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Tassawuf or Sufism Exposed!!

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Abu Mujahid View Drop Down
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    Posted: 18 June 2007 at 12:47am

Tassawuf OR Sufism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sufis refer the idea of ihsaan to their shaykhs and tell their followers to have a picture of their shaykh in mind when they remember Allaah and even when they are praying. Some of them even put a picture of their shaykh in front of them when they are praying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Ihsaan is when you worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.� (Reported by Muslim).

The Sufis allow dancing, drums and musical instruments, and raising the voice when making dhikr, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sufis claim that they can see Allaah in this life, but the Qur�aan shows them to be liars. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):�[Moosa said:] �O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.� Allaah said, �You cannot see Me��� [al-A�raaf 7:143]

The Sufis claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and in a conscious state (as opposed to dreams). So are they better than the Sahaabah??

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

http://www.allaahuakbar.net/sufism/TASSAWUF.HTM

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Angel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 June 2007 at 1:03am
Abu Majahid, do you think you can do a search before posting, Sufism is an entensive topic here at IC
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote aka2x2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 June 2007 at 11:06am

I believe Sufism came about with the Mongols invasion of the Middle-East. Muslims were at the height of their civilization when the Mongol hordes arrived and there was a profound cultural shock from the defeat they suffered from Mongols. In a short time the Mongols laid waste to many Muslim cities and left a path of death and destruction in their wake. Afterwards, some Muslims denounced all material concerns and Sufism became prevalent. The great Sufi poet Rumi came of age in this era. He turned away from the cruel world outside and sought God inside of himself. Muslim literature and philosophy was never the same again.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andalus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 June 2007 at 9:33pm

This is yet another poorly written piece, and I find solice within myslef that for all the work our resdient Mc Jihadi has put into finding his sects polemical pieces, that this the best he could do. This piece does not argue anything, it simply does what their beloved Kitab At-tawhid does, assert, handwave, and move one. The author brings up a few complicated topics, and then simply "asserts" them as wrong and invoke a verse from the Quran, which has nothing to do with the claim.

 

 

Originally posted by Abu Mujahid Abu Mujahid wrote:

Tassawuf OR Sufism

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

This is an attempt at a �non sequitur�, a fallacy that is an attempt to bring to light an issue and present that this issue somehow proves the attempted conclusion

 

The etymology of the word is a hotly contested (mostly �hot� amongst detractors such as wahabis and orientalists) topic that does not have any outcome on the topic of Sufism or tasawuuf. Keep in mind that the Greek sigma in �sophos� is transliterated with the Arabic �seen�, not �saad�, as found in the Arabic �sufi�. Either way, the outcome does not prove the conclusion the author is trying to seek, only to obfuscate the discussion with cheap fodder. To suggest that two words that come from different language families must be the same because they have similar, but not identical pronunciations is just poor scholarship and a sign of desperation.

 A general idea of the time frame when the term (sufi/tasawuuf) and the practice associated with it can be taken from classical texts. In al-Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun states,

�This knowledge is a branch of the sciences of Sacred Law that originated within the Umma. From the first, the way of such people had also been considered the path of truth and guidance by the early Muslim community and its notables, of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), those who were taught by them, and those who came after them.

It basically consists of dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah Most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. This was the general rule among the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the early Muslims, but when involvement in this-worldly things became widespread from the second Islamic century onwards and people became absorbed in worldliness, those devoted to worship came to be called Sufiyya or �People of Tasawwuf� (al-Muqaddima, 467).

In another source, by Ibn al Jawazi, we find mention of the word sufi being related to a �white cloak made of wool (suf). This cloak belonged to Hasan Al Basri ( d 110), an early establisher of Sufism. Notice the date. This information is from the below exert from http://mac.abc.se/home/onesr/f/Sufism%20in%20Islam.htm

�Ibn al-Jawzi wrote a 100-page book on al-Hasan al- Basri's life and manners entitled Adab al-Shaykh al- Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri. In his chapter on al- Hasan in his compendium of the saints entitled Sifat al-Safwa -- based on Abu Nu`aym's Hilyat al-Awliya' -- Ibn al-Jawzi mentions a report that al-Hasan left behind a white cloak (jubba) made of wool (suf) which he had worn exclusively of any other for the past twenty years, winter and summer, and that when he died it was in a state of immaculate beauty, cleanness, and quality.

As to when Sufis formally appeared, then a "terminus ante quem" seems established with Hasan al-Basri (d. 110) and his student `Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd (d. 177) who was the first person to build a Sufi khaniqa or guest-house and school at Abadan on the present-day border of Iran with Iraq.
This is related by the hafiz Abu Nu`aym (d. 430) and confirmed by Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya. Al-Harawi al-Ansari (d. 481) says in his Biographical Layers of the Sufi Masters that the first person to be actually named "al-Sufi" was Abu Hashim al-Sufi (d. 150?), a contemporary of Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 165) who said: If it were not for Abu Hashim al-Sufi I would have never perceived the presence of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy in the self... Among the best of people is the Sufi learned in jurisprudence.�

Al Basri is the earliest user of sufi/tasawuuf, in �al Tusi; al Luma, 42, ��I saw a Sufi circumambulating the Kaaba, and offered him something, but he would not take it, saying, �I have four daniqs; what I have suffices me��. Keep in mind the date he died, and that he personally knew Companions of the Prophet (saw).

It can be well established that tasawuuf was around from very early times, and no one was crying the wahabi mantra, �kufr bid�a shirk dhaif�.

 

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

Now this is funny. As usually, the literature of this sect is intellectually bankrupt. The idiot in this piece makes an issue of a possible questionable source of the etymology of �Sufism�, and now declares that there were early �different� Sufis which were good, which are in contrast to �later� Sufis. This is a desperate attempt to cover �all bases�, even if these �bases� conflict with one another. This internal conflict in thinking is hate engendered delusion.

The next erroneous view in the statement above is, �handwaving�. Handwaving is a term that reflects the idea of someone trying to cause a distraction with hand movements just as they are about to throw out a point without any rational argument for support. When someone wants to use faulty logic, or is too lazy to actually prove their claim, they will simply �assert� a conclusion in a dubious manner, as just happened above.

The author asserts something that was supposedly committed, but fails to define any anything, and then concludes his assertion is correct (the handwaving) by invoking a hadith, which has not been shown to have anything to do with the mysterious actions that have been equivocated with shirk and bidah (I love these mantras! Shirk, bida�, kufr, dhaif, shirk bida� kufr dhaif)

 

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

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

This is simply garbage, the author brings up early Sufis, as opposed to later Sufis, but has failed to contrast them, or use any reliable source to show these different groups and the extant of their differences. This is a really bad argument, and so far it only proves how desperate, deceitful, and manipulative this wahabi sect can be.

1)     Sweeping generalization: associating hearsay of what some who call themselves Sufis say regarding �other are on a false path� does not prove that the Islamic science of �tasawuuf� is invalid, nor does it prove that this is the correct view within the science of �tasawuuf�.

2)     Wahabis have declared themselves to be on the right path while millions of Muslims, past and present, have been ignorant and heretics. This is funny. Pot call the kettle black?

3)     Assertion without proof: The Quran verse was simply �asserted� as being an evidence aginst Sufism, and even if the sweeping generalization was not a fallacy, the author would still comment proof by assertion (a fallacy) because he has failed to argue that Al Noor speaks of a case that is the same as Sufi tariqas. The Quran is about those who split off from the faith, the author has failed to show how a tarqia is equivalent to a group who has split off from the faith.

Quote    

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

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

 

This is a fallacious claim that was instigated by Najdi wahabi, who was unable to grasp the actual claim by Ahl Assunah, and this is probably due to his lack of education and formal training, and to this day, his followers continue to spew this tautological drivel. His own early teacher saw his ignorance and stated,

�O Ibn 'Abdul-Wahhab, I advise you, for the sake of Allah, ta'ala, to hold your tongue regarding the Muslims. If you hear from anyone who asks for help from other than Allah that one has the power to effect things without the Will of Allah, then teach him the right thing about this issue, and show him the proofs which state no one other than Allah brings things from non-existence into existence. The one who rejects that is blasphemous. You have no right to label the majority of the Muslims as blasphemers while you are deviant from the majority of the Muslims. In fact, it is more reasonable to consider the one who deviates from the majority of the Muslims as a blasphemer then to consider the Muslims as a nation as blasphemers--because the deviant one has followed a path other than the path of the believers. In Surat an-Nisa', Ayah 15, Allah said:

Whomever contends with the Messenger after the right path was exposed to him and follows other than the way of the believers, Allah will leave him to whatever he followed and put him in Hell (Jahannam)].� -Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Sulayman al-Kurdi

 

1)     Worshiping others is an act that must encompass the sharing of �divinity� of Allah, with anything or anyone other than Allah. So shirk does mean that one has associated divinity.

2)     An ibadha is an act of worship.

3)     Allah is the causation for one to hear, speak, live, breath, etc, etc. Since Allah is the causation for speaking and hearing, speaking and hearing are not contingent upon a person being alive or in any specified proximity. If you say that a person being dead is the cause of listening and speaking, then you have committed shirk as you have given a �causer� other than God.

4)     The majority of Ahl Asunnah believes that the dead can hear. Believing that the dead can hear is not an act of ibadha or sharing in any divine attributes with Allah. Proving that the dead can hear goes beyond the scope of what I require to make a point, and for the sake of argument, I simply invoke this idea that has been believed by the vast majority of scholars derived from the Quran and Sunnah.

5)      The majority of believers have understood that some are closer to God than others. a) asking a friend whom you feel is pious to make dua for you does not share divinity. b) awliya are those who are not prophets, but are considered to be close to Allah, such that one may use them to get closer to God, through being in their presence, or asking them to ask Allah to help you or fulfill a certain need. C) prophets are ranked even higher than awliya in terms of piety and closeness to Allah. Again, using them to gain �figuratively speaking� a spiritual proximity to Allah is not sharing divinity. Intercession is simply a deeper idea of someone close to God making a plea to God to help another beliver.

Conclusion: Whether a person who is an awliya or prophet is dead or alive is irrelevant, as hearing is caused by Allah. Even if you believe that the dead canot hear, this still does not prove that �shirk� has occurred because no sharing of any divine attribute has been committed. The problem is not that Muslims may visit graves, the problem is not that a Muslim may seek intercession from Saints and Prophets, the problem is that wahabu najdi was not intelligent to grasp the actual issue, and his thuggish followers were unable to determine between right and wrong.

Proofs of Intercession:

 THE HADITH OF THE BLIND MAN

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Tirmidhi relates, through his chain of narrators from 'Uthman ibn Hunayf, that a blind man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and said,

"I've been afflicted in my eyesight, so please pray to Allah for me." The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Go make ablution (wudu), perform two rak'as of prayer, and then say:

"Oh Allah, I ask You and turn to You through my Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight [and in another version: "for my need, that it may be fulfilled. O Allah, grant him intercession for me"]."

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) added, "And if there is some need, do the same."

 Sheikh Keller comments, �"The hadith explicitly proves the validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a living intermediary, as the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was alive at the time. The author of the article holds that the hadith implicitly shows the validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a deceased intermediary as well, since:

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told the blind man to go perform ablution (wudu) pray two rak'as, and then make the supplication containing the words, "O Muhammad, I seek your intercession with my Lord for the return of my eyesight," which is a call upon somebody physically absent, a state of which the living and the dead are alike.

Supplicating Allah (tawassul) through a living or deceased intermediary is, in the author's words, "not tawassul through a physical body, or through a life or death, but rather through the positive meaning attached to the person in both life and death, for the body is but the vehicle that carries that significance.

And perhaps the most telling reason, though the author does not mention it, is that everything the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered to be done during his lifetime was "legislation" valid for all generations until the end of time unless proven otherwise by a subsequent indication from the Prophet himself (Allah bless him and grant him peace), the tawassul he taught during his lifetime not requiring anything else to be generalized to any time thereafter. ".....

will cont insha'allah

A feeling of discouragement when you slip up is a sure sign that you put your faith in deeds. -Ibn 'Ata'llah
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THE HADITH OF THE MAN IN NEED

Moreover, Tabarani, in his "al-Mu'jam al saghir", reports a hadith from 'Uthman ibn Hunayf that a man repeatedly visited Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him) concerning something he needed, but Uthman paid no attention to him or his need.

The man met Ibn Hunayf and complained to him about the matter - this being after the death (wisal) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and after the caliphates of Abu Bakr and Umar - so Uthman ibn Hunayf, who was one of the Companions who collected hadiths and was learned in the religion of Allah, said:

"Go to the place of ablution and perform ablution (wudu), then come to the mosque, perform two rak'as of prayer therein, and say:

'O Allah, I ask You and turn to You through our Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of mercy; O Muhammad (Ya Muhammad), I turn through you to my Lord, that He may fulfill my need,'

and mention your need. Then come so that I can go with you [to the caliph Uthman]."

So the man left and did as he had been told, then went to the door of Uthman ibn Affan (Allah be pleased with him), and the doorman came, took him by the hand, brought him to Uthman ibn Affan, and seated him next to him on a cushion.

'Uthman asked, "What do you need?" and the man mentioned what he wanted, and Uthman accomplished it for him, then he said, "I hadn't remembered your need until just now," adding, "Whenever you need something, just mention it."

Then, the man departed, met Uthman ibn Hunayf, and said to him, "May Allah reward you! He didn't see to my need or pay any attention to me until you spoke with him."

Uthman ibn Hunayf replied, "By Allah, I didn't speak to him, but I have seen a blind man come to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and complain to him of the loss of his eyesight. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Can you not bear it?' and the man replied, 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not have anyone to lead me around, and it is a great hardship for me.' The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told him, 'Go to the place of ablution and perform ablution (wudu), then pray two rak'as of prayer and make the supplications.'"

Ibn Hunayf went on, "By Allah, we didn't part company or speak long before the man returned to us as if nothing had ever been wrong with him.""



"This is an explicit, unequivocal text from a prophetic Companion proving the legal validity of tawassul through the dead. The account has been classified as rigously authenticated (SAHIH) by Baihaqi, Mundhiri, and Haythami."



Regarding the authenticity of this Hadith Shaykh Nuh Keller mentions:


"The authenticity of Tabarani's hadith of the man in need during the caliphate of Uthman (Allah be well pleased with him) is not discussed by the article in detail, but deserves consideration,
since the hadith explicitly proves the legal validity of supplicating Allah (tawassul) through the deceased, for 'Uthman ibn Hunayf and indeed all the prophetic Companions, by scholarly consensus (ijma'), were legally upright ('udul), and are above being impugned with teaching someone an act of disobedience, much less idolatory (shirk).

The hadith is rigorously authenticated (sahih), as Tabarani explicitly states in his "al-Mu'jam al-saghir." The translator (Nuh Ha Mim Keller), wishing to verify the matter further, to the hadith with its chain of narrators to hadith specialist Sheikh Shu'ayb Arna'ut, who after examining it, agreed that it was rigorously authenticated (sahih) as Tabarani indicated, a judgement which was also confirmed to the translator by the Morrocan hadith specialist Sheikh 'Abdullah Muhammad Ghimari, who characterized the hadith as "very rigorously authenticated," and noted that hadith masters Haythami and Mundhiri had explicitly concurred with Tabarani on its being rigorously authenticated (sahih).

The upshot is that the recommendedness of tawassul to Allah Most High - through the living or the dead - is the position of the Shafi'i school, which is why both our author Ibn Naqib Al-Misri, and Imam Nawawi in his "Al-Adhkar (281-282)", and "al-Majmu" explicitly record that "tawassul" through the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and asking his intercession are recommended."

NARRATION OF MALIK AL-DAR

Imam al-Bayhaqi relates with a sound (sahih) chain:

It is related from Malik al-Dar, `Umar's treasurer, that the people suffered a drought during the successorship of `Umar, whereupon a man came to the grave of the Prophet and said:

"O Messenger of Allah, ask for rain for your Community, for verily they have but perished," after which the Prophet appeared to him in a dream and told him: "Go to `Umar and give him my greeting, then tell him that they will be watered. Tell him: You must be clever, you must be clever!"

The man went and told `Umar. The latter said: "O my Lord, I spare no effort except in what escapes my power!""

Ibn Hajr and Ibn Kathir have both authenticated the isnaad and declare it sahih.

 

AFTER THE DEATH OF FATIMA [DAUGHTER OF ASAD]

�� ��� �� ���� ����:� ��� ���� ����� ��� ��� �� ���� �� ��� ��� ���� ����� ��� ����� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ��� ����� �����:� �"����� ���� �� ���� ��� ��� ��� ���� ������ ��������� ������ �������� ������� ���� ����� ��������� ������ ���� ��� ���� ������ �������"��.� �� ��� �� ���� ������ ���� ��� ����� ���� ��� ������� ���� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� �� ��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ����� ������� ���� ������ ���� ���� �� ��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ����� �� ��� ���� ���� �������� ���� �� ������ ������� ���� ������ ������ ����ǡ ���� ����� ����� ���� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ���� ����� ����� ���� ���� ��� ��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ���� ���� ������ ��� �����:� �"����� ���� ���� ����ʡ ��� �� �� ���ʡ ���� ���� ����� ��� ��ϡ ������ ����ǡ ������ ����� ������ ��� ���� ��������� ����� �� ���� ���� ���� ���������"��.� ���� ����� ������ �������� ����� �� ������� ���� ��� ������ ��� ���� �����


Anas Ibn Malik Ibn Al-Nadr (radiallahu anhu) reported that when Fatimah the daughter of Assad died, who took care of the Messenger of Allah during the years he spent at his Uncle's home, and she was the mother of Ali bin Abi Talib, he entered her home and sat close to her head and said: May Allah have mercy on you O mother after my mother, and he praised her, and offered his garment to cover her body with it in the grave and ordered to dig a tomb for her. He also dug the tomb and took out the soil by his own hands and then laid down in it and then said: Allah who gives life and takes it and He lives and dies not. Forgive my mother Fatimah the daughter of Asad and grant her ease at her entryway through the right of Your Prophet and the Prophets before me for You are the most compassionate.

There is much more as far as proof from the narrations. The point is that these hadiths and my explanation clearly show that using an intermediary to supplicate for some need to God is permissible, and whether they are close in proximity or dead or alive is irrelevant. Calling out to the Messenger or prophets or awliya is no different than what has been proven here. For more info, I took this from:

http://hadithproofsfortawassul.blogspot.com/2005/11/hadith-p roofs-for-tawassul.html

Quote

 

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

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

More �proof by assertion�. This ignoramus has asserted that Sufis do �such and such� thing, but has failed to actually �argue� that Sufis do �such and such� thing. And yet another empty, meaningless assertion.

 

 

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

Another ignorant statement, drivel bereft of any scholarship.

 In the terminology of the Soofis, Wahdatul Wujood means to believe that all the Mawjoodaat (things present around us) are an indication of Allah�s presence and to believe that everything besides Allah is subjective.

 http://islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=8075

Another explanation of this concept is below�

Taken from the article by Umm Sahl on:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/masud/...isc/nabulsi.htm


Wahdat al-Wujud


The first issue that we'll look at, inshallah, is the "doctrine of the unity of existence (wahdat al-wujud)". I would rather translate this as "oneness of being" as I believe this more accurately represents what is meant by this concept. Akram wrote the following after translating one of the poems of Sheikh `Abd al-Ghani from his Diwan al-Haqa'iq (Collected Poems of Higher Spiritual Realities), "Notice the doctrine of "unity of existence (wahdat al-wujud)", which is to believe that the existence of all things is one and that existence itself is Allah. Exalted is Allah Most High above their Satanic heresy". Akram has made the common mistake of taking this concept of "oneness of being" in its ostensive sense, as would be expected, as this is what comes to mind from the literal meaning of the words and he hasn't been exposed to any other definition.

In order to understand this concept we will first have to look at how existence is defined by the Imams of tenets of faith (`aqida). In the Ahl al-Sunna schools of `aqida existence or being is divided into three categories. The first is necessarily existent (wajib al-wujud), which defines the existence of Allah Most High. Allah Most High exists independently through Himself and His existence is necessary for the existence of all other things. None of His creation share in His existence. It is to this category of being that the Sufis are referring when they say "oneness of being (wahdat al-wujud)". The second category is contingent existence (al-wujud al-mumkin). This defines the existence of created things that may or may not exist. Created things have no independent being and their existence is not necessary. Allah Most High brought them into being through His will, power and knowledge and if He willed they would have no existence. Creation only exists through Him giving it being, so in this sense it exists through Him, but doesn't share in His independent, necessary being. The third category is impossible being (mustahil al-wujud), which includes the existence of a co-sharer in Allah's entity, attributes or actions, which is impossible both according to revelation and the intellect.

If the difference between necessary existence (wajib al-wujud) and contingent existence (mumkin al-wujud) is clearly understood, then a lot of difficulty in Sufi literature is explained. When the Sufis such as `Abd al-Ghani refer to "oneness of being", they are referring to the existence of Allah Most High. Creation is not what is intended. Created things have no being in themselves in the sense that the movement of a puppet points to the presence of the puppeteer, or a shadow that something is making the shadow. If the puppeteer stopped pulling the strings the puppets being would come to an end. Is the puppet the same as the puppeteer and share in his existence? No. Could the puppet exist without the existence of the puppeteer? No. Does the puppet have a true existence that is in any way parallel to or comparable to the existence of the puppeteer? No. If not that Allah created us and sustains every moment of our life, we would have no life. Does this mean that we are Allah? Certainly not. Is our existence independent of Allah? No. Does our appearance of being in any way resemble the independent being of Allah Most High? No.

That what Sheikh `Abd al-Ghani meant when referring to "oneness of being" was the necessary existence of Allah and not creation is verified in the following poems also taken from the Diwan al-Haqa'iq. On page 44:

The Oneness of Being that we maintain is none other than
the Oneness of the Truth (al-Haqq), so understand what we say,
The Oneness of Allah, the sole Unity, which the pre-eminent
luminaries have witnessed,

And there is no difference with us, O ignoramus, whether we say
"Being (wujud)" or "The Truth (al-Haqq)",

Don't imagine that the Being (wujud) that we mention is
creation according to us.

Also, in vol.1, Page 22:
Truly, Being is unseen by eyes,
In respect to what the beholder sees;
Eyes perceive nothing of it besides "what is besides",
Namely, contingent things, a collection of shadows;

A shadow but shows that there is something standing,
That controls it, beyond any doubt;

So beware of thinking that what you perceive
Is that Being: be one of those who know;

For all of what you perceive is but what "is there (al-mawjud)",
Not this True Being, He of Glorious Signs;

Of a certainty, Being is completely debarred from you,
In its majesty, elevation, and exaltedness;

For all you see is contingent and perishable,
and you too, are bound to perish.

It should be obvious that Sheikh `Abd al-Ghani was not a pantheist and I think that if Akram had not been hasty, but rather made an objective investigation, he would have reached the same conclusion and absolved himself the responsibility of accusing a Muslim of a doctrine that has no resemblance to that Muslim's belief.

 

I think your companions should learn a topic and have education in that background before �loosely� accusing many Muslims as �kafir�. Takfir seems to be overly relied upon to deal with topics outside of their intellectual abilities.

 

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

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

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

Once more a �sweeping generalization� based upon a lie, an erroneous fabrication without any examples or even showing any source that verifies this silly claim. You will not find a single sufi source that advocates permanent asceticism. Jihad is within the realm of the shariah, if someone claims to be outside the realm of the shairah, then they are not a sufi.

And these louts wonder why, after multi millions in oil money spent on their missionary works, has failed to produce anything close to their expectations.

By the way, there have been many Sufis who went out and fought. The History of Islam is filled with their works. Not like the �Mc Jidhadis� such as yourself who talk a good talk but would rather sit behind a key board and insult Muslims than actually practice what they believe! You are indeed a brave jihadist, or should I say, Mc Jihadi!

  

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The Sufis refer the idea of ihsaan to their shaykhs and tell their followers to have a picture of their shaykh in mind when they remember Allaah and even when they are praying. Some of them even put a picture of their shaykh in front of them when they are praying. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: �Ihsaan is when you worship Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.� (Reported by Muslim).

This is simply juvenile. No examples, no sources to show these beliefs are central and held by Sufis, or that Sufism actually teaches this. Just a baseless assertion.

 

 

 

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The Sufis allow dancing, drums and musical instruments, and raising the voice when making dhikr, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

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

This has an unproven, unargued assumption buried in its premise.

1)     prove that dancing, drums, and musical instruments that is allowed in Sufism is outside the folds of the shariah.

2)     Prove that loud dhirk is prohibited by the shariah

So yet another baseless assertion with no use of facts or arguments. All talk. Just like our resident Mc Jihadist!

Will cont inshallah

 

A feeling of discouragement when you slip up is a sure sign that you put your faith in deeds. -Ibn 'Ata'llah
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andalus Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 June 2007 at 9:42pm
Originally posted by aka2x2 aka2x2 wrote:

I believe Sufism came about with the Mongols invasion of the Middle-East. Muslims were at the height of their civilization when the Mongol hordes arrived and there was a profound cultural shock from the defeat they suffered from Mongols. In a short time the Mongols laid waste to many Muslim cities and left a path of death and destruction in their wake. Afterwards, some Muslims denounced all material concerns and Sufism became prevalent. The great Sufi poet Rumi came of age in this era. He turned away from the cruel world outside and sought God inside of himself. Muslim literature and philosophy was never the same again.

Assalam Aleikum.

A general idea of the time frame when the term (sufi/tasawuuf) and the practice associated with it can be taken from classical texts. In al-Muqaddima, Ibn Khaldun states,

�This knowledge is a branch of the sciences of Sacred Law that originated within the Umma. From the first, the way of such people had also been considered the path of truth and guidance by the early Muslim community and its notables, of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), those who were taught by them, and those who came after them.

It basically consists of dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah Most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. This was the general rule among the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the early Muslims, but when involvement in this-worldly things became widespread from the second Islamic century onwards and people became absorbed in worldliness, those devoted to worship came to be called Sufiyya or �People of Tasawwuf� (al-Muqaddima, 467).

In another source, by Ibn al Jawazi, we find mention of the word sufi being related to a �white cloak made of wool (suf). This cloak belonged to Hasan Al Basri ( d 110), an early establisher of Sufism. Notice the date. This information is from the below exert from http://mac.abc.se/home/onesr/f/Sufism%20in%20Islam.htm

�Ibn al-Jawzi wrote a 100-page book on al-Hasan al- Basri's life and manners entitled Adab al-Shaykh al- Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri. In his chapter on al- Hasan in his compendium of the saints entitled Sifat al-Safwa -- based on Abu Nu`aym's Hilyat al-Awliya' -- Ibn al-Jawzi mentions a report that al-Hasan left behind a white cloak (jubba) made of wool (suf) which he had worn exclusively of any other for the past twenty years, winter and summer, and that when he died it was in a state of immaculate beauty, cleanness, and quality.

As to when Sufis formally appeared, then a "terminus ante quem" seems established with Hasan al-Basri (d. 110) and his student `Abd al-Wahid ibn Zayd (d. 177) who was the first person to build a Sufi khaniqa or guest-house and school at Abadan on the present-day border of Iran with Iraq.
This is related by the hafiz Abu Nu`aym (d. 430) and confirmed by Ahmad Ibn Taymiyya. Al-Harawi al-Ansari (d. 481) says in his Biographical Layers of the Sufi Masters that the first person to be actually named "al-Sufi" was Abu Hashim al-Sufi (d. 150?), a contemporary of Imam Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 165) who said: If it were not for Abu Hashim al-Sufi I would have never perceived the presence of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy in the self... Among the best of people is the Sufi learned in jurisprudence.�

Al Basri is the earliest user of sufi/tasawuuf, in �al Tusi; al Luma, 42, ��I saw a Sufi circumambulating the Kaaba, and offered him something, but he would not take it, saying, �I have four daniqs; what I have suffices me��. Keep in mind the date he died, and that he personally knew Companions of the Prophet (saw).

It can be well established that tasawuuf was around from very early times, and no one was crying the wahabi mantra, �kufr bid�a shirk dhaif�.

A feeling of discouragement when you slip up is a sure sign that you put your faith in deeds. -Ibn 'Ata'llah
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rami Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 June 2007 at 5:15am
Bi imillahir rahmanir raheem

Aby Mujahid how can you believe an article [and site] which has no author, this is typical of people who dont care who they are taking there deen from.
Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote minuteman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 June 2007 at 8:28am

 

 I do not believe AbuMujahid and his presented article.It is full of fallacy. There were people called "as haab as suffah" in the time of the holy prophet s.a.w.s. The Wahhabis deny the Dhikar Majalis. But Dhikar is very important. I believe that hazrat Abu Hurairah was a great Sufi who used to be present on the door step of the prophet s.a.w.s. ready to pick up any word from the prophet s.a.w.s.

Because of that he had to suffer lot of hunger too. Many times he went without food for days. I can tell a few more things about him.

The Wahhabis want to wield the rod of Shariyah every where as some did in Afghanistan, beating people to go for prayers etc. The most important point that the Wahhabis forget is that the religion of Islam had come out of a Cave (Hira). What was the prophet s.a.w.s. doing there in that Cave in those days??? There is no harm in remembering Allah in various ways.

Sufis were instrumental in spreading the Deen in India and Mid Asia. Sufis established the religion. But the Kings took advantage of it. And the Wahhabi type of people started beating people under the power of the kings and made many people run away from religion, such as Sikhs in India.

 

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