taqwaa as follows:

"Verily the most noble among you Is the one with the most Taqwaa."10
Allaah is here saying that the only factor which makes a believing man or woman
truly superior to another is the level of Taqwaa. It is this piety or fear of God which
elevates man from the level of "thinking animal" to that of governor (Khaleefah) of
the planets. The importance of the fear of Allaah in a Muslim's life cannot be
overstressed. Allaah mentioned Taqwaa and its derivatives 26 times in the Qur'aan,
everywhere emphasizing that Taqwaa is the driving force behind living faith. Without
it, faith is only a meaningless jumble of memorized words and phrases, and
'righteous' deeds only shells of pretense and hypocrisy. Consequently, piety is
preferred over all other considerations in all of life's transactions. The Messenger of
Allaah (saws) said: "A woman is married for four (reasons): her wealth, her
nobility, her beauty, and her piety. Choose the pious one and be
successful." 11 No matter how beautiful, rich or well bred a woman might be, if she
is not pious, she is inferior to a pious, ugly, poor woman from a dishonorable family.
The converse is also true, as the Prophet (saws) said, "If a man whose practise of
the religion satisfies you, asks you for your daughter in marriage, you
should marry them; otherwise there will be corruption in the land." 12

The Prophet (saws) once reprimanded Abu Dharr for derisively calling Bilal, 'son of a
black woman', then he went on to say, "Look! Surely you are not better than a
brown man nor a black man except by fearing Allaah more than
them." 13 This understanding was hammered home time and time again by Allaah's
messenger (saws). Even in the Farewell Pilgrimage, done shortly before he died, he
lectured the people on the insignificance of racial differences and the all importance
of Taqwaa.

The most pious individuals are only known to Allaah, because the seat of Taqwaa is
the heart. Man can only judge people by each other's outward deeds which may or
may not be misleading. Allaah made that abundantly clear in the following verse:

"There is among people in this life, he whose speech will dazzle you. And he
will call on Allaah as a witness to what is in his heart; yet, he will be among
the most vicious of enemies."14

Therefore, it is not permissible for humans to designate certain people as being

particularly saintly and pious to a degree beyond the reach of ordinary humans. The
Prophet Muhammad (saws) specified among his companions (Sahaabah) some whom
he gave glad tidings of paradise in this life.15 However, such pronouncements were
based on revelation and not his own ability to judge the hearts. For example, when
the Prophet (saws) said concerning those who make a pledge of allegiance known
as Bay'ah ar-Ridwaan, "No one who made the pledge beneath the tree will
enter the hellfire," 16 he was confirming the Qur'ânic verse revealed to that
effect:

"Allaah is pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you
beneath the tree..." 17

Similarly, he judged some whom everyone thought were destined to paradise to be

among those destined for the hellfire. All such judgements were based on revelation.
Ibn 'Abbaas said that he was told by 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab that on the day of (the
battle) of Khaybar, some of the Prophet's companions came and said, "So and so is
a martyr and so and so is a martyr," but when they came to a man about whom they
said, "So and so is a martyr," Allaah's messenger declared, "By no means! I have
seen him in hell in a cloak which he took (from the spoils) dishonestly." Allaah's
messenger then said, "Go, Ibn al-Khattaab, and announce among the people three
times that only the believers will enter paradise." 18

In Christian tradition down through the ages, some individuals were highly praised
for their supposed spiritual achievements. Miracles were attributed to them and the
rank of "saint" was bestowed on them. In pre-Christian Hindu and Buddhist tradition,
teachers who were supposed to have climbed the ladder of spiritual excellence and
who had performed supernatural feats were also given titles like Guru,Avatar, etc.,
indicating spiritual superiority. These designations have led the masses to either
seek intercession through them or to worship them as gods. Consequently, these
religious traditions have lists of saints to whom the masses fervently pray. Islaam,
on the other hand, opposes even the excessive praise of Prophet Muhammad (saws)
who said, "Do not praise me excessively as the Christians did to 'Eesaa ibn
Maryam, verily I am only a slave, so call me instead the slave of Allaah and
His messenger" 19

Walee: The "Saint"

The term saint has been used to translate the Arabic word Walee (pl. Awliyaa) which
Allaah used, to designate those who are close to Him. But, a more appropriate
translation is "close friend" because Walee literally means an "ally." Allaah even uses
it to refer to Himself in the verse:

"Allaah is the Walee of those who believe and takes them from the darkness
into light." 20

He also uses it to refer to Satan as in the verse:

"Whoever takes Satan as a Walee instead of Allaah, has clearly lost all." 21

This term also means "close relative" as in the following verse:

"We have given power to the Walee of whoever is wrongly killed, but do not
be excessive in the execution (of the murderer)."22

It is also used in Qur'aan to indicate closeness between men, for example,

"The believers should not take the disbelievers as Awliyaa instead of other
believers." 23

But the usage which concerns us most is "Awliyaa-ullaah" close friends of Allaah. In
the Qur'aan Allaah has designated among mankind certain types of individuals whom
He considers especially close to Himself. Allaah's description of His Walees can be
found in Soorah al-Anfaal where Allaah states:

"Verily His (Allaah's) Awliyaa are only those with Taqwaa, but most people
do not realize that." 24

And Soorah Younus:

"Behold! Certainly no fear nor grief shall overcome the Awliyaa of Allaah,
those who believe and have Taqwaa." 25

Allaah explains for us that the criterion for "Walaayah" (divine friendship)
is Eemaan (faith) and Taqwaa (piety) and these qualities are shared by all true
believers. 26 Among the ignorant masses, the main criterion
for Walaayah ("Sainthood") is the performance of miracles which are commonly
called Karaamaat to distinguish them from the miracles Mu'jizaat of the prophets.
To most who hold this belief, the faith and practise of the "miracle" worker are of no
consequence. Hence, some who have been designated "saints" held heretical beliefs
and practises, while others were known to have abandoned the religious rituals, and,
yet others were even involved in licentious and vulgar behavior. However, nowhere
has Allaah made the working of miracles a stipulation for being His Walee. Therefore,
as earlier stated, all believers who have Eemaan and Taqwaa are Walees of Allaah
and He is their Walee, as Allaah Himself said,

"Allaah is the Walee of those who believe." 27

Consequently, Muslims are not allowed to designate certain believers as

being Awliyaa of Allaah and not others. In spite of this clear Islamic position, a
hierarchy of so-called Muslim saints has become a prominent feature in Sufi circles
and among the masses who blindly follow them. In ascending order of merit they
are: the Akhyaar (chosen) who number 300; the Abdaal (substitutes) numbering 40;
the 7Abraar (pious); the 4 Awtaad (pegs); the 3 Nuqabaa (watchmen),
the Qutb (pole) who is considered the greatest saint of his time, and at the top of the
list is the Ghawth (Succor), the greatest of Saints, who is believed, in some circles,
to be capable of taking on his shoulders a portion of the sins of the believers.
According to the belief of "mystics", the saints of the top three classes are present
invisibly in Makkah at the hours of prayer. When the Ghawth dies, the Qutb replaces
him and there is a moving up all through the series, the purest soul of each class
rising to the next degree.28 This body of mythology has been borrowed from
Christianity, just as Dhikr beads were adopted from the Christian rosary,
and Mawlid from the Christian celebration of Christmas.

Fanaa: The Union of Man With God

A close look at various lists of the most prominent so-called saints, reveals names
like that of al-Hallaaj who was publicly executed as an apostate for daring to openly
claim divinity in his infamous pronouncement "Ana-al-Haqq" 'I am the Reality' when
Allaah already said:

"That is so, because Allaah is the Reality and it is He who gives life to the
dead."29

What led this deranged individual to make such a pronouncement was his belief in a
principle very similar to the ultimate state of being in Buddhism known as
"Nirvana."30 In this state, according to a branch of Buddhist thought, the ego
disappears and the human soul and consciousness are extinguished.31

This concept also forms the core of a philosophy known as "mysticism".

Mysticism32 is defined as an experience of union with God and the belief that man's
main goal lies in seeking that union. The origins of mysticism can be found in the
writings of ancient Greek philosophers like Plato's Symposium in which mention is
made of various ladders of ascent, composed of steep and hard steps, whereby a
union of the soul with God is finally attained.33 A parallel concept can also be found
in Hinduism's identification of Atman (human soul) with Brahman(the impersonal
Absolute), the realization of which is the ultimate goal or release from existence and
rebirth.34 Greek mystic thought blossomed in the Gnostic Christian movements
which, like that of Valentinus (c. 140 CE), reached their peak in the second century
CE. These trends were combined in the third century with Platonism by the Egypto-
Roman philosopher, Plotinus (205-270 CE), to form a religious philosophy known
as neoplatonism. Christian anchorites or hermits of the 3rd century CE, who began
the monastic tradition in Christendom by withdrawing into the Egyptian desert,
adopted the mystic goal of union with God as it was propounded in neoplatonic
thought at that time, within a framework of meditative and ascetic practises of self-
denial. Although it was "St." Pachomius (290-346 CE) who established the first set of
rules for Christian monasticism and founded nine monasteries in the Egyptian desert;
"St." Benedict of Nursia (480-547 CE), in developing the Benedictine Rule for the
monastery at Monte Cassino in Italy, came to be regarded as the real founder of
Western monastic order.35

The mystic tradition kept alive in monastic Christianity began to find expression
among Muslims from about 8th century CE, a century after the borders of the Islamic
state had expanded to include Egypt and Syria and its major centers of
monasticism.36 A group of Muslims who were not satisfied with what
the Sharee'ah (Islamic Law) had to offer, developed a parallel system which they
named the Tareeqah (the way). Just as the ultimate goal of the Hindu was unity with
the world soul and of the Christian mystic union with God; the ultimate goal of this
movement became Fanaa, the dissolution of the ego, and Wusool the meeting and
unification of the human soul with Allaah in this life. A series of preliminary stages
and states which had to be attained were defined. They were
called Maqaamaat (stations) and Haalaat(states). A system of spiritual exercises was
also designed for the initiate in order to bring about this "meeting." These exercises
of Dhikr37 often involved head and body movements and sometimes even dance,
as in the case of whirling dervishes. All of these practises were attributed to the
Prophet (saws) through chains of narration in order to validate them, but there does
not exist any authentic support for them in any of the classical books of Hadeeth. A
multiplicity of systems evolved, and orders, similar to those among Christian monks,
appeared named after their founders, like the Qaadiri, Chishti,
Nakhshabandi, and Teejaani orders. Along with that, volumes of legends and fairy
tales were spun around the founders and the outstanding personalities of these
orders. And, just as Christian and Hindu monks chose special isolated structures (i.e.
monasteries) in which to house their communities, the Sufi orders developed similar
housing schemes calledZaawiyahs (lit. corners).

In time, a body of heretic creeds developed out of the mystic "union-with-God"

belief. For example, most orders claimed that Allaah could be seen when the state
of Wusool (arrival) was achieved. Yet when 'Aa'eshah asked the Prophet (saws) if he
saw Allaah during Mi'raaj(ascension) he replied that he had not.38 Prophet Moosaa
was also shown that neither he nor any man could withstand seeing Allaah in this life
by Allaah revealing some of His being to a mountain which crumbled to dust during
the revelation.39 Some Sufi adepts claimed that when the state of Wusool was
attained, the mundane obligations of Sharee'ah like five times daily Salaah, were no
longer obligatory. Most of them prescribed that prayers to Allaah could be sent
through the Prophet (saws) or through the so-called saints; many also began the
practice of making Tawaaf 40, animal sacrifices and other acts of worship around the
shrines and tombs of the saints. Tawaaf can be observed today around the grave of
Zaynab and Sayyid al-Badawi in Egypt, around the tomb of Muhammad Ahmad
(The Mahdi) in Sudan, and around the Darghas of countless saints and holy men in
India and Pakistan.

The Sharee'ah came to be looked at as the outer path designed for the ignorant
masses, while the Tareeqah was the inner path of an elite enlightened few.
Opinionated Tafseer (Qur'anic commentary) appeared in which the meanings of the
Qur'anic verses were bent and twisted to support the heretical ideas of the mystic
movement. Greek philosophical thought was also blended with
fabricated Hadeeths to produce a body of inauthentic literature which challenged the
early Islamic classics and eventually displaced them among the masses. Music was
introduced in most circles and drugs like marijuana could be found in others as a
means of heightening the pseudo-spiritual experience which they all sought. Such
was the legacy of the latter generation of Sufis which had been built on the false
premise that union of the human soul with Allaah was attainable. The early
generation of pious individuals, like 'Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaani, and others to whom
some orders were attributed, clearly understood the importance of distinguishing
between the Creator and the created. The two could never become one, as One was
Divine and Eternal, while the other was human and finite.

The Union of God With Man

Nothing escapes Allaah's knowledge, therefore, the wise are those who act
accordingly. They feel His presence at all times. They carefully perform all their
obligatory (Fard) duties, then they piously try to make up for any of the inevitable
deficiencies by doing a host of voluntary acts. These voluntary acts help to protect
the obligatory duties. For example, during times of weakness or spiritual lows, one
may become lax in fulfilling one's religious duties. However, those who had voluntary
practices would likely neglect some of their voluntary practices, while keeping their
obligatory duties intact. If they did not have a protective shield of voluntary acts and
they fell into a period of spiritual laziness, some of their obligatory duties are likely to
be discarded or neglected. The more someone strengthens his obligatory practices
by performing voluntary acts, the more his life conforms to the Sharee'ah, the will of
Almighty Allaah. Allaah conveyed this principle through the Prophet (saws) in a
Hadeeth saying: "The most beloved thing with which My slave may come
close to me is that which I have made obligatory (Fard) on him. My servant
will continue to come closer to me by voluntary acts (of worship) until I
love him. If I love him, I will be his hearing by which he hears, his sight by
which he sees, his hand by which he grasps, and his foot by which he walks.
If he asks Me anything I would give it and if he seeks refuge in Me I would
protect him."41

This Walee of Allaah would only hear, see, grasp and walk to what is Halaal (lawful),
while conspicuously avoiding all the Haraam(prohibited) as well as that which leads
towards it. This is the only true goal worthy of dedicating one's life. Its attainment is
the perfection of man's dual role as servant of God and governor of the world. But, it
cannot be reached except by the route prescribed in theHadeeth. First the
compulsory duties have to be completely established, then the prescribed voluntary
acts of worship have to be performed consistently and according to the Sunnah.
Allaah emphasized this fact by telling His Prophet to inform the believers:
"Say, if you love Allaah, follow me (Muhammad) and Allaah will love
you."42

Therefore Allaah's love can only be attained by strictly following the directives
(Sunnah) of His Apostle (saws) and by carefully avoiding all innovations in religious
matters. This formula is contained in the following Hadeeth in which the Prophet
(saws) was reported by Abu Najeeh to have said, "Keep to my Sunnah and that
of the rightly guided caliphs. Bite on to it with your molars. And beware of
innovations, for verily they are all heresy (Bid'ah) and heresy is
misguidance which leads to the hellfire."43

One who strictly follows this principle will only listen to what Allaah wishes for him to
listen to. For Allaah said describing the righteous:

"And when the ignorant (mockingly) address them, they merely say:
'Peace'"44

Elsewhere in the Qur'aan He also said,

"He has already revealed to you in the Book, that when you hear the signs
of Allaah denied and ridiculed, you should not sit with them unless they
change the subject. If you did you would be like them."45

By him listening only to what Allaah wishes for him to hear, Allaah has
metaphorically become his hearing. In a similar way, Allaah becomes his sight,
hands and feet.

This is the correct interpretation of the previously mentioned Hadeeth in which Allaah
states that He will become man's hearing, sight, hands and feet. Unfortunately,
this Hadeeth has been misinterpreted by mystics as support for the concept of union
with Allaah - May Allaah forbid.

Roohullaah: The "Spirit" of Allaah

Support for the mystic belief in the re-unification of the human soul with Allaah has
also been falsely deduced from some of the verses of the Qur'aan itself. The
following verses in which Allaah said:

"Then He (Allaah) fashioned him (Aadam) and blew in him from His
spirit." 46

and

"When I fashioned him and blew into him of My Spirit..."47

have been used as evidence for the belief that every human being contains within his
body a part of God. The portion of Allaah's "spirit" which Allaah breathed into Aadam
has supposedly been inherited by all of his descendents. Reference has also been
made to Prophet 'Eesaa about whose mother Allaah said,

"She was chaste, so We blew into her from Our Spirit..."48

Thus, it is believed among mystics that this divine eternal spirit within man yearns to
reunite with its origin from whence it came. However, this is not the case. Possessive
pronouns (my, your, his, her, our) in Arabic, as in English, have two general
meanings depending on the context in which they are used. They may describe an
attribute or a possession which is or is not a part of its owner. For example, in
Allaah's command to Prophet Moosaa (Moses)

"Put your hand inside your shirt and it will come out shining unharmed..."49

both the "hand" and "shirt" belonged to Prophet Moosaa but his hand was an
attribute which was a part of him, while his shirt was a possession which was not a
part of him. The same is the case relative to God with regards to His attributes and
His creation.50 For example, in the case of divine mercy wherein He says:

"Allaah gives His mercy specifically to whomsoever He wishes..."51

Allaah's mercy is one of his attributes and not a part of His creation. On the other
hand, Allaah sometimes refers to created things as "His" to emphasize the fact that
He created them. Yet others are referred to as His to indicate the special position of
honor with which He views them. For example, with respect to the She-Camel sent
as a test to Prophet Saalih's people, the Thamood, Allaah quoted Prophet Saalih as
saying,

"This is Allaah's camel sent to you as a sign. So allow it to graze in Allaah's

earth."52

The camel was miraculously sent as a sign to the Thamood who did not have any
right to deny it from grazing, because the whole earth belongs to Allaah. Similarly is
the case of the Ka'bah about which Allaah made a covenant with Prophets Ibraaheem
(Abraham) and Ismaa'eel (Ishmael):

"That they may purify My house for those who circle it, cling to it, bow down
prostrate (near it)"53

and paradise in the case of the righteous who on the Day of Judgement will be told
by Allaah "Enter My paradise."54

As for the spirit (Rooh), it is one of Allaah's creations. Allaah states in the Qur'an

"They ask you concerning the spirit, tell them the Spirit is from my Lord's
command; and you have not been given except a very small amount of
knowledge."55

Elsewhere in the Qur'an He said: "If Allaah has decided a thing, He only has to
command: Be, and it is."56

And He also said: "He (Allaah) created him (Aadam) from clay then said: Be,
and he was."57

The command is "be" for all of creation. Therefore, the spirit is created by Allaah's
command. Islaam does not consider God to be an incorporeal Spirit, as do some
religions like Christianity. He has neither corporeal body nor is He a formless spirit.
He has a form befitting His majesty, the like of which no man has ever seen or
conceived, and which will only be seen (to the degree of man's finite limitations) by
the people of paradise.58 Consequently, when Allaah refers to the blowing of a spirit
from Himself into prophets Aadam and 'Eesaa, special honor is given to their created
spirits due to the prominence of Prophet Aadam's position in relation to the rest of
mankind and to clarify the confusion concerning Maryam's virgin birth of Prophet
'Eesaa. Even Allaah's attribution of the act of blowing to Himself is, in fact, a
clarification of His will and supreme power, for it is the angels who actually insert and
extract the souls into man. This fact is evident from the following Hadeeth of Ibn
Mas'oud who reported that Allaah's Messenger said, "Verily your creation is
combined in your mother's womb for forty days in the form of an oily fluid,
then as a leech-like clot for a similar period and as a clump of flesh for
another similar period. Then an angel is sent to him to blow the spirit into
him..."59 Thus, Allaah has the spirit blown into every human by one of His angels.
By saying that 'He blew', Allaah in fact reminds us that He is the primary cause of all
that takes place in creation, as He said:

"Allaah created you and whatever you do."60

Just prior to the battle of Badr the Prophet (saws) threw a handful of dust at the
enemy ranks assembled hundreds of yards away, but Allaah caused some of the dust
particles to miraculously reach all of the eyes of the enemy. Allaah referred to the
Prophet's action as follows:

"It was not you that threw when you threw but it was Allaah who threw."61

Thus, by attributing the Spirit to Himself, Allaah simply gave it a special place of
honor among the spirits which He has created. Not that He, Allaah, has a spirit and
blew off a piece of it into both Prophet Aadam and Prophet 'Eesaa. To further
emphasize that point Allaah also refers to the Angel sent to inform Maryam as "His
spirit":

"So we sent to her Our Spirit who took the appearance of a well formed
man."62

The Qur'aan is a totality. Its verses explain themselves and the sayings and practices
of the Prophet (saws) further clarify its meanings. When verses are taken out of
context, the meanings of the Qur'aan can easily be distorted. For example, verse
four of Soorah al-Maa'oon reads:

"Woe be on those who make prayer (Salaah)."63

This verse by itself is in total contradiction to the rest of Qur'aan and

Islaam. Salaah has been made obligatory throughout the Qur'aan, For example,
Allaah said:

"Verily I am Allaah, there is no god besides me, so worship me and establish

prayer (Salaah) in order to remember Me."64
Yet this verse curses those who make Salaah! However, the verses which follow it
clarify the intended meaning as:

"Those who are negligent in their Salaah, who do it to be seen. Yet they
refuse even the simplest of kindness."65

Thus, Allaah's curse is on the Salaah of the hypocrites who pretend belief and not on
all who make Salaah.

A more meaningful translation of the verse "Then He fashioned him (Aadam) and
blew into him from His spirit," would be "Then He fashioned him and caused one
of His (noble) spirits to enter him." Consequently, there is no basis in the divine
scriptures for the mystic belief in the uncreated soul of man, yearning to re-unite
with its origin, God. In Islaam, there is no distinction between the Arabic
terms Rooh (spirit - pl. Arwaah) and Nafs (soul - pl. Anfus) with respect to man
except that when it is connected to the body it is usually referred to as a Nafs. In the
Qur'aan God states:

"It is Allaah who takes the souls (Anfus) at death and those which do not
die (He takes) during their sleep..."66

The Prophet (saws) was reported by Umm Salamah to have said, "Verily, when the
spirit (Rooh) is taken the eyes follow it"67

The successful souls will be made to enter paradise as Allaah said to the righteous
souls

"O soul (Nafs) at peace, come back to your Lord pleased with yourself and
pleasing to Him. Enter among My devotees. Enter My paradise."68

Thus, in the end, the righteous human soul will not become extinguished in God nor
unite with His supreme being, but will remain a finite spirit reunited with a finite
body enjoying the pleasures of paradise for as long as Allaah wishes.

Footnotes

1 Soorah an-Nisaa 4:34.

2 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:228.

3 Soorah an-Nahl 16:81.

4 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:47.

5 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:253.

6 Soorah an-Nisaa 4:32.

7 Collected by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic -
English). vol. 8, p.328. no.497. and Sahih Muslim (English Trans.). vol.4. p. 1530.
no.7070.

8 Collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. See Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic - English) vol.
3, p.438. no.730 and Sahih Muslim (English Trans.) vol.3, p. 1017. no. 4496.

9 Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:110.

10 Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:13.

11 Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari;

(Arabic-English), vol.7, pp.18-9, no.27) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim, (English Trans.),
vol.2, p.749, no.3457).

12 Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by at-Tirmidhee.

13 Reported by 'Abdullaah ibn 'Amr and collected by Ahmed.

14 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:204.

15 Among them are ten well known, Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmaan, 'Alee, Talhah, az-
Zubayr, Sa'd ibn Abee Waqqaas, Sa'eed ibn Zayd, 'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Awf, Abu
'Ubaydah ibn al-Jaarraah (see al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, pp.485-7).

16 Reported by Jaabir and collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol.3,
p.1034, no.4576).

17 Soorah al-Fat-h 48:18.

18 Collected by Muslim. See Sahih Muslim (English Trans.) vol.1, p.65, no.209.

19 Reported by 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab and collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim

(See Sahih Al-Bukhari, (Arabic-English), vol.4, p.435, no.654).

20 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:257, 3:68, 42:9 and 45:19.

21 Soorah an-Nisaa 4:119, 7:27, 30, and 4:75.

22 Soorah al-Israa 17:33.

23 Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:28, 4:139, 144 and 5:51.

24 Soorah al-Anfaal 8:34.

25 Soorah Younus 10:62-63.

26 Al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah, p.358.

27 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:257.

28 Encyclopedia of Islaam, p.629. See also 'Alee ibn 'Uthmaan al-Hujweeree, Kashf
al-Mahjoob, trans. by Nicholson (London: Luzac, rep. 1976), p.214.

29 Soorah al-Hajj 22:6 and 62, 24:25 and 31:30.

30 Sanskrit term meaning "blown out" referring to the extinction of all worldly
desires, or salvation. Though the term originated in Vedantic (Bhagavad-Gita and the
Vedas) it is most often associated with Buddhism. In Hinayana Buddhism the term is
equated with extinction while in Mahayana Buddhism it is a state of bliss (W. L.
Resse, Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, (New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1980),
p.393).

31 Ibid, p.72.

32 From the Greek "Mystes" meaning "one initiated into the mysteries." The term is
derived from the Greek mystery religions whose initiates bore the
name "mystes" (Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, p.374).

33 Colliers Encyclopedia, vol.17, p.114.

34 Dictionary of Religions, p.68.

35 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, pp.365-6 and 374.

36 "The authors of treatises on Muslim mysticism have often compared the

"annihilation" of Sufism with Buddhist Nirvana; but according to others this
comparison is entirely inadequate as the Buddhist idea of annihilation is independent
of the idea of God and includes the idea of transmigration of souls, to
which Nirvana puts an end. In Muslim mysticism on the other hand, there is no
question of the passing of soul upon death into another body and the notion of a
personal and all-present God is throughout predominant. The origin of the Muslim
conception of Fanaa has rather to be sought in Christianity from which it seems to be
borrowed. This conception simply means the annihilation of the individual human will
before the will of God, an idea which forms the center of all Christian mysticism."
(Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam, p.98).

37 Dhikr, which normally means the remembrance of God, in mystic circles, is used
to refer to the continuous repetition of God's names and attributes.

38 Collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol.1, pp.111-112 - nos.

337,339 and p.113, no.341.

39 Soorah al-'A'raaf 7:143.

40 Walking around an object of religious devotion.

41 Reported by Abu Hurayrah and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-

Bukhari (Arabic - English). vol.8, pp.336-7. no. 509.

42 Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:31.

43 Collected by Abu Daawood (Sunan Abu Dawud, (English Trans.) vol.3, p. 1294,
no.4590 and at-Tirmidhee.

44 Soorah al-Furqaan 25:63.

45 Soorah an-Nisaa 4:140.

46 Soorah as-Sajdah 32:9, and 38:72.

47 Soorah al-Hijr 15:29 and Soorah Saad 38:72.

48 Soorah al-Anbiyaa 21:91 and Soorah at-Tahreem 66:12.

49 Soorah Taahaa 20:22.

50 Tayseer al-'Azeez al-Hameed, pp.84-5.

51 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:105.

52 Soorah al-A'raaf 7:73.

53 Soorah al-Baqarah 2:125.

54 Soorah al-Fajr 89:30.

55 Soorah al-Israa 17:85.

56 Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:47.

57 Soorah Aal'Imraan 3:59.

58 See the Chapter on Seeing Allaah, p.136 of this work for further detail on this
point.

59 Collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Al-Bukhari, (Arabic - English), vol.4, pp. 290-1

no.430) and Muslim. (Sahih Muslim, (English Trans.) vol.4, p.1391, no.6390).

60 Soorah as-Saaffaat 37:96.

61 Soorah al-Anfaal 8:17.

62 Soorah Maryam 19:17.

63 Soorah Taahaa 20:14.

64 Soorah al-Maa'oon 107: 5-7.

65 al-'Aqeedah at-Tahaaweeyah p. 394.

66 Soorah az-Zumar 39:42.

67 Collected by Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol.2, p. 437 no.2005).

68 Soorah al-Fajr 89:27-30.

RECAPTURING ISLAM FROM THE PACIFISTS

This essay is in response to some widely-broadcast transcripts of interviews

with Hamza Yusuf, plus three recent articles available at www.masud.co.uk

1. A Time for Introspection by Hamza Yusuf, first published in Q-News.

2. Making the World Safe for Terrorism by Nuh Ha Mim Keller
3. Recapturing Islam from the Terrorists by Abdal-Hakim Murad

All three writers seem to take it for granted that Muslims were responsible for the
events of September 11th, and two of them go on to indulge in the usual Wahhabi-
bashing whilst the most moderate of them limits himself to holier-than-thou
condemnations of “turbaned khawarij extremists.”

All this, despite the fact that no credible evidence of Muslim involvement has been
produced so far. On the contrary, we have airline passenger lists, which have no
Muslim names. Several “suicide hijackers” are actually alive or died years ago. We
have eight flight and data recorders, the contents of which are not being revealed –
we are told most of them have perished in precisely the conditions that they were
designed and tested to withstand! However, a paper passport (on a domestic flight!)
escapes a plane crash, fireball, the collapse of the world’s tallest skyscrapers and the
resulting mountain of rubble, conveniently landing a few blocks away, to be picked
up by the FBI. (Perhaps our philosopher-mystics’ omitting learning the physical
sciences and engineering, in order to avoid becoming terrorists, explains their
inability to critically evaluate the official explanations of the physically-astounding
collapse of one of the world’s great engineering accomplishments.) We have
a ludicrous five-page “last instructions” document in unconvincing Arabic that is
clearly a fabrication, yet even Robert Fisk ignores his own advice to journalists to
“call a spade a spade” and falls short of stating this obvious fact. Tony Blair’s
“incontrovertible evidence” has only been seen by him, and the “flood of evidence”
he later claimed seems to be contained within the White House and 10 Downing
Street – some flood! The whole business is very reminiscent of the Pharaonic
methods, for the U.S. Government and President continually furnish striking
resemblances to the descriptions of the Pharaoh and his end-of-time equivalent, the
Dajjal Anti-Christ, in the divinely- revealed sources of Islam.

Then Pharaoh sent heralds To all the Cities: “These are truly but a small band, and
they have provoked us; But we are a multitude alert (Warsh: prepared) …” [Surat
al-Shu’ara’, 26:54- 57]

Thus did he (Pharaoh) make fools of his people, And they obeyed him: “Truly they
were a people rebellious.” [Surat al-Zukhruf, 43:54]
This assumption of Muslim guilt without proof goes against basic Islamic adab, let
alone the peaks of spiritual behavior about which some Sufis often speak but rarely
actualize, and is a case of dreadful su’ al-zann: to hold the worst suspicion about
fellow-Muslims. Further, assumption of guilt until proven innocent is totally opposite
to the Infinite Justice enshrined in Islamic Law. It would thus seem that in certain
quarters, the twin-towers of Tasawwuf and Fiqh have also collapsed in spectacular
fashion.

Sayyiduna ‘Ali, when asked about the khawarij whom he fought fiercely, famously
said, “They are our brothers, who have rebelled against us,” and refrained from
pronouncing takfir upon them. However, just as the CNN- generation molded by
bigoted Western media will swallow lies that demonize Muslims, some people molded
by bigoted Muslim magazines will swallow lies and pseudo-arguments that demonize
“Wahhabis” as khawarij. One writer even goes as far as calling for takfir upon
“Wahhabi ultras” whom he assumes are the “terrorists”, justifying this attitude with
the strange evidence (from an Islamic viewpoint) of Christian practice with regard to
David Koresh. Can we find no other people from whom to take a cue? Certainly no
Sunni scholar has ever declared takfir on the basis of murder, even mass-murder,
from which tawbah is possible. Who is closer to being a takfir-bandying khawariji
here?

Murad claims that all those who supported the “terroristic acts” (without
distinguishing between the military installation in Washington and the civilian
usurious installation in New York) were of the “Wahhabi persuasion.” Yet there were
people celebrating the events of September11th on one international Sufi electronic
mailing-list, whilst in contrast another contributor there attempted to justify the
horrific nuclear holocaust perpetrated by the terrorist US government on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki.

As an aside, no “Sufi” has been able to provide a satisfactory definition of “Wahhabi”,

a term which is sometimes used interchangeably with “Salafi” and sometimes as a
wider brush to include all Salafi (in the sense of Ahl al- Hadith), Ikhwan and
Deobandi reformist and revivalist movements. The fact remains that no Muslim calls
themselves “Wahhabi”, a label employed as a term of abuse by many ignorant Sufis.

Keller repeats the old claim that the “Wahhabi sect” has “not been around for more
than two and a half centuries.” As the seasoned Wahhabi-bashers usually point out
themselves, the movement of Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdul Wahhab was a revival
inspired by that of Ibn Taymiyyah (661-728 H). So perhaps the “Wahhabi sect” has
been around for seven centuries? Or could it be that there have always been
Muslims around who have maintained the purest worship of Allah, without invoking
complicated arguments and fabricated ahaadeeth to justify strange rituals and
concepts borrowed from corrupted Eastern and Western religions?

Murad accuses the Taliban of shifting away from “traditional Islam” towards “Ibn
Taymiyyah’s position”, as though one of the greatest Hanbali scholars, if not the
greatest after Imam Ahmad himself, was not a “traditional Muslim”! This new-wave
mantra of “traditional Islam, traditional Muslim” is belied by institutions and
movements that pay lip- service to the Four Madhhabs, yet conspicuously exclude
the Hanbali madhhab, with all its outstanding scholars, from their curriculum.

It is true that Hamza Yusuf, in his talk at the Kensington Town Hall in October 2001,
where the chair unjustly introduced him by putting bigoted words into his mouth,
apologized for being “too harsh against his brothers” in his above-mentioned article,
after being prompted by one of the salihun in a dream he had. No such apology is
likely to be forthcoming from fanatical Sufis, however, for bigotry is a veil upon the
heart which keeps people entrenched in sectarianism, a state of being which, in
Qur'ânic terms, is the way of the mushrikun while the Messenger, blessings and
peace be upon him, has nothing to do with it in the least, despite the claims of
ardent love for the Best of Creation. In any case, the damage had already been
done, since these articles only helped to justify the savage US bombing of
Afghanistan; Tony Blair was very quick to cite Muslim condemnation of the “terrorists
behind September 11th” in defense of his slavery to US foreign policy.

Murad calls for the adoption of a Ghazalian position, rather than an Ibn Taymiyyan
one, worldwide. This oft-repeated dichotomy is superficial and unhelpful. As Hamza
Yusuf states in one of his lectures, in response to people who will only read one or
other of these great Imams, “Read both!” (a moderate position similar to that of the
late Egyptian Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali, formerly of the Ikhwan). There are
more than two great thinkers in our history: there are thousands. We need creative
syntheses of all positive strands of thought from our rich intellectual history to deal
with our unique predicament.

Furthermore, the Ibn Taymiyyan viewpoint also allows for non-Muslims who do not
hear the message of Islam to be admitted to Paradise. In our current situation, the
absence of military experience from the Ghazalian worldview is significant. As
Shaykh Asim Baytar, son of the Shaykh Bahjat al-Baytar, says in his introduction to
Maw’izat al-Mu’minin, the muhaddith Jamaluddin al-Qasimi’s abridgement of the
Ihya’,

“Here I must refer to two critical issues: Firstly, that al-Ghazali in all his works does
not refer at all, neither directly nor indirectly, to the Crusader War against the land
of al-Sham; that savage war in which sanctities were transgressed upon, lands were
destroyed and human dignities violated, placing the sword of transgression, injustice
and enmity upon the neck of peaceful Muslims. Secondly, that al-Ghazali in his
magnificent work Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din did not devote a section for Jihad in order to
explain its virtue, nay its necessity, and that it is an individual obligation upon every
capable Muslim when the Muslim lands are invaded and their enemy attacks them in
their own territories. Did al-Ghazali ignore these two issues because he disconnected
himself from the world of men and followed the path of those striving hard for the
Hereafter through separation, isolation and taking account of the self? Or did he
ignore them because what befell the Muslims was a just punishment upon them from
Allah due to their falling short in His rights, their taking to disobedience and sins, the
deafening of their ears to the voice of guidance and truth; and that the way to
removing the confusion and lifting the tribulation was by returning to the essence of
the religion, and by following the way of the Chief of the Messengers, and his
companions, the blazing steeds? For Allah says, ‘If you help Allah, He will help you,
and strengthen your footing.’ [Surat Muhammad, 47:7] Whatever may be said in
justifying al-Ghazali’s silence on these two matters, one does not cease to be
amazed at his stance regarding them in a time when the Ummah needed, as much
as ever, fighting talk plus expenditure of effort, wealth and lives in defending lands
and sanctities.”

In contrast, Ibn Taymiyyah says at the beginning of his Manaqib al-Sham wa Ahlih
(Virtues of al-Sham and Its People), explaining his reason for composing the treatise
in the midst of events of the years 700-702 H, when Damascus was successfully
defended against the ravaging Mongol army that had sacked Baghdad and was
aiming for the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in order to deal a fatal blow to
Islam itself, “There are many virtues of al- Sham and its people established by the
Book, the Sunnah and the traditions of the people of knowledge, and this is one of
the things I relied upon in my encouraging the Muslims to fight the Tatars, my order
to them to remain in Damascus, my forbidding them from fleeing to Egypt, and my
inviting the Egyptian military to Syria and consolidating the Syrian military already
there …” Ibn Taymiyyah ends the treatise thus, “Indeed, the fulfillment of these
Prophetic texts became apparent in the most complete manner during our Jihad
against the Tatars. Allah manifested for the Muslims the truth of that which we had
promised them, and the barakah of that with which we had commanded them. This
was a magnificent victory, the like of which the Muslims had not seen [in that age]:
the imposing edifice of the Tatar kingdom, that had humiliated the people of Islam,
was never routed or defeated the way it was defeated at the gate of Damascus in the
great battle [of Shaqhab] during which Allah showered upon us so many of His
favors that we cannot enumerate them, neither generally nor specifically.”

Thus spoke the scholar and soldier, (himself an impressive philosopher as shown in
his critique of Greek logic, abridged by Imam al-Suyuti and translated into English by
Wael Hallaq), in contrast to the philosopher- mystic. We need both perspectives,
both inspirations, but each according to the situation. In times of war, a general
does not talk to his troops about the “moral ambiguities” of their predicament, and
does not philosophize about relationships between orgasm and mystical experiences.

The above difference between the Ghazalian and Ibn Taymiyyan viewpoints, and the
total lack of military experience of some writers, may explain statements such as
“Jihad is not used with a military meaning in the Qur’an. Not once.” This statement
is so outrageous that husn al-zann requires us to assume that it is a journalist’s
misquote, or a transcription error. Surely someone as learned as Shaykh Hamza
Yusuf could not have said it? The analysis also explains statements such as, “One of
the unseen, unsung triumphs of true Islam in the modern world is its complete
freedom from any terroristic involvement … No-one has ever heard of Sufi
terrorism.” Since the U.S. now defines any legitimate resistance struggle or jihad as
“terrorism”, the above statement says that no-one has heard of sufi jihad, which is
true enough, at least recently. Whilst thousands of “Wahhabis” from around the
world sacrificed comfortable family lives, risked, and indeed laid down, their lives for
the Defence of Bosnia, many sufis could only continue to Dance and Sing in “dhikr”
and celebrate the milad of the Beloved Prophet who physically led dozens of military
expeditions for ten years starting from the age of 53, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace; the Prophet who said, “The Garden is beneath the shade of swords,” and
did not say, “We have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad: the jihad
against the self,” for the latter statement is that of the Successor, Ibrahim Ibn Abi
‘Ablah, as categorically stated by the hafiz of hadith Ibn Hajar al- ‘Asqalani, and
therefore needs to be understood in context. Jihad and Qital, terms used
interchangeably in our traditional heritage of hadeeth and fiqh, have associated with
them certain ahwal and maqamat, to use Sufi terminology, just as for any other
outward act of worship. The inward states in this case relate to observing military
and spiritual discipline, conquering the fear of the enemy and death, the longing to
return to one’s family and normal occupation, and the impulses of ostentation and
worldly partisanship. Clearly, if people were really engaged seriously in the inward
“greater jihad”, they would find it very easy to perform the outward “lesser jihad.”

Whilst the “Wahhabi ultras” helped, and in many cases spearheaded, the Bosnian
Muslim forces’ astonishing victories which swept across the country and sent the U.S.
scurrying to finally halt the war with the Dayton accords, now that Muslim armies
were actually gaining the upper hand, some Sufi writers were busy in their jihad of
mocking Wahhabi trouser-lines from the safety of their Oxbridge ivory towers. The
same story is repeated in Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and probably in future cases
of Muslim peoples rising up against oppression. Whilst the Western Allies honor their
war- dead over the last century, some of us continually insult the memory of the
brave men and women who fell as shuhada’ by rubbishing the movements that
motivated them.

Murad hopes for a “crisis among ‘moderate Wahhabis’ … a mass exodus from
Wahhabism.” On the contrary, we should hope for a mass exodus from the
numerous competing and divided versions of pseudo-Sufism on offer, to authentic
forms of spirituality. Many ‘moderate Sufis’ must surely be appalled by the pacifism,
naivety, neo-Christian toothlessness and capitulation to the kafir political agenda
displayed by some of those who claim to speak for the essence of Islam. The
dangerous outburst against“95% of American mosques” by the head of the self-
styled sufi Supreme Islamic Council of North America, at the State Department can
only have helped to confirm the “terrorist” stereotype of ordinary American Muslims,
and Muslim organizations were right to condemn this irresponsible intervention. The
sufi Grand Mufti of Chechnya is a Russian agent co-operating with an army that has
used chemical weapons against his people. Similar is the case of the active sufi
Italian “Islamic” center, in reality a Zionist organization, a passionate supporter of
the state of Israel and critic of the Intifada. To be fair, it must be admitted that sufis
with deep awareness of international politics do disown these figures, and complain
of the absence of sufi involvement in jihad since the Second World War.

It is time to recall those moving lines of poetry written from the front line by Imam
‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, the great muhaddith, faqih, zahid, mujahid, warrior-poet,
pupil of Imam Abu Hanifah and shaykh of Imam al-Bukhari, to Fudayl b. ‘Iyad al-
Tamimi, the great ‘abid, shaykh of the Makkan haram, pupil of Imam al-Shafi’i:

"Ya ‘abid al-Haramayni law absartana La ‘alimta annaka bi l-‘ibadati tal’

abu Man yakhdubu khaddahu bi dumu’ihi Fa nuhuruna bi l-dima’i
tatakhaddabu"

O worshipper at the Two Sanctuaries, were you to see us You would know
that your worship is mere play, frivolous; O you who stains his cheek with
pious fears, Our chests are weeping bloody tears.

The tradition of Islamic warrior-poets, widely manifested in Companions such as

Hassan ibn Thabit, Thumamah ibn Uthal and Khalid ibn Walid’s versatile commander
al-Qa’qa’ ibn ‘Amr al-Tamimi, continues to this day. Ironically, both Ibn al-Mubarak
and Ibn ‘Iyad are claimed by some as Sufis. Comparing their situation with our
present, it would appear that Sufism today remains, in the words of Imam Junayd of
Baghdad, “a name without a reality” – a fact often acknowledged by Sufis
themselves.

Murad is surely right in saying that the keys to success are spirituality, toleration and
wisdom. We also need to recover the Qur'ânic character of being humble and
merciful towards the believers, and dignified and severe against the non-believers,
rather than being tolerant of a shockingly- materialistic culture of dehumanizing
immorality at the same time as we are “vehement and adversarial” amongst
ourselves. We must especially move on to discuss our differences maturely, rather
than hiding behind puerile name- calling, stereotypes and superficial discussions of
theological and jurisprudential matters. The approach of Hamza Yusuf, who said in
one lecture, “If the Wahhabis think you’re a Sufi, and the Sufis think you’re a
Wahhabi, then you’re somewhere along the right lines,” must be welcomed. More
interaction is needed between people of ‘ilm and ‘amal from all persuasions. Where
are the muhaddithin and fuqaha’ training with the mujahidin and advising them?
Fanaticism and extremism occurs amongst all persuasions, and must be rejected,
whether it is from “Wahhabis” or “Sufis” or anyone else.

We must ask Allah, especially as the blessings of Ramadan are almost upon us, to
open the hearts of Muslims everywhere to the realization that all dignity and honor
belong to Allah, His Messenger, and the mu’minun, never mind that the munafiqun
do not know; that our wali is Allah, then His Messenger and the people of iman who
establish the salat and pay the zakat with humility, and that if we are truly loyal to
Allah, His Messenger and the people of iman, then the Party of Allah will surely be
the Victorious.

Usama Hasan,
London,
28th Sha’ban 1422 / 14th November, 2001.

THE REFUTATION OF MANY OF THE SUFI AHAADEETH BY SHEIKHUL ISLAM

IBN TAYMIYYAH

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about the words which were narrated from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “My heaven and my
earth could not contain Me, but the heart of My believing slave contains
Me”?

He replied: Praise be to Allaah.

What they mentioned is from the Israa’eeliyyaat [reports narrated from Jewish
sources], no isnaad is known for it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). What it means is that Allaah puts love and knowledge of Himself in
the heart of His slave.

The report, “The heart is the house of the Lord” is like the first report. The heart is
the home or seat of faith in Allaah and of knowledge and love of Him.

They reported the words, “I was an unknown treasure and I wanted to be known, so
I created mankind and taught them about Myself so that they would know Me.”
These are not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
and I know of no isnaad for this, either saheeh (sound) or da’eef (weak).

They reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Allaah created reason, and said to it, ‘Come here,’ and it came. He said to it, ‘Go
there,’ and it went. He said, ‘By My Glory and Majesty, I have not created anything
more noble than you. I shall reward and punish because of you.’” This hadeeth is
baatil (false) and mawdoo’ (fabricated) according to the consensus of hadeeth
scholars.
They narrate the words, “Love of this world is the root of all evil.” This is known from
Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Bajali, but there is no known isnaad from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

They report the words, “This world is merely a step for the believing man.” This is
not known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from the
salaf of this ummah or its imams.

They report the words, “Whoever is blessed with a thing, let him stick with it” and,
“Whoever commits himself to something, let him stick with it.” The first report was
narrated from one of the salaf. The second report is baatil (false), for whoever
commits himself to something may have to stick to it or he may not, according to
what Allaah and His Messenger have commanded.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Do
favours for the poor, for tomorrow they will have authority, and what authority!”
and, “Poverty is my pride and I boast of it.” Both of these are lies and are not known
in any way in the well known books of the Muslims.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am
the city of knowledge and ‘Ali is its gate.” This hadeeth is da’eef (weak); indeed it is
mawdoo’ (fabricated) according to the scholars of hadeeth. It was narrated by al-
Tirmidhi and others, but it is a lie.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The
poor will sit down on the Day of Resurrection, and [Allaah] will say, ‘By My Glory and
Majesty, I did not deprive you of worldly things because you are insignificant. Rather
I wanted to raise your status on this Day. Go to the place where the people are
standing, and whoever gave you a piece of bread, or water to drink, or clothes to
wear, take him to Paradise.’” The shaykh said: this report is a lie which was not
narrated by any of the scholars of hadeeth. It is baatil (false) and goes against the
Qur’aan and Sunnah and scholarly consensus (ijmaa’).

They report that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
came to Madeenah, the daughters of al-Najjaar came out with daffs (hand-drums)
and sang “Tala’a al-Badru ‘alayna min thaniyyat al-Widaa”, and the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them, “Shake your
tambourines, may Allaah bless you.” The hadeeth about women beating the daff on
joyous occasions is saheeh, and this was done at the time of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is not known that he said,
“Shake your tambourines.”

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “O
Allaah, You have brought me out of the place which is most beloved to me, so cause
me to dwell in the place which is most beloved to You.” This hadeeth is also baatil
(false), although it was narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others. Rather he said to
Makkah, “You are the most beloved part of Allaah’s land to me.” And he said, “You
are the most beloved land to Allaah.”

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever visits me and my father Ibraaheem in one year will enter Paradise.” This is
a fabricated lie which was not narrated by any of the scholars of hadeeth.
They report that a Bedouin prayed (quickly), pecking (like a bird) in his prayer. ‘Ali
(may Allaah be pleased with him) said, “Do not peck in your prayer.” The Bedouin
said, “O ‘Ali, if your father had pecked in prayer he would not have entered Hell.”
This is a lie.

They report that ‘Umar killed his father. This is a lie, for his father died before the
mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) began.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I
was a Prophet when Adam was between the water and the clay. I was a Prophet
when Adam was neither water nor clay.” This wording is false.

They report the words, “The bed of a single man is fire. Poor is the man who has no
woman and the woman who has no man.” These are not the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

It was narrated that when Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) built the Ka’bah, he
prayed one thousand rak’ahs in each corner, then Allaah revealed to him, “O
Ibraaheem, this is not like feeding a hungry man or clothing a man who cannot cover
his ‘awrah.” This is obviously a lie, and it is not known in the books of the Muslims.

They narrate the words, “Do not despise tribulation, for it will reap the hypocrites.”
These words are not known from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).

They narrate the words, “Whoever teaches his brother an aayah from the Book of
Allaah becomes his master.” This is a lie which is not known at all in the books of the
scholars.

They narrate that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “I
looked at the sins of my ummah and I did not find any greater sin than that of one
who learns an aayah then forgets it.” If this hadeeth is saheeh, what is meant is
forgetting in the sense of not reciting. The wording of the hadeeth is: “Among the
sins of my ummah is that of a man to whom Allaah gave an aayah of the Qur’aan,
but he neglected it until he forgot it.” This forgetting means turning away from the
Qur’aan and not believing in it or acting upon it. With regard to neglecting to study it
until one forgets it, this is a sin.

They report the words, “One aayah of the Qur’aan is better than Muhammad and the
family of Muhammad. The Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, revealed not created, and
there is nothing like it.” This wording was not reported from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Whoever learns something beneficial and conceals it from the Muslims, Allaah will
bridle him with reins of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” A similar meaning is to be
found in al-Sunan: the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
“Whoever is asked about a matter of [Islamic] knowledge which he knows but he
conceals it, Allaah will bridle him with reins of fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
“When you come to talk about disputes which took place among my companions, be
quiet. When you come to talk about the Divine will and decree (al-qadaa’ wa’l-
qadar), keep quiet.” This was reported with munqati’ (broken or interrupted)
isnaads.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to
Salmaan al-Farsi when he was eating grapes, “Du, du,” meaning eat them two by
two. These are not the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him); this is baatil (false).

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
“Whoever commits zina (fornication) with a woman and she gives birth to a girl, the
fornicator may marry his daughter who was born as a result of zina.” This was said
by those who were not among the companions of al-Shaafa’i. Some of them
attributed it to al-Shaafa’i, and some of the companions of al-Shaafa’i denied that he
said that. They said, he did not state that this is permitted, but he did state that this
is permissible in the case of radaa’ah (breastfeeding), if he breastfed from the milk
of a woman who got pregnant as a result of zina. Most of the scholars, such as
Ahmad, Abu Haneefah and others, are agreed that this is haraam, and this is the
stronger of the two opinions narrated in the madhhab of Maalik.

They report the words, “the most deserving thing for which you take payment is the
Book of Allaah.” Yes, it is proven that [the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)] said, “The most deserving thing for which you take payment is the Book
of Allaah,” but that was in the hadeeth about ruqyah (reciting Qur’aan and du’aa’s
for the purpose of healing), and the reward was for the recovery of that sick person,
not for the recitation.

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,
“Whoever mistreats a dhimmi (a Jew or Christian living under Islamic rule), Allaah
will be his opponent on the Day of Resurrection” or “I will be his opponent on the
Day of Resurrection.” This is da’eef (weak). What is known from him is that he said:
“Whoever kills a mu’aahid (member of a kaafir nation which has a peace treaty with
the Muslims) for no lawful reason will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

They report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Whoever lights a lamp in the mosque, the angels and the bearers of the Throne will

not cease to pray for forgiveness for him so long as the light of that lamp is shining

in the mosque.” I know of no isnaad for this from the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allaah be upon him).

Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 5/88-93

 A CLARIFICATION OF DOUBTS REGARDING
WAHDATUL WUJOOD

By al-'Allaamah Ibn Abil 'Izz al-Hanafee Translated by Maaz Qureshi Source

:TROID.org

Al Allaamah Ibn Abil 'Izz al-Hanafee said:[1]

"So verily the deniers of Allaah's Attributes enter the denial of the Attributes [into]
the naming of Tawheed, such as Jahm Ibn Safwaan [2] and his followers. For verily
they say, "Affirming the Attributes necessitates that Al Waajib[ 3] is numerous." And
this statement is known by necessity to be corrupt. For verily the affirmation of a
thing in an abstract sense from all of the Attributes means one cannot picture it
existing outside of that. And the mind will only be left thinking that it does not exist,
and that is the most extreme form of ta'teel (denial). And this statement has led
people to statements of Allaah being everywhere and in everything. And this is worse
than the disbelief of the Christians. For verily the Christians specified it to the
Messiah (Jesus), but these people use it universally on all of the creation.

And from the implications of this kind of Tawheed: is the belief that Fir'awn and his
people completed Eemaan, knowing Allaah on the reality.

And from it's implications: is that the worshippers of idols are on truth and reward,
and verily they only worship Allaah and not other than Him.

And from it's implications: is that there is no difference between forbiddance, and
permissibility, between the mother, and the sister, and the strange woman. And
there is no difference between water and intoxicants (khamr), and adultery and
marriage. And it implies that everything i from one source. No, rather He is that one
source.

And from it's implications: is that the prophets were oppressive to their nations.

And Allaah is far above what they say, a great Highness!!" [End of Ibn Abil 'Izz's
words]

Footnotes:

[1] This is a brief discussion on the deviated concept of Wahdatul Wujood (the
oneness of existence) by the great scholar Ibn Abil 'Izz al-Hanafee. It is taken from
Sharhul Aqeedatut Tahaawiyyah (p.78-79). The page references are to Shaykh al
Albaanee's authentication of the book.

[2] He is Abu Muharraz Jahm Ibn Safwaan as-Samarkandee. The misguided

innovator.

[3] The reason the Imaam Ibn Abil 'Izz used the term al-Waajib when quoting the
Jahmees is because of their usage of the terms "Waajibul Wujood", and "Mumkinul
Wujood" etc... They used to use these terms to somehow try to justify the
pantheistic concept of Wahdatul Wujood.
 IN DEFIANCE OF THE QUR'AN AND SUNNAH

The following are excerpts and quotations from well-known Sufi works presented
along with corresponding beliefs from outside the fold of Islam. Relevant texts from
the Qur'ân and the Sunnah are also quoted for the sake of comparison, so that
Muslims may judge for themselves whether Sufi beliefs are Islamic or not. Each
quotation is footnoted with the reference from which it is taken.

The Sufis claim: "The ways unto God are as numerous as the number of creatures in
the world". Ibn Mas'ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.s) made a straight line on the ground with his hand, then he said, 'This
is the straight way of Allah.' Then he made (short) line on each side of the straight
line; then he said, 'These (short) lines, each one has a Shaytaan inviting people to
it.' Then he recited the verse: meaning, 'And this is My path straight. So follow
it, and do not follow (other) ways, lest they lead you away from My path.'

Allah the Exalted says: "His footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth. "The
Prophet (s.a.w.s) said: "The seven heavens by the side of the kursi (footstool) are
naught but as a ring thrown down in a desert land, and such is the Kursi with respect
to the Arsh (the Divine Throne).

The sufis say: "When you unite with the Beloved (God), then there is neither
command nor prohibition in matters of religion. Sufis habitually reject the doctrine of
"the fear of God, the wrath of the Day of Judgment, the fury of the Hell-Fire and the
promise of Jannah." Faith based on coercion, they say, is slavery, and God has
created man with mind, free will and love. Therefore, the mainspring of Sufism is
love not fear and obedience to the religious laws.

Allah the Supreme describes His Prophets, saying: meaning, "They used to vie with
one another in good deeds, and they called on Us in hope (for rewards) and in fear
(of punishment)." Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.s) said: "When one
of you finishes reciting the last tashah-hud (in prayer, and just before making
tasleem), let him seek Allah's protection from four things: from the torment of Hell-
Fire, from the torture of the grave, from the afflictions of life and death, and from
the affliction of the pseudo-Christ (ad-Dajjal)."

Abu Hurairah also said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s) said to a man, 'What do
you say, (ask Allah for) in your prayer?' The man said, 'I recite tashah-hud, then I
ask Allah for Jannah and seek protection of Him from the Fire; by Allah, I do not
know you dendeneh (making du'a in a low and faint voice) nor the dendaneh of
Mu'aadth.' The Prophet (s.a.w.s) replied, 'We make dendeneh about these two
things.'"

Allah the Exalted describes His believers thus: meaning, "Verily those who fear their
Lord with reverence, and those who believe in the signs of the Lord, and those who
ascribe no partners to their Lord, and those who give what they give while their
hearts are full of fear, because to their Lord they will return."

Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, inquired about the verse, "Those who give
what they give..." saying, "O Messenger of Allah! Is it those who steal and commit
fornication are fearful?" He said, "Nay, daughter of (Abu Bakr) As-Siddiq, rather,
those who fast and pray who are afraid (that their acts of worship may not be
accepted by Allah).

Allah the Exalted says: meaning, "Say (to men, O Muhammad!), 'If you love Allah,
then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins." Thus the love of Allah
necessitates following the commands of the Messenger of Allah with hope for reward
and fear of punishment in the Hereafter.

Jalal-uddin al-Rumi (d. 1273), an infamous Sufi philosopher, in his book Masnawi,
confirms his belief in the theory of evolution. The following lines are recognized as
the central theme of Rumi's work:
"I died as mineral and became a plant,
I died as a plant and rose to an animal,
I died as an animal and I was a man.

What became the darwinian theory states that the origin of species is derived by
descent, with variation from parent forms. In other words, man, according to the
theory of Darwin and contrary to what Allah confirms in the Qur'an, was not created
as a separate species.

Allah the Exalted says: meaning, "Verily, We created man from an extract of clay.
Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a safe depository."

MANIFEST AND HIDDEN KNOWLEDGE

Three fundamentals of Sufism which are innovations not sanctioned

by the Qur'an or the Sunnah:

 The division of knowledge into exoteric, or manifest, esoteric, or hidden;

 The division of Islam into shari'ah (religious sciences) and the sciences of
truth; and

 the addition to Islam of the Sufi order as the path leading to the truth.

Manifest knowledge and the sciences of jurisprudence, they assert, belong to the
theologians and scholars of the general run of ordinary Muslims, whereas the hidden
knowledge and the knowledge of truth are reserved for the Sufi priests, who
preferred to call themselves the elite. They who claim the right to interpret the
Qur'anic verses and Prophetic traditions in ways not only different from the apparent
meanings, but contradict them.

All these dichotomies of knowledge are blameworthy innovations, of which the

Prophet (s.a.w.s) said:
"The practicing or upholding innovations in religion leads to Hell-Fire." He
also said, "He who introduces into our religion unwarranted things shall be
rejected."

Sufis support the innovative dichotomies by citing the abnormal things done by al-
Khidhr when Musa was in his company, such as making a hole in a ship, killing a boy
and restoring a falling wall, as chronicled in surat al-Kahf (18.60-82). They justify
Musa's objections to al-Khidhr's deed on the grounds that Musa had acquired
exoteric or manifest knowledge only, while al-Khidr was one of the elite possessed
esoteric or hidden knowledge.

The Sufis do not realize that whatever al-Khidhr did was in accordance with Divine
revelation, nor do they know that Musa's objections were due to the fact that his
Divine Laws were different from al-Khidhr's. That is why al-Khidhr responded to Musa
by saying,

"I have knowledge given to me by Allah which you do not know, and you have other
knowledge given to you by Allah which I do not know,"

whereupon Musa acquiesced.

The Message of Islam makes no distinction between exoteric and esoteric, because
they are the same. It abrogated all previous messages and religions. Those who
founded Sufism and introduced it to Muslims as pure Islam meant to turn the Muslim
nation into a static, dependent, indifferent and ascetic nation, living in poverty and
degredation. They have opened the door to a host of clandestine and secretive sects
to promote their perverse dogmas. They use esoterism as a pretext for
misinterpreting the Qur'an and Sunnah, in order to drive Muslims away from sound
religious knowledge, as indicated by some Sufi zealot, who consider knowledge as a
hindrance in the way of the murid and a curtain which blocks his vision, "I prefer that
the beginner (murid) does not occupy his mind with these three things: earning his
living, seeking the Prophetic traditions or learning how to read and write, so that his
worries may be confined."

What does it mean when a Muslim does not read or write? It means he does not
learn, and if he does not, how, then, can he worship Allah in the manner that would
qualify him to become His constant servant and His favourite? Al-Junaid's assertion
actually means that the murid is to be kept ignorant and "pure" enough to occupy
himself with dthikr or wird< , so that he may join the ranks of those who receive
"direct revelation from God," i.e. esoteric knowledge.

Thus the murid becomes content with esoteric knowledge in lieu of exoteric, and with
knowledge of the hidden "truth" in lieu of Shari'ah, and therefore lives in both
ignorance and apostasy, without piety or Eemaan.

ARE WE ALLOWED TO CREATE NEW TYPES AND STYLES OF ADHKAAR

(REMEMBRANCES OF ALLAH E.G. SUBHANALLAH) AND DUAA
(SUPPLICATIONS)

SHAYKH AL-ISLAM IBN TAYMIYYAH (MAY ALLAAH HAVE MERCY ON HIM)

SAID: “NO DOUBT ADHKAAR AND DU’AA’S ARE AMONG THE BEST FORMS OF
WORSHIP, AND WORSHIP IS ONE OF THE MATTERS IN WHICH THERE IS NO ROOM
FOR PERSONAL OPINIONS – WE HAVE TO FOLLOW WHAT THE PROPHET (PEACE
AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) DID AND TAUGHT, NOT OUR OWN
WHIMS AND DESIRES OR INNOVATIONS. THE DU’AA’S AND ADHKAAR OF THE
PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAAH BE UPON HIM) ARE THE BEST THAT
ANYONE COULD FIND. THE ONE WHO FOLLOWS THIS WAY WILL BE SAFE AND
SOUND, AND THE BENEFITS AND POSITIVE RESULTS THAT HE WILL GAIN ARE
BEYOND DESCRIPTION. ANY OTHER DU’AA’S AND ADHKAAR MAY BE HARAAM OR
THEY MAY BE MAKROOH; THEY MAY INVOLVE SHIRK EVEN THOUGH MOST PEOPLE
DO NOT REALIZE THAT – THE DETAILS OF THIS WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO
EXPLAIN HERE.

No one has the right to teach the people any kinds of du’aa’s or adhkaar apart from
those that are mentioned in the Sunnah, or to make it a kind of regular worship
which he expects the people to do regularly as they do the five daily prayers – this is
the innovation in religion which Allaah does not allow… As for adopting a wird or
regularly reciting a dhikr that is not prescribed in sharee’ah, this is one of the things
that is not allowed. The du’aa’s and adhkaar prescribed by sharee’ah are the best
that anyone could ever hope to find, and no one ignores them in favour of newly-
invented, innovated adhkaar except one who is ignorant, negligent or a
wrongdoer.” (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 22/510-511).

And Allaah knows best

A REPLY TO THE CLAIMS THAT IMAAM AS-SUYOOTEE

SUPPORTED THE PRACTICE OF SUBHAH

Prepared by Abu Khaliyl Ja'ad Ibn Sylvester

[The following is an objection regarding Subhah using Imaam As-Suyootee as a

proof, which is answered by brother Abu Khaliyl]

QUESTION: "...My concern is focused on the article that was printed in the August
1997 issue. A Muslim asked a question regarding Dhikr bead, or subhah while
reciting Tasbiyyah. The reply coming from Muhammad Al Jibaaly was that it was a
Bid'ah. He further stated that the Prophet taught us to make tasbeeh
with our right hand. "...My concern is focused on the article that was printed in the
August 1997 issue. A Muslim asked a question regarding Dhikr bead, or subhah while
reciting Tasbiyyah. The reply coming from Muhammad Al Jibaaly was that it was a
Bid'ah. He further stated that the Prophet Muhammad taught us to
make tasbeeh with our right hand.

Jalaal ud Deen As-Suyootee a famous Shaafi'ee Mujtahid Imaam, spoke on the

subject in his book Al Haawi lil Fataawee, Shaykh As-Suyootee states, "Counting the
times one says Subhaan Allaah on ones fingers is is superior to doing so on Dhikr
beads because of the Hadeeth of Ibn Amr, though it has been said that if the person
saying it is safe from mistakes, his fingers are better, however, if not, then saying it
on Dhikr beads is more suitable." Shaykh As-Suyootee further states, "Some of the
most renowned Muslims have used rosaries, those from whom the Religion is taken,
and whom are relied upon, such as Abu Hurayrah who had a string with two
thousand knots in it, and he did not used to sleep except after saying Subhaan
Allaah on it twelve thousand times."

To say this practice is a Bid'ah is at the same time defaming the scholars who have
practiced it over the centuries, Inshaa Allaah, in the future your publication will give
all the opinions when answering a question, and if Ijmaa has not been established,
then give the opinion of what the majority of the fuqahaa hold to."

ANSWER: May Allaah reward you, in response to your inquiry and statements, this
servant of Allaah, who is in sure need of Him, and dependant upon Him, and who
prays for those who preceded us in Faith would reply:

The claim that the one who makes the statements that Subhah is an innovation, has
by that statement defamed the scholars who endorsed it, is not a fair statement,
since most of the scholars who support it are aware that they have to try very hard
to prove it is not an innovation. That is the reason that discussions about it normally
take up so much space. This is due to the nature of innovation, that is a new thing.
So, in order for those who support it as good, in order to prove that it is good, must
argue that it is not in reality new. And when they present their argument, we do not
consider their arguments as defamation against their opponents from amongst the
scholars.

Even the noun, Subhah - from the linguistic point of view - was a fabrication of those
who used it; Ibn Mandthoor said in Lisaan Al Arab, "The Subhah: Beads upon which
one making tasbeeh, counts his tasbeeh. It is a new-fangled [muwalladah] word." In
Taaj Al Aroos, az-Zubaydee said, "And it is a new-fangled [muwalladah] word, as
was said by Al-Azhaaree..." That is, Muwalladah is a word formed by people who
were using something, that there was no word before they made up their word for it.
as explained by Al-Baghdaadee in Khazaanaat Al Arab.

This is according to the linguistic sense. As for the Sharee'ah sense, Allaah said (that
which means):

"This day I have perfected your way of life for you, and have chosen Islaam
as your Religion." [Al-Maa'idah 4]

So in general, any religious act that comes after the death of the
Prophet as the Subhah clearly did, is an innovation. And the scholars
of Ijtihaad are rewarded for their Ijtihaad nevertheless.

The hadeeth of Ibn Amr, which was referenced in the question should be noted for
the benefit of the reader; Abdullaah Ibn Amr said, "I saw Allaah's
messenger counting the tasbeeh on the right
[hand]." Recorded by Abu Daawood, Tirmidthee and others, it is a well
known Saheeh Hadeeth.

Yet, this is not the only Hadeeth from which the scholars determine what is better in
this case. There is for example, whose grade is Hasan, and those who seek reward
from their Lord may act on it, if space permits us to note it. The
Prophet said to Yusayrah (r) that: "You must say the Tahleel,
Tasbeeh, and the Taqdees. Do not forget it, or you will have forgotten the
Mercy. And count them on the fingers for they will be questioned and
interrogated."

And in one narration:

That the Prophet commanded them to count on their fingers,
for they will be questioned and interrogated [about it]" This is a Hasan
Hadeeth recorded by Ahmad, Abu Daawood, Ibn Abee Shaybah, and a
number of others.

The great scholar, Suyootee May Allaah have mercy on him, noted that due to the
hadeeth of Ibn Amr noted above, it is better to count the tasbeeh on ones fingers.
Yet it should be obvious from the second Hadeeth that it is obligatory to do so. Like
wise, the honourable scholar, as-Suyootee noted that "it has been said" (Qeelaa),
that this is better if the person is safe from losing count, whereas if he is not safe
from that, then the beads are more suitable. Then he gave the example of Abu
Hurayrah. We ask Allaah to reward Imaam As-Suyootee for mentioning what has
been said, and we do this out of sincerity.

As a note however, it should be noted that the report alluded to is not one that has
been graded as Saheeh or Hasan, rather it's grade is weak. It is transmitted by
way of Abdul Waahid Ibn Moosaa from Mu'aym Ibn Muharrar Ibn Abee Hurayrah
from his grandfather [Abu Hurayrah], "That he had a string with one thousand knots
on it and he would not sleep until he had done his Tasbeeh on it." There is another
narration whose meaning he has combined into this statement about Abu Hurayrah,
that is reported via Ikrimah from Abu Hurayrah that he said, "Astaghfrullaah" twelve
thousand times, but this report is disconnected after Ikrimah, for he is not known by
the Hadeeth Scholars to have actually heard from Abu Hurayrah. (See Al Inaabah
by Ibn Hajar). Nevertheless, it does not mention Dhikr beads at all. So it has
nothing to do with this discussion either way.

As for the narration about the string with Abu Hurayrah, it is weak because
its chain contains Nu'aym Ibn Muharrar, whose condition among hadeeth
narrators is that of an unknown. It is for this reason that what Suyootee labeled
as "better" - is indeed better - May Allaah reward him - rather there is no
authentic evidence to prove that it was commanded, and otherwise it would
contradict the command, since it has not been authentically reported that the
Prophet nor any of his companions used Dhikr
beads. Furthermore, some of the companions and their followers were reported to
have rejected alternatives to the fingers in this regard.

As for the Hadeeth reported on the Prophet on the authority of Alee

(r) mentioning the Subhah (mentioned here in case one finds it being used as
"evidence") it is a famous weak report. There is a very useful and helpful
discussion of its unknown and fabricating narrators which may be viewed in Silsilah-
Al-Ahaadeeth Ad Da'eefah no. 83 by Al Albaanee.

In summary, to anyone who allows the new-fangled Subhah which contradicts the
command of the Prophet in this matter, we do not claim that these
scholars have 'opposed' the Messenger ! Nor should anyone claim
that those who enforce his command are defaming scholars by doing
so.

As this discussion shows, there are many matters about which the scholars made
differing statements about. If we were to quote all of their arguments and
statements, we would just lead the people into confusion, regarding the way which is
the way of the Sunnah. This is not the objective of our publication. On the other
hand, it is also not our objective to be unfair and one sided. However, when the
issue is centred around a great deal of "So and So" said, and debate, then only the
most proven, and safest position can be endorsed, and the safe way is that of the
command of the Messenger . It is he who we have
been commanded to follow and obey in these matters, and in this case,
he commanded counting the Tasbeeh on the fingers as was noted
before. We ask Allaah to guide us to his way.

CHANTING THE DHIKR/ZIKR/REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH IN UNISON

(JAMA'AH OR CONGREGATION)

The basic principle concerning Dhikr and acts of worship is that there is no room
for adding or subtracting anything. Allaah should only be worshipped in the ways
that He has prescribed; this applies whether it is something that can be done at
any time or something that is limited to a specific time and how it is to be done
and how many times it is to be done. With regard to Dhikrs and Duaa's that Allaah
has prescribed and all kinds of worship that are not limited with regard to time and
numbers, location or a particular way in which they are to be done, it is not
permissible for us to adhere to a particular way, time or number; rather we are to
do these acts of worship without restrictions as it was prescribed.

In matters where it is proven in the words or deeds of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that an action is to be done at a certain time or a
certain number of times or in a certain place or in a certain manner, then we
should worship Allaah in accordance with what has been prescribed. It has not
been proven from the words or deeds or approval of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he recited du'aa in unison with others
following the prayers, or after reading Quran, or following each lesson, whether
that took the form of the Imaam reciting du'aa and the congregation saying
Ameen to his du'aa, or whether they all recited du'aa together in unison. That was
not known at the time of the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs or any of
the Sahabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). Whoever adheres to the practice
of reciting du'aa in unison following the prayers or after reading Quran or after
every lesson has innovated something and introduced into the religion something
which is not a part of it. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of
ours (i.e. Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected.” And he said:
“Whoever does something that is not in accordance with this matter of
ours (Islam) will have it rejected.”

If it were prescribed to adhere to a certain way of doing it, the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his successors (khulafa’) after him would
have adhered to that. We have stated above that no such thing was proven from
him or from his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). All goodness is to
be found in following the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and the guidance of the Rightly-Guided Khulafa’ (may Allaah be
pleased with them); all evil is to be found in going against their guidance and
following the innovated matters against which the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) warned us by saying, “Beware of newly-innovated
matters, for every innovation is misguidance.” May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad and his family and companions, and grant them peace.

Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/178 (The Standing Committee)