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Assalamo Alaykum.
Respected Brothers
Here is a History of Tabligi Jamaat.
There is a group of people who have been visiting Islamic countries and
preaching and advising Muslims under the name Tabligh jamaat. Leaving
India and Pakistan in gangs of three to five persons, these people have been
going all over the world. They say that they try to spread Islam. They claim
to be in the pathof as-Sahaba. Some of them also say that they follow the
Hanafi madhhab and admire Ibn Taymiyya. Though they speak very usefully and
righteously and since the fact that they never mention the names and
words of Islamic scholars and seem to hush up part of the Ahl as-Sunnat
knowledge, they arouse suspicion and sorrow. In the following, the writings
of some of the religious authorities living in India and Pakistan about them
is given:
"They are heretics. They call themselves Jamaat at-tabligh. Their
center is
in Delhi [with large branches in Karachi and Lahore in Pakistan.]
Wherever
they go, they lay very much stress upon performing salat. They give
useful
and necessary religious information. They call these activities of
theirs
'kast' in Urdu language. It is said that their organization
was founded by an Indian named Mawlana Muhammad Ilyas. This man was
born in
Kandla in 1303 A.H. (1886). He was Rashid Ahmad Gangohi's disciple.
It is written on the 43rd and 49th pages of the book Mawlana Ilyas
Uranki
din Dawat by one of Ilyas's close disciples that he stayed near him for
ten
years. When Rashid Ahmad died in 1323 (1905) he was taught by Khalil
Ahmad
Saharanpuri. In his Urdu book, Khalil Ahmad [d. Medina, 1346 (1928)]
says
that the devil is more learned than Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam).
Rashid
Ahmad says on the 51st page of Barahin-i qati'a that Khalil Ahmad's
book was
a blessed one and kept it at the place called 'Bait-i 'ain-i Islam.'
Rashid
Ahmad was the Khalifa of Haji Imdadullah al-Madani [d. Mecca, 1317
(1899)],
and was first taught by Ismail Dahlawi, who wrote on the 38th page of
Taqwiyat al-iman which is the Urdu translation of Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's
Kitab
at-tawhid, 'Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) died and rotted away. He
became
soil. He who believes that he will intercede in Resurrection becomes a
polytheist.' Another tutor of Ilyas was Ashraf 'Ali Tahanawi who also
was a
Khalifa of Haji Imdadullah of the Chishtiyya Tariqa. In the first part
of
his Urdu book Hifz al-iman, he writes very loathsome things which
reduce the
high grade of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) to the low degree of a
child, of
a mad person or of animals. All the four tutors of Ilyas became
unbelievers
because of such writings of theirs in their books. Ilyas praises,
exalts and
excessively respects these unbelievers. He says that they are the most
eminent awliya' of their time. The 114th page of the book Malfuzat-i
Hadrat-i Mawlana Ilyas Rahmatullahi 'alaih is full with such praises.
He
says about his shaikh Rashid Ahmad, 'Had not I seen him, my heart would
not
have attained tranquility. Whenever I woke up at night I would go to
his
room, look at his face and then come back and go to sleep. His love,
like
the blood in my veins, has penetrated everywhere in me.' (pp. 44, 49,
Mawlana Ilyas Uranki). Allahu ta'ala declares in the last ayat of the
surat
al-Mujadala, 'Those who believe in Allahu ta'ala and the Day of
Resurrection
will dislike those [unbelievers] who do not obey Allahu ta'ala and His
Messenger ('alaihi 's-salam). Allahu ta'ala will fill with iman the
hearts
of those who dislike unbelievers even though they were their fathers,
sons,
brothers or relatives.' All the members of Tabligh jamaat exaggerate
and
praise Ilyas and his teachers very much and say 'rahmatullahi 'alaih'
when
they mention or hear their names. They spread their above-mentioned
books
everywhere.
"The Ahl as-Sunnat scholars wrote many books in order to refute the
Tabligh
group and to reveal the fact that they were heretics. They could not
answer
these books at all. Hadrat Mawlana 'Abd al-'Alim Siddiqi wrote that
Ilyas's
teachers were in an endeavor to demolish Islam from within." [This is
written in detail also in the books al-mustanad, Usul al-arba'a fi
tardid
al-Wahhabiyya, ad-dawlat al-Makkiyya and Hediyya-t-ul-Mehdiyyin, which
were
reproduced in Istanbul in 1395 (1975).]
When Ilyas died in 1363 (1949) the successor was his son, Muhammad
Yusuf
Kandhlawi [b. Delhi, 1335 (1917); d. Lahore, buried Delhi, 1394
(1974)].
Yusuf's three-volume book, Hayat-us-Sahaba, was translated into Turkish
and
published in 1395 (1975). Because as-Sahaba are praised much in this
book it
arouses admiration in the reader. But there is a famous saying: "Judge
a man
by his actions, not by his words." One who believes in the superiority
of
as-Sahaba and loves them has to follow in their path, which is the path
shown by the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars. The sign of love for as-Sahaba is
to
learn the fiqh books of one of the four Ahl as-Sunnat madhhabs, to
endeavor
to disseminate this knowledge and to live up to it. Muhammad Yusuf was
succeeded by his son, Shaikh In'am al-Hasan, who was the hadith teacher
at
Mazahir-i 'Ulum Madrasa in Saharanpur, India. Abu 'l-Hasan 'Ali Nadwi,
the
director of Nadwat al-ulama'[founded in Lucknow, India in 1310 (1891)],
praises al-Imam ar-Rabbani Ahmad as-Sirhindi and his services in his
book
Ad-da'wat al-Islamiyya [Lucknow, 1395 (1975)], but adds his praises for
Ismail Dahlawi (killed in 1246), Nadhir Husain Dahlawi (d. 1320), the
madrasa in Diobend which was founded by Muhammad Qasim Nanawtawi [d.
1317
(1899)], one of the Khulafa' of Imdad-ullah, in 1288 (1871), Ashraf Ali
Tahanawi (d. 1362), the Tabligh group and its founder, Muhammad Ilyas.
This
faqir, the author, has read the book Taqwim al-bayan, Persian
translation of
Ismail Dahlawi's Taqwiyat al-iman [Pakistan, 1396 (1976)] and come to
the
conclusion that Ismail is not only a sheer ignoramus but also a
non-madhhabi
idiot who strives to censure the right by alloying it with the wrong.
May
Allahu ta'ala protect Muslims from reading and believing such heretical
writings and falling into endless calamity! Amin!
In the Shawwal 1399 A.H. (1979) and following issues of the monthly
periodical Al-muallim which is published by the Jamiyat al-'ulama'
called
"Samasta" located in the Malappuram City of the Kerala State, South
India,
Mawlawi Abu Ahmad, one of the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars, wrote under the
heading
'Disclosure of the Suspicions about Jamaat at-Tabligh': "Various groups
of
people have appeared in North India who say that they will renew the
religion and disseminate it everywhere. Many people, judging them only
by
their ostensible words, follow them without investigating their and
their
founders' faith. Upon seeing their inner nature, many of them have
departed
and expose their lies and tricks. History has witnessed many such
heretics,
who are slaved by their nafs and vicious thoughts. They have
interpreted the
documents of Islam wrongly. They dissent to the rotten principles of
Ibn
Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi. Those who know
little
about religious knowledge think that they are on the right path and
believe
that they serve Islam. One of these heretical groups is that which
follow
the path put forward by Mawlana Ilyas. They call themselves 'Jamaat
at-tabligh.' They travel around the world. With their worship,
attractive
speech and attire, they look like religious, pious people. They never
speak
about their beliefs and the path they follow. They began to spread
their
seed in Kerala, too. The 'ulama' of Samasta Kerala have opened jihad
against
them by displaying their heretical books, beliefs and background and
their
founders' life-stories and path. Studying them, they understood their
artifice and that they were ahl al-bidat. They issued the fatwas that
they
have dissented from the righteous path of Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat and
that
they were on the route of bidat and dalala (heresy). These fatwas of
the
'ulama' of southern and northern India and Ceylon Island became an
ijma'.
And we, with the guidance of Allahu ta'ala and by keeping on the
footsteps
of the Salaf as-Salihin, will explain their vicious beliefs and
heretical
path.
The founder of this heretical path was Muhammad Ilyas ibn Ismail, who
was
born in 1303 A.H. (1886) and died in 1363 (1944). He formerly taught at
Mazahir al-'ulum Madrasa. When he became unsuccessful there, he started
to
live as a shaikh. He made his living by writing amulets and prayers for
ignorant people. Meanwhile, he established the Tariqa of 'Tabligh'.
Jamal
Muhammad Sahib, Director of the madrasa called 'Kulliyat-i kaid-i
millat' in
Madras, gave extensive information about this movement in the July 24,
1976
issue of the paper Jandaraka. "Head of Jamaat at-tabligh, which is
located
in Delhi, and his friend Muhammad Idris al-Ansari explain the causes of
the
establishment of this path in the booklet Tabligh-i Dustur al-'amal
(published by the Jamal printing house in Delhi) in this way: 'If
thought
well and the history is studied, it will be seen that men could not
attain
to peace and bliss with the four fundamental usul. This is understood
from
the 139th ayat of the surat Al 'Imran which states "You are more
honourable
and superior than them, for you have belief." Firstly, the aim of Islam
is
to change the batin (internal aspect), that is, the heretical beliefs
and
habits. Secondly changing them is possible only through the way chosen
by
prophets. Thirdly, the works done up to now by Muslims either singly or
wholly have not been for this aim, and they did not follow the way of
prophets. Fourthly, for this reason, it is necessary to establish a
salih
jamaat (pious community), that is, Jamaat al-Islamiya, which must work
according to the way shown by Islam. Now, this job is done by Muhammad
Ilyas, one of the salih servants of Allah. Gathering the ones who want
to
work in the way of Islam, he formed a new community called the Jamaat
at-tablighiyya.'
"Look at these words! According to the leader of the Jamaat
at-tablighiyya,
the works done by al-Ummat al-Muhammadiyya, singly or wholly, for
fourteen
hundred years were not in the way of prophets ('alaihi mu 's-salatu wa
's-salam) and were not aimed at changing the heretical beliefs that had
spread among human beings; therefore, it has become a must to establish
a
new jamaat! Those who have wanted to separate al-Ummat al-Muhammadiyya
and
to start a new heretical movement against Ahl as-Sunnat have always
come
about by saying such words; claiming that the whole Ummat Islamiyya has
deviated from the right path and dissented from the way of salvation,
they
have founded new paths. They have put their invented, corrupt,
heretical
ideas forth in this way.
Another similar one, Abul Ala Mawdudi, recently founded an organization
called Jamaat Islami in Pakistan. On the fifteenth page of his Urdu
booklet
Min Musliman ur mawjuduhu siyasi, he explains the cause of his founding
this
organisation in this way: 'I have investigated and studied much. I
decided
to take the present Islamic ring off my neck. If I did not do so, I,
too,
would be in the footsteps of the irreligious called ilhad and dahriyya
[he
calls the religion of his ancestors as 'ilhad and dahriyya'.]
Therefore, I
have put forth a new religion conformable to the meaning of kalimat
at-tawhid.' He claimed to be the first true Muslim of his time and
called
everybody, Muslim or not, to this new religion.
Muhammad Ilyas said the same, claiming that what the Ummat
al-Muhammadiyya
had done for centuries were not conformable to the way of prophets.
Muhammad
Manzur an-Numani, on the twelfth page of his booklet Malfuzat, quotes
him:
'All of what the Ummat al-Muhammadiyya do now are rusum and customs.
Those
who taught religion and directed religious affairs depended on rusum
and
customs.' Muhammad Hasan Khan, one of the leaders of Jamaat at-tabligh,
wrote in the preface to Miftah at-tabligh, 'Because religious affairs
are
misdirected at the present time, many people are caught by the current
of
shirk, kufr and ilhad. Pitying at this situation of men, Allahu ta'ala
sent
Shaikh Muhammad Ilyas as a mujiza to awaken Muslim from unawareness and
to
initiate them into the spirit of religion. This mujahid endeavored to
awaken
people in the Mivat town, south to Delhi, as possible as the conditions
of
his time permitted. It would not be easy for them to answer the
question,
from where did Ilyas find the right path while the whole Umma was in
kufr
and dalala?' "In summary, the group of Jamaat at-tabligh, like their
other
upstart colleagues, say that the Ummat al-Muhammadiyya has fallen for
dalala, dissented from the right path. These words are exactly opposite
to
what our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had conveyed, for he
said
in a hadith reported by at-Tirmidhi, 'My umma do not agree on
deviation.'
This hadith absolutely tells that the knowledge on which the
mujtahidin,
that is, Muslim scholars agreed are always right. Not only scholars,
but
also every sane person will immediately understand this. "In the
following,
the establishment of the Jamaat at-tablighiyya will be detailed: "Abu
'l-Hasan Ali Nadwi, famous authority on religion and history in India,
quotes the founder of the Jamaat at-tablighiyya, Ilyas, as saying, 'I
started this job when I was in
Medina in 1345 A.H. (1926). I was given the good news that realisation
of
this movement would be through my hands.' These are written in Urdu on
the
77th page of the book Mawlana Ilyas Uranki dini Da'wat. On the next
page, it
is written that he began to call people to religion after his return
from
Medina to India.
From the two lines quoted from him, it is understood that he claimed to
begin this invitation upon the command and good news of Allahu ta'ala.
The
inner aspect of this movement is written in detail in Malfuzat
al-Ilyas. On
page 50 of this book, his pupil Muhammad Manzur an-Numani gives this
good
news of his master to his friends: 'Ru'ya (dream) is one of the 46
parts of
prophethood. Promotions (taraqqi) that cannot be obtained through
riyada and
mujahada can occur to some selected men in ru'ya. Teachings that dawn
upon
them in ru'ya are parts from prophethood. Won't promotion come about
with
these?
Knowledge increases marifa. And marifa makes one closer to Allah.
Therefore,
Allahu ta'ala commanded us to say, "Oh Allah! Increase my knowledge!"
Man is
given sahih knowledge in ru'ya. Therefore, pray so that this leader of
yours
shall sleep much. When I sleep little because of getting angry, I
resort to
a physician and use the medicines he gives me to increase my sleep.
This way
of invitation through tabligh was shown to me in ru'ya. The
interpretation
of the ayat, "You are the best umma. You have been created for the
welfare
of human beings. You command the goodness to be done and prohibit the
wrong," was told to me in ru'ya. Like prophets, I have been created for
the
invitation of the people. The phrase 'You have been created' in the
ayat
indicates that this invitation will not be completed by doing it at one
place or city, that it is necessary to get out of one's place to go to
other
cities and to visit houses.' look at these words! The Qur'an is
interpreted
in dream, he claims, and sahih knowledge was given to him in dream, and
it
cannot be obtained through riyada or mujahada. From the word 'Ukhrijat'
in
the ayat, he derives a meaning which has not been reported by any
mufassir.
He tells his followers to endeavor to sleep much and teaches many other
things as understood from his writings. Are not these the examples of
interpreting the Qur'an according to his own point of view?
Our Prophet prohibited and warned Muslims against such interpretation
with
the hadith, 'Let Hell fire be the residence of who interprets the
Qur'an
according to his own view.' This hadith was reported by at-Tirmidhi.
Those
who cannot differentiate their left side from the right or recognize
fard
and sunnat travel to carry out tabligh just because of this
interpretation
in ru'ya. After the spread of Islam everywhere from the East to the
West,
their going from house to house to complete al-amru bi 'l-maruf, too,
was
all commanded in dream! 'Allama ibn Jarir at-Tabari and many mufassirs
among
the Salaf as-Salihin interpreted this ayat, and 'Allama Imam as-Suyuti
reported them in his book Durar al-mansur. On the 64th page of the
second
part of this work, it is written, ' 'Abd Ibn Hamid, Ibn Jarir at-Tabari
and
Ibn al-Munzir reported from Imam Mujahid that, in the ayat, "You are
the
beneficial umma. You have been created for the welfare of human
beings,"
'human beings' were the people other than the Arabs, while the
'beneficial
umma' were the Arabs.' It is apparent that none of the scholars of
tafsir
had interpreted this ayat as Ilyas did. Then, his movement of tabligh
is not
in conformity with the path of the Qur'an, Hadith and Salaf as-Salihin.
It
is based on an interpretation done in a dream, in sleep. And this is
ibtida'
in Islam, that is, inventing a bidat. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi
wa
sallam) declared, 'Reject it when a thing absent in Islam comes up in
our
religion.' This hadith ash-Sharif is quoted in the Sahihain of
al-Bukhari
and Muslim.
An-Nabulusi, too, gives extensive explanations concerning this subject
on
the 128th page of Al-Hadiqa. [The first volume of Al-hadiqat an-nadiyya
has
been reproduced by Hakikat Kitabevi in Istanbul.] He writes on its
168th
page, "Dreams seen in sleep, like spiritual inspiration (ilham ruhani),
cannot be reasons that disclose the rules of Islam." On its 170th page,
he
writes, "It is possible (jaiz) that Allahu ta'ala opens and fills with
ma'arif and haqiqa the heart of someone who has not read any book. When
this
person hears an ayat or a hadith, he interprets it and bewilders
'ulama'.
But adapting oneself to him is not sahih. He is a wali but not an imam
or
murshid. To be a scholar of Islam, one has to have a full understanding
of
the ahkam of the hadiths." He says on the 187th page, "Forgetting about
Islam, that is, Islam's becoming like customs, or following not Islam
but
reason and one's own views, stems from four things: firstly, not to do
what
one has learned; to do without knowing, that is, instead of learning
Allahu
ta'ala's commands, to follow one's own intelligence and views, to try
to
make everybody to do the same way, and to believe in their
righteousness and
benefits, while bearing hostility against those who do not like them;
thirdly, not to learn beforehand the ahkam (Islamic rules) of the
things one
will do; to prevent people's learning religious teachings and to
slander at
those who want to learn or teach them to the youth by calling it
old-fashioned or retrogressive. The superiors of tasawwuf, awliya' and
murshids, have always followed Islam. They attained to high degrees in
this
way. Following Islam means to follow its four guides which are the
Qur'an,
the Sunnat, ijma' al-Umma and qiyas al-fuqaha'. Those who adapt
themselves
to things other than these four references will be taken to Hell
torment.
They are the liars who show the wrong as truth and block the way to
endless
bliss.
"Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Askalani said, 'Dreams of people other than
prophets do
not communicate the rules of Islam, which are understood through wahi
and
ijtihad.' Then, how can an ayat be interpreted through a person's
dream? How
can people be ruled through dreams? Depending on a dream, how can
people
be sent to every part of the world? Aren't the rules of Islam altered
by
this. Even one who has little religious knowledge understands this
exactly.
"Allahu ta'ala has declared that He sent the Qur'an to be explained to
people. The leader of Jamaat at-tabligh, however, says that the Qur'an
was
interpreted to him in his dream. According to him and as it is claimed
in
Tanbihat by Abul Ala Mawdudi, who had the same views with him,
explanation
of the Qur'an through the known tafsir books is not necessary, while
Arabic
dictionaries are sufficient to understand what is shown in dream. These
two
reformers of religion, like every man of bidat, give meanings to the
Qur'an
according to their own views, while they still claim to follow the
Qur'an
and the Sunnat; this, however, is an open lie. "It is said in their
booklet
Dustur al-'amal,
The aims and beliefs of the members of Jamaat at-tabligh are three:
1. To highten Allah's Word,
2. To spread Islam,
3. To unite those who have these beliefs. To reform the madhhab, ethics
and
education.'
To understand their beliefs better, it was necessary to study their
books.
Some of their beliefs are discussed in the following: "Muhammad Ilyas,
the
head of the Tabligh movement said, 'Our aim is to teach what Rasulullah
had
taught to as-Sahaba. It is the first step of this movement to go around
every country to tell about salat and give advices,' (Malfuzat, p. 31)
These
words mean that they tell Rasulullah's teachings according to their own
understanding of them and according to their view point. He said to his
friend Zahir Hasan, 'Our movement is supposed to be a group teaching
only
salat. I swear by Allah that our movement is not aimed at teaching
salat. We
bring up a new nation.' (Dini da'wat, p. 205) These words openly
displays
his aim. It is apparent that the followers of Ilyas are not sincere in
trying to make everybody perform salat. This behavior is a beginning, a
trap
to make everybody join themselves. As a matter of fact, the statement,
'To
this humble person myself, our Tabligh is composed of Islam, Tariqa and
haqiqa,' (Makatib, p. 66) shows that this community, which was
established
on a dream of Ilyas, included in itself a new Islam, and Tariqa. In
fact
'din' (religion) is made up of these three fundamentals. Masked under
the
name of Islam, a new religion based on a dream is introduced. It is
apparent
that their above statement is of bidat and dalala. "Muhammad Idris
Ansari,
one of the followers of Ilyas, said, 'The belief of this community is
"La
ilaha ill-Allah Muhammadun Rasulullah" ' (Dustur, p. 4) This is Islam's
fundamental belief. Qadianis (Ahmadis) and
Bahais, who were unanimously ruled out as non-Muslims, also claimed
this
belief, and these, too, started new groups of bidat by claiming the
same. By
saying, 'In order to do a task or an 'ibada or to prohibit something,
it
should have been declared by Rasulullah. No other document is needed,'
(Dustur, p. 5) Ilyas denied ijma' and qiyas among al-adillat
ash-Shariyya.
Nevertheless, he did not claim to be a mujtahid mutlaq; if he had done
so,
he would not have been believed by anybody among those who had known
his
background and knowledge.
One's joining this community is explained in the book Dustur al-'mal as
such: 'Anybody who says and believes the meaning of kalimat ash-shahada
becomes a member of this community. The group, nation or country he
belongs
to has no effect in this.' (p. 5) This passage shows that anybody who
says
he is a Muslim, whether he be a Qadiani or a member of other groups of
bidat, e.g. one of the heretics of Kharijiyya, Qadariyya, Mutazila or
Mawdudiyya, may become a partner to this group and do his worship
depending
only on hadiths. They do not pay attention to what the Salaf as-Salihin
had
done and to ijma' and qiyas.
They do not follow one of the four madhhabs. On the other hand, they
claim
to adapt themselves to Islam, Tariqa and haqiqa wholly. This, however,
is an
apparent dalala, a heretical confusion. This movement as named Jamaat
at-tabligh resembles the heretical group called Jamaat Islami of Abul
Ala
Mawdudi. "He comments on the selection of the Jamaat's leader, 'In
Islamic
order, the status of amir (head, leader) is very important. The Amir
selected from among Jamaat at-tabligh means the Ulu 'l-amr defined by
Islam.
It is fard for everybody to obey his known commands just as the
commands of
Allah and his Rasul are obeyed (p. 6)... It is wajib to obey without
objection those commands of the Amir which are conformable to Islam. It
is
not permitted to investigate the Amir's documentation. It is a grave
sin not
to carry out his command and to do what is opposite to his will: it
brings
about Allah's punishment and torment.' (p. 7) As is seen, they promote
their
amirs to the status of prophethood. On the eighth page, it is said,
'Before
the Amir will give a command, it is wajib for him to consult with the
prominent of the Jamaat, and later with the members of the High
Council. If
their opinions fall apart, he prefers the one he wishes, and commands
it.'
As it is stated, they obey only hadiths and their amir, as if the
Qur'an
commanded obeying only their amir as a fard and, to them, Allahu ta'ala
will
revenge those
who do not follow him. They confess that obedience to the amir is
compulsory
even if he does not conform to what the members of the council say. The
leaders and members of this council and the amir will be from among
themselves, that is, among those who have come together just upon
saying
kalimat
ash-shahada without investigating their cult or knowledge or looking
for any
other condition. However, the Salaf as-Salihin, that is, the scholars
of Ahl
as-Sunnat, have defined the characteristics of the person to be 'Ulu
'l-amr.
Allama Abu 's-Su'ud Effendi said, 'Ulu 'l-amr are the commanders who
follow
the
Divine Path and the judges who are just. They are the Khulafa'
ar-rashidin,
the four caliphs, and those who follow in their footsteps.' Imam
al-Karkhi
said, 'They are the commanders of the time of Rasulullah (sal-Allahu
'alaihi
wa sallam) and those who come later. Judges and military leaders are
similar.' To some, however, Ulu 'l-amr means the 'ulama' of Islam. It
is
apparent that the amirs of Jamaat at-tabligh, whom they choose from
among
themselves, cannot be included. Also, it is without foundation that it
is a
wajib to obey and a grave sin to disobey their amirs' commands. "While
telling about what will happen to his umma, Rasulullah ('alaihi
's-salam)
declared, 'The Sons of Israil parted into 72 nations. And my umma will
part
into 73 groups. Of them, only one will be saved, and all others will go
to
Hell.' As-Sahabat al-kiram upon hearing this, asked, 'Oh Rasul-Allah!
Which
is that?' He declared, 'They are those who follow my and my Sahaba's
path.'
This hadith ash-Sharif was reported from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar
(radi-Allahu
'anh). As reported from Muawiya (radi-Allahu 'anh) by Imam
Ahmad and Abu Dawud, Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) declared, 'Of them,
72
are in Hell, and the remaining one is in Paradise. And this is one
jamaat.'
This hadith ash-Sharif is also quoted in the chapter on 'I'tisam' of
the
book Mishkat. Oh Muslims! We must search and find this single community
of
salvation mentioned in this hadith and their beliefs which cause
entrance to
Paradise and should beware of heretical groups who oppose these
beliefs! In
this way, we shall endeavor to get saved from the Hell fire and flame!
Hadrat Ghawth al-azam 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani explained the former
hadith
and the word 'jamaat' in the latter hadith in these words: 'The
believer
(Mumin) should adapt himself to the Sunnat and to the Jamaat. The
Sunnat is
the way shown by Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam). The Jamaat is composed
of
the things done unanimously by as-Sahabat al-kiram who lived in the
time of
the four caliphs called Khulafa' ar-rashidin.
A Muslim must prevent the multiplication of the men of bidat and be
away
from them and should not greet them. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, the imam of our
madhhab, said that greeting a man of bidat meant loving him since it
had
been declared in a hadith ash-Sharif, "Disseminate [your] greeting
(salam)!
Love one another in this way!" ' These are written on the 90th page of
Gunyat at-talibin. Great alim Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Haitami, the last
muhaqqiq,
wrote on this subject in detail on page 149 of his work Sawa'iq
al-muhriqa,
where he said, 'Those who dissent from the Ahl as-Sunnat faith are
called
mubtadi'. They began to come forth in the first century [of Islam].'
Hadrat Ibn Hajar al-Haitami said in his work Fat'h al-jawad, 'Mubtadi'
is
the person who does not have the faith (itiqad) conveyed unanimously by
Ahl
as-Sunnat. This unanimity was transmitted by the two great imams Abu
'l-Hasan al-Ashari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and the 'alims who
followed
their path.' On the 205th page of the book Al-fatawa al-hadithiyya, it
is
written, 'Man of bidat means one whose beliefs are different from the
Ahl
as-Sunnat faith. The Ahl as-Sunnat faith is the faith of Abu 'l-Hasan
al-Ashari, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and those who followed them. One who
brings forth something which is not approved by Islam becomes a man of
bidat.' Shafi'i alim Ahmad Shihab ad-din Kalyubi al-Misri wrote on the
fourth volume of his marginalia to the book Kanz ar-raghibin: 'One who
departs from what Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ashari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
reported
is not Sunni. These two imams followed the footprints of Rasulullah
('alaihi
's-salam) and his Sahaba.'
From the foregoing passages, it is understood that only one of the
seventy-three groups that have come out of the partition of this umma
will
be saved against Hell. It is wajib for every Muslim to search for, to
find
and to adapt himself to this group, members of which follow the path of
Abu
'l-Hasan al-Ashari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. How could it be correct
of
one who comes afore by establishing a new group in this age sees saying
'La
ilaha illa-Allah Muhammadun Rasulullah' sufficient and stays away from
the
faith of Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat? The speeches and writings of the
upstart
group called Jam'at at-tabligh show that uttering 'La ilaha ill-Allah
Muhammadun Rasulullah' is the only condition necessary for admission to
this
group. Any person, whether he belongs to a heretical group or disobey
everybody except Rasulullah, immediately becomes a member of this group
upon
this utterance, even if he would disobey as-Sahaba and mujtahids.
People
representing Qadianism, Nijari, Wahhabism, Mawdudism and various
non-Muslim
movements are witnessed to belong to this jamaat. What else would it be
if
this behavior of theirs isn't a proof of their intention to disunite
the
Umma?
Do they correct the heretics after accepting them into their group? The
opposite of this is seen in their books and behavior. They prohibit
speaking
on the madhhabs. They give freedom to everybody in his beliefs. On the
16th
page of Dustur al-'amal, it is written, 'Disunionist, unnecessary
subjects
should not be spoken on. The essence of tawhid and fundamental of Islam
shall be studied.' The same is written on page 218 of Miftah
at-tabligh.
Their leader Muhammad Ilyas wrote on the 116th page of Malfuzat: The
basis
of our movement is to strengthen iman. It is not correct to widen the
knowledge concerning beliefs (aqa'id). If we do so, there will arouse
sedition in hearts and suspicions in minds.' He says on the 142nd page
of
Makatib, 'Sometimes you use the word bidat. Do not utter such words!
Such
words cause disunion among people.' "In conclusion, they do not have
the Ahl
as-Sunnat faith. All of the seventy-three groups may come together
among
them freely; moreover, non-Muslims, too, may join them. They do not
deal
with the knowledge of faith; they even prohibit learning it. They say
that
they follow only the Prophet. They do not study the single right path
which
was stated in the hadith. They say that it will cause disunion if
studied.
They do not use the word 'bidat' or similar ones, which, they claim,
cause
sedition. Despite all these heretical behaviors, they claim to belong
to Ahl
as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. However, in view of the followers of this path of
truth, there is no doubt about their heresy.
The 'ulama' of Islam prohibited Muslims from friendship with men of
bidat.
Hadrat Qutb al-aqtab 'Abd al-Qadir al-Geilani said that it was much
reward-deserving (thawab) to believe that the madhhab of people of
bidat was
corrupt, and not to follow them and to bear hostility against them. Our
Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared, 'Allahu ta'ala fills
with
aman (courage) and iman the heart of the person who stare with enmity
at the
man of bidat. The one who knows the man of bidat as wicked is saved by
Allahu ta'ala against the fear of the Day of Resurrection. [Rank of] a
hundred degrees is endowed by Allahu ta'ala in Paradise upon him who
insults
the man of bidat. One who meets the man of bidat with smiling face or
does
goodness to him will have disliked Islam sent to Muhammad ('alaihi
's-salam)
by Allahu ta'ala.' The hadith ash-Sharif reported by Mughira from
'Abdullah
ibn 'Abbas (radi-Allahu 'anhuma) says, 'Unless a man of bidat gives up
his
bidat, Allahu ta'ala will not accept any of his worship.' Fudail ibn
'Iyad
said, 'Allahu ta'ala destroys the 'ibadat and takes the light of iman
out of
the heart of the one who loves the man of bidat.' Even in case the
'ibadat
of the one who does not love the man of bidat is limited, it is hoped
that
his sins will be forgiven. In order not to come across a man of bidat,
change your direction! The above-given hadiths and advices are written
on
the 90th page of the book Gunyat at-talibin. The followers of Jamaat
at-tabligh, who call themselves Muslim and introduce themselves as Ahl
as-Sunnat, accept heretics of every kind into their community. Whether
of
Ahl as-Sunnat or ahl al-bidat, any Muslim can join their movement.
Despite
this confusion, they claim to be on the right path. This situation
resembles
the state of keeping two opposite things, like fire and powder,
together,
which is impossible.
While the founder of Jamaat at-tabligh, Muhammad Ilyas, was putting
forth
what he had seen in dream as a new religion, he was also inoculating
the
evil germs injected to him by the non-madhhabite. On page 90 of
Makatib, he
says, 'It is certainly good to attend at the gatherings of hatm
al-Qur'an
and dhikr. The prominent people of the religion said so.
However, because there is the risk of being like the men of bidat, it
is
better to refrain from attending at such places. There is the same
danger
both in saying salat and salam upon the Prophet with the thought in
mind
that he is present and sees, and in saying salat and salam as the men
of
bidat [?] say. Yes, though it is permitted to say it unconsciously out
of
extreme love, the Satan may intervene and spoil iman. And this is a
greater
danger.
look at these words! He does not permit saying salat and salam upon
this
great Prophet with the thought of his being present and seeing, even if
it
would be done unconsciously out of extreme love for him! This is a
Wahhabite
belief. His prohibiting it even in case of extreme love is a heresy
that
surpasses that of the Wahhabis. One who is Muslim does not prohibit it.
What
does he think about all Muslims' saying, 'As-salamu 'alaika ayyuha
'n-Nabiyyu,' in salat? See what the 'Document of Islam' (Hujjat
al-Islam)
Imam al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahu 'alaih) wrote in his work Ihya al-'ulum:
'At
first, bring to your heart the holy figure of Rasulullah ('alaihi
's-salam).
Then recite As-salamu 'alaika ayyuha 'n-Nabiyyu and believe that he
will
hear you and answer you.' (First volume, p. 129) Ottoman alim Muhammad
Hakki
Effendi (d. Mecca, 1301 A.H.)/1884) wrote in the first article on page
166
of his Hazinat al-asrar, 'The Muslim should think of himself as being
in the
presence of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) and, showing honor, respect
and
manners and keeping in mind that he is the intercessor, wasila
and savior between him and Allahu ta'ala, say salat and salam. At this
holy
place, the most suitable is to say, As-salamu 'alaika ayyuha
'n-Nabiyyu.'
Al-'arifu bi 'llah Sayyid Muhammad 'Uthman al-Mirghani al-Makki
al-Hanafi
(d. Mecca, 1268 A.H./1852) said on page 14 of his work Akrab at-turuki
ila
'l-haqq: 'Think of Rasulullah's ('alaihi 's-salam) presence facing you,
his
seeing and hearing you! Even if you are far away, Allahu ta'ala makes
your
voice be heard and displays you. Here, being near or distant is the
same.'
All these passages show that Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) sees and
hears
those who think of facing him. The founder of Jamaat at-tabligh does
not
believe in this. He prohibits it even if it would be out of extreme
love and
says that the Prophet does not see or hear those who think of him. This
word
of his, however, stems from the basic Wahhabite tenet that states, 'The
dead
do not hear.' The most correct comment on this subject is the following
fatwa of Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Haitami, the last of profound 'ulama',
which is
written on the ninth page of the second volume of Fatawa al-kubra:
Question: 'Does a person, when he commends his soul, see Rasulullah
(sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam)? It is said that, when he is seen, he
is
asked what he would say about that person. That person" is used for the
person who is at his presence. Many people die at the same time. Since
the
words "that person" is used for all of them, it is understood that he
is
seen at many places at the same time. How can this happen?
Answer: 'It is true that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) is
seen
by everybody who is about to die, and he is asked, "What would you say
about
that person?" This shows the Supremacy of Allahu ta'ala's Power. The
word
that is used for pointing to the person who is at his presence. This
word is
the answer to the person who does not believe that Rasulullah ('alaihi
's-salam) can be seen in various ways at various places at the same
moment.
In fact, this can be believed through intellect, too: adh-dhat
ash-Sharif
(honorable person) of his becomes like a mirror, and everybody sees the
image of his own beauty or ugliness in this mirror. There takes place
no
change in the beauty of the mirror. The life in grave and that in the
hereafter do not resemble to worldly life. Each person has a single
figure
in the world. It has been witnessed many times that awliya' have taken
various figures in this world, too. It is famous that Kadib al-ban
Hasan
al-Musuli and others have been seen as such.
He wrote in the first fatwa on the 29th page: 'The dead recognize those
who
visit them. The hadith reported by Ibn Abi 'd-dunya says, "When one
visits
the grave of a brother-in-Islam and sits [at the side], the dead person
recognizes him and responds his greeting." Another hadith says, "When a
person passes by the grave of a Muslim brother of his acquaintance and
greets the dead person recognizes him and responds his greeting." ' He
writes in the second fatwa, 'The dead hear the voices of the alive. The
hadith reported by Imam Ahmad states, "The dead person recognises those
who
wash him, carry him and put him in grave." ' Hadrat Sayyid
'Abdulhakim-i
Arwasi, the profound alim and great wali who passed away in Ankara in
1362
A.H. (1943), said, 'Ibn Hajar al-Makki was one of the most superior
'ulama'
of Islam. His every word is documented and is a document.
How come one can suspect of Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa
sallam)
becoming present and seeing? The status of prophets, even of awliya',
is
promoted after their pure souls depart from their bodies; they become
possessors of full tasarruf (disposal, effect) like angels. This has
been
reported unanimously by the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat and has been
denied
only by the Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab who was left in heresy by
Allahu
ta'ala. And Ilyas, the head of Jamaat at-tabligh, was caught by his
heretical current. The following is another example from the words of
'ulama' to brighten the eyes of those who believe him and to disgrace
the
faces of mulhids: "Shah Wali-Allah ad-Dahlawi, one of the great 'ulama'
of
India, wrote in his work Hujjatu 'Illahi 'l-baligha (vol. I, p. 35),
'When a
human being passes away, no relation is left between his soul and the
world
of matter. The souls return to their origin, become like angels, and,
like
them, give inspiration and help to men. They help in the dissemination
and
strengthening of Allahu ta'ala's religion. They rush to help those who
work
for this path. It has been witnessed that they come to help in groups.'
This
passage tells that blessed souls do work as angels do. Are these words
not
sufficient for the correction of those who do not believe that
Rasulullah
(sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) becomes present and hears? The 'ulama'
of
Islam have unanimously reported that he is the cause of all beings and
the
unique means of getting near to Allahu ta'ala. "In his work Ar-rawd
an-nadir, 'Allama 'Abd ar-Ra'uf al-Manawi wrote: 'After pure souls
depart
this life and are promoted to their places, nothing is a curtain before
them. They see, or learn from angels, everything.
This is so mysterious that only few people are informed with it. While
blessed souls are such, how the most superior of them is should be
pondered
and understood well!' "Hadrat Ahmad Zaini Dahlan says on page 58 of
Taqrib
al-usul: 'Most of the 'arifs said that, after a wali passes away, his
soul's
connection to his murids continues. With the soul's baraka, nurs and
faids
come about. This is explained detailedly by Hadrat Qutb al-irshad
'Abdullah
al-Haddad, who said in summary: "After a wali passes away, he keeps his
concern with his immediate acquaintances. This concern is more than
that
when he was alive. Because, he has been busy in this world also with
his
duties of being Allahu ta'ala's servant; sometimes these duties busy
him
more. It is usually in this manner especially in these times. When the
elect
die, their forms and bodies vanish, but their haqiqa (reality)
continues to
exist. They are alive in their graves. Because the wali is alive in his
grave, his knowledge and intellectual and spiritual powers do not
change at all. Even, they all increase further after death." ' While the
case is as such with all awliya', it should be estimated how it is with
prophets,
especially with the most superior of them. This apparent reality could
be denied only by those who have been corrupted by non-madhhabite poison
and those who have been caught in the trap of mulhids and dissented from
Islam.
May Allahu ta'ala protect all Muslims against this grave disaster!
Amin."
[Al-mu'allim, monthly periodical; see above, beginning of this article.
The Arabic original of the passage is published together with the book
Al-ustad Mawdudi in Istanbul.] |