Praise be to Allaah.
1. Allaah described His awliyaa’ (close friends) as having two characteristics: Eemaan (faith) and Taqwa (piety, awareness of Allaah). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“No doubt! Verily, the Awliyaa’ of Allaah [i.e., those who believe in the Oneness of Allaah and fear Allaah much and love Allaah much], nor fear shall be upon them nor shall they grieve, - those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah) and used to fear Allaah much” [Yoonus 10:62-63]
2. The true awliyaa’ of Allaah do not go against what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) brought. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned against innovated matters in religion, because Allaah has perfected His religion and completed His favour upon His slaves. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [al-Maa’idah 5:3].
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 a part of it, will have it rejected.”
3. Therefore one can distinguish between the walee (close friend) of Allaah and the walee of the Shaytaan, by looking at the person’s character, behaviour and religious commitment – does he pray regularly in jamaa’ah in the mosque, for example? Does he avoid wrongfully consuming people’s property? Does he avoid going against Islam by either adding or taking away anything? And so on…
4. It is not permissible for a Muslim to innovate any dhikr to recite regularly or to tell others to do so – such as awraad/wird, ma’thooraat or du’aas. The adhkaar that were reported in the saheeh Sunnah are sufficient for this, otherwise a person is an innovator or one who calls others to bid’ah. 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 a part of it, will have it rejected.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhaari, 2550; Muslim, 1718). According to a report narrated by Muslim: “Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it rejected.”
Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“This hadeeth represents one of the most important principles in Islam. It is like a scale against which the external appearances of deeds are measured, just as the hadeeth “Actions are but by intention” is the scale against which the inner motivations of actions are measured. Just as every deed which is not done for the sake of Allaah will bring no reward for the one who does it, so also every deed which is not in accordance with the way of Allaah and His Messenger will be rejected and thrown back at the one who does it. Anyone who innovates new things in the religion and does things for which Allaah and His Messenger have not granted permission, this is not a part of the religion at all.” (Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, 1/180).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“This hadeeth is one of the most important basic principles of Islam, and it is one of the most concise and comprehensive sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It clearly states that innovations and newly invented matters will be rejected. The second report adds another idea, which is that some of those who follow the innovations of others may become stubborn when they are presented with the evidence of the first report which says, “Whoever innovates something…” They may say, “I am not innovating anything”. But he may in this case be presented with the evidence of the second report, which says, “Whoever does any action…” This clearly shows that all innovated actions will be rejected, whether the one who does them innovates them himself or is following someone else who innovated it… This hadeeth is one that should be learned by heart and used to denounce evil actions and be spread as evidence so that all people may use it.” (Sharh Muslim, 12/16).
5. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (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.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no doubt that it is bid’ah to mention the name of Allaah on its own or –even worse – to repeat the pronoun “Huwa” (“He”). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The Name of Allaah on its own, either as a noun (“Allaah”) or a pronoun (“Huwa”) is not a complete phrase or meaningful sentence. It has no implications to do with eemaan (faith) or kufr (disbelief), commands or prohibitions. This was not mentioned by anyone from the Salaf (early generations) of this ummah, and it was not prescribed by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It does not bring any knowledge to the heart or bestow any kind of benefit upon it. All it does is give an unclear idea which is not defined by any negation or affirmation. Unless there is previous knowledge in a person's mind or he is in a state of mind where he could benefit from this, he gains no benefit at all. Islam prescribes adhkaar which in and of themselves bring benefit to the heart, without any such need for anything else.
Some of those who persisted in this kind of “dhikr” ended up in various kinds of heresies and ideas of “wahdat al-wujood” (unity of all that exists, pantheism), as has been explained in detail elsewhere.
It was mentioned that one of the shaykhs said: “I am afraid of dying between negation and affirmation”, but this is not an example to be followed, because it is obviously erroneous. If a person were to die in this state, he would die according to his intention, because actions are judged by intention. It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to tell the dying person to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, and he said, “Anyone whose last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah will enter Paradise.” If this word (Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) was something which required caution, why should we tell the dying person to say something which, if he dies in the middle of saying it, will lead to an improper death? Rather, if this were the case, he would be told to say “Allaah, Allaah” or “Huwa, Huwa.”
Mentioning the pronoun on its own is further removed from the Sunnah and is a worse kind of bid’ah, which is closer to the misguidance of the Shaytaan. If a person says “Yaa Huwa, yaa Huwaa (O He, O He)” or “Huwa, Huwa (He, He)” and so on, the pronoun does not refer to anything except whatever his heart imagines, and hearts may be guided or misguided.
Some shaykhs use as evidence to support saying “Allaah” (the name on its own) the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘Allaah.’ Then leave them…” [al-An’aam 6:91]. They think that Allaah commanded His Prophet to say His Name on its own, but this is a mistake according to the consensus of the scholars, because the meaning of the phrase “Say ‘Allaah’” is that it is Allaah Who sent down the Book which was brought by Moosa. This is in response to the question:
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Who then sent down the Book which Moosa (Moses) brought, a light and a guidance to mankind which you (the Jews) have made into (separate) paper sheets, disclosing (some of it) and concealing (much). And you (believers in Allaah and His Messenger Muhammad) were taught (through the Qur’aan) that which neither you nor your fathers knew.’ Say: ‘Allaah (sent it down).’” [al-An’aam 6:91 – interpretation of the meaning], i.e., Allaah is the One Who revealed the Book which was brought by Moosa. This is a refutation of the view of those who said, “Nothing did Allaah send down to any human being (by Revelation)” [al-An’aam 6:91 – interpretation of the meaning]. Allaah says: Who then sent down the Book which Moosa brought? Then He says: Say Allaah sent it down, then leave these liars to play in their vain discussions.
What we have said above is further explained by the comments of Seebawayh and other grammarians, who noted that when the Arabs say “Qaala” (or other forms of the verb meaning “to say”), they do not quote verbatim, rather they state what was said, giving a complete meaning. So what follows is a sentence with a complete meaning, or a nominal sentence or a verbal sentence. Hence after saying “qaala” they give a kasrah to the particle “anna” (making it “inna”); “qaala” cannot be followed by a noun standing alone. Allaah did not command anyone to mention His Name on its own, and it is not prescribed for the Muslims to say His Name on its own. Saying His Name on its own does not enhance faith or explain anything about the religion, according to the consensus of the scholars of Islam; it is not enjoined in any act of worship or in any case where Allaah addresses them.
(Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 10/226-229)
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) also said:
Repeating the Name of Allaah on its own, such as saying “Allaah, Allaah,” or the pronoun, such as “Huwa, Huwa” is not prescribed in either the Qur’aan or the Sunnah. It is not reported that any of the salaf of this ummah or any of the righteous scholars who are taken as examples did this. It is only spoken by misguided people of the later generations.
Perhaps they are following a shaykh who had no control over himself in this regard, such as al-Shubli who, it was narrated, used to say ‘Allaah, Allaah.’ It was said to him, ‘Why do you not say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah?’ He said, “I am afraid of dying between the negation [saying La ilaaha (there is no god)] and the affirmation [ill-Allaah (except Allaah)]”!
This is one of the mistakes made by al-Shubli, who may be forgiven for it because of the sincerity of his faith and the strength of his emotions which overwhelmed him. Sometimes he would go crazy and would be taken to the asylum, and he would shave off his beard. There are other instances of this type in his case, which are not to be taken as examples, even if he may be excused or rewarded for them. If a person intends to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, and he dies before completing it, that will not harm him at all, because actions are judged by intentions, and what he intended to do is what will be written down for him.
Some of them go to extremes in this matter, and say that saying the name of Allaah is for the ‘elite’ whilst saying La ilaaha ill-Allaah is for the ‘masses.’ Some of them say that saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah is for the mu’mineen (believers), saying ‘Allaah’ is for the ‘aarifeen’ and saying ‘Huwa’ is for the muhaqqiqeen. One of them may restrict himself to saying, when alone or in a gathering, ‘Allaah, Allaah, Allaah’ or ‘Huwa’ or ‘Yaa Huwa’ or even ‘La Huwa illa Huwa (there is no He except He)’!
Some of those who have written about spiritual matters have expressed approval of this, quoting some known figures who, however, were in a state of overwhelming emotion at the time, or quoting opinions, or quoting false reports – for example some of them reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib to say ‘Allaah, Allaah, Allaah.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said it three times, then he told ‘Ali to say it three times so he said it three times. This hadeeth is fabricated (mawdoo’), according to the consensus of the scholars of hadeeth.
It is narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught people various adhkaar to say, and the best of dhikr is Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. This is what he urged his paternal uncle Abu Taalib to say when he was dying. He said, “O uncle, say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and I will defend you thereby before Allaah.” And he said: “I know of a word which no one says when he is dying but his soul finds rest in it.” And he said, “Anyone whose last words are Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah will enter Paradise.” And he said, “Whoever dies knowing that there is no god except Allaah will enter Paradise.” And he said: “I have been commanded to fight people until they bear witness that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. If they do that, their blood and wealth will be safe from me, except for what is due from them [e.g., zakaah etc.], and their reckoning is with Allaah.” And there are many similar ahaadeeth.
(Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 10/556-558)
Whoever makes the Qur’aan and Sunnah his points of reference concerning his worship will not fail to distinguish right from wrong. We ask Allaah to bring us back to His religion in a gentle manner. And Allaah knows best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Sufism is from sunnah. It is practising on the qur'an and sunnah.
In the hadith about Islam, it was divided into three things - Imaan, Islam and Ihsaan. why do you forget the third?
and why are you randomly posting stuff without understanding? Did you even read what you posted befoer posting it.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
strange how all acts and aqeeda contradict with the quran and sunnah rather being from the quran sunnah
strange how all acts and aqeeda contradict with the quran and sunnah rather being from the quran sunnah
strange how all acts and aqeeda contradict with the quran and sunnah rather being from the quran sunnah
strange how all acts and aqeeda contradict with the quran and sunnah rather being from the quran sunnah
i do not think they are any sufis here. Please stop.
could it be that you listened to this talk
hence why you come on here, "rebutting falsehood" without any adaab and akhlaaq?
you show no humanity, no proof of your knowledge or explain why you are doing this. You just copy and paste articles (im guessing from islamiqa) for no apparent reason.
I have read the first one of the articles you posted and have benefitted from it, i will now read the second one inshallah.
As you are not talking to sufi directly, calling them people of bid'ah, isnt that ghibah? (bakcbiting). Leave those matters to the shaykhs and imaams who themselves do not like to tread on this path and accuse people of being people of bidahs.
EDIT:
this is the second last sentence from the article you posted.
Also, nowhere in these articles were Sufism mentionned?!
Furthermore, you have nowhere, mentionned the alternative adhkaar to be recited. you yourself. How can you tell someone to stop doing something because it is wrong but then not tell them what is the right way? IT is like telling someone how NOT to cook rice. It will only be helpful to him AFTER he knows how to do it properly.
please present yourself so that we may understand and have a better dialogue.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
First of all i read that article and checked the hadith and quran quotings myself, so yeah i do have knowledge about them, if someone read a book adn decided to ppaste it somehwere does it mean they dont know anything about that book and have no knowledge on it? why bother writing the whole book yourself when you can paste it, so why should i write it myself when scholars have already wrote something on it and the schoalrs are reliable scholars aswell not the bakwas ones like haqqani.
As for backbiting, im saying it right in frontof their faces not behind them, and as for no sufis here, if you havent noticed this is a sufi forum, 99% here are sufis
And if i had no knowledge i wouldve not have the upperhand in debating certain members here but wouldve been losing.
Mashallah you have done what most do not. of course there is no benefit in rewriting a book on a topic that has already being covered by people even more knowledgeable. But there is no point in pasting it either. if it is not on the topic, if you do not make the person want to read it, this is just a waste of time. you have come on here and pasted this. no one knows you. and you expect to be followed and listened to? how? all scholars are judged on the work they did or the qualifications they have or the teachers they learnt from.
here you go again, mentionning names and insulting. How will you justify this? you have no proof of what you are saying. What if you are wrong? How much hurt will you have cause? and how will you redeem yourself? REmember, the duah of the oppressed is accepted by Allah subhanahou wata'ala, be sure to steer clear from being an oppressor in any way. Is this your intention? gaining the upperhand? winning? these are all rhetorical questions. i require no justification from you.have you listened to that talk i mention? and have you listened to the one after it? about how the salaf delt with disputes?
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
listen kid i have researched sufism for 3 years straight i have all he evidence to state what i have to: regarding nazim read his book mery oceons its full of quotes contradicting islam here is one of the many:
"Follow your sheikh and do not object to him--even when he contradicts the Rules of the Religion."
Their sheikh openly teaches them top follow them blindly even if they go against islam, some muslims they are
The article contains quotes from the quran and sunnah that proves sufism wrong, if they have what it takes then lets see if they can refute them no different to christians they claim their the truth yet fail to prove it, sufis are no different, when a christian attacks islam we always refute back why to prove their claim is wrong which may help them change their ways, with sufi you neve rsee them do that why because they know theyll lose the debate as their belief is false and theirfore ignore it. Well here is a chance for them to prove themselves but like christians i know they will fail but the only difference is a christian atleast makes a attepmt to fight back before losing a sufi doesnt even do that.
the point isnt about having upperhand its about exposing the lie and bringing out the truth, if i was lacking in knowledge you think i couldve done that.
as for that talk whos the speaker
Lilly, he is here for a fight, not to learn so being sensible will not help.
(can I find it funny that a potential 14 year old is going around calling you "kid"?)
The quotes and verses etc dont prove sufism wrong - they may however prove what you thing sufism may be wrong. Big difference. and the problem with that is since you have not defined your definition of sufism, there is no way to know how right or wrong you are.
A quick glance of your posts suggests that Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah thought that doing Adhkaar was a good thing. Mashallah. I agree.
So why are you focussing on people doing adhkaar? even if you think there are better ones to do, surely your time and effort would be better focussed on the drunks and the fornicators rather than making takfir on those that are trying to practice Islam?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
To sister lilly your a good sister, its best you leave this forum and go to another one
To specifically answer your accusation that some say "follow your shaykh, even if it contradicts Islam" - if people say that and mean it literally, they are in the wrong.
However, since you say you have studied Islam for a number of years, you will know that you study fiqh before you study usulul fiqh.
That is, you will study how to do wudu before you will study why it is done that way.
That is standard teaching practice across the whole Islamic world.
You will learn how to pray and then later you may also go on to learn how the scholars used the various ahadith to come to the conclusion of the specific parts of the prayer.
So basically, before the person knows how to figure something out, before they have the knowledge or the understanding, they are still told what to do by the scholar in order to follow the rulings of Islam.
That is not sufism, that is basic teaching that is used by all Muslims, even your teachers.
So before you attack others on this matter, just think if you do the same or not.
When you were taught salaah were you given a book with all the ahadith available on the matter with the chains and the authentications etc and told to figure it out, or were you told that you need intention, wudu, it needs to be the right time etc and so on?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
theirs a big difference between usal al fiqh and the matter aqeeda, if someone was to tell you theirs 6 waqt of salah would you say i dont hve the knowledge so i'll go with it, ofcourse not or if someone was to say you dont have to fast it is optional would you takeit? of course not because when it come sto beliefs the beliefs are set and you do it.
When it comes to usul al fiqh the matter is a completely different issue, first of all in usul al fiqh we know that all the different opinions are in the quran and sunnhah they are backed up by hadith the situation here is which option is the official rulings, such as eid on friday one opinion is to pray the normal jummuah but praying zuhr is a acception and can be done but jummuah is preffered, the other is zuhr is preffered bu jummuah can be done, the final option is their both optional, now if you do a research on this to see which one is the strongest one to follow then youll see al 4 madhabs give strong evidence of the one they picked and believe me to find out which is the strongest for a laymen is impossible, her eyou have to have knowledge at a very high level, in such case you cant just pick one as you wont be picking because you think that opinion is the strongest but your own desire, so here you should do taqleed and follow one of the 4 madhabs or any fiqh of a scholar your following but that scholar has be a master/expert on usul alfiqh, the scenario of madhab is completely different to what nazim said, nazim said if the belief stated is different and you know it is wrong you still do it, in usul al fiqh the imams clearly said if their ruling is wrong then dont follow thei fiqh but throw their fatwa on the wall nad follow the correct thing from quran and sunnah, today we know everything the imams stated is in quran and sunnah just the matter of which is the strongest one or is the official ruling and which is the acception.
and to show you the true usul al fiqh learning i have i'll make a thread on that
First I assume you mean the fardh salaahs and not all the other nawaafil ones, as then there would be way more.
And to answer this specific question, when you were FIRST told about the prayers, did you accept your teachers words that there were five and that they had specific raka'ahs, or did you say "provide me with all the qur'an and sunnah evidence and I will investigate it"?
I assume you accepted your teacher who told you there were 5 fardh prayers and you also accepted the number of raka'ahs that you were taught all without first investigating all the evidences.
In later life you may have got to the stage where you decided to investigate them. Or not.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
define sufism.
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
I would define it as trying to get closer to God by following what is in the qur'an and sunnah.
I think there is a hadith about zuhd and how eg the prophet
returned a shirt because it was so comfortable it was distracting in prayer, how the prophet 
was displeased with a bed/cloth used for sleeping on as it was so comfortable getting up for prayer was made more dificult.
At the same time controlling your food etc to not over eat, not putting yourself in situations where you are praised too much etc and trying to remember God as much as possible.
However mostly, "being a sufi or not" is broken down to how people answer specific questions:
1. "do you think dhikr mehfils are allowed?"
2. "can you do dua for the deceased"
3. "can you ask God to help you for the sake of another, or ask that person directly?"
4. "can you celebrate mawlid"
5. "can someone have knowledge about something without actually learning it physically?"
Now everyone has the same answers to the above, but they answer them with slight differences (except for maybe 4 where sometimes people just to opposing ends with nothing in the middle, but this is rarely the ones with knowledge, but the ones below there).
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
waqt means the time of salah, and last i checked theirs only 5 daily salah which makes it only 5 waqt, sunnah nawfl has nothing to do with anyhting here, fardh sunnah wajib are not waqt.
as for learning salah i was young when i learned how to fo salah, 6 years old to be exact back then i didnt understand all that stuff, so i used to take what he tought me, however when i got older i realised many other islmic things he tought me arent correct and i later didnt do those things because they are wrong, when young we just take things as we get older we learn how to do things our selves and can see the right and wrong.
When i accepted his teachings it was due to my lack of maturity at the time and not having the ability to do research my self or rather the knowledge to do so, but now i am in a level where i can go and look at the evidences my self and compare it to other scholars and see which is right and which isnt, milad un nabi at one point i didnt know what that was so i did a research on it and saw it is undoubtedly wrong, when i researched it i had no idea whether it is haram or halal i did it from a neutral point of view and found the result, if at that time i was to say i dont know so i'll just take what the scholar gives to me then that wouldve been wrong, as my duty is after i ask the schoalr check the evidences myself not just take it like nazim says.
waqt means the time of salah, and last i checked theirs only 5 daily salah which makes it only 5 waqt, sunnah nawfl has nothing to do with anyhting here, fardh sunnah wajib are not waqt.
as for learning salah i was young when i learned how to fo salah, 6 years old to be exact back then i didnt understand all that stuff, so i used to take what he tought me, however when i got older i realised many other islmic things he tought me arent correct and i later didnt do those things because they are wrong, when young we just take things as we get older we learn how to do things our selves and can see the right and wrong.
When i accepted his teachings it was due to my lack of maturity at the time and not having the ability to do research my self or rather the knowledge to do so, but now i am in a level where i can go and look at the evidences my self and compare it to other scholars and see which is right and which isnt, milad un nabi at one point i didnt know what that was so i did a research on it and saw it is undoubtedly wrong, when i researched it i had no idea whether it is haram or halal i did it from a neutral point of view and found the result, if at that time i was to say i dont know so i'll just take what the scholar gives to me then that wouldve been wrong, as my duty is after i ask the schoalr check the evidences myself not just take it like nazim says.
theri are different types of sufis good ones and bad ones red the article below inshallah to get a vetter understanding
the article contains some errors but doesnt affect the main point of the article in anyway
SUFISM: ITS ORIGINS
SUFISM: ITS ORIGINS
Courtesy: Al-Haramain Foundation
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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.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-Hikmah 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)"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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 "wrongdoer," "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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) nor the Salaf, and all hadith which state that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.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 (alaihi salaam) in the name of Muhammad when he sinned; the stories of Khidr; the rising of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) 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 (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), 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.
- Br. Yusuf Hijazi
1 Al Fataawa 11/7
2 Encyclopaedia Britannica
3 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
4 Encyclopaedia Britannica
5 The Fundamentals of Tawheed, Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips
6 S. R. Sharda, Sufi Thought
7 The Naqshbandi Way, pp 12,16
8 Ibn Arabi, al-Fusoos, p.191
9 Hadhihi Hiyas-Soofiyah, p.38
10 The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, p.77
11 The Triadic Heart of Shiva, pp 183-4
12 Angela of Foligno: Complete Works, pp 181-2
13 Encyclopaedia Britannica
14 ibid.
15 Naqshibandi Way
16 Memoirs of the Saints, translated by Dr. Bankley Behari
17 ibid.
18 Encyclopaedia Britannica
19 An unpublished poem from Ibn Arabi's 'Diwan', translated by Dr Austin
20 Stephen Hirtenstein's paper Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi: The Treasure of Compassion
21 Sufis of Andalusia, transl. by R. W. J. Austin, p.23
22 Encyclopaedia Britannica
23 Memoirs of the Saints, p.108
24 ibid.
25 Naqshibandi Way
26 Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmoo' al Fatawaah
27 Encyclopaedia Britannica
28 They recently came to perform in Australia, charging $30 per head. Only the elite went to watch this 90 minute theatrical display.
29 The Islamic World, New Jersey 1991
did you research the sources or did you follow what a scholar said?
(remember that if you are deciding to override the hanafi way, that the books of ahadith were compiled much later - Imam bukhari was a lot, who died like 50 years before the birth of Imam Bukhari and thus ahadith that were present at the time of Imam Abu hanifa may have had their chains of narration broken by the time of Imam Bukhari etc and why you cannot expect Imam abu Hanifa to give evidences from Sahih Bukhari, since it came afterwards).
Have you studied usul ul hadith?
Without that, how could you come to a stage where you could decide on the matters and decide that the teacher was wrong?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Have you read how much respect the classical Muslims gave their teachers?
I don't think you can have read that and still think that the ways have been twisted into the servitude of their teachers.
Have you read how the sahabahs used to kiss the Prophet (saw's) feet? Have you read that when doing wudu, they would not let the drops reach the floor, instead put their hands in the way and use the water for shifaa?
Have you read how the sahabahs were treated by the Tabi'een?
have you read how the big scholars treated their teachers?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
the rrors it contains arent isnad or weak hadith matters, just general errors like getting certain names wrong, like if martin luther king said i have a dream thing and someone says mandela said it by mistake errors like this, but even then the i have a dream speach is true just associated to the wrong person.
And what ahs the scenario of imam bukhari got to do anything with whats going on here? trying to make yourself look knowledgeable or something after all the hammering you got from me?
regarding isnad of hadith a muhadith does that, and even then errors are usually made by scholars theirfore it always gets refined, as imam abu hanifa RH its quite obvious you never read his book on usul al fiqh, he only accepted sahih and famous hadith, all abu hanifa RH hadith were sahih or 99%, evidence of that is kitab al athar, isnad to prove abu haifa RH hadith. and agreed by nearly all major scholars even many salafi scholars.
I know usul al fiqh far better then you can imagine, i have studied under the likes of bilal philips anwar awlaki and many other great scholars
is that all this is about - ego?
Are you really going through all this simply to stroke your own ego and to feel smug and superior?
Let me tell you, that is the wrong reason to discuss things.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
how about showing the hadith of all those to prove what your saying not just stating
how about showing the hadith of all those to prove what your saying not just stating
You're the knowledgeable one and you have found my knowledge wanting before, so I will leave that task to you.
I am sure you will be able to find out the truth or untruth in my words in short order.
There are ahadith mentioning the kissing of hands, the kissing of feet, the getting the drops of water from wudu, the getting of the hairs of the prophet
and even the drinking of the prophet (saw)'s unrine for shifaa.
Now you can go ahead and research this to see if I am telling the truth or not.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
why are we doing this again?
Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Hey man learn how to debate, when i state the false sufi beliefs i give the evidence, your the one whos pointing things out here so show the evidence unless no different to typical sufi stuff its based on a weak fabricated hadith, is that the case again.
i have the answer to all the things you mentioned if i want i can give them now, but before i do give me the evidence you have, show something to prove thigns, if i want i can give the answer to the drops of wudu and the hair i can easily give the refutes now but lets see you get your evidence first.
to sister lilly this must be done to expose the lies and bring out the truth.
This brother cant even prove anything he states, when he gets done he just moves away from the thread knowing his defeat.
what you state had nothing to do with anything we were talking about so why bother typing it, was their a purpose for that
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